Archives for March 2020

Too often, people avoid talking about death but it does bring a lot of insights about living your life.

Death is something most people fear. It is a taboo subject to talk about too. It means the end of life, the cessation of everything you love and love doing. It means everything else is in vain and the world carries on without you.

Imagine if there is no death. Life would just be like the endless sea with no end in sight. There is no need for reflection, for adjustments to our errors done as there is always tomorrow. We would just float along like driftwood.

Death however visits us, anytime and anywhere. It is like a thief in the night that may suddenly sneak up on you and take you along with him. Or it may leave you in a state of limbo, slowing consuming you by the minute.

The cycle of life completes without you even realizing it unless you contemplate death more regularly. It is not a bad thing to do. Rather than regard it as negative thought, it actually evokes critical thinking, sharp emotions and necessary behavior to put our lives on track. Instead of being swept along by personal ambitions, world events and individual tragedies, when you give death a thought, you may just live each day more aligned with the values that you view as important.

It is paramount to treasure time. Not engage in idle gossip, vengeance and ill thoughts for you would never be able to turn back the hands of time once they are gone. That is why the saying “Youth is wasted on the young”. Not many have attained the wisdom that may come with age but if they do, they would certainly live a much more fulfilling life.

The prospect of death tells us clearly that life is finite. It is impermanent and unpredictable. Since the Grim reaper is not predictable, the only way to beat it is to live life to the fullest so that when it comes, you could say, “Hey, take me . I am ready”.

In Shakespeare’s words, ‘Death would have lost thy sting’ . It gives urgency to us to live meaningfully. That begs the question ‘what and how to live meaningfully. ‘

By my own understanding It would mean , live each day with joy and zest, do your work with pride and accomplishment. It means love those whom your cherish and spend time with them while it lasts. It means leaving for others the lessons you have learnt so that they can go on and fulfill their own lives and purposes. It means the practice of positivity to the end and leaving the world a better place.

Death teaches you to be brave. It is because of fear that many people do not venture outside their safety zone- no sports, no travel , no risks taking. Common reports of lives being taken unexpectedly happen all the time-someone could choke on his food, another fell on the pavement, hit his head and passed on, somebody dies from flu or even an insect bite. So it would behoove yourself to have some courage to live and play. Everything has risks. Do not live with regrets.

When I looked around me and I see old people such as those on life support or wheel chair bound, I would wish that they had lived their lives with no regrets and I am sure some did. The best opportunity would be to ask them ‘what would you have done differently before this’ but it may sound impertinent. I believe that they had fulfill their lives in their own ways.

Death makes us ponder what is important. Life is impermanent but if few people contemplate about it , it is often because they do not think that it would happen to them; not yet at least not so soon.

On the New York Times National Best selling list for more than four years, the book ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ was a fantastic read. The best issues about death were discussed between a dying professor and the author, his former student and they were well documented. It is a true story based on Mitch Albom’s 14 visits to his own Sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz who was dying from ALS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. They met on every Tuesday where Mitch received a lot of wisdom and insights from his former professor.

Here are some of the many worthy quotes that were life changing from his Tuesdays’ encounters until his professor’s passing.

• “Don’t cling to things because everything is impermanent.”

Though this is a truism, many of us hold on to our possessions till our last breath. As we grew older, some may feel insecure if they are unable to relinquish them and this causes unnecessary anxiety and pain. There should be a gradual letting go of your attachments as this leads to an increasing sense of freedom.

• “The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”

Death is inevitable. At the end of your life, you could look back with satisfaction or feel nothing. Knowing that the latter is not what you want, you would then live each day with more intention, fervor and grit so as to achieve your full potential. Do not live life waiting for the weekend or you have wasted it. “An unexamined life is not worth living” — Socrates.

• “Accept who you are; and revel in it.”

You have to be authentic. Trying to be like someone else or live to other’s expectations is foolish. Release your own genius so that in the natural scheme of things, you will be able to achieve happiness your own way.

• “Death ends a life, not a relationship.”

The professor places much importance on relationships and love and these were what sustained him and ultimately gave the most meaning. Make time for your loved ones now and the memories would forever be etched in your minds. He said, “ The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and to let it come in.” You would live on in the hearts and minds of all those that you have touched though physically you are no longer there.

• “It is not just other people we need to forgive. We need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done.

At the end, you should not be afflicted with remorse and regretfulness. Forgiving is a great strength that puts all ill feelings at rest. The past is no longer important. It is a negative emotion that serves no purpose other than annoying yourself. Forgive and be free.

Most important, thinking about Death should impart lessons about living. One should not die in vain or live in vain for that matter. View death from a positive perspective and you will live differently.

To learn fast depends on your own desire to find out more and on successful interaction with others.

To learn fast depends on your own desire to find out more and on successful interaction with others.

In my late fifties, I started to travel solo to the anguish of my family members. They did not see why I would take risk. In fact, most of them would limit their travels. With the ongoing bad news around the world, there was no affinity for travel and venture outside his or her comfort zone.

I saw it differently. I wanted to see for myself what it was like to be all alone in a foreign country meeting people some of whom might become my friends or just acquaintances for that encounter. I wanted to find out if I could survive on my own if nobody was willing to talk to me or help me.

I did that on one of my scuba diving adventures in 2014. I signed up for what I felt was a reputable dive cruise company organizing 7 days of scuba diving in the paradise destination of the Maldives. On arrival at male airport, I was received by the cruise leader and the first thing he did was point to my birth date on his guests list — yes, I nodded, DOB is 1958 and I was the right guest on their dive team. He seemed unbelievable that a mature Chinese lady would come alone to join their team.

Once on the dive cruise boat, I met others, all of them younger than myself. It was not without some obstacles or so they seemed to me anyway. Nobody wanted to buddy an older person presumably due to poorer or slower motor skills. After the orientation dives, where they could judge our scuba skills, I was given the choice to buddy with a dive photographer. Now, if you are an underwater photographer, you must be a very good scuba diver to be able to carry that heavy equipment , beat the currents sometimes and maintain steady buoyancy to shoot good pictures. So, I knew I had scored quite well for their ‘test’.

I chose to buddy with the guide instead as I did not want to be waiting for my buddy while he took pictures. Moreover, with the guide, I would have the privilege of seeing marine life firsthand when he pointed any findings to the dive team.

As I have always believed, if you want to be good at something, then who you surround yourself with is important. I asked questions. I faltered initially in some dives such as in descending as it was generally not smooth and quick descent for me. I quickly found out from my guide that I had remaining pockets of air in my buoyancy jacket which I could release faster by pulling the tab and also keeping my body straight on descent and not just by letting air out with my body inclined forward. Error corrected and I never had a slow descent again.

Generally, my air tank consumption was good but from my guide, I learned the art of properly breathing to maximize air use. A long drawing in of the breath and then slow expiration goes a long way to keeping my air tank always adequate. I watched how he was so relaxed in the water, the strokes of his fins, precise and sure that I improved mine many times more. My air gauge rarely goes into the ‘red zone’ which would signal ‘time to ascend’ and ‘preparation to end the dive’.

On dive cruises unlike resort dives, every piece of equipment is the diver’s responsibility. We checked our own depth computers, air tanks, buoyancy jackets, masks, fins, etc. Nothing was left to chance. That was very good training for personal responsibility and discipline. Buddy system makes one watch out for your partner too. One difference from a resort dive is that the dive cruises ventured further to more remote and beautiful corners of the dive destination as the dive cruises are ‘moving hotels’, covering more exotic dive sites and returning to base at the end of the trip.

Scuba diving (sports in fact) built self esteem, self confidence and calmness. To be able to enjoy the sport, we need to be properly accredited. In any contingency, I have learned to be calm and collected so that I could figure out what to do next.

At one dive, my spare regulator leaked air profusely causing a brief panic. As my buddy had swam ahead , she was not aware of my predicament. I calmed myself and gently tapped on the regulator which eventually stopped leaking. Apparently, it was stuck. Then I caught up with my guide to explain with hand signals what happened and he saw to me that everything was in order before I joined my buddy again. Yes, buddy may stray away sometimes. Dependence on oneself is paramount even in a partnering system in scuba diving.

Learning could only be possible because I had made a solo travel and chose a skillful guide who was generous with his knowledge. Had I traveled with another friend, we would probably be buddy to each other and not learned anything new.

Travelling on my own had helped me to push my social boundaries. Being an introvert and not naturally smiley in my disposition, I made it a point to reach out to others and showed interest in being their friends. In the process, I discovered people who are more disinclined to social interaction other than with marine life. But I was not disheartened. It was nothing personal, some people were just not into making friends and were into scuba diving to escape from the harsh realities of the working world.

The friends that I did make, I learnt much from them. Some were good at underwater photography, some were good at computer software skills. I acquired knowledge about things like drop box, adobe, even settings of the of a DSLR camera for underwater photography that prove to be very useful for my travels.

The different personalities with their corresponding cultures enthralled me. The Chinese Nationals were generally a boisterous lot, definitely more outspoken than my countrymen of whom I was the only one. The Italians I met were also quite expressive but the Norwegians and French seemed reticent. Germans were more cliquish it seemed. It may be the language barrier.

From other dive cruises, I have mingled with Korean divers who had a great underwater photographer for their own guide. One of the lady divers who was in her fifties inspired me. She was an avid traveler, continued to ski and scuba dive even though she was quite badly hurt in one knee. From her, I came to know of a very mobile knee brace that she installed around her knee. This contraption kept the knee in position without letting it be dislocated again. Kudos to her for her ‘never die’ spirit as she continued to enjoy her sports.

On one trip, I was the only Asian in the whole team of about 16 guests. A very funny incident happened. During the dives, most of them were wearing wet suits. As I have dived in the Maldives several times and comes from sunny Singapore, I find the temperature of the waters in the Indian Ocean very agreeable to my body unlike the chilly waters of Australia or even some parts of Bali.

So, when some of the foreigners (Italians, Norwegians, Germans, Swedes, British)noticed that I was only wearing a lycra top and gym tights for scuba diving, they were curious. On the next dives, most of the men shed their wet suits, choosing to use T shirts and some even bared their bodies before donning their dive equipments. They finally got comfortable in their own skin, so to speak and realized the fear of cold was in their own heads.

For an introspective person like myself, I have come a long way to break the ice with strangers. During breaks in between dives, I took the initiative to introduce myself and my country. I had a session with the Swedes and a British where I drew mandarin characters and explained how the Mandarin kanji words came about and the meanings behind them. It was an interesting interaction for us. From these trips, I made a friend from Germany and she subsequently invited me to be her dive buddy for our next trip to Palau.

I am glad for these deviations in my life paths. It takes courage to go solo and look out for yourself. But I find that it is really up to one to reach out to others to establish a friendship. The world is not as cold as it seems to be sometimes.

Travelling solo piqued my senses. I have become more alert to the surroundings and this is good for my personal development in areas of self awareness, mindfulness and self confidence. You would be surprised how a sedentary person when exposed to a new environment would be awakened from his comfort zone to discover that he has more mettle than he thinks especially if he gets into trouble.

Notwithstanding all the opportunities that you are given in life to travel as you wish, it is important that one must put in effort to ensure safety first. This involves knowing what you are doing, being prepared in the case of contingencies, self responsibilities, self care and not being naive to situations. Establishing good rapport with people always help.

The world becomes increasingly exciting when one is more open to others. Being genuinely interested in other people, making friends, gaining knowledge earnestly to better ourselves and sharing with others is what makes any trip worthwhile.

Use the rhetorical elements to your advantage and deliver a powerful and impactful speech!

Why are some speakers so persuasive and convincing?

Why do you feel swayed to their point of view halfway into their speech?

Why do you feel that they are able to put their arguments across so succinctly?

Besides delivery manner which constitutes 30%, content 50% which have been elaborated in the previous article ‘Why some speakers engage the audience’, this article focuses on language use which is 20% in significance yet it is of paramount importance for effective speech making and writing. Grammar, word choice, pronunciation are the important elements for a very robust content and delivery but a very useful boost to further your content quality is to use figures of speech.

A figure of speech is a language or literary device where words expressed are not literal but to suggest an image to convince your audience. It is a delightful way to express yourself. It may be a single word or a phrase. Used correctly, it can emphasize, clarify or embellish both written and spoken language.

It can make your speech music to the ears of your listeners and leave a more indelible impression on their minds about your messages. Great speakers, poets, writers and authors often employ these rhetorical devices to capture their readers and listeners’ attention. It is the secret to their success.

This writing focuses on why some speeches are so well written.

What are the common figures of speech used?

1 Alliteration-a group of words where the initial letters are the same.

‘He is a hale and hearty man’, ‘ dark and desolate’ .

Brad Henry, “ A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination and instill a love of learning.”

2 Antithesis — The use of words that are in exact opposition to each other.

Patrick Henry in the second Virginia convention on March 23rd 1775 gave a speech where he exhorted , “Give me liberty or give me death!” as his ultimatum to have the resolution passed for the Virginian troops to be delivered to the revolutionary war.

3 Euphemism– a gentle, indirect expression to substitute a word that may be considered harsh or blunt. ‘Dead’ has many euphemisms. Such as ‘passed away’, ‘passed on’. ‘bite the dust’, ‘kick the bucket’, ‘gone to heaven’, ‘ departed’.

‘Unemployed’ may be expressed as ‘in transition’, ‘in between jobs’. ‘Vertically challenged’ is used to replace ‘short’, ‘He has cold feet’ to imply he is nervous. Definitely more pleasant to hear.

4 Hyperbole– an intentional or extravagant expression to over exaggerate.

‘He looks like a million dollars! ’

‘ Don’t make me wait for an eternity!’

5 Metaphor– a term or phrase used to suggest resemblance or symbol but not literal. In short, one term IS the other unlike simile which compares similarities.

‘She is my rock of Gibraltar’ to suggest that she gives me a lot of support or I can depend on her for anything.

‘Our past is now water under the bridge’ to imply that the past is gone.

6 Personification– the attribution of a human trait to an animal, object or abstract idea.

‘Following the stock market crash, his fortunes have taken flight.’

‘Words can maim so be careful of what you say”.

7 Onomatopoeia — a word that imitating a sound that refers to the object or thing and is used for dramatic , rhetorical (language) or poetic effect.

“meow, meow, we followed the sound and found Misty the cat”

8 Simile– a phrase where two unlike things are explicitly compared. It is to show similarities between two different things. This is also referred to as an analogy or metaphor. A simile is a metaphor but a metaphor is not a simile.

‘She is fierce like a lion’ or ‘ She is sweet like a rose’.

‘like’ or ‘as’ is often used.

Jack is as slow as a snail in getting his work done.

9 Pun-a play on words that is often humourous- The word may have more than one meaning or often sound alike but different in meaning.

‘I often go to the dentist so I know the drill.’

‘He does not like Indian food but he likes to curry favor’.

‘The spread of Wuhan virus has caused protests to stop in Hong Kong and many other countries. War tension has also eased between Middle East and US. The world can rest in peace, no pun intended. Here, ‘no pun intended’ is used as a word play with two meanings because Wuhan virus not only actually caused death but peace.

10 Anaphora-repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive sentences.

This may happen if you are at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom,…..” This anaphora employed by Charles Dickens in “ The Tale of Two cities” was not only interesting but had a dramatic and remarkable emphasis on the characteristics of the “time’ involved.

11 Oxymoron– a locution( verbal expression) that is self contradictory. It consist of two words.

Examples are ‘bittersweet’ , ‘clearly confused’, ‘seriously funny’.

12 Paradox– a statement that seems contradictory but can be true.

“Less is more”

“I can resist anything but temptation” Oscar Wilde

“ What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young” George Bernard Shaw.

‘You have to be cruel to be kind’

‘More haste, less speed’

13 Idiom– an expression that means something other than the meaning of the words. Idioms are frequently used.

“ Hold your horses….I am coming now” “

“He is a hard nut to crack” to mean that he is a difficult person.

‘ To pay something with an arm and a leg’ would mean it is expensive.

14 Irony– a statement made that contradicts reality.

‘He posted on Facebook to tell the world he does not use Facebook’

‘She advises everyone to stay strong while tears well up in her eyes’.

15 Chiasmus– Two sentences are balanced against each other with the words reversed.

We eat to live and not live to eat.

We work to live and not live to work.

16 Repetition– This is a rhetorical device that uses the simple repeating of a word, a phrase or full sentences even a poetical line to emphasize its significance and make them more memorable.

“ Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”.

17 Anadiplosis– This has a typical pattern of repeating a word; it ends at the first sentence and begins at the next sentence.

“The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story!” By David Franzoni on the movie “ Gladiator movie”.

The Power of Three in speaking and writing

The Power of Three is also known as the Rule of Three. It is about using three words or three phrases and this is optimum number. Somehow, ‘three’ is the magic number of times that have rhythm, emphasis and rhetoric that make the points listenable and stick in the audiences’ minds.

The Bible: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind ( power of three)

Churchill: “ I have nothing to offer, but blood, toil, tears and sweat ( power of four !)

Lao Tzu: I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.

Triad of the Power of Three have been used since time immemorial. If the three words or phrases rhyme, it would be better. Add alliteration, that would be marvellous! This is the wonderful play of English words and make life worth living just listening to a great speech or reading good writing.

But in reality, this could mean a winning argument in a court case so these elements of speech content if applied properly have great power to help a client win the case, with evidence presented of course. It could mean a successful appeal for action by a speaker to the audience at an event.

Good speakers and script writers employ the use of figures of speech and the power of three to create an interesting, powerful and impactful content. Politicians use them to win votes, comedians use them to entertain and the man in the street can use them to amuse himself and others. They are engaging, intellectual and memorable.

I have been with Toastmasters International for 30 years and would like to share why some speakers are so great.

Why is it that some speakers are so dynamic? So watchable and listenable? They emerge on the stage and immediately, you feel electrified by them. They seem to have something worthy to listen to and you are going to enjoy their presentations.

A speaker first engages the attention of the audience by his or her first impression starting with his gait when he appears on the stage, his dressing, his facial expression and then his voice. Public speaking has so many aspects to it for a successful presentation that they are worth analyzing and putting them into practice for us to become better speakers.

According to Toastmasters International Speech contest Judges guide which the judges would use to assess the performance of the contestants’ speeches to determine the champion, the criteria are as follows:

Delivery is 30% Content 50% Language 20%

Delivery is further divided into

10% for physical delivery (appearance, body language and use of speaking area)

10% to use of voice (vocal variety)

10% to manner ( directness, assurance and enthusiasm)

Let’s focus on the delivery of the speech.

Beginning with the appearance, the speaker should dress appropriately. If the presentation is about sports, it is best that he is attired in smart sports attire so as to appear credible. There have been instances where the presenters appeared in casual wear even to the extent of wearing flip-flops to an event. This is not only out of sync with the rest of the speakers and the occasion, it also a sign of disrespect for the listeners.It is a quick way to trend online and advertise your event though it is not encouraged.

Body language refer to gestures and postures. If the speaker gesticulates or expresses wildly with his hands, this can pose as a distraction to his message. Gestures are best kept to a minimum. On the other hand, placing hands in front in the so called ‘fig position’ or behind one’s back is very unnatural in appearance. Appropriate gestures in tandem with the message is ideal. Postures are positions or stature adopted by the speaker. He or she should stand straight in a confident manner, feet slightly apart for a more stable pose.

A good speaker makes full use of the speaking arena. This is the designated area where he can move about decisively and steadily to engage the wider audience as he speaks. Facing only a certain group of audience would result in the neglect of others , losing them in the process. Being rooted to one spot spells anxiety and non-movement of the speaker is not only stiff in appearance but may cause the listeners to drift off to sleep.

Use of Voice

The speaker’s voice is an important factor in making the audience stay engaged. Listening to effective communicators, you observe and hear that there is vocal variety which includes volume, pitch, tone, emphasis, rate of speaking. This ensures that the speech do not sound monotonous. Significantly, the words must be crisp and clear. Being fluid and fluent is possible to achieve with adequate regular practice of reading aloud privately and taking up frequent speaking opportunities.

Manner

A good speaker comes across as confident, an authority on the content of his presentation. His every move is assuring and decisive. He is also enthusiastic and passionate about what he is talking about so that the audience can sense his sincerity in sharing his information. Smile does wonders. Everyone loves a happy person. But when conveying a serious message, the facial expressions and the body language will have to be congruent to make the speaker more believable.

Next, we look at the speech content

Content 50% is further divided into:

Development 20% (structure, organization and supporting evidence)

Effectiveness 15% (interest aroused, audience response, attainment of purpose)

Value 15% ( ideas, originality and logic)

Once you have launched into the opening speech and grabbed the attention of the audience, it is necessary to maintain the momentum of their interest by what you say.

Effective speakers structure their speech very well by organizing it into an introduction, body and conclusion. The whole speech must serve the purpose of imparting your main message in the end. The choice of the topic should be the speaker’s forte as this lends more credibility and authority to him.

In the opening of the speech, there are many techniques involved such as a question, a rhetorical one, a quotational opening, showing of a prop, a short story to provide background setting for the listeners, etc. This opening must be memorized cold so as to embark on your presentation with confidence. Faltering at this stage can be a stumbling block! If the prop is to be shown later, put it away within reach but out of sight from the audience so that it would not be a distraction.

In the body of the speech, the presenter would talk about at least three key points. Each point would be fully described with supporting evidence if needed so as to prove your case. Real life examples may be narrated to give the speech more ground to convince the listeners. Quotes by renowned figures are often used to deliver more punch in the message.

There should be smooth transition when moving from one point to the other. We call it goal posts as every idea is fully explored before proceeding to the next. According to experts, 3 or at most 4 points are ideal for a short speech but if it is a long presentation, the use of power points with the ideas in bullet format and relevant images may prove useful for better assimilation by the audience.

Some speakers are very discerning. Just as they are aware of their own body language, they are also mindful of the audiences’ body language so that what they have been talking about is relevant and piquing the latter’s interest at the same time. Where necessary, speaking off the cuff to inject a humourous remark or so may be helpful.

Good speakers make it pertinent to talk about their own experiences to make the speech sound more authentic. Only he has that unique situation that can apply to the speech and that makes it original. It must also be logical so as not to go out of point.

An important element employed by speakers is the use of humor. Humor always scores. Some speakers have the knack of looking at situations from an amusing perspective and able to share that joke or funny anecdote with the audience. This will certainly breaks the monotony of a long presentation and wake some people up from their slumber!

Ideas are bountiful. With the internet, library, newspapers, social media and the like, speakers have to delve into wider reading to source for ideas. From there, they can develop their own concept and give it the relevant spin that is useful and applicable.

Speakers would especially spend great effort and time on their content to make sure that they give their audience what they deserve for taking the time to listen to them.

In the conclusion of the speech, an effective speaker always summarizes what have been said. The important aspects are reiterated and finally the appeal for acceptance or action is definitely on the cards. Do not forget to thank the audience for their kind attention!

Language use –score of 20% is no less important.

The speaker would do very well if the speech centre around the correct use of grammar, good choice of words and pronunciation. Grammar involving tenses, pronouns, conjunctions, etc are not insignificant as wrong use may put off audiences. The good choice of words also makes the script more refreshing to listen to. With the help of thesaurus, some speakers ensure that they do not repeat the same verb or noun which is an annoyance and shows the lack of vocabulary. Finally, with the words especially if foreign words are quoted, the speaker has to be certain that they are accurately articulated.

There seem to be many challenges involved in crafting a good speech and delivering it well to the audience but they are not insurmountable. Like acquiring any skills, one needs constant practice and exposure and with sincere feedback from more experienced speakers, we can fine tune each speech and performance until we become effective communicators and welcome speakers.

What, why and how it will bring you success

Do you have goals that you did not follow through and regret somewhat?

Do you wonder why some people are able to attain what they set their aims on?

Do you wish you could be like them and realise your objectives?

Having the gumption to do what you want to do is not enough. You need dogged tenacity to get there.

It seems easy for some people but really you need to hear their story.

This is a common occurrence in majority of us. The iron will belongs to only a few enlightened beings but that does not mean you cannot become one. Not many people have this stick-to-itiveness but it can be cultivated.

Why do some people lose that grit?

Factors include fear of failure, loss of interest, lack of practice, lack of preparation and loss of focus.

One of the most current famous symbols of persistence is personified by Jack Ma. Currently worth billions and the founder of alibaba.com, Mr Ma comes from humble beginnings.

His classic rags to riches story is due to his astounding level of grit and pluck.

His obstacles in life included failing many exams in school. He was rejected from Harvard ten times but I am more fascinated by the fact that he bothered to apply ten times given his results. This showed his tenacity. He was turned down for 30 jobs and became the only interviewee to be rejected by KFC.

However, Jack Ma embraced whatever happened to him and went on to become an English major. Even after he started Alibaba.com, he suffered many failures but he soldiered on and with his team was able to turn Alibaba into one of the biggest online E-commerce companies in the world.

Jack Ma says, “If you don’t give up, you still have a chance. Giving up is the greatest failure.”

Where do you get the inspiration to have dogged persistence?

We could read about other top achievers like great athletes , entrepreneurs, famous stars and personalities etc

You find that they have a life structure. If you examine closely, the following points are pertinent.

1 Firstly, their purpose in life is crystal clear. This is to ensure orderliness.

With that comes planning that is comprehensive and thoroughly researched.

2 A top achiever would execute the plan consistently and persistently within a time frame.

3 He or she would also regularly review how far the goal is in sight.

When there are failures, they are seen as part of the journey and temporary setbacks. The fight must go on.

4 They would seek out like minded friends who have the same goals so that there is sharing of ideas and they can mutually encourage each other. Also, they would have an idol or another significant figure to model after.

Personally, the ball is still in your own court. Only you can hold out as long as you want. No one can tell you to give up unless you do. The following tips may help.

1 If you set out to achieve a goal, make sure it is a burning desire. Then it must be an ambition that is purposeful and worthy that is not only beneficial to yourself but also to others.

2 Find out all the ways that would bring you closer to your dreams. Seek advice from people who have achieved and hopefully willing to mentor you. Search for information through friends, mentors, books, courses, internet and social media. knowledge is power so apply it.

3 Have a reasonable time frame during which you should set smaller goal posts along the way as targets. This shows you are moving towards your goal.

4 Analyse your errors and remove them accordingly. Improvise and improve all the time.

5 Work at it consistently and record your results. Psyche yourself with positive thoughts and a ‘can do’ attitude. Each incremental achievement, pat yourself on the back or share with someone who care.

6 Expect the road to be long and tedious and there would be other trade-offs such as sacrifices of other pursuits. Expect to work hard work as there is no shortcut to success.

7 Be realistic- not every goal may be attained on a single try . Sometimes, you may have to step back and take a breather but do not lose heart. When you come back to it again after a hiatus, it may just lead to you to success. Never give up. Even if you did not achieve ultimately, you have established a pattern of persistence in your pursuits.

What are the traits of tenacious people?

Generally, they have a vision and a higher purpose other than living day to day. They are self motivated and have a positive outlook even in dire circumstances.

They do not see failures as obstacles but as lessons and they would give themselves many chances.

They are passionate and have great energy. They want to achieve so badly that they can even will the energy. Now, notice that talent is not mentioned here.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th US president said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Looking back, I exhibited the tenacity when I first started my practice. I started on the 6th floor of an office building which had no visibility. Rental was cheap going for less than $2 per square foot and I had a 1000 square feet. The lack of visibility was worrying. I wanted to succeed very much and I could do some professional introduction of myself to the tenants in that building. Surprisingly, people were receptive. There were no slamming of doors or chiding. Some even made appointments immediately.

The world was my oyster. I had office buildings all around mine. So I introduced myself formally to the human resource departments of companies. It took courage, a thick hide and tenacity to speak to strangers and felt kind of odd but I knew persistence would pay off. Ultimately, I gave myself many chances to succeed in my new practice by treating my patients very carefully and requesting for more of their referrals. Glad to say that I was in the black from the start.

Have the habit of persistence. The feeling of victory is far greater than the agony of defeat. If you have faced defeat then fight to become victorious and that form of success would taste sweetest.

Tiger Woods should know this. He fell out of grace from personal troubles and lost his focus. He had multiple knee and back surgeries and even dropped outside the 600 ranking. Incredulously, Tiger clawed back to win a major in 2019. This is indeed remarkable and only possible from a top achiever who had evaluated and strategised and then carried out his game plan assiduously.

Persistence is bitter but the fruits are sweet

Just one life. If you have a dream, give it all you have got. Persistence rarely disappoints. Even if you fail in one goal, the habit of persistence will pay off for your next one.

“That which we persist in doing becomes easy to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our power to do has increased.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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• Persistence
• Tenacity
• Japan
• Skiing
• Successful Entrepreneurs

Many people either have no time to read or stop reading. The secret to happiness is hidden in your library.

A sight, a sound, a scene can evoke thoughts for writing. Ever since I decided to begin writing as often as I could, I opened up my senses to this world. For stimulation and inspiration. I have started to view things positively. I felt this countless times. My life has taken a turn for the better because of medium.com that makes it a recommendation that what we write must be articles that are thought provoking, beneficial and encouraging. We internalize and manifest good thoughts as we think more about them.

Today, I walked into a subway train and was blown away by the motif of the interior section that I stepped into. A beautiful scene of a library of book shelves which adorned the whole stretch of both walls of the carriage. Books of all colors, titles and sizes neatly arrayed from the top to the bottom. Commuters were standing against the shelves, many looking at their mobiles, some reading their books or magazines.

What a serene feeling during that ride. I whipped out my phone to snap a picture to register this inspiration — -to read more. I belonged to the world of books but was never that passionate. Coming from the science stream, my books were confined to mathematics and science subjects. Reading novels were a rarity as there was much to commit to memory as a science student and fiction was not seen as important.

The books that I surrounded myself with for years were largely textbooks of learning- anatomy, physiology, histology, biochemistry, pharmacology, clinical manuals and so on. The only deviation was probably when I became interested in the Japanese language that I started mugging on the basics of Japanese grammar structures.

When I joined Toastmasters club to improve my public speaking skills. I realized that I lacked the oratorical abilities as well as a good content to deliver a credible speech. To develop these skills I needed to read more to understand how to hone my communication skills and write speeches . It requires me to build a good standard of English that can only come from reading more of everything other than my textbooks.

My love for the English language was sparked by listening to people who could articulate their thoughts with such clarity and finesse. I fell in love with the language and naturally reading as that would be the source of my development in this aspect. An organized library became my dream.

The paradise is the library. Stop looking everywhere else.

A beautiful library that would entice me to stay for a good length of time to devour my books. They would be books of renowned authors, biographers, philosophers, great thinkers, sages, best sellers of novels, history books, travel books, craft books, famous magazines like National Geographics, publications about photography, sports men and women and anything else that would improve my thinking and lifestyle. I believe this would enable me to handle life’s vicissitudes with ease and understanding from the insights and wisdom acquired.

Why reading is the ultimate luxury

1 Reading requires your undivided attention to assimilate what is written and capture the message. In today’s busy and fast paced world, one’s attention span may be disrupted by the events around us. Hence to benefit fully, you need to create that pocket of time daily to imbibe the applicable knowledge from your reading.

2 A book or any reading material is a good friend that never leaves you if you do not allow it. It is the most reliable companion in times of loneliness. You can choose to read humorous articles or any uplifting stories to enlighten yourself.

3 A journey into another world, culture , thinking. Travel a thousand miles through reading, experience another world at your leisure. When you go to these countries, you could enjoy fully.

4 It is your path to learning a new skill, a new technique. If you have the patience to read through, you may not even need to take lessons. This in turn allows you to launch into a new hobby or even a second career. I have friends who launch into their business successfully by just reading about their interest or hobby in detail including the intricacies of running businesses.

5 Reading builds discipline and character. Once you become a reader, the whole world is your oyster. Reading takes time and temerity. If you have the patience to finish a thick book, you could complete any manual or project with ease. Anything you wish to know or learn is open to you, more so with the internet today.

6 A good feel. The touch of a book , the viewing of its cover and thumbing through the pages give a sense of ownership that no computer can impart. Your favorite book sits on your shelf as a collectable to be passed on to your kids and theirs. It is your legacy.

I envision that with regular reading, I would be very informed in many aspects that I have interested myself in and able to apply to my life. To develop more passion in life as the ‘light’ dims and still be a beacon of hope and inspiration to my children and other people. Through my mind using my words that that have been enlightened by reading others.

With consistent and insightful reading, I want to develop some good thoughts and concepts. I would like to put those into writing on medium and hope they would be of use to those who read my articles. Then I would consider myself having a useful and successful life . It is through this library that my hopes and dreams will be built.