Learning Life's Lessons

Guess what? This is my first entry as a new blogger. Those who know me, are you surprised? :)

In the past, I always have this mindset that it is high maintenance to have a blog and regularly updating it. However, this thought was overcome by a stronger desire to share more about my life and also an avenue to jot down my thoughts, growth, struggles and many experiences (whether good or bad) in my journey with Christ. I also see it as a way to discipline myself to be more organised and keep track of my reflections on a regular basis.

As I mature, I am more and more convinced that good management of finance is rather important. Money itself it not evil but whether it is depends very much on how it is used and the intention of having it. I hope to grow in my knowledge on financial management, eventually with the hope that I will not have to toil till the end of my life but rather, to spend my days more productively on other areas and not having to worry about getting ends meet.

Recently, I gained some useful insights while reading "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" not so much on financial management though. It's my second time reading, now with great seriousness and the intention to apply some of the principles.

A few illustrations and quotes from the book which I found rather interesting and led me ponder further,

1) "Does teaching mean talking or a lecture?" (what Rich Dad said to 9yrs old Robert then, btw, Robert T. Kiyosaki is the author of the book)
Robert's reply, "Well, yes."
Rich Dad's reply,
" That's how they teach you in school," "But that is not how life teaches you and I would say that life is the best teacher of all. Most of the time, life does not talk to you. It just sort of pushes you around. Each push is life saying, Wake up. There's something I want you to learn."

To me this is very true and I draw a parallel to what I know from Proverbs 24:30-34

"I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. "

I concluded that for us to learn and grow, the issue is not about the lack of lessons we encounter or receive, it is whether we can first identify, be aware and subsequently applying them.

Rich Dad
" If you learn life's lessons, you will do well. If not, life will continue to push you around. People do two things. Some just let life push them around. Others, get angry and push back. But they push back against their boss, or their job or their husband or wife. They do not know it's life that is pushing."

"Life pushes all of us around. Some give up, others fight. A few learn the lesson and move on. They welcome life pushing them around. To these few people, it means they need and want to learn something. They learn and move on. Most quit and a few fight."

"Or if you are the kind of person who has no guts, you just give up every time life pushes you. If you are that kind of person, you will live all your life playing it safe, doing the right things, saving yourself for some event that never happens. Then, you will die a boring old man. You will have lots of friends who really love you because you were such a nice hard-working guy. You spent a life playing safe, doing the right things. But the truth is, you let life push you into submission. Deep down , you were terrified of taking risks. You really wanted to win, but the fear of losing was greater than the excitement of winning. Deep inside, you and only you know you didn't go for it. You chose to play it safe."

Next paragraph really hits me right at my face,
Rich Dad said,
"You'd best change your point of view. Stop blaming and think others are your problem. If you think others are the problem, then you have to change them. If you realise that you are the problem, then you can change yourself, learn something and grow wiser. Most people want everyone else in the world to change but themselves. Let me tell you, it's easier to change yourself than everyone else."

Finally, I have identified the root issue on why I have not been very joyful for the past few months. I have been blaming people for being my problem. I tend to fight when life pushes me around rather than learning from it and move on. Experiences that I had with my boss and my friends tells me so. It really sucked away the joy that I can have in Christ.

Deep down, I know something was wrong but I could not make sense of. Now I know why, it's the pride that I have, sometimes to admit that I am wrong and not always right. I need to stop fighting, learn and move on. I need to first of all change myself by His grace.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weaknesses." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- 2 Cor 12:7-10.

God, pls help me. :)

::::In meditating mode:::::