It's been awhile since I last blogged.
Apparently, this is only my 2nd article this year. My priorities had
changed drastically since awhile back. Some
of you may know. No longer is my happiness or joy derives
from the material success or personal glory, but instead for the true purpose in life. Anyway I took this Labour day rest day to update based on my 5 priorities in
life that I blogged about before- H2F3. Things have changed so much since then.
Health
Generally very good with no major sickness
except for some small hiccups due to the drastic hot and cold weather lately.
Financial
Career
Despite primarily in the O&G industry,
with so many changes including several rounds of retrenchments over the past 3
years, I managed to survive in the same job of more than 5 years. Never have an industry be so depressed for so long. And it is not over yet. Frankly, it is no
joke and very tough mentally. You may be laughing over it, but to tell the
truth, people I know had been losing sleep for the last several months already
due to the stresses, and had even sought help from IMH.
Without the blessings of God, I will never
have endured through the oil crisis and even still have a job that pays the
same as during the heydays. Not only that, I manage to spend lots of time being
physically there for friends with listening ears and mentally encouraging them,
so that they will not fall into depressed condition, resulting in health problems.
Simple treats of meal to them also help. This is the joy I have by giving and
helping.
Sadly, I had seen so many friends who were
retrenched and heard many are driving Grab now, even including those of
director level in the past. Those who are still in the jobs are often stressed
out or really unhappy. It may not be just in the O&G industry, but I feel
that the general “job culture” in this country is really not the healthiest.
Everyone is chasing the wrong things in this present age that the world had manipulated
and misled us.
Investments / loan
Portfolio wise, I had >40% cash, 40%
metals, with the rest in stocks and bonds (cpf excluded). This year, I had
also paid down a substantial amount of my outstanding housing loan. My only
loan now is housing loan. This is now comfortably less than 50% of the value of the
house. Me and wife also own another flat providing regular rental income.
Although I did not profit much with the global stock rage, I am joyful and
stress-free, sitting pretty comfortable with my current portfolio with no intention to
invest it on stocks in the short run. My
salary savings were accumulated in cash earning meager interest.
Charitable
acts
The more you give, the more you receive.
This includes not just money but time. It is easy to understand, but to put in practice,
you have to deny yourself, something that I am still trying to improve as time
goes. I had also apportioned a part of money for charitable acts each month.
That said, I am careful that the monies given will channel to those who are
truly in need, and not to the undeserved people or institutions.
Family
I am now living happily with a household
of eight. Me and wife are supporting our 4 kids, parent and helper. By God’s
grace, we are managing really well, although it is not as easy as it seems,
both financially and mentally. The fourth junior member of the house just
turned 1 year old. He brought so much joy to the house that money cannot buy.
Of course, lots of personal time is sacrificed but it is all worth it. My mum,
siblings and relatives’ relationships are relatively good also as we organized
regular gatherings.
Not to be boastful but to be truthful and
hope that I do not offend anyone. I have to say humbly that it is so easy to
talk about financial freedom when you are only supporting yourself or your wife
or just a small family. But when you have a big family of loved ones to manage,
the stress level is really different. That said, the intangible joy of a well-managed
family could never replaced by how big your portfolio or your business is. So
many rich and powerful while having worldly successes, had failed to taste the
true fruits in their family lives. Of the list, includes Steve Job, Warren
Buffet, Elon Musk or perhaps even our very own Lee family. So why are we chasing
the worldly things that we had been chasing all our lives?
Perhaps the day you attain your financial
freedom after many years of pursuing, may just be the day you are diagnose with an incurable disease that may make everything you have been pursuing futile?
Friends
I try not to neglect my long time friends
as we still have gatherings now and then. My new friends are also expanding at a
rapid pace as God opened many doors for me to do His work, by offering my
time for those who are experiencing problems pertaining to career, health and
family. Relationships at work place for me continue to be very good, although it
is really harder to maintain when politics are abound due to the so many
changes in the top management.
Hobbies
I still go gym but with less intensity as
I do not want to injure myself when age is catching up. Swimming is usually
with the kids for bonding. I did a lot of reading, researching and writing
still, but almost all is related to the bible almost every day.
LIFE
Please note that I am not preaching here, neither going to make this a controversial blog. I am just sharing my own truthful experiences as follows, hoping it will be able to shed some light about the purpose in life.
The bible is without doubt one
of the most startling book I ever read and it does not matter how many times I
re-read it, every time it refreshes and never fail to give me the true wisdom
and the important messages to make the most out of lives. For all the time I use to spend in investing and blogging, I am spending it in bible reading etc for the last two years.
In essence, the bible is actually like a
mirror. When I am reading the bible, the bible is actually reading me helping
me to re-examine my mistakes, and helping me to become a better person. And
not just for myself, but also to the lives of many others who needed help
regardless of race, religion or social status. I am thankful that my own family
was often used as the instrument of righteousness to help those in need, and
often in the most miraculous way you ever can imagine.
It is definitely not about just going to
church or having a religion, or just being spiritual as many mistaken. In fact, the day when you truly knows the contents of the bible is the day when you stop being religious. My
family is not member of any listed institutional churches. The focus is truly
living the right way of life. The bible wanted us to put our faith in the Word,
and to lead a life that is humble with selfless love, and having a mind that is
always hopeful on the right thing, and always doing good and to share. And it is not just a set of
doctrinal teachings, but the Word in the bible has supernatural power and
authority.
Then there will be some who called
themselves a faithful ones, who never fail to go to a certain church/temple, or
never fail to follow a set of rules, and “think” that God is always behind
them, when they are truly only motivated by their own interests all the time? Is this correct? Or is this the truth in today’s society where all that matters
is about the love of self and pride of life?
Seeing the light, is the real reason why
my life change so much. This led to the growing of fruit in my life via many trials and sufferings to humble me, to reexamine myself and to repent. Thereafter, all glory to God
as He had consistently led my family, indiscriminately and miraculously to help
ourselves and the people around us. By God’s grace, He also used me humbly to
preach to many senior pastors with decades of full time pastoral and missionary
experiences, in their understanding of the truth. Likewise and of course they
also helped me when my family and myself faced with problems. It is always
mutual, as we need one another. Many will be skeptical and but it is hard to
explain here.
Ok, enough said. I prayed for the
blessings of love, peace and joy be upon all my friends and readers here. Bye.
:-)