Archive for September, 2007

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Make A Difference

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

make-a-difference.jpg

You can never tell what type of impact you can have on another’s life by your action, or lack of action.   Don’t underestimate the value that you can create and give to the people you come in touch with.   Have a little more faith in your ability and the goodness in you.

http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/

“On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetric.  She began to teach children.”

“Teddy, you got it all wrong.  You were the one who taught me how to make a difference.  I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”

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The Prayer - Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

I pray you’ll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we don’t know
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe

La luce che tu hai
I pray we’ll find your light
nel cuore restera
and hold it in our hearts.
a ricordarci che
When stars go out each night,
eterna stella sei

The light you have
I pray we’ll find your light
will be in the heart
and hold it in our hearts.
to remember us that
When stars go out each night,
you are eternal star
Nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
quanta fede c’e
when shadows fill our day

How much faith there’s
Let this be our prayer
in my prayer
when shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Sognamo un mondo senza piu violenza
un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace, di fraternita

We dream a world without violence
a world of justice and faith.
Everyone gives the hand to his neighbours
Symbol of peace, of fraternity
La forza che ci da
We ask that life be kind
e il desiderio che
and watch us from above
ognuno trovi amor
We hope each soul will find
intorno e dentro se
another soul to love

The force his gives us
We ask that life be kind
is wish that
and watch us from above
everyone finds love
We hope each soul will find
around and inside
another soul to love
Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer, just like every child

Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

E la fede che
hai acceso in noi,
sento che ci salvera

It’s the faith
you light in us
I feel it will save us

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The Power of the Dream - Celine Dion

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

Deep within each heart
There lies a magic spark
That lights the fire of our imagination
And since the dawn of man
The strenght of just “I can”
Has brought together people of all nations

There’s nothing ordinary
In the living of each day
There’s a special part
Every one of us will play

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
As the world gives us its best
To stand apart from all the rest
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

Your mind will take you far
The rest is just pure heart
You’ll find your fate is all your own creation
Every boy and girl
As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

There’s so much strength in all of us
Every woman child and man
It’s the moment that you think you can’t
You’ll discover that you can

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
The world unites in hope and peace
We pray that it will always be
It is the power of the dream that brings us here

The power of the dream
The faith in things unseen
The courage to embrace your fear
No matter where you are
To reach for your own star
To realize the power of the dream

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That’s The Way It Is - Celine Dion

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

I can read your mind and I know your story
I see what you’re going through
It’s an uphill climb, and I’m feeling sorry
But I know it will come to you

Don’t surrender ’cause you can win
In this thing called love

When you want it the most there’s no easy way out
When you’re ready to go and your heart’s left in doubt
Don’t give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that’s the way it is

When you question me for a simple answer
I don’t know what to say, no
But it’s plain to see, if you stick together
You’re gonna find a way, yeah

So don’t surrender ’cause you can win
In this thing called love

When you want it the most there’s no easy way out
When you’re ready to go and your heart’s left in doubt
Don’t give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that’s the way it is

When life is empty with no tomorrow
And loneliness starts to call
Baby, don’t worry, forget your sorrow
‘Cause love’s gonna conquer it all, all

When you want it the most there’s no easy way out
When you’re ready to go and your heart’s left in doubt
Don’t give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that’s the way it is

When you want it the most there’s no easy way out
When you’re ready to go and your heart’s left in doubt
Don’t give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that’s the way it is

That’s the way it is
That’s the way it is, babe
Don’t give up on your faith
Love comes to those who believe it
And that’s the way it is.

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Care, but not t-h-a-t much

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

“Whenever a social interaction looms so large in your mind that you view it as watershed event in Western Civilization, you are in trouble.  You’re caring too much and with that you lose the requisite detachment necessary for success.

There’s a prosaic saying that whenever a person is overcome with feelings, be it anger or desire, he or she “can’t see the forest for the trees”.  Oddly, or maybe fittingly, when that happens you move in close that you might even swear, “There is no tree, only a knothole right here.”

In other words, what you must do is to train yourself to step back, so that you can see the pattern, relationships and interconnection of things.”

Excerpt taken from Negotiate This!: By Caring, but Not T-H-A-T Much by Herb Cohen

This not only applies in negotiation, but also in the endeavours we undertake.  Do you sometimes suffer from mental blocks in your work, or the things you do ?  I do.  Besides the occasional perfectionism bout, I think one other reason is that I care too much for the outcome of my efforts.  This excerpt is a stark reminder to me to care, but not that much.

Caring too much about the outcome will only impede progress because we are too afraid to try.  We are forever aiming and aiming but never firing. 

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Tibet - the adventure which made an impact

Friday, September 7th, 2007

What’s your most memorable experience or achievement ?  

Mine was a trip to Tibet several years back.  I went alone but with a group.  I liked the silence without a companion, which aided my soul-searching.

Two sights made an indelible impression on me - Potala Palace and Yamdrok Lake.

Potala Place and Yamdrok Lake

potala_palace22.jpg

Standing at the foot of the Potala Palace and looking up at the majestic architecture, I thought to myself, “Finally, I’m here at the Potala Palace”.  It was a feeling of awe and disbelief that I was actually here at this majestic yet mystic place on the rooftop of the world.  How blessed I was to be able to set my foot on this land and be in the midst of its wonders.

yamdrok-lake1.jpg

Yamdrok Lake was over 4,400 metres above sea level.  To get a view of the lake, our jeep made its way up the mountain on a meandering road trail.  This was one of the toughest stretches in the entire journey, and most of us were panting out of breath and inhaling from our portable oxygen supply.  However when we reached the peak and gazed down below at the holy lake, the journey was totally worth it. 

Looking at the clear blue lake, time stood still.  I had never felt so peaceful, calm and serene before.  All desires, worries and anxieties terminated at the edge of the mountain where I stood.  Ripples of the heart’s disturbances disappeared as they dissolved into the deep ocean of calm and eternity.

An old lady’s advice

A 70-year old lady was one of my group-mates on the trip.  I sat next to her on the plane and she told me this, “He who is going up the mountain should not ask the one who is coming down how it’s like”.  If she had listened to those who travelled before her how it’s like and how tough it is, she would probably be too scared and never make the trip.

What good advice !   I remember it till this day.

Here’s another old lady who was 50 years old when she travelled to Tibet alone for 50 days.

Old lady’s journey to Tibet

The transient nature of worldly attachments

My trip to Tibet was in Aug 2001.  When I returned home, I was completely recharged and felt a sense of hope knowing there is such a wonderful place on earth.

Ironically, the 911 incident took place barely 2 weeks after the trip.  I remember my heart plunged when I saw the World Trade Centre collapse on TV.  For about a week, I suffered mild depression and felt somewhat disillusioned.

Looking back, I think it is a way of the universe telling me that all worldly attachments are transient in nature.  Even the heavenly state of mind which I felt in Tibet was transient, and I should not attach to it.

Indeed, looking at how China tries to influence the state of affairs in Tibet and pry it open, who knows how long the sanctity of Tibet can last.  The world is growing in greed and falling short of purelands.  Heaven forbid the erosion of the Tibetan pureland by political and commercial vultures !

I made a wish

Tibet is an enchanting place.  I feel a sense of affinity with the place.  Before I left Tibet, I made a wish that I will return.  I’m going to visit Tibet again someday !

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