Infinity

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

Albert Einstein(1879 - 1955)
Arthur Sasse/AFP-Getty Images

Firm foundation

If there’s one thing good that I’ve learnt from a former employer, it would have to be this – “When building up anything, begin with a firm and good foundation”.

And the reason for this is quite simple.

Without this, you would have to spend twice as much money to rectify the situation and perhaps no less than three times the amount of energy and effort to fix the problem. And even then, you’d still have sleepless nights thinking of how things could still go wrong.

Believe me, I've seen so many stupid things that were sky-rocketed off the ground just because of impatience. The resulting losses were then further compounded because of pride until a point where it basically "broke the bank". I know, because I've done so many stupid things out of the "spur of the moment" too.

It’s just not worth the effort. So, if you have to do something, do it right the first time around.

Tell me

It's not easy trying to figure out what people want and to top it off, I'm no "Mindfreaker" who reads minds either.

But I would love to have you help me put up a better blog site... for free (yeah, yeah I know... I'm cheap!)

So, if you have any suggestions on how to improve the site, please drop me an email at ronsha@streamyx.com with "reality.com.my" on the header. Sorry, its just that I get tons of spam mail each day and it'll help me sort out mail a little faster.

Thanks!

Blaming heaven & earth

Here's one that's very familiar with a whole of people.

It's known as the "Blame-heaven-and-earth-but-yourself" syndrome.

I for one, cannot believe the staggering amount of people who subscribe to this syndrome, holding it on for dear life as if it was an Olympic medal that they've just won.

But for such attitudes to continue, these dimwits must actually believe the mantra that if they keep on blaming everything, everyone and every circumstance for their shortcomings, it might just come through and that the whole world will believe their story.

Yeah right...

It's just like thinking that someone you owe money to will forget... people NEVER forget nor are they stupid!

It does nothing more than tell them what kind of lowlife you're allowing yourself to become just to save your behind. You will NEVER earn their respect this way.

The solution?

I've found out that if you just owned up to your fault/mistake, take full responsibility and apologize for it, it pretty much shuts up everyone immediately. (I don't mean a fly-by "sorry". That doesn't work either. People KNOW the difference)

And best thing is, you would've maintain your integrity and gain better respect from everyone.

reality.com.my online!

Wahoo! Finally got reality.com.my working, that is, after a few hiccups. However, just remember to key in http://reality.com.my without the "www." extension in front. Apparently that's a problem that I can't seem to get fixed.

Now, what on earth can I do with reality.com.my? Hmmm... a few dark thoughts just came to mind... muahaha!!!

You can't write

It seemed only yesterday that my editors told me I can’t write to save my life while my colleagues echoed that they had no idea what I was doing as a reporter since I “sure the hell can’t write.”

Well, that was a good 17 years back when I entered The Star (a Malaysian English daily) as a cadet reporter, making RM450 a month.

Having said that, I’m truly indebted to my editor and friends for having had the patience to teach me the ropes of “word-smithing” despite my obvious lack of knowledge and expertise in the field.

And while I may not have made my millions from writing (yet!), it has helped ensure that there’s always food on the table.

Thankfully, skills are something that’s learnt and acquired, not a birthright. For if it had been otherwise, I would not have been able to construct a sentence, much less trying to make a living penning words to paper.

Hence, it saddens and infuriates me at times when friends or colleagues tell me that they are unable to write a letter or a proposal, without even trying. Their excuse? – “You’re the editor, the specialist”.

Hmm… having said that, does it mean that a urologist or a gynaecologist would be required for each trip to the toilet since ONLY they are specialists in well, you know…

So come off it already. Laziness is laziness (a rose by any other name) regardless. Either we start using what we have or be prepared to lose it.

Reality.com.my

In case you're wondering why the site has been renamed as "reality.com.my", the reason's quite simple - "reality" sounds better than "ronaldsha".

However, both www.ronaldsha.com and www.ronaldsha.blogspot.com will be migrated in stages to www.reality.com.my, just as soon as I have figured out how to do that!

Meanwhile, all these domains will still be working until I get that bit sorted out. www.reality.com.my will only be up and functioning in about a week's time. I'll keep you posted till then.

Cheers!

People love themselves

Have you ever notice yourself plunging head first for a dialogue session or eagerly anticipating a seminar that has a marketing headline that affirms your ideals or your philosophy?

How you readily absorb the words of one who tells you how right or how brilliant you are? Yet at the same time shut off those that aren’t on the same thought pattern or wavelength as you are?

You’re not alone. In more clinical terms, I would have it known as “Narcissism”, basically, a love for yourself, although most would term narcissism as a personality disorder especially when it becomes socially debilitating.

Now, translate that to ourselves and voila! You and I are both in the same boat. Just as every person on earth has cancer cells, everyone then, too, has whether it’s a gene condition, a cognitively learnt condition or whatsoever condition you may term it as… we all have it. We all love ourselves.

Hence, when people say that they are incapable of loving themselves and therefore habitually tear themselves down, yet at the same time can only listen and take comfort in others that reaffirm their convictions, isn’t it in reality, a contradiction?

Face it, we all love ourselves, whether we like to admit to it or not.

So go ahead and give that fella in the mirror a kiss. You know you want to!

The 5-year plan

I once had quite an enlightening conversation with a friend about politics and what he said made quite an impression. His involvement in politics as an aide to a senior politician, it was his keen sense of observation of how games are played on the arena of statesmanship that made him highly intelligent beyond his years.

“In politics,” he asserted, “Its all about making the move not in this term, but the next”. – meaning, the following five years (or four years) following the immediate election.

See, there aren’t many politicians that know how to plan an “assault” five years down the pipeline. Because today’s society is one that has a mentality of “wanting it now”, the art of taking a step back to observe and plan strategies and manoeuvres takes second precedence (or none for that matter) for an in-depth analysis of the terrain.

Surprisingly, age, I have come to understand, is not a key factor in this inability (or rather impatience) to stay still and analyse. For I have seen men well beyond the years of experience still succumbing to this lure of instant gratification.

Which brings me to a point – if today’s politicians aren’t prepared to plan their “conquest”, how can they then be left with the charge to plan a country’s future for the next 5 years?

Let’s see… whoever said “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail?” I guess we’ll just need to define that further either to mean a 5-minute plan or a 5-year plan…

Optimists are...

What is the difference between pessimists and optimists?

While pessimists are generally regarded as "desperate people", I would suggest that the reverse is true - optimists are much more desperate compared.

However, their desperation is NOT defeatist. It is horned for survival.

After all, how does one conclude on Abrahim Lincoln who strove for the American presidency for something like 18 times? Like Nelson Mandela who gave up half his life squatting in a cell or Aung San Suu Kyi who's doing that right this moment even? Same goes for Castro, Mao Tze Dong and Stalin. See, optimism is not restricted to "good fellas" only.

"But these are extraordinary folks in extraordinary circumstances", you may say.

Well, unless their blood run in another colour than red, they are just as ordinary as you and me.

So, what makes them extraordinary, then?

Well, I believe that they are all optimists. Optimistic about what the future holds and optimistic about themselves. But perhaps what is more prevalent is their optimism stems from within, not externally.

Their optimism and purpose-driven life is based on two factors:

1. Despite what other people say or do
2. Despite circumstances

See, everyone's greatest enemy or friend is never found externally. For honestly, no one can concern themselves more than you (because people are generally not bothered about anyone else but themselves). Neither circumstances also, for they are inanimate (neither possessing dynamism or activity).

Therefore, we are our greatest enemy, as well as our greatest friend. It just depends on who you want to be today. Who you will allow yourself to be today and who you will choose not to be today.

And like the saying goes : "If you want something done right, you've to do it yourself".

In other words, count on no one but yourself to get things done.

Saturday & Sunday postings