Innerpositiveness

We have moved!

2010-06-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

We have officially moved to our new website! Visit us at http://www.innerpositiveness.com/ for all future updates!

The Happiness of Giving

2010-02-07T02:24:00.000-08:00

"I felt beautiful when I was in Cambodia. I was sweaty, and my hair was matted and all over the place. And I was happy and hot and accomplishing a lot and running around, and I could feel my heart beating, and I felt beautiful." Angelina Jolie

This is exactly the same feeling that the HPC team felt in a hot afternoon on 3rd Feb. The team and a few volunteers brought 10 old folks from an old folk's home to China town to “feel’ the festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year in the city. We were told many of these old folks had not been to China town for many years.

Most of these old folks had walking disability due to old age and need to move around on wheel chair. However, the spirit of joy and enthusiasm being able to go to town did not lose out when compare with any kids. Each volunteer was given the task to take care of one old folk to wheel them around.

The journey started with a simple meal at the China town market foodcourt. The old folks were given the choice to choose what they like to eat. Some chose their favourite chicken rice, some had cantonese fried noodles and their favourite kopi-o. It was sheered joy watching them enjoying their food. I was amazed with their appetite.

After the meal, they were wheeled around the streets of China town to see the goodies, decorations etc. The store owners were equally happy to meet them and offering them to taste the tidbits that they were selling. As we move along, we asked the old folk on what they like as the volunteers were anxious to meet their wishes.

Many did not want anything from us as the “giving” by spending time with them was already very meaningful to them. Nevertheless, we bought some foods, some S$10 watches etc. for some of them and again we could see the joy and tears from their eyes arising from the gesture of the volunteers.

We end the outing having dessert along the food street and again the old folks were given the choice to choose what they liked to eat. Though it was dessert time, some had asked for fish ball noodles, fried bee hoon despite they just had lunch 2 hours ago. I believe it was the happiness that had increased their digestive power.

Time had to come to say goodbye to the old folk. With a "heavy" heart, we wheeled them to the van to bring them "home". Some had not travel in a car for a long time and was feeling car sick. Nevertheless, the opportunity to reconnect with the outside community during an important festive season meant a lot to them.

We could see the joy and happiness from their eyes. We were glad to have the opportunity to make the trip possible. We feel so much richer and happier after the outing.

"When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace." The Dalai Lama

Thanking Your Way to Health and Happiness

2009-12-25T01:54:00.000-08:00

Published by Associated Press
St Petersburg (Florida)

Say thanks, it might make you feel better.

Academics have long theorised that expressions of thank promote health and happiness and give optimism and energy to the downtrodden.

In recent years, researchers have tried to measure the benefits of gratitude. In a National Science Foundation funded study, Northeastern University psychologist David DeSteno has participants complete an arduous data entry task only to have it lost by a computer malfunction.
Then, a lab assistant, seemingly unconnected to the study and claiming to be in a hurry with his own experiment, restores the lost work.

The participants are dismissed. They bump into the lab assistant, who asks for help.; Dr DeSteno found those who had been helped by the assistant, and were grateful for it, were more likely to return the favour, and did so for longer than those in a group not helped.

"Gratitude leads people to act in virtues or more selfless ways," said Dr DeSteno, whose research was published earlier this year in the journal Current Directions In Psychological Science. "And it builds social support, which we know is tied to both physical and psychological well being."

Dr Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, said those who offer gratitude are less envious and resentful. They sleep longer, exercise more and report a drop in blood pressure, said Dr Emmons, who wrote Thanks! How Practising Gratitude Can Make You Happier.

Dr Brenda Shoshanna, a New York psychologist, agreed. "You can't be depressed and grateful at the same time," said Dr Shoshanna, the author of 365 Ways To Give Thanks: One For Every Day Of The Year. "It makes a person physically, mentally, in every way healthier."

Positive Psychology in the Workplace

2009-11-19T00:27:00.000-08:00

The Positivity Ratio
By Lisa Sansom

You may have heard of a "magic" 3 to 1 positivity ratio - or this may be the first time you are hearing about it. However, this positivity ratio can be very important for you personally and professionally, so let me talk a bit about what it is and how you can implement it.

The 3:1 positivity ratio is based on research by Barbara Fredrickson and she writes about it in her book Positivity. The essence is that for every one negative emotion, we should experience and cultivate three positive emotions in order to flourish. People who are depressed tend to have ratios that are closer to 1:1 - not even more negatives than positives, but they experience about the same number of each. People who are flourishing, in their lives overall, tend to experience 3:1 at a minimum, and possibly more.

Why is this?

First of all, negative emotions tend to be more weighty. When you look back on your life, it is likely easier to remember the down times, and those memories can bring you down again. It is less easy to remember the joyful and exuberant times, and when you do remember those high points, the current emotion you experience may be more akin to satisfaction or contentment - not the highs that you lived before.

Also, negative emotions tend to last longer than positive emotions. This is a result of the way our brains are wired - it's not right or wrong, it just is. Negative emotions stay with us longer, and so have a greater impact on us.

Positive emotions tend to be more fleeting, especially in their highest, most energetic states. People can stay in a state of contentment for a while, but probably not in a state of ecstatic joy.

All of this means that for every one negative emotion, you should actively try to experience or cultivate three positive emotions to counteract the downward spiral that could result otherwise.

This 3:1 ratio is a mathematical average - you should also be aware that in marriages, for example, research is showing that a 5:1 ratio is a better predictor of health and longevity. In the workplace, high-performance teams track at 6:1.

So what does this mean for you? Two things:

1. Actively cultivate more positive emotion. Barbara Fredrickson's website has some links and tools for you to assess your current ratio. See http://www.positivityratio.com/

2. Refocus your attention on the good events that do happen. You may not need to actively create new positive experiences, but give your attention to the positive events that are naturally occurring around you. This will also boost your positivity ratio.

Innerpositiveness Switch from X to Y (contribution by Madeline Wan)

2009-11-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

Innerpositiveness Leader

2009-10-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

By Madeline Wan

We are here for a purpose..

Live a great meaningful and purposeful life!
Would our life be defined by how much material possessions we acquired or perhaps a heart, a life we have touched?
Go MAD!
Cultivate our spirit, character and body and that of those under our charge!

We have the capacity..

Greatness is in ALL of Us. Believe it.
We have the capacity to give and to bless.

Our Purpose

Transforming our organization..
a Vision is but a thousand steps of doing..
have a disciplined mind to execute..

How big do you want your biz to be?

The size of heart determines the size of our business…
Have space in your heart for people..

Our State of Mind (SOM) is key..

Mental Stillness or Mental Tension?
Our well being determines that of those below us..

Feel good! Look better!

Don’t beat yourself!
Certainty and Confidence comes from not knowing everything but believing you can learn and do everything…

May peace be with you..

God, grant me,
Serenity to accept things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and
Wisdom to know the difference.

Our appreciation

Let’s just do your best, and God will do the rest.
Thank you leaders.

The Art of Happiness

2009-10-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

By Dalai Lama

The purpose of life is to seek happiness that last. Genuine Happiness is a feeling of joy and a sense of inner contentment that results from developing inner discipline which is calm, peace state of mind, rooted in affection and compassion.

Pleasure can also result in a feeling of joy, but based mainly on physical sensory experiences and subject to change at any time, and will not last, that feeling is only temporary.

Genuine Happiness relates more to the state of one's mind and heart, and it is much more stable, reliable, and long lasting than pleasure. Tibetan concept of mind “Sem” has a much broader meaning, closer to `psyche' or `spirit'; it includes intellect and feeling, heart and mind."

So it's not just "positive thinking" that's the key, it's positive being. By bringing about a certain inner discipline, we can undergo a transformation of our attitude, our entire outlook and approach to living.

There are many components to a happy life - having enough money to have one's basic needs met, other people with whom one can share things, love, and so on. It is still possible to be happy even if one has very little money, is in poor health, or even if one is not fortunate enough to have a special relationship with a spouse or lover.

On the other hand, no matter how wealthy a person is, no matter how wonderful their spouse is, or no matter how much "external" success one enjoys or praise one receives, if a person's mind is in turmoil, if it is troubled by anger, hatred, fear, anxiety, or jealousy, then it is impossible to really be happy.

Even though certain having a certain amount of money and so on are factors for enjoying a happy life, one's mental state, the "mind factor" is the predominant or key component.

Happiness can be achieved through training the mind. By getting into the habit of spending a few minutes each day engaged in any practice that helps quiet and focuses the mind--practices such as meditation or prayer. This can help one develop a calm, peace state of mind – inner discipline.

Happiness is like a virus

2009-10-03T01:00:00.001-07:00

By Gloria Chandy - editor of The Straits Times

Those feel-good vibes that flow from being happy can be good for your health. Moreover, your happiness will likely rub off on others, making them happy too. Happiness is like a virus - it can be passed on.

These are the findings of two studies done in the United States over the past 20 years.

In one of the studies, reported three years ago, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University said there is evidence that positive emotions like happiness are linked to good health and increased longevity.

While the scientists drew no definite conclusions after talking to hundreds of people over a 10-year period, they deduced that people with positive emotions experience lower rates of chronic illness, symptoms and pain.

They also found that "happy" test subjects were more resistant to cold and flu viruses than people with more negative feelings.

In the other study, a 20 year one by a team from the University of California at San Diego and Harvard University, 5000 participants were quizzed on their social networks. The researchers reported that, on average, every happy person in one's environment increases one's own chance of happiness by 9%.

We should welcome such "contagion". However, this isn't about the kind you feel after a pleasant evening with friends, or having snapped up a good bargain at a sales. It is about lasting happiness linked to positive thoughts.

A positive attitude, when in the most trying of circumstances, is admittedly hard to achieve, but it can help raise one's spirits and fight off those unhappy blues.

This week, we spoke to parents who have proved it. while their children's diagnoses of childhood cancer were surely the most depressing news for them, the parents of Aina and Naomi knew that they had to smile through their pain for their daughters' sake.

It must have been tough. Happiness is not just something we can switch on or off like an electric light. However, they achieved it. Their positive feelings have rubbed off on the children.

Both girls have bravely borne their illness and treatment, and little Aina has even taken on a counsellor's role - telling other little kids in the cancer ward to be brave and not cry.

She's helping to spread happiness in her way. I hope she will prove that the research findings are right.

Believe You Can Succeed And You Will

2009-08-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

How To Develop The Power of Believe by David J. Schwartz.(author of The Magic of Thinking Big)

1. Think Success, don't think failure
At work, in your home, subsititute success thinking for failure thinking.
When you face a difficult situation, think, "I'll win," not "I'll probably lose."
When you compete with someone else, think, "I'm equal to the best," not "I'm out-classed."
When opportunity appears, think "Ican do it," never "I can't"
Let the master thought "I-will-succeed" dominate your thinking process. Thinking success conditions your mind to create plans that produces success. Thinking failure does the exact opposite. Failure thinking conditions the mind to think other thoughts that produce failure.

2. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are
Successful people are not supermen. Success does not require a super-intellect. Nor is there anything mystical above success. And success isn't based on luck. Successful people are just ordinary folks who have developed belief in themselves and what they do. Never-yes, never-sell yourself short.

3. Believe BIG
The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievement. Think big goals and win big success. Remeber this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier - certainly no more difficult - than small ideas and small plans.

THINK BIG!

Innerpositiveness Connect with People

2009-07-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Be genuine. Be yourself.

Be helpful. Help people whenever you think they need help and don’t expect a favor whenever you help someone.

Socialize. You cannot connect with people sitting in your room. Whether you connect through online social networking groups or some groups and gathering places in the physical world, you’ll need to reach those people and make them aware of your existence.

Converse. When you can hold conversation with people they remember you. Know about subjects enough to contradict or endorse and add more value to the ongoing discussion.

Be healthy. Managing an active social life along with managing work and family needs lots of energy. Keep a healthy lifestyle.

Innerpostiveness - Connect with Self

2009-06-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

1. Self Awareness

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.” - Tao Tzu

Understand self better
Change those things you’d like to change
Create the life you want
Having clarity about:
- who we are - what we want - why we want

2. Self Acceptance

Change is possible when we fully know who we are & self acceptance
Self acceptance is being loving & happy with who we are NOW.
We'll know when we accepting yourself cause it feels great. Its an agreement with ourselves to appreciate, validate, accept and support who we are at this very moment.

3. Self Creation

Self creation is about creating ourselves all over again.
Starting fresh and rebuilding ourselves to become the very best, we've ever imagined.
It's about becoming the person we want to be and creating a life that reflects that vision

4. Taking Self Ownership

We can not create ourselves and our life anew without taking personal responsibility for we and where we are right now.
We are responsible for our: Beliefs, Thoughts, Feelings and Actions

Innerpositiveness Reflection

2009-06-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

1. Every day is a new page in my life. Every person I see and every phase I hear are the words & lines on the page.

2. I will not seek to have everything go as I want. I only wish for enough Courage to face reality.

3. I will not pray for health. I only hope to have a spirit filled with wisdom & a love that will never fade.

4. I will not look for fewer responsibilities. I only ask for even greater strength to do all the things that must be done to this world.

5. A sense of responsibility (R) is more important than a sense of justice (J).

6. Sense of responsibility is a demand on myself, while sense of justice is a demand on others. R is a rational self-reflection, an offering of my consciousness & talents. J is an emotional outpouring, an impusive response that may result in conflict with others.

7. Anger is a lack of responsibility towards myself, fruitlessly exhausting my body's physical & mental energy. It's an inner force of destruction that confuses the mind & destroys my problem-solving ability. Achieve a state of consciousness & face reality. Do not let reality disturb my mind's clarity & peace.

8. Obligation is 'ought to' & duty is 'must'. Obligations are restraints. Duties are natural, a fulfillment of my inner being.

9. Cultivate myself until my heart is tranquil & my mind is observant.

10. To practice meditation, first study meditation in daily life. When every action & thought in everyday life is done in meditation, only then is there, living meditation.

11. The goal of practicing meditation is to cultivate purity of heart, sincerity of mind & tranquility of temperament. Meditation, tranquility & sincerity cannot be separated.

12. When speech, action & behaviour are unified in the spirit & mind as one, this is true meditation.

13. When I use time well, every moment is a good opportunity for practicing meditation, whether dealing with people or situations.

14. Give & not ask for anything in return. Give my intelligence, labor, wealth, and material goods joyfully.

15. Speak softly & have a kind expression on my face.

16. Using my body, mouth and mind to do good deeds for the benefit of all.

16. Purify my body & mind as example for others to follow. Inspire all who work & live around me & encourage all.

17. Do my best & leave the rest to God. Do not keep difficulties inside my heart. Overcome difficulties & not be overcome by difficulties.

18. When there is no trouble, I treat others very nicely. This does not require any skill. When there is trouble & I am still good to others, then I have real skill.

19. Morality is a light for lifting myself, not a whip for chastising others.

20. Great joy means that at every moment I am happy. Joy has no jealousy, arrogance or anger.

21. Do not complain that people in this world are cold-blooded, utilitarian & unjust. These situations are perfect opportunities for me to do something great.

22. Rather than seek good fortune & longevity, look for peace. To have peace is to incur good fortune & longevity.

23. Pay attention to my tone of voice & my behaviour. Proper countenance, conduct, speech & deportment are achieved through moral cultivation & tolerance.

24. 'Good' is to be appropriate, just right, and not going off on deviating paths, or being extreme. When I love others, I won't spoil them, produce anger or hatred, or discriminate unjustly in my relationship with others. With wisdom, I eradicate the desire to possess the persons I love. With kindness, I do my utmost to understand those I do not love and those with whom I do not get along well.

25. Have great compassion for all.

Towering Lighthouse : Follow Your Purpose – Kindling Your Inner Fire

2009-02-07T05:27:00.000-08:00

Wisdom from The Monk Who sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

Sharing by SSC

The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
Enlighten = know where we are going and what we want out of life – emotionally, physically, materially, spiritually.

Happiness = achievement

Goal setting is the starting point

1. Form a clear mental image of the outcome
2. Create positive pressure to keep us inspired
3. Set a deadline
4. Write down your goals = you cannot hit a target you cannot see.
5. Magic Rule of 21 – perform new habits 21 days in a row

Reflection by JY

Definition: tower or other building with a powerful light at top, erected at the entrance of a port, or at some important point on a coast, to serve as a guide to mariners at night; a pharos.

After reading, my mind saw an influx of thoughts and life principles flooding in; such as a man without a vision, would perish, a man without a vision would go back to his past; if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A purposeful Life really begins with a life purpose. And this particular chapter clearly defines and expound on this fact.

Another deviation from my train of thoughts leads me to something bigger, beyond myself, beyond all the getting in the pursuit of happiness, hidden sometimes between the alleys of getting ahead in the “Rat Race” or to climb up the corporate ladder so that to be the “Top Dog”, after all, all the “sidetracking” would also transform to a mere beast of the land, a human without a conscious heart – that’s what I meant.

Thus, the purpose of a lighthouse illustration is more than just a “light emitter” but really, one that fits her purpose, to serve as a guide, a safe haven, a place of refuge and comfort to the ones out there, ravage by the storms of life.

Will you be the One, who bother and dares to Make a Difference, One life at a time. Let’s begin today!

Garden : Master Your Mind – Wisdom of Personal Change

2009-02-01T05:37:00.000-08:00

Wisdom from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

Sharing by SSC

Our mind is like a garden. If you take good care of it, it will blossom beyond your expectation. But if you let the weeds to grow and take root, you will not have lasting peace and harmony.

A good gardener will not let toxic waste enter his/ her garden. (Toxic waste = worries, anxieties, living in the past or future, self created fear = drain the minds of its powers and injures the soul )

Mind Management = Life Management

To have fulfilling lives = no negative thoughts

60,000 thoughts per day – 95% are the same ones thought the day before
If majority of thoughts = negative thoughts = bad mental habits

Reflection by KS

The garden is the mind. To flourish, we have to put in fertilizer in different forms of positive thoughts if we want to reap the fruits or enjoy the beauty of the garden.

“I was looking forward to a sales appointment that I have set a couple of weeks ago. Wanting the sales so much that I begin to visualize closing the sales, immediately the day after the appointments was set.

Scenes of the contract being signed and me smiling and shaking hands with the clients. I have this image in my mind every day and enjoy the happiness of the success of the sales.

A day before the actual date of the appointment, my client’s email me to inform me of the success of the sales! When I meet the client to discuss the contract, the scene was the same as I have visualized!”

We need to be sensitive to the external negative situation & thoughts. We just have to switch to see the opposite of the non favorable situations.

Instead of lost in a new place, it could have been the discovery of a new area or opportunity. Through such constant reflections, we shall achieve mental toughness and create opportunities for personal growth & success.

The Path of Diamonds : Embrace the Present – Secret of Lifelong Happiness

2009-01-30T20:18:00.000-08:00

Leadership Wisdom from The Monk Who sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

Sharing by SSC

In order to live an enlightened, joyous and rewarding life - Live in the NOW and live fully. Happiness is a journey not a destination.

Always remember that the path you are walking on right now is beautiful and studded with diamonds. Always live in the appreciation of the NOW.

Savor the NOW with family and friends. Enjoy every moment of the NOW.

Practice the act of GRATITUDE everyday

Follow the path of your dream and celebrate everyday as your dreams come true.

Be content in the NOW and do not hurry through life.

Everyone is unique and a wonder. A gift to the world. Build yourself little by little everyday.

Reflection by JO

Many of us out there suffers cause of the downturn, we can either be “Up” or “Down” everyday. These days, we can choose to be losers or winners. If I look round, surround me are true colleagues who encourage me when I am down, extend their assistance when I need help, confide in me when they need someone to talk to.

Clients that are nice to me but not nasty. A best friend in my life who doesn’t judge me for who I am and always been there when I need support. My family are all in good health and living in harmony. Not to mention my two lovely pet dogs that keeps me company, many only have one.

I am so much more fortunate than the rest.

Some have less than one meal or nothing to eat. I have 4 – 5 meals a day. Am greateful for what I have to day.

I like to take this opportunity to say thank you for those who have crossed my path, without you all, I won’t be enjoying what I am doing today. Gong Xi Fa Cai.

Gold Stopwatch : Respect Your Time – Most Precious Commodity

2009-01-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

Leadership Wisdom from The Monk Who sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

Summarized by SSC

Time is finite and live must be lived to its fullest potential.
Time mastery = life mastery.

Plan daily/weekly to manage time creatively and focus on the most important aspects. Remember the 80/20 Principle - 80% of the results are generated by 20% of effort

Do not let others steal time. Develop the ability to say NO to little things so that you get the power to say YES to important things. Simplify life to be able to focus on the important things of life.

Develop a death-bed mentality. What would you do today if it was the last day of your life?

Always do things as if failure is not an option and success will be assured

Never be a prisoner of the past but be the architect of the future

Sharing by JY

Definition: A stopwatch is a handheld timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated to when the piece is deactivated.

I love the illustration here – Stopwatch. Look here, firstly; it is “handheld” – which means it’s always within your control. No one else should own your time, beside Yourself.

Secondly, it’s measurable, specific, not vague or perplexed at all. Our dreams in life have to be measure constantly so that improvement can be made. That’s what separates Excellent from Average, Best and Good, Good and Better.

Thirdly, it has the capacity of being “elapsed” which means to say; once time lost, it will never comes back.

Lastly, it has the capacity of being “activated” and “deactivated”, which to me means, you have the CHOICE to let go all the bad memories / negativity (X) and/or to capture all the beautiful memories / positive ness or (Y), thus there’s no compromise or reasons to why, you can’t pick yourself up and run again, fight again!

So, what are you doing with your time today?

Sharing by YLH

Deathbed Mentality

"Stop acting like you have 500 years to live ... the best time to plant a tree was 40 years ago. The second best time is today. Don't even waste one minute of your day. Develop a deathbed mentality." – Robin Sharma

We are all constantly struggling with “the best time to …” & “perfect” scenarios, and worrying about what the future lies ahead of us. In reality, there will never be a “perfect scenario” to initiate the things that we’ve always wanted to achieve or get done, nor should we worry about what the future will be, as the best time to put things into action and cultivate the future is NOW.

I am a practitioner of the “deathbed mentality”, which has driven me to always “live each day as if it’s your last”. Life is uncertain but death is for certain. I take cognizance of the fact that I could be dead tomorrow and do not wish to a leave this life with regrets. As such, lead the life that you’ve wanted, put your dreams into action and spend time with your loved ones … “Don’t waste one minute of your day!”. Carpe Diem – Sieze the Day!

The Pink Wire Cable :Live with Discipline

2009-01-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Wisdom from the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

Summarized BY SSC

A wire cable consists of many tiny strings woven together. The strings by itself is weak but together when they form the cable it is strong.

Will-power and discipline are like the strings that need to be woven together to make it strong.

Discipline and self-control is the act of controlling the mind and this can be done by replacing weak and negative thoughts with strong and positive ones.

Control your thoughts, control your mind, control your life = master of your destiny.

Reflection by AT

Have you ever experienced wanting to quit smoking, drinking coffee for the sake of health but never really have the WILL POWER and self-discipline to do so?

I am sure everyone will have habits to overcome but haven’t really decided firmly on quitting any of these habits or addictions. Therefore it is crucial to recognize the will power and self-discipline.

These two are inseparable companion that will make a difference in everyone’s life. Infact, little we did realize that the success we have achieved in life are well connected with these two elements.

Discipline is about focus and is about having the ability to be aware of personal goal and realizing the steps to reach your destination plus executing each step taken in perfection. And will power is about self-control, inner strength and self-awareness that guide us to pick the right or appropriate behavior or reactions.

Remember the childhood rhyme….

Little drops of water,
little grains of sand,
make the mighty ocean
and the beauteous land….

~by Julia Carney, 1845~

Sharing by KS

The wire is a symbol of discipline. We can built up our discipline with small steps through the persistency of will power. Taking a step at a time will help overcome the will weakness of resistance.

“ I’ve always have a weak body system till I adopt the Pink Wire Cable concept to change my unhealthy habit of drinking flavor water to just clear water.

Through my 30 years of adult life I have rely on alternative medicine to improve my health instead of the western medicine. It is with this discipline that I have discovered a newer healthier self and a pleasant awareness of my taste buds to tastier morsels around me. “

Building the discipline step by step makes you stronger to fight against the challenges that surfaces. Small steps allow you to see the future path and success much clearer upon the achievement you made in each and every step.

The Fragrant Rose : Selflessly Serve Others – Ultimate Purpose of Life

2009-01-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

Wisdom from the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma

Summarized by: SSC

The quality of life comes down to the quality of your contributions

Serve people daily and show random acts of kindness because the hand that serves roses to others retains some of the fragrance

Abundance of mental ability, boundless energy, unlimited creativity, a storehouse of discipline and a well-spring of peacefulness are gifts that you need to develop in yourself in order to share it with others

Compassion and daily acts of kindness makes life far richer.

Cultivate friends and nurture family. A person with 3 solid friends are very wealthy indeed.

Sharing By: OPY

Reading about how helping others makes one's quality of life richer adds as an reinforcement to myself in being diligent in doing daily acts of kindness. I have no qualms in dropping some loose change into the donation tins whenever I see students doing their part for flag day.

Taking it as my tiny bit of contribution back to society and the less priviledged; rewarding the students for their time and effort and also being grateful for the opportunity to be of help to others.

About a year ago, I chanced upon a book by Master Cheng Yen where she advocates daily acts of kindness, rather than one big contribution to cultivate the spirit of giving and caring on a daily basis. That got me started to put aside a small token of money daily and giving dana when the monies accumulate. It's heartening to know that the acts of selflessness is universal and serves to better not just the recepient but also the giver.

Y Family & Y Organization

2008-12-24T20:51:00.000-08:00

What do Y family and Y organization have in common? Members belonging to both are likely to be HAPPY!

In his book Authentic Happiness, Martin Seligman, one of the founders of Positive psychology, describes happiness as consisting of 'positive emotions' and 'positive activities'. It includes:

Values and Respect

Satisfaction

Commitment

Pride & Serenity

Optimism

Hope and Trust

Gratification

Full Engagment

Consciousness

With happy emotion and activites practise by its members; just like any happy family, organization will thrive during the current turbulent time as the 'family' values and bond will help the organization to overcome challenges or take advantage of any opportunities that arise

The HPC family takes the opportunity to wish everyone Merry Christmas and achieve successes in the coming year

Change Your Life with Gratitude

2008-11-27T01:36:00.000-08:00

Message from Rhonda Byrne

Creator of The Secret.

***

The greatest thief of human happiness and abundance is ungratefulness. Any lack in our lives - whether in money, health, or relationships - is simply the evidence of a lack of gratitude. If you focus on lack you are not being grateful, and that will bring more lack into your life. Yet the simple state of radiating gratitude summons everything to you.

No matter who you are or where you are, you can change your life with gratitude, but you must feel it with your whole heart and radiate it from every cell. Gratitude is not a mental exercise, and in fact, if you simply use your mind for gratitude it will have little or no power. True gratitude comes from your heart! You must think gratitude through your heart, speak gratitude through your heart, and feel it intensely in your heart.

Then practice gratitude relentlessly. As you practice gratitude you will attract more thoughts and feelings of gratitude. In a short time your entire being will be saturated with it, and you will experience a happiness that is beyond what you can imagine. This is what is ahead for you when you choose gratitude as your way of life. And if you can really live in this highest state of gratitude, you will never have to ask for anything. Everything you want will be given to you before you even ask, because gratitude is the magnetic substance that opens every single door in the Universe.

"Y" Talk

2008-11-11T19:14:00.001-08:00

An economic crisis is the most complex situation to deal with. It is natural tendency for most of the people to enter into a defensive attitude when things go wrong to help them to survive. To generate a counter cyclical behaviour it is necessary to enter into the cycle of action.

We have decided to take action to reach out to our market place during this turbulent time. Hence the “Y” talk was born.

It took only two weeks to organize the event once we have decided to go ahead. With the “Y” team in action, we managed to bring together 35 clients and closed to 60 participants in the early morning of 5th November 2008.

The participants were punctual and the attendance was almost 95% from the list that promised to attend. The interaction was good and lots of “Y” energy floating.

What is this “Y” talk?

It was a talk presenting our findings on the behaviour of the coming generation; that is the Gen Y. It is a research based on the findings on about 200 Gen Y using our proprietary profiling tool. What made the talk different was it is data driven. It is based on an objective assessment instead of subjective observation or interview.

Interesting insights were noted from the research, as this group of future leaders is quite different from us. Gen Y is known to have high energy, high motivation and positive self esteem. If they are well led, they can bring lots of “Y’ energy into the work environment.

In addition to the findings from the research, the experience sharing from the participants further kept the energy floating in the room.

With those unique behaviors in mind, we had provided some “tips” on how to lead and create an environment that can help to attract and retain Gen Y in the organization.

Positive feedbacks on the “Y” talk were received from participants and some of them are into action mode and had invited us to meet up to look at areas we can assist them

We are glad to have taken the counter cyclical action in this turbulent time to bring value to our clients.

The Principle of Emptiness

2008-10-11T03:28:00.001-07:00

By JOSEPH NEWTON

Have you got the habit of hoarding useless objects, thinking that one day, who knows when, you may need them ?

Have you got the habit of accumulating money , and not spending it because you think that in the future you may be in want of it?

Have you got the habit of storing clothes, shoes, furniture, utensils and other home supplies that you haven’t used already for some time?

And inside yourself...? Have you got the habit to keep reproaches, resentment, sadness, fears and more?

Don’t do it! You are going against your prosperity!

It is necessary to make room, to leave an empty space in order to allow new things to arrive to your life.

It is necessary that you get rid of all the useless things that are in you and in your life, in order to prosperity to arrive.

The force of this emptiness is one that will absorb and attract all that you wish.

As long as you are, materially or emotionally, holding old and useless feelings, you won’t have room for new opportunities

Goods must circulate....

Clean your drawers, the wardrobes, the workshop, the garage...

Give away what you don’t use any longer...

The attitude of keeping a heap of useless stuff ties your life down.

It’s not the objects you keep that stagnate your life...

but rather the attitude of keeping...

When we keep in store, we consider the possibility of wanting, of penury..

we believe that tomorrow it may lack, and that we won’t be able to fulfil those necessities..

With that idea, you are sending two messages to your brain and to your life:

That you don’t trust tomorrow...and you think that the new and the better are not for you,

For this reason you cheer yourself up by storing old and useless stuff

Get rid of what lost its colour and brightness...

Let the new enter your home... and yourself.

For this reason, after reading this...

Don’t keep it...Make it circulate...

May prosperity and peace reach you soon

'Y' Handshake

2008-10-06T07:18:00.001-07:00

A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp each other's right or left hand often accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands. While its origins remain obscure, archaeological ruins and ancient texts show that handshaking was practiced as far back as the 2nd century BC

The handshake is initiated when the two hands touch, immediately. It is commonly done upon meeting, greeting, parting, offering congratulations, expressing gratitude, or completing an agreement

Its purpose is to convey trust, balance, and equality

Initiating a proper handshake will make an incredibly positive impression. You will be perceived as a person who is knowledgeable, possesses excellent social skills, and has leadership capabilities.

An excellent handshake shows your charm and self-confidence. It becomes an integral part of your style.

“Any person who has charm and some confidence can move in and through societies ranging from the most privileged to the most needy. Style allows the person to appear neither inferior in one location nor superior in the other.”

—Maya Angelou... (noted poet, educator, and best-selling author)

The group has discovered the ‘Y’ handshake that has resulted significant impact and connection with the people we touch. It goes this way:

1. Gently look 'through' the eyes (not stare);

2. At the same time, put your hand on your chest and then extend your hand;

3. Do a warm handshake (not hard shake or quick shake): feel the energy before you withdraw your hand.

We will from now on use this new form of handshake whenever we meet Clients, Candidates, Colleagues and Suppliers.

What is X and Y

2008-10-02T03:19:00.000-07:00

Contribution from the leader of Greater China

Conflict with self (X)

Outlook

critical

negative; closed-minded

see problems mainly: everything is "hard", "difficult" and "tough"

Behaviours

avoidance

denial/defensive/justifying/reasoning

focus on "lack"

Outcome

life is hard

self-critical

take things personally/ seriously

unhappy

Harmonize with self (Y)

Outlook

face issues squarely (because can face self)

positive

open minded

see "solutions" - there is hope!

Behaviours

less concerned with the words and comments of others

sense of fulfillment, at ease, at peace

Outcome

take things lightly

lets go easily

goes with the flow

Mechanics and Outcomes

Optimism is not equal to positiveness, but pessimistic is X
Y sees opportunities, X sees obstacles
Y is giving, focus on what we have, satisfied
X is taking, focus on what we lack, dissatisfied
Y sees solution; X sees problem
X and Y energy Not X and Y people
Its not one or the other; we all have both
We have a choice; its within our control
X wants to live up to expectations; Y embraces Self
X tries very hard; rather than being
X dwells on things; Y moves on

Its not one or the other; we all have both but We all have a Choice

How to switch?

--> Embrace yourself, love yourself

--> Count your blessings

--> Remember everything happens for a reason

--> Focus on others (Giving), not yourself (Taking), avoid self-pity

** Don't ask for Y outcome, it will come "packaged".

True Y is at Ease & at Peace

Sharing through Positive Energy Card (Y card)

2008-10-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

HPC have conceptualize the design of Positive Energy Card (Y card) that is able to help and assist all of us in the office to cultivate Inner Positiveness and embrace a healthy positive working environment.

We believe that the Positive Energy Card will be able to help unleash positive energy to whoever we interact with; be it our clients or our colleagues. It helps to generate a SMILEY face and open up the third eye to see beyond inner positiveness.

How does it work?

· Whenever you feel tired, whenever you feel miserable, whenever you feel down, take one Positive Energy Card and read. And you will feel better after that. Once you open the card, the fragrance of virtues will be spread all over you.

· Whenever you are going out to meet a client, whenever you are meeting a potential candidate, whenever you go out for a BM, take one Positive Energy Card and read (bring it along as a lucky charm with you if you want, but remember to put it back so that others too can benefit from it) to see your clients. When you open the card infront of your clients, if spreads a huge strong fragrance of inner positiveness to them.

The Production

We had 2 batches of innerpositiveness card production. 1st batch was for internal and 2nd batch was to extend and to spread to external.

The production process noted below involves all the team members :

- conceptualization
- design
- selecting and buying of material (paper & ribbon)
- searching & selecting of quotes
- printing of the cards
- cutting
- folding (1st batch only)
- tie the ribbon (1st batch only)
- the final product
- etc....

The production took us about 1.5 hrs to complete. Not too long to produce these cards together. What wat most important, we all had a lot of fun and we used our heart, positiveness and happiness in producing these cards. These cards are priceless. No one will be able to purchase these with money.

Real Experiences

In most occasions when we passed a Positive Energy Card (Y card) to our client during our meetings, you can see the glowing change to their face. They shared their gratitude to us for sharing the positve messages especially after a challenging day in office. They were impressed by our positive actions and energy and want to know more about us and our services .

Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous (VUCA)

2008-09-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

The followings are shared by our friend from Japan

A military term coined by the Americans to describe a military situation which is difficult to plan strategy for, recently adopted by business community to describe the state of events that have hit us since sub-prime collapse.

V = Volatility　 : Continuous Whitewater in Organizations
U = Uncertainty　: Degrees of Confidence in Future State
C = Complexity　 : Ever Increasing Complexity of Organization & Processes
A = Ambiguity　 : Black and White Yield to Grey and Beyond

The leadership forum reminded me of the importance of persevering and keeping focused on the prize while remaining open to new possibilities.

It's easy to say we should be teachable and humble, especially when you consider that the world we live in today is captured very aptly in the acronym VUCA: volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.

But exceptional governance is captured in the face of ambiguity, inspiration and pragmatism.

—Tesse Akpeki, "Boards must focus on what is right," Third Sector, March 7, 2007

Switching from innernegativeness (X) to innerpositiveness (Y)

2008-09-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

Wisdom from our Chairman on innerpositiveness
(X to Y Approach)

Introduction

1. Innerpositiveness & exuding positive energy is an approach that would bring us forward exponentially, create meaning and joy with increasing reward. Everyone with intention to grow with us will benefit from this practice.

2. This approach sets us apart from our competitors & clients.

3. An unique approach for now till many other forward organizations catch up.

Mechanics

1. Y refers to Innerpositiveness; and X refers to Innernegativeness.

2. Energy vibration frequency range differs between X & Y.

3. Y frequency tends to attract similar frequency range of positive circumstances, events & people; similarly, X attracts the negative ones. It's the Law of Attraction at work.

4. All of us have both X & Y. It's whether we decide to have X or Y to occupy our mind & heart.

5. Y can be merely switched on like an electric power switch, anytime, anywhere, whether with negative or positive circumstances, events & people. And you can leave it on all the time. In switching it, you don't have to 'psycho' yourself; and it's also not a function of time. Just switch it.

6. This Switch from X to Y calls for:

- consciousness of X presence.
- awareness of your ego at work & its negative reaction.
- a firm decision to choose Y.

Outcomes

1. The outcomes of Y presence are:

- happy spirit.
- healthier mindbody.
- open mind; can absorb well.
- greater creativity.
- guard against external factors tt may influence your inner state of mind.

2. Outcomes of X practice are the opposite of Y's. To the extreme, X destroys your spirit. However, focus on the Switch, not on the Outcomes.

Conclusion

1. Finally once there in Y mode, you would not want to get out. And you can discern X presence easily. Avoid, ignore, or walk away from X people or negative situation when you coueold not outcome it.

2. Y approach is the foundation for turning our people to Business Saints.

3. Collectively practice Y, nothing will be impossible for us. Do you know why?

What is happiness?

2008-09-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

When we read the newspaper or listen to news everyday, it is always the negative news that is floating around us. The recent sub-prime crisis that triggered the downfall of the financial giant like Lehman Brothers and AIG had created grave concern to many people around the world about their job security and family future. The negative news of melamine in food resulted fear on whether what we had eaten was safe. Previous news on various natural disaster like earthquake in Sichuan and the flood in Myanmar that killed many innocent people further triggered much negative thoughts in our mind everyday.

How can we deal with all this negativity that is surrounding us if we want to remain or become happy?

When our Chairman shared with me the concept of innerpositiveness, I quickly recollect the first book on happiness that I had read many years back when I was a teenager i.e. Being Happy by Andrew Matthew. The book had many illustration of enlightened moment in cartoon and it had helped to keep me happy and positive despite facing setback at times and when dealing with negativity.

When the HRnet group roll-out the innerpositiveness concept through a global campaign, I thought it is timely to create this blog to share the experiences of a group of happy people that had change the life of many others through their work as human resource consultant.

To kick off this blog, I have tried to research into the definition of happiness. I am glad my colleague has sent me the following teachings from Dalai Lama.

There are many facets to leading a happy life. It begins by understanding the true and legitimate sources of happiness. The Art of Happiness is based on a few basic premises:

- The purpose of life is happiness.

- Happiness is determined more by the state of one's mind than by one's external conditions, circumstances, or events - at least once one's basic survival needs are met.

- Happiness can be achieved through the systematic training of our hearts and minds, through reshaping our attitudes and outlook.

- The key to happiness is in our own hands.

~ Dalai Lama ~