Salesman do stop us along our way to promote their products.  However, not all that they sell are what we need.  

But then again, I find it uncomfortable to just snub them if we know that we don't need that items.  Afterall, it's their job.  Their livelihood. 

I have been approached, on a number of occasions, by cable television salesmen selling their products - particularly the English Premier League paid-to-air tv channel.  I have been trying a few techniques to manage this, and I think this works best for me:

Salesman (of a paid sports channel): Hey, bro! Do you watch soccer? EPL?
Me: Yes, of course. Love soccer!
Salesman: Cool. Have u got your cable TV for sports channel to catch EPL?
Me: Unfortunately, no. I havent subscribed yet...
Salesman: <sounds excited> Really? Let me share some of the plans for EPL...
Me: It's ok... Not now... My club is not in in EPL tis season...
Salesman: oh!? Which club?
Me: Nottingham Forest. Heard of it?
Salesman: Err... Kinda familiar...
Me: I'll subscribe when Forest is back... Next season, i hope. Have a good day!

Recently I posted this Creative Problem Solving on Facebook, asking for potential answers:

If one man has three sacks of rice on his back; and another man has four sacks on his back, which of them has the heavier load?  Why?

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Very interesting answers/ posts I received!  Among which includes:

• 1st man heavier load....2nd man very light bring empty sack only
• Hahahaha lol .... Dats y carry more ...
• Depends on the weight of each sack. The heavier load is the total sum, not the total number of sacks. Just like our workload, it is not just the no of projects, the size of each project counts.
•  Depends on the weight of the sack carried by both man N the strength of the men also
  
• The first man is Fat..so he is heavier...the second man is not sooo Fat so is lighter...
  
• You didn't quite say what were in the sacks of the 2nd man...
  
• Does it matter the nos or heavy of sack? Impt both can carry the load as different ppl has his own shortcomings 
  
• Depends what's in the sack.. Some ppl out pillow inside... Farid Fotography
  
• First man. Cos he has sacks of rice while second man only has sacks, empty and unfilled.

The model answer I have is: The first man has the heavier load because he carries three sacks full of rice, whereas the second man carry only sacks (no mentioned of items inside). 

Nevertheless, in creativity and problem solving, there is no right answer. In fact the answers that everyone posted are correct too. Every answer is suitable at different context. 

In creativity problem solving, it's called perspectives.  When a problem is faced, it is advisable to look at various angles to find possible solutions.  With those possibilities, we can then choose the best solution, given at that point of time and context.  Mind you that, should similar problem persists on another occasion, it could even require a different solution! 

Yours creatively,

Hazriq Idrus
Founder, The Speaking Factory Pte Ltd
Author, The Stage Fright Antidote!

Probably it's just me.  I like to smile.  Even back in college, my schoolmates tagged me as "Mr Smiley".  An advocate for Smile?  I dont' know.  Haha.

While I like to smile, I would also like others to do the same.  Well, it's just a smile, because smile creates happiness and joy; and that's what we should aim for in life too.  And the world will be a happy place!

And for that, I just can't see people who doesn't smile. I wondered what makes them not to smile? 

A few months ago, I encountered this:

I frequent a nasi padang stall for lunch.  But what I had been noticing was that the Makcik (who I'll refer her as Makcik Nasi Padang in this blog entry) didn't seem to smile even while serving her customers.  

Once, I smiled at her and she just ignored my smile. Well, not that I wanted her to reciprocate, but I was just curious. So I asked her, "MakCik, apasal tak senyum?"  (Auntie, why didn't you smile?".)

Her response was something uncalled for - in her stern voice, she replied "Makcik tak suka senyum.  Memang dari dulu lagi!" (I don't like to smile.  Even since my early days!)

And my immediate and natural response was like "Kenapa?  Senyum tu kan sedekah?  Nabi galakkan kita untuk senyum dengan semua orang." (Why not?  Isn't smile is a form of alms and the Prophet  encouraged us to smile at everybody)

She just ignored me.

Today, I bumped into her in the bus.  Well, to be exact, she approached me.  She smiled and started talking to me!  It took me awhile to realise that it was the Makcik Nasi Padang!  

We had a quick chat and she was smiling all the time.  Wow!  

I find this amazing.  Has she changed?  If it is, it's great! Now her customers will be happy too being served by her.

As I reflected, I don't know if that question I asked her made that difference.  But at least, a message had been sent.  And I believe, we all can play a little role to make a difference in everyone's life.  And I hope I did.