I’ve been saying this for a long long time now and I feel the need to say it again since the people around me are becoming more and more negative each day.

I understand that people are afraid of getting pay cuts (some of my friends are suffering from pay cuts already…some 20%), retrenchments, etc. If I tell you I’m not afraid, then I’m lying. I AM afraid of all those things because like everyone else, I need money to survive and to pay off my bills.

But the thing is, even if we’re worried and being negative about it, will that actually change anything? I doubt. That’s why rather than worrying and doing nothing, it’s better to focus our energy on something more positive. Find alternatives or solutions to our problems. Or it’s something yet to happen, then make some precautionary steps. For example, if you’re being forced to only work 4 days a week, then maybe you can fully utilize the Fridays to do something which gives you some income.

Seriously, the possibilities are endless because whenever we’re faced with such problems, most people will move away or tremble with fear……..leaving a lot of opportunities for us to grab. It’s really up to us whether we can see it and whether we’re willing to grab those opportunities.

And let me tell you something. If you’re always feeling negative, there is absolutely no way you can see those opportunities because you are not thinking on the bright side. Whatever opportunity presented to you will be regarded as too risky and useless. In fact, everything will appear to be negative if you are thinking negative. So change the state of your mind before it drains your energy too much.

I know whatever I say here will be useless because in the end, the only person who can change yourselves is you. If you don’t want to think positively, nobody can help you to change that.

Last but not least, remember 2 things – things happen for a reason and there is no problem in this world which is without a solution.

p/s……… for those with stable jobs, you’re more fortunate than those with pay cuts.

p/s……… for those with pay cuts, you’re better off than those without jobs and have family to feed.

p/s……… for those who are without jobs, you’re better off than people in Africa where food and clean water are rare.

p/s……… and finally…..most of us are better off than those who are suffering from chronic diseases. I was told that one of my friend’s sister is actually counting her time in this world. The last time I met my friend, she was very tired but still able to put on a smile. I don’t know how to help esp since I donno her well…and all I can do is to pray that miracle will happen and her sister will be fine.

Last year, before the recession hits the States, I met up with some friends and we started talking about small company vs large company. Most of them say that large companies will be better since they’re more stable, consistent and productive. The small ones, to them, are too risky since these companies might suffer from cashflow problem, headcount problem, etc.

The small guy will be able to outrun the big guy and make him tired

I told them, that mentality is true and applicable for 2008 but not in the future. Why? Because there will be more and more changes ahead, more so that the large companies might not be able to handle them. Most of us know that large companies are very process-oriented and they have a certain set of procedures you need to follow for every action. I used to work for a Fortune 500 company, and at 1 point, I requested to upgrade my laptop memory to 2GB. The whole process took 3 weeks since it needs the approval from some IT managers in the States. 3 weeks…for something worth RM 200-300.

Anyway, as I’ve predicted, many so-called large companies are falling and falling fast. Retrenchments are not being made by small companies only….but also big companies (some are formerly known for being the best employers in their respective industry). In fact, most of my friends from large companies are suffering job losses or pay cuts but those in smaller companies are only suffering from pay cuts (they only lose their jobs if the company get closed down ).

The thing here is that large companies tend to spend too much time handling their processes and procedures, while the small companies (the good ones) are spending their time changing and adapting to the new environment. In this ever-changing world, whoever can adapt the fastest will win. This is something important and everyone should remember…..but sadly…not many believe in it.

So if you’re still thinking that large companies are better than smaller companies…….think again. In my opinion, it’s better to keep it small or medium for now since changes will be inevitable in 2009 onwards. You wouldn’t want to be the last in the queue to make the changes.

Have you ever been in a situation where you voiced out your opinions to your seniors, only to be regarded as lies or bullshit? The worse thing is, when someone who has is more experienced than you came along with exactly the same opinion, your seniors would believe him!

What kind of nonsense is this? This is called the “don’t talk to me unless you are more qualified than me” syndrome which, sadly, is suffered by many people on Earth.

To be honest, I don’t really blame people who have this kind of syndrome or mentality because there are just too many news, facts, “facts” flying around in our life every single day. If people were to believe in everything, time will never be enough and …well…I think they will go crazy due to excessive information.

I think this boy is not qualified enough to tell people about birdwatching

This kind of syndrome will be even more obvious on someone if that someone is paying for this particular “fact”. Nobody wants to pay for something which is not right or not trustworthy. That’s why businesses are willing to spend thousands and millions of dollars on qualified consultants and experts. Why? Not because they’re smarter or have higher IQs or are more experienced, but because they are regarded to be more “qualified”.

So the next time you want to talk or convince somebody, look at your own situation. Are you qualified enough to talk to the person? Will the person actually listen to you or will he just treat you as an idiot? Think about it and decide whether you really want to talk to the person.

There’s no harm trying but when there are a lot of potential people you can talk to…..you really need to filter and pick only those who will listen to you. You can’t spend too much time on idiots who think you’re more idiotic than them.

p/s…. there are also some people who can be very convincing without the proper qualifications. Those people rely on their reputation. Maybe you can be like them too?

People have been arguing what is right and what is wrong for as long as human beings are on Earth…which is pretty long to be honest.

Even to this date, people are still arguing which is right or wrong. For example, one might say that this politician is wrong, or that marketer is not doing it the right way, or this movie sux or that song rocks. It never ends but one thing for sure, everyone has their own opinions on things. Or do they really have their “own” opinions on things?

Imagine this. You go to a meeting with a business proposal. You presented it to everyone and said that this is the direction your company should move towards to. And surprisingly, all your shareholders or directors agreed! Well done mate! You can now continue to walk (or run) down the path of self-destruction. Why? Because when people agree with you, it doesn’t mean you are right as in “RIGHT”. You might be wrong but due to the limited knowledge of those people around you, they would think you are right. Bring someone from another background in, and you might have a different result altogether.

That’s why the right or wrong argument really depends on the context or the knowledge a person has. If all this while, I only know that the chicken comes before the egg…then i will certainly stand by that case when someone comes arguing with me whether the chicken comes first or the egg comes first. Because at the end of the day, that’s the only thing i know and have stood by for all these years!

And that is also why, in order for us to avoid making a fool out of ourselves by declaring that Earth is flat……we should try to educate ourselves more. Read more, Google more, watch more documentaries and news……and hopefully that we’ll be able to associate that one thing with many different contexts. AND AND AND, hopefully we can say which is right and which is not.