by VOON MIAW PING Bernama - Wednesday, August 6
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- "It is not always easy to think positively, but the capability to do so is important particularly for a person who is experiencing problems"


Those were the words of Dr 'Azman' Ching Eu Boon, a self-made millionaire and motivation expert.
According to Dr Ching, positive thinking is crucial for an individual to be successful in his own field.
He cited an example, where the country's current economic woes are having adverse impacts on Malaysians particularly those in the lower income group.
However, this is not an excuse for the people to say that they are being plagued by hardships caused by the higher cost of living.
Dr Ching said each of the hardship experienced should be viewed as a challenge or test towards gauging a person's endurance and creativity to look for solutions for the problem he is facing.
"This (giving excuses) will take us no where. We have to be wise to seek the way out (of the problem)", he told Bernama here.
Dr Ching believes that for every problem that arises, there would be always a solution to be sought after.
"What is important is that we should always think positive in whatever situation, willing to open up our mind and seek out the solutions", said the 41-year-old Dr Ching.
SECRET FORMULA?
For Dr Ching, an entrepreneur who became a millionaire at the age of 25, there is no secret formula on how to be successful.
He said apart from thinking positively, a person should also be aware of his own strong and weak points in order to succeed.
"But we should also know how to capitalise on the advantages that we have and the available opportunities in order to succeed.
"If we have these extras, and put in some effort, we will be able to obtain more chances to succeed further", he said.
Dr Ching also stressed on the importance of "networking". He also called on youths to expand their respective networking.
"We must be frank and accept friendship positively as we never know when we may need assistance in the future.


"Through networking, we are able to venture into more opportunities for our own progress," he said.
Dr Ching also advised youths to capitalise on the government's funding and training facilities for them to venture into entrepreneurship.
This self-made millionaire went into direct selling in the early 1990s and made his first one million ringgit at the age of 25. After some 15 years in the direct-selling industry, Dr Ching had helped 50 other people to become millionaires too.
He later went into writing and related his experience and success story to many others.
His first book on motivation and written in Bahasa Malaysia was released in 1994. So far he has authored 10 books and over 100,000 volumes have been sold in this region.
Dr Ching is collaborating with University of Beijing, China for his works to be published in the Mandarin language.
LOOKING BACK
Dr Ching was born into a poor family in Klang and he is the fourth of eight siblings.
He remembered well the days when as a small boy, he had to sleep on a cardbox-covered floor at the grocery shop where his mother had worked.
Dr Ching said poverty had forced his elder siblings to leave school in order to help the family to earn a living.
"Then, even though I was still small, I realised that I was lucky for being able to go to school.
"This had strengthened my resolve to climb out from poverty bracket. But I am grateful as my siblings have also succeed in their life," he said.
Dr Ching has a doctorate in Malay studies and is fluent in eight languages. He also excelled in caligraphy and Jawi scripts. He is one of the 10 recipients for the 'Young Outstanding Malaysian' Award in 2007.
MALAY NAME
On how he got the name 'Azman', Dr Ching said the name was given to him by several Malay elderly men whom he had befriended.
"These 'pak cik-pak cik' (uncles) found it hard to pronouce my Chinese name, that is Eu Boon. Then, one of them said he would settle for Azman and the name sticks until today", said Dr Ching.
-- BERNAMA
VMP ZUL CR