A New Year Has Begun

Hey, it's 2018! And we are already in the mid of January...how time flies.

I'm writing to reflect on how 2017 was and how 2018 has been treating me so far. 

Well, 2017 ended subtly.

Looking back, I'd say that it was generally a good year despite the fact that I've lost my dear brother to the Big C. Probably, realising the fact that he passed on in a good way and towards a much better place gave my heart some assurance that all is not lost after all. Probably also, because of the healing my friend did on me that made it easier to let go of my grieve. Sadness still lurks around sometimes.


Just before 2017 ended, I've made up my mind not to have any New Year Resolutions this time around. Instead, I have listed down the things that I want to focus on, this year. Here they are:

1. Going for NLP Practitioner Certification.
2. Completing my Stage 2 MBA.
3. Spend time with my kids, going through their studies. Especially Kakak, because she'll be sitting for her UPSR (Year 6 exams) end of the year.
4. To complete the book for my kids and launch it by July 2018.
5. Focus on my speaking programs.
6. Improve my health through healthier diet and exercise.

I think I am wiser than I was to maintain my focus this year so that I will achieve all the above successfully.

I am, after all, a WARRIOR and warriors go through the Finish Line, warriors take action in spite of fear and mood. 

So, here's to a great and fulfilling year!The year of New Beginning!

Taking Things for Granted

As the manager / head of department, sometimes we take things for granted because we know our subordinates will do the job for us. So we skip the details. Sometimes we don't even read correspondences and reports. All we do when we receive them was to forward the correspondences and reports to the subordinates and let them deal with all the information. We wait only for the summary.

Sometimes we take it for granted that the staff knows what he is doing, when actually he doesn't. We take it for granted that the staff likes what he is doing, when actually he is not interested at all. We take it for granted that the staff is healthy and well, when actually he was struggling with health issues.

At times, we take it for granted that all our subordinates were trustworthy so we didn't check on what they were doing, even when they were dealing with cash. Delegate, by all means. But don't just let it go 100%. As the head of department, we are still responsible for what the staff does and we are accountable for their actions. Donald Trump wrote this in his book Dream Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life : "Employ the best people, but watch them like a hawk".

As a subordinate, we should not take things for granted just because we have the head of department to 'protect' us. We are at work, we are supposed to be able to work independently with minimal supervision. We are not reporting to teachers like we are in school or reporting to professors at the Universities. We are supposed to have the initiative to make things happen, not to just wait and see; not even to ignore what is going on around us.

We should not take things for granted by thinking that the head of department is doing lesser job, so he should have all the time to check on the documents that we have submitted or to follow through on what we were supposed to do. 

But some people take these things for granted. For example, when asked to prepare the minutes of meeting, they would do it just because they were asked to. Not because they thought the minutes of meeting is an important document that could be used as a point of reference in the future. Not even because they thought they could learn something from the meeting or even learning how to improve their writing skills or written language while doing the minutes. Important points were not captured, grammar wasn't checked, spelling wasn't correct and at times even the formatting was wrong. Probably because they thought someone would surely check on it (or someone won't!). 

At times I would get a simple "I'm not sure" response when asked about a particular information. There wasn't even a glint of effort to tell me that they will at least try to get the information. The least they could do was to say "Let me check on the details and get back to you". It makes a lot of difference. To me the former just shows that they were taking things for granted and they didn't even know what was going on.

People who take things for granted probably think they are indispensable from the company. Probably they are already in their comfort zone and so they thought there is no need to work harder or to know more because what they are having now is good enough. Probably they think if they know more, their responsibilities will be greater and they don't want additional responsibilities. They just want to be where they are. They didn't realise that 'employability' or 'marketability' of a person depends on how resourceful they are. The less resourceful they are, the lesser their 'employability' and 'marketability'.

Lest we forget, nobody is indispensable.

If heads of departments take things for granted and leave it all to the subordinates, you will have problem when your subordinates fall ill or on leave. Worse, if they leave the company, taking their knowledge (and their skills) with them!

If subordinates take things for granted that the head of departments would be there to answer on their behalf or even to 'protect' them, they are in for trouble when there is restructuring in the organisation or when there is a shift in leadership. Worse, if they are asked to leave the company. Where would they go? What would they do? What value have they gained for themselves in order to increase their 'employability' and 'marketability' ?

So lets not take things for granted at the work place. Take responsibility on what we are doing. Own it.

Whirpool

This one week has been like a whirlpool for me. I don't even have time to listen to my what I'm thinking. Too busy. Mostly with the preparations for my Exams. At the same time, I could still feel 'empty' and lonely even when I'm in a crowded place. My mind is occupied. But with only one thing - the Exams.

Now, why am I so concerned? The lecturers said it doesn't matter how much we score because by end of the day we will still get the MBA. But how can I just sit back and relax when my other team members are studying like crazy? Huh?

The marks do matter, actually. The results I got for my Financial Resources and Managing People assignments were not that good. I need at least 50% marks for each from the Exams in order to get a "Pass". Otherwise I will have to resit the papers next year. Not something I am looking forward to. So might as well I study hard now.

This MBA matters much to me in my quest for self-actualisation. I don't know what I would do once I get over this (in another TWO years). I don't know if I would ever GET over it. As the saying goes "just go with the flow". Deep down in my heart I know that this is something that I need to do. I just know it. It's a "Now or Never" kind of thing. In that sense, no matter how difficult, no matter how hard and no matter how challenging the path is, I will make sure to thread through it with grace.

I stand guided by the knowledge and guidance given to me by the AlMighty. For He is the only One Who Knoweth all.

Reflection #03

Been a while. Yes. I have been struggling with my health for the past three months. Now I'm feeling fine. Still recuperating. Still managing the asthma. Getting to the pink of health. Insya Allah. Slowly but surely.

I watched a video by Robert Riopel earlier today, in his Fan Page. That video brought me back to home. He reminded me of what I am supposed to be doing and WHY I'm doing it. Yes, one of the reasons why people failed in life is because they don't know what they are after. So how could they succeed if they don't even know what to achieve? True or true? Same here with me.

Engulfed with self-pity from the heartbreaks of many many years ago, added with the deep grieve I felt after my parents were gone and then my elder brother, I came to realise that I have actually neglected myself for so long. I have become a victim without me knowing it. Or probably I do but I chose to ignore. One of the things that I know I know and I chose not to know.

This realisation...this sudden awareness, I think has something to do with the healing that my friend Lina Masrina did on me when she came to visit not too long ago. I think the healing has cleared the path for my self-pity to finally find its way out and roam free. Because from that day onwards, as though in trance, I felt at ease and in peace with myself. I began to be AWARE. I began to think what I think and feel what I feel. The most recent heartbreak, though I have been carrying with me for the past 18 or so years, have disappeared into thin air. I could still remember but no longer do I feel the pain. I could finally FORGIVE myself and let go. Really, really let go.

Amazing, isn't it? How a 30-minutes healing could make a 26 years of inner pain, suffering and self-pity dissolved into thin air and purify the soul? That, was indeed a purification for me.

Since then on, everyday my senses seem to be awake. Like I have just got out from a coma. To my amazement, most of the time things that I've been thinking would physically appear. For example if I've been thinking of a certain words of wisdom, in an instance I would be reading the same in a book. It all started only recently.

When I bought the book, The Way of Achievers written by a warrior-friend, Maitha al-Shamsi. I had just been planning and writing down the scopes of the book for my kids. Something that I have actually planned for many years and did nothing. In her book, Maitha wrote exactly what I need to do in order to make sure the book is written!

Robert, on the other hand, spoke in his video about what a warrior should be doing at this time of the year. Yes, a warrior will go THROUGH the Finish Line, instead of waiting for the year to end and to start all over again in 2018. These two, coupled with the first few pages of High Performance Habits written by Brendon Burchard that I'm starting to read, gave me sort of an assurance that I am actually going into the right direction. Okay, I've said this once a few years ago and I'm still here at the Start, but this time I'm afraid things will change. Because I, will make that change happen!

First thing's first...I'm going to go through with the exams for my MBA that is due in 9 days. After the exams, I will resume with my daily commitment to work on the book for my kids. At the same time, I have committed myself to something else in January 2018 and have started paying for it progressively. I have also committed myself to the Stage 2 of the MBA Programme that will start in February.

I am still searching for my calling. Up to now, all I can feel tightly hugging my very own soul and tugging at my conscience is writing. I have a few ideas in my mind, need to put them into actions. But who knows...I may end up doing Stand-up Comedy. Haha. 😄

Seven Years In Summary

This is a continuation to the post that I wrote back in 2015 (click to read):-


2017 is going to an end in about two and a half month's time. Reflecting on my life the past 7 years, this is to summarise it:
2010 - Anger & Frustration
2011 - Repentance
2012 & 2013 - Sadness
2014 - Trying Hard To Forget
2015 - Peace & Coming Home
2016 - Hope
2017 - Development

This year, I've developed myself to overcome the grieve following my brother's passing. At the same time I've developed myself in a few new areas, especially at work.

My wish for 2018 - it's going to be a year of New Beginning. Insya Allah.