Friday, April 23, 2010

Exam/Relax = Stress

Some of you may be surprised to find the title of the note.
Some of you may find this is ridiculous that I write a note just 24 hours before my first exam.
Well, let me clear the air.
This note is dedicated to all of us (having exam or not) who are facing stress in our life.
I feel pity to some of us who are troubled to control their degree of stress.
It includes me in the list.

I believe most of us know the meaning of stress.
Everyone has their own meaning of stress.
Some of us can take higher degree of stress as normal level,
while the others can't do that.
Hence I will not talk much about the stress itself.
In fact I'll talk more about the before and after effect of it.

During this exam period, I know the "kiasu" level increases exponentially.
And the relaxation/entertainment decreases in same way or more extreme.
(Well for some it isn't effected)
Hence the stress-meter tells us that we are at the level of almost break down.
Furthermore, the force to ourselves to get good grade (GPA) 5 makes it worse.
The combination of these make body as boiling machine that almost explodes due to the pressure.

The simple formula of for stress/pressure:
Pressure = Force / Area

In this case, pressure is our stress, force is our workload, and area is our body, mind, and mental.
As we know our workload is a constant.
Well you can't say that you only want to take one from seven examinations.
In addition the ECA, feeling, and relationship make the force bigger.
The area is a variable but under control.
You can't change it as you wish to a very large amount.
(Well you can't make your brain bigger).

Hence if we substitute the value to our formula we get:
Stress= (Exam+ECA+Feeling+Relation
ship) / (Body+Mind+Mental)

From this we can derive that:
1. If we don't have exam/ECA/feeling/relationship, our stress will decrease or better 0.
2. If we have bigger mind/mental/brain/body, our stress will decrease.

Is it possible to achieve the ideal condition? It's not theory calculation. It's experimental.

From my experience and observation, I suggest some of my idea:

1. Reduce the force/workload
Well it doesn't mean you have to take lesser subject (21->19). Yes, you can if you want.
What I suggest that you make your own study strategy. Don't copy others.
Please do you think if you follow A+ student so you'll become like them?
Our brain is a wonderful safety box. It can keep a huge number of memory.
But be careful that the memory is not kept in short term memory.
Make your own schedule/agenda. Plan well.

2. Improve your Body, Mental, and Mind
How to improve? You are the one that can answer it.
You know yourself better than others, don't you?
Exercise, do sport but don't over do it.
Keep positive thinking, if you already said to yourself that you're stupid, useless, and failure,
you'll be what you said. Hypnotize yourself with good and encouraging words.
Yes you can! Fighting! Be positive! I can make it!
Take time to relax and do stuffs that you like; games, facebook, singing, reading, dancing, etc.

It sounds repetitive and classic but it's TRUE.
As I said in my earlier note, BALANCING is the important aspect in life.
When you can balance everything, you life will mostly perfect. (I don't dare to say perfect).
This what we tend to forget. Balance your life well.
So it' doesn't mean that you study like crazy.
And also it doesn't mean that you play like crazy.
Remember BALANCE.

From the art of war, know yourself before the enemy.
Conquer yourself to conquer others.
It's true and applicable from times to times.
What is your strength? What is your weakness?
How does your strength help you in exam?
How does your weakness pull you down in exam?
What can you do to make your weakness be your strength?

Now let's share your experiences and ideas.
How do you handle your stress?
How do we make our life to be balance?
Leave comment as references for others.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

What is my Passion?

Arghhhhhhhh again and again I complain about my life.
Well not really complaining more on the crying about it.
The reason is as simple as I don't know what my passion is.

Well I can ask other what they think about my passion,
but it's not the point of others tell me of what to do.
It'll be useless if it doesn't come from my heart.
When doing something with so much passion,
it doesn't matter about the result.

Let me talk stupid thing with you.
Have you ever realize your passion?
Either study, music, film, public speaking, acting, drama,singing, etc.
When you have the passion, you'll do it happily without hesitation.
Even in the point you'll fail, you still can stand up and redo it with your passion.
We can see how important passion in doing something.
It really helps you a lot.

Now, when you don't have any passion or mood doing something,
do you think you can do it?
Well, maybe yes or no.
Yes you can still do it, but you don't know the result.
If the result goes right, you'll just say it's good enough.
If the result goes wrong, you'll mostly leave it as it is.
No you can't do it.
How do you expect someone doing something he/she doesn't like?
It's impossible to make it, even it's possible, I bet you'll get good result of it.

I believe most of us can see the difference.
In our real life, you can see many people doing something for their passion or not.
Some people chase money, higher social status, fame, good grade etc as their motivation.
Others just do it for their satisfaction in life.

As we reflect to ourselves, what motivates you in doing something?
It is simply a calling of passion in your heart or any other motivation.
When you have enough money, will you feel satisfied?
When you have high social status, will you aim higher?
When you have fame as you wanted, will you die for it?
When you have the highest grade in class, will you feel proud of it?
When you had enough, you'll stop since you don't have other reason of doing it.

The passion sustains human in doing and accomplish many things till now.
The passion of film, drama, and acting make Oscar to be the most prestigious award.
The passion of music, singing, and harmony make Grammy to be the highest achievement award.
The passion of peace, God, and service make religious life to be the most valuable way of life.
The passion of science, truth, and charity make Noble to be the most honorable award.

Everyone is indeed different from each other.
Same passion can drive people differently.
But same passion will make people success in their pursuit of happiness.
So what is your passion in life?
Have you fulfilled your passion?

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Nothing is PERFECT

Can you get 100% pure gold?
Can you get 100% pure kindness?
Can you get 100% pure love?

Some of you know the answer, NO.
I'm not a typical dreamer who dreams about finding a true love.
That's why all Disney story is very popular.
They sell dream to the children, a dream about perfect world, ideal word.

BUT, too bad, there is no such ideal/perfect world in our real world.
This is not a Disney world where everything ends up happily ever after.
A typical ending for all Disney classic story.
They change everything and fix it to our imagination of world.
A true love, a perfect world, where good conquer bad.

A pure gold can't stand for itself. It's too soft to be used.
That's why when you go to the shop you may be find 99% but not 100%.
A pure love can't stand for itself. It's too fragile, easily break.
That's why when you have it you need to take extra caution about it.
A true kindness can't stand for itself. It's too beautiful to be true.
That's why there is no trust you always wonder a true motive behind something.

Have you wondered why God never created something as perfect?
If you say human is prefect, there will be no dead.
If you say flower is perfect, there will be no fading.
If you say life is perfect, there will be no sadness and trouble.
People always argue that this will make us strong.
This will tamper us to be a tough man.
That's true, this imperfectness makes us a strong human.
This will shape us into a strong human being.

If all is perfect, then human is just lazy and usefulness creature.
If all is perfect, we are just a cry baby and never be an adult.
If all is perfect, I will not learn new thing every second I breath.

Because we are imperfect, we can know each other and be social individual.
We help each other to cover our own imperfectness or defect.
Like gold need other to make it strong, we can't stand by ourselves.

But don't depend too much on other people. That's another human mistake.
Since we are not perfect then let other to complete us, fill us.
It's wrong. I don't agree with that statement.
Since I'm not perfect, I need to pursue my perfectness.
Even though I know I'll never be perfect but I always try to be perfect.
Live my life in perfect mode.
Love like perfect love.
Be kind as no reason to do it.

We are just God's creation and result of social evolution.
Yes, it's true BUT it's not reason we can't be perfect.
Perfectness is just mere standard made by ourselves.

How do you know whether you are perfect or not?
You ask other to mark you.
You look through yourself and mark yourself.
You follow society requirement to be perfect.

My friend, live your life to the fullest.
Have no regret when the time comes.
Try everything while you can and never look back.
That's your standard of perfectness.