Jacyln Chan's First Blog

2009-02-17T13:47:00.000+08:00

Shoes: draft 1.1

2009-02-13T14:59:00.003+08:00

We all know which story those slippers belong to. And that they were made by a fairy godmother, not Jimmy Choo! Talk about exclusivity!

So Cinderella wore those slippers to a party and…partied. That’s not the happy ending though! Then she forgot to remember her midnight curfew and ran all the way to her pumpkin-shaped cab in a bid to get home in time, leaving a glass slipper behind. Oops!

Well, that glass slipper was lost, but found by the Prince Charming she met at the party. Now he had her shoe size number instead of her cell phone number!

There was only one thing left to do: comb the country for the chick whose dainty foot could fit into that slipper.

Too many chicks tried to mould their foot to the slipper, but alas, didn’t their momma ever tell them feet are like their destiny? They can’t be changed. You can’t diet to make your feet smaller, or change the arch of your foot, can you?

That’s why Cinderella’s feet were like her destiny’s blueprint…or should I say, footprint!

Anyway, lets cut to the chase. The chase for the Prince’s Mystery Girl ended with Cinderella because wouldn’t you know it? The slipper fit perfectly!

Because it was her destiny. It was written, not in the stars, but in her shoe size and shoe shape!

Shoes help people get to their destination, and so fulfill their destiny.

I suppose we could choose to go the distance without shoes, but why risk getting blisters, abrasions, cuts and dirt between your toes?

Shoes protect our feet.

I once went to a club spontaneously, so I also looked unprepared. Not only was I in a tank top and denim skirt, my footwear was more appropriate for Newton Circus than a club. I was wearing slippers! Now slippers expose more of your foot than heels do because they allow your feet to be splayed out, whereas heels tip them at an angle. Well it turned out the club was really crowded that night and there was a rather…prosperous-looking…girl dancing vigorously near me. She was so caught up in dancing that she nailed her 3-inch stiletto heel into the arch of my foot! Ouch! The pain was so excruciating that I almost fainted. I also had an unsightly blood clot on the foot for the following month!

Now I know why club dress codes don’t allow slippers. Maybe it’s for protection!

Sure, I was still alive, but did I have to go through that pain? I didn’t.

All I needed was the right pair of shoes!

Shoes allow us to go through rougher terrain. If you wore a pair of slippers, you could still walk through a thick rainforest, although perhaps not down a steep slope. For that, you might need boots that wrap around your feet more closely, offer more support and protect you from falling.

The point is, that as situations become more precarious, the more we need shoes that offer protection. Just as in times life feels out of control, the more we need God for protection.

The right shoes allow us to go where we’ve never gone before. They allow us to push our limits so we can be the best we can be, in the same way that a bow stretched to its limit can send its arrow flying fastest, strongest and furthest.

Shoes pad our feet.

They make the journey comfortable and smooth. Whereas protection keeps our feet intect, padding makes walking easier.

Padding in shoes helps smoothen the ride for life’s journey by offering a comfort mechanism. Imagine running down a rocky hill in heels. That would be extremely uncomfortable! Running shoes would have been far more appropriate because they mould to the surface of the rocky ground, as well as the curvature of your foot. They absorb the impact when your feet strike the ground, and even when the road is rocky and leads downhill, you are cushioned and stable.

And stability is always such comfort.

Shoes give us posture.

Now posture isn’t just how you stand, it’s also how you carry yourself in the day to day. Like the lifestyle you lead. The things you say and do. How you treat your friends and family.

These are the things that, like posture, can be observed from afar.

Remember how shoes are what people notice over time? Well, even though the shoes themselves take a little longer to be seen, there are times when the effects of those shoes can be immediately seen.

I mean, you could be wearing a figure-flattering Yves Saint Laurent dress and picture perfect make-up but if you wear shoes in the wrong size, or shoes of lousy quality, your posture is completely thrown off.

Unfortunately, posture is one of the things that can be identified from a distance!

It’s not just bad posture that gets you bad publicity. Wearing the wrong shoes also throws you into a foul, foul mood!

New shoes always command a glamorous debut, don’t they?

Mix new unseasoned shoes with a night out clubbing. Stir well.

It was a recipe for disaster. Instead of dancing for hours on end, it wasn’t long before my feet hurt too much to have a good time. All I wanted was to sit down and go home, and that put me in a horrible mood. Sitting down as my friends danced, they also had to keep looking over their shoulder to see if I was alright. My posture slouched as the night went on, and it became clear that wearing the wrong shoes showed on my face. By the end of the night, I certainly didn’t feel as attractive as I should have, or thought I would have. If I had worn the right shoes, I would have had the right posture. All ingredients for a good night out.

As track captain I spontaneously decided to run to the Botanic Gardens for a warm-up run. It seemed like a refreshing change from mindless rounds around the track. At the end of the run, we stopped by a sprawling tree to rest for a bit and toss a Frisbee around. What could go wrong at 2 p.m, in the afternoon? Apparently, a lot. Without warning, the tree crashed into the ground, crushing one of my team mates, who later suffered a slipped disc. At that moment, all the birds that were perching on the tree bolted, creating a dark cloud of birds scrambling for safety. The sky was completely black, and the atmosphere, ominous.

The tree fell because it was internally rotting. It could not stand any longer as much as it looked perfectly fine on the outside.

The lesson I took away from this is: No matter how good we may look on the outside, it doesn’t say the same for the inside. How many times have we worn uncomfortable shoes because we’d rather look good than feel at ease? It’s like a short-term high we get from looking good, but the repercussions are felt afterwards in blisters, sore feet, aching calves and even our spines. The right shoes don’t give us the same short-term high of looking good. We get a consistent, long-lasting high that doesn’t have any negative repercussions on ourselves. Wearing the right shoes is like walking with God: there aren’t any negative repercussions to be dealt with!

The funny thing a lot of us are blind to is that the best high we can get is easily available. One of my old boyfriend’s mom bought me a pair of Calvin Klein heels as a gift. They were in white suede and incredibly comfortable…yet I never dared to wear them for fear of damaging them. So I left them in my wardrobe for years even though they were the best pair of shoes I owned.

Many years later I retrieved the shoes from my wardrobe, but they had yellowed and aged to the point where I could not wear them out anymore. That was then I realized I should not have been afraid to wear them, especially when they were a gift. I was bestowed with the best yet I couldn’t recognize it.

(Lesson learnt: Don’t settle for second best and leave the best in their closet.)

The truth is we’re all looking for something bigger, something better, and something completely absolutely totally phenomenal. What else drives these things that take over our lives? Like fetishes, astrology, tarot cards…things that people are so inclined to be religious about.

But there is a difference between being religious and being a Christian.

Being religious means living your lives under the dictatorship of astrology, and tarot cards, and letting your religion take over your life choices, in the case where a shoe fetish can be taken so far as to lift the limits on your shoe shopping limit.

Being a Christian means living your life […]

Comfort is also assurance, which I believe comes through God’s guiding your steps.

After the first few days of Secondary One, I was reading my Orientation booklet and plucking flower petals doing a “he loves me, he loves me not” check…while walking home! Needless to say, it was a failed experiment in multi-tasking. I walked straight into a manhole and landed on my backpack. When I shouted for help, it fell only to deaf ears. So I climbed my way out, just before some workers sealed up the manhole. God led me out of there just in time!

It was only after going to the doctor’s that I learnt even more about how God guided my steps. People who fall into manholes usually fall face forward and crash their heads on the rim of the manhole. Also, with the manhole 180 feet deep, I was blessed to have my backpack cushion the fall, or I would have had a concussion.

God guided my steps all the way to the doctor’s, where I learnt that if I had postponed a trip to the doctor’s I would have had to amputate my leg. God guided me back to safety.

Why do girls go for pedicures? The feeling of someone washing, cleaning our feet always gets us feeling regal and refreshed.

It is these three P’s: protection, padding and posture that reconcile us with God’s plan. Acknowledgment of this plan helps us to leave it in God’s hands, and therefore, obtain inner peace. With this quiet fortitude we can take our strides of conviction with power to achieve our purpose. With God powering us, we must remember that we are nothing and God is everything.

Protection can also come in the form of direction. After all, how do we know how to direct our path? It’s only when there’s enough light to see where we are going. Or so we can avoid bumping into things or tripping over potholes. This, in a way, also pads you from danger- it helps make the path smooth.

How do we seek direction from God?

Well, my parents hadn’t visited my brother and I in Canada in years. As much as they wanted to, the Christmas period was too expensive to take a flight out, so they planned a holiday to Phuket instead. A few days before leaving for Phuket, my mom did quiet time, and then went to check her e-mail and saw tickets to Canada at half the price! They decided to forgo the Phuket trip and head for Canada.

As it turned out, it wasn’t just a chance to go to Canada. It was the Christmas that the Tsunami hit Phuket, and the beachside hotel that was worst hit was also the hotel my family had intended to stay at. God found us a way out of Phuket, and a way out of danger.

My friend Tim works for the Singapore Tourism Board, and was posted to Mumbai on a mission to promote tourism in Singapore. He and his team usually have dinner in the hotel, but the one night they decided to have dinner outside the confines of the hotel was the very night the shootings in Mumbai took place. It was a very close shave, but yet another example of God direction to safety.

The lesson we can take away from these incidents is that consciously or subconsciously, God arranges the turn of events to lead us to safety. He is like a little compass in us that points us in the right direction.

So much has been said about arriving at a destination using that little compass that’s been tuned in to God’s radio frequency. Yet sometimes when the destination dawns on us, it may not always be what we were looking for to begin with! After falling into a manhole, I was out of action for a few weeks…and out of luck for a place on the netball team. The destination God pointed in was the track team. Many years on, although my track career wasn’t completely illustrious, I understand that my experiences in the track team served more as a training ground for life than for running races.

Injuries, accidents, dedication, pre-race fear…all these have added up to life stories that…??? [not sure if there’s one specific story or takeaway you’d like to highlight]

So while it’s important to have a goal, it’s also important to recognize what lessons you can pick up. Eyes on the lessons is often more rewarding than eyes on the prize, because the prize can change, or you may no longer like the prize ten years from now. The lessons, however, are always valuable. So always keep an open mind and be ready for God to intervene in the course of your journey: let go and let God!

It’s not about knowing everything but more about trusting that He knows everything

----

Shoes can accelerate achieving your purpose. You can last longer. Be more comfortable.

Correct positioning: on guard, firmer.

Toe jam

Protection: a friend that never leaves you

God’s ways are different from Man’s ways. Need to find out how God works and understand his language. The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step in the right direction. Ask God for the right direction. Accomplish your purpose in an accelerated way.

Padding: Shoulder to cry on at all times

What you want to reap in the physical must be met in the spiritual. à accountability.

What is done in private will be revealed in public one day. Judo master who trains his moves. When the time comes he can rise to the challenge. Training, putting through fire.

How do parents teach spirituality?

OVERLY COVERED shoes, material is too thick. In winter that’s good, but not in tropical country like Singapore. Same thing goes for spirituality. Different measures for different people. Too heavy and your feet can’t breathe. Toe jam. Spirituality brought to a halt cos shoes are too heavy and too uncomfortable. A hindrance to walk. Troublesome, cumbersome.

“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes

Little compass inside: LIGHT OF THE WORLD, salt of the earth

Good parents go beyond basics of parenting, going one level deeper

God, the father, the HS, -- fatherless generation these days (divorce rates), no fatherly figure, even if they have a dad in the house,usually at work not at home. Or if at home, tired. Dads aren’t just peripheral. Both mom and dad are important. Very important that parents introduce God (heavenly dad) in our life. Even if dad was there in a good family, cant compare to the heavenly dad who is omnipresent and Heavenly dad has holy spirit and Jesus . spiritual side will never leave them. Fatherless homes drop ot of home, poverty, children out of wedlock, etc (higher probability). Dad à model , stability to follow. Sometimes moms can step up. Poor models easily replaced but without a good model, sheep beget sheep- generation after gen will be same. Son wont know how to be a dad.

Walking with one leg in circles

How to teach your child to know God:

- How are clouds formed? Just looking at nature you know how small you are in relation to the rest of the world, how God is so precise and good at planning, how amazing nature is, and how we can’t control nature

- If the stuff we can see is great what about the stuff we can’t see?

- 10^-7 is the visible spectrum: where white light is spread out. There is so much power in the stuff we can’t see. When you increase the wavelengths: you cant see sound, at different frequencies you can hear sound as music, look at microwaves you cant see the waves but you can see the power of it. You cant see it but you can see the power behind it.

- Sometimes you cant see God but you can see him in a lot of things . so acknowledge that you’re really small. A lot of us don’t acknowledge what we can see.

- Basically to help put the world in the right perspective. Show us the wonder of the world and therefore the wonder of God.

- God: like a lifeline that you have to call and you can always call for help

- Let your child know he can have a friend like this, just need to call. Can go through who wants to be a millionaire, but you might not stay as long, get out a lot faster!

Tops chapter draft 1.1

2009-02-13T14:57:00.002+08:00

What do you do when the weather gets cold?

You cross you arms and rub them for warmth. You reach for a cardigan or a sweater.

Tops are so important to keep us warm. After all, you rarely see people reaching for leg warmers or sweats when they’re cold, do you?

So we instinctively see tops as providers of protection and warmth.

Protection and warmth. That sounds like receiving hugs! After all, hugs wrap around us just like tops do: on the top part of our bodies!

But what else is significant about hugs? They’re an expression of love. They tell us, “You may not have been the fastest runner on the track but I’m mighty proud of you, kid!”

Affirmations like this keep us going, they spur us on to be the best we can be. Just as tops keep us warm and protected so our heart can keep beating strong, and keep us going!

Without hugs and without love, we’d be emotionally bare…or to be more precise, emotionally naked. Just as without tops we’d be physically naked.

And when we’re naked, we’ll need to get some clothes! So we’ll do it the way girls know best. Shopping!

The reality is that us kids are shopping everyday. We go to school, we watch TV, we hang out at the shopping mall with our friends. And every moment presents us with the shopping decision: to buy or not to buy?

When we go to school and our Health Education teacher tells us, “Eat more vegetables!”, it is our choice to decide whether to buy what she says. Then we watch TV and Rihanna tells us that we can stand under her umbrella ella ella ella eh eh eh, and we decide whether it’s cool or not.

Let’s time travel back to 1999, when Britney Spears invaded our TV screens, teasing and pouting in a midriff-baring top. To many captivated kids (like me!), it was good entertainment. Until I tried twirling my pen restlessly the way she did in the first few seconds of that iconic music video, and singing in the shower to my shower head, to hit me baby one more time!

It wasn’t just good entertainment any more. I had bought into what Britney said and did. All those parents who were infuriated at Britney’s improper conduct were definitely on to something. They knew their kids, like me, were at the risk of being misguided.

They also knew that the people we really needed guidance from were our parents! When we go shopping we don’t have a large budget, just the little pocket money we got from you. So we can’t always buy clothes of good quality.

Just as, if we look for love in other places, we don’t have enough ability to discern what’s right for us, just the little judgment (like pocket money) we got from you. So we can’t always buy into love that’s of good quality nor the love that’s right for us.

Parents can help us to shop with discretion, and condition us to listen and discern what is right for ourselves.

Why all this talk on tops and needing you, our parents, to clothe us as an expression of love and care?

Think back to the last person you met. What did he or she wear?

The answer that first comes to mind is more often than not, the top he or she was wearing.

Tops.

The garment closest to the face in conversations. The garment most visible when standing or on the go. The garment most observed when seated across someone at your desk, restaurant table, or even across the aisle on the plane! The garment always captured in pictures- and these pictures, like impressions and memories, stay with you for life.

What we wear on top determines what people think of us off the top of their head. Just as, off the top of your head, the first thing you remembered about what someone wore was the top.

It’s not that a conservative top makes you a boring person- that’s an over-the-top interpretation of the tops message! For all you know, it could be your chick’s[1] dazzling smile, orange nails or harmonica skills that people first think of when you come to mind.

The point is that clothes say so much about a person that people automatically judge us by what we wear. Tops, being the most observable and most memorable garments, play a huge factor in how we are judged. So we need our parents to help us deal with a judgmental world.

Give a girl a pair of jeans and the choice between two tops: the first, a too-skimpy, bareback halter with a plunging neckline; the second, a turquoise tank top with flower appliqués lacing the neckline.

Next, put her at a career fair.

Choosing the first top would indicate to headhunters that she can’t conduct herself appropriately. She looks like she’s headed to the nightclub, not the career fair. Yet for something as seemingly trivial as this, it immediately calls into question her professionalism. Would she dress similarly when meeting business partners?

Because how you do anything is how you do everything.

Choosing the second top might catch the attention of headhunters taken by her flair for style. Her unique top might suggest equal panache in her work- perhaps PowerPoint presentations with bold, attractive designs.

Because how you do anything is how you do everything.

These are the first impressions that determine whether you get the job, which opens the door to a future with many more opportunities. First impressions are that crucial, because…

First impressions count. They help you put one foot in the door.

First impressions last. It’s so hard to be taken seriously when people see you as frivolous, or not cut out for the job.

First impressions are the reminder that we need our parents to help us deal with a judgmental world. A judgmental world that is the result of a media-infested world that bombards how we think. My dad calls the media the “terrorists of our generation”, stripping parents of their influence over their children, and imbuing children with often-misguided values. Our parents need to fight where their children get their influences from, because children are often too young to know better.

So when girls feel the need to clothe themselves, and go shopping on their own, what do they buy?

The revealing top mentioned earlier is often worn in the hopes of bartering flesh for love and acceptance. It’s skimpy, it’s provocative, and most of all, attention grabbing. We can’t doubt that sex sells[2]. You always get more attention when you misbehave than when you behave.

And some people are happy to receive attention even if it’s negative.

Like being gossiped about.

Like being notorious.

Like being seen as easy.

Like being lusted after.

But lust isn’t love.

Love is fulfilling. You end up falling in love with yourself as a result. I have a neighbor, who has a great figure[3], but more importantly, she loved herself. She could pull off low necklines, and even show off some cleavage but it was always very tasteful. Her confidence and poise regulated her behavior and therefore how people saw her.

People never gossiped about her, she wasn’t notorious nor seen as easy, and she wasn’t lusted after. People said she was “hot and elegant”, which doesn’t connote skanky. It’s interesting that another person could wear exactly the same thing and have the same body as hers, but yet could come across as skanky rather than sexy. The difference was that she loved herself, and didn’t seek lust to fulfill any void.

Then there are the girls with the tops that are too loud and too proud- the over-the-top, in-your-face tops! Like a top with the Dior logo printed on every inch. It’s not just the designer namedropping they do with their t-shirts. These people also literally namedrop to flaunt connections with the who’s who. These are the types who drive Ferraris, which are actually on loan. They scream for attention to make sure they are seen, and often the girls wearing them talk just as loudly to be heard.

Once at a club, I saw a girl talking really loudly in a farcical American accent to an American. About an hour later, she was with her friends, and with the American nowhere in sight, the American twang too was nowhere to be heard. Instead, she was talking really loudly in Singlish. Then came the golden moment to top it all off: the same American turned up in front of her, observed her true mannerisms, and left right under her nose.

Sure, there was no mention of the top she wore that night. But tops are what people remember you by. Building on this symbolism, that girl will be remembered as a complete farce by the American and those who observed her (like me!)

These are the girls who act like they’re all that. Deep down inside, they crave acceptance, so they want to look like they are accepted, and like they have it all.

To gain acceptance, they feel the need to prove their worth- like when the girl faked an American accent just to develop rapport with her new friend, or when I saw this lady in Orchard Road decked out in designer garb…and how did I know that? Every item she wore or carried had huge designer logos sprawling everywhere.

On the topic of seeking acceptance, I have a friend, Anita, who isn’t very tall and isn’t very skinny. Basically, she isn’t of model proportions. But she wears the craziest outfits! Hot pink tights, check. Fingerless gloves, check. She even wore furry bedroom slippers to class because she thought they were cute! The verdict? Everyone describes her style in one word: “Fun!” Bad hair day, a random breakout, or putting on weight over the winter? Stuff like this never fazes her because she knows it doesn’t change who she is. And because she’s okay with who she is, then all those things are just life’s way of spicing things up!

Anita’s style can be over-the-top, but her confidence and personality tell you that it’s not a cry for attention. She just likes to have fun dressing up! Most importantly, she embraces that part of herself because she loves herself.

Are we contradicting ourselves? So it’s about loving yourself now, and not the clothes?

No. We’re still on the same track. Loving yourself makes you free to wear almost whatever you like. My neighbor and Anita don’t dress conventionally, but they’re comfortable in their own skin and they wear what they like because it makes them happy, not because they think it will please, impress, or attract someone else.

So what have we covered? Girls who reveal too much skin, or cover their real selves up by namedropping have one thing in common: they crave love and acceptance.

They go shopping for clothes that get them attention, but not real love. Because they’re not quite sure what real love is like.

A child needs to be loved love before giving it away. If she doesn’t have love, she could be giving other things away, which definitely isn’t love because she doesn’t have it. Often it appears that these girls give love away freely thinking…only so they will receive love freely in return—a “give to get” mentality, which isn’t very genuine!

“Love isn’t just what I feel; it is what I do…oftentimes in spite of what I feel” –Holly Wagner (GC, p.69)

Like Holly Wagner points out, love isn’t self-centered! But with the “give to get” mentality, love ultimately becomes self-centered.

Then there’s the other end of the tops spectrum: Sloppy tops[4]. The kind that girls hide under hoping to mask their existence. I like to call this the worm mentality.

These are the girls that feel ugly, and worry that attracting more attention to themselves will in turn attract criticism. So they don’t go shopping for love, don’t wear skimpy tops of flashy tops. In short, they don’t feel like they don’t deserve anything better.

The irony of it all is that baggy clothes attract more negative attention than other clothes because they are so ill fitted. They also reveal rather than conceal a deep insecurity, because these girls cannot take pride in who they are. They assume that this is what they are going to be forever more, and they can’t change it.

What a pity! These three potential pitfalls are reasons why parents need to teach their chick to love herself. More than that, however, parents need to communicate the love properly. In other words, it’s important that you love the child, but it’s more important that the child feels the love.

Let’s make a quick detour from the wardrobe analogy and consider a glass.

[picture/diagram]

For it to be filled, it needs water. Just as for us to be filled, we need love.

If the glass is only half-full (or half-empty!), then when water is taken away to fill other glasses, it would be at the risk of emptying out that glass.

We can’t give away love if we don’t have love.

So the question is, how can we be filled with love? Our parents need first to be full of love, and be our primary source of love. Sure, we get love from Aunt Martha, Uncle Keith, our friends and our pet dog, but you can’t control how much, or what kind of love we get from them.

When we are filled glasses, or filled with love, we have the capacity to fill others, and to love others too! And when you love others, the heartbeat and vibes you give out are those of composure, security and warmth.

Just like hugs. Just like love.

Because actions reflect what’s in the heart. And if the heart is full of love, then the actions are full of love.

You are enabled to love. You are love-able. You are loveable[5].

Even your pet dog proves this to be true. When you feed it, take care of it, clean it, it loves you back, it snuggles against your leg and greets you excitedly when you get home. But if you don’t, you’re as good as a stranger your dog passed by on the street the other day. Guess what? This principle of being loveable (or love-able) applies to human beings too! Little things like lending your classmate a stapler even though she didn’t ask for it, to bigger things like spending the week wheeling your friend around in her wheelchair after she broke her leg, are enough to be loveable. Isn’t that lovely? Pun not intended!

But if you’re hardly full from love, then whatever love you try to give away ends up forced or false- because you can’t give away what you don’t have.

To kids: how do you wish parents showed their love for you? [ask different opinions]

To parents: how did you show your kid love?

[show the gap in responses]

Even if your child is a grown teenager, it isn’t too late to be a better parent if your thoughts have been provoked by this chapter. Take note, however, that a step in a different direction does not immediately negate the direction you used to take. Our memory banks have been filled with your parenting style all these years. So keep walking your talk and keep trying- these are the things that matter to us. Ask for help when you need, apologize just as you expect us to apologize- because breaking down pride breaks down walls between us. Change will not take place over night, but over time.

- Tops easier to buy for others but not pants.

[1] Daughter’s ?

[2] “Sex sells”

[3] necessary?

[4] Sloppy??

[5] love + able

Chapter One—You are what you wear. By Jacyln Chan

2009-02-09T09:50:00.000+08:00

At three years old, your little girl wears whatever you pick out for her.

Fast-forward ten years, and your newly minted teenager begins to curate your contributions to her wardrobe. The frilly pink blouse earns a crinkle in her nose. She'll take the blue skirt…if it wasn't so long.

Growing up comes with growing independence in making choices. And all these choices stem from who your daughter is. For example, an athletic daughter would likely choose a striped cotton t-shirt over a pink chiffon blouse.

This book emphasizes that choices are central to our lives, and to this end, provides a framework for making the right choices.

THE WARDROBE AS A FRAMEWORK FOR CHOICES

Among the questions we ask ourselves everyday, "What should I wear today?" is a staple.

Deciding what to wear is significant not only because it is a daily phenomenon. Its significance also lies in mapping our personal trajectory of identity formation and learning independence.

As we grow older, the degree of autonomy in what we wear is matched by the degree to which we are parented. Four year-olds have their mothers bestow little sailor outfits upon them for an 'Under The Sea' birthday party. But sixteen year-olds are granted the independence to pick out a turquoise empire waist dress for an 'Under The Sea' party, as long as it has their parents' stamp of approval.

What starts out as a decision that rests solely in parents' power is gradually shifted into the hands of growing children as they cultivate their own identity and relationships outside of the family.

With this inevitable process in mind, parenting should focus on facilitating decision-making rather than dictating decisions. While the latter only serves to reinforce the parent's lack of understanding towards the child, the former indicates to the child that decision-making can be a shared process. Shared decision-making allows the parent to learn about the child's emerging identity, and provides room for the child to seek advice from the parent. This boosts communication, and thus, the relationship between the parent and child.

The Wardrobe is analogous to a parenting toolbox. Each garment serves a purpose, and so acts as a tool for effective parenting. The significance of this analogy lies in that failing to provide a complete Parenting Wardrobe will leave the child figuratively naked.

Figurative nakedness has serious implications for your child. Besides facing ridicule and rejection from society, your child will feel immensely self-conscious and by extension, insecure about herself. To put an end to figurative nakedness, your child will seek to be clothed by her peers or parental figures- yet these sources can neither provide a complete wardrobe nor quality garments for your child.

To guard against this, a complete Parenting Wardrobe should comprise the following:

Hats, which in shielding the head, are therefore symbolic of protecting your child's mind. Through formal education, which imparts logic, cognition, and developing clear arguments, your child's mind is enabled to think independently, and so filter out negative lifestyle choices with mental acumen.

Tops, which in packaging the body, and being the garment that garners the most attention, represents personal traits. For it is these personal traits that help your child's identity stand out.

Pants, which as a traditional symbol of patriarchy and power, represent personal power in this context. Personal power means power over oneself through self-leadership, self- authority and self-respect, as opposed to power in reversing traditional gender roles in favor of feminism as the analogy may intuitively suggest.

Shoes, which pad and protect the feet, aid the pursuit of a journey that may figuratively be laden with sharp objects and rough surfaces.

In this sense, shoes represent spiritual cushioning and protection.

Also, in forming posture, shoes represent a spiritual outlook that determines the confidence with which your child deals with life's curveballs.

Article Supplied by

Is formal Education really that important? - by Jacyln Chan

2009-02-09T09:49:00.001+08:00

Well not really.

It really depends if the Education was first right for you. It boils down to the fit and the process of discovering what fits. We all know that life is a journey and that the journey is not static nor a destination. It evolves over time. It is the process of finding the right fit that is most important. This is simple to say alright but anything else will be far from the truth.

Formal education in my opinion is like the head gear we put on. Why? Well it differentiates you from afar especially since most Asians have black hair except for those with highlights or coloured hair. Hats help us to be noticed from a far and this is liken to the formal education that we fall back on. The degree and formal qualifications we brag about can be penned down and sent out in our resumes, it can be reflected on the titles on our business cards and these are mediums that we can use to boost our first impressions. However, our qualifications are only assets that help us get into a job thereafter it up to the person to prove his/her self worth through the mechanics of the job function.

Hats are also worn many the times for its practical functionalities. Firstly it protects us from the heat of the blazing sun and secondly it shelters our heads in times of rain. But we all know that in times of intense heat and down pours the hats we wear can only protect us to a certain extent. In times of great calamities without and without a hat, you’ll still get burnt and drenched.

The sun in my perception is representative of the heat from our ‘kiasu’ society. Moms, Dads, government and society alike judge and pressurize us to attain a ‘degree’ as a certificate of achievement. To prove of self worth? Maybe.

The rain symbolizes the unforeseen circumstances that take place. The fall of Lehman Brothers, the 900 staff retrenchment at DBS and the inevitable economic downturn that is approaching are all symbolic of the cloudy skies that loom around us. Yes, a degree will sort of shield or differentiate you from others without a hat but it can only help so much.

So in times of intense heat and torrential rains what we really need most is an umbrella, one that is without holes and one that is big enough to shelter our bodies. I’ll talk about the representation of an umbrella in my next entry.

Coming back to the point of the importance of formal education, is it really that important? Maybe, maybe not?

So the question comes back to why so many people pressure us to get a University Degree? Should we accept this as a given or challenge it and work on what matters most? Hats in my perception are just for show and potential bragging rights. It is a tangible evidence of a certain degree of capability but it doesn’t show the true worth of one’s mental capabilities, creativity, gumption and work ethics. Maybe it does help you get noticed from a far, just like how many people wear hats to add a certain extra flavour to their wardrobe and appeal but it can only shelter or boost your credibility to a certain extent. Once you land yourself in your desired job, the expected dress code or decorum is ‘all hats off’. Hats may get your foot into the door but thereafter it depends on YOU and your true capabilities. Your ability to network strategically, your capabilities to shine and perform and the tenacity to follow through on the tasks assigned. What is most important is the mental capability under the ‘for show’ head gear.

Next, we all know that the times are B.A.D, BAD. All we read about in the news is more BAD BAD BAD news. Guess the media really can’t get enough of it. It’s like a buffet of news that can’t help but be BAD. Horrible!

Especially in these times of uncertainties your competition is escalates. You not only compete with those who were engineered in the school of hard knocks, you are also compete with existing bums or people who have decided to ‘chill out’ and all the people who were just retrenched. These are people with hats too. And some as we all know are people with pretty distinct and credible hats. Look at all the Managing Directors who were recently given the ADIOS AMIGO send off. These are people not only with hats to shout about but also credible working experience.

So again. Is a degree really that important? Maybe? But to me it’s about the ability to prove and follow through on what you preach about.

That’s all for my first entry, I’ll explain what I feel parents can do to build what’s under the hat and the meaning of an umbrella in my next entry. So stay tuned.

Article Supplied by .

Resolutions? What's that? By Jacyln Chan

2009-02-09T09:47:00.001+08:00

Resolutions? What’s that?

A disease?

Junk?

A thought not worth mentioning?

I’m just kidding. Resolutions hold their weight and are useful. Human beings are t he ones who screw up the goodness of resolutions.

We start the year off on a high thinking that we can do everything. We aim to have a Victoria Secrets model’s body so that we can ‘sex’ up our look or we aim to drive that flashy red Ferrari without a plan on how to get there. However many of these goals are not backed up with a plan on how to achieve them? A lot right?

Well...

Resolutions can only bear fruit if the seeds are first planted, watered and watched over carefully day by day. It is a process that requires constant effort, a positive attitude and a die hard spirit.

Same thing goes for the resolutions that are specific to your family. Resolutions to mend certain relationships especially those with your children, require choices.

The book I’m writing, “The Parent the Chick and the Wardrobe.” I emphasize that we are simply an aggregate of all the choices we have make in our life.

~ Choice to watch that extra hour of television

~ Choice of who to hang out with

~ Choice of whether to shower

~ Choice of what to wear

~ Choice what to listen to

~ Choice what to accept as gospel truth…

You get my point…The list goes on and on and on…

However if you don’t like how you are right now…there is still hope! You aren’t condemned and just need to make the right choices and decide to live differently. One significant choice can change your life if you let it.

So choose positively!

Start with making the right choices and start by focusing on the choices you make at home.

To the parents reading this:

Consider this:

~ How’s your communication like at home?

~ Do you love your child? Is it communicated to your child?

~ And most importantly, does your child feel loved?

If I could decide on one resolution for you, I would propose that you make it a point to ensure that you child feels loved. Love is the heartbeat to life and the sources of inspiration and the essence of life. Without a proper infill of love from home, the child will seek to find it outside and this search for love can sometime be at the

According to Gary Chapman, the author of “The 5 love languages”, love is best communicated if spoken in the person’s primary love language.

Here are the 5 love languages that he proposes:

1. Quality Time

2. Words of Affirmation

3. Gifts

4. Acts of Service

5. Physical Touch

Find out what is the primary love language of your child and concentrate of this language in order to communicate your love.

Why?

Well, what speaks volumes to you may be meaningless to your child. Make it a point to understand the unique needs of your child. Apply the right principals, learn the right language, and soon you’ll know the profound satisfaction and joy of expressing your love.

Remember your child can only give what they have. Don’t expect them to give love back to you if you can’t even fill them with love.

So please give this some thought. Check out the book and stay tune to more insights from moi

God bless

Article Supplied by the some chick and author of the upcomign book 'The Parent, the Chick, the Wardrobe"

The Ugly Judgmental World. By Jacyln Chan

2009-02-09T09:43:00.002+08:00

Time and time again we have been victims the judgments of FIRST IMPRESSIONS. Whether the judgments are true or whether we are prepared, they happened all the time.

It is sad but true. The world we live in is filled with wolves. Big ugly bad wolves, small tiny ‘cute’ looking wolves and wolves that look like ‘sheep’. They are all over in different shapes and sizes, race and gender…They are everywhere

So BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!

Wolves

Are

Quick to

Judge,

Criticize and

Devour

Whenever

Possible.

It seems to me that we live in a world that is retracting back to the animal kingdom. Yes I know that was a very long time ago but isn't it true that human beings are acting more like beasts?

They prey on each other.

Again it is sad but true.

Everyday whatever you like it or not people are judging you.

They give you 3 seconds of their attention and these 3 seconds are not a 'hi' or 'bye' but a stare up and down to see if you are 'worthy' of their conversation or time. They label you as 'naughty or nice', 'cool or un-cool', 'worthy or unworthy'.

They judge that you are a hooker if you are wearing too short shorts or are exposing a little too much cleavage, or label you as a 'worm', if you are in overly baggy clothing or worst still they criticize even when you are perfectly well dressed. They impose their value system on you and pull you down in their minds.

For what?

Well a lot of times it is for their own self-gratification.

Many wolves out there get a kick from someone else’s discouragement. Their spirits get lifted when others are pushed down as everything to them is a competition and race. Why do think the phrase ‘rat race’ came from?

Something

Ponder

Suppose.

So given all this nonsense and misery what can be done? How can we change the world to a better place?

Well a lot has been done already.

Look at Mother Theresa or Ghundi. They committed their lives to change the world but it is still in chaos and void of love.

Check out Obama and his recent speeches. Everyone is advocating change. But people being people resist change. Why? Maybe it is because they don’t want to get out of their comfort zones…

So given all this, the thing to do is to prepare ourselves from this judgmental world.

How?

Whose responsibility shall it be?

Well in my perception….

It should be the parents.

Why?

Well who else can the younger generation learn from? It is either the parents or someone outside the walls of the home. But don't trust those who are outside the home. You could be leaving your child to the teachings of wolves themselves. (Wolves in sheep skins). They may seem nice and all but you can't control what they teach your children. The only thing you can control is how and what you teach your children. It is your responsibility as a parent to do so. So please step up and mentor your children.

Teach them how be clothed with success to fend off the judgments and continue on with their pursuit of success and accomplishment. Teach them to put on the armour of God and equip them with love, prayers and a sound mind.

Guide them to know how to compose themselves and watch their actions and behaviour.

Teach them to be more discerning, highlighting who they can and cannot trust.

This is essential as I learnt it the hard way.

Not because my parents didn’t teach me but because I choose not to listen.

So the next thing is to teach but also make sure they listen and internalise what you are teaching.

Gain their respect first. Walk your talk and garner that respect. Only then will your words and ‘mentorship’ be taken seriously.

More will be discuss in following blog entries and in my book.

God bless

Jacyln Chan

Article Supplied by a chick who is writing a parenting book from a daughter's perspective Publish Post

Sucked dry from Giving

2009-02-09T09:39:00.001+08:00

Paying it forward is a must in my eyes.

Why?

If people don’t give then no one will receive, if no one receives then we’ll always be lacking….if everyone is lacking….then we will all go hungry ….and if we go hungry….then a seemingly detrimental future awaits us….and if our future is nothing more than detrimental….then there is no hope….without hope….we might as well not have faith….with no faith…its hard to love….as there is no trust without faith…..if there is no love….again our lives get even more detrimental….

Oh no its going bonkers here…

So all in all…

Paying-it-forward is a must.

In my gloves chapter which represents the importance of giving and receiving, I emphasise not only the importance of giving but also receiving.

As I was growing up, my parents taught me that it was a privilege to give.

It meant that I was blessed and that it was an honour to be a blessing to others. Giving became my lifeblood. I took great joy in being able to bless people with words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, quality time and even through huge hugs. However it came to a point that I felt overly stretched. I felt I reached a point that I could not give anymore. But it didn’t stop me from pulling myself together and making 100+ Valentines' Day gifts for friends, scrapbooks for boyfriends, meals for armies….but it did cause me to be exhausted - with people, myself and life. I ultimately felt empty and that my gifts weren’t appreciated anymore.

It was depressing…

I gave and gave continuously hoping to feed off the appreciation that I would get in return. Words of affirmation is my primary love language and I tried to feed off appreciation. But after a while I felt my motives of giving changed…. I was giving to feel loved…it wasn’t genieune…and I eventually wanted to ‘kick the bucket’ and just hermit my way through life.

The guys I dated didn’t appeal to my primary love language. The friends I had gave and loved me but yet I felt deserted and ‘uncool’. My parents showered me with opportunities and provided for my finances…but yet I felt empty.

Why?

Why?

Why?

I pleaded with God….until it I suddenly remembered what my father used to tell me.

My dad always mentioned that I couldn’t give what I didn’t have. That ‘lecturing’ seemed like rubbish then but it suddenly struck me that he was correct.

How could I continue to give if I didn’t have anything to give?

Wouldn’t that mean that I was just giving nothing or something fictitious and made up? Maybe that’s why I didn’t feel it was appreciated because the quality of my gifts were dissolving into nothing. Why? Guess because the source was depleted.

And the source was me…

I realised that there was a second part to the equation of giving…and it was RECEIVING.

It wasn’t that…

GIVING = GOOD

RECEIVING = BAD

It had to work hand in hand.

The two things needed to come together and had to run in sync.

Just like inhaling and exhaling. Life can only go on if we inhale and exhale. If we just inhale/exhale and not exhale/inhale we will ultimately collapse and die. Both mechanics had to work together.

The same logic goes for giving and receiving.

So going on this premise that you can’t give what you don’t have, you can’t continue to give if you ultimately run dry.

What happens then?

Well someone has to do the refilling, right?

But on top of that, someone needs to receive and accept the refill….this part is up to us.

People can give and give and invest and invest thoroughly in you but if you keep on resisting the gifts and blessings, you won’t be refilled….and once you are dry, it means that your supply is out.

You’ll be living a life that is empty even though your intentions of giving are pure.

We need to recognise that receiving is a blessing too and that if we resist the gifts that people want to give to us, we will be robbing them of the joy of giving.

So receive in humility and be gracious. Thank everyone who invests and gives to you and continue to be refilled, so that you will be better equipped to give to others.

Pay it forward but also receive in order to move forward.

That’s all for now.

God bless

Ps: to the parents reading this, I’ll be interviewing daughters and parents on who their children should receive from, when they should receive and also why and what they should receive.

I’m still learning….so please provide your inputs.

You can read more on www.damnsian.com

Article Supplied by a chick who is writing a parenting book from a daughter's perspective

Jacyln Chan's First Blog: Chapter 1: Parenting Book Entry

2008-09-09T10:15:00.001+08:00

Jacyln Chan's First Blog: Chapter 1: Parenting Book Entry

www.theparentthekidthewardrobe.com

www.theparentthekidthewardrobe.blogspot.com

Jacyln Chan's First Blog: Chapter 1: Parenting Book Entry

2008-09-09T10:15:00.000+08:00

Jacyln Chan's First Blog: Chapter 1: Parenting Book Entry

www.theparentthekidthewardrobe.com

www.theparentthekidthewardrobe.blogspot.com

Finding the PONY

2008-09-01T13:32:00.000+08:00

FINDING THE PONY

I attended a Family Wellness instructor course conducted by St Andrews' Lifestreams last month and this was one of the many highlights that I took away.

The story goes like this:
Two siblings came home on Christmas eve to a pile of pony shit under the Christmas tree...

How horrible and terrible this must be....

But like in all things, everything is a perspective and based on how you want to perceive something as....

The older brother cursed, complaining about the CRAP that was under the tree. He shouted saying, "WHHHHHHHAT? I can't believe we got SHIT for Christmas! Could dad but any worst!!!!!!!!"

The younger son on the other hand, ran around the house in excitement and cheer...actively searching for something.....

What could he be possibly happy about?

What could he be searching for and why was he so optimistic?

The older brother shouted at him and asked, "What are you looking for? Aren't you pissed at dad and mom?"

The younger brother replied.... "Well if there is fresh shit under the tree....THERE MUST BE A REAL LIFE PONY!!!!!!! WHHHHOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPIEEEEEEEE! I LOVE DAD AND MOM"

Many of us tend to focus on the negative 'craps' that we encounter in our lives never taking time to see what's the blessing behind every circumstance. We take things for granted and we are quick to judge the intentions of those around us.

The moral of this story is that in every situation there is always a PONY.

Reframe your mind to choose to see the blessings behind every circumstance that occurs in your life. I know it sounds impossible....but possibilities are what we choose to make out of a give situation.

For example:

When you mom shouts at you when you are about to burn yourself while frying a meal for yourself....

She might come across as rude and condescending:

"Boy ah! Don't be an idiot! Don't touch the pan!"

But what is she really saying?

What are her intentions?

Is she actually trying to tell you to be careful cause she is concerned about your safety? Does she want to teach you to be wary of dangers that you come across? Does she care for you...and that is why she is telling you not to harm yourself?

There are many reasons....

But it may not have been communicated as such.

Communication is key but as the receiver of such bad communication, our job is to FIND THE PONY.

Try responding, by saying:

"Mom, thank you for loving me and for watching out for my safety"........

instead of snapping back at her (which I am guilty of to my mother) and saying:

"Stop shouting! Can't you see that I know that?!"

Question yourself....

Which response will establish a better relationship with your mother? Which response would allow you to probably SHOCK your mom to realise that she may be in the wrong for using such UGLY words and tone?

TRY THIS.

It is hard....I'm definitely not saying it is easy...but it is worth a try....

Hope you guys got something out of this:)

One Yummy Recipe

2008-04-28T19:11:00.002+08:00

Love BBQ Chicken Wings?

Well I was craving for some and these beat the ones at Newton Hawker Center,
Plus, anything with alcohol is always yummier:)

Cheers

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup gin
2 dashes liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints, tips discarded
1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic powder, gin, liquid smoke, and sugar. Place the chicken wings in the bowl, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the grill for low heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange chicken on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken wings on one side for 20 minutes, then turn and brush with honey. Continue grilling 25 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Jeff Dunham - Achmed the Dead Terrorist

2008-04-09T12:24:00.002+08:00

Must Watch!

this is so funny

Awesome Movie to be Produced by my friend Dorothy Foo

2008-04-09T12:14:00.003+08:00

I've never seen something like this before. Its especially awesome to know that it has been created by a friend of mine who has gotten her inspiration from the Most High.

Craving - Tunnel of Love

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=9466701

Do be kept in anticipation for this movie! I know it will be a blast!

Do you know your HYMNS?

2008-04-07T15:46:00.000+08:00

Just for laughs.

Do you know your HYMNS?

The Dentist's Hymn........ ......... ........Crown Him with Many Crowns

The Weatherman's Hymn........ There Shall Be Showers of Blessings

The Contractor's Hymn........ ......... The Church's One Foundation

The Tailor's Hymn........ ......... ........Holy, Holy, Holy

The Golfer's Hymn........ ......... .There is a Green Hill Far Away

The Politician's Hymn........ ......... ..Standing on the Promises

The Optometrist' s Hymn........ ......... Open My Eyes That I Might See

The IRS Agent's Hymn........ ......... .......... ...I Surrender All

The Gossip's Hymn........ ......... .......... ......... ..Pass It On

The Electrician' s Hymn........ .......... ......... ..Send The Light

The Shopper's Hymn........ .......... ......... ...Sweet Bye and Bye

The Realtor's Hymn. * I've Got a Mansion Just over the Hilltop

The Massage Therapists Hymn ............ ......... He Touched Me

The Doctor's Hymn........ ......... .The Great Physician

AND for those who speed on the highway - a few hymns:

45mph....... .......... ....God Will Take Care of You

65mph....... ......... ....Nearer My God To Thee

85mph....... ......... ....This World Is Not My Home

95mph....... ......... ....Lord, I'm Coming Home

100mph..... ............ ..Precious Memories

Give me a sense of humor, Lord,

Give me the grace to see a joke,

To get some humor out of life.

AMEN

How lovely it is to celebrate your Birthday with a cause

2008-04-07T12:53:00.002+08:00

Yesterday on a bright and sunny Sunday morning,

About 20 of us young adults brought a orphanage to the zoo in celebration of my friend's Gretta's birthday. At first when I was asked to go to the zoo on Sunday at 9am I thought my friend was out of his mind. Firstly, the zoo is not exactly near, secondly, its 9am on a Sunday, making me miss church and lastly.....why the zoo? But when I heard it was Gretta's way of celebrating her birthday, my immediate answer was "YES! count me in!".

This struck me deep inside, making me want to celebrate my next birthday with a cause. A typical birthday celebration is one that is revolved around getting wasted and intoxicated.... some or if its mine, a lot of booty shaking and dancing like a fool :)

But what a difference it would make if all or at least some of us change this pre-conception of birthday celebrations to one that will impact the society. I personally think its awesome and something that I pray will be contagious. Think of the number of children or abused lives we can touch, if everyone played their part.

Its just something to think about.

Chapter 1: Parenting Book Entry

2008-04-01T14:09:00.001+08:00

Being the awesome you

Till this day I am still confused on why we as women feel we need to waste time being someone else. To be frank this is still a constant struggle that I deal with but am slowly mastering the art of accepting and be contented with who I am. A few years ago, in my journey to discover who I truly was and to find out what my true purpose on life was, I tried emulating people who I respected and wanted to be like.

My personal role models were Oprah Winfrey, who is a well respected and famous icon for women worldwide. I observed how she was passionate about what she did and ran after what she believed in. I knew I wanted to be like her but more customized with an Asian feel.

However my aspirations to be like her was also clouded with other people whom I wanted to be like as well. I wanted to be continuously dressed in power suit like the actresses in Alley McBeal and wanted to live the corporate lifestyle.

I imitated woman of this style, their mannerism, the social circles they mixed with and even the type of clothing they wore. Why? Well, all because I respected them and thought they were successful. To me personally, I can’t listen or emulate anyone I don’t respect and that was a key reason to why I was so easily convinced by their behavior and actions. I felt I needed to be like them in order to fully achieve my maximum potential.

But, the more I role modeled the array of different woman I felt torn apart. Yes, I wanted to be like Oprah Winfrey because….and in the corporate world like…. But they each had a different style, adopted different beliefs, mixed with different people and I was continuously trying to do everything they did coupling that with stuff that I enjoyed to do and felt fulfilled in doing. I was overly bogged down trying to be like them and not focusing on what was best for me. What was I thinking? Living more than 3 to 4 lives on top of mine was physically impossible given the standard 24hours we each are blessed with.

I knew I wanted to break out of the race of trying to be a poor imitator of someone(s) else.

I do agree strongly in the power of older council, learning from their wisdom due to their higher intellect or wise collection of experiences but not trying to become like them.

We are each unique, created from the uniting of our father’s and mother’s seeds and carefully crafted by God. No two of us are the same and the scientific explanation is that we each have a unique DNA code that if were to be read, would taken over 90 years. We are each fashioned for a different purpose in today’s history and we have to accept that we have to carry out such purposes in the comfort of our own skin. Yes, it is good to be inspired by others and strive to improve our strengths and weaknesses, that’s all good and I’m not going to argue against that. But the danger and destruction comes when you compare and sulk about what you don’t have and have too much of (tummy and fats :) ) I realized it the hard way to fall in love with myself everyday and to accept that fact that I can never be anyone else; only a better me.

I realized life was really revolved around the choices you made and I feel that we are who we are because of the choices we make in life. Our choices, topped with our genetic strengths and weaknesses plus the influences we gather and discard from the different people we meet and the different situations that we go through. Its all about the choices we decide to live by and the people we choose to spend our time with and the challenges we choose to embark upon.

Given that I knew that who I wanted to be tomorrow did not have to depend entirely on my past. I believe our past brought us to who and where we are today but its what we do today that direct our future. So its about living in the now and living that to the fullest and not regretting any choices we make.

Recently, I have chosen to view life differently and embrace who I am. I get irritated and feel compelled to change the mindset of many who are bogged down by the typical argument of the half filled half empty glass concept.

A majority of people are overly concentrated on making a statement that something in life is half filled, focusing on the weakness of stuff and never letting go and seeing things in totality, or in the light. We categorize these people as the pessimists in our society. Others on the other hand like to categorize themselves as the optimistic people, looking at the same situation or glass per se and saying that it is half filled. They are one step closer to realizing the fullness of that situation but still falling short of the totality of the situation.

In my perspective, I like to not accept either argument. Let me provide you with something that is thought provoking. Why not look at the glass as 100% full? You might question my intellect and not understand what I am trying to say. But think of it this way, the glass is always filled, half filled with air and half filled with water. Cool right? Well let me take it a notch higher, I like to think of the glass as more than 100% filled? How is this possible? And how can something ever be more than 100%? Well look at the glass again. Notice that it doesn’t have a lid on it, hence not preventing any air from flowing in and out. Hope you see where I am getting with this. The glass is more than filled because the air is not contained and actually flows out giving life to those around it. It is not confined and it can not even be measured because it goes out into the universe.

Pretty awesome right? Ingenious? Well I like to think so too. But all glory goes to God cause its Him who gives me the power and creativity to come up with concepts like this that I share freely share with you all.

So woman who truly knows herself can give freely, knowing that it doesn’t take anything away from her, because she is giving out of her abundance and leaving plenty for herself on the inside.

Knowing such revelations keeps us going. Its knowing your destiny that there was a reason why you were put on this planet to extend a helping hand to other and knowing that giving something whether a smile, love, a hug or even money can only further strength you and will not cause you any lack if you live out of your abundance, which again is your choice.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, said “Everyone has the power of greatness” noticed that he said greatness and not fame? In my perspective greatness is determined by the level of service offered and the pure intentions behind it. It is not about the level of glory or feel-goodness that you can get but its about how much you gave to other to make them feel that special way.

I used to struggle with this because I wanted to bask in all the glory and get recognized in the papers, media and magazines for what I have accomplished and for how good I was. However, I knew that could not take the full glory for anything that I did. I realized that it was the team that supported me. No one on this earth is a lone ranger and we weren’t created to be such, cause even if we were suppose to be alone and get full glory for what we did. We need others to recognize our effort and give us the fame and glory. So isn’t that dependence on other and recognizing the importance of leaving goodwill wherever we go?

Since young I understood the power of giving. I got a natural high from seeing other benefit and empowered by the words I gave to them. I knew from young that I wanted to teach others to realize their full potential and grasp the powers that they were born with……

To be continued…..

Shoot at River Place Condo by some photography friends

2008-04-01T11:09:00.002+08:00

J.P. Morgan's Dirty Little Secret

2008-03-26T11:02:00.000+08:00

J.P. Morgan's Dirty Little Secret
By Greg McCoach | Monday, March 24th, 2008

Events last week have prompted me to send out this communication regarding the sudden collapse of the precious metals market. Let's take a look at what caused the collapse and why junior mining companies are the one glimmer of hope amid the chaos.
Bear Stearns, J.P. Morgan, and the Precious Metals Market
The demise of Bear Stearns, which was reported to the public last Sunday evening and Monday, has in turn caused their assets to be sold off in masse this week.
On their book of liquid assets was a rather large, long gold position. It is being sold off in order to raise cash to offset their massive losses. The spot prices have been hammered because of this activity, but it will be short-term in nature. If you're looking to buy physical precious metals to diversify your portfolio at this point, you are being given an unexpected gift to do so. It won't last long.
Another item in Bear Stearns closet was a massive short-position in the ten year treasury. This of course is being unwound this week, which is making the dollar look a bit stronger than it really is. However, don't be confused by this nonsense, the dollar will soon resume its downward trend.
The fact that Bear Stearns was shorting the dollar to such a degree shows that they were not playing along with the the Federal Reserve banking crowd. And they have been severely punished by the powers that be.
What brought Bear Stearns to its knees was their own riverboat gambling mentality that not only jeopardized them, but the financial system as a whole. This story is just the beginning of what will be a long list of companies that meet a similar fate. Will the Fed and the citizens of the United States be able to bail out all the financial sewage that is about to be uncovered?
What the Fed is doing is nothing more than sleight of hand trickery to gain the assets of Bear Stearns. As I have said before, the Federal Reserve is no more "Federal" than Federal Express. It is a private organization owned and controlled by shareholders, the largest of which is J.P. Morgan Chase.
J.P. Morgan Chase, in other words, is the Federal Reserve... so don't be surprised that they end up with the assets while you and I pay for the debts from the whole mess.
When are people in the United States going to wake up to the ugly realities that are now upon us? This ongoing calamity of financial chaos is going to cause extremely serious consequences to each and every American. Your wealth, security and lifestyle are all at stake as the coming months and years unfold.
Advertisement

Get in on One of the Biggest Gold Plays
A tiny company, with a $443 million market cap, finds $2.62 Billion worth of the yellow metal in their first spot!

With 2.9 million ounces, they have more gold in this one mine than the entire Federal Reserve Gold Holding of Australia, Canada and Mexico combined!

To top it off, it's so big that it's expected to produce 631% more gold per year than the average mine in China.

4 Ways to Protect Your Financial Security
You should be doing everything you can, including:

Avoiding, paying down and paying off debt

Buying physical precious metals - particularly gold and silver

Getting money outside the country or at least in a better currency

Getting away from dollar-denominated risk

There are going to be banking failures in the United States and around the world. You should be evaluating the merits of who you bank with. Most of the big banks are in a world of hurt. The smaller, independent banks have not leveraged themselves like most of the big banks. So they may fare better, even though they don't offer all the nice, online services the big banks have.

What to Expect From Junior Mining Companies

As far as junior mining stocks go, they will rebound. Right now they are getting hit as investors like us prepare to write checks for our capital gains taxes. Yes, it appears many of us have waited till the last minute to raise money to pay for these taxes. Most of us will have to sell something to pay for them.

So, in the next few weeks, expect further weakness as this takes place. The better companies will be hit with this activity as well. Those who have the cash will be given the best opportunity to buy low and sell high.

After tax season however, and as the precious metals prices begin to make very large moves in April, the bigger junior mining companies will also make their move... going to much higher levels.

As we move forward in the next six to eight months, I see a time where we will begin to beef up positions in companies that are either in production or are near-term producers. Companies that are more speculative and do not have any near-term production capacity will be eliminated. The reason for this is that the risk capital markets are going to be getting much tighter moving forward, and many junior mining companies that are still in the speculative phase will find it much harder to raise monies moving forward. I will be talking more about this in the coming months.
Until next time,
Greg McCoach
www.GoldWorld.com

Current Metals Prices
Gold$923.703.70
Silver$1,715.0030.00
High Grade Copper$361.203.85
Palladium$432.50-13.55
Platinum$1,875.80-1.50

Small Cap Wizard Reveals Little-Known Secret to Easy Money
Ian Cooper has found a way to safely pull in triple-digit winner after triple-digit winner in an otherwise dangerous small-cap sector.His off-the-charts accuracy for reliably reading the markets, matched with his winner-after-winner track record, has plastered his sought-after advice on the pages of numerous publications. He's filled columns from Investor's Business Daily all the way to Forbes.
He's also frequently appeared on investment shows such as Money Matters with Barry Armstrong and On the Money with Mike Stein.

Click here to learn more about Ian's next pick.

Related Articles
Investing in Egyptian Gold

Investing in Silver

Why the Price of Gold is Down

Economic Releases for the week of Monday, March 24th, 2008:

Mar 24 - Existing Home Sales
Mar 25 - Consumer Confidence
Mar 26 - Durable Orders
Mar 26 - New Home Sales
Mar 26 - Crude Inventories
Mar 27 - GDP
Mar 27 - Initial Claims
Mar 28 - Personal Income and Spending
Mar 28 - Michigan Sentiment

Brought to you by Wealth Daily

From the Archives...
Gold Falls Over $100 an Ounce in Two Days
2008-03-20 - Luke Burgess

Why Silver Could Reach Over $150 an Ounce by the End of this Bull Market
2008-03-19 - Luke Burgess

Aurelian Cuts 169 Meters Grading 13.16 g/t Gold
2008-03-17 - Luke Burgess

Why $1,200 by Year End Isn't Out of the Question
2008-03-15 - Ian Cooper

Gold Hits $1,000 an Ounce
2008-03-13 - Luke Burgess

WHY PARENTING?

2008-03-19T15:38:00.001+08:00

Why Parenting?
Many of you must have questioned or are still questioning why this fresh College Graduate would want to write a book about parenting. You have probably realized by now that I am still single, have no adopted children or children of my own. However, I do have a heart and passion for children and youth. I have taught at the YMCA children camps, gone for numerous mission trips, taught Conflict Resolution and Anger Management Modules to Grade 5 students in Canada and volunteered to teaching Sunday Schools at my church, City Mission Church. Additionally I am thankful to God for creating this desire to share how children, youth and young adults perceive parenting for their point of view. This book was inspired to bridge current parents’ understanding of their children and enhance the intangible relationships within families.

This need to share such values and insights was initially birth in me when I was still a teenager. I was appalled by the numerous youths who continuously cursed and sweared about their parents, belittle their jobs or lifestyle and show absolutely no respect what so ever. This by far was the norm and such bombardments of disrespect flood our city. I was blessed to have been brought up by good Christian parents who loved and cared for me unconditionally. However, I have to give tribute to the fact that my dad was posted overseas forcing my mother to give up her job and become a full time mom in Canada. Having been fortunately raised overseas where the work hours our less and more flexible, my family was able to spend a lot more time than a typical family in Singapore would.

We live in a culture that is booming exponentially and where a standard two-income family’s cash flow just breaks even or is still in debt or is left with very little savings. It is almost impossible for a fresh graduate to ultimately pay for a down payment of any private residential unit (public residents: HDB requires that you are over 35 years old or are married to qualify for a HDB unit) as the prices have soured due to the recent 2007 economic boom. Parents are forced turn to foreign helpers to take care of their children and many children end up spending more time with these helpers than they do with their own parents. Obviously, with little to no time spent as a family, relationships will inevitably tarnish and wither away.

So who is to blame? The society, the parents or the children? However there is only so much that we can do to change how the society we live in. But there is a 100% cause and effect to how we can decide to change how we act as individuals, be it the role of a parent or the child. So the real question is, how willing and determined are we to foster the relationships you have as a family unit? To what extents are you willing to go through to fight for this goal?

Young at Heart. Parenting is an opportunity for rediscovering one's inner child that had been buried deeply beneath the layers of conditioning that we had acquired in the process of growing up. It is a reminder to feel young again at heart, and experience the world with a child-like wonder. It is all right to be playful. Give yourself full permission to party and have fun with our children.

Communication

2008-03-19T15:36:00.005+08:00

Communication
Inspiration from Kenny Toh, Parents as Coaches

One of the main problems in today’s families is the lack of communication. Let me be a little more specific and state effective and quality communication, as many of us ‘communicate’ through shouting, door clamming or silent body gestures continuously at home. The lack of proper communication has been lacking in families and this is not a new epidemic.

Effective communication really takes two hands to clap and it requires both parties to actively listen and contribute tactfully to the communication process. If otherwise done, you might as well talk straight to a blank wall or your favorite stuff toy at home.

I’m going to lay out some elements of effective communication in this write up and I hope you will be able to pick up some nuggets of truth and inspiration.

Communication through PLAY:

Children have been born to play. Even when I’m nearing 24, I still love playing and I make it a point to have fun in whatever I do, be it work or reading a book or even just sweating it out at the gym.

It is no secret that children learn best through playing. In fact, that applies to adults too. Playing is not only essential but a lot of fun too. It warms up and relaxes the mind, making it open and receptive to learning.

Playing puts a child in a state of wonder, enabling them to experiment with new things, ideas or activities, uninhibited by fears arising from excessive self-consciousness. The message for parents is that, "if you want to teach children something effectively, make sure that the process is fun for them".

Moreover, playing has healthy consequences to the family, for a family that plays together often stays together.

Communication through AFFIRMATION:

Children need affirmation, especially from their parents. Affirmation is nourishment for the soul. Affirmation may be given in the form of words such as "I believe in you" and "You are doing fine", or simply by nodding our head with encouragement. When we affirm our children, we strengthen their beliefs in themselves and help them build greater confidence.

Communication through COMPASSION:

Compassion is about feeling for others, empathizing with their sufferings, a virtue that is beneficial to cultivate from young. Virtues or values are to be caught and not taught. The best way to cultivate compassion in our children is through our actions. Children learn and absorb what’s around them like sponges. We may be quiet about what we are choosing to soak in but we tend to retail a lot of things, both good and bad.

An act of compassion need not necessarily involve volunteering at non-profit organizations or donating cash to charities. Opportunities for showing compassion happen in our every day life and is especially apparent in times of crisis. Most people are filled to the brim with complaints and bad mood, emo things, but it is at these times that compassion can really go very far.

If parents were to show such compassion since their children’s growing up age, it will inevitable rub off on them. It will be ingrained in their sub-conscious mind and a mimic behavior on their part would not be a chore or sacrifice but their way of life.

Recently, I have committed to show compassion in my daily life. I started tipping generously to people who least expect it. For example, paying a tip to the cab driver that is 50% of the fare or even 100%! The shocked but happy smile was all worth it. It made my day and definitely made his. Another thing we should all do, is thanking and tipping the uncles and aunties at the hawker centers and in our washrooms. Think about this: When was the last time they got a compliment?

Trust me on this, their smiles and appreciation will be worth much more than your dollars and cents.

Additionally, they need it much more than you do and I can promise that you will get back your act of kindness much more in return. Remember that we were blessed so that we can in return be a blessing. If you sow financially you will reap financially. It’s a biblical and spiritual truth. So go out there and bless

Communication through EMPATHY:

Empathy is the cornerstone of effective communication between the parent and the child. The key to tuning into our children emotionally lies in our ability to listen with empathy. Empathy requires the ability to feel what they feel, see what they see, hear what they hear, without reacting to these emotions. To listen with empathy, we need to be fully present to our children. Children need undivided attention. Through listening to their emotions, and acknowledging them without judgment, we make them feel understood. When a child feels understood, he feels loved. And when he feels loved, his opens up and becomes receptive to guidance.

Communication through HONESTY:

We would like to think that honesty is the best policy, but the truth often hurts. At times, honesty can be brutal. When a child tells a parent how much he hated his little brother and how he wishes that the latter is dead, it may cause the parent to feel hurt or furious over the child's ill thinking.

How should the parent respond? Definitely not with anger or disapproval. To encourage honesty, we need to maintain an environment in which our children feel safe to open their hearts and speak honestly. Conscious parents will acknowledge the child's courage for being honest, show empathy for the child's hatred, seek to understand the underlying causes, and then guide them out of the undesirable emotions.

Communication through INFINITE PATIENCE:

Effective parenting requires infinite patience. Children seldom respond at the rate that we wish they do. They need a lot room to experiment, try new ideas, and figure things out without being rushed or ridiculed.

With infinite patience, we are able to provide them the space for learning, failing, and growth. The best way to cultivate our patience, is to put the well-being of our children at heart when we are being with them. When their development is placed at the top of our priority, there is nothing else that we ought to be rushing to at the expense of their growth.

Communication through LISTENING:

The art of attentive listening is essential to effective communication. Listening attentively to our children requires us to be fully present to the conversation that we are having with them, while being aware of the perceptual filters that is determining what we are listening to.

We seldom listen with a truly neutral or open mind. What is important is not to eradicate these filters, but to be conscious of them and choose the appropriate filters that fit the situation. When we give our children full attention, we show them respect. As we listen with empathy, and respond in a manner which shows that we appreciate how they feel, we make them feel understood and loved.

Communication through QUESTIONING:

A question sets up an expectation for an answer. Questioning is one of the most powerful tools we could use to direct our children's thoughts. With great power, comes great responsibility, and hence it is to be used with care. Asking a child "Why did you do this?" may invite him to look for reasons and excuses for his behavior, and even lead him to lie if he feels that honesty will lead to worse consequences. Asking a child "What do you think you can do about it now?" directs his attention to actions, instead of reasons.

Asking a child "What if you can?" can redirect his thinking from limitations to possibilities. Conscious parents constantly hone their skills in questioning by developing a collection of useful questions to be fired off at the appropriate moments for guiding their children effectively.

Communication through SUGGESTIONS:

Suggestions work better than instructions. Children and teenagers who are establishing their own identities are prone to reject being told what they should do.

Consider the use of suggestions through the use of words such as "Would you consider ..." or "Perhaps you may like to try ..." instead of "Do as I say!". Suggestions have the power of penetrating into the child's subconscious mind, and hence, bypassing the deliberate evaluation by the conscious mind where the child accepts or rejects what was said.

True suggestions, we can provide guidance through exploring them to new options, without appearing to imposing on them.

Communication through JOKES AND RIDDLES:

Children love jokes and riddles because they make them laugh.

A sense of humor is a great asset for getting through to children. Make a commitment to learn some jokes and riddles, and use them generously on your children, especially when they feel down or depressed. After all, laughter is often the best medicine!

something to chew on

2008-03-10T16:37:00.001+08:00

************ Wedding Sermon on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ************

By: Rev. Adrian Dieleman

This sermon was preached on April 4, 1998

Wedding Message for Kent & Julie Houtsma
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
(Eccl 4:9-12) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: (10) If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! (11) Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? (12) Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

"Two are better than one." This principle lies behind every marriage, every friendship, and every relationship. "Two are better than one." I'm sure, Kent & Julie, that on this your wedding day you would not disagree with that statement. You have decided it is better to go through life as a couple than as two separate individuals. But, then, that is the way God created us — to fellowship together. Remember Adam in the Garden? God looked at Adam and said, "It is not good for the man to be alone" (Gen 2:18). So He created Eve and brought her to the man. "Two are better than one."

Why are two better than one? Why did God create Eve for Adam? Listen to what Scripture says:
(Eccl 4:9) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work ...

(Gen 2:18) The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
This is two ways of saying the same thing.

What does it mean? God is talking about the comfort, support, help, and joy that companionship can bring. You see, one is a lonely number. But two, that is better, much better. "Two are better than one." Kent and Julie, in the marriage relationship, you are to be each other's best and closest companion and friend.

In three examples our passage illustrates the blessings of companionship. The examples are taken from the risks of traveling by foot in Palestine during the days of the author. This, I think, is very suitable as marriage is like a trip or journey. For, when a bride and groom are joined to each other in marriage they covenant to travel life's pathway together.

The first example is that of a traveler who falls into a pit or ditch:
(Eccl 4:10) If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
For a traveler on his own a fall might prove fatal, especially at night. If a leg is broken, if ribs are cracked, if a skull is split open, the single traveler may never receive needed medical attention. The traveler with a companion, however, has someone to pull him out of the ditch or pit, someone to splint his broken bones, someone to bring him to safety.

By getting married, Kent and Julie, you do not travel alone. You have each other. You have each other to look to for help when disease or accident occur. You have each other to lean on.

The second example is that of a traveler facing the cold Palestine night:
(Eccl 4:11) Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Don't forget, back then there were no Holiday Inns. The traveler usually had to sleep under the stars or in a cave. And the Palestine night, even during the summer, can be very cool. Most travelers found it necessary to sleep close together in order to stay warm and comfortable.

One of the joys of marriage, Kent and Julie, is being able to share a bed with your partner. There is nothing quite like snuggling up to the wife of your youth during a cold winter night or in the cool of the morning.

A third illustration is taken from the burglar or wayside bandit:
(Eccl 4:12) Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
The single traveler may be overcome by a bandit; safety is found in numbers. The rope-makers of the Ancient World certainly knew that: a rope made of a single or double strand of cord could be broken so easily; a rope, however, made of three strands was not so easily broken.

In marriage, Kent and Julie, you can strengthen and sustain each other. You can look to each other for support and encouragement. You can uphold and defend each other.

Kent and Julie, the two of you are life-long companions of each other. From now on you travel the same road. None of us knows the kind of road the Lord has in mind for you. None of us knows the pitfalls, the curves, the valleys, the hills that you will face. But as your wind your way through life, you have the comfort and strength of each other as lifelong traveling companions.

Kent and Julie, remember please that "Two are better than one." The Lord has blessed each of you with the companionship of the other person. So many couples forget this. Over time they neglect and forget their marriage partner; over time they stop doing things together, they stop communicating with each other, they start to drift apart; they lose the joy of companionship they had during dating and the first year or so of marriage. So Kent and Julie, don't ever forget or neglect your friendship with each other. Remain each other's best friend; continue to share with each other; spend time talking to and with each other; do things together; don't ever let a hobby, a job, children, or even church and kingdom work take so much of your time and energy that you no longer have time for each other.

None of this denies, of course, the joy and importance of other relationships. For, don't forget, you are also members of a church. As a couple you also have the responsibility of giving and finding companionship among the people of God.

Lastly, and most importantly, Kent and Julie, you also stand in relationship to God. It is He, especially, Who is your life-long traveling companion. He has been so since even before the time you were first placed in your mother's arms. It is He, especially, Who helps when you stumble and fall, when you are cold and weary, when you are attacked and molested. And, only when you get close to Him can you get the support and strength that you need to make life's journey together. You see, Kent you are one strand of the rope that is marriage, Julie you are another strand, but the third strand is God. To keep your marriage strong, then, you need faith in Jesus. To keep your marriage strong, then, you need to give your heart to Him Who died for you. To keep your marriage strong, then, you need to make Jesus the Lord of your home and the Head of your marriage. Then, and only then, do you have a marriage cord of three strands that cannot be quickly broken. As the poem on your program puts it:
Marriage Takes Three

I once thought marriage took
Just Two to make a go,
But now I am convinced
It takes the Lord also.

And not one marriage fails
Where Christ is asked to enter
As lovers come together
With Jesus at the center.

But marriage seldom thrives,
And homes are incomplete,
till He is welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.

In homes where Christ is first
It's obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

Perry Tanksley 1984

Kent and Julie, as you travel down life's pathway together, remember this: "Two are better than one." But also remember: "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." When the three of you — Kent, Julie, and God — travel together, you stand on such solid ground that nothing can tear you apart.
You can e-mail our pastor at: Pastor, Trinity Christian Reformed Church
Back to Index of Sermons Page
Back to Trinity Christian Reformed Church Home Page

beyond belief...In Him all things hold together....

2008-03-02T18:29:00.005+08:00

I hope these clips will put us into perspective with God and make us realise that we are nothing without Him. I know i'm not the most angelic being on this planet, but I also know that I am fully redeem by God's blood and in Him there is no condemnation. I know that He loves me deeply and has an awesome plan for my life.

This preaching by Louie confirms everything that I believe in and it had re-affirmed my faith. I know that I serve a Huge God that is not only the Greatest and most Influential COE of the universe but one that even know me by name...and loves me so much that He cares and will send His only son to die for me, even though I'm still a sinner. That's just crazy love.

Okay coming back to the links I attached on my previous post. Louie talks about the cell adhesion protein molecule called “LAMININ”. Many of you must be like...errrr... what on earth is laminin? Don't worry I had that mind block as well....

Well it’s the “glue” that holds our cells together. When he puts this picture up on the big screen the crowd just claps and cheers when they see it. The picture on the left is the scientific diagram and the one on the right is the actual molecule under an electron microscope.

The stuff that holds our bodies together is in the shape of the cross! How cool is that?

He than quotes the verse from
~ Colossians 1:17 “He (Christ) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Geez... Power Power Power....

Lastly, in the preaching before this.... Louie uses a picture of the middle of the Whirlpool galaxy that is 31 million light years away. This image was captured by the Hubble telescope. God’s glory imprinted in the cosmos!

Another..... Power shot and fact!

Its so crazy and we serve a cool and real God, who not only knows everything but wants to guide us to discover His plans for us...and is always there when we cry out to Him. Can't believe that I can have the honour or calling him my friend, a friend that is closer than no other... that's just cool.....=)

How Great is Our God - by Louie Giglio

2008-03-02T18:17:00.002+08:00

This blew my mind away!

You have to watch these few YouTube clips and tell me what you think! This is the second part of the first mind-blowing message titled "INDESCRIBABLE". Watched it at my Tuesday group fellowship and was amazed! I knew I had to share it with as many people as the truths you find out in these two messages are just out of this world!

Trust me. You won't regret watching this!

Here are the links:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfTQqsoa1QQ

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKY6gY1ZsV8&NR=1

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtrpa40DYwg&feature=related

Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfI05Xuv9BE&feature=related

Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoTmwZ2wh-c&feature=related

Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSDN-SHcMA&feature=related

Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ZMdjCI2aY&feature=related

Part 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE6LfjTvV9g&feature=related

Part 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzHxAhPtbJE&feature=related

Part 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng4gkBk4cuc&feature=related

Part 11: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBeJK76k4y0&feature=related

THIS IS SO COOL! ITS THE LAMININ SELF-ADHESION MOLECULE that is holding your body together

LAMININ: Part 12: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEYfuKklds4&feature=related

Part 13: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4_9jdmUUrM&feature=related

Part 14:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCE3iYRRCHg&feature=related

Part 15: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzHMyOWQmIk&feature=related

What I think about HOUSE

2008-02-29T10:59:00.006+08:00

It has been a while since I last wrote an entry and I apologise to those who have been visiting my blog and have been disappointed with the lack of updates.

My new part-time job at HOUSE has been keeping me busy, but I'm loving it at the same time as I get to meet very interesting and awesome people but best of all get to see old friends whom I lost complete contact with.

Last night, I ran into two of my track and field juniors from Crescent and it was a pleasant surprise. It was good catching up with them and making sure that they enjoyed their experience at HOUSE.

On Valentines Day, I got pulled back to work as they were short-handed on their staffing. I cancelled my plans and made my way down dragging my feet as I found it was a sad case that I had to spend Valentines' Day at work but also psyching myself up to make the best of the night. Everything turned out well in the end, as I ended up bumping into my ex-lecturers from NJC and I am patiently waiting to see if I can give a motivational talk at my old JC.

I believe all things happen for a reason and we as individuals need to see the light amongst every situation. Its a hard technique to master but it is really all a matter or perspective and a choice to see things in a positive angle.

I highlight in my book about that we as individuals are an aggregate of our choices in life. We are a sum of all the information we choose to retain and recall from books, tv, movies, music, all the choices you made at different situations, the challenges you decided to take on and those you decide to avoid....etc...

However, I mention that you aggregate defines your present but your future need not be the same as something your choose to do or someone you choose to let into your life could have taught you something that transforms your life. This element/lesson/revelation can screw your whole aggregate, making you an entirely different person.

But again, as I emphasize, it all start with what you choose to do and what you allow to affect your mindset, heart, emotions and even spirit.

I need to run off the HOUSE for work again so I'll complete my entry later in the afternoon or sometime over the weekend.

I will be posting information on my book on this blog, so please write in to give me your insights and perspectives on things.

GOD BLESS

I'm the New PR for HOUSE @ Dempsey

2008-01-31T11:58:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone,

I know its been ages since I last made a posting cause too many things have been happening over the last few weeks. So here's a quick update with what's been happening in the month of January.

For my personal life, its been a series of ups and downs. Been meeting many people but no one has particularly caught my eye. I'm someone who takes relationship very seriously as I tend to get very or should very overly EMO. I feel the pains of the other party and internalize and carry their burdens, even when not asked to....I try to be more self-centered but can't cause that's just who I am. So i'm trying to distant myself and remain relatively cold and wary cause I afraid to be hurt and heartbroken again.

I believe a lot in peer and parent acceptance and approval of your to be boyfriend as your friends and family only have your best interests at heart and want the best for you. So that on top of talking about deep issues are my pre-reqs before getting into another relationhsip as i'm just tired of the whole 'game' especially when you don't see eye to eye with the other party. Being honest is the key, I feel otherwise its just a waste of time and money for both sides...

okay, enough on relationships....

My book is moving along great. I've got Kelvyn Foo to help me out as my copywriter and we have been meeting up almost every other day. So that's been pretty awesome. To top things off, Kenny Toh, the columnist for Mind your Body for the Straits Times on Parenting...loves my idea and wants to be my mentor and help out....isn't that pretty sweet!

On top of that my new job as the new PR of House @ Dempsey allows me to meet a lot of interesting and fun-loving individuals who are not only well-connected but also very passionate about what they do in life. These are all stepping stones to my ever increasing network and I thank God for blessing me.

I am happy with my life at this moment despite the many different things that I am involved in.

Checking out for now........

All Glory Goes to God! I passed my PROFESSIONAL TENNIS COACHING COURSE!

2007-12-21T21:46:00.000+08:00

PRAISE GOD !!!

I can't believe that I somehow passed my tennis coaching school exam! Its really a miracle as I have only had less than 5 tennis lessons myself and have only played for the last three odd years! WOW, someone out there really loves me man! WOW WOW WOW!

Well, now I'm certified with PTR, Professional Tennis Registry as a tennis coach, so do let me know if you need some help from moi!

Will fill you in with more information when I get over this shock!

yippeeee

jacyln

Devotions~being led by the Spirit of God part 1

2007-12-17T13:57:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone,

I have been committing to type out a lot of good sermons and messages to a lot of people but have yet to do so....but I promise that i'll try my best to at least summarize the key verses on my future blog entries.....

For today's entry, I just want to share some inspirations that I got from a great book that Mike lent me. Its titled "How You Can Be Lead by the Spirit of God" by Kenneth E.Hagin.

I totally recommend that you all get a hold of this boook as there are a lot of golden nuggets of truths and power in it. I will share those that have spoken to me but I can't possibly share all without re-writing the whole book on my blog....so get a copy of it if you can:)

Insipiration 1: The Lamp of the Lord

The spirit of man is the candle (lamp, light buld...) of the Lord, searching all the inwards parts of the belly" ~Proverbs 20:27

Children of God can expect to be led by the Spirit of God. God will enlighten and guide us through our Spirits.

Many the times we seek the suidance by every other means but God and we normally get into trouble when we do so. I used to think that God speaks to his children by feelings which could be expalined through our physically senses. I used to think that maybe I'll feel a specific warmth or coolness and only then that I will know it is from God.

But God speaks to us to our spirits. God said that the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, not the body or our intellect which is our mentality.

In order to fully understand this concept, you need to understand the nature of man

INSPIRATION 2: Man: An Eternal Spirit

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness....So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him. ~ Genesis 2:26,27

Man and yes that includes Woman too is spirit being, make in the likeness of God. Jesus said that GOD is a Spirit (John 4:24) Therefore, man must of necessity be a spirit.

Man is a spirit, he has a soul, and he lives in a physical body (1 Thess 5:23)

Even when we K.O or die, our spirit still lives on. That part of man is eternal. Spirit can never die and man is spirit.

There is an inward and outward man. The outward man is not the real you. It is only the house in which you live in. The inward man is the real you. The inward man never grows older. He is renewed day by day. So no need for anti-wrinkle cream or liposuction sessions:)

The inward man is a spirit man.

In Romans 8:14 it says "...as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Then verse 16 give us insights into how the Spirit of God leads us "The Spirit itself beareth withness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." In other words, the Spirit of God bear withness with the spirit of man.

Our inward man is in our heart.
"But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is incorruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" ~1 Peter 3:4

In many places when the Bible speaks of the heart, it is speaking of the spirit. This is the real man. It will help you in your believing and in your faith to think like that. You can substitute the word heart for spirit when you are reading the New Testament, to get a clearer picture of what the Bible is talking about.

It is the spirit of man that is born again.
"Therefore is any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" ~2 Corinthians 5:17

This verse is talking about the inward man, and how you become a new creation when your spirit is born again in Christ.

INSPIRATION 3: SPIRIT-Conscious

Note: that we are Spirit beings, with a soul living in a physical body once again. Remember that we are lead by our Spirit and it is only through our spirit that God speaks and reveals things to us.

We need to specifically learn how to differentiate between our emotions, mind and intellect which is our soul from our spirit. It is easy to know what is not body but mastering how to differentiate between soul and spirit takes time seeking God.

Sometimes we are more mental-conscious because we live more in the mental realm, we need to fall back on logic or on what is normal or physically possible. We especially think this way cause we are constantly bombarded by advertisements that we block out what are the truths.

We need to learn how to by-pass the mental-consciousness and go straight to the spirit-consciousness. Its hard and i'm still learning how to tune into it. I know a lot of people who have gotten so much favour from God because they heard directly from God on where to go and what to do next. If we try to put logic on everything, we will firstly, move a lot slower, accomplish less and worst of all fall into pits where we struggle and not achieve anything fruitful at all.

Many of us....that's including me....are guilty of sayign that we are too busy for God. And we go about, rushing around from work, play, gymming, gaming, drinking....etc etc....

Sometimes, i'm so busy with useless stuff. I rush around just because I don't like wasting time. And at the end of the day, realise that nothing was accomplished. However days that I seek God first, he restores the time spent with him with favour after favour and make my remaining hours a lot more productive.

So i'm going to end off this entry for today as I need to meet my designer friend Benno. I hope you were able to take away some important points.....I've got a lot more to share in the upcoming entries.

Love you

Jacyln:)

More Behind the Scenes Pictures

2007-12-10T12:21:00.000+08:00

Mike and Me at the entrance of Arena

Kristine and me

This is my god sister, Hui shan on the left

Behind the Scenes of the Finals

2007-12-10T02:03:00.000+08:00

FEMALE Magazine 50 Most Gorgeous People Finals at Arena

2007-12-10T01:28:00.001+08:00

Dear Everyone,

Thank you so so much for all your support and sms votings. Because of you and your support, God blessed me with the Ms Platinum Title on the night of the finals. In my opinion, it is the second best prize cause its CA$H!
So thank you once again for all the love. I wished I could have invited everyone but the club was at its maximum capacity.
To those who came to cheer me on with your pomp pomps! Thanks again for the encouragement and love. Hope everyone had fun, especially since there was free booze and Haagen Dazs ice cream. Yummms:)
My friend James helped me video the event, so I'll be uploading them in the near future:)
Enjoy the pictures for now:)

The fitting at Ted Baker, Vivocity

the girls chilling before the show

"The FACE of STAR" AUDITIONS

2007-12-04T00:22:00.000+08:00

Dear all,

Please keep me in your prayers. Tomorrow I have to prepare for my tennis coaching exam plus get all pumped up for the STAR TV hosting auditions.

This will be my first time challenging myself to do something like this but I've learnt to take everything as an opportunity to learn and grow. I need God's extra power tomorrow so please back me up by your prayers and pomp pomps!

The script that I will need to memorize is a page long, so pray for mega memory and superb energy and poise.

Thanks:)

here's the link to StarWorld TV's site: http://www.startv.com/singapore.html

preparing for PTR Tennis coaching exam

2007-12-03T16:04:00.000+08:00

Wanna learn some basic tennis from yours truly?

Well by this Saturday, I'll be professionally certified as an internationally recognized tennis coach by PTR, Professional Tennis Registry. But that is only if I get through the four day coaching exam.

It will be a certification from the States. Isn't that cool?

Will keep you informed......

Below are some tennis tips:

The role of the non-dominant hand in the one-handed backhanded

First of all, every player needs to know how to hit a one-handed backhand- even a player who has a great two handed backhand. One of the real keys to the successful execution of a one-handed backhand is the role that the non-dominant hand plays during the stroke.
As you begin the forward swing with your hitting arm on a one-handed backhand, the other arm needs to extend back and away from your body. This movement serves as a counter-balance, and keeps the back shoulder from rotating forward during the swing. While the two-handed backhand is more rotational- like on the forehand, your hips and trunk rotate through the shot- the one-handed backhand is a more lineal stroke. Extending the non-dominant hand out and away from the body “anchors” this lineal movement on the one-handed backhand.
There are differences in what the non-dominant hand does on the finish of the swing depending on the shot you choose. For a slice backhand, the hitting arm finishes low and in front of the body so the non-dominant hand extends away and upward. On a topspin drive, the hitting arm finishes above your head so the non-dominant hand is conversely extended down and away from your body. This counter-balance action is crucial, particularly when the shot is hit on the move.

Good times with the Internet Masters

2007-11-30T17:56:00.000+08:00

Simon Leung and Stuart Tan

http://www.simonleung.com/ and http://www.adamkhoo.com/

Donna Fox and Jacyln

http://www.donnalfox.com/

Donna Fox, Stuart Tan and Me

Stuart Tan and Me

Si and me

The colour coordination for that night was fantastic.

Three guys in black and three in red/pink

After the second day of the Asia Internet Congress,

Simon Leung, Donna Fox, Teddy Wu, Ben Woo, Teddy Wu and myself went for a nice Spanish dinner at the Esplanade.

Thereafter we headed to Bala Clava for some good old drinks and EIC, I dedicated "leaving on a jet plane" to Donna and Simon, but Ray from EIC, sang a Chinese song to them instead. It was cool to Simon, as he was swaying and singing along but Donna was like &^%%/?! cause like me, she doesn't understand Chinese.

Well guess its the thought that counts and I made it up later by attempting to sing them the same song at party world. Man, now I know why I do sports, cause I'll probably have to pay people money to hear me sing.

Ben Wee, Donna Fox and Me

Si, Stuart and Teddy

http://www.teddywu.com/

Asia Internet Congress

2007-11-30T14:50:00.000+08:00

Hi Everyone,

I've decided to continue my blogging after the many 'nags' and advice from my various Internet Marketing Mentors. I was so blessed to be invited to the Asia Internet Congress held at the Expo where I was able to meet up with one of my long lost friends Simon Leung.

We first met in Aneheim, USA during one of the Robert Allen, EWI Conferences, when he was still working for Google. To be honest, I thought he was just another average joe with a spice of some Google-cool factor. I never knew that he'll be such a nice guy to hang out with till the last two days of getting to know him better in Singapore. Now I think he can pass off as one of my buddy-buddy friends, i'll probably give him a 6 upon 10 amidst all his continous teasing and verbal warfare. Heh heh, i'll give him a 10 upon 10 only if he comes back to Singapore to visit me again.

It was an awesome time of hanging out and I am so glad that I went to the conference because I got to meet the other Internet Marketing Gurus like, Donna Fox, one of the only professional Internet Marketers who is female, a very talented musically inclined Internet Marketer, Jermaine Griggs, not to mention the MasterListBuilders, Andrew and Joel Christopher, my dear friend and advisor Teddy Wu, my first Internet Marketing coach Fabian Lim, the fun-loving and always happy Andy Hun and lots more.

http://www.simonleung.com/

In everything give praise...even through the shit times

2007-11-01T23:30:00.000+08:00

Hi Everyone,

Thanks again for logging on to read my blog, yesterday was one of the worst days I've had. It started off with one fine on top of the $5 coupon that I had already placed on my car's dashboard. After that I was hit with a wave of tiredness and ill-feelings in my stomach...thereafter I was rushing to the production house for my fitting for this Sunday's Sony HD TV commercial and got fined again! It was my fault for misreading the parking fees. I thought it was free after 5pm but it wasn't.

On top of that I couldn't fit in the bride gown that my casting crew had gotten for me. So we had to drive down to Club Street to pick up another three for the clients to approve.

Today, on the other hand started off well with some interesting research for this Saturday's' Business Networking Session at the Central library. It was than followed by an intense personal training session at Fitness First. All this running around made my accumulated tiredness reach a peak. So it lead me to leave my $80 that I drew out of the ATM machine in the machine without realising.

Man! I cried out to God asking why this was all happening to me. However I thank God for giving me a quiet and forgiving spirit. I decided that there was no use in complaining or even cursing as it wouldn't make me or the person hearing my grief feel any better. So I decided to see it as a time to bless our government and hope for more green trees in Singapore....and see my $80 be a blessing to the next person who picks it up.

So why am I writing about all this in this blog? Well, I decided to encourage anyone out there who is facing trials and tribulation in your life. In everything give thanks and continue praising God, cause its easy to say thank you and be cheerful during the good times..but it take character building to rough it out during the bad.

God watches our heart in every circumstance and we need to continually seek Him and ask for His favour. We need His grace to cover us everyday and every hour and his love to protect us from all harm....and lost of money.

I hope you have been blessed and learnt to rejoice in your bad times. Remember its not how we fall but how we forgive ourselves and pick ourselves up a fall. FALL FORWARD not backwards. Think of it like a rugby game where your goal is to gain ground and ultimately score that goal. There is no reward in falling backwards and complaining.

God bless everyone!

Jacyln Chan
www.purposedpassion.com

ya ya PAYAYA

2007-10-11T16:09:00.000+08:00

A few days ago I heard that swolling payaya seeds would make you lose some weight. So being a very weight conscience person, I went a head a had a tablespoon of it today.

However, I was provked to google what's the truth behind it and I found out from this article that payaya seeds contain Carpine which is toxic. Man!

Here's the article I read it from

Papaya (Carica papaya) is a common man's fruit, which is reasonably priced and have a high nutritive value. This fruit is available through out the year. About 17,000 hectares are under papaya cultivation in India. This is a tropical fruit and tree requires minimum irrigation. Yield from a tree can be up to 100 fruits each weighing about 1kg. The fruit is known by various names such as pepe (Bengali), papita (Hindi), pharangi (Kanada), boppayi pandu (Telugu), omakai (Malayalam), popai (Marati) and pappali (Tamil).

Papaya is a wholesome fruit. Papaya has more carotene compared to other fruits such as apples, guavas, sitaphal, and plantains. This pigment is similar to that found in carrots, beet root, dark green leafy vegetables like drumstick leaves, palak, curry leaves etc. Carotene in food is converted into vitamin A in our body. 100 gms of ripe papaya contains only 32 kcal. The comparative low calories content make this a favorite fruit of obese people who are into weight reducing regime. It has a good vitamin C content of 57 mgs for 100 gms. Unriped green papaya is used as vegetable. It does not contain carotene but all other nutrients are present.

Vitamins
Papaya when consumed regularly will ensure a good supply of vitamin A and C. Both are essential for good health. The common preventable blindness in Indian children is due to vitamin A deficiency. Eating papaya helps to prevent this kind of blindness.

Beta-Carotene
Papaya is a good source of beta-carotene, which helps to prevent damage by free radical, which might other wise lead to some forms of cancer.

Enzymes
Different types of enzymes are present in papaya. Papain, a substance present in papaya is an excellent aid to digestion. It is an enzyme, which helps to digest the protein in food. Papaya has the property of tenderizing meat. This knowledge is been put to use in our country by cooking meat with raw papaya to make it tender and digestible. The unripe fruit is a rich source of papain, which is vegetable pepsin and is capable of digesting protein in acid, alkaline or neutral medium. Papain also exhibits pain relieving properties and the US food and drug administration (FDA) has approved its medicinal use to ease the discomfort of slipped discs (prolapsed inter vertebral disc). This is used for injection into herniated inter vertebral lumbar discs to relieve pain caused by pressure on nerves.

The celiac disease patients, who cannot digest the wheat protein gliandin, can tolerate it if it is treated with crude papain. Papaya can be prescribed for dyspeptic patients as the papain may help in the digestion of proteins. It is an ideal food for invalids because the flesh is easy to chew and swallow.

Healing
Healing speeds up with pieces of papaya laid on wounds and surgical incision. A large number of people believe that pregnant women should avoid papaya as it may cause a miscarriage. Scientifically speaking there is no evidence to support these beliefs.

Papaya seeds even though have a deworming action, is not advisable to consume. A toxic substance called carpine is present in traces in black seeds of papaya. Carpine in large quantities is said to lower the pulse rate and depress the nervous system. This substance is only found in papaya seed and that too in very small quantity. The fleshy part of the fruit is completely free from this toxic substance. Hence, once the seeds are removed the delicious fruit can be safely eaten.
This low calorie, nutritive, "low budget" all season fruit must be included in your regular diet for a healthy life.

Has more carotene compared to other fruits.
Contains very less calories.
Will ensure a good supply of vitamin A and C.
Is an excellent aid to digestion.
Can be prescribed for dyspeptic patients.
Is an ideal food for invalids.
Can be used as tenderizer in cooking.
Is reported to speed up healing.

Nutritive value of 100 gms of papaya

Ripe papaya Green papaya
Protein 0.6 gms Protein 0.7 gms
Fat 0.1 gm Fats 0.2 gms
Minerals 0.5 gm Minerals 0.5 gms
Fibre 0.8 gm Fibre 0.9 gms
Carbohydrates 7.2 gms Carbohydrates 5.7 gms
Energy 32 kcal Energy 27 gms
Total carotene 2,740 礸s Carotene 0
Beta carotene 880 礸s Beta carotene 0
Vitamin C 57 mgs Vitamin C 12 mgs
Sodium 6.0 mgs Sodium 23.0 mgs
Potassium 69 mgs potassium 216 mgs
Iron 0.5 mg Iron 0.9 mgs

www.purposedpassion.com 7 Sales Success Secrets

2007-10-01T15:11:00.000+08:00

Module 2:

7 Sales Success Secrets

There are 7 Secrets, or Essential Principles to be Successful in Sales. You will see them being practiced and improved on my the famous and highest paid sales people every day. If you focus and keep to these guidelines, it is virtually guaranteed to move you to the top of your field.

Secret #1 : Focus and get SERIOUS!

Decide that it is you will not short change yourself. Decide to go all the way to the top of your field. Decide to join the top 10%. Nothing is a larger obstacle than your own mind, no one and nothing can prevent you from reaching your fullest potential, except yourself. Do take note that it takes just as long to be great as to be mediocre. Time is constant for everyone and it is going to pass regardless of whether you decide to take charge of your life. Your only job scope is to commit to excellence, to get better and better each day, and to never, ever stop until you reach the summit.

Secret # 2 : Identify your "Weakest Link"

Be aware of your weakest single skill and make a focus on becoming an expert in that area. Feel free to ask yourself, your boss, your co-workers, “What one skill, if I developed and did it consistently in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my sales?” Whatever the answer to this question, write it down, set a deadline, make a plan and then work on it every day. This decision alone can change your life.

Secret # 3: SURROUND yourself with the RIGHT people

Associate with positive, successful men and women who are going somewhere with their lives who are motivated to achieve the most in life. And, distance yourself from negative, critical, complaining people. They drag you down, tire you out, distract and discourage you, and lead you inevitably to under achievement and failure. Remember, you cannot fly with the eagles if you continue to scratch with the turkeys.

Secret # 4 : Take EXCELLENT CARE of your PHYSICAL HEALTH

You need high levels of energy to sell effectively and to bounce back from continual rejection and discouragement. Be sure to eat the right foods, get the right amount of exercise and get plenty of rest and recreation. Make a decision that you are going to live to be 80 years old, or more, and begin doing today whatever you should to achieve that goal.

Secret # 5 : VISUALIZE yourself as one of the top people in your field

Imagine yourself performing at your Best all day long. Feed your subconscious mind with vivid, exciting, emotionalized pictures of yourself as positive, confident, competent and completely in control of every part of your life. These clear mental pictures pre-program you and motivate you to sell at your best in any situation.

Secret # 6 : Proclaim and Speak Positive self-talk Continuously.

Control that belittling inner voice. Talk to yourself the way you WANT to be, rather than the way you might be today.

For example, repeat to yourself these powerful words, over and over again. "I LOVE myself! I`m the BEST! I CAN do it! I love my LIFE!"

Say to yourself, “I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel terrific!”

Remember, fully 95% of your emotions are determined by the way you talk to yourself, most of the time. The way you feel determines how you behave. And how you behave determines how much you sell. It is amazing how powerful your self-talk is. Try holding out your arm and tightening it. Next get a friend to attempt to push it down and take note of your resistance level. Next, say your friend`s name out loud but also say that he is the best. Example, "Darius is the best!". Notice how easily your hand comes down? Now try saying that "I AM THE BEST" and get your friend to push your arm down again. You will notice that you are a lot stronger. This is an example of self-programming.

Your need to get yourself on an upward spiral where you think and talk to yourself positively, everyday for 24hours. Try to dream positively as well to maximize your 24hours of self-empowerment! You think, walk, talk and act like the very best in your field. When you do, your success becomes inevitable.

Secret # 7: Take POSITIVE ACTION toward your goals, every single day.

Be proactive rather than reactive. Rise up when the occasion arises. If you are not happy with your income, get out there and get face to face with more customers. If you are not happy with any part of your life, accept responsibility and take charge.

All successful salespeople are INTENSELY ACTION-ORIENTED.
They have a Sense of URGENCY.
They develop a bias for action.
They do it now!
They have a compulsion to closure.
They maintain a fast tempo and move quickly in everything they do.

And the good news is this: The faster you move, the more energy you have. The faster you move, the more ground you cover. The faster you move, the more people you see. The more people you see, the more experience you get. The more experience you get, the more sales you make. The more people you see and the more sales you make, the more your self-esteem and self respect go up, and the more you will feel great about yourself. You will have more energy. You will be happier and more positive.

The faster you move and the more you take complete control of your entire life virtually guarantee that you will be one of the top performers and the highest paid people in your field.

Salespeople are among the most important people in EVERY COUNTRY.
The SURVIVAL of every single company depends on the success of its salespeople.
High sales are the number one reason for company success.
Low sales are the number one reason for company failure.
And now you can be in the driver’s seat.

Thank You for Reading my Words of Wisdom.