Obrolan Warung Kopi

The difference between the poor and rich countries is not in the age of the country. This can be shown by countries like India & Egypt, that are more than 2000 years old and are still poor. On the other hand - Singapore, Canada, Australia & New Zealand - are all countries with less than 150 years of development. Today they are part of the First World, and its citizens are no longer poor.

The available natural resources of the country do not make it rich or poor. Japan has a limited territory. Its lands are 80% mountainous, inadequate for agriculture & cattle raising, but has the 2nd most powerful economy in the world. Japan is like an immense floating factory, importing raw material from the whole world and exporting manufactured products. Switzerland does not plant cocoa but makes the best chocolate in the world. The country is small, with only 11% arable land. And yet they can produce dairy products of the best quality. (Nestle is the world’s largest food company.) Switzerland also has an unequalled reputation for security, integrity, and order - and today it is the preferred bank of the world.

Executives from rich countries who communicate with their counterparts in poor countries will agree that there is no significant difference in intelligence. Race or skin color are also not important - immigrants who are called lazy in their countries of origin are a productive power in rich European countries.

What is the difference then?

The difference is in the attitude of the people, formed throughout the years by culture and education. Upon analyzing the behavior of the people in developed countries, it is clear that the great majority follow the following basic principles in their daily lives:

1. Ethics, as a basic principle of daily living.

2. Honesty and Integrity.

3. Responsibility and Accountability.

4. Respect for the rules and laws of society.

5. Respect for the rights of other citizens.

6. Work loving.

7. Strive for saving & investment.

8. Will of super-action.

9. Punctuality.

In poor countries, only a minority follow these basic principles in their daily life. We are not poor because we lack the natural resources, or because nature was cruel to us. We are poor because of our poor attitude.We lack the will to comply with and each these fundamental principles of daily living that will enable our people to properly develop the society, the economy, and the country. If you do not forward this message nothing will happen to you. Your pet will not die, you will not lose your job, you will not have seven years of bad luck, nor will you get sick. BUT nothing will happen to our country. It will continue to remain poor. And it will get poorer still.

We need to start somewhere.

We need to CHANGE and ACT!

The change begins with OURSELF.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, then circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say, or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.

A few weeks before Independence Day, I noticed a fireworks stand in a parking lot in our city. It reminded me of the many wonderful fireworks shows I’ve attended with my family. There’s something magical about those brilliant colors exploding against the dark sky.

But there’s a problem with fireworks. They don’t last. The same is true of many of the “fireworks” experiences in our lives. We fight and struggle for things that seem beautiful and alluring, but after we get them, their appeal disappears, just like fireworks. Maybe it’s a shiny new car or speedboat. Maybe it’s a big, impressive house. It might even be a promotion at work or a prestigious career.

So many of the things of this world are like fireworks. They promise happiness and fulfillment but can’t deliver. TV commercials play on our emotions, making us believe that if we drive a certain kind of SUV or clean our floors with their super-efficient mop, we’ll be happy at last. More often than not, all we feel is disillusioned.

A smile cost nothing, but give much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment but the memory of it sometimes last forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discourage, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature’s best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen , for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are to tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give