Nicholas Yeap - Live With Passion!

Are you excited about your life? If not, you got to continue reading …

I am into the business of coaching people the find out their purpose of life. Yeah, most of the people know that they need have a purpose because living a life without a purpose is meaningless. But just by having a purpose alone is not good enough, you need to have a GREAT PASSION too! This is extremely important so that you have compelling reasons to wake up every single day.

Living a life with purpose and passion simply means living your life whole heartedly.

It does not matter what you do, the important thing is how you do it! Life is just too short too “play safe”, you got to be all you can be and pursue the kind of life style that you meant to be. To live a life with great passion / enthusiasm, you can’t just read some books and meditate and expect some miracles to happen.

I have many clients that come and told me, why i folllow what “The Secret” told me but nothing seems to happen. Even it happens, it does not last long. Very simple. The complete law is called “The Law of Vibration and Attraction” not just “Law of Attraction”. You can’t attract until you vibrate.

This means you have to constantly do what you need to do eventhough there seems to be nothing is happening. The moment you start doing (in our term - when you start to move, you start to vibrate) and you are going to send lots more energy and tell the universe what you want in life. The more you vibrate, the stronger the signals are - then the quicker and easier for you to achieve what you want in life.

Make a different in your life today and start to learn to follow your heart and live the kind of life that you meant to be. In order to do so, you just need to change your approach to life!

Yes - Just Change Your Approach to Life!

Instead of focusing on the issue/problem/challenges that you are facing now. Focus on the solutions.

Instead of asking yourself why all these bad things happen in my life, start asking what you can learn by simply facing those challenges.

Instead of keep on planning for your life, start living your life NOW and make changes and decisions along the way. Always begin with end in mind.

Instead of blaming yourself for what you have not achieve in life, start asking yourself how you can improve yourself just 1% each and everyday.

The choice of word that you use is extremely important. 

Do you see the glass “half full” or “half empty”. It is your choice. And Life is a Choice too!

Today I met up with a friend at Ikea Cafe and he asked me this question, “Nick, what is your vision for your business?”. 

I was kind of stumble for awhile. And I replied “I want every student that go through the orientation program in the University to undergo my program”.

He then stopped me and told me, “Hey, that’s look more like a mission - instead of a vision!”. 

Hmmm … that statement got me to think one level deeper.

Yeah, I finally agree with him that it’s mission instead of a vision.

Then I proudly told him that I want to create 100,000 Graduates that know exactly what they want in life! That’s my vision. 

That’s a big mission and I just wonder if I want to share it here. Well, I have decided and that’s going to be my next 5 year project.

My turn to ask you now - What is your VISION ?

Have you ever go for a seminar? Seminar after seminar? Or you just like to jump from one seminar to another seminar just to keep learning lots more stuff - with the whole intention of gaining more knowledge so that you can be a better person and contribute back to the society. 

Seminars

Being for whatever reason, we as a human being will love to keep growing. There is a saying, “You are either GROWING or DYING” - and of course we want to grow. It is just a human nature. At the very beginning of each and every seminar you go, you don’t feel very comfortable with the long hours of training but then what happen right is - you’ll get addicted. 

You will then start to jump from one seminar to another one.

Till to a stage, you want to ask yourself - WHAT HAVE I BEEN LEARNING ALL THESE WHILE? 

Yeah, you learnt a lot a lot a lot of stuffs. 

But ask yourself this ONE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION!

Have you ever REALLY APPLY what you have learnt? 

Be a doer instead of a hearer. 

T Harv Eker

Like what T.Harv Eker used to say - Talk is cheap! Do something about your life. 

In my training workshop, many of my students will come and tell me they are not sure whether their business plan or idea work or not. I told them straight. You are not here to see if it work or not, You are here to make sure it works! That’s your commitment for yourself. You are not doing it for someone else - you are doing it because you want a lot more achievement in your life.

When was the last time you apply what you’ve learnt? 

If you have not, I suggest you to do the following:

1. Sit down and list out all the seminars/workshops that you have attended for the last 2 years. (Anything more than 2 years - most like the information is already obsolete and chances are you are no longer using it)

2. Choose 1 program that you want to kick-start with (what we are trying to do here is to make sure you do what you need to do. You need to be focus (i know many of you want to do more than 1 at a time) - eventhough the program could be similar, do not be greedy! - One at a time.Remember - Only 1)

3. As you go through the notes/dvds - make sure that you list down every single actions that the speakers/programs asked you to do. Yes, every single one of them.

4. Make a TO-DO-LIST. Use Mind map if possible (a better way to organize your thoughts). I suggest you to break it into 30days. Do not be too overwhelmed that you want to do all at one time. You just need to start right and make sure you CONSISTENTLY DO IT. After breaking it up for 30days, you break it into a weekly and daily ACTION. Remember - the key word here is ACTION. Make it as simple as possible that you know clearly what to do.

5. Just DO IT! Do I need to say more?

*Always be caution that you will tend to give up easily as this is not something fun to do and it requires alot of efforts and faith that whatever that you are doing works! 

No Matter What Happen - BE PERSISTENT !

I hope this simple message will able to give you the idea on how to utilize whatever that you’ve learnt. 

The most important thing is to turn your KNOWLEDGE into ACTION!

Stop Procastinating & Start DOING !

Do you have something that you think you are good at? Or something that people think you are good at?

I believe everyone have some kind of talent. 

Or

Do you have something that you USED to be good at?

And just because you have not use the gift or practise it for a while, it become rusty / you no longer good at it.

I want you to think about it for a while. What is the thing that you are good at?

It could be playing musical instrument (eg. guitar/piano), public speaking, communicating in certain language/dialect, teaching, driving etc.

When is the last time you use the gift? 1 year ? 5 years? Or more than that … ?

I used to be good at singing or I would rather say many of my friends will ask me to sing for them each and everytime there is a function. In fact, I also think that I am good. 

Now, I would say - I used to be good!

Today - during the Christmas Caroling Practice, there is a request to sing solo. And everyone is given a chance to perform and they will choose the best from the group. I thought I was good. 

To the fact that I have not been practising my singing skill for several years, I start to loose the voice that I used to have and also the confident. It is the same go to my stamina and skill in badminton too. 

A small incident like this had just impacted me.

If you have something that you are good at but you have not been practising it for awhile due to your busy schedule, I suggest you to set apart 2-3 hour a week to polish up the skill again.

If you think you are good - think GREAT because “Being Good is the number 1 enemy of being GREAT”.

Never compromise!

I had been a christian since 1997 and i was never baptised and served in any church - not even my local church (Wesley Methodist Church Kepong). Yeah, for those who have known me for long, I was serving in Boys’ Brigade - The Oldest Uniform Unit in the World - for the past couple of years (i joined the organization since 1992). I am currently serving in 12th Kuala Lumpur Company. 

Recently my mum just accepted Christ, about 3 months ago and she was going to be baptised on 31st Dec 2008. What an amazing transformation? There had been a truly blessings for my mum the first day she accepted Christ and now she is walking very closely with God. Did her quiet time and spending most of her time with God. I am happy to see her transformation. In fact, I am proud of her.

Last Sunday, it was my first time serving in Church Sunday Service @ Glad Tidings PJ (Cantonese Service) and I thought it was easy to just handle the projection of song lyrics and ppt presentations. To my surprise there is so much thing that i’ve learnt just over a short service. The best thing is my mum is already serving as a backup singer while i’m clicking the projection of song lyrics. She is even moving faster than me (in fact her understanding about Christianity is more in-depth than what i knew). 

The reason why i shared this story with you is that it does not matter how long you are in the things that you are doing now (or the industry/business you are into).

The key thing is are you doing it right and consistently?

Are you building a solid foundation in your business and especially in your life?

If not, you are just too busy moving around without proper direction and strategy. I suggest you to spend a full day with yourself to rethink about what you are doing right now and revisit your strategy for the entire year 2008. 

Set goal and focus your strategy and planning for 2009.

This is the best time now!

Never say you are too busy and you have no time. Otherwise you’ll just wasting too much of your time.

Are you doing the right thing or just doing the things right? 

Sit back ! Relax and Enjoy your day!

I got this message from 2 closed friends of mine and after reading it, I think i need to share with you …

To know more about George Carlin, click here.

You can also visit his official site here.

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. 

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We’ve added years to life not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less.

We plan more, but accomplish less.

We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete…

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side..

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent..

Remember, to say, ‘I love you’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

In this time of difficulty, those who are in the business (whether you are supplying the products or services) always have a challenge when presenting our pricing. Nowadays, people seems want everything good but the worst thing is they are going to squeeze you like crazy for your price. 

Do you have the same feeling? Everything is just so nice but because of the price … the deal is not on!

What can we do about it?

I attended my usual Thursday morning breakfast networking meeting @ Lighthouse - BNI Chapter and Chan the Network Education Coordinator share this one wisdom that we can all use in this time of difficulty.

Instead of focusing on the price. Let’s focus on the VALUE!

And of course, VALUE = QUALITY x SERVICE! What a magic formula!

Yeah all of us read in the book and heard about this theory - INCREASE YOUR VALUE!

But the next question probably pop up into our mind is HOW ? HOW ? HOW ?

Talk is cheap - Easy to say, Tough to Implement.

Here is the real step by step that you can use in your business:

1. Do your presentation by “FOCUSING on WHAT IT IS IN FOR THEM” instead of telling how fantastic is your product. Nobody cares what you do unless you first care for them.

2. In your Quotation to client, instead of putting in JUST THE AMOUNT of MONEY & THE LIST OF SERVICES you provide, PUT in the VALUE first!

Focus on what you can do for them and how they can benefit in your quotation. I believe this point is always neglected by most business people. They always thought they have said enough during the presentation and hence no need to re-emphasize it. YOU ARE TOTALLY WRONG! Find every single corner that you can tell them how much you care and help them!

Have you ever seen a Quotation where it start with the VALUE ? I bet you didnt. Instead of waiting for it to happen, you make it happen first in your company. 

I am going to use this approach now every single time i put in a quotation. 

3. No matter how fantastic is your presentation and quote - people dont just buy your goods and services. People basically buy relationship. People buy YOU! Yes, it’s YOU! 

Therefore the key thing is to make people KNOW YOU, LIKE YOU and TRUST YOU!

Always remember, the above 3 stages is a MUST either in business or friendship. No one is going to have a long term business relationship with you until they reach the stage of TRUSTING YOU!

So start playing your game right. It is always the relationship and connections that counts.

Business is all about VISIBILITY - CONNECTIVITY - PROFITABILITY. 

If you are interested more on how you can instantly boost up your VISIBILITY - CONNECTIVITY - PROFITABILITY, i suggest you to join me in one of the morning breakfast on coming Thursday.

Drop me an email, if you are looking for ways to increase your business capacity.

Today I accompanied my mum to hospital as she was not feeling well for the past few days. Finally she made up her mind to see the doctor. Early in the morning, she asked me to send her to Government Hospital which in my mind, it will take VERY LONG TIME! The que is going to be very long.

This is my perception towards local government service. So I decided to bring along my notepad and newly bought book “The Starbucks Experience” and I guess I’m going to read at least 5 chapters before we can go home.

Shame on me!

Before i can finish the 2nd chapter, we’re done! We spent less than an hour there (which originally I thought we gonna spend at least 2-3 hours there).

I have underestimated the Government Service again despite the great improvement I experience at Bank Negara yesterday.

Lesson learnt: Do not pre-judge a book by its cover. Or I should say - Future is never equal to Past.

Yes, many of us had bad experience with the government and it has been always in our mind - when you go to government department, you are sure to get slow service. You will end up being frustrated. Yes, that’s what i always have in mind. 

But …

Everything has changed. 

Three incidents / departments have changed my perception towards the government service. 

1st is my encounter with MATRADE at Malaysia International Trade & Consumer Fair @ Mines Exhibition Hall.

2nd is my encounter with Bank Negara.

3rd is my encounter with Klinik Kesihatan, Taman Ehsan.

Many of us had been surrounded by some bad experiences in the past and it is very tough for us to continue to move forward in our life. It is even tougher if we keep on thinking about those bad experiences. Yeah, it is easy to say but during my service as a life coach - many of my clients are just too busy thinking about their past hurts and problems.

Take a strong courage today to just shift your mind a little bit towards the things that you want to achieve instead of living in the past.

These are the few steps you can use when you have some bad feelings / discouragement in your life:

1. Talk to your mind / yourself - “Thank you for Sharing! Let’s move on!”

2. Take a deep breath. (Method Count 6 - Breath In : Count 2 - Hold : Count 4: Breath Out)

3. Focus on a Positive Energy Thought e.g. What a wonderful world, picture of your love one, your achievement in life, something you want to achieve in the future, a picture of you smiling etc.

4. Smile (Laugh out loud even - this really works)

5. Affirm a Positive Statement e.g. I Can Do It, I am a Success Warrior, I have a Millionaire Mind etc.

6. Ask yourself - What’s Next ! (This is to continue your momentum on the positive energy).

Always remember to cheer up & live your life with passions.

To your success!

Something interesting pop up from my mind, yeah while i was taking a shower today.

I used to fill up the tub - full of water (100%) but today I wanted to just fill up 50% of it. Other than just saving the water, i found out that even I have lesser water but the whole process is the same and it basically took the same time (or slightly lesser).

Well, it strikes me.

Most of the time, we never complete stuff that is given within the time frame. Or if i can relate to it, most of us only study when the time is nearer to the exam time instead of diligently doing our revision on a daily basis. Does that sounds familiar to you?

In fact we can complete many tasks even with lesser resources.

Today i was browsing through the Funds and Schemes for Small & Medium Enterprises promoted by The Government of Malaysia. Not to my surprise, alot of funds are made available only to Bumiputras. Despite the lack of funding for non-bumis, I still find that we can excel in many ways we do. Eventhough there are not many funds available for non-bumis, but it is sufficient enough to kick start a business.

I suggest you to go to Bank Negara to find out more information.

Thanks to Cradle Investment Program and also MSC Malaysia for the RM 150,000 start-up grants too.

Besides, listed are the few websites that worth checking out for more grants & loans made available for SMI & SMEs …

1. http://www.smeinfo.com.my 

2. http://www.cgc.com.my

3. http://www.smidec.gov.my

4. http://www.matrade.gov.my

5. http://www.mtdc.com.my

6. http://www.smebank.com.my

Never use the excuse that there is not enough funding or resources to help you to start your own business. You just have to ask for it. Infact there are so many options available even though you are non-bumis.

It is time to reflect upon yourself. Stop blaming and Start Working!

Before you consider to look for funding around - do you have a great idea? Start building a good foundation in your business and trust me, the rest of the thing will just come naturally.