Learning, Key to A Better Yourself

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Do you continue to learn new things after your education?

“Yay! Finally, I have graduated… I have overcome challenges in these years, it’s time for me to enjoy my life, I will never study anymore.” could be one’s thought after completing the study and looking forward to the next life phase. Eventually, one will find a job and will eventually forget what one learned in college/school. Therefore, is it important for one to attend school/college?

Despite the fact, some people are still studying hard since young for several reasons. Some put their endeavor for getting a ticket to some renowned high schools and universities, some are passionate about certain subjects, while some are because of family or peer pressure. Regardless of what are the reasons, these people will be well-educated and well-prepared to become future working forces in a certain field.

After one has graduated, one will hustle from 9 to 5. After coming back, one is too tired to learn while one may still need to do house chores. After 5 years has passed, one will most likely forget what he/she learned in college/university. If the situation keeps going on, one will likely to remain in the same life quality if there is no significant change for the rest of one’s life. Among these people, some are able to distinguish themselves from others. What makes the differences?

From my personal view, there are two causes why some people could excel in their fields: a greater aim or ambition and keep-learning mentality. To achieve something great, one normally put more effort and time on doing their task. To keep doing something productive, regardless one has the passion or not, one needs to have a motivation or goal to sustain to do the task in a long term. At the moment one is doing something productive for oneself, one will learn something new. Nevertheless, how people will have an ambition or have keep-learn mentality?

As having an aim, it means one has something to achieve. It could be having a new house, it could be getting a promotion, it could be having a good relationship, etc. To achieve it, one needs to set a long term goal. To sustain, one can divide the goal into multiple short term goals. People brains are keen on to the reward system. When one constantly success, one will have a motivation to keep doing things one like and vice versa.

Knowledge is an essential element for increasing our understanding in this world. As knowledge in this world is infinity, one is impossible to understand everything. Keep-learning mentality is important to make one realize that one has insufficient knowledge. When one enjoys learning new things, one will be constantly improving, rather than just meeting up with friends or playing games. In reality, the hardest thing is to start to have the action. If one could execute the action effectively, one will make a difference in oneself life.

“Aim and Learn is the key to change yourself in a better way.”

How do you make a difference?

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Pursue A Life With Options

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Are you able to choose what kind of life you want to live?

In this world, everyone is born and raised up in different situations. One could enjoy their time in a café sitting and reading a novel peacefully, yet another is struggling in the workplace to rush for their deadlines. One could merrily gather with their families every week. At the same time, another hardly spend his/her night with other people because of living far from home. Some people believe that one is live in better conditions than the others, but what makes them think like that?

Wealth may significantly improve one’s lifestyle. As one could obtain things one craves without considering money, one enjoys a lifestyle that let other people envy. One could have social status with the wealth one owns. However, it would come with a trade-off. One needs to sacrifice his time to gain wealth. In reality, most of us spend many years to achieve that. The moment one become rich, one may not have time to enjoy his/her wealth. Do become wealthy make people live happily?

Abundance time should be the answer to have a good life quality. That’s maybe the reason why people urge of craving for holidays and early retirement. One could travel around the world, one can enjoy doing the thing one likes, one could having fun and don’t need to think about school and work. While we sacrifice our times, do we get the life that we wish for?

The emergence of these questions has let one contemplates whether time and money is the essential factor to have a good life. I believe the majority of people is either having one of them, and it is challenging to have both of them. Despite having both of them, does it guarantee that one is happy with it? What makes people have a fulfilling life?

To live a fulfilling life, a person needs to take control of his/her own life. It means that one could choose what kind of life one wants. Sad to say, most people are unable to have options in their lives. In other words, they are unable to choose what kind of life they want to live. One may not stop working because of living expenses, one has to do something that one doesn’t like to survive. It leads to thinking, how to make a life with options?

While we are given opportunities to choose the way of living, try to be decisive. As we have determined what kind of life we want, we will focus our energy towards our ideal lifestyles. Moreover, do not take for granted for any lifestyle that one has currently, as one may not know what downfall one will encounter in the future. The moment that we believe that we are in control of our lives, the moment that we have a more fulfilling life.

“The more options you can choose, the more fulfilling your life is.”

What kind of action you will do to create a fulfilling life?

Habit and Dream

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Is it tough to achieve your dream? If the answer is yes, why?

“In this year, I am going to save money my Europe trip. I hope this year I am going to be a popular artist. I am going to exercise ….” sounds like a typical new year resolution. Most will make these resolutions at the end of the year, but ridiculously most probably none will happen. Why most people make wishes and never achieve it?

In this connected world, we are constantly bombarded by a lot of information. This information, regardless of consciously or subconsciously, will significantly affect our moods, particularly something that we wish we could have. For example, one watches a car review YouTube video. Some people may be tempted and excited to buy a car because of the video. Every day we are fed with a myriad of stuff that is not real for ordinary people (holidays, houses, extravagant lifestyle, etc.).

To attain it, one needs to work hard to make one’s dream come true. However, not all people are unable to achieve their objectives. For example, not all people are going to succeed in their careers, not all people are going to have their dream holidays. Why they couldn’t achieve their dreams?

Habit plays a significant role in achieving dreams. For example, two guys that wish to have good body postures at the end of the year. Both of them have the same conditions initially. Both of them are very enthusiast to go to the gym and do the training in the first month. However, the difference starts appearing when the first guy is trying to continue the work out continuously while another one desperately trying to quit exercising.

As expected, the first guy improves his posture significantly and become more attractive. In contrast, the second guy is unable to fix his posture. The first guy will confidently believe that he can achieve anything that he dreams, while the others ridiculously joking why a dream is a dream. In the long run, there is a significant difference between these two people.

The lack of consistency and meaning may be the reason that people stops pursuing their dream. To have a decent body posture, one needs to work out for at least twice a week. To become a pro guitar player, one needs to continually rehearse. In reality, most people understand what to do in to achieve their dreams, but the one that distinguishes an achiever from the rest is their ability to withstand the boredom and challenges faced. Of course, it is challenging. That’s why meaning is essential to let one keeps going on. With meaning, one can go through any problem steadily in the future.

“Meaning and Consistency are the keys to a good habit and an achievable dream.”

How to pursue your dream so it will become more meaningful?

Family and Personality

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How does your family affect your personality?

Every day we are meeting various people with different actions. One passionately hangs out with acquaintances every night, while one prefers to stay at home to watch a TV show on weekends. One eagerly plays basketball with friends after school, while one enjoys reading a non-fiction book after a tiring day. These actions often infer one’s characters, that will affect what one’s impression towards another.

Some characters are more charismatic and likeable than the others. Based on these characters, there are some positive traits. Passionate, emphatic, easy-going, open-minded are some positive traits that make one more likeable. Some people will value one quality more than another. Here comes with a question, what determines one’s personality?

Family upbringing will bring a vital role in a person’s personality. A kid that has strict and demanding parents are generally polite, reserved, shy, submissive, and not confident. Meanwhile, a kid that has parents that are pampering him/her is typically rude, bossy, active, and confidence. These traits will last with the kids until they have grown up. From how parents treat their children, it will significantly shape how the children behave.

One may argue that it is better to have a personality of the first kid. However, when this kid has grown up, he/she may encounter some serious problems. This kid is likely to be indecisive, shy, and lack of confidence. On the other hand, the rude kid will remain confident and active, although he/she is not likeable. Therefore, there is no right or wrong personality. However, it doesn’t mean that one doesn’t need to improve one’s personality. Then, how to improve one’s character in a family context?

If you are a parent, try to listen to your children for what he/she wants, sometimes your children know what is best for his/her life. Other than that, try not to restrict your children for doing things that they like. It will make your children become an outgoing and open-minded person. If a parent is trying to limit his/her children to do their things, the children will feel that he/she is not in control. In short, try to teach your children while keeping them happy.

If you are a child, try to share with your parents what you want. If they disagree, try to give an argument to your parents in a polite way. Sometimes your parent will have a better view, and the discussion will lead to a better outcome. Moreover, try to talk to your friends because socializing with people is an effective way to improve your social skill. In the end, we need to communicate to shape a good personality.

“Communication is an effective way to shape a positive personality.”

What will you do to shape your children’s personality?

8-to-5, Effective?

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Do you feel you use your time effectively?

On a weekday, wake up at six and come back home at seven seems like a mundane routine for everyone. Unfortunately, it is a task that is done by everyone once one starts to work. It is because of the social norm that is adopted by companies that people need to work from 8 to 5 on a typical weekday, regardless of one has tasks to do or not.

Imagine one day that you need to wake up early to rush into your workplace. After that, you could not focus on doing your tasks because of not enough sleep. Subsequently, you are doing the job slowly, and the task is completed slower than expected. After 5 o’clock, when you are going back to your house, you are contemplating why you are not doing anything and feel you waste your life.

After reaching your home, you are too tired to do anything and finally watching Netflix and not going to do anything other than working. It sounds like a typical working day. If it occurs for an extended period, it will lead to an unattractive and meaningless life, where working is merely for passing the time only. Doesn’t it sound boring? Exactly, but how to solve this problem while one still need to work for survival?

One solution is to reduce the working time and to add the flexibility of working time. One could argue that it may reduce work productivity. However, it will lead to a better result. But how is that possible?

Based on Parkinson’s Law, “Work expands so as to fill the time which is available for its completion.”, it means that most people do their tasks on the given time. Let’s say you are given 5 hours to write a report, most probably you will finish it in 4-5 hours. But if you are given 2 hours to complete a report, you will rush to accmomplish it on time. One could do things faster by setting a deadline for every task that you have done.

To create a win-win solution, an employer should set tasks at the beginning of the day. Meanwhile, an employee will be motivated to do their job as soon as possible, so he/she will finish it faster and go back earlier. It shows that productivity is the same within a shorter working time. Using the additional time, an employee could develop other hobbies, meeting friends, doing sports, etc. It will lead to a happier working life and making life more meaningful.

Yet, this solution doesn’t apply to every single profession. For instance, a waiter that need to serve customers whenever they visit the restaurant, or teacher that need to teach students on the specific time slot, etc.. Therefore, one needs to find an interim solution to increase effectivity. With the solution, the employee will have a wonderful life, and the employer will satisfy with the result.

“Monday will not be boring anymore if you are motivated by what you do .”

What will you do make your work more effective?

Work for Money or Money Work For You?

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In the modern world, money is not only essential not only because it can fulfill one daily needs, but also satisfy one’s desires. Additionally, money is also a symbol of power and social status, where the rich tend to have more power and higher social status. Because the benefit that money could offer, it is reasonable for people to work hard for it, whether it is for survival or desire. Even there are a lot of people toiled day and night, only some people could accumulate significant wealth in their life.

The notable distinction appeared when some privilege people have the time of their life, the others have given their blood, sweat, and tears to survive. There is a distinction despite that both parties have given the same amount of time. One can say that hard work is not the key reason to be rich. Then it leads to a question, what is the reason?

The lack of education should become the reason that some people are poor. As uneducated people tend to have less knowledge, they are less productive than the educated one. On the other hand, the rich are usually have a better education than poor people, where it leads the rich to have greater revenue and a better quality of life. However, is education the only main problem that leads to the difference?

In reality, this solution works if the society is lacked of educated people, where the skill that one learned is rare and give a significant contribution in that particular society. In developed countries, education does not guarantee someone to have a better life quality. As society is getting more competitive, education may only able to fulfill one’s basic need and not enough to make one rich. Therefore, conventional education is not the only cause that distinguishes the rich from the poor.

The most prominent mindset that the rich have is their understanding of money. In another way, they understand how money works. Most lower-class and middle-class do not know how to let money works for them. They are working hard to get a pay, where can be acquired by spending a lot of time working and/or study. With the salary given, it is improbable to fulfill their needs once they stop working.

For the rich, they understand how to create a system to let money work for them. For example, they understand how to make business, invest their money on their business, and hiring people to work for them. Despite the higher risk taken, but rich people do not need to spend a significant amount of time to gain wealth once the system is established.

“Work for money, and let money work for you.”

What will you do to let money work for you?

Freedom, An Illusion or A Reality ?

What is your definition of freedom? Is it the definition that most people defines?

Freedom, a word that everyone could say easily but ironically only a few understand it, has a different definition for everyone. If you are a student, then you may associate freedom for your summer holiday. If you are a worker, then you may think that freedom is to be financially stable. And if you are a parent, you probably want to take a break after taking care of your little Alice for a long period.

The freedom that people generally associates are usually tied with their commitments. For students, their freedoms are depending on their school. For workers, their freedoms are depending on their boss. For parents, their freedoms come when their children go to their school or when they go for a field trip. Moreover, undeniably there is an unmentioned number of examples. However, one may subconsciously rely his/her freedom on other people and circumstances, which is the main problem.

This reliance is a severe issue because most of the times that one consumes is not based on one’s own will. Of course, some exceptional cases are unavoidable, such as going to school or having conscription in certain countries, etc.. However, most people got a chance to choose whatever they want in the future in a certain period, and some of them don’t even aware if they have missed their opportunity. The consequence is they are stuck with their commitments that they must go through whether they like it or not.

From my personal view, there are two main reasons why people are unable to achieve their freedom; misconception of freedom and lack of action. For example, some people are joyful when Friday is coming, that is common. From that example, one can see that they associate holiday as freedom, which is a very dangerous mindset. People generally are working five days a week and have a holiday at the weekend. On the other hand, one only can enjoy freedom two out of seven days in his/her life. Therefore, there is a need to change people’s understanding of freedom.

Being free should be a dream for most people, but only a few are able to attain it. The main reason is when they are given spare times to think about their future, some people do not have clear life paths. It leads to a life without direction. Subsequently, it leads to inconsistent action in their lives. In the long run, some people are successful, and the others are not in society’s standard.

To achieve freedom, one should know that freedom is the ability of a person to choose whatever thing that one wants to do in their life. One should form a clear direction and a good habit that leads to the freedom of one’s life. Otherwise, the chasing of freedom is only a mere illusion. “A good mindset and habit will lead you to freedom, while a bad mindset and habit will lead you to misery.”

Is your current definition of freedom is an illusion or a reality?