masterwordsmith-unplugged

“Change what you can change and acknowledge and accept what you can’t.”
Rod Williams - Musician

 “Integrity is what we say, what we do, and what we say we do.” Don Galer “Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.”
Margaret Chase Smith (1897-1995); Us Senator

 “The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.”
Plutarch (46-127); Historian, Writer

“Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.” Elmer G. Letterman - Author

“Passively listening to gossip or negative talk is implied agreement.”
Scott Hardy (born 1959);
Cowner, Sales Manager, And Coach

“Slander cannot destroy an honest man when the flood recedes the rock is there.”
Chinese Proverb -

 “The liar's punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else.” George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950); Playwright, Nobel Prize Winner

 “Having to apply and try out for something forces kids to take the time to think about and make decisions on what they feel is worth their time and effort. It winds up being a great foreshadower and introduction of the reality of dealing with the competitiveness of life...The focus, practice, and determination that this process requires are preparation for life’s challenges and teach lessons on facing disappointment during the times when someone does not make the team.”
BeNeca Ward (born 1976);
Author Of "3rd Generation Country, A Practical Guide To Raising Children With Great Values"

“You are a master of the words you don't say and a slave to the ones you do.”
Unknown -

“If you are content with the best you have done, you will never become the best you can be.”
Unknown -

“I appreciate people who are civil, whether they mean it or not. I think: Be civil. Do not cherish your opinion over my feelings. There's a vanity to candor that isn't really worth it. Be kind.”
Richard Greenberg (born 1958);
Playwright

“Failure is no more a permanent condition than success! For even if you succeed, there’s still another test. ”
Gene Bedley - National Educator Of The Year

“Success is nothing more or less than being who you want to be; progressing toward your ideal each day.”
Jaren L. Davis -

“Many small people, in many small places, do many small things, that can alter the face of the world.”
Anonymous -

“An honest man's word is as good as his bond.”
Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616);
Novelist, Poet

“The greatest weariness comes from work not done.”
Eric Hoffer (1902-1983);
Philosopher

Death came to a Man and said, “My friend today is your last day on the earth”

Man : But I am not ready..

Death : Well your name is the next in my list..

Man : Okay why don’t you take a seat and I will get you something to eat before we go..

Death thought for a moment and said : All Right..

The Man gave Death some food with sleeping pills in it. Death finished eating and fell into a deep sleep..

The Man took the list & removed his name from top of the list and wrote it into the bottom of the list.

When Death woke up, he said to the Man : Because you have been so very nice to me, I will start from the BOTTOM of the list..

Moral of the story : Never Manipulate.

There was a well known logician from Bengal. In his times, his intelligence was considered unparalleled. Besides his expertise in logic, he was proficient in the scriptures and had memorised almost all the major ones.

One day, while the logician was buying some oil at the miller’s, he observed that just behind the shop, was the miller’s ox going round in circles.

There was no one to guide its movement. The ox was moving on its own accord. Surprised, the logician asked the miller how the ox was moving under the illusion that someone was guiding it, when no one was actually present.

The miller pointed to the bell tied around its neck. As long as the bell kept tinkling, the miller knew that the ox was moving.

As soon as he bell stopped, the miller would shout out and the ox would move on. “Stupid ox!” the scholar exclaimed, “If I were in its place I would only stand and keep shaking my head, so that the bell would keep ringing, and you would remain under the illusion that I was moving.”

The miller laughed, “Sir! It is not a scholar or a logician, but a simple ox. It has not read any scriptures. It does not know logic. That is why it is simple and humble. Now please go from here, for even if your shadow falls on the ox, it may possibly start cheating me.”

Think about it… Do we use are education to benefit others or deceive them?

-Author Unknown-

The following story teaches lessons on assumptions, deceitfulness, dishonesty, creative problem-solving, arrogance and delusion.

A bishop invited a young priest to dinner.

During the meal, the priest noticed some signs of intimacy between the bishop and his housekeeper.

As the priest was leaving, the bishop said to him quietly, "I can guess what you are thinking, but really our relationship is strictly proper."

A few days later the housekeeper remarked to the bishop that a valuable antique solid silver soup ladle was missing - since the young priest's visit - and so she wondered if he might have taken it.

"I doubt it, but I will ask him," said the bishop.

So the bishop wrote to the priest: "Dear Father, I am not saying that 'you did' take a solid silver ladle from my house, and I am not saying that 'you did not' take a solid silver ladle from my house, but the fact is that the ladle has been missing since your visit.."

Duly, the bishop received the young priest's reply, which read: "Your Excellency, I'm not saying that 'you do' sleep with your housekeeper, and I'm not saying that 'you do not' sleep with your housekeeper, but the fact is that if you were sleeping in your own bed, you would by now have found the ladle."

-Author Unknown-

Please leave a comment to share your response to this story. Thanks! Have a great day!

Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.

He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It has come time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One seed. It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom!"

There was one boy named Ling who was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a pot and some planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept going home and checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.

By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she encouraged him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.

When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grown, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

-Author Unknown-

To me, honesty and integrity are very important in every area of life, especially in friendship. If a person has no qualms about lying to another for whatever reason - be it a friend or to someone who regards that person as a friend, then regardless of whatever noble values he or she claims to possess, all else would come to naught. Would that person still command the respect of others once lies are uncovered?

Where my classes are concerned, I always remind students to tell me nothing but the truth. If they have not met deadlines, all I ask for is the truth. If they have been tardy or indisciplined, just tell me and I will give them an extension after a long lecture about commitment and dedication.

I always tell them to submit original work and not plagiarized works or worse still, a jigsaw puzzle of plagiarised works.

What good is education, status and recognition if one can lie through their teeth?

Once a friend lies to another, the trust and whatever shared is broken. For some, it takes years to re-build that trust. For others, it may never be salvaged again. Of course there is the question of forgiveness. Whatever the case, I always believe that we must tell the truth and maintain high standards of integrity IF we have a conscience.

I remember reading a quotation about how there are those who "will not tolerate such emotional honesty in communication. They would rather defend their dishonesty on the grounds that it might hurt others. Therefore, having rationalized their phoniness into nobility, they settle for superficial relationships".

And such people may never learn how to care or to feel for others. Perhaps they don't even care for themselves or unable to come to terms with this thing called 'feelings' or 'emotions' because to them, it is likely that only lesser beings care too much.
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Here's an article I read today which resonates with my stand on honesty and integrity. If there is anything I HATE most in life, it would be liars, hypocrites and pretenders.


According to Gary King:

• The Five Levels of Truth-Telling:

• First, you tell the truth to yourself about yourself.

• Then you tell the truth to yourself about another.

• At the third level, you tell the truth about yourself to another.

• Then you tell your truth about another to that other.

• And finally, you tell the truth to everyone about everything. ~ Neale Donald Walsch Conversations with God (Book 2)

Here's a selection of quotes to inspire you to uphold integrity and honesty - to be able to tell the truth in as many (if not all) circumstances.

No legacy is so rich as Honesty. ~ William Shakespeare

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander. ~ Abraham Lincoln

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all the people all the time. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the Truth.
~Benjamin Disraeli

“The Light is more than some abstract, unknowable energy force. Light is Truth. If Light is truth, then darkness must be lies. Each and every lie we tell to ourselves and others casts the shadow of separation upon us. Every time even the most minor deception is revealed and the truth is made known we are re-united with the Light. So, Let there be Light. Those are the words by which you can create your own magnificent world.” - Renee Bledsoe, Addiction Alchemy

Truth is such a rare thing, it is delighted to tell it. ~ Emily Dickinson

The Truth which has made us free will in the end make us glad, also. ~ Felix Adler

I was brought up to believe that the only thing worth doing was to add to the sum of accurate information in the world. ~ Margaret Mead

Always tell the Truth. That way, you don’t have to remember what you said.
~ Mark Twain

When in doubt, tell the Truth. ~ Mark Twain

It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the Truth and expose lies.
~ Noam Chomsky

The Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then. Life is dull without it. ~ Pearl S. Buck

Fiction is the Truth inside the lie. ~ Stephen King

The biggest consequence to telling a lie is, it leads you to telling another one.
~ Gary King

If you do not tell the Truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.
~Virginia Woolfe

Who lies for you will lie against you. ~ Bosnian Proverb

No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar. ~ Abraham Lincoln

A half Truth is a whole lie. ~ Yiddish Proverb

Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind. ~ Austin O’Mally

With lies you may get ahead in the world – but you can never go back. ~ Russian proverb

A lie has speed, but Truth has endurance ~ Edgar J. Mohn

Truth is the most valuable thing we have, so I try to conserve it. ~ Mark Twain

A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future. ~ unknown author

We tell lies when we are afraid….afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger. ~ Tad Williams

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. ~ Thomas Jefferson

There is no such thing as an inconsequential lie. ~ Gary King

Truth allows you to live with integrity. Everything you do and say shows the world who you really are. Let it be the Truth. ~ Oprah Winfrey

What you get in your life is not a result of what you want, it is a result of Who You Are. ~ Marlon Smith

If you want to ruin the Truth, stretch it. ~ unknown author

The Truth is more important than the facts. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

The Truth needs no rehearsal. ~ Barbara Kingsolver

Truth and Honesty is the oldest and most powerful of all of the human values.
~ Gary King

Have the courage to say No. Have the courage to face the Truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.
~ W. Clement Stone

Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching. ~ unknown author

Every lie has a consequence.....you cannot escape that.
~ Gary King

Integrity is telling myself the Truth. Andy Honesty is telling the Truth to other people.
~ Spencer Johnson

This above all; to thine own self be true. ~ William Shakespeare

The time is always right to do what is right. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not. ~ Oprah Winfrey

If you can not find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?
~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.
~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Ethics is nothing else than reverence for life. ~ Albert Schweitzer

Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a van of value.
~Albert Einstein

Perhaps the most important thing we can undertake toward the reduction of fear is to make easier for people to accept themselves, to like themselves. ~ Bonard W. Overstreet

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. ~ Marianne Williamson

A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet, strangely and beautifully, repute possesses you when you have taken the scrape and left out the lie.
~Charles Edward Montague

Respect for the Truth is an acquired taste. ~ Mark Van Doren

There’s one way to find out if a man is honest ~ ask him. If he says, “Yes,” you know he is a crook. ~ Groucho Marx

Our lives improve only when we take chances ~ and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be Honest with ourselves. ~ Walter Anderson

Where is there dignity unless there is Honesty? ~ Cicero

The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be. ~ Socrates

"There is a constituency in the Congress that sees the tax code as a way to do favors for people which is a way to get elected that's not as obvious as actually writing them a check from the American people."
Paul O'Neill, U.S. Treasury Secretary

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
George Orwell

"Right thinking will be rewarded, wrong thinking punished."
George Orwell, "1984"

"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."
George Orwell

"Justice without force is impotent; force without justice is tyranny."
Pascal

"Freedom is rarely lost in a single stroke. The danger lies in losing it bit by bit."
Dennis Patrick

"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."
General George Patton

"No man has ever won a war by dying for his country, he won the war by making the other, poor, dumb bastard die for his."
George Patton, June, 1944

"The main difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is that the Democrats would take us over the cliff at 80 miles an hour; the Republicans would stay within the speed limit -- but we're still heading over the cliff."
Howard Phillips

"Write on my gravestone: "Infidel, Traitor."--infidel to every church that compromises with wrong; traitor to every government that oppresses the people."
Wendell Phillips

"A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it."
Max Planck

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."
Plato

"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace."
Alexander Pope (An Essay on Man: Epistle 2)

"Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true."
Polish Proverb

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."
Ambrose Redmoon

"Liberty doesn't work as well in practice as it does in speeches."
Will Rogers

"I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery."
J.J. Rousseau

"You can recognize a pioneer by the arrows in his back."
Beverly Rubik

"A hammer breaks glass, but forges steel."
Russian proverb

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."
Carl Sagan, famous astronomer

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayna

"Let me give you a definition of ethics: It is good to maintain and further life, it is bad to damage and destroy life."
Albert Schweitzer ("Religion and Modern Civilization" Christian Century, November 28, 1934)

"Nothing is less worthy of honor than an old man who has no other evidence of having lived long, except his age."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4? B.C. - A. D. 65)

"There is no evil that does not offer inducements. Avarice promises money; luxury, a varied assortment of pleasure; ambition, a purple robe and applause. Vices tempt you by the rewards which they offer."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4? B.C. - A. D. 65)

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
George Bernard Shaw

"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance."
George Bernard Shaw

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters."
Alan Simpson

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
Upton Sinclair

"The world is not the way they tell you it is."
Adam Smith

"When the mass media in some foreign countries serve as megaphones for the rhetoric of their government, the result is ludicrous propaganda. When the mass media in our country serve as megaphones for the rhetoric of the U.S. government, the result is responsible journalism."
Norman Solomon

"One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic."
Josef Stalin

"My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular."
Adlai Stevenson, speech, Detroit, 1952

"The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual crime."
Max Stirner

"Integrity pays, but not in cash."
Jennifer Stone

"When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign; that all the dunces are in confederacy against him."
Jonathan Swift

"There is no such thing as a free press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who would dare to write his honest opinion. The business of the journalist is to destroy truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of Mammon, and to sell himself, his country, and his race, for his daily bread. We are tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are jumping jacks; they pull our strings, we dance; our talents, our possibilities, and our lives are the property of these men. We are intellectual prostitutes."
John Swinton (1829-1901) pre-eminent New York journalist & head of the editorial staff at the New York Times. Quoted one night between 1880-1883.
Quoted by Upton Sinclair in his 1919 book:
The Brass Check: A Study of American Journalism, page 400
Even though Upton Sinclair was famous by 1919, because he was criticizing corruption in the media, he had to self-publish this book.

"God looks at the clean hands, not the full ones."
Publilius Syrus

"Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different."
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (1893-1986), Nobel prize in Medicine - 1937

"We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are."
Talmudic Saying

"By and by, you will find they will tear the Constitution to shreds, as they have begun now; they won't have to begin; they have started long ago to rend the Constitution of our country in pieces; ...but we will stand by and maintain its principles and the rights of all men of every color, and every clime."
John Taylor, 1884

"After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood."
Fred Thompson

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."
Henry David Thoreau

"Why are we surprised when fig trees bear figs?"
Margaret Titzel

"Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
Alexis de Tocqueville

"There is one universal law ... That law is justice. Justice forms the cornerstone of each nation's law."
Alexis de Tocqueville

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
Tolstoy

"Of the 22 civilizations that have appeared in history, 19 of them collapsed when they reached the moral state America is in today."
Arnold Toynbee, who died in 1975, long before things got bad. This quote was quoted by U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-Georgia) and at one time was on his official Senate web site.

"Education ... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading."
G.M. Trevelyan

"No matter how far you've gone down the wrong road, turn back."
Turkish Proverb

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
Mark Twain

"It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare."
Mark Twain

"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."
Mark Twain

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years."
Sir Alexander Fraser Tyler "Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic"

"Why may not the Bible and especially the New Testament be read and taught as a divine revelation in school? Where else can the purest principles of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?"
U.S. Supreme Court, 1844, Vidal v. Girard's Executors, Justice Story delivered the Supreme Court's unanimous opinion

"Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian...this is a Christian nation."
U.S. Supreme Court, 1892, Church of the Holy Trinity vs. U.S.

"Politicians have always coveted the liberties we hold."
Walter Williams

For a democratic system to work effectively, elected representatives must govern well and citizens must be reliably informed about policy options. It is imperative that lawmakers are committed to digest and appraise such information and make it available to citizens.

Listening to the statements and political rhetoric from both sides of the divide, I am reminded of the following story. Words are cheap and one can state or deny or proclaim whatever they feel. At the end of the day, it is the heart that counts and how one stands before his/her maker. Do leave a comment to share your thoughts or views. The next sopo post will be up at about 8.30p.m. Take care and enjoy your dinner! Cheers!


One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley.

A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, “Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine.” The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn’t fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.

The people stared ? “How can he say his heart is more beautiful?” they thought.

The young man looked at the old man’s heart and saw its state and laughed. “You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.”

“Yes,” said the old man, “Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared.”

“Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges - giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?”

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks.

He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.

The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his.

They embraced and walked away side by side.

-SOURCE UNKNOWN-

Thirteen years ago, a brave man by the name of Enyang Anak Gendang perished tragically when he was shot dead by Police Field Force Personnel (PFFP) on Dec 19, 1997, at his Rumah Bangga longhouse in Sungai Sebukut, Bakong in Baram, in front of his wife, their relatives and and the longhouse community.

A while back, there was a story about Reuben Gonzolas, who was in the final match of his first professional racquetball tournament. He was playing the perennial champion for his first shot at a victory on the pro circuit. At match point in the fifth and final game, Gonzolas made a super “kill shot” into the front corner to win the tournament. The referee called it good, and one of the linemen confirmed the shot was a winner.

But after a moment’s hesitation, Gonzolas turned and declared that his shot had skipped into the wall, hitting the floor first. As a result, the serve went to his opponent, who went on to win the match.

Reuben Gonzolas walked off the court; everyone was stunned. The next issue of a leading racquetball magazine featured Gonzolas on its cover. The lead editorial searched and questioned for an explanation for the first ever occurrence on the professional racquetball circuit. Who could ever imagine it in any sport or endeavor?

Here was a player with everything officially in his favor, with victory in his grasp, who disqualifies himself at match point and loses.

When asked why he did it, Gonzolas replied, “It was the only thing I could do to maintain my integrity.”

-Author Unknown-

Food for thought for all of us....

I am posting this inspirational piece in the light of what has been happening in our midst and the dire need for men and women of honor to serve this country. May there rise from amongst worthy Malaysians, a new breed of leaders who are 'unpurchasable' and will not be cowed in any way in their desire to serve the rakyat as elected representatives. Do leave a comment to share your thoughts. Thanks! Have a pleasant evening!
____________________________

"Learn to say no," said Charles Spurgeon. "It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin."

One educator used to say that no society can last long unless it has a quorum of "unpurchasable people."

These are people of principle who cannot be bought; people who have learned to say no. I believe that these so-called unpurchasable people are the truly contented and fulfilled souls around us.

In Whitney Seymour's book MAKING A DIFFERENCE (New York: William Morrow and Co., Inc., 1984), Arthur McArthur, General Douglas McArthur's father, told his son of such an unpurchasable man.

This man was a Union general in charge of the occupied territory surrounding New Orleans toward the end of the American Civil War. He was pressed by local plantation owners to permit them to haul their cotton to the wharves in order for it to be sold for shipment to England. The general controlled all the wagons and horses, and his orders from high command in Washington were clear. He was not to let the cotton crop get to market.

Then one day, when Colonel Arthur MacArthur was visiting the general, two Southern ladies were ushered into the general's office, a "grande dame" and a beautiful young companion. The older lady came right to the point. She said that the landowners needed the temporary use of transport facilities to move their cotton.
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The North did not wish to force England into the war, she argued, and was allowing some merchant ships to slip through the blockade. Therefore, the Union would not be opposed to the sale of cotton for English textile mills. To show her gratitude she handed over $250,000 in gold certificates. "And if you need other inducements, this young lady will supply them," she added. They departed, leaving behind a distressed general holding the beautiful young woman's address.

The general immediately ordered MacArthur to dispatch this message to Washington: "TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have just been offered two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and the most beautiful woman I have ever seen to betray my trust. I am depositing the money with the Treasury of the United States, and request immediate relief from this command. They are getting close to my price."

Many others may have fallen for the seductive offer. And though his decision was no doubt difficult to make, how much harder might his life have eventually become had he chosen wrong?

Saying yes to contentment and peace often begins with saying no.

For ultimately happy lives are guided by unwavering principles, such as honesty, trust and love.

Those who keep sight of their principles and use them as a guide in all their decision-making will eventually arrive at a place of lasting peace.

"Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands," says Carl Schurz.

"But like the (seafarers) on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny."

written by Steve Goodier

Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information. Have a lovely evening!

A very dear friend of mine keeps telling me NOT to use the word 'leaders' when I refer to politicians. He surmised that there is a MARKED difference as a leader must be conferred that status when those who are supposed to be led, follow that leader willingly with no coercion., complaints or protests. However, when the masses complain about the same persons, he surmised that they would be merely politicians. He believes that the difference between the two is like night and day. That got me thinking about the term 'leader'. While responding to Nick's comment, I decided to write this post on the root of leadership.

Years ago, I came across this quotation by Brian Tracy which says:

"The glue that holds all relationships together -- including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity." --Brian Tracy

To me, integrity is knowing who we really are, our purpose, values, direction , vision and the legacy we want to leave. I believe it is all all about getting ourselves whole first, so we don’t look somewhere else or to someone else to complete us or to do anything which should be done ourselves. We deserve the best and we have to be the best ourselves before we can expect anyone else to do that same. But how many of our politicians want to be the best?

Perhaps that is the malady of many in our country - a condition which has retarded instead of spurring our growth.

For too long, many are like Thomas Wilson in Somerset Maugham's The Lotus Eater:

Most people, the vast majority in fact, lead the lives that circumstances have thrust upon them, and though some repine, looking upon themselves as round pegs in square holes, and think that if things had been different they might have made a much better showing, the greater part accept their lot, if not with serenity, at all events with resignation. They are like train-cars travelling forever on the selfsame rails. They go backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, inevitably, till they can go no longer and then are sold as scrap-iron. It is not often that you find a man who has boldly taken the course of his life into his own hands. When you do, it is worth while having a good look at him.

Each of us has different motives for a particular action and it is the same for politicians. To be a political leader, one must believe in integrity, display impeccable integrity and operate from the highest level of integrity.

To be a good political leader, that person must be in the state or quality of completeness, wholeness and has successfully dealth with any emotional baggage of past that plagued him/her. To carry any baggage with him/her would be akin to carrying a time bomb after which a host of problems might beset him/her. For instance, if one joined Party B after resigning from Party A, he should have left behind whatever corruptible culture he had adopted and take on a new persona, forgetting what lies behind and also clearing whatever debts and old issues from the past. Failure to do so would mean that he could still be yearning for the lifestyle of Party A much like a man yearning for his first love after a divorce and after remarrying. And that is exactly what we see before us. To prevent this scenario from becoming a stumbling block again, spring cleaning must be carried out and all must be orientated in the same direction.

Apart from that, the person must have moral soundness in all aspects of his life and demonstrate honesty and freedom from corrupting influence or motive. There is no looking back to the past once he has assumed a new role. If any self-doubt occurs, this has to be dealt with and he has to talk to the RIGHT persons.

Each of us has our own unique path to travel. Living our lives with integrity is about honouring our souls and being true to ourselves.

Once a person demonstrates INTEGRITY, followers can TRUST them and then there can be binding allegiance and unity.

Tragically, in so many areas - integrity is missing and yet, some who lack it can have the cheek to demand the same from others. Such double standards only serve to exacerbate the problem, thereby undermining the relationship between the one who is TRYING to lead but cannot (for the lack of integrity and other factors) and the one being led.

Unless our politicians realize the root of leadership is integrity and work with commitment to ensure this is seen in all aspects of their deliberations, I guess they will just remain as politicians...and not leaders.

I put up this post in July last year because of the circumstances of the political situation of our country then. Once again, I feel compelled to share it because of recent developments. Originally titled "Why Do So Many People Lack Integrity?", this post was written by Margaret Paul. Do leave a comment to share your thoughts and views. Thanks! Have a nice evening.

WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE LACK INTEGRITY?

"By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascents to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descents below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master."

-As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, a 150 year-year-old classic
(Since this is so old, please do not be put off by the use of "man" rather than "As a Person thinketh." Being politically correct was not a primary issue when this book was written!)

Our planet is in trouble due to a lack of integrity - a lack of high moral principles that are in alignment with who we really are in our souls. Why is there such a lack of integrity? What is the issue underlying a lack of integrity?

As the quote above indicates, how we THINK determines our level of integrity. When we are addicted to thinking thoughts that create fear, we may end up behaving in ways that lack integrity.

Why would we want to think thoughts that create fear? Because this is what our programmed mind - our wounded ego self - knows and thrives on.

Our wounded self - which is our ego programmed mind - learned many ways to protect us from the things we feared and could not handle as little children. We might have learned to lie to protect against our parent's anger. We might have learned to steal to get what we wanted. We might have learned to have temper tantrums to get our way.

We might also have learned to think thoughts such as:

"Being kind gets you nowhere. If I'm kind, people will run over me and take advantage of me."

"If I don't fight to get what I want, I won't get my fair share."

"There is never enough to go around, so I had better make sure I'm at the head of the line, even if others get hurt. The end justifies the means."

This kind of thinking will always create fear and a need to be in control. Out of this fear, people will behave in many ways that lack integrity and go against who they really are. They continue to behave as they may have as little children - lying, stealing, having temper tantrums, doing anything they can to have control over getting what they want, even when it harms others. We have only to look at government, many big businesses, drug companies, and insurance companies to see that a lack of integrity has become the norm in our society.

This will not change until people change their thoughts. What if people thought thoughts based on truth and caring rather than on fear? What if the following thoughts were the norm?

"Being kind to myself and others empowers me and gives me the strength to stand up for what is right - both for myself and others."

"There is enough for everyone to have what they want and need. Abundance is a law of the universe."

"Behaving in ways that are in alignment with the spiritual values of compassion, kindness and caring - which is who I really am - brings me great inner peace and joy."

Obviously, people who operate from these thoughts rather than from the thoughts of their ego wounded selves, are the people who are in integrity.

As long as people operate under the false belief that happiness lies in getting what they want externally, rather than in whom they choose to be in the world, they will be lacking integrity on their way to getting. Only when they finally see that deep inner peace and joy comes from being in alignment with their inner spiritual values will they consistently behave with integrity.

Author's Bio
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and “Healing Your Aloneness.” You can email her at mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com.She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process.

I put up this post more than an hour ago but I note that it is not updating my feed. It was originally called Acquired Integrity Deficiency Syndrome. It was still not updated in Google Reader so I changed it to The Missing 'I' Factor. No change so I renamed it The Missing Factor. I have removed all the pictures I used for illustrations and even renamed my previous post to Humor at work. I am not sure if this problem is a recurrence of what happened in the past (and lasted for a few days) and I will surely die if my Google Reader or other feeds are not being updated.My RSS feeds seem to be updated regularly. You might want to consider subscribing to my RSS feed or using Live Bookmarks. It has been quite stressful for me as I do not see any funny scripts in this post and have pinged and resynched many times to no avail. Do let me know if you have a similar problem and also how you corrected it. This is a repost of THE MISSING FACTOR to test and see if the feed can be updated. Sorry for the inconvenience caused. Thank you for your patience. If you have a solution, please share with me. Thanks! Have a nice day!

The Missing Factor

While many proclaim that mankind has progressed in many unprecedented ways, the fact remains that many problems still exist. Worse still, those related to moral values seem to be on the increase. To me, all this is caused on the missing factor in the world today. Factor 'I' is integrity. While we may have had lots of publicity about the acquired immunity deficiency syndrome in the past, we have a situation akin to acquired INTEGRITY deficiency syndrome.



This disease is rife in modern society where the producer's satisfaction takes precedence over customer satisfaction. Policies are deliberately implemented to deny consumers their rights and defraud them of their cash. You are enticed with pretty promises but when you need the service you were promised you come to the ugly realisation that it was all lies, they just wanted your money.

It is rife in our employment field where too many employees see if they can get out of work or to see what they can get out of work. They willingly enter into an agreement with their employer and then once employed, demand improved conditions of employment without offering improved levels of service. Sadly, this concept is echoed by many employers who offer below subsistence wages yet expect above average performance - much like the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Needless to say, it is rife in the political arena of many countries, even a little closer home.

What are the symptoms? You know someone or some organization has this ailment when you see what they can get away with the most bizarre acts/statements. What happens is that the more that those unscrupulous ones can get away with it, the less they see the need to actually do what they perceive as the right thing. Eventually, this happens so often that it becomes their nature to do the wrong thing whole actually believing that the wrong thing is actually the right thing. Even the crap that they tell the public sounds true in their ears!!!In other words, there is a complete absence of HONEST INTENT.

Many areas seem to demonstrate a lack of integrity. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines integrity as the ability to have a “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.” The Oxford American Dictionary defines it as “honesty, incorruptibility.”

Recent events have truly shown up the deficiency of integrity. Are leaders consistent in their actions? Can we trust them? Can we believe in what they are saying? Can we stomach their absurdities any more?

I truly pray that there will rise a new breed of leaders who dare to rise above moral and ethical standards and adhere to religious and moral principles in the things they do and say. When an organization chooses a leader that does not demonstrate such ideals and kow-tows to others, it is the beginning of the death of that organization. When an organization follows a leader that looks at others through race-tinted glasses and other leaders DO NOT chastise him, then we know something is seriously wrong. We HAVE to make a difference in small but meaningful ways to raise awareness about all this crap that we see.

At the same time, we must also uphold moral and ethical standards not forgetting religious and moral principles. Our challenge is to teach our children and the youth of today and tell them where some went wrong and to ensure they do not follow the wrong examples and to ensure that they do not look up to the wrong models of behavior. The world is full of deceit and immorality and public outcry MUST rise above all the deceit, deception, foul play and compromise of ethics, values and norms.

We MUST speak up when the situation warrants it and demand for the truth and nothing but the truth!!!! We must speak up loudly when things are not and keep silent no more.

May there be leaders who are wise and strong enough to unravel and to expose the truth. If not, our nation will be gnawed slowly but surely by this acquired integrity deficiency syndrome where the truth will then be buried somewhere out there in mysteries that even Mulder and Scully cannot solve!

Please leave a comment if you wish to share your thoughts and views. Thanks. Have a lovely day!

While many proclaim that mankind has progressed in many unprecedented ways, the fact remains that many problems still exist. Worse still, those related to moral values seem to be on the increase. To me, all this is caused on the missing factor in the world today. Factor 'I' is integrity. While we may have had lots of publicity about the acquired immunity deficiency syndrome in the past, we have a situation akin to acquired INTEGRITY deficiency syndrome.

This disease is rife in modern society where the producer's satisfaction takes precedence over customer satisfaction. Policies are deliberately implemented to deny consumers their rights and defraud them of their cash. You are enticed with pretty promises but when you need the service you were promised you come to the ugly realisation that it was all lies, they just wanted your money.

It is rife in our employment field where too many employees see if they can get out of work or to see what they can get out of work. They willingly enter into an agreement with their employer and then once employed, demand improved conditions of employment without offering improved levels of service. Sadly, this concept is echoed by many employers who offer below subsistence wages yet expect above average performance - much like the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Needless to say, it is rife in the political arena of many countries, even a little closer home.

What are the symptoms? You know someone or some organization has this ailment when you see what they can get away with the most bizarre acts/statements. What happens is that the more that those unscrupulous ones can get away with it, the less they see the need to actually do what they perceive as the right thing. Eventually, this happens so often that it becomes their nature to do the wrong thing whole actually believing that the wrong thing is actually the right thing. Even the crap that they tell the public sounds true in their ears!!!In other words, there is a complete absence of HONEST INTENT.

Many areas seem to demonstrate a lack of integrity. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines integrity as the ability to have a “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.” The Oxford American Dictionary defines it as “honesty, incorruptibility.”

Recent events have truly shown up the deficiency of integrity. Are leaders consistent in their actions? Can we trust them? Can we believe in what they are saying? Can we stomach their absurdities any more?

I truly pray that there will rise a new breed of leaders who dare to rise above moral and ethical standards and adhere to religious and moral principles in the things they do and say. When an organization chooses a leader that does not demonstrate such ideals and kow-tows to others, it is the beginning of the death of that organization. When an organization follows a leader that looks at others through race-tinted glasses and other leaders DO NOT chastise him, then we know something is seriously wrong. We HAVE to make a difference in small but meaningful ways to raise awareness about all this crap that we see.

At the same time, we must also uphold moral and ethical standards not forgetting religious and moral principles. Our challenge is to teach our children and the youth of today and tell them where some went wrong and to ensure they do not follow the wrong examples and to ensure that they do not look up to the wrong models of behavior. The world is full of deceit and immorality and public outcry MUST rise above all the deceit, deception, foul play and compromise of ethics, values and norms.

We MUST speak up when the situation warrants it and demand for the truth and nothing but the truth!!!! We must speak up loudly when things are not and keep silent no more.

May there be leaders who are wise and strong enough to unravel and to expose the truth. If not, our nation will be gnawed slowly but surely by this acquired integrity deficiency syndrome where the truth will then be buried somewhere out there in mysteries that even Mulder and Scully cannot solve!

Please leave a comment if you wish to share your thoughts and views. Thanks. Have a lovely day!

Of late, I have been wondering about the greatness of some leaders to remind myself that all is not lost in the brave pursuit for a renewed, revived and reformed Malaysia. With the dearth of genuine leaders of caliber, I was greatly encouraged when someone told me about Dr. Lim Hock Siew, a Singaporean who holds the record of being the second longest serving political prisoner. Yup- you read it right. While many may wax lyrical about Singapore, the untold story is that they have their own version/practice of ISA.

Dr Lim, a founding member of Singapore’s ruling PAP, was incarcerated for 19 years without trial from 1963 to 1982 on “suspicions” of being a “communist”. Singapore’s longest political prisoner is Mr Chia Thye Poh, who spent 32 years behind bars, longer than Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Syi.

When I first watched the following video, I was awestruck by this humble, gentle-looking elderly person - soft spoken and yet radiating a strength from his eyes and not by sheer force of personality. I had to turn up the volume of my speakers and at certain times was miffed by the sound of laughter that drowned the sincere voice of a giant called Dr. Lim.

The video was taken of Dr Lim during the book launch of the “Fajar Generation”, a book relating the history of the University Socialist Club and the politics of post-war Malaya and Singapore.

In the video, Dr Lim first described the ordeals he had been through as a political detainee, including being placed in solitary confinement in the most “hideous” prison in Singapore – the Central Police Station:

“That was a place not fit to keep animals let alone human beings. The place was so dark, so stinky and so ill-ventilated that you cannot stand inside for more than 24 hours but I was locked in there for 24 hours a day and the whole place was infested with bugs. I had a lot of bugs for company, no reading material and the light was so dim that I could hardly see the crease of my hand.”

On the basis of principles which he held dearly and not because of pride, Dr Lim did not relent to the demands of his captors to renounce politics and show “repentance”.

In the course of his career as an activist, he had tried to challenge and overturn the government’s decision to detain him on several occasions to no avail. When he was released from detention briefly due to a technical error, he was re-arrested a minute later by the Special Branch.

Upon his release in 1982, Dr Lim retired from politics altogether . Very few young Singaporeans have heard about him or his colleagues in the opposition Barisan Sosialist. I am sure many Malaysians have not heard of him either. I would encourage you to watch the following video not once, but many times, to hear for yourself, the horrible experiences that he went through.

And as you do, please remember the other ISA detainees in Malaysia, Singapore and other places that practise this archaic law that has outlived its original usefulness and then to step up our effort to lobby for this law to be abolished once and for all.

"You must say something to show repentance," the ISD officer told his captive, "otherwise Lee Kuan Yew will lose face." Dr Lim Hock Siew recounts his 20-year ordeal under the caprice of the PAP Government. The speech is peppered with humourous remarks, but Dr Lim's horrifying experience is anything but that. This is a video, courtesy of Mr Martyn See, that everyone in this world, must watch.

Dr. Lim, you have my deepest and utmost respect for the integrity, courage, conviction and commitment you have shown to your cause, beliefs and principles.

Did you know that Singapore Law Minister told an American audience a few weeks ago that the ISA is not abused in Singapore and there are “proper” procedures in place to safeguard the welfare and rights of the detainees?

He did not elaborate the “proper” procedures in place to safeguard the welfare and rights of the detainees”.

Dr. Lim paid the price for integrity = 20 years of his life. I have tears in my eyes as I type this. How many people would have been able to withstand the aftermath of paying such a heavy price of freedom for ideals and then to emerge from it all with a deep sense of peace and with an even stronger conviction? Innocent ISA detainees (past and present) all over the world must be remembered. People such as Dr. Lim, Said Zahari, Dr. Chia Thye Poh (the longest serving prisoner of Conscience in the World); Lim Chin Siong (deceased) and the many unsung heroes must not be forgotten. Their sacrifices must not be swept under the carpet of sanitized history. For the benefit of our children and their children and future generations…to come, this story and that of many ISA detainees must be told.

The cruelty must never be allowed to happen again.




Read Dr. Lim Hock Siew's 1972 press release OVER HERE.

A review of THE FAJAR GENERATION can be accessed AT THIS LINK.

Once you finish watching the video, please pass it on and leave a comment if you like. Perhaps by then, you will be both teary-eyed like me and inspired to fight for the abolishment of the ISA. Truly, Dr. Lim stands head and shoulders above us all!

Take care, dear reader and have a pleasant evening thinking about the message and legacy that Dr. Lim has left with us.

The following is an inspirational story which I found in the net (Author Unknown). I am posting it as an inspirational piece to all who aspire greatness in your life be it at work, in the family, in the political arena or in your social circles. Have a nice day!

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The man was Herbert J. Taylor who surveyed the way the company did it's business, which was the sale of aluminum pots and pans. The nature of the industry was fraught with unethical business practices. To bring the business out of bankruptcy Taylor knew that he had to change the way business was conducted. Ultimately he developed a very simple business philosophy that all employees were to follow in all of their business dealings with customers, suppliers and associates. The philosophy changed the business, turned the business around and ultimately brought it out of bankruptcy.

The business philosophy is a simple four step decision making tool. It didn't tell people what to do or how to think, but it did give them a tool to use in all of their business dealings. The tool is now well known to anyone that has ever associated themselves with Rotary International. It is simple The Four Way Test. The tip is to use this simple decision making tool in your life and see if it doesn't make a difference. As people, we must all stand by our personal honesty and integrity. This is a handy and simple test of what you say, do or think. Give it a try in your life.

The Four Way Test

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it build GOODWILL and better friendships?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?


By the way, this tool made Herbert Taylor a multimillionaire in the 1930s. So it's also a very profitable way of doing business.

-Author Unknown-
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And may I add...a very good lesson for all politicians. Have a nice day!