Time, its the same for all. Its similar to the term "the Great Equalizer" which is death. Its called that because no matter how rich, poor, happy, sad, long or short our lives are, death comes to take us all equally.
Same goes for time. Everyone has the same amount of it, anywhere. 24 hours. no more, no less. Most people wish they had more time. Some people wish their time would run out.
In my opinion, the phrase "live with no regrets" is impossible. Because people being people will always make mistakes. There will always be that black spot or spots in our past, our lives that we wish had played out differently. Things we wish we had done or didn't do with our spent time.
What's past, is past. Water under the bridge. We can't get it back nor can we change it in any way. We or I always look back to ponder or regret so that I can look forward with some slight measure of hope. The only thing we can do is savour our time since we don't know how much time we actually have left. It would be a whole different world if everyone had a visible countdown timer above their heads.
The phrase "today is better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today" is a good concept to follow to improve the quality of our time spent. Maybe hard to practice but then again some of the good things in life don't come easily.
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Monday, 29 October 2012
Bliss & Crucible
Life is strange. Life is full of surprises, especially people. You could know them for ages and they can still pull a fast one on you. But you already probably knew that. The world's in equilibrium... for the most part anyways. Think about it, for every saint, there is a sinner. For every peace treaty signed, there was a war fought. For every happy moment, an equally sad one.
Mania and Dementia, Bliss and Crucible. I'm sure all of you have heard the term "rat race". We all might be in one, we may not. If we are, we should to break out of it. The vicious cycle of monotonous routines. Because even if you win at the Rat Race, you're still a rat.
Mania, the happy things - family, friends, joy in your work, religion, etc. All the things that give life meaning and purpose and make it worth living.
Dementia, the sad things - losing family, forgetting friends, stress due to work, feeling inadequate due to lack of faith, etc. These elements define life and set the boundaries as well as building who you are inside.
Yin and Yang. Balance. The world's in balance but maybe not the humans in it. So not all is lost in terms of happiness. You can have more happy moments than sad ones. But that is up to you. Cherish your family, keep in touch with your friends, believe your work is beneficial. Live life today because there might not be any rewards to reap tomorrow or maybe you're the one that is gone.
Have a nice day!
Mania and Dementia, Bliss and Crucible. I'm sure all of you have heard the term "rat race". We all might be in one, we may not. If we are, we should to break out of it. The vicious cycle of monotonous routines. Because even if you win at the Rat Race, you're still a rat.
Mania, the happy things - family, friends, joy in your work, religion, etc. All the things that give life meaning and purpose and make it worth living.
Dementia, the sad things - losing family, forgetting friends, stress due to work, feeling inadequate due to lack of faith, etc. These elements define life and set the boundaries as well as building who you are inside.
Yin and Yang. Balance. The world's in balance but maybe not the humans in it. So not all is lost in terms of happiness. You can have more happy moments than sad ones. But that is up to you. Cherish your family, keep in touch with your friends, believe your work is beneficial. Live life today because there might not be any rewards to reap tomorrow or maybe you're the one that is gone.
Have a nice day!
Sunday, 23 September 2012
lessons from the Dark Knight
Why do we fall?
A. Because we were weak at the time
B. So we learn to pick ourselves back up
C. For others to pick us up later
D. We were never supposed to be standing in the first place at all
You choose.
This is where idealists, optimists, pessimists and realists come into play. You decide who you are although the environment and circumstances affect the outcome. Some people come out as better people through adversity while some people crumble under the pressure. Sometimes I'm strong and just push through and sometimes I crack and fall apart just like everyone else. Be like Batman, haha.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller..."
A. Because we were weak at the time
B. So we learn to pick ourselves back up
C. For others to pick us up later
D. We were never supposed to be standing in the first place at all
You choose.
This is where idealists, optimists, pessimists and realists come into play. You decide who you are although the environment and circumstances affect the outcome. Some people come out as better people through adversity while some people crumble under the pressure. Sometimes I'm strong and just push through and sometimes I crack and fall apart just like everyone else. Be like Batman, haha.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller..."
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
What is? It is.
The truth is, I have no idea what theoretical quantum physics actually is. But it sure sounds cool and sort of related to the topic I'm putting forward now. In life everything is interconnected someway somehow. Thats Zen, haha. But to a certain extent this is very true. Something someone did before you were even born probably does affect your life today and what you do today probably will affect someone else's life tomorrow.
Life is a constant string of Ripple effects. Maybe its the Butterfly effect but the Ripple effect is easier to roll with. Nothing is ever linear, one thing will affect multiple others just like the ever expanding ripples on a surface of water. This phenemenon forces people to see the bigger picture of their actions but most people still are narrow-minded or short-sighted. We think our actions stop at the next person or the next minute for example, when it in fact has far reaching consequences that are either good or bad.
E.g. You buy a hotdog from a street vendor. That money helps to pay for his kid's education, the kid grows up to be a doctor who treats your kid and your kid becomes a politician who pioneers green technology in the government that makes life greener and cleaner for all but then another person comes along and murders a man which shocks the whole community and you and your buddies set up a community watch while the sun nourishes an orange somewhere and a worker picks the fruit sending it off to a factory where it is then shipped by another person to your supermarket where your local salesperson arranges it for you and others to buy.
All the random events up there totally make no sense but yet they do because in life all is connected. What is? It is.
Life is a constant string of Ripple effects. Maybe its the Butterfly effect but the Ripple effect is easier to roll with. Nothing is ever linear, one thing will affect multiple others just like the ever expanding ripples on a surface of water. This phenemenon forces people to see the bigger picture of their actions but most people still are narrow-minded or short-sighted. We think our actions stop at the next person or the next minute for example, when it in fact has far reaching consequences that are either good or bad.
E.g. You buy a hotdog from a street vendor. That money helps to pay for his kid's education, the kid grows up to be a doctor who treats your kid and your kid becomes a politician who pioneers green technology in the government that makes life greener and cleaner for all but then another person comes along and murders a man which shocks the whole community and you and your buddies set up a community watch while the sun nourishes an orange somewhere and a worker picks the fruit sending it off to a factory where it is then shipped by another person to your supermarket where your local salesperson arranges it for you and others to buy.
All the random events up there totally make no sense but yet they do because in life all is connected. What is? It is.
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
they're inside ALL of us
Everyone has at some point had a voice in their head/soul/heart (whichever) justify to them about what they were doing. I'm referring to a conscience... or the lack thereof. Some people have the best conscience that keeps them guilt free while others stoop into the lowest depths of depravity. Most of humanity is in the middle. Neither saints nor sinners, just people including yours truly.
A never ending battle is being waged inside of us, between vice and virtue, between Angels and Demons. My personal experience of this phenomenon is as follows.
A few days ago, on 3 seperate occasions, vendors gave me the wrong amount of change after I paid them. I'm not talking about 20sen extra, I'm talking about a whole RM5, 10, 20 extra! Myinner demon first thought was to take the money and run (haha) and as I turned around to do so I suddenly had a sharp feeling, not pain but something else. Its as if the something told me something without using any words. My conscience was heavy for a split second. So I ended up giving the extra cash back on all 3 occasions.
But right after handing the money back, it was the demons' turn again and thoughts like "You moron, why'd you give the money back?!" flood my mind. And frankly, I actually did ask my conscious self why did I give the money back. For the next few minutes it was like a game of tug of war going on in my mind. As Rick Harrison of Pawn Stars says: this is why I hate having a conscience.
The Angels in my head are still winning... for now
How about you?
A never ending battle is being waged inside of us, between vice and virtue, between Angels and Demons. My personal experience of this phenomenon is as follows.
A few days ago, on 3 seperate occasions, vendors gave me the wrong amount of change after I paid them. I'm not talking about 20sen extra, I'm talking about a whole RM5, 10, 20 extra! My
But right after handing the money back, it was the demons' turn again and thoughts like "You moron, why'd you give the money back?!" flood my mind. And frankly, I actually did ask my conscious self why did I give the money back. For the next few minutes it was like a game of tug of war going on in my mind. As Rick Harrison of Pawn Stars says: this is why I hate having a conscience.
The Angels in my head are still winning... for now
How about you?
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Liar liar, plants for hire
Lying has been around for as long as people learned language. Some lies are flattering while others serve a more sinister purpose. As such there are many types of lies and if you read through these, for sure you'll recognise some of them.
1) Little white/magnitude lies.
These are generally used with the intention to help someone else. This is a sort of placebo effect by exaggerating a comment or compliment for example. People think they feel better after hearing these even if they actually don't feel any better. Its because people are just more recptive to optimism. Probably these are the ones that get tossed around the most.
2) Partial/bending the truth.
Not giving the whole truth is also a variation of lying. Because when someone is given half-truths they still do not have the whole picture. That is why in courts/tv-shows (haha) the people are always asked to take up the oath to "tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"
3) Spiteful lies.
These lies are told for the benefit of the liar and to hurt other people. This is also known as rumours or deceit. These are commonly practiced in politics, entertainment and business. These lies are vicious as their uses are broad ranging from manipulation to revenge to defamation. These lies are mean and should be condemned.
4) Neutral lies.
Habitual/compulsive/chronic liars most often tell neutral lies. The three previous terms all mean the same thing, a person who lies only out of habit without any malicious intent... unlike a sociopath who lies to get their way without considering other people's feelings. For example, when being asked about private matters people tell neutral lies which does no harm to any party and acts as a protection of privacy.
5) Self-deception.
Sometimes we lie to ourselves to convince ourselves that we are doing the right thing or doing the best we can when in fact, we are not. These lies are used to justify to ourselves what is going on when the world around us just doesn't make sense.
Lying and lies are a natural part of life and speech. We've all lied and have been lied to. Just accept it, you know you have... because as Dr. House says: Everybody lies.
1) Little white/magnitude lies.
These are generally used with the intention to help someone else. This is a sort of placebo effect by exaggerating a comment or compliment for example. People think they feel better after hearing these even if they actually don't feel any better. Its because people are just more recptive to optimism. Probably these are the ones that get tossed around the most.
2) Partial/bending the truth.
Not giving the whole truth is also a variation of lying. Because when someone is given half-truths they still do not have the whole picture. That is why in courts/tv-shows (haha) the people are always asked to take up the oath to "tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth"
3) Spiteful lies.
These lies are told for the benefit of the liar and to hurt other people. This is also known as rumours or deceit. These are commonly practiced in politics, entertainment and business. These lies are vicious as their uses are broad ranging from manipulation to revenge to defamation. These lies are mean and should be condemned.
4) Neutral lies.
Habitual/compulsive/chronic liars most often tell neutral lies. The three previous terms all mean the same thing, a person who lies only out of habit without any malicious intent... unlike a sociopath who lies to get their way without considering other people's feelings. For example, when being asked about private matters people tell neutral lies which does no harm to any party and acts as a protection of privacy.
5) Self-deception.
Sometimes we lie to ourselves to convince ourselves that we are doing the right thing or doing the best we can when in fact, we are not. These lies are used to justify to ourselves what is going on when the world around us just doesn't make sense.
Lying and lies are a natural part of life and speech. We've all lied and have been lied to. Just accept it, you know you have... because as Dr. House says: Everybody lies.
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