Quiting is not the way out..

John entered an organisation. He had a vision of how the organisation could move forward to achieve the purpose of helping the poor and downtrodden. He put in a lot of effort because he had a good cause. His work was appreciated and despite some detractors, he continued as the top man in the organisation welcome and supported his ideas. He was never a threat to anybody as his aim was never to take over anyone's position. He was happy to be just a member of the committee watching the progress of his ideas as they materialised into beneficial, appreciated work in the organisation. His vision of speedy assistance where needed was being implemented as he had planned.

Then, with his capability recognised, it was just a matter of time before he became the president of the organisation. With a post other might aspire to occupy, it was only a matter of time before someone arose to oppose some of his ideas. It did happen and that brought some annoyance. As the problem dragged on, annoyance turned to frustration and then anger. As the tide of opposition increased in strength, he vacated the post he had never craved for in the first place as he merely wanted to see his vision become reality.

Was that the right thing to do? What would happen to the ideas implemented? Would not there be change from the people who took over? Could the vision be lost, the effort wasted just by quitting?

That was exactly what happened. Of course, he was not the only person who faced disappointment. So did his supporters in the organisation. He did not give it another thought but went off in search of another body to pursue his vision again. After all, there are other organisations with almost the same goals.

Still, the question; Is quitting the right move?, remains to question one's wisdom. If on is ousted from a post through an election of office-bearers, that is another matter. We have to accept the vote of the majority.

First, it is a fact that in any family, community, group, club, society or country, that the people in them comprise of individuals. Every individual has his or her own characteristics and mannerisms. No two persons are totally the same. We have those who can joke and those who can't. We have people who are always trying to find fault no matter how you may try to please them. There are people who think they are the best and all the others have to move aside when they put forward their views. Some would like to talk about their capabilities for hours while others merely want to be inconspicuous in the crowd. There are some who want things done their way or else. Now all kinds of people are around everywhere and anywhere you go. There is just no way we can avoid them unless we want to stay secure in our little world of four walls surrounding a little space.

So these people are everywhere. We have our ambitions and we just have to accommodate these people as they come into our path. Be angry with them if we wish to but let not the anger stay to interfere with our programme. Be annoyed and fed-up with them if necessary but let the feeling pass and carry on with the task at hand. Stop and listen to them, admit that they have their point and their point will be given consideration as well as changes made if possible, apologise to them for not being able to implement their suggestions if necessary but we have to carry on with our vision, our cause or whatever. We must never quit unless we are voted out.

We should never quit and join another organisation for what is there to guarantee that the same type of people will not be around to mess up our efforts. Such people will always be around everywhere we go and so, to quit, and start all over again in another group is not the right option. We just have to persevere with the understanding that wherever we go, there can always be such obstacles and hindrances. We have to accept them as part of the problems we will encounter in our struggle for our cause. With that understanding, such annoying, disturbing and infuriating people will become more acceptable in our mind and will not be too much of a problem to handle.

Therefore, in life, it is alright to lose but never be a quitter.

Bill Porter: TrulyThe Greatest Saleman the World Has Ever Known.

Remarkable persistence were the words in my mind when I discovered this incredible Californian-born salesman, Bill Porter, who, on the 9th of September, 1932, was born with cerebral palsy which caused his body to be twisted and having a speech problem. He refused charity, not accepting disability allowance and went on to overcome everyday obstacles to become the best salesman Watkins Incorporated ever had. Then, when a broken hip-bone due to a 1998 accident, forced him to stop walking the eight to ten miles he had to cover with such difficulty and pain each day in the Portland area to sell the Watkins house-hold products from door to door, he continued to work for Watkins as a consultant and online salesman. In his online business, he was the associate manager and anyone interested in having a business like his can join his downline. In this online business, his assistant and loyal close friend, Shelly Brady, delivered the products to his customers. Besides sales, he gave inspirational talks.

How determined he was to make it on his own was the fact that he took more than an hour to painfully put on his clothes and be ready for his work. In order that he could be ready to get on a 7.30 am. bus to reach his sales area by 9.00am, he woke up at the unearthly time of 4.45 am. Each day, he finished his work only after 7.00pm. And that was what he did not just for a year or two but for forty years! And when people closed their doors in his face, he did not break down and give up in despair. He carried on relentlessly to prove to himself and the world it could be done. The next customer would say ‘yes’ to his sales. Eventually, he won as more and more people came to know him and opened their doors and hearts to his perseverance. There is a wonderful message here to all salesmen. Sincere desire to achieve sales finally opened the customers’ doors.

Looks like the pain from cerebral palsy could not stop this man from covering a grueling ten miles a day on foot to earn his pay. Neither could the accident which broke his hip-bone. When one door closes, another door opens for this man. Where many would have dropped everything in despair, this Bill Porter climbed up again to even greater heights. Unable to walk such a distance any longer after breaking his hip bone, he went into the internet with the same business, this time as an associate manager with his own down-line.

How many of us able-bodied guys would be willing to face ten long miles each and every year for forty years? Yet, here is a man with a twisted body who did just that! For forty long years he walked door to door, knocked on every door, showed people pictures of a few Watkins products, took orders, then obtained the products and had them delivered as he could not drive.What a man!

Not only that! Before he got this Watkins job, he was rejected by so many companies for four months until even the employment agency told him that he had better stop searching for a job and depend upon welfare to survive. Did he do that? No, determination is one of the qualities that set great people against the odds they face. Determination, eventually, lead him to a job at Watkins, earning just commissions despite the tough job of having to cover such a vast area each day.

Three person played important meaningful roles in his life. They gave him the necessary support to propel him into the life he mastered and set him along the fantastic route to fame.

In a way, he was fortunate to have a mother named Irene who was always very positive and according to Porter, his mother insisted that he be likewise. The mother sent him to Public High School and when he graduated, his father told him that he had to go and get a job. There was no pampering and the parents moved him on to survive through good honest work. And that was what he finally did and do to this day.
His mother’s positive ways helped him to overcome the rejections he encountered as a salesman as doors were initially slammed shut. Through such positive attitude, he gradually overcame people’s reluctance to open their doors to him. He not only became a successful saleman; he was the best in Watkins.

Another person who played a prominent role in his life was shelly Brady, a lady who was initially employed as his assistant, typist, driver but soon became his friend and cospeaker at inspirational talks.

His marvelous performance in life was so unbelieveably great that he got recognition after the Oregonian had a 1995 column about Bill Porter which was so widely reprinted that he became a popular symbol of optimistic determination. Then, the ABC news magazine 20/20 did a television story on him called ‘A Moving Journey ‘. This received the largest viewer response of any show ever put up by 20/20. Articles were written about him in the ‘Reader’s Digest’ and ‘People Magazine’. Then, there was an award-winning movie about his life, called ‘Door to Door’. After that, in 2002, his friend and assistant, Shelly Brady, published the inspirational book ‘Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter’.

For his indomitable spirit, his refusal to give up despite facing such seemingly insurmountable obstacles, John Glenn presented Porter with an award from the National Council on Communicative Disorders at the Kennedy Center in 1998. He also received the America's Award, honoring unsung heroes who personify the American character and spirit.

So, we see how obstacles in life can become motivational forces to strength and greatness. Here is a man who could have laid down and refused to do anything but depend upon charity; and nobody could have accused him of laziness. With the help of his parents and Shelly Brady, not only did he perform, he outdid all other able-bodied persons in his field!

If Bill Porter was not blessed with cerebral palsy, he would not have the opportunity to become an inspirational speaker. God gave him the challenge and he was able to take it to such fantastic heights.

So, the next time an obstacle were to drop into our path, let us think of marvelous Bill Porter.

Incapacitating fear.

A gymnast's worst enemy is fear. No gymnast can perform well when there is fear in his heart. The fear can come as a result of loss of confidence. The doubt of being able to perform starts in the mind. Once doubt anchors itself in the mind, the gymnast is lost. No longer can he perform well.

In all things, the mind plays a very important role. Success or failure depends on the confidence which has its root in the mind. Convince the mind that success can be achieved and everything else fall into place. Confidence drives out fear. Without fear, everything is possible.

I remember very well my first Red Cross flag-day at the Penang Youth Centre more than forty years ago. I partnered with an Indian friend. From the moment I recieved the donation tin and the flags, I told my friend we were going to collect the most donation for the day. I told him it would be easy if we can cover the greatest distance and approached the most number of people. He agreed with me and promise to support every move to request for donation from every stranger we met that day.

As strong teenagers, we set off immediately and started right after exiting from the gate of the Penang Youth Centre. Initially, there was this little awkwardness in approaching strangers for donation but as donation after donation came in, the feeling subsided and the nerve to approach just anyone strengthened. Of course, a few refusals we did get but as we strove on, I noticed that whenever I approached strangers with a ready smile and explained or requested for donation in a friendly yet purposeful voice, the response was good. With that positive attitude, I reached out to all the shops and expensive places to discover that there were many willing to donate when approached correctly. After merely an hour of collecting, there was such great confidence that the rest of the day was easy going.

As we went along, I did notice that some flag-day volunteers were not bold enough to reach out to everyone they saw. For example, they moved aside for some well-dressed people moving purposefully past them instead of standing firm in their path and asking for donation. Many did not go into shops to approach proprietors whom I found to be the best to approach. It must have been fear, doubt, insecurity or a lack of commitment to perform the task well. So, some people who could have donated were lost to the cause.

Of course, we did end that day with the most donation collected and was pleasantly surprised with being presented a radio.

Even if my partner and I had not been given a radio each, it was one of the most beneficial experiences of my life. Through that experience, I no longer had any qualms in approaching any stranger. I understood people better; that people respect confident people and are more willing to comply with any reasonable request. I also learned that no matter how better dressed another person may be, he is no different from the flesh, blodd and heart of any other. It is courage, confidence and the ability to perform that makes people different. See. How much benefit a child can get from being a volunteer for a donation drive. Today, I am no different. I still approach strangers, this time to tell them of the Art of Living Foundation and the benefits of its breathing courses.

Of course, I am not saying that it is easy to get rid of some fears. Some fears exist because we know our limits. This is where we have to face reality. For example, from childhood experience, I know I cannot sing like Elvis or Cliff Richard. Those are singers during my time. Having faced reality, I now sing only in my bathroom or when no one is near enough to hear my out of tune, beautiful voice. So, I would never go on stage to sing. Never! Yes, it is a fear. But it is healthy fear. I know I am good at many things but there are a few things I would allow others to excel in. Give others a chance. See, this is where i am very generous.

You know, when I visited India a year ago I discovered that I could still vault over a four-feet high metal barricade at the airport in Chennai. Before then, I thought I could no longer do it. There was this fear of falling should my legs not clear the hurdle. Age can bring on such fears. Since then, I had regained the confidence and have been doing it each time opportunity presents itself. So, most fears can be overcome.

Poverty without a scholarship need not be a hindrance.

Today I think back to a young boy who was a pupil of mine. Thinking of him, I could see that there are very few obstacles where there is determination.

Here was a boy who even had to work while studying. As a result, his marks were usually average. Though he was hard-working, there were merely twenty-four hours to work for pay, attend school and complete homework. Life sometimes is just not fair but what can we do. Are we just going to sit down and moan about it? That could be what some would do but not this boy. He was dark, thin and quite shabbily dressed. He certainly needed more attention. Yet, he persevered and though he was at times late in finishing his work; finished them, he did.

With an average SPM (That's Secondary School Examination Certificate.) results and, being a poor Chinese citizen of Malaysia without any special privileges, he had no scholarship either. Did he sit down and cry over it? No! With no possible financial help from his parents, he jumped into the first proper job he could find as an assistant to a food outlet. Then, he found a better paying job at a factory, saved as much as he could for the next few years and finally got a place in a college. He continued to work as he studied.

One advantage for him who had to work even before finishing his studies was that he understood and realised that work without a good academic qualification brought in very little money and that the future could not be too bright in such a circumstance.

He completed his college education and from college he went on to study in the University of Malaya. Life must have been tough but today he is an engineer in a company.

Well, he did it without financial support or a scholarship. It was not plain sailing but he did it through determination. At no point did he throw up his arms in despair, although he had plenty of excuses and could have done so without anyone pointing an ugly accusing finger at him. BUT, he did not! AND today, he has proved that it can be done if we put our mind to it.

It's essential to success.

You have read the story of Michael Malloy,‘The man who would not die.’ in 'article of the day' provided by 'The Free Dictionary', dated 3 May 2009, a Sunday. To collect their insurance on him, the five villains had to resort to so many ways to kill him. They gave the alcoholic so many drinks throughout the day. Yet, he survived! They replaced his drinks with poisons such as antifreeze, turpentine, horse liniment and rat poison.He did not die! They made him eat raw oysters soaked in wood alcohol, carpet tacks and metal shavings. It did not affect him in any way. They even left him in the snow to freeze. He did not have any problem with that! Finally, in desperation, they drove a taxi at 45 mph into him. It only landed him in a hospital for a few weeks! It was, of course a fantastic story. How was it possible for a man to not die despite being given so many harmful as well as poisonous things to ingest? How was it possible with so many attempts on his life? Unbelievable! Yet, according to the story, it was true.

Eventually, he did die of gas poisoning in January 1933 when they used a hose to pump gas from a jet into his lungs. With that, the story illustrates very well how success was finally achieved through perseverance. If, at any one of their failures, they had given up, their scheme would not have succeeded!

In our lives, even in honest living, there are times we face hardship and problems which seem to dog us every step of the way.

For me, it was my poor health during the first fifteen years of my life. Fate dealt me what seemed a lousy card which turned out to be my lucky draw. Through having suffered the first few years and the trauma of having a medium walk over my painful body, I realized the importance of good health.

Good health is not easy to come by when one’s body is weak and often wreaked with mysterious kinds of sickness. It took many years of struggle to reach the health I enjoy today. If, at any time I had lost hope of turning my health around, I would have remained a sickly, weak person. And because it took so much and so long to arrive at this health, I treasure it even more.

My health is a part of my thoughts every day. I am constantly in search of ways to improve my health even more. Once I told a friend about the latest health research on a certain natural supplement and was making enquires on it; with the friend’s astonishment at my search expressed thus: ‘Come on! You do not need to think of improving your health any more. Look at you! What more do you want?’

Inventors are constantly trying out things to improve on certain things which they have their minds on. Sometimes, it is easy. At other times, it is tough. At such times, they have to persevere. If, for a moment, they become frustrated and drop their project, all their efforts would have gone down the drain.

To be successful in life, we have to learn to drop away frustrations and disappointments and continue to work at the things we want out of life.

Life’s like that. Isn’t that true?