You're Not The Only One!

Do you measure success by comparing against your friends?

Bigger cars, better house, fancier job title, nicer expense account, traveled to more cities and countries than you can ever remember?

Or do you think you are great just because you are special?

When you are unwell, ill, down and out in life, do you think you are the worst?

Do you expect the GOD you believe in to come to you just because you needed HIM?

I am guilty in some (perhaps most of the above)!

So what if I could afford to own many sports cars? Lead a high flying life? Spend money like there's no tomorrow? Own every gadgets I ever like?

When my soul is empty, material things are a temporary measures.

What is so special about my illness? The pain I endured and the side effects I am still going through every single day?

What's the big deal that I still can't play the tennis I enjoy?

I should be grateful I am given a second chance to re-look at my life, a chance to re-examine the true importance of my existence.

I should be thankful every single morning I can still wake up, thus giving me the opportunities to at least attempt to right the wrongs!

You are an inspiration, Agatha.

I am grateful we managed to re-connect and I appreciate you sharing your life experience with me.

You are still the Hwoi Ying I know of ever since I could remember!

How would you cope...

...if you are no longer able to do something you enjoy?

I have to confront this question when I went for my tennis earlier this morning.

I love the game ever since my high school friend introduced it to me 28 years ago.

Pain in my shoulder, elbow and both wrists stop me from hitting out.

Pain on my right knee prohibits me from chasing after the balls and bend low enough to hit my backhand properly.

Both my ankles are too weak to make the sudden stops and turns.

Was it fun?

Well, the sweating was. I have not sweat this much for a long time! Love it. Made me feel alive!

But no, it wasn't fun at all having to come to terms with the fact that I am still not healthy and fit enough to get back to the game I enjoy most.

Looks like in the short term at least, I need to sort out my health before I can even get back to shape for tennis.

I need to figure this out...

Hari Raya 2010: Part One

This is a very meaningful Raya to me as I learned something important of life, about life and with life.

Approximately a week prior to Raya, I asked my wife whether we will be visiting her childhood friend Yoni.

She told me Yoni has neither picked up nor returned her calls. I asked her what's next, she told me we would gate crash worst case!

I like Yoni and her family. I met them once during Raya last year. Gate crash Hari Raya Open House sounded like a cool thing to do!

2 days prior to visiting Yoni, I walked into our bedroom seeing my wife crying in vain! She blurted out "My friend's mother just passed away!"

She was referring to Yoni's mother.

Not my childhood friend, not my best friend, just the word "friend".

I knew Yoni and Pam are close and she used to spend her childhood in East Coast with Yoni's family.

But I have no idea the sort of closeness she has with Yoni's family. The friendship they have over the years is something very special.

It's so special that it doesn't need any particular word/phrase to define. Just a simple word: Friend!

We visited Yoni on the second day of Raya.

I had meaningful conversation with Yoni's father, her brother and Yoni.

That day, I got to know the compassionate side of my wife and her childhood better.

I promised myself I will make an effort to get to know Yoni and her father better and I will not wait til next Raya to visit them.

Here's to you aunty, may you rest in peace and bless your family and loved ones; Let them think of you with fond memories and not sadness.

Wouldn't It Be Nice...

... to receive good news on the project I have been working on soon?

... to start the quest in enabling people to change life for the better?

... to have the contract signed and sealed as a birthday present to myself?

Now, that would truly be a meaningful 2010!

Health in my Body

Peace in my Heart

Wealth in my Life

Joy in my Home

Give Hope. Change Life.

Faith

I have done my utter best

The rest is beyond me

I trust my business associate

In giving better than the rest

Now I wait with faith in me

That I could change my life

and make a difference in other's too

Life In Moderations

If what I am feeling is it, I should be able to walk without pain and discomfort soon!

The last months, I have been having moments where I thought I was getting better, except it didn't last.

Hope this time, This Is It!

I will be able to do things I have taken for granted and longing to do the last 6 months.

However, there will be changes:

I will live life in moderations

I will have a more balanced life

I will lead a healthier life

I will spend quality time with family and friends

I will revisit places with fond memories

I will explore new places with family and loved ones

Most important of all, I would love to make positive changes to people's lives in ways and means I am capable of.

I thank God for putting me through this journey of self discovery.

Can't wait for my new journey to start!

I will never be perfect, but I will learn to be better each day.

How Do You Measure Success?

Was watching this movie in the afternoon. By the time I switched to this movie, it has probably started half way.

However, the moment I saw it, I knew I have seen it some time before. In fact, it was a very long time ago...

Funny how the mind works. I started to remember the interior of the house, the theme (which is bare minimalism), colour scheme, the sand-blasted main glass door, the Porche 911 that's parked outside, coming back to an empty home... (this was the beginning I missed but remember vividly).

What I recalled all those years back was how cool I thought the character was. Successful, independent, living in a contemporary house with a 2 door sports car.

I wanted to be like him!

Well, plus the fact that he's Bruce Willis! My favourite star since Moonlighting TV series.

What I have missed out then that I picked up this time round are things I never thought at that point in time would matter to me.

It made me realised what an arrogant bastard I have been.

Blinded by greed and desire. Thought I could do no wrong, could control anything and everything, at any given day and time.

Money, position, perks, recognitions were how I measured my success.

I truly thought I was successful!

The part that I watched before but did not relate to the last time came pounding on me hard this time round:

It's about opening up instead of keeping it all in.

The past is history we can't change.

The future is how we want it to be.

The present matters as it shapes our future.

Most important of all, success comes from the heart!

This year has been rather challenging for me with my health. It was a life changing experience for me as I finally comprehend the fundamentals of life.

This movie just reinforced to me the true meaning of success.

My definition of success:

Being able to make positive changes to people's lives through my believe, my work, my life.

Life Live. Transcend Life.