Super tough year ahead

 

The coming year is going to be another super tough and bumpy year!

Why? The equation just doesn’t seems right. 

While real income continues to shrink, everything else is going up! Inflation is still going up (why our “big Bro” said it’s coming down?). Health insurance keeps going up. Energy tariffs is going up by 4.1%, gas tariffs by 3.3%. Property tax has gone up (+48% even after 50% rebate, what a joke!). Goods and service tax is going up by 1%. Taxi fares and public transport fares have quietly gone up. My blood-pressure is also going up! ☹

Talk less Do more

 

In the past, I tried to talk less and do more to avoid inviting “troubles” at work. I preferred to let my quality outputs “speak” for themselves. 

Today, I prefer to let my artworks do all the “talking”. 

Someone told me “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

If words could be exchanged for cash, I’d be a millionaire today. I just keep dreaming…😊

Super stressed out?

 

In the past, if you stay long enough in an organization, you can tell who are the Charlie’s angels and blue-eyed boys. They don’t seem to do much work yet have super-scale pay. So there’s something “extra” that made the bosses like them! Do you have anything “extra” to offer? If no, then you have no choice but to slog it out day and night! Take care, my friends.  

Is Superman here?

 

In the past, many employers and hiring managers were trying to hire a “Superman” who could do everything without super-scale pay! 

Today, it’s still the same. But they don’t call them Superman anymore. The new job title is Mr BKL (Bao-ka-liao) or Mr OLK (One-leg-Kick). Why some still prefer to work for them is a mystery. Only they know it themselves.

Seriously tough time ahead

 

In the past, being ‘serious’ meant bosses kept assigning me big roles, big responsibilities and big tasks. But they didn’t always come with big rewards, only more works! Sigh.

Today, it’s still the same. Bosses expect top quality work outputs fast but give little or no incentives for doing ‘extra’ duties. My own conclusion is: hard work doesn’t always bring in good money! So sometimes I have to say:  NO. Thank You Boss. My plate is FULL.

Super tough time ahead

 

Yes, indeed.

Thanks to some leaders, we are still struggling with record high inflation and high cost of living. More challenges ahead as GST and Property tax are raised next month.

Si-bei jia-lut! ☹

Take it seriously

 

In the past, some co-workers called me “Mr Serious”.

Perhaps, it’s due to my positions or high-quality outputs produced.

Today though nobody called me by that nickname anymore, the mantra remains the same: “Always giving our best. Nothing less.” To excel, we have to be serious in the things we do. If you want to get quality work from me, you can ask. But they won’t be cheap! I’m serious. 

Who says life is tough?

 

In the past, life was easy to get by even with little money.

Today with such high inflation and high cost of living, no wonder 52% of our population said they do not have enough money to keep going. It’s really tough and serious when one has not enough money. Only very few can say life is easy for them as they have multiple sources of wealth! 

The tough gets going

 

In the past, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

Today in uncertain times, the tough gets going somewhere instead of just “lying flat”. They seem to always have some kind of back-up plans to keep moving forward. 

Lifelong learning

 

In the past, lifelong learning widened one’s work scope and abilities and opened many job opportunities.

Today, it means nothing if lifelong learning does not equates to keeping current or securing new jobs!

All those initiatives of raising retirement age, re-employment age, fair-employment guidelines look so amazingly good on paper, but they all don’t work unless employers and hiring managers erase their negative perceptions and bias against ageism.

Life is getting very tough!

 

In the past, life was simpler and straight-forward.

I just need to do better than other humans to get ahead.

Now, it’s getting very tough as I also have to compete against machines. They are ‘learning’ machines (actually stealing) my artworks and contents to produce ‘something’ for free without paying me any royalty fees. They may be also taking over my jobs in future. What the **** Damn to those who invented these machines pushing humans to stop thinking and learning!

Life is getting tougher?

 

In the past, life was already quite tough.

Now, it’s even tougher.

For some essential stuff and food, prices have gone up by 45% or more. We are the world’s richest country for 2023 but only those rich have the financial strengths and time to keep “dancing in the rain”. Many are desperately hanging on trying to survive the current storm!

How's life?

 

In the past, I could not imagine what my life would be like. So I asked a fortune-teller to give me some indications where should I go. This was told to me:

“You are like a small boat going across a large river being nearly wrecked by a big storm. You will reach the other side of the river safely but it will take a long time. You will have to meet with some difficulties but in future you will be alright. Take care of yourself, you may get sickness. Your relatives and friends will not be able to help or support you in any way. Your things and properties having been lost can hardly be found and your luck in doing other business is also not very good.” 

Damn! No wonder I’m still struggling today….😫

What a life

 

For some people, life could be unexpectedly shortened. 

Nobody can choose when the journey would end.

What's Life?

 

In the past, many famous people had talked about life. But different people have different perspectives.  The best analogy came from a nobody who said:

“Life is like a bus journey. You start from one point and end at another. Rain or shine, the journey takes you through many routes, stops at many interesting places and meet many different and strange people who hop on and off your bus. Some may accompany you for short durations while some travel with you a bit longer. Along the way, many would leave when they reach their destinations. Eventually your journey would come to an end when you reach yours. As you leave, some would continue their journeys on their own. That’s life!”

Making a living vs making a life

 

In the past, most people spent most of their time in making a living. Only a few made time for themselves.    

Now more and more people want to spend time to make a life! But in our context, no money means no life. No health also means no life too. So today’s winning formula for success is: good health + abundant wealth + enjoyable activities = wonderful good life!  

I know of some people who are living it right now.

I ‘red-eye’ them. 😊

World’s Mental Health Day

 

In the past, nobody talked about mental health issues.

Now, it’s a big topic that nobody can afford to ignore.

We have to check ours every now and then and take steps to manage it. If not, the consequences could be serious. Today is World’s Mental Health Day.

Take care, my friends.

You need good health to enjoy your ‘hidden’ wealth!

Dreams don’t always come true

 

In the past, I had no time to dream of what kind of life I would want to live. Every day, weeks, months were repeats of routines over and over again to do work to survive in our tough workplaces.  

Now everyone is dreaming to have work-life-balance. Unless you have deep pockets or hidden wealth, very few could live it. Why? Because no work means no income to pay the bills and your life cannot get balanced. 

Dream vs Reality

 

In the past, I thought self-motivation and hard work were enough to make any aspirations and dreams come true.

Now I realize these are just not enough. One must also have the abilities, continuous drives and a bit of luck to succeed in anything. Most of us just give up prematurely and take other paths to survive. Hungry men have no time to dream!  

Dream vs Plan

 

In the past, I planned a lot on what to do when my dreams came true.

Now my coach told me it’s wrong planning. I should first plan to make my dreams come true. Damn! So many years have been wasted. Now I have stopped both dreaming and planning. I just hope to be like my friends, just eat-sleep-and-play all day. But I must first find the means to sustain such a lifestyle. But it’s too late now to start planning again. Damn!

Keep dreaming...

 

In the past, many ‘gurus’ told me to dream big to achieve success in life. So I asked them for any tools or instruments that are low risks but high returns. They all recommended lotteries.

Now after years of negative returns, I asked them why like that. They said the odds are really very low, I have to keep investing, dreaming and waiting…….Damn!

A race for one

 

A big race comes once every few years.

In the past, I didn’t have to do anything. Just watch the wayang from the sidelines.

Now, I’m mandated to pick a winner.

It’s a waste of my time and resources as the outcome benefits nobody other than the winner himself! ☹

Special vs Famous

 

In the past, if you are special or have something special, you can be famous. Money will flow in when people know about it. Now you have to show why you’re ‘special’ in order to get known and famous then get rich. If you have nothing special to show, just create something and make it into a ‘storm’. 😊

Rich and Famous

 

In the past, you could get famous for being ultra rich.

Now you have to get famous to get rich. So the cheapest  way is to become a content creator, vlogger, youTuber, influencer or just do and post on social media something foolish or extraordinary. People are constantly on the lookout on their mobile devices for something to gossip & entertainment! 😊

Famous for mistakes?

 

In the past, it’s easy to hide our mistakes unless one let the cat out of the bag.   

Now, in the digital world with ‘eyes’ everywhere, it’s very tough to hide mistakes unless you mask them or your face. Exposed mistakes can make someone famous for the wrong reason. They can be very costly and damaging too if you’re also a known or public person. Many things are destroyed! ☹   

Creativity vs fame

In the past, if you’re creative, you could be famous if your creation creates a storm.  

Now in the digital age and social media, there is no need to be creative. Anyone can be famous by self-promoting one-self on anything. If you do get famous, congratulations! You need to prepare in advance your elevator speech in case someone recognizes you and interviews you on the street. 😊

Input vs output

 

In the past, I believed hard work equals excellence. So I spent time and efforts whenever I can to improve my drawing skills to make some coffee money.

Now, some lazy joker has invented AI to generate artworks to make money! What the #*@* Can they replace human artists? I guess probably not totally because AI cannot tell jokes or create humor or draw caricatures. 😊  

Can creativity sell?

 

In the past, nobody taught me what’s creativity. I guessed it’s like solving old problems with new solutions, or making something from nothing or taking up some challenges to fire up the mind.    

Now after years of researching on this topic, I can conclude with this key point: creativity means if you can imagine it, you can create it. But it means nothing and may not sell unless someone sees value in it and is willing to pay for it. You may be creative yet poor! ☹

Just for laugh

 

In the past, I preferred to read comics than books.

This explains why my poor grades in school and why I am still a low-wage worker today. 

But now, most of my favourite artists and authors have either called it a day or already ended up in a box. I have little choice but to create my own comics to entertain myself. It’s also a good & cheap way to maintain my mental health. If you can visualize it, you can create it! 😊

Feel good means good works

In the past, many therapists recommend to use art to treat or overcome anxiety and depression. It’s called art-therapy. Art created this way probably could not sell. Doing art is also good for mental well-being. But  now I believe one needs a calm and peaceful mind to create art for sales. This is called money-therapy. However, some artists create art as a hobby for self-challenge or for entertainment. 😊

Feel good means looks good

 

In the past, I had to force myself to do things even when I’m not in the mood.

Now when possible, I’d put down everything on hand and take a long coffee-break except for those tasks assigned by my boss (otherwise no food & drinks for the day) ☹.

I realized very early that if your mood is not right, your outputs suffer, have no quality or just won’t look good. It’s the same for my artworks!  

Fake it till you make it

 

In the past, I’d hide my setbacks by avoiding people.

Now, it’s so easy. I just hide behind my computer screen.  To mask my sorrows, sufferings or unhappiness, I’d divert attention to my ‘enriched’ life-style on social media: good foods I had tasted, nice places I’d visited & the luxurious activities I’d experienced. No content to post? No problem, just use AI to generate those pictures. My coach taught me this tactic called “fake it till you make it!” 😊

You cannot win all the time

 

In the past, when I encounter setbacks, I’d pull my hair in frustration and lose any mood for the whole day.

Now, I’d just put down all my tasks on hand, put away my painting brushes for a few days or weeks and do something else like doing DIY-crafts or taking long walks outdoor with cans of beer on hand. One small problem is I have to prepare to ‘face the music’ for being home late 😊

Some re-words mean bad news

 

In the past, I’d accept any commissioned project that pays.

Now, I try to be selective & state my terms and conditions upfront before doing them: no reject, no refund, no return after learning it via the hard way from an unpleasant encounter: One friend commissioned me to create caricatures for him & his friends. After several rounds of reject, it was clear that all he had wanted were portraits, not caricatures! He could not tell apple is not the same as orange. The project took thrice the amount of time to close. Kana-sai.

Differentiate or be authentic?

 

In the past, many ‘gurus’ advised me to re-tool, re-skill, re-learn, etc. The problem is none guarantees success. These ‘re’ activities just let ‘trainers, coaches, organizers  provisions to make more money from believers. Anyone can say what they want but nobody can eliminate the bias against ageism. Now with threats from AI affecting many sectors, it’s better to stay original and be authentic. I guess. 

Head you win tail I lose

 

In the past, quality & delivery are my strengths to differentiate myself from the crowds.

Now, I’m fighting the pressure to also compete in price!

Today, all buyers want are top product quality, super-fast delivery of results or goods and at rock-bottom prices. Damn! This explains why I’ve to do other jobs, rain or shine because my art does not put enough food on the table.☹

No laughing matter

 

In the past, to excel in any art means putting in time and efforts to practise and hone one’s observation and drawing skills.

Now some smart and lazy novices have invented generative AI to create art for free using other artists’ inputs. Life is getting very tough as anything could be fake, including artwork!

Human artists now have to compete with both real artists and computer softwares that copy my art. Damn!

Laughing to the bank?

 

In the past, I’m afraid to show my art publicly for fear being made a laughing stock.

Now I can hide behind a computer screen and show my art creations any time. Art and humour can be a form of business too. It’s just that nobody has gotten famous and rich doing it. Still, there is no shortage of aspiring and struggling artists showing their art for free. 

Laughing at ourselves

 

In the past, I laughed openly at others’ foolish acts and behaviours. It’s so easy to laugh at others but tough to find something to laugh at ourselves!

Now I try to upkeep my image and hide my laughter from public view. We are all serious humans who do weird things. This is called perspective.

World Laughter Day

 

In the past, I felt anxious when people laughed at me. I didn’t know why. So I had to be real careful not to do foolish things.

Now I don’t care so much. Laughter is free and can be a temporary relief for stress and hardships.

Today is World Laughter Day. Just laugh lah! 

Less is More

 

In the past, I liked to keep things even when they’re broken. I believed somedays, I’d repair or re-purpose them for use again. Many stuff accumulate and I became a hoarder.

So now I’m trying very hard to get rid of things, broken or not used. I realized having less means more:  more pocket money for coffee (if I sell stuff) and more space to stretch my arms and legs. 😊

But don’t be fooled by influencers. It’s not practical to  live normally as a minimalist.  

Sustainability vs Cost

 

In the past, before sustainability became a buss word, I have learned to repair things to reduce wastes and expenses.

Now many things are beyond my abilities to repair them when they’re broken. And it costs so much more efforts, time and money to repair vs to replace them. When I’m forced to choose between sustainability and costs, I have to be realistic, rational and pragmatic.  

Needs vs Wants

 

In the past, I buy things on impulse without thinking. Now, I try to ‘ask’ myself before buying anything: is it a need or want? Do I need it now or future?

When the answer is grey, I’d wait a few more days/weeks before repeating those questions.

Everyone can lead a sustainable life. It’s a personal choice. Today is Earth Day.    

Good mood = Quality Work

 

In the past, I forced myself to produce outputs even when my mind was not 100% right. Performance and outcomes suffered and were often not to quality standard.

Now I think quality performance and good work can only comes from a good mental stage before embarking on any task. When the mood is right, the mind is at peace, the outcome will show itself. But in today’s fast-paced context, who can wait for your mood to stabilize or change? ☹

What is good enough?

 

In the past, I believed in 10,000 hours of practice to perfect any skill.

Now I think this time is too much to wait for any return of investment.

As long as someone is willing to buy my artwork, it means it’s good enough. But sad to say, this hobby provides little and irregular money to buy coffee and snacks. This explains why I still need to keep my day-job. ☹   

10,000 hours VS 10 Years

 

In the past, the Chinese told me to work really hard for 10 years to perfect every minute of my drawing skill.

Now the American said no need to waste time and efforts. Just use Open AI to create arts using big data copied from real artists. Damn!

If we follow the American’s way, the human race will soon lose their abilities to think, write and draw with a physical tool, how to drive a car and worse, no more ability to communicate verbally and interact with other humans. If we follow the Chinese’s way, artists  would die of hunger before getting any payout to buy food. Sigh.

So, which way to go? 

Why 10,000?

 

In the past, to perfect one’s techniques, one must practise it for 10,000 times, Bruce Lee once said. To be excellent in anything, one must constantly practise it for 10,000 hours, said Malcolm Gladwell in his book. To be healthy, one must achieve 10,000 steps daily, said someone.

Now, I discover there is no real scientific explanation for this ‘magic’ number. It’s plucked from the air and someone just turned it into a gimmick or something new to make money! ☹

Practice, practice, practice

 

In the past, I often thought of 一步登天(Chinese proverb: one step to heaven, meaning to achieve in one step) that things would turn out right the first time.  

Now, I realize things are often not as simple as they appear to be. Even if one has ‘practise’ thousand times inside their head, nothing beats actual practice, practice, practice in anything you want to excel in.  

Believe or not to believe

 

In the past, I often procrastinate difficult tasks as I didn’t believe I could do or able to complete them.     

Now, I realize it’s critical to believe in oneself before starting anything. It’s a very powerful enabler and motivator to take the first step towards doing anything. Whether you believe you can do it or not, you’re absolutely right!  

Nothing is rarely impossible

 

In the past, I believed not everything is possible.    

“Nothing is impossible” is mainly used as a positive self-talk to suppress those negative thoughts to keep one going. Challenges that are within one’s control, means and abilities are still possible with strong determination, relentless efforts and lots of hard work.

Now, I confirm this belief is correct. If it’s not true, then there would be no more people in poverty and hunger on earth!