Good Heed

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97,

Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis or reliable then my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice....now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind, you won't understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded, but trust me in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind: the kind that blindsides you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts; don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive; forget the insults. (if you succeed in doing this, tell me how).

Keep your old love letters; throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of Calcium. Be kind to your knees -- you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40; maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body: use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it; it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance...even if you have no where to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions (even if you don't follow them).

Do not read beauty magazines; they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents; you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings: they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but that a precious few should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps and geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old; and when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse, but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you are 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of wishing the past from the disposal--wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

all gone, just like that... 1:46 AM

Tinker

It's been close to 2 weeks since I last turned on my computer. Nothing much I missed actually...

These 2 weeks I have been put through great mental stress by the Specialist Enhancement Program (SEP). But I must say that it is a great course as many of what is being taught can be applied to much of our daily life and there are alot of self improvement factors in it if you really know how to utilize and catch the juice of it. Very fruitful.

Something I would like to share with everyone out there, to let you guys ponder for your future. Like my past post, I asked "What is your purpose in life?"

Idle Dreams → choose → Vision → operate → Objectives / Goals
(purpose & value)

Many of us have many dreams. When you were young, who or what do you dreamt of becoming when you grow up? What do you want to achieve before you die? Of all the many dreams you may choose 1 to be your Vision (of course it must be realistic), but before even you decide, you must ask yourself what is the purpose & value of that choice. Many people only made it up to this point as sometimes their Vision seems impossible for them to survive in this material world when they think about it again...

I know its always easier said then done. But. There is a Creative Tension Model (adapted from Robert Fritz, 1989, The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life) that explains even more clearly about how to achieve your Vision. And when I am mentioning these kind of theory or references, typical people will tends to switch off and shun away, but seriously after going through all these tools & frameworks, I find myself so much enlighten. It helps you to analyse and breakdown so many things that you don't see in your life. Now that I know how to use them, I must constantly remind myself to put it to great use.

all gone, just like that... 12:56 AM

Sty or Style?

All my shipments have arrived...

I am busy clearing up. I can't stand mess. But it is up to a state that I have got no idea where to start cleaning up from. Argh... I must be determined to do up my room as soon as possible. I hope that I will be pleased with my work of style...

all gone, just like that... 10:15 PM