It’s been a long time since I last sat down to WRITE a post but since I’m on a family retreat now, it’s too noisy to record a video and one of my cousins are going to burst into the room any minute making some gun shooting sounds.

But this post probably warrants some writing on my part because in today’s installment of the 200(GR)8 Challenge, I’m going to honor a man who’s made a HUGE DIFFERENCE in my life. It’s an inspiring story of someone who has inspired me and continues to do so everyday.

No, it’s not Anthony Robbins. He’s not famous like that although he is (somewhat) famous in Singapore. He’s a man of power. He’s a man who has lifted me up so many times I don’t think he knows how much he’s impacted my life.

Gaz Aspar’s My Uncle & I’m Proud of Him

Gaz Aspar (left) shares a laugh with CEO of Propnex,
Singapore Largest Real Estate Agency, Ismail Gafoor.

The above photo was taken recently at Propnex’s 3rd Quarter 2008 Convention and that man in the pink tie(my uncle!) was invited to share his strategies for being part of the Top 1% in Propnex!

TOP 1%, PEOPLE!

And once I saw this photo posted on Facebook, I began looking at all the photos excitedly as my eyes filled up with tears of joy and pride for my uncle! There he was up there sitting with Singapore’s Top Entrepreneur for the year 2008

STOP!

“Why are you so emotional about this?”

How I Really Got Out of That Rut 4 Years Ago

If you’ve read the story of how I went from Zero to Hero here, you’d know that in the year 2004 I was at the lowest point in my life. You’d also know that the first victory that got me out of that rut was going from 28 points to 6 points for my “O” Level Examinations.

I didn’t exactly specify how I did it in that story and I greatly attributed that success to Anthony Robbins because his program really gave me the motivation to not only fight on but TRIUMPH!

But what I didn’t mention was a few people that made it possible. Among them is my form teacher Mrs Chee (for taking an hour or two out of her busy schedule to give that pep talk to me) and my mom, Normah Aspar (for waking me up every morning at 3 or 4 am to study and the cups of Milo)

He Saw The Battlefield With The Eyes of A Veteran

And then there was my uncle Gaz Aspar, who acted as a mentor to me during this trying period. He sat down with me, found out my strengths and weaknesses and strategized our game plan for those 3 months before the exam.

photo credit: skalas2

Sure, part of me didn’t really agree with his strategy - which involved paying very little or no attention to my weak subjects - but it paid off.

Mark Joyner, in his latest book, Integration Marketing talked about an experience at Officer Cadet School where the officer taught him that the single most defining attribute of the leader is to:

SEE THE BATTLEFIELD

You might want to write a mental sticky-note of that and paste it on the wall of your mind. It’s very important if you are to be a leader - of others or yourself.

That’s exactly what my Uncle did when he asked me to forget about my weakest subjects and concentrate on the strongest ones for the win. He saw the battlefield and created a strategy that will give me the best chances of winning - and I did!

My Uncle, The Leading Over-Achiever

I think the most inspirational part about my uncle’s success is the fact that he had no role models or mentors to guide him in his journey. Everything he achieved, he achieved by trial and error. And in so doing, he’s become a man of quality and substance.

Growing up in a traditional family that believes in having a “stable job”, my uncle went against the grain when he decided to become an Insurance Agent and later a Realty Agent that’s a little more “risky” (just another word for BIG rewards when you succeed)

I don’t think he knows this but I started dabbling with Personal Development when I found his Success Workshop Journal - it was a 7 day intensive workshop - and saw all the inspiring goals he was going after.

And until today, he still keeps inspiring me with his successes!

I love him with all my heart for daring to be different and outstanding because he’s showed me the way to being great and he doesn’t even know it!

Who’s Your Inspiration?

What I’ve just done is give gratitude for someone in my life who has been and will always be an inspiration to me.

It feels really good to give gratitude for the people in your life and you know what I’m going to do once I post this? I’ll forward it to my uncle to read =)

What about you, my friend? Who’s your inspiration? I’d love to hear your story!

P.S. How about giving gratitude to someone who’s made a difference in your life and then forwarding them the link to this blog post for him/her to know your appreciation!

Your Name:
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