A lot of people ask me, “Grace, how are you so happy all the time?” Well, guess what? I’m not. In fact, sometimes I am very moody, emotional, and angry. I just tend to shut off all communication when I’m in a bad mood (that’s why you don’t know! :p)
Negative emotions affect us so much more than positive emotions. It seems like we get stuck and our minds just can’t seem to see anything else. So today, I feel like I should write about things I feel grateful for.
Okay, I said I would post a post a week and I am super behind…sorry!! This one is based on an article my friend sent me via wechat. It is in Chinese but I decided to translate it because I want to share it with you guys. However, some of the content only make sense in Chinese, so I couldn’t translate everything. As a result, the writing might seem all over the place. Nonetheless, I really hope you find it interesting. The article is very simple but it can really make you think.
When you want to give up, ask yourself..
Hello my dear readers,
Sorry I haven’t blogged in such a long time. I haven’t been emotionally or physically well. But I’m somewhat back!? I will try to blog more consistently (perhaps at least a post a week?). 🙂
Today’s post is more like a rant.
I feel so sad, defeated, and hurt. I just really want to have a job that I am passionate about. I know money is important, but I don’t want to choose money over happiness.
Most people spend at least 1/3 of their lives working…doing something they hate. I don’t want to be like that. I want to feel like I’m doing something meaningful. But my parents are so unsupportive; especially my dad. It’s because this field is so unstable and risky. I never know when I’ll be paid –or if I’ll be paid. It really depends on whether I have clients and whether people trust me. But I don’t want that to stop me. I really want to pursue my dreams. I know most people will say it’s unrealistic and I should just accept reality and get a stable job, but it makes me so miserable. I don’t want to settle for something I don’t want.
Please watch the video before proceeding to my post. It’s 3 minutes long. I could not find the original on youtube but this one has the same content.
I was shown this video at an Entrepreneur business building event. At the beginning (about a minute into the video), I already knew it was going to be a “sad motivating” type of video.
Or I thought I knew.
I was wrong. I had no idea that the video would impact me so much. By the time I was half way through, I was no longer able to contain my emotions and the streams of tears from pouring down my face. I have never seen a video that has hit me so hard (no pun intended).
At first, when Derek fell down in agony, I felt sorry for him. In my mind, I was thinking, “Poor dude. He must be devastated. He probably trained for years to get this far. He might never have this opportunity again.”
I was sad, but I wasn’t moved.
Note: One of my managers told me this story at work. It is very simple, but contains deep meaning.
It was a cold wintery night, and two families were suffering from starvation. They were so hungry and begged God for a miracle. Suddenly, both families received a knock at the door. A kind gentleman was generously distributing chickens around the area. He gave each household a chicken.
Both families were very grateful and could not believe their luck. Family A thought, “Finally! We have waited for far too long. Time for this suffering to end. Let’s eat!” And so, they quickly slaughtered the chicken and gobbled it up. They were SO hungry.
However, Family B took a different set of approach. Family B thought, “No, we mustn’t eat the chicken yet. We still have some scraps left. We can still survive…even if it means we must suffer a bit longer. Let’s take care of the chicken first and wait for it to grow. It will be worth it.”
Note: You might want to read my previous post before reading this one.
In my opinion, there are 3 ways you can develop a fan base/support group.
1. They see the value
When people see the value in something, they are willing to invest. To them, it is worth it. That is the reason why some people get cosmetic surgeries, buy LV, spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a Ferrari, purchase a home, or line up overnight to see Robert Pattinson as a sparkling vampire.
However, initially, it is very difficult to get someone to see the value in something they have never experienced or seen before. Most often, it takes a lot of exposure, time, and capital. Some might say it also takes a certain amount of luck. Sometimes, timing can make all the difference.
But once you can get people to see the value in you/your business/idea/services, you are set! It is very unlikely that people will “un-see” the value in something once they believe it.
So, can you create or provide something for people to value?
Unless you were born into a wealthy family or you’ve won the lottery, chances are you’ll have to work to earn a living. However, as I mentioned in my previous blog post, working for others is honestly not the best way. Your company/boss decides what you are worth (hourly/salary). They will decide when you’ll get a raise. They will decide when you can go on vacation. Ultimately, they will probably end up deciding when you can purchase your first home.
So you may wonder, what else can I do? Life sucks. 😦
The answer is simple. Work for yourself.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “You got to be kidding me. You want me to start a business? Do you know how much risk that is? Do you know how much you have to invest just to start something? What am I going to sell? It doesn’t even guarantee I’ll succeed. You crazy woman. Why am I even reading your blog?”
Calm down. Keep reading.
The people you see making a lot of money without spending all their time? They have money coming in even when they are not working. That’s it. That’s the secret.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
I definitely would not be here. I would probably be traveling around Asia…perhaps Taiwan or Japan! But sadly, I currently do not have the time and money to do so. =(
I want to be financially free so that I can do whatever I want without worrying about money. But that’s not enough. I also want to have the time to do whatever I want. The question is, how? How can I make enough money and have the time to spend it in whatever ways I like?
This is my first blog post! I would like to dedicate this post to my friend, Karen Mak! Karen is an active blogger who loves to share her experiences with the world. She inspires me daily and encourages me to do the same. Hence, I have decided to create this blog to share my experiences and growth with all of you. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts! 🙂
Today I would like to talk about persistence. My definition of persistence is:
“Regardless of how many times I may fail, I’m not stopping until I reach my goal.”
Persistence is a very powerful force. It can allow us to achieve things that seemed impossible at the beginning. However, in order to be persistent in something, we have to have a purpose. There has to be a strong WHY. Why are you doing what you’re doing? How badly do you want it? What are you willing to endure?
