Come what may

It hurts when your closest family members don't believe in you. It hurts that your partner does not support you. There will be lots of disagreements, arguments, fights, tears, emotional stress...

Sometimes, you wonder if you are on the right path or you have made the right decision.

And when you encounter setbacks after setbacks.. you really struggle to stay strong to prevent yourself from spiraling downwards.

And you do all you can, though sometimes, it may not be good enough.

Change is scary. Growing a spine is scary. Losing friends (or who you thought are friends) are scary.

Fear: False Evidence Appearing Real; Quoted from my favorite movie Pain and Gain.

It's easier said / written than to believe it. But you will come at a junction in your life where you will no longer care how people view you. And, that is the greatest feeling of all.

So, whatever part you are on, you just keep fighting. Keep on going, the struggle is real but it doesn't matter because you know in your heart that THAT is your calling! That is what you are meant to do! Go and chase it!

Epiphanic Moments - My Road to Success

The dictionary describes;

Epiphany - a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization

Epiphanic Moments - a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.



When you have attained success, people will want to be like you. But people don't know the trials that you would have to go through while you are trying to build up your success. People will never know what it's like or how difficult it is to be in that starter position.

It's comforting when people understand, but it's more comforting when you understand.

Just like today - I was only one stop away from my destination but the train took a few minutes longer to reach there because the train that was ahead, had some issues. Panic was activated because announcements came in one after another. Staying calm helps because we have to trust our own journey, right? Panicking will not help.

Success is exactly like that - it may seem near but it's really quite a distance away. But that's the thing, you don't know the meaning of that sentence until YOU, in your own flesh, are in that situation and can understand the meaning of it.

So, what is success? Well, just be thankful for the little things in life and you have found yourself to be truly successful. Don't sweat the small stuff. :)

Money-Affair

One of the qualities of the rich is being prudent (not selfish, not stingy)

They are not spendthrift, and they know how to manage their money well.

At a near age of 30, I am now self-employed after holding 2 jobs for almost 8 years. My parents developed saving habit from when I was as young as 5. My dad opened my first bank account for me at the age of 9. I was ecstatic because, now I can save all the money I received during festive seasons at the bank and can see my money grow.

Because of my prudent nature that was nurtured early, I was always conscious about spending. I have to admit, I do spend beyond my budget but never to the extend of owing people (or organizations) money. At this near age of 30, I don't own a credit card.

Hard to believe, but it's true. I have 3 bank accounts and no credit card. Bank account (A) used to credit my salary and pay my bills, groceries and other items, bank account (B) is used to maintain my investment, and bank account (C) is where I keep all my liquid cash for emergency.

Why the need to keep my money separate? It's easier to track, and it's easier to track my spending from account (A). I only occasionally use account (B) and rarely look at account (C) - I don't like to see how much I have saved because I will have a lot of temptation to spend it.

So taking away these 2 accounts, how does this allow me to manage my spending from account (A)? Now that this is the focus, I will be able to track my monthly expenses easily without frills. When I look at my monthly statement, I know what I spend on and I will be able to estimate my expenditure for the following months.

Also, I will also be able study my expenses and then cut down on unnecessary expenditure.

I have this habit of paying myself first - a concept that will be very useful to an individual if practiced well. So, monthly, after taking away all my necessary expenses, the balance I will deposit into the savings account. Monthly, I will probably leave myself with approximately $400 to spend on food and transport and occasional entertainment.

See, if it's already a habit, it's not difficult to do. It's only a matter of getting used to spending lesser on things that you don't need and redirecting the funds into something that is more useful.

Of cos I will reward myself once in a while with something nice, like good food or a new pair of shoes, but I will make sure to save up an amount separate from the amount that I saved. With this method, you will find creative ways to save money, to survive on just $400. It's really possible!

How? Well, eat at home instead of at restaurants. Rent a DVD instead of going to the cinema. Shop during a sale instead of a non-sale period. There are also many other benefits for doing the above - if you're home more often, you get to spend more time with your family members (or housemates, if you are not living with family) and you get to develop a good relationship with them, and this is something that money cannot buy.

Also, because I do not own a credit card, I have no power to purchase on impulse, and I'm able to keep myself debt free.

If you don't remember any of the things above, at least remember this:
1. It's not wrong to spend but spend on things that you need.
2. Always pay in cash because the interest you rake up from the credit card charges will eventually kill your pockets.
3. Pay yourself first.

Make small changes in your life, develop them into a habit and then see how your life change.

Remember, the change starts with you.

Success requires sacrifice

Success requires sacrifice - easier said than done, just like most of the things in our lives.

Not many of us are as hardworking as we think we are, even some of us slack off and look for an easy way out while doing what we love to do (whatever it may be).

It requires discipline and focus to get somewhere, to get what you want.

Sacrifice is needed, and this couldn't be emphasized enough.

Another thing that is required is support (or the lack of it). Both are good and bad, in their own way, depending on your opinion or perspective.

Some people, with the right support system, will propel to success but it may also cause them to be complacent as they know that their backs are covered. Whereas for some, without the right support, it may motivate them even more to pursue what they want, so that they will be able to prove the naysayers wrong.

But, it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, it's you versus yourself.

How bad do you want it? Are you willing to give up the live you have now to get something better? Are you prepared to step outside of your comfort zone?