Sometimes It Takes A Tragedy To Remind Us How Precious Life Is
On the 28 of Jan 2012, my wife and I escaped a major tragedy by just a few seconds. At 2am+, we were traveling along Fort road, going home from a movie. Suddenly, our car just stalled on the road for no reason. Suddenly, in less than five seconds, two cars collided at high speed in front of us. One of the cars (a red taxi) flipped over towards us as we watched in horror. The taxi landed less than 2 meters in front of our car. It was like a scene out of ‘Final Destination’.
I got out of the car and together, with some passerbys, got the driver and the passenger out of the smashed taxi. Miraculously, they had minor injuries. The two passengers in the other car were also miraculously not seriously injured.
As my wife and I stood at the side of the road in shock, we wondered, ‘if we had left the cinema a minute faster than we did or if our car did not stall, the taxi would have certainly crash landed on our car, and we may have been seriously injured or even killed. It’s times like this that you really start to think, ‘were we just lucky?’ or was it divine intervention? Why did our car stall at that precise moment?
As my wife and I stood at the side of the road in shock, we wondered, ‘if we had left the cinema a minute faster than we did or if our car did not stall, the taxi would have certainly crash landed on our car, and we may have been seriously injured or even killed. It’s times like this that you really start to think, ‘were we just lucky?’ or was it divine intervention? Why did our car stall at that precise moment?
The strange thing is that this is not the first time, I had such a close shave with death. When I was 8 years old, I was sitting on the front seat of my mum’s car as she was driving down a hill at Lucky Heights, near the east coast of Singapore. At the bottom of the hill was cross junction. As our car was going down the very steep hill, the brakes failed. My mother knew that if we had continued going straight down, we would hit on coming traffic. So she swerved the car to the left towards the houses along the road. Our car crashed through the fence of a house, flipped over and landed on the garden of someone’s house. The crash was totally smashed but mum and I escaped with minor injuries.
It’s looking back at these incidents that I believe that I have had a truly blessed life and I am so lucky to have the opportunity to continue living. Millions of people around the world have their life taken from them every single day. This is why I live everyday to the fullest and never allow myself to complain about anything. Life is short so we should not waste a second of it worrying, arguing or fighting over every little thing. This is why I have learnt to enjoy and appreciate every aspect of my life, even the tough challenges I go though.
I also believe that everything happens for a purpose. We are all here for a purpose. The most important thing is to find out what your purpose on earth is. I am so lucky that I learnt a long time ago that we are not placed on this earth to exist day to day and play small with our life. We are placed on this earth to play big with our life in our own unique way of contribution. We are all meant to leave this earth a much better place than when we found it. I have been so lucky to find my purpose at such a young age-which is to inspire and empower others to be the best they can be.
You will know what your purpose is when you find what you truly love to do. That is the clue that God gave to all of us. Find what you love to do and that is what God meant you to do. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” (Einstein said this).
A Student From Indonesia I Am Very Proud of!
Just received an email from a student of mine who attend my ‘I Am Gifted!’ camp 6 years ago. I am so happy and proud that he became one of the top students in Indonesia, scored straight ‘A’s for A levels as is now studying engineering in Cambridge University. Every student truly has the potential to be GIFTED!
If it is a bit too small to read my screen capture. Here is the email typed out
Dear Adam,
It has been a while since I graduated from IAG program in June 2006 in Jakarta, Indonesia. During the program, a lot of things happened and some of them have changed the way I think and behave. The program has shaped me into a better person. I forced myself to be more confident, more persistent, more friendly and also more hardworking. Since that time, I have taken so many actions as what you have told us to do in the camp. I set my goal to become an all-rounded person in the school, who is not known as a geek but can top the class at the same time.
In year 2007, I finished my year 10 as the 2nd best student in the class and was admitted to join the natural science class at SMAK 1 PENABUR Jakarta. In year 11, I found that everyone was very good academically and non-academically. I slipped off from the top of the class and moved out from the top 5 position in the class. This, however, didn’t put me off. I learned from my experience and climbed back in my year 12. I graduated from the high school with flying colours, 2nd best student in the class, top 5% of the batch, and scored high marks in my final exams.
Since secondary school, my dream is to become an engineer and therefore, I applied for engineering course in the university. Luckily, my parents are able to support me financially to study overseas. I applied to universities in the USA and Canada. However, none of the universities can change my goal to study in the UK. As an Indonesian scholar, I can’t enter the UK universities with my Indonesian High School certificate. I was required to take A-level or IB or foundation programme, which is basically redoing what I have done in high school. But of course, to achieve goals, we need to take action. I decided to take the bet of losing time (A level programme takes 2 years) and US/Canada university opportunities and flew to the UK to do my A level in one of the international school in Cambridge, UK.
After a while, I found that even though the course is equivalent with my high school, but I still learned a lot of new stuff here. We were never taught about how to write a proper essay in Indonesia. Here in the UK, I was taught and forced to write essay, making me more ready to enter the university life. I also decided not to miss anymore opportunities offered to me. I joined the Student Representative Committee, the College Newsletter team in the college and joined the Indonesian Student Society under the Indonesian Embassy in the UK. At the end of my 1st year in A Level, I was chosen by the college to receive a scholarship for my 2nd year course due to my outstanding A level results. When I graduated from the college, I was awarded the Student of the year award by the college by achieving 4A*s and 1A in my A level together with an offer from University of Cambridge to read engineering.
Now, here I am, currently studying engineering at one of the best university in the world and many thanks to the camp and the trainers, who actually shaped me into the person who I am right now. To look back, such achievements are amazing, yet I shouldn’t be contented with these achievements. I am now looking forward to become one of the leading engineer and businessman in the field of renewable energy and manufacturing. Please wish me luck!
I hope all AKLTG staffs are doing well and I miss their training. I wish I can join the training session again as a trainer in the future if there are opportunities.
Warmest regards,
Kevin S. Widjaja
IAG Alumni 2006
Kevin S. Widjaja
IAG Alumni 2006
Official Opening of the Adam Khoo Learning Centre at West Coast Plaza, Singapore
I am very happy to report that we have opened our 7th Adam Khoo Learning Centre at West Coast Plaza, Singapore. I would like to thank Fredrick Tan, Managing Director of Adam Khoo Learning Centre at the whole team for doing a great job in transforming the lives of thousands of students in Singapore and Asia through our highly effective English and Math Mastery Courses.
Our management team. From left: Dr. Peter Yan (Head of Math), Dr. Cheah Yin Mee (Head of English), Pat Cheo (CEO, Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group), Fred Tan (Managing director, Adam Khoo Learning Centre) and myself!
That’s me cutting the ceremonial ribbon
Some posters featuring our many students at Adam Khoo Learning Centre
Take a Virtual Tour of Our New Centre
Finally, some of our dedicated teachers and the values they uphold at our centres
A special message to all Patterns of Excellence Graduates from 2002-2012
How time flies! Those of you from the earlier whoosh batches (before 2005) would remember us running POE at Rendezvous hotel and at Copthorne Orchid Hotel and Stuart and I were much much younger then (age 28). How the programme has grown since then has been amazing. I would like to thank ALL the participants and coaches who have grown together with us over the LAST DECADE. Thank you for being with us on this amazing journey.
To celebrate this occasion, I would like to organize a get-together for EVERYONE who has been a part of POE over the last 10 years. It would be awesome to see all of you again. I also thought of creating a 10 year anniversary video and magazine. Does anyone have any other ideas of what we can do to celebrate the great memories? If you are passionate about this and would even like to be part of a committee to organize this event, do let me know! GIVE ME YOUR IDEAS!
Outstanding POE Alumni Award
As part of the celebration, I would like to recognize individuals who have achieved significant progress, achieved major challenges and success in their lives after POE. Our team of trainers have already nominated a few people but we would like to you to nominate anyone who has been an inspiration to the spirit of POE! You can also nominate yourself of course. Do send me your nominations.
As part of the celebration, I would like to recognize individuals who have achieved significant progress, achieved major challenges and success in their lives after POE. Our team of trainers have already nominated a few people but we would like to you to nominate anyone who has been an inspiration to the spirit of POE! You can also nominate yourself of course. Do send me your nominations.
Outstanding Coach Awards
POE would not be where it is today if not for the dedicated coaches who have volunteered that many weekends and weekdays to bring out the best in all of us. Was there a coach that touched your life? That helped you make a breakthrough. Nominate coaches who you think deserve to achieve the outstanding POE coach awards.
POE would not be where it is today if not for the dedicated coaches who have volunteered that many weekends and weekdays to bring out the best in all of us. Was there a coach that touched your life? That helped you make a breakthrough. Nominate coaches who you think deserve to achieve the outstanding POE coach awards.
I look forward to your replies. Have an awesome 2012
P.S. If you know anyone who is a POE graduate, do forward this message to them
Learn From Your Past & Design Your Future
Dear friend
Another year has passed and a new one has just begun! I hope that 2011 has been a meaningful and fulfilling year for you as it has been for me. At the same time, I would like to wish you all the good health, success and happiness in 2012!
In this post, I would like to share with you a powerful ritual that I do for myself at the beginning of each year. It helps me to clarify the lessons I have learnt the year before and empowers me to start the new year with more focus, more energy and more wisdom.
The Past Year In Review
I have always found it very useful to reflect on the year that has passed. As we all know, things do not always go according to plan in life. Sometimes, life throws us unexpected challenges that knock us off course temporarily. Sometimes, we go through setbacks and disappointments. We may achieve some of the goals we have set and we may have missed the mark on others. I have found that in my own life, 70% of the things I plan to do never go according to plan. Yet, by consistently changing my strategy and taking massive action, I get myself back on track and keep progressing forward until I get the results I want (or somewhere near there).
Always remember that success is not a destination. Success is an ongoing journey of moving towards your goals consistently. In other words, you do not have to achieve all your goals for 2011 in order to declare it a successful year. As long as you have made progress towards your goals, it has been a successful year. As long as you have grown in terms of character, emotional strength and wisdom…you have more knowledge and skills today than you had a year ago, it has been a successful year! As long as you have experienced joyful moments with the people you care about, it has been a successful year.
Celebrate Your Successes in 2011
So, the first thing I would like to ask you to do is to celebrate your successes for 2011. Write down and reflect on the following…
1) What goals have I achieved or made progress on in 2011? Think of progress you have made in your career, relationships, health & finances
2) What have I done this year that I am proud of? (e.g. Overcome a challenging setback? Helped someone in need? Etc…)
3) How have you grown as a person? What new skills and knowledge have you gained in the last 12 months?
4) What are the most memorable and cherished moments of 2011?
5) What are the lessons you have learned from setbacks and feedback in the past year? How has it made you a smarter and a wiser person?
Now that you have embraced and learnt from the past year, it is time for you to design the 2012 that you want for yourself. Remember that success does not happen by chance, it happens by choice. Begin the year with the end in mind. BY the end of 2012, what would you want to have achieved, experienced and created in your life? Write down at least one goal you are going to focus and take action on the 4 areas of your life: personal, career, family, health and finances.
Setting Your Goals and Action Plans for 2012
As you write down your goals for 2012, ensure that it is SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, STRETCH (It stretches you), has a set of ACTION PLANS with a DEADLINE.
1) My Personal Goals (How would like to improve yourself as a person-physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally etc…)
2) My Career Goals (what achievements/progress is to be made in your career/business)
3) My Family Goals (What experiences would you like to have with your family. How could you make a difference in their lives)
4) My Finances (what would you like to improve/achieve financially)
Focus On Your Goals Daily and Take Massive Action
Most people set New Year Goals/Resolutions, get all excited for a short time and forget about it for the rest of the year. 12 months later, they find that nothing has been done about it. if you have read my books, you would know that the only way to stay focused is to review your goals EVERYDAY. Write them down and stick them up at a place where it is in front of you every day. Make it a habit to read your goals every morning and reviewing them every night before you sleep. It will be the daily actions you take towards your goals that will make a huge change in your life 12 months later.
Remember that the past does not determine the future. Your future is determined by what you do TODAY. This moment is a new opportunity for you to create the future you truly desire.
Have An Awesome Year Ahead
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