My thoughts of the Day - Sunday, May 10th, 2009

...finds that the Truth is not always what you need, but it is important to have knowledge about it anyhow, coz life without the Truth will be obscure and senseless to be acknowledged one way or another.

How long Human can deny the Truth of Nature will remain unresolved as much as Human want to do it anyway.

Catholic Nostalgia: What Do You Remember?

What does it mean to be Catholic? Beyond Holy Communion and the Baltimore Catechism and Holy Days of Obligation, being Catholic is being part of a culture, of a heritage. We were raised in houses filled with Catholic iconography: a crucifix in every room, figurines of the Virgin Mary here and there, maybe a stone statue of St. Francis in the garden.

When we were little, we looked forward to Palm Sunday because our grandfathers would make intricate woven artwork from the palms we received at church. We fidgeted in our pews on Sundays because we couldn't wait for the donuts and orange juice in the Parish Hall afterwards. We cherished our white gloves and white patent leather purses that we carried to mass each week, a tiny Missal tucked inside. We had our throats blessed on St. Blaise Day. Some of us went to Parochial school, some of us when to CCD every Sunday. We knew which patron saints to pray to, for everything from toothaches (St. Christopher) to sunny days (St. Thomas Aquinas). The smell of incense still comforts us like an old friend.

What are your fondest memories of growing up Catholic? Listen to some of these anecdotes of Catholic nostalgia, from people who enjoyed the unique childhood of a Catholic:

"Growing up, my dream was to go to Our Mother of Sorrows, the Catholic high school in my town. The uniforms (skirts and blouses, not jumpers), the perfectly-scuffed saddle shoes, the special grown-up little gold cross necklace I saw all the girls wearing . . . I longed to be as holy and happy as those young ladies were. Imagine my misery when my family moved away just after my Freshman year! But I will never forget the thrill of my first day at OMOS." Carol, age 50

"Growing up Catholic may have been a little more intense than it was for non-Catholic kids, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. All the Angels and Saints kept me safe from the Bogeyman and helped me find my glasses whenever I lost them. Thanks St. Anthony!" ~ John Michael, age 33

"I was a bundle of nerves on the day of my First Holy Communion. I had been looking forward to it for months. I was so excited about actually having the body of Christ inside me that I had knots in my stomach. Unfortunately, I was so nervous and so excited that I threw up all my cake and ice cream at my party afterwards. My aunt soothed my fears as I sobbed that I had vomited up Christ, that I was only 8 and I was already a bad Catholic boy. I'll never forget her telling me 'Honey, Christ is always with you, and he understands when you feel sick, and he helps you do what you have to do to feel better.' I still chuckle when I think of it, my aunt convincing me that Jesus helped me throw up so my tummy ache would go away." Peter, age 29

"The nuns were both feared and loved at my Catholic school, but they had very strict rules. We lived by the Horarium, which was the Latin word for our schedule. What's Parochial school without rules? I am forever punctual because of that schedule. It is also one of the few Latin words I remember." ~ Regina, age 41

"When I went to my first confession, I was terrified. At our church, we actually sat in front of the Father John with our hands in our laps and our heads down. None of those mysterious and anonymous little booths like they show in movies. I practiced and practiced what I was going to say when it was my turn, but all I could choke out was 'I hit my brother and I talk too much during class.' As soon as I said it, I felt like a fool. I had more sins than that! Would my soul be cleaned from all of them? I passionately recited my penance and felt a peace come over me. I knew that my sins were wiped clean, and I felt like the best little Catholic girl in the world." Margaret, age 24

"I think Catholic nostalgia is just as important as your current faith- where we come from shapes our faith. Every Christmas, my Great Aunt Verna sends us altar bread from her Polish church up in Pennsylvania. My grandfather breaks the colorful cardboard-like squares, each featuring a holy image of Christ or the Sacred Heart. We eat it with honey and horseradish. It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without Great Aunt Verna's altar bread." Madeline, age 26

Source: http://www.catholicpeople.com/catholic/index.htm

Life is short !!!!!!!!


The girl in the picture is Katie Kirkpatrick, she is 21. Next to her, her fiancé, Nick, 23.
The picture was taken shortly before their wedding ceremony, held on January 11, 2005 in the US .
Katie has terminal cancer and spend hours a day receiving medication.
In the picture, Nick is waiting for her on one of the many sessions of quimo to end.


In spite of all the pain, organ failures, and morphine shots, Katie is going along with her wedding and took care
of every detail. The dress had to be adjusted a few times due to her constant weight loss


An unusual accessory at the party was the oxygen tube that ketie used throughout the ceremony and reception as well.
The other couple in the picture are Nick's parents. Excited to see her son marrying his high school sweetheart.


Katie, in her wheelchair with the oxygen tube , listening a song from her husband and friends


At the reception, katie had to take a few rests.The pain do not let her to be standing up for long periods


Katie died five days after her wedding day. Watching a women so ill and weak getting married and with a smile on her face makes us think..... Happiness is reachable, no matter how long it last. We should stop making our lives complicated.


Life is short
Break the rules
forgive quickly
kiss passionately, love truly
laugh constantly
And never stop smiling
no matter how strange life is
Life is not always the party we expected to be
but as long as we are here, we should smile and be grateful

Egoic Mind - excerpt from Radical Happiness

Here's Gina's latest blog post at www.radicalhappiness.com:

The world, without thoughts intervening, has a neutral or positive impact on us: When we look at the sky, we feel expanded (positive), unless the egoic mind comes into that moment with a complaint or judgment about the sky or something else. When we feel the breeze, we experience that (neutral), unless the egoic mind comes into that moment with a complaint or judgment about the breeze. Where we get into trouble (negativity) is when we encounter other egoic minds or our own. When the egoic mind mediates between us and experience, we generally suffer because it tends to put a negative spin on experience or take us out of the experience altogether.

Once you notice the impact of the egoic mind on your experience of life, you can begin to ignore it and notice the true impact of life. You can “step around” that mediator and choose to experience life as it actually is. If you encountered an unpleasant stranger, you would probably avoid that stranger, and this is what you can do with your own (and other people’s) egoic minds. You “step around” or move beyond that interference to a place of peace, a place of no tension.

The way you know you are giving your attention to the egoic mind (yours or someone else’s) is when you feel tension or stress. That’s the time to “step around” that unpleasant intruder into reality. Life, itself, is benign, but the ego makes life feel threatening, or at best dull. It is either fending off its perceived difficulties or problems or trying to drum up some excitement, drama, and specialness. It doesn’t know how to play the game of life simply; it opts for trouble and drama. But drama doesn’t equal happiness, and simplicity and peace don’t equal boredom—the ego has it backwards. It tries to create a happy life, and all it does is take us away from happiness.

To free ourselves from the egoic mind, we just have to notice the impact it has on our experience of life. Does the experience you are having cause you to contract and feel bad or does a thought about the experience you are having cause this? This distinction is huge. Once you see that it is your thoughts and only your thoughts that cause you to feel contracted, then you can begin to free yourself from these thoughts. This sounds like work, but the truth is that the only thing that keeps us tied to our thoughts (imprisoned by them) is the belief that they belong to us and are therefore valid and necessary. They are not “your” thoughts and they are not valid or necessary. What a revelation that is when we finally see this—and so obvious, actually.

Every thought except the most mundane or functional ones, such as “this is a pencil,” has an impact on our consciousness, or energy. It causes us to contract or expand. If you notice, you’ll see that most thoughts cause contraction because most are judgments that attempt to make us feel superior. The ego tries to make itself feel good through judgments and being right, but the result is always a contraction. How interesting! The best the ego can do to make us feel good is to come up with a fantasy of something good, but fantasies actually result in a contraction too, if you notice. Anytime, the ego is in play, the result is a contraction.

Thoughts that are positive and true are expressions of essence, and they cause us to feel spacious, expansive, and at peace. The truth feels good! This is a clue to our true nature. When we are in touch with it, we feel good. This is why life without the mediation of the egoic mind feels good—because life is good. When we notice the impact of life on us in every moment, without the intervention of the mind, we feel the excitement and joy of essence, which is glad to be alive and grateful for everything it’s experiencing through us. That is the truth. When we learn to “step around” the egoic mind as it tries to intervene between us and life, we can finally be happy.

Release your doubts ...courtesy of Viking Karwur

Today at 06:01

Can you let go of your doubts? Of course you can.

How do you release those doubts? You simply stop holding on to them.

If you wish to drop an object that you are holding in your hands, you just let it go and it falls away. Visualize doing the exact same thing with each doubt, and allow them all to fall away from you under their own weight.

Every doubt you maintain requires your active participation and energy. Choose to no longer participate in keeping those doubts alive.

Instead, use the energy to grow and build and love and live and accomplish great things. Release your doubts, and stop standing in the way of your own progress.

Move positively forward without the encumbrance of doubt. And discover how amazingly effective you can naturally be.

-- Ralph Marston

25 Facts About Me by James Halligan >>> Part 3

Mon 16:38

1. I was recently told I was too thin and looked like an Egyptian Mummy by a Facebook Friend!

2. I talk too much and I am always right

3. My favourite author is John Wyndham but my favourite playwright is William Shakespeare

4. I have twice been a member of a political party (not the same one!)

5. I like to drink Bacardi & Coke and milk but not necessarily at the same time! I hate to drink alone. Good drinking buddies are hard to find.

6. I like to sing in church and the car but would never sing in karaoke. I can’t sing.

7. My first date was when I was 11 years old!

8. My favourite film is “Last of the Mohicans”.

9. I am happy one moment and sad the next for no apparent reason.

10. I like to eat meat and lots of carbohydrates but I never get any heavier!

11.I am very old fashioned and still believe in romance even if it doesn’t believe in me!

12. I have a secret crush on someone

13. I don’t like shopping.

14. If I need an answer to a question I “Google” it

15. I am always honest and often get myself into trouble. What is diplomacy?

16. When I was a teenager my hair almost reached my elbows!

17. No matter how much I do I never seem to have done enough!

18. I am completely right-handed but do most things with my left hand

19. I am Zodiac sign Cancer which means I’m home loving and romantic.

20. I am a chocaholic, always have been and always will be!

21. My favourite dishes are chilli con carne and spaghetti bolognese made by me!

22. I have many secrets but you will need to know me better if you are to find out what they are!

23. I think the most important thing for a wife to be is your best friend that way she will also be the best lover.

24. I always wanted to be an archaeologist

25. I want to backpack around the world and come back just in time to retire and live on my pension


William Shakespeare's house in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, UK

Remember ...courtesy of Chris Campbell

Remember that your presence is a present to the world.

Remember that you are a unique and unrepeatable creation.

Remember that your life can be what you want it to be.

Remember to count your blessings, not your troubles.

Remember that you'll make it through whatever comes along.

Remember that most of the answers you need are within you.

Remember those dreams waiting to be realized.

Remember that decisions are too important to leave to chance.

Remember to always reach for the best that is within you.

Remember that nothing wastes more energy than worry.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Remember that the longer you carry a grudge, the heavier it gets.

Remember not to take things too seriously.

Remember to laugh.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.

Remember that a lot goes forever.

Remember that happiness is more often found in giving than getting.

Remember that life's treasures are people, not things.

Remember that miracles still happen.

Thanks for reminding me of my blessings and good fortunes. Hope it works the same way for you, Chris.

UnHappiness is JUST a Thought courtesy by Byron Katie

WHAT KEEPS YOU FROM BEING HAPPY?

The only thing that can keep you from being happy is a thought.

What a revolutionary truth that is! The kind of thought that interferes with happiness the most is a thought of lack, which is at the basis of all desire. If you didn’t think something was missing or lacking about you, someone else, your situation, or life, you wouldn’t be unhappy. Unhappiness is the belief that something is missing that you need in order to be happy. It is this belief that makes you unhappy—not the fact that something is or isn’t here right now.

The ego, which produces most thoughts (except functional ones), produces thoughts of lack. These turn into a desire (which is the thought “I want”), the desire is fed by more thoughts about what getting that or not getting that will mean, feelings (like fear) arise about that, and action is taken to try to fulfill the desire and waylay any fears. When desires are pumped up this way, they seem very real and important. We really believe we need what we desire to be happy or safe. This sense of lack makes the world go around, often in a not-so-happy way, but this brings us the lessons and experiences we need to evolve. This sense of lack is also the cause of suffering, and this suffering is totally unnecessary.

What do you believe is missing now? Take a moment to answer this question. This is the source of your suffering. What if you didn’t believe you needed this to be happy or safe or secure? Without this belief, you drop into essence, which experiences life as a blessing—and as trustworthy. Essence trusts—and knows—that life provides what we need, although not always what the ego wants. It would be impossible to provide everyone with what their egos want. What would a world like that look like? The Intelligence that we are provides each of us with what is necessary for the Whole to evolve and expand.

If we look with essence’s eyes, we can see how beautifully life has provided for us, even when it has brought challenges. Along with every challenge, life brings us opportunities, resources, and helpers. Do you notice the grace, the goodness, the support that life offers and has offered? The egoic mind doesn’t. It only notices lack because that is what it is about. It’s about creating problems and discontentment so that you stay involved with it. The egoic mind is the central challenge in life that we are meant to overcome. We are meant to see that the egoic mind, which we are programmed to trust, is untrustworthy and the source of unhappiness.

We don’t attain happiness by striving for what the ego wants. Striving is painful, and achieving what you want brings only fleeting happiness before discontentment sets in once again. No one has yet to attain happiness because happiness is a state—our natural state. And this state is discovered, not attained, by moving beyond the egoic mind—by seeing through it to the Truth. Who you really are is alive here and now. It is living your life, and the ego just pretends to be you. When you drop out of the egoic mind—or step back from it—you discover that the only thing that has ever caused you to feel unhappy is a thought. What a blessing to discover this because thoughts are just thoughts—they can be ignored, and we have the power to do that. We are powerful—not victims of life but creators, or co-creators, with the One Intelligence that we are. If you stop paying attention to thoughts, you discover the happiness that is here and has always been here.

Facing The Failure

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them". George Bernard Shaw

Pepatah bijak mengatakan bahwa kegagalan adalah proses belajar yang harus dilalui. Tanpa adanya kegagalan, yang namanya keberhasilan tidak akan pernah diketemukan. Thomas Alfa Edison adalah contoh yang nyata. Setelah ribuan kali mengalami kegagalan untuk menemukan listrik, akhirnya beliau berhasil. Pemenang sejati adalah pemenang yang mampu mentoleransi kegagalan yang dialami serta berjuang untuk meraih keberhasilan dan bukannya menyerah pada keadaan. Disamping itu, keberhasilan akan diraih jika seseorang berani mengambil resiko dan tidak takut akan kehilangan / kegagalan. "Failures are divided into two classes - those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought" John Charles Salak.

MENGHADAPI KEGAGALAN

Sadarilah bahwa :

1. Kegagalan adalah suatu proses pembelajaran. Seyogianya, reaksi yang timbul dikala gagal, bukanlah menyalahkan orang - orang lain tetapi adalah diri sendiri melalui introspeksi. Metode ini, akan menimbulkan :

Keinginan yang mendalam untuk mengetahui "mengapa" kegagalan ini terjadi. Setelah diketahui penyebabnya maka dicari solusi agar kegagalan ini tidak sampai terjadi lagi. "It is wise to keep in mind that no success or failure is necessarily final" Anonymous

Standard baku sebagai acuan dasar agar dimasa mendatang, kegagalan bisa diminimalkan atau tidak sampai terjadi lagi. "In order to succeed, you must first be willing to fail" Anonymous

Sukses sebagai hasil dari mau / berani menghadapi kegagalan dengan analisa / evaluasi dan memperbaikinya. "Success is not permanent. The same is also true of failure" Dell Crossword

Secara tidak langsung, kegagalan juga mengajarkan kepada kita bahwa jalur yang dilalui adalah jalur yang salah. Semua, tergantung kepada diri kita, mau menyerah atau maju terus. Jika menyerah berarti sampai kapanpun juga yang namanya keberhasilan "hanya" akan merupakan angan - angan tidak akan pernah ter - realisirkan. "Yesterday's failures are today's seeds. That must be diligently planted to be able to abundantly harvest Tomorrow's success" Anonymous

2. Kegagalan adalah salah satu langkah menuju kesuksesan. Tanpa dialaminya kegagalan, seseorang akan sulit untuk menentukan langkah selanjutnya. Dengan adanya kegagalan, seseorang akan tahu pasti bahwa jalur ini dibenarkan sedangkan jalur itu tidak dibenarkan (karena telah pernah gagal). Apakah suatu kegagalan akan selalu berkonotasi negatif atau tidak, sangatlah ditentukan oleh sikap kita dikala menghadapinya. Jika dihadapi dengan sikap potitif maka konotasinya akan menjadi positif karena adanya perbaikan dan begitu pula sebaliknya. "Your failures won't hurt you until you start blaming them on others" Anonymous.

3. Kegagalan bukanlah berarti akhir dari segala - galanya. Dengan dialaminya kegagalan, biasanya akan membuat seseorang semakin dewasa serta waspada / mawas diri. Setiap langkah atau tindakan akan di "filter" berkali - kali agar tidak terjadi hal - hal yang tidak diinginkan. "Keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final" Roger Ward BaBson

Kesimpulan :

Kegagalan bukanlah suatu hal yang ditakuti atau dihindari tetapi harus dihadapi. Melalui kegagalan, akan diketemukan apa yang namanya sukses. Jangan menyerah dan pasrah, itulah kunci utama untuk menghadapi kegagalan. "When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us" Alexander Graham Bell.

What Should I Do to Marry a Rich Guy ?

A young and pretty lady posted this on a popular forum:

Title: What should I do to marry a rich guy?

I'm going to be honest of what I'm going to say here.
I'm 25 this year. I'm very pretty, have style and good taste.
I wish to marry a guy with $500k annual salary or above.
You might say that I'm greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is considered only as middle class in New York.

My requirement is not high. Is there anyone in this forum who has an income of $500k annual salary?

I wanted to ask: what should I do to marry rich persons like you?
Among those I've dated, the richest is $250k annual income, and it seems that this is my upper limit.
If someone is going to move into high cost residential area on the west of New York City Garden (?), $250k annual income is not enough.

I'm here humbly to ask a few questions:
1) Where do most rich bachelors hang out? (Please list down the names and addresses of bars, restaurant, gym)
2) Which age group should I target?
3) Why most wives of the riches is only average-looking? I've met a few girls who doesn't have looks and are not interesting, but they are able to marry rich guys
4) How do you decide who can be your wife, and who can only be your girlfriend? (my target now is to get married)

Ms. Pretty
----------

Here's a reply from a Wall Street Finance Specialist:

Dear Ms. Pretty,
I have read your post with great interest. Guess there are lots of girls out there who have similar questions like yours.

Please allow me to analyze your situation as a professional investor.

My annual income is more than 500k, which meets your requirement, so I hope everyone believes that I am not wasting time here.

From the standpoint of a business person, it is a bad decision to marry you. The answer is very simple, so let me explain.

Put the details aside, what you're trying to do is an exchange of "beauty" and "money": Person A provides beauty, and Person B pays for it, fair and square. However, there's a deadly problem here, your beauty will fade, but my money will not be gone without any good reason. The fact is, my income might increase from year to year, but you can't be prettier year after year

Hence from the viewpoint of economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you are a depreciation asset. It's not just a normal depreciation, but an exponential depreciation. If that is your only asset, your value will be much worried 10 years later.

By the terms we use in Wall Street, every trading has a position, dating with you is also a "trading position". If the trade value drop we will sell it and it is not a good idea to keep it for a long term. Same goes with the marriage that you wanted.

It might be cruel to say this, but in order to make a wiser decision, any assets with great depreciation value will be sold or "leased".

Anyone with over $500k annual income is not a fool; we would only date you, but will not marry you. I would advice that you forget looking for any clues to marry a rich guy. And by the way, you could make yourself to become a rich person with $500k annual income. This has better chance than finding a rich fool.

Hope this reply helps. If you are interested in "leasing" services, do contact me.

Signed,

J.P. Morgan

Female Friends

Dear my Friends.... SAHABAT WANITA Pada suatu hari, seorang wanita muda yang baru saja menikah mengunjungi ibunya. Mereka duduk di sebuah sofa dan menikmati segelas air teh dingin. Ketika mereka sedang berbincang-bincang mengenai kehidupan, pernikahan, tanggung jawab dalam hidup serta kewajiban, sang ibu dengan perlahan menaruh sebongkah es batu ke dalam gelasnya dan menatap wajah anak perempuannya. "Jangan lupakan sahabat-sahabat wanitamu." nasihatnya, sambil mengaduk-ngaduk daun teh di bawah gelasnya. "Mereka akan menjadi orang yang penting bagimu ketika usiamu makin tua. Tidak peduli seberapa dalam kau mencintai suamimu, seberapa banyak anak-anak yang kau miliki, kau masih tetap harus memiliki sahabat wanita. Ingatlah untuk berjalan-jalan bersama mereka, melakukan hal bersama-sama dengan mereka. Dan ingat bahwa mereka bukan hanya sekedar sahabat wanitamu, tetapi mereka akan menjadi saudara, anak dan yang lainnya. Kau akan membutuhkan sosok wanita yang lain. Wanita selalu begitu." "Sungguh nasihat yang aneh," pikir si wanita muda. "Bukankah aku baru saja menikah? Bukankah aku baru saja bergabung dalam dunia pasangan-pasangan muda? Sekarang saya adalah seorang istri, orang dewasa,bukan anak perempuan kecil yang memerlukan teman main perempuan lainnya! Tentu saja keluarga yang akan kami bina dapat membuat hidup saya lebih berarti." Tetapi, ia mendengarkan nasihat ibunya; ia terus berhubungan dengan sahabat-sahabat wanitanya dan bertemu dengan semakin banyak sahabat setiap tahun. Ketika tahun demi tahun berlalu, ia mulai merasakan betapa benar nasihat yang diberikan ibunya. Ketika waktu dan keadaan mengubah keberadaan mereka sebagai wanita dengan segala misterinya, sahabat-sahabat wanitanya tetap berada dalam kehidupannya. Setelah hidup selama 50 tahun dalam dunia ini, inilah fakta-fakta yang saya dapatkan dari memiliki sahabat wanita: Sahabat wanita akan menjaga rahasiamu. Sahabat wanita akan memberikan nasihat ketika kau membutuhkannya. Sahabat wanita tidak selalu mengatakan apa yang kau lakukan benar, tetapi mereka bersikap jujur. Sahabat wanita akan terus mengasihimu, meskipun ada perbedaan pendapat. Sahabat wanita akan tertawa bersama-sama denganmu, dan lelucon kosong sama sekali tidak diperlukan hanya untuk sebuah tawa. Sahabat wanita akan menolongmu keluar dari hubungan-hubungan yang buruk. Sahabat wanita menolongmu mencarikan rumah tinggal yang baru, membantu mengepak barang dan pindah. Sahabat wanita akan membantu membuat sebuah pesta untuk anak-anakmu ketika mereka menikah atau memiliki anak, manapun yang lebih dulu terjadi. Sahabat wanita akan selalu berada di sampingmu, dalam suka maupun duka. Sahabat wanita akan menempuh badai, topan, panas, dan kegelapan untuk mengeluarkan kau dari keputusasaan. Sahabat wanita akan mendengarkan ketika kau kehilangan pekerjaan atau seorang kawan. Sahabat wanita akan mendengarkan ketika anak-anakmu mengecewakanmu. Sahabat wanita akan menangis bersamamu ketika orang yang dikasihimu meninggal. Sahabat wanita menghiburmu ketika kau dikecewakan oleh banyak pria di dalam kehidupanmu. Sahabat wanita membantumu untuk bangkit kembali ketika pria kau cintai pergi meninggalkanmu. Sahabat wanita senang ketika mereka melihatmu bahagia, dan bersedia mencari dan melemparkan apa yang tidak membuatmu bahagia. Waktu berlalu...Kehidupan berjalan. Jarak memisahkan.. .Anak-anak beranjak dewasa.. Cinta hilang dan pergi..Hati yang hancur.. Karir berakhir..Pekerjaan berganti.. Orang tua meninggal..Rekan- rekan melupakan kebaikan.. TETAPI, sahabat-sahabat wanita akan terus mendampinginmu, meskipun waktu dan jarak yang terpaut sangat jauh. Sahabat wanita tidak akan lebih jauh dari orang-orang yang membutuhkan. TERIMA KASIH SAHABAT

HI! Goobye!

Hi! Goodbye! Dec 15, '08 6:45 PM
...written by Darmawan, repost in Multiply by Ade Unay & now repost by me.
for everyone


Tonight,
I remember you, some of you.
names.. faces..
as we used to be close,
friends, or just acquainted.

Tonight,
you're mostly gone,
away,
somewhere.
before the others.
before the present.

should you all be gone someday,
oneday.
and just be a memory.

Will you remember me.
will you miss me.
or will you.. just gone away.

will you?

just a part of yesterday.
'till i remember you..

again.

if i do.

(untukmu yang hilang, atau yang akan hilang)


My piece:
GOOD BYE may be the words to say eventually in every relationship, but memories of its existence will always be there one way or another, bad or good ones. So, make a good one while it lasts and treasure it for lifetime...

to ALL my "RARE" good friends....
Thanks for your friendship and forgive me for being such a difficult friend.

11 REASONS WHY WOMEN FIND IT HARD TO FIND THE MAN OF THEIR DREAM.

1. Nice men are ugly. (Lelaki yang baik ko' jelek ya..)

2. Handsome men are not nice. (Lelaki yang ganteng ko' ga baik ya..)

3. Handsome and nice men are gay. (Lelaki yang ganteng dan baik, ko' gay yaa...)

4. Handsome, nice and heterosexual men are married. (Lelaki yang ganteng, baik dan ga gay, ko' udah merit yaaa..)

5. Men who are not so handsome, but nice, have no money. (Lelaki yang nggak terlalu ganteng, tapi baik hati, ko' ga punya uang yaa...)

6. Men who are not so handsome, but nice n with money, think we are only after their money. ( Lelaki yang nggak terlalu ganteng, tapi baik hati dan punya duit, ko mikirnya kita ngejar duitnya..... .)

7. Handsome men without money are after our money. (Lelaki yang ganteng tapi nggak punya uang, ko malah morotin..... )

8. Handsome men, who are not so nice and somewhat heterosexual, don't think we are beautiful enough. ( Lelaki ganteng, yang nggak terlalu baik dan kayaknya ga gay, berpikir kita nggak cukup cantik buat dia......)

9. Men who think we are beautiful, that are heterosexual, somewhat nice and have money, are cowards. (Lelaki yang berpikir kita itu cantik, dan dia ga gay, sepertinya baik hati dan punya duit, rata-rata pengecut deh)

10. Somewhat handsome man, kinda nice and have some money, and thank God heterosexual, are shy and NEVER MAKE THE FIRST MOVE!!!! ( Lelaki yang rada ganteng, kayaknya baik hati dan punya uang, dan ga gay, rata2 pemalu dan ga pernah melakukan pendekatan pertama!!!!! !!)

11.. Men who never make the first move, automatically lose interest in us when we take the initiative. NOW, WHO THE HELL UNDERSTANDS MEN? (Lelaki yang ga pernah melakukan pendekatan pertama, otomatis akan kehilangan ketertarikan kepada kita ketika kita melakukan pendekatan ke dia. Jadinya..., siapa nih yang bener2 ngerti lelaki?)

"Men are like a fine wine.They all start out like grapes, and it's our job to stomp on them and keep them in the dark until they mature into something you'd like to have dinner with."
(Lelaki itu seperti minuman anggur yang baik. Mereka mulai dari buah anggur dan adalah pekerjaan kita, para wanita, untuk menginjak-injaknya dan menyimpan mereka di dalam kegelapan sampai mereka matang dan berubah menjadi sesuatu yang menarik sehingga kita ingin makan malam bersamanya)

Attempt More

If you wish to achieve more, then attempt more. Push yourself beyond what you already know you're able to do.

Get out of the rut of going through the same motions and ending up with the same results. Put some additional time, energy, thought and creativity into your actions.

Take on challenges that make you a little bit uncomfortable. Stretch your abilities and watch them grow.

Decide to reach higher and you'll find many new ways to move higher. Raise your expectations and you'll improve your performance.

Keep on learning, keep on growing, and keep on venturing beyond what you already know. Give yourself the gift of increasingly ambitious goals.

Enjoy and appreciate how far you've already come. Then jump back in and make it even better.

-- Ralph Marston

Seven Ways to Handle Your Dysfunctional Office by Margot Carmichael Lester

Monster Contributing Writer

Workplace dysfunction may be funny when you’re watching “The Office,” but it’s serious business when you’re trying to cope with it every day.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to bring you down. Nobody says dealing with dysfunction is easy, but if you follow this advice, chances are you can at least stay above the fray:

• Step Away from the Action: Start looking at your office as though it were any dysfunctional organization from movies or TV. “Sit back as an observer and watch,” suggests Donna Flagg, principal of learning and productivity specialist The Krysalis Group. “Do not participate...because the thing that makes dysfunctional behavior thrive is the participation of dysfunctional people. If you separate yourself, you remain on the ‘functional’ side of the line.”
  
  
• Remain in Control: One way to stay functional is to avoid returning fire -- no matter how under siege you feel. This allows you to control the people trying to control you, says Joel Epstein, author of The Little Book on Big Ego and CEO of Friction Factor. “Most ‘ego monsters’ want you to fight with them,” adds Epstein. “It makes them happy.”
  
  The solution? Throw the game and lose on purpose. “Let the ego monster think they’ve won,” he advises.
  
  
• Stay Focused: Concentrating on your job performance while others are engaged in less-productive activities can be an effective way of coping and advancing, says Heather Millen, a Boston-based marketing administrator. “Act how you think a professional should act, no matter how enticing it is to come to their level,” she says. “I once had a boss who thought things could only be done his way. But by sticking by what I thought was right rather than giving into his every whim, the working relationship grew stronger, and we each had greater respect for the other.”
  
  
• Tune Out: If you’re in a position to close yourself off from the insanity and negativity, do it, advises Erik Myers, a database administrator. “I wear headphones all day every day so that I don't have to listen to the insipid ramblings of my coworkers and how much they ‘love their fat-free salad dressing’ and ‘have you heard about this new diet where if you eat really spicy foods you can eat all you want, because it goes through your system faster and the heat actually burns calories anyway?’” he says.
  
  
• Enlist Allies: Sometimes it helps to find what career coach Marty Nemko calls “an island of sanity amid the maelstrom.”
  
  “Find one or two people in the workplace whom you like and can commiserate with, or even laugh at the others' antics,” Nemko says. “Decide among you whether you want it to simply be a steam-letting-off group or want to look for smart ways to improve things, if only in pockets. And keep your group under the radar -- no need for everyone to see you as a clearly identified cabal.”
  
  
• Look for Patterns: Studying -- but not obsessing over -- colleagues’ dysfunctional tendencies can give you an edge, Flagg says. Common patterns are discrepancies between what people say and do and inconsistencies in behavior.
  
  Sure, this familiarity may breed contempt, but it also yields a competitive advantage for you as well as a coping mechanism. “You can not only anticipate problems headed your way, but you can also use the insight to navigate the terrain in a positive and effective way,” Flagg explains.
  
  
• Leave: In the end, the best outcome may be to move on. “It's really the only thing that actually works,” notes workplace expert Billie Blair, author of All the Moving Parts and president/CEO of Leading and Learning. “Our research of these situations has shown that it's always the good and talented people that the organization loses when there is dysfunction, because they can go other places. Those who can't simply stay and manage to endure.”

A Blog Posted by Singapore 's Youngest Millionaire by Adam Khoo

Some of you may already know that I travel around the region pretty frequently, having to visit and conduct seminars at my offices in Malaysia , Indonesia , Thailand and Suzhou ( China ). I am in the airport almost every other week so I get to bump into many people who have attended my seminars or have read my books.

Recently, someone came up to me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked. He asked, 'How come a millionaire like you is travelling economy?' My reply was, 'That's why I am a millionaire.' He still looked pretty confused. This again confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth (which I wrote about in my latest book 'Secrets of Self Made Millionaires'). Many people have been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex, and sit on first class in air travel. This is why so many people never become rich because the moment that earn more money, they think that it is only natural that they spend more, putting them back to square one.

The truth is that most self-made millionaires are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so much faster. Over the last 7 years, I have saved about 80% of my income while today I save only about 60% (because I have my wife, mother in law, 2 maids, 2 kids, etc. to support). Still, it is way above most people who save 10% of their income (if they are lucky). I refuse to buy a first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to Julia Gabriel Speech and Drama without thinking twice.

When I joined the YEO (Young Entrepreneur's Organization) a few years back (YEO is an exclusive club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1m a year in their own business) I discovered that those who were self-made thought like me. Many of them with net worths well over $5m, travelled economy class and some even drove Toyota 's and Nissans (not Audis, Mercs, BMWs).

I noticed that it was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (there were also a few ministers' and tycoons' sons in the club) who spent like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family's wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation. Thank God my rich dad (oh no! I sound like Kiyosaki) foresaw this terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start my business.

Then some people ask me, 'What is the point in making so much money if you don't enjoy it?' The thing is that I don't really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewellery or sitting first class. Even if buying something makes me happy it is only for a while, it does not last. Material happiness never lasts, it just give you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.

Instead, what makes ME happy is when I see my children laughing and playing and learning so fast. What makes me happy is when I see by companies and trainers reaching more and more people every year in so many more countries. What makes me really happy is when I read all the emails about how my books and seminars have touched and inspired someone's life. What makes me really happy is reading all your wonderful posts about how this BLOG is inspiring you. This happiness makes me feel really good for a long time, much much more than what a Rolex would do for me.

I think the point I want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life's work (be in teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments etc.) and the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life of meaningless

Hidup adalah Sebuah Anugerah - Life is a Blessing

Dear all friends,

Ada seorang gadis buta yang membenci dirinya sendiri karena kebutaannya itu.
There was a blind girl who hates herself for her blindness.

Tidak hanya terhadap dirinya sendiri, tetapi dia juga membenci semua orang kecuali kekasihnya. Kekasihnya selalu ada disampingnya untuk menemani dan menghiburnya. Dia berkata akan menikahi kekasihnya hanya jika dia bisa melihat dunia.
She hated not only herself, but she also hated everyone else but her lover. Her lover always be there beside her to accompany her and to comfort her. She said that she would married her lover only when she can see the world.

Suatu hari, ada seseorang yang mendonorkan sepasang mata kepadanya sehingga dia bisa melihat semua hal, termasuk kekasihnya. Kekasihnya bertanya, "Sekarang kamu bisa melihat dunia. Apakah kamu mau menikah denganku?" Gadis itu terguncang saat melihat bahwa kekasihnya ternyata buta. Dia menolak untuk menikah dengannya.
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her so she could see all these things, including her lover. Her lover said,"Now you can see the world. Will you marry me?" She was shocked to find out that her lover was blind. she refused to marry him.

Kekasihnya pergi dengan air mata mengalir, dan kemudian menulis sepucuk surat singkat kepada gadis itu, "Sayangku, tolong jaga baik-baik mata saya."
The lover goes with tears running down and writes a short letter to the girl saying,"My darling, please take good care of my eyes."

Kisah di atas memperlihatkan bagaimana pikiran manusia berubah saat status dalam hidupnya berubah. Hanya sedikit orang yang ingat bagaimana keadaan hidup sebelumnya dan lebih sedikit lagi yang ingat terhadap siapa harus berterima kasih karena telah menyertai dan menopang bahkan di saat yang paling menyakitkan.
Stories above showed that how human mind changed when their status in life changed. Only few people remember whom to thank for accompanying and supporting at their most painful moment.


Hidup adalah anugerah.
Life is a blessing.


Hari ini sebelum engkau berpikir untuk mengucapkan kata-kata kasar - Ingatlah akan seseorang yang tidak bisa berbicara.
Today when you think of saying rude words - Please remember people who can not speak.


Sebelum engkau mengeluh mengenai cita rasa makananmu - Ingatlah akan seseorang yang tidak punya apapun untuk dimakan.
Before you complain about your food taste - Please remember that there is someone who do not have food to eat.


Sebelum engkau mengeluh tentang suami atau isterimu - Ingatlah akan seseorang yang menangis kepada Tuhan meminta pasangan hidup.
Before you complain about your husband or wife - Please remember that there is someone who is crying and praying for a couple.


Hari ini sebelum engkau mengeluh tentang hidupmu - Ingatlah akan seseorang yang begitu cepat pergi ke surga.
Before you complain about your life - Please remember people who have gone to heaven too soon.


Sebelum engkau mengeluh tentang anak-anakmu - Ingatlah akan seseorang yang begitu mengharapkan kehadiran seorang anak, tetapi tidak mendapatnya.
Before you complain about your children - Please remember that someone is praying for a child and still don't have it.


Sebelum engkau bertengkar karena rumahmu yang kotor, dan tidak ada yang membersihkan atau menyapu lantai - Ingatlah akan orang gelandangan yang tinggal di jalanan.
Before you quarrel because your dirty house and no one to clean or sweep the floor - Please remember the "drifters or homeless" who live in the street.


Sebelum merengek karena harus menyopir terlalu jauh - Ingatlah akan sesorang yang harus berjalan kaki untuk menempuh jarak yang sama.
Before you whine for driving too far away - Please remember someone who has to go the same miles on foot.


Dan ketika engkau lelah dan mengeluh tentang pekerjaanmu - Ingatlah akan para penganguran, orang cacat dan mereka yang menginginkan pekerjaanmu.
And when you complain about your job or work - Please remember the jobless, the invalid and they wished for your job.


Sebelum engkau menuding atau menyalahkan orang lain - Ingatlah bahwa tidak ada seorang pun yang tidak berdosa dan kita harus menghadap pengadilan Tuhan.
Before you pointed finger and blamed other people - Please remember that no on without sin and all of us have to face the court of GOD.


Dan ketika beban hidup tampaknya akan menjatuhkanmu - Pasanglah senyuman di wajahmu dan berterima kasihlah pada Tuhan karena engkau masih hidup dan ada di dunia ini.
And when the burden of Life seem like crushing you down - Put on a smile on your face and say thanks to God since you are still alive and exist in this world.


Hidup adalah anugerah, jalanilah, nikmatilah, rayakan dan isilah itu.
Life is a blessing, life it, enjoy it, celebrate it and fill it.


NIKMATILAH SETIAP SAAT DALAM HIDUPMU, KARENA MUNGKIN ITU TIDAK AKAN TERULANG LAGI!
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE, SINCE IT MIGHT NOT HAPPENED AGAIN!

Life is A CHOICE and there are always CHOICES in LIFE

Ada 2 buah bibit tanaman yang terhampar disebuah ladang yang subur. Bibit yang pertama berkata, "Aku ingin tumbuh besar . Aku ingin menjejakkan akarku dalam – dalam di tanah ini, dan mejulangkan tunas – tunasku keatas kerasnya tanah ini. Aku ingin membentangkan semua tunasku, untuk menyampaikan salam musim semi. Aku ingin merasakan kehangatan sinar matahari, dan kelembutan embun pagi di pucuk -pucuk daunku".

Dan bibit itu tumbuh, dan makin menjulang tinggi.

Bibit yang kedua bergumam, "Aku takut, jika kutamankan akarku ke dalam tanah ini, aku tidak tahu apa yang akan ku temui di bawah sana. Bukankah disana sangat gelap? Dan jika kuteroboskan tunasku keatas, bukankah nanti keindahan tunas – tunasku akan hilang? Tunasku ini pasti akan terkoyak".

"Apa yang akan terjadi jika tunasku terbuka, dan siput - siput mencoba untuk memakannya? Dan pasti,jika aku tumbuh dan merekah,semua anak kecil akan berusaha untuk mencabutku dari tanah. Tidak, akan lebih baik jika aku menunggu sampai semuanya aman".

Dan bibit itupun menunggu, dalam kesendirian.

Beberapa pekan kemudian, seekor ayam mengais tanah itu, dan menemukan bibit yang kedua tadi, dan mencaploknya segera.

Selalu saja ada pilihan dalam hidup. Selalu saja ada lakon – lakon yang harus kita jalani. Namun seringkali kita berada dalam kepesimisan, kengerian, keraguan, dan kebimbangan yang kita ciptakan sendiri. Kita kerap terbuai dengan alasan – alasan untuk tidak mau melangkah, tak mau menatap hidup. Hidup adalah pilihan maka hadapilah dengan gagah. Apa yang kau pilih hari ini akan menentukan hidup mu untuk esok hari. Maka pililah dengan bijak.

PELANGI Perjalanan Langkah & Inspirasi

Alkisah, tersebutlah seorang pria yang putus asa dan ingin meninggalkan segalanya.
Meninggalkan pekerjaan, hubungan, dan berhenti hidup.
Ia lalu pergi ke hutan untuk bicara yang terakhir kalinya dengan Tuhan Sang Maha Pencipta.

"Tuhan," katanya. "Apakah Tuhan bisa memberi saya satu alasan yang baik
untuk jangan berhenti hidup dan menyerah ?"

Jawaban Tuhan sangat mengejutkan.



"Coba lihat ke sekitarmu. Apakah kamu melihat pakis dan bambu ?".


"Ya," jawab pria itu.

"Ketika menanam benih pakis dan benih bambu, Aku merawat keduanya secara sangat baik.
Aku memberi keduanya cahaya. Memberikan air. Pakis tumbuh cepat di bumi.
Daunnya yang hijau segar menutupi permukaan tanah hutan.
Sementara itu, benih bambu tidak menghasilkan apapun.
Tapi Aku tidak menyerah.

"Pada tahun kedua, pakis tumbuh makin subur dan banyak,
tapi belum ada juga yang muncul dari benih bambu.
Tapi Aku tidak menyerah.

"Di tahun ketiga, benih bambu belum juga memunculkan sesuatu.
Tapi Aku tidak menyerah.

Di tahun ke-4, masih juga belum ada apapun dari benih bambu.
Aku tidak menyerah," kataNya.

"Di tahun kelima, muncul sebuah tunas kecil.
Dibanding dengan pohon pakis, tunas itu tampak kecil dan tidak bermakna.
Tapi 6 bulan kemudian, bambu itu menjulang sampai 100 kaki.
Untuk menumbuhkan akar itu perlu waktu 5 tahun.
Akar ini membuat bambu kuat dan memberi apa yang diperlukan bambu untuk bertahan hidup.

Aku tak akan memberi cobaan yang tak sangup diatasi ciptaan-Ku, "kata Tuhan kepada pria itu.

"Tahukah kamu, anak-Ku, di saat menghadapi semua kesulitan dan perjuangan berat ini,
kamu sebenarnya menumbuhkan akar-akar?"

"Aku tidak meninggalkan bambu itu. Aku juga tak akan meninggalkanmu."

"Jangan membandingkan diri sendiri dengan orang lain," kata Tuhan.
"Bambu mempunyai tujuan yang beda dengan pakis. Tapi keduanya membuat hutan menjadi indah."

"Waktumu akan datang. Kamu akan menanjak dan menjulang tinggi."

"Saya akan menjulang setinggi apa ?" tanya pria itu.

"Setinggi apa pohon bambu bisa menjulang?" tanya Tuhan

"Setinggi yang bisa dicapainya," jawab pria itu.

"Ya, benar! Agungkan dan muliakan nama-Ku dengan menjadi yang terbaik,
meraih yang tertinggi sesuai kemampuanmu," kata Tuhan.

Pria itu lalu meninggalkan hutan dan mengisahkan pengalaman hidup yang berharga ini.

GBU

The Pink Dress

There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park. Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad. Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by.
She never tried to speak. She never said a word. Many people passed by her, but no one would stop.
The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see If the little girl would still be there. Yes, she was there, right in the very spot where she was yesterday, and still with the same sad look in her eyes.

Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl. For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone. As I got closer I could see the back of the little girl's dress. It was grotesquely shaped. I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to speak to her.
Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different. As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare.

As I approached her, I could see the shape of her back more clearly. She was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form. I smiled to let her know it was OK; I was there to help, to talk.
I sat down beside her and opened with a simple, 'Hello.' The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a 'Hi'; after a long stare into my eyes.
I smiled and she shyly smiled back We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty. I asked the girl why she was so sad.

The little girl looked at me with a sad face said, 'Because, I'm Different.'
I immediately said, 'That you are!'; and smiled. The little girl acted even sadder and said, 'I know.'
‘Little girl,' I said, 'you remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent.'
She looked at me and smiled, then slowly she got to her feet and said, 'Really?'
'Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all the people walking by..'

She nodded her head yes , and smiled. With that she opened the back of her pink dress and allowed her Wings to spread, then she said 'I am.' 'I'm your Guardian Angel,' with a twinkle in her eye. I was speechless -- sure I was seeing things. She said, 'For once you thought of someone other than yourself. My job here is done'.. I got to my feet and said, 'Wait, why did no one stop to help an Angel?'

She looked at me, smiled, and said, 'You're the only one that could see me,' and then she was gone. And with that, my life was changed dramatically. So, when you think you're all you have, remember, your angel is always watching over you.

Pass this to everyone that means anything at all to you. Make sure you send it back to the person who sent it to you, to let them know you're glad they care about you. Like the story says, we all need someone. And, every one of your friends is an Angel in their own way.

The value of a friend is measured in the heart. I hope your Guardian Angel watches over you always.