Shoot For Perfection

When things go wrong...

They look for scapegoats
They shall shoulder the blame, we are always blameless
The winner may be the loser who hides behind and leaves the trail of blames on others
Everyone have a reason why it went wrong and few, if any, have solutions
They will talk, discuss, debate 'who causes the failures' instead of 'why it fails and whats the solutions'

I give my best shot
If it must go wrong, it will
I worry not as the solutions lie in the problem

There is no need to blame anyone; including myself

Who dares win; I win hands-down
The best winnings, the best battles, the sweetness of victories is not in straight wins
But, its the seemingly lost cause that was won

Winnings are not God-given
Its a moment when near defeats are turned inside out
And I am left standing tall... alone

I am who I am

New Start

The Power Of New ...

When you first see light, it was a journey of hope & joy
Providence writes the routes; you chose the means to reach

I wish I can pour my heart out and bet my last dollar on what I want
But, destiny may not synchronize with me
'Cos like everyone else, we do not know what is our role until show is over
Doing my best and enjoying every moment is the best reward

When you fall in love for the first time, everything is beautiful and every sound is music
Your spirit is charge up, your will becomes steely and every challenges are, but, easy tasks
Love is a beautiful dream
Your face radiates and brightens the darkest corner of Earth

When you make your first million ($), the achievement was a breeze
You knew you can and you will

There was never failures; its just successes waiting to be harvested
Push the envelop and stretch your imagination
Victories are sweeter when its well fought

Man proposes and God disposes
New year, new resolutions
When a door shuts, the windows are open

Today is a new day & today is my day
There comes a time when you must stand alone
Being alone, I follow my dreams
I am my oasis of hopes and strengths


Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. -- Confucius

I Am A Dreamer

Whatever will be, shall be...

You can plan a career but you can never plan successes with contentment
General Yuan ShiKai tried to restore monarchy but was estopped by destiny

Malaya - Malayan Union (1946-1948), Federation of Malaya (1948-1963), Peninsular Malaysia (1963-present) - has never included Singapore
By 9th August 1965, Singapore gain independence and became a stand-alone State

The Three Kingdoms - Wèi (魏), Shǔ (蜀), and Wú (吳) - were stable under military accord
But, plotting against each others finally decimate their existence

In the classic, Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦), simple lives grew complex through fame and prosperity and into declines

When life was simple, fulfilling basic needs was the theme 
When prosperity comes, demand for luxury becomes the norm
In boom period, luxury is a necessity
When the burst comes, reverting back to basics seems impossible; sucides, depression, anxieties replace reasons

Alas! boom & burst are two sides of a coin

Strive for the best
Go for your ideals
Winner takes all and defeat is just part of the game
Weaklings and cowards are those who hold dear to winnings but surrender to failings

Nobody can make you happy or miserable unless you allow

The Lightness Of Living

I try...

Like the willow tree, I dance with the wind
Like the waves, I flow in queues to reach shore
Like the geese, I fly in formation to ease resistances
Like a Grandmaster of Zen, I walk towards end of (my) time

I needn't worry about tommorow
I won't seek successes beyond me

I do what I can today; now
I cheerish my body and mind working in symmetry
I allow my brain to think and my heart to lead
I am a product of my own doing

To achieve results beyond me, I work in teams
I work in harmony and wholesomeness that is seamless yet across boundaries

I self-motivate
I see solutions and not problems
I go beyond the call of duty
I am who I am

I will, and do, not trade my soul for gold
My value is valueless

Somehow, somewhere, some time things need to be done
And the buck stops with me

I live but once; let me do all I can for I may not pass this way again

Crisis = Opportunity

When opportunity knocks...


Crisis 危机 is an unstable, dangerous and non-routine situation
Does the situation gets back to normal, worse or better after the crisis?
If we learn the lesson. 'the pheonix rises from the ashes'
If we ignore or does nothing, its almost always worse and seldom gets back to normalcy

But, one thing for sure; whatever the outcome, the next crisis is always bigger and of a greater degree

Man comes and goes as time shall flow
Change is the only constant
Lessons are seldom learnt thus history repeats itself
Greed, selfishness, envy, vanity and pride destroy civilization & man

Words and actions always differ on application and plunge the world deeper into the unknown

The Saints and the Great Teachers preach the Way of Life
The Holy sows the seeds of calm, enrichment and enlightenment
Mortals enact mortally sins
Worldly truths are few and half-truths flood the ocean floor

Crisis 危机 means Danger Opportunity in Mandarin
There is Opportunity in Danger
The righteous and swift who remains calm and calculated sees opportunity in a crisis
You can be ONE

Luck Is Where Preparation Meets Opportunity
- i need not be smart; all i need is luck

Life Is Easy

Extrardinary Deeds Are Done By The Ordinary 

The two feet that hold and make everyone stand tall and walk are ordinary
Most importantly, we learn to walk instead of living our lives on all fours

The kite flows in the breeze; you can't pull it too tightly, the string will break
If you leave it alone, it has no direction; it floats with ease at your guidance

Hyenas survive on the Lion(King)'s death
Carps swim upstream to spawn and when the new generation abounds, the old die

A happy, albeit challenging, marriage is like two sides of a coin
Not looking at one another yet living as one

With the support of millions behind him, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon
With all the worker-bees working hard, the Queen-bee multiplies

Alexander the Great (356-323BC) has a divine ambition to create a universal world
So did Napolean Bonaparte (1769-1821) tried putting himself on the world map
Both are mortals like you and I. Man proposes, God disposes

The Man hunts while Woman is a homemaker
Equality? Equality is a newfound fad; its "Specialization - Whoever does better, do"
Nothing is cast on stone

How to succeed and prosper?
Follow your heart!
Deploy your strengths and intersts on what you like most and the results will be extraordinary


The world's a stage
Everyone has a role to play; Play Well

When You Stare Into The Eyes Of Death

If I have only afew days to live...

I will accept the threat of death but I will fight until my last breath
I can overcome fear as I have always accepted that the only certainty in life is Death

I will continue to live happily, eat normally and prepare those who are unprepared and/or, may be, unwilling to see me pass on
Of course, its not that they can refuse to allow me to pass on but after getting used to, and enjoyed, my presence, my absence will be felt

But, time is the best friend; soon they will accept my passing

I want to ring-fence myself and will not allow any of my family members and dear friends to worry about me
If I fight and win against illness, my extended living is a bonus
It is my own battle and I will carry my own cross with a smile

I am selfish and I choose to fight alone and stare Death in the eye

If I wins, I live to tell my story
If I losses, I want to be an inspiration to a well-fought battle

No one should surrender to Death as Death is a certainty

I enjoys every seconds of my life and living and when I take my last breathe
I enters the new 'gate of life'... the afterlife

I don't die nor disappear; I merely fade away

I will always be with you - here or away
Live within my broad smiles, my determination and my encouragements
And you will be cheered up by me - now and forever

I; The Lighthouse

Happiness Starts With Me

There will never be free lunches; agree or disagree? When an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is
It is best to pay, however small, for goods or services; the value of peace you enjoy is immeasurable

Money can buy most things but not all things
Money can make you happy but can't buy happiness
Alas! But be real; Money is a means to an end

Time is a good, old friend and 'he' passes slowly but surely
Time and tides wait for no man

My life is empty but not void
I longed to fill the emptiness with usefulness, faith & rewarding challenges
For an empty mind is a Devil's workshop

I want my space and time
And I want everything nice and beautiful in them
I want to be happy...

I enjoy the birds singing and the fragrance of flowers
The breeze and the waves remind me of life and the changes thats constantly 'haunting' me
The Sun gives me positive power and I shall remain fully charged

I am part of the Universe; the light of Happiness lives in me
It may dim occassionally but the Light lives within me

I am my own Lighthouse

And I Shall be!

Stockmarket 2010

The Guarded 2010

Singapore's 2010 GDP growth is expected to be 3–5% with IMF placing it at >4%; a turnaround that hopefully can restore jobs, confidence and filter through all sectors of the economy.According to Asian Development Bank, Asia's powerhouse, China's 2010 economic growth forecast is 8.9 per cent, while the International Monetary Fund predicts 9 per cent.

How will the numbers be reflected in the stockmarket or has the market factored in the numbers? Will commodities prices continue to rise and hamper growth with increased costs? What's the winning X-factor?

Crystall-balling the future is as tough as predicting the weather! But, the following factors will lend weight to the possible direction the markets take:

Baltic Dry Index (BDI)

The BDI peaked above 11,600 and bottomed under 1,000 points within months in 2008. In 2009, it traded near 4,600 and tanked to under 2,300 before recovering to above 4,600. Today, its hovering around 3,100 points (http://investmenttools.com/futures/bdi_baltic_dry_index.htm#bdi) This is good indication that the runaway rise in commodities prices has abated. The wild gyration in the stockmarket will likely be moderated too.But, commodities prices will still rise.

Liquidity

With less reliable investible instruments around, there is a tendency to look for good-old-faithful avenues to place funds; stockmarkets seem to be the right avenue! Its just where and which one?


Momentum Trading (MT)

With massive liquidity around, amidst uncertainty (watch Yen carry trade & US$ carry trade), Momentum Trading will lead markets either way. Trade with care and do your own homework.


Qualitative Approach

It is imperative that a complete comprehension of a/the chosen market, with "helicopter view" of country, industry, management and markets is necessary to 'win' in an uncertain environment. A clear lesson was those who were ready and bought, or did not panic, around Mar/Apr 2009. Everyone wants to make money but few want to do homework.

Silver and gold may be better alternatives when faith in paper money is challenged.


Stimulus Packages

The recovery is sustained by stimulus packages and plentiful of (paper) money. Any premature withdrawal will decimate recovery and reboot system to early 2008!


Others

The loss of confidence in papermoney, namely US$, the widening of rich/poor gap, natural calamities and diseases will lead to social unrest. A rise in interest rate will also dent recovery

My guess (of stockmarket 2010) is :

Jan - Apr - market continues to ride the momentum flow with topping-up possibility (observe -
2010 Jan 15 : Annular Solar Eclipse) 

Apr - Jul - as market players expect better corporate performances, anything less 'than a good' coupled with talk of withdrawal of stimulus packages will be taken negatively resulting in corrective phase (observe - 2010 Jun 26 : Partial Lunar Eclipse)

Jul - Oct - fresh and additional injection of stimulus packages and concerted political co-operation globally will restore confidence in markets (observe - 2010 Jul 11 : Total Solar Eclipse)

Oct - Jan - reality checks (observe - 2010 Dec 21 : Total Lunar Eclipse)

2010 is as cloudy as 2009. Sooner or later, Governments have to find alternative sources of income/taxes to fund stimulus packages and jobs creation. 2010 should be a growth year for 'protected' industries as well as necessities.

Good luck. 

--
Best regards & God bless


(THIS IS NOT AN INVESTMENT ADVICE & CANNOT BE RELIED UPON FOR INVESTMENT DECISION. IT'S FOR READING PLEASURE ONLY.)

When The Heart Rules...

When The Brain Is Not Thinking

A year has passed and a new year is here; For most of us, its nothing new
But, many of us are still stuck in our old habits, orientation, beliefs and perceived solutions
No solutions can come out of old methodology and approaches;
If it does, you would have solved it (and win) the first time
- use your head, not heart

You have been left in the cold and felt unwanted by your friends, don't freak
You could have been too submissive, immature, selfish or a plain pawn
Stand tall and be counted and show who is the boss or simply make yourself useful
No one can make you a slave nor feels unwanted
- leaders lead with their heads and manage others' hearts

A new academic term begins and you fear you can't meet the demands of schoolwork
You are worried you can't cope and there are too much to learn and exam is near
Fear not! Start early, read well and practice hard. Be prepared
There is no excuse for laziness; work hard & work smart
- passing is incidental and scoring is accidental; use your brain

New year, new demands. No jobs, no money.
Fearful of the future? Its the heart that fears but the brain must seek
Put on the thinking cap and develop an avenue to generate income
No one can help you but yourself; you have slaved for so many years yet you are looking for jobs
- the slave who lease, trade and sell other slaves is the boss

The con artist can succeed because he uses his brain to tweak your heart (emotions); the smart can too

Use your Brain and manage your Heart and tomorrow will be better

A Good Start

The Perfect 20Ten

Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well - Angelique Arnauld
- do your best but knows your limit, not for fear of failure but for certainty of success - pk


Dare to be yourself - Andre Gide
- if only you will give yourself a chance as nobody will - pk


The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid - Confucius

- the only two things you can't decide in life is being born and the time of death; fate is but within you - pk


The crisis of 2009 is halted by 'money printing'; Governments print money to fill the gaps left by the financial holocausts. What we are looking at is either Deflation or Inflation!
- to survive Deflation or Inflation, we need financial intelligence; the ability to substitute paper money for something substantial but relevant like gold. silver or hard assets with cash flows - pk


Jesse James robbed the banks but subprime, minibonds, CDOs, derivatives and the likes broke the banks
- as in American banknotes "In God We Trust"



Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy - Cynthia Nelms
- the mind is your engine and you are the driver. Either you drive yourself happy or crazy and sad; the choice is obvious - pk

If you want to be happy, be - Leo Tolstoy

31,536,000 seconds = 525,600 minutes = 8,760 hours = 365 days
If you live til 70 years old, you only have 25,550 days = 613,200 hours
Just spend 200,000 hours on happiness and you will be happy forever