Stay Focussed and Persist - Life's Story to Achieving Something

                                              Tomorrow's leaders : Noel, Alex and another Cousin

During the course of this week, as I challenge my mind and body to run and get conditioned, I am basically following the steps to achieving things :

1. Set a goal, the more ridiculous or difficult, the greater the allure or attraction
2. Tell everyone about it ; So that when the time comes, you either back down and lose face or your do it
3. Set about doing the goal, break it down to smaller goals so that you can slowly move it forward
4. Maintain a attitude ; STAY FOCUSSED, PERSIST. This is the key to achieving anything
5. Take the knocks or setbacks with a sense of the whole objective in mind. Say, this pain is only temporary, the achievement or satisfaction which comes ultimately is yours from then on
6. DO IT WITH NO FEAR OF FAILURE, OR GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

Do it now ! Time is running fast away.

Long Live Rock and Roll

Chuck Berry doing his classic Johnny B. Goode. Rolling Stone Magazine, the most influential rock and roll magazine of the last 50 years, ranked this song as No. 1.

The new kids nowadays, they know nothin'. Justin Beiber and company, you are not even in the same league as these legends. Long may they live.

Johnny B. Goode - Back to the Future

This clip is taken from Back to the Future which features a classic Rock and Roll song, Johnny B. Goode.
First popularised by Chuck Berry in the '50s and early 60's this song features a young Michael J. Fox and his acting is superb. Unfortunately he was struck by Parkinson's disease at a relatively young age and his acting career slowed down after the 3 films were done. Fortunately, he has made a comeback in the last 10 years with his Michael J. Fox Foundation and has been the spokesperson to tackle head on this disease. I must say he is a real life hero with a never say die attitude.

Enjoy this clip.

Just a Dream Cover ; Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie.

Remembering Palm Sunday

                                  Source :    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Sunday

                                                       Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem

    Today is the Sunday before Good Friday, in the bible, this is known as Palm Sunday. For those not acquainted with the story, this is the Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, and was greeted by all the townspeople waving palms. Many people lay down their cloaks and palms for his donkey to ride across. He was given a King's welcome, although many in the high positions (under the Roman empire) were unhappy that the unofficial 'King of the Jews' was here and highly visible. Egypt and Palestine at that time was conquered by the Romans, and the consul was a general called Pontius Pilate.

    The donkey in Eastern culture is symbolic of peace and attests to the fact that Jesus was a peaceful King.

    In churches all over the world, the palm is given out as a symbol of this day. In 5 days' time, on Good Friday, Jesus was hung on the cross some 2011 years ago.  He resurrected or came back to life after 3 days and that is called Easter - that is why many Christians celebrate the Easter holiday with attending church and Mass.

Why are we here and not there ?

My father Geoffrey (extreme right) with my grandparents, Aruputhan Abisheganaden (grandfather) and the missionary Pastor who converted the family to Christianity 

                                                
                                                             My father's niche

Some 14 years ago, my then business partner and myself went on a business trip to Penang. That was in 1997 when the Asian economies were booming and we had never experienced a financial crisis on a regional scale for something like 15 years. Venturing to find some breakfast, we walked past some very run down shophouses where the owners were involved in some trading business selling car accessories. Nothing unusual except that the family occupying the shophouse was Chinese. Now, I am not insinuating any racial prejudices but since my partner was Chinese and I am half- Chinese, I had an
epiphany (awakening of the senses). I questioned aloud :

" Now why did our forefathers choose to come to Singapore, and not to Penang, or Batam or Jakarta ?"
 (most of the Singaporeans and Malaysians Indian and Chinese were from the mainland, and arrived in S.E.Asia some 100+ years ago or shorter and many were working as traders, coolees (labourers), seamstresses,  dockhands, clerks, peons (office boys) and other menial workers). Their descendents just over 100 years later, are enjoying the fruits of their decision to come to Singapore, many are bankers, doctors, businessmen, teachers, civil servants,lawyers, accountants, all professionals - all from very humble forefathers.  Strange to think that just 100 years down the road, the fortunes of the people
who were downtrodden on their luck in their home country, are doing well enough to invest sizeable fortunes and visit the mother country, where the descendents of the children of the emperors and other nobles reside. Sure China and India are emerging as economic superpowers but the opportunities for the overseas diaspora (people of similar ethnic origin) came much earlier, some 20 years in Singapore's case.
  
Was it pure luck, or a good decision or God's will that their decendents will be

a) flourishing and doing well (and investing in other countries like many Singapore and 

    Malaysian coys)

b) struggling, due to ethnic strife or misfortune due to natural or man made disasters in that          country

I thought again and said : " If my grandfather had not come and settled down in Singapore, but perhaps in Penang, I might be a rubbertapper, or running a murtabak stall, or a lawyer, or worse." I might have been working in the dingy shophouse in Penang and looking up at the suit and ties walking past them.  

Think about your own forefathers for a minute, are you here in your country because of them ? Or did some higher being like God set a plan for you ?

Cover of Journey's Don't Stop Believing - Sam Tsui

Great cover of Journey's 70s classic Don't Stop Believing. They have great talents in the US of A, and this guy is one of them. Keep rocking Sam Tsui !