and we've RELFECTED, we RENEWED & we RECHARGED..

It’s been more than two years since the last blog was written. During that period, I was wondering around looking for what is next for me.  Then I reach the age where I can have access to my capital.  I decided to work on my dream. One of the items on my wish list is to do something different - a for profit social entrepreneur leading to the opening of the physical Tango Café. That was in Feb 2014…at the beginning it was fun…shopping…buying…shopping….tiles, paint, equipment, tables, chairs, lighting, pots, pan, bottle, plates, fork, spoon…plants to the point that I don’t want to see another shop or make another decision on to buy…or not to buy…this or that.. In May 2015 we opened our door for the first time…then it was operational related task…looking for staff, buying groceries, looking for supplier…having to become food technologist by trial and error research…how to maintain quality of food while being able to dish out as fast as we can…how do we reduce spoilage…what else can we add to the menu… which product would be a hit with the customer…which one are the misses … why…more research and trial…well you get the story..

So the topic seem apt to what is going on in my life. I was feeling jaded, tired….almost defeated, almost giving up. Luckily I am blessed to get the support from those closest to me….I still remember a statement from of the guy whom I bought one of the equipment from. Nice, cute young Chinese guy answering my question on why did he quit his business… “penat la kak….kerja teruk tapi takde untung”.  I was going through the same feeling… where I feel like I failed. I was not getting the result that I was looking for, despite my planning and organizing capability. I feel like I failed to deliver… not meeting my objectives. I kept asking the question why? Did I not do enough? Did I not plan enough…what else can I do? I expected the financial challenge…so I can deal with that…What is more frustrating is my own expectation of my staff…one of my objective is to inculcate the learning behavior into my staff. It is not their fault…I was expecting them to be excited to learn new thing as I am. I was expecting them to move at my speed when they are just starting…when it does not seem to be like that I got frustrated….thinking that that I am not appreciated…

So, as I REFLECT last year, I learn to be proud and savor my achievement. I have done what I said I wanted to do. My husband reminded me not to give-up…. I am working on my dream. Not that many people have that opportunity….I am blessed with the chance to do so….I manage to look at my staff progress in a different manner….They are learning …at their own pace. They are also testing and pushing themselves… I know it is not easy working for me…. I know it is not easy understanding me….but they are still here persevering with me…That in itself is and accomplishment….I learn to be grateful… I learn again and again that there is a higher power operating in a way that I may not understand…but I am thankful and I feel closer to my creator, ALLAH ArRahman and Ar Rahim the most benevolence and the most Merciful. I also understood why Islam encouraged us to do business instead of working. Because, I’m given the experience, on a daily basis, that HE is the ONE to decide my rezeki, not me.  I can only do my best, pray and make sedekah. This is something I’ve never experienced while getting a salary since I took it for granted that at month-end I get my dues, regardless.

Through reflecting, I feel RENEWED and RECHARGED. I am more determined to make TANGO Café a winning endeavor. I’ll teach my staff through by showing them that we can succeed. I need to give them a living proof and then share my own experience of not giving up, to persevere and to continuously learn – to keep sharpening my own saw – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.