Life with a purpose | sitirokiahsiwok

April 26, 2020

Learning from each other: Inspired by Akiane the artist

I happened to come across the Youtube about Akiane the “divinely” guided artist. Many things I learned from her videos, among others:

Believe in yourself, be patient, things may be hard at first…..

I hope Akiane and family will soon “see” that God cannot be similar to humans. There is only ONE and Only God. Jesus is a prophet.

February 19, 2020February 19, 2020

Who is the teacher?

This post has been shared with me by a dear friend. I hope you can share too with your friends. The writer of the story is Ms Honor. [p/s: I have altered certain sentences to make is suitable to my mainly Malaysian readers. Thank you Ms Honor for writing]

“At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story.

My name is Mildred Honor.

I am a former elementary school music Teacher from Des Moines, Iowa.

I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons…..something I have done for over 30 years.

During those years, I found that children have many levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the prodigy,

I have taught some very talented students.

However, I have also had my share of what I call ‘Musically Challenged Pupils.

One such pupil being Robby.

Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson.

I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother’s dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a student.

At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say

‘My mom’s going to hear me play someday.’ But to me,

it seemed hopeless, he just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons. I thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students’ homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify.

He told me that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had been practicing. ‘Please Miss Honor, I’ve just got to play,’ he insisted. I don’t know what led me to allow him to play in the recital – perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right.

The night of the recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program,

just before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my ‘Curtain Closer’.

Well, the recital went off without a hitch, the students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His Clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater through it.

‘Why wasn’t he dressed up like the other students?’ I thought.

‘Why didn’t his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?’

Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart’s Concerto No.21 in C Major.

I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories.

He went from Pianissimo to Fortissimo, from Allegro to Virtuoso; his suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age. After six and a half minutes, he ended in a grand Crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in wild applause!!!

Overcome and in tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy;

‘I have never heard you play like that Robby, how did you do it?’

Through the microphone Robby explained: ‘Well, Miss Honor,

Remember I told you that my mom was sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away this morning.

And well… she was born Deaf,

so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play, and I wanted to make it special.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house that evening. As people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed in to foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy.

I thought to myself then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.

No, I have never had a prodigy,

but that night I became prodigy… of Robby.

He was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of *Perseverance* and *Love* and *Believing in Yourself*, and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn’t know why.

Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995.

The person who sent this to you believes that we can all make a difference!!!

God have His plannings for each of us.

Live Simply.

Love Generously.

Care Deeply.

Speak Kindly.

If you had cried, you are just human.”

April 14, 2018April 14, 2018

For Mr Donald Trump: The importance of Johari Window

In the recent development related to Syria, I heard via BBC world service, Mr. Donald Trump called the Russian leader monster. I just wonder what Mr Trump calls himself and what other people would call him.

It reminds me of the Johari Window.

http://www.selfawareness.org.uk/news/understanding-the-johari-window-model

Suggestion : Mr Trump can reduce his twitting time and do some self reflection. Johari Window is a good place to start from. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry Mr Trump, this useful Window started in University of California Los Angeles, not Leningrad, Tehran or Damascus.

Thank you

April 14, 2018April 14, 2018

Makanan sedap tetapi peniaga bermuka masam

Saya hargai orang yang berniaga, kerana asal tujuan berniaga ialah untuk memudahkan orang ramai mendapat sesuatu yang mereka hajati. Dari perspektif Islam, ia satu pahala kerana memudahkan orang lain. Kita pun sudah tahu hadis yang menjanjikan ganjaran yang besar bagi sesiapa yang memudahkan urusan orang lain.

Pagi tadi saya membeli makanan di suatu tempat Antah Berantah . Banyak gerai yang menghidangakan pelbagai masakan di situ, harga pun berpatutan. Ada sesetengah masakan itu menjadi “trade mark” gerai-gerai di situ. Maksud saya, banyak gerai yang menjual makanan yang dimasak dengan cara dan style yang sama. Agaknya chef-chef di situ belum dapat ilham baru.

Satu kedai menarik perhatian saya dan saya tak berapa pasti mengapa. Mungkin cara menghidang yang berbeza.

Oleh kerana saya ingin menjimatkan masa, saya telah membeli beberapa jenis masakan sekali gus.

Walaupun masakannya dihidangkan dengan gaya yang menarik dan teratur, serta sedap rasanya, tetapi secara keseluruhannya saya akan memberikan gred B- kepada gerai ini kerana layanan yang tidak memuaskan. Peniaga tidak senyum mesra, hanya duduk membaca suratkhabar.

Ada beberapa dulang yang tiada senduk, dan saya terpaksa meminta senduk untuk menceduk makanan. Kemudian apabila tangan saya comot terkena makanan, saya terpaka pula meminta tisu, kerana tuan kedai sibuk membaca suratkhabarnya…. …

Nasib baik dia “prihatin” untuk mengira makanan yang saya telah beli. Sembilan ringgit semuanya dan setelah saya membayar, tiada ucapan terima kasih kepada saya sebagai pelanggan. .

Pada hemat saya, walaupun betul peniaga makanan ini memberikan servis kepada orang ramai, bukankah tanpa pelanggan bisnes tak jalan?

Hipotesis saya, peniaga ini tidak tahu bahawa dalam Islam, semuanya diberi ganjaran. Pahala menyediakan servis menjual makanan akan bertambah dengan adanya senyuman dan suasana mengutamakan atau menghargai pelanggan.

Dikatakan ada satu pepatah Cina ( saya tidak pasti kebenarannya) yang boleh dijadikan panduan, ia itu ” Kalau tak tahu senyum, tak usah berniaga”.

Sekian untuk renungan bersama

April 10, 2018