Shi ZhiXing – Page 46 – Ramblings of a Monk

So the Olympics Is Around the Corner

Posted on14 August , 20086 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXing4 Comments

With the Olympic starting in just two days, the whole world goes into a frenzy, soaking in every bit of Olympic titbits they can find, lavishing in the news of all the different sports man and woman people and the history and background of the Games.

Suddenly everyone wants to know the psyche behind these sports folks, what their favorites are, what books they read. Ok, maybe not everybody wants to know, but at least the news people seem to be rather keen. So who is driving who? Are the readers driving the news or the journalists driving the content read? Hmmm …

Regardless, I read of some athletes and how they excel in their field. Without fail, the story would describe how they train for hours, days and years before they reach their present state of athletic perfection! While some may have had a flair for their sports since young, non attained their excellence by sitting on their butts for the past 10 years! :p

This is something common in sports, in the arts, in sciences and yes, even in business! In all fields, individuals excel through their diligence and repeated efforts, and even then only some succeed to be the very best. So it makes me raise a brow when people come to me complaining that their practices fail to quell their anger … … after one week of trying!

Time to Use Linux or Do You Use Pirated Software?

Posted on30 July , 20086 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXing6 Comments

This is a tricky thing for some many some people. Using pirated software that is. For most people, their computers come preinstalled with WindowsXP or some variant of Windows. Some would also come with Microsoft Works while higher end versions come with MS Office installed. Using word, excel and powerpoint files have also become common fair on PCs (btw, PCs include desktop and notebook PCs :P). The tricky thing for some is that not all PCs come with MS Office while some cheaper ones don’t even come with a proper OS!

So some resort to piracy, and I’m not talking about folks with bandana.

The Car or a Million Ways of Getting Scratched!

Posted on23 July , 20086 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXing4 Comments

A long time ago in a living room far far away … … ok, it was not so long ago, more like 7 to 8 years ago, and it’s not really far away, if you happen to live in Singapore. There was a time, before I became a monk, when I owned a car, a green Mazda 323. Decent car, got me around. After the company transport allowance, I only had to top up $200+ monthly for the car loan. Life was good. Until The Dent. Or The Scratch. Read More …

What Is It That Vexes You?

Posted on12 July , 20086 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXing1 Comment

Someone recently used logic and reason to refute a statement I made. What she said about it (potentially) vexing me got
me thinking about whether that actually vexes me.

Logic and reasons do not vex me. Absence of it and denial of its absence, potentially … .. escapes and perhaps vex me to a certain extent. 😉

So what vexes you?

Making the Choice to be Happy

Posted on10 July , 20086 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXingLeave a comment

It’s interesting when we think about how we often talk about pursuing happiness in life bla bla blah, when in real life, no one will quite answer “I’m pursuing happiness” when asked “What are you pursuing in life right now?”.

When I meet some new people, I like to ask them “What do you do?”. They would then tell me they are in whatever trade or profession they are in. When I ask them “What you are doing these days?”, they would reply with a gist of whatever projects or activities they are currently engaged in.

When you ask them what they hope to see happen in their life 10 to 20 years later, maybe some will say marriage, a good career etc etc, depending on their age, direction in life and so on. I’ve yet to meet someone who would tell me, they are “pursuing happiness” right this moment.

Maybe it’s because you cannot just go to the mall to get it. Or that it’s so intangible. While you are experiencing it, you barely think about it, when you loose it, then you realise its absence! Nevertheless, I would like to suggest this, for you and everyone to do this for yourself: Make a choice to be happy!

Now I am not suggesting for us to start making yet another wishlist of “If I have XYZ I would be happy”, but to start making a different list this time. This time, make a list that says “Whether or not I get XYZ, I will choose to be happy!”. 🙂

Later on, I’ll suggest some ways for staying happy regardless of outcome XYZ, in the mean time, feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

Marine Life Protection? Anyone?

Posted on1 July , 20086 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXing2 Comments

I was recently talking to a friend and she indicated that she is keen in volunteering to help out in Marine Life protection. So I was wondering if anyone would know where she can volunteer in. Kindly leave a note.

On a side note, for those of us who may not be ready to volunteer our time to save marine life, we can avoid harming them. For a start, you may want to give up the rod and stop fishing or netting fishes, crabs etc. I do agree that going out to the beach or sea is rather relaxing and calming, and I know of friends who join in such fishing trips, not really to fish, but for the company or just to enjoy the sea breeze. However, one could still enjoy the sea breezes without leaving the hook out in the sea. And if one really wants to feed the fishes, just bring along the appropriate feed and scatter them into the sea without the hook! Trust me you, the fishes would appreciate it a lot better! 😉