the habits

Actually i did attend this 7-habit thing which lasted for a few days (can't really remember) some time in 1996. And now I've forgotten almost all of the contents. And I did read the book too - participants were given a set of the book (which was already a bestseller then.. one objective of Covey's achieved), the 7-habit file, the 7-habit note book (seems like kinda Star Wars or LOTR merchandise) and so forth which I really can't remember now.

The speaker then was obviously not Covey himself, it was some Malaysian (a Chinese, for the fact that there are not many Malay speakers - what more if these courses or seminars are conducted in English) - though we may have many Malay preachers whose ideas are more or less like Covey too, example- Dr Fazillah Kamsah. About the whole seminar and the idea from Mr Covey's brain? I suppose it may help, depending on the individual. One can attend as many seminars/talks/courses as one likes and read as many books/magazines/articles as may be available in the bookstore, but it's still in him or her to initiate whatever change there needs to be. For the idea, yes, this 7-habit may do you some favour.

For the real you as a highly effective and successful person, this definitely is not the answer. One's success, to me, lies in his or her own self trust. Because if I can recall correctly, Ralph Waldo Emerson quoted: "Self trust is the first secret to success". Just because the market talk may "prove" that 7-habits of highly Effective people is good, this does not provide any testimony of assurance. I would remember what Alan Ashley-Pitt once said, "never let you be afraid of walking alone. The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been".

From my obeservation, I sum up an opinion, that may not be right - that Malaysians generally are followers. Malaysians always prefer foreign products, from coffee to ice cream, clothes to designers, music to films, almost everything you can think of. Perhaps local ones lack class and quality, but if Malaysians do not believe in themselves, who would? And how do you explain the packed Dome cafe at KLCC (not for the number of customers, but for the low turnover of customers who are there to sip a cup or two of coffee and be there for more than two hours)? Of course there are people who go there purely for the good taste of its Cafe Vienna, but what about those who want to be there to be seen? Is being seen at such cafes or bistros a sign of prestige or is it just to look prestigous, and not mind being pretentious? Do we as Malaysians, lack self esteem that we want to be preceived to be on par with those of the developed nation? Do we have to do things they do, study the things they read, adopt the ideas they formulate, so that we'd be at the same "level" or do we do these because we ourselves like what we are doing? Because we ourselves want to learn? Because we ourselves want to study? It all boils down to our intention and motive, and this intention, this motive, needs to be one which is a result of honesty, not to anyone, but to ourselves. Perhaps there will come a new breed of Malaysians, different from who we have now.

As many may notice, what we have now are politicians, corporate leaders, academicians, professionals, who, simply said, love to pontificate. Let me not elaborate further... So, what I am writing now, I have no conclusion, perhaps someone may wish to come out with one. Yes, there's something more, about our main purpose in life? Is it the power, the status, the money...? To me, it's the happiness. Whatever that you think may lead to it, explore it, because happiness is not an accident, nor is it something you wish for. Happiness is something you design.