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It’s  been awhile since I made a personal blog post. You normally hear me talking about wealth, career, success, personal development. And I must admit, i’ve become deadly passionate about these stuff ever since my journey began a year ago in Muar (March, 2009).

Subconsciously, I realized that i’ve started taking positive steps for a better life. For example, I’m determined to step out from my “Analytical” mindset to become an action taker. Over analyzing has always been one of my biggest weakness. That’s why nowadays I always tell myself to take action and just do it.

Another big change occurring in me is that I now enjoy doing things I love the most, not just for the sake of achieving financial freedom or having a nice body. Life is about the journey, not the destination. So now i’m determined to enjoy life to the fullest and live my passions. Also, i’m going to stop focusing on the results, but rather on the work that has to be done.

We have a long journey ahead of us, and my hope is to those that feel lost, find your true passion and calling and live it! Don’t let anything stop you from living life to the full and giving your fullest gifts to the world. Lack of time and money is NEVER and excuse. We can always create time and money if we want to.

I’d like to end this blog post by quoting a piece by an old classmate of mine, Phaik Leng. This is the 2nd time I’m quoting her on my blog. Her blog posts are just so spiritual and profound and I do feel inspired after reading them.

I decided to leave work at 5 sharp the other day, put on my trainers and went for a jog. After running a couple of rounds, i explored this little quaint town a bit with my camera and car, and I saw this little lake just off the main road. As I pulled up by the sandy bay, I saw an old couple fishing at the lake, with birds flying above them, and a soft breeze blowing against them – they were both wearing a peaceful look on their faces – such a tranquil moment for them, I thought.

And today is exactly one solid month since i left home to this new place. Senior staffs have been very warm and nice, and I noticed that the people here are generally cordial. The best thing is that, patients here seem to be friendlier and happier-looking too, and this gives a sense of satisfaction at the end of any tiring day.

Indeed, to adjust to a new place quickly, I realise that it’s so much easier if we look at the positive side of things. For a big hospital in a relatively small town like this, I’m sure I’m here for a reason. And i’m starting to see the rationale of it.

I’ll go back to that lake one day again. Just to chill and to watch the sunset, maybe.

To my dear friends who feel lost at times, I hope you’re inspired by Phaik Leng’s words. I’m sure there’s a reason why everyone of us are on this earth, and its up to us to find out our true purpose and live it to the full.

Inspiration, Life Lessons, Life Updates

Inspiration, Life Updates

Yes I realized that I always come to my blog for quick updates… which is once in a blue moon. Oh well, better than nothing.

Ok so here’s what i’ve been up to.

Loading up on good books/e-books to read. I’ve got like 5 books that I haven’t read finish (all related to wealth, career and personal development) and also i’m following the Philosopher’s notes.

Meeting up with old, old friends. Realized that i’ve been neglecting all my old friends from college time to university life. I make it a point to catch up with some of them now and then. Helps me reflect on life and put things in perspective.

Workouts! Explosive, circuit training to be exact. Maximum results (in this case, fat burning) in shortest amount of time. Occasionally basketball and badminton. Please call me for badminton!!

Relationships… well let’s just say that maybe we weren’t compatible for each other in the end. Maybe its for the better. Right now, I want to focus on my career.

Also, i noticed alot of my friends going into businesses. Whether its MLM, Forex, Insurance, Unit trusts… All are good in my opinion. The best business one can do is the one which he can perform most consistently in and is most passionate about. For example, someone might be good at forex but might not be the insurance type. So just play your strengths and you will succeed anyhow.

Ok. So that was my quick update. Back to work =)

Life Updates

Financial goals (monthly income)

3 months – RM 5,000 (active + passive)

6 months – RM 8,000 (active + passive)

12 months – RM 10,000 (passive income)

2 years – RM 50,000 (passive income)

5 years – RM 100,000 (passive income)

Health goals for 2010

Less fried stuff

More fruits and vegetables

8 pack abs

Engage in regular excersie – Jog once a week, workout twice a week, basketball once a week, badminton once a week. (total = 5 times a week)

Relationships

Spend more time with family – Especially on weekends

Make GF HF all the time

Catchup with old friends – Yumcha/foos/phone call catchups

Exercise, Yumcha and Hangout with Bros

New Years Resolutions

Isn’t it amazing that we, as distinct individuals have the ability to live our lives the way we want?

We all have 24 hours in a day, and with this time, we can choose to build six-pack abs, score As for all our exams, get the girl of your hearts desire.

We can choose to sleep less in a day to get more work done. We can take up part-time jobs to build some start-up capital to own our own businesses. We can read books to build our knowledge and make our lives better.

We are in charge of our own lives. We can live a simple life in the village or become a high-powered executive in the corporate world. We can choose to go to poor countries to be a volunteer worker. We can choose to be a doctor, astronaut, lawyer, pharmacist. Money is not an issue because if there is a will, there is a way. Don’t know enough? Buy books, read more. No money? Get a part time job and start a small business. Don’t know how to start a business? buy books, read more.

The sky’s the limit, and all the worlds a stage.

Inspiration

So i’ve been wrong all the while.

I used to think that to achieve happiness in life, you must have a balance in Health, Wealth and Relationships.

Unfornately, I discovered that “balance” is just another excuse for mediocrity.

How am I suppose to excel in life if by thinking that if I focus too much on “Wealth”, for example, other compartments of my life will suffer? If this is the case, i’m also telling myself that I DON’T want to excel in my career because it would cause my health and relationships to detiorate. Thus, as much as I want to excel in my career, subconsciously I would be preventing myself from succeeding! No wonder my year hasn’t been productive

Luckily I finally realised that. It is not impossible to excel in certain parts of life without neglecting others.

Inspiration, Life Lessons

Today’s CPE (Continuous Pharmacy Education) Session was somewhat different from other days. Eli Lily, the company who founded Zypyrexa (aka Olanzapine, an anti-psychotic drug) invited Dr. Vincent Wong, the head of the Psychiatry department of my hospital to come and give a talk about Schizophrenia.

I’ve always known Dr.Vincent as a nice person, recalling back the time he came to take some medicines from me at the pharmacy on a sunny weekend afternoon. From the way he talked to me I could tell he was a friendly, humble person who even asked me what to write in his prescription for a flu drug. We had a light chat and we got to know a little more about each other, which gave me a very good impression of him.

The first slide of his presentation was simple, yet portrayed how he respected the pharmacy profession. “Pharmacists – Our partners in mental health care”. He recognizes that we are facing a tight budget, which makes it difficult for us to buy many expensive drugs for the patients.

You and I might think – “Why do we even bother wasting our money on these psychos?!” But for Dr.Vincent, treating patients with mental illnesses is not an easy job for him. The fact is this – when their illnesses are not well controlled, lives are endangered. Many patients attempt suicide or harm their loved ones because they aren’t thinking like normal people do. And its not their fault at all. Why? Because they can’t think properly due to a chemical imbalance in their brains. Mental illnesses are essentially brain diseases. It’s not because they had a painful breakup or they are “bad guys”, they are born like that. Sometimes stress induced by the physical environment triggers this chemical imbalance which they are born with which causes them to be like this.

I feel ashamed of myself as a pharmacist. We say we want to save lives. Yes, admittedly, we are having trouble with our finances. But we complain whenever the doctor decides to start a patient on an expensive drug, or insists that we give branded drugs over generic, despite both drugs having the same efficacy. But one thing I learnt from this session – is that the most effective drug to treat a mentally ill patient is not the most expensive drug, it is the drug which the patient is most willing to take consistently throughout his life. Patients normally don’t take their drugs because the drug might not be causing any effect, or has excessive side effects. Also, because they don’t think that well, it is more difficult for them to understand that there is not much difference between a branded and generic drug. I feel ashamed of myself because I only see what’s on the surface, that they’re crazy. I get very annoyed whenever they stand in front of the counter demanding that they get their drugs served immediately, with branded labels and also the right colour and right amount of tablets. (Yes, some even count the number of tablets supplied in front of me). But I’ve come to realized, it’s not their fault. I should show empathy towards these patients because they’ve been socially neglected, their families have stopped caring and they cannot function in life.

My call to all pharmacists out there is this: Even if we can’t buy more drugs for the patients, let us treat them with more love and care. Be patient with them and do everything in our power to make their lives better. Find ways to provide them with the medications they need to help them take back control over their lives. Give them a chance at life.

Special thanks to Dr.Vincent for sharing his insights on mental healthcare with us.

Healthcare, Life Updates

Is Food poisoning a valid excuse for lying in bed consecutively for 72 hours? You bet it is! But its all not all a walk in the park. With your stomach making unearthly noises all the time and having to rush to the loo every few minutes, i’d pretty much rather be filling in medicine in the pharmacy :X Just so you know, I’m feeling a tad better today. I won’t say im much better, don’t wanna jinx it lol.

***

While waiting for my bus to go back to KL last friday, I couldnt help but notice a diligent young chap running around trying to sell bus tickets. Dressed in a faded polo Tee and baggy cargos with an oversized pouch hanging across his waist, he works for the competitor of Mayang Sari (Ekspress Maharani), which offers trips back to KL as well. According to the people at Mayang Sari – his father passed away when he was young and although he’s schooling now, he prefers to sell bus tickets.He has successfully bought himself a motorcycle and laptop so far. The people there kept telling him to stay in school, so that he won’t end up like the rest of them, but I know that deep down inside he believes that he will succeed. Who knows, he might be to become a bus operator one day.

Random

It’s time once again for my looooong deserved blog post about my life. Life is so unpredictable. As fate might have it, after stressing for many many months I have decided to come to a stern decision about my career life.

I have decided to continue my job as a Pharmacist. Yes, this might come as a shock to most of you, considering that I have been ranting for months about financial freedom and escaping 9-5. Truth is, I still want it, just that now is not the right time for me to abandon my job. For one, patients need me. Hehe. But besides that, I have decided to keep my options open.

As we all know, in order to achieve financial freedom, its wise to not keep all our eggs in one basket. We have to have multiple streams of passive income. That is why I have decided to obtain my pharmacy license. Meanwhile, I will be focusing on Internet marketing part time and also building the skills I need for me to enter into the business world (offline and online) when the time is right.

However, despite the ups and downs and multiple failures I have gone through in this year, I have learnt so much.

Proud to say that i’ve already received several paychecks from online businesses. The amount is not alot, but now I truly believe that it can be done, even part time. As T Harv Eker says – “How you do anything, is how you do everything”. If I wanted to be rich online I can do it even if im doing part time. So the coming 3 years will be interesting to see if I can really make it happen.

Life Updates

I really don’t know sometimes whether what I do in life is right or wrong. But whatever it is, i’m just going to take the plunge and see what happens. As long as I know i’ve done the best of my ability and i’ve never went against my heart and principles, I have no regrets.

Random