The legacy.

Folks, below is what someone sent me through the email. As I fully endorse what has been said, I'm putting it down in this blog so that all of you can appreciate and benefit from a man who looked back on his life at a particular point in his life and saw the truth and realised others could benefit from it. So here goes, exactly what I got in my email.
********************************

This is amazing, he died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book ‘The last lecture” before then; a book that became one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behind…


In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life" for his wife and children to follow.
May you be blessed by his insight.



POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't over do; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with, people you play with, people you work with and people you live with. Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.

Keep a watchful eye on the helpless.

Today we read about the abduction of a four-day-old baby from the living room of his house by a wild monkey. It fled with the baby up the roof, bit the baby and dropped it to the ground where it died.

Such incidents may be rare but the possibility of it happening is always present. Nowadays, animals and humans present a danger to the helpless. There are always humans ready to pounce to profit from whatever is available. There are always desperate people who may just be looking for the opportunity to get hold of a few ringgit. As for the monkeys, their foraging area is getting smaller as man move further into the outskirts to develop areas which was once jungle, the home of monkeys and wild animals.

Up the hill near Taman Semarak where I have my daily exercise, more and more monkeys are seen, taking the fruits on the trees in that area. When the fruits are all gone, I wonder where they are going to get their food. With food exhausted, what would these monkeys do? They would venture into housing estates to get fruits planted by the residents and when those are no longer sufficient, hunger might drive them into kitchens and houses. So, the monkey which went into that infant's living room could have been searching for its much needed food and found the poor helpless 'creature' a possible meal. The cries of the infant upon being bitten could have frightened it to release him/her to have him/her fall all the way down to the ground.

It is time we think of the monkeys and other animals which have been deprived of their habitat. There must be some kind of plan to give sufficient space for them. We ought not to be too greedy, thinking only of humans only. In fact there are buildings that are not fully utilised. Do we really need those buildings. Perhaps some of the building could be built with multi-purposes in mind. Whatever it is, we should think of the animals which are also creations of God and make sure they have a place under our sun.

Respect must be earned.

I read about a politician who criticised an opposition politician for not showing respect to a one time Prime Minister. Must we respect a man no matter what he said or did just because he was a Prime Minister?

At one time I was taught to do so but then life and the many experiences I derived from it has changed my attitude towards so called big-shots, even those with titles. I now respect a man or woman not for his wealth or title nor the position he or she holds. What is more important is the person I see and know. If the person is good at whatever post he/she holds and show respect for others, I will accordingly show respect for such a person. If not, I would not respect the person no matter what post is held, no matter what titles is attached to the name of the person or how wealthy the individual is.

All this is the result of knowing and experiencing how some wealthy people have no respect for the property of others, how some heads of government departments show no respect for the public, and political people with a good number of titles not respecting people just because it is not the time to fish for votes. Through this school of the human jungle I realised that some people do not deserve any respect from us.

Back to the severe reprimand made by the politician. When I read it, the following questions arose in my mind: Does it mean that a one time Prime Minister can make all kinds of racist remarks to cause further disunity and still expect to be accorded respect by right-thinking citizens? Especially when the man talks and clearly shows that he is more a community leader than a national leader, from hind-sight, we are forced to gradually understand and believe that he was, at least most of the time, looking after just one community's interest all those years. Would anyone expect me to respect such a person anymore?

We no longer live in the dark ages when the leaders are always right and loyalty to leaders is blind. Unlike the days of Hang Tuah when it is either respect the leader or off goes the head, we are supposed to be educated, knowing civilised people. Education and knowledge has help us to differentiate between right and wrong. Of course, there are still those who agrees to everything a leader says no matter what is said is right or wrong, true or not. If my memory serves me right, such folks have cause a good leader to lose his votes to a liar who told the people his opponent was wearing a Christian cross when in actual fact his opponent was just wearing a tribal hat that has something that looked like a cross on it. The poor folks believed the liar and gave him the votes. See?

So, respect must be earned. There just isn't any other way we can respect someone, be it a leader or just someone we know.

Everywhere, there is a hero.

I am touched each time I read of someone doing more than is asked of him/her in times of need. To me, they are the true heroes whom we must stop awhile to appreciate the efforts of these people. And today, in The Star newspaper, I read of such a man, a Yii Yuk Seng, a middle-aged man from Sarikei, Sarawak. He was retired from the Fire and Rescue Department but when he saw a fire at six three-storey shoplots on Saturday, without thinking of his own safety he went to help the firemen put out that fire. In doing so, he lost his life due to a heart attack that must have been brought on by the excitement and strenuous efforts he put in to assist the firemen to put out the fire.

Putting out fires was a job he must have been actively involved in; not just being involved but someone who has had great pride in the tasks for he was known to the local people as 'Bomba Yii'. To earn such a nickname, he must have been well-known for his courage and performance. Although it is sad for the world to lose such a man, God has ensured that he chose the right path to go. The people who knows him would always remember that 'Bomba Yii' went down fighting a fire. And here is one son Sarawak will always be proud of.

Of course there are many in this beautiful world who are like him, possessing the same qualities he has. And it is this fact that make life such a wonderful thing; realising the fact that we live among great people such as this 'Bomba Yii'. May God send us more of his kind.

Whose life are we actually concerned about? The Indian Star Tortoise's?

Today I finally decided not to wait for a reply to my appeal for a permit from the office of the Protection of wildlife to keep my two Indian Star tortoises. I phoned a reporter to help me reach out to more authorities so that the voice of truth, reason and concern can be heard. Unfortunately she was not able to make it to my place and promises to phone back one day when her schedule permits her to do so. I shall wait for I have waited quite some time now.

Well, about eight years ago I bought two Indian Star tortoises from a pet and fish shop in Penang Island. At that time these two cute little ones were approximately the size of a fifty cent coin. I looked after them each day giving them attention and food. Gradually they grew bigger and bigger with the female enlarging itself faster than the male. Today, the female is almost double the size of the male. They have grown so healthily and strong in the large enclosure I have given them.

Never in my mind was there the thought that one day I would have to apply for a permit for them, what more to fail to get the permit and not receive a reply after I had made an appeal before the date when they would enforce the law, for at the time I got them at the shop, Indian Star tortoises were sold openly not just in that shop but in almost every pet and fish shop in the country. I know that for a fact as I am an animal lover and where there are animals to see, there I would be. In those days, especially when my wife was still around, we went even up to fish and pet shops in Malacca. As for the other places, I have heard from people with similar interests that they can be bought from other states too and they were always sold openly. Today you cannot find them for sale anywhere.

Then, I read about the International Trade in Endangered Species Act(Intesa)2008 which was gazetted to come into force on December 28, 2009. The ministry concerned has announced a six-month grace period from the date of enforcement of the Act until June 28, 2010. According to the Secretary-General of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, during the grace period, private owners who have in their possession CITES-listed species that were attained before the enforcement of Intesa may apply for a special permission letter from the relevant authorities starting from Feb 17 to June 28, 2010. However, the issuance of a special permission letter is subjected to terms and conditionsdetermined by the authorities.

As I felt that all I needed to do was to apply for the special permission, that was what I did for my four pig-nosed turtle and my two Indian Star tortoises. Unfortunately, I was told that Special permission was given for my pig-nosed turtle only and I was to surrender my tortoises to any one of the offices for the protection of wildlife. Since I fear for the safety and survival of my Star tortoises, I wrote them an appeal.

I must thank the lady officer in the Sungai Petani Protection of Wildlife office for after hearing my reason for appealing she took the trouble to even rush to get me the forms for my appeal and I filled up the form and had it sent back to her at the office. She went the extra mile to get the form to me in front of the Taman Intan surau (mosque) so that my appeal could reach the higher authorities before June 28 2010. Then I waited for the answer but except for a phone call from the Alor Star office informing me that my appeal would be rejected, I have yet to receive a letter to that effect. I had told the person who phoned me that once I had been officially informed I wished to appeal through the newspapers and perhaps any other authority which could offer to listen to the voice of reason.

As I have stated in my appeal, I had requested for reconsideration as the tortoises had been with me for eight years and animals kept for so long from the wild would not be able to survive should it be released in the wild again. And if they are to be taken from me to be reared by someone else, could such a person know them better than me, the person who has looked after them for so many years? I have heard of many who failed to look after their Indian Star tortoises well enough to have them survive for long. What guarantee would there be that my pets would be given the best chances of survival? Who are we concerned about? Are not these tortoises' welfare the concern of all animal loving authorities? If so, should not the person who have proved beyond doubt that he knows these tortoise well enough to have ensured their growth and development the one to be allowed to look after them?

Well, I hope there would be people who truly think of the welfare of the animals in deciding the best action to take. If they listen to the voice of truth and reason, then the action they ought to take should be obvious.

An active grandchild is the best present to a grandma.

At my age there are lots of grandmas I come across. Most of them are too plump, too sedentary, always in a lazy chair in front of the television.

However, there is one grandma I know of who just does not have the pleasure of relaxing too much in front of the entertainment box. This grandma happens to be one of those lucky people who have a young, very energetic grandchild. From the minute he is awake until his sleep late at night, there is no rest for the adults in the house except when relief comes from the little guy's nap which they certainly look forward to each day.

Well, nowadays, more often than not, the parents have to be away from the home to be at work somewhere else. So, who is the fortunate one to be given the responsibility of looking after the little guy? It's none other than the old grandma. Yes, the grandma if not the grandpa. And being a widowed grandma, she is the only one saddled with the child.

But that does not mean that you should pity her. Maybe you would but I would not as from my point of view it is a blessing in disguise. Without grandpa to pamper, grandma finds life quite boring, each day cooking a little and then sitting in front of the television to while the time away. That would mean less muscles being worked, muscles soften and turn to fat, resulting in a weak body, the heavy mass of flesh assisted by gravity to pressure down on a good number of joints, jamming them together, and the backbone gradually curve into a hunch with all kind of possible pains and problems.

Now, with a child to look after, to chase after to ensure he does not end up in dangerous places or positions which could bring a fall; to carry off the child from naughty acts in places that are harmful; and just to attend to his/her needs would be enough to give grandma sufficient exercise to burn up excess calories, increase metabolism and build or tone up some muscles, in the process improving the immunity of the body. Not only that, at the end of the day, unlike some old folks who suffer from insomnia, she would have a very deep, much needed sleep. Grandma must thank God for sending her that present, a grandchild.

And the most wonderful part of it all is her happiness. She is so much happier than those aimless days before the coming of this grandchild. Each day there is a growing grandchild she has the responsibility for, putting meaning into her life and a quiet pride that she could still manage to be useful.

There is always a rainbow somewhere. Look for it and it can be found.

Such honesty as this I'm most grateful for.

Yesterday I went to the bank to send RM100 to Universiti Putra Malaysia for the use of their gown for my son's convocation in approximately ten days' time. At the bank, I was given Ms Lau's counter. After geeting her, I extended my RM100 and the form for sending the money. Then she discovered that I had forgotten to fill in the details of my son. I had to go back to the car to get them. Upon returning with the details I forgetfully gave another one hundred ringgit which she took. With the processes complete, I went home contented that I had done the part my son had requested me to do.
He had already started work at a place where it was not convenient to get to a bank.

The house phone rang at about 5pm when I was working at home and upon picking it up, I was surprised to hear Ms Lau's voice informing me that she had found that her accounts could not tally as there was an extra RM100. According to her recollection of the day's flow of cash, it could only have come from me. As I was no more thinking of what I had done at the bank, I told her I was not very sure of it. However, she told me that it could only have come from me and she remembered how I had given her RM100 twice. So she told me to get it from her the next morning and that was what I did this morning.

It was only after her informing me about my going off to get my son's details that I remember having inadvertently given an extra RM100. Well, what honesty! I mean, I did not even realise my own mistake and she had to think of when the extra RM100 could have come from.

At that thought I was so delighted to have received that call from her. It was not just the sum of RM100. I am quite a careless person at times and have lost more than this before. Always when there is such a known loss or misplacement I just forget about my own mistake. No, I am very generous to myself. I forgive myself for any loss of money very easily. I just forget about it and there is no stress, no sleeplessness or insomnia over it. You see, that is the beautiful part about believing in God. I believe that should God want me to have it, it will come, no need to buy a lottery, although just like any human I do buy them once in a while.

I was in so high spirits since then because of the fact that there are still honest people in this beautiful world. There must be so many more Ms Laus in this warm and dear world of ours. Sometimes politicians make us angry and sad and we write things we should not have but the Ms Laus in this world sweeps away all the dirt and rubbish that some of them vomit out each day, clearing the skies with their honesty.
Thank god for the existence of such wonderful people.