Reflections and Doubts on my character PART 1

Just before I go into the topic proper for today, let me just say I've been in Malaysia for the past 4 days and learnt some stuff from my Dad. And did some thinking on my own too. From my Dad:

1. Our Western counterparts in America, Britain and many other European nations, apparently, have access to more sophiscated investment tools than what we have in Asia, or at least in Singapore. While it is common to hear returns of an average of 5% to 8% per annum locally for mutual funds, the corresponding rate in the States is around 20%, according to my father.

2. Wanna know why MNCs choose to rent properties for their offices instead of buy the space when they expand abroad? And they do that despite the huge probability that the value of prime land appreciates over time, and the fact that they can well afford to buy properties. Odd isn't it? Here's my father's take on it. Corporations aren't interest in anything that doesn't give them 20% returns a year, or at least a similar benchmark rate of returns. Can they be assured of 20% increase in property value over the long run? Well, not quite. And even if it's possible in boom times like recent years, they still sustain huge costs in administation and loan burdens in owning such properties.

And my thoughts struck me the last of the trip. In some sense they are simply extensions of the earlier post on "luck"...but I do realise that life indeed works that way! The Chinese have this saying that goes "An army has to be fed for a thousand days, but would be deployed usefully in just but a day". Pretty poor translation there, but the main point is that all major successes are built over a long period of ardous effort. Another saying goes "the performance lasts 3 minutes, but it takes one 3 years to prepare for it". Again, this saying reflects that spirit of vast preparations required for a short period which people can judge and value your skills and abilities.

Which, come to think of it, is very reflective of life, even in modern times. A middle school (or secondary school, in local context) student would spend some 4 years preparing for just one examination to prove his/her worth in the world of academics, and even then this system is insufficient to judge his aptitude for knowledge. And all things work this way. We prepare in all ernesty to face the task when it comes. And all our efforts goes unrecognised without the test.We face the same end if our prepartions are insufficient or are not done in the right way.

And, it might shock some of you guys who hear this, it applies to dying. In fact, it's an epitomy of sorts. We prepare for death (if we ever do), but yet we can never know when it comes knocking on our doors. Which means we have to be constantly alert, and do full preparations while we are still alive and kicking. Not unlike life and its challenges. In fact, all our effort is directed in building networks, learning to be smart, acquiring knowledge and much more is a prelude to the test, which could be an unexpected situation that is thrown at us. We prove ourselves in the "3 minutes on stage" when we face our audience. Maybe our bosses, managers, relatives, friends, family etc.

So put in all your effort and be always on the alert for opportunities yeah!

I think I would talk about my reflections on the Spiderman 3 later, pretty tired now.