Hi Friends

It was a wonderful evening yesterday (2/12/2013) at Learnathon 2013.

I just wish to share with you some of my LEARNING LESSONS:

1) HAPPINESS – by 11pm, there weren’t many people left in the auditorium but we continued with the programme to sing “We are the World”. Even though not many people were there to cheer, the remaining audience was awesome – they sing with us. This is the moment where I felt that the effort was well well worth it.

2) MEETING A BUSINESS ROLE MODEL, Ms ELIM CHEW – Just in case you do not know who she is. Ms Elim Chew  is the founder of the street wear brand, 77th Street. She co-founded Singapore Street Festival – a platform for showcasing local talents in areas such as performing arts, visual art forms, fashion, entertainment and sports, The Young Entrepreneur Mastery (TYEM) – a non-profit academy that supported youth entrepreneurship and inculcated an entrepreneurial mindset in out-of-school youths. Elim was also a founding member and director of the Social Innovation Park (SIP), a social enterprise incubator which aimed to provide a replicable set of integrated services and resources that would help create a platform to support social entrepreneurs’ business models that advocated societal change. Through this platform, she championed Pop and Talent Hub, the first social enterprise talent development platform in Singapore which gathered talents from social homes, institutions and also professional artists to sell their artworks with the objective of making them self-reliant.

She has been my Facebook friend for quite a while and I have been wanting to meet her. I have watched her Canon Think Big campaign, how she started helping others to start Social Enterprises and her ability to start a successful business from a hair stylist. I got to take a photo with her and also together with my staffs. A dream came true.

3) MEETING ADAM KHOO – the last time I met him was years ago and after he spoke, I went over, said hello and had an enjoyable conversation chatting about how he started his fund, etc. I was happy catching up with him. How lives have changed within a few years.

4) Meeting KC See – went for his preview when I was in my 20s where his course was called Certified Professional Trainer. I still remembered during those days, he was charging $6000+ for this course. I wanted so much to attend the course but I have no money. Fast forward 15 yrs+, I am glad to see him on stage where he talks about his life experience. After his segment, we spoke at our booth and we had a little chat. Exchanged name card and he was saying about collaboration in Malaysia. Looking forward to meeting him.

5) PATRICK LIEW (CEO of HSR Property Group), ROGER KOH (CEO of Chen Fu Ji Restaurant) Patrick Liew, Volunteers, the Entire Committee – saw how hard each of them work. Saw how the volunteers were helping the entire event. Since the onset of the event and I agreed to help, it was less than 10 days. I am aware of how Patrick called each of the speakers seeking help. It was like making cold calls. I saw how Patrick & Roger drive the event inside the Closed Group. It was madness! But they did it!

6) CHARITY & the CONCEPT OF MONEY – I was amazed by the stories Jerome told on stage on how he gave away a few hundred dollars when he only have a thousand dollar left and how he believed that you don’t have to worry about money. He also shared how his previous biz partner left about $900K of unfulfilled training engagements with about $100K in the bank. He took over the biz and cleared the fulfillments.

In a nutshell, I have grown another inch taller and I wish the same for you too.

To chat with me, join our Free NLP Workshop by clicking on this link:  Free NLP Workshop.

Cayden Chang
Founder & Director,
Mind Kinesis Management International & Mind Kinesis Investments Pte Ltd
Lifelong Learner Award 2008 Honouree
BSc(Hons), MSc

Hi Friends,

Do all of you have a list of MUST-DOs that you must accomplish before you leave this world for a better place?

I’m pretty sure all of us have this list. From…

 doing more good deeds, charity,

spending more time with family,

achieving financial freedom,

making a difference in others’ life,

tour around the world,

going to the Sea of Stars on Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives and etc.

Out of all our lists,  irregardless of what it is, I’m pretty sure all of us will have at least one in common.

Let’s do a simple activity now…..

Close your eyes now…

Give yourself 1-3 mins…

Imagine how would you be living your life in the next 5 to 10 years…

So, what do you see yourself doing?

Is it achieving what you had in your “Must-dos”?

To achieve all these, all of us probably have to work twice as hard to reach our goals, and in turn, it might deviate us from the path of what truly matters in our life.

I was reminded about what I hold important in my life today after I came across this article, The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying:

1) I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2) I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

3) I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4) I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5) I wish that I had let myself be happier.

They are so applicable to each and everyone of us, isn’t it?

Did it ever occur to you before that, “What if I would kick the bucket first while still working so hard before we can reach our goals?”

Previously, I had wanted to give my family a better life, and thus I spent most of my time working. This goal, however, only had me spending more time at work rather than spending more time with my family and friends at that point of time! Isn’t it ironic?

Wanting to spend more time with people I love in future, I sacrificed the time I have with them now. Why Don’t We Spend More Time with them NOW while balancing work?!

In any case, when we die, we can’t bring our money with us, can we? Our family would have preferred that we spend more time with them, wouldn’t they?

I only realized this 2 years back, and I had already lost contact with some of my close friends in a travel company I used to work at, and this really is one of the most regretted in my life.

Now, I make it a point to keep in contact with my friends and family, treasuring them so that I know I have one item less on my “Regret List” when I’m on my deathbed.

How about you?

Karen 
Programme Manager 0f NLP Academy

Know more about how NLP can transform your life and others around you by REGISTERING for a FREE Workshop through this link – Free NLP Workshop.

Hi Friends

“You can only connect the Dots looking backwards” ~ Steve Jobs.

For years, I have always wanted to seek a vision/purpose for the foundation that I wanted to set up. My eyes, ears and heart is constantly aware of the people around me and just tonight, a few dots connect:

1) A girl and a mum with a cleft lip – I met this mum and her Pri 6 girl years ago when I was selling a children’s programme. Both of them were reserved and I infer them they may some form of low self-esteem issue because of how they look. The mum was not very well off but she paid about $12,000 in cash to the company wanted her girl to do well in PSLE. I wanted to help the little girl but I was not in a position to help during that time

Photo above was taken from a 2008 Academy Award Documentary “Smile Pinki”

2) My 2 little girls – having my 2 children taught me more about life, about responsibilities, about commitment and how the parents and the environment influence how they think and perhaps their future

3) My episode with Cancer and my encounter with Children Cancer Foundation – it was hard to imagine children having cancer and those with terminal stage. At one point when the officer from CCF told me about children dying in the ward, it put me into tears. Click the picture below to read about my story and my fight with Cancer.

A Sunday Times Article about my Life 

4) Rare Disorders Society of Singapore (http://www.rdss.org.sg) – I came across such a society when the son of a good friend was suffered from Leukaemia. He visited his son so often at KK Hospital tat he met a father who’s daughter was suffering from a rare disorder called Pompe Disorder. The name of this daughter was called Chloe, born as a normal baby on the 8th Nov 2009. At 7 months old, she was diagnosed with this Pompe Disease. It is estimated only 5,000 to 10,000 of the world population are suffering from this disease. She is now facing a huge battle of survival at her tender age. She requires regular (every fortnightly) ERT (Enzyme Replacement Treatment) at KK Hospital to stay alive and improve her mobility.The medical fees are hefty-up to $300,000/yr for the enzyme alone,excluding hospital fees which can come up to $100,000 or more. We have previously run a Charity Workshop for Rare Disorder Society of Singapore (RDSS).

5) Connecting the dots backwards – on my way back home tonight in a MRT Train, I saw an old couple (probably in their mid 50s) handling a presumably 5-year-old girl. The little girl said she was hungry and the 50+ father passed her a chocolate pocky and the girl started eating. The chocolate was all over her face and her father carefully wipe her lips with tissue paper. This little girl was sitting innocently on the lap of her mum who was sitting down. Her father was standing. I was just wondering whether her parents were live long enough to watch their little girl grow up. All 3 of them wore old extremely clothing. After alighting from MRT, I ask my wife is it OK for me to focus on children (vs adults) in our future foundation because they are powerless, innocent and yet they are the future of our generation. My wife said Yes. I have yet to chunk down on which specific group of children I helping though it’s a step closer to my purpose in life.

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish” ~ Steve Jobs.

To know more about how NLP can transform your life and others around you? CLICK on this link – Free NLP Workshop.

Have a GREAT Weekend!

Cayden Chang
Founder & Director, Mind Kinesis Management International & Mind Kinesis Investments Pte Ltd
BSc(Hons), MSc
Lifelong Learner Award 2008 Honouree

Hi Friends,

How’s your week so far?

It must have been great! If you don’t feel likewise, you must have missed out reading this article, “The Habits of Supremely Happy People”!

Here’re some points that I have learnt from the article, and you might want to take note and apply into your daily life too!

1)      Surround yourself with other happy people!

We do feel happy when people around us are happy, don’t we?! It’s like how a smile is contagious!

2)      There’s this Japanese Proverb mentioned…

It’s amazing how Happy People can manage to fall down seven/several times, and they are still optimistic and get up again and use other methods and ways to get around it UNTIL THEY SUCCEED no matter what other negative voices they hear! Do you have friends who are like this too? I do know a handful, and i find them very inspiring and I simply LOVE hanging around with them!

Are you one of the pessimistics, who give up after failing only once? If so, it’s time to surround yourself with happy people and change your mindset!

3) Happy People let themselves lose track of time.

I find this point very relevant to me. Here goes a bit about myself…

I am a person who dreads exercising and finds it a waste of time. Last year, i only went to the gym ONCE, and i kinda sweared that I would never exercise again. HAHA. Only recently, I’m being introduced to Zumba, and after influencing my friends to join me as gym companions, I finally stepped into the gym again!

I came to love Zumba, and felt very HAPPY exercising, and now I visit the gym at least once a week to workout to keep a healthy lifestyle!

I remember there was once I enjoyed myself so much that I got carried away and went for Zumba 4 times in a week, and I didn’t feel tired at all! I enjoyed myself so much, and it seems that I’m in this joyful state called “Flow”, which happens when one is immersed in an activity that is concurrently challenging, revitalizing and meaningful. Truly enough, I felt accomplished ever since, and most importantly, I came to appreciate my body more and LIVED HAPPILY EVERYDAY FEELING GOOD!

Is there any activities/occasions that made you encounter this state of flow?

4) EXERCISE!

This links back to the example of the previous point~ Exercise gives you endorphins, and Endorphins make you happy! Now, I know why I feel happier after exercising. More reasons for us to exercise now!

5) Move Away from all Kinds of Technology For A While

Life is hectic for us, especially when we are living in Singapore. Everything is fast-paced. With the help of technology, things move even faster in our life. Sometimes, we should stop using Facebook, Twitter, TV, radio, etc for a while, and spend some time with the nature instead. Unknowingly, it would help us to de-stress and recharge ourselves for the challenges we face in life, which in turn helps us to discover ourselves and become a better person!

So, stay away from your computer and handphone for at least 15mins after reading this post, and make use of this time to recharge! =D

Have a GREAT start for November!

Karen 
Programme Manager 0f NLP Academy

Know more about how NLP can transform your life and others around you by REGISTERING for a FREE Workshop through this link – Free NLP Workshop.

Dear Friends,

Do you have a dream that is sprouting from your mind, making you wonder for days and weeks whether you should go all out to pursue your dream, and in the end you decided not to come up with plans to achieve it, because with the current situation you are facing, it just SIMPLY FEELS IMPOSSIBLE?

Well, can Audrey Hepburn say something to remind you?

Have you ever wondered to yourself what would happen if your dream can change the world?

A very good example of a person’s dream which changed the world would be…

Isn’t it amazing? We have yet discovered another person who said the same characteristic about crazy people, besides Albert Einstein and the Wright Brothers mentioned in our previous post. Have you ever wondered…….

If these people had given up on their dreams, what would happen?

There might be a possibility that there’re no planes, and traveling by sea to another country would take days. And now, who’s the one who invented ships?

No iPhone, no computers, we would still be using typewriters, or even using ink and papers. Who invented typewriters, inks and papers?

Living in total darkness with no lights, only with the help of candles. WHO INVENTED CANDLES?

Look around you, aren’t all the things that we are using right now created by someone initially? Do they just pop out instantly out of nowhere?

No matter what items they are…

Each and every one of these evolved from somebody’s dream, and all of these crazy people have ONE thing in common. All of them are normal humans like us who started with a small simple idea, which seemed an almost impossible dream initially. However, with their perseverance to achieve their dreams, we are now able to own/do these things that they created.

What is your dream?

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If you have been to Mind Kinesis Office, you will see this whole quote above by Steve Jobs hugely printed on the left side of our office’s wall. If you wonder how our office look like, or would like to learn how to BREAK THROUGH YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS, REGISTER for a FREE Workshop through this link – Free NLP Workshop.

Karen
Programme Manager 0f NLP Academy