Invest in Containers

You know when it's that time of the year and Ramadhan is here, and of all the times in a year this is the time when you crave for soooo many things - melawan pregnant mums! Not only that, the first few days are confusing, you're both hungry and not so hungry, adjusting period.

And then your brother and SIL get you the cutest box of tea that you just had to try during Puasa time you know - like as if all these while you had no better time to try it out. 

Excited, I boiled water quickly. 

Put in a "Belle" in my cup. 

Poured the boiling water in. 

Took one and a half tea spoon of sugar.

Stirred. 

Ahhhhhh. Switched on Fashion Valet's website coz I heard there was Mel & Molly Flash Sale, whilst I waited for the tea to brew for about 2 minutes. 

Sipppppppp. 

What the fruit is this tea?! Masinnnnnnnn!!

Looked across at my kitchen. Felt a little nervous, rushed over to check. Now tak sempat , need to catch Imsak in about 5 minutes, so cannot drink anymore. 

Seriously guys, just a kitchen tip...never ever put sugar and salt into two same-looking containers ah!! LOL!!

To Transform and not To Change

Time just fly by, doesn't it? Before you know it, it's already Ramadhan tomorow! I always feel like Ramadhan is a magical month. Why? Because somehow, everyone is so much nicer than their usual daily self - probably less angry, kinder, less shouting, more accommodating....haha this sounded better in my head really. My point is, Ramadhan makes us feel a greater sense of wanting to become a better being!

I came across an article this morning on my way to client's office and it made me ask what the article had asked - what are the areas of my life that I would want to lovingly transform? Not change, but transform.

I've always wanted to be able to forgive and forget, but it's only human that you can forgive but you tend to find it difficult to forget. Especially when someone had hurt you for no reason. Don't youuuuu, feel that way too? Sometimes? Maybe? At times? :P

Anyway! That's exactly what I would like to work on, and that is to always forgive whoever had wronged me and ask Allah for forgiveness if I had wronged anyone intentionally or unintentionally, every night before going to sleep. To remove any bad feeling and anger from my heart and fill my heart with positivity before looking forward to starting a fresh new day tomorrow!

Secondly is to be kinder and not emotionally affected - like for example when something does not go my way, I sometimes feel a little frustrated and annoyed with myself. What I failed to remember is Allah is always the Best of Planners! We can plan everything out, but ultimately, Allah determines what is best for us. I deal with a lot of different people and characters during working hours and I came across this in this morning's article "Half the battle of dealing with other people is dealing with ourselves" which is so so true! So I've decided that I need to also work on this and always give myself a 5 minutes breather before putting my plans into action - whether to go out and grab a cuppa tea or make duas. To be more emotionally fulfilled from within :)

Have a blessed Ramadhan everyone!!!

Have some fun and never miss your prayers!

My heart is bursting with gratefulness right now for having such wonderful people who keep on inspiring and motivating me to chase for greater things in life. All this with a reminder to never miss prayers and to make sure I enjoy life all at the same time, Alhamdulillah!

Yesterday Mama reminded me that no matter how busy you are, you should never miss your prayers because at the end of the day, only Allah is able to determine what happens and what is best for you no matter how hard you work for something, it won't be your friends, nor your colleagues nor your relative or even your boss or any other human being who will guarantee you something in life, but Allah :)) Today, a few of us had lunch together and shared about what's been happening in life, and as we shared all the ups and downs, we all know that nothing is permanent and we should always strive harder! Don't feel comfortable when you've achieved that one thing that you've always wanted, push yourself and create a new starting point and once you've worked hard, you need to have faith that Allah has all the plans for you. 

I'm guilty too for taking work too seriously that sometimes I tend to forget. I'm always filled with so much anxiety when I know I'm going on a long leave, and I won't lie - I'm constantly checking my emails, scared I may miss any important email. I love my job, and I won't lie that I feel at ease when I'm in the office, only because everything is within reach. For example, if client calls to tell me they have a problem, I could assist them immediately whilst in the office. I'm impatient, I hate it when something comes up and it stays in my court for a long time, I like clearing things out of my court as soon as possible so that I can move on and focus on a lot more things!

The other day, I said "I want to work hard and achieve this this this by what age, bla bla bla"... before my FIL reminded me that you should have some fun along the way too, go and travel and see the world. 

Sigh, parents, they just know what to say and when to bring you back to earth kan? They're really heaven sent! 

YCM Hosting Tan Sri Wahid

When I think about it, it all began during my stint in CIMB London. Being the only Malaysian on the trading floor, I was allowed to start relationships with Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund and onboard them with CIMB when I started reporting to our London office. It was definitely one of the best portfolios to be receiving, although small, the rewards were great!

I came back to Malaysia and was placed at the GLIC desk to continue relationships with them here in KL and that was where I had my first presentation to Tan Sri Wahid and many many industry leaders. One thing I've always admired about TS Wahid was his way of sharing across his messages - always very clear in a very calm manner. So this year, Aiman and I had suggested to YCM to host him as a speaker. Afterall, he had so many experiences in the corporate scene as well as the government and as an UBER driver - there's a lot to learn from him!

Some of my favourite Key Takeaways from his session:

• A good leader must be visionary, articulate, authentic, engaging and have unquestionable integrity
• You don't have to be a typical "loud" corporate leader to be effective
• Gone are the days when CEO just needs to tell people what to do in large organisations. CEO's today are also expected to go down to the ground, roll up your sleeves, be more hands on and provide appropriate guidance on how things can be done
• Be PROFESSIONAL, HONEST, SINCERE and TRUTHFUL to your Board, Management, Colleagues and all Employees
• Do not hesitate to say SORRY and admit your mistakes, and learn from them. We are human beings after all
• Focus on the job at hand, your reputation will precede you

I just love it that the messages given above hit the nail right on the spot. In this competitive world we're in, sometimes organisations and individuals overlook these things in our rush to get to the top. In all these rush to compete in the working world, TS Wahid shared the few motivations that had kept him going which would be so useful for many of us :)

• Work hard and work smart, go for distinction and pursue professional qualification if you are able to
• Focus on your task at hand and do it well
• Don't ever stop learning, and always use technology to your advantage
• Keep innovating and think outside the box. Come up with solutions!
• Embrace the 3 KEY ATTRIBUTES: Integrity, Competency and Humility
• BE GRATEFUL. ESPECIALLY TO YOUR PARENTS

My personal favourite is being grateful, because when you stop comparing what you have with others and believe that Allah has written these rezekis in this world for you, you'd feel at ease, InsyaAllah! :)))

Malaysia could definitely do with a lot more leaders like him, thank you for inspiring all of us at Young Corporate Malaysians! 

Story of the two hardworking friends

I have these two close friends who are to me, the most hardworking people I know who love their jobs and they are amazing at what they do! It's both inspiring and motivating just watching most of the time.

But the amazing thing about them both is that one is a Mrs Problem-Solver -There's-No-Problem-In-This-World and the other is Mrs Planner-Things-Will-Go-As-Plan-Because-I-Have-Laid-Down-All-Options A, B, C.

Mrs Problem-Solver:
A driven individual who is just so so soooo amazing, she probably sleeps one-tenth of the amount of hours I sleep, never ever complains, always cheerful whenever we see her, never worry about petty things in life and she is always very rationale, grateful and an amazing person who still made time for all her families and friends. She can go on for hours without eating to make sure her goal is achieved whilst at the same time not neglect any family time.

Mrs Planner:
A driven individual who is just so so soooo amazing, she plans so far ahead that by the time the day comes for anything that she planned for, there is hardly any stress left for your adrenaline rush to feed on. A problem comes and she probably has Options B, C, D, E...Z for you and logistics for each alternative planned.

The one thing that amazes me is that there is no problem in this world that could bring them down. NOTHING! Give them a challenge and they'll solve it without any complains. Driven to accept challenges and always at the top of their games.

I'm probably in between this because I like to plan things ahead of time but my alternative options may not be sufficient enough that I would need to be a problem solver on the spot. I love my job so much, but I still complain when things don't go my way sometimes, or find it frustrating that as you've planned for certain events to take place, other factors don't allow you to execute it. But when I remember these two, I'm always reminded that no problem should be the end of the world!

For that I'm always grateful I'm always surrounded by amazing people, driven and motivated all inspiring at the same time. I wished though that sometimes I could be much much much kinder (I'm so unforgiving when I discover that people are untruthful about what they do) and move on no matter how huge the obstacle may be. Sometimes I tend to waste time trying to piece the problems together and find out what happened hahaha!

So what are you? A Problem-Solver kinda person or a Planner?

Bangkok

Heaven-sent people who had helped me through my Masters days in London. Indeed they had created a home away from home :')

Bangkok was nothing short of amazing - from the people to their amazing cafe scene! But most importantly it was a trip to remember having been a part of this gorgeous bride's big day! Thank you for making me a part of your beautiful Thai ceremony P' Pak, so very very happy for you!

-

Truly a gem, she was always up for adventures in London and Europe, I dare say she's one of my main reason I'd go through Masters all over again and I'm forever grateful I met her at Imperial College! :))

Fluff KL's Final Pop Up

Our famous best seller: The Red Velvet Nutella 

Yup, you heard that right! We're planning to have one final pop up before Ramadhan and this time around, we're bringing in those awesome Maldon Sea Salt Cookies and something new

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Nutella Marshmallows!!

Tomorrow, from 2-4pm, we will be partnering up with Common Man Coffee Roasters KL in Taman Tun! So be sure to block out your calendar and come on over to grab your share . See you guys there! 

:))