true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

[wobbles]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

Don't feel too sorry for the dying doctor - at least he lived the kind of life he wanted, and was happy for as long as it lasted. To many, even that simple statement may be a bridge to far. Money may not buy you happiness, but it can sure buy you heck of a lot of everything else - and that's the reality of the world we live in today. And if you derive happiness from the 'heck of a lot of everything else' that you bought, well, then, good for you - at least you've lived.

The real question isn't about money in the end. It's about attitude, and virtues. Richard started off with the wrong attitude, and didn't really have the virtues to make a good doctor. A successful one, sure - but not a good one, IMHO.

Lucky for him, he had cancer to wake him up - never too late to learn a little about compassion. Even if it doesn't make him a better doctor (that's a bit too late now), it will certainly make him a better person.

We should all be lucky to learn from his (and not our own) life experience.

 

[Mockngbrd]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

I think he died-ed liao.... + u all think too much

 

[BlackCookie]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

Yes he did and apparently, didn't get to drive his Ferrari much...

 

[Radon39]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

yup...he died

 

[MW]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

yup...he died

I think u are the best person to know such stuff, having been the only one I know who experienced what the meaning of life and death is 1st hand

 

[Radon39]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

I think u are the best person to know such stuff, having been the only one I know who experienced what the meaning of life and death is 1st hand

Yes bro.....thanks! That even changed my whole perspective and honestly, it was a real eye opener for me. God has his ways to do things. Never wait until it is too late. I was given a 2nd chance. Rem tht the Drs at a 'certain orrpital' even gave up on me...knn

 

[C3P0]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

I will post more so that people can see my signature....

 

[MW]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

Yes bro.....thanks! That even changed my whole perspective and honestly, it was a real eye opener for me. God has his ways to do things. Never wait until it is too late. I was given a 2nd chance. Rem tht the Drs at a 'certain orrpital' even gave up on me...knn

I actually thot u were a goner...

Foo and I went to visit you and I dunno whether you heard or not but Foo and I said... "Quickly get up, we need to go Simpang"

 

[Radon39]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

I actually thot u were a goner...

Foo and I went to visit you and I dunno whether you heard or not but Foo and I said... "Quickly get up, we need to go Simpang"

muahahha...i think i can still remember that.....LOL....

 

[kenntona]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

The memorial of Dr Richard Teo Keng Siang (1972 - 2012) - Singapore at HeavenAddress online memorial community

 

[peckhs]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

Below is the transcript of the talk of Dr. Richard Teo, who is a 40-year-old millionaire and cosmetic surgeon with a stage-4 lung cancer but selflessly came to share with the D1 class his life experience on 19-Jan-2012.


Hi good morning to all of you. My voice is a bit hoarse, so please bear with me. I thought I'll just introduce myself. My name is Richard, I'm a medical doctor. And I thought I'll
just share some thoughts of my life. It's my pleasure to be invited by prof. Hopefully, it can get you thinking about how... as you pursue this.. embarking on your training to become dental surgeons, to think about other things as well.

......................................

Don’t let society tell you how to live. Don’t let the media tell you what you're supposed to do. Those things happened to me. And I led this life thinking that these are going to bring me happiness. I hope that you will think about it and decide for yourself how you want to live your own life. Not according to what other people tell you to do, and you have to decide whether you want to serve yourself, whether you are going to make a difference in somebody else's life. Because true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself. I thought it was but it didn't turn out that way. With that I thank you, if you have any questions you have for me, please feel free. Thank you.

do read this - Christianbook.com: Halftime: Moving From Success to Significance, Revised and Expanded: Bob Buford: 9780310284246

and this - Christianbook.com: From Success To Significance: When the Pursuit of Success Isn't Enough: Lloyd Reeb: 9780310253563

and also this - http://www.amazon.com/Finishing-Well-People-Really-Differently/dp/1591451108

you can ignore the religious tone, but they are still relevant

 

[BlackCookie]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

[video=youtube;n6oSDyMUigQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6oSDyMUigQ[/video]

 

[kenntona]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

well said. i suppose if he did not get cancer, the message could be 360-degree different.
being successful in life and having a meaningful life are 2 separate goals.

I don't think that's fair for a sharing from a terminally-ill patient. The key gist is regret and sharing, not about what he had owned, or how successful he had been.....

What about those guys at age 40 with cancer and died but had a shitty life ..... never tracked, had a bungalow or a Ferrari. There's a lot of those.

Those that are poor will die saying I don't need a Ferrari because I have my family and friends. T

Those that are rich will say that at least I had my Ferrari, bungalows and my family and friends.

Both while alive will eke out a living in their own ways - The rich says they were just too focus on making money. The poor will say they were busy making ends meet. Both will say they should have spent more time with their family.

That is life.

On the contrary, a poor man would tell us he would rather die than to have no money to feed his family and to see them suffer...

Some people may feel that as long as you have been there and done that and achieved something in life, then it's a life well spent.

Many many people may never have a chance to achieve what this doctor had!

At least the doctor will know that his family and loved ones will be well taken care of even if he leaves.

The poorer guy cannot be compared to the rich guy - he does not have a choice. The rich guy does have a choice - so they are actually not on opposite sides of the scale.

Dr Teo said, "..... substituted true joy with the pursuing of wealth. I thought true joy is about pursuing wealth. Why? Cos let me put it to you this way, in my death bed, I found no joy whatsoever in whatever objects I had – my Ferrari, thinking of the land I was going to buy to build my bungalow etc, having a successful business."

"It brought me ZERO comfort, ZERO joy, nothing at all. Do you think I can hold onto this piece of metal and it’s going to give true joy? Nah, it’s not going to happen."

A poor guy will not die regretting that he could have driven a Ferrari, land to buy to build bungalow......

Don't feel too sorry for the dying doctor - at least he lived the kind of life he wanted, and was happy for as long as it lasted. To many, even that simple statement may be a bridge to far. Money may not buy you happiness, but it can sure buy you heck of a lot of everything else - and that's the reality of the world we live in today. And if you derive happiness from the 'heck of a lot of everything else' that you bought, well, then, good for you - at least you've lived.

The real question isn't about money in the end. It's about attitude, and virtues. Richard started off with the wrong attitude, and didn't really have the virtues to make a good doctor. A successful one, sure - but not a good one, IMHO.

Lucky for him, he had cancer to wake him up - never too late to learn a little about compassion. Even if it doesn't make him a better doctor (that's a bit too late now), it will certainly make him a better person.

We should all be lucky to learn from his (and not our own) life experience.

What would you feel if you are in his state?

 

[BlackCookie]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

I cannot understand why would people be sour over posts like these. The message is that of a dying man (then) and his heart felt thoughts with no cover ups. He's sharing and if you can pick up something and learn from it, fine. Otherwise, there's no need to speculate on the otherwise. If you can't lead a happier life, it doesn't hurt me anymore than it hurts yourself. Life is shorter than you think. The time you take to feel upset, angry, jealous, rage are times you could have better spent it. I'm not an angel and I make sure mistakes myself. I get angry longer than I should, my temper is quicker than my partner would ever wish for but I am humbled by other people's experience and I hope I can continue to remember that there are more important things in life.

 

[Radon39]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

Bro BCookie.....well, dun sweat the small stuff. U cannot feel for others. Peace

 

[BlackCookie]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

Bro BCookie.....well, dun sweat the small stuff. U cannot feel for others. Peace

Of course not. Like I have said, I'm trying to look at life slightly differently now. Wasn't because of Richard Teo, though it was a very nice reminder.

Are you still coaching tennis?

 

[Radon39]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

Of course not. Like I have said, I'm trying to look at life slightly differently now. Wasn't because of Richard Teo, though it was a very nice reminder.

Are you still coaching tennis?

Yes I am. did it for 2 yrs when i took a break and realised, upon retirement, will be heading that path. Keeps me healthy as well as well as pays pretty well too

 

[Mockngbrd]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

Yes I am. did it for 2 yrs when i took a break and realised, upon retirement, will be heading that path. Keeps me healthy as well as well as pays pretty well too

in here so well behaved... tsk tsk

 

[Radon39]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

in here so well behaved... tsk tsk

mr cupcake....u got probremm

 

[Chocs]

Re: true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself

mr cupcake....u got probremm

....randon39...u ....same one as in Yao Gui Modus Operandi huh...?