Warning: this is a serious post and a long one indeed

I never really told anyone why i decide to extend my studies.

My usual answers to my prof: I have a passion for research, wahaha and they believe me. (Not the sense of satisfaction that the research paper would get an award, but the nature of research, bcos it's otot- own time own target,I really really like this alot, so you see i'm not really lying to them.)

My usual answers to my friends: I don't like to work. They think that i'm just trying to 逃避现实 . But i secretly think otherwise.

Peixian was the first person to know the underlying reason behind this decision. Sadly, she doesn't appreciate my stand. She told me that she's very sad recently bcos all her friends earns alot but with her peanut(i din mean to insult pea,really) paycheck, she needs 15 years in order to put a downpayment for a posh condo at nassim road. She tells me that since young she always know that she will be rich even though she duno how. And she says all the billionaire quoted that in their book that they know they will be rich. But I wanted to tell her that millions and millions of participants for American Idol also says that since young, they know they will be a star, but only one can make their dreams come true. But I didn't want to shatter her dreams. Instead, I told her that I'm very contented with the allowance each mth and I shared with her the underlying reason to extend my research studies, but she looked sadly at me with pity that I have drawn myself to such a low end. I have always thought that we take the same stand in life but i guess I have changed my perspective while she has strengthen hers. I really really hope that she will make it big one day, bcos she's a great girl by nature and I dun like my friends to be sad.

My motiviation came from this book called: The monk and the riddle. I din read the whole book but i think i got the gist of the book. Rich dad recommend this book, so i guess it should have been some motivation books on the route to money freedom, but ironically, it had a reverse effect on me.

My holy Bible

In this book, the author emphasis that we humans always split their life into two parts: the first part is before we retire. During this period, we will work our ass off to earn buckets of money (anyway, do they count money like this?). Minimum time and allowance is given to do the things they enjoyed during this period. Recall how many times, we tell ourself that we will give ourself a break soon after all the work is done and that 'soon' never really came. After reading this book, I reflected on my life and i realised that I would have leave my life in vain should I leave this world at the moment. Because for all my life, I'm too caught up with my studies and work and thinking of how to be richie rich so that I can retire at 40 and then enjoy all the things i want to. But the truth is, I may not leave past 40, i may or may not. The point is that we shouldn't split our life into two parts, cos *touch wood but you never know where the ending is. Xu wei lun's incident strengthen this belief of mine, I hope she has read this bk also and made it part of her life motto. Anyway, personally i think she has not live her life in vain cos there's so many people that loved her and will always do and her death has woken up so many people whom previously think they got all the time in the world.

And so I decide to incorporate things that I enjoy doing into my everday life. I learnt new skills that I thought I would only have learnt when I retired. I told pea I wanted to make use of these two years to enjoy the things i want to do, she says i'm only doing one at the moment, i think she's refering to my keyboard class. Haha doing things that I like doesn't mean just taking up new courses. It can be anything I want actually, so long as it makes me happy, it even includes the opportunity to take a nap, watch more tv and playing with Bagel. The point is to be happy and this to me is living life to the fullest. Cramping all your timetable with classes and activites is merely making people think that you are living your life to the fullest, but if it makes you happy, then go ahead. If not, then do something about it. There's no point in achieving alot through other people's eyes, when in fact you are not enjoying what ure doing.

My dear friend,

This post is not to urge you to quit your job tomorrow, haha. Neither am I encouraging you to become a nun to serve people's welfare or to sign up for voluntary mission to the third world countries. (but you can go if it makes you happy,haha) Rather, I hope that out of your busy schedule, each of you would spend more time doing things you enjoy, just anything that you like even if to other people, it can be rather meaningless stuffs. Bcos it is your life, so you define it the way you want it to be- this to me is living life to the fullest. Yo, i hope each of us can post and share our perspective in life so that we can learn and help each other attain a new high level at every period of our life.