Saturday 21 April 2012

When is enough, enough?

Just read a very inspiring post today: What An Old Man Taught Me On The Way To Work One Day

I had a similar experience!

I even blog about it: My meeting with a HK man of leisure

Although I did not explicitly talk about it, this chance meeting in Warsaw was the catalyst that made up my mind to leave the corporate race - when my overseas contract ends.

It's definitely not an impulse moment...

If your opinion of Luck is Preparation meeting Opportunity, then you would understand the epiphany I had.

Sometimes, I do read with amusement the musings of people on cyberspace about quitting the rat race:

If I accumulated this $X amount in net worth... (usually in millions)

If I achieved $X amount of passive income per month...

Some may be thinking of starting their own business or thinking of working for themselves (self-employed consultant, for eg), or even making a total 180 degrees career switch (like from engineering to sales, management to teaching, etc). 

I am sure you would have a list of criterias or conditions similar to the ones on leaving the rat race...

But guess what? When we do achieve the criterias we have set for ourselves, and/or the optimum conditions appear - what do we do?

Yup, it's easier to move the goal posts than to follow through...

For me, I was lucky to have met my HK man of leisure.

Since I have run out of excuses, I can only honour the promises I've made to myself.

 

 

12 comments:

  1. Ah... SMOL,
    i got it. "HUA HEE TU HO"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Temperament!

      Indeed it is "HUA HEE TU HO"!!!

      Happy can already :)

      Hokkien street-smart wisdom the best!

      Delete
  2. Hey Jarred! Thanks for 'advertising' my post and I'm glad you found it inspiring. I just read your very own personal account with the HR man of leisure and I fully can appreciate his style: Being conservative in the stocks and relying mostly on earned income. And it's so interesting that so many people, almost be default, get married and get kids and get into debt with a home, car, and everything else. Whereas the HK man of leisure simply thought "oh well, what's wrong with living with my parents and inheriting their home?" That's a pretty cool move.

    Ah...the rate race. It's the most ridiculous thing invented by the corporate world. But my experiences in it has given me a ton of ideas for my cartoon, The Lighted Lab, and it's been crazy fun drawing and exaggerating the characters. If it ever gets published, I'll send you a free signed copy.

    Cheers

    RAW ONION!!! Plain RAW!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ronian!

      I am amused sometimes we jump from one corporate rat race to the next "financially free" rat race... 1 million, 10 million - it's all about the numbers.

      Doing what we love makes us happy. Money is just an enabler. (Having said that, I've no illusion that money help makes our spine straight!)

      I will be so looking forward to your signed copy of your cartoon book!!!

      Onwards!

      Delete
  3. For serious illness and medical attention, do we want private or class C treatment? That decision alone will greatly change the Enough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello CW8888,

      Due to recent experience, I have to disagree with the "myth" between private and class C medical treatments.

      I am very impressed with the professionalism of our Doctors and Nurses - local and FT.

      It's like flying SIA. If you want champagne and lots of leg room, we just have to pay for it :)

      The pilots and flight attendants are the same. Only the "class" of seats are different.

      Delete
  4. Hi SMOL

    Everyone should decide and choose the path he/she takes in life. The tragedy is that most of us (myself included) for many years lived a life of what we think is the "Singapore Dream" when in reality is other people's dreams for ourselves.

    Living one's own life on own terms is one of the few freedoms left ...

    Be well and prosper. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJsdqxnZb0

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Patty for the video link!

      I like the part on the unicorn :)

      My Walter Mitty fantasy is I am a dragon-rider from the Guodolongdong clan from the Eastern Land!

      Delete
  6. Hi Smol,

    This HK Man of Leisure is a role model for you. Did you manage to keep in contact with him?

    Ben

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ben,

      No, he's not my role model.

      He's a chance but memorable meeting during my travels ;)


      Nope. Never stayed in contact.

      He walked his path; I walk mine :)

      Delete

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