I met Mr. Joseph Chew few times in seminars and talks arranged by Catholic Business Network Singapore, including the 2015 Chris@Work Conference. In 2015, he published his auto biography titled “The Path to Success and Happiness: Commandments for making money and being happy – God’s way”. He is a devout Catholic and now working as a Senior Financial Services Manager at IPP Financial Advisers. He leads a team of committed advisors to help clients reach financial freedom, God’s way. In addition, he is also served in various church ministries such Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), Divine Mercy, cancer support group at Holy Spirit Church. He is a facilitator of Bible study courses on marriage and finance from Catholic Compass.
Quotes from this episode:
- “There’s no failure in life, just learning experience”
- “Our lowest point is the most fertile part of our life”
- “When I am down, I get down on my knee and pray for God’s help”
- “All heaven rejoice when a sinner repent.”
- “Serve everyone as if I am serving Jesus Christ”
Key learning points from this episode:
- Joseph thought that he would not be able to write his book because he is dyslexic however, God has His ways to make our dream come true by providing the followings:
- The fund for hiring a ghost writer.
- The time to write the book: He injured his knee and had to rest at home. He uses this time to write this book.
- The expertise: sending him an excellent book writing coach.
- The adversities in life what Joseph called as U-turns. Joseph had experienced 6 major U-turns in his life. He relates these U-turn with the passion of Christ, dying of one-self and the resurrection to a new self. He also refer these U-turn similar to the Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:13-32):
- The downward journey:
- We often thought we have the formula for success. We chase success with all our might and strength. When we later discover that it does not work, we crash and fall into the lowest point of our life. We try to escape by different ways.
- We act similar to the young son in the parable who asked his father for his estate. We ask God to give us all the good blessings (good exam results, good career, good spouse, children etc.).
- Our world view of success is to earn lots of money, the fastest way we know how. We sometimes use God to serve us for our self-glory and achievement.
- The lowest point of our life:
- Our lowest point is the most fertile part of our life.
- We need God’s help. Pray to get God’s help.
- The moment of awakening: God reveal the truth and identify the mistake we have done. God will reveal the lessons from this low point, provided we humble ourselves enough to accept them.
- The upturn:
- We are to follow God’s Holy Spirit and receive His abundance blessing.
- Surrender and accepting God’s will, whatever it may be.
- Moving on from losing someone you really love.
- Think about what God or the person you love (who has passed away) would think if God and the person you love look down from heaven and sees that you are suffering, in pain, wasting your life.
- Road to recovery will not be easy, it is God’s way to help us become stronger to face challenge ahead. However, God will send you angles and people to guide you.
- 4 dimensions of holistic healing:
- Spiritual healing: Developing intimacy with God and hear from Him directly for guidance.
- Emotional healing: Working through grief and guilt.
- Mental healing: Surrendering all area of our lives to God.
- Physical healing: Transferring ownership of our body to God. Thinking right, eating right, doing right, exercising right.
- On starting to give back and serve others:
- Giving is part of healing. See through God’s purpose of allowing us to face and experience challenging life situation is to learn and equip ourselves to serve others.
- Joseph’s 6 U turns:
- Failing PLSE: To give people a 2nd chance in life and have passion for human development.
- Retrenchment and born again: To reach out and lead others to know the True God.
- Financial disaster: to guide others to plan well to avoid financial disaster using God’s way.
- Wife had cancer: to learn about holistic healing.
- Wife death: to help people work through grief and facilitating Compass Course
- Joseph’s most important habits which have contributed to his success:
- Praying – seek first the Kingdom of God
- Serving every one as if I am serving Jesus Christ, reflecting the image of God.
- Obeying whatever God tell me to do, moments by moments.
- Courage is the ability to face your own fear and overcome them with God’s help.
Books mentioned in this episode:
1
The Path to Success and Happiness: Commandments for Making Money and Being Happy – God’s Way by Joseph Chew
2
Miracles Do Happen: God Can Do the Impossible by Briege McKenna O.S.C
3
Moment by Moment: A Retreat in Everyday Life
4
Your Money Counts: The Biblical Guide to Earning, Spending , Saving, Investing, Giving and Getting Out of Debt by Howard L. Dayton Jr.
Andy Williams - The Impossible Dream
To dream the impossible dream To fight the unbeatable foe To bear with unbearable sorrow To run where the brave dare not go. To right the unrightable wrong To love pure and chaste from afar To try when your arms are too weary To reach the unreachable star. This is my quest To follow that star No matter how hopeless No matter how far. To fight for the right Without question or pause To be willing to march Into hell for a heavenly cause. And I know if I'll only be true To this glorious quest That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest. And the world will be better for this that one man scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage To fight the unbeatable foe To reach the unreachable star...
Ways to Contact Joseph:
Phone
:
+65 9661 8089
Email
:
path2successandhappiness@gmail.com
Facebook
:
https://www.facebook.com/joseph.chew.31
Google
:
the path to success and happiness Joseph Chew