Celebrations

The art of celebration requires some skill.

But I don't mean that people don't know how to celebrate. It's quite common sense that if you experience some happy occassion, you will sense joy and some positive arousal that you want to share with others. I believe that everyone knows how to do this (hopefully).

Today I want to reflect about some other form of celebration. It is the art of celebrating "small success". This is something that not many people would know or practice. After all in this society, everything is about BIG Success. Having a good promotion, a new house, car, 5As for their examinations etc.

Very rarely do you hear people celebrate things like "Yay I met a new friend today, I finally got C+ instead of the usual C, or something like that." This is a question I have been wondering for some time. Why don't people celebrate these things?

It is still an improvement from the usual outcomes and we should celebrate them like how we celebrate other successes. But apparently to most people, it is not deemed significant enough to call for a party. I'm not exactly sure the reason, but I guess maybe people are not contented with what they have? or they expected somemore? or they just don't even bother?

I shall not comment about the rest of the people. But to me, good things don't happen all the time. Haha. I had so many hopes and dreams dashed in my 24 years of life. If I didn't learn this skill earlier, there might not have been anything significant that is worth celebrating at all. I could have very well sunk into a depression when I couldn't get this or that.

But those stories are true. I used to be like many others, wishing to have only the best. But after failing so many times, one night I just got "enlightened" (for a lack of a better word) and decided there should be more to life. Since then, I could feel a permanent change in me.

It's not that I no longer want the best for myself. I will strive to be the best I can be. But now, I no longer get affected as much when I fail. Failure has become an integral part of me, that I learnt to celebrate anything positive in my life, be it a big or small success. Things could have gotten worse but it didn't and this deserved some form of recognition as well.

For example, I looked back at how things would have been different if I have taken a different course in JC, or if I had studied harder to make it to triple science class, or if my family business didn't fail . The old me would be so full of regrets. But this new me is no longer very affected by these failures. Instead I see opportunity to seek out a new path that I didn't thought I would take maybe 10 years ago.

Life is no longer the same as before. Since we cannot predict with certainty what is going to happen in the future, it might be good to celebrate every success in life. For it could very well be the last one.

So treasure this moment. Celebrate.

I'm dying from psychometrics! =(

Somehow I didn't find it strange that I haven't blog for an entire month.

While there are many things that has occurred throughout this period, I seem less inclined to want to talk about it anymore. Which is weird since this is what this blog is all about.

Probably the most significant events that had occurred during my blogging hiatus would be the Sports Club NEXUS 2010 as well as the YouthsLead "Know Thy Neighbor" Project.

Don't really feel much like blogging, so I will keep these two events for next time. Today I will blog more about my ongoing thoughts.

"I guess I am now at the crossroads once again, and it's just like all the other ones I have encountered so far for the past 24 years. Yet somehow this time round it feels different. I'm not exactly sure of the cause. After all, I have already made so many decisions in life.

Watching the news reporting the death of Mrs Lee & Dr Balaji made me very emotional,however its not because I know them personally. In fact, I have only heard their names once in a while on TV. But I wondered why they are so willing to sacrifice their time and effort for society. Especially the case of Dr Balaji, who was battling cancer and yet continues to report for work. What is the energy that sustain this?

They could have retired and enjoyed their remaining lives, but why did they choose to contribute to a society that sometimes doesn't even appreciate their effort? Its the same case for LKY or any other politicians. They could have very well looked for a private sector job and earned a comparable, if not higher salary. From an economics point of view, I just don't understand why they will pick a harder path to go.

I don't have an answer to it. Yet somehow I get inspired by their stories that I wished I could be like them too. It's not because of the the pay because ultimately its hard to match up to the private sector in the long run. It's also not because of the recognition because I have seen and experienced what it is like to do grassroots work as well. More often than not, these people sacrifice their time/effort and end up with criticism and complains.

Why did they still do it in the end? I prefer to think that it's a calling. It is the realization that there is something larger than your own existence. Something that will ultimately outlive you.

What then will be my life project?

I guess I will just have to continue thinking."

p.s this Thursday is Full Colors Award . Hopefully can get Best Water Club too.