I was chatting with my ex-colleague the other day. He was one of the guys who went to UK with me – also my housemate for 7 months in London. During our stay there, he always met up with this good friend of his who was based in London.

I used “was”, because my friend told me, his good friend has just passed away due to cancer few months ago. It was very sudden. My friend then told me the whole story and somehow, I’m deeply touched by the entire incident. Perhaps it’s because I can imagine myself in that position, to lose someone so dear, in such a short time and totally out of expectations. I was completely speechless after that and didn’t know what to say.

To make things worse, this friend of his has actually lost her boyfriend due to cancer 2 years before this. She was really unlucky even though she came from a very rich family and had the opportunity to further her studies in US and UK. Her friends used to be envious of her because of her background, and they often regarded her as someone lucky.

But in her diary, she wrote that her greatest gift was her family and friends… not the money, nor the opportunities.

And I agree with her. Having all the money in this world is useless if you cannot even spend quality time with your family and friends because money can only bring you ‘that’ far. How often have you heard of stories where rich people end their life due to loneliness or rich people trying so hard to know some real friends? Because money can’t bring you those. Money can’t buy everything.

And really, if you don’t have the opportunities to spend quality time with loved ones…. what’s the point? Do you think you can still lead a happy life?

So stop thinking that people who can fly here n there, buy big houses and cars, and can afford everything they ever need ….are lucky. Because that is not how you should define “lucky”.

At the end of the day, family and friends, and the moments you spend with them, are the things that will decide whether you’re a lucky person or not. Nothing else matters more than them.

And people, always remember that life is really fragile. It just takes a few seconds to decide your fate, to decide whether you’re going to continue living in this world, or not. So, just live your life to the fullest. Stop giving excuses for not doing certain things that you really want to do. Also, if you feel like you’re wasting your time doing something, then make a change. If you think there’s something you really want to try out, then go for it. And if there’s someone that you really miss, give him/her a call. Don’t just sit there doing nothing and waste your life. Life is too short for you to waste it like that.

Last but not least, all I want to say is that most of us have the wrong assumption that being lucky is to be able to buy all your needs and wants. This is how our world has made us think. In the end, most of us chase after all these things in order to be the next lucky person that everyone around us envies or talks about. And most often than not, this ‘chase’ will never end because it’s just too impossible to end.

But don’t get me wrong, it CAN end…. not by being involved in the ‘chase’, but by being content and appreciate what we have. Once we do that, I’m sure most of us will realize that ….actually…we’re all very lucky because we can spend quality time with our loved ones. So what’s next then? Help spread this ‘good luck’ of yours to other people.

Hope it helps.

“How to get rich?” is a very common question. Actually, there are a lot of opportunities out there to make money. If one makes the effort to go look for it, they can find tonnes of opportunities. One can sell watches, games, clothes, do freelance for design stuff, IT stuff, programming, give home tuition classes, write online reviews, etc. The list can go on and on and on, especially with the help of the internet.

But knowing the opportunities available is just the first step and perhaps the least important one if compared to the next step – soul-searching. Ask yourselves what do you really want to do? What are you passionate about and what are you interested in? Ignore the money factor for now. Concentrate on those questions. Because if you are not interested or passionate in something, don’t ever bother to start working on it. Money is important but money alone will not bring you far.

Let me give you an example, someone by the name of Bob wanted to get rich fast so he decided to start a business selling …say….popcorn. But his real interest was painting, not popcorn. For the first few weeks, he was quite motivated because he could see the money coming in (due to the high profit margin). But after a few months…and then a few years, his popcorn business started to slow down. Running the business now seems like more of a struggle than anything else. He could not bring himself to go to work everyday. He has lost interest in it. Yes, he has got the money and has even reinvested the money to grow the business. But his main interest was not popcorn, and definitely not attending to the stall. His motivation to earn money only managed to last him for a few months. Well, I’m sure you can guess the outcome. Another popcorn seller who was more passionate on selling popcorn appeared in the neighborhood and the new kid on the block stole all his customers from him. His small popcorn business was forced to close down soon after that.

Bob’s case is just 1 of the many small businesses which have very short life spans. One reason is due to the competition but the main reason is that the person is just not interested in the business itself. He/she just wants to earn money and that’s it.

So the next time you really want to start something, be it selling popcorn, starting a new job, or even pursuing a degree, please make sure that you’ve done some soul searching before embarking on the journey. Because the journey will not be a short one, and since it’s not a short one, you better make sure you will enjoy the journey and not giving up halfway.

p/s…. there’s no harm in trying things out to find out which really matter to you most. But do so in moderation. Investing and pouring too much effort into something you are not interested in can bring pretty bad consequences. So be careful.

p/s…. this post is mainly on starting something. Whether or not you can survive once you’ve started, will rely on your passion, planning and a lot of luck.

No matter how old we get, part of the small boy/girl within us will never go away. We still like to play some of the kiddish games we used to play when we were kids. Guli, layang-layang, hide-n-seek (it’s much harder to play that now though), etc. Those games never get old! And by just talking about it with some friends actually bring back all the sweet memories….memories which happened 20 years ago when all of us were just kids – kids who felt that we’re ready to take on the world!

Take on the world eh? I’m sure 20 years after that, most of us would say that reality is harsh and it’s not easy to take on the world at all. All those dreams and ambitions we used to have as little kids are fast becoming our past. Some of us have actually forgotten ourselves – the “us” from 20 years ago, the “us” that used to think we can take on the world and the “us” who wanted to become scientists, artists, lawyers, etc (policemen and teachers for some).

What happened to those dreams and ambitions? Are you actually living those childhood dreams and ambitions? Or reality is so harsh that you don’t think you can ever achieve those again in this lifetime?

Yes, reality is harsh, no doubt. Many people are jobless and poverty is on the rise. But I also believe that many of our childhood dreams and ambitions are not that difficult to achieve. Things like spending time with beloved parents (yes, that’s one of my childhood dreams), visiting Old Trafford, going to UK, being a comic artist, etc. All those are achievable. They just require you to work a little bit harder than usual. Not that difficult right?

So the next time you think about your childhood and the fun you used to have, do spend some time to think about the dreams/goals/ambitions as well. Some of those things are the things that actually make you come alive. And by working towards them, you might actually bring in a whole new meaning to your life now.

Last but not least, I want to say that line again – “those childhood dreams and ambitions of yours, most of them are achievable. So go and make them possible”.

On Thursday night, I was watching this documentary on NTV 7. There are 2 reasons why I even bothered to look at NTV 7 – the lady hosting the documentary is very pretty (that is the reason why I stopped my channel hopping) and the content is very good and touching.

What we don't see, is the amount of efforts behind this stunt

It’s actually about how kids in rural areas of China start to learn Chinese acrobatic at a very young age. It shows their daily lifestyle and their training process.

It was quite sad actually. I found myself staring in disbelief. I really cannot believe the amount of pain and suffering these kids have to go through every single day and some of them are only 4 to 6 years old (4-6 years old kids in Malaysia are still busy playing game).

And yet, after all the tears, these kids push on….and on….and on.

Why? Because that’s their only path to success even though that path is covered by so many obstacles and the chances of becoming successful is close to zero.

Yet, they do not have a choice.

When you think about their situation and ours, it’s like heaven and earth. We’re like spoilt brats compared to these kids. People here always complain that they are not given enough opportunities to be successful but the fact is, it’s all there for us to grab. Just that we’re choosy and we are not willing to sacrifice. And when we really go and grab those opportunities, most people will just give up halfway.

Reason? It’s too difficult. It’s too tedious. It’s taking too much time. They need a life. It’s not fast enough to make them rich, etc.

And the list of excuses will keep on growing.

But the conclusion is this – people here give up too easily and that should not be the way.

Think about it. When was the last time you feel you want to pursue something, only to give up halfway through? Now, imagine if that is your ONLY path to success. Will you still do it?

Maybe we should start thinking that way and learn from those kids in China. Work hard towards our dreams and never ever give up easily. There will surely be plenty of obstacles along the way, but those should not be made as an excuse for us to give up.

And at the same time, appreciate what you have because you are a lot more fortunate than those kids.

Hope it helps.

The other day, my sister told me about her ex-colleague (who is same age with me) called Prad (yeap, he’s Brad Pitt’s brother. =_= not his real name of course). Prad has been an IT guy for at least 4 or 5 years now but recently, he told my sister that he’s getting tired of IT. He wanted to give up on IT and pursue his passion in drawing (not his real passion actually…just trying to cover up his identity). And my sister was quite worried for him and told me that one should always think about money first, because it’s still very important.

Lost and don't know where to go?

To a certain extent, I have to agree with both Prad and my sister. I’ve walked down this path before and I know how it feels. Honestly speaking, when you’ve lost interest in the things you do, you will start to feel that your life is becoming meaningless especially when you are pushing yourselves to work, just to earn enough money to survive. But sadly, that is how this world is. Some people can actually give up everything to pursue their passions and dreams, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The question is “Are you willing to take that risk?”

For me, I wouldn’t do that, even though my interest is still drawing, comics, animation, etc. Why? Because it’s too risky especially when the world is undergoing a global recession. Furthermore, I have knowledge in IT which I don’t think I should waste it. What I’m planning to do this year is to keep my day job and also to work extra hours to pursue my dreams – combining what I like most (activities which require creativity) and what I know most (IT).

Okay, let’s cut the crap about me and my evil plan to conquer the world. Here’s my advice to those who are facing such situation including our friend Prad.

• Don’t quit your day job because it’s too risky. If you are going to go into something new, you will have to start from zero. Do you have the means to survive?
• Are you sure your passion will remain your passion after making it a full time job? Grass may seem greener on the other side but it’s actually not that green. That’s why you should try it during your free time or as a part time job, and see if you really like it. Don’t take the jump until you’re sure you’ll like it.
• Getting bored with your current job might not mean that you hate your current industry. Example, if you are bored with IT, that does not mean you’ve lost all love for it. Try find things which will trigger your interest again and also try to mix around with people who will help boost your self confidence. Being confident with your own skills will help a lot in deciding whether you like or dislike your job.
• Also, if you do feel that your job has no objectives and meaningless, it could be something to do with your company and the way your company manages people. A company without direction will not be able to keep the employees motivated. Everyone needs a reason to work hard and to be productive…and money is not really a good motivator – it is good, but there are others which are much more efficient.
• Think for yourselves and don’t be influenced by others especially those who have not walked down that path. If you’re surrounded by negative people or people who only know how to talk, you must think of a way to ignore their words and to motivate yourselves. Your boredom and demotivation might be caused by them, not by your lack of interest in your job.
• If you know someone who has walked down that path before, then seek their advice but don’t get overly influenced by them. Treat their advices/opinions as guidelines, not instructions. After all, what turns out okay for me might not be okay for you.

After all the points above, if you are still thinking of making a big change like jumping into a brand new industry, then by all means go ahead. Just make sure you plan ahead properly and do it without regret. I do believe that at the end of the day, all the dots will connect with each others. After all, things do happen for a reason.

And remember that, you can ask other people for opinions but in the end, you are the one controlling your own destiny. You have the final call.

Good luck and hope it helps.