B UR OWN LABEL = POYO ?

It was about middle of last year when my colleagues and I were involved as trainers to a group of college student facilitators at Kem Rebutia (somewhere in Gombak area). Participants and trainers were clowning around during a group photo shoot at the closing ceremony when suddenly one of my female colleagues exclaimed, "Tn Hj, you ni POYO lah !"

I was taken aback and curious as this was the first time I ever heard the word "poyo". So I asked her what does she means by POYO ?

She gave me quite a lengthy explanation, but at the end I still couldn't figure out what exactly "poyo" means. Then finally she said to me, "POYO is YOU. YOU are POYO !" Lagi lah I tak paham ...

And today, after "looking at the mirror" many-many times, I thiiink I now know what "poyo" means. But I still cannot define it with one word. The followings are what I think what POYO is ...

Firstly, it is about having an extra edge by just being your own self. It is about being your own LABEL. It’s about being happy and accepting you as you are. As-is-where-is-basis or stock and barrel kind of thing.

Accepting both plus and minus, good or bad about yourself, and of course always projecting the good and positive ones. Always looking at the glass as half full, rather than half empty.

It’s about being honest and confident with yourself. Having guts (keberanian), grits (ketabahan) and gumption (kecerdikan) to do things you feel strongly about. Never having to hold any punches. Shoot from the hip - just like the cowboys do. Dare to criticize, even your own leaders, especially when they do wrong.

It’s about not afraid of taking the path less traveled. Dare to be different. Dare to be criticized. Dare to fail. It’s about being adventurous, enthusiastic and always on the lookout to try new things, new approach.

Poyos don’t just play the game, but compete to win. Accepting that win or lose is part of the game, so it doesn’t matter if they lose, but at least they strive to win and be the best.

And of course, to be your own label, you never rely on others to motivate you. You're a self-motivator. You motivates yourself. You don't need others to motivate you. If you are not given the opportunity, you creates them ! You always look at the positive side of things.

“I will not say I failed 1000 times, instead I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure.” (Thomas Edison)

It is also about “shameless marketing” - that is by turning yourselves into brand names. You become the benchmark. Poyos are people who are very comfortable talking about themselves – but of course, in a way that doesn’t put people off. They have the ability to communicate “who they are and what they bring to the table, unashamedly.”

Frankly, how comfortable are you about talking about yourself? Can you talk about yourself, sharing your skills and abilities? Can you say with confidence: “I am the best candidate for the job?” Of course, people may say that you're "POYO" if you say that, but who cares?

Imagine that you have a reputation so strong that the people / marketplace comes to you. It recognizes your personal value and will seeks you out for your unique talents and accomplishments that you have.

Poyos don't just add years to their life, but they add life to the years ! - thus making their years lively and colorful.

Imagine standing apart from your peers, confidently expressing your distinctiveness as a leader and human being. You're always the leader of the pack, no matter how small the pack is. People look at you as a catalyst. People gets excited and motivated when you're around.

Be your own label is a personal branding strategy that allows you to shape (or reshape) how others perceive you, create visibility and drive demand for your services. It is about letting the people around you know exactly what you stand for.

Your brand synthesizes your image themes and accomplishments as well as your personal attributes that conveys who you really are. It is based on your authenticity – and held in the hearts and minds of those around you.

Every one of us needs a personal brand. What more when you are working in the corporate "dog-eat-dog" world. You need to stand out from the crowd. To thrive, you need to manage your career with the same mentality that you bring to your business initiatives. A personal brand is an integral part of career management.

And even if you are already happy with where you are, and have no plans to “move up and out”, your brand is the insurance that you won’t fade away.

Personally I think all of us have a bit of "poyo-ness" inside us. It's just a matter of how much. Some of us may be at beginner level (POYO 101), intermediate level (POYO 201) or an advanced level (POYO 301). So which level of poyo do you think you belong to ?

In fact, think of it this way, after all of those years of hard work and accomplishment, you owe yourself a compelling personal brand. You deserve to be a poyo. So ladies and gentlemen, the ball is now in your court... ;)

Outdoor Survival Guide

THE BEAR GRYLLS SURVIVAL GUIDE : (Astroview August 2008)

WILDERNESS TRIPS

Always make sure that someone knows where you’re going and when you’re planning to come 

back. Be prepared for the environment you’re heading into and bring the right tools and supplies. Get your bearings right before moving on. If you’re tired, rest. If you’re hungry, try to find food.

SURVIVING LIGHTNING

Count the seconds between thunders and lightning and divide it by two, to gauge how close in miles it is to you. If it is less than two miles, you really want to think about getting out of danger. So keep away from trees. Keep away from high points, top of mountains and lakes. Just squat down on the balls of your feet and keep your hands over your head and make yourself as small a target as possible.

SNAKE BITES

When you get bitten by a snake, just stay calm. You don’t want to do anything that is going to raise your heart rate and speed up the rate the poison goes around your body. You want to keep the limb lower than your heart. Put a loose tourniquet on it and yes, just get help. A lot of snakes, even though they are poisonous, won’t always give you a poisonous bite. If you see three fang marks, it’s an indication that it’s actually injected the poison.

GETTING HYDRATED

Find running water – as stagnant water is likely contaminated with dead animals and other debris. Dew often collects on leaves and pine needles overnight. So if you’re desperately in need of water, this can be a lifesaver. If you’re really well hydrated, you can drink your pee initially to keep you going.

FIND YOUR BEARING

You can find north, east, south and west by using the shadow and stick method. Find a stick, insert it into the ground and you’ll see that it casts a shadow. Mark where the end of the shadow is and leave it for 15 minutes. Mark the next point and that will leave an east-west line. Anyone going on a trip should know the basic terrain or geography of the area.