Australia, Julia for PM, Innovation & Industry

Pic 1
Pic 2

Pic 3

The Hon Kim Carr, Australian Minister for Innovation, Science, Industry & Research (Pic 1: Carr on my right, Zain = Chairman of MABC) came on an official visit to Malaysia last month. The Malaysia - Australia Business Council MABC, for which I am Chair of Communications & PR, hosted a dinner in his honor.

Pic 2: Businessmen at my table
Pic 3: Chairman of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, an old friend

Then all of a sudden, Australia becomes Rudd -er-less and in comes Julia Gillard. 1st lady PM and all. Mining tax yes, but never imagined they were shuffling quicksand!

Ah well. Goes to show today's newspaper wraps fish in tomorrow's market. Moral of the story: Embrace uncertainty. Stay simple, keep humble. As they say, "The best laid plans of mice and men..."

I made it through the rain

People always ask, "Where do you get all this enthusiasm from?
Your energy is scary!"

What would they have me do, I think to myself. I suppose they expect me to be all gloomy and broken, considering all the stuff I've had to deal with in my life.

"Are you happier now?" some ask, peering earnestly into my eyes.
"You look good," is another (begrudging) comment, after sweeping me from head to toe with their eyes.

The average Joe is contented. He may not be brilliant, but he's good. And Jane Doe? That depends. If she's young, she probably fares better than her older sisters. But none seem to have my kind of vitality, my zest for life.

What drives me:
[1] I aim for joy. I want pleasure not pain. This pretty much puts things in perspective and sets
the pace for what to do.
[2] I've adopted happiness as my companion. I don't leave home without it.
[3] I constantly refresh my vision of my best life. I "see" what I'm after all the time, and this
keeps me on course. Then it becomes easy to say "yes" to what I want, and "no" to what I
don't want.
[4] I keep checking, "Do I have what I need? What is my heart's desire? What do I want, that if
I had, would propel me to the next level? Doing this keeps me pro - active and powerful; it
allows me to strategize and plan, rather than wait and cope.
[5] I let go and let God. I surrender to that power which keeps the cosmos in rhythm. I
surrender to the intelligence of that one song --- the universe --- and I know I cannot fail.

Come rain or shine, hurricane or hailstorm, I shall prevail.

What makes a flower grow?

It's the end of June. We're 6 months into the year. Whoof! Time went --- just like that!

So it is time for me to reflect and review my life in all aspects. My career and profession, my intellectual development, time to take stock of my relationships, partnerships and collaborations, review my financial position, check my emotional balance, my spiritual expansion, health and fitness etc.

Some areas good. Check. Some areas trailing behind. Others are in need of some real "kick in the butt" revamp. What happens then is --- stress. "Oh dear, how will I get all that reorganized in this short time? It'll soon be July, then August...

Meantime I must deliver this, do that, and close that deal."
More anxiety.

Suddenly I remember the book I picked up last weekend. Title: What makes a flower grow. Beautiful flower on the cover; I turn the page thinking I'd read about soil, fertilizer, greenhouse, water... but no.

The question is posed again, this time a little child is looking up at her daddy. In all innocence, she asks, "Daddy what makes a flower grow?" "The same power that makes a baby, that gives you the life you have; the same Intelligence that lets you breathe the same time you sleep, and grow, and dream."

And then I say to myself, let me get out of my own way. Let me surrender to that Maestro whose orchestra plays so the cosmos can dance and the birds can sing. Let me allow That which is greater than me to manage my destiny. Let me trust in that power that makes a flower grow.

If you can't commit, quit!

The topic makes something sound wrong, doesn't it? And that could be my perception!

What do you do when someone comes across as wanting something so badly but isn't prepared to put in the time or work to get it? What if they want something bad enough but just won't commit?

While all that "not doing" is going on, these folks have it tucked away somewhere that the world owes them. So off they go, whining and complaining how come things aren't "naturally"
falling into place. Blame, whimper. Blame, whine. And so it goes.
It's anybody's fault but theirs.

It gets worse.
When someone else gets the goodies - the promotion, the good word, the pat on the back, just watch these guys go... go sour. Gripe, gripe. Mumble Grumble. Then they do everything in their power to spoil. Passive agressives, some call them. Stick in the mud.

Don't do, so step aside you'd think, right? Nope.
They kick their heels in, fold their arms, pout and stare daggers at anyone who's done a halfway decent job and wants to get moving. But not through them. Not if they can help it.

Heard the phrase, "over my dead body?" Sometimes, these people just need to be put down so they get the message. Step aside buddy. Vacate. Relocate.

Then I really must kneel down and thank my lucky stars how good a life I have. For these poor sods must really be unhappy chappies to have their knickers so twisted up they can't see the fun in life. Life must really taste sour that they need to spout their misery all over the place.

I believe we can only ever give away what we have. And when we have "sour" inside that's what we'd taste to others. What have you got inside that you're giving out each day and everyday?
What taste of yourself do you leave on the tongues of others? Sweet or sour?

What does "SIN" really mean?

Imagine for a moment, that you know a person who has stored away
everything you want, or need, for your happiness, but refuses to let you
have them unless you do his bidding, ask properly, and behave as he
wants you to.

Furthermore, this person can heal you of disease
but allows you to suffer for now, and MAYBE will consider healing you
at some future date.

Would you consider this a nice person? A friend?

We grow up believing that sin is to disobey, or some form of ingratitude
toward a God who is "far away, and above us" --- in heaven.
Should we violate a commandment, we are punished.
Therefore our God is punitive.

Thus, we hope that this "far away," elusive, punitive God will show compassion
We find ourselves laden with guilt and anxiety over whether we deserve
his mercy at all. We believe our small puny prayers could somehow influence God
--- the Almighty.

How misplaced to think his love is as weak and as conditional as ours.
The idea that God will condemn us is not consistent with a God of forgiveness, is it?

My opinion is all actions and thoughts, which we might call bad, are the result of the error
that is made when we believe that we are separate from God.
It is a mistake of the ego, or the intellect, to believe there is evil for which God must punish us.

So what do we do?
We correct our errors by bringing truth to it. The error is then nullified in truth.
When the mind of man becomes illuminated, it becomes a part of God
This is the solution to our fear of punishment.

Sincere penance does not consist of perpetuating grief for wrongs
but in resolving to avoid in the future those deeds that call for remorse.

LiteFM Radio on Mondays - "Get A Grip" with Tessie Lim

Dr Michael Hall said, "You must be the only one who coaches the media."

To be honest, I hadn't actually thought about it that way. I guess so... because my weekly column in the Sunday Times, Life&Times section is mostly about coaching for self - actualization. Well, actually it's all about coaching for self - actualization because self - actualization has it's applications --- in leadership, relationships, communication, business and enterprise, health and fitness, financial intelligence and wealth creation etc.

Then I do radio - I had a radio show called, The Office on Business FM 89.9 last year for about 3 months and will do radio again this July on LiteFM Radio. My show is called, Get A Grip with Tessie Lim will be on every Monday between 715 and 9am.

My Value Proposition
On Get A Grip, we would discuss HOW TO ACHIEVE
because Self - Actualization & Personal Excellence must lead to success and achievement
otherwise what for???

All talk, no action = no use!

Many (many) people can talk. They spout information. Ideas. Principles. They talk about WHAT
But they are seldom able to tell you HOW.

Our audience when they listen, will learn HOW. But only after they understand WHY.
Because only when it's important to us to know, only then we take the trouble to know.


So we must give listeners a REASON to tune in.

The reason is because we can

[1] Help them solve problems
[2] Show them a way out of their problems
[3] Understand why it is a problem
[4] Help them design options
[5] Give them courage confidence freedom to say, "I can!"


So... Malaysia, ready or not, here I come.
Deep breath, onward ho and off we go.

Youth is Wasted on the Young

This is the topic of a debate that I shall be chairing next week.

It's a topic that amuses me AND irks me at the same time. I look at my baby girl --- who is the picture of style and elegance. Marie is 22; angelic innocence permeates her pores... and then I think of myself. "Grow old gracefully" is my response to this generation gap.

The look that I am going for is dignity. And substance. How could I have left "youthful" out? I can't help wondering if I had left out considering something society highly values. What society? Ahh... come on. The media reveres youth and beauty, let's not kid ourselves. Pictures of young people are plastered everywhere selling everything --- from holidays to hypermarkets.

So I can imagine it's going to be pretty intense. Whatever said next week, the debate will continue to go on inside my head. Sure, I've had my youth and it all went so quickly. Does youth have to end? Must youth be confined to time - space or can it go on forever...
As time is but a concept conjured up by man. Time does not really exist "out there." Time is not something one trips over, or put in one's mouth to taste and say, "Yummy" or "Yuk."

What if we went back to the place where time was born --- the mind of man. What if we altered our perception of youth? What if we altered our perception of time? If human cells renew every 6 months and each cell is brand new, why should the new hold on to the old --- information of aging, illness, etc? Why can't our "new minds" inform our body to renew and stay young?

Mind over matter, they say. Everything is the same in the end, isn't it? All Matter = Energy and back again. What drives it all? Pure intention. Hey it's all about what we want!

I can't wait to hear both sides. I'm hoping the arguments will challenge time-tested prejudices and breakthrough new limits in life as we know it.

Perhaps we could be young forever. Wouldn't that be amazing?
And more amazing is that it's all up to us to decide.

How crazy does crazy get?

I'm not going to fool you. Life isn't always peaches and cream. These past few days have been particularly rotten for me. You think, "Oh I'd know how to handle it," but when it happens, you go down kicking and screaming like the rest.

What could I have done differently? Ahh... isn't hindsight and self - righteous preaching the easiest thing? It's so much easier to criticize than to create.

I want to stay calm. Yes, dignified and well - schooled is how I want to be. Then those idiots push your buttons and "Bam!" you lose it. It's that easy.

How much do you want to be right and how much do you want to be happy? How generous can you be, how forgiving, how giving? Suddenly it makes sense to be blind, deaf, and dumb. Suddenly it's good that you've forgotten how to count. Live and let live. Go with the flow. He ain't heavy, he's my brother. We are faa-mell-lee!

Only it's not tha-aat easy. When the shit hits the fan, it's all you can do to keep from turning into the incredible hulk.

Then you breathe... count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6... breathe and count some more.
Call your name. Count sheep. Say Hail Marys. Do your damn - dest so you slink back into your
soul.

So... I shit you not, my friends and neighbors. I struggle like all of you, perhaps harder than most of you. All I can say to redeem myself in your eyes is that I work really hard to overcome. And when I know I've reached the point where I can no longer go; that point beyond myself; that's when I close my eyes and surrender to that which is greater than myself. I let go, and let God. I ask Spirit to lift me to that higher place, that place I have not the strength nor capacity to reach by my sorry Self. And then I wait. And then it comes. And then, standing on shoulders of giants, I can see forever...

Bring crazy on. I am something bigger than crazy!

We're in the Money!

Never thought I'd ever be in the money business. The subject, even the mention of the word used to make me uncomfortable. I guess it's because our family never had any. Money was for those who were unscrupulous. For those who sold their souls and did what the devil wanted. Money was not for the pure of heart.

Well at least that's what I believed. Any wonder why I had trouble making some?

Whenever I came into money (any money at all) it seemed the age old adage, "A fool and his money is always parted" rang true. It didn't seem possible for me to hold on to it. I spent it... and quick! Of course the pleasure from money was then short lived.

Now I am a director of Peak Prosperity Consulting, a company set up for the purpose of helping investors make money by understanding the markets and learning about how they work. The work we do helps people make sense of what's going on in the global financial, and socio - economic scenario and then rationalizes how best to invest - according to their aptitude, and with the objective of becoming financially free.

Only too many people jump in driven by all the wrong reasons. They are especially motivated by greed. A lethal combination when added to ignorance and impatience.

Once we make some noise about how things can be done intelligently, slowly, and pro-actively, without losing sight of the goals, we hope to free so many who are leashed to unhealthy relationships - advisers, institutions, and to the stuff of money itself.

My Birthday, My Baby, & Me

My last birthday was a blast. My baby girl, Marie and I went to this amazing Italian restaurant in Singapore. Old friends I hadn't seen in years came to join us. Even their husbands turned up - which is something big businessmen don't do!
You can imagine I was delighted at their presence... and their presents!

Here's to growing old gracefully. Remembering that family and happiness is what life's all about.

Cheers!

Peak Performance Peak Prosperity

Infinitus Opulentia or Infinite Opulence is the tagline or battle cry for my new business.
You see, people don't really care what I say or do. What they want is more money. They pay attention if what I do makes them more money, teaches them tools to make more money, or gives them insight on how to make more efficient use of their money.

Tough but true. For the softer among us, we may substitute money with love and sex, admiration, power, and authority.

So this business called Peak Prosperity Consulting Pte Ltd does just that. It teaches people how to make more money from the money they already have. We help people invest - wisely.

Putting all my experience together with that of friends who have all gotten "burnt" in the last few financial debacles - subprime and whatever else they are called, we decided to create a company that makes things safe and simple. In so doing, we take the fear out of the word investing.

While you're making more money, you're also learning how stuff works, which is great because these hoity - toity banks seldom teach you anything!

So there! That's my latest venture and my contribution to your financial freedom.

If I can do it, so can you.

When Leaders Don't Communicate

The main job of a leader is to create followers.

Why do people follow? People want more - money, admiration, sense of belonging, safety and security. They want to follow those whom they believe could enable them to be more of themselves; ultimately we all want to lead a better life.

The leader must then build a vision so that all could clearly see what his proposals are, and how these would bring about this "better life."

Unfortunately many who call themselves leaders, or whom are called leaders by others - do not know how to execute their task! As if anointed by some higher authority, by the amount of power they wield, the fear they spread - by these criteria, leaders are made. Or should I say, born.

Now there are two types of power. One is power by status and money and authority. The other is the power of the Self. Strip away everything from the first category and see what is left. That is the power I speak of in the second category. This is true power. This is lasting power. This power, the heavens respect.

In this day and age, there are two types of leaders. Command and Control leaders, and Cooperate and Co - Create type of leaders. In the early feudal, tribal days, one could lead by wielding the sword. Now we say, the pen is mightier than the sword.
Now we live in a wisdom economy, not agricultural economy. Now we rely on brains, not brawn.

How powerful can you be among people who are able to outsmart you in a wink? How powerful when set against the backdrop of an interconnected universe, again where civilizations rise and fall in a blink?

The time of honor, respect, dignity, and truth is upon us. And this truth shall set us free.


May you have the courage, confidence, and freedom to live your best life.

When Spirit and I are One

The subject of my "higher self" had always puzzled me, and for the longest time I looked to read, asked to find out about this... phenomenon.

It was easy enough to forget, as my work required me to be "right here right now" present, engaged, and attentive. "Gimme the low down on this, the real - time statistics on that, get feedback from the grassroots..." were the usual commentary I had to deal with. You can see, very little actually took place at the higher level. Perhaps all the decisions --- but seldom did that involve me.

In the boardroom, stakeholders wanted proof, empirical data, tangible fact. Nobody had time for touchie - feelie extra - sensory perception. That all was saved for the dreamers. Movers and shakers wanted cold hard evidence.

Then how did the topic re - introduce itself? After living "active and reactive," learning that this lifestyle was really nothing short of comical nonsense... (eg. it had all to do with impatience, not patience, intolerance, not tolerance, prejudice, not non - judgment) you can imagine years of feeling unsettled, disassociated, and stuck really needed to find an escape.

Something within me wanted to be unleashed. I wanted out. Uh huh. Out of what, from where, you ask. Who exactly wanted out? I dunno. But this "thing" would not stop bugging.

"It" settled only when my own neediness reduced and my generosity increased. Well, that's long after I began to recognize what was happening and when.

Now I know the higher self is the self that is connected to the best version of you. This "part" of the self is in fact the you that is God. Uh huh. As we are one with the Divine, we are Divine. Because whatever is in the presence of the Divine is enveloped in light. We have no choice but become infused with that which is greater than us.

You mock me? Let me show you how easy it is if you follow these steps

[1] Accept that something greater, higher, more powerful than life exists.
If you don't, you will come to this conclusion anyway. As the Sufi poets say,
"First you say you are a non - believer until you learn that you are God"

[2] Invite Spirit in. To do this, all you do is surrender to the Force. Say,
"I am too weak to manage and so I turn my life over to you who is greater than me"

[3] Wait and Listen. And as soon as you align with both acceptance and invitation,
Spirit comes and lights the fire of your soul. And everything impossible becomes
possible. There is no more fear, only comfort. No more needing, only giving.


And when this is achieved and the self, realized... in union with Spirit, all life becomes a thing of joy, forever.

I invite you into Spirit. Let us become one in the collective consciousness.
There are no boundaries, only infinite possibility