This Malaysian Is Using His 'Don't Complain' Philosophy To Change The Housing Industry
"I've learnt that complaining doesn't change our reality. But action does."
Published for Johnnie Walker, 13 Sep 2017, 01:57 PM
None of us are strangers to complaining. It's only human nature after all.
We are definitely used to voicing our dissatisfaction when something doesn't meet our fancy: whether it's complaining about being stuck in traffic yet again, or about the weather being either blazing hot, raining heavily, or haze season.
Most of us figure that venting and “letting it all out” will help us feel better afterwards but do you know what the process actually does to your brain?
Your brain actually physically rewires itself for negativity due to a process that scientists describe as “neurons that fire together, wire together”. Basically, what this means it that when you often repeat a behaviour, the neurons in your brain will grow closer together in order to ease the flow of information.
This makes it so much easier to repeat that particular behaviour again in the future, because there is now a permanent bridge between your neurons. Not only will future complaining be more likely, it may also become your default behaviour over time.
Plus, research has shown that complaining causes the hippocampus to shrink. That's the part of your brain that's crucial for problem solving and intelligent thought btw.
Besides literally messing with your head, your overall health is also impacted in other ways
It all boils down to the fact that being negative induces the release of the stress hormone: cortisol.
The excess cortisol in your system in turn causes things such as lowered immune function and bone density, raised blood pressure and blood sugar levels as well as makes you more susceptible to high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and strokes.
Above all, complaining is extremely counterproductive as it doesn't actually solve your problems; it just lets you stew in the negativity of your situation. Instead, you can take action by moving forward and trying to make a positive change.
Take Datuk Lee Kok Siong for example. The metal industrialist and Managing Director of Thung Hing Group's philosophy in life has always been "don't complain". He believes that he is a man of action with the power to make a difference in the world.
It actually was Datuk Lee's father who first established the Thung Hing Group back in 1983. A deep gratitude for his sacrificial father led him to realise that complaining would have no place in his life. He would instead find a way to use his position to contribute back to society.
Drawing inspiration from his forefathers and zeroing in on a burning issue many Malaysians struggle with, Datuk Lee embarked on a mission to shake things up in the housing industry
In a huge departure from the Thung Hing Group's core business of producing metal roofing, rain gutters and fire doors, he developed an innovative new way of building houses by only using steel and concrete.
This new method brings changes to two areas of building houses: cost and duration. Costs are lowered for both developers and homeowners, and houses can now be built in only 2 weeks instead of 6 months.
Datuk Lee hopes that the implementation of his new method will lead to a positive change in Malaysia's housing industry and help to provide a stable future for the next generation.
Check out the short video below for a peek into Datuk Lee Kok Siong's journey, as featured by Johnnie Walker Malaysia:
Johnnie Walker Malaysia chose to highlight Datuk Lee as his philosophy and efforts are in line with the ‘Keep Walking’ spirit that the label has encouraged for years.
Taking action doesn't necessarily have to be something huge and life-changing, little things make a difference too
The important thing is having the courage to step forward and do what you can to make a change. #KeepWalking, pave your own way, and make a positive contribution to the world.
