LIFE TIP: PLAN BIG, WORK HARD ... THE CHEQUE WILL COME

FOLLOWING the “likes” on the PLAN BIG post in Privilege Learning Systems's Facebook page, I am reminded of something nice I just read.

Some of you know that I have been sharing on entrepreneurship in another medium.

The first biography of an entrepreneur I read was on Thomas Alva Edison, the prolific American inventor.

I was doing my second year in Science (I was 19 then) and that had quite an impact on me, even though I was more a theoretical type – not a technical type.

(I am sharing some things about Edison in the other medium next week.)

I just read something about him this afternoon.

Edison left school at the age of 10 and was taught by his mother (a former school teacher) the basics of numbers and letters.

After that he learned almost everything else on his own.

There was a time when he was struggling and was sacked by the company he worked for for not concentrating.

He borrowed $35 from a friend and went to New York, the “big apple”.

Interesting things happened there. He solved a problem for the stock exchange company there and they made him supervisor over the operations – just like that. (He was a true problem solver.)

 

While there he continued on his private projects, including working on a stock-ticker, a kind of counter.

Shortly after, he almost fainted when he was paid a cheque of $40,000 (that is big, big money in the 1800s) for the stock-ticker.

This was the first “real” money that he received for an invention. He stared in amazement at the cheque and walked around it for hours.

The next day, a friend told him to deposit the money.

A few weeks later he wrote to his parents (who were also struggling; and the mother had fallen sick). A letter addressed to his father read: “How is mother getting along? I am in a position to give you some cash … Write and say how much ... Give mother anything she wants.”

He also did not forget to pay back his friend the borrowed $35.

NOTE: It is my personal belief, that there are inventors already here in PNG, our young. Only time will show …

Again I say … PLAN BIG … AND PUT IN THE EFFORT … Cheers.    

LIFE TIP: TO LEARN, WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE THE COMPANY WE KEEP

YOU may have heard people saying that the company that you keep tells others where you are going.

Something that is related to that was mentioned by a fellow science teacher while we were on an island helping island children learn.

He said something like: “If you are in a company where you are not learning anything new, you should leave … move on.”

What he meant was often we are caught up with friends or colleagues who chat about this or that and at the end of the day, it is as if you have wasted another day.

That is not to say you shun your friends though.

Be a good friend to your pals, but beware that good company, one that challenges you and raises your level of thinking is the best kind to keep.

In the long run you will have fruits to show for the time spent in such a company.

Along that line of thought, sometimes it is more productive to read a book than to just chat.

And joining Quora recently has helped me see what people in other parts of the world are doing … and striving for as well as offering tips here and there – and it is challenging too, in the same way as I hope I am challenging some of you to ... THINK BIG!

Over to you.  

LIFE TIP: PLAN BIG IN LIFE

WHATEVER you plan to do in life, plan big. And put in the effort to realize your dream.

Planning big does not mean you become big – but plan for others too, not just you.

The others are your extended family, your own family, your clan, your province, your country … and if you are bold enough, include the region also.

Be bold, be courageous and work hard to realize your dreams.     

TRADERS AND CONSUMERS OF ALCOHOL MUST BE PENALISED: MINISTER KUA

By SHIRLYN BELDEN - The National, July 19

A COMBINED effort is needed to combat alcohol abuse, violence and related social problems, Attorney-General Kerenga Kua (right) says.

He urged national and provincial leaders to enact laws and implement policies to rectify the current alarming situation in PNG.

Kua said alcohol related problems were seriously affecting the people, especially women and children and all necessary measures must be taken to halt such abuse.

“Leaders must set good examples. When we do not we are sending a different picture to our children to follow and that is why young people are not seeing the necessity behind abstaining from alcohol. It is the responsibilities of the provincial governments and their police, governors, authority officers to monitor and penalise when laws are breached. Traders and consumers when not complying with the laws must be penalised. We all must be conscious of the growing impacts of this alcohol,” he said.

The minister said he would seek Parliament’s support for legislation on corporal punishment as to deal with alcohol abuse and related problems.

“In due course I will do that and you members, if you are serious about this problem in your province and the country, I encourage you to support it,” he said.

        

SPORTS VIOLENCE ARE ALCOHOL-RELATED: MINISTER TKATCHENKO

By SHIRLYN BELDEN – The National, July 19

DRASTIC measures are being taken to combat sports related violence in PNG, Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko (right) told Parliament yesterday (last Thursday).

He also blamed the violence on alcohol consumption.

 

Tkatchenko was responding to West New Britain Governor Muthuvel Sasindran who asked if the sports ministry was serious in fighting the increasing sports related violence.

“All these problems of violence in sports and violence related to sports are alcohol related. I have started to take drastic steps to address this problem and I will ensure that it is addressed effectively,” he said.

The minister said he had asked SP Brewery to assist with strategic ways to deal with the problem by diverting the idea and practice of alcohol consumption during sports matches in a clear and benefiting approach for players and spectators.

Tkatchenko also condemned the recent incident in Wabag where a man was killed and two vehicles burned, saying it was “an absolute disgrace” to sports and a disaster to the community.

“I will effectively deal with this issue. It is a problem and will grow if we don’t address it properly. Alcohol cannot go along with sports, that is very wrong. We are looking at ways to ensure such problems do not recur. I will talk to the different sporting foundations and arms, partners and departments to work with us to solve this. The sporting fraternity and government do not tolerate such and I assure the House that the problem will be fixed,” he said.