I always meant to right...by Bob Perks

As I've mentioned before, one of the the most inspirational persons around is Bob Perks. It's stories like this which make me live life with no regrets. Today is my last day in the retail industry and I'll never look back again.

What if you came to the end of your life and suddenly things came rushing in on you. 

Like things you should have said, places you wanted to go but never did.

Don't let it happen.

I mean if you are putting things off until later, tomorrow, next week, next month or when your retire, you might not ever get there.

I hear from people with regrets almost daily. 

They share with methe things they always wanted to do but didn't.

I get notes from people in love, out of love or never having loved at all and they want to find the perfect love they dreamed of all their life.

"What is my purpose?  What is God's plan for me?"

Okay, I'll say it. 

God really doesn't have a plan for you.

I mean he doesn't have a perfect mate hidden somewhere in the world and you have to find them. 
Like "Where's Waldo?"

He doesn't have the perfect job for you or the exact house, city, state or country for you to live in.

When we think "God's Plan" we think that there is a blueprint with step by step instructions on how to get there. 

It's got your name on it and this is what you will be when you grow up.

Stop beating yourself up because you don't know His will for you.

God's"plan" for you isn't written in stone.  It is, however,written in a book.

God has guidelines, standards and expectations and wants you to live within those principles.

There are people who are spending their entire life trying to discover the plan God has for them.

YOU are the plan.

You know the rules. 

Live within those standards and meet other people who are living within those standards and you might find more than friends.

You might find someone to love and someone who will love you in return. 

You will be of like mind and spirit.

Find a place to live that pleases you.

A place where "home" is spelled "P e a c e." 

God created an entire world for you to choose from.

Find a job that gives to you as much as you give to it. 

A job, no matter how menial or superior in the eyes of the world, that makes you feel good about yourself. 

God gave you gifts and talents to use within the labor you choose or within the time you share with others.

I can't say that this is absolute.  I can't even tell you that I read it somewhere and it's true.

I would struggle even to find mention of it in the Bible.  Still, here it is...

I think sometimes the reason we can't move ahead in life is simply that we haven't learned anything from our mistakes.

It's like the plumbing is blocked in the sink and we continue to add more water to it. 

As we stand there watching it overflow onto the floor we blame the sink, we blame the water company, or we might even blame Godfor giving us too much water.

We were the ones who blocked the sink.  The things we did while using it, the stuff we poured into the sink caused it to block.

There we stand one day with all the water we can use and nowhere to put it
.
God's "plan" for you is simply that you live and do so in gratitude for the gift of life He has given you.  He loves you and you love Him.

Live within the standards of your faith and doing so will bring you joy and love in abundance.

If you feel stagnated and you cannot move, examine closely the choices you have made and make amends for the wrongs you have done to the extent that you can.

Correct the course or direction your life is headed and you will once again experience the freedom afforded those who not only live their life but choose to live it God's way.

I don't want to come to the end of my journey and discover a list of things I meant to do. 
I don't want to make excuses to God by saying"I always meant to right...the wrongs.


"I wish you enough!"
Bob Perks

Bill Gates in a restaurant

After eating, he gave $5 to the waiter as a tip.

The waiter had a strange feeling on his face after the tip.
Gates realized and asked, What happened?
Waiter: I'm just amazed because on the same table your son gave a tip of $500 and you, his father, the richest man in the world Only Gave $5?

Gates Smiled & Replied With Meaningful words:
"He is the son of the world's richest man, but I am the son of a wood cutter..."

Never Forget Your Past.

It's Your Best Teacher

Attitude

by Charles Swindall

The longer I live,the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude to me is more important than facts.

It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what other people think, or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.

It will make or break a company, a clique or a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. 


We cannot change our past. 


We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. 


We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing that we can do is to play on the one string we have and that is our attitude.

I'm convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you

Life begins when YOU DO

If you would dream it
BEGIN it.

If you have an idea
OPEN it.

If there is longing
ACKNOWLEDGE it.

If there is mission
COMMIT it.

If there is daring
DO it.

If there is love
SPEAK it.

If there is resource
USE it.

If there is abundance
SHARE it.

Spare a prayer

Whether you pray to Allah, Buddha, Jesus or Shiva, I ask you to spare a prayer for my wife, who will be undergoing a CT scan.
I pray that the scan will show a positive result.

And then some

“When we have done our best, we can wait the results in peace.”

~ John Lubbock

John Lubbock was right on target when he said this. 

Let’s take goals, for example. 

We set goals to keep us focused on the important things in our life; personal goals, career goals, spiritual goals, family goals, health goals, etc. 

Sometimes we set out with great enthusiasm to reach these goals, but occasionally there are circumstances that set us back. 

Some within our control…some not. 

But there is a wonderful feeling of peace when I know in my heart that I’ve done my best. 

Because, win or lose, I know that I’m more prepared for my next battle in life.

Committing to excellence is not an act, it’s an attitude. 

It’s an attitude that is captured in this short thought titled: And Then Some…

“And then some…these three little words are the secret to success. 

They are the difference between average people and top people in most companies. 

The top people always do what is expected…and then some. 

They are thoughtful of others; they are considerate and kind…and then some. 

They meet their responsibilities fairly and squarely… and then some. 

They are good friends and helpful neighbors…and then some. 

They can be counted on in an emergency…and then some. I am thankful for people like this, for they make the world a better place. 

Their spirit of service is summed up in these three little words…and then some.”

If we carry the attitude of “And Then Some”… throughout our life, whenour time on earth is almost gone, we will wait the results in peace.

“Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.”

Why I've decided to be a full time father

Yesterday was a school day.


It was one of those mornings.

You know the type.

Things are tense.

Our infant girl had been up all night.

My wife's eyes (along with the rest of her) were weary.

My oldest son, the nine-year-old, wasn't feeling his best either. 


He was slow getting ready for school. 


He understandably didn't feel like going.

It was just one of those mornings.

You know the type.

As I drove him to school, he was quiet. 


When parents are tense and tired, the children feel it. 


They know by word and gesture when their acts and attitudes are less tolerated. 


After being fussed at, he was sullen.

It was one of those mornings.

You know the type.

I walked him to his classroom as usual. He walked in, took his bag and placed it.

I usually give my son a hug before I leave him in school. 


I knew today he really needed a big hug, and maybe so did I.

He came forward with his arms outstretched. 


I bowed down, clasped my arms around him, closed my eyes and hugged him tight.

Normally, I would only hug him for two or three seconds but on this morning, I held him tight as the seconds ticked by like dashed lines on the highway. 


All of a sudden, I felt him get heavier.

Still clinging to my son, I opened my eyes. 


I understood why he had gotten heavier. 


His feet were off the ground. 


He had curled his legs up and his heels were only inches away from his backside.

He clung.

I clung.

Sometimes in life no words are needed. 


As he folded his legs up and trusted his father to carry all of his weight, he didn't get heavier to my spirit.

I actually felt lighter.

It was a ritual repeated countless times through countless years from countless parents to countless children.

The touch and embrace between a parent and a child, make them both feel more secure.

It was one of those mornings.

You know the type.

Mostly, not Sometimes - Bob Perks

I really liked this article. Sums up life as we know it, but most people don't realise it.

"Mostly, not Sometimes"
By Bob Perks

 

"Sometimes" you just don't feel like it.

 

I mean, you wake up and just don't feel the day is yours.

 

That's just "sometimes." 

 

"Sometimes" you want to laugh but you just can't see the humor.

 

"Sometimes" you want to try but you can't find a way to do it, so
you pick yourself up and drag yourself through it.

 

"Sometimes" on a sunny day, you just don't see the light.

 

"Sometimes" in the darkest hours you can't sleep through the
night.

 

That's just "sometimes."

 

"Sometimes" things just don't go right.  They seem to pile up
until you crumble under the weight.

 

That's just "sometimes."

 

Here's what I want you to see.

 

Those times and things that happen are only "sometimes" in a
life that is "mostly," otherwise good.

 

So, why do you focus on "sometimes" when "mostly" is the better
part of your life?

 

You are choosing to see things that just happen "sometimes."

 

Stuff happens to all of us but not all the time.

 

This means you are mostly happy.

 

Most of your days are good, better or best.

 

Most of the time you find things to smile about and you have
a good laugh or two.

 

Most of the things you try work and so you can say
that you are successful most of the time.

 

Most of the time the sunshine brings joy to your heart
and most of the darkest hours of your life find you
resting peacefully through the night.

 

So, stop focusing on what happens sometimes because... 

 

"Mostly" is better than "sometimes"
because "sometimes" is just a small part.
Remember God doesn't love you most of the time,
He's loved you "always" right from the start.

 

I believe in you...always!

"I wish you enough!"

J

Bob Perks

The 5 of teaching

First establish five things and then teach. 

What are the five? 

When you teach others, you must think: 'I will teach in a gradual and sensitive way. 

I will speak with the goal in mind. 

I will speak with gentleness. 

I will not speak in order to gain anything. 

I will not speak with a view to harming anyone.' 

"If you establish thse five things, your teaching will be well received."

- Anguttara Nikaya

If you're going to be a leader

The four ingredients for leaders to generate and sustain trust:

1. Constancy. Whatever surprises leaders themselves may face, they don’t create any for the group. Leaders stay the course.

2. Congruity. Leaders walk their talk. In true leaders, there is no gap between the theories they espouse and the life they practice.

3. Reliability. Leaders are there when it counts; they are ready to support their co-workers in the moments that matter.

4. Integrity. Leaders honor their commitments and promises.

Thought of the Day

Thought Of The Day
I don't believe people die from hard work.

They die from stress and worry and fear - the negative emotions.

Those are the killers, not hard work.

The fact is, in our society today,
most people don't understand what hard work is all about.

Arthur L. Williams

What 99% of bosses don't GET

First GET the right people on the bus, then get the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats – and then they will have figured out where to drive it. 


The old adage, ‘People are your most important asset’ turns out to be wrong. 


People are NOT your most important asset. 


The right people are !

A Malaysian's life

I'll tell you what's insane about this.
You've paid with credit card for clothes you're wearing to a job you may not really want to get out of bed for.
You drive to your office in a jam incurring unnecessary costs in a car you're working your butt off to pay for.
You come back to a house only at night even though it takes 20% of your salary every month to pay off for 20 years.
Repeat this cycle for 26 days a month.
Now, are you Malaysians sane?