Monday, December 15, 2008

Reflections for 2008

Greetings from one of the best, if not the best, airport in the world--Changi Airport. This state-of-the-art airport made me realise how fortunate and blessed I am to be born in Singapore. Random thoughts keep running through my mind as the year comes to an end. What if I was born somewhere else? Would I have the same opportunities that I had? Would I enjoy the good quality of living? Would I have died in a earthquake? Would I have drowned in a tsunami? Would I have been blown away by a hurricane? Would I have the good friends that I have? Would I have traveled to so many countries at a young age? Would I be the same person that I am today?

I am not sure. But I would like to count my blessings.

I must say that I am truly blessed by the Lord. For without Him, I would not be here typing this entry. I am not sure about you, but I think that sometimes we get too caught up with the hustle and bustle of life that we forget to count our blessings. We get too caught up with our activities, our projects, our gathering, our outing, our games, that we forget to stop and smell the roses. We get too caught up with gossips, friendships problems, competition, jealousy, comparing with others, that we forget to appreciate our loved ones. We forget that life is more than doing things.

Do you feel the same way?

For me, this past year has been real challenging and exciting at the same time. I was faced with all kinds of stress. There seemed to be so many things for me to deal with at one point that I thought I could have easily jumped off a bridge, again. (For a bungy jump I mean.) It wasn’t an easy year for me, but it was definitely a milestone year. One of the things that I will truly remember is seeing my book finally in hard copy, in my hands. It was surreal, to me at least. After that, seeing my book in all the major bookstores gave me the kind of intense feeling that I can never............eeeee........eeee........eever........forget. It was so unbelievable. Who would have thought a good-for-nothing-problem kid could actually publish a book? I wouldn’t. After all, “trouble” was my middle name. All I knew at that time was getting into fights and running away from class. Writing and publishing a book? That is like asking me to hold a music concert.

Personally, that was one big accomplishment, considering the fact that I took seven long years to publish my book. 2008 certainly marks the beginning of the next chapter in my life.

More importantly, in 2008, I got more in touch with people that I care about. I reconnected with some of my old friends. Spent more time with my family. Built a fish pond for my father. (Killed a few fishes along the way). Made a new friend whom I can truly connect to and relate to emotionally. And I got to spend quality time with a few individuals. All in all, it was a fruitful year for me emotionally.

I guess, ultimately, the quality of your life is the quality the relationships you have. Yes, I do agree that pursuing one’s dream is important. I agree that achieving personal success is fulfilling. But I also agree that taking time off to count your blessings, appreciating your loved ones, and helping people are important. We should not neglect that. There should always be a balance. Otherwise, success has no meaning. (At least to me.)

What about you? As you look back at 2008, were there any regrets? Were there things that you want to do but didn’t? Were there dreams that you wanted to pursue but didn’t? Were there people that you wanted to appreciate but didn’t? Maybe you should do it now. As written in The Joys & Pains of Growing Up, principle 10, we should “Say ‘Thank you’ before it is too late.” We can never know, can we?

As the festive season is here, do what you need to do—have fun, play, BBQ, gatherings, movies, party, go crazy, whatever. But I think you can add ‘appreciating loved ones’ to your list. It is not too difficult, is it?

As 2009 draws near, think about what you want to do accomplish next year. What are the things that after you have done it, will save you from regrets? Remember, once time is gone, it is gone forever. You can’t turn back time. Now, you have the opportunity to learn from 2008, the mistakes, the regrets, the heartaches, the stress, to move on to the next year with a fresh start. After that, set out a plan to accomplish those things that you want to do, and do it!

Then my friend, your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................EEEEEEE.............EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

"The Joys & Pains of Growing Up" OUT NOW!!!

"The Joys & Pains of Growing Up: 17 Principles Every Youth Must Know!" is out in bookstores!

Go get it now!

It is currently out in Kinokuniya, Borders, MPH, Times Bookstore and PageOne (at VivoCity)!

For those who have read my book, tell your friends to go get it. For those who haven't, go get it! Of course, you can get it for yourself or as a gift to your friends, or you can get extra copies for yourself and for your friends. The holiday season is approaching, isn't it? This will make a perfect Christmas present if you are still wondering what to get.

Here are some pictures of my book in MPH (Raffles City & CityLink).
What people are saying about my book:

“I have worked with many top success Gurus in the world and I know that if you truly want to be successful, do it early. Peter Lau is someone who has done it and is willing to show you the way. Read this book and you will find that success will come sooner than later!”
— Richard Tan, CEO of Asia Leading Event Organizer, Success Resources Pte Ltd, and one of the Contributors of Chicken Soup for the Singapore Soul, Singapore

“Peter has a rock-like faith to succeed in life. He shares with us his unique strategies that turned his life around. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a huge difference in life.”
— Dr. Clemen Chiang, CEO, Freely Business School, Singapore

“Peter Lau has written a compellingly readable book wherein he zooms in on the crucial success factors that make a difference in unleashing your highest potentials in life. And what impresses me is that Peter lives the very principles that he writes about. Want to change your life and put yourself on the pathway of success? Read this book!”
— L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Cognitive Psychologist, Developer of Neuro-Semantics, Author of more than 35 Books, USA

“A heartening narrative of a teenager’s struggles in life and how he has sought to make sense of them. The author’s determined and undaunted spirit will be an inspiration to his readers. I was encouraged and challenged.”
Ms Grace Ng, Superintendent/North 1, Schools Division, MOE

"Peter Lau is a powerpack of exemplary ideals that model human virtues triumphing against all odds. Get to know him, and be inspired by his tenacious quest for the best...from within himself, for all of humankind"
Dilip Mukerjea, Best-Selling Author of Books in The Creative Brain Series

Please always ask the information counter for my book as there are thousands of other books in the bookstores. Also, each store is carrying only limited copies of my book, so always check with the information counter. And hurry!!!

Get this book now and YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................. EEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Friday, October 17, 2008

HUGE Announcement--"The Joys & Pains of Growing Up" to hit Bookshelves by 30th Oct'08!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I am extremely excited to announce that my book, "The Joys & Pains of Growing Up: 17 Principles Every Youth Must Know!", will hit the shelves of major bookstores in Singapore by 30th Oct 2008!!!


The estimated date of the book hitting the bookshelves will be the 29th or 30th Oct. I will update you on this again.

I have also added a little countdown clock (on the right) to countdown to the date of release.

If you truly want to succeed early, this book is specially written for you!

Go get this book!!!

Go get this book and YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................. EEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Think Big

Recently, I heard an audio by Donald Trump on the topic: "Think Big". Well, who else is more qualified to talk about that topic other than The Donald himself? A man who has built many humongous skyscrapers around the world and has a big hit reality TV show.

I have always admired Donald Trump, even before he starred in "The Apprentice". I guess it was that show that made him a household name. In my book, "The Joys & Pains of Growing Up", I wrote a little about Donald Trump. How he came back from near bankruptcy was simply amazing. Now of course, as all of you know, he is way better than before and many times wealthier than the last time. According to Forbes, he is worth an estimated of US$3 billion (as of 2008). You know what US$3 billion means? It means that his net worth is an estimated US $3,000,000,000! That is a total of nine zeros!!!

He is one of the wealthiest man in the world and is one of the 1125 billionaires in the whole wide world! So, thinking big is definitely not an option for him--it is a must.

Allow me, then, to summarize some of the key points that Donald mentioned in the audio. I think this is something worth sharing with you. So, thinking big starts with:

1) Being Thorough
If you want to be truly successful, you need to be meticulous about details. You can't afford to overlook something and think that it does not matter. Because most of the time, it does.

2) Get a Momentum going and keep your Momentum going
When you have big ideas, you would need the energy to execute it and get the idea out into the real world. And sometimes, it would take a long time. Without momentum, you would not have what it takes to get the job done.

3) Stay Focused
The moment you lose your focus, you will also lose your momentum. They go together. You can accomplish a lot more things if you keep these two things working together for you. If you think you lack focus, just ask yourself this question, "What should I be thinking about right now?"

4) Look at the Solution, Not the Problem
No matter what you do, you are bound to run into problems. It's just part of life. If you allow problems to get into your way, it will become bigger than your idea in the first place and you may become overwhelmed by it. So, focus on the solution and you'll be surprised how things can work out.

5) See Opportunities for what it is
For example, why are you reading this blog post? You can give any reason you want and for whatever reason you give, reading this post is an opportunity for you to learn. Always ask yourself, "What can I learn today that I didn't know before?" Take the time to see today as an opportunity and you'll be surprised by what can come your way.

6) Know everything you can about what you are doing
This is a good way to cover your bases and know what is going on.

7) Be Lucky & Be Passionate
Remember the old saying, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." Well, it happens to be true. You have to love what you are doing if you want to be successful at it. That's the fast track to success no matter what your interests are.

8) See Yourself as Victorious
That can zap negativity immediately and put a positive spin on problems. Why not see problems as challenges and know that you are more capable in dealing with them?

9) Be Smart
Know that you have something unique to offer because you use the tools that are provided for you and remain open to new ideas. That is also where innovation comes from. Being smart means you know how to use what you have got.

10) Never Give Up
The only time you will be a failure is when you quit trying. Losers give up. Winners keep on going. Never give up.

Start to THINK BIG and your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................EEE.................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Pics from Surabaya

Hi readers, it had been a busy and fruitful 5 weeks for me. I thoroughly enjoyed myself meeting new people, traveling and training.

Just thought of sharing some pictures with you from Surabaya. Below are the pictures of the hotel that we run our training in.


Cool right?

After soaking in the magnificent beauty of the place, my LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEE............EEE............EEVER, THE SAME AGAIN!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Emails Worth Sharing

Hi everyone, the following is an email that I got from one of my readers and I thought it was worth sharing with you. Please click on the email below if you can't read the words clearly. Here is goes:I have added 2 more emails below:




If you have read my book, please share with me how my book has impacted you.

Your comments will be very much appreciated. Thank you!

Tell me how my book has helped you and my LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEE...............EEE............EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Get your copy of "The Joys & Pains of Growing Up: 17 Principles Every Youth Must Know!"

Hi everyone, I am pleased to announce the completion of my book: The Joys & Pains of Growing Up: 17 Principles Every Youth Must Know!

This is the book that I started writing when I was 16 years old and finally, after 7-8 years, it is completed. I felt as if I was pregnant for 7-8 years and then finally giving birth to a baby. Now, this book is my baby! This book is based on my life and in it, I share the lessons and principles I've learned over the years that I believe every youth must know!

Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting to you my new baby...

The whole writing and publishing process brought me many joys and pains. In the end, it was all worth it! Here, I would like to particularly thank Dr Ernest Wong for first believing in me and guiding me through the whole process even though it was a painful process. I would also like to thank the team of extraordinary people whom I have the good fortune of working with. Namely, Auntie Theresa, Ken and Gabriel. Thank you guys for making me a better person!

This book will not be available at the bookshops yet (maybe in a month or so), but you can get your hands on a copy before it hits the bookshops. You can either contact me directly at my email: peter.lau@learningmastery.com OR you can get the books from Learning Mastery Training Center. The address is as follows:

Learning Mastery Training Center
122 Middle Road
Midlink Plaza, #07-04
Singapore 188973
(Nearest MRT Station: Bugis)

Note that the Training Center may not be open everyday but it will be open on most weekends from 1:30 to 5:30pm.

Please help me spread the good news to your friends! Thank you for your support!

Go get this book Now and your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................EEEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Friday, April 04, 2008

How to be Happy

Hello everyone, I'm not sure if you have read this story before but I would like you to read it again even if you have. I found it very meaningful and I've decided to share it with you. Here it goes:

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."


You see, there is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy. Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present.
----Author Unknown

Sometimes, things are beyond our control. But it is how we respond to events that determines our happiness and success. Look at things in a different perspective and your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEEEEE................. EEE..................EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

A Caricature of Myself

Hi everyone, we've just finished a training in Coral Sec and it was awesome! Thank you guys for making my time in Coral Sec meaningful. Also, thank you for the gifts! I really appreciate the time and effort in preparing the gifts. They were all custom-made and I was really speechless when I received a caricature of myself! (See Picture Left) I didn't know I could be so cute. Haha... Thanks for making me look so adorable! Somehow, it reminds me of someone...

All the best to you guys! Please focus on the important things in your life right now and do whatever it takes to achieve your goals! And your LIFE WILL NEVER, EEEEE...........EEE...........EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

3 Reasons Why People Don't Succeed

Now, for most of you reading this post, you might already know the 3 reasons why people don't succeed. It is not that they fail; they simply don't succeed. We also know that there are no failures in life, only outcomes. But let's not even talk about that. Let's just talk about why most people don't succeed.

The sad part about this is that there are countless people who know about it but still did not do anything about it! Worse, some are in denial! So, what are the 3 reasons why people don't succeed?

My mentor, Ernest, shared with me the reasons why people don't succeed. It is because they:
1) Give Excuses 2) Blame 3) Justify

First, they give 101 excuses why they can't succeed. They say things like, "I've no time." "I have no money." "I don't have the resources." "I'm not that smart." "My parents don't support me." and so on.

Second, they blame other people for not starting. They blame the environment, they blame the weather, they blame their friends, they blame their parents, etc. Basically, they blame everything and everyone else except themselves. Do you know of such people?

Third, they justify their actions or their inaction. In the dictionary, justify means to show or prove to be right or reasonable. No matter what they do, no matter what happens, they will do their best to prove that they are right. Sounds familiar?

Recently, I got a chance to chat online with one of my students. We started talking about each others' dreams and stuff. And she told me that she don't want to be a millionaire. I was quite taken aback and I naturally asked her why. She said that she wants to become a billionaire. Oh my! Why didn't I think of that? Good for her. There's nothing wrong with that. It only means she needs to put in the necessary work to become a billionaire. And it is not easy to become a billionaire. According to Forbes in 2008, there are only 1,125 billionaires in the whole wide world! That translate to only about o.oooo17% of the world's population!!! Not even close to 1%.

Then she told me that she wants to become a chef and asked me if she can become rich by being a chef. The answer is definitely yes. It depends on how rich you want to be. But how rich you can be is determined by how good you are. If you are a good chef, you can probably be rich. But if you want to be extremely wealthy, then you have to move up to the next level. That is, you can't stop at being a chef. You can own the restaurant, set up a training academy for chefs, franchise the business in different countries and so on. Only when you own a business, then being rich is a lot easier.

She then said that it would take a long time to do achieve it and currently, she only knows how to fry eggs!!! I said so what? Remember, it is not how good you are but how good you want to be. Yes, it may take a long time, but is there a shorter way to accomplish it? The answer is yes. She just needs to start training now and talk to the right people to get going. Because if you wait, then success will come even later. Let me ask you, when is the earliest time to start? The answer is NOW!!!

Guess what happen next to our conversation? My student then told me that her mom won't allow her to cook at home, she don't know how to cook, don't know who to talk to, don't know where to start, no money, no time and etc. So I asked her if she know why people don't succeed and she said she know. Then I asked her if she falls into any of the categories and guess what she said? She said no! Can you believe it? If those things that she mentioned above are not excuses, I don't know what they are.

She continued to say that those were not excuses, they are facts. I just laughed. Do you see it now? The sad thing is that people know about all these and yet they do nothing about it. They even deny and justify that they are facts. Yes, those things that she mentioned were real problems. But the question will be, what are you going to do about that? Are you going to allow your problems to stop you from achieving your goals. So what if your mom don't allow you to cook at home? Go to your friend's house, go enroll in a cooking course, go find ways to convince your mom, go do something about it!

Let me just say this, Successful people succeed in spite of their problems. Let me repeat, Successful people succeed in spite of their problems. Successful don't give excuses, they don't blame, they don't justify their actions. They simply find ways to overcome their problems and do whatever it takes to succeed. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to succeed? How much effort and work are you willing to put in? How badly do you want to succeed?

If you are not committed, then it doesn't matter what you do. But if you are truly committed, then you'll definitely find a way round your problems. You'll succeed in spite of your problems. So, the question is, do you fall into any of the 3 categories on why people don't succeed? Are you giving excuses? Are you blaming? Are you justifying? If so, then it is about time you make the change.

And once you make the change, your LIFE, WILL NEVER, EEEEE.........EEE......EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Auckland Videos

Hey, hey, hey!!! I know, I know. It's been quite a while since I have updated my blog. I know "quite a while" seems like an understatement. Firstly, I must say that I have been really really busy. A lot of things have happened and a lot of things have changed. I had a wonderful time during the Camps last November and December. Thank you to all the resources (namely: Marcus, Ian, Sherwyn, Annabelle, Siti, Deborah, Janice, Megan, Melody, Ashok, Willie, Cheng Hao, Jun Er, Jianming, Mark, Vanessa, Yiling, and Zhi Lin. Oh no! I forgot about Daniel and Jessica Chai! sorry!) who made the camps memorable. Also, thank you Jessica for helping me to buy the shirts! Hehe...

Then it was off to Indonesia at the end of Dec and I absolutely enjoyed myself! Of course, the experience in Indonesia is always very different and unique and it can't be compared to the camps that are run elsewhere. The resources there were great too but there were simply too many resources to name!

I am currently working on a project and I will update you guys when it is finally done! I am excited to say the least. Stay tuned....

For now, I have posted 2 video clips for your viewing pleasure. The first one is a trailer that I made for my Auckland Trip Video.



The following is from my road trip in Auckland. Haha... Enjoy. Did I mentioned that I love the car?



After this, my LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEE.........EEE...EEVER, BE THE SAME AGAIN!!!