Stay Calm In Changing Times

changes are almost always unexpected...

Many are oblivious and simply pass every day mundanely

Life is a flow; few expect major nor abrupt changes

Abrupt change is disruptive and major change shift a person's paradigm & forward paces

Power, fame, money, status... are only good if you are alive but the sword cuts both ways

Going to sleep is natural but waking up is by the grace of GOD

生老病死 is a norm but some are blessed to skip sickness病 though not all live long enough to their ripe old age老

Lately, i have heard of more surprises as seemingly healthy persons of >40yos are dropping (dead) like flies

Equally interesting, more are hiding behind their veils as difficult times bite and cruising along and making do with their current financial stature; unemployed and underemployed though

The ever increase in costs of living and food prices are making living less bearable

Worse, the ruling class are preaching 'belt tightening', thrifts and consuming less whilst they are richly rewarded and incentivised... the North-South Gap widens further

Political shifts are sudden too; Putin faced mutiny but it was quickly put down, NATO/US promised arms support to Ukraine but delivery were short, US supplied cluster bombs which were banned by many countries, Singapore has its fair share of fallouts & scandals, Thailand is unsure if the winner should be crowned "PM", PRChinese foreign minister disappeared from the scene...

As hardship bites, politics become muddier and tempered, at times

A rich man cannot lives in a sea of poor neither can a dictator

Change is inevitable especially when deprived, suppressed and oppressed ~ it is all about survival

Barely survive(ing) is a catalyst of change; nobody wants a sudden change which is almost always disruptive

We are in a period of dramatic change! COVID has taught that many impossibles are actually possible

Life in the short term will remain turbulent, not necessarily violent but likely to be very challenging

Be like the blade of grass dancing in the storm than the uprooted old, oak tree

Go with the flow. Smile & lighten your heart - see you in prosperity when the storm calms again

笑看风云 活在当下 明天会更好 今天是最好

Do Not Tempt Fate

when to be cruel is to be kind...

Kindness is taken as weakness especially by the cowards and ineptitude

They resent all those who are more capable and able as they cannot live in the shadows of the superior beings around them

It is not failure that destroys a person but their refusal to admit their faults that will eventually be their Waterloo

I have always avoided or try to avoid such people but they come near like moths to light/fire

Worse, they pitch themselves against an illusionary competitor for which they cannot measure up

They fear their own shadows

How to handle such SIC* persons? The best is to avoid them totally

If otherwise, keep them at bay ~ don't even give them the slightest attention... If push comes to shove, eliminate them, not unlike pests

I don't like to fight but if I fight, I fight to win 

I always believe in giving a person a chance, maybe a second chance or even a third! But, some just don't deserve any

I am no hero but I will not sit back and watch a bully wrestle down the weak, usurp all the gains and leave them to miseries ... somebody has to stop such menace   

I have read the Nanjing Massacre and the Sook Ching massacre and the Holocaust; could these (have been) be prevented? I guess the answer is "Yes". It happened because everyone is too afraid (to resist)

Of course, only if most, if not all, are united, there is no way of preventing the (re-)occurrences   

Life is like a boxing match; if you don't punch, you'd be punched. The spectators will cheer you on. You've to fight to win or be badly defeated or you can throw in the towel. If you don't fight to win, never get into the ring

My time is limited and I do not have much time to waste  

I choose my future wisely and instead of fighting to destroy the renegades who are intent to undermine my efforts, plans and reputation, I walk away and let them win the fiefdom; it's a no-brainer

The best revenge is to live successfully and gainfully away from their idiosyncrasies and turfs. I am the lighthouse that even the aircraft carrier must gives way or sink

Fighting them is a futile display of vanity  

My biggest fear is not anyone but I will seek to destroy those who try to annihilate me - mercy is not seek but given

It has happened before and I have always stop short of completely wiping out my antagonists... but what if i did not, or cannot, stop in my next encounter

I am happy to be who I am and be left alone

Fame, power and money are not my priorities but a decent, peaceful life with lots of blissful surprises

Like water, I flow

Life's Journey

death is the end for the dead...

A funeral is not a day in a lifetime but a lifetime in a day - quote

Everyone understands that we need to let go of a dying loved one, especially if he/she is very ill and on machines support

But, the emotional attachments cannot be cut abruptly 

It is best to cry your heart out - the outpouring will ease the pains within 

Tears wash away sorrows and lighten the Soul - letting go is never easy

There should never be (an) "overnight hatred and quarrels"; all differences must be cleared and forgiven before retreating to bed

Tomorrow is always new - to some, tomorrow is not promised

天天难过天天过 ~ 明天会更好 但今天是最好 

 "IF" is the smallest word with the greatest uncertainty while "BUT" is the gravest caveat 

I may be mild-mannered, quiet, tolerant and kind but do not take kindness as weakness

When I hit back, i fight to win - I do not believe in just defending; attack is the best defense

I will not knowingly take advantage of (any) slightest situation as today's winnings maybe tomorrow's sorrows 

The struggling man needs encouragement and support, both mentally and materially, the former being the key to survival

History has many who "almost make it" and some who "made it as helps arrive just in time"

From dusts to dusts; life starts 'timely' and ends 'untimely when due' ~ taking the first and last breathe is natural

Between life and death, living is a choice
 

Some will make it big, famous and powerful, while most will have satisfying lives and there will still be pockets of poverty and sufferings 

Do good, offer help when able and share your good fortunes行善 and make the world a better place for your fellowmen 人性本善 

When you pass on, many will turn up to say goodbyes and share the fond memories of all the good things that you have done

人死留名 虎死留皮

Interestingly, when you are alive, it's prosper thy future 前途无量 步步高升 but when you pass on, it's have a safe journey 一路走好

Clearly, in life, few seek a safe and healthy journey & everyone seems to be rushing ahead 

I have my fair share of hits and misses & staying as healthy as possible has always been my guiding principle

Death is not scary

Let us all enjoy the fond memories of all who had passed

GOD willing, everyone will succeed within HIS Terms of Engagements

 

You Are Not Successful Because You Chose To Be

your life is made ...

Whether you are happy, sad, disgruntled, frustrated, contented or indifferent ...you can dictate the pace, reactions and outcomes

There is no magic - it's all in your Mind & within your hands

It's like pain; you'd get by if you've a high threshold for pains. Even in joy, you do not overindulge

When challenged or provoked, walk away, ignore or take leave with minimum damage. If there is a need to fight, fight to win - take no prisoners!

Matthew 6:34 - Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof - "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Tomorrow's happiness and sufficiency start today

We were poor, almost dirt poor, and struggling to make ends meet when young; the next meal is almost always a daily question

We, 6 siblings, from ages 5yo onwards, need to work - child labor was unheard of. It was the hunger pangs that decide

We ['hawk'] worked as hawker's assistants, wash bowls, clean the stalls, sell 'makans' door-to-door, sell sweets, nasi lemak to the well-off classmates, wash cars, do dhobi (washerman)... there were no time for sadness, anxieties, depression, stress, whatever

When we moved to HDB, we 'adopted' loose furniture from whoever were giving away - life was a hilarious not#enough#time#to#use#nor#worries

"Living lite" was the motto: there was nothing to save, no money, no unnecessary material wants, eat whatever is given and available, walk or take#bus to school, light heartedness brought cheers to every eventful day 做一天和尚撞一天钟

Been there, done that - from nothing to something - the only luxury then was 'free time', including watching TV at others' homes or community centres

With the advent of internet, social media & eComms, voices as diverse as noise are heard, some meaningless & others provocative 一百岁不死都有新闻听

It pays to ignore the noise but 'hear the voice'

Man seeks praise and recognition and detest criticism but when you are down, especially penniless, nobody even remembers you exist... you make need to walk to your grave

Can you change your life 命 - 是否可以改? Yes! If you want to be a Chef, start working in the kitchen. If you want to be a performer, start to busk or perform at community events. If you wanna own chain stores, start with one or two outlets, build and perfect a system, then duplicate. 

Have passion in what you are doing and develop your 'hobby' & interests into works

Everyone's life is made. Some are sugar, spice & everything nice whilst others are mundane, stressed, deadwood and regressive

The mother of Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn, was executed in 1536, charged with adultery and treason. Some would term Elizabeth as the illegitimate child but she was crowned Queen. Camilla Parker-Bowles was a divorcee, a mistress before becoming the Queen Consort, then the Queen.

Late starters like Colonel Saunders(KFC), business that started in garages like IBM, Apple, innocuous names like Alibaba & Ten Cents and many unlikely winners started somewhere & that somewhere is "the faith, passion & drives" that were the foundations of strengths against all odds

You  maybe born poor, disadvantaged, less well off but your future well being & wellness are in your hands

 

 

Money Buys

money, money.... money .......

What makes everyone happy? MONEY, money & more money

Money makes the world goes round 有钱能使鬼推磨

Money buys happiness when its a means to an end 有钱不是万能 但没钱万万不能

Chances are "those who say money is not everything" have money

With money. comes power, fame and controls, servitude included

In our high costs of living environment & "the most expensive city" title, money meant everything

The HAVEs, the HAVE#NOTs and the DONT#HAVEs are distinctly visible... if struggling to live is a method of control on the lower rungs of society, then the objective has been met overwhelmingly

You need to work to earn some income to pay for daily expenses手停口停

There is hardly any begging as begging is a crime where even the poor, handicap or unable#to#work persons need to obtain a licence to sell tissues 

The number of rough sleepers are rising and so is/are the Q-ueue at Soup kitchen

The earlier that one accepts that the world will never be equal, the better his life will be; no envy, no regrets, no bitterness

You may be born poor but do not die a pauper - many of the new billionaires are from 'rags to riches'

Between life and death, you have choices ~ who dares win

Money do buy comfort, leisure, name, time, companionship and even love except ill-health. Nobody can take over your sufferings when illness strikes

However, when the Grim Reaper calls on you, your time expires

But, do not be obsessed nor fascinated with money ~ money is as powerful as it is "WANTED" &/or can "BUY"

It is a means to an end & not an end in itself

Money has no utility in faraway, suburban agricultural surroundings where you can plant your own food, drink from natural streams & rivers sources, hunt & fish for food

Time is almost at a standstill with this undisturbed surroundings where flowers bloom, birds sing, animals roam and the breeze pampers your Soul

I love money but I love Nature more

Between the money-crazy environment and a retreat, natural surrounding, I will take the latter

Like everyone else, I love money; not too much but enough for me to use as and when I need it

Nothing is permanent. It is to "live best when others live worse". It's this moment that counts

No one should be deprived of a chance to make money

From dust to dust; money greases your paths in life

Do not let money be the root cause of your sufferings

 

Making The Impossibles, Possible

some impossibles are actually possible...

Have i reached the cliff? Either I jump, retreat, move forward or standstill

There is no correct answer; it's all within you ~ your character will determine your next move after you've 'halted and rested enough'

People are everchanging, unpredictable, fluid and explosive - you cannot have a definitive outcome

Race and nationality are indisruptable culture and their characters were moulded by years of familiarity & habits

When you're down, few will come to bail you out and some will pretend to help

Down but not out; rest if you must but never quit

Opportunities are LUCK awaiting those who are prepared & ready to crystalize

Which is more powerful or resilient; water or stone? Drips of water seep through stones and cut through them 

Tsunami - a wall of water can bring down a city and demolish anything along its path

饮水思源 十年河东 十年河西

 Every help, however small, helps a person towards bettering his life 人要自动 不能被动

Do not expect help to come to (you) if you steadfastly never lift your finger to help another. Empty promises will drown you someday because you've taken advantage of others (goodwill) while you were riding high 

Why some people are almost always unemployed or underemployed? For a start, many blame others or circumstances for their predicaments. They have forgotten that, during their better days, they remained selfish, self-entitled, offer empty promises and hardly offer any comforting words 种那个因得那个果

How do you win others recognition when you demonstrate your abilities and capabilities yet do not appear arrogant, self-centred or disruptive to others? It is your sincere contributions without being told nor expect any returns

I am no Bill Gates, Sim Wong Woo, Robert Kuok,  Chaleo Yoovidhya, Zobel de Ayala... not even the more established names residing in Bukit Timah enclave

In my own small ways, I am happy to wean a few successful stories :

Stockmarket

With my limited knowledge of time-cycles, elliotwave theory, technical, fundamental and psychological analysis, I was able to anticipate big moves (upswings & downswings) - more to minimize damages than to make 'killing' profits 

[Between now to November, the global stockmarkets will likely experience a major downswing. In the current stable to upside-bias markets, index & industry -specific trades, even the fools make money. An impactful drop will separate the boys from the Man]

Deal Making

I am no Sir JamesGoldsmith nor AllenGoldsmith ~ not even PeterLim of Singapore fame. I managed to wrap a few small deals, enough to keep myself alive with bread, butter and some spread of bacon

[Like an aging eagle, I continues to imbue new knowledge to meet market & industry expectations, sharpen my claws to find the next meal]

Charity Contributions

Over the last 20+ years, I have anonymously contributed to charities of my choice and helping the aged, less fortunate and supporting bursary/education

[I continues to do the little that I can, within my means. GOD willing]

Going Forward

I have no magic and I work on possibilities. I am delving into (i) pharma, preventive & eMedicine, (ii) AI, IoT, SaaS, robotics & (iii) eSolutions, eVehicles, sustainable & green energy

[I stand guided. GOD willing, I will succeed]

 

Honor Your Commitment

get away from any dishonorable person...

It is tiring & discomforting to work with people that do not honor their commitments 

We fight to win the war and all/any betrayals will ruin the best strategy 

Betrayals are cancer of the system; it destroys stealthily

Once beaten; that's an experience

Beaten again by the same traitor, it's a fool's  choice  

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend  -  William Blake

When a committee consists of fragmented groups, it is the harbinger of disunity, betrayals and lost causes

Traitor must be destroyed or avoided at all costs

Looking alike does not mean behaving similarly; the fox will scheme and cheat while wolf are inherently loyal

Character flaws has no remedies & make the person infinitely unreliable

Nobody is born defective with character 人性本善

Nevertheless, selfishness and the seeking of fame, money and titles debase many a character

Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime -  Mineko Iwasaki

I am trying to purify my mind & Soul and not to react to betrayals by simply walking away with a smile; a tall challenge indeed

The urge to tear on the traitor outweighs at times but why do I want to dirty myself to hit back? I will hold back for as long as I can

I don't just fight! If I need to fight, I fight to win - winning is everything

 

If you're betrayed, release disappointment at once.
By that way, the bitterness has no time to take root - Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut

Never allow bitterness to build up for you will need to fight back vigorously to restore status quo

Life is filled with the positive ions 

Walking away is not a sign of weakness

As Buddha said "when someone gives you a gift and if you refuse to accept it, who still owns the gift"? The Giver

Do not give him the satisfaction to throw you under the bus and disrupting your innate comforts

There is a price for everything & energy should be cultured & incubated to bring enjoyment, positive outcomes & peaceful living

We help without expecting any returns but we also must know when to withhold any greases for unworthy causes - the heart must be mindful of evil & mischievous intentions

He who laughs last, laughs best

Walk away from troubles and troublemakers

All Goals Are Achievable

waiting for the outcome...

Life is full of surprises but waiting can be an agony

When you are raring to go and the time is not ripe yet you have to remain calm, prepared and indifferent until opportune presents

Like the butterfly crawling out of the pupa with its wings wet; any attempt to hasten the crawling out and drying will permanently incapacitate the butterfly 

Nature's clock is perfect 天时地利人和。。。加好运气

When it's yours, you cannot miss it. Whatever aren't meant to be, will never be

Can you change your Fate & Fortune? Plausibly YES

Blaming Providence never benefits anyone as you refused to change even when knowing that you are in the wrong path or way

You cannot be a carpenter by working as a Chef & refusing to learn carpentry... use the lull period to arm yourself with a new skill set of your choice & you'd be in the right direction towards your goal

Most of us are never in the same boat but probably under the same weather

When you procrastinate, time passes & situation changes

When cities are abandoned, plants and Nature take over ~ bare land are quickly reforested and animals regain spaces

Time and tides wait for no man & death is the Leveler

The first breathe and the last breathe are irreversible and unnoticed

The baby arrives unannounced and death is almost always sudden

Do whatever you want while you can ~ also; do not keep things only to wear or to use on special occasions 

Fashion & fad pass & so will/is the person

Everything has an expiry date

Keep doing, continue searching and do not stop exploring

Your brain knows no limit 不是做不到而是还没想到

Life is about possibilities ~ set your goals and chase your dreams

人生本来就是一场戏做好本分

You owe yourself the duty to live to the fullest

You need not worry too much in life after you have set your goal

You have the Sun to brighten the day and the Moon to reflect light at night. On a moonless night, the stars pickled lights in the dark sky

Time is the best friend

Tired

 tired...

When you are tired physically and mentally, retreat, relax and seek 'recuperation & repairs'

It might be too late if you have passed (the) physically and mentally exhausted stage; you're probably already broken 

The threshold for stretching for every Man differs

六亲不认 世界无敌  When you are prepared to sacrifice everything to achieve anything, you're almost unbeatable; a choice few can achieve

Recalling: "an influential mother wanted her kid who got average grades to enter a SAP school and spoke to the school principal, a close friend". He replied "we've students who are like 1000cc, 2500cc and 5000cc cars. The 1000cc dropped out after first few months while the 2500cc struggled with some giving up and a few went 'mental'...!" Do you wanna burn-out your kid? Mental exhaustion is a no#U-Turn phenomena

You cannot mirror yourself onto your child(ren); we are all made different 

From birth to death, many seek the humanly unachievable goal and live miserably until their last breathe 

Unachievable is not definitive but you must do everything, if not most things, within your abilities and capabilities

Dreams are made of spice, sugar and everything nice

Nightmares are despairs, struggles and scary; spiraling within your body into awakening

Never retire to sleep without clearing your doubts, frustrations and unhappiness ... you'll awake more tired than before

Go with the flow of your biorhythm 顺其自然

Slow down a little. Enjoy your surrounding and watch the birds sing and smell the flowers ~ did you miss anything? Yes! You miss the moment when life is almost perfect

When I am tired, I don't give up; I give in to my bodily pleads ... I let my mind wonders and take breaks like long walks

Walking along the beach and walking through the woods are equally therapeutic  

You don't need any company - let your mind leads you through Nature; be lost and found in that moment

Have you ever wondered around your neighbourhood listlessly, discover the surroundings, finding lots of things and activities that you never realize were within your reach 

Nature is ever changing and climate change is a hoax; it's saying the obvious

The globe evolves except, I guess, GOD didn't anticipate that Man will dig the natural resources, transform them, use the useful parts and discard the unused spares indiscriminately and pollute Mother Earth at a speed where Nature couldn't 'rehabilitate' & dissolves the harmful leftovers expeditiously

Nature gets tired too ~ Extreme situation requires extreme solution

Nature may effect an underwater earthquake of more than 10 on the richter scale to cleanse up the ocean whereupon the voluminous wastes will be buried deep beneath the ocean crust thereafter

To effectively clean Mother Earth, once and for all, tornadoes and hurricanes will wash the pollutants into the ocean, followed by massive volcanic eruptions to burn them as the pollutants heads toward the ocean. The underwater earthquake will be the ultimate.

80% of Man(kind) will be destroyed too when Heaven decides to rehabilitate Mother Earth ~ the leftovers will stay to enjoy the newfoundland

By the time this happen, I may not be around to witness GOD's wrath

Let us ALL not be too tired, Nature included

Stock Market: War & Currency Crisis

somebody's pain is another's gain...

The collapsed of SVBank, followed by SignatureBank & SilverGate bank seemed like an accepted phenomena ~ the run on SVB started with a withdrawal of $42bil, followed by a $120bil the next day

Someone must have wanted SVB dead

CreditSuisse collapsed thereafter was also aptly accepted & swallowed by UBS

Rumours of German DgBank was quickly dismissed as the German Govt stood firmly behind it

I have opined before that someday the MainStreet banks will be hit by the Sub#Street#eBanks and their crypto operations

The scary part is : every next collapse is bigger that the previous one yet they are termed "too big to collapse"

2023 is hounded by threats of wars, not just Ukraine/Russia but the unsettling SCSeas is boiling from provocations from western powers

Covid may have eased but the shortage of food and basic supplies will be aggravated if unrest erupts

Frankly, I hypothesize that we are nearer a nuclear WW3/war than any time before & there is nothing to freak(out). Why? When nukes fly, many of us will die even without knowing why

Dying in the immediacy of a nuke war is better than surviving the cold winter & days of no-sunlight, food, contamination of food chain, air & water

GOD never promised the end of the world but Man is mad enough to end it

In year 2000, I postulated that some day the world will be tri-polar: USA - United States of America, USE - United States of Europe and USAsia - United States of Asia and all will be oiled by MidEast

We are not far from this - hegemony is well and alive

I am neutral with whoever wants to dominate the world. Why? Anything that is beyond my influence and control is GOD's job

Man eats to live, not live to eat

Trading, buying & selling involve money which acts as a means of exchange but many are losing faith in the dollars/currencies

What will replace the dollars/currencies? The world may be forced to return to bartering but gold is surely a ready alternative

In the coming months, hard and soft commodities will rise and as shortages surface; this will be made worse by logistics breakdown

Cash is King but if money [as in currency were to lose it's value] becomes 'fiat', what value of exchange can it offer [ Fiat money is backed by a country's government instead of a physical commodity or financial instrument. This means most coin and paper currencies that are used throughout the world are fiat money. This includes the U.S. dollar, the British pound, the Indian rupee, and the euro].

The stock markets may be the savior when currencies lose their value

At the onset of a currency crisis, stock markets will swing down (plunge) but the companies will still have their intrinsic values. At some point during the plunge, money/currency will still be the main source of exchange and the same "money in hand" can buy more shares ~ fortunes reward the brave

Like inflation, share prices will rise again until another source of exchange is developed or definitive. Countries whose currencies are backed by gold will be the new arbiter and store of value

2023 is turbulent商机 but are you mentally prepared to capitalize on & reap the opportunities危机

The world will readjust

Are you ready to sit out the disruptions? It's not about how bad it is. It is whether you will be there when the good times are back

Survival & Prosperity - Your CAN

life, like taste, changes frequently...

Surprises is the norm where expectations exist

More expectations, more disappointments as Man proposes, GOD disposes

Planning ahead is a must but it should not be dogmatic with provision for the quirky x-factor

Those who died yesterday have plans for today & the many who die today had made plans for tomorrow

The successful people prime an idea into a solution & commercialize it - Einstein, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Colonel Saunders, Ray Kroc, Asa Griggs Candler, Jack Ma, Pony Ma, Ron Sim, Sim Wong Woo...

Wars are  disruptions & change the facade of Earth & habitations for Mankind - life's norms will never be normal again

Natural disasters & climate change alter the face of Earth - frankly, there is nothing to worry - it will change so fast that humans are eliminated to balance the entire ecosystem

The green movements, the taxes on carbon emissions and any Laws to forestall climate change are greed & vanity efforts to extract from the commoners. What can these vanities do prevent  the rising tides, the melting ice & the movements of Earth's tectonic plates? Nothing...

The Sun lit up the Earth & the Moon reflects the Sunlight

In a clear moonless night, the Stars shine

Without the Green movements, the Governments and the interests parties, Nature will deliver; for the better or worse

Humans have taken advantage of co-sharing to 'manage our geographic locale' to taxing the mass, commoners & the weaker ones - it's the "Animal Farm" manifestation

Empires and rulers rise & fall though the evils generally last longer than the good ones - the former is scheming while the latter is too trusting

Accept changes, adapt & metamorphosed into the ever changing environment - the color white can radiates into multi-colors

I try to plan for changes, or to change, as unplanned change is disruption知彼知己 百战百胜

Deaths and dying are not part of anybody's plan but an inevitable expiration of the AlMighty's accorded energy source - called "The Last Breathe"

Man is more united when poor & downtrodden - not for magnanimity but for survival

Unity is strength as the smarter ones organize and control, while the able work and manage & the directionless and weak toe the line & obey instructions

There is food for All - the utopian ideal

Man is, and will be, destroyed by the omnipresence of greed, selfishness, vanity and ego

No man can live in a "sea of poors"

Opportunity presents even in the worst of crisis - you need to be prepared, ready and able to crystalize it

No change, no chance, no luck... you have only yourself to blame