Directions

People views their life differently. We all wear different "spectacles" in looking at the things around us.

This "spectacle" is something unique that is formed by our past experience and often projects how we were raised to become.

Although there is something called "free will", but we can't deny that our surroundings influence who we are right now. This also creates different perception in how people view their life.

By having different ways of viewing life, we all go through different paths. Each of us are walking through a "direction" which we feel is right one according to our spectacle.

The norm in the society sometimes condemn people who walks different path (do things differently) as compared to the majority. This different way in viewing life, does not necessarily mean that it is wrong. Because in viewing life, there is no absolute standard which can claim itself the correct one.

There are a view categories of people in this world.

1. Those who are chasing after the spiritual side of life.

There are a lot of ways for people to chase after the spiritual side of life. The most recognizable way is when we see monks who have cast away the materialistic side of life. 

Some people focus all their attention in pursuing the spiritual side and neglect the rest, while some others try to focus on different things in life. In the end, it all comes down on each of our standards.

2. Those who are aiming for wealth and materials as their final goal.

Usually people who climb up from difficult background have this as their final goal. Adversity pushes people beyond the limit. Many poor people stay poor, but those who are able to change their destiny will usually go very far.

3. Those with high pride who aims for recognition from others.

This type of people are usually those with high ego. They possess a hunger for recognition and respect from other people. They are usually the type who are easily offended and usually appear very arrogant.

4. Those who are content with love and affection.

In contrast to those who are chasing after wealth and materials, there are few people who are content on spending enough time with the ones they love.

They dont emphasize on having excessive amount of wealth as long as they can provide enough for the well being of their families.

5. Those who have no idea what they want in life.

Surprisingly there are more people who has no idea what they want in life as compared to those who know it. These are the type who work because they have to work, without knowing what they are aiming in life.

Without knowing the goal that we want to achieve, it's difficult for us to determine the direction that we should take.

For most people, we are usually trying to achieve several things in life. Be it spiritual, affection, or wealth. Because all these things constitutes who we are. We rarely see people who are focused solely on one thing.

The key is to know which finish line we are trying to reach.

 "Great people have their eyes fixed on the finish line. The trip may have its ups and downs, but no matter how bumpy the road may be, it will not put them out of route. Because they control the direction of their life."

Handling Difficult People

There are times in life where you meet few "bastards" who just seem to make life difficult for you for no apparent reason. Either it's your boss, your colleagues, or even some random people you just met. Here are a few tips in handling them.

1. Prevent. Sometimes a scam is not done intentionally. But when you give people chance to do it, even the most trustworthy one might do the unexpected. If possible, it is better to try to prevent the accident before it happen rather than to heal the wound inflicted by it.

2. Stand up for yourself. I notice that the only reason some kids get bullied at school is because they never stand up for themselves. Either it is due to low in confidence or they are just too afraid to speak out.

3. Find out the reason. There is always an underlying concern or problem. Try to put yourself in their shoe in order to try to read their concerns.

4. Be positive. Don't let it get to you. It helps to cushion the blow by being positive and optimistic. But too much of positivity sometimes clouds you from looking at reality, making you accept everything that comes your way without even trying to achieve something more.

5. Be creative. Simply try to find a solution to handle this kind of people. Think out of the box. Sometimes these people are not as bad as they appeared to be.

6. Ignore. Finally, when all cannot seem to work, just simply ignore them. If you really cannot take it anymore, find your way away from these people. Ignorance is bliss.

Jumping to Different Train

We all lead different paths in our life. Some of us walk along the path that we decide on our own. Some others are walking along paths determined by others (parents, teachers, etc.) 

Well sometimes along the way, some people realize that the path they are walking on is not the one for them. That's where some people decides to jump to a different "train".

Jumping to different direction usually takes a lot of courage. It is never easy to step out of your comfort zone, because usually it requires some things to be sacrificed.

>>For my case, I jumped from an engineering to a financial path. Not easy to do. Faced a lot of resistance from my parents and relatives. But I believe my interest lies here. So I dont mind jumping now rather than going through something that I dont like for the next 20 or 30 years before finally having the courage to switch direction.

>>A more extreme one comes from one of my friends from engineering path who found his passion in entertainment and creative industry. He believes that he can do something meaningful and change lives through this line. For him the path is slightly tougher, because he would have to start crawling from the bottom in order to go into the desired industry.

>>The third example happenned recently. My friend who is pursuing his PhD in NTU suddenly decided to stop and jump into teaching. I guess he just finally realized where his desire truly is. 

In the end of the day, salute to all my friends who has courageously taken their "leap of faith".

At least even if we fail, we will fail with no regrets. Because we determine the path that we took. Furthermore, failure does not mean that it's the end. As long as the passion is there, the drive to move forward will not dissapear.