2 days of leave ended..and these 2 days have been real boring..find that I really have nothing to do. sian ah...
Went to my friend wedding on saturday, was sitting down there when there was this guy walking around, then to me, and thanks me for coming. Its takes a while before I realise that hes the gloom, and he was really smilling away, looking so happy. And he really dont looked his age too, looked younger, closer to shiqi's. Anyway, was there for the whole wedding, seeing them taking their vows, then took a photo with them as well, and its true a woman most beautiful time is when she is getting married. It will be another 1n a half year before I see her again.
Anwway, other than going for the wedding, I practically slack through the whole weekend, except for finishing another essay. Someone save me... Today I be going back to work, but before that I be going for vball, today is the crucial match, hopefully be able to beat rsn, then we be assured of top placing in our grp. And hopefully I be peforming better than usual, cos I got a high chance of playing since lots of ppl wont be around. anyway, gg, cos my com is acting up again. buaiz..

hungry hungry ah...no cup noodle left liao, and im lazy to go cook my 3min instant mee, too troublesome liao lah, got to wash up after eating somemore....see how long i can hang on.
y im still up so late till now, cos i on leave tmr, or should i say now? Later in the afternoon I be attending my fren wedding, how time flies..whats my feeling? really envy her...of course i do feel happy for her la, but really envy for for being able to settle down so early, wish i could do that too. Last time before my first relationship I used to have to notion of marrying the first gal I met...like in the old days...as i supposed i only be with the girl if i really like or love her, and that should change over time...maybe watch too much movies liao. but anyway, that dream burst, as i grow up to realise that sometimes even if both like each other, the timing have to be right too, or so called yuan fen.
Went out to catch a movie with my friends just now, at night, watching cold mountain, and realising why its uc16, cos it contains lots of killing n gluesome scenes. overall, its a nice movie, provided you know how to enjoy this type of show, which tells the story in slow and artistic manner, after all, its from the director of english patient. next movie I wanna watch is mystic river, which like cold mountain, got pretty good reviews and lots of awards nominations.
done a bit of sales today, sold off 3 items, and recover a bit of money. hmmm...still thinking of what i can sell, maybe textbooks? Now Im looking into whether trading clothes is feasible.
and ya, the volleyball match today, how did it go...the guards never came, so its a walkover, n a wasted trip for us. next match be on monday, against rsn, should be a tough match, hopefully they wont need to call me up, cos i be afraid of messing things up.
2am in the morning liao, think i better go cook some noodles, if not cannot get to sleep...

Feb14, valentines, alone n lonely.
dunno why, getting busier by the day liao. firstly, its my yahoo auctions, buying n selling things online, n meeting to collect the goods. Think Im getting more n more addicted to it liao, always checking it whenever im online. But can get things at cheaper price then retail too, mostly second vcds to spend my time away. second, those econs essay that im doing right now lo, yesterday bring notes to camp to study somemore, see see...wah, really got lots of things to revise b4 I can start writing the essays. N need to get more reading materials first also. argg...study study...thirdly, more things that i need to settle in camp..fourly, volleyball training in camp, competition going to start soon, but i dont think im going to play anyway, all the players are better than me there. Nevertheless, still a chance to go n watch competitive volleyball.
think i write until here liao, nothing much to write le...nite ppl

Sunday night, just came back from jp, treated my parents to seoul garden, cos its my mum birthday tmr, n got discount somemore. Really eat n eat until I full n still eat, its a buffet after all, if not normally I also wont eat so much la, must diet a bit, getting fat liao. Somemore yesterday run for the first time in some months, n feel giddy after tt somemore, my fitness really not there liao. Plus next tuesday got vball selection, think unlikely to get selected liao, one year since I really touched volleyball. Ahh...how am I going to finish the econs essays...

ahh.h...tired ah... I went trekking today, in the afternoon, from bukit timah to mac reservoir, think we took about 2 and a half hours to get there, damm tiring...never walked so far for years liao, since the 24km road march in tekong. But anyway, why I wanna walk leh? As usual lor, nothing to do, so just go there with another 2 of my friends, enjoy the scenery of countryside.
the night is still young, but now already so tired liao, though I know I also wont sleep so early one, becos the moment I sleep, the next thing i know I got to go to camp already. ok la, one day in one day out, time really flies for me, now 6 more months to go.
Recently accepted an assignment from f friend who study in ntu, and I need to complete 6econs essay within on n a half month. Hmmm...and I will get paid for that too, but really dunno how am I going to start, problem problem... Im too lazy liao lah.. treating this as a warm-up to ntu, and Im planning to take sat test too, though I dont need it for entry, jus a gauge to see how much I laze n become more stupid.
So, what am I going to do now? Ling Zhi music diary on 933 now, gonna enjoy the show, gdnite ppl

AS WE enter the Year of the Monkey, we are inundated with upbeat views about the stock market and the economy, not only from economists, but also from geomancers.

Coupled with the new resolutions we made for 2004 not too long ago, the general mood is one brimming over with optimism for a better year ahead and for greater opportunities to make more money.

What are you looking forward to in this new year and what new promises did you make yourself? Did you promise yourself a new car; to beat the market; to climb the corporate ladder; to make more money?

Or did you resolve to spend more time with your family and friends; to get home early enough at least three times a week to read a bedtime story to your kids; to do your bit to save the rainforest?

We make resolutions in a bid to improve our lives in the hope of increasing our happiness. So a very important question would be 'what makes you happy?'. What do you need to succeed in to make you happy?

In our society, many people mistakenly measure their success in terms of Mercedes and money, not enjoyment and relationships.

Does more money mean more happiness? Every week, scores of people bet some of their hard-earned money on the lottery in the hope of winning millions of dollars for a 'better life'. Would an extra million dollars make us happier?

True, more money may mean more holidays, a better car or designer-label clothes but where does this stop?

Studies of lottery winners showed that most were divorced, unhappy and often bankrupt within 10 years of their big win!

In fact, according to a US study, there is no correlation between income and happiness. The diagram above shows that even though personal income had doubled in real terms over 30 years, the level of happiness had remained relatively unchanged.

Tom Morris, a professor of philosophy and founder of the Morris Institute for Human Values, applied the insights of the great philosophers - such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle - to today's world.

One thing that has remained constant over the ages is man's pursuit of money, fame, power and status, which are society's hallmarks of success.

Morris said: 'I have no problems with money, power, fame or status - as long as they are treated as resources, rather than goals in themselves... Everyone I know who has a little wants more. But everyone I know who has a lot also wants more.'

A case in point is the following quote about Jim Clark, founder of Netscape and other computer companies:

'Before Silicon Graphics, Clark said a fortune of $10 million would make him happy; before Netscape, $100 million; before Healtheon, a billion; now, he says, 'Once I have more money than Larry Ellison, I'll be satisfied'.'

Ellison, the founder of the software company Oracle, is worth US$13 billion (S$22 billion).

Clark thought a fortune of US$10 million would make him happy, then US$100 million, now he won't be happy until he has US$13 billion.

So how much is enough?

People who know the answer are those who treat money or power as being of instrumental value. That is, these things are means rather than an end.

For instance, if their goals are to be able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in retirement and take a long holiday every two years, they would work towards accumulating enough wealth to achieve that.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: 'To laugh often and love much - to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived - this is to have succeeded.'

We need to realise that success is not about what we have but who we are. It should not be linked to the size of our bank accounts and number of cars in our garage, but rather to personal excellence and fulfilment.

Money can provide basic necessities, but it cannot buy you self-esteem, love or happiness.

Let me tell you a story about one of our clients. This man was a very successful entrepreneur who was very wealthy and very focused on making even more money. However, when I met him, he was very unhappy. He worked all the time, was in the process of getting divorced and had almost no relationship with his children.

I began working on his financial plan and got him organised and in control of his finances. Now he felt that he had enough money. He had made it.

What this insight allowed him to do was work on a relationship with his new wife, enjoy his new cottage and travelling, and build a legacy with his children by helping orphans around the world.

He understood what Ben Franklin said 200 years ago: 'Who is rich? Someone who realises that he has enough.'

My resolution this year is to focus more on meaningful relationships; to keep communication channels with my friends open and flowing, if not by meeting in person, then at least through a regular letter like this one.

I will end with a quote from Lao Tzu, from the book Tao Te Ching:


Chase after money and security

And your heart will never unclench.

Care about other people's approval

And you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.

The only path to serenity.


Best wishes to you and your family in the year ahead!

PAUL STEFANSSON
Chief Executive Officer
ipac financial planning Singapore
Archive: THE STRAITS TIMES JAN31 2004