Apa yang dicari Ibrahim?

I attended ESQ renungan and session on "persediaan menghadapi Ramadhan" last nite, and to my great surprise, through reversed psychology type of insistence, my life partner agreed to be there as well. This is an achievement for me since I've been trying to get him to attend the ESQ training for a long, long time. Not yet on training, but on the "renungan", a step forward in persuasion skill.

The trainer Arief narrated on Nabi Allah Ibrahim's struggle in finding the meaning behind his life. Who is the ultimate owner of it all? What is hidden behind everything in life? Why are all these created? Why are we here? His search for the truth brought him to one day speaking in front of his people (all these were before he found Allah Almighty). Below are among his words:

1. Bila Ibrahim melihat bintang yang bersinar, dia berkata "Inilah Tuhanku", dan dia merasa bahagia. Tapi kemudiannya bintang itu hilang dari pandangan. "Ke mana pergi Tuhanku?" Dia merasa hatinya sudah tidak bahagia.
2. Kemudian Ibrahim melihat bulan yang mengambang dan bercahaya, dia berkata "Inilah Tuhanku", dan dia merasa bahagia. Tapi kemudiannya bulan itu hilang dari pandangan. "Ke mana pergi Tuhanku?" Dia merasa hatinya sudah tidak bahagia.
3. Kemudian esoknya Ibrahim melihat matahari yang lebih besar dan sinar yang lebih memancar, dia berkata "Inilah Tuhanku", dan dia merasa bahagia. Tapi kemudiannya matahari tenggelam dan hilang dari pandangan. "Ke mana pergi Tuhanku?" Dia merasa hatinya sudah tidak bahagia.

Sehinggalah Ibrahim diberi petunjuk dan seperti tertulis di dalam Al-Quran Ibrahim berkata "Allah itu adalah Tuhanku, aku tidak akan mempersekutukannya".

What happened to Nabi Allah Ibrahim is exactly what is happening to us. A little bit on reflection of ourselves.

1. Bila kita kejarkan jawatan tinggi dan pangkat, kita akan jadikan itu matlamat, silap2 jadi bertuhankan jawatan tinggi dan pangkat. Bila dah dapat, bahagia seketika. Kemudian mula lah hati kembali merasa tidak bahagia.
2. Kemudian kita kejarkan wang ringgit dan kuasa, kita akan jadikan itu matlamat, silap2 jadi bertuhankan itu. Bila dah dapat, bahagia seketika. Kemudian mula lah hati kembali merasa tidak bahagia.
3. Kemudian kita kejarkan membina keluarga dengan limpahan material, tapi tidak dlm spiritual development. Mungkin satu hari kelak ahli keluarga kita berpaling tadah dan menjadi insan yang menyakiti hati kita. Kita akhirnya juga merasa tidak bahagia.

Jadi, dimanakah kebahagiaan sebenar? It goes back to the questions posed by Nabi Allah Ibrahim.

So what about us? Have you for one second, thought about all these things? Maybe you can try this. Try to hold your breath for one second, close your eyes, clear your mind, and try to find that very thing of why we exist, and where do we go from here. Sometimes we are so engrossed in our routine, we forget to look beyond.

This will clearly lead you to your next action and if you search deep enough, insya Allah it will lead you to the right path. Follow your instinct, God-given since you're in your mother's womb.

The feedback from my life partner has not been encouraging enough. Looks like I have to do more selling. Those who have gone through training will see life differently, believe me. For more info you can visit www.esq.com.my.

Reverse Parking? Bring it on!

I was really dazed and not that well emotionally yesterday. I decided to take half day off in the afternoon, paid visits to 4 banks and finally ended up in Jusco Tmn U. Because I got food in the car, had to park in the shaded area where the leeway was tiny and crammed. Panicked a little bit, went for 2 rounds and finally got a spot. Since many were eying for the same spot, I quickly went ahead, booked the spot and prepared for reverse parking.

My oh my. To my great surprise, I could park easily in reverse position! It was smooth and as easy as the blink of an eye. I myself was so shocked with this newly found skill. Women and reverse parking, err.....that included me before. Front and back, to the right and a little bit to the left, front and back again. Plus all the sweat, especially when other cars were waiting for you anxiously, forget it.

But hey, thanks to the working place's policy that all cars must be parked in reverse position, so that whenever emergency happens, easy for us to start off the engine and blast off. Practice does make perfect.

See, whenever they ask you to do things that you think is ridiculous, petty, just out to make your life miserable, think again. You just can't see the benefits yet. It will come much later and you will appreciate it.

Hmm...try to compare against life challenges Allah impose on you. It's true. For every test that He gives, it is only to strengthen your faith. Alhamdulillah. Another point to stay positive.

I couldn't stop smiling all the way to Jusco's entrance with this newly discovered skill.
It is a rare and much sought after skill for lady drivers, and I've mastered it. Phew....

Think Your Problem is the Biggest?

I was disturbed when I was told of a real story of a poor lady. If all these while I've been thinking that my problem is the worst, this lady's dead end is a real life torture. When I think of my fate, I would think of her fate which is even worst. Her story is like this (as narrated by a friend):

Got married. Got 3 girls.
Wife working. Husband did own "business".
Husband ran out of money. Couldn't pay up personal loans. In the name of L.O.V.E., wife got credit cards, gave husband "Supplement" cards.
Husband used up all credit limit. Wife couldn't pay. Chased by bank. Declared BANKRUPT.
Husband got married to a b****. Wife got a divorce letter.
Husband didn't pay up nafkah. Wife struggled with Jabatan Agama to get his paycheck slashed for the nafkah. Worked out for 3 months.
Husband changed job, Jabatan Agama could not continue the "Standing Instruction".
Wife found out the husband's new working place. Informed Jabatan Agama.
Jabatan Agama's response - "Buka kes baru".
Wife - ??

Oh my goodness. Let's do some analysis here.

Wife
I wonder what she has done to undergo such painful tests of life and end up living in misery.
But then again, jika kita bertanya kenapa ujian seberat ini, Allah menjawab:
"Allah tidak akan membebani seorang itu melainkan sesuai dengan kesanggupannya" (Al-Baqarah, ayat 286)
What if it happens to you, how would you respond?

Husband
Maybe the word "gratitude" does not exist in men's dictionary. A woman will always remember all the good deeds given to her and will try her best to repay back someday if not now. But I guess for men, what's past is past. Nothing counts for the future. Start a new life. Forget all your burden. Escape while you still can. Let them suffer. Who cares what others might say. It's my life, I will live any way I want. Who are you to tell me what to do? You and your opinion of me can go to h***.

Jabatan Agama
Consist of mostly husbands. Develop and implement policy. Go figure.

The New Wife (aka the B****)
Why such group of women exist to continuously give support to such men and allow themselves to be abused? Which part of the body does the thinking - the knee? The backside? Everywhere else except the brain, confirm.

From now on, if you think your problem is the worst, think of this lady's predicament.
I'm sure she is getting stronger by the day. I heard this quote on the radio a few days ago:

"Setiap kegagalan adalah lubuk emas untuk membangun keperibadian diri". Nice.

Revolution in the Making

My ex-colleague En. Mat Saad Yahaya referred me to a new revolution in financial planning, spearheaded by the first Malay Certified Financial Planner (CFP) to get license from Securities Commission, by the name of Abdul Aziz Ibrahim. I attended his course last Saturday at UTM Technovation Park and subsequently had my first consultation at Pulai Spring Resort, where he'd stopped by for a few days for school holiday. Surprise, surprise.

Surprise No. 1 - En. Mat Saad himself had not attended the program (well, he said that he'd join later this year at Aziz's office in Putrajaya, good luck bro!).

Surprise No. 2 - My life partner agreed to join me in the program (the real revolution in married life in terms of first financial planning and doing it together). I am scared. Is the risk worth taking? Let's just say I will try first, and if it succeeds, alhamdulillah. If it doesn't work well, at least I can learn from the mistake (nauzubillah). Let me be optimistic for one second.

When the word CFP is mentioned, what normally comes to mind is agents selling insurance or unit trust. Aziz has brought a revolution in the definition. He created a model called AJIT, which stands for:
A = Amanah
J = Jujur
I = Ikhlas
T = Telus
The mechanism of working, let's not talk about it until we can achieve our first target, and for sure I will record in my blog. But look at what AJIT stands for - isn't it nice to have a joint venture together with your life partner in financial and indirectly practice AJIT?

There are 3 main risks of AJIT model:
1. Masa
2. Nafsu
3. Perasaan Tamak

I've got a friend who has been successfully practiced the model. From having debts amounting to hundreds of thousands, to now being able to save RM3k per month, clean. That's what draw me to try this program. It is a BIG risk. Once we start, we can never turn back. Financial Revolution in the Making indeed.

Nice things about Aziz, he also gave some advice on life, not just on finance, as the two are totally inter-twine. I pray hard that it will work for us and eventually keep the family stronger. I like what he said, time and again:

"Bukan senang nak senang, bukan susah nak susah". It's our choice.

Summer 1997 East Coast Tour USA

On a ferry en route to Liberty Island, NY.

I have long lost contact with 2 of my best travelling buddies, until recently we met again through Facebook. What better way to reconnect besides reminiscing on fun time together.

In this summer of 1997, 5 of us (Kelvin not in pix) went for East Coast tour encompassing several states - Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Washington, New Jersey, New York, Massachusettes and Canada. I actually have a collection of Hard Rock Cafe's tiny prices tag for each cafe we visited in each state - the cheapest and most creative ways to keep free souvenirs!

I remember that we were so anxious to visit so many interesting places and were so damn happy to be there. We parked our car at Battery Park and walked past the grand strip overseeing Manhattan. I could still remember the fresh air, the breathtaking view and the joy deep inside to be able to touch this statue. We spent almost 3 hours queuing to climp up the Lady up to her crown, and got a glimpse of NY City through the crown's tiny windows. Simply Amazing!

Look at those faces - worry-free, stress-free and definitely happy. Well, we vow to visit these places again in our 40s/50s/60s/70s. Hope that we can make it, with the same excitement as we used to.

"I Want to Believe"

"I do not believe in it, but I want to believe", said special FBI agent Fox Mulder to long lost colleague Dana Scully.

I went to cinema last Saturday afternoon with my significant other right after work. It has been awhile since we last watched a movie together. With all the hustles and bustles of parenting and managing trust funds of investors, quality time together is considered a luxury. I think the last movie we watched was "Spiderwick". He got 2 free tickets for TGV, so we were contemplating to watch either The Mummy 3, The Dark Knight or The X-Files : I Want to Believe. Due to the limited time available and because The Mummy 3 is a "blockbuster", we were not allowed to watch The Mummy 3. So we chose The X-Files.

If you remember, The X-Files series were a hit circa 1992-1998 and the blockbuster movie was out around 1999? I had friends who bought the whole series in videos and watched them over and over again. I was not really an avid fan, but I like the twists and turns of the plot in many of the episodes, especially where aliens involvement is concerned. I could remember well that Mulder pasted the poster "I Want to Believe" showcasing a UFO, behind his office door at the FBI's office.

After such a long hiatus of both agents in Tinseltown, man, I couldn't believe my eyes. Special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully have grown "more matured" (I mean, I could spot the droopines in Mulder's face and fine wrinkles of Scully). They have grown OLD. And that only means 1 thing - that I also have grown OLD. From a happy-go-lucky 20 years old, to now a mother to 3 kids, yup, we have all grown OLDER. But in the movie, only 1 person did not grow old. The boss - Skinner. He didn't age a bit. That was a surprise. OK, enough about aging.

I would give the movie 3 stars only. I was hoping for some aliens-related action, but only to find out it's about a premonition of a psychic about a serial killer who killed for organs transplant with some spinal chord disease or something. I was lost in the medical related discussions. Has my understanding of American English de-notched a level or the actors really talked fast, only God knows. The sub-titles in both Malay and Chinese did not help either.

All in all, I expected more from the movie. 1 thing for sure, I never knew that Mulder and Scully would sleep together, what more, to be in love. But I like what he said, "Because I want to believe and you're not, that's exactly why I love you and that is why we can't be together". Quite confusing, but who cares, they make such great couples on screen. I would always remember them, just as I would remember Kramer, George, Elaine and Jerry in the sitcom Seinfeld - a show about nothing.

Why Do I Write a Blog?

Let me list down the reasons on why do I write a blog (as today is a special day - 08082008):

1. To stay sane. I could be on the brink of insanity if I don't get to release how I feel, especially lately, since June 2008.
2. To share my grief and happiness with my buddies and whoever choose to read my blog.
3. To gain some motivation. Thanks to all of you who have responded to my revelation. I really appreciate it!
4. To practice my writing skill, and not to mention, my standard of English. I've realized that of late, I seldom get the chance to communicate in standard English. Just like any other skills, I'm afraid that my lack of practice will cause my skill standards to deteriorate.
5. To record happy moments and not-so-happy events, so as my buddy Akmal said, for my future generations to have an idea how this lady is like 100 years ago (maybe).
6. Last but never the least, for the party who thinks he/she is what I'm talking about, to have some sense of what I am feeling deep inside. Regardless whether the person reads it now or later, but at least the person could have a little bit of humanity inside him/her to remember me when I'm gone.

Team Building - Generals Basic Need

I had the chance to attend and participate in a program customed designed and built for the Generals last weekend. Because it was meant for Generals, led by the Chief General, the program was immaculately planned and executed (if you screw, you'll know your fate next). Bravo to the organizer, led by En. Onn.

The hotel was nice - big room, huge bed, few swimming pools, fine cuisine. Yeah, it's meant for Generals, so as a weeny, I felt so excited.

The program was designed in such a way that it would encourage the Generals to work together not only during the 2 days, but most importantly at the field, where real fights and wars take place. The Generals sure did enjoy the fun. Among the fun activities:

1. BBQ Dinner and Karaoke.
I can't believe that some Generals do have great voice, hidden talent indeed. But for majority, it's just a way to release tension and have some fun. Here are some names of Generals who sang and the song titles:

1. Manoel Gomes - My Way
2. Hisham Harun - West Virginia
3. Abdul Jamal Talib - Wajah Kesayangan Hamba (Hail Amir)
4. Wan Nor Asikin - ? (Bangles)
5. Me with Abdul Halim Mohamed - Endless Love (Lionel Ritchie/Diane)
6. Me with Abdul Jamal Talib - Jangan Ada Dusta (Broery/Dewi Yull)
7. Chief General - Bahtera Merdeka

2. Team Building activities

Balance your way on a see-saw. 8 team members had to try to balance the beam for a good 10 seconds.

Crossing the river. 8 team members had to cross the children's swimming pool using 5 chairs.

Archery and blow pipe. 4 team members each had to do it and points accumulated.

Walking on a A-Frame. 1 team member stood on the beam, with 6 team members holding a rope each connected to the frame, leading the way to the finish line. 1 was supposed to give direction.

Even though our team finished last, here is my tribute to the YELLOW team, consisting of:

1. Ahmad Nawawi (leader)
2. Pang Meng Tak
3. Shahruddin Esa
4. Abdul Jamal Talib
5. Kim Young Sam
6. Syed Shahrom
7. Peh Kheng Cheong

Then come the serious part. Sort of Action Workshop style, but the Chief General insisted that the actions be turned into KPI for the group members. For DODEP members:

1. Mohamed Zaaba Abbas
2. Ahmad Nawawi
3. Zubaidi Abdul Rahman
4. Syed Shahrom
5. Wasiuddin Ahmad

Wow - another KPI. If we can complete this task before March 2009, we'll be walking on water.

After all the fun, sweat, debate and arguments, the Chief General gave his final conclusion and reminder. If we can have fun and enjoy ourselves working together as a team in this hotel, why not we take the spirit back home and let it remain forever at our working place? Sounded like a plea to me. He could get mad and shout at everyone, but hey, it's of no use to anyone. The Generals are so used to having conversations at high pitch, they have become immuned to it. Hence, rather than pissing everyone since he himself was pissed, better for him to watch out his stress level and blood pressure. Smart man, he talked softly but adamantly.

For my part, I will try to make my work more fun and enjoyable. Like my buddy Yati said "Life is too short, ENJOY!"

Hidup Itu Singkat....oleh itu ENJOY!: Bergantung &Tergantung = Digantung

Hidup Itu Singkat....oleh itu ENJOY!: Bergantung &Tergantung = Digantung

www.noraidalin.blogspot.com