Thinking

So here I am, examinations looming, and I am blogging.

To be more accurate, I'm thinking out loud, I just can't bear not sharing my pent up thoughts.

So many questions, as a 21-year old living in an incredibly pampered yet competitive island nation.

Like this: When do we truly transition from child to adult? In America, it's safe enough to say that as a 21 year-old, you're old enough to go out into the real world, rent an apartment with a bunch of like-minded friends, make merry and have unprotected sex every other night, and be entirely responsible for whatever repercussions that might have.

In Singapore, up to a ridiculous age of 25-26, we live with our parents. Sure, we are legally 'responsible' - in truth, our parents take the bullets for us and give us an allowance. I'm safe in my cocoon, as a 'young adult' caught in transition. How awkward.

How about this: Does me getting a stellar educational record play an important role in my future? So I get my Bachelor's. I go into the workplace, my colleague tells me the next level of management are all Master's holders - minimum requirement. Where does it end?

When it comes down to it, what are we slugging it out for?

Is there really freedom when it comes to job selection? Or are we, as able men, limited by social stigma and hard pressed to get jobs that men should get - lawyers, doctors, journalists? House-husband: smirks and chuckles around town; get a real job, honey.

Thinking is utterly depressing.

Appreciation

I think in the midst of all things, it occurred to me that if you just look hard enough, you can see all the good works that God is doing day by day, minute by minute, in our lives.

You just have to look hard enough.

Smile like you mean it

I recently wrote an article on Happiness for the NUS school magazine, similar to the recent blogpost I put up here (or not-so-recent). My Chief Editor gave me an example for an NUS student's happiness:

1) Having an active social life - This requires us to engage in clubbing or being in team sports or being involved in dancing or generally doing something that has a group-oriented setting and we aren't happy until we find a group that accepts us and that we want to be accepted by. The only solution is to be patient as you will find the group/club/activity that you want to do with others but also we should be adventurous and try things we haven't tried before. 

I thought, 'Yeah, that's pretty true. A lot of people are trying out new things to fit in. But, how far would they go? Would they engage in something that they find immoral or uncomfortable just to fit in?'

On the heels of that thought came another, 'Is that really happiness?'

Honestly, there really is no point fitting in with something or somewhere that does not make you happy. Even belonging to something that accepts you. At the end of the day, you yourself will have to attribute a value to your happiness in different circumstances - how far would you compromise your happiness to be... happy?

Tread lightly.

I'm back!

...but not for long.

For this semester holds many things and happenings of great consequence. Must concentrate.

I will return once in a while.

Adios for now!

Happiness

What is it?

I'm reading this book entitled 'Hector and the Search for Happiness' currently. It's the pseudo-literature sort, written in a child-like manner (much like the 'Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime') but featuring mature themes and issues, veiled by innuendos and symbolism. So far, what strikes me is what this psychiatrist, Hector, has found out about Happiness:

1) Making comparisons can spoil your happiness.
2) Happiness often comes when least expected.
3) Many people see happiness only in the future.
4) Many people think that happiness comes from having more power and more money.
5) Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story.
6) Happiness is a long walk in the mountains.

and so on. I shan't spoil the reading experience for you, in case you want to read it.

I really, really liked point 3. Which kinda links to point 4 as well. I think a lot of us tend to get caught in the rat race because we aim for power and money in the future so as to be happy. But truthfully, happiness is right here and right now, with each experience we go through, isn't it? If we only see happiness as something in the future, that means our 'now' must be pretty unhappy.

I quote Scrubs:

“Who the hell cares what anybody else thinks? Just look into your heart, do whatever the hell makes you happy.”— Dr Kelso.