tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64464062851178321072024-02-07T21:42:36.212-08:00Success JourneysNoryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-23768568333281235902012-04-21T00:42:00.002-07:002012-04-21T00:42:32.069-07:00Christina Eliminates Jesse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What I love about this interview is that the DJ says all the words I want to say. Christina is one of the best singer ever for me. But by eliminating Jesse, she makes people question her credibility. Coz after one spectacular performance....the guy is eliminated against other team mates who where not even close to his talent and voice. I hope Jesse will be as successful as Jennifer Hudson, who was eliminated prematurely from American Idol. If you want to see how Jesse sings ...and wonder why this man was eliminated, you need to watch this....<br />
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<i>Note to self:</i> See Yani, even the best got voted off for whatever reason. After being "voted off" yourself, you should be stronger. After being voted off the second time, you should be double stronger. Back-to-back elimination. As Steve Jobs say... along the way when you connect the dots, you will understand why what happened...has to happen. All the best Jesse! All the best Yani! Let's emerge on the other side, a Fighter!<br />
<br />Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-37632356796960539772012-03-19T16:55:00.000-07:002012-03-19T16:55:31.286-07:00Reminder For Down Times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uV0HcAMYFyanaoklemNMT554WP22yNiETdmnWONsBvxWH9uM_NYfRs9ScttVJHKX68xWyD-TAvztBLVpA0uFuaTeMnEBGuf4l6EOOB_QkZ9grqMGD_iFAsvLc-aOuowfy8rNU0Umh3Y/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uV0HcAMYFyanaoklemNMT554WP22yNiETdmnWONsBvxWH9uM_NYfRs9ScttVJHKX68xWyD-TAvztBLVpA0uFuaTeMnEBGuf4l6EOOB_QkZ9grqMGD_iFAsvLc-aOuowfy8rNU0Umh3Y/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #009933; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image taken from: travel.mongabay.com</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #009933; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">Imbalance is a part of balance</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">What I don't want is part of what I do want</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">If you are not a little bit lost, you won't revel in your foundedness</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">Your problem is part of your solution</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">If you're not a little bit hungry, you don't revel when you eat</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">If you're not a bit out of balance, you will not understand the power of balance.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><b>It's all apart of the dance!</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><i>- Abraham Hicks</i></span></span></div>Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-23878760677447153612012-01-30T21:54:00.000-08:002012-01-30T21:54:36.164-08:00On board the next train...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o5yJ7MxunXrbJxDmuyIPqaejhDoIGgYWQSh3SmR4-b01mxzQKsdFGuflypuAKFVQfjxNL4jQdKOzg3Mug3DXnyIRr9EF8uSkoHQLmpxxctj4p2IRzWlo4y_nkGWmpfCPLEpcAJ1lxhI/s1600/dipity+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o5yJ7MxunXrbJxDmuyIPqaejhDoIGgYWQSh3SmR4-b01mxzQKsdFGuflypuAKFVQfjxNL4jQdKOzg3Mug3DXnyIRr9EF8uSkoHQLmpxxctj4p2IRzWlo4y_nkGWmpfCPLEpcAJ1lxhI/s1600/dipity+train.jpg" /></a></div>(Image credit: <a href="http://www.dipity.com/tickr/Flickr_trains_1/">http://www.dipity.com/tickr/Flickr_trains_1/</a>)<br />
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Today is last day of work at TW. Tomorrow will be the first day, of the rest of my life. Well, doesn't every good story has an unexpected twist?<br />
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Initially, I thought I got everything figured out and it seems to be working just as I so-called envisioned. I sat back on my chosen train ride and enjoyed the many beautiful views. It was awesome! Then, the train started to make a turn towards some eerily familiar territory. I read that if we pray for our life's journey to follow a better path than the one we think we are on, then we should brace ourselves for Divine answer. Sometimes the answer comes slowly but surely, revealing itself layer by layer like peeling off an onion. At other times, the answer comes immediately with a loud bang! My answer came so fast, it sent shivers down my spine. After weeks of asking God for guidance, I woke up one morning with one thought in mind: "I'm ready." I even wrote this in my gratitude journal, -- it was 18.01.2012. On that same day, my train came to a screeching halt. It stopped at a cold, deserted and lonely station for me to disembark. <br />
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I was confused, scared and all alone. Even then, I know life is revealing itself as it should be. In the bigger journey of life, this lonely station, is indeed my stop. But the cold and fog didn't make my wait any much easier. I thought I was strong. I wasn't. All I could hang on to is God and a prayer for the next train to come. It did. And the speed, shape and colour with which it arrived astounded me. It is in a form I had not imagined or expected. But such is Divine plan.<br />
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<i>"...And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out. And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allah. Sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion."</i><br />
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<i>The Meaning of the Holy Quran: Surah Al-Talaq, verse 2-3</i><br />
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I chose to board the train, even though I do not know for sure where it would lead me. I could only see a few hundred meters ahead. So, I just make the journey. Maybe when I get just that far, the next hundred meters will be revealed, and the next...and the next. I am just going to trust Divine intelligence. I don't really have to figure it all out, right this moment. I couldn't anyway. But one thing I do know, is that I am supposed to enjoy this journey and have as much fun. For my real destination, as it is for all of us...is ultimately with God. Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-28744421770121143422011-10-05T18:11:00.000-07:002011-10-05T18:11:55.849-07:00Goodbye & Thank You, Steve Jobs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/D1R-jKKp3NA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>My idol and hero, Steve Jobs passed away today due to pancreatic cancer. Above is a youtube video of his speech at Stanford University. I would watch this video everytime I am feeling a bit slacking in my journey to achieve my goals. Jobs is the mind behind Apple Computer and Pixar Studios. He had set out on a journey to change the world. And he did. I love the story of him trying to lure John Sculley to leave Pepsi-Cola and join him. When Sculley was a bit hesitant, Jobs told him: "Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?"<sup><span style="color: #0645ad;"> </span></sup>In a way, from my humble point of view Steve Jobs left, after he got his job done here on Earth. He left his legacy for all of us to benefit from and to learn from and to play with. Perhaps it is a good time to reflect on our own lives and ask ourselves...what legacies are we building for the world. Surely we don't think that God sent us here on Earth just for a free ride? Indeed, I would like to always remind myself this question to help me carry on with my journey. As Steve Jobs said: "Stay hungry, stay foolish." I absolutely love this man.Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-9014844733492953522011-09-28T08:43:00.000-07:002011-09-28T08:43:02.561-07:00Lessons from Frodo, Harry & Luke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNWRl80Z6pPtBzr1iml3VzVENRowp7qZtqjSVmi6jCsVwTDx6VeGn7hWk9GBbu7aE9IhzPK8OsX05ikjfBJmyDyMm2UXOB6yi8vt848rEGCRL2PZO3T8BldAXwlAZJREbWj3JgFGf2PA/s1600/luke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNWRl80Z6pPtBzr1iml3VzVENRowp7qZtqjSVmi6jCsVwTDx6VeGn7hWk9GBbu7aE9IhzPK8OsX05ikjfBJmyDyMm2UXOB6yi8vt848rEGCRL2PZO3T8BldAXwlAZJREbWj3JgFGf2PA/s200/luke.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4SLqF_jTFttYbkYydpoUo5Cq1GJssYFJncjOl9BoQnzl-Jr6NLorbPGbdZOYbLgj2bSCwFGXfewjh0ddEvph1YQsvMvMPUQ2J9-_Eb9H_kKY6Vz22lR7bUXBHLRRHpDdxf8B2jymlaU/s1600/frodo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4SLqF_jTFttYbkYydpoUo5Cq1GJssYFJncjOl9BoQnzl-Jr6NLorbPGbdZOYbLgj2bSCwFGXfewjh0ddEvph1YQsvMvMPUQ2J9-_Eb9H_kKY6Vz22lR7bUXBHLRRHpDdxf8B2jymlaU/s200/frodo.jpg" width="141" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_N4uj30F6h1Mm8gRsBupsDXmbIfkDqZokP6ppN3VSrE8bjkWiUwy2nZhyphenhyphen8aIjwPccjUznzyLcHkTF3yllamWg3x5fIOh5Eu0Zrf4CGXWFEpt26W2Bo91JMzusi7QdCQ-pwZj2e-Tuws/s1600/harry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_N4uj30F6h1Mm8gRsBupsDXmbIfkDqZokP6ppN3VSrE8bjkWiUwy2nZhyphenhyphen8aIjwPccjUznzyLcHkTF3yllamWg3x5fIOh5Eu0Zrf4CGXWFEpt26W2Bo91JMzusi7QdCQ-pwZj2e-Tuws/s200/harry.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
During a bout of Harry Potter fever, after having viewed the concluding chapter of the series (JK Rowling is amazing!!), I found myself thinking... what is it that make the life of Harry Potter so magical, and ours...well, mine...so ordinary? I was at my kitchen door looking out to the garden...seeing my ordinary fish pond, the palms, the grass, mango trees...and thinking to myself what a stark contrast the life I'm living compared to the exciting adventure of Frodo, Harry and Luke...chapter after chapter -- saving the world and warding off evil and darkness. Where as my big challenge for today was to figure out what to cook for lunch. (Oh, but just a note, that there is beauty in the mundane, and blessings in being bored...really. I mean who wants to be pursuit by Sauron, Voldermont or Darth Vader every other day, right?)<br />
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Then, I pretend that I am 38 years old instead of 8, and try to figure out what is it about these fictional characters that uplifts me so, to the extend that I and of course gazillion others around the world become avid fans. Frodo, Harry & Luke have all chosen the path less taken. They took it upon themselves to do what it right, instead of what is easy. They all have a mission to complete. They want to ensure the world is safe, when it would be easier just to save themselves. Isn't that the stuff that makes our hearts beat? That's why we cheer them on. Then, we go back to living our own "ordinary lives". But that's just it. We don't have to lead ordinary lives. Azizi Ali's company slogan is "Life is too short to be ordinary". <br />
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I for one believe that everyone of us here was born with a mission to accomplish. And God provide us with the tools we need to accomplish this mission. We don't have magic wands, or light sabers but we certainly do have something special that nobody else have. Some of us write beautiful songs, others have beautiful voices, some others have the charisma to influence, some are gifted with a loving heart, or athletic abilities. And these are tools that we must use to serve the purpose we were sent on this Earth to do. Now, isn't that exciting? But just like Frodo, Harry and Luke, serving our purpose and completing our mission sometimes need us to follow the path less taken, and it requires stepping outside our comfort zone. It is easier to follow the path paved with beautiful scented red roses, as opposed to the treacherous road to Mordor. But sometimes, we have to go down to the valley before reaching the mountains of our dreams. <br />
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Today, I thank my lucky stars, as I now realised that there lies in front of me, two diverging roads: One, is the familiar path leading to glory of cushy high paying corporate job, which is quite close to home and the other requires a long journey, no cushy benefits, but a chance to apprentice with a well-respected individual who can and is willing to help me carry out my mission (Just like Luke Sky Walker apprenticing with Obiwan or Yoda I would think). So...do I go down an easy familiar path decked with roses, or do I go down the swamp of Dagobah to seek Yoda, who will help me defeat Lord Vader?<br />
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Yup, I now realised that living a life of magic and adventure is up to me. Hasn't it been said that you can either see everything as if it is magic or as if it is not? If I choose the see the magic, the magic will be shown to me. So there I was still standing at the kitchen door, and suddenly noticing that there is a purple waterlily blooming in my fish pond, when it has not bloom for the past year. Then, there was a loud thud under the mango tree. My husband went to check and saw a huge ripe mango just fell from the tree, smooth and untainted by insect or squirrel bites. So, there is magic, if we care enough to look. And there is adventure, if we care enough to take the journey and become the real life heroes like Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Muhammad Yunus, Steve Jobs, Oprah or JK Rowling even. I don't know about you, but I think I will put on my cape and grab my wand bright and early tomorrow, and get on with my adventure. I hope you will choose the same.Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-76271667268898186792011-08-08T19:16:00.000-07:002011-08-08T19:18:28.835-07:00If not now, when?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgE5eWahgZCs0z1R_WTWOL5sDKlyKnln3aS2Mtlhjf2j4iO2bNqdNLQCHYY9DdPezAUqjCJRczYbJUmf-eMx3IM9vfinjTE3uTqwP3ktQ5eUX28A3zcZqdObCEZiQrN3-HTd7d3SklJ8/s1600/axe_tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgE5eWahgZCs0z1R_WTWOL5sDKlyKnln3aS2Mtlhjf2j4iO2bNqdNLQCHYY9DdPezAUqjCJRczYbJUmf-eMx3IM9vfinjTE3uTqwP3ktQ5eUX28A3zcZqdObCEZiQrN3-HTd7d3SklJ8/s320/axe_tree.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Gambar illustrasi ni, terpaksa lah lukis sendiri, coz tak nak kacau copyright orang)</span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Many of us have dreams. Those of us who have it written down and stick it up somewhere we can see everyday, would have more probability to achieve it compared to those who treated their dreams as some vague idea in their heads. But regardless, what have we done today to achieve our dreams? It doesn't matter if the dream is to be a bestselling author, a professional speaker, to build a dream bungalow, to own a holiday resort, to finally get slim and healthy or to get all our debts paid off. Dreams will remain to be just dreams untill we take action to make it come true. Of course, we will do it when...the children grow up, when...we have enough money, ...when we can find the time, after bulan puasa, after Hari Raya..after the school holidays. But the question is if not now, when? The hours, days and weeks, and months will pass and before we know it, it will our time to leave this earth...and what would we have accomplished? <br />
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I like the story of Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, when they first put together the Chicken Soup for the Soul book, they wanted to be on the bestseller's list. So someone, told them these magical words..."If there is a huge tree...but you keep on coming to this tree and whack it with an axe 5 times a day, every single day...don't you think one day, the tree is going to fall?" Hansen and Canfield took the advice to heart and started to do 5 things everyday towards increasing sales of their book. And the rest of the story...not only their first Chicken soup book is a bestseller...most of the subsequent Chicken soup books are bestsellers! <br />
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So, ask ourselves, what 5 things we can do today to make our dreams come true. What 5 things can we do today, with whatever resources we already have at hand, which will make our dreams come true?Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-74675919355465592822011-07-05T19:59:00.000-07:002011-07-05T19:59:33.776-07:00From Fatness to Fitness<img height="314" id="il_fi" src="http://fatburningtipsthatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/fastest-way-to-lose-belly-fat.gif" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="400" /><br />
(image taken from: fatburningtipsthatwork.com)<br />
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I had a conversation with my diet buddy this morning which was quite intriguing and triggers me to write this post. Well, both of us have lost a considerable amount of weight over the past year, that friends whom we met would asked us how had we done it. To be specific, I had gone from overweight to ideal weight by shedding off 13 kilos in a period of about 6 months last year. My diet buddy had gone from almost obese (I'm being kind) to near her ideal weight by shedding more than 22 kg and counting...in a period of 1 year. When we see friends who were struggling with weight issues, we know that everybody can overcome this because we have done it, and we are eager to share our own experience. However, the most common question that people would ask us would be: "So, what supplements did you take?" We all wish that there's a magical potion in a bottle that when we take it, it dissolves all of our misery...and not to mention fat. Well, there's no such potion. The only magic formula is us making the decision to start now, to make the changes needed for our lives to be healthier and better. <br />
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There is a verse in the Quran that says, "God has given you shapes, and have made your shapes beautiful." So, we only have ourselves to blame if we did not honor the Gift from God and allow our bodies to amass huge amount of fat and toxins. We have to change ourselves internally in our hearts and our minds in order to see that change manifest on the outside. To my diet buddy, it was accepting the fact that yes, she was obese, her matebolism was bit slower that others who can gobble a plate full of carbs and remain thin. So, with that acceptance, she change her food choices, activities and habits which will be more suited towards achieving the kind of body she wants for herself. And I'm telling you, she now look fabulous! And you can see she's glowing with pride and happiness. The prime motivation for me is that I had come to a point that I was sick and tired, of being sick and tired with my bulging tummy, thighs that rubs each other when I walk and not to mention innocent comments of, "Wah...are you pregnant?" So, I said to myself I would do anything! I gave up sugar for 2 full months...and this is me, the sweet tooth hot choc and sugar donuts fanatic. So, when friends whom I love and care about told me ohh...but I love sugar..., oh..but I had a c-section birth,...oh but I don't have time to excercise... I always encourage them politely. But what I really wanted to tell them is, oh, c'mon...strip yourself and look in the mirror. The reflection you see will find you the time to exercise, the humility to appreciate your fruits and veges and the strength to stave off sugar. Just put in your mind how <strong><em>sweet</em></strong> it is to have the body you always wanted -- the one God have given you. There's your magic potion, and it doesn't cost you a dime!Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-17768353167138545292011-07-01T01:38:00.000-07:002011-07-03T18:53:05.860-07:00The 3 + 13 Steps to Riches<img height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173899001l/342504.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="224" /><br />
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I'm writing this as a reminder to myself about the salient points of this book. The first edition of this book was first published in 1910, a year after that Wallace D. Wattles passed away. A century later the book still change lives. My own summary of the book entails that there are 3 steps to riches:<br />
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<strong>Step 1:</strong> The first requisite to success is to become convinced that you can succeed.<br />
<strong>Step 2:</strong> Power-Consciousness <br />
<ul><li> it is what you feel when you know that you can do a thing; you know HOW to do a thing. </li>
<li>Thus, you will approach the task in an absolutely successful frame of mind. </li>
<li>Your subconscious mind knows that you can. </li>
</ul><strong>Step 3:</strong> Make constructive use of what you have. <br />
<ul><li>If you are only jumping half as far as you can, you will never fly. </li>
<li>It is law that by doing perfectly all that you can do now, you will become able to do later, things which you cannot do now. </li>
<li>If you put enough life into your business to more than fill it, the surplus will get you more business.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<strong>Intro:</strong> Why be rich? So that ..."You can render to God and humanity no greater service than to make the most of yourself."<br />
<br />
1. No thought of form can be impressed upon Original Susbstance without causing the creation of the form. <br />
<ul><li>In essence: "What you think about, you bring about".</li>
</ul>2. Life is increasing. <br />
<ul><li>It serves the purpose of the universe that your life experience an increase. </li>
<li>Be a creator, not a competitor. </li>
<li>You are going to get what you want but in a way that when you get it, every other man will have more than he has now. </li>
<li>You are advancing man, that you advance all who deal with you. </li>
<li>What I want for myself, I want for everybody.</li>
</ul><br />
3. MUST give to every man more than you take away from him. <br />
<ul><li>Give more in use value than you take from him in cash value. Then, you are adding to the world with every business transaction.</li>
</ul><br />
4. Be grateful: <br />
<ul><li>The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best; therefore it tends to become the best; it takes the form or character of the best, and will receive the best. </li>
<li>Be grateful to all: it will bring you into harmonious relations with the good in everything, and the good in everything will move towards you.</li>
<li>The man who sincerely thank God for the things which as yet he owns only in imagination, has real faith.</li>
</ul> 5. Be clear and specific of what you want to do, to have or become. <br />
<ul><li>Be definite and keep your mind towards it at all times. </li>
<li>All you need is to know what you want, and to want it badly enough so that it will stay in your thoughts.</li>
</ul>6. Have an invincible and unwavering faith that the thing is already yours; that it is at hand and you only to take posession of it. <br />
<ul><li>The answer to prayer is not according to your faith while you are talking, but according to your faith while you are working. </li>
<li>Think of all the things you have asked for in terms of actual present ownership.</li>
</ul><br />
7. Use your will power only upon yourself. <br />
<ul><li>Substance is more anxious to give you what you want than you are to get it.</li>
<li>All charity only tends to perpetuate the wretchedness it aims to eradicate. </li>
<li>GET RICH: that is the best way you can help the poor. </li>
<li>If you want to help the poor, demonstrate to them that they can become rich; prove it by getting rich yourself. </li>
<li>The poor does not need charity, they need inspiration. </li>
</ul><br />
8. Move forward, don't look back on your past troubles/poverty. <br />
<ul><li>Put poverty behind you. </li>
<li>You can serve God and man in no more effective way than by getting rich; by the creative method.</li>
</ul><br />
9. Must connect thought with personal action. <br />
<ul><li>ACT NOW. </li>
<li>Have faith in your ability to meet any emergency when it arrives. </li>
<li>Act upon your present environment with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind. </li>
<li>But act without haste, worry or fear. </li>
<li>Go as fast as you can but never hurry.</li>
</ul><br />
10. Be larger than your present place. <br />
<ul><li>Do ALL you can do, where you are. </li>
<li>Make everyday a successful day. </li>
<li>Do, everyday, all that you can do that day and do each act in an efficient manner. </li>
<li>Use all you have and more will come to you. </li>
</ul><br />
11. Get into the right business -- in which you will use your strongest faculties.<br />
<ul><li>Go with the tide instead of swim against it. </li>
<li>It is true that you will do best in a business which you like and which is congenial to you. </li>
<li>Success, among others depend upon your posessing well-developed state faculties required for that business. </li>
<li>You CAN do what you WANT to do, and it is your RIGHT & PRIVILEGE.</li>
</ul><br />
12. When an opportunity to be more than you are now is presented and you feel impelled towards it, TAKE IT. <br />
<ul><li>It will be the first step towards a greater opportunity to be all that you want to be. </li>
<li>DO NOT wait for an opportunity to be all that you want it to be.</li>
</ul>13. Your riches will be in exact propotion to:<br />
<ul><li> the definiteness of your vision, </li>
<li>the fixity of your purpose, </li>
<li>the steadiness of your faith </li>
<li>and the depth of your gratitude.</li>
</ul>Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-37895858014178218172011-06-28T19:32:00.000-07:002011-06-28T19:32:42.170-07:00Here's how much FREE will cost you<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUnJzWcOqa_DBmfO_agVpNa7wbryX_hwmner5YeCZHIph239ypZwI10pda0Lng5qceRSnB5QWBqn5Sws136HrNIcQtbpc-DzwgQS7BCmBlmvKrDvbpfOfG_-ZqgGTO_yeT60iKVebMb8/s1600/mousetrap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUnJzWcOqa_DBmfO_agVpNa7wbryX_hwmner5YeCZHIph239ypZwI10pda0Lng5qceRSnB5QWBqn5Sws136HrNIcQtbpc-DzwgQS7BCmBlmvKrDvbpfOfG_-ZqgGTO_yeT60iKVebMb8/s320/mousetrap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Who doesn't like free things, right? Free vacation, free medical coverage, free lunch. Well, believe it or not there are many people who would be begging you to take this free offers, if only you promise you'll let go of your calculators, and <span class="spnThumbMain"><span class="spnThumbMain">switch off your brain.</span></span> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="spnThumbMain"><span class="spnThumbMain">Here's my story and I'm sure its yours too. OK, so I received this phone call from a telemarketer, who's promoting a health package for credit card users from bank ABC (haven't we all?). I usually would just end the conversation politely saying I'm not interested, I've got all the coverage I need, thank you. </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="spnThumbMain"><span class="spnThumbMain">But this time, I chose to listen, as I happen to have sometime to kill. So, this telemarketer said that ABC company is offering FREE health coverage, hospitalisation and all the works. It's FREE, ok, so I don't have to pay anything. So, I listened on, waiting for the catch. <strong>Now, here's the catch</strong>...I will get these free medical coverage if I start a savings programme of about RM200 a month. The money is all mine, and at the end of 15 years, I will be able to withdraw all the money back. All RM36,000 of it, he said. (RM200 x 12 months x 15 years) Even if I had claimed any converage within that period of 15 years, my money will still be intact. So, do I believe that they will be so kind as to give me all my money back and provide me with free health coverage? Of course, they will. It makes perfect business sense <strong>to them</strong>. And here's why: (Time to bring out that calculator!)</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="spnThumbMain"><span class="spnThumbMain">Say for example, you put in the same amount to your own unit trust investment account, let's say ASB. ASB provides on average about 8% return every year and it is compounding every year. At the end of the 15th year, you will actually get about RM65,000 in your investment account, instead of RM36,000 that the ABC company would be so happy to return to you. In other words, your RM36,000 has generated RM29,000 profit for you in the period of 15 years.</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="spnThumbMain"><span class="spnThumbMain">So....by putting the money into ABC company's savings programme, you will get back your RM36,000 after 15 years, and the ABC company will have made RM29,000 or more (depending on where they invest the money) for themselves. So, in layman terms, you are NOT getting FREE health coverage, it is company ABC, that will be getting FREE money from your so-called savings. </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span class="spnThumbMain"><span class="spnThumbMain">So, I said thank you but NO thank you, I do not intend to give you my money. It's true what they say...if you do not know what to do with your money....there are tonnes of people who know exactly what to do with the money (Actually, I'm the one who said that in my book, from Deadbroke to Cash Rich). So, before you say yes to any FREE deals or "you-can-get-all-your-money-back" deals...just pull out your calculator and switch on your brain.</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-19717681910866537572011-06-28T00:25:00.000-07:002011-06-28T00:25:59.150-07:00Bagel from Wisconsin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaw2bpD8z1pCLyWMZ5QQpQbGPKsV2QSxZu5x4U5FmDLLLbuHPta5Qj0E3-cqLE2Y84gjWaUEibfOxPhNrdBRjUIsODYqp2a082QQlON0ekcdnaIkjI_m1vJ72SYYMGMetE_zpYaXd2CqA/s1600/DSC00284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaw2bpD8z1pCLyWMZ5QQpQbGPKsV2QSxZu5x4U5FmDLLLbuHPta5Qj0E3-cqLE2Y84gjWaUEibfOxPhNrdBRjUIsODYqp2a082QQlON0ekcdnaIkjI_m1vJ72SYYMGMetE_zpYaXd2CqA/s320/DSC00284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I have been looking for bagels in Malaysia for 16 years, ever since I come home after my graduation from UW-Madison in US. I missed the crisp outside and chewy inside of a toasted bagel. Suddenly yesterday, I found them in the frozen section of Cold Storage. For 16 years, I have always been eyeing the bakery sections and it had never occured to me that I should look at the frozen section. Yesterday I did. The voice inside me said, "Hey. why don't you check out the frozen section..you may never know.." I obeyed, and voila! Bagels...!! And believe it or not, these bagels come from University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin. Wow! Maybe it has been waiting for me to find it for 16 years...! But I have never really shopped in Cold Storage, I mean too high class, right? Anyway so, it reinforces the notion that when you step out from your comfort zone once in a while, and do something different for a change, you may find things you never have before and see things in a whole new way. And hey, it always pays to listen to the voice inside you. Hooray to the simple pleasures of life!Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-25136846212539574802011-06-27T20:06:00.000-07:002011-06-27T20:06:00.966-07:00Me in Herworld<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFabZcRehgyWV_qwhLexq6zCRM6zMP9p6-tYtWZ91oq6Tk2ucf1OVETDJEIwv2WC-7EePqOc1nH5cQ_QYrMUOUoZMWwd7BARiWRpMK7uW9_evAEfSEUvy_gWfliRJJ1Roat4HEmjZcy2Y/s1600/Herworld1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFabZcRehgyWV_qwhLexq6zCRM6zMP9p6-tYtWZ91oq6Tk2ucf1OVETDJEIwv2WC-7EePqOc1nH5cQ_QYrMUOUoZMWwd7BARiWRpMK7uW9_evAEfSEUvy_gWfliRJJ1Roat4HEmjZcy2Y/s320/Herworld1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>I am so happy and delighted to be featured in the HerWorld magazine July 2011, as an author for my money management book, from Deadbroke to Cash Rich. Coincidentally, July is my birthday month...so what a wonderful brithday present. Of course, there's no such thing as coincidentally....it is all Allah's Plan and Allah's Love and Mercy. Thank you, God the Creator of the Universe!Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-85287910432939894132011-06-09T21:18:00.000-07:002011-06-10T02:55:44.571-07:00This is a piece of cake, literally!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ayzX_pqXfTdsZZ_yvVXwRl05jsmxBsmjojpAsqEnfFFKVJw8T8BxX66339sEDRpvLPG0qbwH8RaPWGG62cNEG1Ptl0abAfrpdEc0VspPSDsiIGLUM8O4_rVVQf3F-MrMUIn3a3-14KM/s1600/cakeboss_nascar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ayzX_pqXfTdsZZ_yvVXwRl05jsmxBsmjojpAsqEnfFFKVJw8T8BxX66339sEDRpvLPG0qbwH8RaPWGG62cNEG1Ptl0abAfrpdEc0VspPSDsiIGLUM8O4_rVVQf3F-MrMUIn3a3-14KM/s400/cakeboss_nascar.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left">This is Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro with his creation the life size Nascar cake. Cake Boss and Cake Off on TLC is my favourite past time while folding the clothes during weekends. I love that these guys stretch what we previously define as cake -- in terms of design, size, ingredients and functionality. The only problem is of course, watching these programs makes me hungry! Oh, well...</div>Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-35610173610760747492011-06-07T19:08:00.000-07:002011-06-07T19:08:57.284-07:00So, What's Our Excuse?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibVX2Oz_dG4ZLPnwQSISf5Dr7UFqhId47XRbSl5lwZHwQvoZtY9YcHVKPe1Em92MbNHVyqwle3LsTvCKMIpB0aCm7aO1Iea9GojT94PqyA9lQVEWkAxMFG70sLICmW8u4UMPQF4W9PEg/s1600/Cover_No-limits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibVX2Oz_dG4ZLPnwQSISf5Dr7UFqhId47XRbSl5lwZHwQvoZtY9YcHVKPe1Em92MbNHVyqwle3LsTvCKMIpB0aCm7aO1Iea9GojT94PqyA9lQVEWkAxMFG70sLICmW8u4UMPQF4W9PEg/s320/Cover_No-limits.jpg" t8="true" width="218" /></a></div><br />
Yup! You're seeing right. This nice looking young man has no arms, no legs and yet he is living a wonderful life. If you search him on youtube, you can see videos of him swimming, driving his own boat and mmm...surfing. Yes...surfing!! Nick Vujicic, is a professional motivator and speaker from Australia. I was astounded when I saw his book on the shelves at Kinokuniya. The first thought which ran through my mind was, "So, what is MY excuse?!" I have so much that I want to accomplish and yet so many excuses as to why it can't be done. I have so much fear as to how things will turn out -- given the profession cross-road that I'm facing in my life right now. Actually I've decided which road to take. And seeing this guy, and reading his book, just says to me that right here, right now, I am not entitled to any excuses whatsoever. You just go for it, girl!<br />
<br />
Let me share a quote from his backcover: "I do believe that my life has no limits. I want you to feel the same way about your life, no matter what your challanges may be. As we begin our journey together, please take a moment to think about any limitations you've placed on your life or that you've allowed others to place on it. Now think about what it would be like to be free of those limitations. What would your life be if anything were possible?" (By, Nick Vujicic, Life Without Limits)Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-69231668677391901732010-11-21T13:09:00.000-08:002010-11-21T13:18:14.654-08:00The ultimate writer meets the ultimate talk show hostBy Noryani Ismail<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiav48IMvD5NrSPaQ3reuJyfsBLqhgCQJ_QW3t2M__C7AuA-aqUn_Pwxru5NzHo5DWjJ7P_7gQTlULjV5U2ZAdf6QfZ956uq_ST7YA1WN8rs-_4B-w3ZSMwFAwY2RZf6hWhPPbt63tBLQA/s1600/20100830-jk-rowling-2-300x205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiav48IMvD5NrSPaQ3reuJyfsBLqhgCQJ_QW3t2M__C7AuA-aqUn_Pwxru5NzHo5DWjJ7P_7gQTlULjV5U2ZAdf6QfZ956uq_ST7YA1WN8rs-_4B-w3ZSMwFAwY2RZf6hWhPPbt63tBLQA/s1600/20100830-jk-rowling-2-300x205.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I saw JK Rowling interview with Oprah last night and it was phenomenal. She is first Billionaire writer. Her prophecy, as written in the book came through -- that every child will know Harry Potter. She said the idea of the Harry Potter book came when she was waiting for a train. She also mentioned that her daugther will sleep next to her when she was writing. <br />
<br />
It is the same experience that I have. My daughter will always wake up in the middle of the night or wee hours in the morning when I am working on the laptop and come sleep next to me. Sometimes her brother would join. I guess maybe many writers with young children will experience this. Many suggest that we start writing only when the children have grown up and need less attention. Either that, or you would wake up at 3am or 4am to write, which was what I did and is still doing. Because stopping the natural flow to write is like trying to stop a full term baby from being born -- you can't.<br />
<br />
I love the fact that both Rowling and Oprah know that their success is a phenomenon which is decided and created by God. This is why according to Rowling, eventhough she will continue writing, she will not be obsessed with trying to match or top Harry Potter's success. Oprah felt the same way, that in her next phase of career -- managing her TV network, she will treat it as a next project. The project will not be compared with her current phenomenal success with Oprah Show. It will be what it needs to be.<br />
<br />
If you missed last night's interview, you can sneak peak at the Oprah website:<br />
<br />
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Long-Road-to-Success-Video<br />
<br />
Enjoy the interview! I'll go back to finishing my current writing assignment -- Natrah. Stay tuned!Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-49310175858693141922010-11-09T02:19:00.000-08:002010-11-09T02:26:43.369-08:00Surviving in the Google Age by Noryani Ismail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><u>Snipet:</u> I feel that now is the right time for me to shed my old school thoughts and adopt a more Googlier perspective. How does these amazing young people view the world? How do they solve problems and resolve issues? How do they look at opportunities? I must see the world from their standpoint if I want to succeed in their era. So, I picked up this book for MPH recently and having a blast reading it.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMYVmn2Zaao10PEhizghouxX6LkDxNrFUHhtYCm-5ad1tiYNl2l4gcFw3sh6zdmMzry1lOlAQ3Fh4Jj0vBAQPapM4Jmvap8CZkmNw6UHkXAKgyH0iXBeO7eh-4eC14Zv3nJLlBqzyrUY/s1600/noryaniismail_google.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMYVmn2Zaao10PEhizghouxX6LkDxNrFUHhtYCm-5ad1tiYNl2l4gcFw3sh6zdmMzry1lOlAQ3Fh4Jj0vBAQPapM4Jmvap8CZkmNw6UHkXAKgyH0iXBeO7eh-4eC14Zv3nJLlBqzyrUY/s320/noryaniismail_google.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some of us carry industrial age ideas, and experience which is why we feel that sometimes we are banging our heads against a brick wall trying to make things work in the Google age. No wonder we fail. Well, we don't fail I suppose, that's too strong a word. We manage to achieve some successes of course. What I mean is we hardly make an impact, not even a dent, compared to those Google-age 20-somethings who didn't even finish college. Imagine guys hardly out of college making millions, even billions almost effortlessly, while many more experience adults struggle to break their first million (if their lucky). I asked myself, what happened here? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a strong hunch that this is so because the more experience adults are actually trying to fit in their old ideas to a new world. They don't understand this new world. They...we...just don't get it. The young guys like Zuckerberg of Facebook gets it because this age is their age. I want to know how Google, Skype, Facebook, Youtube make their fortune by letting people use their service for free and by making themsleves ubiquitous. Facebook is valued at US$15 billion, but they are essentially a free platform. We "oldies" here want to charge for every single thing, and still may not make as much as these "kids". So, I feel that now is the right time for me to shed my old school thoughts and adopt a more Googlier perspective. How does these amazing young people view the world? How do they solve problems and resolve issues? How do they look at opportunities? I must see the world from their standpoint if I want to succeed in their era. So, I picked up this book for MPH recently and having a blast reading it. My old thinking and belief shattered bit by bit. Ah...we have so much to learn from these kids. </div>Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-69767299774939974202010-11-05T12:21:00.000-07:002010-11-05T12:21:11.940-07:00Kunyah at Suzie's Place by Noryani Ismail<h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="UIStory_Message">A couple of days ago was "cheat day" for me at Kunyah Cafe, 2nd floor Wangsa Walk Mall, next to TGV Cinema. I have the pleasure of doing lunch with two old friends - One of whom is owner of the cafe, Suzie. That's Suzie in the pix below. As you can see, Kunyah</span> is very modern, the food comes in western and local varieties. It's quite a clever play of the word <i>kunyah</i>, which is Malay for chew. It makes me want to open a cafe next to hers and call it Telan.</h3><div><span class="UIStory_Message"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagtDcwdi0WmlauZ1wxBwYhnNNWE7dHZ5q9ixwIVH9AYctEvKPJds38csnQBUha0T3Zp_k_I6j9LTxVeny_N2V8RVHqBe-OWQr1BnEwNmxhQCGPCIbNRiLt1MKRXbVUn05K12BXwbJD_A/s1600/Suzie1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagtDcwdi0WmlauZ1wxBwYhnNNWE7dHZ5q9ixwIVH9AYctEvKPJds38csnQBUha0T3Zp_k_I6j9LTxVeny_N2V8RVHqBe-OWQr1BnEwNmxhQCGPCIbNRiLt1MKRXbVUn05K12BXwbJD_A/s320/Suzie1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="UIStory_Message"></span><br />
<span class="UIStory_Message"><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The pix above was taken with my loyal Sony Ericsson phone. Unlike the rest of the world, I haven't migrated to iPhone. I'm an iBook user, though. Not yet an iPad user. Prosumers are those who are one of the first to own the latest gadget in town. I'm not one of those people. Consumers are those who step right in when it starts to get popular. I'm not one of those neither. I'm more of a practical consumer (pracsumer?) - I'd buy when I need it...absolutely need it. In fact, i "Switch"ed to iBook only 3 years ago because it is very low maintenance. I do not need to struggle with virus and spyware issues. I do have to struggle with the fact that some software, applications and computer games are not, how shall I say..."Mac"able. As for now, my iBook and Sony Ericsson still serves me, and serves me well.</h3><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</h3><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Talking about serving me well, I have to mention how I fully used my "cheat day" at Kunyah. (note to diet newbies: cheat day is the one day a week when you give yourself permission to indulge in otherwise sinful meals, and not to mention desserts). In my case, I had the pleasure of chewing on Kunyah's Mee Bandung AND Pasta. And for dessert, Suzie recommended her bestselling Mudpie. It's a chocolate and vanilla icecream pie, laced with peanut butter chocolate and topped with whipcream and almond flakes and colourful sprinkles. To die for (literally, if you have this everyday). See the before and after picture below:</h3><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvesunkurMD5HaeZx56p0Fphhms-i-vF0KM1RPG3JWwsuL_MYMZZoeoZq4fyrXgy3fK3D0sFjvzsFdtD3lfFV1YGe1nU2sXwzw_TEnRUux87ZHWhF9ZeiZqHExFwgk6bg9LWEsvsus98/s1600/mudpie1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvesunkurMD5HaeZx56p0Fphhms-i-vF0KM1RPG3JWwsuL_MYMZZoeoZq4fyrXgy3fK3D0sFjvzsFdtD3lfFV1YGe1nU2sXwzw_TEnRUux87ZHWhF9ZeiZqHExFwgk6bg9LWEsvsus98/s320/mudpie1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBQaHUUXaX7SyNyyvoAWzxukxEfvcB8qRxJvkvXfgTjFNLISZzrerxvXv2GRlgt4__Py45YaO5Y2BIxfD8KECeFZkGTpI2AT70-LNA3krNIRTyX9py1oI1BnjRVskM2T6Zm4Q9GumN2E/s1600/mudpie2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBQaHUUXaX7SyNyyvoAWzxukxEfvcB8qRxJvkvXfgTjFNLISZzrerxvXv2GRlgt4__Py45YaO5Y2BIxfD8KECeFZkGTpI2AT70-LNA3krNIRTyX9py1oI1BnjRVskM2T6Zm4Q9GumN2E/s320/mudpie2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> </h3><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Don't be fooled by the existence of two spoons. I ate almost the whole lot on my own -- something I had not done for 5 months. I went home happy and stuffed, from having chewed, swallowed and digested Suzie's wonderful dishes. I thank Elmy for paying for the food. But, I had to pay the next day -- by running 2 lapses around the Bandar Tun Hussein's Park. Today, I probably jog up a nearby hill. All this for having chewed some mud. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ps: Check out Kunyah Cafe's facebook for more info and menu. </span> </span></div></span></div>Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-62893672988131193712010-11-03T01:19:00.000-07:002010-11-03T01:19:07.250-07:001999: An Ode to 6 Billionth BabyThe world welcome it's 6 billionth baby in 1999. This is the article I have written in 1999 based on UN Human Development report. It's one of my favourite articles. Even my 'hard-to-please' editor told me I did a good job. Let's see if I can add this file properly. I hope its readeable. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCXbDXeigUB-DAhUTlJaEAOnNEd4_9peyE4CC7UHAGD6BRFHhTEaoVaOrrk04PZODmrge6iTlZokeh3zJM9sthhgglL8vqK1Ak55efZZ5RbyDmuo4c9PCkYAyUJ1xd99zRVIrh3gyJTM/s1600/6-billion-baby1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCXbDXeigUB-DAhUTlJaEAOnNEd4_9peyE4CC7UHAGD6BRFHhTEaoVaOrrk04PZODmrge6iTlZokeh3zJM9sthhgglL8vqK1Ak55efZZ5RbyDmuo4c9PCkYAyUJ1xd99zRVIrh3gyJTM/s320/6-billion-baby1.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmYmzFPENOHerh1M7ypYrs8SuYXUsn1kTGBI1fsbw_uKLHaVQBEwJGwS3WBHLfCVa3PihCAJ4YK1zGw1Y865W3AXhKkBuAyW8vYqDpgogI3OkEJS3aGSddOQxda9VdQAPY-5DN9hqvb0/s1600/6-billion-baby2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmYmzFPENOHerh1M7ypYrs8SuYXUsn1kTGBI1fsbw_uKLHaVQBEwJGwS3WBHLfCVa3PihCAJ4YK1zGw1Y865W3AXhKkBuAyW8vYqDpgogI3OkEJS3aGSddOQxda9VdQAPY-5DN9hqvb0/s1600/6-billion-baby2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hvcvrlLWwPmPrKtYpa0C7UZ-cgdlMfdzM5Jbs6UaGBB8_ZF4RF6-98tP9z4JbJ9Vi7Tq8JWJBUdUVR1WXa0Pkl2T9Zdvj9dwv9FLkXlvn4mGYZ3lbXJ7cm4Je0JoSoyUkXHGkC1FOoM/s1600/6-billion-baby-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hvcvrlLWwPmPrKtYpa0C7UZ-cgdlMfdzM5Jbs6UaGBB8_ZF4RF6-98tP9z4JbJ9Vi7Tq8JWJBUdUVR1WXa0Pkl2T9Zdvj9dwv9FLkXlvn4mGYZ3lbXJ7cm4Je0JoSoyUkXHGkC1FOoM/s1600/6-billion-baby-3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div>Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-53689376231039601572010-11-01T02:28:00.000-07:002010-11-01T02:32:47.955-07:00What is the Picture of Your Life?Recently, in workshop called 7 Innovations, the participants was asked to draw their dream living room on a blank piece of paper which colour magic pens. The point of the exercise is to show that you can use drawing to communicate your ideas, so that people you deal with are clear about your expectations. The instructions sounds simple enough. But it took me quite a while to gather my thoughts about how does my dream living room look like. My mind raced to my current living room, which is nothing more that an empty space with one sofa. I kept countless of interior decoration magazines and I love the wonderful interiors shown in the magazines. But I thought, to have a living room, like what I saw in the magazines, will take way too much money. I had waited and waited for that day to come when we will have this bottomless pit of money. Only then will I worry about how my dream living room will look like. <br />
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So, when I was asked to draw our dream living room, I struggled. I tried to remember the drawing that my husband have made previously. Then, I thought to myself, but this is MY dream living room. At least in this workshop, I can draw what I want without worrying about approval from anybody else. So, I did. Painstakingly at first and enjoyably in the end. I finally got a picture together, which we are supposed to share with a partner. My partner was quite astonished with my drawing.<br />
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"Wow! Is this your living room?" he asked. "Well, I suppose it's my DREAM living room," I answered while complimenting him for his own drawing.<br />
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It struck me that all this while...I have been complaining to my husband that we do not have a complete living room, we don't have rugs, sofa sets etc, but I have not even put my mind on what I really wanted. And I mean with precision. What is the measurement of the living room? What kind of seats do I want and what size? What kind of material and what colour should the sofa be? How do I arrange them in the living room? What are the colours for the wall and what about the curtains and rugs? Some people will just buy any kind of furniture which they find attractive and/or which are on sale and try to fit it in whatever space they have. Whenever they see a rug or curtains or cushions on sale they just grab them. What is important is how those pieces fit into the grander plan of the living room. I had once bought a Bali daybed which is very beautiful and made from quality material. Once they delivered the furniture home, we saw that it was just too big for our living room. We had no choice but to return it and get a smaller one. In essence, getting the picture right is important for us to getting what we want. How can I make my dream living room a reality, if I can't even show people or myself for that matter, how it will look like when it is done? What a thought!<br />
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Living rooms aside, how many of us have a "picture" of our lives when "it is done"? What is the dream life that we want to live? Do we want to travel the world to help ppoor and needy children? Is our ideal life moving to the countryside and live in a big house with a farm from which we rear our own meat and poultry and vegetables? Do we want to be the billionaire CEO of an IT company? Why is it that we worked so hard 60 to 80 hours a week? What do we want to accomplish? We often come hoem tired, not knowing what's all that hard work for, accept for the fact that it help to pay the bills. Has it taken us anywhere nearer to our dream lives? Do we even know what our dream live is?<br />
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See, each and everyone of us is born with the subconscious mind, whose duties, among others is to bring us what we want AND what we don't want with absolute precision. The problem lies with the fact that many of us spend most of our time discussing and complaining about the things that we don't want. We can describe with absolute detail and with emotion what we don't like: we know the colours, the sound, the smell. So, the universe delivers to us precisely what we don't want. Those who have accomplished their dreams must have been really precise about the picture that they have painted about their lives. Success is not automatic, or by chance. These individuals know precisely what they want and they go for it. The universe correspond to that precise goal and deliver it to the rightful owner. <br />
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So, the living room exercise is like a knock on my head. How can I get my living room done, when I don't know how it's supposed to look like when it is done? The more tougher question is what is the picture of my life. For most of us, if we were to draw a picture of the life we crave for, it will be absolutely different than what we have now. But what is it? It is proven that if we look at a picture everyday, the picture will come true for us in our lives. So, we better find and refine that picture and put it in front of our eyes every day.<br />
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Just a month ago, my husband showed a picture of a bedroom which he would like to propose for our children's room. I like it, the children like it. In that short period, the room has fast becoming a reality: the tiles has been installed and walls has been painted with the exact blue shade that we love from the picture. When we know exactly what we want, the universe will point us towards making it a reality. I think I better get serious about drawing the picture of my life. What about you?Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6446406285117832107.post-71268359573920437102010-10-29T01:02:00.000-07:002010-10-29T01:02:59.583-07:00The Write Thing at The Write TimeI was stuck in the traffic jam for one hour this morning. Not a really fun thing. But an epiphany emerged during that moment. Yup, God created everything for a reason. Even traffic jams. I had an A-Ha moment, as Oprah would say. Thanks to an old school buddy who called me and dragged me into a conversation. Who would think I would have a life-shifting, deep conversation with an old friend on this blessed rainy Friday morning, while waiting for my turn to drive forward a few inches in the infamous KL traffic. Her insight has helped me narrow down my search of what am I supposed to do with my life, as a service to humanity.<br />
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People always say that sometimes we looked so far away for answers that we couldn't see what's right infront of us. In my case, what I was looking for, was right inside of me. No wonder I could not see it. But my friend could. "Let me tell you about you," she said insistently. And she has known me for more than 20 years. "You can write. That's what you do. Do you know how many people would want to learn from you?"<br />
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"Well...", I tried to respond but I was in a lost for words. "It never occured to me! I write all the time, it is something I love to do and I do it ever since I was a little girl. At school, I `escaped' from my add math classes to write script for the school play." <br />
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Writing to me is as natural as breathing. It never occured to me that this is actually something special or extraordinary or could add value to others if I teach them. So begins this next chapter of my life. Thanks, Elmy.Noryani Ismailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02163709551183144880noreply@blogger.com0