January 2025

The end is just the beginning…

Now, where to begin?

January 3

Just finished the November-December 2024 edition of my blog last Saturday. Since then, I have been feeling somehow out of gas. I guess that’s perfectly normal after more than one intensive month of working on it. But still…

I hope that I will be able to get back to my usual state soon.

Working on the edition has, kind of, shedded a great deal of light into my inner self. Sometimes, I feel the pressure of having to make sure that my content is read by someone out there. And yet, I assume that if we think that away, we distance ourselves from the true source of “light”.

After all, it’s not about making money or earning external validation. It’s more about you – about whether you yourself have transformed after the efforts.

In today’s world, driven by social media and marketing, ignorance, I think, has become a serious problem. We all crave others’ attention, without which we feel that we are useless. What a deception!

On Wednesday, I just paid a visit to my sister and brother-in-law’s house. I had a chat with my brother-in-law about many things – including my plan for this year and the years to come.

The path that I am about to tread… well, I guess it’s not going to be easy. It’s not just about learning things; rather, it’s more about practicing and embodying what I learn in daily life. And that’s not a simple feat; many have failed on this path for many reasons – of which I believe the most important ones have to do with ego and humanity’s inherent desire for fame and validation.

Sometimes I wonder, nowadays, we talk too much about being this, being that. Becoming a doctor, a successful entrepreneur, a world-class coach, etc. And yet, virtually nobody talks about becoming a decent person. Let alone a saintly figure.

Why then?

When we discuss the success of, say, a coach or psychologist, many people seem not too fond of how ordinary people’s lives have become different thanks to the coach or psychologist’s words. Rather, we tend to tie these spiritual teachers with things related to money and fame. “ABC is recognized as … by Forbes”; “ABC has helped Fortune 500’s CEOs in …” something like that.

I even recall one of my connections talking about a professor’s success not in terms of how his teachings have made a difference, but in terms of how wealthy he is – how much of a property he owns. Geez…

Maybe it has to do with my set of core values (which, I suppose, differs from person to person). Fine!

Anw, I’m supposed to catch up with someone in the next 5 minutes. See you!

Tenki ga totemo iikara, hajimemashou!

(08:55 AM GMT+7 – January 3, 2025)

January 13

I guess it’s time to be a little bit more serious with journaling; not in the sense of frequency – but in the sense of quality. After all, whatever I jot down here will one day become materials for me to reflect on my life and come up with new insights.

In terms of work, I suppose I should aim to finish the scope of my part-time job as soon as possible, so that I may have time to focus on:

• Preparing for the edition of 2025’s 1st quarter (I already have the topic in my mind; let’s work on it as soon as possible). Maybe also plan time for the 2nd quarter’s edition too.
• Get back to my Japanese study as soon as possible (I have completely forsaken it since I started working on the November-December 2024 edition).
• Preparing for a new teaching job after the Lunar New Year holiday.

I suppose let’s try to finish the scope of the part-time job for the next 6 months; so that I can wholeheartedly dedicate myself to the blog and my Japanese study. It’s not a simple task, but I’ll do my best!

Today is the expiration date of my office reservation contract, so tomorrow I guess I’ll be in the coffee shop instead.

Not much time to jot down my reflections for now, so I suppose let’s deal with what is on the plate first!

Tenki ga iikara, hajimemashou!

(08:55 AM GMT+7 – January 13, 2025)

It has been 3 months since I booked a seat in this office – and now the time there is already over!

Time flies so fast, and life changes so quickly. 3 months are not long, but not short either. I will always cherish the time there. You have served me well – now it’s time to move on!

Hope that one day, I may be able to revisit you again!

(09:45 PM GMT+7 – January 13, 2025)

January 14

I originally intended to stay at home today, but it seems that I need to go out to avoid distractions. I suppose I still have to work a lot on my mental fortitude.

The gym trainer has been pestering me recently, seemingly hoping that I will renew the contract. To think of how people are capable of acting when they succumb to pressure by sales targets… I guess that’s why I’ve always been repelled by the business world.

There is more than 1 week left before the Lunar New Year holiday, during which I will need to do a lot of work to prepare for the new “spring” – literally and figuratively. I need to make sure that nothing will intervene me for the next 6 months – as I fully dedicate myself to this blog and my Japanese study.

For today, I need to prepare for the lesson plans for this evening’s 3 classes – and to work on a report for my part-time job (tomorrow morning I’m supposed to catch up with someone in the team for discussion).

Lately, it has been quite cold in the morning (and even throughout the day). I hope that the cold will end soon (feeling a litlte bit annoyed by it recently).

All right, maybe that’s enough for now. Let’s go!

Tenki ga totemo iikara, hajimemashou!

(12:30 PM GMT+7 – January 14, 2025)