1. Business plan= guessing plan

2. It is OK to wing it, just get on the plane and go. You can pick up nicer shirt, shaving cream and toothbrush when you get there ( have guts to just do it!)

3. Why expansion is always a goal? What is wrong with finding the right size and stay there? Ego? (don’t request your partner to be more of something before you can love him/her more. just embrace the person, that’s all it takes.)

4. Workaholic aren’t heroes. The real heroes is already home because she figured out a faster way to get things done.( know when to stop because there are many other things out there that matter)

5. To create a great product/service is to make something you want to use. When you think that you need something, find ways to make it happen.( do it as if you are the one who is going to receive it)

6. There is always enough time if you spend it right and btw, perfect time never arrives. ( don’t wait for a second chance, perfect time never arrives.)

7. If what we make can’t please everyone, that is OK

8. When you don’t know what you believe, everything becomes an argument. ( because you have reasons why you choose to believe)

9. You need a commitment strategy, not an exit strategy. Why should you think of walking out of it when you are not even in yet? ( breaking up should not be the solution, they should only be the results)

10. Embracing the idea of having less mass

11. Before you sing ” not enough” blues, see how far you can get with what you have. ( look at what you have, not what you don’t)

12. Whenever you can, swap ” Lets think about it” for ” lets decide on it.” ( say hi to “Now” and bye to “Later”)

13. Stop imagining what’s going to work. Find out for real!

14. When you are faced with problems, find a way to ” judo” it. ( meaning : using least effor to make it good enough) coz you can turn good enough to great later!

15. Small victories let you celebrate! and our estimations become less sucky!

16. ” I think you will love it, because I love it.” Don’t afraid to recommend someone to other brands if you think they suit better. Enjoy what you love. Love what you do.

17. How should you keep track of what your customers want? DON’T. If it is that important, it will come back again.

18. Build an audience who will eventually be ready to listen when you sell.

19.Trust and empowerment : Don’t treat others like 13 years old!

I believe in all the arguments above. Many above do not apply only in business settings, but also day to day relationships with other people.

When you think you are at the dead end,
at the verge of breaking down,
look around because everything is still here.

Please close your eyes
and listen to the stillness of the chirping bird,
hovering planes,
the whispers of couples conversing in love.
the brother crying and the sister shouting.
the door bell ringing.

do you hear the rhythm of our universe speaking?

sometimes our thoughts are too crowded,
just like those noise that you hear.

don’t listen, don’t think, don’t see.
just feel them.

Thank you for everything that You have given in my life. I know..I can’t say enough of that sentence.

Today, sitting here on my new bed in my new room at a new city, I realise that I could have not been at this point in my life without YOU. When I was in doubt, when I do not know what to do, You told me ” Need not worry my child,  because everything has been laid before you.” This time when I surrendered everything again to you, I knew, I am knowing and will always know : It is the right decision.

As how I always describe my life as different chapters: a new chapter has again started. I have arrived in Germany for a week and  it has been a blessed week! I don’t know yet what is to come but one thing I know is that : You are  always with me all the days of my life. When I am weak, I will be strong in YOU. I learn each day to walk not by sight but through faith that everything will be beautiful in YOUR time.

Tomorrow morning, I am going to church that I know I will come to before even I got a place to live in here. I am so excited to be in a place where I can meet my YOU, to connect with YOU and praise YOU. Father, may You bless my journey to YOUR place. May my heart will always be filled with YOUR LOVE.

Until tomorrow,

your daughter

i have a comfortable room with orange sofa.

i have a mom that woke me up this morning although she is in Indonesia.

i have boyfriend that sewed me a huge fluffy christmas tree.

i had a delicious chocolate fudge Ben and Jerry after watching The Ugly Truth.

i have a smile in my face.

i have joy in my heart.

i have God who looks over me from above.

that is enough.more than enough.

to let go of your thoughts, wants, will and all the forces

to just flow,

and  just fly,

to where the wind blows,

to where the opportunity glows.  

Are you ready to for the ride of your life?

to let go the past

to let it flash behind

and no rewind  

Are you ready for the ride of your life?

to continue walking

and embrace the journey in front

to meet the rainbow and the sun.  

Are you ready?

‘Coz there is no future living in the past.

I will do the same routine before leaving Trinidad, except that I have already found “the lesson learnt” long before buying that extra luggage. This time, it was not something grand and extraordinary, yet its simplicity hit me hard…

and I decided to name it: The Art of Waiting

I have been learning it since the first day I arrived in this country. I had to wait 39 hours before going into the studio that I rented.” Sorry, Angie. I thought you are coming in two days time. Unfortunately somebody is occupying that room right now.” That was my landlord. So, I had to spend my first night at her friend’s place and the second night in her living room. Believe me, that 39 hours of waiting feel like forever. At that time, I had no idea that forever was just the beginning.

As part of the deal, I get a ride from my landlady on her way to work every morning because the area where I live happens to be in the corner which public transports rarely pass by. Unfortunately, this arrangement also means that I have to wait for her every morning. It could take as short as 10 minutes to as long as one hour from the designated time before we hit the road.

I hate waiting. Even after months and months of doing so, I still dislike waiting. But I learn that waiting actually does not kill, but being idle does. Therefore, instead of standing outside my studio waiting for my landlady to get ready, I would pick up magazines or books to read. After a while, waiting in the morning was not frustrating anymore. Sometimes, I purposely get ready earlier to have a longer waiting time to read.

Waiting in line to pay at the supermarket is another art to master. After waiting for a good 29 minutes, I realized the cause of the “traffic jam” when my turn finally came,. The cashier had to stop and chat with her friend after scanning each item from my cart. Imagine that I had 20 items and she took 30 seconds to chat every time, this means that I have to wait for an extra 10 minutes.

I was thinking to myself, “ How would I survive this 5 months doing groceries?” But I did. I even learn to relax and slow down walking through the food aisles. Instead of getting aggravated waiting in line, I simply focus my mind on something else. Someday I would think about the recipes that I want to cook, or sometimes I would reflect on the day that I had gone through. And it works!

Being in a society in which time seem not to be a priority has given me a chance enjoy small things in life. It has also slowly changed my daily approach in taking time to observe and capture the beauty of nature. Since my arrival here, I have been watching sunset almost everyday. I looked at clouds and skies much more than before. I have learned various types of flowers and trees growing in my surrounding. Waiting has definitely taught me to breathe in, breathe out and slow down.

In Trinidad, I found a new light in waiting. I discover a life’s secret which I will carry further across the chapters.

TODAY, when he is no longer in this earth, millions of people paid their last respects…

I heard many great wishes, testimonials, appraisal about him,

but I secretly wished he was treated the same way while he was alive.

I secretly wished that  he was given a space in people’s mind to show his love to children.

I secretly wished that those media leave him alone to live his life.

I secretly wished that the agony, pain, sadness and tear in him was not real.

I secretly wished that he came back alive today

and saw how truly he was treasured by millions in the world;

respected by people regardless of age, race, nationality, status and gender.

I secretly wished he felt all the emotions going on in the world today,

to heal a little bit of pain within him.

But I know, without those trials, 

TODAY could have been less extraordinary.

without those tribulations,

I will not have a chance to hear a beautiful life story about loving.

without those pain,

the world has lost another lesson learned.

So TODAY, I just want to bid you a special goodbye..

Thank you for everything. You will always be remembered..

in our hearts.

Everything seems to be washed away,

The sky is so clear,

With different shades of blues and greens

Everything seems to be still for a moment

Looking out and quietly mesmerizing the beauty of our nature.

As lights start to twinkle from far about,

The sun rays start to bid goodbye,

“ Till I see you again tomorrow”

with a new day, a new spirit

and a new chapter of life.

Today is gloomy, with clouds hovering over the land of Cascade. Some people may not like it, but I just simply love it. When the streaks of sunlight manage to sneak through those white fluffy clouds, it is magical and very beautiful.

Sitting right here on the level above many houses in this valley reminded me again about this journey/ chapter that I begun three months ago. I think I have learnt many valuable lessons about people, life and myself.  However, never have I ever sit down and think through it. Maybe it is because I am too tired or too lazy, or maybe too afraid to realize the purpose of God sending me here. There are times when I felt work took so much of my time that I didn’t have space to think through it. But, maybe I was wrong, maybe inside that three story-office, I have (or will) learned the most.

I am learning to be more patient because almost every single thing that I encountered here, requires patience. It started from every morning, waiting for my ride to work. Then followed by being patient with my computer at work, then being patient that not everything in the world as responsive as my mom. Afterwards, I learn to be patient waiting for a ride back. I also learn to be patient in supermarket waiting in line for cashier. Believe me, I hated that so much..I felt very weak that I could not control many things that I would like to do.

However, I think that is the whole point. God wants me to be more patience.

I am learning to really live my life one day at the time. Every afternoon. I would worry how I am going to go back home. Will I get a ride from my colleague? Will I have to walk across the Savannah and take a taxi home? The answer is: I don’t know. I have to go through it, day by day, to discover how I am going to go home. I am still not used to it until now. I am still unable to “ live as if there is not tomorrow”. I still worry most of the time. As a human, I am still afraid of uncertainties…But, I am learning to face the day optimally as if I only have today to pass down the LOVE that God has given in my heart.

I am learning about my dreams; what I want and don’t want to do in life.

I am learning that as much as I have to rely on others, what I need is to rely on Him.

I learn that His plan is always perfect for me.

I learned that it takes a small gesture to make someone else’s day.

I learned that others are not obliged to do anything for me. I shouldn’t feel upset, when they didn’t. But, I should feel thankful when they do.

I am learning hard that giving doesn’t require pay back. When I give, I should give wholeheartedly without expecting any return. Difficult!

When certain things that I am not used to,

When things that I had, I have no longer have,

When things do not work out the way I want,

I always think that everything will be solved when I move on to the next chapter. I am learning now that I shouldn’t escape. Maybe, I should ponder it through and just fully embrace that encounter.

I learn that we leave each other’s footsteps in our hearts through one short conversation or maybe just a smile.

I learn that I should not look back with feelings wanting to be who I was, because I have grown from it; because life is indeed a journey with no returns.

I learn that I just need to walk and God will show me how to walk through.

Life is a miracle.

Life is an opportunity to learn about love.

Life is a gift,  that should be unwrapped.

By now, the gloomy day has gone by. It was replaced with dots of lights decorated across the valley as night falls. It is just equally beautiful.

And when those changes appear, life moves on….

 (7/6/09)

(07/03/09)