Recommended Read; Resisting the Seduction of Success

This article by Joseph L. Badaracco Jr. touches some core in me. Being an ambitious individual, I'd placed high emphasis on professional success. Since leaving the military 3 years ago, I slogged like a cow, thinking that working hard will get me to where I want to go. I was so wrong.

The 2 years following leaving the military was the most unhappy time of my life. It was nobody's fault, but my own. My own perspective of striving for professional success has numbed my emotions towards other people. Ironically, it also made me less effective as my communication were usually based on my benefits. Win-win was not an option considered.

I've learnt the power and corruption of success; how it can change a person. This idea was reinforce in a Hong Kong drama serial I watched recently about how a man can fake kindness in order to hide his evil deeds. What appeared to be a magnanimous and great leader turned out to be a despicable villain in disguise in the end. Would I want to live my life this way? Is this self-actualization? No, I think not. The sabbatical I took opened my eyes to my blindness.

Being the character that I am, I'll still working towards professional success; albeit a different type. To quote Vicktor Frankl, author-psychiatrist, and a Holocaust survivor:

"Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success; you have to let it happen by not caring about it. Listen to your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will see that in the long run - in the long run, I say! - success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it."

If I have to sacrifice my morals and values to get there, I can now easily say 'no thanks'. If I have to step over people to get to the top, I can stop stepping. I want to work steadily towards my achievements; to prove to people that software can improve efficiencies, can make life better. I want to make contributions that is of value, of help. Failing to the seductions of success does not get me there.

Book Review: China Condensed - 5000 Years of History & Culture

' China Condensed - 5000 Years of History & Culture', by Ong Siew Chey. This book presents the history of China from the very beginning till present day. As the title suggests, it is a very condensed version of 5000 years of events. For an introduction to China, it is a great read for overview. However, others may find it lacking in details for those already familiar with China's history.

Through the dynasties of China, heroes arose to causes and and villians create havoc. Dynasties rose to great brillance and fall in later years; heroes come and pass. A consistent theme that occurred to me is that nothing is permanent, no success or failure is permenant. Things always change with time. Having 5000 years condense in one book, this pattern becomes apparant. I wonder where all these great heroes and past leaders have gone to?

It makes me wonder if there is really a need to be overly zealous about holding on to immaterial stuff like fame and status. No matter what greatness we achieved, it'll come to pass. Why not relax a little and enjoy life to the fullest, to the most meaningful way possible?