JonesLiew.com

Did anyone realise that in life, we are always making choices?? I mean it is not a secret at all, right?

However, in recent time, I managed to realise (more deeply)  that having the ability to make choice is actually a privilege and it does gives one the power to choose and a chance to create or do something different.

It has been exactly a month since I left the place that I was so fond of.  In this 30 days, lots of choices have been made. Some are small and some are BIG, and every single choices comes with its own consequences.

Like for example, making the choice to stay up late to watch the world cup and getting in return, the consequences of dark eyes ring and mum’s nagging. Or, choosing to agree to help a friend out of my own time and commitment as a surety so that she can embark on her future career or on a pessimistic consequence of her breaking the bond and I need to be responsible for it.

Whatever is the “decision”  made or the “choice” made as it is known in this post, one stills haves the power to make a difference. And the other thing about what makes making a choice so powerful is that it takes COURAGE, to make a choice.

Sometime people make choices because of the known possible consequences but there are also times where you don’t know what’s the consequence and still make that choice and to me the latter is terrifying and it takes lots courage as well. 

I’m currently am at this stage where fear for the future and the unknown is wanting to consume me (for a month and ongoing), however, at the same time, the space that I have now let me know that I’m open to choices. I have in me the power to make a difference to my own life because I have the privilege to have choices and I’m really thankful for that.

The next step, is to really to get/build that courage to make that choice for me to move on.  When will the decision comes? Honestly, I got no answer to that. But what I know is that, at least today,  I have make a choice  to put my slacker-life and a month of resting to an end and this choice has unknowingly develop my courage and confidence a little be more.

Ha I love going to movies, in fact watching movies is one of my favourite past time. Still remember that there was once, My friends and I went to watch 4 movies at one go, but that’s was many years back.  In recent time, the max I go is 2 movies in one day. Oh, and I didn’t mean watching DVD, I’m actually talking about going to the cinema and catch the show.

Watching movies for me is great form of relaxation for me, as it allows me to sit back and listen and just let the stories unfold in front of me. Movies is also a form of exercise for me to practise appreciation too, you know is that kind of like appreciation of the plot, the music, the acting, the direction, the special effect etc.

Another reason why I love to watch movies is that, there are learning about values and life that I can pick up from the movies. Ever heard of “learning from someone else’s mistake”? and yes, I do know that most of the time movies are fiction but still, there are still learning for me to pick up. 

Almost all the movies that I saw allow me to pick up some learning and recently, there’s one movie that let me pick up and learn a few things too. That movie is JIM CARREY’s YES MAN.

The movie is about a man called Carl(Jim Carey), whose life was sort of becoming stagnant, bored and a bit meaningless after his girlfriend left him, however things changes when he sign up for a life-changing course that’s required him to say yes to almost everything and that was when his life started to change once again.

Needless to say, in the movie Carl, found a new love, new life and new perspective of life. The idea of saying “YES”, opens up many possibilities in his life and that the main learning I get from the movie.

When was the last time that you can remember that, by making a decision to say “YES”, that decision actually impacted your life? For me, I could remember many, especially in the year 2008, my willingness to ”YES” to end my baby Business, had resulted a few new opportunities for me, my willingness to say ”YES” to a personal development course, has allowed me to re-ignite my passion in life and meeting great people from all woks of life. My willingness to say “YES” to a new job had allowed me to work in an environment that is inline with the things I enjoyed doing and it  feed my passion for growth and of course they were many more “YES” decision that I made in 2008 that had made me grow as a person.

And what JIM CARREY did with his movie is that, he reminded me that how am I today and what am I today is really based on what decision I had made in my life. The “YES” and “NO” that I made in my life had lead me to where I am today. I can never blame anyone and I must be 100% responsible for what I am today.

So thinking back, there will be regrets about some decision that I made, but that’s already history, what is more important now is that it is time to make new decision, especial it is the start of the new year.

2009 is already here, and Yes I want to see new possibilities and that will only come by saying “YES” many things, but of course, you don’t need to say ”YES” all the time, as Carl( Jim Carrey) said in the movie, you only say ”YES” when you only want to and only your heart want you to say “YES”. Don’t you think so?

So, if you do agreed….just simply say “YES” 

As I was travelling back home from Outram MRT today, I came across a very very sad sad scene.

There was this man with a big bag hang around his shoulders who looks like either in his late 4Os or early 50s, walking really slowly in front of me. The way he walks was like dragging his tired leg across the ground of the underpass.

When I was walking behind him, I was like “Wow, this man must be really tired, hoped he can quickly reach home and rest man…” and that was the first thought that went through my mind. Not thinking too much, I decided to over take him, and it was at this point, I overheard his own mumbling and below was what I heard…..”五十岁了，一事无成， 怎么办呢….,五十岁了，一事无成， 怎么办呢….,” ……oh man, for a few second, my heart literally stop pumping when I heard those words, automatically I turned around and looked at him, and quickly I just turned back and fasten my footstep towards the east-bound train. And all this while, the man is still mumbling “怎么办呢….,五十岁了，一事无成， 怎么办呢….,五十岁了，一事无成”

I do not know what struck me at that point, all I knew was the fear rising up in me. I’m not so sure, what the fear was all about, Was it a fear that I will be like him or was it a fear coming from witnessing from a man losing hope, or was it the fear creating for me on my first encounter of the impact of career failure or the reality consequence of a retrenchment. I really do not know.

Frankly speaking, all I know is that as much as I am empathise with him, deep inside my heart and my mind is that I totally don’t like what I saw in him and I do not want to be like him.

All I know now is that I am glad that I have found a job that I like and love to do. Despite the tough road and tough outlook in terms of the financial crisis, I want to stay on my job, to do whatever it takes to ensure the company is floating and flying so that it can ensure my career success and not failure, continue to upgrade myself so that I am will always be in demand in the job market, continue to search for new ideas and opportunities so that I can create another form of income security or start my own business again, quickly to clear my debt so that I can use my future income to invest to earn money rather than to use to pay off debt, continue to live and eat healthy so that I have the energy and spirit to enjoy my later life.

This might sound mean, but this is what I really want to say to the man, “Sorry and thank you Uncle, you just taught me a very valuable life-time lesson” and I hope you too, have learn something from this sad episode.

OH OH, 15 days without a post, that’s means I had broken my commitment of 2 posts per week BIG TIME!! It also means that I am at least 4 posts short to my agreement. Haiz…. So much so, for the big talk by me back on 20th October 2008 that I told myself that I will keep my focus and discipline to maintain my posting frequency. Guess in the end, I just not as focused and discipline that I will like to be.

Well, but then again, one thing that is different this time round for not posting for the past 2 weeks, is that I’m totally aware that I didn’t post any article and I was totally aware that I had broken my agreement and commitment. Yes, I was totally AWARE!!!

So, the question for myself is that “since I was aware that I didn’t write any post, then how come I didn’t make the effort to write something and post it anyway?”

And the answer to the above question is really very simple, it is that I really got no ideas and no inspirations of what to write on!

For the past 2 weeks, I had been busy with work and I was feeling really tired after every program, and during that period, my life had just revolved with just work and work. From 16th -21th November that week, nothing really interesting went on in my life beside work (I was in a 4days 3nights camp once again but it was held in our training center in Singapore) and I really had nothing to write.

In fact, even though I’m aware that I need to write something for that week, I refused to write and that was because I really got nothing interesting or anything that can make me excited about to write on.

Another reason, was that even though, I had once again learned and experienced a lot of new things during work, I just didn’t want to write another post talking about my work again. So people, believe or not, It was a conscious effort to decide not to write.

For me, I don’t want my website to just talk about my work alone as my intent of JonesLiew.com is that I really want it to be a compilation of post on all the aspect of my life events and experience. Plus, with every post, it should have a certain learning value, a thought provoking situation or a message to be sent out to the world. So, unless I can be sure that my post can add value to my readers and friends, then I will write, if not, and even if I know I will be breaking the 2 post per week agreement, I will refused to write.

What I had learnt from this episode of mine was that I had learnt that if I want to do something, I will want to do it well, even if I am uncomfortable, I will give it my best and do it. I had also learnt that, if I really do not have the confidence or I’m really do not know and do not want to do then it will be better to choose not to do, I will rather refused to do then forced myself to do something that I do not know how to and don’t want to do. As the saying goes,

“DO NOT DO THINGS FOR THE SAKE OF DOING, DO IT ONLY WHEN YOU REALLY WANT TO, ONLY THEN YOU WILL BE SURE THAT YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO”.       

The above statement is really the main reason why I didn’t post anything for past 15 days.

I want to thank some of my friends who had reminded me that I had broken my agreement. Thank you for keeping track for my post. All I can say now is that, I’m back here writing, and be rest assured, I had came back with more interesting life experience and personal thoughts to share with you all.

And that is because for the days from 22nd -29th Nov 2008, it was slightly different, a lot more interesting things happened, I had a few social gathering with some of my friends during last week and yes, I was at work again, another 4days 3nights training but this time, it was held at Kota Tinggi Waterfall Resort, Malaysia. It was really a nice trip up north.

Yuppie yup, I had gained some nice experiences as well for the past week and i’m going to share it here at JonesLiew.com. For the next few days, I will ensure the number of post that I owed will be back to mark.

So stay tuned, people! and remember ” never do things for the sake of doing”