Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar....

Syed Mokhtar Story (Biography)


Umur - 53 tahun
Pendidikan - SPM
Mula berniaga - 19 tahun (jual beli lembu dan kerbau)
Kekayaan -RM1,425 juta
Ke 7 terkaya di Malaysia
Ke 32 terkaya di Asia Tenggara (Forbes)
Antara syarikat miliknya - MMC, Pelabuhan Tg. Pelepas,
BERNAS, Gardenia, DRB-HICOM dan Bank Muammalat
Kereta - Proton Perdana
Sumbangan sosial -Yayasan Al-Bukhary, institusi pengajian untuk 3,000 pelajar, Muzium Kesenian Islam, Kompleks Al-Bukhary, menaja kelas tuisyen untuk pelajar Melayu, pengindahan Masjid Negara, sumbangan RM1 juta untuk Tabung Tsunami dan menaja setiap tahun penghantaran rakyat Malaysia yang tak mampu untuk tunaikan haji.
BAGAIMANA sumbangan sosialnya bermula - Bila mana ibunya menyuruh memberikan sebahagian elaun (RM750.00) pertamanya sebagai pengarah syarikat beras kepada jiran yang susah. Sebahagian lagi (RM750.00) ibunya simpan. Selain itu, ibunya juga menyuruh beliau menghantar lampu kerosen ke surau-surau untuk menerangi kegiatan sepanjang malam bulan Ramadhan. Dari situ bermulalah pembentukan peribadi dan pemikiran Syed Mokhtar yang kita kenali hari ini.

1. Ada sebab kenapa saya bekerja seperti tiada hari esok. Agenda sosial dan kerja-kerja kemasyarakatan itulah antara sebabnya. Saya mahu meninggalkan warisan untuk anak bangsa yang kekal berpanjangan.

2. (Berkenaan know who) Bangsa lain tak mengapa tapi orang Melayu kena berdamping dengan orang politik sedikit-sedikit. Tapi masalahnya kita tidak mahu melalui kesusahan; banyak yang mahu senang dengan mendampingi orang politik semata-mata.

3. Tiada apa-apa rahsia. Saya ini hamba Allah biasa, budak dangau macam saudara semua juga. Tuhan jadikan manusia ini sama sahaja. Proses kematangan saya yang membezakannya. Saya percaya sesiapa pun boleh menjadi apa sahaja asalkan mereka berusaha dengan tekun. Tetapi tentulah ia memakan masa. Tiada jalan singkat.

4. Saya mengenali kekuatan dan kelemahan saya. Apa yang tidak mampu buat saya akan minta orang lain tengok-tengokkan. Saya melalui jalan yang susah tapi itulah jalan yang kekal.

5. Kita perlu menggunakan kepakaran mereka (bangsa Cina) kerana mereka jauh lebih maju dan mahir daripada kita. Apa yang kita kurang faham kita berkongsi dengan tujuan untuk belajar dengan mereka. Apabila sudah faham baru kita boleh menjaga kepentingan kita.

6. Saya sedih melihat sistem sekolah pondok di Kedah. Saya ada cita-cita mahu memodenkan sekolah pondok. Kita kena maju.

7. Saya terlibat dalam perniagaan ini kerana saya tiada pilihan lain.

8. Untuk memajukan perniagaan, memang kena banyak sabar dan kuat berusaha.

9. Tidak ada jalan singkat. Saya belajar tentang perniagaan ini sejak kecil lagi dan saya juga biasa kena tipu.

10. Saya pun suka kemewahan. Saya pun suka tengok dunia, ke Tokyo, New York dan London. Saya pun suka pakai baju elok. Tapi kita hendak bermewah setakat mana, hendak pakai baju banyak mana, hendak tidur dalam berapa rumah satu malam, hendak makan pun sampai larat mana?

11. Dalam hidup ini kita sebenarnya tidak ada status; ada masa diatas, ada masa di bawah.

12. Ketika Allah memberikan kemewahan, kita kena turun ke bawah, tengok mana-mana yang boleh dibantu. Allah beri rezeki melalui kita untuk kita tolong orang lain. Rezeki itu bila-bila masa dia boleh ambil balik. Jika ada orang korporat Melayu yang tidak mahu turun ke bawah mungkin kerana bayangan duit itu lebih kuat daripada yang lain.

13. Korporat Cina turun ke bawah membantu. Orang Cina ada pelbagai persatuan. Kita tidak ada; kalau ada pun berpecah. Orang Melayu kita tidak mahu bekerjasama kerana perasaan dengki menguasai diri. Sudahlah tak mahu berusaha, apabila orang lain berusaha mereka marah.

14. Rezeki yang ada itu sebenarnya untuk orang lain. Memang dari segi hukum pun begitu. Kita kena keluar zakat dan fitrah. Tetapi zakat fitrah banyak mana sangat. Islam agama yang adil; ia minta sedikit saja. Oleh itu, kalau ada duit yang lebih ia seharusnya dibelanjakan dengan baik.

15. Saya tak kisah kalau saya tak buat semua ini. Saya boleh tak buat apa-apa dan balik ke Alor Star. Tetapi saya rasa hidup ini sia-sia. Orang Kedah kata kalau mati nanti mata tidak tutup rapat kerana tanggungjawab depan mata kita tidak buat. Orang lain ambil kekayaan kita, ambil hak kita dan pergunakan kita, kita masih tidak buat apa-apa !

16. Saya ada emotional attachment kepada agama, bangsa dan ummah. Saya bukan individualistik. Diri saya tidak penting. Pangkat dan gelaran ini kepada saya tidak mustahak.

17. Saya sedih media tonjolkan saya begini. Saya malu kerana orang Cina kaya beratus-ratus kali ganda daripada saya. Tapi saya tahu orang Melayu kalau hendak berjaya kena kerja kuat tidak kira siang malam. Kita ada kekuatan yang Tuhan beri melebihi daripada bangsa lain. Tetapi untuk maju kita perlu berusaha.

18. Saya asal daripada tidak ada apa-apa. Apa yang saya tidak tahu saya belajar, minta tolong daripada orang. Saya tidak malu. Saya bukannya mencuri. Saya usaha sendiri. Sikap pemalas dan pemalu ini yang orang Melayu kena atasi. Kita kena berani kerana benar. Apabila kita dapat keuntungan dan rezeki lebih, bolehlah kita menolong orang.

19. Kaya itu bukanlah kepada diri sendiri. Kaya itu adalah kepada kumpulan perniagaan ini, kepada bangsa dan kepada orang ramai. Saya hanya memegangnya untuk sementara sahaja.

20. Saya tiada keinginan untuk menyimpan kekayaan ini untuk anak dan isteri. Duit ini tidak akan kekal. Saya percaya hanya perkara yang baik yang kita lakukakan akan kekal. Bukan duit yang akan melindungi saya nanti tapi apa yang saya lakukan sekarang.

21. Saya perlu terus mencari peluang dan perniagaan lain supaya kita terus dapat bantu orang lain mengembangkan diri masing-masing. Saya bukan buat semua ini untuk diri saya semata-mata.

22. Ada juga yang saya usaha tapi tak dapat dan orang tak tahu. Apa yang saya dapat itu yang jadi masalah kononnya Syed Mokhtar sapu semua. Bangsa lain memegang pelbagai kepentingan dalam ekonomi, siapa pun tak kata apa. Ini masalah orang Melayu. Di kampung orang Melayu berpecah kerana politik, di bandar berpecah kerana ini (wang).

23. Saya percaya kalau rezeki itu Allah beri kepada saya ia bukan untuk saya tetapi untuk orang ramai juga. Orang tidak tahu banyak syarikat yang saya ada ini gagal dan tidak maju kepada saya tetapi orang tidak tahu.

24. Banyak orang percaya bahawa dia mesti ada RM10 juta atau RM20 juta dalam tangan baru hidup boleh selamat. Ini yang menyebabkan mereka hanyut daripada menolong orang lain. Mereka lebih takutkan diri sendiri. Mereka lupa bahawa kekayaan tidak boleh membantu selama-lamanya.

25. Orang kata saya takda duit tapi banyak hutang. Orang berniaga mana yang tak berhutang. Tapi mesti tahu bagaimana hendak meminjam dan membayarnya semula. Ada cara boleh kita buat. Tapi sebelum berhutang RM100 juta mesti sudah fikir bagaimana hendak membayarnya balik. Mesti ada tanggungjawab. Banyak orang mahu senang tapi tidak ramai yang mahu bertanggungjawab.

26. (Perasaan setiap kali mendapat rezeki). Saya ini kata orang Kedah, lebai kodok bukan lebai pondok. Tapi saya tahu hal-hal asas. Kalau mahu saya minta terus dari Tuhan. Tuhan beri manusia akal dan fikiran. Kalau hendak pakai baju dan seluar biarlah padan dengan badan.

27. Kesenangan yang saya perolehi ini datang dengan tanggungjawab (bila pinjam bayar balik dan buat amal jariah). Kalau hendak dibandingkan dengan bangsa lain, perniagaan saya ini tidak ada apa. Tetapi walaupun sedikit tetapi yang sedikit itu ada berkatnya.

28. Saya suka kalau nikmat sedikit yang saya dapat itu orang lain boleh berkongsi sama.

29. Saya kadang-kadang kecewa dan sedih melihat anak orang alim yang sesetengahnya lupa diri setelah mendapat kekayaan. Saya pun sama seperti orang lain suka hendak ke luar negara tetapi kita tidak boleh lupa kubur kita dan asal usul kita. Di kampung kita mungkin ada jiran-jiran yang perlukan bantuan.

30. ……kalau tidak mungkin saya sudah ke Haatyai dan jadi nakal. Saya manusia yang banyak buat kesilapan. Tetapi saya insaf, beristighfar dan jalan lagi. Sejak awal saya ada kesedaran mahu mengekalkan hak kita sebagai orang Melayu.

31. Saya kata kepada diri sendiri kalau kerana itu saya terpaksa bersusah sedikit pun tidak mengapa.

32. Kekayaan ini Tuhan beri kepada saya untuk saya menolong orang lain pula. Saya percaya kepada keberkatan rezeki. Hari ini kita tolong orang, esok lusa orang akan tolong kita pula dengan cara yang lain.

33. Kalaupun tidak sanggup tunggu 34 tahun seperti saya berilah sedikit masa untuk faham selok belok perniagaan, Insya Allah boleh maju.

34. Kita jangan cepat putus asa. Putus asa boleh tapi kena cepat-cepat kuatkan semula semangat untuk bangkit balik. Jangan jadikan agama hanya satu tempat untuk kita bergantung apabila kita susah. Tanggungjawab ibadah adalah tugas seharian.

35. Lifestyle ? Saya tidak ada lifestyle yang kena masuk kelab sana dan sini. Tapi tak semestinya saya tidak boleh turun ke kelab. Orang Melayu kalau hendak ke depan mesti ada cara hidup yang fleksibel, boleh naik dan turun.

36. Lifestyle ini sebenarnya satu penyakit. Saya biasa pakai Mercedes tapi sekarang saya pakai Proton Perdana untuk sokong kereta nasional. Kereta itu pun cukup untuk bawa saya ke mana-mana.

37. Tiada sebab orang kenapa Melayu tidak boleh maju. Ini saya berani perang dengan sesiapa pun. Orang Melayu boleh maju. Kalau saudara jadi wartawan saudara kena tanam semangat suatu hari nanti mahu ambil alih akhbar ini. Tidak ada sebab kenapa ia tidak boleh berlaku.

38. Kejayaan dan kelemahan orang Melayu bukan disebabkan oleh bangsa kita dan agama kita. Ia berkait dengan sikap dan cara kita berfikir. Gigih, tekun dan tidak mudah putus asa merupakan kunci kejayaan kita. Tapi perkara ini kurang wujud dalam cara orang Melayu berfikir.

39. Tuhan memberi peluang kepada siapa saja yang bekerja kuat. Apa yang ada pada saya ini hanya usaha. Kalau anak dangau macam saya boleh, tidak ada sebab orang lain terutama mereka yang dari pekan tidak boleh.

40. Kita tidak usahlah selalu mengulang-ulang perkara yang boleh memberikan kesan psikologi negatif kepada orang Melayu (kereta dan rumah besar). Kita kena kurangkan bercakap tentang kereta besar dan rumah besar. Sesiapa pun mahu pakai kereta mewah tapi bukan itu matlamatnya.

41. Orang Melayu sebenarnya kena membantu diri sendiri, kena bekerja keras dan fokus.

42. Sikap merendah diri perlu sentiasa ada dalam diri seseorang walau setinggi mana pun kejayaan dicapai.

43. Apa yang saya buat ini (kerja-kerja sosial) semuanya bermula daripada didikan orang tua saya sendiri.

44. Saya sendiri berhutang sambil berniaga dan buat sumbangan amal jariah. Saya tak mahu tunggu hutang habis baru hendak buat semua ini. Saya takut kalau hutang habis saya pun mati dan apa pun tak sempat saya buat.

45. Saya biasa saja. Hidup saya tidak berubah, dari dulu beginilah. Saya terima apa saja nikmat yang diberikan oleh Allah. Tidak ada segelas air, ada setengah gelas pun saya bersyukur.

46. Kalau kerana sedikit bantuan itu mereka lulus peperiksaan dan hidup mereka menjadi lebih baik, saya sudah gembira. Saya tidak boleh buat banyak. Alhamdulillah, lebih baik buat sedikit daripada tidak buat langsung.

47. Saya tiada minat untuk beli kapal layar atau kapal terbang. Saya fikir kalau saya beli sesuatu biarlah orang ramai boleh pakai. Saya suka kalau saya beli sesuatu yang mahal, biarlah orang ramai boleh pakai.

48. Saya gembira dapat membantu. Saya mahu orang lain merasai (kesenangan) apa yang saya pernah rasa. Saya tahu bagaimana perasaanya. Saya kata kepada diri saya, apa yang saya dapat saya mesti beri orang lain merasainya sama. Jangan beri kurang, lebih tak mengapa. Itu yang membuat hati saya seronok.

49. Saya rasa saya ingin menyumbang lebih daripada ini. Saya kata kepada kawan-kawan ini baru warm-up saja; kita belum berjalan lagi. Saya rasa kita terlalu banyak ketinggalan.

50.Kalau pun tak mahu membantu orang melayu, lebih lebih lagi Islam jangan lah kita tergolong atau bertanggung jawab menyumbang pada pembunuhan kegiatan amal orang melayu dan Islam.

AsB...Od'd Again...

I guess, this topic has been discussed over a zillion times among bloggers who are into investments & properties. I'm no different as I'm just 'following' what some of them are doing. I do not know as to what will be the right or wrong way of doing this ASB and OD thingy as long as I know what my aims are...and of course, as long as I reach it...

Anyhoos, somewhere amongst my postings in 2009, I wrote that I would like to achieve a 6 digits savings in my ASB. WEll, have to confess though, I wasn't able to make it last year. What the heck??, it's not a race anyway but I'm super-duper happy to see that with the maegre efforts that I've done througout 2009, I managed to get it closer to that aim. The dividend was ok I think and like I said, I'm grateful that it is now in a very healthy state.

As they say, sometimes, sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit and I found out that is very true. Perhaps, I might reach my aim this year.

Having said that, I do hope that next week I can make a quick visit to PNB to get it certified and hopefully a quick dash to Maybank to top-up my OD. More OD means more opportunites to buy more properties or investments. It doesn't mean that I can go out and jolly katak but at least, having some OD does provide me with a peace of mind at some stage or another.

Well, just wanna share with you what I plan to do with my ASB and OD in a week's time. Actually, this 'way' has been discussed a couple of times in pie's blog. Anyway here goes. let's say my balance in my ASB at the year ended 2009 is RM25k. So, what I plan to do is to get RM20k certified in PNB and then pledge my RM20k to my OD account. As usual, the bank will give about 90% of the RM20k, so it'll be RM18k. Let's further assumed that I have Rm50k of existing OD facilities. So after topping up, I'll have about RM68k worth of OD facilities. In fact, why not pledge the whole RM25k amount eh?...silly me....

Here comes the million dollar question, what can I do with RM68k? Well my friends, what you wanna do with that money, it's entirely up to you as the money is yours. Just make sure you know how you wanna manage as there will interest involve if you use it. You can even top up your ASB or other investments with that money. As long as it grows!!!

Have a good weekend peeps....

DI persimpangan....

Actually, I'm gonna put a gun to my head here....

I'm actually being bitten by the riding bug again. You know, the sound of the exhaust, the freedom of the road. Riding with my buddies. Kinda miss those times. Riding in the rain, under the hot sun. The smell of recently cut grass at the corner of Hulu Langat back roads. Huh...........

Having said that, I am thinking of getting another property (psstt via auction). I know I'm going against my word but it seems to this particular property sits at a very nice location and the rental is good too. I'm somewhat worry that the outstanding bills will be huge (if you know what i mean). Maybe I should turn this into a JV project.

What do you think? A bike or a property?

Heheheh

Just a wee bit disturbed...

I am very, very disturbed over what's been happening to our beloved country nowadays.

It seems that some of us has lost the respect to fellow Malaysians.

To make it worse, some of us don't even respect the dead anymore.

Why? Is it because lack of education?

Attention seeker?

Lack of love?

Lack of respect?

No clear understanding of religion?

Like I said...I'm disturbed....

Desa View Tower : To Let

Desa View Tower Condo For Rent

Monthly rent: RM 850
Bedrooms: 4
Type: Apartments, For Rent
Size: 1056 sq.ft.
Furnished: Partially furnished
Facilities: Swimming pool, Gymnasium, Tennis court, Mini market, Covered parking, 24 hour security, Balcony/Patio

Details
-3+1 Rooms, 2 Bathrooms
-Access Card
-End/Corner Unit
-Recently refurbished
-One covered Car Park
-All rooms are equipped with fans
-Partly Furnished
-Easy Access to MRR2, DUKE
-Nearby facilities (shops/schools)
-Very quiet and serene environment
-The balcony faces KL city

View to appreciate and by appointment only.

Playschool....

This week is actually a big week for me, my wife and the little girl. Why? It is because she has now gone to 'school'. Imagine, she is barely 3 and has got to go to 'school'.

I, as a father, actually felt a little bit kasihan at kecik as she will be in school till she is 17. That's like another 14 years. Then college or university and then get married. Huh, time will certainly fly very fast!!

It was only yesterday that I felt that I held her in my hands. But now, she called me ayah every time I come home and that is something that money can't buy.

Anyways, my point here is, although I'm very happy to see her to go to School but at the back of my mind, being parents with kids nowadays will not be easy as there are so many things that you have to think of especially from the financial aspects. For examples, their school fees, clothes and whatever else.

You'll need to think about her 3rd level education which everybody knows that it is not cheap. Of course, as parents, you want to provide the best environment for your kids. Hence, it will certainly comes with a price. I would assumed that I will need to have something about RM50k-RM100k for her 3rd level education in 15 years time (assuming that she will go into a private college). That means, I have to save up about RM500 per month for the next 15 years for her 3rd level education. Wow...Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead but that is the reality that I'll be facing in the future. Of course, it'll be a different story if she were to get a scholarship. hehehehe. And of course, it will be a totally different story if she is offered a place at a university out of Malaysia. Dennnggg.....

Another angle is, marriage. Again, of course every parents wants to have the best possible marriage for their children. And believe me, this marriage thingy will cause major headache. Perhaps, from my experience, marriage now involves loads of money. I mean A LOT!! Marriage packages now starts from 10-15k for the basic package and it can goes into several hundred thousands far people with loads of money. It's a scary thought though but again, it is the reality moreover for me. Heheheh. That's another thing that I have think about. It won't happen so soon but it will happen before I even notice it. So, that's another Rm500 per month of saving I guess.

However, it makes me think that by investing into properties will actually help me in soothing my concerns about kecik's education and marriage cost. Hhehehe. I guess, it provides me a cushion to have something to 'sell' when the time comes. However, it is just a thought that crosses my mind for the last couple of weeks and it is another wake up call for me that life's not gonna be all rosy and rainbows. I hope when the time comes, I'm ready for it and I thank god that I realised this now instead of 10 years time.

There are of course, more things that I will need to do. Maybe this year is my 'step-up-to-another-gear' year. It's time to take a little bit of risk and see how it goes....

how to...........be an unsuccessful person

People always write about things to do to be successful. Let's take a look on how to be an unsuccessful person

1. Sleep and wake up late everyday
2. Lazy
3. Spend on unneccesary things (cars/bikes/hobbies)
5. Watch movies 7 times a month
6. Lepak at mamak stall and talk about the world, the sky and everything else except how to be a better person.
7. PHD (perasaan hasad dengki)
8. Attitude
9. Buy the latest and most up to date handphones, tv, etc...
10. Have 4 credit cards with 3 of em almost reaching credit limit
11. Watch reality shows/cerekarama/horror instead of reading books
12.Don't know what to do with life
13. Don't know what you want in life
14. Bad mouth others
15. Tidak apa attitude (No 8)
16. Depend on others
17. Blame it on other people when things go wrong
18. Doing things half-heartedly
19. Doing things that you don't know and don't have a clue about
20. Forget about god.


there are more actually.........

Words for thought

1. Up until we realize that we are not good, we will forever be where we are currently.
2. Don't deny the facts that we are not as hardworking as some other people.
3. We always thought the world as sunshines and rainbows that we forgets about the rain and thunder
4. 2 heads are seriously better then 1 but why are we quarelling with each other?
5. Change is good but until we decide to change, we will be who we are as yesterday.
6. Why is it, when some achieve success, we blame on others why we can't be as successful as the other person....
7. Why is it we always do something that it is not worthwhile doing?


errr................

GST

Goods and Services Tax. What is it?

In a layman's terms, it means, all goods & services are subjected to tax. Which ultimately means, there should be an increase in the prices of all goods and services. Which also means, some of our hard working money will be ultimately 'returned' to the authorities.

We have income tax. Then the RPGT and now GST? Wow.....1 Malaysia. Yey!!!

So what will happen to the average income earners in the country? I would assume that there will be a lot of unhappy Malaysians once GST is implemented. I doubt whether the higher income earners would complain as the numbers will be insignificant to 'em. What will happen to the purchasing power (if at all that some of us have) of the average income earnerS?

Some of us couldn't afford to buy our own house and now with all this coming up, it is quite frightening to think about what the future holds. Whatever measly sums that we earn it seems to be taken back by the authorities.

How are the small time business people are gonna do their business with the introduction of this GST? How will it affects the consumers? How do businesses attract consumers? Prices wil go up that's for sure! Surely, some will complaint why are we paying the services tax for if the services are not acceptable?

there's a saying, the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. I guess, it is very true in this dog-eat-dog environment.

Hrmmmmmmmm..........

Hot Spots for Property Investment

Let's see if I get these hot spots right..

1. Any area that has a d'sara name on it..
2. Setapak, Wangsa Maju, Melawati (already matured)
3. Bandar Tasik Permaisuri
4. Sentul
5. Ampang Village


Errr....these are the areas that I can think of right now...there are more actually.....Feel free to add......

profit focus

Nowadays, from my observation, a lot of people seems to focus themselves on gaining profits. Well, there's nothing wrong with it actually....but, to just focus on getting it solely, I doubt it is something good. You know what I mean?

For me, it is always about the attitude. If your attitude is right, the money or profits will come in so many ways that you'll never expects em to be. But, if your attitude is just about gaining profits without the care of the world, you might obtain it but I guess, but you won't get it easy....

So boys and girls, ladies and gentleman, it's all about the ATTITUDE!!

Don't be a half past six human being.....

THis is Bad.....

This is bad people. We should not resort to do such act!! An act of stupidity and just plain coward!!!

Please think before you wanna do something!!!!

If we want people to understand Islam than act like a proper muslim!!

For heaven's sake cool down and chill....Do not do anything stupid.....

Horror!!

Some goon decides to kill a family of four. Stuck a knife in a young girl's chest. A headless body. A woman with no hand as it was chopped off. Another old turd with his right hand chopped off as well.

It sounds like a storyline from an American horror 'death' movie. Apparently it's not. It happen somewhere in Tampin. What in the name of heaven has happened to some of this people? Geeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

I hope the killer(s) will be caught and be stoned to death!!!

WIP

Another property of mine will be up for lease in about a month's time....

Watch this space!!!

Updated 21st Jan 2010. The condo has been refurbished with new paint. Very clean and nice!!!

1st post of 2010

Sometimes, you may need some form of inspiration from somewhere. It doesn't matter from where, but when you felt like the whole world is against you, you just want something to inspire you...

that's how i find this inspirational speech from rocky balboa. What? From rocky balboa? You may laugh but I found it amusing and inspirational at the same time.

YOu can watch it here....

or, read on.....

"When Things got hard, you started looking for something to blame. Like a Big Shadow.
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it...

You've gotta hit as hard as life. It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much can you take and keep moving forward? That's how winning is done.

If you know what you're worth, Go out and Get What Your Worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that."

----Rocky Balboa

How's that for an inspiration eh?...