writing pad of a schizophrenic insomniac

Life is beautiful when you have meaningful relationship, good health and financial security. True?

An article i read,

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the coffee.A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed."Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided,

"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things- your God, your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions — things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else-the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued,

"there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal."

Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

After reading the article, it struck me that i am a lil bit off on my priorities. For those who are keeping their priorities straight, kudos to you. For those who are not, better start on it if not you going to lose a lot in life.

cheers

I had a work related trip to Brunei last year. It was for a on boarding course for shell new graduate hire.

The course was alright but one thing that make sense to me on Shell Life is the fact that we should listen more and do not interupt people. I never realized that being opinionated and open minded can make you be so annoying because you always want to share your idea. Eventhough you feel that you are having a conversation with a person, you sometimes realize that you are cutting someone from giving out his point when you start questioning him to fill your curiousity. 

So next time, just keep quiet and listen. Let the other person finish his/her sentence before you start yours. =)

"The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them" -Ralph Nichols-

1. a portable digital dictionary
2. ASIC running shoes
3. a good book
4. PSP
5. Ipod Video 30GB
6. a flight ticket to bali/bandung/phuket/koh samui
7. The Complete Calvin and Hobbes hardcover boxset
8. my own OSIM massage chair
9. LASIK eye surgery
10. ………you!?

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.”

The passage above was quoted from the book of Ecclesiaste by King Solomon aka Nabi Sulaiman. The passage comes from a biblical studies that i "stumble" upon and read. They might have the same equivalent passage in islamic literature.

No matter if the passage comes from the quran or the bible, it gave me a refreshing perspective of how i should act daily and how i should perceive my predicaments and blessfull gifts in life.

There is always season for everything. So, just bare with hardship as it will pass or be grateful of what you have as you will not have it forever. We should also know how to pick the right time to do or not to do an action.

Overall, nothing is certain in life other than death and paying tax.

I am gratefull that i live in the season of ‘peace’ in malaysia. =) Hopefully this season will stay long. Maybe not forever but as long as it possibly can.

interesting note (or not): the passage was quoted by Ian Parsley, leader of the Democratic Unionists, the dominant party among Northern Ireland’s Protestants during the northern ireland devolution ceremony yesterday. The devolution is the start of re-establishing a power-sharing local authority of once implacable foes. A centuries long season of war between the nationalist and unionist ended when everyone understand that you can never get 100% of what you want. Hopefully the peace they have now will last for centuries to come.

a wise man said once, " because of time, humans are at lost"

i am an adult now. when did that happen?

I see you as this princess that is sitting in a horse carriage going through the beautiful parade through the town and i am just one of the commoner in the parade standing by the street seeing and admiring you from a far.

by munir sulaiman

One of the great problems throughout the ages has been that too many of us try to force our opinions on others, implying that we cannot be wrong. This leaves little room for self- improvement and throws a roadblock in the path of success. Imagine ten of the greatest living painters seated at a round table painting an apple in the center of the table. Each will paint the apple differently because each sees the apple differently. It is the same with opinion. Beliefs are different depending on many factors of birth and environment, and we color opinion by these factors.

The tragedy of being opinionated is that it prevents growth, progress, and self-fulfillment. It implies perfection; and since no one can be perfect at all times, it is a foregone conclusion that the opinionated person — in defending his weakness — will be unhappy and isolated. What can you do to prevent being opinionated? You can make it your business to listen, to hear the thoughts of others. You might be wrong in your opinion, and then you must have the capacity to make a worthwhile change.

Being opinionated is a negative trait, open-mindedness is a constructive trait. The first leads to failure and isolation, the second to success and friendship. You can stop being opinionated by stretching out your hand of friendship to others, by learning from others, by realizing that others have the same rights as you, that all of us came into this world to succeed and not to fail. You can thus reactivate the success mechanism within you instead of holding on to a failure trait.

Remember the words of James Russell,
"The foolish and dead alone never change their opinion."

i"When I was growing up,I thought that we are united,When I’m all grown up,I realized that we are actually divided."

There is truth in that statement. If only the next generation will not experience the same environment. How can we change this?