Taaîfung

I was having breakfast with my son, Ryan this morning and he asked me about my business trip to Manila and whether it is the first time that I seen a typhoon? What is a typhoon? I took the opportunity to share with him an interesting fact about typhoon.

The modern form of typhoon was influenced by a borrowing from the Cantonese variety of Chinese, namely the word taaîfung, and respelled to make it look more like Greek. Taaîfung, meaning literally "great wind," was coincidentally similar to the Arabic borrowing and is first recorded in English guise as tuffoon in 1699. The various forms coalesced and finally became typhoon.

Yes, it is the first time for me to witness the massive Typhoon Concon that hit the capital city of The Philippines, Manila on Tuesday, 13^th July, 2010. I was supposed to fly back to Malaysia together with more than 100 business associates of mine from Malaysia, Singapore, UK and Hong Kong. Our flight was postponed due to the typhoon for safety reason.

It is terrifying to witness how the typhoon can hit the city with wind gusting at 120 kilometers per hour causing major traffic jams, aeroplanes grounded and widespread blackouts. It is sad to read the news that the typhoon killed at least 20 people and sixty others were reported missing.

We were all very safe inside the beautiful Heritage Hotel. While I was at the coffee house lounge looking through the glass windows and my heart just felt for the many poor street kids that do not have a home and shelter. Flimsy slum homes were swept away entirely, along with their inhabitants. Those who were left behind have had to scavenge for materials to build new shelters the very next day. Some fishermen went missing and fearing death after their boat capsized off the coast.

Picture showing residents repair their damaged shanty houses along the
coastal road in Paranaque, outside Manila, Philippines, on Wednesday.

Joining thousands of Filipino to pray for the safety of their love ones the assurance of Psalm 9:18 came to me. "For the needy shall not always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever."

Imagine, this is 1 of the 20 or so typhoons sweeping through the country every year, killing hundreds of people. We are all so blessed that we do not have to live in fear because of the typhoons. For the Filipinos who have to face the typhoons, we pray that they will be strong in overcoming the circumstances and challenges.

People Who Did Not Give Up

Here's are some of the great people who did not give up in what they believe in. Hopefully their stories can served as an inspiration and to provide some encouragement in times when your dreams seem out of reach and you started to have doubts in yourself.

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was "sub-normal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams." He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. He did eventually learn to speak and read. Even to do a little math.

As a young man, Abraham Lincoln went to war a captain and returned a private. Afterwards, he was a failure as a businessman. As a lawyer in Springfield, he was too impractical and temperamental to be a success. He turned to politics and was defeated in his first try for the legislature, again defeated in his first attempt to be nominated for congress, defeated in his application to be commissioner of the General Land Office, defeated in the senatorial election of 1854, defeated in his efforts for the vice-presidency in 1856, and defeated in the senatorial election of 1858. At about that time, he wrote in a letter to a friend, "I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth."

Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him "hopeless as a composer." And, of course, you know that he wrote five of his greatest symphonies while completely deaf.

When Bell telephone was struggling to get started, its owners offered all their rights to Western Union for $100,000. The offer was disdainfully rejected with the pronouncement, "What use could this company make of an electrical toy."

After Harrison Ford's first performance as a hotel bellhop in the film Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round, the studio vice-president called him in to his office. "Sit down kid," the studio head said, "I want to tell you a story. The first time Tony Curtis was ever in a movie he delivered a bag of groceries. We took one look at him and knew he was a movie star." Ford replied, "I thought you were spossed to think that he was a grocery delivery boy." The vice president dismissed Ford with "You ain't got it kid , you ain't got it ... now get out of here."

Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.

Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry.

Michael Jordan and Bob Cousy were each cut from their high school basketball teams. Jordan once observed, "I've failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed."

A Paris art dealer refused Picasso shelter when he asked if he could bring in his paintings from out of the rain. One hopes that there is justice in this world and that the art dealer eventually went broke.

Thomas Edison's teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."

Van Gogh sold only one painting during his life. And this to the sister of one of his friends for 400 francs (approximately $50). This didn't stop him from completing over 800 paintings.

An expert said of Vince Lombardi: "He possesses minimal football knowledge and lacks motivation." Lombardi would later write, "It's not whether you getknocked down; it's whether you get back up."

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. In fact, the proposed park was rejected by the city of Anaheim on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.

Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the age of 62. He later wrote, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up."

Be Inspired and Start to Dream Big Dreams again.

Never Give Up

Dreaming is Fun! It is easy to dream. The harder part is how to keep your dreams alive. Do you have a dream that you have already given up or you are close to giving up?

Before you make any decision to quit pursuing on your dreams that you could regret down the road, take a few minutes to be inspired by the Success Story of Paul Potts.

Paul Potts was born in Bristol, England on October 13, 1970. He had always liked opera and always had the desire to be an opera singer. A victim of bullying, he experienced a difficult time during school, causing him to grow up with little confidence. But his interest remained and he practiced his passion secretly – up until 1999, when he decided it was time to make his stand. Dressing up as Luciano Pavarotti, Paul actually got up on stage during a karaoke competition and sang opera. He was somewhat discovered that night and went on to sing opera, unpaid, for a few opera companies until his hopes were dash yet again by a series of illnesses, followed by a serious injury sustained in a bicycle accident.

Paul Potts then went to work for Bridgend Carphone Warehouse where he worked at a routine job as a mobile phone salesman. In 2003, he married a young woman that he had met in an Internet chat room. All the while, he kept his opera singing passion and desires secretly alive.

Then on June 7, 2007, it all changed once again for Paul Potts. He decided to throw himself into the mix for a new Simon Cowell talent show called Britain’s Got Talent, and to the astonishment of everyone connected with the show, he wowed the audience with a beautiful rendition of Nessun Dorma.

Paul Potts continued to impress beyond all expectations and was declared the winner of the first-ever Britain’s Got Talent competition. Creator Simon Cowell instantly signed Potts to a recording contract. The resulting album – called One Chance, zoomed to the top of the classical/opera recording charts everywhere from Australia to Norway.

His stunning voice, his astounding vocal range (for someone untrained except for a few lessons he had in Italy that he paid for out of his own savings), matched with his very human story, has made Paul Potts the subject of interest in magazines to television shows the world over. But the question that is asked of all reality show winners – whether or not this is a manufactured, flash-in-the-pan bit of success or real, sustainable talent – is not being asked of Paul Potts. His voice and ability make that question completely unnecessary.

Success is a journey, not a destination. In your journey to pursue your dreams do not be threaten by circumstances and obstacles along the way that are going to slow you down towards realizing your dreams. Beware of dream stealers who are going to steal your dreams.

Never Give Up in believing in yourself. You are destined for greatness and your best is yet to come!

Happy 79th Birthday, Jim Rohn

There are many peoples who have influenced and impacted my life positively over the years. One of them who had made a significant impact in my life is Jim Rohn, a world renowned business philosopher who challenged me to work hard on myself to earn a fortune.

This is what Jim Rohn once said, “If you work hard on your job you can make a living, If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortune”

Jim Rohn will celebrate his 79^th birthday on Thursday, 17^th September, 2009. Jim Rohn had touched millions of people around the world in his more than 40 years of teaching the principles of personal achievement and success.

Together with millions of people around the world, I wish Jim Rohn, Greatness and a Blessed Birthday!

Below is one of the articles by Jim Rohn that encourages me to stop looking at others who live the good life, wishing that I was as well and begin to commit to my improvement, develop a plan and act on it. The title of the article is Let It Be You!.

Each and every day, there are people all around the country and world who are living their dreams. Millionaires are made every day. Families are experiencing tremendous relationships. People are becoming more and more healthy. Lifelong learners are growing intellectually and improving their chances for success.

The fact is, living the life of your dreams is possible. People prove that every day. Someone somewhere is going to get rich, get healthy and improve their life. My recommendation is this: Let it be you.

Have you ever wanted to make more money? Have you ever looked at someone who has money and wished it could be you? People think about getting wealthy all the time, when only a small percentage actually do. But any of the masses could. Someone is going to start a business. Someone is going to make a great investment. Someone is going to begin the journey to great wealth. So why not let it be you?

Someone is going to decide to improve their relationships. Someone is going to enjoy love with their family. Someone is going to schedule some meaningful time with their friends. So why not let it be you?

Someone is going to go back to school to improve their life. Someone is going to become a lifelong learner. Someone is going to set a goal to read a book or listen to a CD each week for the next year. So why not let it be you?

Someone is going to look in the mirror and see that they need to lose a little weight and make the decision to become healthy. Someone will run their first marathon. Someone will join an aerobics class and improve their health. Why not let it be you?

I think that by now you get the point: Everyday people are improving their lives. Whether you do or don’t doesn’t matter to those who do. They are going to do it, regardless. It is simply a matter of a decision being made. Let that person be you!

You may be asking, “OK, Jim, but how?’ Well, let’s cover the very simple actions.

The first and most important thing to do is to make a commitment to work on yourself. Are you going to improve or stay the same? No matter what you have achieved, you are at a certain point right now. What you have achieved in the past is fine, but it doesn’t make a difference for the future. The decision about what you will become is made each and every day. Each day, someone is making the decision to better himself. Let that person be you!

The second is to make a plan. Once you have decided to become better, you will have to have a plan. It doesn’t have to be a long, intricate plan. It can be simple. Save a dollar a day. Walk a mile a day. Read an article a day. It’s a simple plan with achievable goals. Someone is going to develop a plan that will take them into the future of their dreams. Let it be you!

The third is to begin to act. All of the great ideas, without action, become stale and useless. The key to turning dreams into reality is action. People who have great ideas are a dime a dozen. People who act on their dreams and ideas are the select few, but they are the ones who gain the health, wealth and wisdom that is available. Someone will act today. Let it be you.

Remember what Jim Rohn shared, “Stop looking at others who live the good life, wishing that you were as well, and begin to commit to your improvement, develop a plan and act on it. Someone is going to. Let it be you!”

Be the Best you Can be…

Are you realizing your dreams?

Elaine Paige (left) & Susan Boyle (right)

Do you have dreams?

A lot of people do not have the courage to pursue their dreams. They fear that people will laugh and ridicule them if the failed to realize their dreams.

Bill Cosby said, “In order to Succeed, your Desire for Success should be Greater than your Fear of Failure!”

Susan Boyle Success Story...
Susan Boyle is an unemployed, 47-years-old from a small town in Scotland. She had never been married, lives alone with a ten year old cat in a council home and she do not dressed like a star.

Susan Boyle had a dream… when she stepped up on to the stage of Britain’s Got Talent to sing the song, “I dreamed, a Dream” from Les Miserables, she declared publicly that she wants to be famous and to be like Elaine Paige. Everyone laughed at her!

But when Susan Boyle opened her mouth and sang the song, “I Dreamed a Dream” the world were caught up with her voice and fell in love with her instantly. Susan Boyle has taught the world a great lesson from the show, not to judge anyone based on their outward appearance but to look within the person their fullest potential.

The audience rose in within seconds to applaud her incredible voice as the celebrity judges were stunned and starred attentively on her performance in amazement.

Susan Boyle created a magical moment from that event onwards and moves millions of people around the world to think differently about themselves and their journey towards realizing their dreams.

Watch the magical moment that changed the life of Susan Boyle and millions out there that had watched her on Youtube. I was deeply moved by her talent, success and unwavering belief in herself.

The video below was viewed by more than 25 million viewer world wide and the figures are increasing! Susan Boyle is really making a big difference in the life of millions through her performance.



This is what judge Piers Morgan has to say about Susan Boyle:
“Without a doubt that was the biggest surprise I have had in three years on the show. When you stood there with that cheeky grin and said, ‘I wanna be like Elaine Paige’, everyone was laughing at you. No one is laughing now. That was stunning, an incredible performance. Amazing. I’m reeling from shock.”


Feedback from judge Amanda Holden:
“I am so thrilled because I know that everybody was against you. I honesty think that we were all being very cynical and I think that's the biggest wake up call ever. And I just want to say that it was a complete privilege listening to that."


Lessons that we all can learn from Susan Boyle…
Susan has gone through a lot in her life. She lives in her childhood home in West Lothian, Scotland. She cared for her mother until her mom died in 2006 at the age of 91 and her father passed away 10 years before. Unfortunately for her, her struggling journey started from the day she was born.

She was starved of oxygen at birth and has a learning disability because of the accident. It didn’t get any better for her when she began going to school. She was looked down by other pupils, laughed at and bullied. Susan Boyle says, she was abused and teased by classmates, and the scars of their comments remain to this day!

When she walked across the streets where she lives, she saw some of the guys she went to school with. They have moved on with their lives, they are married, have children and there wasn’t any progression or success with her life. Susan Boyle believes she was talented. She was told by her mom that she was supposed to apply to one of these TV reality shows and was assured by her mom that she would win if she goes up there.

Susan Boyles gathered enough courage a few years later after her moms passing and we saw her on stage at Britain’s Got Talent. She revealed to the world her amazing talent and her world instantly changed!

Dream Big Dreams! Do not be afraid to dream again. It does not really matter what other people may think, feel or say about your dreams. They may ridicule or laugh at your dreams.

What matter most is that you have to have the courage, determination, perseverance, faith and believes in yourself to realize your dreams and goals.

Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Make your Dreams come true...