June 5, 2010
It’s very easy to take credit for success in life. How often do we acknowledge the people who have just crossed our paths and changed the course of our lives forever? Sometimes it is just the few minutes that we spend with someone, a few words said in time, or simply someone just prepared to listen. In my case it was not minutes or days, it was months and years.
I have been fortunate in my life to have many such people. People who have appeared at the critical junctures in my life, at the cross roads, people who have sacrificed so much just to see me through. Sadly I have lost touch with many of them but every day I live and feel their impact in my life. Such is my indebtedness to them, that I could never fully repay them in any way for their time, their kindness, their patience, their faith and belief in me, but most of all their love. The time they spent away from their own families and commitments just to see through.
Little did I know then that those simple things we did would one day come to mean so much. The hours spent talking about the issues in life, the fellowships, the meetings at church, the church services, youth events, all night prayers and the long walks in the neighborhood. Admittedly then I sometimes wondered if I could not have been somewhere else but looking back I wish I had spent even more time.
Possibly the best way I could repay all these great people in my life is to be there for somebody else and to heed the advice and remember the lessons learnt. That somebody for me includes a total stranger. Just as I was in great need of guidance, advice, every now and then I come across someone who also needs some pointers, some advice, someone to bounce ideas on. After everything I have gone through and experienced should I hesitate at all to help? I have not always understood the motivation people have had to help me. In the same way I need not be understood if I want to help in some way. Someone took time to believe in me when I was nobody. Somebody was prepared to listen and did not pass any judgment on me. I do not believe in coincidences myself but rather that there is reason for everything that happens under the sun, as irrational as this might appear to some.
I remember them in my thoughts and prayers and hope that our paths will cross again some time. With the passage of time we have been scattered in all corners of the world. We may be separated by great distances and divides but the lessons and memories live on and nobody could take those away. I cannot correct everyone who gives me credit for anything but I know who deserves the real credit and I thank them. BTM
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Posted by Bruce
June 1, 2010
I have just completely redone the colours of my blog. I have been meaning to do this for some time now. It was a painstaking process. Because I know very little about the language CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) used to describe the layout on the website, I had to do a lot of trial and error before I got the results I wanted. This is probably the last timeI do this. Next time I will just hand over everything to an expert and tell them the look and feel I need.
There was a lot of blue on the old colours and I wasn’t too happy with this. I have chosen my new colours which are very bold and probably very risky too. I wanted something close to red or maroon which I used to replace blue. I also played around with the background. I tried several combinations of colours. I would change one thing in the colour settings, do a preview and accept if I was happy with the result or change back. A few times I could not see any change at all and just accepted the changes in this case.
Any comments on the new colours are most welcome. The underlying design of the website is very much the same. BTM
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Posted by Bruce
May 23, 2010
Being good is not good enough. You need to make a difference in what you do. Over the years of working, my priorities and perspectives have changed a great deal. It’s no longer enough to get the job done. Making a difference in my early years was something that never really crossed my mind.
What does it take to make a difference? What is a difference? I would define a difference as making a definite positive and lasting impact on the people that I interact and work with.
PASSION – You have got to LOVE what you do. When you wake up in the morning, you look forward to what you are going to do. You don’t think twice about doing it. You don’t look for excuses to stay away. I know many people who are good at what they do but who have no passion for it. They will do no more and no less than is expected of them. If you don’t wake up with this passion, are you happy with the status quo?
ENERGIZE – You have got to energise the people you interact with. Your interactions and work must speak about your dedication to the craft and your commitment to excellence. You want to transform lives and you are doing just that. When you are prepared to go the extra mile you need not spend hours trying to convince others to do likewise. Your actions will speak louder than any words.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT – You have to be constantly improving on what you have done. Even when you complimented on a great job, never rest on your laurels. Each you reach a new height of achievement, that becomes the new watermark. Do not retreat to lower levels. It was not a fluke. You worked for it and you can do it again.
STOP THE NEGATIVITY and ACT – Some people are negative every single day of their lives. This is a waste of precious life. They are negative about their work, negative about their relations, negative about their leaders, negative about the level of crime, negative about anything and everything they come across it. Do something about it! We channel our energies in something that will not benefit us in any way. If your job is causing you to be so unhappy, what is the cause of this and can it be remedied? We work for the greater part of our lives and it would be reasonable that we are happy with what we do.
PUSH THE BOUNDARIES – Just because things have been done in a certain way does not mean that is how it should actually be done that way. Given your unique position, experience and perspective. After all no one else is in the very position, place and time that you are you in. How do you propose to go about doing things at this time? Push the frontiers! Consider doing things differently if you demand better results.
Being good was fine at some stage but not anymore. Anything and everything you do, you must make a difference. It must be lasting. After all this is your legacy. Everything you do lives imprints and footprints, the evidence that you passed that way! This should force you to constantly evaluate everything you are doing. Are you just involved or are you really committed to the cause.
Have a good one! BTM
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Posted by Bruce
May 20, 2010
I recently made a critical decision in my life that will have far reaching consequences in my personal life and career. What was interesting was the reaction I got when I interacted with the various people in my personal and professional life. The reactions ranged from outright shock and utter disbelief to encouragement and support. I have realised that as I get older my capacity to take risks is also evolving. The nature of risks I contemplate and take today are very different from those I had a decade ago. The level of risk taking is getting smaller. There is a lot more at stake today and there are far more people involved.
Reflecting on the experience thus far I observed the following.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS – You need to identify the key stakeholders in your life. Everyone is important but who are the people who really matter. Get their buy-in and support. Afterward you can live with what everyone else has to say. In my case one of the key stakeholders was my wife. Once she gave me her full support it was a done deal. Do you have a stakeholder map in your life? Just kidding but who are the most important stakeholders for you. These could be spouse, partner kids, any other dependants, colleagues at work.
YOU DECIDE – You can get advice every step of the way on the journey but you will have to take the decision. It will be you who ultimately has to make sense of everything. It will be your life that will be impacted most. If there is one person that most people are ready to give, it’s advice. If only it were possible to go back to them when things don’t work out and claim compensation for bad advice. Sorry mate. No such luck! Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. – Tom Robbins
MOVE ON – When you have made your decision, move on and live with the consequences. Get going! This is the nature of life. You have made the action. Now you will see the reaction! I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. – Learnado Da Vinci
THE POSSIBILITIES – When you make your decisions, remember there will be consequences and be ready for them. Your decision will open up possibilities. Some of the possibilities will be relatively straightforward and easy to predict but others will be totally unexpected. Here is an example. You might for instance decide to leave your job. That means that you will obviously lose out the benefits you were receiving at work. However, this decision could impact on your personal relationships in some way. For instance things could become more strained as finances become squeezed. Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities – Terry Josephson
BELIEVE – Believe in what you want and plan to do. Believe in yourself and your ability. Believe in your support system to help you deal with things. Believe in your God to stay by you always. No one can give you the belief and conviction you need to have in yourself. It is within you and must be cultivate. Work on your talents and idea. As your abilities and confidence improve that will also affect the belief. For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible. – Stuart Chase.
EXECUTE – When you make a decision, execute! Do not linger in indecision, in limbo. Proceed or retreat. Do something! You will never know till you try. I don’t know anyone who achieved their goals and dreaming by doing nothing. Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go on. – Napoleon
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Posted by Bruce
May 19, 2010
The 3 Is today are Intuition, Integrity and Ignite
INTUITION – There is a reason for the hunch, inspiration, sixth sense or feelings we get about things. This hunch cannot be traced to rational or logical processes. Your intuition is informed by a number of things which might include beliefs, prior knowledge, experiences, expectations etc. It is the crucible and sum total of so many things. Your intuition can act as the arbiter or judge in times of indecision. Pay attention to your intuition.
INTEGRITY- Be a person of INTEGRITY. Be a person who can be counted on, who can be trusted. Is your word your bond? Are you a person who sticks to their values and principles? When in doubt about what is right, do what you believe is the right thing to do. If you are in doubt, Follow your INTUITION!
IGNITE – Set the world on fire. IGNITE! Leave a lasting impression and change the world for the better even if it’s a small change. Remember Rome was not built in a day. It will add up in the end. You are a person of INTEGRITY and your INTUITION is telling you to go for it. Go on, IGNITE the world!
Listen to your INTUITION, Be a person of INTEGRITY, Go and IGNITE the world. BTM
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Posted by Bruce
April 14, 2010
These are two pieces painted over the past week. They are oils on canvas. BTM
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Posted by Bruce
April 14, 2010
The Hs today are HISTORY, HABIT and HARMONY
HISTORY – Are we learning from HISTORY? From those who have gone before us, from our own exploits in the past and from all the entire collective experience. Have we taken time to study HISTORY and reflect on the lessons that can be drawn from it. Are we tapping into this vast wealth of resources? We need to build on the positive, stand on the shoulders of giants and extend our own reach. We need not make the same mistakes from HISTORY.
HISTORY need not hold us back or trap us. History will not contain us. We live in the present, marching into the future and leaving the past behind us. It time it all becomes HISTORY. Every day is a chance to create beautiful memories, meaningful points of reference and experience in our. Every day we are creating HISTORY. Let’s make it a HISTORY we can be proud of!
HABIT – Have we mastered the power of HABIT? Do we practise the best that we can in all our thoughts, action and in forms of expression? What picture do all our HABITs paint or portray of us? Is the sum of all our HABIT something we can be proud of? Do we feel we are still in control of our habits or we have become enslaved by them? The art of doing the best without thinking! Is it now ingrained in us that in any situation we focus on the positive, the progressive and the most? Get in the HABIT of doing your best, get in the HABIT of giving it your all. We need to constantly re-inforce the positive HABIT and overcome the negative HABIT.
HARMONY – Do we have HARMONY in our life? How do the various parts of our life interact with one another? Are we at peace in our life? Are we doing pursuing our goals and purpose without short-changing or compromising other important parts of our life? Does it all add up nicely of there are some glaring deficiencies in our life? Are we happy at work and at home? Do the ebony and ivory in our life exist in HARMONY? Are we maintaining the balance between the personal and working sides our life? We need harmony to reach our fullest potential in all aspects of our life.
With the mastery of HABIT, and working towards HARMONY in our life we can create a HISTORY we can be proud of.
BTM
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Posted by Bruce
