Made to Stick

I simply love this book "Made to Stick". All marketers out there - yeah you - this is one read not to be missed. All you need to do is apply the simple SUCCESs principles in all that you do and voila.

Simple: Find and share the Core
Unexpected: Get attention (remember AIDA?) through surprise and hold the attention/interest
Concrete: Help people understand, remember and coordinate
Credible: Help people believe (internal and external credibility)
Emotional: Make people care, use the power of associations, appeal to self-interest and identity
Stories: Get people to act

With the use of these principles, we need to also be mindful of symptoms such as the curse of knowledge, decision paralysis, etc.

Vote Earth!

I'm so heartened to know that my organisation is participating in Earth Hour.

Vote earth! Your light switch is your vote
Date: 28 March 2009
Time: 8.30pm to 9.30pm (your local time)

Look out for the results at the Global Climate Change Conference 2009.

Everybody can play a part in preserving the only planet we have. For example:

1. Go to LibraryPressDiplay and read global digital newspapers vs printed newspapers
2. Cut your showertime by a minute and save 9 litres of water
3. Use less paper because to produce 1 kg of paper demands 300 litres of water

You have a choice. You can make a difference. So make a concerted effort. Help us help ourselves and our future kids.

Humility

In life, what truly matters is neither the riches of the earth nor the title to a name but the outreach of a helping hand of a kindred spirit, a stranger who is colour blind yet sees clearly from the heart. You won't know when you need help so live life with humility. Truly, everything you have on this earth belongs to the Almighty.

Let me end this short post with a nice poem by Oliver Goldsmith, "The Deserted Village" especially this part:

Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay.
Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade;
A breath can make them, as a breath has made:
But a bold peasantry, their country’s pride,
When once destroy’d, can never be supplied.

Moving On...

The past year has been, in retrospect, a trying year but I'm not complaining coz I feel that things happened for a reason and the Almighty knows what is best for me.

Looking back, work has been fulfilling and in the midst of my hectic work schedule, I managed to take time off and spend it with mum... just the two of us, something which I truly appreciate as it brought us closer.

With the end of Maulidur Rasul, a new chapter of my life begins. And I'm truly looking forward to what life has to offer... it would simply be beautiful. Let me leave you with a compilation of inspirational poems...

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. And don't let today's disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow's dreams. Granted, the past cannot be changed, but the future is still in your power and the only place where dreams are impossible is in your own mind. As you travel through life, your dreams will guide you, determination will get you there, and love will provide the greatest scenery of all. So forgive quickly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile."

Words

There were times when words are not enough to salvage a situation because they lack genuine meaning. And then there were times when not enough were being said, which even actions could not make up for them; the well-meaning intentions buried under the silence.

Through it all, human beings are still creatures of habit - they wanted to be told and reminded on a regular basis that they are needed or loved. Not many people are comfortable with the silent undying love, with the old ways of 'actions speak louder than words'...

The answer is clear, everyone has insecurities and fear and it is precisely that fear... yes, the fear of being taken for granted, the fear that the love has gone, the fear of losing the familiar, unless the vow or promise is renewed.

The Lucky One

I've just finished reading Nicholas Sparks' "The Lucky One". I could especially relate to how Beth and Logan felt about destiny. As wierd as it may sound, and as 'freaky-wierd' first impression Beth had about Logan, he turned out to be the perfect gentleman, my kinda man. I wish there were more of such love stories in the world, its morbid enough as it is. If only life can be that simple... actually it is, its all in our psyche... Anyway, its time to update my shelfari....

Verses of love

I managed to read the book before I watched the movie and it clicked! No love is greater than the love for the ONE and taking care of God's creation on earth is but just one of our duties, regardless if the outcome is reciprocal or otherwise. Because the fundamental point is that nothing truly belongs to us and our lives are but mere tests of our faith, subhan Allah. I leave you with the soundtrack from the movie, enjoy :)



PS: Happy birthday to the lovely couple, you know who you are ;P

Reflection for 2009

I'd like to share the following poem with you, to commemorate the beginning of the new Islamic year. Maal Hijrah to all :)

The Difference

I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I didn't have time to pray,
Problems just tumbled about me and heavier came each task,
"Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered,
God answered, "You didn't ask".

I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on grey and bleak,
I wondered why God didn't show me,
God said, "You didn't seek".

I tried to come into God's presence;
I used all my keys at the lock,
God gently and lovingly chided,
"My child, you didn't knock".

I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.

Believe

Mum taught me never to give up hope and to have faith... when you truly believe, every challenge you face will meet its resolution. How true.

Rest In Peace

When I heard the news that we've lost mama, it brought back memories of when I lost grams. My only regret was that I've not had a chance to meet and know her in person, a strong woman who tended to her kids with unconditional love. May Allah bless her soul.

Tribute to Mama

Deep sadness encapsulates me today. If only time could stand still and not rob us from spending moments with the one we love. A mother's son, torn and battered by the sharp knives of hurt and deceit, from the same blood that flows within him, prevents him from comforting the soul, whose eyes refuse to close until the heart is at peace in the arms of her dearly beloved. Oh Angels from the heaven above, comfort Ane and keep her safe from harm's way. A lifetime of regret shall not prevail this time please God...

Sharing...

Today will be a short post...

"Until you value yourself, you won't value your time.

Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it."

- Scott Peck

See you soon

Recently, I've received news that a good talent might be migrating to New Zealand. Deep down, I'm elated to hear the news and am excited as I await the impending confirmation... simply because I had a part to play in that - I was one of his referees - for the great guy and talent that he is, he deserves this big break. The more slow-paced life would provide more quality time for him and his wife and help them start building their own family. What can I say, I'm a sucker for family values.

Secretly, I'm praying and hoping that I would get to start one of my own, soon... :) Stay tuned!

Welcome Ramadhan

Alhamdulillah (Thanks to Allah), the month for tafakkur (reflection) and muhasabah (self-evaluation) is here again. May we all benefit from this month which is full of barakah (blessings).

Three Weeks With Mum...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Inspirational!

I was movingly inspired by the determination, humility and wit of this brilliant and wonderful man, the late Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 - July 25, 2008). I learnt a great deal from anecdotes he shared during his last lecture on September 18, 2007 called "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" especially how to achieve their own career and personal goals.

It has been my dream to study at Carnegie Mellon simply because of its well-designed curriculum and the right spirit to learning the fun way... Some beautiful quotes include:

"The inspiration and the permission to dream as a child is huge and will have a huge impact later on in life."

"The brick walls are there for a reason: They let us prove how badly we wanted things and stop the people who don't want it bad enough. So don't bail, the best gold is at the bottom of the barrels of crap."

"When you're pissed off at somebody and you're angry at them, you just haven't given them enough time... give them time and they would almost always impress you"

"You're gonna get the fundamentals down, otherwise the other fancy stuff ain't gonna work."

"When you're screwing up and nobody is saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up... because your critics are the ones who tell you that they still love you to death."

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."

"It is easy to look smart when you are parroting smart people."

"There's both ways of saying 'I don't know' but there's a good way and a bad way to say the same thing."

"You obviously don't know where the bar should be and you would do your students a disservice by putting the bar anywhere."

"If you are doing pioneering project/initiatives, you will get those arrows in the back and you'll just have to put up with it."

"The best gift an eduator can give is to get someone to become self reflective."

"The way people perceive you will limit what you're gonna accomplish in life."

"Loyalty is a two-way street."

"When it comes to men who have a romantic interest in you, just ignore everything they say and pay attention to everything they do... its that simple."

"How to get people to help you: believe in karma, tell the truth, be earnest (its better to be earnest than hip because hip is short term and earnest is long term), apologise when you screw up, focus on others, not yourself."

"Get a feedback loop and listen to it."

"No one is all evil; everyone has a good side... just keep waiting and it'll come out."

"Be good at something, it makes you valuable. Work hard but discover what's your secret."

"Be prepared: luck is where preparation meets opportunity. If you live your life the right way, karma will take care of the rest, the dreams will come to you."

For more, visit www.cmu.edu/randyslecture.

Btw, there was a mention that Entertainment Technology Centre (ETC) Academy will be in Singapore soon. This is really cool news!

Merhaba Turkey...

I'm overwhelmed with a mixture of feelings as I go ahead to plan and finalise the itinerary of my Turkey trip... everything happens for a reason and along the way, I've met pretty wonderful and beautiful people who are so kind as to help me with my itinerary... they've provided great insights from locals' standpoint and I even met my 'sister' whom is currently married to a Turkish man... can't wait to introduce her to mum, soon... its just another 2 weeks more!

I've decided that today would be a short post... back to planning my itinerary :)

Well-meaning Intentions

I've heard so much about how love works in mysterious ways. I'm not an expert in that department but I'm trying to figure out how to put it across to people who matters to me that I don't go into something blind-sided by emotions.

I admit in the past, I was overwhelmed by the raw emotions and gave in to the moment and ignoring the red flags. Who doesn't, especially when you are 'young and reckless'? And I need family and friends who matter to me to caution and advise me when something is amiss because sometimes you are so into it that you are blind-sided.

Which is why Islam is beautiful, where marriage is concerned, its not just about me and my future husband, its a family thing and there are ways to a permanent marriage if we take the time to learn and seek knowledge about it, for example rights of husband and wife.

Mum gave a good advice - "If he is a respectable man, he'll follow the Islamic way of proposing and ask for your hand." So think long term... forget about romance, do I see myself growing old with a man I'd call hubby? Do I see him by my side if I fall ill... would he clean after me? Can he be my support system especially since mum won't be there for me? Is it worth my while uprooting myself for him?

Only your mum would hit you at the core and ask the difficult questions and make you seriously reflect on things. With Israk Mikraj round the corner, it is a good time to do Istikharah. May Allah guide me to the straight path and protect me from the hell's fire, Insya Allah! As they say, "Everything happens for a reason". I believe in that.

Count your blessings...

Just last week, besides witnessing my cousin's wedding at Johore, we celebrated my elder brother's birthday... the extended family was there. And today, I celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday.

At a recent management gathering, our group head brought across the point that you shall never forget to count your blessings on a daily basis because these precious gift would be erased by time and you could never retrieve that moment ever again. It struck me that I got to live life day by day, moment by moment and embrace life as it comes with all my heart.

Don't Be Sad...

A note to me:

"Love the one who is beloved to you in due moderation, for perhaps the day will come when you will abhor him. And hate the one whom you detest in due moderation, for perhaps the day will arrive when you will come to love him" - Prophet (pbuh)

The pleasures of life are short-lived, and more often than not, they are followed by sorrow. Life means responsibility, a journey wherein change is constant and difficulties are relentless in their onslaught. The Prophet (pbuh) said:

"This world is cursed along with all that is in it, except for these: the remembrance of Allah, what follows (i.e. good deeds and whatever Allah loves), the scholar and the student."

With that, I accept life as it is and adapt accordingly to all circumstances and live today free from sorrow, bother, anger, jealousy and malice coz today may be my last day to live. The past has departed and is gone, I will not cry over it and the future is in the realm of the unforseen, so I will not be obsessed by it. I will count my blessings and live in the current and make the best of it, insya Allah.