Years ago, there was a master violinist in Europe. He would play in concerts, and he had a magnificent Stradivarius violin, extremely expensive. He would play the Stradivarius violin in concert and everyone would whisper in the crowd, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.”

He would play in churches, and people would say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” He even played before kings and queens, and they, too, would turn to one another and say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” All the glory went to the instrument.

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 August 16, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 6:18 pm Very Personal 9 Responses »
 

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, ‘It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. ‘The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. ‘I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.’ Continue reading »

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 August 11, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 5:51 am Inspiration, Very Personal ,  54 Responses »
 

I remember the battle cry of the 80’s and the 90’s was: “Quality!”

Consultants were busy and excited in bringing out cases after cases of Japanese businesses that modeled quality of which Toyota reigned king!

Even Filipinos and American executives engaged themselves in corporate babble using Japanese words and terminologies of which the word “Kaizen” was chief. Quality was the buzzword. You may be familiar with other words like TQM. Six Sigma. Zero Defect.

Quality rules.

And then something happened. Computers and technology came into the picture. Suddenly all the management programs become commoditized. Companies with money buy the same program which in effect led to consumer’s benefits as products and services improved dramatically. However, quality now no longer becomes cutting edge. Quality now becomes minimum entry requirement in order to survive the highly global competitive world.

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In his autobiography, Number 1, Billy Martin told about hunting in Texas with Mickey Mantle.

Mickey had a friend who would let them hunt on his ranch. When they reached the ranch, Mickey told Billy to wait in the car while he checked in with his friend. Mantle’s friend quickly gave them permission to hunt, but he asked Mickey a favor. He had a pet mule in the barn who was going blind, and he didn’t have the heart to put him out of his misery. He asked Mickey to shoot the mule for him.

When Mickey came back to the car, he pretended to be angry. He scowled and slammed the door. Billy asked him what was wrong, and Mickey said his friend wouldn’t let them hunt. “I’m so mad at that guy,” Mantle said, “I’m going out to his barn and shoot one of his mules!” Mantle drove like a maniac to the barn. Martin protested, “We can’t do that!” But Mickey was adamant. “Just watch me,” he shouted.

When they got to the barn, Mantle jumped out of the car with his rifle, ran inside, and shot the mule. As he was leaving, though, he heard two shots, and he ran back to the car. He saw that Martin had taken out his rifle, too. “What are you doing, Martin?” he yelled. Martin yelled back, face red with anger, “We’ll show that son of a gun! I just killed two of his cows!”

Oh no! Anger can be dangerously contagious.

As Proverbs 22:24-25 puts it, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man… or you may learn his ways” (Prov.). [1]

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 July 30, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 8:27 am Motivation, Very Personal  8 Responses »
Jul 222009
 

It’s a rare opportunity for my wife and I to take a casual and leisurely walk along the mall. What is normal for us is to rush from one place to another doing all those talks and giving all those seminars.

And so after our workout in the gym, The Ilocana and I took our sweet time, strolled inside a shopping mall; afterwards got inside my car and drove to a gas station and that’s when my cell phone rang. It was my all time faithful and reliable associate Rara sounding-agitated-trying-to-keep-her-nerve-tone-of-voice as she practically screamed, “Sir where are you? They are waiting for you.” I realized to my horror that I have forgotten about giving a talk that evening. I have mistakenly assumed that the talk was for the next evening but I was wrong.

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 July 22, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 10:39 pm Very Personal 9 Responses »
 

Arriving late at Heathrow Airport, after a long flight, taking a long walk riding a long bus ride I finally arrived at the heart of Commercial London called Oxford Street. It’s not easy traveling alone but somehow I have gotten used to that. I had to spend the night in the city and prepare to leave for Queen’s College in Oxford University and attend a one-week conference – another item in my bucket list that I have drawn up years before.

And as I look at picturesque London my mind brought me back to some historical events that happened many years to this country that few people in ours remember. Steve Farrar in his beautiful book entitled “God Built” talked about this and allow me to share it with you.

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 July 9, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 10:12 pm Inspiration, Very Personal 8 Responses »
Jun 302009
 

One day, two elderly men were talking about their favorite sport, basketball.

“I wonder if there’ll be basketball in heaven?” Ed asked.

“Of course there will,” Henson responded, “or it wouldn’t be heaven.”

Not long after that, Ed passed away; then, one night while Henson, was sleeping, Ed appeared in all his radiant glory- in a bright light at the foot of Henson’s bed. Henson was badly shaken.

“Calm down, Henson,” Ed reassured his friend.

“Everything’s going to be all right. I just came back to visit and to bring some good news and some bad news. ”

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 June 30, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 12:32 pm Very Personal 8 Responses »
 

One day a conversation took place between the husband and the wife.

The wife was not in a very happy disposition that morning and so she complained:

“You think so much of your old game you don’t even remember when you were married.”

The husband calmly replied: “Of course I do, my dear; it was the day I sank that 30-foot putt.” Oops. Priorities!

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 June 19, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 11:12 pm Very Personal 13 Responses »
 

“My father did not tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it,” says Clarence Budinton Kelland.

This is why I am so careful. I know that my children may not believe 100% I say but they certainly believe 100% I do. The best thing I can leave my children is a good example.

To all the warriors out there:  Happy Father’s Day!”

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 June 17, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 7:17 pm Very Personal 3 Responses »
Jun 142009
 

Somebody wrote this material and I simply added a little side comments of my own.

What is a father?

A father is a person who is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic.

He growls when he feels good and laughs very loud when he is scared half-to-death. He needs to be a picture of strength even though he may be scared and sad from the inside.

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 June 14, 2009  Posted by Francis Kong at 5:56 pm Inspiration, Very Personal 8 Responses »