Start the day with a cup of tea.

Myself and little darling are tea drinkers. Without a good cup of tea in the morning, we will just feel lousy for the whole day. Yesterday was a bad one because we were served tea without enough 'love' added. There was no hommm in it !!Though the breakfast was taken, we never felt happier after that. Tea isn't like beer which could be taken more. The most we could drink are three or two cups of tea or coffee per day. A good tea should be served hot with ceramic cup and spoon. The tea leaves have to be chosen right of good quality, colour and taste. Most importantly the passion of serving tea must be there. The most ideal person who can make me a nice cup of tea or coffee is my little darling coz she put in a lot of effort in making it. This is what I called LOVE added.

Drinking tea has many purposes, including doing business. Its always difficult to secure a business appointment but is easier to invite our contacts for a cup of tea. Over a tea or coffee, I had connected countless business opportunities and sales. Is uncomfortable to meet prospects in their offices or homes but over a cup of tea or coffee outside, I built bridges to reach their hearts. Friends or clients might be unhappy with you for some reasons, take them out for a cup of tea or coffee, magic would happen to make them laugh again. If you like a sweet girl and have intention to court her, the simpliest way to get to know her better...is to invite her for a cup of coffee or tea. Most love and romance starts from there. Without the excuse of a cup of tea, I would not have known my little darling then. For a cost of two dollars only!

Like I said, a good cup of tea to start the day and another to end the evening of sensational boat rocking. My little darling always asked, "tea, coffee or me?"

This is interesting - "The best quality tea must have creases like the leather boot of Tartar horsemen, curl like the dewlap of a mighty bullock, unfold like a mist rising out of a ravine, gleam like a lake touched by a zephyr, and be wet and soft like a fine earth newly swept by rain." - Yu Lu

Patience is a winning game.

I believe a creative person thinks faster than those who are non creative. I am one of them. It's good to be able to think ahead while talking to others. Meaning, before you finish your sentences...most likely I already have an answer for you. It took me a long time to control my thought and calmness. Just imagine...I have to keep listening, when I knew what you are trying to relate. If I interrupt your discussion, you might be offended or perhaps you might feel inferior for being a slow speaker. On the hand, to listen and knowing what you are trying to tell me, needs a lot of patience and tolerance. During my earlier years in business, I got very irritated, if I happened to meet slow thinkers due to impatience of listening. As I was also a methodical person who had high expectation in lives, made things even worst. I got angry easily and lost my temper without realising, I was offending many friends and relatives then. Through mistakes, I learned to slow down my thought and emotion. I set three important rules to control myself. They are 'don't worry', 'expect a little' and 'give a lot' in my interaction with others. After all, nobody in this world could be the same, some are smart and some are not so smart. I have a faithful secretary who has been working with me for sixteen years. Though she has all the experiences of my work, she still makes mistakes at times. The only explanation I could give is...if she could think like me, she won't have to work for me any longer. Most likely she would have be selling and turning herself to be another professional. I have lowered my expectation on others and listen more patiently without loosing my temper. It takes a bit of wisdom to understand life...so that I could live more happily with others. I sincerely hope you don't make the same mistakes of my past.

A good piece of advice -"Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self." - Bhagavad Gita

Beauty of the heart is more important.

Today's woman is much more attractive than before. In our life insurance industry, we have more female agents than the male. Each time, I walk into our office, there are more ladies than the gentlemen. Like this afternoon, I was surrounded by all ladies and I was the only man in the lift. Perhaps I was lucky to have all the pretty, beautiful, intelligent and attractive girls around. From the head to their toes, they looked gorgeous and eyes catching. To be presentable in their career, I am sure they are taught to dress well. Their hair-do come with the latest style and mixed with special colouring. A lot of money is spent on their faces to look charming. Cosmetic and facial cleansing are not cheap either. Besides the facial, they have to pick the latest clothing to blend according to their taste and fancy. Not forgetting to add some costume jewelleries to bring out their fashion. Next would be the proper high heel shoes to spur their elegant walk. No prospect would denial such beauties to their appointments. And that's why most male agents are loosing to the woman.

I might not be attractive as to these lady agents, but I have the beauty of a sincere heart which matters most. Should they have spent more time to develop a beautiful heart, I think all men and including me will be out of business. Perhaps The Universe is fair...they have the beauty of the outside and I have to the beauty of the heart. At the spur of the second, I will loose to them because sight is faster than hearing and sensing. All prospects love to see a beautiful lady agent but those who come with a beautiful heart will naturally build a longer relationship in business. However life is very funny! The outside beauty could be dressed and beautified but the inner beauty of the heart cannot be made except it comes blissfully by itself. Coz sincerity comes from the heart.

Food for the heart - "Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue." - Confucius

Smart cunning thinking.

Could not finish my smart story last nite. Here I am to continue the connection on being smart. Chong's story was 35 years ago. Today, I have another similar one which happened 15 years ago. It goes like this...there was this young man, Alvin who was only 23 then. With just one year experience working as an accounts executive serving an advertising agency, Alvin together with his girl friend, started their own advertising media. Although they worked very hard, it wasn't easy to gain entry to those big accounts. Most established companies preferred to work with the international house. Alvin with his creative mind, engaged two white men, one as art director and the other as managing director for his own company. Both were paid as part timer or to be paid whenever their services were required. The both white man names were printed onto their company profiles to look impressive. Each time when Alvin needed to see an important appointment, he would bring along the part-time MD and art director to show their credential. Instead his name card was printed as accounts director, thought he was the real owner of his firm. The white men were just to show their faces on the first visit and later Alvin was to follow all future calls. It was unbelievable! The business came pouring in with lesser afford.

The Asian always claimed the white man is intelligence by the fact of their look and personality. They might be intelligence but it's the smartness of a person who uses the craftiness to overrule the intelligent. Chong and Alvin were those who knew how to overcome the acceptance of being smart. Chong was my friend and Alvin is my first son.

Today we the Asian have not changed much. Even my principle company still appoints an English man to be the CEO of our business in Malaysia. You might not like it but that is the fact of life in Asia. I wonder when we are going to change!!!

Food for the thought - "Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline; simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength." - Lao-Tzu

Smart story.

I think this was smart...

A true story of 35 years ago when I was a young salesman then. Chong was trying to sell a home made cough mixture originated by his grand father. Although the Chinese medicine was good but very few shops were prepared to retail for Chong. One day, accidentally he picked up a white man from the trunk road, who was hitchhiking his way from abroad. He was penniless and needed assistance. Chong brought him home, fed and clothed him well. The white man looked so different after he shaved plus added with the proper attire. Before he continued his journey, Chong requested him for some favours...to accompany him on his work. Chong took the white man to all his retail customers, telling them that the white man was the boss from England, which manufacted his cough mixture. The white man just needed to nod and smile to all those typical Chinese shopkeepers who were so happy to see him at their shops. After that, Chong didn't have to explain much about his products anymore. They were too satisfy to buy because they felt the cough mixture had the influence of the West...it must be a good product. Chong was smart to play the mind of his customers. His products became popular and it sells by itself now.

There is a saying from the Asian..."When a white man farts, it would still be a good fart".

All men must read!

I found something interesting...

In the world of romance, one single rule applies to men:
Make the woman happy. Do something she likes, and you get points.Do something she dislikes and points are subtracted.You don't get any points for doing something she expects. Sorry, that's the way the game is played.Here is a guide to the point system:

SIMPLE DUTIES.

You make the bed (+1)

You make the bed, but forget the decorative pillow (0)

You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets (-1)

You go out to buy her what she wants (+5)

In the rain (+8) But return with Beer (-5)

You check out a suspicious noise at night (0)

You check out a suspicious noise, and it is nothing (0)

You check out a suspicious noise and it is something (+5)

You pummel it with iron rod (+10)

It's her pet (-10)

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS

You stay by her side the entire party (0)

You stay by her side for a while, then leave to chat with a college buddy (-2)

Named Rita (-4)

Rita is a dancer (-6)

Rita is single and is really beautiful (-80)

HER BIRTHDAY

You forget her birthday (-50000)

You take her out to dinner (0)

You take her out to dinner and it's not a sports bar (+1)

Okay, it's a sports bar (-2)

And it's all-you-can- eat night (-3)

It's a sports bar, it's all-you-can- eat night, and your face is painted the colours of your favourite team (-10)

A NIGHT OUT

You take her to a movie (+2)

You take her to a movie she likes (+4)

You take her to a movie you hate (+6)

You take her to a movie you like (-2)

It's called 'DeathCop' (-3)

You lied and said it was a foreign film about orphans (-15)

ENJOY THE 'BIG' QUESTION

She asks, "Do I look fat?" (-5) [Yes, you LOSE points no matter WHAT]

You hesitate in responding (-10)

You reply, "Where?" (-35)

Any other response (-20)

COMMUNICATION

When she wants to talk about a problem , you listen, displaying what looks Like a concerned __expression (0)

You listen, for over 30 minutes (+50)

You listen for more than 30 minutes without looking at the TV (+500)

She realizes this is because you have fallen asleep (-10000)

Now what chance do you have???

Food for the thought - "Men show their character in nothing more clearly than what they think laughable." - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Smart selling.

Over a training session with some young agents, I was asked..."How do I maintain selling so long in my life insurance business?" I told them, I am not intelligence but luckily I am smart.

Most of my school mates who were intelligence became doctors, lawyers or engineers. However I am smart to make them to be my clients. I am smart to know what they needs and wants. Whenever they are unhappy or sorrowful, I am smart to see in their mind. I am smart to offer them solution and make them happy. I am smart when to increase their insurance too.

Life insurance has a lot to learn. You need to be intelligence to understand all aspect of the protection and investment products. It takes a long time to master the entire program and plan. More so the products and features keep changing all the time. However I am smart to propose all relevant insurance products as simple as possible to all my prospects. Too complex and too comprehensive lead to confusion, whereas simplicity is easier to understand. I might not be an intelligent financial consultant which most life insurance agents claim (those titles stated on their name cards), but I am smart to touch all those I met and made them to be my closed friends eventually.

Most new agents who came along with an university degree and have brilliant mind, have fear to make cold calls on telephone. I am not as intelligence like them but I am smart to make strangers laugh on the phone with me. Upon meeting prospects, agents show their intelligence by figures and facts laid down through their laptops. I can't do that but I am smart to market myself by sharing my wisdom of life. Though my explanation on insurance is short and simple, they took it more willingly than from intelligent agents. I can't be as youthful as those aspiring agents, but I am smart to win all my clients with my wittiness and cheekiness. Yes! I admit...I am not intelligence but I am smart to keep my career as a hobby, which allows me to talk endlessly, have fun and excitement with all those I interact, and be able to help those who needed me. I enjoy every moment of my selling because I open my heart and mind to others.

Food for the thought - "It is lack of love for ourselves that inhibits our compassion towards others. If we make friends with ourselves, then there is no obstacle to opening our hearts and minds to others" - Unknown.