“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” ― Plato

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” 

― Plato

Last 2 weeks when I met up with my friends, I realized that different people is fighting different battles. There are so many problems like marriage, health, career, money... so much fear, unhappiness, stress, sadness, hurt, losses, uncertainties... 

Be kind to people.

Be kind to yourself.

There are just too much sufferings.

Personally, one of my stock investments plunged 50% within 2 hours and halt from trading due to fraud accusation. I could potentially lose all the money. I was unhappy for the first few days - thinking what went wrong, where did I analyze wrongly, how this money could be used (ie. traveling around the world for 1 year), how long will it take for me to earn back this money etc. I felt even worse when I recommended my parents to invest in this stock. It was stressful.

I found the root of my suffering (ie. stress, unhappiness).

It is my attachment to my possession (ie. my money).

I know the antidote to my suffering (ie. letting go of my attachment).

It was hard to let go.

Time is a wonderful thing.

At the end of the week, I was mentally prepared to write-off the whole investment.

There is nothing better I could do, but to remember the lesson. 

I felt more balanced and at ease.

Fortunately,  a week later, the stock price rebounded when it started trading.

I made a small profit instead of losing the whole investment.

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Life will never be easy.

There will be more challenges in the future.

It is my attachment to the world that bring so much sufferings.

If I am attached to my money, I would be unhappy if I lose money.

If I am attached to my health, I would be unhappy if I lose health.

If I am attached to my relationship, I would be unhappy if I lose relationship.

If I am attached to my possession, I would be unhappy if I lose possession.

If I am attached to my EGO, I would be unhappy if someone hurt my EGO.

It is not easy, but the antidote is letting go.

Why learn to let go?

Life is Impermanent.

This is the Truth.

I am still learning...

For the time being, I choose to kind and grateful before I bid farewell to everything.

Below is one of my favourite quotes:

“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. 

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. 

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it, and that is how it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.”

― Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Lessons from Life Reports (NY Times)

Taken from: New York Times

Life Report 1 & Life Report 2

"The most common lament in this collection is from people who worked at the same company all their lives and now realize how boring they must seem. These people passively let their lives happen to them. One man described his long, uneventful career at an insurance company and concluded, “Wish my self-profile was more exciting, but it’s a little late now.”

"The most exciting essays were written by the energetic, restless people, who took their lives off in new directions midcourse. One man, who was white, trained an all-black unit during World War II, was a director of the pharmaceutical company that developed The Pill, and then served as a judge at an international court at The Hague. “Career-wise, it was a rocky road,” another wrote, “but if diversity is the spice of life, then mine resembled hot Indian curry.” Nobody regretted the life changes they made, even when they failed."

"Many more seniors regret the risks they didn’t take than regret the ones they did."

"An amazing number cherished their marriages of 43 years or more. And, for almost all, family and friends mattered most."

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Such an insightful articles.

Sometimes, we do not change because we are afraid & fearful...

Fearful of the unknown

Fearful of failure

Fearful of embarrassment

Fearful of being judged

Fearful of change

By the end of the road,

would you regret that you did not take more risk?

I have certainly taken some risks in my life, 

things might not have worked out as I planned (yet).

Always need a bit of optimism. =)

But it's okay, at least, 

I wouldn't say "I should have done it".

Life is a journey.

This is Life.

Enjoy it.