Life can be unpredictable and bad things do happen. It’s easy to fall into the self-blame trap. Someone once said: “As humans, we are very good at remembering the bad stuff. It’s always the pain that gets you.” We have to accept what’s ever happened to us that are beyond our control. It’s better to pause for a moment to think about how to deal with it. But this is easily said than done!
In the past, someone once said: “Difficulty strengths the mind as labor does to
the body.”
When someone goes through hardships to earn what they need, the more they learn that things do not come easy. They would appreciate more on what they have, not what they don’t have. Life is not always smooth sailing. Sometimes, it can be challenging and tough for some.
In the past, some believed life could be perfect if you maintain good health, be happy and have ‘enough’ money to get by. Today, only a very few can attain this perfect life in all 3 aspects. Most people can only attain one or two. Either you have lots of money but in poor health and unhappy. Or you are struggling and trading your time and health for money. A lot depends on which aspect is your top concern. Life is imperfect!
In the past, I thought as long as you produce quality works, others would want to acquire them.
Today I realize this is not to be. It’s not about what you create or produce. It’s about what perceived value others believe they would get when they buy your works. It’s the selling that counts. Who cares about quality work?
I don’t like to follow and do the same thing as others. So I developed my own style of doing and creating things. I did what I liked, not what others liked.
Now after years of sticking out, I paid the price. I conclude that my style didn’t sell well enough to free me from working. I’m paying the price for refusal to change. This also explains why I’m still need to keep my day-job to pay my bills and put food on the table! Sigh.
In the past, someone once said: “if you keep
doing the same thing, you’ll always get the same results.”
When you’ve achieved success and are still
winning, you must of course keep going and doing the same thing. But if you
have been doing the same old thing for 10 years and achieve nothing, it’s time
to do something new. Don’t stick to old habits and refusal to change and adapt.
You are getting nowhere just like me.
In the past, I had never thought about how to
be successful. All my time and energy were used to navigate and survive the
harsh and cruel work environment.
Now I realize to be successful, you need to have something ‘special’ or extraordinary that others desperately want to buy, even at exorbitant prices. This is the real world, I just strive to survive!
Life is imperfect.
There are so many challenges, problems and
obstacles.
One Kung-fu master once said:
“Don’t pray for an easy life. Pray for the
strengths to endure a tough and difficult one.”
We do not know what’s coming next. But we can always prepare for it with the best of our abilities.
In the past, I knew early that we cannot always have what we want in life. But I realized late that unhappiness is doing no good to the heart and mental well-being.
Now I have to reframe my thinking and keep
‘talking’ to myself: Life can be simple with little needs. You have enough and
may be already more than some people. You don’t need more. Just be happy with
what you have.
In the past, I tried very hard to influence
and change others’ thinking and mindset for solutions to problems.
Now, I realize change is not possible without
power and self-empowerment. I have since stopped trying to change others. I can
only change myself to adapt to the weird world. Frustration and sulk can only
worsen one’s mental health. Avoid them always.
In the past, I’d get frustrated and upset when things did not turn up right or in my favour.
A Zen monk once said: We
cannot change what happens in life, but it is within our power to decide how to
deal with what happens. It’s about preparing yourself. It’s about accepting
reality for what it is.
Now I have to accept reality for what it is and things I cannot change.
Some said: Change what you can and can what
you can’t.
Things are not looking good this new year and many things are not in my favour. I have little choice but to keep running forward in the tough terrain ahead. I wish all my friends and fans:
A Happy Lunar New Year.
May the new dragon year brings joy, prosperity and happiness to you and your family.
In the past, it was very tough mentally to
give 100% to produce quality works for people I didn’t like. Especially those
who always take my credits! I had to put up a fake front to deal with them.
Now, I choose to either reject the job
up-front or name a high price for my works! At least, there is something to
motivate me to work. This explains why I’m still poor today. But at least I
feel happier surviving with just bread and plain water. 😊
In the past it was quite easy to spot incompetent workers and poor performers just by looking at their outputs.
Now it’s a challenge to find them unless you
spend time observing and talking to them.
If I don’t need to work with them, I just
ignore & leave them alone. If I need to work with them, then I demand
quality outputs from them. If they
cannot give what I need, I’ll
take them out (with
power/authority). If I cannot take them out, I’d just give up and call it a day!
☹
Some problems are extremely tough or near impossible to resolve when they are created by powerful forces. No one can resolve them unless one has accumulated enough ‘power’ and resources to counter them. In the past, victims just chose to gave in or gave up. Now, there are new game plans in play: quiet-quitting and lying-flat when someone chooses not to leave. If you need to work with these people, good luck to you!
Everyone has their own problems to deal with. Whether personal or
work-related problems. Not all problems can be resolved even with strong
will-power, especially those problems created by others. Only a few fortunate ones
are able to pass their thorny problems to others and call it a day! Most people
have to carry their problems on their backs wherever they go.
This new year looks more gloom and doom.
GST hike has increased by 1% but many cooked food stalls have again
increased their prices by more than 10% to even 20%. Damn! Where is the end to
this? We have so many raw food import sources, yet prices keep going up. This
explains why many price-takers, including myself cannot feel it’s a happy new
year.
