However, I’m not a millionaire, will probably never be one, and I don’t really care!

One thing I’d like to share though, is a quote from Randy Pausch that I try to remember in difficult situations –

“Brick walls are there for a reason – they let us prove how badly we want something.”

watashi wa Oura des…ja gambate ne! greatly admire your samurai spirit ne. sayonara and banzai!!

For me, I am the reverse of how Adam had experienced his life. I was among the top in my PSLE result, went on to the top 3 class in a so called elitist school and still stayed within the top 3 in the class. I was at the same time a captain for a sports team, won art competitions, an all rounder, so anyone who had known me then would say i am going to be a high-flyer in life. BUT i am not happy, because i am not sure why I am doing it except that i was told it is going to help me in the future. Maybe also simply that I hated the feeling of losing that I made sure i win all the time.

So I went into a state of identity crisis soon and became one of the problem kids right through JC, even though the JC that I had attended is a good JC. The deteroiating trait continues in my studies in the university, and I barely passed my graduation exam.

There are 2 points that I would want to emphasize with this, although there is no strength in the words of one who still has a negative amount in his savings. For Thomas, what I think Adam wanted to emphasize is the fact that, while taken that all students studying in any school would have their own sets of different problems, it is exactly the common mind set of the society to stream the schools that had created extra problem for the students studying in the so called non-elitist school. There is public pressure put on them while I certainly think that the so called ‘branded’ schools’ students receive none of those.

I personally did not agree with the discrimination of schools publicly, as it would serve to make those students or teachers who are still currently working hard to change their own lives feel unappreciated, and I believe Adam did not mean anything like that but just to serve a purpose in explaining a point that there are differences in the amount of problems faced in different schools. However, unfortunately, it is necessary in the fault of the structure of our mind and the limit of language, to make a point through dualistic comparison, that it could be misinterpretated.

Secondly, I felt a so-called good school does not bring you anywhere further than the limit you believe yourself can do. Hence, BELIEVING in your own strength to overcome the problems and do what you like in life is more important than discussing whether there are more or less problems in elitist or non-elitist schools.

More important than to just choose an elitist school is to understand what the school can do to cater to your interest and strength, as well as to choose friends who can help you to advance your level and character. Hence, ultimately, knowing what one’s interest is more important. While Adam’s books did cater exercise to reach into the innerside of ourself to seek out our real strength and interest, I certainly believe in physically seeking out the answer through expansion of various experiences in life.

For those who are already successful( in the physical sense assigned by the mass belief of the society) they would be probably not reading this page for they would either be too busy or they have employed Adam as their private consultant. But for the rest of us, even though i know little about money making, I thought i can share my own way in finding one’s strengths and weaknesses, and that would be done simply by keeping oneself away from being too comfortable when making decisions for life. I get myself into troubles, hardship and problems, and that is how I get to understand abit more about myself. Maybe it is worth it, maybe it is not. But by not experimenting with it, I felt I am losing a great deal in knowing how to live a life.

Secondly, keep travelling humbly or live overseas for a short while helps too. While I can work normally and comfortably after graduating from the university, I went on to lead a life of a nomad, having no fixed roofs overhead, getting discriminated, eating bread or skipping meals, but it does make me understood that it is only in Singapore and some countries in Asia that education level in the university or a good school is deemed so important. Break that limiting perspective, and there are alot more possibiliites available.

Thirdly, try out extreme sports. I personally recommended skydiving. I did a tandem-jump because i had no licence 6 years back. Even though I am in debt now, its amazing after doing the jump for 6 years till now, how much I feel I can conquer and come back when setbacks occur. And I seriously think that it is by no chance, many of the millionaires do extreme sports, it probably numb them to the fear in the business world. Afterall, if you overcome the fear of death, what is the fear of living?And one can probably listen more to their instincts to know what he/she wants to go on and benefit fully from Adam’s books and trainings.

Fourthly, read extensively.

Thank you for reading the 5 cent worth of thoughts.

yours sincerely,
kartik ( god i hope adam reads his the comments-_-”)