Dont Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Effort

I've had friends asking if I enjoy what i'm doing now, and i've been pondering over it these days too.
And how apt that I chance upon this entry by Mark Cuban (one of the richest guys around).

If you have been thinking about pursuing your passion, this will give you some perspective.

---

I hear it all the time from people. “I’m passionate about it.” “I’m not going to quit, It’s my passion”. Or I hear it as advice to students and others “Follow your passion”.

What a bunch of BS. ”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.

Why ? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing. We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.

Think about all the things you have been passionate about in your life. Think about all those passions that you considered making a career out of or building a company around. How many were/are there ? Why did you bounce from one to another ? Why were you not able to make a career or business out of any of those passions ? Or if you have been able to have some success, what was the key to the success.? Was it the passion or the effort you put in to your job or company ?

If you really want to know where you destiny lies, look at where you apply your time.

Time is the most valuable asset you don’t own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you.

Let me make this as clear as possible

1. When you work hard at something you become good at it.

2. When you become good at doing something, you will enjoy it more.

3. When you enjoy doing something, there is a very good chance you will become passionate or more passionate about it

4. When you are good at something, passionate and work even harder to excel and be the best at it, good things happen.

Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.

Source: http://blogmaverick.com/2012/03/18/dont-follow-your-passion-follow-your-effort/


---


You might or might not agree with it, and I think that's perfectly normal too.

What I really agree with are the 4 steps that he listed, and it totally ties in with my situation as well.

=)

The Choice in "No Choice"

"No choice, Bobian, bo ban huat, 没办法，办不到."

Different words, but they all have the same meaning. The irony is... when you use any of the words above, you have already made a choice - the choice to either give up, or to resign yourself to circumstances.

 

In order for change to happen, a decision is required. And it's prevalent in us human beings that we don't like change. So to avoid putting ourselves through the awkward continuum of change, we do the easily obvious thing - we don't decide!

Here are some examples that you can likely (very) relate better:

• You bitch incessantly about your job, but you still find yourself returning to that shithole everyday after many years.
• You want to try out something new in your life (follow your passion), but you don't proceed because you have too many commitments (installments for home, wife, mistress, kids, pet, car, food, the latest iWhatever...).
   
• You look on with envy the successful people around you, and lament the good life they have. You probably also think that if you have the same luck as them, you can be as successful too. "If only..."

If you are able to read this post, you and I are lucky people. We are lucky to be born in this day and age, where we have abundant opportunities to succeed, and do whatever we want.

The next time you are tempted to abuse the term "no choice", think about the people who are born in less fortunate societies. I think those are the people who actually stand to have some conviction when they say they have no choice but to resign to their lives.

But you and me?

No way.

Make a choice, bring about the change that you have always desired and dreamed of. 
Don't settle for anything less that you deserve. Given the luxury of choices we have, do yourself justice by living your life the way you want it to be. 


Go get that girl, go get that dream job, go seek your passion, go skydiving, go do stuff like a boss, go bathe with your brother (my friend does that, no really), go get six-pack abs, go fart in a crowded space and own up, go fall deeply in love...


Go live your legend...
.
.
.
.
.
.

The only exception is when you have an excruciatingly heavy field pack, which would really render you with no choice but to pass it to your maid.

---


Random fact of the day:

We are creatures of empathy. If you do not already know, that is how the contagious yawn came about. I'm sure you have been in situations whereby you see a person yawning, and before you know it, you start yawning yourself!

Okay but don't go asking me why do you not sneeze or fart when you see that in your friend. I've been very puzzled by that too.

Happy

Happiness breeds happiness.

Good things come in droves.

Happiness is a choice, your choice.

Happy people makes you happy.

---

Chelsia just got married, and I'm really happy for her. I know there could be reason for me to feel sore about it, or not to wish her well, but I really do not feel that way. She's someone that I have always wanted to see her do well, and I feel this is really what she deserves.

It's very nice when someone fulfills the dream of their lives; you will be very happy sharing their joy too.

---

Weiwen has now patched up with his wife, and things are looking rosy again. Just heard from him that they have found a rented apartment, and will be staying together there now till they get a new flat I believe. Haven't got the chance to speak with him much since he got re-attached, but not blaming him! lol

I see in him the power of unconditional love; that love never fails, that love is all-forgiving. I look at his situation, and I compare my situation with his, and I'm totally ashamed of myself.

Seriously, you deserve a happy marriage. =)


P.S I won't forget the foie gras treat. Bring Candy along too!

---

I'm now in the process of writing a letter to the future me. It will be a really long letter, and I will publish it on 15 Jan! Basically, the letter will be dated one year later (15 Jan 2013) and I will write out what has 2012 been like for me.

It kind of forces you to think about how you want to live your life in the year ahead, and by writing it out, you can come up with a good detailed plan.

I believe this will work very well, you should do it too!

My Dreams

Before the world comes to an end in 2012...

These are the things that I wanna achieve in the coming year: *thinking in progress.. Check back!

那些年，我们一起追的女孩 ＊＊＊《进阶版》＊＊＊

＊＊＊ 
自从刊登了这后，似乎有很多人置疑我的表白，和故事的真实性。
所以我不得不澄清一番，将故事更详细描述给大家。


谢谢你喜欢读
＝）
＊＊＊


好久没有来这儿了。

上次提笔键盘是好几个月前的事了，也就是我刚从纽西兰回来的时候。
这段日子也没什么有趣的东西，也就是忙着工作罢了。

。。。

昨天看了《那些年，我们一起追的女孩》，感触好多。情节很有趣，描述了作者／导演的真实故事，也诉说到了我们很多人心目中的沈佳仪。

每个学校里，无论是小学或中学，总是会有一个 女孩备受瞩目，而且也会是每个男生的心仪对象。

沈佳仪就是这个女孩。

当然，我的小学和中学时期也有这个人见人爱，车见车载的女孩。

小学时，那女孩是玮琪。
中学时，那女孩是翠雯。

以上言论纯属各人意见，若有不满，也不管我的屁事！

回想起，在小学时期，我也没有喜欢上玮琪，只是觉得她有点异人，异于常人。

我也跟她说过了 － 她是个冰山美人，比较适合从远方欣赏，不易相处，所以当时我也没想过接近她。哈哈。

"当时"，那也就是关键词吧。
事情往往就是那么悬。。。
只能说绕了一圈，如今绕到哪儿我真的也不晓得。

说道小学时我喜欢的人，有两位幸运的女生 － 美廷和佩玲。
我也不晓得是几年次喜欢上谁，只知道那时候还真的蛮好玩的。哈哈。

。。。


美廷可说是我们小学的大姐大，非常有性格。
在班上里，如果你得罪了她，以后的日子就有得你好受了。
若你不是和她站在同一阵线，你就是站在导火线，因为你将和她和她势力庞大的女党为敌。

有点恐怖，但可能我就是喜欢挑战的一个人吧。
我深深的记得有一次我去了White Sands，我还刻意用公共电话打给她。
（小学时没有手机，所以我都记得每个人家里的电话号码）
通话内容我就忘记了，只是记得我曾经那么用心的做出这个举动。。哈哈。。

后来有结果吗？
当然没有。。
。。因为我喜新厌旧，看上了刚加入我们班的女生，佩玲！

佩玲这段我就不多说了，因为好像只是自作多情，不是很喜欢这种感觉。哈哈

然后就这样小学毕业了。。


。。。


过了几年，美廷和蔚汶在一起，我也真心的祝福他们。
但是听说美廷后来移情别恋，爱上了一个貌似'古天乐'的男生。叹。
然后最近美廷终于向我们坦白，说她小学时也喜欢我，只是我一直对她很冷淡！
哈哈哈！


。。。


中学时，我是有喜欢上翠雯，只是一直隐藏在心里。
这一藏，就藏了四年。哈哈。
毕业过后，当我告诉朋友们我当时暗恋着她，竟然没有人相信我！（除了康洋，他一直都是我的150％支持者！）

中学时，其实也太幼稚了。。每天不是踢球，就是玩"魔卡"，打兵乓，或是做些无聊的事情。都这么"忙"了，哪有时间去想这么多啊！哈哈。。

我想当时应该有差不多十个男生明恋着翠雯吧，不包括我（因为我只是暗恋）。
真的没夸张，就是那么多人喜欢她。都说我喜欢挑战了！

每次和她同搭14号巴士，都很想和她多聊，但当时也太逊了，完全没有鼓起勇气做出这种事。哈哈。和她同班了2－ 3年，我想我们之间说的话不多过二十句吧！

对她最深刻的印象有两个。

第一次，在兵乓比赛后。。
那时我和宗贤对垒公教中学，对着了两个看了就不起眼的对手。
还以为是包吃的，结果竟然吃了败仗。
当时输了比赛后，超级杜爛，因为也不晓得到底是如何输掉的。

这时我看着她，她好像也在看着我。
我想可能也没有看很久，但是那时觉得好像是eternity。

第二次，是为了C.Lit 测验。
当时在班上，我是"四大天王"的其中之一。
所谓的天王，就是指我的成绩是数一数二的，从后面算起。

有一天，我在家里吃饭时，接到了她的电话。
她告诉我明天有一个测验，和该读哪些chapters.
起初我也想不是什么大事，她应该是尽好学生的责任，通知每个人。

后来和其他天王确定后，才发现她并没有通知他们，只有打给我罢了。
当时我兴奋了好久。。哈哈！

。。。

回想起，学生时代的那些年，真的很有趣，也留下了很多美好，无价的回忆。

用华文来写部落格好辛苦啊。
不是我的华文差，而是不容易用键盘按出文字来！

。。。

好的，就写到这儿吧。。。记得一定要去看这部电影 － 不要老是看好莱坞的片，也要支持华人作品啊！




*Disclaimer:
All content above are genuine, at least from my personal point of view and recollection of memories.  While highly likely that I have been misled all these years, if you happen to know the true story, I stand NOT corrected. I believe being ignorant is blissful, so don't bother correcting me.  =) 


If you happen to be mentioned above, you should be happy. 
Finally, 


谢谢你喜欢读。。。

New Zealand - Been There, Done That!

Kia Ora! (that means hello in kiwi-speak)

Kia Ora!

Long, long overdue post, i know.

Hereby offering my sincere-st apology to my readers who have been through with me thick and thin, high and low. We've travelled so far, and we will go further together, so don't leave me yet!
=)

So.... what have I been up to?

On 25th July, I boarded an SIA plane for the first time (at least in my memory), destined for NZ, alone.

It has been an experience of many firsts.

First time...

• on SIA
• travelling alone
• I paid $18 for bee hoon goreng..
• ..which was cooked with curry powder...
• ..and totally sucked

never cook bee hoon goreng with curry powder

• I dined in restaurants (not fastfood) alone
• I experienced winter!
• I had a diary (yes the real physical one)

"dear diary"

• I thought I was Superman (twice), and survived
• I wore long johns
• I understood the beauty of nature

Te Puia

Taken while on the ferry from North to South Island

• on a helicopter

It was supposed to be a 3-week trip, but i decided to come back after 2 weeks. 

Many factors contributed to that decision actually - boredom, cost, weather, travelling time, desire to work, food, and National Day. Mix and match these factors in different proportions (okay maybe discount the nation's birthday) and I found myself calling SIA to ask for the next earliest flight back home.

If I had stayed on, I'd have travelled further south (Queenstown, Franz Josef) to explore the glaciers and snow. Oh well, at least I know where I will visit the next time I go back to NZ!

It was meant to be a trip to find my 'inner peace', so naturally when I came back, the big question on everyone's mind was - Did I manage to find it? Haha

It's a tough question really!

It's easy for me to say yes, but I'd prefer to let observation speak for itself.

All I know is that the trip was definitely good.

It kept my mind away from unhappy things, and I got to know myself better too.

When you are alone overseas, you tend to do things that you won't back home.. trust me on that. Immerse yourself in a different environment, and you will begin to see things about yourself that you never knew.

I don't camwhore in Singapore

You think the current world you're living in is the world, but that can't be further from the truth. Kinda like the more you know, the more you realize you don't know.

Okay I made some interesting observations in NZ, so I'm gonna share them with you:

• NZers love kebabs. There are kebab restaurants everywhere
• They love eating ice-cream in freezing cold winter
• Vampires/Bloodsuckers moonlight as cab drivers. My 20-minute cab ride cost 80-freaking-dollars!
• Auckland is overpopulated with Chinese and Koreans
• NZers are very friendly people - they smile to strangers on the road all the time!
  (or maybe they just like me)
• Young NZers dont like asians. They make all kinds of weird gestures and sounds whenever I pass by. (I guess it's the same with many Singaporeans' unhappiness with PRCs here)
• All Blacks (their national rugby team) are like gods
• Every chinese restaurant is fully packed with customers. Regardless of how bad the food tastes. 

And I leave the most unbelievable and the best for last...

• NZers only eat salty popcorn. Seriously. (i discovered this to my horror only after I entered the cinema, happily thinking that popcorn by default should be sweet)

Can you imagine my horror when I popped the first morsel of popcorn into my mouth, expecting to savour the sweetness that is to be expected of all popcorn, only to be let down deeply?!

Clearly, someone needs to tell them that they have been getting the short end of the stick all the while. Life, and popcorn, can be so much sweeter!

Anyway, all in all, it was an enlightening trip. Next stop, im thinking of Philippines but nothing's concrete. Now, the most important thing is to focus on my work, and make my way to where I belong!

=)

Not gonna post many pictures here. If you wanna take a look, just go through my photos on Facebook!

---

After such a long time out, it's not easy to pick up momentum for sure. I'm encouraged by the progress I've made so far, and I know for certain that as long as I keep moving in the same direction, I will conquer my destination! 

I know where I want to go, I know what I want, and I know what I should be doing. 

I just haven't been thinking about it hard and long enough.

Act only

Now I will. 

And you should too.

=)

Cheerios!