What Will Matter

Micheal Josephson is the founder and president of the Josephson Institute of Ethics (www.josephsoninstitute.org) and CHARACTER COUNTS (http://charactercounts.org/), both dealing mainly with the mission to improve the ethical quality of society. Read more from the web links. They run character education classes in various schools throughout the US.

Anyway I was forwarded a poem written by Micheal Josephson and I think it clearly articulates the society as a whole at this point of time.

It strikes home to me as I've been contemplating on things... beyond playing music or saying things from the stage... organizing an event... or just sitting quietly at the corner slipping in and out and just observing... I think what really counts in my life is how can I personally be a positive effect on a person's life... it could be simple things said... or teaching someone something I know best... the list goes on... well more things to think about...

What Will Matter by Michal Josephson

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.Your grudges, resentments, frustrationsand jealousies will finally disappear.So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,

not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity,compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,

but how many will feel a lasting loss when your gone.

What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

Selamat Hari Raya!...

I was contemplating to write this post in the malay language. But was reminded that several of my readers would understand nuts of what I write... :p... juz an excuse of my ever decreasing skill in WRITING in malay... I still can converse in malay well though... *I think*... my colleagues say I'm much more Malay than Chinese in terms of my food likings and also with my extremely embarassing grasp of the chinese language... Hei I really tried ok?... I even got an A- for basic mandarin language back in Uni... (yaya the teacher really tried hard to make me pass the test.. :P)

Anyway I was undecided whether should I head back to Melaka for the Raya holidays as my parents aren't around... they're still enjoying themselves back in Oz... but suddenly thought of lemang and rendang... and that decided for me... gonna head back and eat LEMANG! (it's sticky rice stuffed in bamboo and cooked bbq style)... and I was really glad i did... just for this one experience of buying the lemang...

Once I reach Alor Gajah I started hunting for lemang sellers by the side of the road. I stopped at several places but none of them was selling lemang with rendang. Until I came across this seller. So at first I ordered one and as they cut open the bamboo and sliced the rice... they realized it was a "special" lemang... called "lemang lemak" which they actually made for themselves to "buka puasa" (breaking fast)... at that time they haven't "buka puasa" yet... but they actually offered me to try... and it was superb! :P... I was really amazed at their generosity and their warmness... we then strike up simple conversation on how to make lemang, where we're from... etc... etc...

YUMMY LEMANG!

The next thing they did really caught me unaware... they actually offered me some apple juice that they made for them to 'buka puasa'... initially I politely declined as it was their personal and private meal... but they insisted on me having it and they went inside their shop to grab a plastic cup and poured out a cup for me to drink... I was really humbled by their kind gesture... sharing their food and drinks with a total stranger...

In recent times we've been bombarded by endless negative news... political personalities trying to gain advantage by driving a wedge between different races in Malaysia... both the majority and minority races harping on racial issues in the media and alternative media... to a point that it create an environment of suspicion and fear of each other.

Experiencing the warmth and hospitality of this Malay family brought a lot of my thoughts to reality... and it brings back memories of my time in Alor Gajah... playing together with Malay, Chinese and Indian neighbours... all MALAYSIANS.

Before I left I just took a picture... too bad that it was really dark and that the faces are unclear...

The "buka puasa" spread...

Malaysia is not perfect... but we do not need to conform to the perspectives of our political masters and form our thoughts according to the news played out in the media... we ourselves can make this place a better place to live in...

SELAMAT HARI RAYA MAAF ZAHIR BATIN...

Days With My Father...

An epitome of a photo essay... stunning photos with a story line that brings warmth and depth to the meaning of relationship...

READ ON: http://www.dayswithmyfather.com/

What?...

Am just not in the mood... what an end to the year... too many things happen that's beyond my control... I'm reminded of the Serenity Prayer... and the original version goes like this:

"God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other."
-Reinhold Niebuhr-

A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL!