1.
Been moving around much lately, about and around,
to many places, seen many people.
Too many things experienced, too many things to
write.
Many happy experiences, some inconveniences
(natural in life), many lessons, many other things which need a whole lot of
adjectives.
But in summary, had a lot of fun — exchanged many
notes and much ideas, and learnt a lot, a lot.
In one word,
fulfilling.
2.
Coincidences happen, makes you realize that this
world is just so small, so so much less than six degrees of separation (which is
supposed to be the maximum).
Coincidence… or is it ? Is it because I stepped
out and went around, that this kind of coincidence could ‘happen’ ? Did I have a
hand in it ?
So, just how much is actually within our control –
without us realizing ?
3.
Visited my former tuition teachers… Now these are
very experienced people in many aspects… running their own businesses,
providing well for their family, and at the same time, helping many others
throughout the years to gain that all important baby step in life (be
it UPSR/PMR/SPM/STPM). Seriously, I feel that these are the type of people that
I want to style myself after — not necessarily specifically meaning tuition
teachers — but rather, be one of this category of people:
Business owners, who can leave a legacy for their
children — a business which their Offspring could actually take over and
develop further — and true, challenges are there that many of us never see, but
I’d think that most of us would rather face and solve this kind of challenges,
because, after surmounting the obstacles, you really feel a sense of
satisfaction, that you have done something for yourself and for your family –
and if you are altruistic minded enough, provided benefits for others also (by
providing jobs, facilities, income, helping others to succeed, etc.), and have
others whom you can actually see and feel their gratitude — as opposed to
having felt that you have just busted your ass for some generic conglomerate
which, if you were not the one solving their problems for them, other people
also can solve their problems for them too… no big deal… just another manual
labour, nothing more… another mere resource which contributes more digits to a
figure on an annual report, of which the Board of Directors won`t come and shake
your hand and give you a pat on the back for your contribution…
4.
And how about me? How am I doing?
Currently, I’m doing great… comparatively
speaking.
" CONGRATULATIONS ! Your ranking
is #2,098,123,239 out of 6,525,170,264 .
That places you in the TOP 33% of
the world population ! "
(For those who know, if it feels fondly familiar to
something, scratch your head no further… it is remniscent of Utopia(r) or
Archmage(tm)… notice?)
5.
However,
Why am I still feeling that, something is
missing?
At the current moment, going by an objective
appraisal - yes, I would say that I have the good fortune to be …
conservatively speaking, within the Top 33% or possibly even 20% bracket amongst
peers (not just a shallow appraisal by one fundamental S.I. unit of measurement
- $ But rather, considering a weighted average of about ten parameters which are
common among humankind including a healthy dose of personal opinion to skew the
repeatability of the measurements)
I am not being narcissistic here… in fact, you
could detect a less-than-impressed, flippant tone with which I am
expressing this.
Many factors… people may say good luck, I would
say yes… "good luck is when opportunity meets
preparation".
But so, what action are we taking to influence the
course of events to something that can improve our lives?
Or are most of us… actually hoping for something
to happen… at the same time not doing anything to increase the chances of
something favourable happening?
But why, why do I feel that there is something
still missing?
Are we just going to let our lifetime pass by us
just like that?
If you do not fall into any of these categories:
airline stewardess, airline pilot, investment banker, successful
insurance consultant (agency manager position and above), you may
want to rethink whether you set your goals too low in life. I have thought this
over, many, many times.
We only have one lifetime, and we need to go all
out.
5b.
What are we actually hoping for in our lives? And
what are we doing now to reach those goals? Do we find ourselves just
rationalizing to ourselves "Semuanya OK…" And one day, when we look
back, we realize that we’ve just rationalized away… 30 years of our life
?
Hehehe… don’t laugh now guys… that may actually
happen!
(When I was younger, I always wondered why the
‘older people’ I knew never play football or PC/video games, go out and run
around and keep fit, you know, these are so fun and all, who wouldn’t want to do
these?
………. And now…. ta-da……… take a good
look at our everyday life ! )
Or….. Are we all just waiting for our turn to be
called to The Island? (with reference to the
movie)
6.
Life is no longer how it was like when we were in
school. In university.
Life back then (when we still were living out our
20 years of humanity) was a close-ended, insulated
affair where there were `set objectives` to meet, and as long as you
met them, you were set to go through the next of the insulated stages… but all
good things eventually come to an end.
I applaud the people who were not `blinded` by the
imaginary constraints of school (BTW I’d like to add here our education system
sucks, to be fair, one cannot expect any education system to provide for
everything… but then again, our education system sucks) People who became
entrepreneurs, or set the foundation when they were still within their 20 years
of humanity… and managed to go on and lead an uncommon life — simply put,
some people can provide jobs for other people at the age when others are begging
for jobs and higher pay to afford the luxuries of life, etc…
7.
Going by the principles of Darwin,
Another thing is… in order to propagate genetic
material, in today’s modern, materialistic world, the quality
of one`s (especially referring to the gentlemen) materia is not
displayed by a brilliant plumage or a larger codpiece… but rather, the modern,
most visible equivalents would be the chariot he moves around in, and the number
of Agongs festering inside his back pocket. For the ladies, the
plumage-equivalent-attributes (especially those that subconsciously imply
fertility) still apply; things have not changed to their modern equivalent to
the quite same extent as for males.
I’m not being chavinistic or over-simplistic
here… one can check out Allan Pease`s book(s) on subjects such as these. Quite
humourfully presented and with many tasteful illustrations too, I might add. The
key point is that these things still affect humans as much as the time when Og
the Caveman strode out of his cave with a club searching for the perfect mate
(and determining whether the potential candidates decided on a mass exodus
across the still-conjoined land masses, or to throw themselves at his feet to be
willingly `clubbed` and thus begin the history of S&M).
So, practically, on a subconscious level, in modern
life, status does matter. Otherwise you won’t see so many balding apeks
with cun chicks (not an uncommon sight, in fact I sat near such a couple during
a 4-hour bus ride) I am sure many would attest to this.
It is arguable that intellectual capability can
offset the major subconscious effect of `economic power and status`…
hhmm…
The Poor Intellectual or the Starving Artist …
hard to say, but I would think to be on the safe side, when one is still able to
choose, try not to fall into any categories that carry negative adjectives.
Instead, try for Rich Intellectual or Acclaimed Artist. Just some examples. You
can use other adjectives from your Std. 6 English lessons too.
I would say, that charm would be a more effective
parameter to work on if compared one-on-one with intellect…
But then again, balding ahpeks with considerable
body odour can still score, so this is not a totally independent variable from
the variable ‘economic power and status’ as stated above.
8.
Recently walked thru a bookstore and came across
this book — "Dare To Fail" by one Billi P.S. Lim … well I was rather in need
of something fresh from all my technical + socio-political readings… so:
Impulse Buy. Going through the contents of this book, I find that it is an easy
read… and carries within it a good few poignant messages to change our
perception. To know what’s it all about… go and take a look. As with every
other book on the market, there would be some critics… of course, every one is
entitled to their opinion… but to me, in order to criticize and at the same
time, not to sound like a tin-kosong `purist` or a pedantic (and empty)
critic… one should at least be generally acclaimed as `successful`… lest
one`s words be ignored as those of a sore loser, sour grapes who just seeks
attention by putting other people down.
9.
I feel that we must always, objectively,
acknowledge reality, because: reality is here to stay.
Especially, in the future:
"One’s interest should be in the future - because one is going to spend the
rest of their life there."
10.
Just some things for your brain to chew on when you
go to sleep at night. Which I am going to do now. Thanks and `Goodnight
folks.
