Stirred, Not Shaken

Stirred, Not Shaken (July 19, 2010)

Someone told me a story once.

A young man with a promising career path went to the seaside for a short breather in between one of his hectic schedule over the week. He met a man in his late 30s sitting at the end of the breakwater. This man was clothed in a simple T-shirt and khaki shorts. He noticed that the man was doing his fishing and everything that he was doing seemed to be in slow motion.

After observing for some time, the young man walked up to the older one and asked, " How could you keep fishing like that without a care in the world? Don't you need to work?"

With a lazy shrug of his shoulders, the senior replied, "Why not?"

The reply irritated the enterprising young man. He could not accept seeing a man nearing his end-30s lazing at the seaside doing nothing but plain fishing. He felt that a man should put his career first and on top of his priorities, strive high and out for success. He proceeded to tell the senior about his dream of owning an office building towering over the business district and overlooking the coast.

The young man complained about having no time to waste even though he's only in his mid-20s, and the senior should not waste his life away when he's almost 40. The young man was getting irritated as he felt that he was wasting his breath on a hopeless breed.

"Do something worthwhile with your life!" said the young one.

Senior looked up slowly at the young man and with a nonchalant tone, answered "Why? Whatever for?"

"So that when you are finally at the top, you can retire and let your bank account grow by itself with your multi-million businesses and have thousands of people working their guts out for you. Your money would grow every minute, and you wouldn't have to worry for the rest of your life!" retorted the young man.

Senior questioned, "Yeah, and what happens after that?"

This was too much in an afternoon for the young man. He finally raised his tone and voiced, " So that when you have done all and nothing else, you can relax at the seaside without a worry in the world and do your bloody fishing!"

"... ... ..."

"Isn't that what I'm doing now?" replied the middle-aged man, with his eyebrows raised.

Well I do not know where's the person who told me this story years ago. But what I do know is, I've wasted nearly a decade of my life searching for that elusive excellence in life which certain people termed as success.

I must admit that the story motivated me in my carving for success in my early career and I was driven to purchase my own property by the age of 22 and my own business by 24. During these tough times I was constantly being hounded by the fear of failure.

Yes. Hounded. And pressurized that I was unable to get a good night's sleep. Countless, in fact.

And I realized that this story was just some sales motivation/morale cum ego boosting/money-hungry/career crazy/workaholic/with nothing else in life but success/don't waste my time and life away kinda bullish grandpa stories you find in those bestsellers at your popular bookstore.

It may sound logical to push yourself really hard when you are young so that you'll be protected well in money terms when you are old and feeble.

Slog your youth away just to enjoy in your old age?

I've spent the first half of my life panting after the footsteps of many successful seniors to understand the sacrifices that one has to make.

And I'm no longer prepared to spend my young 30s lusting after a big bank account. I used to own a showroom full of new and pre-owned cars that were the dreams of many others but I've given all that up.

Instead, I own a cafe now with my lovely wife and I spend every moment of my life with her, sipping my favorite Koko drink and blogging to all of you who are reading this. And my family would drop by occasionally for my concocted beverages. I am going into property business to help people find their dream homes. The returns might not be extensively high but it does help to pay for my bills though.

Live enough to work happily, and work enough to live happily. Don't work for life and don't live for work.

I am very much happier now.

I prefer my Koko shaken, not stirred.