Pen on paper

It has been some time since I wrote wrote.

Pen on paper and all that. 

I had once upon a time in my teens, gathered my essential journaling tools (my pens, magic colourful markers and stickers) and sat down at either my dining room, bedroom desk or to lay sprawled on my living room floor (on Saturdays) to pour my heart, tears and teen angst on to its lined, sometimes scented pages with my very pretty writing.

Later as I grew older, the diaries became less fancy, non-scented very practically,  kinda stylish affairs. The writings too changed. They became darker, more real, less frequent… and instead of my neat pretty writing, I had to contend with the writing that suited my mood of the day.

Today, I hardly touch my journal. I don’t know why. Perhaps its because the entries in this new journal with dark red covers my darkest fears and thoughts in its pages and I am too afraid to read it, to afraid to face these words.

But as I sat ensconced in the priority banking centre of the Penang branch of the hovel I work in on a very dull humid Tuesday, I suddenly felt the urge to write and this is what I wrote on an unlined, very boring, very clinical piece of A4 paper.
Note: This is quite a long post! *grins*

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Since there was nothing much for me to read (it didn’t feel right to read a chick-lit book in such serious banking environs) apart from the latest edition of The Edge (a weekly business publication), I decided to flip through its pages and I found myself surprisingly drawn to the articles which screamed to me with their big bold headlines. I was especially drawn to an interview with Mary Buffett (what a name!) the ex daughter in law with legendary Warren Buffett.

She has co-authored several books about Warren’s business style – in essence…

a)     All of Warren’s choices and astute investments were made on what he knew instead of just listening to what other third parties said

b)     Warren is very focused. His investments are based on common sense instead of the complex way in which Wall Street works

c)      Buy what you know – invest in a business that sells products that will never go out of style

d)     Never seek affirmation from others - Warren prefers to go against the herd

e)     Invest in a business that even a fool can run because someday a fool will

f)       The work that Warren does is not rocket science, its just hard work

After reading that article as well as several other articles in The Edge, I reckon that I should have done/will do the following:

a) Read more business publications and the newspapers when my dad nagged at me

b) Paid more attention in my economics and accounting class instead of doodling in the margins or daydreaming or trying to finish my other homework

c) Actually watch CNN, Bloomberg and proper news channels

d) Study harder and read less chick lit and more “real” books

e) Obtain a diploma in finance and economics

f) Not spent so much money on phone calls, knick-knacks and etc.

g) Should have made more use of my year in Australia

h) Paid more attention in math class

i) Stuck on in Mandarin class even though the teacher told me to leave in front of everyone for holding up the class

j) Not stop my love of writing

k) To have saved more and spent less

l) Networked more instead of sitting in a corner

I start to think that perhaps I can actually do the things I want. I can be on the TV. I can help to fight for a cause. I can be on a billboard. I can… if I really wanted to and if my whole being really compelled me to do so, I would. Who knows what I can achieve if I really put my mind to it.

Time management is one of the keys to my success I believe and of course determination. Knowing how to prioritise and focus on the important things in life is what’s most important. 24 hours a day is all we are given. 16 hours to do what is needed including eating and showering (I heart showers!)… really not much time at all given that I spend most of the 16 hours at the hovel being an office mule (perhaps its time to change this?)… so after all this rambling and going on and on, I am hoping that I am going to do the following:

a) Read: The Harvard Business Reviews that I have

b) Read: More economics books and banking stuff

c) Read: All my branding and marketing and PR books

(at this rate, all I will ever do is read!)

d) Learn: computer graphics instead of putting it off

e) Get involved: in church and help out in charity events to help calm and strengthen my soul

f) To have: more prayer time

g) To get: my shopping portal up and running instead of just being a dream

h) Sort out and inventorize my books, DVDs

i) Clean out: my laptop and hard drives

j) Teach: Belly how to walk and behave

k) Save and backup all my photos and docs

l) Exercise more and eat more fruit and maybe greens or not

m) Finally get a move on about the marriage class thingy

n) Sort out my email inbox which is full of nonsense

o) Update: My visual arts dairy

p) Write and send our gifts to my friends overseas (so long overdue)
q) Finally: do my arts and crafts stuff instead of just looking at it and touching it lovingly
r) Bake: something instead of looking at the pictures in my cook book
s) Really try to become a domestic goddess instead of just wishing to be like Nigella!!!

The list really could go on but then I need to go and do work now. Sorry this post is more like a TO DO list rather than a post but I just wanted to write it down so I can remember and you guys can spur me on my quest for “greatness” *snicker*

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Yes.

What a randomness that was.

But it was good to put the pen to the paper.

Perhaps in the future, I will really be writing more… we will see.