Wow ! so fast, we are now stepping into the month of October.
For many people that I know, especially those who works in sales line, October is an important month, because it marks the beginning of the last quarter.
And why last quarter is important? because normally that's the time where they will really run all the way until end of the year to clear their yearly target, year end quota or even run to get their promotion, bonus, awards, etc.
If I can give an analogy of a running competition, normally the last quarter is like a final lap, which is going to determine whether you will end the race victoriously as a winner or not. It is the Final Sprint.
Whether you have closed a lot of cases in the past 9 months, or whether you didn't manage to close any cases, it doesn't really matter. Because in race, it's not about how you start, it's about how you end it. And that's what this final sprint is all about.
One of the things that you need in order to excel in this final sprint is ATTITUDE.
Your courage and belief in yourself will be tested many, many times in your life. Especially in this Final Sprint.
How you will react is up to you.
Do you believe in yourself?
Have you been able to overcome adversity before?
Do you have the necessary tools to help you through the difficulty?
If you answered to all the above questions is YES, then I am happy because then I know that you can use that tools to get up - each time you get knocked down. Most of us have been knocked hard, more than once, more than twice. With the proper tools, we didn't let it destroy our life or our image and confident of ourselves. We thought, "Okay, there is some lesson here I need to learn", and moved forward again
For those who couldn't pick themselves back up - there's hope. You can do it too - it will take time, commitment, action and determination. You will need to surround yourself with tools that can help you break through your barriers. Like a mechanic, we all need tools to help us refine our skills for dealing with disappointment, hurt, anger and grief.
Tools can come in many forms:
1. Written material, like nice inspiration quote or article
2. Recorded material, such as motivation songs, video, etc
3. Images, for example, a photo of your loved ones, a photo of your past achievement, a picture of your future goals, your dream book, vision board, and many more.
4. And of course, people. Some one who can give you encouragement when you are down, some one who can listen and understand you, or it could even be someone who can nag and nag and nag at you. It could be your family member, your friends, your colleague, your team mates, your boss, your manager, etc.
Usually you will have to try many, before you find the right combination. But once you do, look out! All of a sudden the light bulb will go off in your head and you will think, "I get it, I understand what I have to do to move forward".
Do something nice for yourself this weekend - take a minute to reflect on what you want to happen in this Final Sprint and then start looking for the tools that will help you complete your plan.
Love,
Merry Riana
www.MerryRiana.com.sg
Showing posts with label personal development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal development. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
20 + 1 ways to make others happy
Continuing from my yesterday post,
Let me share with you few tips that you can do to brighten up someone's day
1. Look them in the eyes and say: "You are beautiful"
2. Give a free hug
3. Send them some cute or funny video from youtube
4. Secretly leave them a thank you notes
5. Help them carry something.
6. Buy them breakfast
7. Give compliment publicly
8. Say Thank You
9. Lend a listening ear
10. Just call to ask how they're doing
11. Cook for them
12. Make coffee for them
13. Write good comments on their facebook
14. Say I Love You :)
15. Send a thoughtful sms
16. Be there with them
17. Give them a nice massage
18. Remember their birthday
19. Give them a helping hand
20. Tell a joke
Last but not least, my favorite one:
21. SMILE :)
Your positive smile will surely make someone happy today! :)
Love,
Merry Riana
www.MerryRiana.com.sg
Let me share with you few tips that you can do to brighten up someone's day
1. Look them in the eyes and say: "You are beautiful"
2. Give a free hug
3. Send them some cute or funny video from youtube
4. Secretly leave them a thank you notes
5. Help them carry something.
6. Buy them breakfast
7. Give compliment publicly
8. Say Thank You
9. Lend a listening ear
10. Just call to ask how they're doing
11. Cook for them
12. Make coffee for them
13. Write good comments on their facebook
14. Say I Love You :)
15. Send a thoughtful sms
16. Be there with them
17. Give them a nice massage
18. Remember their birthday
19. Give them a helping hand
20. Tell a joke
Last but not least, my favorite one:
21. SMILE :)
Your positive smile will surely make someone happy today! :)
Love,
Merry Riana
www.MerryRiana.com.sg
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Make someone happy today !
Why people do volunteer work?
Some people do it because they find something they are passionate about and want to do something good for others, another probably think that they are very fortunate to live the way they do and want to give something back to society. Or it could even be for personal growth, volunteers often say that the experience has made them a better person.
There are number of different reasons we do charity work, bring flowers to a friend in the hospital, or buy a special gift for someone we love when we're out shopping. And one of the reason is because it makes us happy. Sometimes in fact, being kind and considerate to others actually benefits us more than the people we're helping.
Even if our activities initially starts out as a chore or an obligation, it can become a joy to us, as well as to those who benefit from our effort.
The real happiness consists in making others happy.
Have you done anything that makes someone happy today? :)
Well, even if your answer is NO, it's never too late.
Hopefully after reading this, you can start thinking: "Is there something that I can do to make someone happy?" It doesn't have to be big or spectacular. Even a simple message expressing how much you appreciate someone's friendship can be very powerful.
You cannot always have happiness,
but you can always give happiness.
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Some people do it because they find something they are passionate about and want to do something good for others, another probably think that they are very fortunate to live the way they do and want to give something back to society. Or it could even be for personal growth, volunteers often say that the experience has made them a better person.
There are number of different reasons we do charity work, bring flowers to a friend in the hospital, or buy a special gift for someone we love when we're out shopping. And one of the reason is because it makes us happy. Sometimes in fact, being kind and considerate to others actually benefits us more than the people we're helping.
Even if our activities initially starts out as a chore or an obligation, it can become a joy to us, as well as to those who benefit from our effort.
The real happiness consists in making others happy.
Have you done anything that makes someone happy today? :)
Well, even if your answer is NO, it's never too late.
Hopefully after reading this, you can start thinking: "Is there something that I can do to make someone happy?" It doesn't have to be big or spectacular. Even a simple message expressing how much you appreciate someone's friendship can be very powerful.
You cannot always have happiness,
but you can always give happiness.
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Monday, September 21, 2009
How to gain back your momentum after a long holiday?
I just logged on to my facebook, and saw that many of my friends' status said something like: "No more holidays, back to work tomorrow"
Hahaha... yeah.. we just ended our long holiday here in Singapore, and sad to say that tomorrow, we have to be back to reality.
I know some of you probably right now are still in a 'holiday mood' and definitely not ready to get back to work tomorrow or start your daily activities.
Well, that's why I decided to give you a few tips that you can use to get back your momentum, so that tomorrow, you will be recharged again and ready to be your best!
Tips #1.
Wake up early ! Jump off your bed and shout out loud "This is going to be my best day!"
Tips #2.
Prepare only the best.
Wear your best clothes, spray your nicest perfume and of course take your time to enjoy your favorite breakfast with your morning coffee.
Tips #3
Be Positive.
On the way to your workplace, surround yourself with positive things and positive people. Listen to your favorite inspirational songs from your ipod, or tune in to your favorite radio station :) And don't forget to SMILE and greet at least 5 person that you meet that morning.
Tips #4
Have a plan.
By now you should already reach your working place and already feel very good. It's time to start your work. Well, before you start doing anything, it is important for you to know what you want to do for a day. You should have a plan (things to do list). If you don't have, then start making one.
Tips #5.
Create a schedule.
This is also important to get you starting. Scheduling a time ensures that you don’t put the activity off because you don’t feel like it or because something comes up.
Tips #6.
Just do it !
Don’t stop to pause and wonder if you really FEEL like doing this today. Coz you know what? You won’t! Just walk out the door, or sit down at the desk, or start doing things that you've already plan to do and already in your schedule (that's why having schedule is important!).
Remember, you need to build your momentum back. And taking action builds the enthusiasm.
Tips #7
Celebrate your day.
Without your realize, you probably already completed most of the things that you've plan today. Congrats! just a little bit more, and that's the end of your first day at work after your holiday.
You are almost there !
Once you've done so, you definitely deserve a little celebration.
Go and have dinner with your loved one, or your friends.
But remember... don't over celebrate and don't sleep to late, because the next day, you have to be at work again :) Taking an MC just after 1 day of working definitely is not advisable :p
Well, that's my tips for you. I hope the 7 tips that I just shared with you will help you gain back your momentum and will help you to make tomorrow your best day.
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Hahaha... yeah.. we just ended our long holiday here in Singapore, and sad to say that tomorrow, we have to be back to reality.
I know some of you probably right now are still in a 'holiday mood' and definitely not ready to get back to work tomorrow or start your daily activities.
Well, that's why I decided to give you a few tips that you can use to get back your momentum, so that tomorrow, you will be recharged again and ready to be your best!
Tips #1.
Wake up early ! Jump off your bed and shout out loud "This is going to be my best day!"
Tips #2.
Prepare only the best.
Wear your best clothes, spray your nicest perfume and of course take your time to enjoy your favorite breakfast with your morning coffee.
Tips #3
Be Positive.
On the way to your workplace, surround yourself with positive things and positive people. Listen to your favorite inspirational songs from your ipod, or tune in to your favorite radio station :) And don't forget to SMILE and greet at least 5 person that you meet that morning.
Tips #4
Have a plan.
By now you should already reach your working place and already feel very good. It's time to start your work. Well, before you start doing anything, it is important for you to know what you want to do for a day. You should have a plan (things to do list). If you don't have, then start making one.
Tips #5.
Create a schedule.
This is also important to get you starting. Scheduling a time ensures that you don’t put the activity off because you don’t feel like it or because something comes up.
Tips #6.
Just do it !
Don’t stop to pause and wonder if you really FEEL like doing this today. Coz you know what? You won’t! Just walk out the door, or sit down at the desk, or start doing things that you've already plan to do and already in your schedule (that's why having schedule is important!).
Remember, you need to build your momentum back. And taking action builds the enthusiasm.
Tips #7
Celebrate your day.
Without your realize, you probably already completed most of the things that you've plan today. Congrats! just a little bit more, and that's the end of your first day at work after your holiday.
You are almost there !
Once you've done so, you definitely deserve a little celebration.
Go and have dinner with your loved one, or your friends.
But remember... don't over celebrate and don't sleep to late, because the next day, you have to be at work again :) Taking an MC just after 1 day of working definitely is not advisable :p
Well, that's my tips for you. I hope the 7 tips that I just shared with you will help you gain back your momentum and will help you to make tomorrow your best day.
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Saturday, September 19, 2009
$86,400
2 days ago, someone asked me: "If I have some spare cash, what would I want to buy?"
I looked at her and told her my answer, which is TIME.
For me, time is precious, and there never seem to be enough of it.
Ironically, many of people forget its value.
Sometimes time flies just like that without they realise where does it go?
And if you are one of them, hopefully you will appreciate it more after you read this:
Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.
What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!!!! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success!
The clock is running. Make the most of today.
· To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
· To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
· To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
· To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
· To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
· To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
· To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.
And what did I do today?
After my long and busy week I choose to spend all my day today with my precious little angel, Alvernia.
And I loved every single moment of it !
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
I looked at her and told her my answer, which is TIME.
For me, time is precious, and there never seem to be enough of it.
Ironically, many of people forget its value.
Sometimes time flies just like that without they realise where does it go?
And if you are one of them, hopefully you will appreciate it more after you read this:
Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.
What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!!!! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success!
The clock is running. Make the most of today.
· To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
· To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
· To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
· To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
· To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
· To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
· To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.
And what did I do today?
After my long and busy week I choose to spend all my day today with my precious little angel, Alvernia.
And I loved every single moment of it !
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
When should I give up on my goal and dream ?
I just did my talk in NUS this evening. It was part of my non-profit project that I have, which is called Pay It Forward. It was a wonderful session, and I enjoyed myself sharing my experiences with the students there :)
Not long ago, I received a message in my facebook from one of the student who attended my talk earlier on. He told me that he has been working hard to pursue his dream but he is still far from what he wanted to be. He asked me how can he know when to stop and when to continue doing?
It is actually an interesting questions, why I said interesting?? Because I believe many of us, including myself had probably asked that kind of question to ourselves sometimes.
So I decided to write this blog to answer his interesting question.
If you are wandering what will be my answer? Well… follow this closely..
In my opinion, whether you are not sure about what you do is the correct thing or whether is this the correct choice for you, or whether is this something that will help you in the future, there’s only 3 tips that I want to share with you.
1. Just Take Action first!
It is better to make a wrong decision rather than make no decision. So if you are not sure, you are still doubtful, just go for it first, if not then you wouldn’t know
2. Take Action wholeheartedly
This is important because I believe the quality of your action will determine the quality of your results. There is a huge different in results from someone who really give 100% in whatever that he do, and those people who just doing it for the sake of doing it.
You might think that you already working very hard by working 10-14 hrs per day. But I’m sorry to tell you that working hard is not only determine by how many hrs you worked.
Once you know the first 2 steps, by now you probably will still ask the ultimately question which is when do you give up on one pathway in life and move to another? When do you quit?
This is the time where I’m going to share with you the 3rd key, which is Faith !
3. Have FAITH
I believe in one thing: “Do your best and God will do the rest”
I believe that as long as I’ve done my part, taking action and giving my 100%, I’ll let God lead me to where He want me to be and what He want me to do.
And how would I know that? Well, If this is the ‘right’ thing for me, I'm sure He will make me see progress and growth. He will give me passion towards what I’m doing and He will also give me sense of fulfillment. Somehow I’ll find peace and I just know it.
Similarly, when do I know whether I should give up on one pathway in life and move to another? The answer is simple, when I have an alternative path that will give me more growth, passion and fulfillment.
So, if currently you are pursuing your dream and you don’t think you are going to achieve it, the question of whether or not to quit doesn’t depend on your chance of success. The real question is whether pursuing this dream is causing you to grow? Does this path fill you with passion and enthusiasm? Do you feel alive?
If the path you are on currently is giving you the greatest growth, passion and fulfillment, just continue doing. It doesn’t matter whether you ever reach your destination because success is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes the doing is more important than the outcome.
Love,Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Not long ago, I received a message in my facebook from one of the student who attended my talk earlier on. He told me that he has been working hard to pursue his dream but he is still far from what he wanted to be. He asked me how can he know when to stop and when to continue doing?
It is actually an interesting questions, why I said interesting?? Because I believe many of us, including myself had probably asked that kind of question to ourselves sometimes.
So I decided to write this blog to answer his interesting question.
If you are wandering what will be my answer? Well… follow this closely..
In my opinion, whether you are not sure about what you do is the correct thing or whether is this the correct choice for you, or whether is this something that will help you in the future, there’s only 3 tips that I want to share with you.
1. Just Take Action first!
It is better to make a wrong decision rather than make no decision. So if you are not sure, you are still doubtful, just go for it first, if not then you wouldn’t know
2. Take Action wholeheartedly
This is important because I believe the quality of your action will determine the quality of your results. There is a huge different in results from someone who really give 100% in whatever that he do, and those people who just doing it for the sake of doing it.
You might think that you already working very hard by working 10-14 hrs per day. But I’m sorry to tell you that working hard is not only determine by how many hrs you worked.
Once you know the first 2 steps, by now you probably will still ask the ultimately question which is when do you give up on one pathway in life and move to another? When do you quit?
This is the time where I’m going to share with you the 3rd key, which is Faith !
3. Have FAITH
I believe in one thing: “Do your best and God will do the rest”
I believe that as long as I’ve done my part, taking action and giving my 100%, I’ll let God lead me to where He want me to be and what He want me to do.
And how would I know that? Well, If this is the ‘right’ thing for me, I'm sure He will make me see progress and growth. He will give me passion towards what I’m doing and He will also give me sense of fulfillment. Somehow I’ll find peace and I just know it.
Similarly, when do I know whether I should give up on one pathway in life and move to another? The answer is simple, when I have an alternative path that will give me more growth, passion and fulfillment.
So, if currently you are pursuing your dream and you don’t think you are going to achieve it, the question of whether or not to quit doesn’t depend on your chance of success. The real question is whether pursuing this dream is causing you to grow? Does this path fill you with passion and enthusiasm? Do you feel alive?
If the path you are on currently is giving you the greatest growth, passion and fulfillment, just continue doing. It doesn’t matter whether you ever reach your destination because success is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes the doing is more important than the outcome.
Love,
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Monday, September 14, 2009
Change your life, Change your habit !
What is a secret of success?
Well, if there is an answer to that I think the answer will be one word called: HABIT.
Successful people are successful because they form the habits of doing those things that failures don't like to do.
Is it a good news or a bad news? It is definitely a good news ! because forming a good habit actually it is not as difficult as it seems.
We all know that your habits will form your futures. And if you do not deliberately form good habits, unconsciously you will form bad ones. You are the kind of person you are because you have formed the habit of being that kind of person. The only way you can change is through habit.
Maybe you are not even aware of them but if you are not quite living up to your full capabilities, the chances are that bad habit or lack of good habits are slowing you down. If that’s how it is with you, it’s time to change bad habits to good.
When I first started my entrepreneurship journey I was in the sales industry. And I couldn't agree more that having a daily good habit has brought me to be where I am today.
When I was still doing sales, I listed down 5 things that I MUST do daily.
1. Plan my work - my whole one year work. Then I'll break it down to month, week, and eventually daily work. I will plan exactly how to reach my goal
2. I must do a sufficient number of sales presentations each day to real prospects.
3. I must have, use regularly, a procedure that produces a sufficient number of real prospects.
4. I must record my activities and results and analyze them regularly in order to learn how to improve them.
5. I must continually upgrade myself. Read and study regularly and systematically and try to keep pace with changes in then business and in human needs.
If you work in sales, I understand that your job definitely requires you to do prospecting, preparation of cases, client servicing, travel, office details, business lunches and dinners (sometimes breakfast too), and many others.
Depending on individual, some of these activities are more enjoyable than others. There is a normal tendency to concentrate on those that are pleasant, but if we don’t get the most from our other activities as well, that one particularly enjoyable duty will not be as profitable as it should be.
I think not only in sales industry, but every other business and every other activity in our lives requires organization. In your own home, for example, you know that your children don’t go to school simply when they feel like it, or when it is convenient for them to do so. They go on schedule.
So, write down a list of good habits that you want to have to replace your old ones. And start doing it today. I know in the beginning it's not going to be easy, but if you really follow thru, your new habits will work wonders for you. I guarantee !
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Well, if there is an answer to that I think the answer will be one word called: HABIT.
Successful people are successful because they form the habits of doing those things that failures don't like to do.
Is it a good news or a bad news? It is definitely a good news ! because forming a good habit actually it is not as difficult as it seems.
We all know that your habits will form your futures. And if you do not deliberately form good habits, unconsciously you will form bad ones. You are the kind of person you are because you have formed the habit of being that kind of person. The only way you can change is through habit.
Maybe you are not even aware of them but if you are not quite living up to your full capabilities, the chances are that bad habit or lack of good habits are slowing you down. If that’s how it is with you, it’s time to change bad habits to good.
When I first started my entrepreneurship journey I was in the sales industry. And I couldn't agree more that having a daily good habit has brought me to be where I am today.
When I was still doing sales, I listed down 5 things that I MUST do daily.
1. Plan my work - my whole one year work. Then I'll break it down to month, week, and eventually daily work. I will plan exactly how to reach my goal
2. I must do a sufficient number of sales presentations each day to real prospects.
3. I must have, use regularly, a procedure that produces a sufficient number of real prospects.
4. I must record my activities and results and analyze them regularly in order to learn how to improve them.
5. I must continually upgrade myself. Read and study regularly and systematically and try to keep pace with changes in then business and in human needs.
If you work in sales, I understand that your job definitely requires you to do prospecting, preparation of cases, client servicing, travel, office details, business lunches and dinners (sometimes breakfast too), and many others.
Depending on individual, some of these activities are more enjoyable than others. There is a normal tendency to concentrate on those that are pleasant, but if we don’t get the most from our other activities as well, that one particularly enjoyable duty will not be as profitable as it should be.
I think not only in sales industry, but every other business and every other activity in our lives requires organization. In your own home, for example, you know that your children don’t go to school simply when they feel like it, or when it is convenient for them to do so. They go on schedule.
So, write down a list of good habits that you want to have to replace your old ones. And start doing it today. I know in the beginning it's not going to be easy, but if you really follow thru, your new habits will work wonders for you. I guarantee !
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Saturday, August 29, 2009
How good is your English ?
Went for a speak clearly - articulate it right workshop today.
Very interesting ! Learn more about Phonics, Phonetics, Articulation, Pronunciation & Enunciation.
Apparently not many people really bother to speak good English nowdays.
How often do we hear of "udders" (others), "wif" (with), "di-yar" (their) and "tree" (three) ?
Those are just some example.
Even worse, I came across this article.
It said that Singapore McDonald often hire a lot of senior citizens as counter staff, many of them are not very proficient in English. So sometime we must pronounce it in the following way so that the auntie-auntie can understand it.
Mc.Donald's (Meh Donner)
Happy Meal (Hair Pee Mew)
......
To make it more interesting and fun, why don't I type the way they pronounce it and see how many of these words you can guess correctly.
1. Flench Fly
2. Feese Burger
3. Mus-sloom Burger
4. Meh Narget
5. Bee Blare Fers
6. Or Leng Joo
7. Apper Pai
8. Whore Cakes
9. Up Sai
10. Kon Kap
.....
And here are the actual words
1. French Fries
2. Fillet O Fish
3. Mushroom Burger
4. Mc. Nugget
5. Big Breakfast
6. Orange Juice
7. Apple Pie
8. Hot Cakes
9. Up size
10. Corn Cup
Interesting right? :)
Having said that I'm not saying that I speak perfect English. Definitely not.
But I am a person who believe in continuous learning. As long as there is room for improvement, I will do my best to make it better.
I remember those days when I first came to Singapore. I can't really speak English properly. And in fact I failed my English test, so I have to take English Proficiency class for 1 year.
And because I can't really speak English correctly, I tend to mingle around with my fellow Indonesian students and speak Bahasa with them, which turns out it make my English even worse. So the only thing that I can do to improve it was to Practice, Practice and Practice. And I was finally able to overcome it.
Now, it's important not only to speak English fluently, but to articulate it correctly also.
Here's my favorite video about the importance of speaking good English
Not easy. But practice make perfect!
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Very interesting ! Learn more about Phonics, Phonetics, Articulation, Pronunciation & Enunciation.
Apparently not many people really bother to speak good English nowdays.
How often do we hear of "udders" (others), "wif" (with), "di-yar" (their) and "tree" (three) ?
Those are just some example.
Even worse, I came across this article.
It said that Singapore McDonald often hire a lot of senior citizens as counter staff, many of them are not very proficient in English. So sometime we must pronounce it in the following way so that the auntie-auntie can understand it.
Mc.Donald's (Meh Donner)
Happy Meal (Hair Pee Mew)
......
To make it more interesting and fun, why don't I type the way they pronounce it and see how many of these words you can guess correctly.
1. Flench Fly
2. Feese Burger
3. Mus-sloom Burger
4. Meh Narget
5. Bee Blare Fers
6. Or Leng Joo
7. Apper Pai
8. Whore Cakes
9. Up Sai
10. Kon Kap
.....
And here are the actual words
1. French Fries
2. Fillet O Fish
3. Mushroom Burger
4. Mc. Nugget
5. Big Breakfast
6. Orange Juice
7. Apple Pie
8. Hot Cakes
9. Up size
10. Corn Cup
Interesting right? :)
Having said that I'm not saying that I speak perfect English. Definitely not.
But I am a person who believe in continuous learning. As long as there is room for improvement, I will do my best to make it better.
I remember those days when I first came to Singapore. I can't really speak English properly. And in fact I failed my English test, so I have to take English Proficiency class for 1 year.
And because I can't really speak English correctly, I tend to mingle around with my fellow Indonesian students and speak Bahasa with them, which turns out it make my English even worse. So the only thing that I can do to improve it was to Practice, Practice and Practice. And I was finally able to overcome it.
Now, it's important not only to speak English fluently, but to articulate it correctly also.
Here's my favorite video about the importance of speaking good English
Not easy. But practice make perfect!
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
Friday, August 21, 2009
Blow your baloon
When you first bought a pack of baloon in a supermarket, what did you see?
At first the balloon is flat. You could put it in your pocket or in the middle of a book and no one even know what you are keeping. Sometimes you could hold it in your hands without anybody noticing what you have.
But the moment you blow air into the fat baloon, it becomes impossible for you to put it in the middle of your book like you did earlier! Once you start blowing the balloon, you cannot fold it in your hands as you did before! Everybody around you begins to notice the balloon. They begin to pay attention to its colors and its size.
What can you learn from this analogy?
When you have an idea, initially it may be in your book or on a piece of paper in your hands and no body know about it. But when you start to blow energy and passion into your idea, people begin see it. It also becomes impossible for you, the visionary, to hide the idea.
The air sustains the balloon as long as there is no place for air to escape. Your business also thrives as long as creativity, energy, and your passion is not allowed to escape.
The balloon traps air inside to be able to exhibit its real size and at the same time it takes advantage of the air to move up. The breeze does not often favor the balloon but the balloon still takes advantage of the breeze to dance in the air. You and I know so well that the balloon might be fully blown but it does not move if there is no breeze to carry it.
Many people came to me and told me that they have a lot of ideas to fullfill their dreams, but they all also complain to me saying that they can't do anything because they have no money.
Well, let me tell you, you do not have to start with money.
Start with what's on your mind.
There are people who have ideas and are waiting for money to start. What amazes me is that there are people who have money and are waiting for ideas so that they can invest their money!
Start blowing your baloon, and let people around you see how beautiful it is !
Love,
Merry Riana
www.merryriana.com.sg
At first the balloon is flat. You could put it in your pocket or in the middle of a book and no one even know what you are keeping. Sometimes you could hold it in your hands without anybody noticing what you have.
But the moment you blow air into the fat baloon, it becomes impossible for you to put it in the middle of your book like you did earlier! Once you start blowing the balloon, you cannot fold it in your hands as you did before! Everybody around you begins to notice the balloon. They begin to pay attention to its colors and its size.
What can you learn from this analogy?
When you have an idea, initially it may be in your book or on a piece of paper in your hands and no body know about it. But when you start to blow energy and passion into your idea, people begin see it. It also becomes impossible for you, the visionary, to hide the idea.
The air sustains the balloon as long as there is no place for air to escape. Your business also thrives as long as creativity, energy, and your passion is not allowed to escape.
The balloon traps air inside to be able to exhibit its real size and at the same time it takes advantage of the air to move up. The breeze does not often favor the balloon but the balloon still takes advantage of the breeze to dance in the air. You and I know so well that the balloon might be fully blown but it does not move if there is no breeze to carry it.
Many people came to me and told me that they have a lot of ideas to fullfill their dreams, but they all also complain to me saying that they can't do anything because they have no money.
Well, let me tell you, you do not have to start with money.
Start with what's on your mind.
There are people who have ideas and are waiting for money to start. What amazes me is that there are people who have money and are waiting for ideas so that they can invest their money!
Start blowing your baloon, and let people around you see how beautiful it is !
Love,
Merry Riana
www.merryriana.com.sg
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
3 stages of life
Do you know that there are 3 stages of life ?
When we are teenager, we have Time and Energy, but No Money
When we are working adult, we have Money and Energy, but No Time
When we are old, we have Time and Money, but No Energy
Irony isn't it?
I was once experienced before, as teenager, I had a lot of times, and I had huge amount of energy, unfortunately I wasn't able to enjoy many things because I was very much limited by my financial situation.
That's why on my 20th birthday, I made a resolutions for myself:
"To be able to achieve my Financial Freedom before age 30"
Why Financial Freedom?
Because by achieving it, I'll have TIME for me to enjoy the fruits of my hardwork.
Why before age 30?
Because by achieving it, I'll still have the ENERGY for me to have fun in life, and not only that, most importantly my parents will still have the energy to taste of my success together with me.
And I was blessed to be able to accomplished that.
Now, my question to you is: Which stage of life are you in right now?
Well, whatever your answer is, it doesn't matter.
The most important question is what can you do to change it?
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Are you a good boxer ?
Every Tuesday Afternoon, I always spend 1 hour to groom the Elite Force members.
Most of us may think that the most important skill as a boxer is to throw punches to his opponent.
But, is it reallly true? :)
What if this boxer, who is very good in throwing punches, is suddenly punched in the face by his opponent? If this boxer can't take punches well, no matter how good is he in throwing punches, he'll seldom win a match. Because, once he was punched, he'll go down.
And the chance is almost 100% that if you're in a boxing match, you'll get punched once in a while.
Elite Force is the group of outstanding and talented people who are committed to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. All the members are personally chosen and coach by me.
During the Elite Force Meeting yesterday afternoon, I shared this analogy with them
Do you know what it takes to be a good businessperson?
Interestingly, what it takes to be a good businessperson may be very similar to what it takes to be a good boxer.
Interestingly, what it takes to be a good businessperson may be very similar to what it takes to be a good boxer.
Most of us may think that the most important skill as a boxer is to throw punches to his opponent.
But, is it reallly true? :)
What if this boxer, who is very good in throwing punches, is suddenly punched in the face by his opponent? If this boxer can't take punches well, no matter how good is he in throwing punches, he'll seldom win a match. Because, once he was punched, he'll go down.
And the chance is almost 100% that if you're in a boxing match, you'll get punched once in a while.
So, there are 2 important skills to be a boxer.
The ability to throw punches and the ability to take punches.
The ability to throw punches and the ability to take punches.
Similarly, there are 2 important skills to be a good businessperson.
One is the ability to take massive actions.
Another one is the ability to persevere through failures, to go up again everytime you fall.
One is the ability to take massive actions.
Another one is the ability to persevere through failures, to go up again everytime you fall.
The same thing also applies if you are working in a sales industry.
If you want to be successful, you not only need to master the skill how to close more sales, but in the same time, you also need to be able to take rejection.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Strength vs Weakness
If I ask you to make a guess, what do you think is the MOST common questions that will be asked during an interview?
I bet more than half of you will guess: "what are your strengths?"
and the other half of you will guess: "what are your weaknesses?"
Have you ever wonder, why is it so important for them to know your weakness and your strength? Or maybe I ask this question back to you, why do you think it is important for YOU to know your own strength and weakness?
Traditionally, in the business world, it was told that in order to excel in our work, we need to know what areas we are weak in so that we can plan a necessary training and development programme to overcome those weaknesses. That's why most people in general, after they listed down all their strengths and weaknesses, they will leave their strength alone and focus on improving their weaknesses.
For example, if you are very good with technical stuff but you always scared of doing public speaking or presentation, so you do your best to improve your weakness by attending some public speaking courses. Do you think you are doing the correct thing?
Should we focus on our strength and forget about our weakness? or should we do something to eliminate our weakness? the answer is: depends.
For me, no matter what is the situation, I will always focus most of my energy and attention on my strengths. And whether I should do something about my weakness or not, that depends on whether the weakness is an obstacle for getting me where I want to be or not.
For example: When I first started my first career in sales, one of my weakness is my language. I can't speak mandarin, on which in the country that I live in (Singapore), most people are very comfortable talking in mandarin. But instead of focusing on my weakness and trying to take courses to learn mandarin (which I think it will take at least 1 year before I can start communicate fluently), I choose to focus on my strength. For me at that time, not able to speak mandarin wasn't really an obstacle for me to achieve my success because I can still make sales by approaching all the English-speaking people. And the number of people who can speak English is definitely more than enough to bring me a lot of sales. Therefore instead of spending extra hours learning mandarin, I used that extra hours to approach more people.
Another example: If you are a great computer programmer and wanted to be the best in the industry, does it really make sense for you to take a public speaking class instead of using that time to keep up with ever-changing technology?
Of course big exception is when your weakness is getting in the way of your goals.
When I know that my weakness is getting in the way of my goals, I will have to eliminate it, either by learning about it myself, or hire some expertise who can do it for me :)
For example: When I first started my own organization, I don't have any experience in managing people, create a system, etc. But I can't just ignore that, because that is essential for me to be able to grow in my career. Therefore I then learn how to lead others, how to motivate my team, managing them, etc.
I hope by now you all should get the picture on what you should do with your strengths and weaknesses. And I hope what I just shared with you will help you in your life.
So in summary few things that you need to do:
1. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
2. Determine the strengths and weaknesses that can affect your path to success.
3. Focus and leverage on your strengths
4. Eliminate the weaknesses that stop you from getting what you want.
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
I bet more than half of you will guess: "what are your strengths?"
and the other half of you will guess: "what are your weaknesses?"
Have you ever wonder, why is it so important for them to know your weakness and your strength? Or maybe I ask this question back to you, why do you think it is important for YOU to know your own strength and weakness?
Traditionally, in the business world, it was told that in order to excel in our work, we need to know what areas we are weak in so that we can plan a necessary training and development programme to overcome those weaknesses. That's why most people in general, after they listed down all their strengths and weaknesses, they will leave their strength alone and focus on improving their weaknesses.
For example, if you are very good with technical stuff but you always scared of doing public speaking or presentation, so you do your best to improve your weakness by attending some public speaking courses. Do you think you are doing the correct thing?
Should we focus on our strength and forget about our weakness? or should we do something to eliminate our weakness? the answer is: depends.
For me, no matter what is the situation, I will always focus most of my energy and attention on my strengths. And whether I should do something about my weakness or not, that depends on whether the weakness is an obstacle for getting me where I want to be or not.
For example: When I first started my first career in sales, one of my weakness is my language. I can't speak mandarin, on which in the country that I live in (Singapore), most people are very comfortable talking in mandarin. But instead of focusing on my weakness and trying to take courses to learn mandarin (which I think it will take at least 1 year before I can start communicate fluently), I choose to focus on my strength. For me at that time, not able to speak mandarin wasn't really an obstacle for me to achieve my success because I can still make sales by approaching all the English-speaking people. And the number of people who can speak English is definitely more than enough to bring me a lot of sales. Therefore instead of spending extra hours learning mandarin, I used that extra hours to approach more people.
Another example: If you are a great computer programmer and wanted to be the best in the industry, does it really make sense for you to take a public speaking class instead of using that time to keep up with ever-changing technology?
Of course big exception is when your weakness is getting in the way of your goals.
When I know that my weakness is getting in the way of my goals, I will have to eliminate it, either by learning about it myself, or hire some expertise who can do it for me :)
For example: When I first started my own organization, I don't have any experience in managing people, create a system, etc. But I can't just ignore that, because that is essential for me to be able to grow in my career. Therefore I then learn how to lead others, how to motivate my team, managing them, etc.
I hope by now you all should get the picture on what you should do with your strengths and weaknesses. And I hope what I just shared with you will help you in your life.
So in summary few things that you need to do:
1. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
2. Determine the strengths and weaknesses that can affect your path to success.
3. Focus and leverage on your strengths
4. Eliminate the weaknesses that stop you from getting what you want.
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
Monday, July 27, 2009
Inspiration from My Husband
Setting your goal, focusing on the outcome, being clear about what you want in life can make your dreams come true.
There is another key element that comes into play, an element that each and every one of the 'positive thinking' books has in common: The first step in all of them is to write down your goal.
You probably heard her name, Suze Orman, financial wizard, author of the number one New York Times bestseller, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, and a frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey Show, tells how she started out.
She got a job at Merrill Lynch and was terrified she would not be able to meet her sales quota.
The most she had ever made up until then was $400 a month as a waitress.
She said, 'I created what I wanted for myself first on paper. Every morning before I went to work, I would write over and over again: I am young, powerful, and successful, producing at least $10,000 a month.'
And guess what ?? it came true. And writing down her new truth helped make it materialize. Even after surpassing that target figure, she continued to carry the saying around with her.
My own inspiration came from my husband, who came to me one day with anamused expression and a piece of paper in his hand.
He said, 'I found this list from years ago when I was cleaning our room. I don't know how, but everything on this list came true, and I forgot Iwrote it.'
Among other things, he had studied Mandarin in China (both my husband & I were in Beijing for 3 months in 2002), established his own business (our current business in the Financial Services industry), got married with me :) and become a millionaire (we achieved this together in 2006) - all without being conscious of checking off items on the forgotten list.
My husband's experience made me think. I noticed the same phenomenon happening in my own life. Have you had similar experience too? :)
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com./merry.riana
There is another key element that comes into play, an element that each and every one of the 'positive thinking' books has in common: The first step in all of them is to write down your goal.
You probably heard her name, Suze Orman, financial wizard, author of the number one New York Times bestseller, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, and a frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey Show, tells how she started out.
She got a job at Merrill Lynch and was terrified she would not be able to meet her sales quota.
The most she had ever made up until then was $400 a month as a waitress.
She said, 'I created what I wanted for myself first on paper. Every morning before I went to work, I would write over and over again: I am young, powerful, and successful, producing at least $10,000 a month.'
And guess what ?? it came true. And writing down her new truth helped make it materialize. Even after surpassing that target figure, she continued to carry the saying around with her.
My own inspiration came from my husband, who came to me one day with anamused expression and a piece of paper in his hand.
He said, 'I found this list from years ago when I was cleaning our room. I don't know how, but everything on this list came true, and I forgot Iwrote it.'
Among other things, he had studied Mandarin in China (both my husband & I were in Beijing for 3 months in 2002), established his own business (our current business in the Financial Services industry), got married with me :) and become a millionaire (we achieved this together in 2006) - all without being conscious of checking off items on the forgotten list.
My husband's experience made me think. I noticed the same phenomenon happening in my own life. Have you had similar experience too? :)
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com./merry.riana
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Are you on the "Right" path ?
I would like to start by sharing with you this very beautiful poem:
Yes! You know you mustn't quit, but sometimes when your life isn't easy right now or nothing seems to be going according to what you want, you might be wondering and ask yourself whether am I doing the right thing in my life? am I in the right path? and how do I know whether I am in the right path?
I might not have the exact answer for you, but I can give you my opinion.
As yourself this question: "How many right path do you think is available out there?"
Well, my question probably make you think for a while. Why?
Simply because a lot of people normally have the assumption that there is only one 'right' path to walk. And if we believe there is only one 'right' path, then we are also assuming that there are many 'wrong' path too. Given these odds, there is more likely that most people are on one of those 'wrong' path, including us. Seems like bad news isn't it??
Well, Fortunately, that is not right. The truth is everything in your life is unfolding in perfect order. Or in another word, everything is on schedule. Any 'wrongness' you see in your current path doesn't make the path intrinsically wrong. It's so-called wrongness only comes from your expectations about what 'should' be happening or unfolding on your path instead of what actually IS happening.
Even the 'right' road-to-happiness has it's obstacles.
So, believe me when I said that where you are now is perfect. Because this is where you are supposed to be. You are on your path now. Whatever bad situation that is happening to you right now, don't see it as troubled. Just let it go and let go of the attachment to how things 'should' be. As you become more trusting of life, you relax into it more and resist it less.
Stop demanding that things go a certain way and have them be the way they are. Things will work out. In fact, things are working out now. To help you feel better, always believe that things are happening FOR us rather than TO us. This means that no matter how painful or uncomfortable things may be, it is all there for our growth and edification.
If not because of the financial crisis and unstable political situation back in Jakarta in 1998, I wouldn't be in Singapore
If I came from a very well to do family, I woudn't have so BIG drive and motivation to achieve the current success that I achieved today.
If 'X' company never reject my scholarship application back then in my 2nd year in University, I would never start my entrepreneurship journey (because I have to served bond working few years in that 'X' company, and probably by now I will still be a normal employee)
If I didn't loss almost all my savings in the stock market, I wouldn't even try to go to sales and make my first million from there.
There were many unfortunate things happened to my life. But I know that everything happen for a reason and those things happened FOR me.
Sometimes the road gets rough, but don't give up. You've got to keep on moving. Ask yourself: "What can I learn and discover from this situation", and ask "how can I move forward in the most positive way."
I would like to end this by writing the remaining poem that I shared with you earlier
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Yes! You know you mustn't quit, but sometimes when your life isn't easy right now or nothing seems to be going according to what you want, you might be wondering and ask yourself whether am I doing the right thing in my life? am I in the right path? and how do I know whether I am in the right path?
I might not have the exact answer for you, but I can give you my opinion.
As yourself this question: "How many right path do you think is available out there?"
Well, my question probably make you think for a while. Why?
Simply because a lot of people normally have the assumption that there is only one 'right' path to walk. And if we believe there is only one 'right' path, then we are also assuming that there are many 'wrong' path too. Given these odds, there is more likely that most people are on one of those 'wrong' path, including us. Seems like bad news isn't it??
Well, Fortunately, that is not right. The truth is everything in your life is unfolding in perfect order. Or in another word, everything is on schedule. Any 'wrongness' you see in your current path doesn't make the path intrinsically wrong. It's so-called wrongness only comes from your expectations about what 'should' be happening or unfolding on your path instead of what actually IS happening.
Even the 'right' road-to-happiness has it's obstacles.
So, believe me when I said that where you are now is perfect. Because this is where you are supposed to be. You are on your path now. Whatever bad situation that is happening to you right now, don't see it as troubled. Just let it go and let go of the attachment to how things 'should' be. As you become more trusting of life, you relax into it more and resist it less.
Stop demanding that things go a certain way and have them be the way they are. Things will work out. In fact, things are working out now. To help you feel better, always believe that things are happening FOR us rather than TO us. This means that no matter how painful or uncomfortable things may be, it is all there for our growth and edification.
If not because of the financial crisis and unstable political situation back in Jakarta in 1998, I wouldn't be in Singapore
If I came from a very well to do family, I woudn't have so BIG drive and motivation to achieve the current success that I achieved today.
If 'X' company never reject my scholarship application back then in my 2nd year in University, I would never start my entrepreneurship journey (because I have to served bond working few years in that 'X' company, and probably by now I will still be a normal employee)
If I didn't loss almost all my savings in the stock market, I wouldn't even try to go to sales and make my first million from there.
There were many unfortunate things happened to my life. But I know that everything happen for a reason and those things happened FOR me.
Sometimes the road gets rough, but don't give up. You've got to keep on moving. Ask yourself: "What can I learn and discover from this situation", and ask "how can I move forward in the most positive way."
I would like to end this by writing the remaining poem that I shared with you earlier
Love,Life is queer with it's twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worse, That you must not quit.
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Follow your heart
Many time in my seminars, or through my website, people come and ask me for advice.
One guy told me that he has been considering to go into sales for many years and he knew and believed that he can do well and achieve his success by doing it, but people perception about salesman is not very good, therefore until now he still hesitate to do it.
Another lady emailed me and shared with me that she only have 'O' Level (= Secondary School) Certificate and she has this big dream that one day she will be a very successful businesswomen, but sometimes she also feel very inferior and no confidence because she felt that if people know that she only has 'O' level certificate, they will look down on her.
Sadly, in life sometimes we made certain decision not really based on what we believe in, but based on what other people think. And today I would like to share with you this interesting story:
A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home, a boy commented, ‘Very stupid. Why neither of them ride on the donkey? ‘Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them.
Later, an old man saw it and commented, ‘The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?’ Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.
Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, ‘How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman.’ The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey.
Then, they met a young man. He commented, ‘Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you.’ Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders. It seems to be the only choice left.
Later, on a narrow bridge, the donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river.
You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future.
Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear..
When I first started my entrepreneurship journey 7 years ago, some of my close friends thought that I was crazy and too brave.
When I first do sales in the beginning of my career, a lot of people thought that I wouldn't be able to make it
When I want to write my own book "A Gift From A Friend" in 2006, some people laughed and said that nobody will want to buy that kind of book.
Well, If I decided to follow what other people said, I would not be able to be a successful entrepreneur, achieve my 1st million before age 26 and become a best-selling author.
If I was too bothered by what others think, I would not be able to be where I am today.
I'm glad I know what I want and go for it.
Love,
Merry Riana
www.MerryRiana.com.sg
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
One guy told me that he has been considering to go into sales for many years and he knew and believed that he can do well and achieve his success by doing it, but people perception about salesman is not very good, therefore until now he still hesitate to do it.
Another lady emailed me and shared with me that she only have 'O' Level (= Secondary School) Certificate and she has this big dream that one day she will be a very successful businesswomen, but sometimes she also feel very inferior and no confidence because she felt that if people know that she only has 'O' level certificate, they will look down on her.
Sadly, in life sometimes we made certain decision not really based on what we believe in, but based on what other people think. And today I would like to share with you this interesting story:
A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home, a boy commented, ‘Very stupid. Why neither of them ride on the donkey? ‘Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them.
Later, an old man saw it and commented, ‘The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?’ Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.
Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, ‘How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman.’ The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey.
Then, they met a young man. He commented, ‘Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you.’ Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders. It seems to be the only choice left.
Later, on a narrow bridge, the donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river.
You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future.
Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear..
When I first started my entrepreneurship journey 7 years ago, some of my close friends thought that I was crazy and too brave.
When I first do sales in the beginning of my career, a lot of people thought that I wouldn't be able to make it
When I want to write my own book "A Gift From A Friend" in 2006, some people laughed and said that nobody will want to buy that kind of book.
Well, If I decided to follow what other people said, I would not be able to be a successful entrepreneur, achieve my 1st million before age 26 and become a best-selling author.
If I was too bothered by what others think, I would not be able to be where I am today.
I'm glad I know what I want and go for it.
Love,
Merry Riana
www.MerryRiana.com.sg
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
Friday, July 10, 2009
Merry Riana's success habit
72 hrs since I conducted a Goal Setting session for my organization.
Everyone was very motivated and inspired.
I believe some time in your life you've experienced this kind of motivation also, being it through seminar, retreat, book, etc
But, my questions is how long does your motivation last? Are you excited for the moment but feel down or back to normal the next day? Can your motivation endure for a long time?
I actually ended my goal setting session by leaving them with one final message:
And today I want to elaborate more on that.
I believe that successful people are NOT necessarily a more talented group of people compared to the others who are less successful. I also believe that successful people are NOT necessarily a more hard-working group of people either. Successful people achieve success merely because they have better habits compared to others.
Here is a simple example. :)
Some of us have better dental health compared to others.
Everyone was very motivated and inspired.
I believe some time in your life you've experienced this kind of motivation also, being it through seminar, retreat, book, etc
But, my questions is how long does your motivation last? Are you excited for the moment but feel down or back to normal the next day? Can your motivation endure for a long time?
I actually ended my goal setting session by leaving them with one final message:
Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going.
And today I want to elaborate more on that.
I believe that successful people are NOT necessarily a more talented group of people compared to the others who are less successful. I also believe that successful people are NOT necessarily a more hard-working group of people either. Successful people achieve success merely because they have better habits compared to others.
Here is a simple example. :)
Some of us have better dental health compared to others.
It means some of us succeed in having healthier teeth.
But, does it mean that those of us with healthier teeth are more talented or hard-working?
Have you ever felt that you're talented in brushing your teeth?
Does it feel like hard work to brush your teeth every day? :)
Of course, not.
It feels natural, right?
The reason why some of us 'succeed' in having healthier teeth is because we have better habits (i.e. brush our teeth twice a day, visit the dentist twice a year, etc).
When certain activities become a habit to us, we don't need any talent to do it again and again, and we also don't feel like its hard work.
CONCLUSION
When you want to model a particular successful people to also achieve what she has achieved previously, you can just simply get to know more of her Success Habits. Then, make it your own.
Love,
Merry Riana
www.MerryRiana.com.sg
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
Monday, July 6, 2009
Do you want to see my bank account ?
After I posted 'My Best Investment' article, I received numbers of email asking me whether I can share with them how do I manage my personal finances.
Today I'm going to share with you tips on how you can manage your finances successfully.
Here's how:
First of all, It is very important for you to know where all your money goes to.
Most people usually never keep track of their income and expenses.
I created a few accounts (these accounts may or may not be real savings accounts in the bank) where my income goes to.
For me, I have: Necessity Account, Business Development Account, Financial Freedom Account, Education Account, Fun Account & Giving Account.
Every time I earn my income, it goes to these accounts with the following proportion:
- Necessity Account (30%)
- Business Development Account (30%)
- Income Generator Account (20%)
- Education Account (5%)
- Fun Account (5%)
- Giving Account (10%)
I'll share with you in more details about each of these accounts in my future blog entries. :)
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
Today I'm going to share with you tips on how you can manage your finances successfully.
Here's how:
First of all, It is very important for you to know where all your money goes to.
Most people usually never keep track of their income and expenses.
I created a few accounts (these accounts may or may not be real savings accounts in the bank) where my income goes to.
For me, I have: Necessity Account, Business Development Account, Financial Freedom Account, Education Account, Fun Account & Giving Account.
Every time I earn my income, it goes to these accounts with the following proportion:
- Necessity Account (30%)
- Business Development Account (30%)
- Income Generator Account (20%)
- Education Account (5%)
- Fun Account (5%)
- Giving Account (10%)
I'll share with you in more details about each of these accounts in my future blog entries. :)
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Merry Riana's Dream Book
I'm in the midst of preparing for my organization's annual goal setting (6th - 8th July 2009)
I decided to take a break for a while and write my blog instead :)
Let me ask you this question.
How many of us had set a goal or new year's resolution back in January this year?
I bet 8 out of 10 people reading my blog will say yes.
Either is to get more money, be smarter, look prettier, lose weight, get company's award, have boyfriend/girlfriend, travel to exotic countries, read more books, etc. We always do the same thing every year, which is set our goal.
But how many of us have diligently follow our goal closely? or even worse, how many of us still remember what our goals are?
It's July, we're halfway through the year, and this is the perfect time to reassess our goals.
I know it might sound tedious and boring, but if you are really serious about achieving your goals, this is definitely an important step.
To me, goal setting can be very exciting :)
I have so many things that I can share with you on how to make the process of goal setting more fun and more effective. The most important of all is:
Write down your goal
This is a MUST !! If you fail to do this one very simple thing you will fail to achieve your goals. writing your goal is important because by doing so it forces you to visualize your goals. On top of that by externalizing it and put it down on paper it creates a commitment on your part.
To make it more fun, create a DREAM BOOK. I had mine since year 2000, and I'm still updating it even until today.
If you are curious to see how does Merry Riana's Dream Book look like?
well.. here it is....
It's just a simple sketch book, but inside are full of pictures of things that I wanted to have in life, things that I wanted to achieve in life, and many more. On top of that I also write down verses or quotes that means a lot to me through out my journey in pursuing my dream. Every time I open and look at the picture or read what I wrote there, I ALWAYS feel energized and motivated.
That's exactly the purpose of this DREAM BOOK, to give you energy and excite you every time you see it.
Here's another page of my dream book
I pasted that cute little baby picture in year 2007. And I pasted Tom Cruise's daughter Suri because I wanted to have a cute baby :) And you know what? Amazingly, I year after that, I got pregnant and have a little angel in my life, her name is Alvernia.
So you see how powerful it is !!
If you don’t already have one, I strongly encourage you to go out and buy the best, brightest and most appealing sketch book you can find. This dream book can become your planning space, your anchor, your bright ideas holder, your dream catcher, your source of inspiration and your celebration place. Do update it regularly and read it often.
In my next few post, I will give you more tips about how to do your goal setting in more fun and effective ways.
In the mean time, have fun with your dream book ! ;)
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
I decided to take a break for a while and write my blog instead :)
Let me ask you this question.
How many of us had set a goal or new year's resolution back in January this year?
I bet 8 out of 10 people reading my blog will say yes.
Either is to get more money, be smarter, look prettier, lose weight, get company's award, have boyfriend/girlfriend, travel to exotic countries, read more books, etc. We always do the same thing every year, which is set our goal.
But how many of us have diligently follow our goal closely? or even worse, how many of us still remember what our goals are?
It's July, we're halfway through the year, and this is the perfect time to reassess our goals.
I know it might sound tedious and boring, but if you are really serious about achieving your goals, this is definitely an important step.
To me, goal setting can be very exciting :)
I have so many things that I can share with you on how to make the process of goal setting more fun and more effective. The most important of all is:
Write down your goal
This is a MUST !! If you fail to do this one very simple thing you will fail to achieve your goals. writing your goal is important because by doing so it forces you to visualize your goals. On top of that by externalizing it and put it down on paper it creates a commitment on your part.
To make it more fun, create a DREAM BOOK. I had mine since year 2000, and I'm still updating it even until today.
If you are curious to see how does Merry Riana's Dream Book look like?
well.. here it is....
It's just a simple sketch book, but inside are full of pictures of things that I wanted to have in life, things that I wanted to achieve in life, and many more. On top of that I also write down verses or quotes that means a lot to me through out my journey in pursuing my dream. Every time I open and look at the picture or read what I wrote there, I ALWAYS feel energized and motivated.
That's exactly the purpose of this DREAM BOOK, to give you energy and excite you every time you see it.
Here's another page of my dream book
I pasted that cute little baby picture in year 2007. And I pasted Tom Cruise's daughter Suri because I wanted to have a cute baby :) And you know what? Amazingly, I year after that, I got pregnant and have a little angel in my life, her name is Alvernia.
So you see how powerful it is !!
If you don’t already have one, I strongly encourage you to go out and buy the best, brightest and most appealing sketch book you can find. This dream book can become your planning space, your anchor, your bright ideas holder, your dream catcher, your source of inspiration and your celebration place. Do update it regularly and read it often.
In my next few post, I will give you more tips about how to do your goal setting in more fun and effective ways.
In the mean time, have fun with your dream book ! ;)
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
Monday, June 29, 2009
My Best Investment
Today I conducted my last session for the TeleMastery.
TeleMastery is one of the Series of Mastery Training Programme that I teach personally in my organization every week for a period of 6 months.
I ended today session by sharing with them way on how to keep their momentum going.
Do you want to know how? the answer to that is by continuous learning.
Let me share with you this.
Many people have often asked me about investment.
But, actually, for me the most important question does not start with 'what', 'when', or 'how'. The most important question always starts with WHY.
I guess your answer will be similar like mine. I want to invest so that I can grow my resources. Which means, if I invest my money, I want to grow it to more money in the future.
Now, my next question is:
What's your best resources?
Is it your money? Is it your look? Is it your network?
I know that my money, my look or even my friends, can come and go. But, what I know will never be able to be taken away from me is my KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, and EXPERIENCE.
It's what's inside that counts, not what's outside.
So, my best investment is when I invest IN myself.
And I do it regularly.
Last year alone, I spent more than $20,000 in one overseas seminar.
But I know, my investment will bear fruits much more than that.
How about you? :)
How much have you invested in yourself? :)
Remember this:
Love,
Merry Riana
www.MerryRiana.com.sg
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
TeleMastery is one of the Series of Mastery Training Programme that I teach personally in my organization every week for a period of 6 months.
I ended today session by sharing with them way on how to keep their momentum going.
Do you want to know how? the answer to that is by continuous learning.
Let me share with you this.
Many people have often asked me about investment.
What is good to invest in?
When should it be invested?
How to invest it?
But, actually, for me the most important question does not start with 'what', 'when', or 'how'. The most important question always starts with WHY.
Why do you want to invest? :)
I guess your answer will be similar like mine. I want to invest so that I can grow my resources. Which means, if I invest my money, I want to grow it to more money in the future.
Now, my next question is:
What's your best resources?
Is it your money? Is it your look? Is it your network?
I know that my money, my look or even my friends, can come and go. But, what I know will never be able to be taken away from me is my KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, and EXPERIENCE.
It's what's inside that counts, not what's outside.
So, my best investment is when I invest IN myself.
And I do it regularly.
Last year alone, I spent more than $20,000 in one overseas seminar.
But I know, my investment will bear fruits much more than that.
How about you? :)
How much have you invested in yourself? :)
Remember this:
Your formal education will make you make a living;
Your personal education will make you a fortune
Love,
Merry Riana
www.MerryRiana.com.sg
www.facebook.com/merry.riana
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
How to get pay raise in this financial crisis ?
I just finished watching "The Office" Season 3. It was hilarious !!
The episode that I watch is about "Negotiation" - there is this one employee (Darryl) who is doing his best to get his pay raise. He listed down all the good reasons why he deserve the raise and really persistence about getting it. On the other hand, the boss (Michael) knew exactly that Darryl wanted to ask for higher salary, therefore he did a research in wikipedia and found 20 tricks about how to win negotiation. And as you've probably guessed, he is using those tricks to withstand Darryl's request for a raise. It was so funny.. :)
I actually searched on youtube to see whether the video is available so that I could show it to you. Bad news is I couldn't find any. But Good news is I found another clip which I found it is equally funny. It is also about an employee who is asking for a pay raise.
After watching the 2 shows, I really felt very fortunate.
Simply because I never have to face the problem of asking for pay increment. I can decide how much I want to earn and I can have control of how much pay rise I want to get since I am doing my own business.
Immediately after I graduated from my university (NTU, Nanyang Technological University) in 2002, I started my very first business. So, actually, until today, I've never had the experience of working as a 9-to-5 employee. Well, except during my Industrial Attachment period, because at that time I had to worked in an engineering company for 6 months, as part of the academic modules that I needed to pass in order to graduate from NTU.
At this moment, I actually owns and manages 3 businesses in different industries:
1) Financial Services
2) Training & Consultancy
3) Non-Profit
But no worries.. !! I am not suggesting you to quit your job and start your own business. If you are reading this blog and working elsewhere, you can be as successful or even more successful than other business owner too. Just continue to be the best that you can be wherever you are !
And if after reading this blog you are so inspired to ask for a pay rise,
well at least I can give you 1 tips from my point of view as an employer.
To me the principle is actually very simple.
As long as you can convince your boss that your value are worth more than what your boss is paying you, and that your future value will be making your boss more money than your financial package cost him/her, I believe your boss will grant your request for the pay increase. :)
But if the above tips doesn't work, well... you might want to try the other method that you just watched in the youtube video... hahahha... *lol*
Wish you best of luck ! May you get what you deserve to get.
Love,
Merry Riana
http://www.merryriana.com.sg/
www.facebook.com/Merry.Riana
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