Begin With The End In "Mind"

The second principle of Stephen R. Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People".

Begin with the end in mind. Foresee what you would like to achieve at the end of a chapter or mission. Visualize.

And I have a direction. Of where to step next. On where to go next.

Just need some time before taking action.

Time to buck up and prepare.

Interests

Recently I found myself losing that passion for one of my interests - music.

Gone were the days when a good song hit me hard, so hard that I visualize it in piano arrangements, and I would try playing it out on the piano.

Not that I'm some music prodigy or what so ever. It's just that it used to feel so so soooo good when you're able to figure out the chords, then the rhythms, then voila, a basic rendition by yourself, which is certainly very very rewarding, if you're passionate about music.

Now ever since I start working, my life starts taking it's toll. I only exercise during the weekends. And apart from reading my ever growing reading lists, playing some games here and there and catching good dramas and movies, I realized that the urge to play a song on the piano doesn't crops up as it used to.

Nowadays I last barely 5 minutes on the piano. Gone were the perseverance where I would sit down for half an hour or an hour, playing the songs that I used to know or practiced learning those that I tried so hard.

Yes this is the real life. Working takes up a whole big chunk of your life. All in the name of money. Because without money, you can't live. You'll have nothing to eat. You'll have nowhere to stay. You'll be.. hopeless.

But deep down inside me, I yearn to roll back the days that I once had. Playing the piano because I have the luxury to do so. Spend the whole afternoon reading the books that takes me to another place. Have that 1 hour gaming, and that hourly dose of daily exercise.

Ahhh... I must be dreaming too much...

Musical binge, please come back. Cause without you, I am not Ong Joo Parn...

Shingeki No Kyojin

The fandom and the reviews spread. From Japan. To around the world. To my peers and relatives. To me.

I heard recommendations and reviews to try this anime out. They say it was awesome. Much much more awesome then SAO.

I've already watched SAO and I know how awesome it is. I needed no more persuasion than to start.

But the thing being "much much more awesome then SAO" really set my standards high.

Nevertheless, if someone asked me now, I would gladly justify that it is indeed better than SAO a little (don't get me wrong. I like both.)

I think one of the main reasons that made me love SnK (Shingeki no Kyojin aka Attack on Titan) is, how I see things through Eren's eyes - how I am able to take something fictional and see that it applies to the reality.

In case that you guys don't know about the story (please watch the anime or read the manga.), its about how a young boy living in a world terrorized by Titans (or giants if you may please.). Good thing for the humans in the story, they're living in cities protected by high rising walls, protecting them from the Titans.

What would you do if you were one of the humans in the story? Stay inside the city, live happily without even bothering what is outside? Stay as normal as possible?

Not for Eren. To see what the world is outside, he has to purge the Titans of their existence. He needs to avenge the death of his mother by the Titans. Even if it means his own death.

Coming back to the reality, most of us are complacent of having a normal life, spend their whole life trying to climb up the corporate ladder, spending their life trying to clear debts...

But not me. Just not me.

I yearn to be different. I want to be different.

I will be different.