Chin's TD Article

Businessman Shares Paths to a Happy Life

By Tom Silvestri Published: January 3, 2010 T.S. Chin appeared the day before Christmas Eve with a request to personally hand me a gift. He explained it would be rude merely to drop it off.

Chin picked a very busy time, however. For more than two hours, he waited pa tiently for my schedule to clear ­­ after an interview that ran long, after a call from a demanding advertising agency seeking an answer, after an emergency consultation over a personnel issue, after reviewing a sudden request to approve payment of a bill, after a reminder about attending to a special section in development.

At one point, I signaled to him that the wait might be longer. No problem, he said with a smile. He was enjoying the time to relax and chat with our front­desk guard and, later, my administrative assistant.

Finally, we met. Chin gave me a box. Inside, there were copies of his book ­­ H.A.P.P.Y.L.I.F.E. ­­ Ancient Wisdom. Modern Philosophy. He wrote it. He published it. And now he was delivering it.

Chin, who came to this country from Hong Kong just before his 16th birthday in 1968, is on a mission to share his stories filled with positive messages and meaning. (See a sample, "Turtles Fly," nearby on this page.) His book's title is an acronym that captures the various themes he is eager to expound on: Helping ­­ Helping ourselves by helping others is the key to a happy life.

Attitude ­­ A positive attitude equals opportunity. It will foster positive energy around you, which will lead to success and happiness.

Patience ­­ Patience is your strongest inner power. It is your best tool to conquer fear, obstacles, and challenges. Control when and how to act in order to capture opportunity.

Passion ­­ If you choose a career you are passionate about, you will never work a day in your life. Find your passion and live your life in Paradise.

Yes ­­ A dream and a plan; anything is possible. Yes we can!

Love ­­ Love is caring and sharing unconditionally, openly, without boundaries.

Improvement ­­ Improve one step each time and improve one percent each day toward your goal and perfection.

Fairness ­­ Life may not be fair to you, but you must be fair in life.

Education ­­ Education is the source of knowledge, and sharing knowledge creates a positive rippling effect that benefits mankind.

A businessman with his acknowledged share of ups and downs, Chin has lived in Mechanicsville since 1981. He and his wife, Jade, have three children and two grandchildren.

"I have been in the restaurant business since 1969. During my business career, I have owned several restaurants, a sports complex, a consulting company, a jewelry store, and started a local bank," Chin said. "I was a political adviser to numerous local and state politicians. I was appointed by then­Gov. Mark Warner to serve as an economic work force councilman.

"I have also been involved with commercial real estate since the 1980s. I have been a hard worker and a problem­solver my entire life."

Chin, who says the initial T stands for Thick, said he was inspired to write his book after speaking to five different classes of soon­to­be graduates of Henrico High School over two days last spring. The invitation came from English teacher Joseph B. Allred, who was searching for an inspirational message for his departing students.

"I emphasized to them that education was the foundation of mankind," Chin said. "By learning and sharing our knowledge, it would cause a positive rippling effect that benefits our society. I encouraged them to continue to learn regardless of the education path they chose."

Chin's talk was a reflection of his life lessons. But the students' reactions, which included invitations to attend the graduation ceremony, so moved him that he decided to write his book, he said. "They offered me a new mission and higher purpose in life. If I could help the students, then it was my shared responsibility to enrich the lives of others by sharing the message of a happy life."

Normally, the Richmond Times­Dispatch doesn't publish reviews on self­published books. Our policy basically doesn't consider a self­published book to be on the same level as one that has been sanctioned by a publishing house. But there was something about Chin's timing that spoke volumes.

At the end of the worst recession since the Great Depression, an enthusiastic businessman full of energy and bursting with stories about the positive side of life shows up unexpectedly right before Christmas.

Reading his book over the holiday and its 68 stories that each end with a principle, proverb, or lasting point, I was reminded it takes just as much energy to find the positive as it does to display the negative, but the result is far richer.

"I have learned a lot about life," Chin added in a follow­up e­mail that included a reminder to check out his Web site, http://www.HappyLifeBook.com. "Despite my many obstacles and challenges, I remain a happy man. Even though life is imperfect and difficult at times, I want others to learn from my experiences so that they can understand life better and enjoy life in a new perspective."

Thank you, T.S. Chin, for the book. I am sorry I made you wait so long.

Thomas A. Silvestri is the business leader of the Richmond Media Group, which includes the Richmond Times­Dispatch, TimesDispatch.com, Richmond.com, and Richmond Suburban Newspapers. He wishes the Times­Dispatch Nation a happy and healthy New Year in appreciation for all the suggestions, advice, and encouragement. Here's to a rewarding 2010.