Heart and soul. Its a priceless commodity. It keeps people going and it keeps people determined to reach new heights. But what should we do if we lose heart?

What if we lose passion about something?

What if we're so sick of doing something till we can't face it in the face anymore?

Easy. Go do something else. Who says life needs to be so complicated? ahaha

Can we be totally honest in this world? It's hard ain't it? Honesty comes at a price and sometimes people are not always prepared to pay it.

What is honesty and what does it comprise? Honesty is simply telling the truth. When people ask you a question, you give them the answer. Seems simple but its harder than it looks.

Honesty is never overrated. But people don't generally stick to it because it is easier to do otherwise. Honesty invites repercussions and questions. However some might feel that however hard it is, we should stick to it because 'honesty is the best policy'. But in the long run, is this really the case?

The big challenge to me is not by being honest, but by knowing how to be honest. Everyone has their own style, and their own individualities in place that to be honest from person to person is difficult. Of course unlocking the key to every personality is the key to do anything. Maybe that is the reason people avoid being honest: It is because to be honest and not break someone's soul, you have to know how to do so. We have to think about the receiving end of things, and people are too absorbed in their lives to bother about that cumbersome thought. So therefore, the solution is to not be honest at all rather than be an honest asshole.

Another thing about being honest is this: Many people have the desire to be honest. But how many are really prepared to know the truth? How many people are really prepared to get rid of their illusions of a pretty life and just face the truth that lies before their naked eyes? How many people are prepared to give up their cesspool of beautiful lies and shower in the truth about themselves? Not everyone is prepared to do so. The truth is not for everyone.

But as an ending note i will say this. Honesty is never overrated. In the long run honesty is the best policy, simply because it is much2 harder to live a lie than to die with the truth. A small lie goes a long way and someday, that lie will come back to haunt us and then we will be paying our dues. But as with anything else, there is a technique with telling the truth. And also, remember, the truth is not for everyone. Perhaps in certain situations, we are doing them a bigger favor by not destroying their illusion.

But by all means, an honest man is a good man. Tell a truth today. If you can't lie and live with the lie till the end, then maybe it's a good idea not to lie at all.

The birthday syndrome

Why do people love their birthday? Why do people celebrate their anniversary of life?


Why do people feel special on this day?


Why not feel special everyday?


Everyone is unique and quirky in their own way anyway. So why not feel unique everyday?


Why only feel good on your birthday?


Til now I don't know why...

My Father's Chair

There's a few chairs in my living room in Malaysia.


There's one 'triple sofa' and one 'double sofa'.


And there's one single sofa. I called it my father's chair. Reason being that in that living room, that was his place. That was his seat in my home. 

I've never sat in that chair...

I never knew why I never did. A lot of people have sat in that chair aside from my dad. 


Friends, cousins, even my siblings. I don't know about my mum though. I don't remember her ever sitting there. 

But I've never sat on that chair. I've never sat on my father's seat.... 

I wouldn't call it a throne. It's not different from the other sofas. 


It was the same level, the same colour, the same design, same cushions, it pretty much resembles all the other chairs there. 

But I've never sat on it....

His presence wasn't the reason. I never sat there even when he wasn't at home. 


Neither was it his command, his wish or instruction. He never forbade any of us sitting there. 


And it was definitely not my mum's instruction either. She never forbade any of us sitting there. 


So at the end of the day, I still wonder. Why in thirteen years I lived there, I've never sat at that one spot. 


But little did I know, my father and myself were not that different. 


Turns out, he never sat on his father's chair either. 


His father's rocking chair in front of the TV. While his father was alive, my father never sat on that chair either. 


I think he never knew the answer then, but I'm sure he understood now why he never sat there before. 


Would I one day find a similar answer?

Only time would tell, why I never sat on my father's chair. 

To Pretend or not to Pretend?

I have totally no idea to the question given above.

In the 20 odd years of life, 16 of which being conscious of actually being alive, there are always two main schools of thought.

One is to pretend, to never show one true self in front of others.

And the other is to never pretend, to always show oneself to others.

The thing is, which one is best?

If we want to be true to ourselves, then to never pretend is the best way to go. But what if we need to please the people that matter to us. Our parents for example? Don't we need to pretend in certain situations?

Perhaps the answer lies in the way we pretend or not pretend?

For instance, the question of pretending or not pretending is only the tip of the iceberg. In some ways, the way we do either one is more important than actually doing it.

For example, there are people who pretend in a way that is obviously plastic and insincere. And it is too obvious sometimes. They 'act' and be all polite and stuff. But behind your backs, they do otherwise. In this case, its better to just bare it all and not pretend, coz if they pretend its not in a good way anyway.

Some people pretend very subtly. This is very good, because it does not detract from his or her natural personality so much. They need to do it, in other words. And pretend they did, with plenty of finesse. In this case, perhaps pretending is not such a bad thing after all. I mean, if they don't pretend it does not matter anyway. I call these persons the 'middleman'.

But on the other side of the coin, if we are too truthful, we must be very careful how we do it. Some people are very unpretentious, but the way they do it is by ripping other people's heart out. That ain't good, coz the whole point of being honest is to attract people coming to you, and not drive them away.

So in part and parcel, the answer to the above question lies in how we pretend or not. Bear in mind, how we do it is totally up to us to decide. As long as it is the best approach to be taken, take it and do it right. =)

Jacks and Masters

Which would you prefer?


The Jack or the Master?


The Jack who covers all things. He covers all trades.  His hand stretches long and wide. He does not grip anything with wonderful facility but he is evenly spread among all things. He has a soft touch, but he can touch all things. He looks at everything with equal interest, but delves not deeper into one discipline.


Comparably, to the Master. 


The Master digs deep. He is at the deep end of things. Expertise is his main concern. A lot more narrow in coverage. But a lot more deeper in facility. Focus is the prime goal, and perfection is the greatest achievement. He has a heavy touch, but not all things are welcome to his concern. He looks at one or two with interest, and disregards the rest. However, he is a master of his discipline. 


Some say we can't be the 'Jack of all trades'. But I disagree. 


I think it depends on who we are as a person. I always think proverbs relate most to the person originally saying it. And if we happen to share the same personality as the speaker, then we fit perfectly into the proverb in question. 


I mean, not all people are masters in their own right. They have curiosity and thunder. They love learning new things, which can be totally unrelated to their earlier disciplines. People see them as Jacks and Fish-hooks. I see them as another kind of master: A master of coverage in the different knowledges. 


And there are some who are made to be the 'Masters'. They cannot live in indecisiveness. They need discipline, order, and depth. They can't focus on too many things. It will just blow their mind. They focus on one or two things and they stick to them. They go deep. Some too deep in fact, to become the obsessives. 


But whatever the choice is, bear in mind, the combination of the two creates the beauty we call life. Often the Jacks and the Masters walk together, either harmoniously or otherwise, to create the balance which leads to the working of this life. Also, bear in mind that one cannot be one or the other. Instead, it will be one or the other which will be dominant, but never one or the other absent. 


With that said, hopefully we can find the blend of the brew that works best for us. It is never too late to find out, and never too late to change. 

Axis of creation

Creativty links a lot to curiosity.

The naturally inquisitive and curious will usually be the creative ones.

Why? Because curiosity leads to trial. People who are curious always love to try new things. On the way to doing just that, sometimes they stumble upon something totally new.

Creativity also comes when people are unsettled. They are mobile and always moving. They are kids at heart. They love new things and don't wish to settle for the comfortable.

They are always moving. Keep on moving so that your creative juices will never run out.

Distance Makes Depth, Depth makes Character.

Ok fine, this actually comes from a recording technique preaching.

Distance makes depth..

But for some reason I think it applies to personalities in life as well. 

As we know, in the end everything is more than meets the eye.

In the end, depth matters, not just the width...

The Definition of Loud!!

Imagine you go to a rock show..

If you can hear the audience speak, it ain't loud enough.

If you don't feel a poundin in your heart, it ain't loud enough.

If it does not catch your attention, it ain't loud enough

If it sounds like you're listening to an album in the room, it ain't loud enough.

If it sounds like a band practising in the studio, it ain't loud enough.

How loud is loud enough?

Until you just reach that threshold of pain, and the pleasure is so good it is almost unbearable, and your heart pounds to the beat of the music, and you feel the cold sweat trickle down your brow for fear of what might be, 

Then, that, is loud enough..

Pansies

Cmon!! 

What the hell happened to good music?

Where the hell are the bands that help shape the masculinity of music?

Why are all the bands today singing like a bunch of pansies?

I mean, cmon..

Simple Plan? "Welcome to my life"? WTF man? suck it up, get a pair and deal with your fucking life. Heart jetlag? WTH? Can you stop singing bout your loser life already? 

Don't moan and complain. That is not teen angst and agony. That is basically complaining like a tard.

and fall-out boys? Go Fall out of a friggin building man. Stop complaining like a tard. 

If ya can't friggin sing, don't! If you're a guy, don't be singing like a bunch of pussies. 

And there are plenty of lady singers that sing better than you...

And yeah, I don't give a shit that you're on the radio and I'm not. What good is it making yourself known as the world's biggest complainer?

What the hell happened to the Frank Sinatras of the world? What about Michael Buble? They sing their heart out about love. They don't complain? They don't stick it out like a bunch of pansies?

Cmon guys. If you're in a band, make sure its a band with a pair of balls!

Misfit

Hey an outsider has got to get his meat.

Interesting when you do different things over the years and you get the same results.

And in the age people assimilate and 'get together to stay together', interesting how a misfit still can exist in the world. 

And it ain't a good feelin'. 

You alienate yourself, and you feel nowhere is right. 

Sometimes just when things are kicking back and falling into place, yeah you fukk it up again. 

So you're a misfit to begin with, and you're a misfit when you start to fit in. 

Oh yeah, wonder how the world was in the simpler time. 

The Father of Distortion

I wonder who told the first lie.

Because he is the father of distortion.

The ability to lie is a hereditary trait.

When one generation lies, the next generation fibs more. 

A lie is like a chain reaction, and gets bigger with every cycle of the gun. 

Dear Father of Distortion, I have no idea what you have done.

For a small lie today might be a massacre tommorow. 

You massacre the lives of people. 

You massacre the soul. 

You bring the distortion. 

You disturb the balance. 

Dear father of distortion I would like to wish you a happy father's day.

For indeed the contribution and curse that you have brought down to men are too big. 

I wonder what the world would have been should you have not lived, 

Dear father of distortion I wish I would not inherit your traits,

For if a lie in your day served as a massacre today,

Then I wonder, if I told your lie today,

Would there be another tommorow?

I have a problem

I have a problem, curiosity is the name


I know curiosity kills the cat,


But is it too wrong to be the cat who gets killed every time?


For if I had nine lives, I would have died more than I can think


For curiosity sparks my interest, 


The knowledge of trying it out, 


To quench the thirst of uncertainty, 


But Lo! Behold..


My curiosity comes with my interest,


When I lose interest in something, no amount of uncertainty can grab me back,


When passion is in question, curiosity kills me like a gun in the hot sun,


Passion, it's a whole new world. 


It's amazing to live under the influence of the drug we call passion,


Because passion, makes us curious all the time. 


And when the uncertainty becomes a sure thing, 


Oh! the feeling of discovery.


The joy of unearthing the mystery.


But! another problem.


With more solutions comes more problems. 


When more things are discovered, more uncertainties get uncovered. 


Hell, the solution to a mystery might be another mystery. 


So the endless search of a solution continues. 


And again, the endless thirst of curiosity continues. 


Passion and curiosity. It's a drug.


Just the right dose and you'll be fishing for answers.


Too much, and you'll be just another Puss in the boots who gets killed. 

What we could have had

It was true, the lie that I told you

Twas a lie because you think I was lying,

But twas the truth because it came straight from within.

A truth is a lie when you don't believe it. 

A lie is the truth when you accept it. 

So don't believe in the truths or lies,

Rather listen to what you yourself tell you

Look at the signs with the eye of your intuition.

And though you have two eyes to see, 

Look at me with the third eye you've been given: Your heart

Your heart will tell you if I'm lying or fibbing,

Or if I'm telling the truest confines of within me.

For if you don't,

You will not understand.

That what we could have had was beautiful.

It was a life I never thought I would have,

To be in presence of something so true,

Was worth living a lie worth a thousand fibs, 

Fact is we are all living in our own lies,

The lies we tell ourselves everyday,

Are to keep us away from the hurt that lies inside,

But in the end, 

A lie is a lie even though we accept it,

So if ever you think I lied to you,

Just remember, you do it too. 

The paradox of observation

I'll get straight to the point. 

"Can one person, being so observant about the world around him, totally forgets to observe what is happening to himself?"

It is possible. This is the paradox. 

I mean have you ever looked at the world a lot, and you know what is going on with the world, your friends, their lives, etc.

And you realized you don't know anything about yourself. 

Well yeah. Paradox. That is the paradox. (Ok I just want to tell what I think hahaha.)

Family Ties

Vito Corleone: "You spend time with your family?"

Johnny Fontaine: "Sure I do"

Vito: "Good. Because a man who does not spend time with his family can never be a real man"

(The Godfather, 1970s)

***

Family ties are the core of the human institution. 

More often than not, people with good family backgrounds tend to grow up more wholesome and secure. 

Family ties instil trust. And this is important. 

Coz if it is a case of you vs the world, then the family will guarantee you the trust. 

You can trust your family. That sense of security will make or break you in the world. 

Even the toughest men has the sweet spot for the family. 

But remember, family is not necessarily blood relations. 

Even friends who are close to each other can be called a family. 

When overseas, your friends are all you got. They're family. So trust them like your own. 

Even sailors who sail to sea months at a time have each other to rely on. That is their family. 

So keep your family close. What simpler message can i give? =)

Soul..

I've lost my soul. Do you know where I can get it again?

I don't know where it went. Somehow it gets lost every new place I go.

I hate to be the one to say I've lost it .But hey, things happen. 

I've lost many things in life too. A friend, maybe because of a stupid mistake. 

I've lost many opportunities. I've also lost many memories. 

But I never thought I would lose my soul. 

Where are you dear soul. Please come back. 

..for a minute there i really believed i had a brother.

I remember when I was younger and my little sister already popped up from my mom's belly. 

For the next two months i always went to my mom and asked her "So is there another baby coming?"

I guess i always wanted a brother as well. 

That day never came. I'm thankful of course, that i have two beautiful sisters in my presence. 

I got two sisters that I can spoil, but not a brother to bully. Or a brother to bully me haha.

Today I told someone that I had a big brother. It was on a whim. I thought it would end there. 

But she kept asking me about him. So I fibbed. 

Suddenly, for a few minutes, I had a brother who was married, who was eight years older than my older sister, and had a name. Oh yes, his name is Amri. Amri Salehin. I went as far to say that Amri was the eldest in the family and Amira was the perfect name for the youngest. 

So yeah, for a minute there I really believed I had a brother. 

It's a nice thought I guess. If i had a big brother as well as a big sister, I would always be confused on how to act. My brother would tell me that disturbing girls was fun, but my sister would advise me otherwise. My brother would teach me how to play guitar, and my sister would tell me I'm too noisy. My dad would teach my brother something, and my mom would teach my sister something, and both of them would teach me something, but two totally different things. 

My sister would say that shopping is fun, but my brother would say that it is a waste of time. Also, my brother would introduce me to his girlfriend's sister.

And my older sister would teach me how to cook, and my brother would buy me food. Haha kind of fun ain't it.

But best of all, my brother would be the place I go for advice. Man advice, if you will. He will make sure I don't turn into a softie, and would force me to play football. 

 We would fight over food, and girls, and the car, and everything. Hell, he might even pull my hair if I touched his guitar. 

But yeah, that is how brothers grow up. At least I think that is how they do it. I never had one. 

And if I had a little brother, I would be losing it if he was touching my guitar. I would be competetive if he were better with the ladies. 

And I would not spoil him, like I do with my sisters. I'll make sure he grows up tough. And I'll take him for rides in my car and I'll teach him how to drive when he's fifteen. 

And we can discuss women and life. 

But best of all, I'll have a punching bag. And someone to give advice to. 

Don't get me wrong, having two sisters is fun. I'm thankful for their company. 

But also having two brothers. That would be awesome. =)

The Power of The Pen

"The pen is mightier than the sword"

This phrase has a lot of meaning to it. In many ways the pen might be able to cut more steel than the sword. Why? Because the sword is an outside force. An outside force cuts from the outside. It comes from around and hits you on the outside. Thats the key. The sword cuts you from the outside. 

Then pen, in contrast, is not a tool used for cutting. It is to write. And it can be used to write many things. When people write they think about it. People write their thoughts, their insights, their memoirs, their reminders and most importantly their vows. That is the key. The pen is a tool to bring out the best from the inside of a person. When somebody writes a book that comes from the inside. A contract is based on the pen. And also, nobody can lie against his own signature. Any form of treaty, vows, agreements and contracts are based on the pen. 

That is the contrast between the sword and the pen. The sword commands your agreement. Even, it may take it by force. The pen, is used in times of negotiation, at least without the outside force of people. You can convince and persuade people with the use of the pen. You can make or break a person by the use of a pen. That's the point of it. You don't even have to resort to violence. 

You can make them agree without forcing them. All it takes is a mighty swig of the pen. You use negotiation. You use agreement. Instead of fighting with brawn, you are fighting with the brains. You don't strike fear due to your strength of the muscles. You strike them on the basis of their minds. 

As an ending note we consider a lesson from nature. A rock, can break of erode with the gentle blow of the wind, though it takes a thousand years to do so. However, a rock can break more easily if there was water or ice within it, providing it with the necessary force to break it. 

This means that the force within influences you easier than the force outside. 

No one can tell you to change, except yourself. 

Use the pen. And use it wisely. It just might be what you need. 

Melody And Harmony

Melody is the bare bones of music. It consists of individual notes grouped together in a certain rhythm to create a different musical composition. A good melody is easily remembered, and easily understood. Therefore it must be simple enough to understand, but not too simple such that it lacks the sophistication. 

Harmony is the accompaniment to music. Harmony are groups of notes played together to create a barrage of sound. While melody is strictly confined to individual notes to form a musical phrase, harmony are individual notes grouped together to be played together. 

Simply put, melody is a tune we can sing to. A beautiful melody moves you, and it is easy to understand. 

Harmony reinforces the tune, and is the basis of a choir. 

All this is very technical, and for the average reader who does not understand music, all of these will seem like gibberish. 

But it is not the point of this article to talk about musical treatment of melodies and harmonies. 

****

In life different people represent different melodies. They have certain characteristics, certain ups and downs, certain dynamics, and certain appreciation and appeal. A good melody is easy to understand. Therefore a simple person could be a good melody. They comprise of good notes, (i.e. good thoughts, good attitude, good composition of personality). However even bad people can be fairly simple. They are melodies with bad composition of notes, but still simple to understand. Imagine a bad piece of music, or tune. Still easy to follow, but hard to appreciate. 

Same goes with harmonies. People who get along with each other are syncronized in the way they think and act. They might be two totally different people, but they are in sync. Their melodies complement each other. In music harmonies are supposed to do just that. Either neutralize the extremities or accentuate the blandness. People in perfect harmony do just that. Best friends are best friends for nothing. And people who are easy to get along with, those are the best melodies, for they complement many other melodies in their presence. 

So the point?

This articles serves just as another angle to look at life. I am interested in music and I see people in that way sometimes. Some people are just not melodically sound (i.e. they are hard to understand) which is why it is hard to harmonize with them. 

But that does not mean its impossible. 

So if you are that person, you can change your self to make a better song. To hum a better tune. 

And if you are a melodious one, look for these people. Sometimes you are just what they need. 

Misdirection

Misdirection is a principle in life which is based on a very simple observation. 

The observation is this: If you focus your gaze at one point, you can't look at another point.

Sounds simple right? You'd think "Hey, I know what".

Ahaaa. But the genius is in the simplicity. 

For example, imagine you are talking to a man. He's holding a pen in his right hand and holding it up in the air. He asks you to focus on his right hand, coz something cool is gonna happen. 

He waves his right hand to the right, with the pen. You are looking at his pen. 

Funny thing is, while you are doing this, you don't see his left hand. Many people do not realize this, but we really don't realize what's happenning to the left hand when we focus on the right. And to set it straight, both hands are not even far apart. 

So what does this mean? It means that his left hand can do things out of your conscious mind. He can bring out a gun without you realizing. Thats the beauty of misdirection. 

Misdirection is the principle with which decoys and cover stories are based on. 

For example, if you hear some news from america about who and who whose poor in America. When looking at that, you don't see what's happening in Somalia or Bosnia. In other words, America is the right hand you are looking at. 

Strategy at war is also concerned with misdirection. People might think that the combat at place 1 is hot, and everyone will go there. Little do they know, that is just a cover story so that place 2 will be clear and people can cross there. 

So in short, misdirection is the principle of 'hiding things in plain view'. Though simple, it is very-very strong. 

Things I come up with

Always stick to the basics. When in doubt, and theres nothing to lean on to, lean to the basics

Never show anger, never show threat, always show reason

If you are looking for flamboyance, always look to Italy

The higher the risk, the bigger the take. If otherwise, don't take the risk. 

A quiet disposition: The easiest character to get around

The art of conversation: Always start with a needle point. It's amazing how a small wind can erode a rock. 

Experience is invaluable. It is all about "application". 

Application without theory is chaos. Theory without application will remain a question. 

The biggest war to be won is defeating yourself, for you have to do it over and over again. 

The best way to hide something is to put it in plain view. 

Harmony is the reinforcement to melody. But sometimes reinforcement might not be needed. 

A bigger movement always covers a smaller one. 

Fight with psychology, resort to brawn only when needed. 

Being nice goes a long way. Sometimes a small fire is sufficient to melt the ice. 

Impostor

Lay on my bed oh dear impostor

Let me give you my butter and bread

Every night you come into my head

But neither do i wish you'd go instead

Oh what shall I do to help you oh impostor

You come unwelcome but I welcome your vervour

Your spirit speaks to me in a different flavour

You silence speaks to me like a cageless tiger

Dear impostor you come visit me

And you sit down and say nothing

But you smile with glee

I wonder if there's something unfinished

Or is there something that you want from me

Whatever it is we will never know

Coz dear impostor, you never come no more

The time factor

We have 24 hours in a day. If we sleep for 8 hours tops, how many hours do we have left in a day?

That's right! 16. 16 friggin' hours. 

If you're reading this right now and you understand what I'm telling you, you'll be asking yourself this very question..

"What the hell did I waste my 16 hours of time on??"

Yeah I ask this to myself every day. But hey. Still, time is effectively wasted. Wasted I tell you.

Don't you think its amazing that you can age 16 hours every day but you have never done a damn thing?

If we calculate 20 years of lifetime, multiply the 16 hours we got in a day, take about 40% of it for work, we have the time it takes that we wasted.

I don't dare to get out the calculator. It would be a bit painful

But hey, humans are humans. 

The point is, time is invaluable. People say time is money. I dare say that time is greater than money. 

You can beg for a cent easily by the roadside.

You can never grab back the time you've lost.

My advice?

Face the facts. We procrastinate and we will continue doing so.

But we can still save the 16 hours we have left when we wake up tommorow. 

How bout it? Wannt give it a try?