Robin Sharma on CNN

Robin Sharma on CNN

I think of him as my GURU in life cos he's my main inspiration towards being a better me and live to have a great life!

Mantra for my soul

I got this from a friend's blog...and I thought it would be nice to post it up in here too. I often come across 'wisdom words' like this but not all that I put it into practise (talking about exercising daily). I always believe that I MUST & SHOULD do this - which I so-called 'mantra' for my soul everyday. Yes - I must and I should!



Well...you and everyone should do this in your daily life too ya:=)

Listening to....."Who Says" by Selena Gomez

I heart this song a lot! I heard it a few times been played in the radio and I have no idea who sang it until I watch 'Monte Carlo' last night, Selena Gomez's latest movie. This song is one of the movie soundtracks and I just knew today - that this is Selena's song. Already, I'm starting to like Selena Gomez (I mean like a 'fan') cos she seems like a sweet person and Monte Carlo is a sweet & charming movie and I enjoyed watching it (it makes me smile!).

Anyways, the lyrics to this song is beautiful too, inspiring actually - I'm no beauty queen, I'm just beautiful me. You've got every right to a beautiful life!

Enjoy this song with me now and you can keep singing it in the bathroom (haha)


"Who says" sung by Selena Gomez

I wouldn't wanna be anybody else
hey

[Verse 1]
You made me insecure,
Told me I wasn’t good enough.
But who are you to judge
When you’re a diamond in the rough?
I’m sure you got some things
You’d like to change about yourself.
But when it comes to me
I wouldn’t want to be anybody else.

Na na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na

I’m no beauty queen
I’m just beautiful me

Na na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na

You’ve got every right
To a beautiful life
C'mon

[Chorus:]
Who says, who says you're not perfect?
Who says you're not worth it?
Who says you're the only one that's hurtin'?
Trust me, that's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty?
Who says you're not beautiful?
Who says?

[Verse 2:]
It’s such a funny thing
How nothing’s funny when it’s you
You tell ‘em what you mean
But they keep whiting out the truth
It’s like a work of art
That never gets to see the light
Keep you beneath the stars
Won’t let you touch the sky

Na na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na

I’m no beauty queen
I’m just beautiful me

Na na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na

You’ve got every right
To a beautiful life
C'mon

[Chorus:]
Who says, who says you're not perfect?
Who says you're not worth it?
Who says you're the only one that's hurtin'?
Trust me, that's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty?
Who says you're not beautiful?
Who says?

[Bridge:]
Who says you’re not star potential?
Who says you’re not presidential?
Who says you can’t be in movies?
Listen to me, listen to me
Who says you don’t pass the test?
Who says you can’t be the best?
Who said, who said?
Won’t you tell me who said that?
Yeah, who said?

[Chorus:]
Who says, who says you're not perfect? (Yeah)
Who says you're not worth it? (Yeah yeah)
Who says you're the only one that's hurtin'? (Ooooh)
Trust me, that's the price of beauty (Hey yeah, beauty)
Who says you're not pretty? (Who said?)
Who says you're not beautiful? (I'm just beautiful me)
Who says?

Who says, Who says, you're not perfect?
Who says you're not worth it?
Who says you're the only one that's hurtin'?

[Chorus:]
Who says, who says you're not perfect?
Who says you're not worth it?
Who says you're the only one that's hurtin'?
Trust me, that's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty?
Who says you're not beautiful?
Who says?

Who says you're not perfect?
Who says you're not worth it?
Who says you're the only one that's hurtin'?
Trust me, (yeah) that's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty? (Who says you're not beautiful?)
Who says?


I haven't bought this album yet - but I probably will very soon. Her songs are pretty great.

So people - start believing and loving yourself more, who says you're not perfect!

My August 2011 Treat

I tried to be happy and feel blessed as much as possible with my life right now - I know I still have a long ride to go on life's journey that is unexpected and which I'll imagine it will be one great adventure for sure. So every month or at times once a week (it depends on my mood) that I'll treat myself something nice & special just to brighten up my day and of course be HAPPY! I'll buy something that makes me happy.

Here's what I got for me-self just a few days ago (thank God we have Times Bookstore here in Sabah). It's a little bit costly but I've been eye-ing this book for quite some time and I just got to have it. I believe this book could help me organise my goals in life by creating my life lists to do in my life.





This is what some of the contents looks like - there's a guidebook & journal, envelopes to keep things that inspires me (it could be a photo of trekking to Everest Base Camp, visit to a native American (aka Red Indians) territory, my children's artwork & etc as to guide me achieve my dreams/goals. Isn't this interesting - I wrote all of my wish list in life in many of my notebooks but now I have this as a proper one.







Love this book to death - will make full use of it!

Getting inspirations...

I need inspirations - lots of it so badly right now!



"The artist is a receptable for emotions that come from all over the place, from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web." ✒ Pablo Picasso

Being in my 30s

I'm in my 30s right now and am happy and proud to reach this awesome stage - talking about being married with two kids and having a stable job...I said YEAH it's cool to be 30 (something)! Although being in my 30s - I'm still very much young at heart:P

And I totally agree with this:
"If you are in your teens, get ready for your 20′s. If you’re in your 20′s you’ll totally know what I mean! They are definitely the HARDEST years for sure. You are still figuring out who you are, trying to get jobs, freaking out about your life! Everything just seems so unknown!

Then you turn 30 and everything seems so much easier!! True, you start getting grey hairs and wrinkles (ack!) and people start bugging you about having babies, asking you how “business” is and other grown-up stuff. But if you know who you are, and you’re not afraid to be different, the 30′s can be amazing!! Gone is the worry about what to do with your life (you’re already doing it!) and you just are so much more comfortable with who you are!" - Extracted from Shana Logic blog (one of my daily inspiration & fav blog)


A 30 year old something girl in the mirror - I look forward to a better and happy life ahead!

Be the CEO of you Inc by Robin Sharma

Since I followed robinsharma.com, I received frequent emails, updates on Robin Sharma's activities/events and with quotes too which are awesome and of course inspirational! I made him as my personal guru (virtually) and my main inspiration in life! He totally rocks (cos he moves me and other people globally to be a 'leader who had no title' with his great tips/words)!

And here's one of it - Be The CEO of You Inc. Enjoy reading and at the same time take it as a challenge to help you get your leadership genius to it's next level of excellence (as what was said by Robin Sharma himself):

1. GET OUT AND EXPLORE: Extracurricular activities are not a waste of time. The best leaders are interesting people. They pursue passions. They love art. They experience unforgettable travel. And they engage in conversations with fascinating people. This allows them to stay inspired. And hungry. And offers them a steady stream of ideas that actually makes their businesses more successful.

2. LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WITH THE DIRTIEST HANDS: Want to know what your customers love - and can't stand - about your business? Listen to the people on the front line. The grocery clerk hears exactly what's being said about the products on the shelves. The person answering the phone knows what people are most dissatisfied with. The technician gets exactly what needs to be fixed for the brand to grow. Learn to listen to the people who are closest to your customers.

The data they carry is priceless.

3. YOU ARE PAID NOT ONLY TO WORK. YOU ARE PAID TO BE SCARED: It's easy to do what you do every day until it becomes second nature. But what leadership's truly about is having the courage to out-think + out-perform who you were yesterday. And that's scary. Because you need to consistently do what's uncomfortable. But all growth lies on the outer edges of your comfort zone. Commit to not just doing your work but accepting the challenges that frighten you.

4. HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH: These were peak-performing CEOs leading 24/7 careers. There was utter silence in the room when I shared this statement: "Health is the crown on the well man's head that only the ill person can see". Why be the richest person in the graveyard? And what's the point of getting to the mountaintop but reaching it sick? Get serious about becoming superfit. Then watch the caliber of your work and the quality of your life fly.

5. FAMILY FIRST: With children, we have a little window of opportunity. And once it closes, it's very hard to open it up again. Having a strong family foundation of deep relationships with those you love makes you a more effective businessperson. And who wants to get to the end of your career and realize you're all alone?

6. BE VALUABLE: Business, to me, is nothing more than a breathtakingly great vehicle to deliver unusual value to as many people as possible. Want to double your sales? Then double the value you bring to your customers. And the whole game of life's about much of the same thing: contribution. Being of value. Making a difference. No one on their deathbed wished they had made more money. Most of us do wish we have had a greater impact. As a seminar participant in Qatar shared with me: "The measure of the greatness of a person is the length their shadow casts on the future."

Why do I share the 6 challenges I offered to the CEO crowd with you? Because you are the CEO of your own career and the Leader of your own life. I encourage - and challenge - you to reflect on these ideas and then to act on them with speed. There's never been a bigger need for leaders in our organizations and within our world. And whether you have a title or not, that need applies to you.
Keep Leading Without a Title,


By the way, I bought this from Debbie, my sister who actually introduced me to Robin Sharma after she bought some of his bestselling books and shared me what she have read. So I've got to buy this book 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferari'...luckily she sells it during our garage sale last March and I got it at RM18 (way cheaper than the ori-price).


I'm also gonna buy me-self 'The Leader Who Had No Title' another bestseller by Robin Sharma VERY SOON - as a lovely treat for myself.


Love you Robin Sharma!

22 Ways to Become Spectacularly Inspirational by Robin Sharma

Here's another great tips from my fav 'Guru' - Robin Sharma. I think it's an awesome feeling to be someone inspirational or to inspire others.


22 Ways to Become Spectacularly Inspirational
By Robin Sharma, author of the #1 bestseller "The Leader Who Had No Title"

1. Do important work vs. merely offering opinions.

2. Lift people up vs. tear others down.

3. Use the words of leadership vs. the language of victimhood.

4. Don't worry about getting the credit for getting things done.

5. Become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

6. Take your health to a level called superfit.

7. Commit to mastery of your craft instead of accepting mediocrity in your work.

8. Associate with people whose lives you want to be living.

9. Study for an hour a day. Double your learning and you'll triple your success.

10. Run your own race. "No one can possibly achieve real and lasting success by being a conformist," wrote billionaire J. Paul Getty

11. Do something small yet scary every single day.

12. Lead Without a Title.

13. Focus on people's strengths vs. obsessing around their weaknesses.

14. Remember that potential unused turns into pain. So dedicate yourself to expressing your best.

15. Smile more.

16. Listen more.

17. Read the autobiography of Nelson Mandela.

18. Reflect on the words of Eleanor Roosevelt who said: "Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people."

19. Persist longer than the critics suggest you should.

20. Say "please" and "thank you".

21. Love your loved ones.

22. Do work that matters.

In the year of the Rabbit

Art print by Marisa from Creative Thursday (oh, love her blog!)

Back from the lunar year holidays - its the year of the Rabbit and I like anything that has cute rabbit prints on it. Bought some from my fav store, DAISO Japan recently (will share pics later). I had a long weekend but not really a good one. I'm still recovering from a terrible sore throat and now coughing so badly - tried all remedies that still won't work on me, drank honey+lemon, garge salt and all but alas I had to get some antibiotics. My dad used to tell me that I have a weak immune system since I was a kid..I easily could catch a cold or the bug flu. Well, it seems like lots of people I know are sick with the bug flu these days especially my own family, Carmen & Chardon just recovered and I guess I got it from them.

Anyway, about the rabbit year....just sharing what 2011 will be for you and me:

The year of the Rabbit promises to bring some much-needed peace and tranquility. If you are like most people, you probably feel like you were on a roller coaster in 2010, the year of the Tiger. That will generally not be the case in 2011, as the Rabbit is everything the Tiger is not.

“Let there be peace -- and let it begin with me” is the Rabbit's motto. The Tiger makes waves, but the Rabbit mends fences. Diplomacy reigns. If you want to improve your chances of success, negotiate and cooperate rather than force your ideas on others. It’s also a time to kiss and make up. Forgive and forget. Let’s all get along. Make love not war. If last year the emphasis was on excitement, it’s now is on harmony.

Active people who are always on the go are likely to be unhappy with the Rabbit’s leisurely pace. They might find themselves in trouble if they try to move faster than the prevailing one. The Tiger, being the Yang to the Rabbit’s Yin, can still do well by modifying its style. This year the cautious, slow-but-sure approach is likely to win the day more than charging ahead.

What to do in a peaceful year? Education, for one. Leisurely travel is encouraged. Pursuing your hobbies is a very Rabbit thing to do and will bring you many happy moments.

The Rabbit should give most of us an opportunity to pause and catch our breath after a hectic 2010. It’s a time for peacemakers to shine. But it will have a metallic edge to it. From time to time, aggressiveness will suddenly materialize and disrupt the peace. For those who revel in a slow pace, however, it promises to be a most enjoyable time.

In the spirit of the Rabbit, peace be with you in 2011.
(extracted this out from this source http://www.astrology.com/2011-year-rabbit-overview/2-d-d-307716)

For me, this year is all about doing something great, making this year great for me & my family, moving towards my dreams, achieving goals, making myself proud and happy and try my very best to live life to the fullest! You go Mama Rock - have a great year!

To have a stunningly great life and the best year yet

Hi there I'm finally back...two weeks after we entered 2011. I've been thinking about what are the 'big' things I have achieved back in 2010. Surprisingly, I don't quite remember if I have done any great things last year except giving birth to my 2nd child and my son Chardon Tristan in April. And that's the only thing I could be proud of. Oh my, I guess I didn't do much last year - how pity is that...unless I mentioned things I did very well that are work related like organising companies and State events (e.g. Sabah International Expo 2010) - its normality for me. But that's okay, so this year I want to do some transformation of myself and my life. What I didn't get to do in 2010 - I'll bring forward that more or less the same list 'TO DOs' in 2011. I'll do whatever I can! Let me share you just a bit on my 2011 plans - part of it is to focus more on my health; save more money; write a short children story (get publish later); join the Sabah Society Club; learn the drum; buy some new gadgets (will blog about it after purchase); try to apply a new job; travel to US in Dec; and oh ya of course...be a better mommy!

Thanks to my sister, Debbie that I came across this cool and so very inspiring 'Robin Sharma' Vlog about '5 Step Process to Make the New Year your Best Year yet'. I kept watching this video a few times to be inspired and motivate myself to better my life. Watch it and you'll understand what I mean:) What a great guru!


Now I would like to share what I learn from this video the '5 Step Process To Make The New Year Your Best Year Yet':

Step 1: Celebration
- What wins do you need to celebrate from the past 12 months?
- Write an inventory of your successes, wins, achievements and special moments

Step 2: Education
'With better awareness you can make better choices, and with better choices you're bound to see better results'
- What are the 3 best business lessons you learned from the past 12 months?
- What are the 3 best life lessons you learned from the past 12 months?
- What were you doing when you achieved your best results from the past 12 months?


Step 3: Clarification
'Clarity precedes Mastery'
- What are your Big 5 for this new year?
- What are your top 5 values for the next 12 months?
- What are your goals for the next 12 months?
- Creativity + Audacity = Mastery (Get creative; Be audacious; Dream; Challenge Yourself; etc)

Step 4: Graduation
- Take your goals, values and Big 5 for the next 12 months and graduate them into a plan (write down what you need to achieve every month)

Step 5: Visualization
- Emotionally engage with what you life will look like in the key areas of your life
- Revisit this picture every few days

Here's another awesome tips from Robin Sharma - His 60 Tips for a stunningly great life:

1. Exercise daily.
2. Get serious about gratitude.
3. See your work as a craft.
4. Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
5. Keep a journal.
6. Read “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin”.
7. Plan a schedule for your week.
8. Know the 5 highest priorities of your life.
9. Say no to distractions.
10. Drink a lot of water.
11. Improve your work every single day.
12. Get a mentor.
13. Hire a coach.
14. Get up at 5 am each day.
15. Eat less food.
16. Find more heroes.
17. Be a hero to someone.
18. Smile at strangers.
19. Be the most ethical person you know.
20. Don’t settle for anything less than excellence.
21. Savor life’s simplest pleasures.
22. Save 10% of your income each month.
23. Spend time at art galleries.
24. Walk in the woods.
25. Write thank you letters to those who’ve helped you.
26. Forgive those who’ve wronged you.
27. Remember that leadership is about influence and impact, not title and accolades.
28. Create unforgettable moments with those you love.
29. Have 5 great friends.
30. Become stunningly polite.
31. Unplug your TV.
32. Sell your TV.
33. Read daily.
34. Avoid the news.
35. Be content with what you have.
36. Pursue your dreams.
37. Be authentic.
38. Be passionate.
39. Say sorry when you know you should.
40. Never miss a moment to celebrate another.
41. Have a vision for your life.
42. Know your strengths.
43. Focus your mind on the good versus the lack.
44. Be patient.
45. Don’t give up.
46. Clean up your messes.
47. Use impeccable words.
48. Travel more.
49. Read “As You Think”.
50. Honor your parents.
51. Tip taxi drivers well.
52. Be a great teammate.
53. Give no energy to critics.
54. Spent time in the mountains.
55. Know your top 5 values.
56. Shift from being busy to achieving results.
57. Innovate and iterate.
58. Speak less. Listen more.
59. Be the best person you know.
60. Make your life matter.

Hope you got inspired with Robin Sharma as much as I do. Remember anything is possible if you believe you can do it. So let's all have a stunningly great life this year - all the best in 2011!

Quote for the weekend #1

Happy weekend ya'all!

The Purpose of Life

After watching these documentary videos - '10 Questions for the Dalai Lama' and 'Red Flag Over Tibet' and hearing my sister, Debbie's experiences from her recent visit to Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, India and her close encounter with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama that I really got inspired with the teachings of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism. I'm that kind of person that is SO easily inspired with anything that interest me...let it be the arts, music, fascinating people & etc. And I would love to visit Mcleod Ganj (also known as Little Lhasa) one day - if I could I would love to live there. It's where the 14th Dalai Lama lives and the Tibetan Government in exile is - cool! I also remembered watching 2 interesting movies about the Dalai Lama - 'Seven Years In Tibet' and 'Kundun' in the late 90s but I wasn't really fascinated about him at that time. Finding enlightenment in life & having good karma is always a cool thing to do!

Here are some inspiring sayings, quotes or mantra from the Dalai Lama that I liked on peace and happiness that I would like to share:

"There are many people who have wealth and power who remain unhappy, due to which their health declines, and they are always taking medicines. On the other hand, we find people who live like beggars but who always remain peaceful and happy. Therefore, in our daily life a certain way of thinking makes us happy, and a certain way of thinking makes us unhappy. In other words, there are certain states of mind which bring us problems, and they can be removed; we need to make an effort in that direction. Likewise, there are certain states of mind that bring us peace and happiness, and we need to cultivate and enhance them". - In here, I learned that when you have little, you have little things to worry about.

"It is very important to generate good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come".

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions".

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practise compassion".

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

The Treasure of True Friendship

The greatest treasures are not gold

Nor jewels, nor work of art

They cannot be held in your hands

They're held within your heart

For worldly things will fade away

As seasons come & go

But the treasure of true friendship

Will never lose its glow

I took this words from the 'Tinkerbell & The Lost Treasure' movie. My Carmen is a huge fan of Tinkerbell and she watched the movie (1st & 2nd part) a few times and she wanted me to watch together with her (me too liked 'Tink'...hehe) - that's when I got this cool little poem!

Well people, weekend is here again - so have a cool weekend ya!

Thankful!

O wonderful Maker
Of heaven and earth!
Giver of life and breath!

You've given us meaning,
Value and worth
And completely conquered death!

O passionate Lover
Of our dear souls
Creator of song and dance,

You've awakened us
Out of death's black hole
With Your passionate romance!

O what could be said,
What could be written,
To one, LORD, such as You?

What words could be uttered
From a heart so smitten?
They could only be few!

Like the gentle falling
Of flakes of snow
Dancing while descending

Your beauty falls
Upon me so
With Your goodness never-ending!
Artwork by Debbie Varidel &
Poem by Britanny Fay

Bought this lovely card from Doulos (the floating bookstore). Plan to go there and buy more of this cards this weekend. This time I'll bring CJ and it will be her 1st and last time to go onboard the MV Doulos. Heard that this could be the last time Doulos to come to Sabah and it will be leaving on 20 Sept.

By the way, I'm just THANKFUL with my life right now!

Another tough decision

My previous employer insisted of not letting me go, so they offered me a promotion with a better pay. So this week I’ve to come up with a decision that may hurt either one party which is tough. But at the end of the day, it’s one choice I have to take – a better plan for my life and future. I actually missed my previous job cos I enjoy establishing contacts with people and getting more exposure in the business industries. And I felt like I’m turning into a hermit if I stay longer in this new company – so dead boring and less challenging. I realized that being there, I can’t expand my knowledge well enough – just simply can’t grow. I think you know clearly what my decision’s gonna be. Being in a corporate world for more than 10 years makes me a very competitive person and loving any challenges there is.

I recently bought an inspirational/self-motivation book from MV Doulos called ‘Live Like You Were Dying’ by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman, and which is based on Tim McGraw’s (the Grammy award winning country singer and husband of Faith Hill) song with the same title.

One of those words from the book inspired me to make the right decision. And it goes like:

“What’s the secret to success?” I asked. “Two words”, he said. “Right decisions.” “How do you make right decisions?” “One word,” he said. “Experience.” “And how do you get experience?” “Two words,” he answered. “Wrong decisions.”



So now I think I'll be going down that same career path again but with a whole new perspective.

Coping Up

It's been more than two weeks now since I started my new job. And I'm coping up but unfortunately feeling a lil d-motivated at first...well I thought I'll be happy but what do you expect...1st day of work in a totally new environment is always not the happiest moment of all. But like I say I'm coping up, being patient, having cool attitude and everything will be okay....(I pray and hope). Talking about enjoying what you do (from my last post)...I'm trying to shoo out those negative thoughts and try to enjoy my work now. I'm doing extreme self-motivation right now! Ya..I do need some moral support from you friends/readers too!

So after this, I'll be feeding my soul with this free art project! Feel free to join me in Feed Your Soul. Remember, art can free your soul!

Enjoy What You Do

To me, these words sounds magical. If you enjoy what you do, you'll get what you want or where you want to be. So true (well it all depends on his/her attitude)! Most of the time I want to or (at least) try to enjoy what I do (at work, at home, activities etc) and be thankful. And I should also be truthful to myself and the most important thing is that I still believe in my dreams.

I found a wonderful site of Carla Kay White ( I found Carla via decor8, my daily inspiration). It's about health, wealth, happiness, peace, dreams and many lovely inspirational words. One of her post I liked is on Listening to your Inner Voice.

Carla shares: 7 Habits to Listening to Your Inner Voice

1. Visualize your ideal lifestyle. A vision board is extremely powerful tool. You can write letters to yourself describing your ideal day. The more details the better. This lets the universe know what to bring into your life.

2. Give thanks daily. Having a Gratitude Journal can changed your life. Writing down everything you're grateful for is a message to the universe to bring more of it into your life.

3. Meditate as much as you can. Clearing the mind allows for new thoughts to come in. Even just a few minutes a day makes all the difference. Sit in silence, go for a walk, or just take a deep breath and repeat a mantra.

4. Give away the exact thing you want to receive.This might sound silly. How are you suppose to give away what you don’t have. The good news is that we all have plenty to offer. If you’re looking for a new job, help a friend with an introduction. If you want to lose weight, donate your Twinkies to the food panty and a few hours of your time to a community garden. Giving is the currency of the universe.

5. Take care of your health. You can change your diet and lost over 20lbs. It also can clear your head and calm your soul. Exercise daily, try to get plenty of rest, and take vitamins. Your physical body is the temple of your gift, so nurture and pamper it. A long, hot bath works too!

6. Be the real you as much as possible. As Carla wrote this: there is a girl sitting across from me in the coffee shop with a big pink flower in her hair. It’s a bold display of individuality and true spirit. Once you start letting your true self out, you’ll discover that life is far easier and far, far richer.

7. Go with the flow. Carla again wrote "Last spring I wasn’t selected for a very cool job. Of course I was crushed. But I just found out that role was made redundant, so I would have been out of a job anyway". Everything works out as it should. And the more I accept life rather than resist it, the more creativity and innovation blossom.

Illustration by Aimee Sicuro

Awesome talent

Another awesome talent in the family. This girl could be the next Amy Winehouse (minus the booze and drugs though). She's Nahneen Kula (Charlene Kula-Gibbs, mixed of Black-American, Native (Red Indian) American and Dusun parentage..if I'm not wrong) and she's my 2nd cousin. Her vocal is amazing and I'm proud of her. You go girl! She has a few videos on Youtube and here's one that I liked.


To add something before I go off layan-ing my lil rascal (CJ), here's a beautiful music quote from Martin Luther which goes:
"Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirit. A person who does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs"

Reaching For The Stars

I'm SO looking forward to buy this book...which is about the Angkasawan's commitment and journey to achieve his ambition of becoming an astronaut left behind by his late younger brother, Sheikh Mustapha Shukor Al-Masrie or Ajil as known to friends and family, who went into coma and passed away after knocking into a pillar. In this book, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar or Amus as he is affectionately known to his family takes a step back for Ajil, it turns out, was the unsung hero who inspired his brother's success. I think I'm gonna HEART this book. More interesting details about the book here.

Words by Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor that inspires me:
"This is what my job is about, it's taking time to inspire the younger generation and change their attitudes, to believe in themselves. I always tell them that if I can do it, they can as well. I'm not someone special. If I can do it, you can too. This is why I'm trying to reach out to them"

"What the mind believes, the body can achieve" and if you really believe in yourself and work very hard, you will achieve your dream"


Dr Sheikh Muszaphar with his brothers (he was born 3rd of the five boys). Left & next to Dr Sheikh is the late Ajil.

To the ladies...Dr Sheikh reveals the truth (or denial..?) says "No! Romance is not on my list of priorities at this point of time"...keep waiting:P

His wish...that all parents read this book to their children before bedtime to make them realise that to reach a goal, you need to start with a single step. Mine led me to the stars!

Am off to the bookstores now!

Later from Mama Rock

Love Recipe

Love is like a loaf of bread

2 hearts
1 cup of sincerity
1 cup of trust
1 1/2 cup of tenderness
1 1/2 cup of love
2 pieces of fidelity
5 pieces of joy
a pinch of jealousy

Melt two hearts. Add tenderness and love
Mix in sincerity and trust
Whisk joy and fidelity till mixture rises
Lastly, add in a pinch of jealousy
Knead all ingredients harmoniously
Bake well till love arises
~ By Imran~

Taken from Dua Dunia Satu Cinta (Koleksi Rasmi Perkahwinan "Kampong Nekmat" Special Edition)
Picture art by Kim's Suitcase (my fav artist & illustrator)