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Out & About
In transit at Changi Airport with Jack, my
younger brother, who stopped over for a couple of
hours before continuing onwards to Brisbane
Seafood - if anyone knows seafood, it's Jack!
He's been in the game for over 20 years, and no
prawn, lobster or fish fillet gets away from him! As
sharp as a sea urchin, and as fast as a flying fish
glistening in the sun, he's terrific at doing business in
his specialist arena, and there's not many who can
catch his merman tail!
What's the secret of his success? Well, he
says, first
of all, you've got to know how deep the water is
before you start to go fishing, ahem, trading. You've
got to conquer your own fear first, before you can
go deep into the international bartering and
cut 'n thrust that goes along with the territory.
Margins are small at that end of the marketplace,
but the volumes are huge. Picture
this...a sea-going container of prawns is about
AUD$750,000! Now when you 'flip' a couple of these
regularly, you're dealing with large amounts of
money.
Experience counts, so make as many mistakes as
you
want to...and then don't make them again! You
see,
the only way to gain experience is to make some
mistakes along the way. Jack's not one to hesitate,
yet he counsels for more haste, less speed.
At least think before you leap, but don't hesitate
to leap. That way, you'll make some kind of
action, and
ensure that you're proactive and won't be swallowed
or bitten by the great white sharks while in the water.
Hey! That's great advice Jack! I love to see
my 'lil brother whenever I can - we live so far from
each other, and we seem to only to catch up when
he's stopping by in Singapore!
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Dear Reader,
Watch out for the Asian Summit for Secretaries &
Administrative Professionals (ASSAP) on May 18-19,
2006! It promises to be the one of the most
wonderful, enriching and inspiring conferences for
next year! With a star-studded cast including Shirley
Taylor, Alison Lester, Debra Torres Patel, Alexandra
Yung, and me - it's bound to be the year's most
exciting summit to attend!
My great friends and professional colleagues
Shirley
Taylor, and Delphine Ang from
Partners Conference & Event
Management are
organising it, and I'm
featured on both days. I'm one of the key
speakers on May 18, and also be co-presenting an
Effective
Communications Workshop with Shirley on May 19,
2006
More news about it very soon! Don't you miss it!
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| Brains...and all that grey matters! |
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With Dilip Mukerjea, the MD of Braindancing, and
Geraldine Tan, Conference Development Manager,
Asia Business Forum
This month saw me and Dilip presenting at the
ABF
Secretaries' Conference at the Marina Mandarin
Hotel.
Dilip's a person who makes you think, and he pushes
you to act upon that thinking.
I suggest you take a few moments now, and visit
Dilip's
website. He's got lots of brainteasers and other
profound questions about your career or business
organisation that'll either make you weep or wake up
both left and right side of your brain, and take some
serious action!
One of the things he
said to me was pretty profound, and I'd like to
repeat
it
here. I had remarked to him that I thought most of
us didn't use enough of our potential. He said,
"Don't look at your potential
because
that's always in the future. What's your potential
NOW and just DO it, so you can
realise your current potential, and act on it
rather than waiting for some time in the future!"
ìWhat an incredible encounter with pulverizing
passion, humour, and endearing compassion from a
born ranconteur.î
~ James Atkinson. Well, that's what James
Atkinson said about Dilip after James attended one of
his workshops!
Dilip's an expert on the subject of the creative
brain. He's written 7 books on the subject of
brain matter,
the creative brain and how to encompass more
innovation in our lives.
Most times, we're lulled into a state of
homeostasis. That means that we're in our
comfort zone, and the only way out of it is to take
action! Don't wait for action to take place! Why
wait?
Why wait until the time
is right? Why not take some form of action now?
Step by step. That's how we walk. Step by step,
that's how we achieve our goals.
I believe in the power of action over words.
Often, we are seduced into thinking that we're doing
something, when actually, all we did was to think
about it. Thinking about it just isn't enough. We must
take action for change to happen in the NOW!
Meeting up with Dilip has been a timely
reminder of the power of action towards leading
a more innovative, rewarding, and fulfilling life!
Thanks Dilip!
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| Secrets to Effective Communication |
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Here's Son (Justin) & Father (Me!) enjoying male
bonding! Caught at the Marriot Hotel, Sydney for a
quick lunch last month!
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What is the secret to effective communication?
Well, after running so many workshops in
training and presentation skills, I think the secret's
out...it's connecting with your audience.
How do you connect with your audience?
Now you see it, now you don't! Yes! Seeing with
your eyes, or connecting with your eyes on your
audience is the key to effective communication.
It's really that simple. If you watch excellent
speakers like former US President Bill Clinton, you'll
find that his eyes are piercing and he seems to be
communicating with you personally.
When you do that with sincerity, people tend to
connect with you strongly, as they feel that you
are really talking to them. This also gives you
another quality called authority.
So what's authority? Effective speaking contains
an
element of strength. Having authority means
that you
look and sound as if you mean what you say. It
means that you have a strong aura about you - that
you say what you mean, and you mean what you
say.
Authority means that you have the right to say
what
you are saying, and your eyes will show it when
you
have strong eye contact with your audience. I
don't mean that you should stare. No. You should
look gently at each person for 3 or 4 seconds before
moving onto the next.
I suggest you try this in front of the mirror.
Then try it when you are speaking one-on-one.
Then try it at your next presentation. I know it'll
make a big difference in your communication skills!
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| Quote of the Day |
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From Stuart Wilde, one of my favourite
philosophers, from his book, "The Secrets of
Life"
"On Detachment: As YOU become more powerful
you will begin to detach from the world, for it is
basically weak.
Part of this detachment is your ability
to withdraw from the mindset and the feelings of
society around you.
Once you go beyond whether
people like you or not, then you can undercut their
manipulation of you and establish a feeling of total
independence.
As you become that powerful,
independent, evolving being, you understand that
you do not have to accommodate anyone, if that is
not your wish."
I would interpret what Stuart says as be your
own self, but at the same time, respect others
but not allow yourself to be manipulated by them.
Have a great month. On
second thoughts, MAKE it a great month
ahead!
Lead With Passion!
Ricky
PS: Any comments or
feedback? I'd love to hear from you!
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