I attended my company's Annual Dinner last night, which is the reason why I can afford to be late at work this morning and quickly post an entry...yeh!
The Annual Dinner is held in conjunction with their 20th. year anniversary celebration. By request, I wrote and contributed a piece of poem to the Board of Directors, which was read so badly by the emcee that I almost flew off my chair!!
The poem : THE BONITA STORY
Every story begins with a chapter.
The chapter here is about an ambitious couple.
It all began with one simple journey,
A journey of a husband and wife’s passion for fashion and beauty.
From a humble beginning in Johor Baru way back in 1990,
Mr. & Mrs. Teo Ai Siong started the Bonita Group of Companies.
With diligence and perseverance, the business expanded and grew,
We saw how those sales charts flourished and flew!
When the couple’s desire to expand the business increased,
They ventured into cosmetics to fill the customers’ needs.
Products are that good, affordable and of variety,
Bingo! And the rest they said is history.
The Brand was born 5 years ago,
It is none other than the famous elianto.
To fulfill the needs of women from head to toe,
Today, millions of elianto units are sold.
The birth of Tiamo speaks of Sylvia’s love for fine, elegant fashion and shoes.
It boasts a wealth of designer pieces and jewelleries for customers to choose.
Tomorrow at Gardens Mall, a new Tiamo Concept Store you’ll find,
The concept of designer Ballerina Flats that is first of its kind.
So, it started with one simple dream twenty years ago,
Now we’ve seen that dream beginning to overflow.
An empire filled with handbags, shoes and cosmetics galore!
Also with accessories, time-pieces and many many more.
Bonita Group of Companies - 20 years old.
The chapter of her achievement has now been told.
Yet to unfold are twenty thousands more…
Her success stories still plenty in store.
Mr. & Mrs. Teo (my bosses) are one of the most successful couple in the retail industry and I'm inspired by their humble story. I'm glad our paths crossed.
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Where God is...
At a morrocan village, an imam was thinking about the only well of the entire region.
Another muslim approached him and asked, "What is in there?"
"God is hidden in there."
"God is hidden inside this well? That is a sin! What you may be seeing is an image left by the unfaithful!"
The imam asked him to get closer and lean out on the edge. Reflected on the water, he could see his own face.
"But that is me!"
"Right. Now you know where God is hidden."
God is in each of us.
Taken from 'Traditional Sufi stories'.
Another muslim approached him and asked, "What is in there?"
"God is hidden in there."
"God is hidden inside this well? That is a sin! What you may be seeing is an image left by the unfaithful!"
The imam asked him to get closer and lean out on the edge. Reflected on the water, he could see his own face.
"But that is me!"
"Right. Now you know where God is hidden."
God is in each of us.
Taken from 'Traditional Sufi stories'.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Chess Game
A young man said to the abbot from the monastery, "I'd actually like to be a monk, but I haven't learned anything in life. All my father taught me was to play chess, which does not lead me to enlightenment. Apart from that, I learned that all games are a sin." "They may be a sin but they can also be a diversion and who knows, this monastery needs a little of both." was the reply.
The abbot asked for a chessboard, sent for a monk and told him to play with the young man. But before the game began, he added, "Although you need diversion, we can't allow everyone to play chess the whole time. So, we have the best players here; if our monk loses, he will leave the monastery and his place will be yours."
The abbot was serious. The young man knew he was playing for his life and broke into cold sweat. The chessboard became the center of the world.
The monk began badly. The young man attacked but then saw the saintly look on the monk's face; at that moment he began to play badly on purpose. After all, a monk is far more useful to the world.
Suddenly the abbot threw the chessboard to the floor. "You have learned far more than was taught you," he said. "You concentrated yourself enough to win and were capable of fighting your desire. Then you had compassion and were willing to make a sacrifice in the name of a noble cause. Welcome to the monastery because you know how to balance discipline with compassion."
The above story is taken from Warrior of Light
The abbot asked for a chessboard, sent for a monk and told him to play with the young man. But before the game began, he added, "Although you need diversion, we can't allow everyone to play chess the whole time. So, we have the best players here; if our monk loses, he will leave the monastery and his place will be yours."
The abbot was serious. The young man knew he was playing for his life and broke into cold sweat. The chessboard became the center of the world.
The monk began badly. The young man attacked but then saw the saintly look on the monk's face; at that moment he began to play badly on purpose. After all, a monk is far more useful to the world.
Suddenly the abbot threw the chessboard to the floor. "You have learned far more than was taught you," he said. "You concentrated yourself enough to win and were capable of fighting your desire. Then you had compassion and were willing to make a sacrifice in the name of a noble cause. Welcome to the monastery because you know how to balance discipline with compassion."
The above story is taken from Warrior of Light
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The power of non-violence
Dr Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gandhi Institute for Non-violence, in his June 9 lecture at the University of Puerto Rico , shared the following story:
I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had no neighbors, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies.
One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced.
When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together."
After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30pm before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00pm.
He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?" I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage.
When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it." So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads. I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again.
I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing. But this single non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday.
That is the power of non-violence.
I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had no neighbors, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies.
One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced.
When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together."
After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30pm before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00pm.
He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?" I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage.
When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it." So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads. I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again.
I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing. But this single non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday.
That is the power of non-violence.
Things are to be used, People are to be loved.
While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked up a stone and scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.
When the child saw his father.....with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?' The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times. Devastated by his own actions....sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'.
The next day that man committed suicide. . .
Anger and Love have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life & remember this: Things are to be used and people are to be loved. The problem in today's world is that people are used while things are loved. Let's try always to keep this thought in mind: Things are to be used, People are to be loved.
When the child saw his father.....with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?' The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times. Devastated by his own actions....sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'.
The next day that man committed suicide. . .
Anger and Love have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life & remember this: Things are to be used and people are to be loved. The problem in today's world is that people are used while things are loved. Let's try always to keep this thought in mind: Things are to be used, People are to be loved.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
When in doubt...
When I am in doubt
I talk to surgeons.
I know they will know what to do.
They seem so sure.
Once I talked to a surgeon.
He said when he is in doubt
He talks to priests.
Priests will know what to do.
Priests seem so sure.
Once I talked to a priest.
He said when he is in doubt
He talks to God.
God will know what to do.
God seem so sure.
Once I talked to God.
He said when He is in doubt
He thinks of me.
He said I will know what to do.
I seem so sure.
Taken from Playing God by Glenn Colquhoun
I talk to surgeons.
I know they will know what to do.
They seem so sure.
Once I talked to a surgeon.
He said when he is in doubt
He talks to priests.
Priests will know what to do.
Priests seem so sure.
Once I talked to a priest.
He said when he is in doubt
He talks to God.
God will know what to do.
God seem so sure.
Once I talked to God.
He said when He is in doubt
He thinks of me.
He said I will know what to do.
I seem so sure.
Taken from Playing God by Glenn Colquhoun
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