masterwordsmith-unplugged

Here's a very moving piece from Paul Coelho...

Extracted from here.

I was feeling very lonely when I left Mass in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral right in the heart of New York.

Suddenly I was approached by an American:

“You are Mr. Coelho. I very much need to talk to you,” she said.

I was so enthused by this meeting that I began to talk about everything that was important to me. I spoke of magic, God’s blessings, love.

She listened to everything in silence, thanked me and went away.

Instead of feeling happy, I felt lonelier than before. Later on I realized that in my enthusiasm I had not paid any attention to what that Brazilian wanted.

Talk to me.

I tossed my words to the wind, because that was not what the Universe was wanting at that moment: I would have been much more useful if I had listened to what she had to say.

Thought-provoking and meaningful.....Take time today to listen....to yourself and others...even to the wind or rain pitter-pattering on the window-panes or roof...

At last, the train started to move. Filled with a large number of people of various age groups, young, old, college girls, business men and all others, everyone sat close to someone.An old man was sitting close to Near the window, seated an oldman with his 30 year old son. As the train moves on, the son is overwhelmed with great joy, he was thrilled with the outside scenery.

"Wow! Daddy, see the green trees, they seemed to be moving away from us, It's beautiful outside there"

This kind of behaviour is not expected from a 30 years old individual, infact, it is strange, everyone in the train got irritated by his childish acts and almost everybody began muttering something to himself or herself... Jane particularly, remarked loudly,

"This guy is a crack, a disgrace and not sociable" The old man heard this but held his peace.

Not so long, it started to rain outside. The 30 year old son filled with joy, exclaimed "oh! The rain is beautiful!"

Jane, most irritated of all, with rain drops splashing over her through the open window remarked harshly again,

"Can't you see it's raining? You this foolish old man, if your son is mentally retarded, why not take him to a mental asylum and stop disturbing public peace"

The old man at first hesitated, then replied in a low tone, "We are on our way back from the hospital, my son has been blind since birth, he got discharged this morning, he just got his vision last week, and so, all these works of nature are new to his eyes, please forgive us for any inconvenience we might have caused you "

MORAL OF THE STORY.
Things don't always appear to be as they seem, be slow to judge others, as more often than not, you are always not aware of the true situation.

Thanks to Mr TSK for sharing.

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a 2009 movie directed by Thomas Carter, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Kimberly Elise.

It is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987. A Johnson and Johnson Spotlight Presentation, the movie premiered on TNT on Saturday, February 7, 2009.

Its title was reused from a 1992 direct-to-video documentary about Ben Carson released by Zondervan.

CLICK HERE to watch the movie.

Thanks to Mr TSK for sharing.

At some point in our lives, everybody encounters tough times. It's part of life. We cannot avoid life's challenges, but we can choose how we respond to our misfortune.

Chronic health issues are among life's most difficult challenges. Several years ago, a close friend's health started to decline. Although nothing appeared to be life threatening, she often felt tired, lethargic, and achy. As she battled her illness, she modeled how to deal with a chronic problem.

Her first response was acceptance. Many people go into denial when faced with unfortunate circumstances. They think, Why me? This isn't fair. What did I do to deserve this? But when we think that way, we deny our own humanity. These things happen to humans and you are human. We are all at risk of bad things happening to us. No one is immune.

Because she was able to accept her condition, my friend could use her energy in a more positive way -- to make the best decisions for her health and her future. She didn't waste her now-precious energy lamenting her fate.

The actor Michael J. Fox was dealt a horrible blow when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 30. Despite the seriousness of his illness, he continued his acting career and created the Michael J. Fox Foundation, advocating for research to find a cure. He said, "Acceptance doesn't mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there's got to be a way through it."

CLICK HERE to read this very interesting post which Mr TSK shared.

Disappointment is a normal aspect of life, and it doesn't discriminate. Whether you're rich, poor, educated, uneducated, young, old, or somewhere in the middle, disappointment happens and it knows no bounds. I've had clients from the upper echelons of society talk to me with great disappointment about the multimillion-dollar business deal that got away, and I've had teenagers heartbroken over the girl or boy that got away.

Perhaps you didn't get the promotion you were banking on, or maybe you missed out on that sale-priced piece of furniture you were considering buying. Whatever the case, a sense of loss, disappointment, and defeat is the result. Without such emotion we wouldn't be able to truly savor the taste of victory or bask in the glow of accomplishment and success when it happens. In many ways, it keeps us real, true, and humble -- and can also keep us motivated.

Here's how to rise above the agony of defeat and keep moving forward:

CLICK HERE for more.

Thanks to Mr TSK for sharing this link.

CLICK HERE to read eleven unbelievable rags to riches stories.

George was a driver and he spend so much time at his work, that he could hardly have a meal together with his wife and three children. In the evenings he attended classes, seeking to get knowledge, that one day would help him to find a better paying job.

George‘s family often complained that he is not spending enough time with them, but his only answer was „I am doing all this for you, I work hard to provide my family with the best that I can“.

Soon after George had passed his exams, he received a good job offer with a salary, which was significantly higher that he had before. So now George could provide his family with more expensive clothes, some luxury items or vacations in foreign countries. It was like a dream come true, but family still did not get enough attention from George, as he continued to work very hard and often he did not get to see his family for most of the week.

Time passed and George‘s hard work paid off, he was promoted. He decided to relieve his wife from domestic works, so he hired a maid. He also decided that their flat is not big enough for their family and they need a more spacious one. Thus he needed to work even harder and, moreover, he continued his studies, so that he would be promoted again. George worked so hard, that sometimes he even had to spend his Sundays with his clients instead of his wife and children. And again, whenever family asked for his time and complained that they do not spend enough time together, he answered, that he was doing all this only for them.

Some time later George was promoted, so he could buy a spacious house with a beautiful view. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, George told his wife and kids, that now he decided not to take any studies and work not so hard, so that he could spend more time with his beloved family. The very next morning George did not wake up.

Here's a beautiful story that has made its round in the Internet. I have posted it twice in my other blog but cannot remember if I have shared it here before. Thanks to Mr TSK for sharing this.

A Father, Daughter and a Dog

"Watch out! You nearly broadsided that car!" My father yelled at me. "Can't you do anything right?"

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.

"I saw the car Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving."

My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts..... Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess.

The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it.. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.

At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky to survive. But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.

Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue.

Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind.

But the months wore on and God was silent or no answer that we could determine came available. Something had to be done.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.

Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article...."

I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study made of a nursing home’s patients. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had proved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a Questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each row contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen an old dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down.

It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats, but this was a very worn caricature of the breed. Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked then shook his head in puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?"

"Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."

I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch. "Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!"  I said excitedly.

Dad looked then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!"

Dad ignored me.. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw .....

Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne 's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night.  I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.

The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.

And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."

"I've often thanked God for sending that angel," the pastor said.

For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article ... Cheyenne's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter....his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father....and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.

Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly. Live While You Are Alive. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.
 
God answers our prayers in His time........not ours.

Today in India its unbelievable .......
The numbers are a little difficult to swallow, ......
But interesting nevertheless.

It was my regular train journey home from work.
I boarded the 18:50pm train at from Paranur.
When the train was about to leave Guduvanchery,
A samosa vendor with an empty basket got on and took the seat next to me.
As the compartment was sparsely occupied and my destination was still far away,
I got into a conversation with him.

Me: "Seems like you've sold all your samosas today."
Vendor (smiling): "Yes. By God's grace, full sales today."

Me: "I really feel sorry for you people. Don't you get tired doing this tiresome job the whole day?"

Vendor: "What to do, sir? Only by selling samosas like this every day do we get a commission of .75 paise for each samosa that we sell."

Me: "Oh, is that so ? How many samosas do do sell on an average each day?"
Vendor: "On peak days, we sell 3,000 to 3,500 samosas per day.
On dull days, we can't even move 1,000 samosas a day.
On an average, we sell about 2,000 samosas a day."

I was speechless.....for a few seconds.
The guy says he sells 2,000 samosas a day; at .75 paise each,
He makes about 1,500 rupees daily, or 45,000 rupees a month.
That's Rs. 45,000 a month. OMG.
I intensified my questioning and this time it was not for time pass.

Me: "Do you make the samosas yourself?"
Vendor: "No Sir. Our proprietor gets the samosas through a samosa manufacturer
And we just sell them. After selling we give him the money
And gives us 75 paise for each samosa that we sell."

I was unable to speak a single word more but the vendor continued...
"But one thing...most of our earnings are spent on living expenses.
Only with the remaining money are we able to take care of other business."

Me: "Other business? What is that?"

Vendor: "It is a land business. In 2007 I bought 1.5 acres in
Urupakkam for 3 lakh rupees and I sold it a few months back for 15 lakhs.
Now I have bought land in Uthiramerur for 5 lakh rupees."

Me: "What did you do with the remaining amount?

Vendor: "Of the remaining amount,
I have set aside 6 lakhs for my daughter's wedding.
I have deposited the other 4 lakhs in the bank."

Me: "How much schooling have you had?"

Vendor: "I studied up to third standard;
I stopped my studies when I was in the 4th standard.
But I know how to read and write.
Sir, there are many people like yourself,
Who dress well, wear a tie, wear shoes,
Speak English fluently and work in air-conditioned rooms.
But I don't think you guys earn as much
 As we do wearing dirty clothes and selling samosas."

At this point, what could I reply. After all, I was talking to a
Millionaire! The train chugged into Chromepet station
And the samosa vendor got up from his seat.

Vendor: "Sir, this is my station...have a good day."
Me: "Take care."
What more is there to say...!

Born in a Malaysian rubber estate and after tapping rubber until the age of 17 Professor Wu went to study medicine in China and specialises as a liver surgeon.

Professor Wu still keeps his old rubber tapping knife to remind him of younger days in Msia

CLICK HERE to watch an amazing & successful life story

Thanks to Mr TSK for sharing.

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When Nina Morton-Brook was told she had less than a year to live, she was determined to make the most of every minute. Here she tells Antonia Hoyle how she swapped panic for positivity – and why she’s using her own experience to bring hope to others.

Read more AT THIS LINK.

Thanks to Angela who shared this link.

What a beautiful day it is today! The sky was splattered with a glowing orange tint which was slowly transformed to a pinkish hue before it turned to a greyish blue and now...it is bright albeit a bit cloudy.

Life is beautiful if only we remember to take time to smell the roses....and to spread a little love and kindness around.

Here is a beautiful rendition of an uplifting song to jump start your day!

CLICK HERE.

Thanks to Mr TSK who shared this link.

Take care and have a great day!

Everywhere we turn, we are being bombarded with messages that tell us we have to be:

• beautiful/handsome
• slim
• fit
• muscular
• shapely
• have magnolia-like flawless complexion
• no zits no wrinkles no medical problems
• etc etc

An old legend tells of how a certain city in the Pyrenees mountains used to be a stronghold for drug-traffickers, smugglers and exiles. The worst of them all, called Ahab, was converted by a local monk, Savin, and decided that things could not continue like that.

As he was feared by all, but did not want to use his fame as a thug to make his point, at no moment did he try to convince anyone. Knowing the nature of men as well as he did, they would only take honesty for weakness and soon his power would be put in doubt.

So what he did was call some carpenters from a neighboring town, hand them a drawing and tell them to build something on the spot where now stands the cross that dominates the town. Day and night for ten days, the inhabitants of the town heard the noise of hammers and watched men sawing bits of wood, making joints and hammering in nails.

At the end of ten days the gigantic puzzle was erected in the middle of the square, covered with a cloth. Ahab called all the inhabitants together to attend the inauguration of the monument.

Solemnly, and without making any speech, he removed the cloth.

It was a gallows. With a rope, trapdoor and all the rest. Brand-new, covered with bee’s wax to endure all sorts of weather for a long time.

Taking advantage of the multitude joined together in the square, Ahab read a series of laws to protect the farmers, stimulate cattle-raising and awarding whoever brought new business into the region, and added that from that day on they would have to find themselves an honest job or else move to another town. He never once mentioned the “monument” that he had just inaugurated; Ahab was a man who did not believe in threats.

At the end of the meeting, several groups formed, and most of them felt that Ahab had been deceived by the saint, since he lacked the courage he used to have. So he would have to be killed. For the next few days many plans were made to this end. But they were all forced to contemplate the gallows in the middle of the square, and wondered: What is that thing doing there? Was it built to kill those who did not accept the new laws? Who is on Ahab’s side, and who isn’t? Are there spies among us?

The gallows looked down on the men, and the men looked up at the gallows. Little by little the rebels’ initial courage was replaced by fear; they all knew Ahab’s reputation, they all knew he was implacable in his decisions. Some people abandoned the city, others decided to try the new jobs offered them, simply because they had nowhere to go or else because of the shadow of that instrument of death in the middle of the square. One year later the place was at peace, it had grown into a great business center on the frontier and began to export the best wool and produce top-quality wheat.

The gallows stayed there for ten years. The wood resisted well, but now and again the rope was changed for another. It was never put to use. Ahab never said a single word about it. Its image was enough to change courage to fear, trust to suspicion, stories of bravado to whispers of acceptance.

By Paul Coelho

We came across some beautiful quotes that totally agree with the idea that small things matter. That's something we consistently repeat in our articles. The main idea is if you put all your effort into small things, those things will become big things, so you have to be careful with the small things. If you do small things in a reckless way, you'll get big things to be reckless also. On the other end if you perfect small and dedicate yourself to it, when big things arrive they will be awesome. So watch what you do...

Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Thanks to Angela who shared this speech. It’s the speech that Charlie Chaplin gave on his 70th birthday. I find it beautiful and ever so true. I googled for it and discovered the one she sent me is from THIS LINK.

Excerpt:

If you know the Charles Chaplin life story, you're familiarized with the word struggle. He came from humble beginnings and conquer is way to stardom. Not only is initial life was hard, but also his celebrity life was also a mix of success in the movies but lots of problems in other areas.

He was one man of a kind, who spoke his mind whenever he felt he needed to, and managed to conquer the world with a smile.

In his 70th birthday he made this speech about his own life and values he had learned along the way,. No additional words are needed, use this in your own life. We can call this a motivational speech,, inspirational speech, it's great!  A great Charlie Chaplin speech!

These are the words of someone who personified what Greatness it's all about. He went through a lot, and in his final years he shares lessons he learned about Life and how to live it:

You can click here to view the slides or continue reading in HTML.

As I Began to Love Myself
As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering
are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.
Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY.”
As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody
As I try to force my desires on this person,
even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it,
and even though this person was me.
Today I call it “RESPECT.”
As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life,
and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.
Today I call it “Maturity,”
As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance,
I am in the right place at the right time,
and everything happens at the exactly right moment.
So I could be calm.
Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE.”
As I began to love myself I quit stealing my own time,
and I stopped designing huge projects for the future.
Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do
and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm.
Today I call it “SIMPLICITY.”
As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health—
food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew me down and away from myself.
At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism.
Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF,”
As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right,
and ever since I was wrong less of the time.
Today I discovered that is “MODESTY.”
As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry about the future.
Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening.
Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT,”
As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me
and it can make me sick.
But as I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally.
Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART.”
We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems
with ourselves or others.
Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born.
Today I know THAT IS “LIFE”!

Two men were crossing the desert when they saw a Bedouin’s tent and asked him for shelter.

Even though he did not know them, he welcomed them in the way that the conduct of nomads dictates: a camel was killed and its meat served in a sumptuous dinner.

The next day, as the guests were still there, the Bedouin had another camel killed.

Astonished, they protested they had not yet finished eating the one killed the day before.

“It would be a disgrace to serve old meat to my guests,” was the answer.

On the third day, the two strangers woke early and decided to continue on their journey.

As the Bedouin was not at home, they gave his wife a hundred dinars, apologising for not being able to wait, because if they spent any more time there, the sun would become too strong for them to travel.

They had travelled for four hours when they heard a voice calling out to them. They looked back and saw the Bedouin following them.

As soon as he caught up with them, he threw the money to the ground.

“I gave you such a warm welcome! Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?” In surprise, the strangers said that the camels were surely worth far more than that, but that they did not have much money.

“I am not talking about the amount,” was the answer.

“The desert welcomes Bedouins wherever they go, and never asks anything in return. If we had to pay, how could we live? Welcoming you to my tent is like paying back a fraction of what life has given us.”

By Paul Coelho

The following post is from a blog I follow - Becoming Minimalist by Joshua Becker.

Over the past two years, I have been creating inspirational images for the Becoming Minimalist Facebook page. They have circulated amazingly well.

The Becoming Minimalist page has grown from 25K fans in February, 2013 to over 120K today. I’m very grateful for the response and the opportunity it has provided to expand the influence of this blog and the message of minimalism.

While we have created hundreds of pictures over the past two years, the following 10 images consistently rank as readers’ favorites. I wanted to share them with you. And I hope they inspire more simplicity in your life.

I invite you to share these pictures freely on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, or your office cubicle wall. May the inspiration for minimalism continue to grow both in and through our lives.

10 Images to Inspire Simplicity in Life

Thanks to CS for sharing this beautiful post. Indeed, Karpal Singh is such an exemplary character in his life. May there be more like him in this world.

IN MEMORY: KARPAL SINGH, TRUE HUMANITARIAN

I can’t help but feel a sense of loss with the passing of colleague at the Bar and friend, Karpal Singh. So, here’s how I remember him.

It must have been around 1985 when I was helping a convict on death row who had become a Christian while in prison. Liew Weng Seng was sentenced to death under the Internal Security Act for possession of a firearm. At the Federal Court, Liew was unrepresented and proceeded to tell the court that he was guilty and did not wish to appeal his death sentence. When court was adjourned, his family tried to pass him a bible but was prevented from doing so by the prison warders. A commotion ensued and made the news the next day. When I read the report, I thought, “Hey, this guy is a Christian and he had just told the court to go ahead to hang him.”

I called the office at Pudu Prison and arranged for an appointment to see Liew. When we met, he confirmed that what the newspapers reported was what happened in court. I listened as he told his story of how he got into crime. It was a pitiful story of a boy growing up in the slums and being influenced by the gangs. Soon he was committing crimes. The law caught up with him. Possession of firearms was a capital offence. Liew was not yet 30 as he faced the gallows. Since his case was over, I offered to write a petition for pardon on his behalf to the King. I would not charge him any fees. It was a favour to a fellow Christian. Liew agreed. Over the next one year, I would visit Liew. As he spoke no English or Malay and as my Chinese was vitually incomprehensible, I always brought along a Chinese pastor with me to encourage and minister to Liew.

One day, Liew’s family called me. They said the prison had called to say that Liew will be hanged in 3 days time. I told them I would do what I can. I called the prison and then the palace to find out what happened to Liew’s petition for pardon. Eventually, I was told that it was rejected and the court had issued a warrant for his execution. I went to see Liew with his family. It saddened me that our friendship over the past year was coming to an end. Liew said that he had made his peace with God and he was not afraid. I asked him if he would consider doing some good with his death by donating his organs. He agreed. Over the next 2 days, I went to the General Hospital to find out the procedure and paperwork for this sort of thing. On the eve of his execution, I came to see Liew one last time and gave him some papers to sign to donate his organs. I bought him a meal from the prison canteen. Then we said goodbye and I told him we will meet again one day.

I arrived home late in the afternoon, went to the backroom of my house and laid down on a bed. I did not want my wife and child to see the tears I shed for Liew. In 12 hours time, Liew will be taken from his cell (at 5.00 am the next day) and be hung by the neck till he was dead.

Suddenly, my wife walked into the room and said, “Karpal Singh is here to see you.”

I went to my front door and saw Karpal Singh and another lawyer, Ngeow Yin Ngee, standing at my front door.

“Are you Liew Weng Seng’s lawyer?” asked Karpal.

“Yes,” I replied.

Karpal then explained that he was the lawyer for 2 convicts who were scheduled to be hanged at the same time with Liew. Karpal’s clients were found guilty of assassinating the Chief Police Officer of Perak. They had waited for him at a traffic junction in Ipoh and shot him to death when he passed by. Karpal said that he had filed a court case raising some legal technicality and had obtained an ex parte stay of execution from Judge Hashim Yeop Sani (ex parte means that the order was given after hearing only one side; later, the Judge would re-hear the case from both sides). When Karpal went to Pudu Prison to serve the order for the stay of execution, he was informed that there was a third man to be executed, Liew.

“Come with me,” Karpal said, “we’ll go to my office and prepare the papers and get a stay of execution for your client as well.”

It must have been about 6.00 pm when we drove back to Kuala Lumpur in Ngeow’s car. We reached Karpal’s office past 7.00 pm. He then started to dictate to his clerk who typed furiously on the typewriter. I gave them Liew’s details. I was still in a daze. All the time, Karpal worked at preparing the papers like a man consumed and trying to beat a deadline. We must have finished the paperwork at about 9.00 pm. It was 8 hours to the execution.

“Let’s go see the Judge,” Karpal said.

The first place we went to was the home of Madam Harwanth Kaur, the Senior Assistant Registrar to Judge Hashim. We bundled her into the car and four of us drove to the home of Judge Hashim in Petaling Jaya. We reached his house at 10.00 pm and Karpal banged on his door. We were let into the Judge’s living room.

“Judge,” said Karpal as he handed the judge a stack of papers, “there is another man due to be hanged tomorrow. Can you give a stay of execution for him as well?”

“The Attorney-General will jump!” sniggered Judge Hashim as he signed an order for the stay of Liew’s execution.

We then left the Judge’s house and drove to the High Court at Kuala Lumpur. It was 11.00 pm when we arrived. The courthouse was in total darkess and tightly shut. We found the security guard and Harwanth ordered him to open the court doors. Four of us went into the registry section of the court house. We were looking for the court seal. The court order although signed by the Judge was no good without the seal of the court imprinted on it. The four of us fanned out to look for the court seal. It was a stroke of good fortune that we found the court seal in a short time. Harwanth sealed the court order and handed it to Karpal. We left the court house but first we had to send Harwanth back home. Her job was done.

When we arrived at the gates of Pudu prison at 12.30 am the next morning, there was a crowd of reporters surrounding the huge metal prison door. Karpal banged on the doors. A warden poked his head out and said, “All of you please stay out. Only Mr Karpal, Mr Ngeow and Mr Lee can come in.”

Karpal duly served the order for a stay of Liew’s execution on the prison director. The next day, the papers reported a sensational last minute rush to save 3 men from the gallows.

Within a week, we were back in Judge Hashim’s court. The Attorney-General, Abu Talib Othman, did jump and he made an application to the Judge to set aside all 3 stay orders. Karpal argued the case with his usual brilliance. I cannot remember the legal point. All I can remember was that it was never argued before. Karpal had no previous court decisions to rely on. It was like going back to school to see Karpal at work and the lesson: “Think outside the box.” At the end of arguments, the Judge set aside the 3 stay orders clearing the way for the men to be executed under a fresh warrant. Karpal appealed to the Federal Court. Again, it was dismissed.

Let me pause awhile. Throughout this time, Karpal did all the work for Liew’s case, paid for all the court expenses and made sure I was always present to take part. He never once talked about payment. It was as if he was meant to do this.

A few months later, warrants of execution were issued again. Judge Hashim had ruled that the High Court could not order a stay of execution. It must be ordered by the Attorney-General who was the chairman of the Pardons Board. Karpal made appeals to the Attorney-General but it fell on deaf ears.

On the eve of the execution, Karpal summoned Ngeow and I to his office. It was about 8.00 pm when we got there. Karpal did a lot of things at night as he would be in court the whole day doing more than one case per day. He suggested we go to see the ambassadors of the European countries to seek their help to persuade the government to delay the executions. Karpal had discounted the US ambassador as the Malaysian government under Dr Mahathir was hostile to the US. However, the government had good ties with the Europeans.

We went to see the German ambassador. He informed us that the European embassies have a system where they would appoint one of the European ambassadors on rotation as a representative to speak to the Malaysian government on behalf of the rest. At that time, the French ambassador was the chairman. So, off we went to the French ambassador’s house. I cannot remember the conversation as it was a long time ago. But the ambassador told us that he was not able to help.

We went back to Karpal’s office at midnight. 5 hours to the execution. Karpal was wracking his brain to think of something. I was exhausted and had almost given up but I hoped that Karpal would again pull something out of his hat. How about this? No, won’t work. How about that? On and on we went. At about 2.00 am, 3 hours to execution, Karpal said that there’s nothing more we could do. He asked us to go home. A few hours later, Liew and the other 2 convicts were dead.

Lawyers can be the most heartless of men. Society had a reason for calling lawyers sharks. Its because we thrive on the misfortunes of others. Most lawyers I met are in it for the money. They have no heart for their clients who they see to be nothing more than a source of income. Karpal was not like that. In my encounter with him over Liew’s case, Karpal demonstrated true humanity and a genuine care for his clients. Whatever their crimes were, he saw them as human beings and felt a sense of responsibility for them over and above the call of duty.

Karpal Singh was a true humanitarian. We will miss him.

Source: HERE

Thanks to the author who took time and trouble to share with us what a great man he was - Karpal Singh - the true humanitarian.

Here's the thing about love: it's hard to put into words. Love brings up emotions that run the gamut from agony to ecstasy, and can inspire us to accomplish some of the craziest and most amazing feats. Luckily, some the world's greatest artists, poets and performers have managed to articulate the magic of love. Here are 50 of the best quotes that ever passed the lips of famous lovers. We couldn't have put these better ourselves.

Love is quite simply a natural high.

1. "The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever." — The Notebook

2. "You know when you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." — Dr. Seuss

3. "The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." — Victor Hugo

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4. "All, everything that I understand, I only understand because I love." — Leo Tolstoy

5. "Once you truly believe you're worthy of love, you will never settle for anyone's second best treatment." — Charles J. Orlando

6. "When you trip over love, it is easy to get up. But when you fall in love, it is impossible to stand again." — Albert Einstein

7. "And remember, as it was written, to love another person is to see the face of God." — Les Miserables

8. "If a thing loves, it is infinite." — William Blake

9. "With love one can live even without happiness." — Fyodor Dostoyevsky

10. "It's a very dangerous state. You are inclined to recklessness and kind of tune out the rest of your life and everything that's been important to you. It's actually not all that pleasurable. I don't know who the hell wants to get in a situation where you can't bear an hour without somebody's company." — Colin Firth

11. "It's an unexplainable feeling, an expression. It's a touch, it's a feel. Once you feel it, it's like no other thing in the world." — Snoop Dogg on love

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