You Can Fly: Think Do And Act For Greater Success

You Can Fly

Think, Do, And Act For Greater Personal Success

Ismail Gafoor

First Published 2005 Revised Edition 2006 Published by Ismail Gafoor ISBN 981-05-3656-9 Copyright Š Ismail Gafoor Website: http://www.youcanfly.com.sg Email: mohdismailpropnex@yahoo.com Cover Design By: Cherie Tan Publishing Consultant: Rank Books (www.rankbooks.com ) All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information retrieval systems - without written permission of the Author.

Conditions of Sale: This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Printed in Singapore

Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following persons; without them this book would not have been possible.

Winnie Yong Wan Peng Mariani Yahya Phua Wen Yi Goh Kheng Chuan Nooraini Noordin Mary Loo Fadilah A. Majid Paul Yap Azlina Bte A. Azez Hazel Lim Paul Lawrence

Foreword

I am glad that Mohamed Ismail has taken upon himself the task of writing a book to share his experiences with others. There is much that we can learn from the experiences of others, especially from someone who has made it good from ‘scratch’. Reading of his father’s early childhood travails in India and how the author and his siblings were brought up in Singapore should inspire readers never to give up no matter what odds they may face.

What have the earthworm, chicken and eagle got to do with entrepreneurship? What does it take to be an entrepreneur?

Through the rich use of analogies and anecdotes of his own personal experiences, the author has put across, in an easy to read way, his views and concepts about entrepreneurship. There are also useful tips for would-be entrepreneurs.

I hope those who get to read “You Can Fly” will gain much from the rich experiences of the author. It remains for me to wish the author every success in his book.

S R Nathan President Republic of Singapore

Most of us are ordinary people doing ordinary things. Because we think we are ordinary, we limit ourselves to ordinary goals.

Mohamed Ismail believes — passionately — that this is wrong.

In his readable book “You Can Fly”, he urges us to excel by doing quite ordinary things, like being persistent and consistent. Citing his own personal experiences, perhaps with an excess of modesty, he argues that ‘excellence’ is nearer to ‘good’ than one thinks. In anything we do, being inspired is important. Mohamed Ismail’s book inspires us to be better than what we are.

BG(NS) George Yeo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore Mohamed Ismail is one of the most positive, powerful and persistent people serving others in Singapore today. His story is personal, inspirational and REAL. Everyone who reads this book will feel the passion and commitment he brings to achieving his highest potential. And his greatest ambition is helping YOU to achieve your potential! Open this book right now and start reading. Let the story of Mohamed Ismail’s success boost your confidence, raise your sights and lift you higher UP! Ron Kaufman, author of bestselling “UP Your Service!”

Mohamed Ismail is an entrepreneur of the most unusual order.

He has risen from rags to riches but is essentially the same person: down-to-earth and ever-willing to help others rise in the way he has. This book is testimony to the man who walks his talk. Anyone wanting to be a successful entrepreneur should take the time to imbibe the invaluable messages contained in this book.

Mano Sabnani CEO/ Editor-in-Chief MediaCorp Press Ltd

Anywhere I go in the world of Real Estate, be it South Africa, UK, Australia or New Zealand there is no company or a leader that matches PropNex. Mohamed Ismail is a leader who has accomplished extraordinary things in a short span of time. To be able to have access to his ideas, his personal thoughts on how to overcome adversity, and how to effect the lives of others in the way only he can, is a tool every aspiring entrepreneur should take advantage of.

Peter Gilchrist Real Training International, New Zealand The message that Mohamed Ismail is communicating through this very inspiring book is that he should not stop at being successful. He wants to make a difference to others with his extraordinary success. He seeks to progress from success to being SIGNIFICANT. Knowing that Mohamed Ismail and his capable wife Nooraini for many years since our army days, I am completely impressed with Mohamed Ismail. He is that kind of person who does not want to keep success to just himself. He is today SIGNIFICANTLY enriching others. He is a leader who walks the talk and fervently believes that in whatever he does, he must give off his best — in the SAF and in business!

From Mohamed Ismail‌Nothing but the best as evident by his long list of awards and achievements!

I salute you LTC (NS) Mohamed Ismail.

Jeffrey Goh Principal Consultant, TrainingLink Resources

What more can one ask for? This book is simple yet not simplistic, theoretical yet practical, with examples that so cleverly and thoughtfully illustrate the fundamentals, the keys to success and the choices we can and have to make. This is a true account of how one man with a vision can make a difference in the world of business. You will not be the same after reading this book.

Get It, Read It, and Most Importantly, Use It! Charlie Chan Chief Executive Officer, S. K. Brothers Realty, Malaysia

Dedication This book is dedicated to my wife, Nooraini Noordin, my Dad, Abdul Gafoore, my Mom, Ma.........., and my three wonderful children, Noorisna Gafoor, Nooris Gafoor, and Natasha Gafoor.

This book would not have been published if not for my parents in instilling the values and confidence in me, the army giving me the leadership and my family giving me the passion.

Preface

I believe everybody can attain success. What I mean to say is that everyone has the innate potential to achieve their own personal success, however, as with all destinations, you need to find the right route. And sometimes, before you can find the route, you need to find yourself first.

What is the route to Success? First, you need to determine what Success is. How can you find it otherwise, if you don’t know what it is? This book will guide you along the way, to finding yourself, finding out what success means to you, and finally, to shine a light down the dark, sometimes stormy channel of your life so you can find your route. I hope to reduce the number of times you stumble or get lost. Whether you dream of achieving a rewarding career, financial security, or building your own business empire as an entrepreneur, this book will help you take your first steps. However, do note this isn’t meant to be a typical “business” book. What you will find within these pages is an outline of a journey – your journey – from where you are now to where you wish to be in the future, both near and far.

The first half of the book deals with You: Your mindset and belief system, how the people around you affect you, what you want in life, and how you can start implementing the changes

needed to help you sail and soar to your goals. Before each chapter, we will tell a part of the story of little Kit, who starts off as a lively little chick living in a chicken coop. This story will serve as an analogy to guide you along — as little Kit grows, so will you.

I will begin the second half of the book by discussing the crucial skill of money management. This is a topic that holds a special place in my heart, for I believe there can be no fundamental more basic than saving consummately and investing prudently.

It is imperative for us to learn to manage our current income before we start creating more. Following this, we will discuss entrepreneurship — whether it's for you — and some business basics, which includes cash flow management, as well as business planning and management.

Whether you wish to take the steps to achieve your personal and financial goals, or start your own business, the journey will be unforgettably exhilarating. If you wish to sail your own boat, you'll have to brave the rough tides and weather through various storms, but this book will present to you the compass you'll need to find your way.

Ismail Gafoor

Contents Foreword Preface Part I Clumsy Kit And The Earthworm

1

Chapter 1: Success Begins From The Mind

7

The Landing Of Mister Eagle

23

Chapter 2: You Are More Capable Than You Think

29

What Lies Beyond

47

Chapter 3: People: They’ll Either Lift You Up Or Drag You Down

53

Learning The Ways Of The Wise

67

Chapter 4: Mentoring: Follow The Ways Of The Wise 73 Soaring To Lofty Heights

85

Chapter 5: Your Goals For Success

93

Part II Chapter 6: Managing What’s In Your Pocket

116

Chapter 7: “Let’s Get Rich Real Quick”

127

Chapter 8: Entrepreneurship — The Road To Wealth Creation

138

Chapter 9: A Few Business Fundamentals

151

Chapter 10: Catch The Wind And Wield It

166

The Road Beyond

195

Moments Of Peak

199

PART I

Clumsy Kit And The Earthworm

You Can Fly

“I got one,” Kit yelled in exuberance. The moment he opened his beak to speak, the plump, juicy earthworm fell and wriggled back into the brown soil.

The six other chicks playing in the yard with him burst into laughter.

“Clumsy Kit, Clumsy Kit,” they chorused.

“But I got him,” Kit said, hopping up and down on the spot while flapping his small wings, which were starting to turn from gray to brown. “I was the fastest. I won.” He stopped jumping and raised his head high. “I got him and decided to let him go. Don’t need to bully the poor little guy who’s already so miserable in his dark little hole in the ground.”

Molly, the fluffiest yellow chick with the most sparkling reddish-brown eyes strutted over to Kit. “Yeah, right. And why do we call you Clumsy Kit? You with your bent beak.”

Skeeter squealed and scratched at the ground. With a swoop of his slim beak, he snapped up a wriggly little earthworm and slurped it down his velvety white throat. “Yummy!”

“Skeeter’s the fastest,” the youngest chick cried.

Kit turned away and stormed back toward the chicken coop. How he hated his misshapen beak. Fat old Grammy had told him he’d tripped and fallen smack onto the ground when he was ever so little and bent his beak.

Now, try as he might, he couldn’t unbend it. His beak was hard and stiff as a rock, and he could crunch the toughest seeds, which the other chicks knew better than to even touch.

As Kit walked off, he could hear the other chicks laughing at him. He tried to comfort himself by thinking how much better off he was compared to the earthworm that had dropped back to the ground and returned to its safe, comfortable home.

The earthworm was just a slinky little creature,

Clumsy Kit And The Earthworm

weak and defenseless. It made its home a little tunnel in the ground where it surrounded itself with damp, muddy walls and comforting darkness. Its daily life involved burrowing through the soil, making new tunnels, and happily feeding off bits of plant lodged in the dirt — its only real reward.

As contented as the earthworm was, however, its life could get rather monotonous. The poor earthworm scarcely dared venture out of the ground to savour the sun’s caressing warmth, as attractive as it seemed; for to do that, it would have to crawl out of its tunnel, the safe, comfortable home it had known its whole life. To crawl out meant having to expose itself to the outside world, and worse, risk getting slurped down by a chicken. In seconds, it could be dead. That was just too much of a risk for a weak little earthworm to take, so it always preferred to hide within its tunnel of safety.

Living in a tunnel didn’t always keep the earthworm safe, however, Kit knew. Whenever he was hunting for earthworms, he’d race to scratch the ground faster and deeper, and once he spotted an earthworm, a quick peck and gulp was all it took to send the little critter into his belly. Kit felt better about himself after pondering the earthworm’s sorry life.

The chicken coop was dim and dank with murky windows and wooden rafters. None of the chickens noticed Kit slinking in and settling into a dark corner where he snuggled onto a mess of old straw and feathers to sulk. Several of the hens were crowding around Mama Dee and young Belinda, commonly thought of as the belle of the coop for her creamy white body, speckled gray tail, and bright rose comb crowning her head. “You ate more than your share of fresh corn,” Mama Dee said to Belinda as she flapped her wings loudly. “I saw how many times you sneaked back to peck at it. Eight!”

She glanced around at the other hens, who all cackled and flapped their wings in horror. “If you want to fatten your-

You Can Fly

self up for slaughter,” she yelled above the din, “go feed on the dry corn.”

Belinda preened the feathers on her right wing tip, appearing unperturbed about the hostility directed at her. “At your age, Mama Dee, it really doesn’t matter how much fresh corn you eat.” She stopped preening herself and raised her beak high. “I didn’t eat more than my share of fresh corn. I deserve more than the rest of you, because all the people who visit us here look first at me. If I look ugly, they’ll think the rest of you uglier still, then no one will want to buy our eggs.”

“It’s all because of you that I dropped three big feathers from my wing yesterday,” one of the other hens screeched, making Kit cringe. “When I don’t get enough fresh corn my skin turns dry and my feathers lose their lovely black sheen.”

The bickering continued till Fat Old Grammy stepped out of her box.

“Stop it. Trust you hens to spoil my afternoon nap. Listen up. We’re not going to get any more fresh corn than we always do, so you just have to realise none of us is ever going to have enough. Old Papa Hobble, you will take charge of the fresh corn when it arrives every morning and see to the rationing. The chicks will have first peck. Nobody will be allowed more than her share.”

Old Papa Hobble bobbed his head and flapped his wings in acquiescence. He was, as always, Fat Old Grammy’s most trusted aid, who did her bidding without question, and was ever the strict disciplinarian. Each morning, without fail, he’d wake before dawn and give himself enough time to limp around the yard before he gave a timely cock-a-doodle-doo to wake everyone else up just as the sun stretched out its first rays. In contrast, Papa Speckle, the youngest of the three grown roosters in the coop, didn’t give much of a hoot about what went on between the hens.

He was most fond of standing beneath the single tree in

Clumsy Kit And The Earthworm

the yard, savouring the breeze. Sometimes Papa Speckle would scratch for earthworms with Kit and the other chicks, and other times he’d tell them stories, but more often than not, he’d pass his time gazing into the sky and taking short naps.

Thinking about Papa Speckle made Kit decide to go find him instead of listening to all the hen-talk. Kit didn’t much enjoy either fresh or dry corn.

His favourite was the juicy earthworms; unfortunately, they were so small and thin, they scarcely offered him much of a bite.

The sun was blazing down strongly when Kit stepped out of the coop.

He fluffed out his down feathers in an attempt to stay cool and hopped over to the east side of the yard where Papa Speckle always stood at the tree. When he got there, Papa Speckle was staring at a brown and white bird soaring in the blue sky. It was an eagle, Kit recognised. The sight of it struck some fear in his heart. At any time, the eagle — the most powerful bird that reigned in the skies — could swoop down and snatch him or one of his friends for a light snack. It was one of the big birds Fat Old Grammy and Old Papa Hobble had warned them about. Eagles had everything, for they could fly anywhere and all the food they ever wanted was always within their grasp. Yet, despite their mighty power, they were not beyond stooping so low as to catch the most defenseless creatures on the ground, like little chicks.

“Sometimes I dream I’m flying,” Papa Speckle mumbled as he stood with his faraway gaze.

Kit glanced down at his useless wings. It wasn’t fair that the wicked eagles could soar so high, while good and honest chickens couldn’t even flap their wings up to the roof of their coop. He stared resentfully at the eagle, which was getting gradually smaller as it flew farther away.

You Can Fly

Kit and the chickens playing in the yard.

Chapter 1

Success Begins From The Mind

T

he road to your success begins with the way you think, which can be termed as your belief system or mindset.

Everything that you did or experienced in the past has shaped the way you think and behave today, whether right or wrong, or for better or worse, and while your mindset reflects a part of who you are, it is not static. Your mindset is extremely important. It influences all that you do, and directs every decision you make. Hence, it is crucial for you to take a close look at your personal mindset.

In “Clumsy Kit And The Earthworm,” the earthworm, chickens, and eagle represent people of different mindsets. We will use them to help illustrate the two mindsets, as discussed below.

Right now, what you most need to take note of is that YOU are the one who makes the Choice for All Your Decisions. Your Choice is Your Destiny. In this chapter, we will discuss the two main mindsets that ultimately make the difference between success and failure — Scarcity versus Abundance. It’s crucial

You Can Fly

for you to adopt the right mindset from the very beginning before you engage in any endeavours. Starting with the wrong mindset will almost always result in failure.

Let’s take a closer look at these mindsets now.

What Is Scarcity?

The Scarcity Mindset is one that many people struggle most with in their lives. They believe that opportunity knocks only once, and if they blow it, it’s gone forever. They believe the market is monopolised by a few big players, leaving them with absolutely no chance to get their foot in the door. Simply put, they believe there just isn’t enough of the pie to go around.

Financial Impacts Of The Scarcity Mindset

People with a scarcity mindset live within their meagre incomes and believe this is as good as it’s ever going to get. They wind up scrimping every month, giving up the things they need or want because of what they see as financial constraints. They are the ones who tell their children, “No, you can’t have swimming lessons. We just can’t afford it. We’re not like your friend Gregory, whose father is so rich.” Some parents may not say all this aloud, but their actions reveal their unspoken thoughts.

Traits Of People Suffering From The Scarcity Mindset

In the story of little Kit, the chickens represent those with a scarcity mindset. The hens in the coop were fighting fiercely over the fresh corn because they saw the supply as scarce and limited.

This revealed a sense of pessimism. They didn’t believe they’d

Success Begins From The Mind

ever get more fresh corn, or that they could somehow improve their lot. The hens were all self-centered. Each hen thought only of herself, and wasn’t willing to share. They were prone to blaming others for their misfortunes, instead of taking responsibility for their own actions.

The chickens are only one step higher than the earthworms, which represent people who dwell contentedly in their comfort zone, afraid of taking risks and venturing out into the unknown.

Compared to the earthworms, who hide in their dark tunnels in the ground, the chickens enjoy a wider view of the world. However, as illustrated by the young chicks, the chickens are forever scratching and pecking for food, competing at a fevered pitch because they fear they’ll lose out and go hungry.

So do you suffer from a scarcity mindset? Yes, if you’ve deprived yourself or your loved ones of something that would otherwise have brought benefit and joy, because you decided you couldn’t afford it. Your limiting factor may have been time or financial constraints, or even a multitude of other reasons. Regardless, you’ve made the choice of living with a scarcity mindset.

Traits Of People With A Scarcity Mindset:

They engage in fierce competition They are pessimistic They always feel they cannot get enough They are self-centered and dislike sharing They do not value teamwork They mistrust others They blame others for their misfortunes instead of taking responsibility

You Can Fly

People with a scarcity mindset often view competition as hostile.

To them, the only way for someone to have more is if someone else gets less. Hence, they harbour a hostile spirit towards competition rather than viewing competition as complementary. They cannot see that working together and sharing resources can achieve a win-win situation. For them, there can be only lose-win situations, and no win-win. The term win-win does not exist in a scarcity mindset. These people build walls around themselves. They see no escape. Because they are too protective of themselves, they often fear getting cheated and being taken advantage of. Think about how the hens bickered over the limited supply of fresh corn. Is this the kind of life you’d want to live?

Living in scarcity equals living a second-class life. While I am by no means suggesting that you go out and spend more than you earn in order to attain an image of “abundance”, do understand that you can escape this situation. It is not a life sentence.

The Mindset Of Abundance

The eagle flying across the horizon in “Clumsy Kit And The Earthworm,” represents someone with an abundant mindset.

Eagles soar high in the sky and have a wide outlook on life. An eagle flying free is not physically constrained as the chickens are by a fence. It represents someone who has dared to venture out beyond their walls of comfort to attain a life of abundance.

People with a mindset of abundance have the underlying belief that there’s plenty to go around. Everyone can have more without someone having less. To these people, opportunities are abundant, as are ideas, money, and resources. Instead of saying, “cannot,” 10

Success Begins From The Mind

they ask, “why not?” They also ask, “What if ?” And, “How can I have it?” Their minds are open to possibilities. Such people will look at the latest model of a BMW in a showroom, and instead of feeling sad that they can’t afford it, they will admire the vehicle and start contemplating how they can earn the money to purchase it.

People with an abundant mindset create new sources of income to satisfy their desires instead of rejecting their desires. They are optimists. Also, they are creative, believing they can get anything and everything they want in life.

Do you have the mindset of abundance?

Traits of People With An Abundant Mindset:

They are optimistic They create their own future They see beyond self-interest They are open to new possibilities They do not blame circumstances They believe they can grow their money and resources They believe teamwork and co-operation spurs growth and success

“To people with an abundant mindset, opportunities are like waiting for a bus; if they miss one, they know another will come soon.” Ismail Gafoor

Moving From Scarcity To Abundance

The first step in shifting your mindset from that of scarcity to abundance involves understanding that the concept of scarcity 11

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holds no truth. It is a trick your mind is playing on you. It is your decision to lie to yourself that there are no other choices, other than the ones you are confronted with.

How can scarcity possibly exist in a rich, dynamic world where opportunities are abundant?

Let’s look at our tiny country, Singapore. Though we had no natural resources, or a highly educated and skilled labour force to begin with, we built a prosperous nation. During Singapore’s early years following independence, many leaders around the world doubted she could survive on her own. Yet, Singapore became an economic miracle of the East in a short span of time numbering fewer than 30 years. How was this possible? If scarcity is a singular fact, how did we manage to have come so far?

The success story of Singapore is indeed an example of progressing from scarcity to abundance. It is all because our leaders believed we could build a nation, and went on to do it. The founders of Singapore saw the whole world as their oyster and refused to let themselves be constrained by the island’s small geographical area.

The Push To Change

Now, I will tell you a true personal story that illustrates how a mindset of scarcity can result in drastic consequences. This story is about my father and grandparents. It relates how each of them reacted to their lives of scarcity.

My father was born in 1924 in a small village 300km from Madras, India. His childhood was a difficult one. While other children grew 12

Success Begins From The Mind

up in warm, comfortable homes, basking in the love and attention of their protective parents, my father and his four siblings spent their growing days sleeping at times on other people’s verandahs by night, and begging for their next meal. My grandfather, though a respected martial arts master, was more passionate about traveling from village to village teaching others rather than taking care of his wife and young children.

The stress of having to feed and clothe five young children soon took its toll on my grandmother. Because she had little education and skills, she could see no way of earning any extra income. She was consumed by a crippling sense of fear and depression. For her, she saw only one way to escape. Through death. In an act of desperation, she took my father and two of his siblings and headed for the river. Fortunately, my father was just as determined to live as my grandmother was to die. His loud screams attracted passers-by who stopped to intervene, thus saving my father and his siblings from possible drowning.

That was the background my father carried with him when he came to Singapore at the age of 23. After years of suffering the indignities of having to live on the streets without knowing when or where his next meal would come from, my father knew he had to somehow break out of this vicious cycle of poverty. To do this, he decided he had to leave India.

With nothing but the clothes on his back and mixed feelings of hope and uncertainty, my father arrived in Singapore in 1947.

He had no education, skills, or training. It was an unnerving situation to be in, but the only thing he had in sight was a land 13

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of opportunity. Compelled by a burning desire to help his loved ones, my father was prepared for anything and everything.

Once in this new country, my father wasted no time and began hunting for work. It wasn’t long before he became a shop assistant at a corner kiosk in Jalan Besar. This first job eventually led him to venture out into starting a string of small businesses, such as selling candy floss and bread door-to-door.

After the birth of his fifth son, my father started a newspaper delivery business. Our home was a one-room apartment in Lengkok Bahru, then affectionately dubbed by my family as our “20 Dollar Rental House”. My parents slept in the bedroom while all five of us siblings camped out in the living room. Every night, the living room was transformed into chaos of pillows, blankets, and bolsters – a sight that greatly resembled the aftermath of a used mattress jumble sale.

Although my parents met my basic childhood needs, they never pampered me with luxuries like toys or goodies. When I was seven, my father decided I should carve out a little “career” for myself as a newspaper delivery boy, while helping him at the same time in his sundry goods business.

Lessons Learnt

What have you learnt from the personal story I just shared?

Did you notice how poverty and a mindset of scarcity can drive people to desperation, even to the point of ending their lives?

However, the same desperation can serve as a powerful force to drive a person to change from a mindset of scarcity to one 14

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of abundance. For my father, that was the turning point. After years of suffering, he knew that he’d enough, that he had to do something to break out of his vicious cycle of poverty. But for change to take place, a decision must come before it, because decisions mean power. His decision was to leave India. For each decision we make, there is also a price to be paid. For my father, the price to pay was that of facing the risks and uncertainties of living in a foreign land, and the sorrow of leaving his loved ones.

Throughout the turns of events, a compelling force lay behind my father’s decision to change, and that was his desire to forge a better life for his family.

The Role of Environment – Source of Scarcity

What is the source of a scarcity mindset? It has everything to do with our upbringing, and the environment we live in shapes the way we view the world. However, a change in our environment can catalyze our awakening to a mindset of abundance. Let me show you what I mean by sharing with you my own experience, beginning from my childhood.

When I started school, my daily schedule was more punishing than that of many adults today. My mornings began with me crawling out of bed at 4 a.m. The only holiday I ever knew was Boxing Day on December 26. That was the only day I slept in. As for the other 364 days, I spent them delivering papers in the wee hours of the morning. In a typical weekday, I’d speed off to deliver the papers, run back home, gobble up my breakfast, and rush off to school. Coming back from school meant returning to the sundry shop to help out till 10 at night. It was tough helping my father earn the extra income that served to upkeep our family’s needs.

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My childhood, coupled with my father’s hard life, certainly moulded my scarcity mindset during my early years. I was led to think that money was extremely hard to come by. Even though everyone worked hard to make ends meet, it was normal to find ourselves strapped for cash by the end of the month. This did not include the countless times we had to make sacrifices. So deeply ingrained was my scarcity mindset, that it followed me through to my army days at age 18.

Exposure Leads Us To Recognising New Opportunities

When I was 20, I met Nooraini, my future wife. She was then an optimistic young woman with a huge capacity for seeing alternatives in whatever she did. We discovered we shared a mutual interest in property, and gradually our hobby evolved into an all-consuming passion. Before long, we were regular visitors to many local and overseas property fairs and exhibitions.

While some young couples spent their weekends cuddling in the back seats of movie theatres, Nooraini and I would be at hotels, tucking into sumptuous hi-tea spreads, and more important, absorbing all that the exhibitors had to offer, and collecting more property brochures than our arms could carry. Our world started to open up, and I finally understood how much more there was to explore outside the army. As we continued to learn, we became increasingly excited and convinced that there was no reason why we should not be taking the “real estate� route together.

Fascinated by the great possibilities and opportunities this industry held, I saw, for the first time, the world of abundance that lay 16

Success Begins From The Mind

outside the army. It wasn’t long before I began to believe that I too, could be a part of it.

Exposure Is The Force Of Change

From my story, you can see that my turning point came when I met my wife, Nooraini, who was my source of new exposure. She became the catalyst, sparking off a change in my environment.

My environment turned from one that I was as accustomed to as a snail in its safe, comfortable shell, to one that I found unfamiliar but seemingly brighter. It was like a glowing ray of unfamiliar light in the horizon. Exposure lets you see new possibilities. It opens your mind, helping you think and see beyond where you currently are. It allows you to see alternatives, and feeds you with new knowledge. New knowledge is a powerful force of change.

It is one thing that helped me achieved my breakthrough from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance.

If I had stubbornly held onto my scarcity mindset and not considered the possibility that there could be anything better for me out there, I would never have achieved what I have today.

The Source Of Exposure

You may wish to view exposure in the same manner that sunlight and water are to a flowering plant. With regular watering and exposure to sunlight, a flower will bloom, but if a plant is kept in the dark, its flowers will never bloom, no matter how beautiful they may be. Exposure can come from the following sources: a) People we meet b) Media c) Personal experience 17

You Can Fly

Our main source of exposure includes the people we meet and talk to, our friends, and anyone else around us. Think about your love for, say, football. Perhaps you caught on to it because your own father or siblings and friends loved watching and talking about it since you were young. Say you have a keen interest in classical music. Perhaps it was sparked off when you first heard Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata when you tuned on the radio or watched a concert that a friend took you to. Perhaps, your old school mate who started his new Burmese restaurant was inspired by his recent travel to Burma.

Hence, my point is that unless we keep an open mind and expose ourselves to the world out there and be willing to see possibilities, we will be forever blind to the outside world of abundance.

The Winning Formula: Abundance + Co-operation = Success

An abundant mindset has allowed me to see co-operation and partnership as a means to create win-win situations for my real estate business. This is evidently demonstrated in the founding days of my business, which has created the success I enjoy today.

In 1996, Nooraini and I started our first property company, Nooris Consultants Pte Ltd. The name, Nooris, is coined from the first four letters of my wife’s name, Nooraini, and the first two letters of my name, Ismail. During this time, it was common practice for all Muslim property companies to hold informal networking sessions every Wednesday. These companies were separate entities, but each had a similar goal: to develop the Muslim real

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Success Begins From The Mind

estate industry and safeguard the interests of Muslim real estate agents.

Seeing how small the Muslim real estate industry was in comparison to the industry at large, we realised it would be futile for us to further divide ourselves into several camps. How could we possibly forge ahead unless we stood together in unity? Division would certainly and indefinitely stunt the growth of the Muslim property market. After all, whatever progress the industry made as a whole would eventually filter down and benefit our individual companies.

Nooraini and I decided to initiate an association that would unite everyone in the Muslim property industry in order to give us the stronger voice of one. Our proposal, however, was met with stony silence. Having anticipated that we would meet with resistance, we went in prepared. We organised a hi-tea networking session in which everyone got together and discussed issues in an informal, non-hostile environment. We wrote invitations to every company in the industry. The response was, at best, dismal. Our invitations were tossed aside, and our intentions greeted with suspicion, even resentment. We were accused of hankering for money and power.

No one appreciated or wanted a part in our vision of having a united association.

Instead of embracing the mindset of abundance – believing that the market was big enough to benefit everybody, and that synergy was more effective than separate individual efforts — many businesses responded with the scarcity mindset by receiving our suggestions with suspicion. Ironically, in zealously trying to guard 19

You Can Fly

their own interests, these business people missed out on the big picture. They were not keen to share the large pie that would in the long run have benefited them to an even greater extent.

Eventually, Nooraini and I did succeed in our quest to unite the Muslim property companies. We set up the industry’s first official legal association, AMREA (Association of Muslim Real Estate Agents). Even though AMREA was proposed by us, neither my wife nor I became President. We were happy just doing the work behind the scenes and giving AMREA the best support we could.

Four years later, I was elected the President of AMREA. Hence, we should always view everything through the eyes of abundance. Know that there’s enough of the pie to go around, and believe there always will be. One person alone cannot achieve success. The great monuments in the world were not built in a day, and neither were they built by the efforts of one person.

Great work is teamwork. People united by a common passion and a common goal can build greatness.

Abundance In Employment

I must point out that many people mistakenly think that the mindset of abundance applies only to those running their own businesses, or who have escaped the clutches of their employers.

This is simply not true. You can own a business and still feel like you’re waging an uphill battle, convinced that you will never truly succeed.

On the other hand, you can be an employee, but at the same time believe that the world is filled with wonderful opportunities you 20

Success Begins From The Mind

have yet to explore. Such an employee is a self-motivated one who will take steps to create an income beyond what he or she is already getting. He works with enthusiasm and learns as much as he can about his job. He shares ideas with the company and works as if it were his own company – all because he believes there can be more to what he already has.

On the other hand, an employee with a scarcity mindset is disengaged from his work and suffers from low morale. He simply does what he’s told and prefers to stay safe, keeping ideas to himself for fear of being rejected or fired for his mistakes. In work, he feels he should do only the minimum, because anything more would mean he’s being exploited.

Abundance is never the place or situation you’re in; it’s a mindset.

When your mindset is one of abundance, be rest assured that no matter where you are or what you do, it will eventually lead you to success.

“A man of a scarcity mindset sees a dark cave, while a man of abundance sees the light at the end of the tunnel.” Ismail Gafoor

In Conclusion

You are in control of your future. You are capable of independent thought and decision, and so you can control your path as long as you choose to do so. Do not let yourself fall prey to the scarcity mindset. Adopt the mindset of abundance. This may involve letting go of the little things. Do not let yourself engage in selfish, pessimistic, or petty behaviour. Be optimistic and open to 21

You Can Fly

possibilities. The world is not static. Do not view your resources as limited, but recognise your potential to build your resources.

Changing your mindset is your first step to success. Expose yourself to new people and experiences, for such exposure will increase your personal sphere and lead you to see and identify new opportunities. Although your past experiences have made you who you are today, you can shape the person you want to be tomorrow. In the next chapter, we will further discuss how you can achieve this.

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