Six Thinking Hats

Looking at a Decision from All Points of View

"Six Thinking Hats" is a powerful technique that helps you look at important decisions from a number of different perspectives. It helps you make better decisions by pushing you to move outside your habitual ways of thinking. As such, it helps you understand the full complexity of a decision, and spot issues and opportunities which you might otherwise not notice.

Many successful people think from a very rational, positive viewpoint, and this is part of the reason that they are successful. Often, though, they may fail to look at problems from emotional, intuitive, creative or negative viewpoints. This can mean that they underestimate resistance to change, don't make creative leaps, and fail to make essential contingency plans.

Similarly, pessimists may be excessively defensive, and people used to a very logical approach to problem solving may fail to engage their creativity or listen to their intuition.

If you look at a problem using the Six Thinking Hats technique, then you'll use all of these approaches to develop your best solution. Your decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in execution, sensitivity, creativity and good contingency planning.

This tool was created by Edward de Bono in his book "6 Thinking Hats".

Read more about it HERE.

Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls

By ADAM NAGOURNEY

Published: November 4, 2008

Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive.

The election of Mr. Obama amounted to a national catharsis — a repudiation of a historically unpopular Republican president and his economic and foreign policies, and an embrace of Mr. Obama’s call for a change in the direction and the tone of the country.

Read more about it HERE and HERE


From: http://www.nytimes.com/


*** Isn't it time for us Malaysians to learn "something" from the Americans....???***

Raja Petra release is blow for the ISA

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 - The landmark decision to free Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin is a major victory for free speech, judicial independence and a blow to the Internal Security Act (ISA) considered by many Malaysians to be a draconian law.

Specifically, the judgment is a slap on the face of Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar whose cavalier attitude towards using the ISA in recent months was unprecedented.

Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng was arrested under the ISA on Sept 12 allegedly for her own protection but was soon freed following a public uproar.

The same happened to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok who was also arrested the same day for allegedly threatening "national security" but was released a week later.

Syed Hamid came under intense public criticism for these "cavalier" arrests and now the court has delivered another blow in its judgment rejecting the minister's arguments that Raja Petra had threatened "national security" and therefore needs to be put away.

Taken together - the arrest, release and today's judgment - are blunders that have seriously damaged the credibility of the government.

The judgment is also a blow to Section 8 of the ISA which says courts cannot question the discretion of minister in arresting anyone under the ISA, virtually giving licence to the authorities to arrest anybody with impunity under the "national security" blanket.

By freeing Raja Petra, High Court Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad agreed with counsel Malik Imtiaz's arguments that the Constitution empowers the judiciary to question any act of abuse by the authorities.

Syed Ahmad ruled that Raja Petra's arrest for allegedly causing racial tensions was unlawful, holding that the Home Minister had acted outside his powers.

The grounds for the arrest were "insufficient" and unlawful, he said.

Raja Petra, who was accused of threatening public security and causing racial tension by publishing writings that ridiculed Islam, also faces a sedition charge in relation to his posting of articles linking Prime Minister-designate Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

"It is a historic ruling," said Malik.

Malik had argued that the grounds of his detention given by the minister were incredible, unacceptable and should be rejected.

He also argued that the detention infringed on Raja Petra's freedom to profess and practice Islam under Article 11 and as such his writings were an expression of his faith and conscience.

Furthermore, he said that the Minister had acted with mala fide to silence Raja Petra who was only a vocal critic of the government but whose writings never caused chaos or threaten "national security."

The legal aspects aside, Raja Petra's release is expected to impact on national politics as well.

He is expected to invigorate and boost the opposition ranks with his spicy writings and constant revelations of government misdeeds.

Raja Petra is said to be worth at least a queen in the chess game between arch rivals - opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Najib - to succeed as prime minister of the country.

When Anwar was jailed on the first sodomy charge in 1999, it was Raja Petra who kept the Anwar-cause alive - domestically and internationally - with his Free Anwar campaign.

Raja Petra was also among the first few who sensed or knew that Anwar was about to be released in September 2004.

He was astute enough to read the future, quickly abandoning the Free Anwar campaign and setting up the Malaysia Today website, positioning himself as a key power broker in the emerging Abdullah-era.

With his multimedia skills, political astuteness and storytelling powers, he turned Malaysia Today into a powerful new weapon against opponents.

His powers, through Malaysia Today, to influence public opinion is phenomenal and was one key reason many thought he was put away.

But now that he is free expect the fireworks again.

From: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/

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Prominent Malaysian blogger released from prison
AgenciesPublished: November 07, 2008, 12:19
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian authorities freed the editor of an anti-government news Web site Friday after a court decided that his arrest under a law allowing indefinite detention was illegal.

High Court Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad ruled that the home minister acted outside his powers in having Raja Petra Kamaruddin detained September 12 for allegedly causing ethnic tensions.

Five hours later, a weary-looking Raja Petra was brought from a prison camp in northern Malaysia to the court in Shah Alam city near Kuala Lumpur, where he embraced his tearful wife and daughters after being formally released.

"I'm really glad it's over. I'm really tired. The judge's decision proves there is no justification for my detention," Raja Petra told reporters.
The government has accused Raja Petra, 58, of threatening public security and causing ethnic tension by publishing writings that ridiculed Islam in the Muslim-majority country.

He has infuriated authorities by publishing numerous claims of alleged wrongdoing by government leaders on his highly popular Web site, Malaysia Today.

The government has denounced most of Raja Petra's allegations as lies. He is also on trial in a separate case in which he has been accused of sedition by implying that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was involved in the murder of a Mongolian woman. If convicted, he faces up to three years in jail.

From: http://1426.blogspot.com/

Looking Back...October 2008

October 2008 has just passed last week....but the month passed not without any meaningful events.....

Manchester United spent the October winning all but one of their matches. See the results HERE.

Ain got sick when I was in Tehran....luckily we had some help from our friends here in Dubai.

Both my daughters got awarded with the Student of the Week at their school....plus a bad news from Malaysia. Read about it HERE & HERE.

I had promised them something as a reward for their achievements....so, I brought the family to see High School Musical 3.....

But one day in October that really has a significance to me.......

As far as I can remember, one of the worst tragedies that ever struck me was when I got injured playing football a little more than 13 years ago. I vividly remember it…..one afternoon, 15^th October, 1995……Masac 1 versus Masac 2, Winchell Field, Sacramento, California. We were playing a practice game, preparing for the inter-mural tournament, when my right knee just buckled under me. The pain was unbearable at that moment, but it got worse during the night when it got sore & swollen.

I cried that night….but not because of the pain. I cried because I knew that I won’t be able to play football, the way I did, ever again. Soon, it got even worse….the orthopedic surgeon told me that I can’t play soccer anymore. I could have it operated, but I won’t be 100% anymore….So, I talked to my mom and decided not to have the operation and let it heal by itself. I was a cripple for a few months after that. I was limping when I came back from the US……but thank God, the knee healed. However, the most frustrating thing was that I realized there’s no more football for me…..it’s the game that I love.

It took me almost half-an-hour to walk to the bus stop to go to the campus the day after. It usually took me only 5 minutes.

I tried to make a come back…..playing in a 7-a-side tournament a few years back (in 2000 I think). But once again, it just gave away…..maybe it just couldn’t support my weight anymore (I had been gaining a few kilos since coming back from the US). This time I was determined to make it better. I decided to have the arthroscopic knee operation, to assess the extent of the injury. I had it at the HUKM. But it hit me like a freight train when the surgeon told me that there’s an early sign of osteoarthritis. My knee is aging faster than me. And the worst thing is that when he said, “you should stop playing football or any other contact sports….”. What???? It’s devastating when he said that. It’s like half of my life was taken away from me. But I came to term with it……I had to find other ways to stay active. It won’t be the same, but I can’t just take it lying on my back.

That’s why I took up fishing….and the video games. Fishing eases my mind…..it makes me feel relaxed but still provides that adrenalin rush, especially when reeling in the fish….Video games, especially sports games, let me re-connect to those feelings that I had to let go…..the feelings of scoring goals, the feelings of tackling people, the feelings of jubilation when I win and frustrations when I lose.

When I looked back at all those that had happened to me, I realized that when God took something away from you, He won’t give it back. But He will definitely give something else in exchange….just to see if you are grateful or not. For me, as frustrated as I was, I am still grateful that I can still live a normal life. The things that He took away from me….well it’s His decision……. I couldn’t do anything. As His servant, I am grateful that He’s given me a great family who loves me.

I always looked at the positive side of things.....I guess it helped me survived....I have had some shares of of hard lucks.....but I won't let those things stop me from going on with my life....

The important thing for me is to take one look at those unfortunate events and say..."What should I do next to make it better?".....I don't usually lament on bad luck.

7 Habits of the Highly INeffective People

For those who are familiar with Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of the Highly Effective People"....here are something else.....I got it from HERE

Happy reading.......

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With a twist to the common list of habits that are useful to establish, here are 7 habits that you do best to avoid. Just like finding habits that can be useful for you it’s important to find habits that are holding you back. Most of these 7 habits can easily become such a normal, everyday part of life that you hardly notice it (or how it’s affecting you). I’ve dabbled with all of them quite a bit. Not surprisingly I didn’t get much of the important stuff done.

I´d also like to add that these are just 7 broad habits you can establish to become highly ineffective in most parts of your life. I pretty sure there are several more.

1. Not showing up.

Maybe you’ve heard this quote by Woody Allen:

“Eighty percent of success is showing up”

One of the biggest and simplest thing you can do to ensure more success in your life – whether it be in your social life, your career or with your health – is simply to show up more. If you want to improve your health then one of the most important and effective things you can do is just to show up at the gym every time you should be there.

The weather might be bad, you might not feel like going and you find yourself having all these other things you just must do. If you still go, if you show up at the gym when motivation is low you will improve a whole lot faster than if you just stayed at home relaxing on the sofa.

I think this applies to most areas of life. If you write or paint more, each day perhaps, you will improve quickly. If you get out more you can meet more new friends. If you go on more dates you chances of meeting someone special increases. Just showing up more can really make a big difference. Not showing up will not get you anywhere.

2. Procrastinating half the day. To keep it short, my 3 favourite ways to get out of a procrastinating state are:

- Swallow that frog. What´s this means is simply to do the hardest and most important task of the day first thing in the morning. A good start in the morning lifts your spirits and creates a positive momentum for the rest of the day. That often creates a pretty productive day.

- How do you eat an elephant? Don´t try to take it all in one big bite. It becomes overwhelming which leads to procrastination. Split a task into small actionable steps. Then just focus on the first step and nothing else. Just do that one until it’s done. Then move on to the next step.

- The Get around to It Paraliminal. I find this guided mediation to be very useful. After 20 minutes of mostly just lying on my bed and listening I’m far more productive for a few days. I don´t feel the urge to sink into that procrastinating state or the need to find out what’s new over at one or five of my favourite websites.

3. When actually doing something, doing something that isn’t the most important thing right now.

One of the easiest habits to get stuck in, besides procrastinating, is to keep yourself busy with unimportant tasks.

To be effective you probably need some kind of time management-system. It might be something really simple, like using the 80/20-rule at the beginning of each day. The 80/20 rule, or the Pareto Principle as it´s also known, says that you´ll get 80 percent of your results from only 20 percent of your tasks and activities. So you need to focus most of your energy on those few important tasks to be effective.

When you have prioritized using this rule just write down the top 3 most important things you need to do that day. Then, from the top, start doing them. Even if you just get one of the things done, you have still done the most important thing you could do today. You may perhaps prefer some other system, such as GTD. But however you organise your work it’s still of highest priority to find the most important tasks so you don’t spend days, weeks or months doing busywork that isn’t that essential anyway. Just getting things done faster isn’t that useful if the things you get done are unimportant to you.

4. Thinking too much.

And thereby seldom taking action. Paralysis by analysis can waste years of your life. There is nothing wrong with thinking before you do something. Do some research, make a plan, explore potential upsides and problems.

But compulsively thinking and thinking and thinking is just another way to waste your time. You don’t have to examine everything from every angle before you try it. And you can’t wait for the perfect time to do something. That time never comes. And if you keep thinking you’ll just dig yourself down deeper and deeper and taking action will become more and more difficult. Instead you just need to stop thinking. Shut of your mind – it just helps you up to a point – and go do whatever you need to do.

5. Seeing the negative and downsides in just about anything.

When you see everything from a negative perspective you quickly punch a hole in your own motivation. You find faults everywhere and problems where there are really none. You cling to details. If you want to find a reason to not do something then that’s no problem. From a negative viewpoint you can find ten reasons every time.

And so very little gets done, you whine to anyone who wants to hear – and many who don’t – about how crappy your job, life and boss is. Which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as you create the life that is appropriate considering how think and see your world.

A solution is to realise the limits of a negative perspective. And that your perspective isn’t some kind of 100% true picture of the world. Then try other perspectives. For instance, trying to establish a habit of seeing things in a more positive and optimistic light can be quite useful. In that vein, you may want to try the Positivity Challenge. It´s not easy, but if you do the challenge and try to only think positive thoughts for 7 days it can give you an insight in how much your perspective and beliefs changes how you interpret your world. And what results you get.

6. Clinging to your own thoughts and being closed to outside influences.

It can be hard to admit that what you thought or believed was not the best alternative. So you cling to your thoughts harder and harder and keep your mind closed. This makes it hard to improve and for instance to become more effective. Even really considering the possibility that you can change your life can be difficult in this position.

One solution, obviously, is to open up more. To open up and learn from the mistakes of others, from your own mistakes and from other sources like books. This is easy to say though. It can, as almost anything, be harder to do. One suggestion I have is to, like I said about the previous habit, realise the limits of what you know and the way you going about things. And then just try something new.

Another tip is to read A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and especially look at the chapters about the Ego. If you stop identifying so much with your thoughts and your Ego, as Tolle prescribes, it becomes a whole a lot easier to let new ideas and thoughts come into your life. And to let go of old thoughts that aren’t useful to you anymore. On the other hand I’d like to add and counter-balance with these tips: don’t get stuck in reading, in just taking in new information either or you might become a self-help junkie. Use the new information, put what you have learned in to action and try it out.

7. Constantly on information overload.

With information overload I don’t just mean that you read a lot. I pretty much mean an overload in all input. If you just let all information flow into your mind it will be hard to think clearly. It’s just too much stimulation. A few more potential downsides to this habit are:

- Some of the input you receive will be negative. The media and your surroundings often put a negative spin on things for various reasons. If you aren´t selective in what input you want in your life then you’ll be dragged into this negativity too. This affects how you think, feel and act.

- It creates an urge to keep up with what’s happening but there are always ten more things happening so you can’t keep up. This makes life stressful.

- It becomes hard to make decisions and take action if your mind is constantly bombarded with information or trying to sort through it all. Personally I find that if I get too much information it leads to a sort of paralysis. Not much get´s done. Or you get stuck in habit #3 and keep busy, busy, busy at high speed with low priority activities.

To be able to focus, think more clearly and take action it´s useful to be more selective in what you let into your mind. When you work shut out as much distractions as possible. Shut off the phone, internet and shut the door. It is strange how much you can get done when you aren´t interrupted every fifth minute or have the opportunity to procrastinate by checking your RSS-feeds or favourite websites.

Now I´m not suggesting that you should stop reading all blogs or newspapers. But think about what you really want to read and what you read just read to fill your time. And have a look at other areas of input where the doors are wide-open.

For instance, you don´t have to let in all the negative emotions from your surroundings. If everyone else are procrastinating or are anxiously keeping themselves busy by doing low-priority tasks at warp speed it´s easy to be influenced by that mood. If you have a door, then it might be good idea to shut it and focus on doing more important things.