The Clarity Of Inspiration...

Just My Average Dream Axe :)

This is gonna be my spear's target. They are pierced my mind and heart. I realize my wife is more beautiful than them, but the temptation is always burning my mind. From other perspective, I look at my Obee, yup! Sure 100% cuter and handsome than them but cannot faking my self just let them across in my mind regularly without even touching them...one by one. Oh! God, that Fender is always my dream guitar since I touched a wasted guitar in 1989. I dunno why I should love that Tokai Les Paul model, just becoz of my "research" reading through how good the guitar is.

I am not that too shredder type, simply I like any songs and I proud of it. The funny thing is in my early guitar self lesson I surrounded by those guitarists with different music style; Rock, Dangdut, Pop Rock, Country, Keroncong, Lentok, RnB, Fingering style, Gospel, KadazanDusun Songs, Slow Rock, Reggae, Alternative and more. Come to 2007 I force myself dive on Jazz and Latin sea. So that's why I picked that Cort Jazz Box Source (ignore me I'm showing off wakakaka...). I have a lot of great guitarist friends and simply complete me even until now I still can't be good one as they are. One of them is Tony Leo Selvaraj. Yup! To make the long story short and after almost 12 years later, he bought a Musicman Silhouette white finish alder body, maple fretboard, 24 frets, piezo pickup, locking tuner and I my heart stop within 1++ :p second. Arrgghh!!!... Yalah ok ok la!... Just expensive for me but Tony managed it and fulfill his dream too. :) AND that's why I picked that Sterling SILO20 just without tremolo :( but the 24 frets really seduced me and that axe cheap² hehehe.... What a day dreaming rite? Hmmm... lean them on my guitar rack stand with wink² and keep them dustless....eeeeeeeeeee.... stop Wel! Hmmmmpphh!!! Work harder! Work harder! :)

Ibanez: PGM300 vs PGM301

PGM300::

• neck: 1pc Maple
• body: Basswood
• frets: Jumbo
• finger board: Maple
• bridge: Lo-Pro Edge
• pickups:
  DiMarzio® Paf Pro® (H) neck pu
  
DiMarzio® FS-1™ (S) mid pu
DiMarzio® Paf Pro® (H) bridge pu

• Hardware color: Cosmo Black
• color: WH（White)

PGM301::

• neck: 1pc Maple
• body: Basswood
• frets: Jumbo
• finger board: Maple
• bridge: Fixed
• pickups:
  DiMarzio® Paf Pro® (H) neck pu
  
DiMarzio® FS-1™ (S) mid pu
DiMarzio® Paf Pro® (H) bridge pu
• Hardware color: Cosmo Black
• color: WH（White）
  

Cort: Jazz Box Series - Source

• CONSTRUCTION: Set-in
• BODY: Maple top, back & sides
• NECK: Maple, "C" Shape
• BINDING: Ivory
• FRETBOARD: Rosewood, 12" Radius(305mm)
• FRETS: 22 / Large (2.7mm)
• SCALE: 24 3/4" (629mm)
• INLAY: White Dot
• BRIDGE: Tune-o-matic bridge & stop tailpiece
• TUNERS: Die cast
• PICKUPS: PSLP(-P) CR/RUSTY (H-H)
• ELECTRONICS: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3way toggle
• STRINGS: D'Addario USA
• HARDWARE: Chrome or Rusty Silver

Available at The Guitar Store Malaysia with affordable price.

Tokai AST-100

BODY: Alder Two Pieces
NECK: Maple
FINGERBOARD: Maple or Rosewood
BRIDGE: ST-VK1 Tremolo (Steel Block)
PICKUPS: ST-Vintage MK2×3
CONTROLS: 1V.,2T.,5way-SW.
COLOR: YS,GS
FINISH: Lacquer Finish
PRICE: RM3.8k++ (Ultimate Music, KL)

Why some people almost always are successful?

They make decisions and take action

Right or wrong action, they take it. Either way it’s always better than making no decisions and taking no action at all. As Franklin Roosevelt said:

“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

They do things even when they don´t feel like it
This is a pretty huge factor. A lot of us back down when we don´t want to do something, even though it may eventually bring us to a wonderful experience or goal. Successful people may not always like doing some of the things they have to do. But they do them anyway. And in the longer run that makes all the difference.

They do the most productive thing right now
Instead of trapping themselves in doing productive but not so important tasks or projects they realize what’s most important and do that. And after they´re done with that they do what´s most important again. Instead of just doing a lot of things, they think and plan before they act and try to focus as much as possible of their thoughts and actions on those few very important things.

They do one thing at a time
Many of them don´t seem to multi-task. Some reasons for avoiding that may be that it creates internal confusion, wastes time and spreads the multi-tasker too thinly. Instead, they do one thing and focus on that until it is done. Then they do the next thing until it is done. Focusing 100% on one task at a time will get it done quicker and better.

They have a positive attitude
A negative attitude can be very damaging and limiting to one´s life. A positive one can open new doors every day. It can open your mind to new ideas and input and create or sustain great relationships. It helps you through the hard times as a successful person often sees an opportunity within what others would merely see as a problem.

Have a look at Take The Positivity Challenge for more thoughts and practical tips for creating a more positive attitude.

They have redefined failure
While a lot of people see failure as a way to rationalizing the feeling of wanting to giving up or as a sign that it´s actually time to do something else successful people tend to see it more as useful feedback. They may not like to fail, but they don´t fear it – or at least they have little fear of it – and they know that if they fail they've been there before and they can start over again and succeed. This is of course a very useful belief and keeps successful people going while the rest have already given up.

They don´t let fear hold them back
They overcome fear and slay that dragon whenever they face it. Or they may have defined or redefined reality so that fear is substantially decreased or even gone in some areas of their life.

Doing this enables you to take action on your thoughts. This pulls down the barriers in the mind and create new roads and opens up to whole new possibilities. Have a look at 5 Life-Changing Keys to Overcoming Your Fear for more on both slaying your dragons and redefining your reality to contain less fear.


They have found a purpose in life
They are internally driven rather than externally driven. They do what they have a burning desire to do rather than conforming to what others think they should do. Even if what the others think may be positive and successful stuff.

The Michael Jordans, the Edisons and the Stephen Kings have figured out what they want to do in life and are doing it (or did it).

The purpose, [think], is largely why they can keep on going and be motivated while others may tire or just go and do something else that they find more purposeful. The successes love their purpose and when they aligned with it then it seems to push them forward with enthusiasm and energy through life.

They don´t get distracted
When others get too caught up in everyday life to do what they really want to do the successes don´t. They can really focus on actually doing what´s important and what needs to be done. Again, this seems to go back to having a purpose and more clear sense of direction in life.

They value their time highly and plan it out well
A lot of people don´t value their time that much. Successful people have a purpose in life and therefore they do. They have so much they want and an inner urge to do it and therefore need to plan well to use their days effectively.

They've got awesome communication-skills
So very much of what we do in life has to do with other people. So it seems quite obvious that to be successful you´ll probably have to have good or great communication-skills (or hire someone that has such skills).

People skills is fortunately something anyone can improve and develop. Have a look at Do You Do these 10 Mistakes in a Conversation and How to Make a Great First Impression for some useful tips.

They have an open mind and are willing to learn
Successful people take the time to study and learn – and often seem to really like doing it – what is necessary to improve their skills. They are open to thoughts, suggestions, solutions, new information and change rather than thinking they already know everything, that there is not much more to learn and that everything should be as it has always been.

What to focus on?
Now, what factors are the most important ones, where should one focus the energy? Focusing on improving the ability to take action, doing what may not feel like doing and doing the most productive thing right now. It seems like these three factors are very important and since they are pretty interconnected they are easy to combine.

What you should focus on varies a lot. And it’s up to everyone to figure that out for themselves. But if you´re anything like this you probably already know what areas you need to work on.

Quoted from http://www.positivityblog.com

10 Reasons Why You Should Become More Positive

1. You will create a better world around you as your surroundings will become affected and change due to your positive thoughts and actions.
   


2. You will make better first impressions. Everyone stereotypes, whether they want or not. A positive first impression can mean a lot in many situations and have a lasting effect throughout your relationship with that person.
   


3. You will focus on the good things in people. Not their faults. This will make things much better overall and improve all kinds of relationships.
   


4. It´s easier to become more productive when you stop laying obstacles in the middle of the road in the form of negative thoughts.
   


5. Work becomes more fun. Everything becomes more fun.
   


6. You become more attractive. People like positive people. Positive people make other people feel good about themselves and they don´t drag the mood down. Also, a positive attitude is an indicator – and source – of high self-confidence, a quality that just about everyone is attracted to.




7. Being negative has very little concrete advantages and is not a very empowering way to look at life.
   
   
8. It opens up your mind to focus on other ways of looking at things. Sometimes wonderful new ways you might not ever have thought about or experienced before.
   


9. It puts the Law of Attraction to better use. The Law of Attraction basically says: whatever you think about you attract into your life. As you replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts you will start to attract more positive opportunities and people into your life.
   


10. You´ll waste less time. Negativity can be like a self-feeding loop. First you think one negative thought. It leads you to three more. And then you start examining your life in deeper detail through a depressing lens. When you get into a vicious cycles like this it can eat up hours, weeks and years of your life. It can drain a lot of your energy whilst trapping you in paralysis by analysis. And you probably wont´t become that much wiser in the process. As mentioned in the Where is you time really going?, we live for about 24-28 000 days. Don´t waste them.

First impressions

First impressions are important.

Everyone stereotypes everyone on first impression, even if we are reluctant to do it. We all get a first impression of a new person that creates a mental image of his or her personality in our minds. That image of you often lasts and can affect the relationship that follows.

Another thing is that we often play different roles in relationships. With our parents we play one role, with friends another, with someone we are interested in/in love with a third, when shopping for clothes in a store a fourth. And so on.

A good or great first impression can create a positive role in the minds of the new people we meet. When we meet them again, we are often drawn back into this role. Sometimes it happens almost unconsciously until you after a few minutes notice that you have fallen into your old role - like when you meet friends you haven't seen in years - in that dynamic once again. You may not always be drawn into that role. But if you do it sure is better to have a positive than a negative role saved for you.

Here are some of the things I've learned about improving first impressions. Of course, different environments like business meetings with suits and ties or parties with colourful drinks come with different goals and expectations. So figure out what's appropriate and useful in each meeting.

1. Don't think too much.

First, perhaps the most important tip: don't think too much. This will help you let the conversation flow easily and you won't become self conscious and nervous. Try, as much as possible, to stay focused on the people you are talking to rather than focusing on yourself.

2. Act as if you are meeting a good friend.

If you just imagine that the person you will met/have just met and are talking to is one of your best friends you'll probably adjust unconsciously and start to smile, open up your body language to a very friendly and warm position and reduce any nervousness or weirdness in your tone of voice and body language. This technique is also a great help to stop over-thinking and it puts you in the present moment again. Don't overdo it though, you might not want to hug and kiss right away.

The nice thing about this is that you may also start to feel positive feelings towards this new person, just as you do with your friend when you meet him/her. This is a pretty good starting point for getting them to reciprocate and for developing a good relationship.

3. Stand and sit up straight.

Keeping a good but relaxed posture certainly improves on the impression one makes. Don't slouch. Sit or stand up straight.

4. Be positive.

Sometimes you can go in all positive in a first meeting. Sometimes it may not be the best approach to go in too positive as it can be seen as bit abrasive or feel like a bit too much for the other person. A better way to convey a positive attitude in a first meeting can then be to read the mood of person(s) before you start talking - by just watching them - and then match it for a short while. Then - when you have an emotional connection - you can let your positivity arise a bit more.

Regardless if you start out positive from the get-go or a short while into the meeting, be sure to positive. If you, for instance, start a first meeting by complaining, there's a big chance the people you meet will mentally label you as a complainer or a negative person.

5. Mentally rehearse before you even enter the room.

Visualize how great the events will unfold - see and hear it - and also how great will you feel at this meeting.

See yourself smiling, being positive, open and having a great time. See the excellent outcome in your mind. Then release by visualizing that it has already happened, that the meeting is over with the desired result. This is surprisingly effective and will get you into a great and relaxed mood before even stepping into the first, second or twentieth meeting.

You may want to not think much at all (tip #1) or act as if you are meeting a good friend (tip #2) or use a positive mental rehearsal before a meeting. Try them all and see which one - or combination - that works best for you.

6. The words you use to start the conversation with aren't always that important.

As long as you use some of the tips above it will usually not really matter too much what word or phrase you use to start the conversation. The words are only 7 percent of your communication. 93 percent is in your tone of voice and your body language. Sure, those numbers - that comes from a study that psychologist Albert Mehrabian did - may not always be completely accurate in a conversation.


But the point is; don't over-think things. A simple "Hi!" backed up by a relaxed and confident smile may do just fine.

http://www.positivityblog.com/

Easter Day: "Mengejar HadirMu" 2010

Once again this year our church organized Easter Day which was held on Sunday 4th April 2010 at 2:30 pm with a theme "Mengejar Hadir Mu". This time, it showed a concept of testimony and singing with Unplugged music.

With preparations for a month, with a variety of obstacles faced, all participants have performed satisfactorily and bless. The event began with a dance performance from the great dancers like Florentina, Angela, Debbie and Esther. Then followed by a presentation of the Sunday School and short message from our Pastor Joe Marcose.

Ivy is the Emcee on that day who has the best and entertaining. Opening Praise and Worship led by Veronica and Jimpele with 3 songs. First presentation from Fresella and Abigail presented a monologue drama about "Pekerjaan" and followed by a song "Kau Bagian Terindah Bagiku" which is sang by them too. Onwards, presentation of Noni and Jimpele with the theme of "Keluarga" show a great testimony and a combination of great vocals. After that, Roland and Salifiah were present the best singing of their song "Tiada Seperti Mu" and "My Heart Your Home". They convey the theme of "Fikiran & Hati". Presentation of Jessyta and Tatum who brought the theme of " Perbuatan & Perkataan". Dancing of Tatum and Ivy amazed the audience, and followed up with a strong voice from Jessyta who sang "I Will Never Be The Same again." Nice and steady.

For the closing program, all singers led the audience sing along with song of Easter Day theme "Mengejar Hadir Mu" and followed by "Ku Kan Menari" and "Hitam dan Putih". Great, awesome and all-out. At the end before the closing prayer, lucky draw tickets held for all who were present that day. Thank You God for the intervention and thy goodness for all this ... See you guys next year...

All photos are courtesy of Mr. Andy Saedah. [www.andysaedah.com]

Manage Your Money

Stop Spending Leaks

This lesson you will concentrate on finding spending leaks in your budget and look at what you can do about them.

What’s the Problem?
Reasons some people can’t seem to get ahead are:

• Impatience—You want the product now.
• Impulse buying—You see something at a store or on a shopping channel and buy even if you had not planned for the purchase.
• Using too much credit. Interest costs are high.
• Lack of self-discipline in saving money so it can work for you by earning interest.
  

What are your spending habits? Are any of these reasons keeping you from getting ahead? If so, you will want to work toward breaking those habits.How do you practice self-control? Is shopping your hobby? You’ve probably heard the saying “born to shop”—Is that you? Do you think you are a compulsive shopper? Do you get a “rush” from shopping and afterward, feel depressed? If this is the case, you may need some professional help. Or, you should try to find a substitute for the shopping. Try an active sport, an exercise class, or maybe volunteer at a nursing home or local hospital. Find something else besides shopping to make you feel good.

Spending habits can be changed if you:

• Identify the spending leaks that give you immediate pleasure or satisfaction, but don’t help you reach any of your financial goals.
• Substitute desirable spending behaviors that will help you reach your financial goals.
  

Ten Spending Leak Plugs
1. Learn to recognize the “triggers” that put you in a spending situation. (You may see some examples in your Spending Log/Dollar Tracker.) Maybe you enjoy shopping at yard sales or flea markets. Perhaps, when you go to buy milk, other items in the store catch your eye. Do you eat out every Friday night? Does a coffee break mean you will buy an expensive coffee treat?

2. Learn to recognize the “triggers” in your surroundings that tempt you to buy. In stores, merchandise is often placed throughout the store in locations to attract your attention. Temptations can also be people, places, things, or even the mood you are in. Do you find yourself spending more money when you go shopping with a certain friend? Do you spend money when you are feeling “blue”? Learn to control the environment so
you can shop wisely. Here are other suggestions that might help:

• Avoid exposing yourself to things that will tempt you to spend. Stay away from the stores except when you have something you absolutely need to buy. Avoid “just looking.” Browsing can lead to buying. Make a list and stick to it.

• Plan your shopping. Go with a purpose in mind. Use that list! Extras you don’t really need can add to the total at the cash register.

• Limit your number of trips to the store or the mall. Don’t shop in a weakened condition. Shopping when you are hungry, tired, or depressed can lead to overspending.
  

3. Before spending money, think through the decision-making process:

• What are your financial goals and priorities? Will this help you reach important goals?

• Consider the alternatives. Ask yourself:

— Can I do without?
— Can I continue to use what I already have?
— Can I make it for less money than buying it?
— Can I borrow someone else’s?
— Can I substitute something less expensive?
— Can I rent a few days instead of buying? (Example: carpet cleaner)
— Is this a need or a want?
— Should I buy?

• If you decide to buy, do some comparison shopping. Comparison shopping is important when making major purchases. Even small savings can add up on repeated purchases of relatively inexpensive items such as shampoo and paper supplies. Gather reliable and accurate information.
  

• Make your decision and take action. Then evaluate your decision. (Not all the choices will prove to be what you expect. Even if you later find that a purchase was a poor choice, the experience is a guiding lesson for the next time. You are gaining skills as a consumer.)
  

4. Be patient. Learn to say “NO” to:

• Items that don’t rank high on your spending priority list.
• Items that are too expensive for your budget. (Know your limits.)
• The salesclerk who says it looks wonderful, when you know it really doesn’t.
• Friends or relatives selling things. Don’t buy just because you feel obligated.
  

5. Use feedback. Review your spending record for patterns of behavior.

6. Establish spending guides for you and your family to follow. Use your expense records to plan your spending. Set spending limits. Don’t spend more than you plan.

7. Use the “incentive plan” to help you and your family follow the budget you have made. Perhaps you can reward yourself for following the shopping rules. If you have brown-bagged lunch four days at work, treat yourself to lunch out on Friday. Or if the family has been sticking to the budget and not spending money on unneeded items, a treat such as a night out or a trip to the zoo might just be the incentive to keep up the good habit. Just remember—don’t ruin the budget by overspending on the special treat.

8. Keep credit purchases to a minimum. Think about what credit will cost and how else you might use that money. Remember, interest charges add to the cost of anything purchased with credit.

9. Buy from reliable dealers and make choices that best meet your needs. Keep all purchase records. If a problem occurs, be sure to register a complaint. Act promptly in case a warranty time limit is involved.

10. Try to reduce waste to help save money. Excessive use (water, lights, automobile), abuse, or lack of care that leads to expensive repairs or shortens the service life of a product, or throwing away useful items are all examples of wasted money.


Changing a Habit
Be patient. Psychological research indicates it takes three to four weeks to break an old habit and form a new one. So don’t expect miracles to happen overnight. We have also learned through weight control research on behavior modification that it is difficult to change all old habits at once. Just target one habit you want to change and work on it until you succeed. Then move on to the next one. Be sure to set realistic goals and realistic deadlines. Do not go on indefinitely—that’s just procrastination. Develop a plan that will give you measurable results. For example, you can measure how much you have saved by not smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

Action Steps
Put your plan into action. Start today with your new plan. Launch your new plan with as strong a push as possible. Make an open commitment so others in your family know you are serious about reaching this goal. Arrange your environment to encourage your new habit. Practice it daily. Do something every day to reach your goal. Don’t allow an exception to occur until the new behavior is part of your daily life and above all—don’t get discouraged. Good money management habits are a means to getting the most for your money. Look at your habits today. Stop spending leaks.