I was initially confused regarding the timing of this workshop cos the time in the sms that i received is different from that printed on my tix. N i got worried when the hotel staff told me there ain't any booking made under JY or Mastery Academy when i called. But everythg was resolved when I posted my query on Joey's fb page. Fb rocks! Lol
Joey covered v. Interesting but useful biz concepts which he later linked to FengShui. He mentioned abt how many successful ppl usually tend to link their success to passion n how many unsuccessful ppl attributed their lack of success to how they haven't found their passion yet. His real life example: he first developed an interest in FengShui then became good at it. N that's when he found his passion in it. N he made a conscious choice to turn it into a biz. So first we have To start somewhere n first develop an interest in something first. N when u become better at doing it, passion n money will follow...it's abt creating our passion!
Joey said that noblemen will bring u insights n can enlighten n show us impt principles to succeed. But we have to develop ourselves so that we will b ready to ask the right questions when we meet our noblemen! Well, that is a v. Good reminder for me! Btw, he said noblemen can piss us off but helped us to realize certain things. Then I started to think abt my life...that asshole conman that I met last yr actually has my nobleman star. He broke my heart but made me realize stuff abt myself too. N I was forced to grow up in those few months. Learnt that I shldnt b so naive n trusting n how i shld nvr let others take advantage of my kindness. In fact, I'm not sure if I can easily trust new ppl that I meet anymore...
He said there's a difference between fulfillment n happiness. Fulfillment is abt ur ability to contribute n personal growth. N Need will always come before want. So ask if ur biz is a vitamins or aspirin biz?
Interesting quotes from Joey:
"If u think like what 95% of the ppl r thinking, u will b poor like them! Look at what poor ppl do n don't do it!"
"As long as u have a namecard, u r an employee!"
He talked abt how the various sectors of the home represent diff stuff n how u can redefine ur biz. For example, the southwest sector represents sustainability n class n elegance n property n wealth which cannot b described. Joey poked fun of those ladies who can't pronounce Hermes correctly. (Well, it's french...i attended one french class in uni...my humble bitchy advice for those ladies: perhaps they can ask their french frenz how to pronounce Hermes correctly? lol) Well, i totally agree with Joey that money can't buy class. i saw this quote on fb: "Never sacrifice your class to get even with someone who has none. Let them have the gutter. You take the high road!" Rem what I always say? I like classy stuff n that include men. Lol. My bedroom happens to be in the southwest so it's not surprising ya? Lol
It was a day well spent with plenty of insights. This workshop is really interesting n I would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of attending it in future. But I'm not sure if Joey would still be the trainer for the next one? Btw, I was telling a fren the other day that there r so many FengShui masters n mistresses in sg. If I wanna learn, I might as well learn from someone who is successful in both fengshui n biz! Btw, there r ppl who think Joey come across as arrogant. But to me, it's confidence n That confidence is v. Attractive. Lol
PS: Btw, I got my doubt clarified. Bazi is based on the solar calendar. but I don't think the latest changes he made to his bazi profiling software captured mine accurately. Btw, Joey was careful not to anyhow point his laser pointer into the audience today. I'm not sure if he read what I wrote here previously. But i was merely providing constructive feedback. Lol. N I was close enough to see that he wasn't wearing any makeup today. Lol...again, i noticed that ppl r searching for details of Joey's gf on my leechie blog...no such juicy gossip here...i'm sorry...
Fb exchange with Joey:
"It doesn’t really matter how fast you are going if you’re heading in the wrong direction." ~ Joey Yap
"How? o.O" ~ leechie
"Being aware is in fact the first step to change . Without awareness of the problem, you cannot change. Fixing it is a matter of turning around and then proceeding in the right direction." ~ Joey
"but if u find urself stuck in the far end of the wrong direction ler...then there is internal resistance to turn back to move in the other direction cos u dunno if the other direction is right for u? cos there may b more than 1 direction that u can take...then how? o.O" ~ leechie
" Tono Leechie - haha How? the choice is either continue on the wrong path and endure the pain and consequences, or turn back and at least try a different path with hope of improving. You may not know if the new path is right for you, but at least you know the current path you take is definitely not the right one. the wise thing to do is to stop and turn back." ~ Joey
" i know im stuck in somthg that i dont like...but i dunno what i like...i need more courage to explore...thx Joey" ~ leechie
"i put it in ;short for you..."cut loss in whatever you are doing not right".... dont get caught in a maze ... going round round.." ~ Thousands Tee
"you are paying for people to create a suspension that never give you answers... might well decide after doing your sum ,from where you fall and start from there... right or wrong.. no one to blame..." ~ Thousands Tee
"This is a story worth reading :
(Joey's comments below)
Ang Lee: A Never Ending Dream
"In 1978, as I applied to study film at the University of Illinois, my father vehemently objected. He quoted me a statistic: ‘Every year, 50,000 performers compete for 200 available roles on Broadway.’ Against his advice, I boarded a flight to the U.S. This strained our relationship. In the two decades following, we exchanged less than a hundred phrases in conversation.
Some years later, when I graduated film school, I came to comprehend my father’s concern. It was nearly unheard of for a Chinese newcomer to make it in the American film industry. Beginning in 1983, I struggled through six years of agonizing, hopeless uncertainty. Much of the time, I was helping film crews with their equipment or working as editor’s assistant, among other miscellaneous duties. My most painful experience involved shopping a screenplay at more than thirty different production companies, and being met with harsh rejection each time.
That year, I turned 30. There’s an old Chinese saying: ‘At 30, one stands firm.’ Yet, I couldn’t even support myself. What could I do? Keep waiting, or give up my movie-making dream? My wife gave me invaluable support.
My wife was my college classmate. She was a biology major, and after graduation, went to work for a small pharmaceutical research lab. Her income was terribly modest. At the time, we already had our elder son, Haan, to raise. To appease my own feelings of guilt, I took on all housework – cooking, cleaning, taking care of our son – in addition to reading, reviewing films and writing scripts. Every evening after preparing dinner, I would sit on the front steps with Haan, telling him stories as we waited for his mother – the heroic huntress – to come home with our sustenance (income).
This kind of life felt rather undignified for a man. At one point, my in-laws gave their daughter (my wife) a sum of money, intended as start-up capital for me to open a Chinese restaurant – hoping that a business would help support my family. But my wife refused the money. When I found out about this exchange, I stayed up several nights and finally decided: This dream of mine is not meant to be. I must face reality.
Afterward (and with a heavy heart), I enrolled in a computer course at a nearby community college. At a time when employment trumped all other considerations, it seemed that only a knowledge of computers could quickly make me employable. For the days that followed, I descended into malaise. My wife, noticing my unusual demeanor, discovered a schedule of classes tucked in my bag. She made no comment that night.
The next morning, right before she got in her car to head off to work, my wife turned back and – standing there on our front steps – said, ‘Ang, don’t forget your dream.’
And that dream of mine – drowned by demands of reality – came back to life. As my wife drove off, I took the class schedule out of my bag and slowly, deliberately tore it to pieces. And tossed it in the trash.
Sometime after, I obtained funding for my screenplay, and began to shoot my own films. And after that, a few of my films started to win international awards. Recalling earlier times, my wife confessed, ‘I’ve always believed that you only need one gift. Your gift is making films. There are so many people studying computers already, they don’t need an Ang Lee to do that. If you want that golden statue, you have to commit to the dream.’
And today, I’ve finally won that golden statue. I think my own perseverance and my wife’s immeasurable sacrifice have finally met their reward. And I am now more assured than ever before: I must continue making films.
You see, I have this never-ending dream."
(Following Ang Lee’s second Best Directing win at the Academy Awards last night, this beautiful essay resurfaced. Here is my translation of Ang Lee’s words, written in 2006 (post-Oscar win). Please credit the translation to Irene Shih (and to this blog), thank you!)
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Ang Lee has an ARTIST PROFILE. He managed to maximize the potential of his chart. Maximizing one's fullest potential require perseverance, focus and commitment.
Many people have great BaZi Charts. But not many are able to maximize their life potential. Some are not even aware of their talents!! Awareness is the first step towards positive changes.
From Ang Lee's chart - his wife star (Ding Fire) is his nobleman and favorable element. Hence the wife is instrumental in his success in life."
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Millionaire Asia (March Issue)
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"Don't abdicate your power, Be in control of your life."
Date : 1 Mar 2013
by Grace Lai
Joey Yap believes that everybody can be successful. "Every single one of them can be successful. I don't think anyone is born to be poor, suffer and live in misery. It's up to you to live your life. You decide whether you want to change your life," he asserted. This man, who at the very young age of 26 became a self-made millionaire, believes that success is not what you have. It is, in his words, "who you become". "Be a better vision of yourself. Don't be trapped by your destiny," he added.
His feats run a mile long and celebrated as he is, there is no need for a repeat of his resume. One thing he is very clear on is that he does not predict the future. "I am not a fortune teller. This subject has always been shrouded in mystery when in fact it's very basic and not as complicated as people think. I look at charts, at a person's destiny and find the options that allow that person to be the most successful he or she can be. In consultations, I tell you your option and show you the path. It is then up to you to take the steps and follow the path to your success."
Debunking "fortune telling"
"Predicting the future is divination. We don't do that. We make an intelligent decision based on options we look for from a person's "Ba Zi" (Ba Zi, 八字, Eight Characters, is a sophisticated art based largely on the Chinese five-element theory, allowing one to investigate the potential and mysteries of a person's life using his or her birth data) and charts. It's about life transformation and looking for the key to change in one's life," Joey shared. Taking MillionaireAsia's ultra high net worth readers as an example, Joey said, "Wealthy people are very often successful. Why? It's because they make sure that all risks are taken into consideration and calculated. That's what we do. We calculate risks and present the best option suitable for a specific individual at that specific time. People think that this is a very special field; they think it's difficult to learn. It's exactly the same as any other."
"Talents are gifts and they can be discovered early in life or later in life. It requires training, honing, improving and transferring. It's about discovery and development. To become good at Feng Shui is not about talent. It's about interest and the purpose of that interest. Some people are just intrigued in Feng Shui. My interest in it was a life transformation. I wanted to use it as a tool to transform lives and make a difference."
Joey admits that his parents were not too keen on his choice of career initially. "Like any parents, mine did not start off supporting my decision. The reason being their perception of Feng Shui. They believed that this was not a professional or respectable field and did not want me associated with such a field."
Success and achieving it
"Everybody wants to be successful. They all want to be rich, have a good figure or be healthy, but they do not and often, are not, willing to do what it takes to be that. People say that to succeed, all it takes is passion in what you do, but I beg to differ. It's about cause and effect. You see, whatever we are good at in life, we are bound to be passionate about. If you are runninga successful business or doing what you excel in, you are bound to be passionate about it! So they key is to first be good at what you do. Then you will be passionate in doing it!" Joey put it to me.
"People are in love with the effect, but not the cause. The cause the most important part-are the tools required and the skills you need to hone to get what you want. So fall in love with the cause first and the process will lead to results," he stressed. This is a man who strongly believes that "passion is created and not found."
A sage for his young age (Joey is 36 this year), Joey went on to share a profound example. "Human beings are the only living beings that do not always reach their full potential. Take for example a tree. How tall is it grow? As tall as possible right? But not human beings. Often, we fall short of our destinies and stop growing. Growth has to be intentional. It doesn't happen just because you are living. We must have a plan to be a better version of ourselves be a better character. Being busy does not equate to growing."
"My fulfillment comes when I see lives transformed. When someone who is struggling in what they do and earn, for example, only 3000 a month goes on to be rich and happier from my consultation, I'm happy. Everybody can succeed, it's all about gleaning the useful information from the useless."
On the legacy he wishes to leave behind, Joey opined, "I'm in the business of transforming lives and I hope that's what I do. I also hope that people will remember my teachings. All this time this subject has been hard to understand because information on it is scarce and dispersed. Those who mastered it were either unwilling to share what they know or do not teach it well. It has been my passion to gather these bits and pieces (Joey is a prolific author) and make the subject available to all. I hope people can study it and transform lives. That is what I want to do so that I can live on through it."
Click: www.masteryacademy.com/academy/MillionaireAsia2013Marchimg.asp
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Interesting Quotes:
"It shows the power of networks," said David Friedman, president of Wealth-X. "Harvard has this entrenched, powerful network that extends across so many sectors and is incredibly pro-active about connecting its alumni. You get a great education, but you also get access."
Harvard's success, said Friedman, "validates what we all whisper and now we know: It's not just what you know, it's who you know."
"Those who discourage your dreams, have likely abandoned their own."
"SCORPIO - The Addict (October 23 to November 21)
EXTREMELY adorable. Loves to joke. Very good sense of humor. Will try almost anything once. Loves to be pampered. Energetic. Predictable. GREAT kisser. Always get what they want. Attractive. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Loves to party but at times to the extreme. Loves the smell and feel of money and is good at making it but just as good at spending it! Very protective over loved ones. HARD workers. Can be a good friend but if is disrespected by a friend, the friendship will end. Romantic. Caring. "
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