Take the Cue From Mark Zuckerberg! #LeadersAreReaders September 2022

In 2015, Mark Zuckerberg shared his New Year's resolution to focus on books. The founder of Facebook decided to read one book per week (I did it a few years ago). To show his commitment, he created a special page, "A Year of Books", where he initially share the books that he read and where other readers can find new books and participate in discussions about them. The picked books help to learn about different cultures, beliefs, histories, and technologies.

This is how Mark Zuckerberg explains his decision in a Facebook post on 3rd January 2015: "I’m excited about my reading challenge. I’ve found reading books very intellectually fulfilling. Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today. I’m looking forward to shifting more of my media diet towards reading books." I guess that also includes social media like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp... how ironic.

Steve Jobs won't let his kids use an iPad, Bill Gates limited screen time for his kids, and Mark Zuckerberg said reading books allow us to go deeper on a topic than most media. Maybe we should take the cue: Reduce social media and device usage, and increase your time for reading books.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Three (3) Categories of Books To Avoid #LeadersAreReaders April 2022

In his highly recommended book, Lit! A Christian Guide To Reading Books (2011), Tony S. Reinke shares three categories of books to avoid:

1) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS BECAUSE OF TIMING. "Choosing what books to read is often not a yes/no decision but a now/later decision," writes Reinke. "The same is true for young Christians who are new to the faith. Be cautious of reading literature that you are ill-equipped to read with discernment. Sometimes the proper Christian approach to literature is humble postponement." I agree. One day, a student saw me reading Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, a passionate atheist who states that it is irrational to believe in God and why religion is harmful to mankind. After he noticed that I'd written the review, he wanted to borrow the book because he was interested too. I'm all out for reading widely and books that I don't agree but he was not equipped to read this kind of book with discernment (Dawkins, although a brilliant scientist, is such a lousy layperson theologian). I know because I've observed his knowledge of the Scripture is still under development. So I refuse kindly, explained to him patiently, and encourage him to study the Scripture first. I love that he wants to read books at all but at this rate, he needs to practice "humble postponement."

2) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS THAT GLORIFY EVIL. This does not mean avoiding books that mention evil or give descriptions of evil or capture the dark realities of life. The Scripture doesn't even avoid the topic of evil explains Reinke. "The more important questions are these: How are the violence, sexual sin, and skepticism presented? Is it presented as evil? Is fornication celebrated, or are the consequences of sin made obvious? Does the book celebrate sin, or leave evil unresolved?" These are good questions to think about. This is why I'm very concerned with the rise of open occultism and the glorification of witchcraft in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Books such as The Harry Potter and the likes should be avoided. As the Scripture says, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isaiah 5:20). Books that expose evil, yes; books that glorify evil, no.

3) AVOID CERTAIN BOOKS FOR CONSCIENCE'S SAKE. Reinke asserts, "While there are no rigid rules for what Christians should or should not read, we must be sensitive to our own consciences and the consciences of those around us. As we establish our own understanding of what books we will and will not read ourselves, we must respect the parameters that other Christians have chosen to set for themselves and their children." For me, as an example, I have no problem reading books on Islam and from Muslim writers although I don't believe in their core teachings. I enjoy especially the writings of the liberal Muslim modern-day intellectuals. But I find myself couldn't even read a page or two of Anton S. Lavey's The Satanic Bible. Both are false religions (respectfully honest), yet, I couldn't consciously endure the other. It's a matter of conscience, a level of tolerance, and a mass amount of discernment. On this, Reinke has a good reminder: "A firm grasp of the biblical worldview learned directly from the study of Scripture is essential for a Christian book reader because distortions to the biblical worldview can be found on every shelf in the bookstore." Yes!

#ServeToLead #BooksToAvoid #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

CLICK THE LINKS to read my book reviews of #LeadersAreReaders for April 2022

1) The Science of Self-Learning (2018) by Peter Hollins, CLICK HERE
2) The Spirit-Filled Life (1895, 2019) by John MacNeil, CLICK HERE
3) The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven (1988, 2000) by Michael Green, CLICK HERE
4) Matthew: The College Press NIV Commentary (1997) by Larry Chouinard, CLICK HERE

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You TAKE Time, You MAKE Time, You HAVE Time to Read Books #1Book1Week December 2021

According to the Statista website,* the average time spent using the internet in Malaysia in the second and third quarters of 2017 was around 8.45 hours. That’s 35.2% of our existence! No doubt, most of the time spent is for doing works such as research, communications, and promotions (especially when you’re in the social media or IT-related business and marketing). How about time spent on social media? Approximately, the respondents in this survey stated that they used social networking (such as Facebook, Instagram, etc.) sites between 1 to 4 hours per day.

Let’s take the least time, say 1 hour per day of mindless scrolling, and match that with one of the most popular excuses of not reading books “I don’t have enough time!” (90%) and the answer is: YOU’RE LYING! (I hope that will not turn you off, but instead, it brings positive awareness to your conscious and subconscious mind. But then, who likes to be called a liar???). Ray Bradbury says, “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” Everyone knows reading is a good and crucial habit in personal development, so either you TAKE time to read or you MAKE time to read. The truth is you HAVE the time. Face the book more often than Facebook and you’ll be happier and smarter; The clock is ticking, so cut the TikTok; fight instant gratification and quit Instagram if you must (or if you're not that famous).

Jim Rohn, one of my favorite speakers in the past, said this: “Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” It’s not about the number of books you read, it’s about ‘Are you hungry for knowledge?’ I like how Bertolt Brecht puts it: “Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon.” Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is potential power. Knowledge plus action(s) is power. But how to take the right action if you don’t have the right knowledge? Read books. Redeem that precious 1 to 4 hours! #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Here are my #1Book1Week for December 2021 CLICK THE TITLES to read my short comments and/or reviews:

1. The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus: Guard the Truth (1996) by John R. W. Stott
2. The Message of 2 Timothy: Guard the Gospel (1973, 1984) by John R. W. Stott
3. The Man They Crucified: A Portrait of Jesus (1975) by R. T. France
4. The Wisdom of Psychopaths (2012) by Kevin Dutton

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'Every Malaysian who doesn't read a book during MCO will be compound RM10,000' #1Book1Week May 2021

When I went to book fairs, I realize that people buy books with the best intentions. They (me included) honestly 'intend' to read them when they pay the cashier. But let's face it, people are busier than ever today. Things come up. Life happens. And before they know it, the day almost end, month have changed, they're exhausted. "Richard, I simply don't have time to read," I heard this statement over and over again.

Think of it this way: What if the Malaysian government passed a law (how about the highest priority of SOP?) that would give RM1 million cash to every citizen who would read 15 minutes per day for one year? Do you think most people would suddenly TAKE the time to read? Would you? Unless you're having a chronic disease of laziness, of course, you would! You would rearrange your priorities to include reading in your daily agendas and perhaps kick out or reduce your idle times in social media.

Now, notice I wrote you could TAKE more time - not MAKE more time. The truth is we have all been given by God 24 hours a day (although the measurements of time are human inventions). No more, no less. You don't have to read one book every week or even one book every month, follow your own pace (this is not a race), and stick to the discipline for at least 15 minutes per day until you get into the habit. Slowly, increase your speed and widen your read. TAKE time to read. Andrew Carnegie puts it this way: "A man's reading program should be as carefully planned as his daily diet, for that too is food, without which he cannot grow mentally."

Come to think about it, I think it's a good idea if the government imposes another MCO SOP besides the usual like using your mask, check the temperature, stay at home... Why don't add, "Every Malaysian who doesn't read a book during MCO will be compound RM10,000"? Good idea, right? ��������� #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #15MinutesPerDay #PersonalGrowth #ThePowerOfReading #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Btw, here are my #1Book1Week for May 2021 ��� If you have read any of these books or just wanted to discuss and ask me about them, just chat with me below yeah:

1) Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World (2014) by Orianna Fielding. CLICK HERE

2) This is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn To See (2018) by Seth Godin. CLICK HERE

3) Happiness Is A Choice: The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression (2007) by Frank Minirth. CLICK HERE

4) The Ultimate Prescription: What the Medical Profession Isn't Telling You (2010) by Dr. James L. Marcum, MD. CLICK HERE

5) #1Book1Week Monthly Lists. CLICK HERE

 
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Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World (2014) by Orianna Fielding, Book Review

 
Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World (2014) by Orianna Fielding

I'm very interested in digital psychology and the impact of digital technology on our mental health for many years now (for book and TED Talk recommendations, see lists below). And thus, the research studies and the author's personal experiences, although some of the ways she processes the information are unique, are very familiar to me. But it's good to be reminded over and over again about the dangers of digital addiction and how to overcome it. "Connectivity now permeates every area of our lives," admits Fielding, an internationally recognized designer, and curator, "Technology has enabled us to do things that ten years ago were unthinkable. It has also completely changed many of the elements that historically formed the foundation of how we lived and interacted with each other, increasingly adversely affecting the most essential and fundamental elements of being human."

Granted, every one of us thinks about technology differently and our level of relationship to it is based on our context, purpose, and personality. Let's talk about the most familiar digital technology: social media on the smartphone. For example, I don't see any intrinsic value in Twitter because either the post is too trivial (mean useless to know) or abridge (mean too short to care). But for my friend, Peter, Twitter is just right because he only wanted to know the main headline of the news. I also see Instagram as non-beneficial for me because the Algorithm is specially designed for users to post as frequently as possible and looking at mosaic photos of myself is just weird (plus, I'm not that attractive). But for a businesswoman like Sarah, Instagram is a haven for potential customers, or Jilian, a social media model, Instagram is just the right tool to showcase her beauty and beauty products. However, I love YouTube and Spotify the most because they contain wide treasures of knowledge, information, and entertainment. I spent most of my time here as opposed to any other social media. So you see, the way we choose to connect with our social media is not one-size-fits-all. But do you know what is our similarity? To some degree, all of us are ADDICTED to social media - and generally speaking, to digital technology. Like it or not, "we are living in a culture dominated by digital excess."

At the beginning of the book, Fielding outlines 12 signs of digital overload. Let me share the 6 most frequent signs, in summary: 1) Checking your digital device first thing in the morning, getting up during the night to check for messages, and regularly using some form of digital device in bed; 2) Checking your smartphone while at a meal with others; 3) Spending little time outside and often eating at your desk; 4) Getting distracted easily even when offline and finding it hard to focus fully on one task; 5) Being with family members but spending most of your time at home on a device; and 6) Wanting to stop using your smartphone and finding that you just can't, having tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to control your internet use. If you can identify with most of these signs, then, this may be a good indicator that it might be the right time for you to unplugged, undertake a digital detox, and reboot your life. I believe it is not about letting go of digital technology altogether - in fact, if we want to progress in life, we must embrace it - but making sure that it doesn't control our lives. Fielding equips: "Unplugging is not so much a disconnection as a fine-tuning of our inner search engine. Practicing moderation by finding a workable balance between our digital connectivity and our real-life connections is the key to establishing a new digital protocol where we can be fully present in our lives while using our digital devices as the tools they were designed to be."

There are lots of tips, suggestions, and very useful digital detox ideas outline in this book. It is never mean to be taken literally but you must try it for yourself first (remember, our context, purpose, and personality are different) and modify your practices along the way. Think big, start small, go deep. Perhaps, you can join me in reading books!  #1Book1Week ��� I know you can if you read this till the end ��� It is possible! ��������� #Unplugged #DigitalDetox #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

 Book and TED Talk recommendations:

 1) Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success In a Distracted World (2016) by Cal Newport. CLICK HERE to read my review. Watch his TED Talk too.

 2) Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive In a World of Distraction (2018) by Christ Bailey. Watch his TED Talk too. I didn't manage to write a review for this one.

 3) Six Books on the Effect of Technology & Social Media. CLICK HERE to see my recommendations.

4) TEDx Talk: What You Are Missing While Being a Digital Zombie by Patrik Wincent https://youtu.be/TAIxb42FjwE  

5) TED Talk: Connected, But Alone? by Sherry Turkle https://youtu.be/t7Xr3AsBEK4 

6) How about documentaries? Let me suggest two - Disconnected (2017) directed by Salem Habbous https://youtu.be/MkIiMP--1h8 & The Social Dilemma (2020) directed by Jeff Orlowski on Netflix

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The Gift of Reading and The Gift of Time #1Book1Week April 2021

 I'm concern with how many of us use the gift of reading and the gift of time nowadays. With no exception, most people would agree with me that reading a good book is better than reading hundreds of random posts on Face-book. Although a heavy use of social media can cause lower levels of literacy and decrease comprehension ability, I bet most of us actually can read fairly well. People who can read very well, but, for whatever reason, are choosing NOT to read a good book is like what Mark Twain observed, "The people who can read but doesn't isn't any better off than the person who can't read."

On second thought, I think Mark Twain is being too modest. I think the person who can read but doesn't is WORST OFF than the person who can't read because they are taking this gift for granted. I've been to rural areas in Sarawak where some of the youths are trying their best to learn to read but because of their culture and limited resources, they can only learn so much. If they have the same kind of opportunities and facilities as most of us in the cities have, they could be as literate as us - and probably even better if they continue to have the thirst for knowledge that we lack. Don't despise the gift of reading and don't waste the gift of time. Or, BOTH WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. God is not fair but He is just ⚡

"Reading," said Burke Hedges, "can transform your life in a flash, and you never know which book... at which time in your life... might be the one that rocks your world and inspires you to grow in ways you never thought possible." Take a good book - and read! ��� By the way, here are my #1Book1Week for April 2021 ���

To read my reviews of these books and more, CLICK HERE.

#ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #TheGiftsOfReadingAndTime #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Making the Most of Your Time

 

You don't have time to do what's important? All of us have the same amount of time: 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds a day. It's not that you don't have time, but making the most of your time. The Scripture says, "Be careful, then, how you live... making the most of your time." Btw, what have you been doing today? ⌛⌚⏰ #ServeToLead #YouCantTurnBackTime 

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10 Things To Remember

 

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7 Things You Can Do During Quarantine

I always say that you either come out better or worst or the same when the quarantine or lockdown is over. Here are seven (7) things that I do myself - and probably helpful to you too ⚡ #ServeToLead #ThingsToDoDuringLockdown #QualityQuarantine #QuarantineToTheMax #1Book1Week #InvestInSelf #GrowingLeader

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How To Fit In More Reading?

My aim is #1Book1Week But since MCO, I have more free time to read books and what a blessing in disguise! ⚡Btw, how do you fit in more reading?

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Cal Newport on Managing Time Better

Since MCO I lost the sense of time and I hardly use my planner (there was one time I forget where I put it). I forget to manage my time. Thanks to Cal Newport for the reminder. I fully recommend reading Deep Work

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #ProductivityHacks #DeepWorkCalNewport #1Book1Week

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Time Is What We Want the Most But What We Use the Worst

One day Satan gathered his assistants to discuss the most effective method of destroying the meaning of people's lives.

One suggested, "Tell them there is no God." Another said, "Tell them there are no consequences to their actions." A third proposed, "Tell them they have strayed so far from the right path they will never be able to change."

"No," Satan replied, "such things will not matter to them. I think we should simply tell them, 'There is plenty of time'" #ServeToLead #DontWasteTime #DoItNow

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The Key Is to Schedule Your Priorities

"Are you busy?" Sometimes I get this question as an intro to WhatsApp chat. I'm always tempted to answer, "No, I'm on vacation now" For an achiever, being busy is normal. But busy alone is not enough. Being productive is better. One of the dangers that most people do is that they are repeating this year what they did last year and not really learning and growing and developing themselves.

You see, growth doesn’t just happen (to watch the video related to this, CLICK HERE: http://bit.ly/TheLawOfGrowth1). You have to be intentional in your personal growth. Do you have goals this year? What is your plan? What filled your calendar? Curt Kampmeier reminds us, "If you’re going to grow, you have to be intentional" #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #IntentionalLiving #TheLawOfIntentionality

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Seven (7) Ways to Read the Entire Bible in One (1) Year

Half a dozen people asked me about how to read the Bible in 1 year. This is such a noble and respectful desire that I want to share with you Seven (7) Ways to Read the Entire Bible in One (1) Year below 👇 click each picture and read some write up for each tip ya 😉 Let's pray the prayer of Jesus for ourselves: "Lord, make us holy by Your truth; teach us Your word, which is truth. Amen" (based on John 17:17) 🙏 #ServeToLead #ReadTheBible #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

#1 Pray for the Holy Spirit to Guide You BEFORE You Read

In John 16:13, Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” and “all truth” can be found in the Bible both in the Old Testament (“All Scripture...” 2 Timothy 3:16) and New Testament (“...everything I have told you...” John 14:26). So it is wise to start your reading by praying first. Below is the example of my prayer which I printed and put it in the Bible that I’m using now:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I have opened this book because I desire to know and understand who You are. I realize this is impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit. I ask that You would anoint me with Your Spirit. Open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, and my heart that I might know and understand what You are saying to me.

As I read, let me hear Your voice within the words of this book. Transform me, change me. Then lift me again with the goal of eventually seeing You face-to-face. Let my life be so transformed that I will never be the same. For this, I give You all the praise and glory and honor, both now and forever. Amen.

#2 Hunger & Thirst for the Word of God

During the temptation, when Jesus was physically hungry and thirsty, He quotes the Scripture, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He was referring to spiritual food. As Christ-followers, we must be continuously hunger and thirst for His Word, then we can be satisfied. Otherwise, we’ll be ‘malnutrition’ Christians. This satisfaction is supernatural and that will always come to God for more. If you have this inner motivation to read the Bible, you’ll not feel ‘forced’ to read it but out of your need and initiative because you’re ‘starving’ for - both the written and the living - Word of God.

#3 The Rise of False Teachers & Teachings

If hunger & thirst for the Word of God is your inner motivation, then the rise of false teachers & teachings should be your outer motivation to read the Word of God for yourself! Many people are swayed by false teachers and teachings nowadays, especially in Sarawak, and when I investigate further, I have found the number one reason (one of the reasons) is due to the lack of Bible knowledge. Paul reminds Timothy as to us today: “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Based on this, I partly understand that false teachers are actually the product of the people who want to “follow their own desires” and so they “reject the truth.” False teachers increase as our knowledge of the truth decrease. If you want to protect yourself from false teachers and teachings, read your Bible!* (*this can reduce the probability)

#4 No Idleness & Wasting Time

To sum up: Honestly, we are lazy to read our Bible. Not that we don’t have time (we all have 24 hours either you’re a saint or the chief of sinners) but because we used our time for something else other than spending our time for God and His Word. We have time for video games, Netflix, YouTube, and social media. The key is not to ‘find’ time but intentionally to SET time. Not time expansion but time management. Schedule it, put it in your calendar, prioritized it.

Also, maximize time. I always bring books in my bag with me, one of them is the Bible. Whenever there are pockets of free time, I read. After breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I read. While waiting for the rain to stop or before meeting start or when I’m not online, I read. Read the Book of Proverbs and you’ll find that nothing positive ever said about lazy people!

#5 Use the Bible Reading Plan

#5, #6 and #7 are more practical. First, it is helpful if you have a plan. You can read the Bible entirely without a plan. You can do it! I’ve done it. I just read and read, and continue where I’ve left the day before. But nowadays, as I’m in the ministry, a Bible reading plan is very helpful. There are lots of Bible reading plans you can choose. Go to https://www.ligonier.org/blog/bible-reading-plans/ > choose > download > print > use! Also, if you like, you can use Bible reading plan Apps.

For me, this year, I use the Chronological Bible Reading Plan. With this I can read through the Bible - 3 to 4 chapters per day - in the order the events occurred chronologically. Try your best to stick to the assigned reading but don’t feel guilty about skipping it when you’re really busy. You can catch up during the weekend (sometimes when I’m curious, I just read the entire book or just bookmarked where I stop).

#6 Choose Bible Translation Suitable for You

The Biblical languages - Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic - are very rich and colorful. Thank God we have more than 450 English translations now (based on Wikipedia). It is exciting but at the same time it can also be confusing... so you have to choose which translation that is suitable for you. In almost every Bible, there is an introduction by the translators where they explain the philosophy and methodology of the translation (as I write this, I refer to the introduction to the New Living Translation). This is how I choose which translation to use for what. For Bible Study, I use KJV, NKJV, and ESV (and sometime NIV) because these translations seek to preserve the original syntax and sentence structure as much as possible. Basically, these are under Word-for-Word* (*Google to understand what this means) translation category. For Bible reading, it is better for you to use the Thought-for-Thought* translation category. I use - and suggest to you to use - simple English translations such as:

> New Living Translation (NLT)

> Today’s English Version (TEV is also known as Good News Bible)

> New International Version (NIV) or Today’s New International Version (TNIV)

> Alkitab Versi Borneo (AVB)

Paraphrased Bibles also good for reading but probably NOT suitable for serious Bible Study. Among my favorite are:

> The Message (MSG)

> The Living Bible (TLB)

> JB Philips New Testament (PHILIPS)

Whatever translation that you use, it is better for you to stick to one translation for Bible reading because it can help you to familiarized and memorized the Scriptures.

#7 Use Actual Book Rather than App

Bible Apps sound easy to excess, modern and technologically savvy. But (this is where my personal preference comes) Apps can be distractive. Why reading an actual book is good? Well, for me, holding the actual, physical Bible can set the mode and mood to read it. There is no ‘bing’ ‘ting’ and ‘ping.’ Besides, you don’t have to keep on charging it. Yes, the Bible is still the Bible regardless of format. But print, physical and actual book Bible allows us to better recognize the sense of permanency and supremacy of the Word of God than Apps does.

If you only read the Bible on your phone, it can give you the sense that the Bible is just another App. This is especially important because many young people today, who are digital natives growing up immersed in a sea of temporary pixels, may view (have a mental picture of) the Bible as equivalent as Angry Bird and PUBG. By all mean, Bible Apps are very helpful. I use it to prepare for Bible studies. Don’t reject or ditch Apps all together... just use it wisely. If your goal this year is to read the entire Bible in 1 year, I highly recommend using physical, actual Bible book. Plus, it smells good!

____________

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