Expensive

Which is more expensive?

Learning is expensive. Going to college or university or even buying a course online is expensive. Perhaps learning can be do-it-yourself (DIY) by surfing the internet. But there is just way too much information available. Which ones are legit? Which ones to learn first before the others? Things can get rather complicated without proper guidelines or coaching. You can be spending loads of precious time figuring out the how, what, when, where, who and still end up learning nothing at all. How much will your time cost?

Then perhaps you will be giving yourself more excuses. Your schedule is jam packed you do not have time to deal with all these hassle. So you just simply sign up with anyone that looks promising. You somehow find out later that the programme does not suit you. You think it is a total waste of your time and money. You get demotivated. You have made a promise to yourself that you will never ever get cheated again. You do not sign up for another course even though it is one that you really need. How much will demotivation cost?

After much hesitation, you finally made up your mind to signing up one of the many courses that came your way. You learn with all your efforts. You spend hours upon hours making notes and then, you ponder upon all the notes that you have, you still do not know where to start. There are channels through which you can ask your mentor but you are too shy of being judged. You keep everything to yourself. You tell yourself that you will figure it out on your own. How much will not knowing cost?

A year, two years, may be even five years have passed. You are still the old you. You are still trying to figure out on your own where to start. By this time, all your course mates have already done something and are happy with their outcome. Just because you did not ask, you end up where you were when you initially learned that something new. Life has changed a lot. Now, you feel you are too old to start anything new. How much will non-action cost?

You continue with your unfulfilled life. There seems to be a void but you have no idea what that void is, and you have no idea how to fill it up. Now you are already in your sixties or even seventies and you are thinking to yourself, “What have I achieved so far in life?” Now that you have retired, what are you going to do with this time? Are you going for a trip around the world? Do you have the money to go for that trip? Do you have the health to go for that trip? Do you have the time to go for that trip? How much will regret cost?

Money is something you have to earn while you can.
Health is something you have to take care of while you can.
Time is something that you can neither buy nor reverse.

Whatever it is that you want always comes with a price. The choice is yours.
The price of learning versus the price of not knowing.
The price of making it happen versus the price of not doing.
The price of challenge versus the price of demotivation.

We are all given choices. Whatever choices we make determines who we are. Whether we are just living through life like everyone else or we choose to live the life that we want, it is in our hands. Nobody else can do it for us. It is a matter of choosing the route, not so much of the value of money.

Either way, you pay. Whether you choose to pay now or later.
When you were born, you have time and health but no money.
When you are an adult, you have health and money but no time.
When you are a senior, you might have money but lack of time and probably no health too.

Time! Health! Money! Which is more expensive?
Fulfillment comes with a price. What is the price you are willing to pay?

 

Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.

Harriett Jackson Brown Jr., American author, 1940-present

Self-Awareness

What is the ultimate advice one can have in order to succeed in life?

Everything comes down to just one thing. Self-awareness.

We are all individuals. We can never find another individual with the exact same features as we are. No matter how determined you are to find, it is just not there. We are all unique in our own ways. We can have the same face but we have different characters. We can have the same upbringing but we take different paths. We can have the same education but we venture into different careers. We can have the same job but we do things differently. We can have the same materials but we live life in our own ways.

What is it that makes us who we are?

Some say it is very much got to do with our upbringing. This is true as the first few years of our lives is the time when we are like a blank sheet of paper. Whatever our guardians feed us is whatever that is written, hardwired into our minds. There is no erasing, no correction. Sometimes, we even feel like life is just as is, that there is no other way except for this way that we definitely have to go through.

Love is the strongest of all feelings. With love, anything can be made possible. It is with love, we conquer all fears. It is with love, we thrive. Sometimes we become so immersed in love that we have forgotten the reality of it.

Remember those times when you were in love, how are your days? Are they full of vibrant colours? Are they full of excitement? How do you feel? Your heart pumps so fast it feels like leaping out. Your brain goes blank you become speechless. Your body takes action in the way you would never imagine possible. The urge you have to make it happen is bigger than your fear. You are no longer your usual self. You are not shy to show your feelings. You are not worried that your actions may cause others to feel uneasy. You are determined to do what you do and you make it a point to do it. You do not know what the outcome will be, you just do it.

Then you get rejected. What do you do? Do you just give up? Or do you find other means and ways to get through with what you want? How are you going to get what you want? What are you willing to sacrifice for what you want? Are you willing to change yourself? Are you willing to do whatever it takes? Are you willing to fail again and again until you finally reach the point of success? Are you willing to face the consequences of losing hope? Are you willing to be different from the norm?

Keep that feeling at all times. Remind yourself of you. Stay true to yourself.

Whatever that is behind you is history. In front of you, there are only two paths. One is made up of golden bricks that is easy to walk but leads you nowhere. Another is made up of sticks, pebbles, and stones, probably with potholes everywhere that looks like a horrible path to cross but leads you to the infinite pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Which path will you choose?

There is no right or wrong in the path you choose. There is only the awareness within you.

Many times in life, we tend to choose the easy way out. The way that everyone agrees to be the right way. The way that is easy to access. But what kind of feeling are you getting while taking the easy way? Do you feel like life is a bore? Do you feel like you are just another being? Do you feel empty?

Every one of us feels differently. Some of us chase more than just dreams. Some of us chase more than just money. It is the feeling of satisfaction within that counts. Look no further. Ask yourself, the answer you need is within you. Deep within you. You have to be aware of what fills the voids in your life. You have the strength to fill the voids on your own.

Self-awareness is a simple yet complicated tool to find satisfaction.

 

Strong people have a strong sense of self-worth and self-awareness; they don’t need the approval of others.

Roy T. Bennett, author of The Light in the Heart

Hole

Holes exists everywhere, whether or not they are visible to the naked eyes.

If we are to look under the microscope, we will realize that almost all things that we hold and see have spaces in between each linking atom. As smooth as we see or feel, there will be weak points everywhere. It depends very much on the strength of the links to determine if these weak points will grow in size and end up creating a hole.

Since we cannot avoid holes, why not just live with it?

Very often we see a hole as a void in our lives. We are not born perfect, but at least we do not have a hole in the heart. When I was young I thought a hole in the heart means a hole through the heart created by a cupid. It was only after I went to school that I understood it literally means a hole inside the heart. This is a condition in the person that could create many health problems.

As complicated as it may sound, we should be thankful that we are given a chance to live a great life. We may have been through some events that break us. Just look on the bright side. At least we have a complete heart, why not live whole-heartedly?

We should dare to love, even if it hurts. We never try, we never know. Who is to tell if the love we now feel will last forever or will end in sorrow? Nobody can tell. Nobody will ever know. Why not just give it a try? Give your heart out never expecting anything in return. It is the expectations we set that often let us down. If we do not have any anticipations, nothing will let us down. 

A hole can be deliberate or incidental.

The clothes we wear have holes that can be seen if we look closely. This is so the cells in our body can breathe. We feel comfortable in such material. Just imagine if we have plastic bags for clothes. We would probably feel stuck in sweat and restlessness.

The pots that we use for our plants all have holes underneath. This is to avoid stagnant water clogging inside the container. Even the roots need breathing space for proper growth. Though they need water to survive, overly drenching them will cause them to suffocate and rot.

Holes are important for drainage. There are holes within the floors and walls of all constructions. We may not be able to see but they are important for the building to function properly. We need to ensure nothing clogs up or we will have to find alternative ways to get rid of waste water.

If we think of holes as a negative element, we will always encounter them. One of the most dangerous hole is a pothole. It may seem like a small little pothole but if left untreated, could be a major disaster for the next passerby.

In the path of life, we may encounter many dips and dents along the way. Some are negligible. But if we make an effort to understand the cause of it, we may be able to amend it before it spreads like a plague. All we need may be as simple as putting some fillers to smoothen the way.

Of course there will be some holes that are concealed. It may be hollow inside but still looking sturdy externally. We can swiftly glide through to the next level in life and forget about the emptiness within. Or we can choose to take life step by step and enjoy the space given for the mind to grow.

Sometimes, we stumble upon a hole so enormous it seems impossible to make it to the route on the other side. This is the time for us put on the thinking cap. We either stay put in the current situation or build a bridge across. Wooden or golden, now or within the year, straight or diagonal, nothing matters. As long as we put in the effort, we are sure to get somewhere. Whether it is the end of the rainbow or the beginning of another challenge, at least we tried. We give ourselves a pat for successfully crossing this hole.

A hole is motivation to move forward. Live to the fullest!

 

A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain), American writer, 1835-1910