Creating our own luck

1. Don't blame others and play victim. Take charge and responsibilities. How unfair life it seems, we must see within ourselves first. As Carl Jung said "He who see outside, dreams. He who see inside, awakens.
2. If we want something, don't focus on lack perspective of it. Aware that we are already complete. We want it simply because we want to enrich our life experience.
3. Be thankful. Make a discipline effort to be thankful. What we focus, expand. If we are in state of thankfulness most of the time, things will fall into places, effortlessly.
4. Istiqamah. Small effort with a disciplined routine is much more effective than big effort but no discipline, or no continuous effort at all.
5. In order to be lucky, we must aware that we are already lucky.

Stop Doing List

Most of us focusing on "To Do List". And "Stop Doing List" seems odd. Inspired by favourite author Jim Collins, he suggested to write "Stop Doing List" on consistent basis. So that we can focus on what truly important. First thing first.

We had so much thing to do. So much activity. Sometimes we feel uncomfortable of doing nothing. For example, like most of people, i love 'facebooking'. But one day, my Internet was down for the whole day. So I really don't know what to do. 

After a while, I did something far more effective ; finish up my music project, spend time with my family, brainstorm for new idea and so on. 

Stop doing list is very personal. Try out yourself today. We will notice the difference between Urgent but Not Important activity with Not Urgent but Important one.

Ist week of February 2012

Ohana

2 major occasions last week. One is the engagement of Ija's cousin, Nurul Husna at Bukit Jelutong. Another one was a celebration on Fariz's 23rd birthday with Abah & Mak, in two separate occasions.

With Abah, we had steamboat dinner at usual place Johny's Summit USJ. With Mak & Co (HKA family, Kak Gi, Fariz, Etty & Ija), we went outskirt to Janda Baik, Zainai Guest House. A very nice village chalet, we lepak there from 8 am to 6 pm. We had so much fun barbecuing, playing cards Cluedo and Taboo, me playing guitar, laughing together. Thanks to HKA family, for bringing this whole new idea of vacation (and also the cards).

Ija said she had so much laugh & fun playing Taboo. Hanzo the gubbouy, an urban boy, taste a little bit of kampung feels, like playing water in the small river, and running across field of grass.

We had so much fun!

Trivia : 2 years back (early February 2009), we went to Manipal India visiting Khalis & Aff at the time.

Etty & Kak Gi

Pulau Ilmu

Alhamdulillah. Lin done a good job of collecting fees from students, as our policy has change to 'early of the month fee collection'. The amount collected for this week close to 5-figure sum.

And I also, for the first time, transferred salary to tutors.Happy me. We will meet Abah for the idea of 'what is the next step' for the centre.

Sajakiri Music

I'm in the midst of simplifying sajakiri.com, so people would know that I am a COMPOSER, and write song to sell. There is so many things to 're-vamp'. I have an intention to post a new song every month (demo), and charge production fee from RM3k to RM5k.

I will write in sajakiri.com of how I derive to the amount. And I would love to see a guest writer to write in sajakiri.com blog.

Setting up my priorities

Personal

My life priorities at the moment is my immediate family (Ija & unborn child), larger family (Ohana!), tuition business ( Pulau Ilmu), and music project (Sajakiri). That's all.

Sajakiri Music

Last week, I wrote about how I want to build another music platform, Muzikita.com. But today I realised, i was a bit 'overwhelmed' with the work. I already had so much in hand, let alone starting another big and ambitious project. Muzikita.com by itself is a good idea, meant for connecting music enthusiast, and musician alike. But to develop another brand name from scratch, is rather tiring.

Because I realised, my strength in music is not writing blog per se, but songwriting.

From Jim Collin's book, Good to Great, he wrote "what prevent us to become great is not because of lack of opportunity, BUT because we had so much of it.

So, in that sense i 're-format'myself, and will focus on my 'neglected' love, Sajakiri Music, as my one and only music platform.

Pulau Ilmu

As for Pulau Ilmu, alhamdulillah, the business is good. Me and Azizul planned to seek an investor, as we need more cash for working capital. We will offer 20% equity of the share, as Azizul owns 41%, and me 39%.

As I mentioned before, I want to stop 'home tutoring' within 5 years, so I can focus on building the business. What I had in mind, is to develop the system, so we can franchise it later.

This month is the first month ever I will pay my 'tutor' salary. We had enough cash to pay. And also, we will able to monitor the performance of tutor, as we had the "Penilaian Pemahaman".

Ohana

On a lighter note, me & Ija so looking forward on this 14 Feb, not because of the Valentine's day, but we have an appointment with Dr Zul for a routine check-up. And Insyallah, we will know the baby's gender.

Girl, I hope.

5 Years Plan

Alhamdulillah. After 4 months of marriage, life is so good so far. I am the part-owner of Pusat Tuisyen Pulau Ilmu, and will start my online music portal soon, MuziKita.com. Which I believe will help my pet music project, Sajakiri to gain recognition, insyallah. On family side, we also expecting a child in 6 month. Amin.

1 – My important goal to family is I want to buy the house that currently we staying. It’s double-storey, and we loved its space and environment. The owner yet to open to sell. I admit we also not ready; we don’t have that much cash. But there is the intention goes : I WANT TO BUY THE HOUSE!

2 – In 5 years, I intend to earn passive income, more than active income. I want to stop for good home tutoring, or at least minimise it. Currently 90% of my income are from there.

I want to earn as a business owner, rather than self-employed. I have vision of how to develop both businesses; Pulau Ilmu, and Sajakiri/Muzikita. I will write in detail in both blogs, PulauIlmu.com.my and Sajakiri.com. Check it out!

3 – I want to go Hajj with my wife within 5 years.  So got to register with Tabung Haji soon.

4 – No family planning haha! We will never know how many children we will have, but I wont ‘stop’ it. It’s a gift from God, and we believe in abundance. The more we have, more merrier, and more abundance in our life.

5 years ain’t that long. I still remember 5 years ago, when I just started teaching.

Syukur is the Best Doa

Often when we ask for something, we just ask directly as we hold the right as our own. Say, if we want car from parent, we ask them as if ‘their responsibilities to provide, and they should give to us as I am your daughter/son.’ Same thing when we ask something from God, it is like “God owe us’. That is why, in my humble opinion, 90% of us doesn’t get what we hope for.

It is like we want it from perspective of lack. It’s like ‘I should get those thing because I lack of it, and it shall completes me’. The truth is, WE ARE ALREADY COMPLETE. Again 90% of us forgot about this.  WE ARE ALREADY COMPLETE. I couldn’t stress it further. I didn’t mean complete in term of material, or physical. But from soul perspective, we are complete.

Thst’s why, I personally thinks ‘Syukur is the Best Doa’. Gratitude is the best prayer (we read Alhamdulillah in our solat many times).  We should be thankful just being alive.  For example, if U want car from ur parent, we should remember how they did their best to raise us so far. This would makes U love and appreciate them more.  Eventually, they will see it from us, and feel it. Given times, they, or God will give anything U ever wanted, effortlessly. Without asking them like a desperado.

I know this like fantasy, but we can see it everywhere if we ever notice. The harder part is not the manifestation, but the ‘consistency in gratitude’. We shall have practise a set of discipline for gratitude. Sort of ‘reminder of how lucky we are’. I believe we must ‘remind our self how lucky we are, in order to be lucky, all the time’.

Wallahukhlam.

Istiqamah dan Displin

Setelah membaca buku terbaru Jim Collins ‘Great By Choice’, aku mendapati orang2, atau syarikat2 yang cemerlang (excellence) sangat mementingkan istiqamah dan displin. Istiqamah di sini bermaksud buat sikit2 tapi konsisten dan berdisplin. Sebagai contoh dalam buku tersebut, ’20 Mile Rule’ meyatakan 2 senario berbeza ;

• ·         Pelari A

Berlatih berlari 20 batu setiap hari, walau panas, walau hujan. Kekadang hari cerah dan baik, serasa ingin berlari lebih sikit, tapi ditahan perasaan itu. Kekadang hari hujan, terasa malas berlari, tapi tetap berlari. Yang penting, 20 baru sehari.

• ·         Pelari B

Ikut keadaan, hari baik dan cerah, akan berlari 30 atau 40 sekaligus. Hari hujan atau mendung, tidak berlari langsung. Dengan alas an, akan diganti balik besok dengan 40 batu terus.

Mengikut kajian yang dilakukan oleh Jim Collins selama 6 tahun, dalam jangkamasa panjang, Pelari A akan menjadi JAUH lebih cemerlang berbanding Pelari B. Tapi mengapa, bukankah mereka berlari ‘sama banyak’?

Aku juga bersangka sedemikian pada mulanya.

Sama dengan cerita arnab dan kura2. Arnab bersikap arogan dan tidak berdisplin kerana berasa mudah menewaskan kura2. Sedangkan arnab lebih merendah diri dan melakukan ‘step by step’, sikit demi sedikit, tapi sangat konsisten dan displin.

Sesiapa yang berfikir untuk jangkamasa panjang, kecermelangan lebih penting dari kejayaan. Bak kata Deepak Chopra, ‘Pursue excellence, ignore success’. Pelari A lebih mementingkan kualiti hidup yang berterusan dan lebih stabil. Pelari B lebih ‘resut-oriented’, tapi emosi yang kurang stabil kerana sangat bergantung kepada ‘keadaan di luar’.

Kesimpulannya, mudah untuk memilih menjadi seperti Pelari A. Tapi dugaan sebenar adalah MENJADI seistiqamah dan sedisplin Pelari A.

Khawarizmi, atau Irdina?

3 minggu yang lepas, aku bersama isteri ada membuat pemeriksaan berkala terhadap kandungan isteri yang sudah mencecah 12 minggu. Di Hospital Pusrawi Kota Damansara, oleh doktor Zul (yang membidankan Hanzalah juga). Alhamdulillah, kandungan sihat. Dan gambar di atas hasil dari ‘scan’, (sudah ada bentuk tangan, kepala, badan, kaki, jambul?). Dan kami juga diperdengarkan degupan jantungnya. Sudah semestinya, sebagai ‘first-time parent’, kami sungguh teruja. Aku cukup mengagumi kebesaran Yang Maha Esa, yang menciptanya dari hanya segumpal darah sahaja.  Masyallah.

Lalu aku dengan’ naifnya’ bertanyakan jantinanya. Doktor Zul kata tunggu lagi 2 bulan. Aku dan isteri sudah berkira-kira untuk member nama Khawarizmi (jika lelaki), atau Irdina (jika girl). Mengapa nama sedemikian?

Al-Khawarizmi adalah cendekiwan islam yang terulung dalam bidang matematik. Beliau mencipta Al-gebra, yang kemudiannya digunakan sarjana-sarjana barat sebagai ‘bahasa matematik yang paling asas’. Sebagai tutor Add Math, bagiku al-gebra adalah idea yang sungguh elegan, ringkas dan genius. Aku seringkali menduga kemahiran matematik anak muridku dengan al-gebra. Harapan kami, supaya anak ini bukan hanya bijak dalam ilmu, malah inovatif dan menjadi pelopor dalam bidangnya sendiri nanti. Amin.

Irdina bermaksud “Kehormatan kami, kebajikan/keberkatan”. Tapi bukan kerana itu saja, Irdina adalah mengenai arwah pelajarku. Sila baca kisahnya di sini. Aku mengagumi ketabahannya, serta kebijaksanaannya, dan juga bakat kreatifnya. Sering berkongsi cerita denganku, tapi tak pernah mengeluh. Semoga dia ditempatkan di kalangan orang-orang yang beriman. Al-fatihah.

Tapi perlukah aku letakkan ‘Zulia’ di belakang nama-nama tersebut. Isteriku tidak berapa berkenan sebab tak sedap katanya hehe. Tengoklah nanti. Pendapat anda?

Keretaku : NAL 67

Baru-baru ini, kereta Persona 'kelabu tahi anjing' ku telah mencapai 66,666 km. Setelah memiliki pada 11 September 2009, telah berusia 2 tahun 3  bulan. Jadi, aku telah memandu kira-kira 88 km sehari ! secara purata. Wow!

Sebelum kereta ini, aku memandu Peugeot 406 berwarna ungu selama 5 tahun.  Abahku membelikan ku kereta isu secara lelong demi memiliki nombor plat NAL 67.

Sebagai cikgu tuisyen, aku punyai tugasan merata tempat di sekitar Lembah Klang ini. Paling jauh ialah di Ampang. Alhamdulillah, setakat ini, kereta Persona ku tidak manyusahkan. Malah sangat berjasa. Aku menservisnya setiap 3 bulan sekali bersama mekanik 'diraja' Firuz di Sungai Buloh.

Aku membayarnya RM510 setiap bulan. Pinjaman 'hire-purchase' selama 9 tahun. Lama lagi tu.

Paling jauh ku membawanya adalah ke kampung halamanku di Pasir Mas, Kelantan, 2 bulan lepas. Kini adikku Aff juga membeli Persona, yang versi baru lagi.

Aku sememangnya meminati warna hitam, tapi sengaja ku pilih warna 'kelabu tahi anjing ini' kerana, aku ingin memilih warna hitam untuk kereta 'seterusnya'. Haha.

Kereta idamanku sejak remaja adalah BMW. Tapi sekarang ini kau lebih meminati Mazda 6. Kerana ia lebih ringkas tapi elegan.

Buat masa ini, aku agak gembira dengan Personaku. Aku bukanlah peminat kereta, asal boleh bawa dari poin A ke B sudah mencukupi. Isteriku Ija menggunakan Kelisa, hadiah dari ibubapanya. Kami berasa bertuah kerana dibantu oleh ibubapa kami sendiri. Terimakasih.

Samsung Young

Ahad lepas aku ada membelikan ibunda tercintaku henfon Samsung Young yang bernilai RM499. Ibuku bukan seorang ‘technology-savvy’ seperti abahku. Dia tidakisah memakai Nokia kecil, asalkan boleh buat panggilan dan sms. Tapi kali ni dia memerlukan henfon yang mempunyai system Android, dimana ia boleh memuaturun aplikasi ‘Whats App’, justeru membolehkan dia ber sms secara ‘percuma’ dengan adik ku yang bertugas di Lebanon. Sungguh murni dan ‘cute’ alasan itu hehe.

Aku pula bukan untuk bermegah kerana membelikannya, tapi lebih kepada bersyukur kerana dapat membantunya menunaikan hajatnya. Semoga ini menjadi permulaan kepadaku. Ibuku sudah bersusah-payah membantuku menguruskan perkahwinanku, dan anggaplah ini cenderamata sempena meraikan perkahwinanku.

Semestinya, kita takkan dapat membalas jasa ibu bapa kita sehingga akhir hayat. Ini mungkin klise tapi benar. Sejak isteriku mengandung 2 bulan, baru aku paham, ‘we pay it forward’. Segala jasa, pengorbanan dan tunjuk-ajar mereka harus disalurkan dengan sebaiknya kepada anak-anak kita pula, insyallah.

Sejak berkahwin ini juga, aku ingin lebih berbakti kepada ibubapa ku. Wang ringgit mungkin terhad, walaupun aku sedang berusaha kuat untuk menaikkan taraf hidupku, tapi kita masih boleh menghabiskan masa bersama mereka. Aku dan isteri cuba untuk bersama mereka sekurang-kurangnya sekali seminggu. Kami mungkin bernasibaik kerana ibubapa kami hanya tinggal selang 20 minit jauh perjalanan dari rumah kami.

Doa dan restu mereka itu yang paling penting. Ini adalah perkara yang harus kita titik beratkan selalu. Insyallah.

Ibuku sedang minum Kopi Pagi, berlatarbelakangkan aku bersama isteri ketika selesai akad nikah

Hanzalah dah pandai berjalan

Klik sini

Berita ini mungkin trivial untuk orang lain. Tapi bagiku, ini sungguh membanggakan. Walaupun agak lambat, ie umur 14 bulan baru boleh berjalan, tapi kami sekeluarga suka tengok dia berjalan ‘kengkang’.

Aku memanggilnya ‘gubbouy’, kerana dia sentiasa cool, senyap dan tidak banyak merengek dalam kebanyakkan situasi. Masa dia dilahirkan pun, dia tidak menangis seperti bayi lain, hanya matanya terkebil-kebil melihar sekitar. Mungkin juga ada DNA ayahnya Khalis yang juga cool gitu.

Aku tinggal serumah dengannya setahun, tapi sejak berkahwin 2 bulan lepas, kami jarang berjumpa. Tapi dia tetap girang apabila bertemu. Senyum sehabisnya dan meminta didukung. Kalau aku mendukungnya, aku suka berbual-bual ‘macam dia paham’. Dia pula seolah ‘mendengar macam paham’. Mungkin ‘bond’ datang dari situ kot.

Mungkin juga naluri ke’abah’an aku sejak 2 3 menjak ni semakin kuat kerana isteriku Ija disahkan mengandung 2 bulan. INsyallah , dengan kuasa Tuhan, tarikh jangkaan 4 Julai tahun depan. Walaupun ‘agak cepat’, tapi bakata Abahku ‘Nal dah due dah pun. Masa Abah umur Nal, abah dah ada 4 orang anak’, katanya ‘berlagak’. Hah.

Insyallah Hanzalah akan punyai sepupu sebelah ibu yang pertama. Yang sebelah ayah dah ramai dah. 2 pupu pun ramai giler. Teringat aku seminggu sebelum bernikah, aku ada bertanya pada Hanzo, adakah dia mahu sepupu tahun depan, dia memandangku lalu tersenyum girang, dan aku menganggap jawapannya ya, dan berjanji padanya.

Selepas ini, langkah Hanzo makin panjang. Takisah mana pun dia pergi, dia tetap ‘gubbouy’ yang ku kenali, sejak dilahirkan.