What’s in a Book?

How many times have you picked up a book  that you thought would be nice, because that’s what you have been told, only to know after reading it thoroughly that the book is not what you think, or what others say it is. A lot of times, I can tell you, because this happen to all of us, almost everyday.

The amount of books and law reports one has to read to do well in LLB

 We meet someone new, and we judge them immediately, and vice versa. Our judgment depends on a lot of factors, which includes people’s opinion on that person, whether the person look and act presentable or not among others.

Meeting people and getting to know them is like choosing and reading a book. Hence, it is cliche to say, “don’t judge a book by its cover“.

A book may have a shiny and glossy cover, but only to disappoint its reader with distorted facts, bad plots, or tasteless humour. We all know how misleading a book sypnosis can be. 

The same can be said about people. We might perceive someone as being friendly, good-natured and nice intitially, only to discover how nasty that person can be.

And of course, like books, we have variety when it comes to people; comedy (the funnyman), fantasy (the dreamer), science (geeks), history (erm…old people who start their conversations with” when i was young..”, sports (the jocks).

I have “read” my shares of “books” like all of you. There was one book that I thought was funny and refreshing, but it turned out to be narrow and ”thick”. There was another which I thought was boring and dry, but was actually enlightening.

Like reading a book, we should take our time to get know someone, before jumping to any conclusion. If we give in to the urge to flip to the last page of a book, we might never know the wonderful stories contained in that book. While it is sometimes a pain to read page by page and word by word, it is important that we appreciate the work of the author behind the book, and the reasons the conclusion was made as such.

Remember, inside all of us is a book, a story of our lives and who we are, a story that is slowly unfolding to the people around us day by day as they read us page by page. The impression that we create are all like book covers, it is superficial. 

What kind of book are you?

Ignorance – Some Twisted Logic

There is an old saying that ignorance is a bliss. Perhaps I need to live in ignorant to have such blissful life; living an ignorant and simple life, that might be the solution to whatever that has been troubling me.

Perhaps if I am more ignorant to other people’s feelings and needs, than I will make my own needs a priority. Perhaps if I am more ignorant of the things that are happening around me, I will have more time devoted to myself. Perhaps if I am ignorant about the intracacies of life, than I will have less to worry about. Everything will seem well for me, if I am ignorant.

So I ask myself, why am I not ignorant? Of all the bliss ignorance can give me, why do I chose not to be ignorant?

How wonderful isn’t it, to be able to sit calmly in the midst of chaos because you do not even recognise such chaos.

So, here is the twisted logic; the more you know, the more you worry, and the less likely you are going to have a life. The lesser you know, the happier you are, and you will end up having a simple life, but at least you have one. Well of course people will say you are stupid by being ignorant, but it won’t affect you anyway, because you are ignorant too as to what people think about you.

Yup. That’s life.

Death

Once upon a time, there lived a prince who was said to be destined to be either a great king or a great spiritual leader. His father, the King, fearing that his son will walk down the spiritual path shielded him from the suffering of the world and showered him with great luxury. One day, the prince decided to venture out of his palace to observe his subjects. Along his journey, he saw an aged man, a sick man, a corpse and an asetic. He returned to his palace, disturbed by what he has seen. The prince left the palace the very night, and started his journey to enlightenment. That prince was to become Gautama Buddha. Through the Middle Way, Buddha found peace and clarity of mind. He sought to move away from the extremes. He found enlightenment, and achieved Nirvana six years after the beginning of his journey.

In his last words before he entered the state of Nirvana, he said;

“Behold O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your salvation Do your best,”

And he left the world, where he no longer has to go through rebirth. He no longer has to experience death.

All men fear death, for death takes everything away from men. I fear death. One my journey to college this morning, there was one elderly couple who were discussing about their sickness. In the cafetaria just now, I spoke to a lecturer of mine, who just one month ago was hospitalised for a life-threatening condition. The elderly couple and the lecturer; they look so frail and fragile. They remind me that as strong one can be, we all cannot escape the cycle of life; birth, ageing, sickness and ultimately, death. 

Enjoy our life while we still can; but the more we enjoy our life, the more we want to cling on to our life isn’t it?

I am still on a quest to understand Buddhism. I feel at peace the most when I am in Buddhist temple, and nowhere else. But I find myself not brave enough to accept the impermanence of everything, especially life. I feel like clinging on this life forever.

A Message from the Dude Up There

I just got an e mail from God:

________________________

Dear Chiew Ee,

Congratulations! You have been chosen as one of my few candidates for “Changing Your Life Programme”. You might have not realised this, but we have actually observed your performance since your move from Sabah, and you have passed all those preliminary tests we have dished out to you with flying colours.

Hence, we are offering you this wonderful opportunity to change your life. If you made it through this round, you will never have to worry about your future anymore. You will have a lucrative career ahead of you with the leadership skills, and all other knowledge you will gain out of this programme. There is no saying no by the way. as you have signed up for the programme one year ago when you decided to read law.

For your information, this programme has been tailor-made for you, just as it is for everyone else. No two people go thorugh the same programme. In order for you to successfully complete this programme, you will only need to complete a few simple tasks. Now, don’t worry. It’s as simple as ABC.

But there’s a catch. You will not get any holiday for the next two years. Your life will revolve around lectures, classes, tutorials, meetings and meetings, and did I mention assignments? You will have to spend lesser time with your family, and cut down on futsal and football.

You have just got your first mission, the Rotaract Club last year. All is well for the Club, but you still have half a year more to go as the President, remember that. You have also done well in your first year exams, and that vindicated our faith in you. But, you will have to do more, and work harder in order to pass this programme.

Your next mission is the two moot court competitions you will be involved in. Worry not. As it was in Rotaract, we have given you wonderful people to work with. You cannot fail. Do not forget also one of your main mission this year is to score your Part 1. The ball is in your court now.

At this juncture, remember that

For many are called, but few are chosen, Matthew 22:14

You are the chosen one. Only you can change your life.

With much love,

God

__________________

So I said yes. Not like I have any choice. The opportunity is just too good to let it pass by. Thank you, God.

p/s: I picked up the line from the Bible when I was in St John Cathedral for a tour with Mummy Irene and Brother Bong.

Some Thoughts Worth Sharing

…with myself..and you

STRENGTH is something more of mental than physical. It is something you can draw from the people around you.

THE WORLD does not revolve around you. There are problems that are bigger than yours. There are people who are in a worst situation than you.

DISCIPLINE is an acquired skill and needs a lot of practice.

TIME is not a state of mind, it is real, and time does not stop for anyone.

PROCASTINATION is the worst devil in you.

YOUR worst enemy is yourself.

PERFECTION is not always ideal. By being imperfect, you will always have something to strive for.

GOD is not meant to solve your problems, so don’t blame Him when things go wrong. He can only guide us, and give us STRENGTH.

ENJOY whatever you are doing. It is with that spirit will you find a meaningful life.

ONE step at a time, and you will reach the peak of the mountain eventually.

PATIENCE is more than a virtue, it should be a way of life. 

SUCCESS will mean nothing if there is no one up there standing beside you.

Busy Bee

I am enjoying my life now. It sounds crazy to some people who know me, as I am super busy almost 24/7. Apart from having to keep in tabs with my studies, assignments and case studies, I have to juggle my time with the extra-curricular activities I am involved in.

But, I still have much improvements to do in terms of juggling my tasks (like stop being forgetful). To cope with this super-busy schedule, I have gotten myself a new PDA

Coming up next in my life?

The Lawasia Conference 2008 from 28th October to 1st November in Kuala Lumpur Conevntion Centre

I can’t wait for it!

On a side note, I am actually looking forward to the day when we evolve to the level where we do not sleep anymore.

Happy Deepavali

Learning Curve

Life has truly been a learning curve for me of recent months. It has been so enriching, yet stressful and depressing at times. As I sit here contemplting how life has been treating me for these few months, I must say it is far from what I desire life to be. Perhaps these are the challenges that I need to face, before I can achieve what I see as a desired life.

Indeed, some lessons are just so hard to learn.  Lessons like trusting people to do their work and trusting people to honour their promises. Trust, is a creature that exists in symbiosis with risk. You risk many things once you start trusting people. But like every other risks, this risk can be rewarding. I would say it is a risk worth taking at times. Unfortunately, I have taken some wrong steps at times in recent months by trusting the wrong people, and with each realisation of the mistakes, I have added another lesson to my learning process.

But the biggest lessons of all I have learned is about good leadership and good governance. A good leader is not measured by the amount of accolades he or she gets, but by the amount of accolades his or her team gets. A leader who focuses too much on self-glorification will lose his or her way. Such leader has forgot what makes him or her a successful and good leader, the team, the people working behind the scenes.

It is often said that a good leader must have a sound judgement. True as it may be, we must always remember that a good leader must be non-judgmental at times. It is important to give people a benefit of a doubt, and not to judge some people without knowing them well. This is another lesson to be included into my “book on life”, to not judge a book by its cover, or its contents. Sometimes, there are more things to consider than the book and its content, like your own book and your book’s contents.

The value of teamwork, is something I have learned also in tough times. Everyone has their own niche in the society, and this is the epitome of team work. This “niche” concept is the very concept that should be applied in all organisations.

I appreciate that in this materialistic world, there are still people who will be willing to do favours without asking for anything in return. Ironic it maybe, that by not asking for anything in return, these people are actually set to gain something valuable, something that no amount of money in this world can buy. Friendship, experience, maturity, good karma :P, and of course, TRUST.

I have learned from these people, and it is because of them I aspire to be better than what I am, or who I am now.

Pay It Forward

Today, someone I barely know did me a huge favour for my Rotaract Club’s upcoming charter celebration and installation. Indeed, lately, I have been receiveing a lot of kind deeds from various people, and the most amazing thing is that these people do not expect anything back in favour of their help. It troubles me a lot that they do not expect aything in return, because I am the kind of person who will not rest well if I owe anyone a favour.

So how do you repay the kindness of people who do not want anything in return? This brings me to this very interesting concept called, “pay it forward”, inspired by the book “Pay It Forward” written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, which was subsequently adapted in the 2000 movie starring Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment.

For every favour I received, instead of repaying the deed, I am encouraged to pay it forward to another three people. That three people, meanwhile would each has to pay the deeds I have given them forward to another three people and it goes on.

I must admit, in today’s materialistic world, this is not a practice that everyone will be willing accept. But a quick Google search revealed that this concept has a huge following, and they even have an official website for the Pay It Forward Movement.

It’s amazing how this concept can touch the life of so many people. I guess sometimes, life is not all about making profit out of everything. Perhaps those whom I am indebted too are all, sub-conciously, members of this Pay it Forward movement. These people have indeed inspired me to do the same thing, to help others without asking for something back.

Being the usual part-time idealistic person, I shall initiate the Pay It Forward spirit around me. So my friends, the next time I do you a favour, please do pay it forward. Let’s make this world a better place to live in!

Me, The Theorist

1. Theory of Time

Time travelling is not possible. However, we can look straight into the past, almost at every instant. Assuming, that you are looking at a man walking ten meters in front of you, you are actually looking at something that has already happened miliseconds or nanoseconds ago, and not something at present time. We see objects because light bounces off the object. So, while the man is walking in present time, it takes time for the light to bounce off as light travels at a speed of 299 792 458 m/s. So, by the time the light really reaches you, you are actually looking at an event that has happened nanoseconds ago.

So yes, man can see the past! 

2. Theory of Civilization

Billions of years ago, even before the age of Jurassic, there exist a civilization, not unlike the human civilization. A major catasthrophe striked and wiped out any traces of the existence of this civilization. The destruction of this civilization paved way to the rise of the our ancestor’s civilization, and evolution led to this current human civilization.

 

3. Theory of God

A controversial theory maybe. There is only one God, not your God, not my God, but our God. We are all praying to the same God. It is just that the way we profess to this God is different, and this difference is defined by our different religions.

 

4. Theory of Attraction

Rhonda Byrnes in The Secret wrote about the law of attraction, that what we think is what we will get as our thoughts create energy that attracts like energy. So, if you want desire something, you have to focus your thoughts to that desire; in other words – no negative thinking.

I was reading The Secret halfway before concluding that the principles in that book is not something that we don’t know. It is about generating a positive environment by using positive words and thoughts.

Think of this; if I ask you “not to think of elephant”, your mind will subconsicously think of an elephant. So, if i said, “do not disregard me”, the word disregard will operate in your mind, and sure enough, the chances of you disregarding me is higher. Instead’, I should be telling you to, “listen to me”, and you subconscious mind will focus on; the word “listen. Of course, this is again just a theory, which is not supported by any empirical research

 

5. Theory of Choice and Chance

I am still sore, thanks to Mr. Luck. Recent happenings have made me consider whether there is any truth in the maxim of “life is a choice, not a chance”. Because everything around me now seems to have happened by chance. So, what determines the fact that one is more lucky than the other?

It is the chicken or the egg dilemma here. Do you make the right choice, and then get the right chance; or do you get the right chance, and then make the right choice. You are confused, and so am I.

My conclusion is that chance and choice are both dependant on each other. You can only have the chance to make a good choice if you have the chance; and you can only have a good chance if you make a good choice. (Gosh I love to be complicated and confusing  )

Perfectly Imperfect

In Star Trek, there was a pseudo-race known as Borg that assimilate other inter-galactic species in an attempt to achieve perfection. In that sense, many of us are like Borg too. Many of us try to assimilate other people’s style and manner in an attempt to be perfect.

We are all guilty of wanting to be like someone else at some point in our lives as we feel that that person has a perfect life, and is a perfect person. We sometimes ask ourselves, “Why can’t I be more like her? She is so perfect!”.

Perfection is however, a fluid concept. What amounts to perfect? It is therefore ironic that this whole concept of perfection is imperfect in itself. We can never achieve a perfect description of what is perfect. If being perfect means being like everyone else, and having the knowledge of everyone, it means death to individuality, which in itself is imperfect. If perfection is ever achieved, it will mean that we will no longer have something to strive for, no goals to live for.

The Borg’s dominance in Delta Quadrant was finally put to an end by Captain Janeway in the final episode of Star Trek: Voyager. This shows that one can never achieve perfection, as there will always be someone who is better than you in one way or another.

I shall then embrace my imperfections. I treasure the chaos in the midst of my orderly life. I am thankful for my forgetfulness and swinging temper. I am glad that I am imperfect, because without it, I am not me, the perfectly imperfect me.