Steve Jobs Speech to Standford University Graduates

Hi Guys,

I found this inspirational video by Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

However, I would only recommend this video to people who are:

* Undergraduates, or going into a university soon
* Serious about their futures
* Ready to invest just 15mins of their time
* Open minded
* Having big dreams in their lives

Yes! I knew you are one of the great people I'm referring to, and I invite you to press the "Play" button, and invest 15min on it. This may change your life :D

Lesson 2-Never judge a person by looking at his past...

Alright! After the last post on ' How long can you wait?', I got quite a few comments by some great people! So guys, if you miss that post, you can read it here! Come back again to lesson 2, which I will talk about

"Why we should never judge someone by looking at his past."

Yup. This is brought up by Bro. Darren too. He brought up during Zoe Conference, on 17/6/2009. It's a great conference which I learnt a lot, experience a lot, and will never want it to end, even though it lasted from late morning to night.

So the words...
Why we should never judge someone by looking at his past. I got to admit that. We do that often, and always too. I did that. When we got to know somebody, and when we know them better, we tend to judge that person, and we determine what kind of person he will be in the future.

So for e.g...
-We got a friend who has failed his PSLE , we somehow thinks that he will be a lowly-paid worker next time.
-We got a friend who has failed A levels , we somehow thinks that he will not be able to
enter a local university, and hence no good career prospects. Anyway, there's nothing much to show off how great a local university degree is. This post explains it. let's continue...
-We got a friend who goes polytechnic, instead of A levels, we somehow thinks that he has low chance of entering local university, and hence no good career prospects.
-We got a friend who fights in school, and we somehow thinks that he will be a great gangster, or a robber, or gang leader in the future.
-We have a friend who can't cook very well, we somehow thinks his husband will have a hard time eating her food in the future.

And so on... and so on...

Actually, that is what I did last time. I judge them on what they are in the present, and present a negative outlook on them. However, I'm not doing that anymore. I can say it's difficult, but it's another point of view I will need to see. And so when Bro. Darren brought this up, I can fully understand what he meant.

"We need to see people of what they will be in the Future"

That's the point of view we have to look at. However, I dare to say, it's hard to do it, even for me. But we Have to do it! There's one reason. We are only looking people at their surface, at their present. As we all know, people do change. And really, people do change.

I think in some time of our lives, we see these things we never thought we will see in life...

-the most stupid guy in your primary school whom you thought will never make it to university earns more than you...
-the laziest guy in your class whom you thought will never make it in life becomes your superior/supervisor...
-the most ugliest guy in your primary school whom you thought will never get a girlfriend got married earlier than you...
-the most quiet guy in your class whom you think will never stand on stage becomes a public speaker to a massive crowd...
... these are the things that shock us when we see them. Because, we never thought they would become so great, as we judge them based on what we see them years ago in school. What happen after we did not meet them, we do not know. And when we see them again, everything change.

However, things can turn out on the other side too!
-the most clever guy in your class whom you thought to be a CEO in the future, lost his job due to retrenchment...
-the most nerdy friend in your class whom you thought will be a nerd/'toot' forever in school, turn out to be a gang leader. By the way, I've got a friend who turn out this way...
-the smartest guy in your class whom you thought will excel in all subjects, got retained in school, and got kicked out in the end. I've got a friend who turn out this way too...

I guess all these may sound familiar to you guys too...

So what really makes these people turn out the way we never thought they will turn out to be??
The answer is simple...
" The actions they take will determine their route in the future..."

When you are taking the train towards the East, you will never reach the West.
Yes! So for the above few instances, the most stupid, weakest, lousiest, ugliest, fattest, or what ever negativity you can name, become the best, the strongest, the smartest, the fittest, the prettiest, because they DID something which change their life! So when the vice versa happens, they did something to change their life too!

Today, we all knew Barak Obama is the President of United States, and probably the World-Elected President too. However, by looking back to his childhood days, we found out that he lived in Indonesia. He stayed there for a few years, before he moved to the States. His parents divorced and re-married. There are also history of him taking marijuana, cocaine, alcohol during his childhood days too. Yup! Can we ever imagine a small boy like him, studied in Indonesia become a US president one day? Hardly.

However, things never happen just like that, if not people on the streets will think that taking marijuana or cocaine will become a president next time. No! things do not happen this way! What we need to look at what he did on his way to presidency.

First, he decided to leave Indonesia and return to USA, Hawaii. If he didn't do this, he would not be where he is today.And, if he chose to continue taking marijuana and cocaine his whole life, he also would not be where he is today, maybe at some drug rehabilitation center.

So guys, have we decided the route we are taking? Have we drew out the roadmap that we will want to walk in the next 40-50 years of our lives? If we do not like the path we are going, do we still walk on it, or change the route? If we decide to change, do we have the belief and perseverance to change the course?

Yes. And that brings me back to the point. Let's not judge a person by what he will become by looking at his past. You never know when they will change, and become somebody you will never expect them to become.

Then, we turn the eyes and look at ourselves too! So let's not judge ourselves, by looking at our past! We may have failed PSLE/O lvl/A lvl/University, or used to be the most quiet, naughtiest, lousiest, lowest in class... So what? As long as we stand up, stop walking that path, and Change the route we are walking, we will change ourselves, and you will be the one who shock your friends, not vice versa.

Everyone knows who is Adam Khoo, the CEO of Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group, a millionaire at age 26, authors of multiple books, an Asian Success Coach, a public speaker... but in the past, he was a kid who failed in school, who can't do maths and science, who play computer games all day and night, who did poorly for his PSLE and ended by in a lousy secondary school... So what really change him? What did he really do? He did alot alot of things, and it's interestig to read his life story.

So what if we stutter in class when we read out a comprehension page, we may be a great speaker, or a world leader in the future?
So what if we are quiet and shy in class, we may be someone who is very influencial to many people?
So what if we are the lowest in class, fail multiple subjects before, didn't get into top schools or college, we may be someone who earns more than those uni grads, or even, be the boss of these people!

And again, before you have to achieve all that, you need to Change your road, Walk on a different path towards a Different direction. You will reach there in the end. *but if nothing changes, then, everything will stays the same, and you can really predict your own future. :D

So before i log off, let's look around us, our friends and family. See them once again, and lead them to the correct path they should take. See them as someone great in the future!

Share your comments!

Lesson 1-How Long Can You Wait?

Alright guys, I'm back for my posts!. As promised, this post is going to be a Powerful one!. But wait, I should say this is not the only post. I should say 'A Series' of posts will make it Powerful.

I shall name it lesson by lesson, as I learned all of these in different days, and I'm putting them altogether. So let's start!

Lesson 1 - How Long Can You Wait?

On 30th May 2009, It's a day of my Sundown Marathon. However, that event is at night. In the afternoon, I went to Riverwalk, for a Zone meeting, by Brother Darren. It has been so many months since the Zone gather again. Bro Darren shared a lot a lot with us. And that is what I want to share with you guys.

Before he started saying anything, he said that what he will share will be a turning point in our lives, sound something great yea. To me, Bro Darren is a great speaker, an interacting speaker on stage, someone who is enjoyable to be with. I always love and remember what he says, as I can say his words can Really change a person's life. He has spoken in prisons too.

That day, he spoke about this...

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr spoke in Washington D.C. and his speech titled,

"I have a Dream..."

This is a world-renowned speech as he is speaking in front of thousands and thousands of people. And in his speech, there's a famous quote from him...

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

A few years later in 1968, he was assassinated. America in that era is prejudiced against the blacks, and there were a lot of discrimination of the blacks. They were mistreated, they were not given the same respect as the whites. However, after 46 years Martin Luther King Jr made that speech, history changed. And his Dream come true.

On January 20 2009, Barack Obama, America's first black President sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. He has made history. Martin Luther King Jr's dream came through after 46 years, after he had made that speech.

So here's a question...

If you are given a chance, to stand in front of thousand and thousands of people, in front of the world camera, to give a speech of just 10 mins. yup. 10 mins will do. What will you say? What can you say to change the world, to change the lives of the people? An interesting food for thought...

Looking at today's era, people are becoming more and more oblivious of what is happening around the world. When Facebook changes its layout, many groups have been formed there to appeal against the changing of layout. These groups have gathered almost hundred thousands of people, to appeal against the changing of the layout. But what happen in the end? Facebook didn't change its layout. So what are these people doing? Is there a need for this? Another food for thought...

So what would you say? ... ...


Next, he mentioned about a research study that has been done.

"It has been studied that a person requires 17 years to become World-Class"

Yup. Tiger Woods started playing golf at the age of 2, and he turned professional in 1996, at age of 21 years old. It took him around 20 years, I would say, to be world-class, when he became world number one in 1997. 20 years, and he became world-class.

What everybody see, is his No.1 ranking, his titles, his almost-perfect golf swings, his happy marriage, the multi-million dollar endorsements he had signed... But who has seen what he has really gone through all these 20 years? Who has seen how much training he has gone through before he can become professional? Who has seen how many golf balls he has to hit a day? Who has seen how much pressure he has to undertake, the stress of becoming world no.1? Only a handful, probably his coaches has seen them all...

Life's like that, many people admire the success of others, love to be on the world stage one day, love to win titles, be world no.1, win endorsements, appear in world advertisements... but only few people are willing to do what it takes to get there.

Bro Darren talked about 17 years to become the world best. I would like to add something to it.

Maybe you would not like to be world best. So, 14 years to become best in your continent (Asia/Africa/Europe...) ? Alright, maybe you would not like to be your continent best. So I say, 10 years to become best in your region(Middle East, North Asia, SouthEast Asia...) ? Alright! maybe you would not like to be your region best, you just want to be your country best. 7 years? or your city best.5 years? or become your school/club/company best? Is 4 years enough?

So I have somehow shortened the number of years, to just 4 years. Yup. 4 years to be your company best or best in your school, or I just say achieve your dreams. 4 years. How many of us are willing to strive for 4 years to achieve what we wanted? If Tiger Woods can strive hard for 20 years, why can't we, just for 4 years?...

While achieving our dreams, we will definitely meet a lot of dream breakers. It's normal!

When you want to be a singer, someone will pop up and say you sound like a frog.
When you want to be a dancer, someone will pop up and say you are too fat for it.
When you want to be an artist, someone will say you are not artistic enough.
When you want to be a basketball player, someone will say you are too short for it.
When you want to be the next top model, people say you don't have the figure.
When you want to do whatever you want to do, there will always be a dream breaker.

No doubt, dream breakers are there. The point is, how should we react to these dream breakers? Let's see some examples...

-What if someone tells Barack Obama that he will lose the 44th Presidential Election, because he is a black, he is young, he has a strong opponent who is a white, with so much more experience than him, and there has never been a black president is the whole history of United States of America? If Obama listen to his 'someone', he would not have become the President.

-What if someone tells our Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew that, he has no point building up Singapore, as Singapore has a very small population, limited talents, and could not compete with many bigger countries around her? What if someone tells MM Lee that Singapore has many laws to follow, restricted many things, like chewing gums, protests, movements, riots and that will make Singapore a very 'Fine' country to live in? What if someone tells MM Lee that Singapore children had to study a lot of subjects, especially two languages, makes them very stressed, and he would not bring his students to Singapore to get 'stressed' by the education system?

If MM Lee listen to all these 'someones', Singapore would not have been one of the best liveable cities in Asia and in the World. If MM Lee did not set laws to restrict demonstrations, protests, and chewing gums, Singaporeans would not be a clean city, as compared to our neighbours. If MM Lee listens to people saying studying two languages is useless, Singapore would not have been a multi-racial country, which attracted many investors from big countries, like India and China. And if not for Singapore's bilingual policy, US multi-billionaire and commodity trader, Jim Rogers would not have moved to Singapore to settle, and allowed her daughter to grow up here and learn Chinese.


I hope this two examples speak alot about themselves. For one reason, they think of the Masses. They are focused on their dreams. They never let the 'someone' destroy their dreams. Obama plead for a Change in US, and he is not affected by what race he is, what his opponent is, and what other say about him being young, inexperienced or whatsoever. He kept his focus, and he did it.

MM Lee never care so much what other people talk of him. We Singaporeans know that there are many good things said about us, as much as bad things. Many overseas professors have often critised LKY of his ruling tatics, his control over the country, and the strict law and order. However, MM Lee onced said this, '' if you can't change a third world country to a first world county, you'd better....." That's roughly the sentence. What right has this professors got to say about what LKY is doing, when they themselves, only study a lot, but did not do what he has done.

To guys out there, if you have a dream, go achieve it. I would dare to say, many of the dream breakers are mostly your close ones, your family members, or good friends. If they are open-minded enough, they will allow you, or even support you along the way. But sadly, as you guys know, this does not happen often. We tend to let them 'pour the cold water' on us, and let them 'break our dreams'. In the end, for what they claim to 'protect' us from hurting, or choosing the wrong dream, we do what we don't like, and never achieve what we always wanted.

We live a life we want, and not a life what others want. YES! A life you want. We live for ourselves, we don't live for others. If you think something is right, is your passion, and you want to go for it, Just Do It! Why care so much about what other people say about you? Why care so much how people look at you? Remember, it's a life we live, for ourselves. We choose the path we want to walk, and with belief and faith, we walk all the way, and never let anyone, or obstacles hinder us from reaching our destiny.

Giving up? Oh! this should not have been one of your thoughts! People with beliefs and faiths of what they are doing, go all the way. 4 years to achieve what you wanted. Maybe, you would want to give up... but before you do that... let's read below...

- When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he failed 10,000 times, before he got it. 10,000 times, and he didn't give up. Why must you give up? How many times have you tried? 10? 100? 1000?. Remember. Thomas Edison- 10,000 times.

- When Donald Trump, from a billionaire to a bankrupt, with almost 900 million in debt, he didn't gave up. A few years later, he made a comeback, and he become a billionaire again. Bankrupt with over 900 million in debt, and he did not gave up. How much did you lose? $100?$1000?$10,000? $1 million? Remember, Donald Trump, $900 million.

-Colonel Sanders, the old man who created the receipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken, got his receipes rejected by many restaurants initially. However, he never lose faith in his receipe. He knew his fried chickens are the best. In 1955, at age of 65, he expanded his chicken franchise business. 10 years later at age of 75, he had more than 600 KFC franchises. Look, at age 75, he is still working hard to fulfill his dream.

-Sam Walton, opened his first Wal-mart supermarket at age of 44 years old. At age of 67, he became world richest man. His family occupies few of the top 10 places of the Forbes Rich List. At 67, he achieved his dream. So let's see. How old are you to give up? Colonel Sanders and Sam Walton never gave up, even though they can retire many years ago, but they continue to go for their dream. MM Lee is still building the country, at the ripe old age of 85, going 86 this year. He never gave up, how can we say 'give up'?

So before we ever thought of giving up our dreams, let's remind ourselves of the noble people above. They never gave up their dreams, why must we?

Just a last note... No one can say you are defeated, unless you give the permission.

So guys, give ourselves a time period to achieve our dreams. Wait for your efforts to bear fruits. Never gave up till the end.

Look out for lesson 2! :D

Sorry for the wait...

Hey guys!

I've been idle for a while. Busy with some stuffs..

But...


Watch out for my Next Post!. I can say it gonna be Powerful! :D

Achmed the Dead Terrorist

Haha. I think some of you guys have watched this video. I just came across this funny video by chance, and it's still funny even if you watched it many times. It got 90 million views, and that shows how Social Media brings a person to fame!. Jeff Dunham :D

I got a local U degree. What am I afraid of?

What am I afraid of ?

Wow. The people who give me this answer somehow tell me that their degree is quite Big, quite Powerful ah! I got some friends who tell me this. They are from the local University. They think that with local university degree, they are untouchable in the future.

Nope. I'm not saying all local university undergrads are that proud and arrogant. Nope. I have friends, who are in local uni, and I always enjoyed talking to them openly, with their open minds. We share views and always talk it out whatever there are in our minds. However, it's the small number of 'arrogant' friends I dislike. They become proud when they are able to get into a course when their friends can't get in. They try to be arrogant, asking people, 'What kind of scholarship should I get? This $20,000 one, or overseas one?'' or '' Should I take Law only, or a Double Degree with Law and others?'' etc... when others can't get even in.

Wow. I think everybody got these kind of friends. Sometimes we just smile back, or just give a cool answer like ''I think this is better... If I were you, I would...", just to entertain their arrogance. I once did that too. But I got a different approach now:D

So What? So what you have a local U degree? So what you have a scholarship? So what?
Their reason is with a local U degree, they have good job prospects, they can get good jobs. With a scholarship, they are secured a job after graduation, they can get promoted, and get pay rise.
I agree with that 2 years ago, when I just finished my A level education. But now, not anymore.

After this Greatest Crisis that hit almost every country, especially the world's biggest economies which includes USA, Japan, China, I came to realise how 'valuable' a degree is. When the crisis hit, there are news of scholarship being canceled by companies. There are also news of fresh graduates not able to get jobs. There are also news of graduates being hit the most. People said this is the worst year to graduate! JUST GO GRAB ANY JOB!!

Wow. this sounds scary yea! That's the answer! So what you have a Local U degree?

Poop! another objection appears.
'' Yes! But Im still studying now, and by the time I graduated, the economy has recovered and I can get my dream job! and my scholarship won't get canceled. So even if the ecomony is bad now, by the time I graduate, it will be booming!''

I agree with that objection, but to certain extent. Yes. You will get your dream job, you will get higher pay, as the economy has recovered, and maybe its booming. But my answer, So What?
In Economics, after every recession, there's a boom, and after every boom, there's a recession. It just goes on and on. It's a cycle! Looking at previous records, a recession happens in every 8-10
years.

So what you are still studying now? So what you have not graduated? So what by the time you graduated is a boom, and able to get high salary?

Are you able to guarantee there will not be a recession happening in 8-10 years time? Are you prepared to face the recession when it happens? But the scary thing is this...

During the boom, you ask for a pay rise, you can get high salary. You are doing well, and may have been promoted a few times during this boom. However, when recession happens, who do you think the boss will ask to 'Go' first?

Of cause is the one who gets paid the most!. He will do a bonus cut first, then salary cut, then if things get worse, the highest paid needs to go. Why? Because he can always get someone to do the same job at a lower pay, and not so demanding too, as economy will be bad that time. He can use foreign talents, from China and India, when their pay demands are not so high as locals.

And when these talents come in, where do Singaporeans stand? Stand by the side lo. Then when they still got their degrees to show off, what happen? They got to fight with fresh graduates who enter the job market! Bosses prefer fresh graduates during bad times, as fresh graduates are always asked not to be demanding, take whatever offer they are given, and just do the job.

HaHa. What about the Singaporeans who are retrenched, but with Big Local U degrees they show off when they are studying? Will bosses choose them? Depends. They have higher demands of pay, especially they have worked before. They got local U degrees! But when did they got the degree? 5 years ago? 10 years ago?

Every bosses know that things that are taught in University becomes Obselete by the time they graduate. Yes. Its useless, or irrelevant by the time they graduate. Worse, their degrees are 10 yrs old degrees. If you are the boss, which kind of knowledge do you need? The latest knowledge, or the knowledge 10 years ago?

When you see what windows 98 is, and what apple software "Snow Leopard" is now, you will know how big the difference is.

However, no matter how much is being said, these people are still living in their own world. They never believe this kind of things will happen to them, even though it had really happened!! (Just look at how many jobs are lost, or how many people got retrenched in this crisis. I doubt these people read the news too. They are in their own world.). They only believe it, when they got it themselves. And when that happens, why will blame the boss, blame the economy, blame the company, blame the wrong job, blame the wrong major they study, blame the wrong university they went to, blame ''Why Nobody tells him recession will occur once every 8-10 years!!".
Oops. They forget to blame themselves.

Notice in what i wrote here, I keep mention 'Local U'. Why so? It's just a simple reason. I can't stand people who are in local U, look down at people who are in private University! What's the problem with studying in private U? or the problem of NOT studying in a University? I just can't stand all those smart arrogant people from Local Uni, laughing at people from Private University.

And let me state again. I'm referring to people from local Uni, who are proud and arrogant and look down people from private uni. If even if you are from local Uni, but you are not proud and arrogant and doesn't look down people from private uni, I'm not referring to you. :D

If getting a local degree is so great to be arrogant about, a secured job, a secured career, high pay, fast promotions, think again, and maybe think twice. The world richest man in the world now, Bill Gates, didn't even finish his Harvard Education. What's makes these people so arrogant about, and just a local U degree?

Again, I'm not saying there's no point to get a local U degree. What I'm saying here is not to show off and be arrogant about just a local degree you have.

This phrase came from ACJC : "The best is yet to be". When you think you are the best, there are always people better than you out there." Arrogance will bring you no where:D

And to all my friends or people studying in private universities, Be proud that you are in that university! Never get looked down by arrogant people from local Unis anymore! I mean arrogant friends only, when they try to bring you down with their local U degrees. Don't tell it to all your friends, you will be seen arrogant instead. Haha.

I never look down people from private U, and students from private U should be proud of themselves too! Whenever I see how graduates from private U succeed in life, or business, I always like to see their stories, and tell those to my friends. Arrogant ones. Haha.

That's a long post from me. Share your comments!:D

Andre Rieu & 3 year old violinist, Akim Camara 2005

Hey guys, I stumbled upon this interesting video, and I'm sure you will enjoy this!
Take a look :D




Check out 5:20. It's cute!!

This is a cute short clip, but read the meaning within:D






I don't think you want to live such a simple and straightforward life. Hehe. Enjoy and comment! :D