My friend asked me a question, 'Hoong Ling, are you rich?'
'Of course I am! I have a body of silver, a heart of gold, platinum plated and lined with titanium!'
Everyone burst out laughing at my response.
Today I saw a friend posting on her Facebook, 'If you ever want to know how rich you are, just count all the things you have that money can't buy'
I agree with that and I'd think that is true riches. Count not the money you have in the bank but the blessings you have that money really can't buy.
I recently just calculated my nett cash and found a meagre RM2606.39 as the number, of course struggling without a job for two years and my deep passion in social causes I'm currently working on. A 9-5 job will not allow me to 'work' on things I love to do most - social works. Therefore I chose to do my own works by offering professional emceeing. That's my only income for the moment and every month I'd take 3-4 jobs, enough to live a comfortable living.
Of course I still have 2 properties to collect rental, minus off all expenses, I have RM250 passive incomes!
However, I'm rich! Really rich! Every night before I sleep I count my blessings... I post my #gratitude on Facebook and Twitter at times and I truly feel blessed.
Money can't buy my breaths and the fact that I'm still breathing is a blessing. I risked my life on an operation theatre to save a stranger by giving 60% of my liver. I cheated death twice during Kayak For Humanity - once during training near the whirlpools and once facing 17ft waves.
Money can't buy or choose my parents and I have both very differing thoughts one. I lived with both thoughts and learnt to listen to both views and angle of views.
Money definitely can't buy my friends and I have a lottttttt of great companies around me! I have my friends since school days hanging out together even until now. I have 3 great mentors - all great guys - one memory expert, one deputy minister and one famous training and marketing expert. I have friends whom I everyday receive comments so I can improve. And I have a cool bunch of Twitter friends whom we have monthly bah kut teh in Klang, eat, drink, sing karaoke and political discussions...
Money cannot buy experience and I'm truly glad I have opportunities to walk a journey less or seldom traveled by others. My life is always full of challenges, or shall I say the paths I daringly take always give me experience I can't find elsewhere. Rather, the people I'm with also gave me much opportunities - although I'm always frank, direct, straightforward and sometimes considered rude, I have my ex-bosses who are all very educating and taught me lessons in life.
My first boss gave me an opportunity to be a supervisor after a month being a cashier and taught me that I must always consider the person giving me opportunities. I wanted to resign after a while, which could put him in very difficult position because he has fought for my promotion and salary. My last company put me in a position where I'm very much empowered to do a lot of things, further taught me to win a battle, not just a war. Other experiences include being a TV Presenter on Selamat Pagi Malaysia even when in college and I was without experience at all. Money definitely couldn't buy all these.
Money cannot buy sincere hearts who sincerely want to give me things I need or want. I've learned that giving is better than receiving and I always have the joy of giving and that joy kept me giving but to receive, I always feel a guilt and embarrassment in myself. Friends said I'm selfish but I didn't see how giving more than receiving can be selfish. He said if I refused to receive I'm deprive others the joy of giving. I learn to receive.
Recently a new friend Tan Sri Kua Sian Kooi has offered to buy me a hearing aid which I'll need on my left ear. A genuine heart to sincerely give me a gift of hearing. I hesitated at first, knowing a hearing aid can be very expensive, knowing Tan Sri Kua only as @skkua on Twitter, and somehow I was taught since young not to mingle with the rich or they will think you want something from them. But I've never met a more sincere heart than his. He is unlike some people who merely say or talk about helping others but expecting the person to go through tough process, I have met many. Instead Tan Sri Kua is the humblest rich man I've ever seen, most sincere by repeatedly asking me for my account number and even had a lunch session arranged.
I can't describe how excited I was when I went to two hearing aid shops to test my ears and find out the models which suit me. During lunch this week, I showed Tan Sri a few models but chose one that really suit my ear. There were bluetooth models, remote control, multi-channels, multi colours, even with programmable music. I will forgo the bluetooth and colours but will need a high number of channels, background noise reduction, feedbacks handling and the model I chose comes with music in the ears!
It is really not cheap though, bluetooth models can go up to a whooping RM15,000 and the model I chose ranges from RM5,000 (5 channels) to RM10,000 (15 channels). I thought to take a mid range of 10 channels which could cost RM7k-8k but Tan Sri really wants to give me a good one and I finally can't contain my excitement to get the 15 channels one.
I'm looking very much forward to hear with both ears again and I count these blessings everyday.
THANK YOU Tan Sri Kua! A gift of hearing is one best gift for me!
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Things just happen, the rest is up to us to make it GREAT!
Hoong Ling
+6016-3310325
www.hoongling.com
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