Chinkee Tan

Play Safe or Take the Risk?

News

Apr 282017

Chinkee Tan There are a lot of people who want to start a business but don’t actually do it. There are a lot of people who have great plans in life, but up until now, they haven’t acted on them. There are a lot of people who want to get married, but never actually prepare for the married life, and up to now, they’re still single. Why is this? There are many people who plan, but never really do anything about their plans! The answer is this: FEAR! FEAR OR FAILURE You’re afraid that you might fail? Well, the moment when you didn’t try — isn’t that a time that you actually did fail? Because you let an opportunity pass you by, you failed to get up and prove what it is that you can really do. And then there’s the… FEAR OF REJECTION You are so afraid that people might say no to you. Well, the truth is, no one wants to be rejected. My question to you now is, “So what if you get rejected?” Yes, it hurts, but only for a moment. Yes, it hurts, but it will make you stronger and better, so that you will know how to handle it the next time around. Another fear is the… FEAR OF NOT LIVING UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS You start to doubt your own capabilities and ask yourself questions like, “Am I good enough?” “Am I prepared for this?” “Can I really do it?” If Read More …

Don’t Be Greedy!

News

Apr 042017

Chinkee Tan “Money, money money Must be funny In the rich man’s world” These are lyrics from the song from Abba. Who does not want to earn more money? There is nothing wrong with earning money. But I’ve seen many families and lives come to ruin not because they are not earning enough, but because they are actually earning so much that they have forgotten what it’s like to have a sense of family. Some are so driven to become successful and rich that they forget the reason why they are working, and who they are working for in the first place — their families. It’s important for all of us to understand when we’re already going overboard and beyond the healthy limit — It’s already too much when you need to pee so badly, but you still don’t want to go on a CR break. It’s already too much when you take your breakfast during lunch, and your lunch during dinner. It’s already too much when you mistake your wife for your client. It’s already too much when you start whispering your workmate’s name in your sleep. It’s already too much when one can actually compare you to a raisin and not a grape because of too much stress. It’s already too much when you actually forget what day it is today, and the birthdays of all your loved ones. As they say, we need to work in moderation. Anything that is in excess will never do us any Read More …

I Don’t Want To Cram Anymore! I Don’t Want To Cram Anymore!

News

Mar 282017

I Don’t Want To Cram Anymore! I Don’t Want To Cram Anymore!

Chinkee Tan It’s Monday again! Time to go back to work and school. There are so many deadlines and homework to do. Have you ever felt lazy the whole night, and found yourself preparing and working on your readings only by dawn? Have you ever rushed to school or work, found yourself having a last look at your exams or reports? How about staying up late, chugging loads of coffee, and on your way to work, you rush? You almost tore the page of whatever it is that you’re reading, and you feel yourself having a cold sweat. The question is, “Are you finished with your work or are you just beating the deadline?” CRAMMING is the word for this scenario. We are all very familiar to this kind of studying and preparation technique. This is the quickest way to remember (at the very least) some parts from our notes, or do last minute changes that we were not able to finish ahead of time. When I was still in school, I was confident that I wouldn’t get called right away for any recitation because that was done according to class number anyway (overconfident). My style was to try hard to listen to what the teacher was saying memorize it. (Problem is, I’m often asleep.) I don’t study much. I watch TV and play games when I’m at home. So when exam time comes, “IT’S CRAMMING TIME!” When I took the exam, I couldn’t remember what it was that I Read More …

When Things Don’t Go As Planned

News

Mar 202017

Chinkee Tan Has this ever happened to you? You were planning to do something, but your plan didn’t happen. That’s exactly what happened to me today. I woke up at 2AM to catch a 4:30AM flight going to Cebu via Cebu Pacific Terminal 3. We arrived around 2:30AM at the airport. We reached the ticketing, presented our identification and plane tickets, but we were informed that our ticket was for PAL and is on Terminal 2. To avoid being late, we took the cab and weight straight to Terminal 2. When we arrived there, we were informed that we only have tickets for Cebu to Manila, but we don’t have Manila to Cebu. When we called our organiser, only then did we realize that they sent two different emails — one email had the Cebu Pacific ticket, and the other e-mail had the PAL ticket. What I was able to print was the PAL ticket, and not the Cebu Pacific ticket. The situation cost me an extra P8,500 to buy another ticket. What are the lessons that I learned? LESSON 1. NEVER ASSUME I travel a lot. Because of this, I didn’t even bother to check well which airline I was going to ride. So that was why when we were trying to do a web-check in, the Cebu Pac system wasn’t accepting my reference number because the reference number was for PAL. LESSON 2. PREPARE! PREPARE! PREPARE! If you do not prepare, you are bound to fail. Indeed, that’s Read More …

Angry! Frustrated! Stressed!

News

Mar 122017

Chinkee Tan Do you easily get angry? Frustrated? Stressed? It’s so frustrating to meet people who never think of anything else but themselves. It’s so frustrating to talk to people who never did anything else but lie and make up stories. It’s so frustrating to deal with people who can’t answer their cellphones and return a text message. Well, we all have the right to get angry and frustrated! Who wouldn’t be in situations like that? But, if we think about it, what good will it do if we are angry all the time? Angry! Frustrated! Stressed! Our days will only get ruined, and no good will come out of always being angry. Why should we punish ourselves for other people’s mistakes? The moment we don’t forgive, they win and we lose. Imagine this: you remember everything that all those “inconsiderate” people did to you every single day, whether they did it on purpose or not. You think of ways to avenge yourself every single night — you can’t even sleep at night just thinking about it! The truth is, it is you who are living in all the stress, not them. Let us not live in bitterness but in forgiveness. Let us live in peace rather than in hate. Let us live a stress-free life rather than a stressful life. I think the best solution to a life of stress is to release and to rest in the peace of God. Release your stress and you will be blessed! Read More …

The Value of Having True Friends

News

Mar 032017

Chinkee Tan People who will… Jump off a cliff with you… Go through fire with you… Wade through water for you… Save the last piece of biscuit for you… It feels great to have people like this to be your friend. These are the kinds of people who will be true to you, who will never leave you, who will be with you through thick and thin, through happy times and sad times. It’s possible for you to have a lot of friends, but to find even just one true friend is a real treasure. So how can you know if your friend is a true friend? What are their characteristics? For me, a true friend is REAL. Meaning, this is someone who is always and completely honest and transparent to me. True friends can tell you the truth even if it’s painful. Most of the time, we have “friends” who only tell us what we want to hear. And because of this, we get into trouble. True friends can tell you that your breath stinks, that you smell like you haven’t taken a bath for days, that you have hair coming out of your nose, that you need to start on a diet, and many more. They will not say things they don’t mean just to flatter you. Yes, they are sincere in praising and affirming you, but they are also sincere when there are things that you need to improve on or change. They are bold enough Read More …

Who Are You Voting For This 2016 Elections?

News

May 032016

Who Are You Voting For This 2016 Elections?

Chinkee Tan I am often asked, both online and offline, who I will be voting for this coming elections. Instead of telling you who my personal choice is, I would rather share with you what my basis is for choosing a leader. This blog is in no way meant to change your personal choice when it comes to your own vote. However, since we are choosing a leader who will lead our country for the next six years, I think it is only wise and fair for us to ask this question: “What are the qualifications of a great leader?” I believe that the best way to know the answer to this question is to look at the two most successful leaders in the Bible. THE RIGHT HEART Let’s first look at King David – the one who killed Goliath. Psalms 78:72 “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skilful hands he led them.” I believe that integrity of the heart is the first qualification of a great leader. What are his or her true intentions for leading? Is it to serve the people’s interest or to serve only one’s own personal interest? Is it to simply gain power or to use one’s appointed power for the benefit of the many? Is it to make oneself wealthy or to enable the country experience wealth and economic success? It is the heart that dictates what a person will do in his or her life. This is why it Read More …

Think Before You Speak

News

Apr 292016

Chinkee Tan Words are very powerful. It can build up or it can destroy. It can encourage or it can discourage. It can make peace or start a war. It can speak life or it can speak death. You won’t believe the amount of damage people cause just because they don’t take time to think about what they will say. We need to be wise before we speak. Everything that we say, whether good or bad, has an effect on us and on other people. The question is, how can we be WISE when we SPEAK? Allow me to share with you the guidelines I personally follow before I speak. Is it the TRUTH? Is it just a story or some gossip, or is it the entire truth? Sometimes we have a habit of distorting the truth for our own good. Other times, we keep our mouths shut because we don’t want to say the truth. We should always speak the truth because it is the truth that will set us free. So if what you’re saying is not the truth, it’s best that you don’t say anything at all. If what you’re trying to speak is the truth, then you have no reason to be afraid. But before you speak, make sure you are doing it in wisdom – which brings me to my next question… Is it HELPFUL? Will what you say be helpful or will it cause trouble? Will it boost his/her confidence, or will it just Read More …

Why is it that there are people who are so secretive?

News

Apr 152016

Why is it that there are people who are so secretive?

Chinkee Tan Do you know of people who are so secretive? People who you think are telling the truth, but are really hiding something from you? Or do you consider yourself as a secretive person? Do you sometimes find yourself not telling the entire story, or even telling an entirely different story, just so you could make your way out of a certain situation? “Mom, we have a group study tonight. I’ll be home late.” (But the truth is, you just want to go on a night-out with your friends.) “Just forget about it, I’m okay.” (But the truth is, the issues in your marriage have been piling up.) “Everything is going well, Sir.” (But the truth is, the client already backed out.) “Yes, it’s still with me, don’t worry.” (But the truth is, you lost it the day your friend asked you to keep it.) There are two kinds of secrets in this world. The first is the kind of secret that someone trusted you to keep. These are the kinds of things that you’re not supposed to tell anyone else about. The second kind is the secret that you try so hard to keep to yourself, but others need to know about – the kind that will only cause trouble if the people who are involved in the issue don’t find out about it. Sometimes, even if we already know that we will be putting other people at risk, or that we will be hurting others, or that Read More …

Why Am I So Shy?

News

Apr 132016

Chinkee Tan Do you know of anyone who is “naturally” shy? Or are you, yourself, “naturally” shy? My question for you is this: What are you so shy about? What do you find so embarrassing about your life? What is it about yourself that you find so shameful? Are you embarrassed to recite in class because you might give the wrong answer? Are you ashamed to court a woman because you think that a woman of her status would never entertain an average, so-so guy like you? Are you embarrassed to offer that product you are selling because you’re afraid that people will reject you? Are you embarrassed to ask for directions because you don’t want to people to think that you’re stupid? Are you ashamed to share your ideas in a group, afraid that people will find no value in them? If you find yourself being shy about a lot of things, you need to understand that being shy is a very big hindrance to one’s success. The good thing is, you can overcome it. How? Discover the cause First of all, you need to discover and understand the root cause of your shyness. We need to dig deep and get to the very roots of the issue. Imagine that your shyness is a tree – only when you take the tree by its roots will you able to completely get rid of it; simply taking out its leaves will not do. To dig deep and get to the Read More …

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