2012 has started and time surely moves swiftly as we move into the first weekend of the new year. How was your 2011? Has it been a great year where you have managed to fulfill all your 2011 resolution? Or has it been another year of more ‘it could have been’ and ‘if only.’ I certainly hope it was not the latter.
How about your results in your study? Did you get your desired results? I certainly hope so too. If you have not, fret not. It is not the end of the world. You might have lost a battle but you have not lost the war; just ensure that you do it better, not just any better but your very best. Give it all you have gotten and left no room for ‘it could have been’ and ‘if only.’ Life is too short for these.
One thing about study and in most things in life is that we can ‘think’ our way to good results or to get whatever we want morally. Bullshit! Yes, you are right in way, especially if we are talking about wishful thinking. Anyone can wishfully think himself/herself to good result and I can tell you right now that it will not happen. However, not everyone is willing to think to good result.
Thus, everyone can think to good result but not everyone is willing to do that. Most are just wishful thinking. You may ask me, “What do you mean by thinking to good result? Isn’t it the same as wishful thinking?” What I would like to clarify is that while you are thinking about getting good result, you are also thinking about how to get the good result and that will make all the differences.
And it is not enough to be thinking about getting good result. We will still have to take the final step – the very key step to getting there and that is to take massive action. Nothing will come through without massive action and this is the very different between thinking and wishful thinking. Without massive action, just thinking alone is just like wishful thinking.
Last night I asked two children if they are ready to change to change their results. Right now I have given you the key to getting good results. Are you gonna just hold on to the key and do nothing about it? Or are you gonna open the door to good result with that key. It is entirely up to you. As Albert Einstein said, “Insanity – doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. Are you insane?
When I posted this in Facebook, I have a lot of comments saying, “Impossible,” “Bullshit!”
Frankly speaking, I was quite sad as I felt sorry for those who replied with the above and yet I sincerely hope that one day they will be exposed to such possibility and they will realise the potential that each and everyone of them has, which is waiting to be unleashed!
From a partner who shared, “I respect each opinion; each opinion is based on his/her individual ability to perform. Some people earn $10 an hour, while others earn $1000 an hour. When you tell those who earn $10 an hour that people can earn $1000 an hour, they will say it is impossible. But I respect them also because this is their opinions based on their ability.”
During the stone age, it would take about an hour to walk from Mines Resort to Jaya Jusco Cheras Selatan. It would have taken that long before the invention of the automobile and trust me on this as I had tried once before; walking from Mines Resort to Jaya Jusco Cheras Selatan. However, in the modern day, it will take barely about five minutes to reach Jusco from Mines. If we were to explain to a caveman that we could reach Jusco in five minutes, he/she would have said, “Impossible or bullshit” too. And we can’t blame him/her as his/her opinion is based on his/her ability.
Just the other day when I was sending out some email to parents and students, I realised and reaffirmed an important point; that results come from a change in mindset and beliefs. What I observed in most of the students nowadays were not so much of the lack of ability but more of a mindset or belief that they cannot do it. During my time, it didn’t occur to us so much about our abilities or doubts if we could get the ‘A’s in our exams. Personally, I had a strong belief that as long as I studied hard, I would get good results.
True enough, my strong belief in studying hard translated directly into the good grades I had for Math, A Math, Physics and Chemistry in my O-Level examination. In fact in my A Math papers, for the first time in my life, I managed to finish it with ample time to spare to check through my papers. Even before the result was out for my A Math, I was already confident that I had gotten an ‘A’ for it.
As for my languages and humanity subject, the doubts and beliefs I had about myself translated to my not so impressive grades for both subjects. Even during my A-Level examination, I aced in my C Math and either Chemistry or Physics. As for my Further Mathematics, I only got a ‘C.’ It didn’t come as a surprise because I had not worked very hard for it and in fact I didn’t practice enough. Looking back at the efforts I put in the O-Level and A-Level exams, it is even clearer now the strong relationship between my belief in hardwork and results.
That is why in my email to the parents, I wrote, “The best gift we could give to them is the gift to first believe in their own abilities and then to take action.” It is not enough to just believe in their own abilities. The change in their results will come from the follow through action that they will be taking.
Advo’s Turbocharge! Workshop is a workshop specially engineered for children between the age of 13-17 to help the youths discover more about themselves through a journey of self reflection and exploration. One of the top training programs for kids in Singapore, this highly interactive workshop will help to open the minds of children to see themselves bigger than who they are now. Through the workshop, your children will create new empowering mindsets and beliefs about themselves. With these new empowering mindsets and beliefs about themselves, they will go on to achieve academic excellence and successes in life.
As the saying goes, “Change your mind, change your world!” When we focus on the root of the issue, we not only nib the issue at its root, we also create a long-lasting solution. The good grades will follow.
What do you want to see in your PMR or SPM examination certificate? You may be asking me just what do I mean by asking you that question; it is not as if you can design your own certification. On the contrary, you have as much to say as you want to in your certificate. You can even ‘design’ the grades that you want to see on it; be it an ‘A’ for BM or an ‘A’ for Sejarah or an ‘A’ for Geografi or ‘A’ for both Math and Science. Or simply just straight ‘A’s for all subjects.
Stop reading at this very moment. Take out a piece of A4 size paper and start writing down all the subjects you are required to take for the PMR or SPM examination and create another column besides it and write down all the grades that you want in that column. Let me stress again – write down all the grades that you want to get in your examination. It is normal to doubt if you can really get all the grades that you want but just put it all down anyway. There is another more effective way to do it; find someone who has already gotten his/her PMR or SPM certificate, then make a photocopy of it and then erase the name on it and put down your own name. Then erase all the grades of that person and put down the grades that you want on that certificate.
After you are done, paste this certificate at a place where you can see very often and where your family can see it too so that they can remind you often. Do take this exercise very seriously as the moment you are doing this exercise, your grades are already changing.
Now that you are done with that simple exercise, let us talk about putting that ‘designed’ certification into reality. Putting that grades on your photocopied certificate is a way of wishing or hoping that you will really get all that grades. There is a different between just wishing and hoping for it to happen and working effortlessly towards it. If you are doing the topic of Probability in Form 5 A Math, you would know that the Probability of just wishing for the straight ‘A’s is as good as zero.
However, if you start building foundation to that wish of yours, you have a much higher chance of making it real just as Walt Disney built the foundation to his dream of Disneyland. And what do I mean by building the foundation to your wish? Simply put, I am talking about putting in the extra hard work and taking action in your study, especially in the subjects which you are not doing well now. Put in as much effort, if not more, as you had in your Dota, or Facebook game or anything which you are already doing very well in. When it comes to Mathematics, the hard work or effort is synonymous to practicing; do as much past year questions as you can.
If you are willing to put in this effort, you will surely see a big improvement in your results unless you are using the wrong strategy in solving. Change your strategy and you will be back on track. Wishing and hoping that you will really see all the ‘A’s that you want to in your PMR or SPM certificate in 2011.
Today marks the official school reopening for most of Malaysian’s students. Are all of you ready for the new semester and for the new challenges that will be coming up? I guess I would hear the loudest ‘NO.’ Yes, I do agree with all of you tha you’re not ready yet and who is? The fact is that we can never be readied. There would not be a next time when we are readied; the time is now! So embraced yourself for an exciting journey into the second semester of 2011.
School reopening also signifies ‘Judgement Day’ for most of you as you would be getting your results for the mid-year examination starting today. How did you do for your mid-year examination? Did you pass it with flying colours? I’m very sure some of you would be delighted with the results you are getting while others would be disappointed. Well done to all who had done well for your examination and for those who did badly or not so well, it is time to buck up; you might have lost this battle, but you have yet to lose the war!
Crazy as it may sound, it is still highly possible to reclaim your ‘As‘ in the final year examination. Who has the say to your result at the end of the day? Who is responsible for your result at the end of the day? Make a smart guess? I believe that most of you will agree that YOU and ONLY YOU can change the marks or grades that you are seeing in your report card. One of the most common answers I got for this was “It is impossible!”
Quoting something from Master Yoda in Star Wars, “This is why you failed!” Indeed, the question is not in the possibility because it is possible for most students to get good results. The questions are whether you want it or not and whether you are willing to work for it. How many of us have really put in extraordinary hard work in the things which we want to be better in? If we had and we are still not getting the results that we hoped for, then it could probably be a wrong method we were using. Otherwise, there would be no case where we had put in the hard work and we are not getting great result.
We are almost done with the PMR Power Revision for Math and Science. From what I observed of the student, he has a good understanding of Math. The key issue is in the lack of practice. Without practice, he does not see a broad varieties of questions for each topic. When a question is twisted a little, he wasn’t able to solve it. And he was always telling me that it is impossible to score ‘A’ for his Math and Science. He is right as he is ‘not willing’ or does not want it badly enough to put in the effort to practice.
Most of you have been taught the basic. The next thing to do is to put in a little effort to remember the basic. I know you do not like memorizing. Neither do I. How else can we remember something? Through practicing of course. When we do practice, especially for Math and Science, the basic and concept will eventually be ‘drilled’ into our head.
It is just the start of the new semester and it is highly possible for all of you to perform much better. The question I now ask you is, “Are you willing to work towards it?”
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A few days ago, a girl told me that she was feeling very sad that day. A friend whom she had always hung out with was caught in a gossiping session about her and one of the guys in the group was bad-mouthing her but this friend of hers not only did not stand up for her, but was still relating the whole incidence to her with much enthusiasm. Being quite easily affected by words of others, “… my heart literally sank to the bottomless pit…,” in her exact words. Fortunately, she had her guardian angels to look out for her that day; who managed to reverse the strong negative feeling she felt and made her feeling great again instantly. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if there was no one there with her. She is again ready to inspire the whole world. I called her the POWER LADY! I have always believe in her power to inspire the world! How can we empower ourselves?
How many of us had been through similar situation like this? How did you handle it? Were you as upset and disturbed too? I believe that most of us had been through similar situation at one point or another. As much as we do not want to, there will be times when the words of others will make us doubt ourselves; doubting if we can really achieve what we set in our mind to achieve, doubting if we are good enough, and to the extend of believing in what the others are saying.
The night when she was relating her experience with me, she asked me to share my feeling about the incidence she had that day. I told her, “I have just one thing to share with her.” I heard Abraham Lincoln speaking to me and I shared one of his many quotations with her. “I am not bothered by what others say about me as long as I know they do not speak the truth of me.”
Such simple truth and yet it could be hard to grasp at time. I have shared this quotation with family and friends who were caught in similar situation like the girl countless times. Every time I shared it, it also served as a gentle reminder to myself. We cannot always control what others are saying but we can always control or rather choose how we want to feel or react to what others are saying. They have the right to speak their mind but we have every reason to guard our mind against any negativity. The mind is our single most valuable asset. Empowering ourselves, especially our mind is very important.
You may ask me, “What if they are speaking the truth of me?” I would be glad if others point out my ‘blind spots.’ It would give me an opportunity to reflect upon them and to change if there is a need to. This gives us a chance to improve ourselves and to be a better being.
If there is just one thing I want to share today, it is the quotation of Abraham Lincoln above, “I am not bothered by what others say about me as long as I know they do not speak the truth of me.” And remember, “We are the master of our fate: We are the captain of our soul!“
Life can be unfair at times
When you must maintain Faith
And Never Let Go.
It is especially during the difficult times
That you must live your life
To its fullest potential.
Those are the times to Triumph
Over circumstances
With Hope and Courage.
Life isn’t always easy,
But if you keep Going and Persevere
To the very best of your Ability,
You will gain Strength to manage
The new Challenges ahead.
Each Goal that you reach
Is another important Step Forward.
Believe that there are
Bright and wonderful days
Ahead for you and you will find them.
Such a simple truth and yet we often choose to think otherwise. Often time we doubt our ability; we wonder if we can really achieve what we set our mind to do. However, looking back, when we were young, the possibilities were limitless. When we thought of something, we would just take action and ‘Just do it!’ That is probably one of the reasons why children are ever spontaneous! They are almost always ready to take on new challenges and to take on the world.
It is no fault of them that eventually they become like us, because out of concern, many times we ask them to be cautious, to think through, to analyse … any other things except to believe in themselves and to just do it! While I believe that we must not be reckless but we must be ready to take calculated risk and most importantly, we must be ready to take action. When there is a great idea, it must be accompanied by massive action to make it happens. Else an idea or a dream will just be an idea or a dream.
I was sharing with a student last night that it is normal to have self-doubt, but the moment the doubt appears, we acknowledge it and entertain the positive thought opposite to the doubt; entertain the thought of why not. The question to ask ourselves then is ‘How to?’
This morning I shared a video with two students and it too prompts us to think of the possibility and to believe in ourselves. Every successful man and woman were not luckier than their peers or people around them … they believed and most importantly … they took action!
You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?” – George Bernard Shaw
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Just the other day when I was sending out some email to parents and students, I realised and reaffirmed an important point; that results come from a change in mindset and beliefs. What I observed in most of the students nowadays were not so much of the lack of ability but more of a mindset or belief that they cannot do it. During my time, it didn’t occur to us so much about our abilities or doubts if we could get the ‘A’s in our exams. Personally, I had a strong belief that as long as I studied hard, I would get good results.
What do you want to see in your PMR or SPM examination certificate? You may be asking me just what do I mean by asking you that question; it is not as if you can design your own certification. On the contrary, you have as much to say as you want to in your certificate. You can even ‘design’ the grades that you want to see on it; be it an ‘A’ for BM or an ‘A’ for Sejarah or an ‘A’ for Geografi or ‘A’ for both Math and Science. Or simply just straight ‘A’s for all subjects.
A few days ago, a girl told me that she was feeling very sad that day. A friend whom she had always hung out with was caught in a gossiping session about her and one of the guys in the group was bad-mouthing her but this friend of hers not only did not stand up for her, but was still relating the whole incidence to her with much enthusiasm. Being quite easily affected by words of others, “… my heart literally sank to the bottomless pit…,” in her exact words. Fortunately, she had her guardian angels to look out for her that day; who managed to reverse the strong negative feeling she felt and made her feeling great again instantly. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if there was no one there with her. She is again ready to inspire the whole world. I called her the POWER LADY! I have always believe in her power to inspire the world! How can we empower ourselves?
Life Isn’t Always Easy
Such a simple truth and yet we often choose to think otherwise. Often time we doubt our ability; we wonder if we can really achieve what we set our mind to do. However, looking back, when we were young, the possibilities were limitless. When we thought of something, we would just take action and ‘Just do it!’ That is probably one of the reasons why children are ever spontaneous! They are almost always ready to take on new challenges and to take on the world.
