Quick Weekly Updates

Hey guys, I suppose a clear pattern is starting to present itself. With my current work commitments, and the new part-time studies which has started on this recent Thursday, it is looking increasingly like I’ll only be able to make a weekly daily bread/journal entry on the weekends. So that means, one post every 6~7 days. So you know what that means right? Yeap, I’m going to have to try to consolidate my weekly updates (a summarised blog entry) along with my daily bread journal entry. I am still doing my daily bread everyday of the week. I always post them to my LinkedIn feed. These days, that is where I am the most active. I see no reason to change that.

So, I am really happy and filled with so much gratitude and joy this week because I have officially received my first full-month salary yesterday (Friday, 5^th). After everything that I’ve had to endure and persevere through, I feel like I’ve finally survived my recent extended hardships. Yet, I continue to be humbled by the realisation that my greatest challenge isn’t behind me, but ahead of me. I say that because it is usually during the better (easier) times that we tend to become relaxed, let down our guard and that is when complacency would set in. With everything that I’ve been through though, I’d love to think that it won’t be that easy for me to enter into a place of complacency, especially not after everything that I’ve experienced in recent years. And yet, I will continue to do my best to remind myself everyday that I need to be humble, and I need to keep my guard up so that I won’t make the same mistakes yet again. This is my second chance. This is my chance to do everything right.

Putting the Parable of the Talents into Practice

The other thing that I’d love to share with you is about how I am applying and putting into practice the lessons that I’ve been learning from the Bible (through my daily bread routine). One of those key lessons is about the parable of the talents. If you really think about it, the Parable of the Talents is truly a lesson about investment. It’s also about being resourceful. It’s about stewardship (management) of what has been given to us, and how we use it and manage it over time. Do we squander what we have today? Or will we do something with it that will turn it into something more?

Over the last couple of weeks, in anticipation of my pay arriving, I’ve been putting a lot of thought into the kinds of expenses and subscriptions that I can do without (I won’t die without them). Over the days and weeks leading up to my pay day, I was able to eliminate a number of monthly subscriptions. Not only that, thanks to my part-time studies, as a student, I would also have access to the Adobe student license. That means I won’t have to continue paying S$13.39 every month for the Photoshop subscription. To make things even better, I had discovered that thanks to the recent government-issued S$4,000 SkillsFuture Credits (I believe you have to be a Singaporean, and above 40 to benefit from this), I was able to use it to fully cover my part-time specialist diploma course.

More Official Comeback as a Professional Technical Writer

Thanks to the recent 20% discount offered by Medium, I have decided to start my initial investment in their monthly subscription (S$5.60/month). Also, for the domain name, I found one that really fits my persona and the goal of what I am trying to achieve. It is also around S$5.60 per year (80+% discount). The way I see it, is that this tiny initial investment is a great way to get started. With the ability to monetise my technical writing, maybe in time, I can slowly work towards that ROI. In my short- to mid-term goal, I plan to review this investment decision 6 months later and see where I am at. If it is worth it, I will consider renewing and upgrading my plans further.

The reason why I’ve decided to pick a platform like Medium versus building my own professional site with WordPress for example, is because I know that being a sucker of excellence, I will want to pour thousands of dollars and lots of hours into building my own website before I can really begin writing. It’s a process that will take time. And the last thing I want is to procrastinate, or make excuses for myself. So I want to just find an alternative that would work for my use-case, and just begin by taking that first step.

Well, this would be that first official step.

Wow, that really was a very good segue into what I want to share about for my daily bread reflections…cool! Alright then, let’s get to our daily bread proper shall we?

Daily Bread Proper

13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!”

14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed.

15 The lazy man buries his hands in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.

Proverbs 26:13-16 [NKJV]

In light of everything that I’ve just shared with you, I think they bring with it numerous examples and lessons of what it means to not be lazy, or to procrastinate, or delay doing certain things in our lives. There are so many possible reasons for why we are delaying and putting off our plans and decisions. But one thing that I’ve learned is certain, sometimes, all that we need is one reason to just do it. It’s so easy to think of a million reasons why we shouldn’t do something. We try to make those excuses, and we then try to justify our own inaction.

In hindsight today, I find that one of the most precious personal lessons is that I don’t have to wait until everything is ideal, or that I have all the variables figured out before I can make a decision to do something. All I have to do is to take that very first step. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be a very big step. It can be like my decision to pay for the discounted monthly subscription with Medium. Start there, and then slowly build myself up over the next 6~12 months.

As you are reading this daily bread right now, I want to encourage you to take a moment to think about your own life today. Are there areas in your life that you’re making excuses, trying to justify why you shouldn’t move forward? Maybe it’s a dieting plan, maybe its a personal project, or maybe you are thinking about starting that business idea. Whatever it might be, don’t try to see it as this huge plan. Instead, break it down into smaller (more achievable) steps. Start small and then take your time to build it up towards that final end goal.

Before I go and begin my workday, I will leave you with this amazing and meaningful quote by Lao Tzu,

Personal Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come before You this morning, so deeply humbled, and filled with immense gratitude and appreciation for everything that You have done in my life. I am so grateful for the people, the relationships that You have sent into my life in recent times. Thank You for giving me a sense of purpose, helping me to find my “ikigai” in this life. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! I can’t say it enough!

Thank You also for reminding me of the recent experiences and lessons that You have been trying to teach me. A lesson about not putting off my plans and decisions. That I don’t have to start with large, big steps. They don’t always have to be a leap of faith. Sometimes, all we need to do is take that very first, small tiny step like a baby first learning to walk.

I am thankful, and I feel so incredibly blessed that You would take my experiences and lessons and give me something to share with others (something that might actually benefit and help them in their lives). I know that this is never about me. Everything that I’ve been through has never just been for my own benefit.

As I carry on with my work day today, I pray and ask that You will continue to guide me, and continue to teach me and show me things that I need to know/learn. I am willing and ready to listen/learn.

I pray all of these in Jesus’ mighty name. I vow to give You all the glory and all the praise.

Amen.