Flying to Geneva with the Ilocana and joining the father and son team of Ivan and Vohne Yao the four of us plus a few Singaporean watch dealer friends shared the dinner table with Thierry Stern and his commercial director Jerome Pernici. Charming to the core the president played host and kept us totally entertained. He talked about the brand, he talked about the company and the responsibility of running it but the one thing that he impressed upon me is his insistence to visit every major client of his all over the world not only to find out what their needs are but to enhance his relationship with them. This is why it came as no surprise when both Stern and Pernici visited the Philippines some time ago in an event hosted by Lucerne Jewellers. Pernuci who was sitting next to me whispered, “Mr. Sterns takes his private jet and flies all over the world visiting his clients because he knows that relationships are important in this business.”

Now isn’t that a lesson we all can learn? And as I think about this I am reminded of Alfred P. Sloan, when he built General Motors in the 1930’s defied the typical notion of a chairman because he liked to actually work with customers. Sloan would do a disappearing act from his Detroit headquarters and show up at a dealer’s lot in another city, introduced himself and ask the dealer’s permission to work as an assistant service manager, or as a salesman for a few days. The dealers would always said yes for how could they refuse a great man anyway. The next week, Sloan would be back in his office firing off memos on customer behavior and customer preferences on everything from dealers to auto styling. And this is possible because Sloan spotted more important trends than traditional customer research did and he spotted them earlier and would not be vulnerable to the sanitized and sterilized versions his underlings would bring him.

All successful leaders stay close to their customers. All strategic leaders spend more time away from their fancy offices and visit their branches or their stores.

Sam Walton was known to have traveled to the front lines of everyone of his Wal-Mart stores throughout his life. He even spent time on the lading docks in the middle of the night talking with the crews.

Ivan Yao makes random store visits every day to find out what’s happening and his brother Emmerson stays close to his clients sharing the latest information on watch trends and development. An executive from a leading bank visits even the most remotely located branch just to find out what’s happening and build up the morale of the people working there.

In other words great leaders do not lose touch with the front lines. And this could very well turn out to be the single most important factor in a company’s ability to deal with trends, change, competition and crisis.

And let me not forget one crucial thing. Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern exhibited humility and was so warm and easy to talk to. Maybe because he has nothing else to prove. Maybe because he is secure as a leader and maybe this is the reason why his watches and his company will remain strong for the future because he is merely looking after it for the next generation.

Their ads have remained the same all these years. And this is why the brand intrigues me no end. The slogan “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation” is placed on all of their ads. Just like their timepieces, which are considered the most admired and respected in the world of luxury watches; the idea transmitted through the ad is genius and perfectly translates the timeless character of the brand. The idea works this way. Since you are not going to buy a good watch every week, so if you want something for life (and longer), then Patek Philippe is the way to go. We can definitely agree with that! This is why I was thrilled no end upon knowing that I will get to have a private dinner with Thierry Stern, the young president of the company.

Flying to Geneva with the Ilocana and joining the father and son team of Ivan and Vohne Yao the four of us plus a few Singaporean watch dealer friends shared the dinner table with Thierry Stern and his commercial director Jerome Pernici. Charming to the core the president played host and kept us totally entertained. He talked about the brand, he talked about the company and the responsibility of running it but the one thing that he impressed upon me is his insistence to visit every major client of his all over the world not only to find out what their needs are but to enhance his relationship with them. This is why it came as no surprise when both Stern and Pernici visited the Philippines some time ago in an event hosted by Lucerne Jewellers. Pernuci who was sitting next to me whispered, “Mr. Sterns takes his private jet and flies all over the world visiting his clients because he knows that relationships are important in this business.”

Now isn’t that a lesson we all can learn? And as I think about this I am reminded of Alfred P. Sloan, when he built General Motors in the 1930’s defied the typical notion of a chairman because he liked to actually work with customers. Sloan would do a disappearing act from his Detroit headquarters and show up at a dealer’s lot in another city, introduced himself and ask the dealer’s permission to work as an assistant service manager, or as a salesman for a few days. The dealers would always said yes for how could they refuse a great man anyway. The next week, Sloan would be back in his office firing off memos on customer behavior and customer preferences on everything from dealers to auto styling. And this is possible because Sloan spotted more important trends than traditional customer research did and he spotted them earlier and would not be vulnerable to the sanitized and sterilized versions his underlings would bring him.

All successful leaders stay close to their customers. All strategic leaders spend more time away from their fancy offices and visit their branches or their stores.

Sam Walton was known to have traveled to the front lines of everyone of his Wal-Mart stores throughout his life. He even spent time on the lading docks in the middle of the night talking with the crews.

Ivan Yao makes random store visits every day to find out what’s happening and his brother Emmerson stays close to his clients sharing the latest information on watch trends and development. An executive from a leading bank visits even the most remotely located branch just to find out what’s happening and build up the morale of the people working there.

In other words great leaders do not lose touch with the front lines. And this could very well turn out to be the single most important factor in a company’s ability to deal with trends, change, competition and crisis.

And let me not forget one crucial thing. Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern exhibited humility and was so warm and easy to talk to. Maybe because he has nothing else to prove. Maybe because he is secure as a leader and maybe this is the reason why his watches and his company will remain strong for the future because he is merely looking after it for the next generation.

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I can still remember the newspaper accounts the next day that many of the kids in the orphanage were trapped in that charity institution that was located not too far away from where I lived.

I heard the unceasing screams and sirens of fire trucks coming from all over the Metropolis and since I live on top of a building, it was easy for me to view the entire scene happening. I guess I’ll never get over the awesome destructive power of fires and the effect upon me was very jolting.

I can’t help but imagine. Suppose I was one of those little kids trapped inside that building? And if that wasn’t bad enough; suppose I still have a couple of kids with me, perhaps my younger brothers or sisters? And if that thing were to happen to me, being a parent trapped inside a building house, what would I have done?

The closest call I had to a burning scene happened when a house some 4 doors away burst into flames. Heavy smokes were blowing towards our direction and people from the entire block began running along the streets with their prize possessions. Carrying TV sets, stereo sets and some were dragging their children away from the scene. It was really a horrible sight.

My kid was in school then. My two other daughters were not even born yet. It happened a long time ago yet the scene has not failed to leave my memory. How often have I told Lilia that I could probably build up the courage, take control and face any kind of tragedy that would happen but honestly, I don’t even know how I would react in case a fire breaks out!

Have you ever entertained this thought? Have you ever tried to answer this question? Suppose a fire breaks out and you find yourself with your kids inside a burning place. What would you do?

I’ve asked myself this question time and time again but then one article I came across gave me the answer. Let me share it with you.

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree.

Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had singed her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live.

It’s amazing isn’t it? That we get answers and we learn lessons from God’s creations. Some how we need to think. Man, with all his intellect, education and will fails to do deeds of nobility we find animals do.

Animals don’t rape their young. I guess they don’t lie and cheat each other. They don’t send their offspring abroad to work as prostitutes so that the dollars can come...

This mother bird stood gallantly and protected her young with her wings. She died so that her offspring may live. If God be merciful then He will never allow me to experience a grave tragedy where my love and duty to my kids will be severely tested. But meanwhile, I can show my love and be gallant with my intentions by spending time with them and doing the most important task of them all. Loving their mother and being faithful as the head of the family.

There’s another angle we can see from this article taken from the National Geographic. When all things fail, God remains steadfast. For His word in

Psalm 91:4 says:

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

What a great assurance.

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To the skeptical I would like to reassure you that there are mysteries in life that cannot be explained through science or logic. Just consider the following:

• How a two-pound box of candy can make a person gain five pounds.
• Why is it that brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.
• This really defies scientific explanation. You just hang something in your closet for a while, and it shrinks two sizes.
• When you suppress laughter, it goes down and spreads to your hips.
• Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but she can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake.

On the serious side however, life is made up of moments. If you think hard about this you would realize that those moments of success or failure have changed your life forever. If you recall the classic animated film “The Lion King,” Simba’s defining moment came when his father Mufasa the Lion Kong himself said, “You are more than you have become.” This was one of his defining moments that convinced Simba to start acting like the king he was. Whether fantasy or reality these defining moments works the same. So let’s look at reality. Let’s go to the work place. A word of encouragement from the boss we admire propelled you to the next level of performance. Perhaps a disparaging word from a lousy leader puts a lid to your potential as the scar from the verbal insult or abuse cuts deeply into your soul. Perhaps a moment of quietness, a book, a passage from The Bible in moments of honest self-reflection that triggers us to change. These are defining moments.

Nobel Prize winning scientist Daniel Kahneman asserts that we experience thousands of individual moments every waking day. These "moments" last only a few seconds. If you consider your strongest memories, positive or negative, you'll notice the imagery in your mind is actually defined by your recollection of a precise point in time. In some cases, a single encounter can change your life forever. Think of your own defining moments. Are they literally moments? We might be defined by a moment of glorious victory or one of horrendous failure.

We could also be defined by the moment when we decide to make our family’s experience different than the one we grew up with, or the moment we experience a positive example and decide to model it. Defining moments, indirectly or directly, create a new direction or perspective for us. We each experience our own defining moments on the road to excellence. These moments make us who we are.

Some people are overly ambitious obsessed with where they want to go in the corporate world such that they fail to focus on their current roles excellently. Thus they worry about their next move and mess up the opportunities they have today. They step on toes, they get into people’s nerves, the end justifies the mean-ness what they are doing is they are setting themselves up to fail tomorrow by messing up on creating good defining moments today. And this is why you and I need to seize the opportunity to create defining moments for those around us every day. The pathway to excellence is paved with these moments.

And how do we do these? May I offer some practical suggestions:

1. Focus on being excellent in whatever it is you are doing today.
2. Give the credit to others especially if they deserve it.
3. Help make others successful because these are the same people who would return the favor one day. And even if they do not this puts you in a different class compared to others.
4. Forgive those who have hurt you and those who are still trying to. Understand that you don’t have to go down just because others are and would want you to.
5. Say the following things to your loved ones: “I love you.” “I appreciate you.”
6. Help others even if they do not deserve it. Thank God for the opportunity to do so. Perhaps as read this, a defining moment is being created? You will never know.

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Listen to this:

1. No one expects you to take a bath every day.
2. If it itches, you can scratch it.
3. There's no such thing as bad food.
4. A rawhide bone can entertain you for hours.
5. If you grow hair in weird places, no one notices.
6. You can lie around all day without worrying about being fired.
7. You don't get in trouble for putting your head in a stranger's lap.
8. You're always excited to see the same people.
9. Having big feet is considered an asset.
10. Puppy love can last.

And may I possible add a few more?

1. You don’t have to worry about corporate downsizing.
2. You’re not very concerned with Gas prices and rice shortage.

Now here is what some other people have had to say on the subject:

"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue."

I love dogs. Never did before until my 3 children influenced me and overnight I became a dog lover.

I have 3 Chowchows in different colors. Cinnamon, Black and White. And now I have a 7 month German Shepherd. Every person in the house loves them. Maybe this is the reason why this story appeals to me and I want to share this with you:

From an anonymous writer comes this story entitled: “A Dog's Life.”

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for awhile after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life, like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Sadly, it sounds so true doesn’t it?

You will never find dogs fighting each other in congress.

You will never find dogs chew up each other in dog church.

You will never find dogs plot, deceive, scam, cheat and lie their way to success.

I guess God gives us dogs so we can learn from them.

What do you think?

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And here are the reasons why staying stressed is so important:

• STRESS HELPS YOU SEEM IMPORTANT: Anyone as stressed as you must be working very hard and, therefore, is probably doing something very crucial.
• IT HELPS YOU TO MAINTAIN PERSONAL DISTANCE AND AVOID INTIMACY: Anyone as busy as you are certainly can't be expected to form emotional attachments to anyone. And let's face it, you're not much fun to be around anyway.
• IT HELPS YOU AVOID RESPONSIBILITIES: Obviously, you are too stressed to be given any more work. This gets you off the hook for all the mundane chores; let someone else take care of them.
• IT HELPS YOU AVOID SUCCESS: Why risk being successful when by simply being stressed you can avoid all of that? Stress can keep your performance level low enough that success won't ever be a threat.
• IT GIVES YOU A CHEMICAL RUSH: Stress might be considered a cheap thrill, and you can give yourself a 'hit' any time you choose. But, be careful. You might get addicted to your own adrenaline.
• STRESS ALSO HELPS YOU KEEP YOUR AUTHORITARIAN MANAGEMENT STYLE: The authoritarian style of 'just do what I say!' is generally permissible under crisis conditions. If you maintain a permanently stressed crisis atmosphere, you can justify an authoritarian style all of the time.

And now that the New Year is here. Be sure you do the following in order to stay stressed:

• NEVER EXERCISE: Exercise wastes a lot of the time that could be spent worrying.
• EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT: Hey, if cigarette smoke can't cleanse your system, a balanced diet isn't likely to either.
• GAIN WEIGHT: Work hard at staying at least 25 pounds over your recommended weight.
• TAKE PLENTY OF STIMULANTS: The old standards of caffeine, nicotine, sugar, and cola will continue to do the job just fine.
• GET RID OF YOUR SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM: Let the few friends who are willing to tolerate you know that you concern yourself with friendships only if you have time, and you never have time. If a few people persist in trying to be your friend, avoid them.
• PERSONALIZE ALL CRITICISM: Anyone who criticizes any aspect of your work, family, dog, house, or car is mounting a personal attack. Don't take the time to listen, be offended, then return the attack!
• THROW OUT YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR: Staying stressed is no laughing matter, and it shouldn't be treated as one.
• MALES AND FEMALES ALIKE BE MACHO: Never ask for any help, and if you want it done right, do it yourself!
• BECOME A WORKAHOLIC: Put work before everything else, and be sure to take work home evenings and weekends. Keep reminding yourself that vacations are for sissies.
• PROCRASTINATE: Putting things off to the last second always produces a marvelous amount of stress.
• WORRY ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL: Worry about the stock market, earthquakes, the approaching Ice Age. The credit crunch. Water deprivation. You know, all the big issues.
• BECOME NOT ONLY A PERFECTIONIST BUT SET IMPOSSIBLY HIGH STANDARDS: and either beat yourself up, or feel guilty, depressed, discouraged, and or inadequate when you don't meet them.

When you do all these I promise you life will become unbearable, you will become unbearable and you will lie down on your bed and wonder why some people just have the good fortune of being successful and happy and you don’t…. duh?!!

There will be challenges awaiting us but learn to live one day at a time. Never for a moment forget that God is still in control and that you are not God.

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Stop being concerned with the weight we gain between Christmas and the New Year and start being conscious of the weight we need to maintain between the New Year till the coming Christmas.
A Blessed New Year to you and your family!

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One Christmas, a parent decreed that she was no longer going to remind her children of their thank-you note duties. As a result their grandmother never received acknowledgments of the generous checks she had given. The next year things were different, however. "The children came over in person to thank me," the grandparent told a friend triumphantly. "How wonderful!" the friend exclaimed. "What do you think caused the change in behavior?" "Oh, that's easy," the grandmother replied. "This year I didn't sign the checks."

One day an old woman was on her deathbed and she gave some last minutes instructions to her long time friend. The old woman said, “Mila, I know my time is up. I want you to do everything I say. The day I die, do not bury me. Burn me. I want a cremation.” “But why?” asked Mila her old time friend. The old woman said, “Cremate me and then gather my ashes and spread it over the grounds of SM Mega Mall.” Puzzled, Mila asked. This is a very strange request. I don’t understand this.” The old woman explained. “Mila, I miss my children so much. After my cremation, gather all of my ashes and spread it all across the shopping mall. That way I can be assured that my children would at least visit once a week.”

Christmas time may be a picture of celebration and joviality but it could be pretty lonely for old folks whose relatives no longer visit. One businessman complained. He said: “Banks never seem to get totally into the holiday spirit. My bank sent me a card that said, “Have a Happy Holiday. If You Are Already Having A Happy Holiday, Please Disregard This Notice.” Christmas is a strange time of year. That’s when people celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace by buying toy rockets, submarines, artillery, and hand grenades for their children.[1] But certain people reach heights of depression when Christmas time comes. Memories. Many painful ones. You see the occasion may be important but never as important as relationships no matter what day of the year is. Take this occasion to remember your loved ones.

History teaches us lessons so we can learn. Some painful ones too. Thomas Carlyle had married his secretary, whom he dearly loved, but he was thoughtless and absorbed in his own interests and activities, treating his wife as if she were still his employee. Stricken with cancer, she was confined to bed for a long time before she died. After her funeral, Carlyle went back to his empty house. Disconsolate and grieving, he wandered around downstairs thinking about the woman he had loved. After a while he went upstairs to her room and sat down in the chair beside the bed on which she had been lying for months. He realized with painful regret that he had not sat there very often during her long illness. He noticed her diary. While she was alive, he never would have read it, but now that she was gone he felt free to pick it up and thumb through its pages. One entry caught his eye: “Yesterday he spent an hour with me. And it was like being in heaven. I love him so much.” He turned a few more pages and read, “I listened all day to hear his steps in the hallway. And now it’s late. I guess he won’t come to see me.” Carlyle read a few more entries and then threw the book on the floor and rushed out through the rain back to the cemetery. He fell on his wife’s grave in the mud, sobbing, “If only I had known … if only I had known.”[2]

Make sure you know what to spend this Christmas time. Spend time with your loved ones and not just money on gifts. Christ gave Himself for us…never forget that.

[2]Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1,501 Other Stories, (Nashville: Word Publishing) 2000, c1998.

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Somebody asks this question: “What is the difference between outlaws and in-laws?” And here is the answer: Outlaws are wanted.

We lovingly call her “Auntie Carmen.” If you want to talk about being a “people person” then Auntie Carmen surely qualifies as one of them. We met in church a couple of years ago and have become friends. She sent me this beautiful story that is credited to anonymity.

Once upon a time in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law' s habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly. Days and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation worse was that according to Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.

Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law any longer so she decided to do something about it. Li-Li went to see Mr. Huang who sold herbs. She told him about the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve her problem once and for all.
 The wise Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."
 Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to."

Mr. Huang gave Li-Li a package of herbs. He said, "Li-Li, you cannot use a quick-acting poison to kill your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you the day she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen." 
 Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her murder plot against her mother-in-law.

Weeks and months went by and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang said about avoiding suspicion so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had learned to control her temper and she hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months. The mother-in-law now seemed a lot kinder and easier to get along. Her attitude toward Li-Li has changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in- law one could ever find. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.

So now Li-Li has a problem. The situation has changed but what about the poison inside her mother-in-law that would eventually kill her.

Li-Li rushed to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help. She said, "Mr. Huang, please help me to keep off the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her."

Now I want you to think about this. You will be amazed at how people would change when the change starts with you. And couldn’t it be possible that God is using other people to work on you?

Never forget. Behind every successful man stands... a surprised mother-in-law.

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Get your copy now!

DUH?!!
Why do intelligent people
Develop Unhealthy Habits?
How to get out of it and WIN!

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