Wednesday, December 31, 2008

总结篇 - 完结

Ok, first of all, I'm back! From 10days of solo travelling in Pai (Northwest Thailand). I'll blog abt that next year..

2nd, I had intended this to be a trilogy, with 一部曲,二部曲,完结。But lazy bug hit me, and well, forget it, juz end it now! Why prolong it into 3 parts when u can do it in 2! & it wouldnt be in all chinese (like the 1st), it'll mainly be in English.

So I had sorta summed up my 2008 in the 1st series, now I'll talk abt the future! Yes, resolutions! Hah, I've not been one for setting resolutions, cos well most of the time, we don't stick to it! So y set it when u forget abt it later. Also, tt doesnt mean I'm aimless. This little brain of mine contains tremendous amt of information, thots, and ideas tt r hidden most of the time, but will come overflowing at the opportune time. So when the opportunity arises, the brain will click & tada! That idea/goal/thot will b fulfilled! So it's not like i have no resolutions, i just don write it down in black & white, properly defined.

Thanks to the edification provided by tks, i realised tt it actually helps to write it down, so tt u go thr the motion of seeking to fulfil those desires, goals more fervently. Gives u more motivation to search for more, to really do what u want! So here I am, writing down my resolution! I spent the past 10days while holidaying, to reflect on my life past & ahead, n came up with the following goals/objectives! Alot of them r not juz to be achieved in 2009, rather they're for constant improvements & learning, to be achieved consistently thr'out the years, & not juz stop at 2009. I rather prefer it tt way than to set one thing for 1 year!

So here we go!

1. Invest more time in my love for baking.
I love to bake. I find it theraupeutic. However, I don normally eat what I bake, it's just tt the time n effort put into making those produces make u appreciate the outcome rather than savouring them. I've ignored tt passion of mine for the past yr, for some reason I can't explain. Maybe I just lost the interest. Instead, it sparked the interest in my little sis! I've only baked twice this year, n I want to do more often in the coming year!! Starting with 1 Jan 09, my ever famous choc chip cookies!

2. Maintain my health & fitness
Proud of myself this year for achieving the best fitness I ever had achieved! I've dedicated myself more seriously to exercising for toning & fitness & I'm happy with the results so far! I've grown much stronger & fitter, & I believe I have more room to grow! My goal for the coming year is to become toner & fitter! To lose those still remaining flabby arms & tone up the core muscles. I haven been sick for a long long time, & the feeling is great!

3. More responsibility for my job
1 yr has passed in my new job. Happy so far with the work, colleagues & boss. Work environment has been really great! For the coming year, I want to work even harder. To learn more abt the tactics & art of internal auditing. I have yet to fully grasp tt concept. I want to be taken more seriously & take my job more seriously. No more 'swimming' ard & see how things go. I need to be more proactive & excel!

4. Challenge myself with 10km run
Haha, this is actually very simple to achieve, but my main problem is the lack of motivation from lack of kaki! No one to train with me makes me NOT want to take part. Actually i've alwayz had the idea of doing a mini triathlon, but have yet to take tt step cos no kaki. Of cos it would be great to be able to achieve it. So any kaki interested?? 10km run or mini triathlon?

5. Improve communication with my family
This is my achilles heels. I admit, it hasnt improved much over the years. Just when I thot it improved, somehow it fell back to grd zero again. Maybe it's the way we were brought up, daddy being the ultimate head of the family, making all the decisions, making him alot less approachable & creating an invisible barrier. Maybe it's gota do with his character & personality, always wanting things to be done his way, & not too receptive to other pple's ideas. SOmehow, it prevents us from really talking to him abt matters of the hearts or even work. But over the years, I can feel tt he has mellowed abit. Maybe it's not tt hard to get thr. I just have to try. N i resolve to do more on my part!

6. Pay more attention to the process of reaching the goal, rather than focusing too much on the goal itself.
This is sth I want to change & improve. Alot of times, I get too focused in reaching the ultimate goal tt along the way, I missed out on the joy of the process or the nitty gritty information tt may come from the process of reaching the goal! It makes me less attentive to the surroundings. Alot of times, I become too focused tt I missed out on fun! I miss out on spotting friends, I miss out on stopping to enjoy the scenery on the way to the destination, I miss out on just understanding the environment ard me. I think in this age, alot of us become too goal-centric tt along the way, we juz choose to ignore whatever comes our way tt either assist or hinder our path. It's a pity cos sometimes (of alot of times), this is the time when we could discover gems! On my recent trip in Pai, I did a whole day of cycling, aimed at reaching certain destinations in record time (i.e. b4 night falls). Along the way, there were times when I wanted to juz get on with it rather than stop to enjoy the scenery, but the emotional side of me persuaded otherwise. I thot time off the cycling, breaking my momentum to enjoy the mountains, rice fields along the way. It was then tt i realised, the place is so beautiful! Reaching the destination was fulfilling, but taking time to enjoy the scenery along the way was way more rewarding!

7. Learn a new skill/enhance a current one
活到老学到老. I believe we have to constantly nourish our minds to remain current and active. However, as we get older, we become more resistant to learning new things. So instead of learning a totally new concept, why not improve a current one! I would love to try blading again, but of cos I need a patient enuff teacher. While cycling in Pai, I kept cursing along the way, on why I cldnt ride a motorbike (would have made my life abit easier), or y i wasn't a better mountain biker. Maybe it's time I improve my cycling skills!

8. Conquer the sky
Ok, this one, maybe not in 2009. But it's sth in my mind tt I wish to accomplish. I've done the sea, mountain, left with the sky. Have to do tt to complete the cycle! It's a matter of conquering tt fear of jumping into nth-ness. It's like committing suicide. Who likes tt feeling! But once u'r off, u juz feel lightness & greatness. It's sth tt can be conquered.

9. Travelling
You don't think i'll leave out travelling ya.. No way, I like travelling. Even tho i travel alot for work, it's always different when u do it for leisure! The joy, excitment, adventure & experience u gain from each travel r unmeasurable! The world is so big, & we'r only a tiny dot each!

10. Live a simple life
Not tt I'm living a complicated life. But simplicity itself is a beauty! 简单就是美。Alot of times, pple think tt by piling on lots of articifial coverings or superficial stuff, it makes life so much more glamorous & great. Yes it may be glamorous, but underneath all those coverings, u may not be truly happy! Look at those Hollywood stars. They have e'rything u can only dream of, but u hear stories of them down with depression, ugly breakups, lonely hearts. Things tt u thot shld never happen to them, but they do! Their lives have been complicated by the scrutiny of the media & pple ard the world tt makes it difficult for them to be themselves, to truly njoy life, to truly seek what brings happiness! I was staying at the village huts for one night during my trip. They had nth extravagant. Maybe only tt of solar powered lights for the night. Other than tt, no electricity, tv or computers. No stoves, no proper sanitation, not even a proper bed! But u look into their eyes, & u see tt they'r truly satisfied with their lives! They don complain. Their lives r not complicated by the materialistic outside world. It's true tt they don have much money, but they don really care tt much! They have their farms to take care of, their rice fields. They'r happy as long as they hv enuff rice to feel the mouths. Who cares of grade A or B rice! We see children running ard, in torn tattered clothes, no shoes, N they r truly beaming with happiness the way they r!

Sometimes, we need to take a step back & look at ourselves. We r really lucky! We have e'rything. I am lucky to be born in Singapore, where we have no natural disasters, where the govt is good & no political turmoil. We don nd tons of money, juz enuff to survive. 知足常乐。Do we really need Prada/Gucci bags to make us happy? Yes, good to have, but tt kinda happiness is short lived. We should be happy n grateful tt we r living!

Wow, 10 resolutions sound like alot, but well they'r not meant to be achieved in just a snap of the fingers. Most of them r long term goals. Well some of u may say, 'hey what about finding a bf' or 'getting married'. Duh, those r not resolutions. Those r defined by fate, & not by force. If it comes it comes. And when it really does come, grab hold of tt opportunity real tight & not let go. Sometimes, u'll only regret when u lose it, n it'll b too late when tt happens.

Wow, it's 20mins past 12midnight! It's the new year!!!! Happy new year to all!!

Yes, I'll blog abt my Pai adventure later the week. 1st thing to do, bake my famous choc chip cookies when I wake up later in the day.

Till then, maybe love n peace be with all of u. Pursue ur dreams & nvr look back!

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