When people Wins, I win!

This was a blog entry I typed out on June 24 2008 which I wanted to post back then but forgot:

I have had a very profound revelation bestowed upon me today. Of the 15 years I have been online, chatting with and making new friends, of surfing the net hoping to find the something which will make my life a little bit better, building my life around corresponding with friends and family via emails and lately friendster and onward to facebook, website names which have yet to find itself into the English dictionary, I can confidently say that today is the actual turning point of my life.

I have been contemplating a career switch into sales this past year after finding myself behind a desk full of paperwork in a dead end mundane job chasing the illusive dream that someday I will make something out of this ‘career’ I have landed myself in while ranting about how good the ‘benefits’ are here to my friends and family.

The actual fact is that, behind the scenes, when they turn off the lights at night in the fancy 20th floor with a view of the kl tower, I’m just a helpless broke with pennies to my name instead of the millions of dollars I have been chasing all this while. I guess they were right when they said that the more you chase something, the faster and further it runs away from you.

The power-point slide shows the grand canyon and a little caption below it which reads “The more you plan your life, the more you’ll miss the chance of destiny hitting you.”

Today I found out that one of my friend from my hometown had cancer. I don’t know the seriousness of the cancer, I also don’t know whether she will live or leave in weeks or months to come but I have learnt something today.

That the way I have been living my life has been totally upside down. Today I vow to unlearn everything I have learned about living my life for the past 31 years. I have been conditioned, mostly by my peers to consider this phrase:

“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t lose/had nothing to lose?” or “If money wasn’t an issue, what would you be doing in life?”

Phrases that makes me consider what would I do in MY best interest if nothing was in my way in life. What I would do for myself that will enhance my standard of living… social status… creature comfort… family… etc.

What if I totally change the phrase I was taught to live by and now it reads:

“HOW WOULD I LIVE MY LIFE IF I ONLY HAD 24 HOURS TO LIVE?” How would you life your life if you knew you were going to die tomorrow? Would I still think of my own benefit at the expense of others?

I would want to share everything I know, all the knowledge and wisdom that I possess, with the people I know will benefit from it.

I won’t think of what’s in it for me when helping other people.

I now realize that, often we think more of ourselves than of others. Perhaps this is one of the primal instincts of mankind. To look out for their own above all else. Our pursuit for material gains and creature comfort makes us put up a limit when we’re suppose to consider other people’s welfare.

Slowly we develop a mindset that reminds us often that no matter what, we have to look out for our own first. Our actions and decisions got us to where we are today and we are the masters of our own destiny. Therefore we cannot blame anyone else for our plight or predicament, if we are in a rut and if we’re fortunate enough to be bestowed with the riches and luxuries which life can offer us, we have to count our lucky stars and we deserve everything we have ever worked for and the less fortunate are where they are because they did not work hard enough or make good enough decisions to ensure that their lives are better than what its supposed to be.

Today I shall rid my mindset of all poisonous and selfish thoughts and genuinely care for people. I will think of their benefit because when people win, I win!