Beauty is More than Skin Deep

You may have heard the phrase that “beauty is more than skin deep”, but with the media constantly pushing to have the perfect teeth, the perfect nose, the perfect hair, and the perfect everything, it can be difficult to understand the true beauty of living a good life with the hand you’ve been dealt.

However, Miss NG Poh Peng can help us look past physical appearances with her remarkable strength and courage to simply live each day to the fullest.

Doctors said she’d be dead within two months

Yet despite the doctor’s pessimism, the Poh Peng baby continued to live, struggling to survive the first month, and then six, and now 20 years. Born with a rare hereditary skin disorder, Ng Poh Peng battles every day with congential ichthyosis which causes her skin to flake off like fish scales. Her condition leaves her newly exposed skin defenseless to the elements and prone to infection, and she has to be hospitalized every few months for fever and vomiting.

And unfortunately, her condition also leaves her vulnerable to rude comments as well.

Her Father, Mr. Ng Recalls: “When she was in primary school, some of her schoolmates called her ‘red ghost’,” said Mr Ng. “Some adults we met outside called her ‘a doll’.

“These grown-ups should really use their brains when talking. Why hurt our feelings like that?”

However, NG Poh Peng has learned to cope with both her physical trials and the lack of understanding in others. Instead, she tells reporters, “I just ignore the teasing now.”

With the unconditional love of her parents and the strength and support of her friends and admirers, NG Poh Peng finds the resilience to take each day on her own terms – looking for work and independence while trying to help her parents pay for the medical bills.

Although nearly $300,000 was raised to help ease the financial burdern, the Ng family gave half of the money to charity.

“There were other people who needed to money more urgently,” Mr. Ng stated. “We helped others, so heaven kept our daughter alive all these years.”

She persevered. . .

Despite her constant arthritis and the pain from her condition, Ng Poh Peng turned her struggles into a triumph, finishing school and obtained a Higher National ITE Certificate in Accounting. She hopes to be a data entry officer.

Rather than giving up and giving in, NG Poh Peng shows us that true beauty lies in the strength of one’s soul. Her courage to live each day despite pain and ridicule while generously donating to those in need demonstrates can truly inspire us to be grateful for the time we have.

17 Miracles

Even if you don’t follow the LDS church beliefs, I highly recommend watching the movie 17 miracles if you’re looking to add a little inspiration to your life. Historically speaking, the film adds a little extra perspective to what these religious pilgrims had to go through while crossing the vast unsettled country of the United States. Emotionally speaking, I suggest you bring a few tissues.

The movie covers the expedition of the Willie Handcart Company of 1856, following Levi Savage and many other inspiring individuals as they struggle to travel to Zion (Utah) where they can be free to worship as their hearts’ desire. Due to the lateness in the season, the pioneers have to push through ice and snow with little food, clothing, and bedding. Only their determination and faith keeps them moving despite the seemingly impossible obstacles in their way.

Interestingly, Filmaker T.C. Christensen states that the 17 in the title is just a number. “I could tell you 25 miracles. Somebody else might watch the movie and say, ‘I don’t know maybe I’ll give you two.” Depending on how you look at it, a miracle could be an act of God, or it could be merely a coincidence. Either way, the events that took place in the film (and in history) are truly extraordinary and inspiring if you take the time to appreciate the courage required to finally reach their goals.

Although I personally stopped counting each and every miracle partway into the moving (and simply enjoyed the overall experience), 17 miracles is a surprisingly moving experience. It demonstrated the love that human kind can toward one another, and though I don’t want to spoil the whole movie for those who hadn’t seen it yet, the self-sacrificing love of children, parents, and couples demonstrated in this movie is enough to rekindle my hope that human kind is not completely given into self-service and greed.

To read more about the film and even see the trailer, you can visit the movie’s website here.

What kind of miracles have you seen today? Make a list and look back on it during times of struggle.

Money Management

You don’t have to attend Sunday Mass or join a Buddhist monastery to find a peace of mind in this crazy upside down world and you don’t have to read motivating speeches and self-help books to find inspiration in your everyday life. Sometimes all we need is a little organization to the chaos to spark our motivation and get things moving in the right direction.

With the economy in shambles and your finances looking a little shaky, then perhaps now would be a good time to find inspiration while budgeting for bills. By keeping tabs on your spending habits, you can rest comfortably with the knowledge that you’re living within your means.

Money Management Tips:

1. Keep it Current: In your rush to get your groceries home, it can be easy to forget down that check number, saying to yourself that you’ll write it when after you’ve gotten the ice cream in the freezer and the pizza in the oven. But if you didn’t have time at the checkout stand, what makes you think that you’ll have time when you get home?

If you’re not careful, that unaccounted check can lead you to believe that you have more money in your account than you originally planned, resulting in bounced checks and even more fees. By keeping it current, you know how much you can spend and when.

2. Prioritize and Prepare: Although it’s important to get those bills sent off on time and still have money for food, clothing, gas, and the basic necessities of life, sometimes it’s nice to have a little extra just for yourself. By prioritizing your budget, you can put those extra pennies toward pursuing your dreams.

If money weren’t an issue, what would you want to do with your life? Travel? Become a wine connoisseur? Learn another language? Just because you can’t afford an entire trip to the Bahamas this year doesn’t mean you should give up on your dream completely. Instead, create a savings account that you refuse to touch – depositing a little from each paycheck until you finally have enough to purchase that golden ticket for your own.

3. Bigger isn’t necessarily better: Buying that big mac may seem like a good idea at the time, but you always regret it when you end up with heartburn and indigestion a few hours later. Buying the biggest truck Ford has to offer may boost your ego, until its resale price drops when you drive it off the lot and then your teenage neighbor scratches it with his skateboard.

Learn to enjoy what you have rather than craving the “next big thing.” Not only will you save money, but you’ll learn to appreciate the true value of the things you already have.

The 10,000 Hour Rule

After adoring the graceful notes played by a concert pianist or admiring the physical prowess of an Olympic athlete, many people can’t help but wonder “how do they do that?” With talent oozing out their fingertips, it’s easy to assume that this world-class individual born with a gift, some unobtainable ability that will leave you awestruck and jealous.

What many people don’t realize, however, is that everyone has the potential to rise to greatness if they’re willing to put in the time and effort to achieve worthwhile goals.

According to Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, “The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert — in anything.”

Follow Your Dreams
Whether you’re trying to become the world’s great concert pianist, singer, or scrapbooker, if you are completely committed to following your dreams and then put in the time and effort for regular practice, then you too can put your name alongside the world’s greatest performers.

Impossible you say?

Let’s break down the numbers here so you can visualize how long it would take you to hit the 10,000 hour mark.

• If you make it a full time profession, at 8 hours a day, it will take you roughly 5 years to complete
• If you only put in half that time, 4 hours a day, then it will take 10 years.
• A weekend gig of 10 hours a week, then it will take 20 years.

When you put it that way, somehow achieving a world class status doesn’t seem as impossible. The only drawback is the most people underestimate their abilities or prioritize their time to focus on meaningless tasks and time-consuming engagements. If only everyone recognized that they had the potential to achieve whatever they truly set their mind to. . .

Aren’t they born with it?
That’s a tricky question. Personally, I believe that everyone is gifted with individual talents and abilities that they can choose to develop or ignore. I also believe that even if a person isn’t born with those same abilities but is willing to develop a talent anyway, then he or she also can achieve world-class status. And interestingly, not even “geniuses” are an exception to the 10,000 hour rule.

Take Mozart for example.

Many considered Mozart to be a child genius, composing pieces at an early age that would leave his peers astonished and impressed. However, according to Michael Howe, author of Genius Explained, “Many of Wolfgang’s childhood compositions… are largely arrangements of works by other composers… the earliest that is now regarded as a masterwork (No. 9, K.271) was not composed until he was twenty-one.”
So even Mozart still had to abide by the 10,000 hour rule – committing countless hours to improving his natural talents before achieving his world-class status.

Still not convinced?

We could go back further in time to Demosthenes, whom Cicero proclaimed to be “the perfect orator.” Considered to be the most prominent Greek statesmen and Orator of his time, Demosthenes wasn’t born with natural powers of persuasion. In fact, he had a severe stutter, which would definitely deter most people from pursuing politics.

But he would not let his disability keep his voice from being heard.
Instead of giving up, Demosthenes practiced speaking by placing pebbles in his mouth, consistently working to improve his articulation. In order to project his voice over large crowds, Demosthenes would practice by shouting over the ocean waves. For years, Demosthenes studied the speeches of great orators to master rhetoric, and by the age of 20, Demosthenes gave his first judicial speech, effectively gaining his inheritance from his guardians.

A Small Addendum
Before you go full-steam ahead on your quest for success, take these words of wisdom to heart. My music teacher use to say, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

Practicing a song (or a speech or a dance) over and over again may help you hit that 10,000 hour rule, but only if that practice is aimed toward personal improvement. If you keep hitting the wrong note, and continually hit the wrong note, repetition won’t make it sound any better.

Learning from Leslie Lemke

The human brain is a beautiful thing. Often times we don’t appreciate its amazing abilities until something goes terribly wrong.

And then astoundingly right.

There are a select few individuals who have been blessed with some incredible gifts-photographic memories, the ability to perform complex mathematical calculations in one’s head, playing music perfectly after hearing it just once, etc. Often times the world praises this individuals for their skill and prowess, showering them with fame and fortunate.

And then there are savants.

Savants are almost super human in their area of expertise but are then limited with developmental disorders, such as autism and mental retardation. Most savants are born this way, with more skills at their fingertips than you could possibly imagine. Unfortunately, they are often at the mercy of their caretakers, a few of whom would dismiss their potential as a person and simply see the handicaps as a burden.

And then someone special comes along.

Someone who can see past the physical differences and brings out the beauty within.

Leslie Lemke

Leslie Lemke was one of these savants. Born with severe birth defects that required the removal of his eyes, Leslie Lemke was given up for adoption and was raised by May Lemke (a 52 year old nurse who had 5 other children of her own).

It took nearly seven years of force feeding before Leslie learned how to swallow. Then another year before he could chew food on his own. During this time, he never made a sound. Never showed emotion.

May Lemke didn’t see Leslie as a burden, however, but a joy. Rather than simply keeping him alive, May did everything in her power to give him the best life possible. By sheer determination and perseverance, May taught Leslie how to stand at the age of 12 then walk at the age of 15, strapping his fragile body to hers to teach him, step by agonizing step.

After years of painstaking care and love, May Lemke woke up to hear Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concert No. 1 playing in Leslie’s room. Originally, May thought she had simply left the radio on, and to her surprise, Leslie was playing the piece flawlessly. No training. No sheet music.

Leslie then began to use music as a form of communication, singing songs and playing ragtime as if those ebony keys were extensions of his fingertips.

Don’t Give Up
Beneath the deformed exterior was a heart willing to express itself, and only through compassion was Leslie Lemke eventually able to find music when words failed him.

So whether you feel lost in the dark, alone with no way to communicate, or feel as though you’re carrying a heavy burden strapped to your back, just remember Leslie and May Lemke-who persevered when the world thought it impossible.

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all.” Dale Carnegie

Remembering 9/11

It has never ceased to amaze me how a nation can come together after a tragedy and provide support to those who are suffering.

September 11 was no exception.

Ten years ago, when the world trade center was attacked, nearly 3,000 people were killed—and the whole world stopped to watch in horror.

Now, we keep those who were lost during this tragic time in permanent remembrance. On Monday, September 12, the World Trade Center memorial was opened to the public.

Remembering those loved and lost

Americans and people from all over the world gathered together to see the victim’s names inscribed on beautiful bronze panels surrounding the memorial pools. These massive pools are the so called “foot prints” of the twin towers.

Every detail was created thoughtfully, out of respect to both the living and the dead. The design is amazing, and the calming rush of the waterfalls fades out the everyday noise of city traffic, allowing quiet meditation and contemplation of the events that took place one decade ago.

Although the memorial cannot bring back those who were killed during the attacks, it does grant us a small piece of mind: that no matter what happens, those we love will never be truly lost.

Tickets to visit the memorial are available, and to find out more about the memorial you can visit this site.

Paying Respect on a Local Scale

Such a massive event didn’t affect just a single city, but an entire nation. Much smaller tributes and memorials popped up across the US as citizens paid their respect to those who were affected by the 9/11 attacks.

At Utah Valley University, Matthew Holland, a published scholar stated in his tribute to that fateful day, “Property, peace and precious life were destroyed that day, on a scale that still makes our souls mourn, and in a way that has forever changed the way that we travel, govern and defend ourselves,” he said. “Yet here we are, millions upon millions of us. We sing and pray. We laugh and lounge. We toil and tour and trade, and we do so in the land still best described as a land of freedom.”

Payson Senior High School, a small-town high school in Utah valley, released 250 red and blue balloons into the sky following a commemoration ceremony and musical bagpipe number.

In Bayport-Blue Point High School, the students constructed a mini museum featuring memorabilia from September 11. These were displayed in the school’s lobby for an entire week, and many are encouraged to visit the collection.

The tributes even reached as far as Belfast, Ireland. Hundreds of people gathered to commemorate the 9/11 attacks, showing their support during a poignant service outside their city hall while similar tributes were held in London, Glasgow, and Birmingham.

In memory of those lost
In honor of those who died during the 9/11 attack, countless songs, poems, and books were composed to help ease the pain of those left behind. One poem touched me deeply, submitted by a 7th grade student, Hannah Schoechert, I leave you with these inspiration words.

Points of Light

The Hopi have a language as sophisticated as ours, but no tenses for past, present, and future. The division does not exist. What does this say about time?

Matter, the thing most solid and well-known, which you are holding in your hands and which makes up your body, is now known to be mostly empty space. Empty space and points of light. What does this say about the reality of the world?

–Jeanette Winterson (Sexing the Cherry)

Failure Before Success

Failure is inevitable, but it is not a permanent circumstance. If you keep trying, failure can become success. Next time your morale hits rock bottom, there are people throughout history that can change your perspective. Some business men went from bankrupt to billionaire and prove you just have to dust yourself off and try again.

“Failures” turned famous have some skeletons behind success. A few noteworthy authors, inventors, and public figures that faced failure and ended victorious include:

• Bill Gates first business called Traf-O-Data failed before creating the global success that is Microsoft.

• Albert Einstein was mute until the age of four, didn’t learn to read until he was seven, and was expelled from school by teachers who figured he was mentally handicapped and slow. Apparently these adults were no Einstein – the boy who grew up to change physics and win a Nobel Prize.

• Oprah Winfrey had an abusive childhood and was even fired earlier in her career as a television reporter because she was “unfit for TV.”

• J.K. Rowling wasn’t always a billionaire. Before the Harry Potter series, she was nearly homeless. Twelve publishers actually denied her manuscript – to their eternal regret—before one publisher took a chance that revolutionized literature around the world.

• Prior to Beatlemania, a recording company actually told The Beatles no. The company didn’t like their sound and told them guitar music was on the way out!

• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Now, Michael Jordan is a legendary athlete with a reputation for being the best basketball player of all time.

A slightly humorous and inspirational quote by Thomas Edison is “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Team Hoyt: An Inspiration

The Hoyt’s story is about sacrifice. The Hoyt’s story is about faith. The Hoyt’s story is about overcoming obstacles. Most of all, the Hoyt’s story is about love. A love so inspiring it will change your life.

Due to oxygen deprivation at the time of his birth, Rick Hoyt became a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. His parents, Dick and Judy Hoyt, were advised to institutionalize Rick because he would never recover or live a “normal” life. However, Dick and Judy had faith in their son. Soon after, Dick and Judy realized that Rick’s limitations were purely physical and Rick was in fact intelligent.

For years, Rick’s parents fought to get him into public school for a decent education to no avail. After some basic home schooling to prove his intelligence, Rick was finally admitted. During this time a group of engineers designed an interactive computer for Rick to communicate. Rick could highlight letters of the alphabet and tap with his head to spell words.

Once in school Rick excelled. After high school Rick attended Boston University and graduated with his degree in Special Education.

Years ago Rick told his father Dick he wanted to be a part of a 5-mile charity run for a local paralyzed athlete. Dick wasn’t a long-distance runner but he agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair. Although they nearly finished the run in last place, Rick told his dad “when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”

For the love of his son, Dick began to train for races. Now, Dick and Rick are known as Team Hoyt. Team Hoyt has completed over 1,000 races including marathons, duathlons, and triathlons. Six of these were Ironman competitions!

Dick runs, bikes, and swims with Rick by his side with custom made equipment. Dick has hopes to run the Boston Marathon with his son this year at 70 years old.

Team Hoyt lives by the motto “yes you can!” Together, Team Hoyt educates society about people with disabilities and strongly encourages people living with disabilities to become active members of the community.

The Civility Experiment

We came across this video and had to share it. How many times have we found ourselves in this woman’s shoes? Placing judgement on a person that we hardly even know just because of outside appearance. The woman in the video even noted early on that she believed herself to be an “open-minded person” but what does this truly mean? Does it mean she accepts everyone and their differences? Because she immediately hoped that the homeless man wouldn’t steal her bicycle as he walked past. Open mindedness is a journey and one that we all should be taking. Open mindedness doesn’t mean that you don’t have morals, values, and standards of your own, but it means that you don’t turn your nose up at people who possess different opinions or ideas or lifestyles than you.

Compassion is Contagious

I was day tripping to Vancouver from Seattle and stopped in for lunch at a little cafe. From my window I saw a young teenage girl out in the cold, squatted down in a closed up businesses doorway, holding a small bundle in her arms. She was panhandling, people were mostly walking by ignoring her. She looked just broken.
I finished up my meal and went outside, went through my wallet and thought I’d give her $5 for some food. I got up to her and she was sobbing, she looked like she was 14-15. And that bundle in her arms was a baby wrapped up. I felt like I just got punched in the chest. She looked up putting on a game face and asked for any change, I asked her if she’s like some lunch. Right next door was a small quick-Trip type grocery store, I got a can of formula for the baby (very young, maybe 2-3 months old.), and took her back to the cafe though I’d just eaten. She was very thankful, got a burger and just inhaled it. Got her some pie and ice cream. She opened up and we talked. She was 15, got pregnant, parents were angry and she was fighting with them. She ran away. She’s been gone almost 1 full year.
I asked her if she’s like to go home and she got silent. I coaxed her, she said her parents wouldn’t want her back. I coaxed further, she admitted she stole 5k in cash from her Dad. Turns out 5k doesn’t last long at all and the streets are tough on a 15 year old. Very tough. She did want to go back, but she was afraid no one wanted her back after what she did.
We talked more, I wanted her to use my phone to call home but she wouldn’t. I told her I’d call and see if her folks wanted to talk to her, she hesitated and gave bad excuses but eventually agreed. She dialed the number and I took the phone, her Mom picked up and I said hello. Awkwardly introduced myself and said her daughter would like to speak to her, silence, and I heard crying. Gave the phone to the girl and she was just quiet listening to her Mom cry, and then said hello. And she cried. They talked, she gave the phone back to me, I talked to her Mom some more.
I drove her down to the bus station and bought her a bus ticket home. Gave her $100 cash for incidentals, and some formula, diapers, wipes, snacks for the road.
Got to the bus, and she just cried saying thank you over and over. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and a hug, kissed her baby, and she got on the bus.
I get a chistmas card every year from her. She’s 21 now and in college.
Her name is Makayla and her baby was Joe.
I’ve never really told anyone about this. I just feel good knowing I did something good in this world. Maybe it’ll make up for the things I’ve f-ed up.

Author Alias WarToad via Reddit