The road less travelled...

Is this our definition of living a normal life?

"Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it" - Ellen Goodman (The Boston Globe)

I believe it's still not too late to opt for the road less travelled. As the beautiful poem goes:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood,and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference...

Robert Frost

Are you ready to retire Young & Rich?

Has this ever crossed your mind? Your response? Look no further, the answer is right staring within you. Logically speaking? Well, let’s give this test a go shall we, How long will my retirement savings last? Say you want to retire at 40, and you’re projected to live until 70. To make more mathematical sense:

Expected number of years of retirement = 70 - 40 = 30 years!!!

Now, are you happy with your result?

Let’s face bigger questions:

1) Is our savings & KWSP sufficient ? (NB/ this calculation not even consider medical expenses at that age –especially if we do not own any medical insurance. But even if we do, do we know how much is our country inflation rate for medical expenses?)

2) Is our investment vehicle doing good enough? What investment vehicle to use so that our money will not be swiped away (in value sense) by inflation?

3) Are we satisfied with the recommended withdrawal amount (say it is monthly basis withdrawal)?. Should the value proposed lower than our expected monthly expenses (after inflation is being factored in of coz!!), are we willing to lower our standard of living?

I cringe every time I hear people say ‘bestnye kalau aku menang sejuta, kaya aku, takyah keje dah sampai bile-bile’. Can a windfall really change people’s lives? EPF officials have been quoted saying that people who withdraw their savings in a lump sum upon reaching the age of 55, tend to spend their savings off in 3 years!.

Redefining competition...

Is competition a bad thing? As far as 'orang kita' mindsets are concerned, sadly, the answer is always yes. Most of us are forced/molded to believe that we should not even position ourselves to the war of competition. To play it safe all the time. And even when the situation forces us to fight in a fair ground, we choose to do it with many exceptions… For arguments’ sake, let’s observe the following scenarios:

1) Why is the imported cars cost more here in Malaysia than other countries in the world?. It’s for the sole reason that gomen is protecting our national car, shameful Proton. If only we are paying Honda City / Toyota Vios at their actual market price, would you (those in the right mind) even giving Proton WAJA a second look? As a result, consumers who bought ‘outside’ cars were deliberately punished to pay more!!

2) Look at the UiTM 10% non-bumi issue, and how the political morons make it look like we should be in a war of protecting ‘orang kita’ rights. Why can’t the student be taught to face the real competitive world? No wonder majority of them failed to fit the job market. They will not go far with this closed-minded attitude. Stop blaming who’s dominating the market, but ask ourselves what does it takes to be in the ‘game’? Read no further if you already set your mind to settle as gomen servant.

3) Ever listened to XFresh FM? ‘Kami tak hot, kami cool’? They claimed to air 100% Malaysian music. They are the perfect example of a bunch of people who doesn’t welcome competition. What’s wrong with Indonesian song? How come the industry welcome English songs (we have Hitz, Mix, Fly –which mostly played international songs and they’ve never been labeled as not being patriotic) Oh.. now I got it… It’s because they have no direct influence to ‘orang kita’ rice bowl. Music is universal. You don’t label music as you label people!!

I learn my lesson well by watching Beijing Olympic games. To win is not to make the least of the opponents, not to make you feel more superior than other people, but to be better than you used to be!!

*signing-off*

Beautiful...

I was strucked big time when I stumbled to the following poem... Tot I've read it somehwere.. sounds sooo familiar... tapi di mana ya?

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't,
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out of the world we find,
Succes begins with a fellow's will-
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger of faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!!

Do observe all the highlighted words, and hopefully we will catch the deep meaning which the poet had in mind...

C.O.M.M.U.N.I.C.A.T.I.O.N.S

Well, as you might have noticed, communication isn't always easy. Different people communicate with their own particular quirks and styles. Some people seem to 'get you' right away ... and others, no matter how much you try to explain ... never really do understand.

This hit or miss mode of communicating can be very frustrating, and you may lose your patience or can't see the logic in what others are saying; if things seem stuck and generally just don't feel good, then this is where having the flexibility and knowing how to speak another persons' language is useful. Choosing specific words can help with getting things back on track.

1) When people seem as though they are impatient with a lot of details, and want things to move faster -- they're indicating that they're a Visual processor. Try adding some visual language into the conversation ... "I see what you mean" if you do ... or "How does this look to you?".

2) When people seem as though they're talking too much, or repeating themselves -- they're indicating they're an Auditory processor. Try adding some auditory language into the conversation ... "What I hear you saying is ..." or "What does that sound like?"

3) When people seem as though they're wiggling too much and slow to become comfortable and settled (with an idea) they're indicating a tendency toward Kinesthetic processing. Try incorporating some feeling language into your communication ... "I'm beginning to grasp what you mean" ... or "Do you feel like you have a handle on this?"

4) And when people seem as though they're taking too much time to think and sort things through, they're indicating a tendency toward Auditory Digital processing. Try adding some structure and logic into the conversation ... "Does that make sense?" ...or "Do you feel you've got all the logical details?"

So if it seems like you're not getting through to someone, even though you've very patiently explained it to them more than once ... Step Back ... take a deep breath ... and R E L A X. It could be that you simply need to change your language to match your listener's preferred communication style!

Copyright © Linda Storey. All rights reserved.

Pssttt... I got a secret!!

The weather was perfect! And with that reason I drove down to town during lunch break, to buy some ole2 for my home trip next week. Some pickled fruits and kuah rojak Mak Bee are among must-buy items.

Before I decided to have many heavy shopping bags, I went up to the first floor of Chowrasta Market and wonder around the shop lots and like it was meant to be, at the far end corner, there was a second hand book shop!

Phew! The smells of old books and magazines filled up the small breathable space, mixed with the funny smells from the market downstairs. Surprisingly, I didn't complain. It was like heaven to me! I was like a child lost in a candy land! Like a pirate who finally found the treasures!!

Thousands of used books awaited to be explored! Fiction books ranging from RM10-RM15. And for a good self-help and personal finance book, the range is between RM20 to RM25. I thought it was really a good deal. And I'm positive to come back here often!

My recommendation, if you're looking to fill up your home library and your brain with great books by RTK, Napoleon Hill, Wayne Dyer, Dale Carnegie, Paulo Coelho and many more - this is the place. Happy Reading!!

*Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers*

Charles W. Eliot, The Happy Life, 1896

Demi Masa...

Demi masa...
Sesungguhnya manusia kerugian
Melainkan... Yang beriman dan beramal soleh

Demi masa...
Sesungguhnya manusia kerugian
Melainkan... Nasihat kepada kebenaran dan kesabaran

Gunakan kesempatan yang masih diberi
Moga kita takkan menyesal
Masa usia kita jangan disiakan
Kerna ia takkan kembali

Ingat lima perkara, sebelum lima perkara
Sihat sebelum sakit
Muda sebelum tua,
kaya sebelum miskin
Lapang sebelum sempit
Hidup sebelum mati

NB/ I remember to have started reciting Surah Al-Asr every single day at 'sekolah petang' in my primary school years. And I'm not ashamed to admit it all started will purely verbal in action and not truthfully meant it. May Allah guide me to prioritize what I'm looking & having for in this life and one that is far beyond important - the afterlife...