Why not take the long way?

I was very anxious and edgy when I came home yesterday evening. I realized that my fridge was not working.

Since I'm a new house owner, I'm not an expert on dealing with this kind of problem. I know I can troubleshoot minor works at home, like; changing the doorknob; fixing the shower valve, or simple carpentry works. But to understand how and why my fridge suddenly stop working is way out of my homegrown skill.

I had some repairs done in my suite from the time I moved in, and this was courtesy of our wonderful caretaker, Mr. Kumar. So since I had no clue whatsoever how to deal with this fridge problem, I called him again to ask for assistance.

This morning, a big guy name Dave came by to fix my fridge. To my unuttered surprise, it was nothing serious. He said that it was just the timer that went off.

He didn't know that there was a deep sigh of relief inside of me. I was glad that I don't have to buy a new fridge or go into that trouble of pulling out the fridge from my apartment for major repair.

So he changed the timer without further ado. Alas! My fridge was up and cooling again.

Then came the most tricky part of the deal. When I asked him how much I owed him, he said, "110 plus tax." Woh! That much in 15 mins? And there was another catch. He accidentally mumbled, (I guessed) "If Mr. Kumar is paying, it'll be a different price." There was a sudden buzzer in my ear. "Really?!" I murmured inside. So I thought of another way to bargain out, or better yet, swerved the deal in my favor. I told him that I might need to talk to Mr. Kumar regarding the payment because he was also a part of this, and that I might need to pay him as well. So after a long pause and few moments of chatting, we agreed that as soon as I talked to Mr. Kumar, I'd call him and he'd come back for the money.

When he left, I was thinking. What if I just gave him the cheq, then all was done and we could both moved on. On the otherhand, I wanted to know how much money I'd save if Mr. Kumar would be involved in this transaction. So I waited til I got hold of Mr. Kumar.

In the end, it paid off. I did the right thing. Mr. Kumar told me that he'd talk to the guy, and I'd just pay him 100 bucks in cash. So in 30 minutes, I ran to the bank quickly and deal was over. I saved around $20. I was happy.

Sometimes, it's worth delaying things and taking the long way, instead of the usual
shortcut. Because you'll never know what the long way has in stored for you. It can be a new discovery or a better deal. You'll never know...

Interesting thoughts about Leadership

I got these quotes about leadership from a friend via email. He wanted to know our thoughts.

I think leadership is a gift. No matter how much training you get in school or experience you gain from a group, if you don't possess this special gift, then you may not see successful leadership. Even if you try hundred folds to lead.

Everyone is born with a special gift. A gift to teach; to heal; to lead; to preach; to write; and more. The important thing is to know that innate gift that is truly just for you alone.

I believe that success in life is not what you've gained in this world, but with how you use and share your gift for the good of all...

Excerpt from - The Right to Lead, by John Maxwell

What gives a man or woman the right to lead?
It certainly isn't gained by election or appointment. Having position, title, rank or degrees doesn't qualify anyone to lead other people. And the ability doesn't come automatically from age or experience, either.
No, it would be accurate to say that no one can be given the right to lead. The right to lead can only be earned. And that takes time.

The Kind of Leader Others Want to Follow
The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. You must become someone others can trust to take them where they want to go.
As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you grow:

Let go of your ego.
The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things, and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things."

Become a good follower first.
Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.

Build positive relationships.
Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational. Today's generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get along with.

Work with excellence.
No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.

Rely on discipline, not emotion.
Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything seems to be against you - when you're out of energy, and you don't want to lead - that you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.

Make adding value your goal.
When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership - and its highest value.

Give your power away.
One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.

In The Right to Lead, you will hear from and read about people who have done these same things and earned the right to lead others. Because of the courage they found and the character they displayed, other people recognized their admirable qualities and felt compelled to follow them.
The followers who looked to these leaders learned from them, and so can we. As you explore their worlds and words, remember that
it takes time to become worthy of followers.
Leadership isn't learned or earned in a moment.

Do you believe in angels?

Was it fair to me that after running like crazy to catch the bus, the bus driver drove away from me? This was exactly what happened to me yesterday morning. And I was disgruntled with anger because I was a few yards from the bus; and he should have waited for me. What was he thinking?!...Good thing, I calmed down in a few. Then waited for another 20 minutes for the next bus to come, inspite of the evenmore annoying drizzling-rain and frigid wind.

As I was brushing off the not-so-good event at the bus stop and in the office that morning, my bitter-sweet past came haunting at me again in the afternoon; which I thought added more to my already hapless day.

As soon as I got home, I felt all these weighed down on me, so I couldn't help sobbing profusely last night...

But this morning was a different story...

I left early for work today just to make sure that the bus driver wouldn't have any excuse to runaway
from me. At the bus stop, as I was about to tuck my umbrella into its tiny fabric cover, a gentle breeze wafted the tiny fabric away... I tried to run after it. Two, three, four times and more I tried to catch it wrestling with the wind, but no luck... Then I realized that I was in the middle of the road. As I looked back, I noticed that I was almost a block away from the bus stop, leaving behind my open handbag on the bench; which I was grateful that nobody stole it... And as I looked up, I was surprise to see a white van halted in front of my track. The driver didn't blow his horns, or even yelled at me. Yet I guessed he was there for awhile. But he was so kind enough to wait for me get out of the road; Even shielding me safely from the oncoming vehicles.

Finally, I decided to let go the fabric cover, as it still continued to drift over the other side of the road. As I was gazing steadfast on it; feeling sorry for the little piece. I was surprise to see a a white male jogger crossed the road and picked it up. Then he came running towards me and handed me the umbrella cover.

I was flabbergasted! I didn't have a slightest clue where that man came from.

...I remember an instance from my trip in New york...As we were heading back home to catch our flight, my friend and I couldn't find the bus stop that would take us to La guardia airport. We were lost on the street of Uptown Manhattan in an early Sunday morning. Then suddenly, a lady just popped up from nowhere and asked what we were looking for...She then walked us through to the bus stop just in time for our ride to the airport...

Yeah, I was so so silly today for running after the umbrella cover that was worth nothing. And I felt
embarrassed for making a scene on the road; Causing concern from the drivers. But what was puzzling to me, was the fact that on a quiet early morning; with only less than 5 people on the street; and with the fast approaching vehicles, I was spared from an accident. Who were these people who showed up? The driver who stopped at my track, and the white male jogger who ran all the way to the other side to pick up that piece of crap. Why did they bother to, or care about me?

Oh, I love this city! This may not be the city of angels, but I believe angels live here too. Why not, if this is one of the livable cities in the world...

Or on another thought... Am I just a vulnerable-looking human being that I keep angels working all the time?

A night with 80s A-ha

The 80s decade was the best years ever to me.  It was where all the beautiful memories sprung...I was in high school where I was getting to know myself.  They said that the best things in a person's life was during adolescent years.  I believed that to be true.  Because of all the fun and wonderful moments that I'd remember and worth-going back memory lane, it was definitely my high school life.

There are hits during those years that really  has influenced music today.  IMHO, some of the best songs been revived lately are from the 80s band/singers.  And whenever those songs are played on the radio, I get to be overly sentimental.  In fact, sometimes I want to avoid listening to them because I become so lethargic.

So when my best pal in college broke the news about A-ha's farewell concert in New York,  I jumped in joy.  Besides the chance to peek at the interesting city, I got to really see one of the bands that painted one my beautiful  past--and of course - see them live on stage! Evenmore, up-close and personal.  Who wouldn't grab that opportunity?

I envy my friend for re-living her utmost dream.   She has been an A-ha fan since the time I've known her---a truly passionate, die-hard fan.  I've never been an avid follower of any bands, singers or celebrities.  I admire them at a distance, but not so crazy to get entangle with their lives.  I guess I describe myself as a reserve-type of fan.  But she, is the person I've seen so devoted through all these years to A-ha band.  Play one A-ha song and she'll name it in a sec.  Name the concert, the record, and the year.  She knows it. Ask anything about the band and she'd tell you a complete info and history of it.  That's how loyal & adeptnbsp;she's been with them!  And I'm truly amazed, because I know I couldn't be that kind of fan.

The A-ha concert was held last May 6-7, 2010 at Nokia theatre, NY...I didn't realize that there were other loyal fans we met out there who truly love them til this day.   Surprisingly, even the men followed them around, in and out of the backstage...And concert was an absolute stand-out.  The music; the gigantic LCD screen showing the evolution of their group, made me teary-eyed.  I almost couldn't contain my emotions.   I realized that eventhough I wasn't a fan, A-ha left an indelible mark in my heart.  Specially, when they sung the "Take On Me" song at the end of the show.  It was like I wouldn't want them to say goodbye, and couldn't believe that this was a farewell concert. Why? Now that I have an immense liking of them and their music after all these years.

Why is it that when one says goodbye, you realize how significant that one is.  Then you regret why you let the years slip by without taking time out to appreciate them...

As to my best pal,  she said,  " I'm so happy! Now I can move on..."

INSPIRATION

Couple of years ago, I wrote a blog about inspiration.  How and where to find it, and why it seemed hard to find...As time passed, I found some.  But as fast as I found it, the faster it slipped away too.  I realized those ones were superficial inspirations.  Not real inspirations that last a lifetime, and could be life-changing.

There's an interesting movie I've watched recently that I can relate to this, and that's the INVICTUS movie by Morgan Freeman --  A snapshot story of Nelson Mandela during his leadership years in South Africa where he saves a rugby team from losing the world cup through an inspirational poetry by the same title..This is the same poem that pulls him through life while he's incarcerated.  Being amaze by the movie, I search for this piece and here's what I've got:



INVICTUS (it's a latin word for "unconquered")
by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.


How this poem have inspired the team and lead to their victory is one of many life mysteries that will leave us wondering.  How can a piece of writing be an inspiration?

Contemplating on this, I realize that there's this little piece of poetry that's stash in my head since I'm in grade school - DESIDERATA.   Through all these years, it has been there buggling me from time to time specially during tough times and tragedies.  I believe it's been my invisible stronghold, and the reason why I survive all difficulties.

I think INSPIRATION is a significant universal force that keeps us believing, dreaming, hoping and winning...

Words I like

I met this word again - shenanigans.  The first time I heard this was in the movie "Juno", where Ellen Page delivered an interesting dialogue about this word.  Something like, "...what other kind of shenanigans can I get into"  Then the movie was a hit.

I wonder if this word exists ages ago, or is it just me -- A late bloomer.

Then again, I come across this shenanigan word in one of the newspaper article, "The automation project has been a sideshow to the ongoing shenanigans of sitting President.."  Not interesting way of using the word.  However, one or the other, it means the same thing.

So since this word smithens me, I'm flagging it.

                   Shenanigans  -  n., A deceitful trick or mischievous act; a prank.  Usually use in plural 

  (Source: Answers.com)

Etymology

Of unknown origin

Etymologists aren't sure of the origin of this word, but if you go by how many  Irish pubs are named Shenanigans or Shenanigan's, the word is probably of Irish origin.

The Oxford English Dictionary shows the very first citation of the word from an 1855 San Francisco publication. The California Gold Rush began in 1849 and there were plenty of Irishmen panning for gold there.

But it's still only a hypothesis and until we're sure, we'll have to quote Mark Twain who once said, "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know."

Usage

"Germany's constitution sets a very high bar for dissolving parliament in order to avoid a repeat of Weimar Republic-era shenanigans that helped Adolf Hitler come to power." — Germany Paves the Way for Elections; Der Spiegel (Hamburg, Germany); Jul 22, 2005.

So if someone is showing too much decitful trick, it can be referred to as shenaniganful, or shenaniganfully.  If too less, then - shenaniganless.  Or maybe, how about shenaniganly - "describing deceitful/playful tricks"...

Just like my other favorite word - Juxtapose (juxtaposition, juxtaposing or juxtaposes). I've learned this word in my Business English Review Course. And out of the many words that's been introduced to us, this is the one that stands out to me.

Juxtapose - tr.v., To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

(Source: Answers.com)

No ethymology. So I guess, it just pops out of nowhere.

Anyhow, learning new words is fun.  It can buggle mind or become a powerful political statement.  But, what if they don't understand it.  Well, just make sure you remember what it means, and be ready to tackle it anytime they ask you to elaborate.

Being a language smart wouldn't require you to do shenanigans.  You just have to juxtapose what you mean, so they wouldn't think that you're too wordy or weird.

Excellent Customer Service

It was a very lovely Sunday yesterday.  The weather was perfect. It was sunny with clear skies and  a swift of gentle breeze.  I was definite that spring season had finally arrived.  And since I thought it was a perfect day to do a little spring cleaning, I decided to put away my winter shoes back into their boxes.  So I could clear my shoe rack and pave way to my favorite flats and sneakers of the season...

...And speaking of sneakers, I know need a new one for my New York trip. My friend, whom I'll be meeting up there, has told me to wear something comfortable because we'll be walking most of the time.  Since this is my first time, I've trusted the advice of someone who's more familiar with the place.

Actually, it's been weeks now that I'm  contemplating on what footwear to get.   A flat shoes? A running shoes? Or a simple sneakers.  After window shopping many times, I've decided to get sneakers -- A good quality one that can withstand plenty of walking...Meaning -- something more expensive than my regular footwear.

In the afternoon I found myself in the skechers store.  The only one in Vancouver that I know of, and in fact a walking distance from my place... There was a nice asian lady who approached  me while I was scrutinizing the sneakers I wanted.   And after talking with her for a few minutes, I was convinced that I wanted to go for it. So she helped out with my purchase.  But  before she actually rung it, she introduced herself; shook  my hand and pleasantly asked for my first name.  And I thought that was a very nice gesture of a sales person... So for the whole time we were chatting, she didn't miss to call me with my first.  I was floored by the way I was handled as a customer.  So before I left the store, I made sure I said "thank you" without leaving behind her first name as well.

I'm so thrilled.  I really don't know if it's just a pleasant day or it's the weather that makes people cheerful.  Because for me, what has happened in that store is a rare excellent customer service.  I don't get that all the time.  And being treated with utmost courtesy makes you want to remember the sales person and even go back to that store again.

 I like it when people you're dealing with call you by your first name.  Instead of just saying--- "Thank you" or "Sorry" abruptly.  Because I think, calling a person by their first name is the most distinguished way of showing courtesy to that person.  Even if you are not sure how to address them.  One doesn't have to be over zealous or cocky because it can sometimes be misunderstood as being so pretentious.   It's simply -- the first name...

I have a lot of shopping experience in every places, and this is by far one of a kind customer service to me.  I have also been in sales once, that's why I know what a good customer service should be.  And this one is surely a thumbs up.  Something that will stick to my mind.  And definitely, will make me remember the store.

This is my first time at Skechers store. My first time to buy an expensive sneaker.  My first time to meet an excellent customer service person.  And most of all, my first time to feel that I get what I pay for. 

Maybe it's time for me to change my buying habit.  I should go for quality and expensive stuff next time, so then I can get a stress-free excellent customer service all the time...