Walking between the Yellow Lines

Whenever i walk myself home, i will love to walk alone along this long wide street that leads from the Mass Rapid Transit Station at where i live to my flat. The time to return home is always in the evening, when the sun is setting, leaving its last rays to seep through the thick crowns of the tall trees flanking the street. Engine sounds of moving vehicles along the road are rare and the walk will normally take a good five minutes. I treasure this part of my day the most, for i would often take the time to take stock of what i've done for the day; and on sundays, reflect about my whole week.

I observed that i loathe walking on the pedestrain path. I always, always walk between the double yellow lines to the side of the road. But this is only the case when i'm returning home. Whenever i leave home, i would walk on the pedestrain path.

After some pondering, i realised that walking on a white concrete pedestrain path allows me to focus on my tasks for the day, and how they should be accomplished. I look ahead and i see people walking in-front of me, with their daily chores to attend to. They are walking with purpose; living with meaning. That helps me to look forward to my day too.

On the return, there too will be people walking in-front of me: drained out, defeated people. They will drag their feet and shoes, gaze down meaninglessly while maintaining a slight slouch. Looking at them depresses me and hence i refuse to walk on the pavement and take to the yellow lines. Gazing upon the yellow lines ahead and focusing on walking between them while listening to my favourite music collections on my MP3 player put me in the right mood for introspection. The fading sunrays reflecting off cascading tree leaves often raises my chin as i peer towards the lusciously painted evening sky. Just what i need at the end of a day!

Walking between the lines, i found many answers to various issues affecting me in my life. It was during the brief but intense 5 minutes that i'll usually think about what i really want to achieve in life.

I've got a vision in life: To live my life to the utmost of my abilities, guided by Democracy, Integrity and Inner Harmony, so as to positively impact the lives of others. That's my direction in life, and therein lies the end product - positively impact the lives of others. But how can i do so? By exercising Democracy, Intergrity and Inner Harmony. Just what are they? Democracy means equality and meritocracy - everyone is special and has his own hidden potential. Integrity refers to honesty, persistence, responsibility to commitments and moral righteousness. Inner Harmony emphasises kinship and friendship unity, lifelong learning, financial independence and freedom of lifestyle.

This week, my reflections were mainly on career options. Let's face it. We all need a job to launch us upon the path of financial independence. To a certain extent, we have to work for money first before making it work for us. But a job should never restrict the number of opportunities that i can expose myself to. A job should not be so mundane that our immediate colleague is the machine that we operate on day in, day out. A job should be one where staff development is a company policy - the best way to safeguard jobs nowadays is to upgrade people, and from there, we learn. A job should be one where people can meet and interact, share and discuss views openly and gladly.

Why the sudden rumination over careers? Because SIA and MINDEF have both replied positively with regards to a scholarship opportunity. I did a deliberate cross-examination of the job natures of a financial analyst, public relations or HR manager with SIA and that of a combat officer in the SAF. Baring all external circumstances, and assuming that i can perform relatively well in both jobs with or without office politics, which one will build me better, thus allowing me to achieve my vision earlier? The answer after 4 days of deliberation - SIA.

I have written earlier on that we need to seize that chance in life. The rate of arrival of opportunities and how quickly i can react to them will decide my fate, and that of my family. The two will also affect my world view at 30 yrs old and how i can look into the mirror and give myself a pat, saying: ' Well-done Buddy, you're on course to achieving your vision. You are getting out of the rat race soon! You are really positively impacting the lives of others!'

I don't really need that big house or posh car or credit card. I need none of those sorts. I simply need time to do what i like without worrying about maintaining the current standard of living and staying ahead of inflation at the same time. I want to write my own novels, direct my own plays and films, play my favourite sports, give back to the society and grow up and old together with my family. I need these and nothing else. I would hang my running shoes around my neck like the mice of Who Moved My Cheese!

A career with the Army is a noble concept, defending the country and all. But should the button be pressed, i will still pack up and be the first to be at the frontline, protecting those that i love. So there's no need to demonstrate my patriotism by signing on with the Army. A career with SIA in the initial 4 years of bond will indeed open me to so much more opportunities than the 8 years that i will spend in the Army [NS plus Bond]. The Army is too exclusive of the society and the world at large, while SIA is a global enterprise spanning across the world. That will be the better answer to the question of 'How to achieve my vision earlier?'

Don't be mistaken that the Army is really a sucky place, like what Tom's Dick's Harry said. The Army is a fine 'enterprise' in its own rights, boosting of great people, great technology and great work ethics and management. My decision is wholly tailored to my personal vision, for i have also written earlier that it does not matter if your steps are large or small, as long as they are in the right direction. I have my vision - my own direction in life, and i see no need to divert from it yet. If it's not broken, why fix it?

Now that the decision is out of the way, the next question is, 'how am i going to get my ass into Wharton School, U Penn?' I then asked myself, is that a necessity, a need or a desire? The necessity is a Business/Economics Degree; the need is a good university that will grant me that if i work damn hard; and of course, enrolling into Wharton School is a desire.

So, do we let emotions rule over our thoughts or do we utilise our emotions to think? Of course the latter. Why? Because it's the first step to financial independence - Making use of emotions to think and be liability and debt-free! Now that makes alot of sense, and so i made a second decision - to stay at SMU and strive for an exchange to U Penn in second year. There! Best of both worlds.

And I did these in 20 minutes of walking between the Double Yellow Lines.

Back to those poor defeated souls who walked the pavement evening after evening. I guess they would never stand in-front of the mirror to congratulate themselves for inching closer and closer to achieving their visions. I don't even think that they have personal visions in life. They are the ones led by the nose by work and money, desires and fears - fears of losing their current comfortable lifestyle and jobs. I'll never want to walk on the 'safe' pavement in the evening; never walk on the path that lacks purpose and meaning in the evening - the soulless pavement.

I walk between the 'not-very-safe' Double Yellow Lines in the evening; I live on the path of dreams.