the road to perfection has no finish line

how can someone chase something when they noe right from the start that they'll never get it? the only reason they get into the race is to make themselves better. they can choose to opt out anytime but they'll never reach the finish line. their rewards come in many forms and the longer they're in the race, the better they get.

now before u go off and say u aint one of us, think again. education. work. sports. all these are races, just different at the initial glance. we all strive to be the best in watever we do. yet we noe we'll never be the best.

the race is an exhilirating one. and the best part is, there are no losers. only early finishers who can carry on from where they left of if they wanted to.

we were born for greatness. inside each of us is a force that can change the world. in our head is tool more powerful than any weapon created and will be created by man. with our hands, we can mould the world around us to suit our needs. and with our hearts, we will make it all come together for the good of all.

yet very few people have realised this. they would rather live with what they have than work towards what they deserve.

so wat are u waiting for?


Tariq :: email ::
|9:28 pm|
0 comments

dun live a life of regrets

many times we have heard it. yet we turn a deaf ear on it. and yet when we lose that special somethin or someone, we regret our actions. and fixing things may not or may even never put things back to where they were.

in life we're always lookin for that special moment, that speacial thing, that special someone. and as fairy-tale as we want it to drop onto our laps, it dun. the just come into our lives naturally and we never thought they were wat we were searching for.

but we felt somethin different. small changes at first. and it becomes bigger and bigger. we started feelin contented with what we had. we started living our life the way we wanted it to be. we started to become whole. but we never for once it was because of that something special. that we had caused these changes ourselves.

yet when that something special leaves our lives, we're all of a sudden reeling from the pain of realising that we had let go of something special. something which we had been searchin and thought we had never found. and the thing bout it is that when it leaves, chances are it'll never come back.

we could lament at what we've lost but that's not gonna change anything. or we could embrace what we have been blessed with and appreicate it for enterin our lives and completing us. the choice is yours. open your eyes. let ur heart lead u. coz not all decisions are made to be decided by the mind.


Tariq :: email ::
|3:44 pm|
0 comments

insecurity

*for reasons, the previous post had to be removed*

ever had that feelin where u were always worrying bout somethin which u think u had or u truly had? kinda sucks doesnt it? u just dun wanna feel that way but somehow it just comes and haunts u. and the more u think bout it the more it engulfs u. not at one shot. but a little at a time till u go crazy or somehow managed to psyscho-ed urself to get out of it.

and insecurity can come in so many forms. from the mild kind of worryin, till the extreme form of obsession. from tryin to ignore it and get on with life to over-reactin to everything around. doin dumb stuff and sayin lame things. hahaha. i'm sure we've all been there or seen someone act that way before.

let's face it. we are not the best. not in any terms. if u think u are good-lookin, there's always a better lookin person out there. think u are rich, there is always a richer person (unless of course u are Bill Gates). think u're smart and u find a smarter kid the next day. u get the picture. and this is where the insecurity comes from. we are scared of losing what we have to someone who's better. scared of losin our place in society. scared of losing that number 1 spot. scared of losing just about anything to someone else.

it all stems from lack of confidence and can be overcome. if u can keep that though in mind, u'll be goin thru life as if u are the most good lookin, richest, smartest and what have u nots. u still wun be able to get rid of that thoughts of insecurity totally but at least u noe this time that u're better equipped to handle it.

the greatest of man is the one who can see himself for who he is.


Tariq :: email ::
|9:08 am|
5 comments

education and foreign talent

well i get we could continue this from my previous education post or u could read it on its own. no big deal coz its different yet similar.

now as singaporeans we all noe that sg imports a whole load of foreign talent. and a lot of singaporeans are unhappy with that. why? coz they have to compete with these foreign talents for their jobs and most of the time, end up losing it to them. is there somethin wrong with the system? are these foreign talents really better than singaporeans? or is there something else?

which country would not like to provide employment to its own citizens? its one of the ways to ensure that the current government ensures that it remains in office right? so why are a lot of local companies importing foreign talent?

simply coz most singaporeans cant make it in the workin world. while they may have the academic knowledge to get that interiew, they do not have the lifeskills, the personality, the attitude or the street intelligence that would make their potential employers want them. to most sg students, as long as u have the paper qualifications, u're almost there. well sorry to burst ur bubble ppl, but that aint the case.

another sad thing that u see is the way sg students compete with each other. if u are good, u dun want others to be good so that u can be the best in ur course/module/whatever. if a weaker student comes to u for help, u'll feign ignorance or dun teach them fully. why? not coz u dun noe, but coz u dun want them to be as good as u. so at the end of ur academic life, u end up being the best, thru such means.

now what about the foreign talents? they dun have such a mindset. to them, they wanna help those around them realise their potential. its all right by them if the friend they teach end up being better than them. sure they'll be bothered for a while but who wouldnt? but they realise that their friends had more potential than them and just needed a little extra help. to these ppl, its alright not to be the best because u are among the best. its alright to not graduate at the top of the class with all As because they have learnt somethin more valuable than wat can b found in the textbook.

now when u compare both students and how they went thru uni life, who do u think the employer would want? and who would be able to shine better? the sg student who tried to eliminate competition or the foreign talent who builds on competition?

i agree that this is stereotyping but its wat i see when i meet both groups of ppl. to me its alright not to be the best but to land among them. ur grades are just part of ur arsenal in the workin world. but remember that there are other things u can pull out as well.

do not kill the competition to get wat u want. instead work with them and help each other out. coz that way, u both will be able to bring each other to newer heights, heights the 2 of u would not have been able to achieve if u had gone solo.

life's a journey best travelled in groups


Tariq :: email ::
|8:05 am|
0 comments

giving up

when does one give up what they've been pursuing? there's no guideline on this as we all noe. but if u give up too quickly, u're branded as someone who doesnt try hard enough. and hang on for too long and wishful thinkin is just as good an alternative.

i dun care what i am branded with my actions. for me i live for myself. i dun seek approval from others. i dun seek to please others in hope of acceptance. if u love someone, u should be able to accept them for who they are. not because of who u want them to be. i guess that's a measure of true love.

so back to the topic, how do we know? i guess its that feelin when u've tried all that's within ur power and ability to chase for somethin that u really really want and one day u wake up and u feel so tired from it all. not tired in a pissed off way but tired in a lethargic kind of way. like the emotional and physical baggage has started to take its toll on u. and you hang on just a little longer to see how it goes and hope that somethin happens soon. but we all know what happens then.

so are those who continue tryin to get what they want really wasting their time? i dun think so. if it can be justified, then why not i would say. but always be true to urself. true to ur actions. dun do it for someone else. do it for yourself. coz when that someone's gone, ur motivation is gone.

do what you want, because u want to do it, not because u seek approval


Tariq :: email ::
|10:09 am|
1 comments

common sense

everyone's born with it. or so its presumed. yet there are many a times when we have forgotten bout it when making decisions in life. and so it became to be known as those used their common sense and those who din. but are there only 2 groups of ppl? is it really so clear cut?

wat bout those who disregard common sense to make their decisions? not all the time, but durin those crucial moments? like a businessman setting up a new venture. like researcher workin on a new project. no amount of calculation and data will ever justify what u feel is right. no amount of logic will ever be able to change your mind because of what u want to do.

and if u were to fail, ppl would laugh at u and call u names for not using ur common sense. but what if u were successful at it? is it worth the risk? has society become so rigid that we can no longer accept failure as a steppin stone to success?

sometimes we just cant justify why we do what we do. i m guilty of such things. but it was those times that using common sense would just not work out; believe it or not. have i lived to regret those scenarios where i din use my common sense? nope, coz with every experience i learn somethin new. would i do it again if i was given the chance? definitely.

common sense was a gift given by God to help mankind navigate his life. but it isnt the only gift for the journey.


Tariq :: email ::
|6:06 pm|
0 comments

different context, different worlds

funny how there's something else that breaks apart mankind with a much more powerful force than race or religion. and yet no one tries to overcome or find a solution. the power of your own mindset, the power of your own context is powerful for you to create your own world and shut others out of it. unlike race or religion where people can learn to respect and live with each other, if u have 2 different ppl of different mindsets, peace can b pretty rare; and that's me being optimistic.

so wat kinda mindsets are we talkin about? anything i'd say. beliefs in God. your principles. what the future holds for us. anything.

weird as it seems, predicting the future can separate people. and even weirder is that neither of the party is totally right. while it's true that we always dream of a great future and have aspirations we wanna see come true, its just that. nothin concrete will come out of it. and while it is impractical to not even think bout the future coz that's where we are heading, not placing an emphasis on it doesnt seem like such a bad idea.

for me, the future is a 6 letter word. which has yet to come. and which will never come. i live for the moment so that what i did today, i wun regret it 24 hours later. living life for the moment and not caring bout the world round me u say? i dun think so.

sometimes we worry so much bout the future that we can never focus on the present. we fail to see what have been blessed with today coz we always worry if it'll b there for us tomorrow. we always wonder how tomorrow will turn out but we never think about how we can maximise today. we always plan for the future and yet we never treasure the present.

don't you find it weird that u're plannin for somethin that u dun have and ignoring somethin that u do?

think too much about the future and you will never be able to enjoy the present




Tariq :: email ::
|8:24 am|
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the realm of perfection

always chasing it, never arriving at it. the journey was long and filled with many ups and downs. lessons were in abundance and waiting to be learnt. pitfalls awaited those who thought they had mastered their game to remind them there were still a lot more before they reach their destination. it no longer matter as to how strong u were on the outside. but to keep on travelling on that road and yet not reach your destination can be a very demoralising process right? which was why i stopped travelling it back in sec sch.

until now...

i came across this quote. 2 quotes actually. that made me change my views once again and resumed what i had set out a long time ago.

the end of the journey (destination) is not as important as the journey itself.
wat we learn while on our journey in life is just as if not more important than what we set out to achieve, be it that dream job or dream girl. sometimes we lose track of that and we get lost in the wilderness.


success can take off without warning
while an airplane on a runaway just keeps goin and goin until it reaches a certain speed before it lifts off the ground, the success or destination has no take off speed. we could be chasin it for 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or even 2 years before we'll ever fly with the eagles. it may be a long journey. but that feeling of when u are flyin up there beats anything else in this world.

and today i make the promise to myself that i shall take control of my life. to realise what was inside in me. at times it can be scary to picture ur future self. power is intoxicating. and those who disagree either have yet to taste real power or are too pure. and no one's pure :P

p.s. somehow this post seems pretty disjointed and all but who cares? i dun :P


Tariq :: email ::
|2:57 pm|
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education. scene 2 act 1

so what's the purpose of education anyways? some say its to get a better paying job. some say its to gain respect in society. some even as far as to say that it makes it easier for the government to govern its people. all are true; and it all depends on how you wanna look at it.

now i aint downplaying the role of education in our society. while i agree to a certain extent of its importance, its gotta be know that it aint as important as most people think. why? coz education is just a small part of knowledge.

there is no wordplay here. the 2, education and knowledge, are as different as fire and ice. fail a test or an exam and you would have been thought as to not havin an education. learn about something and still fail it and you would have gained knowledge. there is no pressure in knowledge but a whole bagful of it with education. its funny how the one thing that is important in our lives and how we go about it, we choose to push it aside in our strive for its weaker cousin.

with knowledge, you learn that u dun have to prove yourself to others coz there are no standards for u to surpass. with education, u are expected to be of a certain calibre. good and bad in both cases; again the onus lies on u on how you would want to look at it.

your education wun get u far in this life. it may get u the interviews at the best companies in the world. but that's just about it. without knowledge such as people skills and charming those ppl conducting your interviews, your application and their trash will end up in the same place. so think about it. is what u are pursuin worth the effort? and what about a different kind of pursuit in another direction? choosing only one over the other aint exactly a smart move. its common ground that reigns supreme over here.


Tariq :: email ::
|9:06 am|
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education. scene 1 act 1

man this topic has been on my mind for quite some time. since i entered uni and lately it evolved into somethin larger during the dec holz when i had nothin better to do than reflect on life and what i wanted out of it. and apparently education was a hotly debated topic (between me and myself that is).

so whats the big deal about education? someone tell me please. i cannot understand how a person with a paper qualification is so much better than one who doesnt. does a business student who just graduated with first class honours have better business sense than the owner of Creative? who are the better mechanics? a graduate from the engine faculty with the right knowledge or a seasoned mechanic? followin me so far? if anything, that paper qualification only proves that you are good memorizing and applying what you have learnt.... but on paper.

now dun get me wrong. i aint bashin blindly at all highly educated people. but it irks me when these highly educated ppl complain that they got passed on a job offer coz someone of lower academic qualifications got it instead. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE FRESH AIR MAN. life's not all about paper qualifications. your character, your attitude, your communication skills. all that counts for a whole lot more. it aint a surprise that a lot of SG companies that or any companies for that matter aint doin well when they put too much emphasis on paper qualifications.

so if i were to set up a business or company, are you wonderin if i will overlook paper qualifications. while i dun wanna employ a dumbass, if he can prove to me that he's worth the money that he demands, then he'll be mine. no o levels, no worries.

alright i'll stop here for the time being before this blog entry gets too long. will continue with the other parts soon.

i was born smart. education ruined me


Tariq :: email ::
|1:49 pm|
0 comments

mental block

cant seem to find a something to blog about. alright that's a lie. there's many things that i could wanna blog about but all those posts only seemed half complete to me after writting them so i shan't release it as yet. check back here in a while and i'll try to get a complete post up in a while.


Tariq :: email ::
|11:01 pm|
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moral fiber

so what is moral fiber? it's funny. i used to think it it was always telling the truth, doing good deeds. you know, basically being a fucking boy scout.

but lately i have been seeing it differently. now i think that moral fiber is finding that one thing you really care about. the one special thing that means more to you than anything else in the world. and when you find her, you fight for her. you risk it all. you put her in front of everything. your future. your life. all of it.

and maybe the stuff you do to help her isn't so clean. so what? it doesnt matter. but in your heart, you know, the juice is worth the squeeze. that's what moral fiber is all about.


Tariq :: email ::
|1:51 am|
5 comments

so why are you running away?

I don't want you to give it all up
And leave your own life collecting dust
And I don't want you to feel sorry for me
You never gave us a chance to be
And I don't need you to be by my side
To tell me that everything's alright
I just wanted you to tell me the truth
You know I'd do that for you
So Why are you running away?
Why are you running away?
Cause I did enough to show you that I
Was willing to give and sacrifice
And I was the one who was lifting you up
When you thought your life had had enough
And when I get close, you turn away
There's nothing that I can do or say
So now I need you to tell me the truth
You know I'd do that for you
So why are you running away?
Why are you running away?
Is it me, is it you
Nothing that I can do
To make you change your mind
Is it me, is it you
Nothing that I can do
Is it a waste of time?
Is it me, is it you
Nothing that I can do
To make you change your mind
So why are you running away?
Why are you running away?
...What is it I've to say...
So why are you running away?
...To make you admit you're afraid...
Why are you running away?

Tariq :: email ::
|1:24 pm|
0 comments

confrontations pt II

no this aint an usher song and no i din mis-spell confessions. just wanted to continue from where i left off on the confrontations post.

hands up if u currently have a grudge or is unhappy with someone you know. now keep that hand up if that person who is causing you to feel that way DOESN'T know that they are or if they do, they have no idea wat the reason is.

now most of you who put your hands up for the first question would have continued to have kept it up for the second one. its ok. u can put ur hands down. the thing is, why are you doing it? why are you prolonging your pain? your hurt? your anger?

wun it be easier if u just confronted that person who made u feel that way and talk things out with him/her. wouldnt it be so much less time-consuming than giving him the cold shoulder treatment and ignoring him? do u really have so much time to begin with? oh i'm not going to talk to him coz he forgot that he would take me out today. come on girl, there're hundred and one reasons why a guy would have forgetten something, even if it concerns u. face it. ur other half is just as human as u are. shoot him and he bleeds.

the thing is, most human beings aren't born with the gift of reading ppl's minds which makes it pretty hard for that chap to find out why he screwed up. if he got that far of finding out that he had screwed up, even better. but most dun usually know it the first time they meet the person after offendin them. so help him out a bit and talk it out with him. things will definitely be much better after that and you'll thank me for it (lunch would be a good gesture).




Tariq :: email ::
|1:41 am|
0 comments

a word of thanks

A Singaporean expressing his gratitude in keeping with the festive season.A bit late but nevertheless, it is funny and sarcastic enough for circulation still. Read it to the end, you wun regret it:

"As Christmas draws nearer, I find that it is important to reflect on our lives and be thankful for the blessings that we have. I am thankful that unlike me, who has foolishly wasted my vote on the opposition, many Singaporeans has made the right choice in deciding to vote for the PAP.


I am thankful that unlike other countries who are wasting their time tackling unimportant issues like recession and rising unemployment, our goverment has decided to address the most important issue of the day since being returned to power -- dirty coffeshop toilets. I am thankful that from now onwards my descendents will no longer be condemned to using filthy public toilets. I am thankful that instead on concentrating their efforts on frivolous things like stimulating the economy and creating new jobs, the goverment has been focusing their time and effort on important things like clean toilets and a $500 million budget for World Cup 2010. At least the jobless will be able to stay at home and watch soccer instead of doing stupid things like working -- these things should be left to the FTs.


I am thankful that LHL has not foolishly tried to run for election in a contested ward because who knows, he might have lost and we would not have our next PM. I am thankful that the difficult decision of deciding who should be the next PM is not up to the Singaporeans to decide. I am thankful to the goverment for doing the thinking for me -- saves the effort. I have already made up my mind, now I am just waiting for the goverment to tell me what it is.

I am thankful that in a nation where 75% of the population are idiots, in the future we will have the King of Idiots to rule over us.

I am thankful that the NSS is not vote buying by the goverment.

I am thankful the our goverment is not like some other repressive regimes that throws its opposition into jail, instead they will be made bankrupts in courts presided by judges appointed by the goverment. I am thankful that despite owing their jobs to the PAP, our court judges are still able to remain just and impartial.

I am thankful the unlike other countries, our labour unions is controlled by the goverment -- otherwise we might have labour strikes if the unions are too concerned with improving the lives of our workers instead of working with the goverment in finding ways to cut wages.

I am thankful that even though I am paid like a third world second class worker, I can still have a first world lifestyle. I am thankful that even though we are a first world society in many aspects, our wages are still competitive with third world countries.

I am thankful that the CEOs in Singapore are among the best paid in the world -- second only to Hong Kong in Asia while our goverment recommends that the wages of ordinary workers be cut to save jobs. I am thankful that the average wage for a CEO is $ 1.1 million while the average wage of a Singaporean is $20,000.

I am thankful that our goverment believes in equality and a fair distribution of wealth.

I am thankful that it will take me 15-20 years to pay for a HDB flat.

I am thankful that the NTUC has decided to help the workers by lowering their prices so that I don't have to go down to Carrefour or Cold Storage for cheaper groceries -- instead I could just do my shopping at the neighbourhood NTUC. I am thankful that the chairman of the NTUC is appointed by the goverment instead of being decided by its members.

I am thankful that our million dollar ministers has come up with the brilliant plan of cutting wages to reduce business cost to protect existing jobs. It was a stroke of genius. Only an uneducated idiot like me would think of things like cutting corporate taxes, reducing rents, temporarily suspending the ERP system or maybe even cutting the GST and reducing the costs of living and doing business.

I am thankful that the government has not done anything to reduce the money going to government because we might not be able to afford our world class million dollar cabinet. I am thankful to the government for giving me the opportunity to do my duty as a citizen in bearing the brunt of the recession.

I am thankful to the CDC for their job matching schemes and how they have showed that a university education does not restrict you to only cushy desk jobs. Instead now Singapore can boasts of the most highly educated cab drivers, cleaners and security guards in the world. Instead of cab drivers who will complain about our government to foreign tourist in broken english, we will now have university graduates who can tell the foreigners how the goverment will treat them better than their own citizens and how the cushy desk jobs will be reserved for them while our graduates ferry them to and fro from work in cabs and clean their office and tables for them at work.

I am also thankful to the PAP for constantly reminding me what a sacrifice they are making by forgoing their generous private sector pay in serving the nation. Instead now they'll have to try to makedo with a measly MP allowance of $20,000 per month. I am thankful that I can still have a part-time MP for only $20,000.

I am also thankful that our politicians don't have to reveal their personal assets when standing for election unlike other countries. This could have digged up some skeletons in the closets and marred our reputation as a corruption free country.

I am thankful that there is no corruption, cronynism and nepotism in our goverment becuase the goverment told us that there isn't. I am thankful that no evidence is needed.

I am thankful that our new life sciences industry will generate at least 10,000 new jobs. Now we can employ even more FTs (Foreign Talents)and let Singaporeans compete for the remaining 132 cleaning and security postions. Not to worry, the CDC will probably step in to match our university graduates to these positions as well.

I am thankful that one day I won't have to work because my job will be taken over by a cheaper FT. I am also thankful that I will probably starve to death because Buddha says -- to live is to suffer and I won't have to suffer anymore.

I am just thankful that I have a opportunity to show my appreciation to the goverment in this forum -- more good years indeed and PAP forever."

By a Singaporean

Tariq :: email ::
|2:00 pm|
1 comments

confrontations

how many of us have been in such a situation before? we're waiting for a cab for quite some time and all of a sudden, this other person pops out some distance away and is also waiting for a cab. and what do you do? curse and swear and just accept it? or go up to the person and confront him nicely that he had jumped the queue. the former i'd say coz i used to b such a person too.

the problem with us i guess is that we dun like to confront things. and the reason for that can be and endless list. fear of shaming yourself. fear of getting into an argument that would attract nearby attention. fear of getting into a fight. fear for the friendship that is on the line. the list goes on.

well now u can do 2 things. 1 is to simply accept what is happenin and shut up bout it. no use complaining coz it aint gonna change anything. 2 is to go up there and confront the situation head on. the beauty of it is that, most of the time, u will realise that confrontations aint as bad as u thought it was. it could be a case of misunderstandings or lack of info that lead to the situation and if u had not confronted it as u had done, you wouldn't have known.

so what's ur stand gonna be the next time someone gets in your line? are u gonna choose option 1 or 2? the choice is always there for u. thats wat makes us humans.

a friend has the ability to make u feel good. a true friend has the ability to make you better.


Tariq :: email ::
|1:40 am|
1 comments