Law of attraction

 Chapter 20.

‘…decide what you want…

…believe it can happen…

…allow yourself to receive what you have asked for…’

‘Ask, feel, allow and believe it will happen. Just accept it! Don’t sit around worrying about what you should do while you wait, because in doing that, you’re focusing on the lack of whatever it is you’re waiting for. 

Be happy, go about your life, and know that your request will come to you’ (example of ordering a meal to a waiter at a restaurant)

Stop questioning the process, because it signals you don’t trust it. The universe doesn’t punish doubt, it simply gives you the same vibe you send out.’

Gunning for the next phase

Been trying for the past 3 months, yet not very intentional about it... And then the urgency probably hit me when the younger sis received a positive result last weekend.

Since then, I've been bouncing between "i don't wanna think about it and potentially stress myself / set myself up for failure" vs "come what may". I'm at the longer end of in between two periods and I seem to have symptoms pointing to positivity (anything but the morning sickness thinggy). The easiest way to find out is just to take a test right? But the innate fear of failure is preventing me from taking it. And also as long as I don't see a result, there is still hope it's a positive.

This limbo stage is so interesting. At some times, I'm googling and googling "does --- mean that I'm pregnant" or "is --- a signof pregnancy" - and essentially, it seems like any symptoms lead to chance of pregnancy - and other times, I'm convinced that my body is probably stressed or something that's why my period is delayed. I mean I just played tennis this evening, quite a good session in fact =D , how could I have something growing inside of me.

The plan was to wait for the weekends to test. But i've just boiled some water now, waiting for it to cool... Should I just gulp some water and do the test tonight? I've already taken the first (big) step of purchasing the kit. 

//edit: oh wait. A negative result does NOT mean failure. Me repeating that throughout the week didn't ingrain properly lol.

I had a discussion with my aircon contractor -

'We will install an a/c at the kitchen and dining room. Not gonna install in the common area anymore as nobody actually uses the place except my helper'.

To which he responded with a laugh, 'so at least you know that your house do so nice is for your helper after'.

And that's how i feel every morning when i gobble down my breakfast to rush off for work and bid my helper farewell and a good day ahead.

In my rawest thoughts -
I want to buy a house for 100k. I take a loan to buy the house. I will work hard to get a stable income for 10k a month to pay off the monthly loan. Finally after 1 year i pay off the house and i achieve my goal.

Now i want a dog, children and a really nice chair. So I need to continue work, and in fact find more jobs, to earn 20k a month to sustain the bigger desires. I cannot afford to spend as much time at home so i hire a helper to help me clean my dream house and chair. So while i work hard to earn enough to support my desires, my helper stays in my dream home and tend to my dog and kids.. while i don't get to enjoy my house, play with my dog nor kids.

but it's not like i want to be a housewife... So my ultimate goal is to work 6 hours a day only so that i can go home and have time to enjoy my chair.

The best way to bond with someone isn’t doing a favour, it’s asking for one. You make the other person feel valued, like you’ve given them power so you won’t hurt them.

-Billions

the day starts at 7.35am. it's cold in the office. i have an hour and a half before the day does not belong to me anymore ...

Things to do when your (i)Phone gets stolen

Last year while gallivanting through Ho Chi Minh's party street adjacent (do take extra care of your belongings if you're at the Bui Vien area), my friend's iPhone got snatched away and stolen right in front of our eyes.

It was the first time for any one of us encountering such a situation -bless us living in safe-Singapore- so we were like 3 blind mice trying to stay calm and think of next best course of action instead of scurrying around.

The victim took our friend's phone to contact family members back home and seek advice, that friend who was now phone-less concentrated on his surroundings and ponder the absurdity the situation, I contacted friends for advice + googled 'WHAT THE HELL TO DO WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR PHONE'. Blog posts tend to ramble on about disbelief at the situation (like what this post has been doing), stumbling me for 3-5min before realising it's useless. So I took pen&paper and listed essentials to do asap (for real. we were competing against experienced tech-advanced Vietnamese thieves).

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR IPHONE
-inform the local police & keep record of report. good to claim insurance if have.
-use Find My Iphone feature for iphone. instructions here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht201472

If you are unable to lock your iphone,
-get hold of a phone/ laptop/computer and do the following:
1 cancel your credit cards if you sync them to phone
2 change apple ID and password - you don't want thief changing your password and having full control of your device
3 change email passwords - so that thief can't change your apple ID (or other accounts) and verify via your emails .
4 change facebook password (fb post to inform friends if comfortable) .you don't want thief to contact your friends for money transfers.

That's about it. No choice, damaged is done. We did have a drink, some light music and bitching session after.

Back in Singapore
1 Get new SIM card
2 reinstate credit cards

Preventive action
The encounter taught that it's very important to label your iphone devices for easy ref (e.g. T's macbook, T's iphone6, T's iphone8 etc). The friend cutely labelled all devices rendering them unrecognisable (e.g. Teeeeth's, Tuffyyyy etc). So even if we could access his devices on Find My Iphone to lock/remotely erase the device's data, it was impossible to identify which Apple device was stolen. And you don't really want to accidentally erase the data on your happy and alive device back home.

More importantly, be so damn vigilant about your personal belongings. Theft can happen to any unsuspecting persons.

And no matter how friendly and chatty these locals seem, don't ever say you're from Singapore.

feel like am in stage in life when i really needed to read this

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-feel-confident-around-people-smarter-than-you-gosia-scarrott/?trk=eml-email_feed_ecosystem_digest_01-recommended_articles-12-Unknown&midToken=AQEuzSo39iMbKw&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=3AZOmejSarB8c1

Be comfortable in discomfort.

Good read: 

I’ve interviewed over 400 high performers and top achievers on my podcast and nearly all of them were 35+.

After talking with all of these men over the past half decade I have found a couple of common themes that they ALL followed in order to become hyper successful (many of them were complete failures in their 20’s and then turned things around).

Here they are.

1. Take Your Health Seriously

Your metabolism slows as you age making it VITAL that you take care of your health now.

Eat 80% whole foods, more greens, drink plenty of clean water, supplement wisely and go to the gym at least 4 times a week. Once a week sweat like you’re running for your life.

2. Save and Invest 10%

Consider this an additional 20% tax from uncle Sam.

Put aside 10% of every paycheck into an opportunity fund and the other 10% into a low risk/high yield index fund or something similar. When the market crashes you’ll have cash to buy assets at a massive discount. This is how average people can become wealthy.

3. Educate Yourself Daily

Seriously, every day for at least 30 minutes read books, listen to podcasts or audiobooks, take online courses, talk to mentors.

You won’t regret it.

4. Start Sleeping 8 Hours+ A Night

You do not get more done with less sleep because you end up doing more average work.

You will perform at least 70% better than you normally do.

Try to be in bed by 11 p.m. and awake between 6:30 and 8:00 a.m. depending on your needs (if you are active you will need more sleep).

Blackout the room, turn off all screens and devices by 9 p.m., drink a cup of hot water with 1 Tbsp honey and 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar. Goodnight…

Your life will never be the same.

5. Get a Coach

It might seem kinda weird at first, but having a men’s coach helped me accelerate my life, relationships and business in ways that I can’t even count.

Regardless of your current level of success, you NEED a coach to help you identify your blindspots, spot opportunities, and ensure that you stay accountable during your 30’s so that you can enjoy your 40’s.

All the things you procrastinated on in your 30s you will pay for your in your 40s and beyond.

6. Take it Easy on Yourself

10,000 years ago, simply making it to 30 years old would be considered a massive “Success”.

Today, you aren’t a “Success” unless you have a super model wife, 7 figure bank account, and a body like Adonis.

This is a load of crap.

You aren’t doing as badly as you think and you can always do better than you realize.

Learn to relax and take it easy on yourself, love yourself, and take care of yourself. Enjoy the present moment otherwise you’ll miss it all.

7. Stop Listening to Broke Unhappy People

Unless you want to learn what not to do, stop listening to broke unhappy people.

Even if they are your friends or family.

If they don’t have the results you want in life then of course show respect but move on and do what you want to do anyways.

8. Give Up the Major Vices

In your 20’s, you can smoke cigarettes, pound the booze, snort lines, and huff who knows what and wake up the next day and hit the gym strong in the morning. As you break into your 30’s this is no longer the case.

Not only is your body no longer able to take the same abuse that it once could, but you are significantly increasing your risk for a premature death if you engage in these vices on a regular basis.

If you want to have a sip of bourbon with some friends or the occasional smoke, let it be. If it becomes a part of your daily lifestyle then you will certainly limit your potential and have regrets in your 40s.

But if you are a slave to any substance or bad habit it needs to get cut out NOW.

9. Quit Doing Stuff You Hate

Look, life is too damn short to constantly spend it doing things that you hate.

You are not your income.
You are not your relationship.
You are not your past mistakes.

If you hate your job, relationship, or city… Change it. Find the lessons you, learn from them and don’t look back.

10. Be Present

The WORST thing you can do with your 30’s is what so many people do with their 20’s.

They go through this amazing decade of their lives without actually enjoying it.

They are constantly trying to get to the next thing and eventually they wake up old and dying only to realize that they never truly lived.

Don’t let this be you.

11. Embrace your Mortality

You’re just 1 doctors visit away from a diagnoses that could severely limit your lifespan or quality of life. We are all victim to this disease we share called being human and there is no escaping it. So while we are here (and don’t actually know for how long) live your life in the best way possible that is alignment with your values and what you want out of this beautiful experience we call life.

I’ll leave you with a poem that I love from Chief Tecumseh

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

I still clearly recall an oral examination I had at 15 years - my examiners were one male and one female teacher in the school alternate batch (ie my junior/senior year).

The topic was on being grateful and I talked about how Singaporeans are very fortunate and we need to be grateful for everything down to the small details. Such as flipping a switch on and the light is shone; flip a switch and cool air blows.

I received a merit grade for my content. Was very upset, yet was mature/cocky enough to look past it and put it on them being entitled and not understanding what I meant.

Just this morning, My room ceiling gave way to water. My home electricity is cut short because I accidentally switched on my room lights (which are fused). So tonight I prepared for bed without electricity. And I’m reminded of what I shared in that oral examination. How am I gonna sleep tonight in dead air :(

Tiff, if you want to grow, you need to embrace change. 

Embrace wholeheartedly

Go away. I'm still 25 😌

Repeat x10

Ended today not with any sign of lacklustre- it's an amazing feat, not sure when the last time I felt like that was. Decided that it's best to do a simple analysis of my weekend to determine what changed, and replicate it for future enhancement. 

Friday work exhausted me. Ended the day with a looong evening of chilling and drinks. Visited a nice rooftop bar w palz (Tiger's Milk at Ann Siang) but it wasn't enough to stop me from dreaming about my bed. 

Saturday was my decisive relaxed weekend. Went to Capitol theatre mall's food court for (possibility 1) Hokkien Mee. Either I was too hungry, or the dish (and possibility 2 Chilli) was perfect. I'd have paid up to $25 for this dish, but it was only 5$. #shutupandtakemymoney

Watched We Are X at the beautiful theatre and was completely intrigued from start to end. There was something in the way the main character, Yoshiki, spoke, the documentary cinematics, the tragedy surrounding the band and the way the fans formed a bond with XJ that drew me in. Yoshiki's brilliance over XJ's creation and management inspired me. After the doc ended and we were filing out of the theatre, a fan shouted 'we are' to which others spontaneously responded 'X', sealed the deal for me. There was definitely hesitation in response, but that accentuated the tension I was feeling inside. 

Sunday's lunch was good dimsum at Hua ting. Eduardo S was at a neighbouring table but I wasn't aware (of his portfolio Nor how he looks actly) till Al pointed out. Despite that, I was highly captivated by him throughout my meal. There was something about his presence that struck me. That was a powerful message of how presence can be so subtle yet alluring. 

Finally, I'm done with my wbts! 🙄

I'm a user of Snapc and ocbc mobile too (I admit, I just downloaded both Apps and learnt how to use them). I felt empowered. Hahaha. 

'He didn't do small talk'

-MBY

So eloquently put. !!!

This is what it means to live on. When granted hope, a person uses it as fuel, as a guidepost to life. It is impossible to live without hope.

1Q84, book 3, Chpt 5

'Just go with the flow. Things like this don't happen all that often in one lifetime. This is the magnificent world of a picaresque novel. Just brace yourself and enjoy the smell. We're shooting the rapids. And when we go over the falls, lets do it together in grand style!'

Chapter 16, 1Q84

'You can have tons of talent, but it won't necessarily keep you fed. If you have sharp instincts though, you'll never go hungry' 

1Q84

Interesting questions !

http://www.businessinsider.sg/airbnb-interview-question-2014-6/#.Vznmxvl974Y

My greatest takeaway from watching Korean variety shows was this: a group of newbies and a group of (entertainment show) veterans were on set. The veterans shared that one of their trainings involved thinking of their own identity and amplifying it - so that people identify you with it. And people instantly think of you when they encounter it.
Then the veterans threw out random words, and the newbies had to go in a circle and respond with a word/phrase associated with the random words.

The audience then saw that the newbs whose responses stood out belonged to those with a running theme, and that the theme matched the speaker's image.

Made me realise that you need to choose an image when you meet others, be consistent about it, and it needs to match who you are. You cannot choose an image that doesn't suit your look/personality as 1 it will not stick 2 it will not sell.

Baking with Chef Alexander

Late night shenanigans. Yesterday was the first day of our Long weekend break (May day holiday on Monday :D) 

Wanted the day to be more fruitful so we spontaneously (truth: Al forced me out of the comforts of my home and packed me into the car) drove to the nearest Phoon Huat @ Bouna vista mrt and got some baking supplies to bake - a chocolate cake and 'Super chewy chocolate cookies'. 

After 3 hours of shopping, preparing and clean up, we finally ended up w a molten choc cake and 5 lil bags of cookies. 

It's always an exciting experience baking because while al prides himself in his culinary skills, he is very afraid & cautious when it comes to baking. Love watching him following instructions to the decimal points (125grams mustttt be strictly followed to. I will use a spoon to flatten the flour to Ensure its 125 grams 360degree view around), and to the exact description (stir sugar and butter till soft and fluffy. POWER RAGE MODE ONNN, soft and fluffy!!!).

It's very kewt when he chides me for not following these instructions precisely (did they say to add the flour or sugar first?!) ... Does it matter?? His logic gets trampled upon when he is faced with a baking task. Good on him to want to expose himself to such arduous processes. 

Some pictures for laugh's sake. 
Mixing thoroughly. Yes I get great satisfaction hiding the electric blender and promoting the 'manual labour produces the best cookies'. 

He's pissed that I forgot to add in the egg before mixing it all up 😂

All in all, 18$ and 3 hours of this is probably not as delicious as a 20$ pack of awesome famous Amos cookies... But ,damn... This is yummy. Round 2 tonight?