DREAM & BE HONESTLY HUMAN

Dream what you want to dream;
Go where you want to go;
Be what you want to be,
Because you have only one life
To do many things
You want to do.
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet,
Enough trials to make you strong,
Enough sorrow to keep you human and
Enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily
Have the best of everything;
They just make the most of
Everything that comes along their way.
The brightest future will always
Be based on a past that must be forgotten;
You can't go forward in life until
You let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying
And everyone around you was smiling;
Live your life so at the end
You're the one who is smiling and everyone
Around you is crying.

The above edited anonymous poem shares a sanguine truth: We cannot be strong without trails, and be truly human without sorrows. We just need to make the most of what comes our way.
Recent events loudly showed to me that if we spoon feed someone or family members for too long, we actually do damage & not good. Our children should be allowed to take care of their own lives & excel. They should be taught independence early. They should be better than us, and not the other way around. They should know that filial piety is supreme. Without our parents we will not be in this world. We cannot take their goodness & sacrifice for granted.
I have also embraced the art & sweetness of simple living with plenty. I mean with plenty of money – and yet have everything I need as I simple basic needs. For a human, I need the clothes on my body & the bed to sleep upon. Someone prominent said: ‘I can only wear one set of clothing & sleep on one side of my bed irrespective of its size.’
The amazing truth is that the simpler my living is, the more I have & getting better all the way – in exponential proportion.
I remember clearly the words the late founder of my local church: ‘We humans are like the hanger (clothes) & the bowl - to wear clothes & to contain food.’
In my business dealings over the past 4 decades, I have encountered numerous people – and I surmise from them that true happiness lies in simplicity – infused with the understanding that it is the destiny of humans to have difficulties & problems – which are our teachers & catalysts. If we overcome them with humility & fortitude, we will win & become stronger. If we are proud, they will be our obstacles & the outcome can be catastrophic.
Be truly sweet & kind
And
Life will shine
Despite
The needed periodic rains & storms.
Jimmy Teo

9.01am/Sat/28.6.08/Hom: Jade Tower, Bayshore Park, Singapore.