Travel

As the weekend is coming to a close and the week is starting, I am reflecting on where I would like to travel. I haven't traveled much in the past year, because there were several things I needed to take care of such as moving to NY for my new job, apartment hunting, etc. I always admire my adventerous friends who have traveled far and wide to exotic destinations - the ones people don't normally go to. I have been to cities in 3 continents in my lifetime and have yet to explore others. Here is a list of places and trips I would love to go on (quite possibly my dream list):
Italy (Florence, Venice, Rome, Tuscany region)
Loire Valley in France
Aegean Islands in Greece
Loch Ness in Scotland
Vienna
Pyramids in Egypt (very obvious one)
Turkey (too many to list)
Brazil (Amazon cruise, major cities, etc)
China (Beijing, Great Wall)
Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket)
Maldives
Safari in Tanzania
Inca Ruins in Peru
Great Barrier Reef in Australia
Alaskan Cruise

I am sure this list will get bigger as time goes by.

The Economy, Technology, Environment: Challenge to Hope

The new year began on a somber yet hopeful note - our economy was falling, but we were hopeful for a new beginning and renewal in America. Distress could be seen everywhere. All of a sudden, the issues we watched on television or read about in the news started having a direct impact on our lives.

Americans now have a chance to reflect upon their lives: is this what I always wanted to do with my life? have I pursued my passion? am I truly happy with my career? did I do what was important to me or my family? For many people, their job was their identity. They held on to it like a prize. The issues we are facing is a wake up call to people who thought that they created a safety net out of their careers that sheilded them from facing the realities of life. This era of uncertainty is also a lesson for young people in high school and college who will be entering the work-force soon. They know what uncertainty means and are armed to deal with challenges more than the generation that preceded them.

We are entering a period of rapid transformation in the political, environmental, and technological areas. Social media is transforming the way we live from micro-blogging to networking, from online collaboration to video sharing. There is a wealth of information we can draw from. My generation (Generation Y) has faced challenges growing up: from an era of comfort to an era of uncertainty. We are transforming the web and social media. We are transforming society. Despite the new challenges we are facing about the economy or the environment, we are creative enough to invent new ideas or amend existing ones. New ideas or a combination of ideas from various fields are waiting to be created: technology, green energy, economic theories, medical discoveries. Our brainpower is faced with a challenging new era and its up to us to make the best use of it.

Edison said: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up".

The Story of Success

I recently read the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. It is about the story of success and looks into the lives of a few exceptionally successful people. After showing some statistical evidence such as date of birth, going over the '10,000 hour rule', and other 'advantages', it points out that success is not just a matter of hard work and dedication, but a combination of many factors and luck.

The book made a lot of sense to me, since I have seen how small opportunities combined with hard work can bring success. However, if someone does not get these opportunites, they may not be able to take advantage of them. Good opportunities may start of as a small beginning to a long chain of successful occurings. People born at the right time to take advantage of opportunities, people who go to the right school that enables them to build a good network, people who stumble upon the right job at the right time, people who are born into wealth. These people had luck on their side. Some parents motivate their children to do well in school and many of their children succeed. Other parents, may not give the same kind of motivation to their children and many of their children may not succeed. Success breeds success.

For a person to be a success, the right opportunities have to come at the right time. Otherwise, those opportunities will be missed or overlooked. At the same time, it takes a certain level of drive and determination to bring about luck. People who constantly strive for the best are better prepared for opportunities when they arrive. People who complain and don't work as hard are least prepared when opportunities come. There is always a certain amount of luck involved in life, but it is up to us to forsee and take advantage of little opportunities thrown our way. There are some common elements that I have noticed in all successful people: they dont complain much, they seize the day, take time to enjoy their lives, work very hard, exercise, eat right, and the most important of all - they maintain a good attitude.

Sunshine after Rain

Today was a sunny day in New York. I stepped out of my apartment building in the morning to be surrounded by the generous morning sun reflecting from the windows of the apartments. A fruit vendor was setting up his small cart with a variety of colorful fruits. A maltese puppy was happily walking with its owner. As I stood at the intersection, the thought came to me that yesterday was a cloudy, windy, and gloomy day. The weather can change in one day and so can people's lives. The lucky chances in our lives are similar to cloudy days transforming into sunny days. Spring is a time of renewed optimism. In these difficult times, the new verdant leaves and fragrant flowers continue to bloom; the cycle of life continues.