Talent

Everyone have their own natural talent where they can develop and do great things with it. Everyone’s talents are different and different people will uncover their talent at different times. However, I can safely say everyone has a talent. After saying all this I have not reached the point of this piece yet. What I want to talk about is not about using the talent but about a choice. Everyone has the choice to not use their talent. Don’t keep thinking about your talent and abilities and choose your pathway according to that. Do what you want, what your heart tells you to.

I made that mistake. I had no direction. I didn’t know what to do, where to go. I chose the safe path by taking the professional course that my considered exceptional mental capabilities will be put into good use. I later realized it’s not what I want. I don’t really have the privilege to just change my course however. I just have to go on but I wish not anyone to make the same mistake I did.

Talent doesn't determine your path

Opportunities

Many people wait for the right opportunity to do many things like a vacancy post for an employee to get a promotion, a right moment for a confession and maybe even the right economical condition for business or investing. However, many people often miss their first given opportunities and end up waiting a long time for the next. In result, they waste a lot of time just waiting for the opportunity to come.

Ever since young, I’ve always wanted the opportunity to get positions in clubs and societies. I always wanted the opportunity to prove myself capable. Let us take for example when I was in scouts during secondary school. I worked as hard as I can throughout form 1 and form 2. However, no matter how much I do the opportunity doesn’t come. The reason being I didn’t stand out. Every position that I wanted to get I didn’t get the opportunity to. When I was form 4, I finally stood out but in the past people don’t even remember that I was working hard there. Everyone omitted my years of commitment.

All that can actually be changed by the actions I take. If I actually stand up and really go all the way for those things that I want, the opportunities can be created. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Create the opportunities yourself.

Opportunities, when they come, grasp it, when they don't, make it

Gifted or cursed?

A question came across my mind recently. To have an exceptionally intelligent mind, is it a gift or a curse? I’ll say it’s a gift but it’s not all good. It makes a lot of things more convenient but the powerful mind will start to think about all kinds of things and usually you won’t get really happy from that. My point is “gifted” is not always good, not only for mind but in general.

I’ve been thinking too much on using my “gift” and kept my vision of my future very narrow. I suddenly feel that it’s not what I want. I never knew what I want but I realize that I’ve been looking in the wrong direction all these while. Aims and goals shouldn’t be restricted by the area you’re gifted in. Directions should be set according to desire and not talent.

Gift or curse, it's how you use it.

Lost

Recently I’ve watched an old movie called ‘Goodwill Hunting’. It was a 1997 movie about a janitor working at MIT who happens to be a genius. He was gifted but he chose not to use his ability for amazing purposes. He did not have any direction as well because he didn’t know what he wants. Along with that was his over consideration of the consequences of many things which made him being afraid to do many things. It really intrigues me because I happen to relate him to me.

Over consideration isn’t hard to overcome but being lost without a clue of what you want really makes things difficult. I keep trying to figure out what I want but I can never find the answer. I’ve said many theories and given many advices to people about getting a direction but the truth is, I’m lost myself. The only thing I can do now is to just impose a stable direction and hopefully along the way I’ll figure out where I really want to go.

Taking the shot

Everyone should set short term goals at every point of their life and try to take the shots to achieve them. I’ve set my 1st goal of the year and well, I failed to achieve it. I’m not sad nor am I exactly disappointed but now it gets me thinking, now what. This goal I’m talking about is becoming the president of Leo Club of PJI. In this one year time I’ll keep improving myself and have everyone acknowledge me as a good president material.

I may not score this time but at least I took the shot. I seek for advises and comments before the nomination, I nominated myself in the election and gave a speech straight from my heart attempting to get more votes. It’s fine that I didn’t get but I’m glad that I tried. I end up getting my second choice of post, vice president. I actually thought about whether or not to accept if I get that post few days before the AGM. I thought about it very long and came to the conclusion that I need it to keep climbing up in position. However, I would’ve rejected any other position other than that two.

In the past, I’ve always wanted to be a vice president but that’s no longer the case today. I no longer want to be number 2. I want to stand on top. I missed this chance, I really don’t know if I’ll ever get a chance again. I actually have different goals set next year but now, maybe I should change them? I guess I’ll have to spend time thinking and reorganize my plans.

Take the shot, you won’t regret it even it’s a miss

Image taken from http://www.theoakbook.com/ArticleImages/2532_LuckyOliver-4685135-blog-firing_gun.jpg

Death

The deaths that happened and the things that people do after them these days made me think about the matter of death. To start off I would like to firstly say that all that’s written here will be based on my own point of view. I will not oppose nor reject any views that any other people have. You have your right to believe what you what but I believe that applies to me as well. So please do not use any religious points against me. Your cooperation is very much appreciated.

I will not talk about what happens after death but I don’t really think that matters. I believe all the ceremonies and all that are done after a person’s death is not for the deceased person but for those who are still living to feel better. Do people actually think about what the deceased person wants? I believe what people want is not for everyone to mourn his death or anything close to that. I believe that they wouldn’t want to be forgotten either. I believe that they would want everyone to remember the great things that the person has done and all the achievements of the individual.

No individual can live forever but one’s actions and achievements or creations can. Let us just take for example Isaac Newton. Without him, there won’t be the 3 laws of motion and those 3 laws led to many new inventions and studies. Up till today after so many years, people still know who he is. In fact, people studies about him. This is exactly the kind of legacy I want to leave behind after my death. I don’t know when I will die, thus I have to climb the highest I can at any point of time. I don’t want people do mourn for me nor do all kinds of fancy things after my death. I want to be cremated, have my ashes dumped into the ocean and people to take some time think about all the good things I’ve done.

It’s not the death that matters, it’s the life

Unexpected

Many things happen beyond our expectation. The picture above is a very good example. Which individual would expect to break their chopstick when using it? I believe none will but that’s what happened when my good friend Tai Kian Min was using it. It really happened beyond the expectation of all 10 people who were around that table. It’s not his fault, but unexpected things like this just happen.

In our daily lives we always encounter unexpected things. We plan schedules and try to follow them but these unexpected happening just happens when we least expect it to and force us to change our schedule. It is right to plan but every plan should accommodate change. Things usually don’t go perfectly according to plan. There are too many factors to consider and it’s almost impossible to consider them all. Which is why, your plan must include the probability of any part of it changing. Just think about it in a bigger scale, I believe you’ll get what I mean.

Every plan should accommodate changes