15 November, 2011

ARE DAYAK A VICTIM OF A PAST EVENT?

  • Are you a victim of circumstances?
  • Are you a victim of ignorance?
  • Are you a victim of political maneuvering?
  • Are you a victim of economics capitalist?
  • Are you a victim of selfishness?
  • Are you a victim of expendable asset?
In my personal opinion:

Whatever it is.....Life has to move on forward. What does it take to move forward in life?

One of the key things needed to move forward is the ability to focus objectively. The mind must be clear about what it needs to focus on. There are times when it is critical to focus on what is taking place at that time.

Focus on your priority

My advice is to focus on what is most important or that appears to be the priority. If you do not focus on what is most important; you could be in real trouble in the near or not to distance future.

Focus on your ability

Another key point to moving forward in life is having the ability see success. If someone is unable to see success then they may never feel inspired to seek greater achievements in life.

There must be inside the heart something that enables one to see success. If we look at most people who have done well moving forward in life; we will see that they all had the ability to see success.

Focus outside your "Old-Box Mindset"

Moving forward in life, also involves the ability to unstick the mind. Sometimes life will deal us a blow that may cause us to become stuck or unmotivated and/or stagnant.

Instead of us standing our ground and lowering our shoulder, we feel like curling up and throwing in the towel. It is at these times that we must put on all our spiritual armor and prepare for battle.

One battle at a time!

One fight at a time! This is the kind of attitude we need to move forward in life.

Sometimes we need help, support, assistance, alliance, affiliation and network when moving forward in life; it is a natural and sometime necessary fact of life.

We are not alone on this planet. Let face it, we are all here to help each other, and the sooner we realize it, the better for everyone. We can move forward by helping each other pull on the support ropes of life.

Conclusion

As you move forward in life, occasionally look ahead to your next horizon. The next challenge you see will give you the drive to keep moving forward.

Looking forward will hone your ability to achieve success. Keep moving forward, it not end of the world!

25 October, 2011

ANANG BEGULAI ENGGAU ORANG NEGATIF

Nama kabuah kitai mesti nyauh ka diri ari orang nguan penemu negatif?

Most negative people will remain negative in their lives. Negative people can suck the life right out of you if you're not careful!

If you spend even just a tiny little moment with them, you will begin to feel negative too. Don't try to change a negative person; it will drain everything within you!
  • Remember the last time you had a huge argument with your spouse, or someone else?
  • Remember how the emotional turmoil took its toll on you?
The best way to deal with negative is to just simply avoid it at all costs!

Here are two vital tips to dealing with negative people....

1. Stay away

There have been so many times in my life when I had to break off some relationships because of the negativity associated with them.

Now, I'm not saying you should stop loving and caring for the negative people in your life, but just love and care for them from a distance. Just quit hanging out with them and doing things together.

If someone in your life is sucking energy out of you because of their negative attitude, it's time to find someone else to hang out with.

If it's your spouse unfortunately, you're gonna find it rather difficult to stay away.

In a case like that, some counseling will be required. It's a funny thing that when a third party tells your spouse something you've been trying to say for years, they seem to get it.

2. Get away

Some people think that listening to others' problems is a good character trait. It may be, if the person complaining is a good friend and not just someone who regularly unloads a bunch of garbage just because that's what they do best.

When you hear someone go on with a negative attitude, it's time to find the door! You need to get away from it because it's like a virus. Negativity spreads and tries to attach itself to anything it can get a hold of.

Sometimes you may not be able to get away from it, like if you're at a holiday family get-together. There will always be situations like that where you can't do much about it, except wait it out.

But, just being able to identify the negative will help you handle it a little better. Maybe you can try to be nice and keep to yourself as much as possible. Maybe even have a light-hearted discussion with yourself in your mind while the negative is spewing out.

Conclusion

Being positive and staying positive is absolutely critical to your success in life!

If you're going to win in your chosen field, you must avoid negative people and situations as much as you can.

Now, I'm not saying to be insensitive to people's problems. If you can help, then of course, help them.

Just learn to identify the times when people are just plain being negative. There is no helping those types of people because they don't want help.

Have a positive day ahead!

09 October, 2011

UJI NUAN EMPU?

Iban - Let it be you!

I think Ibans have to start from “Let It Be You” or “Lapa Enda Nuan?” or “Uji Berengkah Ari Diri Nuan Empu”
  • To help yourself and/or your family members, someone has to initiate it. Who?
  • To mobilize a community, someone has to lead it. Who?
  • To develop a community, require collective effort. Who?
  • To feed your stomach and/or your family, someone has to find the food. Who?
Other things:
  • If all individuals and/or community(s) can work together, we can prosper together. Who?
  • If Ibans keep on penalizing and/or criticizing or blaming or point-finger to one another, we are going nowhere. Who?
  • If Ibans fail to propel and prosper, we will remain stagnant and backward. Who?
  • If Ibans have got no budget and/or allocation, we all have to seek, find and create initiative, possibility and find the opportunity. Who?
  • If Ibans fail to plan and ask for their own budget or projects allocation, we should not blame anyone because we can't expect others to look at our backside. Who?
Recalling; each and every day, there are people all around the country and the world who are living their dreams. Millionaires are made every day. Better start living your dreams rather than leaving it to fate away.

Families are experiencing tremendous relationships. People are becoming more (multiply), healthier, progressive and competitive. Life-long education/learners are growing intellectually and improving their chances for success.

The fact is that living the life of your dreams is possible. People prove that every day. Someone somewhere is going to get rich, get healthy and improve their life.

My recommendation is this: Let it be you!

Have you ever wanted to make money or for your betterment? Have you ever looked at someone who has an opportunity (business, investment, finance, technology or project) or money and wished that it could be you?

People think about getting wealthy or richer or uplift their living all of the time, when only a small percentage actually does. But any of the masses could.

So why not let it be You?
  • Someone is going to start a business or consultancy services or real estates services or financial/tax/legal advisory or private tuition enterprise or others to generate income and/or alternative revenue or surplus.
  • Someone is going to make a great investment (merger & acquisition, REITs, property and land, ASB, ASN, AHB, etc).
  • Someone is going to begin the journey to great wealth.
  • Someone is going to decide to improve their relationships and well being.
  • Someone is going to enjoy love with their family.
  • Someone is going to schedule some meaningful time with their friends.
  • Someone is going to go back to school/college/Unis to improve their life.
  • Someone is going to become a life-long education learner.
  • Someone is going to set a goal to read a book or listen/watch motivational CDs each week for the next year.
  • Someone is going to look in the mirror and see that they need to lose a little weight or reduce/stop smoking habit or stop consume alcohol and they will make the decision to become healthy.
  • Someone will develop their first NCR land into "Rubber Estate Cooperative Scheme".
  • Someone will join an association to volunteer themselves and help their own community and members of the association.
I think that by now you get the point: Everyday people are self-improving and/or self-betterment or self-determine their lives.

Whether you do or not doesn´t matter to those who do. They are going to do it, regardless. It is simply a matter of a decision being made. So let that person be you!

You may be asking, "Ok Unggal, but how?' Well, let´s cover the very simple actions.

1. Your personal commitment

The most important is to make a commitment to work on yourself only then you can help others. Are you going to improve or stay the same? Or poorer-poor and/or remain backward?

No matter what you have achieved, you are at a certain point right now. What you have achieved in the past is fine, but it doesn't make a difference for the future.

The decision about what you will become is made each day, every day, every week, every month and every year. Each day someone is making the decision to better him/herself. Let that person be you!

2. Make a plan

Once you have decided to become better you will have to have a plan. It doesn't have to be a long, intricate plan. It can be simple. Save a ringgit a day and you will save 7 ringgits a week.

If you want to do business (small or big), start saving your money for your start-up capital and have a proper business plan.

Walk a mile a day. Read an article a day. That is a simple plan with achievable goals. Someone is going to develop a plan that will take them into the future of their dreams. Let it be you!

3. Begin to act

All of the great ideas, without action, become stale and useless. The key to turning dreams into reality is Action! People who have great ideas are a dime a dozen.

People who act on their dreams, thoughts and ideas are the select few, but they are the ones who gain the wealth, wealth and wisdom that is available. Someone will act today. Let it be you!

Conclusion

My encouragement to fellow Ibans is to stop looking at others who live the good life, wishing that you were as well, and instead begin to commit to your improvement, develop a plan and act on it. Someone is going to. Let it be you!

To Your Success fellows!

Have a pleasant Sabbath Day.

07 October, 2011

ATAS PAGAR: Personal Growth and Development Plan 2012

How would you benefit from it?

In this day and age, when everyone seems to be fighting tooth and nail for everything, it is difficult enough to get what you want and need, let alone think about anyone else.

There is an old saying which states, ‘the moment we stop growing is the moment we start dying’. This is particularly true when we give up on ourselves!

There are also times when you feel like you are all alone battling with the trials that life has heaped on you.

At times you feel so depressed, so lonely, so upset, so miserable, so hopeless, so helpless and so poor, and you perceive that the world is crumbling right before your very eyes.

When your outlook in life is badly hurt and wounded, you will eventually be left miserable all throughout the days. This must not push you to the limits.

As the cliche often tells you, there is always a window opened whenever a door is closed.

As long as you take a positive view of life, you know for certain that you will be able to overcome all of life’s difficulties.

Personal Growth and Development Plan (PGDP) must then be your asylum.

If you feed your mind and your heart with nothing but the positive values, you are certain to achieve your goal and success in life.

But if you do the other way around, then you can expect yourself to drown into misery, living in backwardness, stagnant and become poorer-poor.

More so, PGDP is a system which allows you to experience any or all of the following:

1. An enhanced relationship with others

Live a free man and achieve your personal freedom.

If you feed your mind with proper and quality education, and you improve the level of your knowledge and personal intelligence, you therefore learn the proper way of keeping a good system of communications between the people who are within your environment and beyond.

If you have good communication strategies with others, the more enhanced your relationship with them would become.

And you would be able to enhance and expand your network (domestic, regional and global).

2. An improved health

A stable health is not only counted as one physical attribute. It must extend to your own state of mind.

Even the doctors or ‘manang’ of today know for certain that keeping a relaxed state of mind will eventually lead to a healthy physique.

You need to keep yourself healthy to stay alive to achieve your dream goals.

That is why there is what is known as the series of mind exercises. They may relax the mind and provide a healing power for one’s overall personality.

3. Be able to earn more money-income

Learn to understand money spinner. Build initiative to earn money and find option to generate alternative income.

Use yourself as a tool given by God to earn money and surplus for yourself, your family and for your next generations.

If you take into serious consideration the stability of your own future, you will soon realize that in a year’s time, your earnings will be more profitable and steady.

Find, identify and secure the opportunity out there and don’t wait for others to put it on your platter.

Others will never give the ‘food-of-opportunity’ to you on the platter because they’re hungry too and always needs to feed themselves and their family on a daily basis.

PGDPs are unlikely to take effect on you if you will not subject yourself into it. It helps to always maintain a positive thinking and attitude, so to speak.

4. Manage your time well

If you are always on a rush, you will end up distressed and/or bang onto the wall blindly. Having things kept in an orderly manner will really pay off.

Plan your days, weeks, months and years ahead, and always stay cool even when you encounter an impromptu situation. “Time is life” “Time is money” “Time is opportunity” “Time is aging”

Conclusion

You may not have a full control of the circumstances that may arrive in your life but you are in full control of yourself.

If you know how to integrate a PGDP in your overall well-being, you can obviously help yourself deal with almost anything that comes your way.

Don’t ever play with the “thoughts” and “perceptions” that your destiny has already been tailored and/or thinking others has already included you in their plan or program.

It is always you that need to plan and secure your own life first.
  • If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
  • If you think others plan for you, you has no plan for your own.
  • If you let others to budget and/or accommodate you, they will budget for themselves first and you ‘might’ gets the bone or none.
You are your own commander or captain and in-charged of your own destiny, mind you.

If you do some things out of your stupidity then you are likely to be the one who is going to suffer from your actions.

However, if you have nothing else in mind but the focus on your self-improvement, then it will soon materialize.

Lu pikir-pikir la sendiri....

06 October, 2011

WHAT WILL OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF YOU?

Honorable readers,

My own way of managing my wonderful mind, thoughts and deed, and this is how I look at it....

Don’t waste a moment of your precious life worrying about what other people will think of you. No good can come of it.

The truth is that you’ll waste far more energy imagining what others think of you than those people will ever invest in it themselves.

Most people are far too preoccupied with their own lives to devote considerable attention to what you’re doing.

While you’re worrying about what they think of you, they’re worrying about what you think of them.

Just worrying your lives away.....No one is any better than You to manage and take care of your own life and your loved ones.

If other people worrying about the Dayaks, just let them be.......because you are also a Dayak yourself (including your family, your relatives and your friends who either live in the city areas or in the rural areas) and they’re also worrying for you too!

Instead of being concerned with that others think, become concerned with what you think of yourself.

Your opinion of yourself matters far more important than the opinions of others, no matter how wise, intelligent, or well-meaning you think they are.

Realize that other people’s opinions of you are theirs alone and have very little to do with you. No one else really knows what you’re capable of….

When you allow others to have their reaction without taking ownership of it yourself, you empower yourself.

Don’t fear that you’ll turn into some kind of inconsiderate, anti-social jerk if you stop being concerned with what others think of you.

Even as you meet with resistance from others, you’ll be serving as a role-model in You to help them overcome their own fears.

EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINION!

IBAN - IT IS WHOM WE WANT TO SPEND TIME.....

We are all influenced by who we associate with. The people we surround ourselves with have a powerful influence over you. Think about this for a minute.
  • If we surround ourselves with politicians or talk politics every day and everywhere, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with business community or talk business every day and everywhere, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with progressive people or talk on progressiveness and/or productivity, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with criminals or talk on “criminal activity” and/or “gangsterism” or becoming “Mafia” or “Yakuza” or "Ah Long" or "Taliban" or "terrorists", we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with negative people or talk on negativeness and/or one-sided, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with positive people or talk on positive mindset and/or positivity, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with poor people or talk on poverty every day, self-pity and/or victim mentality, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with hypocrites or talk hypocrites every day, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with fear or talk “creepy” and/or fearful, we become part of them
  • If we surround ourselves with “clubbing group”, “ngepub elites, “pengindu", "indai blues", “pisau cukur”, "kaki nyabong", "kaki judi", “golfers” or talk and/or think like them, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with religious community or talk about religious matters every day, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with extremist, racist and/or obsessed community or talk extremism and racism, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with self-interest party or talk of oneself or party interest, we become of part of it.
  • If we surround ourselves with “DB” (whatever that mean) community or talk and/or think like them, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with Iban “Kapapas Mentality” or “Enda Ulih Mentality” or talk like them, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with DAP, SNAP, PKR, PCM, PAS community or think like PR, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with PBB, PRS, SPDP, SUPP or think like BN, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with opportunities or think like opportunist, we become part of them.
  • If we surround ourselves with “Apai Saloi”, “Bunyau & Mujap”, “Kapapas & Ngelesey” or think and/or behave like them, we become part of them. And so it goes on.....
One of the most important choices anyone makes in life is whom they spend their time with. The people we surround ourselves with will end up having influence on every area of our lives.

How have the people in your life, especially the most influential of them, affected you? Your parents, siblings, friends, associates, Chiefs, leaders, bosses, co-workers, etc? They have all had an effect on you. They influence what you think and how you think.

If you associate with negative people you will be influenced by negative thinking. You cannot afford that.

If you hang around with people who see limits, in-a-box and the downside to things all the time it cannot help but limit your thinking.

We are by nature “Social Creatures” and we tend to think like our associates think. Maybe not all the time, but often we do.

Even if you can resist the negative thinking of others it is a lot of unnecessary effort and in the process you miss out on the positive and supportive influence of like minded and positive people.

We all struggle at times to remain positive, especially when things are going badly. You cannot afford to spend a lot of time with negative influence when you are struggling to achieve more and succeed.

SO HOW WOULD YOU OVERCOME THE BEST FOR YOURSELF?

DAYAK - EVERY ONE IS HYPOCRITE!

Those who judge others as “hypocrites” are hypocrite too. As human, we were never born perfect!

Do you think born as an Iban a perfect native species among their own and other native ethnics?

Often we condemn others for being hypocrites. But most if not majority of us are hypocrites.

This is because we do not understand ourselves and we do not understand whether others understand us not!

Actually it is impossible to “know” “ourselves” and also “other-selves”!

The “self” of every one of us is beyond intellectual definition and concrete and constant identity.

It is not even possible to understand our own and others’ perceptions, feelings, instincts and needs; because they are not too subtle and rapidly changing!

The hypocrite is the person who refuses to apply to himself/herself.

A person who call others hypocrite is hypocrite himself/herself.

Namely, the hypocrite is the person who applies to others standards that he/she refuses to apply to himself/herself and those who refuse to accept or understand other people opinions. Yet allowing others to see his/her true colors of reflection?

“Cakap lain – Buat lain” and worse “Cakap tak serupa bikin”…..

A courageous and confidence person will not be afraid of his own shadow nor will he/she afraid of “Atas Pagar” if he/she is very sure of his/her strength and self-belief. Same goes to “hypocrites”!

People aren’t always hypocrites because they sometimes violate standards they say they believe in.

If you correct past negative behaviors and, without shaming, encourage others to do the same, you are NOT being a hypocrite.

If you mess up occasionally but are consciously making efforts toward improvement and/or produce solutions, you are still NOT a hypocrite.

When you lie about, overlook or minimize your own actions or deny others, but attach all of your behaviors to someone else and not yourself, you are being a hypocrite. See if you’re in such category!

In other words, you might think people don’t change. I think the only people who believe that are the ones who haven’t yet.

JUDGE YOURSELF FIRST BEFORE JUDGING OTHERS

04 October, 2011

WHO ARE LIKELY "ATAS PAGAR"

  • Independent candidate/voter
  • Partyless citizens
  • Senior citizen voters (pensioners, retirees, veterans, etc)
  • Government civil servants
  • Postal voters (Police, Military, etc)
I feel DBs don’t need “Atas Pagar” or “Bawah Pagar” opinions and/or recommendations herein this weblog because they can talk or solve anything above the sun by themselves.

Therefore it is best for “Atas Pagar” or “Bawah Pagar” to stay away from giving their input or support in this weblog so that DBs don’t have to worry watching their backside or backyard anymore.

I presume DBs and/or PR don’t need “Atas Pagar” votes too in this coming election and/or any election.

I also presume DBs want “Atas Pagar” voters (Dayaks and non-Dayaks) to alliance and swing their supports to BN in this GE and/or any other future election.

I also presume DBs want “Atas Pagar” to stay out from blogging in this weblog and to support all BN government blogs, policies and national plans.

I also presume DBs do not want any support from “Atas Pagar” to help them creating new initiatives to uplift Dayak’s well being in economics, education, equity, healthcare, housing, finance, and etc.

I also presume DBs want Dayak to become more divided by rejecting “Atas Pagar” Dayak voters.

If that is your wish...your personal belief system then I am sorry for DBs.

What say you....DBs?

DAYAK - WHAT KIND OF HYPOCRITE ARE WE?

  • Do we pretend to be a really nice person but we’re not nice at all?
  • Do we want change but we instigate others; kaban-bejai-kaban, kaban-makai-kaban, kaban-kapapas enggau-kaban, kaban-ngelesey-kaban?
  • Do we want “Dayak Unity” but divide Dayaks by conspiring with others?
  • Do we want “Beserakup” but we blame all our Dayak leaders and blame other native ethnics?
  • Do we want to maintain good rapport with our voters and/or the rakyat but pointing finger at them “hypocrites” because they have a difference personal belief system?
  • Do we want equality but we blame others?
  • Do we want development but we opposed it?
  • Do we wear a smile but are filled with envy, anger and hatred?
  • Do we do nice things for others knowing the only reason we do them is to get gain for ourselves and fulfill our dreams and self-interest?
  • Do we want to win an election but blaming others because they do not favor you or they not part of you?
  • Do we cheat on our income tax and/or coming late to work or for a meeting?
  • Do we manipulate others to get what we want?
  • Do we willfully break the commandments with no remorse?
  • Do we make excuses for ourselves when we know we are doing wrong?
  • Do we use whatever authority we have unrighteously?
  • Are we a church leader who takes advantage of our position to exploit God’s children who trust us?
  • Do we go to church; all dressed up and pretend to be a good mother/father but go home and abuse our family or annoyed our neighbors or do something negative?
  • Do we pretend to be a good Christian but use “foul” words and/or language?
  • Do we claim to be a Christian but cheat on our mate; kaban-nipu-kaban, kaban-ninggal-kaban?
If we don’t want to be a hypocrite, we must repent of our sins and come unto Christ and be pure and clean.

On judgment day everything we thought we were concealing will be made evident. The punishment we will receive for being a hypocrite will not make any sin worthwhile.

It is better, in this earth life, to be pure and clean so we can offer our righteous life as a gift to God on our judgment day.

Remember this. Even a hypocrite can be saved. Heavenly Father loves us all and wants us to return to Him.

Isaiah 9:17 “Everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, but HIS HAND IS STRETCHED OUT STILL”.

God forgive all our sins.

IBAN - NO BODY ELSE BUT YOU!

Don't spend valuable time asking yourself why isn't the world a better place to live in. Or why interior/rural Dayaks are still poor?

Thinking about it will only be wasting your time. That is fact you cannot change the world. But you can change yourself.

The questions to ask therefore are these:
  • "How can I make the world a better place to live in?"
  • “How can I help others if I am poor and helpless?”
  • “Can I turn-back the clock so every Dayaks are rich?”
  • “Is politics the only way to uplift the Dayaks from poverty and backwardness?”
  • “Is venturing into entrepreneurism an alternative avenue to uplift Dayak well-being?”
  • “How can Dayak be at par with others?”
To that there is an answer. I believe that we all can learn something about ourselves and that’s by helping ourselves first. You can see others but have you walk-the-talk?
  • Every single things start from you.
  • Everything is pointing at you.
  • Every charitable cause begins from you.
  • Every action starts with you.
  • Every change is your change.
And if you really care about helping the poor, go and find opportunity, and get rich!

Stop relying on others. Once you build your wealth, you can allocate your desired amounts to help those you wish to help.

The only way to help the poor is not to become one of them!

Thank you.

IBAN – COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY MINDED PEOPLE?

This is what I want to add-on “The Opportunist”
  • Enti enda diatu, Kemaya?
  • Enti ukai kitai, Sapa?
  • Enti ukai nuan, Aku?
  • Enti ukai aku, Nuan?
  • Enti ukai sida, Kitai?
  • Enti ukai kitai, Sida?
  • Enti ukai DB, Sapa? So on....
So who is who wanting to take advantage over the other?

Now do think you’re “self-centered” or “opportunist” or “self-centered opportunist”?
Does taking opportunity equivalent to playing soccer? You don’t score goal, they will! Unless you take your opportunity….

Do you believe that you’re self-centered because you’re an opportunist?

Or are you reading this to reassure yourself that you’re not? Because we all know that being self-centered is bad, right?

Not that we’ve established exactly what we think the term means. Maybe we don’t even share the same definition.

In my personal opinion, “Opportunist” is different from “self-center people”; they know how to identify, invent, undertake and develop opportunity.

“Self-center people” are more like “Self-obsessed people” only measure the world in “me”, “I” and “mine” (nobody else but me).

They think that they have achieved some knowledge of the world and spirituality, but they act like a selfish-child.

Children only know “I”, “me” and “mine”, because they are children. But are a child or a mature adult?

Guess “Self-obsessed people” still live within their ‘box’ while “Opportunist” can see beyond the horizon….

Another, when someone feels “creepy” they welcomes fear. Do you feel creepy when seeing a spider or centipedes or crocodile or snake?

A person who is fearful has a low self esteem character and tend to be extremely self-obsessed; they spend most of their time thinking about themselves and forget to look around and really notice the people around them or the world surrounding them.

Clock s ticking every bit of a micro-second and that's opportunity!
  • Don’t you want to score and achieved your goal?
  • Don’t you want to be rich or remain poor?
  • Don’t you want to see development or remain rural and underserved?
  • Don’t you want to win or maintain status quo or choose to lose?
  • Don’t you want get out of the box or remain in the box?
  • Don’t you want to be at par with others or remain where you are now?
Don’t you want to take opportunity and take advantage of the opportunity?

Maybe Dayak (particularly the Ibans) are not “Community Opportunity Minded People” not like the Chinese, the Malays, the Indians and other minority ethnics (like the Melanaus, the Singh, etc) of Malaysia. Thus, allowing others to take advantage on them.

These could be what others maybe thinking to take opportunity and advantage on the Dayak Ibans:


“Maybe it easy to going fishing at a pond where you can find fish concentrated in one place, and in a worse case scenario you just poisons the pond or drains the water out of the pond and let the fish lifeless.....before you can catch it”

“Maybe it easy to extract timbers and other mineral resources from the Ibans’ territories (native lands) and in a worse case scenario just build a “big project” or “dam” or “infrastructures” to resettle the Ibans to a designated areas or leave them landless.....before you can extract their timber and other resources”

But have Ibans ever think of taking opportunity to develop their own land or others to uplift their living standard? Or awaiting others to change them? How would you see “others” taking opportunity on you and your weaknesses and/or your fragility?

Have the Ibans take any opportunity to pool their expertise together to create win-win or win-win and win situations to become self-determination? Or they choose to remain “self-obsessed people”?

Lu pikr-pikir la sendiri…..

DAYAK - IF JUST TALKING & LOOKING – NO ACTION

  • If you just looking at the interior without personal action, nothing will happen
  • If you dream and talk without personal action, nothing will happen
  • If you just talk 'hanky-panky' without personal action, nothing will happen
  • If you just blogging without personal action, nothing will happen
  • If you care for others without personal action, nothing will happen
  • If you depend on others without personal action, nothing will happen
  • If you seen an opportunity without personal action, nothing will happen
  • If you shout for change without personal action, nothing will happen
If you “ngisi kantung” for others for free then you’re not helping or paying yourself and/or your immediate family. But if you “ngisi kantung ka diri empu” with personal action, it will surely benefiting you, your family and the people working with/for you.

Being pity (for the poor), help no one. You must first boost-up your self-determination to create self-betterment for others.

So what is self-determination? It simply means in clear terms, to be able to stay determined by oneself without expecting any external human effort or support/help. Stand on your two feet and move on!

Self-betterment is about creating “social scheme for a better world” for yourself, your family, your friends and others.

We have no rights to stop others to do or walk their path; we have to walk on our own path. We have to create and design our own destiny.

The best way to move forward is to take your own personal action and don’t wait for others. If you act personally and others act individually on their part, we create momentum of activities.

And if those activities are for Dayak then that is ACTION!

Have a nice day!

DAYAK - WE ARE ALL CREATURES OF OPPORTUNISTS?

  • Stay away from politics because we (Atas Pagar) are opportunists!
  • Stay away from PR because we are opportunists!
  • Stay away from BN because we are opportunists!
  • Stay away from rural because we are opportunists!
  • Stay away from city because we are opportunists!
  • Stay away from business because we are opportunists!
  • Stay away from women/men because we are opportunists!
Opportunity is just as much dependent on external circumstances as it is on our views and attitude about the world surrounding us.

When we actively change our thinking, vision, hope and perception toward a more opportunistic mindset, we can actually invite more opportunities into our lives.

Opportunities are always available for us to grab every seconds, it’s been there all the times.

Opportunities can be shared, free, earned, negotiated, bought, assignable, transferable, divisible, swap or offset.

Opportunities may includes our rights, privileges, sovereignty, quotas, equity(s), stakes, allocations, equality, promotion, job, business, laws, ideation, knowledge, research & development, technology, education, monetary/non-monetary assets, lands, and other human needs/wants, etc

If you fail to identify and/or find opportunity, you fail to optimize any opportunity available to/for you, and you allow others to grab it. Opportunities come and go, and there are plenty for everyone (domestic, regional and global)!
  • Have Dayaks succeed in identifying, securing and/or taking advantage on various opportunities available to them since independence?
  • Have Dayaks failed to understand the meaning of opportunity?
  • Have opportunity(s) left Dayaks behind?
  • Have Dayaks discover opportunity on a daily basis?
  • Have Dayaks seen opportunity to develop their lands?
  • Have Dayaks deny and/or ignore opportunity within them?
  • Have Dayaks build “Opportunity Experts” and “Community Opportunity”?
  • Have Dayaks plan any opportunity for their next generations?
  • Have Dayaks invented new opportunity (tactic, technique, technology, etc) for them?
  • Do Dayaks aware of opportunity(s) available to them today and in the near future?
Many people are perfectly capable of understanding and discovering opportunities that greatly benefit their lives, but they unknowingly ignore these opportunities. This is because opportunity is just as much based on our way of seeing as it is based on external circumstances.

Opportunities are a lot like self-fulfilling prophecies....don’t You?

If we keep our eyes open for “loopholes”, “the unknown”, “gray areas”, “coincidences” , "incidences" and new ones, we are more likely to spot them when they actually pop-up in our lives.

But if we never look for opportunities, we often don't see them even when they are actually there waiting for us or in front of our own eyes.

Of course, opportunity has a bit to do with timing, hard-work, struggle, luck and chance, but it also has a lot to do with our beliefs and perspective.

Think and think of it for a second.....

29 September, 2011

ENTI KA BERUBAH, BEPIKIR BESAI - BEPUN ARI MIMIT DULU

Great beginnings are so easily overlooked, yet they’re critical for action, traction, and results. Everyone talk and/or wants change to happen but will change happen overnight?

Think big, start small

We all know dreamers who have a hard time getting into action, getting traction, to begin achieving their lofty dreams.

If that’s a problem for you, get around it by breaking a big dream into smaller parts. Focus on your primary mission by prioritizing your tasks.

Get those done, one at a time. Soon you’ll have many tangible accomplishments, and the once impassable mountain will have been ascended, leaving a manageable downhill run.
  • Everything big starts small.
  • A plan is the bridge to your dreams.
  • A drawing is a picture on how you can possibly achieve and secure your goals.
  • A proposal is the road to walk your dream into reality.
Starting small gives you room to learn on the job, making mistakes and correcting them as you go.

Starting small also allows you time to grow into who you need to be in order to handle where you are heading.

Think a second on these:
  • If you take one giant leap from where you are now to the field of your dreams, you are going to crash landing. You do not have the skills required to operate there yet.
  • If you are an employee reporting to a junior manager, and dream of owning a chain of businesses, you have to grow into the role.
  • If a chain of businesses is handed over to you on a platter, you will wreck it, as you have no clue how the systems work.
By starting small, you learn the ropes gradually. Most situation and/or organization start with a protem committee or ‘little people’ or even single individual – the dreamer!

You’re the master of all (Jake of all trades); the President, CEO, GM, accountant, salesman, janitor, production, you name it….. And you play all those roles, because you cannot afford an extra hand just yet.

As things pick up, you will be able to hire the first employee, then the second to look after or helping you runs your organization/business.

You stand handing over the systems you designed for others to run, so that you can focus on management and business development or the relevant.

As the situation and/or business expends gradually, you spill out from the garage to an office in the complex, and then a bigger office and years down the line, to your own property.

You get to the point where you hire a “CEO” (not Chief Entertainment Officer) and step up to become Chairman of the Board.

As you grow gradually, you learn invaluable lessons along the way, experience that prepare you for life at the top. It all begins by starting small. No your risk you live sustainably.

Thank you

DAYAK - WONDER HOW TO PURSUE A BUSINESS?

The basic strategy of venturing into any business (local or international):

W.H.O.M. Strategy:
  • W – Know Whom
  • H – Know How
  • O – Know Opportunity
  • M – Know Market
The basic strategy to enhance your business (local or international):

A.F.F.A.N.D.I.R. Strategy:
  • A – Asset (monetary/non-monetary)
  • F – Funds
  • F – Facility
  • A – Alliance
  • N – Network
  • D – Development/ Diversification
  • I – Investment
  • R - Returns
The basic needs of embarking into a business (local or international)

SWOT Analysis:
  • Know your Strength
  • Know your Weakness
  • Know your Opportunity
  • Know your Threat (risk elements)
The basic analysis of understanding a business (local or international)

PESTLE Analysis:
  • Political factors
  • Economics factors (domestic/regional/global)
  • Social factors
  • Technological factors
  • Legal factors
  • Environmental factors
The essential tools to kick-start a business:
  • Do your above homework and start researching your potential market
  • Prepare a business plan (without plan, your plane will never takeoff)
  • Forming your company
  • Register your domain name (entity & branding)
  • Build your website
  • Register your company with ROC
  • Open a business account
  • Raise funds for your business
  • Apply for business permits and licenses, if applicable
  • Buy/rent office space if needed
  • Consider the other services needed to operate your business efficiently.
  • Create business materials
  • Develop a marketing plan for your products or services
To do business, you need to be “Busy, Involve & Necessary” by building possibility, to create opportunity and to generate profits.
  • Business is not a show; it is your show to capitalize opportunity.
  • Business is risky but worth the risk if you can identify and manage the risk to generate good returns.
  • Big business starts small – small business start from zero.
  • Small business can control big business if you’re good in corporate maneuvering.
  • Small business can have dozen of businesses if you can identify them.
  • Business don’t guarantee success, it is you that needs to warrant it.
  • Business don’t print money, it’s your business success that multiply money.
  • Business sound easy, it doesn’t if you failed to understand the primary role of operating a business.
  • City business and rural business are equally the same (it’s still a business); the only different is the market and demands.
  • Business doesn’t make you rich overnight, it takes hell of hard work, patient, persistence and commitment.
  • Business never fail, it’s you who fail to run it.
  • Business is always available, busy and huge, it’s you who need to identify and secure it.
  • Business can make you rich, very rich and it can make you poorer-poor and/or bankrupt too.
Ketu ka nangka tu dulu penemu ari aku….ila berandau baru ga kitai sebuat.........

28 September, 2011

HAVE WE LOST OUR MORAL VALUES?

I wonder why people keep on complaining, keep on blaming, keep on instigating and keep on point finger unto others?

I presume it is easy to pointing finger on someone else or anyone for our failure, mistakes, weakness and/or backwardness. Have we analyzed our own “SWOT” and/or find the solution or initiative to resolve it? What are the....

I presume it is also easy to blaming others when the person is on the top and/or success prosperously. Have we identified the ladder to success and prosper? What are the.....

But have we forgotten of how they all go up there or what have they went through to be on the top?

Would I be overstating it if I went out on a limb and made the bold assertion that we have lost our moral compass?

And as a part of that observation say that we have been holding up the wrong people as our heroes and role models for far too long! And it only seems to be getting worse.

As an Iban (Dayak) population in Sarawak, we are losing our ability to discern the difference between right and wrong, fair or unfair, just or unjust and be willing to take a stand and declare ourselves.

Traditional morality is our sense of what is right or wrong, fair or unfair, just or unjust.

A Hero In You - A Role Model In You

To go along with this it is also my contention that a “hero” or “role model” must be a disciplined yet committed person.

Meaning that he/she should be prepared to take responsibility for their lives, always tell themselves and therefore others the truth and as much as possible lead a balanced life.

Among other things includes having integrity, courage, charity, compassion, an ability to forgive and a willingness to delay gratification.

Beyond what I believe are some of the characteristics of a “hero” are a number of others:
  • A man/woman admired for his/her achievements and noble qualities; one who shows great courage,
  • Wisdom and fortitude to do what is right,
  • Possessing and displaying the highest level of charity, selfless dedication and a willingness to put others first while seeking no attention for him/herself.
A role model is considered to be a person who serves as a model in a particular behavioral or social role for another person to emulate.

A person who is unusually effective or inspiring in some social role, job, etc. and so serves as a model for others, in fact very similar or synonymous with a hero.

Don’t blame Idris Jala, he doesn’t own Malaysia/Sarawak. In his daily routines, he has so many things to observe, analyze, work and implement on the table and other rooms.

Beside Datuk Temenggong Kanang Ak Langkau a veteran war hero and other heroes, Idris Jala is a role model for Dayaks too; from employee to corporate leader and then now a government ministrator. Have you ever dream to become a role model like him one day?

By the way, have anyone of you ever approach him personally and/or propose some initiatives to help the Dayaks?

Think for a second, where have all these “blames” or “pointing-fingers” or “instigating” come from?

Has it not come from You? But what has it got to do with You? Have you not done enough to resolve it?

Think and think for a second....

27 September, 2011

BEJAKO AJA – NADAI PEMANSANG?

Talk cheap – Personal Action First

I like chatting and/or writing articles while I am free. But that doesn’t mean I am not doing anything;
  • Some times I trade online on my 4x big screens
  • Some times I lock on “autotrade mode” (Wavetrader Strategies) and taking my break doing something else useful.
  • And some times I will be on the moves meeting friends and business associates to discuss on potential prospects and other matters.
I always keep myself busy and occupy; agi idup – agi gawa – udah parai nadai ko enggau meh.....hehehe....

I walk the time.

To me time management is very important and I do not want to miss every bit of it. Weekend is my family days (outing, movie and church). Motivating others is part of my social service while empowering my well being.

In the category of human achievement there are many antidotes, words of wisdom, and quotes from famous people, some long gone, and some still living.

But rather than merely reciting these cool phrases, and motivational hot buttons, perhaps you should stop talking about it all, stop sitting in committees, stop proposing "what if's", and just write down what you have so far, and commit to doing something about it.

It's easy to get ready; to take aim, to go back and get ready again, but sometimes it is most important to just pull the trigger; to start.

You can't win if you never try, and talk is cheap in business, talk is cheap and sports, about the only thing talk is good for is the courtroom or the political podium.
  • If you are a politician, perhaps you can keep on talking yourself to become a “YB”
  • If you are a lawyer maybe you can convince the jury that you actually have the better argument for the case.
  • If you are a businessman then you should always on the move to find opportunities because business never sleeps but man do.
  • If you are a priest, perhaps you can inspire more people with God’s words and keep them closer to Him.
  • If you are jobless, perhaps you should go around find suitable job for yourself and your immediate family, and start saving.
  • If you are pensioner or retiree, perhaps you should look after your health, enjoy life (good food, vacation and etc) or look after your grandchildren (if any) and finish well. Life is short and precious.
  • If you are still a student, perhaps you should focus on your studies and aim higher to achieve your “big dream” and score higher grade.
  • But if you are someone who would like to achieve something in your life, something worthy, then isn't it about time you go out and do something?
Now then, we both know all the ideas and/or quotes off the top of our heads, and we know all the slogans such as; go for it, or just do it.

What good idea it is if it still remains an idea. And yet those ideas and/or “words and phrases” don’t mean anything if you don't take action. If you don't do something about it will never happen; “NATO”?

Lastly

If you are never going to act on a single action, action will never come to you; it fly-fly away and soon be forgotten.

If you want to achieve anything in life you've got to get out and do it, you’ve to create possibility, you’ve to do something, you've got to want it, you have to care, you have to set your sites, and you have to start.

Indeed, rather than me continue this article and harp on something you already know to be true, let me end this discussion right now, and you get off the Internet, stop clowning around, get off your butt, and go do it. That's all I have to say.

DON’T GET TOO OBSESSED WITH POLITICS UNLESS YOU’RE A POLITICIAN!

26 September, 2011

IF DAYAK IS FOR DAYAK - UNITY

BESERAKUP: ENTI KA SIGI ULIH – ENTI ENGGAI ALU NADAI

  • Majak pecah
  • Majak pambar
  • Majak laboh
  • Majak carut
  • Majak nadai
  • Majak tinggal
  • Majak merinsa
  • Majak kalah

In nation building, it requires patriotism.

In Dayak unity, it requires Dayakism.

You cannot unite the Dayak in others’ shoes and/or at the mercy of others or conspired with others....if Dayak is for Dayak.

Where Unity is lacked and where uniformity is lagging and non-existence;

  • People live in isolation, loss of entity (identity), vulnerable, marginalization and discrimination.
  • People live underserved, underdeveloped and underprivileged.
  • Division leads to political instability, powerlessness, colonization and assimilation.
  • Political instability leads to injustice, corruption, double-standard, economics backwardness and social problem.
  • Economics backwardness leads to poverty, homeless, landless, hopelessness and helplessness.

In Malaysia where there is division, the people identify themselves with words like: Bumiputras, Non-Bumiputras, Muslims, Non-Muslims, Christians, Pagans, Orang Asli or Others.

As for the Dayaks, they are too divided by political ideologies and tribalism. The only possible way to unite the Dayaks (and particularly the majority Dayak Iban ethnic) irrespective of their differences (politics, cultures, adats, beliefs, associations, clans and languages) is to realize their common interest and the usefulness of working together to achieve a common goal (and not to focus on self-interest).

Building a united Dayak is to appreciate the usefulness of every part, every aspect, every strength, every weakness, every issue, every possibility and every initiative hence a common problem is best tackled through a common means; common humanity, common cause, common agenda, common adat, common culture, common togetherness, common understanding, common accommodation and common beliefs even in the darkest, deepest and sensitiveness in their disagreements.

Unity through uniformity and reconciliation cannot be achieved without forceful blending of so many opposites who think less or nothing good about the others, and never ending dispute, blaming game, pointing-finger, power greed and struggle for ‘paramountship’.

“Dayak Unity” must embrace by all (regardless of political background; pro-government or opposition or ‘atas pagar’), even the mistakes of the other people and/or miscalculated historical approach.

It needs oneness, volunteerism, togetherness, openness, forgiveness and willingness to accommodate other people’s excesses for the sake of greater power, self-governance, solidarity, equality, equitability, co-existence, sustainability, peace, harmony, positive growth, modernization and development.

LASTLY

  • Aku Iban – Aku Dayak – Bansa Aku
  • Aku Bidayuh – Aku Dayak – Bansa Aku
  • Aku Orang Ulu – Aku Dayak – Bansa Aku
  • Aku Melanau – Aku Dayak – Bansa Aku

Others:

  • Aku Dayak – Aku Malaysian – Bangsa Aku
  • Aku Melayu – Aku Malaysian – Bangsa Aku
  • Aku Cina – Aku Malaysian – Bangsa Aku
  • Aku India – Aku Malaysian – Bangsa Aku
  • Aku Sarawakian – Aku Malaysian – Bangsa Aku

You cannot unite “Dayak” through politics but you can unite “Dayak” through “Common Means”.

If you reject uniformity – you reject unity?

If you reject “Dayakism” – just drop the word “Dayak” from your vocabulary. ‘D-End’

“U pikir-pikir lah sendiri....”

16 September, 2011

SOME DAYAK ALWAYS ASSUME THEY “LACK OF CAPITAL”

Thought of the day....
  • Many people wonder how many people become poor without money, higher education or capital.
  • Many people wonder how many people become very rich without money, higher education or capital.
  • Many people wonder how many people become successful without money, higher education or capital.
This world is full of people who are born poor, and since they face lack of education and capital, they believe they cannot get a good job or start their own business or whatever.

They assume that since they lack capital, they will not make any progress by trying, so they simply leave success to destiny and wait for an opportunity to come their way.

Yet these same people wonder how some of the famous self-made millionaires or billionaires created million/billion Ringgit Empires out of nothing.

Like you, others ask how these people managed to find start up capital for starting their business, and how they succeeded without higher education. In fact, they managed to generate millions or billions and create a big empire and/or legacy.

The secret lies in developing some creative and innovative skills.

We wondered these same things so we studied the lives of these self-made millionaires or billionaires who started with small capital or even with nothing or even mortgaged a home and sank savings to start a company and/or acquire a company.

Let me tell you what surprised me: the secret lies in our own mind.

God gave each of us a brain and different gifts; we all have the power in our mind in the form of ideas that can be developed with careful planning, training and exercise.

The people who decide to develop their skills and ideas become like Tan Sri Anthony Francis Fernandes (AirAsia), Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah (Sunway Group), Tan Sri Dato Kuok (Kerry Group), and Tan Sri Dato Seri (Dr.) Lim Goh Tong (Genting Group), and others like Bill Gates (Microsoft). Other people remain poor. There are no excuses for the lack of success.

Learn from their hardships.....nothing is truly easy....no money fall from the sky without struggle, sacrifices, taking risk, big dream, creativity and innovation.

You can do more than get ahead if you develop your skills and apply them to create new services or products and create your own wealth.

What advantages do innovative skills offer you?

You can reap these advantages by developing your own creative and innovative skills:
  • You can start a business without any capital and turn it into a money making machine.
  • You may start your business with little capital and create a business empire worth millions.
  • You may start a business from home and turn it into a business empire.
  • You might make millions by selling your abilities without any investments.
  • You may turn your side or creative jobs into billions.
  • You can generate million ringgit money making ideas.
  • You may multiply or double the profits of an existing small business many times over.
  • You can create your own opportunities in any business instead of waiting for them.
  • You can easily get a high paying job by developing skills.
  • You may attract investments of millions for your profitable business projects.
  • You can make millions with others ideas, products and money when you have the right idea.
  • You can turn an ordinary product into many times of its value.
  • In some of the businesses, you can even earn more than 3000% profits against your small investments.
  • You can make millions or billions, just like self-made millionaires or billionaires, by turning your knowledge into a useful product that solves a problem for customers/clients or makes their lives better.
Developing creative talent can even turn a single ringgit into thousands.

Conclusion

There is no success without failures. There are many definitions of success. Traditionally, it is defined as the degree to which goals and expectations are met. On the other hand, one of the definitions of failure is the inability of a firm to pay its obligations when they are due.

Thank you.

11 September, 2011

CREATING DAYAK ENTREPRENEURS III

What kind of Entrepreneur are You?

The basic of becoming an entrepreneur is that you must be enterprising enough to organize and manage any business or enterprise with considerable initiative, plan, strategy and risk.

Technically there are four grouping of entrepreneurs:

1. Network Marketers

This fearless group is comprised of individuals in traditional multi-level marketing, internet marketing, direct sales or internet marketing.

This group is currently participating in a business opportunity so they have already shown their ability to take risks and make investments in themselves.

These people do not live "in a box". They do not like corporate structure or limitations. They have the ability to visualize financial security and personal freedom. So why do so many in this group fail to succeed?

Unfortunately, this industry is plagued with old school beliefs, training and false messages about "overnight success".

It has been proven that when you take this type of person and give them the proper training and personal success coaching, it is very likely they will make a full time income in the network marketing industry. Many will go on to build massive wealth.

2. Small Business Owners

These individuals are the biggest risk takers. They typically borrow six figures in order to start their businesses and are often times in a "sink or swim" situation.

The owner of a small brick business will work long hours without pay for the first few months or years of their business. It is known that most small businesses fail.

Why is that? Poor planning, lack of capital, burn out, unreliable employees and changes in the economy are common reasons businesses fail. The good news is many who fail at one small business idea go on to succeed with another.

3. Straight Commission Sales People or Brokers

I consider these individuals "entrepreneurs" because they do not have a salary to depend on, and they are often responsible for their own self-motivation and inspiration. This group must be disciplined and organized in order to succeed.

Realtors, loan officers and insurance sales people are a few positions that represent this group; and many of these people have seen their sales sharply decline due to the unstable economy.

Even the sharpest professionals in this group have been forced to find alternative methods of income during this economic downturn, and many have turned to network marketing.

4. Employee

The final group is comprised of individuals with the resolve for change. These people might be trapped in a 9 – 5 hourly job, but they know it is not for them. They are searching for the right opportunity, and they are willing to learn.


Conclusion

If you identify yourself with any of the above groups, then you are clearly in a position to achieve financial security and personal freedom!

Defining your “limitations” is the first step toward overcoming them!

Identify your strengths and weaknesses first, and you can then create a business plan that will catapult you to success.

Thank you.

CREATING DAYAK ENTREPRENEURS II

AM I AN ENTREPRENEUR?

So what is “Entrepreneur”?

“Entrepreneur” comes from a French word. It refers to a person who has new ideas, ventures or business and is willing to be accountable for any risk involved in executing it and also responsible for its outcome.

So why do you need a “Mindset” in entrepreneur?

Mindset is usually defined as the disposition or mental attitude or inclination of a person towards something.

Entrepreneurship by itself is a mindset. To be a successful entrepreneur you need creative skills and an entrepreneur mindset.

So what is “Entrepreneur Mindset”?

“Entrepreneur Mindset” is the very thing that differentiates a business owner from a self-employed. It helps set up a business, have a steady growth, develop multiple businesses, and make the most of every opportunity that comes an entrepreneur's way.

It distinguishes the business owner's approach from employee approach to the world, innovative thinking from existing ideas, and what is best from what is good.

You can have a “Business Mindset” to run the business of your choice or be an entrepreneur and start a business. You have talent and skill to market and sell a product or service, work many hours, find prospects and establish a great job.

“Entrepreneur Mindset” will help you think out of the box, constantly create, or hunt for new opportunities. It helps you to extend your creative ideas to be valuable for others in the society.

So what it takes to become an “Entrepreneur”?

"Am I an entrepreneur?" Who is to say you are or you aren't, or that you will become or will not become an Entrepreneur at some point in your life.

It might be a common question, but it is the right or wrong one to ask yourself, because how you review the situation may lead you equally into action or inaction.

Entrepreneurship is not a "Yes" or "No" phenomenon it's not something you can buy or sell. It is also not a question of either "Yes, I'm an entrepreneur" or, "No, I'm not an entrepreneur."

Entrepreneurship is not genetic. It has nothing to do with your parent's ability or chromosomes. Neither is it an inherited trait that is handed down through observation of family members.

Entrepreneurs are not born; they seem to develop out of adversity, more than from affluence. They have great passion and make things happen because of their will to succeed through gained skills and knowledge that support this passion.

Notes: Yes it is topped with a bit of luck of being in the right place at the right time in some cases.

You can however learn and enhance the skills that make all entrepreneurs successful; the passion? Well we will leave that up to you!

So where do we begin?

Perhaps start by asking yourself the right question:

Ask: "How can I learn what I need to know, and improve my entrepreneurial skills to maximize my chances of succeeding?"

That's the right question because successful entrepreneurs learn to develop and strengthen their personal power skills. Don't give up on yourself before realizing that you can develop these skills.

Conclusion

Becoming a successful entrepreneur is within your grasp if you really want to make it happen. It all falls back to the passion you hold. Have "No or little passion" and you will procrastinate, develop self-doubt and in a short time you will fail.

Hold your passion and the boundaries to wealth creation are limited only by your own vision. Passion allows you to drive through, to endure and become creative, where others lacking the passion faultier.

Thank you.

CREATING DAYAK ENTREPRENEURS I

How do you know if “Entrepreneur” is right for You?
  • Dayaks are poor
  • Dayaks lack of employment
  • Dayaks are mostly employees and/or government servants
  • Dayaks lack of business opportunity
  • Dayaks are underprivileged
  • Dayaks are underdeveloped
  • Dayaks are far behind in economics as compare to others
  • Dayaks lack of capital
  • Dayaks do not any listed company
  • Dayaks lack of corporate exposure
Dayaks are looking into business ownership as a means to supplement, or even replace their current or former incomes. Some Dayaks say that “with big funds” they can achieved success in business ownership. But how do you know if entrepreneurship is a good fit for you?

Before you quit your job (or even take on a part-time entrepreneurial enterprise), here's a short checklist that compares and contrasts the differences between being an employee and an entrepreneur.

Different Values

The term "entrepreneur" is derived from the French language and means "one who undertakes (some task)". Entrepreneurship is indeed an enormous undertaking.
Many of the qualities that make people great employees do not translate well into entrepreneurship, and vice versa.

Both employees and entrepreneurs want the same thing: financial stability. But employees and entrepreneurs have completely different values, and therefore, take different approaches to achieving financial stability. Identifying which group to align with is one of the very first tasks to accomplish.

Views on Failure

Many of us were raised to try and avoid mistakes, as their consequences can be dire and difficult to rebound from. As a result, many people fear failure, are risk averse, and will hesitate, or even neglect, to take necessary courses of action in their businesses.

An entrepreneur understands that it is impossible to avoid risk, and failure is sometimes a reality of doing business, but is never finite.

Entrepreneurs consider failure, but only as part of determining the most direct route towards an outcome, and should never be feared or avoided.

Delegation

Most employees buy into the idea that each person should be judged and rewarded for their individual efforts. Consequently, many employees spend their time specializing in particular fields where they can be lauded as "the best" in that area.

Entrepreneurs believe in cooperation as a means of getting more done with fewer resources, and they leverage the individual talents of many towards a common goal.

Security versus Freedom

Many people that go into entrepreneurship do so as a means to seek the security they feel is lacking at their jobs. The problem with this mentality is that many business ventures require time, and sometimes major adjustments, before turning a profit, making security extremely illusive.

An entrepreneur goes into a venture to express a level of freedom that cannot be achieved as an employee.

Many entrepreneurs sacrifice their own personal security for the sake of creating a stable enterprise, refraining from taking money out of the business in the initial stages, which sometimes lasts for months, or even a few years.

Innovation

Many people do better as employees because they prefer to be supervised. Employees prefer to leave the actual strategy and much of the big picture planning to the executives and supervisors.

On the other hand, entrepreneurs look for opportunities to improve old systems or create new ones. They are self motivated and require very little supervision.

Evaluating Opportunities

Employees tend to judge opportunities based primarily on cost in ringgits and cents. Employees prefer to trade their time for the predictability of a steady paycheck. Entrepreneurs evaluate opportunities based on value.

Entrepreneurs often leverage money to save time and other resources, or they trade their time for the prospect of learning a needed skill or building a business relationship.

Responsibility

Employees prefer to take responsibility for their own work or projects they are directly in-charge of. Many employees do not feel directly responsible for the success or well-being of the company they work for as a whole.

Entrepreneurs prefer that the company's success begin and end with them. They take responsibility for everything that happens, whether or not their direct actions are involved.

Conclusion

In closing, there is no right or wrong way to travel the road to financial stability. There are both pros and cons to each approach.

Making an honest assessment of yourself and your inclination towards one method or the other will save you a great deal of time, effort, frustration and expense. But as usual, don't just take my word for it...takes it for checking!

Business is not employment. Business is about development for more business. Your primary business is to generate as many profits as possible. Zero profit your business will kaput and close shop.

Thank you

WHEN WE ARE SINCERE WE.....

My thoughts of the day

  • Can be counted on to be honest and trustworthy
  • Remain faithful and keep our word-making only promises that we can keep
  • Are dependable and consistent in our words and actions
  • Mean what we say and do not mislead with lies
  • Are motivated by love that is genuine
  • Can be our real selves and not be phony
  • Will not deceive others for our own selfish means
  • Do not flatter others to get our way
  • Do not take advantage of others’ ignorance or innocence
  • Have integrity and exemplify good morals

What can I do?

  • If I can’t help you, I help myself first.
  • If I can’t help the Dayak, I help myself first.
  • If I can’t help myself, I can’t help my own family.
  • If I can’t help myself, I can’t feed my ownself.

Being truthful and sincere to yourself can make you a better human being. Be true to yourself will set you free.

Thank you.

JUST DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND DO WHAT YOU BELIEF IS TRUE!

My thoughts of the day.

It all comes in your heart. If you’re sincere to yourself then there is nothing to fear in Life.

We all live once and do your level best to finish well in Life. You’re all my Dayak brothers/sisters and in Christ.

Again being true to yourself and others requires us to be our true-selves rather than manipulate others into believing we are someone we’re really not. Sincerity is most evident when we are honest and truthful with others.

No one likes to be lied to and/or deceived. Lies and deception destroy trust.

Betrayal of trust is probably the worst relationship pain we can experience. And we have seen too much of betrays and mistrust, and that have halt us from moving forward with success and prosperity.
  • Without trust, relationships do not have a strong and solid foundation upon which to be built.
  • Without trust we may question and doubt that we are truly loved.
  • Without trust we trust no one.
  • Without trust we lose our land and resources.
  • Without trust we lose our pride and courage.
  • Without trust we lose our rights and privileges.
  • Without trust we lose our territories and sovereignty.
  • Without trust we lose our brotherhood, esprit-de-coup, comradeship and unity.
  • Without trust we live poverty, distrait and landless.
  • Without trust we let others rule and divide us apart.
  • Without trust we blame and fire-up each other.
It is only when there is a real/genuine trust that we feel safe enough to open up our hearts to others and grow more sincere in our love, togetherness and in Unity.

Thank you.

05 September, 2011

ASK WHERE IBANS CAN IMPROVE?

Can Ibans build, strengthen and achieve Unity?

I have written this word “unity” many times herein this weblog and other blogs, and I wonder where I have overlooked it?

Today, I would rather mention “Ibans” here than using the word ‘Dayaks’ because they are the problems and this is where it all starts.

If Ibans cannot unite no other Dayaks can ever unite; simply because they are the majority in Dayak ethnic tribes. We can only use “Dayak” when all natives can unite in togetherness.

“Seagi-agi Batang Ai enda ulih besatup enggau Batang Hajang nyadi ‘Ai Hajang’ (pasang begulai – surut sejalai) seagi-agi nya meh bansa kitai Iban/Bansa Dayak enda ulih beserakup begulai sejalai ngering ka bansa diri.....”

When there is “TOGETHERNESS” there is likely to be;
  • more strength in opinion
  • more strength in action
  • more strength in power
  • more strength in command
  • more strength in character
  • more strength in economics
  • more strength in development
  • more strength in demanding
  • more strength in courage
  • more strength in productivity
  • more strength in almost every positive things
This is a very simple and obvious fact that, if one person tries his hands on some job, he will manage much less than what a group effort will achieve. This, in all simplicity what “BESERAKUP” is all about.

The path we have walked for decades is proving to be very unsettled, so is this a hint we need to embrace change and transform for betterment or what?

History repeats incessantly but still we retain the familiar unless some group or other initiates such a revolutionary effect that we cannot help but be swept along with the tide.

Why do we wait for such people, is it our fear of failure preventing us from advancing towards the horizons of our dreams?

UNITY is strength or what?
  • Unity will never happen if we struggle behind others
  • Unity is likely when we work as ‘islanders’ (not an island)
  • Unity is all about building relationship, compromise and mutual understanding.
  • Unity fail because it lack of “Ethnic Pride” with no clear identity
  • Unity comes when we understand that we need each other
  • Unity fail because people have low self-esteem and with conflict of personality
  • Unity is about “T.E.A.M.” (Together Everyone Act Mutually) to achieve success
  • Unity fail without a vision and “Future Picture”
Where Dayak civilization can improve?

You might ask where indigenous Dayak civilization can improve. The Dayak world is full of unhappiness, depression, misguided beings? Is it?

Those who feel oppressed are the same ones who try to destroy the path towards happiness; the path that will give them what they don’t want.

It requires nothing more then a sense of true awareness and belief in a loving God; not one who is portrayed as being unfair or vengeful. Life is all about acceptance and not separatism.

All people are from one unifying energy; We are the Borneons – we are the islanders – we are the world, but the world is who you are.

Why not take time to pray for the resurrection of the souls and minds of those who are misunderstanding the bounty of love, esprit-de-coup and the beauty of life?

Why are Native Dayaks not as prosperous or as united as other ethnic groups in Malaysia?

The candid answer is:

We are the only ethnic group in Malaysia who does not have linkage with its indigenous ancestors; thus, there is no linkage to our indigenous culture. Our indigenous culture is part of our nature. We are the nature – we are the ecological utopias!

In essence, we are not living according to our nature; therefore, we are dysfunctional as a people.

Living the “Malaysian Way of Life” or “Bolehland” without any true understanding of our own culture has been a major reason why we have not reached our true potential here in Malaysia.

With the above candid answer should make it easier, for Dayak scholars, teachers, community leaders as well as national leaders, to galvanize our people towards seeking the truth about our indigenous cultures, adats, traditions and spiritual philosophies.

Many prominent Dayak political leaders shy away from being called “Dayak” (while others also refer them as ‘Lakian’, ‘Bumiputra @son of land’, ‘Orang Ulu @rural people’, ‘Orang Utan @jungle people’, ‘Lain-lain @others’, ‘Sea Dayak @Dayak Laut and ‘Land Dayak @Dayak Darat’) and/or from speaking from a Dayak perspective for fear of alienating other ethnic groups.

This is extremely silly, because other ethnic groups could care less about what we think about them and how they stand united and prideful of their ethnicity; “Malays”, “Chinese”, “Indians”, “Baba Nyonya”, “Orang Asli”, etc.

Lastly

I want to put it in a few words;

We are descendants of a great and mighty people; we need to stop looking at ourselves as minorities or as some helpless people who need others to help us. If you’re known as “Native” then you’re the first people of Borneo.

Thank you.

STATUS: YOU ARE A PRO-OPPOSITION INDEED.

Let us assume this scenario happening in your constituency:

You’re living in Mukah/Balingian (where the majority is Melanau Muslims and the minority are Non-Muslims; Ibans and Chinese).

You’re a voter in Balingian (N51) which is a strong political based of our current Chief Minister.

You already know that the vast majority of the voters in your area are “Pro-Government” or “Pro-BN”.

You already know you’re a “little cico” in your area and you already know that you’re already on a loosing end. Technically – No chance of winning the election.

  • What would you do?
  • Whom would you vote?

“U Pikir-Pikir Lah Sendiri”

Thank you.

ADAT MAIN POLITIK

Politics is all about the "Blame Game"

In politics I presume there is no such thing like “Love thy neighbour as thyself” but “Love thy voters to win thy election”.

However, in philanthropic/holistic mission, it is appropriate for you to apply “Love thy neighbour as thyself”.

But Politics is no charitable platform; it’s all about power, portfolio, command-control and divide, authority, policing, self-interest, party interest and capitalist interest (do come first).

Any party who took over the government still has to tax the peoples (tax payer money) to run their ministration and channel the money (budget) for relevant state/national development plan(s).

How fair these politicians are, only God knows. We can only predict and/or make certain assumption that they will honor their “election fiesta promises”.

But how many “party manifestos” are truly implemented after each election, we all have seen it; whether it is in Pro-Opposition areas/states and/or Pro-Government areas/states.

What? Are you sure? Politics is all about “Blame Game”.

So, how do we respond to an event of this magnitude? Politicians blame other politicians. Poor people blame the rich. Some people want the government to put a band-aid on everything and make it all better.

All of that is a waste of time. It doesn’t solve anything. And, it doesn’t help or change your personal circumstances.

I’m sure we could all look back on our past and remember incidents in our lives where we were injured or treated unfairly.

Trying to figure out who is to blame will solve nothing. Being upset and angry is a waste of your precious time and energy.

Allowing yourself to become full of fear will not help you to get to a personal solution.

What to do next??
  • First, stop and take breath. You are still breathing – You are indeed alive!
  • You’re the main problem – You’re the solution provider!
Don’t let others used you. Use your knowledge, strength, initiative and capacity/capability to empower yourself and/or enhance your personal needs and wants first (personal economy).

Don’t allow yourself to emotionally react without thinking. Next, stop dwelling on what you have lost or may loose or unfortunate circumstances.

Instead, look at what you have and be thankful. Thank God every day for everything that you have!

What important next is, just prioritize and focus on your personal and family life first and always. Personal Needs First, Personal Development A Priority!

Then, ask God to help you with your personal situations. Look to Him for guidance and direction. Could there ever be a time when the situation would be so bad that God could not help? If there is, then you need to get another God!

Finally, manage your life, your affairs and your family with wisdom and discretion. I did not say, “With fear”. Acting out of fear will only bring negative results into your life.

Think things through and make the best decisions that you can. If you need financial counsel, then get it.

Above all, put your trust and confidence in God as your Supplier! No, it doesn’t mean that you just put your head in the sand and act like nothing is going on.

It doesn’t mean that we do nothing and think, “Well, God’s just got to do something”. No....We trust God for His help, but we take action without fear, moving ahead one step at a time.

It is easy to sing praises unto God when everything is going just fine. It’s easy to say that we love God and that He is so wonderful when there is no pressure. But when you are up against the wall, you will find out if you really believe that He is really real!

I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that our God is both able and willing to help, regardless of the “negative circumstances” or being poor or underprivileged or oversight for that matter. Do whatever you need to do to get convinced of that!

Refuse to react. Refuse to be motivated by fear. Instead, respond with trust in our delivering and powerful God, Who loves you unconditionally! God is still on the throne!

This I learn each time I reach-up to God.

Thanks be to God!

04 September, 2011

DOES RURAL POVERTY A CURSE TO DAYAK?

Are you born poor?
  • Does born a Dayak doom you to discrimination and marginalization?
  • Does poverty doom you to failure?
  • Does being “rural people” doom you to become undereducated, underserved, underprivileged and underdeveloped?
If you grew up poor, like I did, you may have taken on beliefs that are limiting. You may feel that you are lacking in some way, or that there are not enough of the things that you need. While that may have been true in the past, it doesn't need to define who you are now.

Many of the world's greatest leaders, teachers, business people and healers once led lives of poverty or faced enormous challenges, yet they overcame all of them to achieve goals beyond what anyone expected of them. You can, too.

While this would come as a surprise to many people who know me now, I grew up poor in the heartland of the richest state in Malaysia. Our family moved more than 5 times before I was 11 years old; during those years we had weeks on end where all we had to eat was rice and “kicap”, and we were grateful to have that.

I wore hand-me-down clothing, torn recycle shoes, rubber-bend as pencil eraser, home cook food, home coffee bottle until the secondary school years.

My little story: During Form 3 break, I worked as an ‘underage fisherman’ at Sungei Merah, Sibu boating in the sea for 2 weeks with monthly pay of RM140.00 and some extra catch to bring back home to feed my little brothers. At Form 5 break, I work as a daily paid laborer; RM4.50 per day in a small housing construction company earning extra income for my family. Other - helping my parent farming at our little farm at Sg. Aup, Sibu; planting and harvest paddy.

I endured the ridicule of my peers, and the shame that lack brings. Needless to say, those years were extremely challenging and sickening. Life those days isn’t easy like “KFC”, “MacDonald”, “Kenny Rogers”, "Fish & Chips" lifestyle, etc today.

Nevertheless, I was a little smart and did well in school. I became determined that one day I would live as I chose. As I was maturing, I kept my eye always on the life I one day wanted to lead, regardless of where I might be along the way towards it.

Now I live a life I could never have dreamed possible as a youngster. So have others whose beginnings were humble or even more challenging.

You do not have to be "born with a silver spoon in your mouth" to become wildly successful. You just need a few ingredients that are available to anyone:
  • Clear vision about what you want. Make it shine and sing!
  • Determination. Never give up.
  • Objectivity. Get a new perspective; look from a different angle; try stuff out.
  • Get over your fear of failure. Use everything that happens as a way to improve.
  • Have complete faith in your own ability to transcend each and every "obstacle" that appears; there are solutions for all of them. Your job is to discover and use them.
Your beginnings do not determine your endings; that is within your power and obligation to perfect. Take steps right now to make your life exactly the way you want it.

Thank you.