How was your 2013?

This year I decided to take a "gap year" for myself. I had to push for many things to make my gap year fulfilling. I must say, sometimes I feel that I've not achieved much. But when I reflect on the things I've done, I surprised myself.

This was my 2013...

was hurt by someone I trusted. Many were supportive and caring in that period of time. Thank you.


graduated with First Class Honours of Business and Commerce in Monash University; GPA 4.0 and Best Thesis Award. Thankful for my family.

went to America to work and travel; visited many places, met many amazing people. [this was indeed the highlight of my year]

taught myself to ride a bicycle and fell on my second attempt of riding on a trail. Didn't know riding bicycle is so painful on the buttocks.

sang a cheesy song in Times Square New York City. Just couldn't resist.

ran and fell because the Golden Arches distracted me

ran a 5k race and got a medal

was awarded at work as Favourite Cashier

jumped off a plane with a stranger at 12500 ft

conquered many world-class rollercoasters. The art of riding a rollercoaster is simply to relax, scream and laugh.

watched fireworks at the Disney castle instead of seeing it on tv

gained 5kg in 5 months of being in America by doing this 6 days a week #win

went to a pumpkin patch and embraced halloween culture

travelled alone and met very lovely people

got 8th place in a 8km race in Melaka

got job offers and picked one

finally managed to do double unders! (After 1 year of trying)

sang to my heart's content in December with great musicians.

I look back at my 2013 and I can see how truly blessed I am. Meeting the right and wrong kind of people made me realize what kind of friends will build me or cause me to stumble. If I were to benchmark my achievements against others, I would never be happy because there will always be someone who is better than me out there. But when I focus on myself and see all that I've succeeded and failed in, I deserve a pat on my shoulder.

With that, I close 2013 and welcome 2014 with head held high, arms spread wide. Hope you had a great 2013 as well. 

To 2014! 

-Me-

M.E.E.T. Deeper

Celebrated birthday with a male bestie and other mates, it was a good dinner. So much laughter, so much food. The birthday cake was made of an entire slab of roasted pork. Too sinful good to resist! Should have seen birthday boy's face.

I have been thinking about M.E.E.T. for the past 2 days. And then today while K.Yau was talking about going DEEPER in relationship with God, it made me realise that even in that, M.E.E.T. can be applied.

What is this M.E.E.T. that I speak off...

Money
Energy
Effort
Time

MEET is so important in allowing things to grow beautifully. And I personally believe that these two are positively correlated.

Let me try illustrate further...

Example 1: Raising children 

• Money - Milk, clothes, shower products, diapers, toys, food, etc. It's all about the $$$
• Energy - From what I've seen, so much energy is needed to handle an infant! *salute to all mothers in the universe* Fine! *fathers get salutation too*
• Effort - Requires a lot of effort and strength to sustain an entire day with the child. And really, a lot.
• Time - The moment a couple brings a new life into this world, almost all their time is devoted to raising their children. Family time.

Example 2: Doing well academically

• Money - Parents will have to invest a whole load of chachings and bablings for their children to have sufficient academic support; books, school, tuition fees
• Energy - Energy is needed so that effort can be made; in getting money [for parents] and in studying [for children]
• Effort - Making effort in sacrifices and prioritisation. Parents supply the dough, children put more effort in staying awake in classes
• Time - Ok, well, some geniuses are born into this world for reasons I do not know off. So this probably don't apply to them. But in other normal cases, most of us need to invest time into studying in order to see results. And hope that we get good surprises.

Example 3: Excelling in sports; swimming 

• Money - To pay the coaches, to buy swimming gear, to pay for swimming competitions
• Energy - To swim from one end to the other. To never give up. To push on.
• Effort - Getting out of bed, changing into training gear, jumping into the pool (hopefully it's heated so you can avoid goosebumps and visible hardened... yeah. No.)
• Time - Practice practice practice. 

Example 4: Playing a musical instrument; guitar

• Money - for lessons, for the guitar, and whatever ding dongs that come with a guitar
• Energy - to pick up the guitar and endure the pain on the fingers everytime. To persevere. 
• Effort - *read energy*
• Time - practice practice practice.

So how is this related to having a deeper relationship with anyone/God?

• Money - tithe and offering, petrol to go to church/temple/anywhere. We give whatever we can. We allow our faiths to be stretched. Having 0 in your wallet and still believing that you will have food to eat later, that's faith. Or is it just the power of debit/credit card? That's the God part. Then there's the relationship with family/friends/romantic partners. Need I say more? ;)
• Energy - Sometimes we feel that someone/God has failed us. It takes spiritual and emotional energy to tell us to just push on.
• Effort - Again, when we 'think' that we're being let down, we need that extra strength to pick ourselves up and just try to make it work. 
• Time - You spend enough time with someone, naturally your level of understanding of each other will grow. With time, relationships get deeper. 

MEET somehow influence one or the other. They aren't mutually exclusive. They aren't independent. When it comes to growing something, that is. 

Am I guilty of neglecting MEET in certain parts of my life? Surely. Therefore it's time I act on it.

To a better tomorrow! And more prancing around.

-Me-