#26 Rise of the Crescendo

       It’s towards the end of the year again. Traditionally, as we approach the final weeks in the calendar it gives us more reason to celebrate.

     Kids would be joyfully throw their bags aside awaiting parents to bring them for holiday. Our colleagues would probably be busy clearing their annual leaves in the company whereas some will start putting some Christmas decorations in their home.

     Coincidentally, it’s also the period when most of us will look back throughout the year to assess one’s personal self-development.

     I have a friend who told me that when it comes to the end of the year we usually have an outlook for things happened to us over the past 12 months and resolutions for the coming year. It’s not unusual for someone to ask himself if he’d explore something new over the course of the year. 

    Because, after all, trying out something we’d not experienced before serves as an indication of improvement in the sense that we take new challenges like no before.

     Recently, I got a chance to prepare salad by myself. I remember I went to the market that morning handpicked and bought the ingredients all the way.

     The preparation process required a significant amount of work, as the lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, eggplant and bell peppers had to be individually sliced before being put to the plate.

     I fully understand that preparing salad for the very first time may be no big deal for certain individual, but it’s the logic behind the action that speaks louder.

     Although the idea of preparing a salad is nothing like setting up your own business company or going for ice skiing or even trying out a bungee-jumping – for the first time, the principles could very much be the same.

     If you don’t explore something which is new to you, then you are always oblivious to the hidden risks and opportunities that are present. The point at here is not to encourage you to become overly eager in ‘tying out’ whatever that comes to you.

     We always have a clear perspective of what is being positive and the ability to weigh between options should the chance arises. The way our brain is wired, enabled us to distinguish between the good and bad.

     When we ever come across with any situation that defeats logic, defies parents’ teachings or against the religious law, then it’s certainly a no-no for whatever reasons.

     As I’ve repeatedly mentioned, it’s good to explore a whole new experience (it can be healthy activities in form of widen you social cycles, going for yoga classes, etc.) or simply picking up some new skills at certain point of our lives, but strictly no other than that.

     I remember when I just started writing this column in the beginning of the year, I put too much emphasis on my personal feelings. Remember what I said before?

     Those moments are arguably the lowest point in my life and if there is a scale to weigh between happiness and sadness with a rating from 1 to 10, with the level of happiness increases in ascending order, I would put myself at 2.

     I encountered the tough challenges I’d never endured in my whole life, I’d to fight off the depressions, I lost all my friends, I met a female Casanova who jive at affairs, blah blah blah.

     Luckily enough, those experiences have provided me with the invaluable knowledge and the often required maturity to fit into this society.

     In 2014, I've met dozens of new people, probably more than the number of fresh faces I’d met over the past two years combined. The environment I’m living in, all the great peoples, not only made me feel appreciated, but also gave me the warmth and happiness.

     And yes, there were still dooms and glooms until I met a couple of really fantastic people this year – they’ll know who they are. I truly feel grateful for all the kind of support they’ve given to me, which particularly helped me a lot to grow into a better person. So take my hats off to them. Thank you.

     Face it or lose it. Do you want an environment surrounded by good vibes and positive peoples? Or you prefer a lifestyle which eventually resulting in a downward trend?

     Depending on the decision you make today, these options you choose will manifest themselves into a chain reaction of events which you ought to face in the future.

     In conjunction with the Thanksgiving Day (I wrote this article yesterday), let’s us be grateful with what we have and treasure the people meant the most to us because nothing in this world is inevitable.

By: Vincent Ti