A great day

Current favourite song: I Still... Backstreet Boys
Now at: Big O Cafe, Wheelock Place




Someone said this on Sunday and it hit me like a hammer. Hard.

And I think it makes complete sense to me.

He said, "CONFESSION IS POSSESSION."


So, the name of the game is - in your daily life, always confess good things over your life. To confess is to believe something in your heart and say it aloud frequently. For example, when someone asks me, "how's life dude," my unfailing answer would be, "Excellent," or "I'm having a great day."

The strange thing is that, sometimes, I might be having a really lousy day, but I'm not going to make it any worse by admitting it. The first step towards changing things around you is to start with the words from your mouth!

Confess goodness over your life, and chances are, goodness will start following you wherever you go. It works for me and gives me that little bit extra to go on.





And for the record, the past couple of days have indeed quite been splendid for me.


Actually, my basketball boys lost a friendly match yesterday afternoon. At the end of the game, I had a talk with the coach and we agreed that the mistakes that my boys made were glaring. Yes, we scolded them and they deserved every bit of criticism dished out to them. The boys must know their weaknesses and their strengths, for the first match of the competition is merely days away. We do not have the luxury of time for any more friendly matches. It's back to the court for training, training & training.



As dusk fell, I had a chat with the opponent's teacher in-charge - a gentleman just starting out in the job. As I walked with him to the school gate, my basketball boys walked past us, on the way out of school. The boys, in their customary manners, bid us goodbye. "Goodbye, Mr Ng. Goodbye teacher."

The teacher was stunned. He turned to me and said, "If only my boys were like yours."



At that moment, I was filled with pride with these group of basketball players. From day one, I have always endeavoured to train these boys with strict discipline, manners and character, for those are some of the essential ingredients needed for Fajar basketball team's evolution into a team of genuine class & quality.

While I was really proud of them yesterday, another thought struck me as well. I realised that I must never take these boys for granted. All these boys come under me only for 4 or 5 years in their lives. Within this short period of time, I know I must do my best to teach them about what really, really matters.

Matches can be won or lost, but what is most important is that these boys grow up to be upright men of real quality, gentlemanly in words and deeds, reliable at all times, and trustworthy in every way.





As I bid my players farewell as they walked off into the sunset, I am quite sure that some of them are clearly transforming, right before my very eyes, into fine young men, and I am glad.