Next Steps

Whatever it is we want to achieve, can be treated as a game or project. For illustration purposes, we can refer to this game as a tennis match.

In tennis, the aim is to attempt to win the point by striking the ball over the net so that the opponent cannot return it. The opponent responds by returning the ball back to us and we make our next move based on whatever shot our opponent fires back at us. Whilst our end goal is to win the match, our sole focus during the match is on playing our next shot. Winning that next point. We cannot concentrate on what our previous shot was or what the later shot might be. All we can focus on now is what we are to do with our current shot to win that next point.

The same goes in the game we are playing in life. Our focus is thinking about what are faced with at this present moment. That is, what we can do now to win that next point. We are focused on what our next steps should be. Whilst we can contemplate the successes or failures of yesterday or the grand vision of tomorrow, these learnings and experiences should be applied now to make our next steps as good as they can be. Our focus now is our next steps.

Direction

I know that my direction today is stronger than what it used to be.

A few days ago, I was walking in the park when someone said to me 'I think there are few people in the world that know where they are going and you are one of them. Congratulations.'

Coincidentally, at that time, I had a strong sense of purpose inside me and I knew where I was heading and what I was going to do.

I discovered one reason behind my conviction after taking to time to pause and examine myself, and in particular, my dissatisfaction with work. I asked myself why did I want to become an economist in the first place. Why not an accountant or an engineer or some other profession where I could be earning significantly more? Why am I spending forty plus hours per week doing something I don't really enjoy? How did it come to this?

I realised that the reason why I wanted to be economist in the first place was because I wanted to experience what it was like to be one, to know what it was like working for government, and do to forecasting work. Initially, I enjoyed it because I was doing what I wanted. Now, I don't enjoy it anymore because I had accomplished all that I wanted from the job (and was getting no respect from work). Now is the time to move on.

The Future

During my sojourn away, I reflected upon civilization and the progress that humans have made. If we think back 100 years, or even just 20, we can see how much things have changed. The scientific and technological progress we have made in this short time is astonishing and demonstrates just how much we are capable of.

I believe that we as humans have barely touched the surface of what is possible. Our knowledge, our way of thinking is still elementary. There is so much possibility that awaits us.

I see a universe of infinite possibilities in front of us as time and space are a temporary result of an infinite number of events.

We have been through the agricultural and software revolutions and are currently in the midst of a software revolution. It is likely that there will be further revolutions to come. What we accept as normal today will be completely different tomorrow. Tomorrow's food, housing and energy may be something that we do not believe to be possible today. We may consume prototype synthetic foods, live in the air, and have access to an energy source at our fingertips no matter where we are.

In a dream, I thought of a possibility that there may be levels of the brain that are yet to be unlocked.

A hundred years ago, we thought we knew it all and yet we have advanced so much. The same is true today. In a century's time, the world is likely to be a completely different place. People will look back, like I did today, and reflect on these times that we currently reside in and how much has changed.

Find Your Purpose And Passion

Your purpose and passion are more important than setting goals.

Find out what your purpose is, something that you believe in and are willing to work on. Purpose allows you to wake up knowing that you are moving in the right direction towards something important to you.  Passion makes you jump out of bed before the alarm clock goes off feeling alive and excited. It removes the fear of failure and regrets that you may have because you are doing what you love.

Your purpose and passion gives you energy and focus that empowers you to set goals and achieve them. Your passion creates a burning desire every minute of every day of your precious life.

To help you get some ideas about your passion, think about 5 people you respect who live the life you want to live and what their qualities are. This includes all the highs and lows of the process they went through and whether it gets you excited over the long term, not just the end result. At the same time be realistic with your own ability, your opportunities today, and the odds of success. Think about what you are good at, what you love to do that makes you happy and excited (if there is no such thing as failure), what is your dream life, what you read and talk about (including images and sayings). Research it further, talk to people who are doing it and try it out for a month.

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.

Understand the purpose behind what you are doing. For example, you need to know why are you putting in the effort to getting good math grades or why are you working 50 hour weeks in your job. Unless you know your purpose, you will be wasting your life doing something you don't want.  

Don't go looking for a huge passionate pursuit, you'll seldom find it by thinking about it. Once you're doing something you love doing, voila! You might have found your passion.

The Search for Truth

Why do I believe in God? What should I believe in? I have often asked myself these questions. It comes down to two things.

Firstly, it is better to believe than not to believe because when our lives are over there is no benefit in not believing (there is a future to look forward to after death). A fundamental motivation behind faith is that it holds the promise of everlasting life. Secondly, the faith I choose must be based on the premise that the majority of the world's population at any one time can hear and choose to believe if they so wish. As such the faith must have existed from the beginning of time and is spread across the entire world.

From this analysis, only two faiths meet the above criteria, Christianity and Islam. And that is what I believe in.

Christian and Islamic roots trace back to since the start of human history. Both religions share common beliefs and the twin golden commandments of the paramount importance of loving God and loving the neighbour. In every country across the world at least 1% of the population believe in either Christianity or Islam (and in most countries at least 5%). Whereas, in some countries less than 0.1% of the population believe in Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions combined making these faiths insignificant.

Third, I believe that God would not inflict large scale death on his people. None of the ten largest natural disasters took place in a country which is predominantly Christian (half of Haitians are voodoo).

Fourth, I see the evolution of scientific progress as empirically supporting the existence of God as it shows that there is so much that humans are yet to know (re: The Future).

Fifth, Jesus has always been the last point of call for me.  When I don't have anything or anyone else to trust, I turn to Jesus. In times of distress and darkness, I cry out to Jesus.

I am of the opinion that we can put our trust in God based on the evidence to support the teachings of Biblical scripture and fulfilled prophecies. This being said, it is almost impossible to verify the accuracy of accounts in the scripture. The final conviction comes from faith.

When you get proof, you lose faith. You will ask question until you run out of questions. Will I be rich? When will I die? What if you knew what will happen tomorrow? Many of our weaknesses could be the best thing that happened. The key ingredient is faith.  

Interests and Ponderings

I have always been interested in how things work.

When I was younger, I liked to think about how machines work and how the human body functions.

As I grew older I became fascinated with the acquisition of knowledge, any form of knowledge. I became interested in science, economics and occupations.

Later on, I had an interest in exploring how people operate, the way they think, and the relationships they form.

More recently, I have become interested in life, the brevity of life, and the various stages of life.

As life goes on, so too my interests evolve.

Enjoy the Moment

My t-shirt drenched in sweat stuck against my chest. I am in a foreign alleyway, the fluorescent lights of the florist gleaming against my tired eyes. It has been a long day. The florist seems to take hours bundling the flowers we ordered. I start to become irritated and impatient when I think to myself that despite the situation, this moment is here to be enjoyed. I begin to grasp this is the only moment there is. At this very moment the past and the future are irrelevant. As I comprehend this, I am filled with a sense of overwhelming peace.

Each day, each moment is precious. Enjoy each day as it comes. Enjoy each moment for what it is, good or bad. The moment will pass. Now is the only moment there is. Capture it while you can.

Who knows whether I will return to the florist in the future. Now is the only time I have to enjoy it.

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I have seen that youth passes quickly. I didn't make the most of my youth but I know now that I should make the most of my remaining days. I have to capture the moment now. Also, I have to use every moment I have to be good and do good (and not to be bad to anyone).