Our 5th Intake Graduates!

Our 5th Intake graduated on 29th March 2006 : I was looking for the ONE photo that could represent them and this is it. This photo was made possible courtesy of Amos who bought 3 bottles of non-alcoholic bubbly. True to their nature, the advertising guys mixed the C, M and Y coloured champagne to produce this rainbow. Sigh ...

Meet The Graduates

This isn't a complete group shot though, there are 13 of them but some had gone home already, and our dear Programme Director had gone off for futsal. Thanks to Norman, we have loads of great photos (never realised how good looking all the grads are! Awesome job, Norman, thankie lots!)

Posing With The Panelists

I love these panelists! They took time off to come and listen so patiently to 11 presentations and give their honest feedback. They're great guys : ECD of McCann Erickson Szu (who actually came for the Nasi Goreng Kampong). ECD of TBWA-ISC Bas Moreu (who actually liked something this time - apart fom Shahnaz I mean hehehe), Steven Ang, Film Director & CD of Oxygen Channel (my old, old buddy from the Neil French days), and Kelvin Long, CD & Boss of Lucideas (my first student who has now set up his own award winning agency). Can you spot them?

One Day Workshops for Copywriters

Heard about the 95% One Day Workshops yet? Click on the title if you haven't. And would you please forward it to anyone whom you think may be interested. Thanks!

Need inspiration?

This video featuring Chris Bliss is just awesome, a great reminder that there IS no limit to what a human being can achieve. Enjoy ... (click on the title to view)

Holding on to a Soap Bubble

Believing in myself is like trying to hold on to a soap bubble. Try too hard and it collapses.

Just like if I try too hard to DO things and TELL MYSELF that I AM GOOD ENOUGH, there's a voice inside me that says "Yeah, right" ... and then I crumble.

So I am learning to not do so much, but just be open and trust.

Like opening my palm to allow the soap bubble to rest upon it may be the best way, the only way to hold a soap bubble without bursting it - this morning when I was looking at what I have created in the past 30 days, I saw that the miracles appeared when I apparently did nothing but believe and be true to my stand of creating Peace, Love and Joy in this world.

In 4 separate instances, I was faced with a challenge and all I did was to think of the best possible outcome - and believe that it would happen - strange thing is, I did not put much energy into believing and believing and believing that it would work.

I just believed. And let it be.

Am I explaining this clearly? Hmmmm ...

(Thanks Sue for giving me feedback that this makes sense! And look - I managed to put the pix! Yay!)

It's not how much you do, it's how much you care

We just finished conducting the second SHINE training for the 4As. Once again, the results are breathtaking! The 33 participants are just so amazing, so inspiring. Each and everyone of them has left an imprint on my life, for which I will always be grateful.

There are many learnings that I gained. And this one stands out as the one I MUST write about first.

This is about Illyaz, one of the facilitators and my dear, dear friend. He reminded me that all you need to do is love, and everything will fall into place. This man just gave himself to his group. Totally! He let them know how much he cared for each one, and he opened up to allow them to care for him too. By being open and vulnerable, he created a space filled with love and care, a space that was simply inspiring.

Illyaz, you have given us all the greatest gift ever : the gift of your heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I was reminded of the saying "People don't care how much you know, they only care about how much you care."

If you're reading this, try it out today. See what happens when your friends, colleagues, and even clients get that you truly, truly care about them.

Wishing everyone a beautiful, love-filled Monday!

Shadow & Light Part 2

Hmmm, no accident I stopped where I did in the last entry.

I have some new insights now : if I only see the light in people and ignore the shadow, I am in a way, living in denial and avoiding - so yes, it is living a fluffhead fantasy. And since I can't lie to myself and get away with it, I would know. And the person would also know.

What I would do differently from now on is to acknowledge the shadows that i see and either care enough to give honest feedback. Or just keep focussing on the light and magnify that until the light shines brighter than the shadows.

Be real. See things as they are. And then work on it.