Simple , Little Things

" What is value of money ,if it cannot provide you the freedom it promised ? " - Tim Ferris 

I am reminded of the quote above when I was reflecting while I was walking just now . I like walking , or rather strolling . Walking takes my minds off many things . And when we are doing it slow , the many racing thoughts in our mind slowed down too , and suddenly , everything became crystal clear .

This week has been a haphazard week . As always , my emotions are riding on that same , ol' rollercoaster again , from the improbable high to the desperate low . Work-wise , more or less I am slowly , but surely adapting to the workloads while struggling to find the right point for the work-life balance ( or as one of my friend puts it , work-life harmony ,simply because the word " balance " connotes some sort of scale , an equality between the two . More often than not , the scale is skewed , hence there can be no balance , only harmony  )

This week saw me getting my first salary , spending most of it on my precious tool of refuge ( a Takamine ED10C-ns acoustic guitar ) , and saving the rest after deducting other miscellaneous expenditures . It was my first time spending so much on something that I felt blurs the line of asset and liability ( it could be either one depending on how you utilize it ) , so naturally I was a bit scared and fearful of the consequences . 

And it so happens that , the Lobang King ( people with most ways or ideas to get /do something ) among my friend have some ideas to earn money , Big Money . So, I followed along with his ideas . Initially , we won some cash ,but humans being humans , "some" cash was never enough , so we gambled away ( literally ) those cash in hope of getting more ,which ended up in utter disappointment . Oh well , at least there's one less thing in my never-try-before list . 

I digressed . So now that we're back to square one , what else is there to do ? Another question that has been bugging me is about the meaning of life . Right now , it seems that I am doing the same thing over and over again . Work - Rest - Work again . It's not necessarily a bad thing as the job itself is quite engaging and I got myself some nice balance / harmony between work and life . Yet , I can't help but feel that something is missing . This is my internship , which is supposed to give me a gist of what "real , working world" would be like . And already I can't wait to graduate and lay the pressure of "not having a degree" off my chest . Early-Life crisis much .

In hope of getting some pressures off , I went to exercise . Exercise is one of those great things that could never do wrong to your body . In fact , I am still perplexed until today that why don't people do exercise . There are almost infinite rewards to be reaped and near to zero cons of exercising . Unless you are diagnosed with some severe ,anti-exercise medical conditions , a normal person literally have no excuse to NOT do exercise . And No , laziness is not an excuse . 

Either way , after exercising , I took a slow stroll back to my home . Continuing from the first paragraph of this post , as I was reflecting about the value of money , and listening to the beautiful songs from my playlist , wonderful things started happening . Pacing my steps based on the song's beat , my steps became shorter and slower . Winds started blowing , and the warmth from the sunlight was affectionately tender . The gentle breeze caresses my cheek , and the sufficiently warm rays of light hit my skin , slowly transforming the dull white color into a brown tan . It was the most wonderful moment of my life . These kind of simple pleasures , of knowing that you're alive , you're capable of listening to beautiful music , the closest thing ever to magic , you're capable of feeling the warmth of the sun light , indicating you've your sense of touch , and you're still walking on your own two feet . 

Appreciation of nature is a powerful ,therapeutic thing . As cheesy as it may be , we should really take times off whatever busy schedules that we have to appreciate the little things in life . This magical experience made me think twice about my goals in life . Is money really everything there is to this world ? No , it is mere means to achieve my goals . But then again , what is my true goal(s) then ? 

I probably won't find the answer to that question anytime soon , but I am sure I will be able to find it someday . And I guess , paying attention more to those simple , little pleasures of life , relax a bit and thinking slow sometimes will definitely help point me towards the right direction ;) .

And to dear readers , I wish you all a happy week ahead :) Let tomorrow's Monday not be Monday Blues , but rather A Happy Monday , Bubbly Monday , or Chocolate Marshmallow Monday even ? Just Not Blue . Also , do take some time off , to be more attentive towards the little things that happen in life . Watch them happen , Appreciate them . Wonderful things may happen ;) 

“Slow Dance:
Have you ever watched kids, On a merry-go-round? Or listened to the rain, Slapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight? Or gazed at the sun into the fading night? You better slow down. Don't dance too fast. Time is short. The music won't last. Do you run through each day, On the fly? When you ask: How are you? Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed, With the next hundred chores, Running through your head? You'd better slow down, Don't dance too fast. Time is short, The music won't last. Ever told your child we'll do it tomorrow? And in your haste, Not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die, Cause you never had time, To call and say Hi? You'd better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last. When you run so fast to get somewhere, You miss half the fun of getting there. When you worry and hurry through your day, It is like an unopened gift thrown away. Life is not a race. Do take it slower. Hear the music, Before the song is over.”
― Timothy Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek