Winners / Winning

A winner is not one who never fails, but one who never quits. - Unknown

A winner is someone who sets his goals, commits himself to those goals, and then pursues his goals with all the ability given him. - Unknown

History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats. - B. C. Forbes

If you don’t see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner. - Zig Ziglar

If you want to be a winner, you have to be willing to give it your all. - Unknown

Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future. - Denis Waitley

Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep. - Denis Waitley

Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even. - Muhammad Ali

Remember you will not always win. Some days, the most resourceful individual will taste defeat. But there is, in this case, always tomorrow – after you have done your best to achieve success today. - Maxwell Maltz

The cheerful loser is the winner. - Elbert Hubbard

The person who is most likely to win is the one who is willing to burn his ships and destroy all sources of retreat. - Unknown

The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do. - Denis Waitley

The winners in life treat their body as if it were a magnificent spacecraft that gives them the finest transportation and endurance for their lives. - Denis Waitley

There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it. - Napoleon Hill

We win half the battle when we make up our minds to take the world as we find it, including the thorns. - Orison Swett Marden

When we cannot hope to win, it is an advantage to yield. - Quintilian

Winners are people with definite purpose in life. - Denis Waitley

Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them. - Denis Waitley

Winners don’t do different things. They do things differently. - Shiv Kera

Winners have the ability to step back from the canvas of their lives like an artist gaining perspective. They make their lives a work of art – an individual masterpiece. - Denis Waitley

Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating. - Denis Waitley

Winning has a joy and purity to it that cannot be replaced by anything else. - Unknown

You've got to win in your mind before you can win in  your life. - John Addison

You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win. - Zig Ziglar

You will never win if you never begin. - Helen Rowland

You’ll never know if you can win until you know you’ve tried your best … and then it doesn’t matter if you’ve won or not because you will have improved, and that is winning for yourself. - Carolyn Meroniuk  

A Winner's Blueprint For Achievement

BELIEVE while others are doubting.
PLAN while others are playing.
STUDY while others are sleeping.
DECIDE while others are delaying.
PREPARE while others are daydreaming.
BEGIN while others are procrastinating.
WORK while others are wishing.
SAVE while others are wasting.
LISTEN while others are talking.
SMILE while others are frowning.
COMMEND while others are criticizing.
PERSIST while others are quitting.

- William Arthur Ward 

My Artwork

Another of my artwork. This time, a picture from a book cover - done in poster colours.

Be a winner!

The Winner is always part of the answer; The Loser is always part of the problem.

The Winner always has a program; The Loser always has an excuse. 

The Winner says, "Let me do it for you"; The Loser says, "That is not my job."

The Winner sees an answer for every problem; The Loser sees a problem 

or every answer.

The Winner says, "It may be difficult but it is possible"; The Loser says, "It may be possible but it is too difficult." 

When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong"; When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, " It wasn't my fault".

Winners say, "I must do something"; Losers say, "Something must be done." 

Winners are a part of the team; Losers are apart from the team.

Winners see the gain; Losers see the pain. 

Winners see possibilities; Losers see problems.

Winners choose what they say; Losers say what they choose.

Winners use hard arguments but soft words; Losers use soft arguments but hard words.

Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty things; Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values. 

Winners make it happen; Losers let it happen.

Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: "Don't do to others what you would not want them to do to you"; Losers follow the philosophy, "Do it to others before they do it to you."

Source Unknown 

Be A Winner In Life

We cannot always be the first or best in everything. Most of us are seldom the best in anything, and we all have things we are not good at. It is, therefore, important not to be discouraged, or feel worthless just because we are not the best.

Where there is a winner, there is a looser. What is important is not so much the winning but the taking part; not so much the great achievement but the humble attempt. Be satisfied if you have tried your best and managed to improve yourself regardless of how others might be doing.

Above all, we must learn to accept our limitations. Each one of us is unique in our own way. No two persons are alike in this world. We all have our strengths and limitations. If we always compare ourselves with people we think are better than us, we will become bitter and unhappy.

It is good to be ambitious and to improve ourselves. It is good to strive for perfection, but the perfection, by definition, is something unattainable. So there is no need to be frustrated and depressed if we are not perfect.

Everyone wants to win, to be proclaimed a winner. But we must come to accept the fact that we cannot be a winner every time. Sometimes we win; sometimes we lose. And sometimes, we win when we lose.

Fortunately, we all can be a winner, a real winner in Life, - where the competition is with ourselves, where the opponent is ourselves; Where winning means doing the best that we can with what we have got.

The following are some requisites to be a winner in Life.

For a start, winners are credible, trustworthy, responsible and genuine, both as individuals and as members of society. They may lose ground occasionally, or may even fail. However, in spite of their setbacks they maintain their self-confidence. 

Winners are spontaneous in words and actions. They do not respond to a situation in pre-determined, rigid ways but are flexible to change plans when the situation calls for it.

Winners have a zest for life. They live their lives here and now, are aware and alive in the present, while looking forward to the future. They enjoy their work, and leisure. They work hard, and they play hard. 

Finally, winners are aware of the world and his surroundings. They are not isolated from the general problems of society. They are a part of it. They are concerned, compassionate and committed to improving the quality of life. They work to make the world a better place to live in.

That, in a nutshell, is what being a winner in Life is all about!

- Author Unknown

Tell me ...

- Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person drives a race car not called a racist?

- If a turtle does not have a shell, is he homeless or naked? 

- What do you call a male ladybug?

- Why is it that what you hear is never quite as interesting was what you overhear?

- Is there another word for synonym? 

- Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavour, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons? 

- Is it not a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do ‘practice’?

- How is it possible to have a civil war? 

- Why do they not call moustaches ‘mouth brows’? 

- Is it true that cannibals do not eat clowns because they taste funny? 

- What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant? 

- Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites? 

- Why is the third hand on the watch called a second hand? 

- Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

- When dog food is ‘new and improved tasting’, who tests it?

- Why is it that rain drops and snow falls? 

- If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done? 

- Why do you not ever see the headline, ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’? 

- How come ‘abbreviated’ is such a long word?

- Why is it that no one needs a vacation quite so badly as those who just took one?

- Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?

- Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections? 

- If people from Poland are called Poles, why are people from Holland not called Holes? 

- Why is it that when you are driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio? 

- If the ‘blackbox’ flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why is not the whole damn airplane made out of that stuff?

- Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things? 

- If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled? 

- What if there were no hypothetical questions? 

- Why does the sun lighten your hair, but darken your skin? 

- Why is eleven not pronounced onety one?

Pavement Or Treadmill?

The Claim: Running outdoors burns more calories

The Facts: Pavement or treadmill? Most avid runners have a strong preference for one or the other, but how do the two differ in producing results?

               According to several studies, the answer is not so simple. Researchers have found in general that while outdoor running tends to promote a more intense exercise, running on a treadmill helps reduce the likelihood of injury and thus may allow some people to run longer and further. 

              A number of studies have shown that outdoor running burns about 5 per cent more calories than treadmills do, in part because there is greater wind resistance and no assistance from the treadmill belt. Some studies show, for example, that when adults are allowed to set their own pace on treadmills and on tracks, they move more slowly and with shorter strides when they train on treadmills.

              But other studies show that treadmill exercisers suffer fewer stress injuries in the leg. One study published in 2003 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analysed a group of runners and found significantly higher rates of bone strain and tension during pavement running than during treadmill running, particularly in the shin bone. This increase strain can heighten the risk of stress fractures by more than 50 per cent, the study found.

The bottom line: Studies suggest that running on the pavement generally burns slightly more calories, but also raises the risk of stress fractures.

- The New York Times

How To Live Longer

This is an article from ‘Men’s Magazine’. I am sure the contents apply to women too. :-)

Men should realise that they can add a few years to their lives just by following a few simple rules, an article in Men’s Health magazine pointer lately:

Choose salad over soup:
Italian researchers found that eating just once cup of raw vegetables daily can add two years to your life. Raw is better because can deplete up to 30 per cent of the antioxidants in vegetables.
            And don’t worry about having it with salad dressing because the fat in it will boost your body’s absorption of certain nutrients.

Lose that fat, make a date with your mate:
University of Alabama researchers discovered that maintaining a body-mass index of 25 to 35 can shorten your life by up to three years. Excess body fat raises your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer.
            There’s no way out but to exercise. And rope in the wife or girlfriend because a Duke University study shows that sedentary men are 50 percent more likely to work out three times a week if their partners participate.

Go nuts:
Researchers at southern California’s Loma Linda University tracked the lifestyle habits of 34,000 Seventh-Day Adventists – a population famous for its longevity – and discovered that those who snacked on nuts five days a week lived 2.9 years longer. Choose your nuts wisely, though. Check out calorie and nutrient contents on the Net.

Friends forever:
In a study of people in their 70s, Australian researchers found that those with the largest network of friends had the longest lease on life.
            If you are an average Joe, it could add seven years to your life. Friendship provides more protection than peril. So stay in touch with your old pals. And it’s never too late to make new friends.

There is life after retirement:
Make that your mantra. In a Yale University study of older adults, people with a positive outlook on the ageing process lived more than seven years longer than those who felt doomed to deteriorating mental and physical health. And one of the best ways is to volunteer for a cause you’re passionate about; selfless actions can put a positive spin on life and distract from unhealthy obsessing, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine.

My Artwork

This is one of my more successful attempts. My personal favourite in fact. A scene of Scotland from a calendar. The media is acrylic on wood. As it happened, it turned out quite nicely.

Security In An Uncertain World

Is there security in life? Unfortunately, the answer is No! There is no security in life. We are born, and we will definitely end up dead – one day – of this we may be certain. In between, we live our lives the best we can, the best we know how, without knowing what blows fate, destiny, or the future will dealt us. 

“Uncertainty” is the key word in our lives. We must live with uncertainty and steer our ship through life’s perilous paths. We must learn to master these dangers to the best of our ability, and still live contentedly.

There will always be moments of adversity hitting us from the external world, as well as self-doubts plaguing us from within. Life holds many surprises for us. Some pleasant, and some not so pleasant.

The real test of our friendship for ourselves is whether we rally to our own aid when we need the consoling sustenance of our best friend – US. When we are sure of this internal cushion in crisis, then we know how to be certain in this uncertain world.

In the ultimate analysis, we must be fair to ourselves and understand that everyone is on borrowed time, whether we are eight or eighty years old. 

Thus, it is more important to make our lives meaningful before our time is up, rather than to hold on too tightly to the security we thought we had but never did! And the early we realized this fact of life, the lesser will be our disappointment in life. 

Security … 

The only real security is not insurance or money or a job, not a house and furniture paid for, or a retirement fund, and never is it another person. It is the skill and humour and courage within, the ability to build your own fires and find your own peace. - Audrey Sutherland

The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability. - Henry Ford

Our only security is our ability to change. - John Lilly

The ultimate security is your understanding of reality. - H. Stanley Judd 

Eight Keys to Contentment

Health enough to make work a pleasure. 

Wealth enough to support your needs. 

Strength enough to battle with difficulties and overcome them. 

Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them. 

Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. 

Charity enough to see some good in your neighbors.

Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others. 

Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future. 

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

Doing Your Best

              An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. 

              The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. 

              When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.” 

              What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. 

              So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, Reacting rather than Acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points, we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently. 

              Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall, build wisely, because it is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. 

Upgraded

              A first-grade teacher, Ms Brooks was having trouble with one of her students. The teacher asked, “Harry what is your problem?’’ 

              Harry answered, “I’m too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third-grade and I’m smarter than she is! I think I should be in the third-grade too!’’

              Ms Brooks had had enough. She took Harry to the principal’s office. While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told Ms Brooks he would give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the first-grade and behave. She agreed. 

              Harry was brought in, the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test. 

              Principal: What is three times three?

              Harry: Nine.

              Principal: What is six times six?

              Harry: Thirty six.

              And so it went with every question the principal thought a third-grade should know. The principal looks at Ms Brooks and tells her, “I think Harry can go to the third-grade.”

              Ms Brooks says to the principal, “Let me ask him some questions?”

              The principal and Harry both agree. 

              Ms Brooks: What does a cow have four of that I have only two of? 

              Harry: Legs.

              Ms Brooks: What is in your pants that you have but I do not have? 

              Harry: Pockets.

              Ms Brooks: What starts with a C and ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin whitish liquid? 

              The principal’s eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer, Harry was taking charge.

              Harry: Coconut.

              Ms Brooks: What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky? 

              Harry: Bubblegum.

              Ms Brooks: What does a man do standing up, a woman do sitting down and a dog do on three legs? 

              Again the principal’s eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer. 

              Harry: Shake hands.

              Ms Brooks: Now I will ask some ‘Who am I’ sort of questions, okay? 

              Harry: Yep.

              Ms Brooks: You stick your pole inside me. You tie me down to get me up. I get wet before you do. 

              Harry: Tent.

              Ms Brooks: A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you’re bored. The best man always has me first.

              The Principal was looking restless and a bit tense. 

              Harry: Wedding Ring.

              Ms Brooks: I come in many sizes. When I’m not well, I drip. When you blow me, you feel good. 

              Harry: Nose.

              Ms Brooks: I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I come with a quiver. 

              Harry: Arrow.

              Ms Brooks: What word starts with an ‘F’ and ends in ‘K’ that means a lot of heat and excitement?’’ 

              Harry: Fire truck.

              The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the teacher, “Put Harry in the fifth-grade, I got the last ten questions wrong myself.”

My Art work

Here's a piece of my artwork done many, many years ago - a pencil sketch of a child from a photograph. This portrait is one of my better works in this genre

Class Reunion

Last Saturday, my past caught up with me, so to speak – all 38 years of it. It goes to show you can run but you can’t hide. And also what determination, inspiration, motivation, interest ... can do.

What happened was, my classmates from my Primary School days decided that they are going to have a class reunion. I never kept in touch with any of them, but they still managed to track me down - through the Yellow Pages. How could I have been so careless …

Of course, I was surprised by the call. When the idea of a class reunion was mentioned, I was quite excited about it – which in itself is rather odd for I am more of the Lone Ranger type of person, and not really into social gathering circles. But somehow, the idea of seeing my young friends from days gone by, 38 years later, sounds so exciting and too good a chance to pass up. I immediately said to include me in. 

I did wonder why the reunion, why now? Then again, I thought, why not? Most of us would be 50 years old or coming into 50 years old soon. And in fact, someone suggested that we should make it our 50 Years Old Birthday Celebration. 

Then I wonder how many of them really remember me. :-) Personally, I can remember most of them on the email list.

Later, I wonder how many people really want to know the Vincent now. Thinking thus, the euphoria of the past week has died now somewhat.

They have came up with a blog. I have added their blog address to my links. It’s Bukit Panjang English School or BPES for short. If you want to try and see what I looked like back in those days, please go ahead and see if you can find the young Vincent. Unfortunately the photos are a bit old and not in the best of conditions by now.

What can I remember of my Primary School days?

Nothing exciting really. There weren’t any highlights worth mentioning. I was the timid, country bumpkin, an awkward child, opinionated, stubborn, lazy, not the brightest crayon in the box, trying to fit in but not very successful at all. Even the school bully didn't think I was worth the trouble.

After a while ...

After a while, you learn ... 

... the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul.

... to begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child.

After a while, you learn that ...

... even sunshine burns if you get too much. 

... you really can endure….that you really are strong, and you really do have worth. 

... love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't mean security. 

... you can do something in an instant that will give you a heartache for life.

... it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it.

... no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides. 

... it's taking you a long time to become the person you want to be. 

... even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help. 

... no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. 

... regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. 

... making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life". 

... life sometimes gives you a second chance. 

... if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. 

... whenever you decide something with an open heart, you usually make the right decision. 

... even when you have pains, you don't have to be one. 

... you still have a lot to learn 

... it is not good to compare ourselves to others. There will be others better or worse than we are. 

... a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least. 

... there are persons that love us dearly, but simply do not know how to show their feelings. 

... money can buy everything but happiness. 

... true friends are scarce, he/she who has found one has found a true treasure. 

... we shall reap what we plant.

... happiness is a decision. We decide to be happy with what we are and have, or die from envy and jealousy of what we lack. 

... those who are honest with themselves without considering the consequences, go far in life. 

... by trying to hold on to loved ones, we very quickly push them away; and by letting go of those whom we love, we will be side by side forever. 

... even though the word "love" has many different meanings, it loses value when it is overstated. 

... never look down on anybody unless you're helping them up. 

- Source Unknown 

I feared

I feared…

… being alone until I learned to like myself. 

… failure until I realized that I only fail when I don't try. 

… people's opinions until I learned that people would have opinions about me anyway. 

… rejection until I learned to have faith in myself. 

… pain until I learned that it's necessary for growth. 

… the truth until I saw the ugliness in lies. 

… life until I experienced its beauty. 

… death until I realized that it's not an end but a beginning. 

… my destiny, until I realized that I had the power to change my life. 

… hate until I saw that it was nothing more than ignorance. 

… love until it touched my heart, making the darkness fade into sunny days. 

… ridicule until I learned how to laugh at myself. 

… growing old until I realized that I gained wisdom every day. 

… the future until I realized that life just kept getting better. 

… the dark until I saw the beauty of the starlight. 

… the light until I learned that the truth would give me strength. 

… change until I saw that even the most beautiful butterfly had to go through metamorphosis before it could fly.

- Source Unknown 

Natural Viagra?

            Watermelon may be a natural Viagra, a United States researcher said. That is because the fruit is richer than previously believed in an amino acid called citrulline, which relaxes and dilates blood wessels much like Viagra and other drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.

            Until recently, Dr. Bhimu Patil, director of the Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center at Texas A&M University, told WebMD, scientists thought most of the citrulline was in the watermelon rind. But it is now known that there is more citrulline in the flesh too. Citrulline is converted to arginine in the body. This boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels – the same basic effect that Viagra has to treat erectile dysfunction, he said.

              “Watermelon may not be organ-specific, but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any side-effects.”

               But how much watermelon must be consumed before the Viagra effect kicks in? Dr Patil has no answer yet.

               However, sceptics like Dr Roger Clemens, adjunct professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, said it is premature to call watermelon a natural Viagra. He had studied arginine, researching a supplement to mprove vascular flow for patients with hardening of the arteries, but has since abandoned that line of research, he said.

- New York Times

Staying Put

After more, due consideration, I have decided not to move my blog to another site after all. Guess I will have to work a bit harder. Of course, you regular return visits, your comments and feed back will be a moral booster and much appreciated.:-)

The more ...

The more generous we are, the more joyous we become. 

The more cooperative we are, the more valuable we become. 

The more enthusiastic we are, the more productive we become. 

The more serving we are, the more prosperous we become. 

The more outgoing we are, the more helpful we become. 

The more curious we are, the more creative we become. 

The more patient we are, the more understanding we become. 

The more persistent we are, the more successful we become.

- William Arthur Ward 

Popular remedy loses fizz

The claim: Drinking flat soda can ease an upset stomach.

The facts: It is not often that a soft drink is seen as medicinal. But when it comes to stomach distress, many people view a cup of flat soda as just what the doctor ordered.

              The quick and popular remedy – ususally in the form of cola, ginger ale or clear sodas – is said to help settle the stomach with its slight fizz and replenish fluids and glucose lost by vomiting and diarrhoea. Parents also find that children who are verging on dehydration but reluctant to consume any liquids are more amenable to soda.

              But research shows it may not be a great idea. In a recent study, British researchers conducted a review of the medical literature going back to the 1950s in search of scientific evidence supporting the claim. They found none.

              Then, after a biochemical analysis, they compared the contents of colas and other sodas with over-the-counter oral-rehydration solutions containing electrolytes and small amounts of sugar.

              The soft drinks, the authors found, not only contained very low amounts of potassium, sodium and other electrolytes but also in some cases as much as seven times the glucose recommended by the World Helath Organisation for rehydration. “Carbonated drinks, flat or otherwise, including cola, provide inadequate fluid and electrolyte replacement and cannot be recommended.” They said.

The bottom line: Flat soda, a popular remedy for upset stomach, may do more harm than good.

- The New York Times