for your inspiration...

Source: http://www.inspirationfeed.com/inspiration/typography-inspiration/55-inspiring-quotations-that-will-change-the-way-you-think/

Be Careful What You Plant!

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, ‘It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. ‘The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. ‘I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.’

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. ‘My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,’ said the CEO. ‘Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!’

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, ‘The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!’

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed – Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, ‘Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!

His name is Jim!’ Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed.

‘How could he be the new CEO?’ the others said.

Then the CEO said, ‘One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!’

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

If you plant hard work, you will reap success

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

‘Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back’

Inspirational Quote for the day...

Source: http://www.inspirationfeed.com/inspiration/typography-inspiration/55-inspiring-quotations-that-will-change-the-way-you-think/

Going Upstream...

“One day, there was a group of people walking alongside a river when they suddenly saw a baby floating in a basket precariously downstream. The group quickly linked hands and went into the river to save the baby. After much effort, they managed to bring the baby back to the banks – to a place of relative safety. As they were coming out of the river, they saw another baby floating by. Again, they quickly linked hands and managed to save the baby. Alas, they saw a third, fourth and fifth baby floating down the river rapidly. 


They saw to their horrors of horrors that one person had deserted their group of helpers and was walking away angrily. The group asked, “Hey, why don’t you come back and help us!” The man replied, “You go and save the baby. I am going upstream to stop whoever is throwing the babies.”


Share with me your thoughts...

Inspirational Quote for the day...

Source: http://www.inspirationfeed.com/inspiration/typography-inspiration/55-inspiring-quotations-that-will-change-the-way-you-think/

Setting your Priorities Right!

A professor stood before his Philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things – your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else–the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your partner out to dinner.

Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. “The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.

Fire-Walking Festival @ Sri Mariamman Temple 16 oct 2011: Feelings, Emotions & Mood

I have been taking pictures for many years. In order to keep this passion of mine going, I try to focus on a theme or subject every 6 months to make it interesting. Since Singapore is such a multicultural society, I decided that my photography focus/subject and plan for the next 6 months will be on the various interesting cultures in Singapore. When the opportunity came to capture this year's Fire Walking Festival up close and personal at the Sri Mariamman Temple , I brought my camera along. 

It was a wonderful and educational 6-hr experience for me. I was free to move around in the temple and had many wonderful conversations that helped me to appreciate this amazing festival. O.k. I know what you are thinking...Don't ask me how I was able to gain full access. Just enjoy my pictures and learn more about this wonderful culture and festival.

I hope these pictures will not only give you an interesting visual experience but also help you to understand the history behind the Fire Walking Festival. Enjoy!

Sri Mariamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. Built in 1827, Mariamman Kovil or Kling Street Temple as it was popularly known then was constructed for worship by immigrants from the Nagapatnam and Cuddalore districts of South India. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, known for her power in curing epidemic illnesses and diseases.

Located in the heart of Chinatown, the temple’s ornamental tower entrance or gopuram, has been a landmark to generations of Hindu worshippers and Singaporeans alike. Please log on to the Sri Mariamman Temple website to find out more.

This is a very amazing temple. Very colourful and nicely decorated. When I entered the temple, I can sense intense calmness and peace. The temple has very nicely decorated ceilings and paintings all over. It was indeed a visual treat for me.

Fire walking is the major event of Singapore's Theemidhi Festival, which takes place close to the start of Deepavali, the Festival of Lights. Barefoot Hindus walk across white-hot embers at the Sri Mariamman Temple in honour of the goddess Draupadi. Theemithi (Thimithi) or "firewalking" is done as part of a religious vow in which the devotee promises to walk on fire in exchange for a wish or blessing granted by the Goddess Draupadi.

This is goddess Draupadi. She was placed directly in front of the fire pit to "witness" the fire walking of the devotees. 

Draupadi is a heroine of the epic poem Mahabharata, a princess who was the subject of her husband's wager in a game of dice he played with his cousin, Duryodhana, and lost. She had to prove her innocence and fidelity by walking barefoot over hot coals. That was not her only hardship; indeed she epitomises harsh treatment of women by men. Devotees walk barefoot across a four-metre pit of red-hot coals. It is said that if a devotee is not pure, he or she will fail the test and be burnt. Fire-walkers observe strict vegetarianism and fasting rituals for weeks before to complete the challenge miraculously unscathed. 


The preparation period before the actual fire walking day is traditionally eighteen days. I was told that the preparation of the pit is a very elaborated affair. A special kind of wood that can burn for a long time was used for the pit. Before the pit can be ready for fire walking, a lot of work needs to be done. I had the privilege of witnessing the entire process. Please allow my pictures to tell the story...

At the end of the pit was a dug pool filled with milk. Do you know where the milk came from? Packet milk from supermarket....many packets!

He's so HOT! Literally...

Yes. it can be a very "heated up" expereince. I was standing about 3-4 meters away from the pit and I cannot last more than 10 mins. It was really very hot! The helpers and volunteers around the the fire walking pit needed to wet themselves regularly with water to prevent their skin from burning.

These were the volunteers and helpers for the festival. A final briefing before the fire walking starts! The crowd was really excited! Lots of cheering and screaming everywhere. The music was also blasting non-stop in the background.

Emotions and devotion of some of the Devotees in the temple. Feelings were intense and strong. I can feel it when I look at the pictures below. Can you?

I was not peeping at the ladies from the top. I was just captivated by the colors presented to me when I looked down. Had to capture this shot.

The "band" was really amazing. Background tunes were playing non-stop and these musicians were expected to play on until the entire ceremony is over. That will be from 6 p.m. to about 4 a.m. Gosh!

More pictures from the fire walking festival. And guess who I saw at the temple... Yes, our immediate past President S. R. Nathan of Singapore! I was told that he attends the ceremony every year without fail. Lots of cheering when he arrived. A popular guy in the community....obviously.

I was told that about 5,000 people were at the temple to witness the ceremony. The organisers were expecting about 10,000 devotees to walk the fire pit throughout the night. Wow!

Try sneaking into the temple? No way. This was the "security system" they had. Very big and imposing standing right in front of the main entrance. Very effective I must say! Ha Ha...

One of the Indian names for the fire walking ritual is 'Pookulithal' which means 'walking on a bed of flowers', presumably because of the belief that Draupadi cools the coals for her devotees, making them like flowers.

I observed that different devotees reacted differently. Most ran across as quickly as possible, with their feet sinking into the intensely hot ash. But others walked slowly, palms of hands pressed together in an attitude of meditation. For many it appears to be a considerable ordeal, not easily accomplished, and some on arriving at the other side appeared on the verge of collapse, as they prostrated themselves before the Goddess Draupadi. One thing for sure, they got tremendous verbal and physical support and encouragement from the crowd.

These volunteers wrapped in wet towels (to keep themselves moisted to prevent skin burns) were the "supporters or guardians" of the fire pit. Their job was to ensure the devotees cross the pit successfully. If anyone loses their balance and fall, they will be there to pull them out immediately. Certain devotees believed themselves to have become possessed by a deity who will bestow extraordinary powers on them.These devotees would behave in a very unstable way and they will start swaying and behave aggressively. When I was there, I personally witnessed several "trance" transitions. Very interesting. The "supporters and guardians" role is critical when the devotees are in "trance" when they cross the pit. Heard many scary and interesting stories from past ceremonies. I salute these "supporters and guardians"!

Yes, there was a medical tentage located out of sight from the main pit. When I was there, 2 devotees were evacuated to the hospital for really bad burns. The tentage was staff by female volunteers to help injured fire walkers.

Yes, I love SG too! Hey, this guy looks like a "foreign Talent"??? 

A well spent 6 hours in the temple I must say. I hope you have enjoyed my pictures and do visit this blog regularly for updates. Cheers!

Jim

REFERENCES

K. D. Bhagavati. 'Sakti cult in South India', in The Cultural Heritage of India, V o 1.1V. Ramakrishna Mission. 1983.

Alleyn Diesel. . Hindu Firewalking in Natal' in the Journal for the Study of Religio/J, Vol. 3. No. I, March 1990.

Alf Hiltebeitel. The Cult of Draupadi. University of Chicago Press, 1988.

Internet sources on temple write-up: 

http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/?fx=event&event_id=62781

http://www.heb.gov.sg/smt/main-smt.html

To find out more about this ritual and its history, check out this link: 
http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_762_2004-12-23.html

There are many YouTube videos on the Internet as well. Check them out. 

Leadership Moments 2/2011

Leaders are effective communicators 

if they ask good questions!

Because…

You are as good a leader as the questions you ask of your people everyday. All your learning and effectiveness as a leader are in the questions you ask yourself and the people around you everyday.

Sharing…

In my 15-year career in a uniformed organisation, I’ve learnt that (as a leader) if you are communicating all the time without listening and asking questions, you would definitely miss out on important perspectives. You can be very efficient in your communication (e.g. talking, pointing, directing, giving orders/instructions and telling, etc), but not necessary effective. 

I’ve learnt that the questions I ask are as important as the answers I give. I’ve learnt that is it impossible to have great answers for the people I lead if I don’t have great questions. Great questions are key foundation to great answers. I am only as good a leader as the questions I ask.

Some questions I like to ask my people…

- What’s your passion? What excites you?

- Jimmy wants to be a good leader, what can I do better? (FeedForward)

- What are your key learning points from this incident/experience?

Some questions I like to ask myself…

- How have I contributed to this? (Especially when things go wrong)

- What must I change to become better as a leader?

- What did I learn today about others and myself?

Yes, leadership is difficult! It’s a tough job if you want to perform well. Very often, you will feel like quitting. It’s so much easier if you just become a follower with no responsibility, sitting back and relax!

Ask the right questions, leadership will be a great self-discovery journey.

Ask the wrong questions, leadership will be a painful process.

So?

What will you be asking yourself about your leadership today?

What are the key questions you would ask your people in order to lead them better?

What are you responsible for when things go wrong?

Please share with me your thinking or comments...

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Why Am I doing this?

Leadership is a journey for me. I was exposed to various leadership roles at a very young age when I joined the uniformed group during my secondary school days. Over the years, I’ve learnt quite a bit about leadership from reading, observations and experimentation.

As the saying goes, nothing beats doing it! My career in a uniformed organisation for the past 15 years provided me with ample opportunities to hone my leadership skills. I am very thankful that my organisation has a very strong culture of leadership. My organisation pays attention to develop people, they tolerate mistakes and they genuinely cares. Much of my learning and reflections on leadership are from the excellent leaders I have worked with over the years. These wonderful leaders shape the leader I am today.

Leadership is something that is learned. No one is born a leader. We are all capable of being a good leader. Of course, not everyone can be the top leader. However, everyone does have the capacity to lead in some way—but ACTION is required! While all of us are born with many different abilities, but if we do not harness and develop them, those abilities will never come to fruition. Leadership is one such ability.

I hope to share some of my learning and experiences on leadership in bite size in my blog. I hope “Leadership Moments” will help you in your journey towards becoming a great leader in your own right. Remember, knowing is not good enough, you have to take ACTION if you want your leadership potential and abilities to be developed.

All the best in your leadership journey.

Jim

L