The Tides Are Turning

 no expectations, no disappointments...

The common man has little to nil aspirations, preferring to get by with minimal disruptions 

Living hand to mouth isn't a problem; it's minimalist survival

What is most destructive is lockdown & restrictive movements during COVID

Worse, those non-vax or unable-to-vax (for whatever reasons, including medical) are 'controlled digits' & access and movements made more inconvenient  

Where is the respect for freedom of choice & citizen's rights? Afterall vax doesn't provide absolute immunity except it's less impactful if the virus strike? Relieve their burdens instead of dictating a "MUST" vax or...

Human are social animals; they need to move around, travel (tribes) & explore

The less expectations you have, the less disappointment you will get

Everything that you receive is a blessing as every bad event is a passing

COVID has made uncertainties more uncertain but many impossible(s), possible

The new normal will be eBase solutions, with minimal contacts

Human feels threatened when the unknown become widespread but are bent on control & domination when opportunities present

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely

However, every political thoughts & practitioners start with an ideal - the desire to fight for equality, fairness, care & share with the downtroddens & less fortunate

Like many, I am apolitical

But, I believe in fairness, equality, respect, care & share, integrity and 'an honest day's work'

We are but a passing visitor on Earth & shalt leave when our obligations are done & delivered

I have no bitter aftertastes of being betrayed, set-up or ostracized, disappointed though

Well, Karma will visit & return to those who sowed 'destruction'

How far can stock markets rise? Will it collapse? Different markets perform differently ; it boils down to expectations

Wall Street has been rising for years & rebounded with every deep corrections; DJIA, S&P 500, Nasdaq are trading near all-time high    

Japan did not recover to surpass the all-time high (38,915 in December of 1989) before the collapsed in 1991; on February 15, 2021, the Nikkei average breached the 30,000 benchmark, its highest level in 30 years

The China Shanghai Composite Stock Market Index reached an all time high of 6124.04 in October of 2007; it's hovering around 3,528 points

The Hang Seng Index reached an all time high of 33484.08 in January of 2018. Today, it hung around 25,523

The Singapore STIndex reached an all time high of 3906.16 in October of 2007. As at current, it's trading at 3,099

The Thai stock market index made all-time high on the first trading day of 2018, closing at 1,778.53 points; today's index is 1,628

Noticeably, only the US stock market is trending at/near all time high, while the Asian-centric markets are still largely a distance away as stock markets are not homogeneous

Smart money finds save heaven & US has consistently proven itself to be an investment heaven

We are at end August, entering September ...the knacks of a market collapse (sharp swings), typically Sep/Oct period, is heightened

Take you winnings early before being windswept away

A healthy stock market is a good indicator of prosperity ... we/all know Asia didn't enjoy much prosperity lately

The tides are turning

The erratic environment, bathe with mutant virus spread, is putting a stop to social & economic activities but all shall pass in due course

There is nothing to celebrate now but it pays to stay alive & healthy as good days are around the corner

For Yourself, By Yourself

slow down in uncertainty & enjoy the view...

Man sets dateline and milestone to accomplish goals, often chasing his goals at the expense of his health

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished - Lao Tzu

There is a time for everything but Man seeks to expedite his achievements at any costs

天时地利人和 there is an opportune time where the dream crystalizes

Lockdowns, closing of international borders, clipping the wings of aeroplanes, ports closure... almost total paralysis of the global system

Man are caged in for their own safety and the ecosystem cleans up

Nature reclaim her prominence and bloom

Man should live simply and not hoard resources by eliminating non-essentials

If you buy what you don't need, someday you will discover that you cannot exchange them for what you need

The rush to achieve & display of 'wealth & achievements' are vanity, not wisdom

Our need to prove to others is our achilles heel & a vain temptation

I have been looking at how to slow down my life? But, now, I realized it's not the slowing down that creates frustration and disruption. It's my desire to achieve & prove to "the world" that I can

Frankly, nobody pays any attention to me nor what I'm doing, not least to talk about achievements

If you're gone tomorrow, at most some will visit your wake & a few will send you off on your final journey; missing you is an absolute no, NO

I am awakened

I will not indulge in vanity nor hollow illusions

I will do whatever I deemed necessary to discover my routes toward my goals & ignore the glare of unwanted attention

路是人走出来的 - 条条大路通罗马

We came alone & shall return alone - life is a lonely journey

There is no need to rush as we run towards death; our ultimate end point

Let me do whatever I want or thought that that's what I want as life, like water, water never flows backwards

I am not slowing down but making every steps count, minus vanity & seeking disillusions

I have to satisfy myself, love myself before I can go to the world like a loose canon of magnanimity

Nobody cares if I make it or not but I must start to live for myself today & NOW

Every seconds become minutes, turning into hours and days - & they are all mine to dispose

I have lost much time idling, seeking vanity & shooting in the dark

Today & now I AM AWAKENed

 

Happiness Is A Living Thing

 resurrect happiness ...

Happiness lies within - live & breathe it

Anyone can make you unhappy but you can choose to ignore & not receive it

The ecosystem is not almighty but does influence plausible outcomes

Humans are emotional animals & the emotive monster within must be managed & controlled

If not disciplined, life can be very disruptive &  challenging

Man can give up his kingdom for a beauty but the beauty can twist & twiddle the Man on her little finger

The world will never be equal; equality of the genders is a fairy tale

If they preached that Heaven is so good then why didn't they leave for the destination asap? Heaven is only a slogan for happiness

Live your best when others live worst is happiness; the ability to ignore unexpected challenges that affect all - when it's everybody's problem, it's no more a problem

We cannot make everyone happy but when you/we are happy, the world smiles back

Money, fame and power do not necessarily bring happiness; they help though

However, magnanimous and helpful you are, expect nothing in return - there is much pains waiting for appreciation

A moody, disgruntled, frustrated, dissatisfied and unmotivated Soul cannot breathes the blessings of/from Heaven

Happiness is the spark in the lighthouse - the light that leads ships away from shallow waters & troubles

The power of Faiths and beliefs lessen any mental pressures & unsolicited distractions

The calm, peacefulness and serenity of the Mind builds a healthy physique

Happiness is a motivator and keeps the person young & energised

Happiness is a choice; if you wanna be sad & find faults, nothing that Heaven delivers can save you

My journey maybe tough, with ups, downs and swiveling around but my smile is my lighthouse

Alone is not loneliness, empty is not void

Seeing through life challenges is like the winds against the sail - be guided

You can't change the weather but you can redirect the sail

Tomorrow gonna be better...

Contrarian Outlook

everything is normal...

Noticeably, WallStreet has beaten MainStreet expectations and continues to rise

Trade wars between US and China & others, instead of stalling US, have boosted the US economy, even raising performances & profits for businesses

Despite Covid & the intermittent lockdowns, the medical & gig economies staffed off structural unemployment while logistics boom & eCommerce shot through the roof. Demand for housing also rise with commodities prices racing ahead

What's ahead is as unclear as it's unpredictable but one thing's for sure: expect the unexpected & there is no immediate solution for the next explosive event - a collapsed economy, a run on currency, a sudden change of political leader or simply, a natural calamity of a magnitude unseen in history

The uncertainty is certain; it's a natural cycle of events

Food and soft commodities prices will rise due to shortage and the inefficiencies of logistics

Precious metals prices shall climb but commercial & industrial metals will peak and turn down

Equities will rise until "the loss of confidence (run) of a currency" & many will be "throwing out the baby with the water"

COVID is a clear sign that Nature wants a "leveling down" to equilibrate the distribution of resources

There is no secret to overcoming the Covid threat: 

1. Treat Mother Earth with care & share - there are enough resources to go around & no humans are born more superior than another. Deforesting & destroying large swathe of land in the name of progress is a strict "NO, No, no"

2. Humans are GOD-fearing and must build upon Faiths to balance the unknown "X"-Factor; atheists included. Compassion to fellow human beings - the need to care & share with the less fortunate & less able

3. Get plentiful of sunshine and exercises to power up the Soul and the physique

There is no known cures for virus (attacks)

The new normal is the unadulterated normal since mankind - grow at you own pace, care & share, have enough & do not hoard nor practice gluttony, do not be envious & greedy. Change is the only constant & go with the flow

When COVID is over, many will ride the next cycle of peace & prosperity

From dusts to dusts; we came, we saw, we leave

Live a simple life; for tomorrow is never promised

Stones & batons break bones but hurtful words don't

拉黑Walk away from unwanted attention & confrontation - never wrestle with a pig

拉清单It's imperative to set a baseline & be prepared to "fight or flight" & be like water

Fear not

 

A contrarian is one who sees the normalcy of things that many viewed as an aberration or disruption - almost emotionless & logical in judgement

I may dislike the lockdowns but I accept the forced slowdown wherein I rethink my ideals and plot the next move - many "must-dos" have became "unimportant, obsolete & irrelevant"

Family takes priority & health comes first before wealth - nothing has change

Most contrarians will live to see another day whereas those who fights the Laws of Nature has a high incidence of defeat - you simply cannot swim against the tides

Laws Of Nature Are Man-centric

control or lack of control...

Forget about control as there is no definite method to control any outcomes

You can insist but nobody will, nor needs to, oblige if they aren't interested in your rewards & incentives

If you need the income, you are enslaved & bondage rules

If you do not need the income, you can sack your "boss", however luxurious the rewards

We eat to live & not live to eat; work is a supplementary means to an end

Pursuing our ideals are natural instincts but few achieve any, if at all

The fears, concerns, doubts, overarching thinking & fading interests over time kill achievement of goals

Many pawn their Fate to their preferred superior/leader as they retreat into their cocoons & become dependent & blind followers

Their Fate is sealed but they remained clueless

事在人为 有人才有事

Man builds, Man destroys - the wise man live in harmony with Nature & harness her strengths while fools challenge

When 5% of the richest control 95% of world's wealth, anarchy will follow as resources are hoarded, poverty rules, famine rife as incentives to sow, plough the land, plant and harvest reduced; the grit to work evaporates

Revolution happens when the commoners are deprived and their voices suppressed; the rich cannot live in a sea of poor

Class divide forces the deprived and ostracized to fight back, not for want of nothingness but survival

Dead man tells no tales

Water: water is the source of life & fortunes

Water, water, water everywhere but drinkable waters are rare to many

Nations will go to war to secure drinkable water sources and supplies

Man has contaminated many water sources & the oceans are polluted - Nature simply can't clean the oceans fast enough to stall pollution

Without water, life stops

You cannot control everything and every outcomes but you can minimize the damage to the environment and ecosystem

Man must share whatever resources Mother Earth provides as, unlike animals, Man has a conscience

There is enough to go around

GOD will not end the world but human/Man is highly capable to self-destruct

Man has been toying with nuclear weapons & pushing to near plausibility to fight with the worst gunpowder - aka nukes

Nothing is for sure - the next time someone calls a bluff, that could also be the end of mankind

Communism, capitalism and socialism are concepts that help Mankind but the overzealousness to outdo & outperform one another will be Mankind's waterloo

There is no absolute & everything and every outcomes are relative

Will August Be As Eminent And Illustrious?

every time is different...

This lockdown could have been avoided & is very uncalled for 

While it is important to stay safe and healthy, the daily imported cases is not giving consolation to the mass 

The inconsistency of policies added weight to uncertainties, good intent though

Costs, by extension inflation, keep increasing, mobility are being restricted yet massive gathering can be contemplated, gaslighting pushed many into self-doubt, segregating the vaxxed and unvaxxed is not unlike apartheid where vax is not an absolute, ideal antidote without side-effects...

Alas! This is not the moment for witch hunt but there are lots of denials and finger pointing

Natural calamities & diseases will blow over & on their paths shall lay casualties and destruction 

Unless truthful and fluid, SOPs cannot solve most dynamic issues & its dogmatic application can only make matters worse; you can adopt preventive measures but be prepared for the clean-ups thereafter

The human race triumphs on expansion and fears contraction but will never (understand the need to) slow down nor to allow Mother Earth some respite

Climatic changes are norms & have occurred for millions of years & nothing can nor will change that

The speed where information flows breed fearmongering & intimidation and allow politicians to monetize calamities; putting a value to everything also meant that some days soon, you need to pay for the air you breathe!

In uncertainty, slow down, stay calm & take calculated risks where necessary; live to fight another day

Wisdom is when Singaporeans take priority over foreigners and self-determination returns

Power is when Singaporeans decide their own Fate instead of relying on foreigners 

Yes, Singapore was a nation of emigrants but post independent Singapore today composed of true blue, locally born Singaporeans who served NS/NSmen to protect our sunny island

Let go of your dependency on foreigners, especially PRs who still refused to take up our citizenship after 20years - the Parasitic Residents indeed

Repatriate all foreigners who ostracize Singaporeans, intentionally game our Laws & lord over the locals; there's no lost love. I am not racist nor xenophobic. I am pro-Singaporeans    

By letting go, you become free; so long as you Don't Depend on them, they are useless & have o bargaining power 

August will again be eminent and illustrious as Singaporeans regain control of Singapore

Like many Singaporeans, I am a law abiding & will remain in our sunny island, come rain or sunshine

The politicians shall craft broad base policies to guide the mass, the businesspersons will entrepreneurally grow Singapore, the working class shall provide the means to the end while the family units solidify our fundamentals

When the ill-winds blow over, Singapore & SINGAPOREANS should be ready and revitalized for a better tomorrow

Whoever is too proud to admit (your) wrongs, be stoic; use this lull to correct and change   

The better Singapore depends on you & every Singaporeans - every drips fill the ocean