How do I make friends?

There is one question that I have been asked by so many people - How do I make friends? We all need friends, and we all need to know how to make friends, especially when we move to a new place, a new school, a new college, new church, new workplaces, new building... no man is an island. He needs somebody. I don't know why people ask me this question, perhaps its because I can make friends easily, and maybe because I can just talk to almost any kinda person whether they are old, young, highly educated, not so educated.. I realized this pretty late in my life that it was a gift that I could do that, considering the fact that I stammer. So today I thought about it and have jotted down these steps that I think I follow when meeting a new person.

Step1: Greet the person with a smile - Nobody likes a grumpy face. A smiling face always welcomes.

Step2: Introduce yourself - just a casual introduction about yourself.

Step3: Listen carefully - when you introduce yourself the other person would also introduce himself/herself. Listen carefully and pay attention to every single word the person is talking to you.

Step4: Find out his/her passion/interests - Based on the conversation you are having, listen carefully and find out what are the person's passion and interests.

Step5: Ask Questions - Ask questions that the person would love to answer.

Step6: Give an open ear - Always give an open ear. Everyone likes to be with someone who listens to them.

Step7: Follow up - Do bump into the person occasionally and follow Step 3 thru Step 6.

Take care to follow these 7 steps very carefully and you will have surely won a friend.. :)

Just another passing thought...

Just the other day while I was taking shower there was these series of thoughts that flashed across my mind (Nah!!! it's not what you are thinking) and just then it kinda paused on this one thought.

When God made all the creatures of the land and the sea, He made them in pairs - male & female. Then why did he not make Adam with a woman, why did God wait until he realized Adam is lone? Did God not know that Adam would be alone? He created all the other creatures and knew it wouldn't be nice to leave them alone and hence got them into a pair. Why did he create Adam alone?

So this is just my thought, I don't say this is what God probably thought (if He did the same way then I would be God). Well I think, like we all know everything else was made by just commanding over them to be, And they were formed. But with Man it was little different. He said, Gen 1:26 "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness". He probably said that to Jesus and the Holy Spirit who was with him even before the creation. The catch-phrase is he wanted to make us in his own image. And he created us a little lower than Himself.

I guess he wanted to be our sole lover. He wanted to be a passionate lover. He wanted to just gaze at his this beautiful creation. Just watch him when he was walking in the garden of Eden, sleeping peacefully, playing with the animals or eating.. or whatever it be. I guess He wanted to be the only person in the whole world who wanted to express his love for his son. (Now I know what the Bible means when it says, Our God is a Jealous God). But Adam couldn't understand this, cos he wanted someone of his own type. And hence God had to make Eve, a perfect pair for Adam.

So many times in our life, we make all the wrong choices in life and don't care for his love that he wants to shower on us. He really longs to love us and be the sole provider, but we just never seem to understand him...

Lot of things to say...

It's been a really long time I have blogged. There is so much to write, some of them I have forgotten what it was all about. Some I am little hesitant to write on a public space. But this blog is about how life really is worth living so let me share a little thing I learned...

As most of my friends know I am an ardent 'How I Met Your Mother' fan and have watched almost all the episodes of all the 4 Seasons. There are many things I don't agree with but some thing I have learned. One of the things I have learned is how to value my friends... I learned no two persons are the same and will never have the same characteristics and quality. Cause they are unique, every one of them. And there is nothing you can do to change them. But you can still love them cos they are your friends. It wont be long until you realize the only reason you love them is because they are different from you.. they are.. they are special to you in their own way...

There is something I learned from this sitcom also from my own relationship with some of my close friends.. sometimes you might love them so much that you begin to dislike them cos they are not like how you want them to be. Well... don't let them be different. And STOP PRETENDING that you are living... and START LIVING... its totally worth living... :)

Power of Money

just an email forward I received, but very strong... Read it!!!

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POWER OF MONEY

BY ADAM KHOO

(Singapore 's youngest millionaire at 26 yrs.)

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 traveling 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 for Speech and Drama c lasses without thinking twice. When I joined the YEO (Young Entrepreneur' s Orgn)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 worth well over $5m,travelled economy class and some even drove Toyotas 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 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 in 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 gives 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 my 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 it 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 meaninglessness.

For the Ladies...!!!

This is a very interesting video I saw on the net... Beauty is just skin deep... it's what inside you counts more...

Now That Sucks!!!

Yeah now that totally sucks that I got so busy all of a sudden.. and have posted just 2 posts in the last month... Woah!!! whats up with me?? he he

Guess I am just getting too busy these days... Lot of things happening in life and career... don't know where to start.. Well.. got a band manager at last.. one of my old college class mate, who promised me would finish MBA and become my band manager if I was serious about my band.. and Yes I am serious so there he keeps his word... :)

So there goes the band thing... pretty soon we would be playing a few gigs at places like Not Just Jazz By The Bay, Aura (Powai), Firaangi Paani... to name a few... but one of our most sorted out place is the Blue Frog. But we aren't sure how long would it take us to get to there... But nevertheless we are enjoying every moment of our lives now... :)

So Practically it doesn't suck... he he...