Time to Change

It has been some time since we lived. With the same habits. It's time to change. For the better. Here's a list on what to do; it's a suggestion but it'll make a good start:

1) Eat a fruit a day

You'll start to notice the difference on your skin. Your excretion process gets easier. You will tend to smell better too. (I am not kidding you, you are what you eat; if you eat plants; you will smell like plants. If you eat meat; you'll smell like corpse.)

2) Sleep early, wake up early

Why stay up so late and have oil all over your face? Don't you feel your skin starts to get oily after 12-2pm? Wrinkles will tend to form too. People who sleep late will tend to have saggy skin and look much older. More prone to blackheads too. Waking up early is good. I like the smell of morning than in the afternoon.

3) See yourself as a company

Have a personal account updated frequently on an excel sheet to trace your cashflows. Create a budgeted account and an actual account to track the variances (differences between the figures). Target 20% of your allowances/earnings as savings (I put 40% though) and invest in assets. Assets are things that can generate you money. If buying that particular stuff can make you/assist you in making more money, then it's call an asset. If buying that stuff only makes you spend more than you usually do, it's call liability. If buying the stuff that only depreciates in value and fades after trend, that's urm....a bad investment? Identify your resources. Eg, time. Think like a finance manager. Think about opportunity cost. Rather than to spend the holidays sleeping, watching shows and stalking on facebook, could the time be used to learn something new, to improve a skill or to work?

4) Brush up on your financial knowledge

Everyone tells us that we shall go to school and get a good job so we can afford to buy the stuff we love. So when we graduate and start working, we would be thinking of buying a car or a house. Well of course, people take a loan with the car or the house. But erm, the banker doesn't look at your academic papers to qualify you for the loan but rather your bank statements and credit records which shows your financial intelligence. So I guess it would help alot if you know what you'll be doing.

5) Stop following trends

Technologies have certain lifespan. So do fashion. You save and starve yourself for months for that certain item you desire so much. Then later, you buy what you desire. Less than a year later, it goes out of fashion and trend. Then you save up again. And so the process repeats. That's what happens when you're eager to catch up and not feel left out.

Let me put it in this way.

"Give RM1million to a fool, he will be poorer. Give RM1million to a smart man, he will be richer."

A fool would use the RM1mil to buy an inexpensive car or house which needs alot of maintenance costs. The smart one will buy assets, properties or invest in businesses.

Years passed. The fool end up using the money and could not be able to sustain both the car and house.

6) Exercise

Let's build some muscles and wrestle some goats.

7) Talk to old people

Listen to them. But don't agree everything. Just listen and nod. Smile. Don't bother about showing off. Just listen.

8) Stop chasing love

Do you believe in fairytales? Like "The One"? After all the shits you've been through, finally you can meet someone who is really meant for you. Let love come naturally, don't bother forcing and working too hard to get that someone's love. It's not studies or career where you have to work so hard to get the results. The best things in life is free.

Forget about chasing someone just because they have the look you like. Or they give the impression of a marriage material. Or to be with someone just because you feel lonely.

Find someone you can laugh with and can make you to become a better person.

Life isn't about making yourself fit for that person.

It's your life.

It's you you're having a relationship with and is committed to.

Find someone who can bring out the best in you.

That's how you will feel complete.

9) Say "No"

Forgo going out with your friends on weekend's night sometines. Waste your time reading a book or watch your favourite shows. Time to live for yourself. Than to please others.

10) Write a blog.

You can make it private whatsoever. To keep track of your thoughts and what you've learnt throughout your life. It's a good place to spill. I have another place where I keep all my hideous thoughts. You don't need comments or approval on your thoughts written. You write it for yourself. You can go back to the blog and see how you've changed over the time.

11) Talk Less

This final one is magic especially if you're a person who tends to talk alot or dominate a conversation. I have practised this spiritual act for months. And I found so much inner peace and focus. By not needing to seek other people's approval, to ask what other people think and to listen to that voice inside of me without the interference of others.

We don't need other people's opinions. They do not have our eyes. Without the interference from others and giving explaination to others, we'll get our tasks done and get closer to our goal.

12) Stop the damn gossip

It's okay to gossip if you're one-on one with a person but be careful with your words. They spread like a deadly disease. People will misinterpret whatever you are saying.

More often the problems we have are other people's problems, not ours. So why bother discussing and fretting about it?

Try to avoid gossip in a group of people. It's a deadly act and will destroy you.

13）Share the responsibility in the house

Offer to subsidize for the groceries. Offer to help around the house without your parents asking.

Offer to get involve in your family's business. Offer to take them out for vacation or dinner. :)

14) Do not make enemies

If someone doesn't agree with you. Then stop the topic, don't bother to argue and move on to a lighter topic. If someone continues fighting on his/her point, just simply say "I see." then excuse yourself.

Do not promise what you are unsure of doing.

Do not deal business based on how good your relationship is with them.

But based on their credibility.

If someone has done wrong to you, don't bother seeking revenge.

Confucius said. "When you decided to seek revenge, prepare to dig two graves."

Don't bother giving them the guilt trip too.

Save the effort by giving someone else who is worth it.

15) Learn a new skill

Be it swimming. Dancing. Cooking. Trading stocks/forex/futures etc.

Learn a new language.

Learn how to dress up; find what suits you well.

Learn a new sport.

Study for a professional paper.

Improve your negotiating skills.

Try reading people and speaking their language.

Pick up other's body language.

Learn how to get your way through the way you talk.

16) Drop a bad habit

Smoking. Drinking. Procastinating. Excessive Spending. Being late. Being messy and unorganized. Stalking.

The Fall 2

As mentioned before, the fall does not mean you're weak or not worthy. The fall simply means; life is slapping in you in the face, to wake you up from your clouds while whispering; " Hey there's something I want you to learn"

Pain.

There are many ways people deal with it.

I was once at the a beautician's house.

She told me that she was going to wipe acid on my face for killing bacteria purpose.

My aunt who came told me that it would hurt really bad.

So the first type of acid was being wiped.

They asked, "Are you ok?"

I gave a thumb-up.

The second type was being wiped.

"Are you okay?"

So the beautician continued the extraction process.

My aunt constantly asked me if I was okay.

I did not answer.

Finally the beautician said,

"I think it hurts too much until she couldn't make a sound."

It was true.

Normally when people break unwanted news to you,

You happen to be so in shocked that you look expressionless;

Or people would thought you're calm.

Normally, when someone expects me to be fine after hurting me or telling me undesirable stuff;

I stayed silent.

They asked me if I'm okay.

I said "Yeah."

There's a rare occasion when someone can point out and said "Is there something wrong?" or "No, she isn't fine."

Amazing how people can look through you.

And even amazingly, the ones that look through you are the ones that wouldn't even hurt you in the first place.

If you have such people in your life, appreciate them.

Instead of dwelling how boring your life is without the ups and downs.

You'll never know when you're free of pain because someone's taking the bullets for you.

Referring back to the silly beautician story;

That's just physical pain.

The crazy pain we felt when we stayed up late & forgo our sleep/ suffer for exams;

That awful pain we felt while exercising;

Are just temporary.

Once it's over, we bounce back on our feet with joy; while anticipating the results.

"Going through extreme lengths do pay off

But it takes discipline"-Matt Damon

However, emotional damage just wouldn't feel the same.

10 Tell Tale Signs That You're A User

How do you know if you're a user?
Check the tell-tale signs below.

1. You rank your buddies from 1 to 10.
2. You don't own any pets because you don't feel you get anything in return.
3. No friendship of yours has lasted more than 2 years.
4. You avoid friends who are going through rough patches in their life.
5. You don't mind inviting your friend over as long he/she can help you to clean up etc.
6. You're never invited to family outings.
7. You don't mind going shopping with your friends as long you get to swipe your loyalty discount cards on their bills.
8. You best birthday memories are the ones you received the best gifts.
9. Friends and family receive goodies according to rank.
10. You only buy lunch when you got favor to ask.


If you hit 7-10 points, you're most likely a user.
4-6 points; You have a conscience, but your selfishness is starting to get the better of you.
1-3 points. You're not a USER but have occassional spells of self-centredness.