Change I Seek, Progress I Need!

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” - Barak Obama

“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” - Confucius

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the Future.” - John F. Kennedy

“If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living.” - Gail Sheehy

“When we are sure that we are on the right road there is no need to plan our journey too far ahead. No need to burden ourselves with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar our progress. We cannot take more than one step at a time.”  - Orison Swett Marden

“Discontent is the first necessity of progress.” - Thomas A. Edison

“Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” - Frederick Douglass

“Whatever there be of progress in life comes not through adaptation but through daring.”
- Henry Miller

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” - Benjamin Franklin

Embrace Change, Not Fear of It!

It has been said that one of our greatest enemies to live life fully and abundantly is actually our inner fear of change. Much of this fear of change comes from our preferred living in a familiar, comfortable environment and a secure life of avoidance. As we grew older, we tend to worry more of what will happen if we make mistakes or do things wrongly simply because we feel inadequate and incapable of handling new situation after the change.

Overcoming the fear of change indeed requires inner courage and self acknowledgement that change is inevitable but manageable. Changes in life will surely come whether we like it or not. We must take charge and recognize change as just part and parcel of our everyday living. We can't always get rid of it, but we can always choose to act upon it. It is only by embracing change with positive attitude we’ll find fear dissipating in the victory of self accomplishment.

Be focus therefore on new possibilities and envision something good coming from the change we embrace. No matter what actually happens, keeping this mindset everyday will help us overcome our fear of uncertainty in any type of change we encounter. Don’t just stand idle or worse still, fall backward. Welcome change as forces to help us realising what we really want to achieve in life. Do ask our self how far we‘re willing to go in order to achieve our goal. Find new skills and explore new opportunities to move closer towards realising our dreams, discover our inner strengths and open up our true potential for the rest of the world to see.

There is indeed no reason to any longer be fearful of change. If we do what we've always done, we'll live life based on daily routine, we will only get what we've always got! Shall there be no change there is no progress and no breakthrough in life. Therefore, embrace change and fear not of it. For that is the spirit of our Breakthrough Desperado!

My Friend, Are You Fearful..., Are You Not?

Do you always prefer to play safe i.e. stay in the same job or go through the same boring daily routines even though if they are bankrupting you emotionally? Do you think its best to stay within your comfort zone, avoid taking the unnecessary risks of venturing out and experiencing new things in life? And do you constantly let things happen rather than taking control of them simply because you don't want to be overwhelmed by the fear of failure?

The fear of failure is perhaps the strongest force that holds many of us from realizing our full potential. Even with just one of the above suggested negative thought hovers around our minds, it is going to be tough enough for us to be fearlessly move forward to make our dreams come true. Unless and until we are being bold enough to tackle this common illness, we’ll never be able to achieve the much needed breakthrough and get the most out of our lives!

Notably, life is more of a series of “trial and error”, the more we try the better we become even though along the way, we bound to make mistakes and encounter failures. But fear not, for each failure we encountered it is an opportunity for us to improve ourselves and grow. Surely, everything seems to be hardest the first time we attempt it. It’s pretty much the same as when you first learn how to ride a bicycle - you fell off it when you first try, but as you got up to try and try again, you’d probably find it pretty easy after a few attempts and you'd become pretty good at riding on it eventually. 

Indeed, the most effective ways to overcome our fear of failure are to be willing to make the first attempt, do not give up, keep trying, learning and improving from our experience. Do not focus too much on failure and do not take it as final result. Afterall, failure is just one of the necessary steppingstones towards achieving breakthrough and success - only when we are willing to confront and take courage to overcome the fear of it!

Think Big or just Dream Syok Only?

A lot of people say if you wanted to become rich and successful, you need to have big dream, long term vision and action plans towards achieving it. Only when you start to think BIG in every aspects of your life, you’ll then know how to recognize opportunities and seize them before anyone else. But is this really true or its just another stupid rhetoric?

Given the uncertainty and weakening of the global economy started in late 2008, it was extremely common then that employers embarked on the so-called cost cutting and/or budget streamlining exercise in order to weather through the global financial storm - irregardless to whether their company was actually making losses or not. They told their employees to “Think Big” for their company’s long term sustainability. Therefore everyone needs to find effective ways to “Do More with Less”.

For sure, one of the common outcomes of such policy is resentment at workplace – the unhappy employees who can’t really focus and comprehend on such Think Big rhetoric and be contented with more work and earn less. To them, this magic phrase of “Think Big” sounds more like exploitation of cheap labour a.k.a. work more and say [complaint] less campaign. That’s probably why many of these working classes nowadays never believed and bothered to think and dream big for their life anymore. Some others were daunted by the journey and gave up halfway; a rare few looked to the horizon, smiled, and resolved to strive forward the long, weary path of thinking big!

Indeed, I myself was once a big thinker and I did set a lot of major life goals especially during New Year’s eve, of year 2000, 2001, 2002...,. However, as time really waits for no men, years gone by quickly and many of these New Years’ eve resolutions remain as big dreams unfulfilled. Well, not so much due to self procrastination but rather being too complacent and to certain extent, too afraid to take risks, to move out of comfort zones and step forward for drastic change.

Certainly, I do recognize that everyone’s life needs to be inspired by big thinking. However, getting the “Big Think” done indeed requires a hell lot of self motivation and perspiration. Without any strong courage to achieve this big thing, it’s just like mental masturb**ion i.e. Dream Syok [for fun] only, unfortunately. If no determination and actions to be taken, nothing can be achieved, status quo remains only if you're lucky. And that’s why I have now started this Breakthrough Desperado Blog, with one simple objective, that is to encourage sharing and motivating myself and many of you out there to be bold, think real big, take courage and step forward towards achieving our much needed change and breakthrough in life!

Be Bold, Don’t Be Afraid, Just Do It!

If you happen to wonder why your life is so damn boring, marked by routine and unfulfilled goals, perhaps it is time for you to consider for a change…, be bold, don't be afraid and just do it!

Be bold simply means not being too concerned or afraid of doing something exceptional, extraordinary, just go ahead and do it. But make sure you're doing something that is completely different BUT interesting! Bold people aren't afraid of trying new things in order to achieve breakthrough and satisfaction. For a start, you may consider of doing something not too drastic. Perhaps by changing your spectacle to contact lenses or changing your clothing fashion and make-up preference, or (like me) go and change my hair style completely - shaved it bald, well almost. Eventually, you may get to the point where you could entertain ideas that make other people's mouth wide open even when you mention them!

Of course, when you do something out of your comfort zone, daily routine, you’ll feel pressured to take risk. Other people may querry you, laugh at you and even belittle you before you actually go and do it. If you’re risk adverse type of person, there’s also a tendency you’ll shy away from doing it. However, if you’re determined to be bold, you’ll take all calculated risks, and decide to go all out for that (little or big) change, ready and willing to accept the consequences if things don't work out well. Well, you might make a mistake as all human being does. That's OK, do always remember and  please bear in mind inaction can also be a mistake as well, one that leads to emptiness and regret - sooner or later...

That’s the main reason why I am now learning to be bold, take more calculated risks, be prepared for worse scenario but work hard towards more life fulfillments, achievements and satisfactions. After all, if I did fall flat on my face, I still think it is still far better off and more meaningful than having done nothing at all, life remains dull, boring, full of regrets and unfulfilled goals. For that, is the Spirit of Breakthrough Desperado I'm trying to cultivate and grow deep within me!

Childhood Courage, Adulthood Cowardice...

Childhood Courage

There’s nothing that can bring a smile to a face quicker than a sweet nostalgic memory of one’s childhood memories. Indeed, this is absolutely true to me as I am now entering into the second-half of my life i.e. 35 years to 70 years. (very much like in a football game, any chance for me to live beyond the second-half is considered as the extra "golden" time!)

I grew up in a small town called Inanam, off the city of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Growing up there was rather tough because the main economic activities you could do there were on vegetable farming and rubber tapping. Although I went through primary school struggling to keep a good head on my shoulders, there are many sweet memories I remember about my childhood.

I can, for instance, clearly recall the first day of class in my primary one schooling when I got to know a few of my closest buddies until todate. I remember my mum teasing me that she'd only come back to pick me up in the afternoon only if I don’t cry and behave myself in school. And, for reasons I still don't quite understand, I recall with shocking clarity the many good times I’ve spent with my buddies playing marbles, lastic, kayu tiga, gasing, etc. during recess and after school time.

Life during my first half was indeed, fun and interesting, full of fond memories that I'd always cherish now and then. It gives me great joy to think back and to recall people, friends, places and moments even of those I had almost forgotten. Perhaps, that was because at this phase of life, I was rather naive as other children, but having the great courage and adventurous spirit to explore and try out new, exciting things and getting to know new friends! We'll never understand the meaning of failure, when we fell we stand up right away, when we lost, we play it again and when we failed we keep trying until we achieve success with joy and satisfaction!

Adulthood Cowardice

Indeed, these are the childhood courage that we are lacking as I/we move on towards my/our second half of life. Living based on the socalled month-end pay cheque mentality is rather a reckless culture that sucked out our strength to live life meaningfully. The moment we step into our working adulthood, we hardly spend quality time doing things that we really enjoy. Wasting time and money during weekends at the various shopping malls has become the major form of entertainment especially to those living in metropolitan cities.

My adulthood daily routines had since changed focus onto how to secure my 8am-8pm job, pay for my taxes, morgages and credit cards debts at the end of the month, and with little or no savings left for contingencies such as medical expenses and retirement needs. Without realising it, I slowly and surely become the slave to my creditors and get stuck in the rat race whereby I am being starved with hardly, if any great memories to cherish, unlike during my childhood time. Sounds a bit pathetic huh? And indeed, thats true and that’s why and how I now became desperate to achieve breakthrough, to seek change and achieve progress, and to regain the real meaning and fond memories of life, before the whistle blows, and its game over!

My friends, does this sounds familiar to you?? Do you think you're also in need of a breakthrough in life? Come and join me as another real Breakthrough Desperado!