A place in life

Read the book on "the Alchemy".. There are many learning points from the simple story. One of them talks about destiny and that not many people pursue their destiny. The reason for not doing so is simply that people cannot get out of their comfort zone. People rather stay status quo, don't fight the norms and most importantly, they do not "talk" to their hearts to understand what they need.

Rational people think with their brains and not their hearts. Thinking logically with the brain is good.. but understanding what the heart wants is equally important. If you are met with a decision, the brain tells you to do "A" but the heart tells you to do "B".. which would you choose?

I suppose this is applicable to many decisions that we have made or would be making in life. For now, making career decision is critical for me and most of my peers. Most people pursue their careers based on what the brain "tells" them. Go for one that can earn you the biggest bucks.. Go for one that can give you the fastest route to the corporate ladder.. Go for one that will get you the greatest NPV or the shortest payback period.. Well.. These are rational decisions. It helps to make you progress and these goals are relatively tangible.

There are also people who would go with their hearts... Go for one that I want... The question however is... what do you want? Helping people is what I want? Work life balance is what I want? Traveling around is what I want? Well.. I suppose this group of people would go with their hearts if they have the choice to do so.. Talk about inflation.. Talk about competitions.. Talk about survival... Do people still listen to their hearts?

There is another group of people who believe that they have a role to play in life. Can be some outcasts, can be some political leaders, can be some businessmen, can be some religious leaders.. They believe they exist in life because of some reasons and they pursue their dreams. They are different from people who follow the crowds and they believe in what they are doing, even if they differ from norms. They want to do the job, even if nobody wants to do.. Be it low pay, low social status... but they find peace because they know that it is their role, their destiny. Confucius says something like do the role that you are supposed to be in.. the leader should behave like the leader, the follower should behave like a follower... the parent behaves like a parent, the child behave like a child. Believing is a powerful force that drives you to what you want. However, the challenge is.. what is your belief? What is your destiny? What is your place in life?

Finding new direction..

A lot of things have happened for the past few days.. WZ was injured.. Hwee and his family were back... Man Chun was back also... internship was becoming more stagnant... FYP getting more busy..

Somehow.. this summer is different from the previous summers.. It is the last summer that I am going to have and time seems to past very slowly. I begin to pick up new hobbies, such as learning languages and reading fictional books/biographies. I suppose it is a good start towards work-life balancing and I hope that the habit would stay with me.

Random thoughts in Hong Kong

Just some random thoughts when I was having exchange in Hong Kong:

To be successful in life, you need to have capabilities and credibility...

Focus in 5F:
Family, Friends, Fortune, Food, Flight/Fun

First day of work

Today is my first day of work.. Woke up, brushed my teeth, wore my new zara shirt and go to work by MRT. When I reached Raffles Place MRT, I felt very identical to the other working class people. Everyone seemed to conform to a certain standard - Wearing similar outfits, walking in similar direction, and showing similar facial expression. It looked scary, like a group of zombies. Probably today is Monday and everyone is having Monday Blues.

It took some time to clear the administrative procedures but it was fast to get settle down. Thanks to Felix and the other interns and colleagues who were very helpful. There are not many people around in the company because they are clearing leaves in this lull period. I only get to know my general job scope and I hope it would be clearer soon.

Had a good lunch through some recommendations and I'm looking forward for more places to eat as the time goes by. Time went very fast and I didn't expect to come home so early... After much thoughts, I thought it was time for me to start exercising before I got any fatter. I dragged myself from the sofa and went for a run one hour after dinner.. It was rather tiring but refreshing after the exercise.

Today is a fresh start for me after the long 22 weeks of academic imprisonment. Looking forward to more experience tomorrow..

Reflecting in front of the campfire

Like every other person, we have preoccupied so many activities in our lives and seldom can find time to do self-reflection. It has been some time since I have paid attention to this blog, just like
I have not gone for a campfire for a long time. However, I still remember the fond memories that I have. Yesterday, while I was talking to my friends, I realized that I have missed out a lot on these reflections and they would be forgotten soon if I do nothing about it. I think it is about time for me to rekindle this blog and I have changed its name to the source of memories.

When I was in NPCC, I would always look forward to the annual campfire night. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the warmth and the moments with my friends, singing and dancing happily around the campfire. In particular, I liked to stare at the fire and reflect on myself. It is similar to looking at the river flow and listening to the sound of the flowing water.. But there is something special about the fire, that it will warm and smooth my heart...

Sometime the fire became weaker and we would add the firewood to "keep the fire going". For every firewood added to the flame, the fire becomes stronger and more memories appear in my mind. It is a source of energy that keeps me warm and adds incredible meanings to my life. This is one of the reasons I like about my nickname, firewood.