Well spoken! And I have to do it everyday just like what Dalai Lama said. 

I have been collecting birthday of my friends for more than 40 years and I never failed to greet them each and every year. Almost everyday on my personal calender, I have friends celebrating their birthday. Today is Chen Jiun Bao's birthday. He was my classmate when we were in form 4 and 5. I can say it's more than 48 years of friendship now. Though we don't meet so often, I make it a point to reach up to him on his great day... Today!

The early morning before Jiun Bao got up, I quickly sent him a message... "You are like a super bike, the older it be the rusty it shall be but once polish and fine tuning, the engine shines and roars with speed. Happy Birthday to this admirable friend Jiun Bao."

Later when he got up, my wishes was the first he saw. He replied, "Thank you very much. You are always a very good friend of mine."

Not satisfied with his mood, I sent another text to him... "A good day to date your darling wife for a candle light dinner strictly for only both you. Remember to kiss and hug her dearly. Then send the bills to me. What is friend for. Good luck."

He was speechless. And I knew he was so happy for I'm the only classmate who could still remember his 65 years' young birthday. I learned from the great Master Dalai Lama, and I practised what I had learned.

The old & the young......

Can the old mixes with the young? Or can the young mixes with the old? It's debatable but generally I think its difficulty for these both young and older generation to meet and talk freely together. 

My experiences... When I was in the forties, I saw those older club members who were in the late fifties or sixties were the most unfriendly class. Though they might had gained some financial standing and statues at that age, they were prideful and unapproachable to the younger groups. Their look was stern and serious, creating a fear for the younger people to meet up with them. Inside the gym room if ever they bother to visit then, they looked weak and lifeless to me. I was never impressed upon by them and I knew one day I would be at their age. Deep down in my heart, I told myself then I would avoid at all cost not to be like them. Not to be old, unhealthy, weak, unfriendly, unapproachable, selfish, prideful and unpopular. 

Twenty years had passed by. If you ever got the chance to visit my club house in KL today, let me entertain you at our place and see to believe the different. I'm the oldest senior member, especially inside the gym but the youngest in heart and the most playful one who always create fun and laughter for the young and the old here. Each time I walked into the gym to exercise, all members would be happy to see me. They knew I would never fail to make things exciting for them. Yes! I had proven myself that I wish not to be like those old unfriendly members of the yesteryear. The only way to befriend the younger people is to low down our esteem. Speak to them at their level, speak to their tune and language. Don't wait for them but rather I have to approach and rub shoulder with these younger gentlemen. Once we could communicate and interact together, friendship and relationship could be built easily.

Tell you what. The secret of keeping young is to have a lot of younger people around as friends. Try please! 

I like this quote - "One of the best parts of growing older? You can flirt all you like since you've become harmless" ~ Liz Smith

The Confession ......

Sunday laugh..... Got to love those Italians An elderly Italian man who lived on the outskirts of Milan , went to the local church for confession. When the priest slid open the panel in the Confessional, The man said: 'Father ... During World War II, a beautiful Jewish woman from our neighbourhood knocked urgently on my door and asked me to hide her from the Nazis. So I hid her in my attic.' The priest replied: 'That was a wonderful thing you did, and you have no need to confess that.'  'There is more to tell, Father... She started to repay me with sexual    favours. This happened several times a week, and sometimes twice on Sunday.'       The priest said, 'That was a long time ago and by doing what you did, you placed the two of you in great danger. But two people under those circumstances can easily succumb to the weakness of the flesh. However, if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are indeed forgiven.'

'Thank you, Father. That's a great load off my mind. I do have one more question.'

'And what is that?' asked the priest.

'Should I tell her the war is over?'

Some great sayings ...

"You cannot taste me, until you undress me?"

- Banana

“You cannot eat me unless you lick me"

- Ice cream

“You cannot play with me unless you blow me"

- Balloon

“You cannot enjoy me unless you suck me"

- Lollypop

"You make me wet & put me in your mouth everyday"

- Toothbrush

" You cannot eat me unless you spread me"

- Butter

…and the Most Killer One

"You cannot kiss me unless you praise me"

- Women.

No discount please.....

Selling tips...

A lady agent of 18 years in the business asked me this question. A client had bought a plan with her and insisted to be given a discount from the sales. She doesn't want to give discount and also afraid to loose the customer at the same time. How lah???

I have been in the business for 30 years, and I kept to my principle that no discount would be given. Commission is our blood line or income to keep us in the career. Without the income from the sales generated, I won't think it's possible for me to stay in this challenging business for this long. 

I gave up my job thirty years ago to venture into this noble profession, selling life insurance. A career without basic salary and other benefits. I had to learn and relearned all about this industry to update my progress as I work along. There is no boss to dictate my path, while I control and manage my destiny. I have to be brave and courageous to face the unknown. I have to take constant rejections and objections from the unfriendly  prospects and yet to remain in this tough selling. For those who became my clients, I promised to remain faithful and loyal to them. I promised to serve rather than to be served. I promised to be there whenever I'm needed in any eventualities happened. From the thousand of clients we grew together, when I offer them the peace of mind and in return they rewarded me well financially. Today, all my sons had completed their decent overseas studies and I had a chance to have travelled round the world. Though I'm not rich as some of my wealthy clients, I am contented because I have a comfortable house to call as a successful home. All these are made possible because all my existing clients are willing to pay their premium in full and hadn't asked for discount. 

Conclusion: A weak agent might consider to give discount in order to clinch a desperate sale, while a successful agent offers sincerity and seriousness to the satisfied clients.

Food for thought - "For every sale you miss because you're too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you're not enthusiastic enough" - Zig Ziglar quotes

Selling with the heart or the mind is two different approaches..

Thirty years ago when I took up the challenge to sell life insurance was because I was highly inspired by the products. The products were mainly on protection, providing security to the individuals and the families. Should a father die on an untimely death, the benefits would immediately pay cash to the surviving family members. The family would have shelter and food, the children could continue their studies and the entire family could still live in dignity. Or if the individual fell severely sick, he needed not to worry about the high cost of medical bills to come. I was greatly motivated to sell that 'peace of mind' to everyone I encountered those days.

So sad of today! We no longer talked about protection or the sum insured, rather the companies are offering values to inspire agents to sell. The values come in the form of premium income, the more premium we bring in, the more commission would be paid. The premium could be high, and yet the protection could be lower. Those days, premium was much lower but the protection was much higher instead. All the seminars seldom mentioned saving and protecting lives, rather they created motivation with dreams and financial success. On top of it, they threw in expensive and tempting trips and holidays to excite more sales.

Conclusion: I think it's much easier to motivate the mind than the heart. Most younger agents could easily be inspired with dreams and thoughts but to sink into the heart one needs plenty of understanding of life. The mind could be corrupted but not the heart. 

Food for the thought - “When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object.” - Milan Kundera

Men like smart women.....

One undisclosed reader posted a comment on my previous title dated 24 Oct 2012, "Be Truly A lady". She ended with an interesting question.

Anonymous said... 

No place for smart women in this world :-(

Your conclusion is that she needs to stop being so smart and start playing dumb to be with a man?

That will be against her nature!

A better question is: why are men afraid of smart women?

My reply for her was:-

Men will not be afraid of smart women but rather we are more afraid of intelligent ladies.  Being smart and intelligent are two different things. 

Intelligent people, be they man or female, they are usually prideful, full of self esteem, egoistic, authority personality and difficult to be pleased. While a smart person could be just the opposite of being intelligent.

I believe all men like smart women. I love my little darling to be smart. She is smart to tickle my heart. She is smart to know what I want. She is smart to make me happy. She is smart to romance with me. When I'm sad she knows how to change my mood. When I'm down she is prepared to listen and to understand my thought. When I'm on the heat, she is willing to hug me tight. When I'm distressed, she gives me the tender kisses. When I'm hunger, she cooks the best meals to satisfy my stomach. When I'm tired and lazy, she motivates me with her inspiring words of love. She is not only intelligent but she is extremely smart to have caught my heart and soul. 

My Dear Anonymous.... No man on earth is afraid of smart woman.

Specially for my little darling - “A woman has got to love a bad man once or twice in her life, to be thankful for a good one”