The city was rather silent for an early Saturday morning. The air was unseasonally cold as I stood on the balcony observing the night skyline. Quiet and peaceful and third day into 2009.
With Monday approaching I will be joining millions of people around the world in yet another round of rat race. A race to earn a salaried living. Some might dread the Monday while others might welcome it with much enthusiam. A new beginning or the same ol' again?
A pick up in wind chill heightened the question lingering in me for the past few days - A new beginning, an improved year or the same ol' again? This in turn raise the question whether I will be the same ol' or an improved rat in this rat race. A race that is getting increasingly cut throat and 'dangerous' in the current economic climate.
Can the answers be in the form of being in the right place, in the right time and among the right people in order to be at the top of the game? Maybe, but this raise another question - How? Luck?
I wonder. But such questions wouldn't exist if my aspiration of what I want to be and what I want to achieve are lower. Then perhaps I would lead a much simpler and contended life enjoying the basic necessities and eventually be just another ordinary person in the future with a stable job, a house with mortgage, a loving wife, have kids, annual holiday planned and budgeted for over a year, retire with my superannuation and play golf weekly.
Rather simple, straightforward and that could be the story of my rat life. But no, this is not what I want.
Can I have another story instead? Or is it that a life story is only written by circumstances? More questions.
I looked up to the clear night sky and wondered whether is this how a journey of life should be? Dictated chiefly by circumstances and self-effort only plays a supporting role?
I then imagined myself high up in the sky looking down the cityscape and beyond. It was beautiful. I saw the laneways, roads, boulevards and freeways criss-crossing and meandering over the land. Those roads were built by men and they managed to built them with the help of a map which is just an image from the above. Clear and precise where the roads can be built to expand, to reach and to connect.
What if I have a map of my life? Can I do likewise what those urban planners do?
Why not?
I went back to my room, spread across a piece of paper and drew a stickman in the middle representing myself right now and another one at the top of what I want to be. The two stickmen are connected by a straight line representing the road in which the journey I want to embark must be travelled on.
So I drew a very basic map of my intended life but this wasn't enough. I needed to compose stories to complement the map. Three stories came up with its own distinct plots.
Story 1: I achieved my goals and became a cat.
Story 2: I am just another another rat.
Story 3: How I became a dirty and hungry rat.
So my life moving forward could be any one of the three stories. I can clearly see the possibilities of how each story can become reality provided if I do certain things and of course the influence of circumstances.
Each story has a basic premise of the following:
I am a tax accountant, I run a small investment fund and have ambitions for great wealth, power and to be a who's and who's in the corporate and perhaps, political scene. I hold a post-graduate degree. I am aware of current affairs and an innate understanding of financial markets. I am a silent observer of details.
Then from the basic premise I compose plots based on:
1) Became a cat - how? by exploiting my what I am, what I have, my eccentricity, embrace change and pounce on opportunities.
2) Just another rat - how? by taking things easy, happy with what I am and what I have.
3) A dirty and hungry rat - how? by being complacent, joining the wrong crowd, resist reform and losing hope.
The above are just the skinnies as each plot has to take into account of the catalyst, facts and circumstances, and what-if scenarios, or in a more technical fashion borrowed from Peter Schwartz, the factors of Driving Force, Predetermined Elements, and Critical Uncertainties. Let's not forget the power of imagination which is one of the most critical building block of a good story.
Now I am aware of the possibilities of what and how my life could turn out in the future. I am now more aware of certain signs, actions, reactions and non-actions that could possibly lead me to one of the three stories. It is almost a case of the best way of knowing the future is to create your own future.
I've composed three possible stories of my life which act as my roadmap to what I want to become, A Cat.
At the very least I have started to write my own stories. Wars and battles aren't won just by sheer brute force and luck but by having stories composed - Strategies.
I want to be cat and not a rat and I can't just sit and wait or merely dream to become one.
You are what you think you are but you are not what you think you are unless you do it.
I have embraced 2009 by taking charge of my life story and try not to lose my wanted plot.
With Monday approaching I will be joining millions of people around the world in yet another round of rat race. A race to earn a salaried living. Some might dread the Monday while others might welcome it with much enthusiam. A new beginning or the same ol' again?
A pick up in wind chill heightened the question lingering in me for the past few days - A new beginning, an improved year or the same ol' again? This in turn raise the question whether I will be the same ol' or an improved rat in this rat race. A race that is getting increasingly cut throat and 'dangerous' in the current economic climate.
Can the answers be in the form of being in the right place, in the right time and among the right people in order to be at the top of the game? Maybe, but this raise another question - How? Luck?
I wonder. But such questions wouldn't exist if my aspiration of what I want to be and what I want to achieve are lower. Then perhaps I would lead a much simpler and contended life enjoying the basic necessities and eventually be just another ordinary person in the future with a stable job, a house with mortgage, a loving wife, have kids, annual holiday planned and budgeted for over a year, retire with my superannuation and play golf weekly.
Rather simple, straightforward and that could be the story of my rat life. But no, this is not what I want.
Can I have another story instead? Or is it that a life story is only written by circumstances? More questions.
I looked up to the clear night sky and wondered whether is this how a journey of life should be? Dictated chiefly by circumstances and self-effort only plays a supporting role?
I then imagined myself high up in the sky looking down the cityscape and beyond. It was beautiful. I saw the laneways, roads, boulevards and freeways criss-crossing and meandering over the land. Those roads were built by men and they managed to built them with the help of a map which is just an image from the above. Clear and precise where the roads can be built to expand, to reach and to connect.
What if I have a map of my life? Can I do likewise what those urban planners do?
Why not?
I went back to my room, spread across a piece of paper and drew a stickman in the middle representing myself right now and another one at the top of what I want to be. The two stickmen are connected by a straight line representing the road in which the journey I want to embark must be travelled on.
So I drew a very basic map of my intended life but this wasn't enough. I needed to compose stories to complement the map. Three stories came up with its own distinct plots.
Story 1: I achieved my goals and became a cat.
Story 2: I am just another another rat.
Story 3: How I became a dirty and hungry rat.
So my life moving forward could be any one of the three stories. I can clearly see the possibilities of how each story can become reality provided if I do certain things and of course the influence of circumstances.
Each story has a basic premise of the following:
I am a tax accountant, I run a small investment fund and have ambitions for great wealth, power and to be a who's and who's in the corporate and perhaps, political scene. I hold a post-graduate degree. I am aware of current affairs and an innate understanding of financial markets. I am a silent observer of details.
Then from the basic premise I compose plots based on:
1) Became a cat - how? by exploiting my what I am, what I have, my eccentricity, embrace change and pounce on opportunities.
2) Just another rat - how? by taking things easy, happy with what I am and what I have.
3) A dirty and hungry rat - how? by being complacent, joining the wrong crowd, resist reform and losing hope.
The above are just the skinnies as each plot has to take into account of the catalyst, facts and circumstances, and what-if scenarios, or in a more technical fashion borrowed from Peter Schwartz, the factors of Driving Force, Predetermined Elements, and Critical Uncertainties. Let's not forget the power of imagination which is one of the most critical building block of a good story.
Now I am aware of the possibilities of what and how my life could turn out in the future. I am now more aware of certain signs, actions, reactions and non-actions that could possibly lead me to one of the three stories. It is almost a case of the best way of knowing the future is to create your own future.
I've composed three possible stories of my life which act as my roadmap to what I want to become, A Cat.
At the very least I have started to write my own stories. Wars and battles aren't won just by sheer brute force and luck but by having stories composed - Strategies.
I want to be cat and not a rat and I can't just sit and wait or merely dream to become one.
You are what you think you are but you are not what you think you are unless you do it.
I have embraced 2009 by taking charge of my life story and try not to lose my wanted plot.
2 comments:
You sound like you must read alot, care to share your secret to success? Hehe ~
Hi Lisa,
The secret is to read my blog! Haha, just kiddin ey.
I think it has very much to do with your hunger for success, lotsa discipline to keep yourself on track and take the bitter medicine of failures as lessons for moving forward.
Stepping back and look at the whole picture again every now and then would certainly help.
Hope my 'secret' answer is successful enough for you to take!
Cheers
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