I just finished reading another book today entitled ‘My Story’. It was written by non other than our very own Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, the brain behind Genting Highlands. The book is about his journey from rags to riches. He talked briefly about his childhood and his earlier projects. A big part of the book was concentrated on his Genting idea.
I have to say, I like this book very very much. Easy to read and very inspirational.
Here are some quotes and phrases from the book that I have to share with all of you.
“I live a simple life with discipline. Habitually, I get up early but have no fixed time for going to bed. Sometimes, I stay up late going through documents or pondering on some issues. Even in my sleep, I would wake up with some ideas and start making notes and drawing diagrams.” -Preface-
“I have a habit of carrying a piece of paper to record anything that comes to my mind. It also serves as my diary for appointments and things to do for the day. This way, I do not have to be reminded by others. Usually, on arrival at my office, I would take it out of my pocket and start assigning tasks orally or in writing. Upon completion each task, I would strike it out one by one.” -Preface-
“I believe that to succeed in business, one has to be what the Chinese say dan da xin xi, be bold but cautious.” -Preface-
“From a very early age, my parents had been tirelessly inculcating us with traditional Chinese virtues. They kept telling us the importance of diligence and perseverance.” -Page 4-
“My parents also reminded us constantly to be down-to-earth in life and that ‘modest wealth comes from frugality and great wealth is Heaven’s will.’ “ -page 4-
“With the water problem out of the way, the project progressed smoothly and was completed on schedule. This was yet another occasion where “using my brains” had helped me get out of a tight spot.” -page 54-
“…if we are confident of our decisions, we should not be bothered by ridicule or criticism.” -page 72-
“The government agreed on condition that the road be completed in three years and promised me a RM900,000 subsidy upon completion of the road… The task was mind-boggling. The Government’s first estimate for building the road was 15 years; I had cut it down to six; now it was slashed to three. I accepted the challenge.” -page 79-
This guy here is a genius. He doesn’t have much formal education, doesn’t speak English at all, yet he achieves what most of us could only dream of. I like how in one part of the book, he talked about how some British engineers defied his advice while working on a project and paid a huge price by losing a number of human lives. They apologised and promised to adhere to his procedure from then on. A bunch of Western professionals listening to a Chinaman. Take that! Smart fella, him.
I also like his attitude of not giving a damn about what others say. As long as he believes in it, he’ll do it.
Folks, go to the nearest bookstore and purchase this book. It’s a must-read for any budding entrepreneurs out there.
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