Yearly Archives: 2011

20
Nov
Mimpi Sejuta Dolar

Saya sangat bersyukur karena saya bisa mendapatkan pendapatan 1 juta dolar pertama saya di usia 26 tahun. Tapi saat ini saya lebih bersyukur lagi karena saya bisa menceritakan kisah perjalanan hidup saya tersebut melalui buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar yang ditulis oleh Alberthiene Endah (Mba AE)

 

 

Buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar merupakan hasrat yang telah lama ingin saya wujudkan untuk menyampaikan pesan spirit kepada semua orang yang menginginkan kehidupan lebih baik. Berbeda dengan buku saya yang pertama: A Gift From A Friend, di dalam buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar saya bercerita dengan lebih detail kisah perjuangan saya dari seorang remaja yang terpaksa harus mengungsi ke Singapura karena kerusuhan 98, mahasiswi  yang pas-pasan, sampai akhirnya saya bisa mewujudkan impian saya dan mendapat pendapatan satu juta dolar pertama saya di usia 26 tahun.

Pembuatan buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar sebenarnya tidak memakan waktu yang lama.
Bermula dari awal tahun 2011. Di bulan Maret tahun ini (2011), saya sangat beruntung dan bersyukur karena bisa diundang menjadi bintang tamu di acara Kick Andy Show yang bertemakan ‘Sukses Di Usia Muda’

Kebetulan pada saat itu Mba AE nonton dan tertarik dengan kisah perjuangan hidup saya. Pada saat itu, saya pun kebetulan sedang membaca salah satu buku biografi karya Mba AE, dan saya sangat suka dengan gaya penulisannya yang indah dan mengalir. Apalagi sudah banyak tokoh sukses yang kisah hidupnya ditulis oleh Mba AE, seperti: Krisdayanti, Chrisye, Titiek Puspa,  Hj. Ani Bambang Yudhoyono dan masih banyak lagi. Dari situ lah akhirnya kerja sama saya dan Mba AE pun dimulai dan akhirnya beberapa bulan kemudian terwujudlah buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar.

Saya sangat bersyukur sekali, karena dalam waktu kurang dari 2 bulan, buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar sudah terjual lebih dari 10,000 eksemplar, dan menjadi #1 National Best Seller di seluruh Indonesia.

Terima kasih untuk semuanya yang sudah membaca buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar dan juga memberikan komentar-komentar positif.

Apalagi komentar-komentar yang saya dapat dari teman-teman di Twitter

Melihat dari komentar-komentar positif tersebut, Saya merumuskan bahwa ada 3 hal yang unik dan  menarik yang hanya bisa didapat dari buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar

1. Kisah Nyata
Kisah yang ditulis di buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar adalah kisah nyata yang saya ceritakan, berdasarkan fakta – fakta kehidupan saya yang 100% akurat. Bahkan untuk penulisan buku ini, saya pun mengundang Mba AE dan suaminya (Mas Dio) datang ke Singapura untuk menapak tilas perjalan hidup saya. Selama seminggu di Singapura, saya tunjukan semua tempat-tempat bersejarah dan juga kenangan-kenangan yang pernah saya alami. Kita berkunjung ke asrama saya ketika saya kuliah di NTU (Nanyang Technological University), tempat saya pernah bekerja sebagai pelayan restaurant, halte bus tempat saya membagikan brosur, kantor pertama saya ketika saya memulai bisnis, dan banyak tempat-tempat menarik lainnya. Semua ini saya lakukan karena saya ingin Mba AE benar-benar bisa merasakan apa yang saya rasakan, sehingga ketika Mba AE menulis buku biografi tersebut, semua perasaan dan pikiran saya pun bisa tertuang dengan sedetail-detailnya. Berikut adalah beberapa foto hasil jepretan kamera saya dan juga Mas Dio ketika di Singapura (Foto-foto lengkapnya akan tersedia di buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar Deluxe Edition, nantikan yah )

 

 

2. Formula Sukses.
Selain kisah nyata, di dalam buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar ini pun saya merumuskan dengan jelas strategi-strategi dan kunci keberhasilan yang saya lakukan yang akhirnya bisa membawa saya ke kehidupan yang lebih baik. Semua ini bukan hanya dari jargon-jargon motivasi atau teori sukses yang hanya berupa sederet teori, tetapi juga contoh nyata dari peristiwa yang betul-betul saya hadapi. Dan Mba AE pun menuangkan semuanya ke dalam tulisan yang tersirat dengan jelas, Formula-Formula sukses yang bisa diaplikasikan dalam berbagai bidang kehidupan banyak orang, siapapun juga, apapun pekerjaannya, tua, muda, pria maupun wanita.


Jadi anda tidak hanya bisa menikmati dan mengikuti perjuangan hidup saya, tetapi juga  bisa mendapatkan strategi-strategi yang konkrit dan jelas  bagaimana saya bisa mengubah nasib dan mewujudkan impian saya.

3. Cerita Seru
Bagi yang sudah baca buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar, pasti tahu apa yang saya maksud dengan cerita seru. Lewat buku ini, saya menceritakan banyak hal yang saya alami dan lalui. Layaknya seorang manusia biasa, pastinya ada yang lucu, sedih, romantis, dan juga bahagia. Saya juga bercerita tentang emosi yang saya rasakan saat menemui kegagalan, kejatuhan, dan kekhawatiran. Semua ini ditulis oleh Mba AE dengan gaya penulisan novel yang membuat anda terus membaca.

Langkah saya, setapak demi setapak tertuang dalam buku ini dan memberikan gambaran nyata kepada anda betapa perjuangan memang membutuhkan kesabaran, keuletan, ketekunan dan kesiapan menghadapi perubahan-perubahan. Tidak hanya memuat strateginya dalam mengubah nasib, Melalui kisah yang menyentuh dan inspiratif ini, saya berharap, anda bisa melihat dengan jelas bagaimana jalan sukses saya – sama dengan kebanyakan orang — juga diwarnai oleh banyak kesulitan. Jalan yang saya lewati bukan jalan sempurna, melainkan terjal dan menuntut kekuatan mental untuk menempuhnya. Jatuh bangun mentalnya pun bisa menjadi pembelajaran bahwa kapan pun kita bisa merasa putus asa, kehilangan kepercayaan diri, dan menyerah. Namun komitmen yang teguh, iman, dan energi positif yang terus dibangun bisa mengalahkan itu.

Semoga lewat buku Mimpi Sejuta Dolar, saya bisa menularkan semangat kepada anda untuk berani bermimpi besar. Karena titik awal sebuah keberhasilan adalah sebuah Impian.

25
Sep
Canon Think Big – Merry Riana (Part 1: The Idea)

I’m so blessed to be chosen as one of the Ambassador for Canon Singapore.

MRO Consultancy - Merry Riana (Part 1: The Idea)

Their new campaign “Think Big Think Canon” is something that I personally believe in.

We have to be Dare to Dream Big !
We have to be Dare to Think Big !!

That’s the message that I always mention in all my talks, my tweets and even my book.

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.

If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will either. You have to convince yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to. If you can create that strong, unwavering belief, you’re more than half the way toward achieving any goal you set.

Are you convinced that you can do anything you want to do?

Watch part 1 of The Canon Think Big Interview, and find out how the Dream that I had on my 20th birthday changed my life forever.

(btw .. I was 4 mths pregnant when we did the videoshoot, can you notice the pregnant belly bump ? hehehe :) )

24
Sep
Canon Think Big – Merry Riana (Part 1: The Idea)

14
Aug
Do you Want to Do It ?

Anyone can do something when they WANT to do it.
Really successful people do things when they don’t want to do it.

It’s amazing to see how many people are eager to succeed in life, but they’re often unwilling to do what is necessary in order to actually become a success. Yes, there are going to be things in your journey that you don’t want to do. Take a deep breath, accept what you have to do, and then do it to the best of your ability.

Have you put off tasks you don’t want to do, but you know it’s important?
What will my perseverance prove to myself and others?

9
Aug
Little Fighters

Happy 46th Birthday Singapore !

Recently I’m happy to be part of HTC’s Bloggers Social Responsibility Program for Rare Disorders Society Singapore (RDSS)

This National Day gives me a good opportunity to share and spotlight on little Singaporeans and their stories and on living with Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD).

I hope to put Singapore on the map for government funding for LSD and Rare Disorders Society Singapore (RDSS) patients and we can make this happen with more awareness and support.

So read on as I share with you their dreams and strong fighting spirit.

ALEKS’ STORY

Born in 9th February 2006, Aleks is everything any proud parent want in her/his child. Aleks came into the world and made such a beautiful impact, a sprightly boy with his infectious smile who brings exultations to everyone around him.

During Aleks’ routine check-up when he was six-month old, his pediatrician noticed somthing was not right with him. Aleks’ blood count was extremely low with enlarged spleen and liver. Subsequently, for the next 2 years, Aleks made several visits to hospitals and specialists and underwent numerous blood test without any conclusive diagnosis.

In December 2008, Aleks was diagnosed with Gaucher Disorder a rare genetic disorder virtually unknown in this part of our world. He is believed to be the first and only patient to be diagnosed with it in Singapore. For Alek’s case, the only approved drug for treatment (by other national health authorities) that was available is an enzyme called Cerezyme which is produced by the pharmaceutical firm, Genzyme.

The prices for Cerezyme and other “orphan drugs” are very expensive. The cumulative dosage for Cerezyme is positively correlated to the weight of the patient. Aleks now weighs eighteen kilograms and will require four vials of Cerezyme for his treatment (or Enzyme Replacement Therapy, or ERT for short) a two-weekly intravenous infusion of this drug. The estimated total cost for his annual dosage of Cerezyme work out to be SGD150,000.00.

Notes from Aleks’ mom:


CHLOE’S STORY

(taken from www.savechloe.com)

Little Chloe was born prematurely on Nov 8, 2009, at 2.695kg, 35 weeks gestation. She winked at mummy and stuck out her tongue the moment she was put into mummy’s arms! She cried when the nurses brought her away from mummy, to weigh her. Upon mummy calling her name, she stopped at the familiar voice. How intelligent and all thanks to the months of bonding through story telling, singing, prayer and constant conversation when mummy was expecting her. Besides being admitted for jaundice (which is very common among Asian babies), she had been healthy and an above average baby in terms of weight and overall development. She was extremely responsive that she amazed friends, family and doctors. She brought so much joy to all. She even went for her first swim at four months old and embarked on her semi –solid foods well. Whenever she went for injections or blood tests, she was the most cooperative and brave.

When it all started:

All was well until when she was more than five months old. She did not feed well anymore and seemed quite uninterested in toys. Much attempt had been made to let her practice her motor skills, e.g. grabbing toys and food, turning over from back to tummy, sitting up by herself with hands pressing against her feet in front, but to no avail. We started to wonder if she was just lazy. We were perplexed why a baby who was ahead of others when she first started out, would lag behind so much for no reason. We were being referred to a specialist at KK Hospital who dealt with growth hormones program, by the pediatrician.

The growth hormone specialist was not sure if the problem had been properly diagnosed as such yet. He spoke to several other specialists in other fields and ordered different tests to be done, before deciding the course of treatment. We were also given appointments with a neuro-muscular and genetics doctors.

Meanwhile, little Chloe fell ill, with temperature that was erratic over the next week or so. We brought her to several doctors during this period. Eventually, we went back to her pediatrician at Gleneagles Hospital, who referred us to KK Children’s Emergency.

Upon registration, six to seven doctors attended to Chloe immediately. Mummy and daddy wondered why the commotion when it was just bronchitis. Chloe was hooked up to several machines, including a respirator. Doctors said she had breathing difficulty when she appeared all normal and rosy to us. An X-ray was done and they discovered that her heart is enlarged! Further investigation was done via a cardio scan. As he did screen shot after screen shot, one measurement after another, the waiting became forever. The screening showed that her heart muscles had thickened. One specialist came in after another. No one could arrive at a conclusion about her condition. A senior consultant was called in. After much deliberation among themselves, the senior consultant said in a very serious tone,”Mummy and daddy, please come with me. I need to speak with you.” Mummy’s heart sank. It felt like something was terribly wrong.

At the other room, the senior consultant related her heart condition to us and what their suspicions were. Several tests needed to be carried out to confirm the underlying condition. However, he warned that one of the highest possibilities meant that Chloe might not live beyond one year old! We were lost and felt giddy!

 

Torn between decisions

Two weeks after admission and under intensive care, on 2nd July 2010, Chloe was confirmed to be suffering from a very rare genetic condition – Pompe Disease (which weakens her overall muscles, including that of the heart).

We had been presented with hard facts about Chloe’s current condition and her bleak chance of living a quality life. The only treatment (not cure) – enzyme replacement, is proven to help with improving the heart condition and the overall muscular function. However, the patient may suffer from the side effects or develop anti-bodies against the infused enzyme. Doctors are not sure if she will react to the enzyme at all. Even if she does, when that will happen and or how well the treatment can help her. The cardiologist even commented that it is a matter of time that she passes on due to the weak and progressive heart condition. He is afraid that the heart may even give way before the effect of the enzyme kicks in. Other predicted that Chloe’s best-case scenario is still wheelchair bound. Worse still, she may need respirators and feeding aid, even if we manage to keep her alive. In addition, patients with such condition tend to have a short(er) live span. To add on to all these is the hefty medical cost of about $200,000 to $300,000 per year (and increasing as she grows older and requires higher dosage). This will be a life long treatment if we wish to keep her alive.

We grappled with the decision of whether to let Chloe go through the treatment. Not for selfish reasons like being afraid to make major adjustments to our standard of living, rather, we do not know if we will be helping her at all or are we just prolonging her suffering. What if the doctors’ prediction come true? What if she starts to understand and blame us for keeping her alive when she cannot do what a normal person can do (e.g. feed herself with her hands, play and run about with kids of her age, etc)? What will become of her when we pass on before her? Or what if she reacts wonderfully well to the treatment but we still got to give up her life, because we run out of financial resources to pay for the treatment? At the same time, we cannot convince ourselves to give up her life at eight months old, based on uncertainties and predictions. We do not have the right to deny her the chance to fight for herself.

After praying very hard for signs, we saw with our own eyes that she was trying very hard during her physio-therapy sessions in the hospital and that she was getting stronger and happier everyday. We decided that it was God’s way of telling us to let her go through the treatment and that there will be a miracle healing for her.

In the long haul

As parents, we can only give her what we have and can afford. We are ready to give our all for her. She deserves all the love and care in this world. We are willing to give up our cars, apartment and all the possessions, but even all these will not be enough to pay for her life long treatment. No ordinary working class parents will be able to afford the medical fees. As the condition is very rare, no organization nor government body provides funding of any kind in Singapore. Hence, we need the collective efforts of many kind souls out there to help save our baby’s life. We pray for God’s grace in our effort to give Chloe life.

Support RDSS Facebook Page at
http://www.facebook.com/RareDisordersSociety

Support our RDSS Piano Recital Charity Fundraiser

“We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give”

 

 

7
Aug
First Step to Your Success

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

When we’re just starting out on our own, taking the first step may be frightening. We have to remember, however, that we don’t have to see the whole future spreading out in front of us. We have to take the first step toward our goals whether we can see the next step or not. If we can’t take the first step, we’ll get nowhere standing still.

I encourage you to set goals and know where you want to go, take the first step in faith, and keep walking until you reach your goal.

31
Jul
Helping Others

You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough people
get what they want.

This idea may seem unusual especially since many people are only concerned with themselves. The truth is, if you reach out to help others attain their goals, they will be more willing to help you reach yours. There’s an old saying, “What goes around comes around.” You may be surprised how true this is.

Are you willing to help others, even if it won’t benefit you?

24
Jul
Me and my HTC Flyer

It has been 1 week since I used HTC flyer and I really love it.
It isn’t just look nice on the design , but this device is brilliant on the inside too.

HTC Flyer is the first tablet delivering a new HTC innovation that features natural pen interaction. It can draw, paint, write, sign documents, and even retouch pictures. It can be a highlighter for the reader (and by the way all your highlights will be collated when you’re done).

This is definitely very useful, especially for mobile people like me. Now I can sign documents, authograph my book everywhere I go.  So far, no other device can do this kind of technology

BEFORE

AFTER

With the magic pen, you can highlight text, write down notes, and get an autograph of the author, right on the book. Curious to know how it works? watch this short video, and be amazed !

 

You can also take self-portraits, and doodle on them
Watch this video to see how you can use Snapbooth to take pictures with your friends, family, and even celebrities and how to use the pen and filters to enhance your photos before sharing them.

HTC flyer is not just for play and entertainment. It also great for to capture everything important during meeting. It can take notes with voice recording, along with pictures and scribbles.
Watch this and you’ll definitely can’t wait to go for your next meeting and give it a try.

4
Jul
Brillianaire 2011 with Merry Riana

More women are working today than in the past. In today’s competitive world, the towering cost of living makes it harder for us – aspiring women, to mind our own business. We may ask ourselves, “How can we live fulfilling lives, while at the same time strive to become precious assets to our companies?”

THE ANSWER IS IN OUR BRILLIANCE.

It is my honor to be part of this great event, BRILLIANAIRE™ 2011 conference, where each programme is precisely designed to enrich aspiring women today, within & beyond.

Together with these outstanding speakers from Singapore, we will share with you real-life techniques that you can apply for success.

BRILLIANAIRE™ 2011 is a perfect opportunity to gain rare insights from a group of Iconic, International and Impressive luminaries in the marketplace today.

You will be engaged in high-calibre seminar topics that cover key aspects of what it means to be a woman who shines in society, from who you are on the outside, to a unique perspective on the biochemistry of your body.

The exciting two-day programme is designed for every woman to claim her wealth.

Men are welcome to join.

So, what are you waiting for?
Visit http://brillianaire.sg/ today to register and reserve your seat!

See you there ! :)

4
Jul
Brillianaire 2001 – Merry Riana