Just have to get through the next 5 days of courses before my looooong weekend starts!
First, will be heading to Redang this Friday, to try out my new mask, fins, and booties! Will test out how the fins affect my photo-taking, which is an area I have meaning to work and improve on. Should do some proper dive photo-taking tutorials and reflect on how I can improve my shots.
After coming back on Monday, I'll be whisked off Tuesday to Bali for my second holiday! A week long trip to rest, relax, and chill! It's probably my last major holiday this year, so I will take full advantage of it, and not think about work issues while I'm there. Going with my bro and his friend, so it'd be tremendous fun!
Somehow I feel better recently, with a light spirit and quick trot. I have done my best to remove my inner baggage, and live life freely. I shall now start on some of my deeply rooted habits that I've always wanted to change, knowing and believing that this time there's a real chance of success. As they say, it takes 21 days to form/break a habit, so I'll behoove myself to go on my best behaviour, and actively do the things I want to do, and avoid the things I want to avoid.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
My Excuses...
1. I am too tired.
2. I have no time.
3. I am too old.
4. I have no money.
5. I am too fat.
6. I'm too used to my habits.
7. I am too lazy.
8. I am too smart/ dumb to be bothered.
9. My parents made me this way.
10. It's not my nature to do this.
11. I made a wrong decision last time, I'm stuck and I can't help it.
12. It's not my nature to do this.
13. I have failed so many times before.
14. Doing this won't help me.
15. I am afraid of failing.
16. I can't help that my memory/ hearing is bad.
17. The problem is too big for me.
18. I want to stay in my comfort zone.
It's time for me to embrace the boundaries I have created for myself, to break out, and be the person I am capable of.
:)
2. I have no time.
3. I am too old.
4. I have no money.
5. I am too fat.
6. I'm too used to my habits.
7. I am too lazy.
8. I am too smart/ dumb to be bothered.
9. My parents made me this way.
10. It's not my nature to do this.
11. I made a wrong decision last time, I'm stuck and I can't help it.
12. It's not my nature to do this.
13. I have failed so many times before.
14. Doing this won't help me.
15. I am afraid of failing.
16. I can't help that my memory/ hearing is bad.
17. The problem is too big for me.
18. I want to stay in my comfort zone.
It's time for me to embrace the boundaries I have created for myself, to break out, and be the person I am capable of.
:)
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Living an Excuse-free Life!
Was in Genting over the weekend. I kinda considered it as a pilgrimage, you know, go up to top of mountain, rest, relax, reflect over the past half-year, re-align or set new goals, and recharge.
The previous time I went Genting, I came down the mountain and joined Fitness First! Since then, I have lost 7 kg, finally seeing some small results on something I have been trying for years without success. So it's sort of a pat-on-the-back, let's-see-what's-coming-up sort of trip / personal reflection journey.
I forgot to take my borrowed library books from reception, so didn't manage to read any of the finance books I was interested in. Only had this book "Excuses Begone!" by Dr Wayne W. Dyer, some self-help guru. I finished the book this morning on the daily commute, and I appreciate the thoughts and reflections I have had after reading.
The book talks about Mind over Matter, and to stop giving oneself excuses for not achieving one's potential. "I don't deserve it", "I don't have time", "I am too old" are quite frankly some of the common excuses I use to avoid a certain decision, to not do something, or to seek sympathy.
So I was reading the final chapter today, and it spoke about how to face the excuse of "I'm too tired". If you keep saying this phrase, you will believe it, your body will live it, and soon you'll be too tired to do anything ever. It seems like such a valid reason, when you are working late into the night, juggling work and studies and what-nots, and it continuously provides a comfort zone for people to not do something.
Instead, the book advises one to stop saying that phrase, and instead tell yourself that "you have sufficient time and energy to do the work tasks that you set out to", and the body would adapt to achieve that. Having slept at 1 - 3 am for the work week so far, I truly felt that I was too tired, and that I wouldn't be able to concentrate during class today. "I'm too tired" is almost my daily phrase, and it is usually accompanied by a big yawn.
So, I tried it out today. I actively refrained myself from saying "I'm too tired", and instead reminded myself that I had sufficient energy to last the day, and still be able to focus in class. It worked. I barely yawned, I was able to focus on the discussions today, and I still have the energy to complete some work after class.
Now I will reflect on my usual excuses, and how I can remove them as barriers to attain my goals... so that I can live an excuse-free, fulfilling life!
The previous time I went Genting, I came down the mountain and joined Fitness First! Since then, I have lost 7 kg, finally seeing some small results on something I have been trying for years without success. So it's sort of a pat-on-the-back, let's-see-what's-coming-up sort of trip / personal reflection journey.
I forgot to take my borrowed library books from reception, so didn't manage to read any of the finance books I was interested in. Only had this book "Excuses Begone!" by Dr Wayne W. Dyer, some self-help guru. I finished the book this morning on the daily commute, and I appreciate the thoughts and reflections I have had after reading.
The book talks about Mind over Matter, and to stop giving oneself excuses for not achieving one's potential. "I don't deserve it", "I don't have time", "I am too old" are quite frankly some of the common excuses I use to avoid a certain decision, to not do something, or to seek sympathy.
So I was reading the final chapter today, and it spoke about how to face the excuse of "I'm too tired". If you keep saying this phrase, you will believe it, your body will live it, and soon you'll be too tired to do anything ever. It seems like such a valid reason, when you are working late into the night, juggling work and studies and what-nots, and it continuously provides a comfort zone for people to not do something.
Instead, the book advises one to stop saying that phrase, and instead tell yourself that "you have sufficient time and energy to do the work tasks that you set out to", and the body would adapt to achieve that. Having slept at 1 - 3 am for the work week so far, I truly felt that I was too tired, and that I wouldn't be able to concentrate during class today. "I'm too tired" is almost my daily phrase, and it is usually accompanied by a big yawn.
So, I tried it out today. I actively refrained myself from saying "I'm too tired", and instead reminded myself that I had sufficient energy to last the day, and still be able to focus in class. It worked. I barely yawned, I was able to focus on the discussions today, and I still have the energy to complete some work after class.
Now I will reflect on my usual excuses, and how I can remove them as barriers to attain my goals... so that I can live an excuse-free, fulfilling life!
Windows 7 Redux
Have installed Windows 7 Enterprise on my computer and used it for a couple of days.
Installation was a complete breeze. I have never installed Windows on a computer with so very little effort before. My previous experiences usually involved installing Windows XP, which would format the hard drive into at most a 160GB block, since it couldn't recognise any hard drive bigger than that. This usually screws up the partition drive, and if you have done a previous partition, it would destroy information on the other hard drive.
After that, one needs to slowly install all my hardware drivers (e.g. Motherboard, soundcard, videocard, bluetooth keyboard set, etc), update the drivers, install SP1, SP2, SP3... Extremely tedious and slow process. After that, since I use WPA2 wireless authentication, I couldn't access my home wireless network without installing a XP hotfix that enabled the authentication. But to download the hotfix, I needed to get internet access. Then follows the tons and tons of security fixes. Usually it's like a full-day/ multi-day affair excluding the other applications...
Windows 7 worked like a breeze. I installed it, and when it started, I thought it wasn't working, but somehow the login page default to show on my secondary output (HDMI TV), instead of my normal screen. I actually restarted it a couple of times before I realised it.
Next, it recognised and installed ALL my hardware and my wireless worked, at least at that moment. I had a fully functional Operating System in about an half hour! That's a miracle, literally after almost 8 years of tedium. Application installations were mostly ok, although my copy of Modern Combat failed to work. I believe that most older applications might have compatibility issues. Although there's a XP-Compatibility mode, I'm not entirely sure how to activate it.
Another major issue was with my wireless. My joy with the wireless was short-lived, and my wireless connection kept dropping continuously after that! It annoyed the heck out of me. Even though it could detect my network (two bars out of five), it just couldn't connect. Previously with XP, usually the solution is to "Repair" the connection, where XP disables the wireless receiver and restarts it again. Usually it works.
But Windows 7 doesn't have that option to "Repair the Connection", instead I had to disconnect manually, and restart the network adapter again. NOT THAT IT WORKS. Years of trained XP behaviour dictates that I repeat that action almost daily, at least 5-10 times before I realise it wasn't working. And the trouble-shooting feature clearly wasn't helpful (It kept telling me that I needed to reset and restart my router, which I knew wasn't the answer, as my iPhone next to me kept a strong wireless connection. My final solution was to rotate my CPU, such that the network adapter faced the general direction of the router, thereby increasing the signal strength to 4 bars.) It works nows, but I'm not sure if it's a consistently, replicate-able solution. We shall see. Wireless connectivity is an issue that can make-or-break an OS.
I love the variable wallpaper feature, which changes the wallpaper every XX mins with any pictures. Have previously tried Vista before, so was already familiar with the Aero feature. One minor annoyance was that the CPU only outputs to 1 line-out jack and 1 headphone jack. Previously, my CPU connected to my legacy stereo system and my LCD TV, so I could watch movies on my computer screen and output sound on my stereo, or watch on my LCD TV and the accompanying sound system. I like options. But perhaps I need to update my Asus motherboard drivers to get back my full features, since I hadn't installed any drivers on my own yet.
Performance-wise, I was pleasantly surprised that even with Aero features on, Windows 7 actually works faster than XP! Shut-down, start-up also ran much faster than my previous XP installation. That's amazing, since I have heard that Vista drastically reduced performance, and was hoping that the drop-off would not be too marked. Perhaps the Vista failure was actually a marketing campaign for Windows 7! ;)
Overall, I'm quite happy about Windows 7. I'm impressed that Microsoft was open enough to allow a free 90-day trial of the Enterprise Edition. Good to be able to test it out first on all compatibility issues, and examine what exactly I am upgrading to. I'm unlikely to need the additional features of Enterprise vis-a-vis the Professional Edition (i.e. Bitlocker and something else).
Windows is no longer a joke. That's great for us long-running windows users. Windows 7 finally gives us a reason to have our heads held high when listening to the dribble of MacOS fanatics. Great!
Installation was a complete breeze. I have never installed Windows on a computer with so very little effort before. My previous experiences usually involved installing Windows XP, which would format the hard drive into at most a 160GB block, since it couldn't recognise any hard drive bigger than that. This usually screws up the partition drive, and if you have done a previous partition, it would destroy information on the other hard drive.
After that, one needs to slowly install all my hardware drivers (e.g. Motherboard, soundcard, videocard, bluetooth keyboard set, etc), update the drivers, install SP1, SP2, SP3... Extremely tedious and slow process. After that, since I use WPA2 wireless authentication, I couldn't access my home wireless network without installing a XP hotfix that enabled the authentication. But to download the hotfix, I needed to get internet access. Then follows the tons and tons of security fixes. Usually it's like a full-day/ multi-day affair excluding the other applications...
Windows 7 worked like a breeze. I installed it, and when it started, I thought it wasn't working, but somehow the login page default to show on my secondary output (HDMI TV), instead of my normal screen. I actually restarted it a couple of times before I realised it.
Next, it recognised and installed ALL my hardware and my wireless worked, at least at that moment. I had a fully functional Operating System in about an half hour! That's a miracle, literally after almost 8 years of tedium. Application installations were mostly ok, although my copy of Modern Combat failed to work. I believe that most older applications might have compatibility issues. Although there's a XP-Compatibility mode, I'm not entirely sure how to activate it.
Another major issue was with my wireless. My joy with the wireless was short-lived, and my wireless connection kept dropping continuously after that! It annoyed the heck out of me. Even though it could detect my network (two bars out of five), it just couldn't connect. Previously with XP, usually the solution is to "Repair" the connection, where XP disables the wireless receiver and restarts it again. Usually it works.
But Windows 7 doesn't have that option to "Repair the Connection", instead I had to disconnect manually, and restart the network adapter again. NOT THAT IT WORKS. Years of trained XP behaviour dictates that I repeat that action almost daily, at least 5-10 times before I realise it wasn't working. And the trouble-shooting feature clearly wasn't helpful (It kept telling me that I needed to reset and restart my router, which I knew wasn't the answer, as my iPhone next to me kept a strong wireless connection. My final solution was to rotate my CPU, such that the network adapter faced the general direction of the router, thereby increasing the signal strength to 4 bars.) It works nows, but I'm not sure if it's a consistently, replicate-able solution. We shall see. Wireless connectivity is an issue that can make-or-break an OS.
I love the variable wallpaper feature, which changes the wallpaper every XX mins with any pictures. Have previously tried Vista before, so was already familiar with the Aero feature. One minor annoyance was that the CPU only outputs to 1 line-out jack and 1 headphone jack. Previously, my CPU connected to my legacy stereo system and my LCD TV, so I could watch movies on my computer screen and output sound on my stereo, or watch on my LCD TV and the accompanying sound system. I like options. But perhaps I need to update my Asus motherboard drivers to get back my full features, since I hadn't installed any drivers on my own yet.
Performance-wise, I was pleasantly surprised that even with Aero features on, Windows 7 actually works faster than XP! Shut-down, start-up also ran much faster than my previous XP installation. That's amazing, since I have heard that Vista drastically reduced performance, and was hoping that the drop-off would not be too marked. Perhaps the Vista failure was actually a marketing campaign for Windows 7! ;)
Overall, I'm quite happy about Windows 7. I'm impressed that Microsoft was open enough to allow a free 90-day trial of the Enterprise Edition. Good to be able to test it out first on all compatibility issues, and examine what exactly I am upgrading to. I'm unlikely to need the additional features of Enterprise vis-a-vis the Professional Edition (i.e. Bitlocker and something else).
Windows is no longer a joke. That's great for us long-running windows users. Windows 7 finally gives us a reason to have our heads held high when listening to the dribble of MacOS fanatics. Great!
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Entrepreneurship
Attended a discussion that talked about entrepreneurship. One needs a PhD in order to do entrepreneurship...
P - Passion
h - hunger
D - Drive
A frank assessment of myself is that I probably have the passion in full capacity... Drive is about 50%, but I know, truly, that right now, I lack the hunger. My idea of entrepreneurship: Open a cafe while keeping my day job.
Am beginning to wonder if having the security of the day job keeps one from having a proper appetite to be an entrepreneur. But the lack of a job means that you'll have to survive on the business. Literally live/die by it! Am I ready for it, and will I ever be ready?
I have come to realise that I am a rather risk-adverse person. This would be so out of standard behaviour, and the urge to run back to the fold of safety would be tremendous.
When I was listening to the lecture, I busily wrote down all the potential funding avenues available from the Government, but one thing the entrepreneur mentioned really jolted my thinking. No one owes me a living. Stop expecting handouts. If you live by the Government direction, you can never be truly entrepreneurial.
I can feel the metamorphosis beginning. As a mentor mentioned, when a caterpillar goes into a cocoon, only after it experiences a complete breakdown on a physical level can it can truly become a butterfly...
The mental barriers, the personal restraints...
Am I ... breaking down?
P - Passion
h - hunger
D - Drive
A frank assessment of myself is that I probably have the passion in full capacity... Drive is about 50%, but I know, truly, that right now, I lack the hunger. My idea of entrepreneurship: Open a cafe while keeping my day job.
Am beginning to wonder if having the security of the day job keeps one from having a proper appetite to be an entrepreneur. But the lack of a job means that you'll have to survive on the business. Literally live/die by it! Am I ready for it, and will I ever be ready?
I have come to realise that I am a rather risk-adverse person. This would be so out of standard behaviour, and the urge to run back to the fold of safety would be tremendous.
When I was listening to the lecture, I busily wrote down all the potential funding avenues available from the Government, but one thing the entrepreneur mentioned really jolted my thinking. No one owes me a living. Stop expecting handouts. If you live by the Government direction, you can never be truly entrepreneurial.
I can feel the metamorphosis beginning. As a mentor mentioned, when a caterpillar goes into a cocoon, only after it experiences a complete breakdown on a physical level can it can truly become a butterfly...
The mental barriers, the personal restraints...
Am I ... breaking down?
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Windows 7 Enterprise Trial!
Just downloaded the trial version of Windows 7 Enterprise Edition! It will be a 90-day trial! Going to install it on my spare hard drive, and do a dual boot...
Actually can't wait to see how Windows 7 fares. It's supposed to be FASTER than Win XP even, and a lot more stable. Well, only trying it will we find out.
Taking the plunge!
Results in a while!
Actually can't wait to see how Windows 7 fares. It's supposed to be FASTER than Win XP even, and a lot more stable. Well, only trying it will we find out.
Taking the plunge!
Results in a while!
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