What can time buy?

I was buying things in a pharmacy last week and I overheard someone talking on the mobile phone. The conversation was about 10 minutes and the whole discussion was nothing more than which brand to buy and whether the price was the best in the country.

I am sure at that time, there was a doctor out there who was faced by a emergency situation where he/she has to make a life-or-death surgery on an accident victim in order to continue life.

In the first case, the caller feels great because she has bought something for the lowest price, probably $2 cheaper than everyone else in the country. Then there is this doctor who also feels great because she manages to save a life due to her 'bets' she took.

We could be from different walks of life, different countries, different beliefs but whatever the differences, we are blessed with exactly 24 hours in a day. If one prefers to spend 20% of one's timing bargaining, what one will get back is the money saved. Is it worth it? Only the person can judge. One can also spend 20% of one's time doing charity work, is it worth it? Again, only the person can tell.

My message here is that everyone is granted the same amount of time in a day. If time is a currency, think of what this newly founded 'money' can buy. Some use it like 'discount coupon' to buy the lowest price, some spend it to 'buy peace' while others did not buy anything but their 'money' was stolen by their friends who engage them in idle talking and activities.

My other message is that we need to ask ourselves 'Has it been worth it, all this time that was spent in this particular activity?' To help you check whether it's worth it, ask yourself the following questions:
Can you recall its benefits? Does it make you a much better person today? When you think back, can it gives you the same pleasure? Most of all, do you feel happy when you think back?

If it doesn't, most likely it is not worth it. It is mostly like an idle activity.

With that, I hope it can suggest some new resolutions for this Chinese New Year.

For those whose resolutions stop as soon as they start, may I share some tips with you. Have a few resolutions starting on different significant dates. Some start on 1/1/09, some start on 1st day of Chinese New Year, reserve some for Hari Raya, Wesak Day, Labor Day...

A new chicken and egg situation

Well, it has been quite a while since I wrote. What should I say? Time flies? But that doesn't mean I have not encountered any new incidents that worth writing, only that have not been writing.

I have some skin problem called eczema. For those who experienced before, you will know that it is a sticky issue because initially the part affected is itchy and then I scratch it, and then it becomes more itchy, and I scratch further. When do I stop? When all the dead skins have been scratched off and what left is the normal skin. By then, some 'little wounds' will have been created during the 'pleasure time' as now the pleasure is lower and the pain is sensed. I regretted scratching it (sure because it is painful now and the logical part of myself takes over). As the wound heals and the dead skin accumulates, the temptation to scratch begins. Then, the whole story starts again...and thinking of it, it has been 5 years!

I realize that this pleasure and pain is one entity but only at different extreme. Just like cold and hot is part of temperature. Now the question that needs to be answered is which is the 'chicken' and which is the 'egg' (which is the cause and which is the effect). There are a lot of times we thought we know, but do check again.

Those who are actively running in the rat race, there are high and low in our months. There are crazy months where budgeting, meetings and visitors just have to happen at the same time. Then usually there is a peaceful period during the end of the year as most people take their holidays or last attempt to 'clear their leave entitlement'. During the peak time, we feel like this job sucks and almost want to quit. But by December when we look back, aaahh it was a meaningful experience. In fact, the pain then makes the vacation now even a more enjoyable and rewarding one!!

Now, which is the cause and which is the effect? In my case, is the pain worth it because it makes the scratching part more pleasurable? We work late nights and then we 'enjoy' the weekend better by sleeping more? We take unnecessary risks to gain extra money so that we can buy ourselves a favorite bag? Will I miss the pleasurable scratching if my eczema is fully treated? Is it the subconscious reason I have let myself to go through this pain-pleasure trip for 5 years?

The key messages I want to share are:

1. we need to understand that pain and pleasure are actually one entity. We should not complain about the pain but yet consciously and subconsciously enjoy the pleasure because of the pain.
2. we need to ask ourselves is the pain worth it? IE we should put the pain as the 'cause' and the pleasure as the effect' to ensure that we do not indulge in short-term pleasure while the situation deteriorates. You will understand better when you see a person who have lost his limbs due to diabetes (while some are born with insulin deficiency, the rest is failure to avoid high-sugar foods)
3. look out for alternative pleasures IE what pleasure we can get if the pain is gone forever?

Looks like I have to start scratching my head for the answer than scratching my leg for the pleasure!

Happy new year!!