I find that there is a particular group of people in this world and rampantly so in Malaysia, who are what I call the BLAME IT people. These are people who always or more often than not put the blame on others for whatever reason whenever there is a crisis.

Let’s take the filing of your annual income tax, for example. My parents never taught me to file my taxes when I first started working in Malaysia. I never even knew what an income tax was. I was in my early twenties, just returned from London, my first job in KL earning RM1600 which got converted to RM1800 and then RM2200 within 3 months. With such a low salary, I didn’t have to pay income tax. I think it was my next job which saw me earning RM3000 and by the time I left within the year, I was making RM3500. My next job was RM6000 and the next RM12000. Up to getting RM6000, I NEVER FILED MY TAXES and that was my 4th year working in KL. Suddenly when I did RM12000, I was informed that I owed the Government money. What to do?? I had to hire an accountant to submit all the years worth of income tax forms that I’d missed. Honestly, I hadn’t a clue about anything. THAT BLUR!!! I just collected my wage at the end of every month and went shopping. Saved some for my car and apartment and saved some for the rainy day (which actually came!). That was a painful lesson of self ignorance.

At the time, I blamed it on my parents for not teaching me a thing but now, I adopt a very different attitude towards stuff like that. It is called taking responsibility for yourself and caring. Finding out things, knowing, asking, preventing disasters in every way possible…..

I know of a tycoon who has several secretaries who have been with him for many, many years yet he has a little notebook under his desk where he jots down the amount of every check he signs and where it is going. Then another who trusts his secretaries so blindly only to discover that they have caused him to owe half a million to income tax and have swindled him of another half a million. My take on that is if you allow yourself to be swindled, then you deserve to be swindled.

The employee culture in Malaysia adopts this kind of lackadaisical attitude towards work and getting things done. It seems that many employees are waiting for a free ticket and just do not comprehend the meaning of the word WORK! Discussing your car’s new tyres over a teh tarik, finding friends on facebook, sleeping under the table (I used to do that!) and going for plenty breaks (may it be toilet breaks, tea breaks, Medical Leave, Emergency Leave etc) is not work; only to make excuses for one’s lack of work later is totally criminal. But it seems most of Malaysians do it! How can we change this very Malaysian culture towards a more productive nation? It isn’t even about caring and taking responsibility for one’s organisation or one’s country but where is your dignity in taking responsibility for yourself?

Employers are just as at fault when they undervalue their staff and do nothing to motivate them. I mean, who wants to continue working well for you if you do not appreciate the good work that I do year after year? This gap can easily be bridged with employer and employee agreeing to set targets and achievements at the onset, clearly defined so that it is very apparent that once I achieve a set target, I will see my bonus. Or whatever is agreed upon. It could be extra days off, or a holiday. Get creative.

So when you walk into work tomorrow, can you do the best you can do regardless? Who cares if your colleague slacks off and you get dumped with all the work. Who cares if people bitch about you sleeping with the boss (as long as your conscience is clear!). Who cares if she told you she wanted light blue balloons and not blue blue. Well, you SHOULD care. You should be proactive enough to confirm the exact shade of light blue by showing her a sample and getting her to sign off on it so it is clear. It is so very clear that when you bring in navy blue balloons, she has a right to screw your head in. Do not blame her for not making it clear to you what exactly she meant by light blue. Bear in mind that different people are different and different people have different interpretations of light blue balloons. Never take anything for granted. Take responsibility for yourself and be proactive. Be the best that you can be. FOR YOURSELF. Does that make sense?

And this too applies to outside of the work realm.

Nuff said. Terima Kasih.

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Who is Mamapumpkin?
Mamapumpkin is a former Design Architect turned Multi-Million Dollar Digital Entrepreneur. She sets out to prove to all that you can have anything and everything that you want; if you have that fire of desire burning within and the drive to work hard. Even better with much love.

Mamapumpkin has not only grown corporate businesses successfully in the past and doubled her salary 5 times over 5 organisations but has grown THREE BUSINESSES to 7 FIGURES within an 8 year period. She now shows others EXACTLY HOW after retiring her own husband from employment. He is now the official dog walker, family driver, chef and THE BEST FATHER to their two girls and THE BEST HUSBAND to the woman who CHOSE HIM!

Mamapumpkin is the girl who has nothing but fights for everything including YOU. She is idealistic in her desire to put unbelievable amounts of money and extrardinary happiness into the lives of good people so we can change the world together believing in happiness for ALL. She strives to impact lives authentically wanting to reduce poverty cycles and enable quality education for all and always supports the voiceless. She believes we can all have a life of our own desires to enable real contribution into the world. But first, one needs to understand what this all means.

A beautiful life without limits.

If you wish to learn how to propel your life forward guaranteed, be brave to take action. Mamapumpkin's purpose is to build people. Her gift is to help them UNCOVER their HIDDEN GIFTS. She operates fairly and always leaves an impression. You either love her or not and she is alright either way.

She is a living testimony that women really can have a lot. Being financially and time free has enabled her to travel the world anytime, anywhere, doing anything with anyone, as she spends most of her days with her children, having fun, supporting others wherever she can. Also having fun.