Who's Dictating your Life?

We can't jump off bridges anymore because our smart phones will get ruined. We can’t take skinny dips in the ocean, because there's no service on the beach and adventures aren't real unless they're on Instagram. Technology has doomed the spontaneity of adventure and we're helping destroy it every time we Google, check-in, and hashtag.

I hope you are all understanding yet skeptical of that. There's both good and bad that comes of social media, but you must decide what extent of sharing feels right for you and what brings you true happiness. I must confess that I hope your phone doesn't dictate your life. I hope that when you're out exploring and when you're out with friends, it stays in your pocket. Just remember that the best moments can't be captured by a status update, and that no one knowing about your most amazing experiences doesn't invalidate such moments. I'm actually writing this just to remind myself. Have a good life. :)

Smart vs Wise

Let’s look at some differences between being smart and wise:

1. Logic versus emotion.

Smart people tend to process information in a logical way whereas wise people process the emotional, the spiritual and the subtle side of the logic as well.

2. Does wisdom only come with age?

Experience is a great advantage. The problem is that when you get the experience, you're too damned old to do anything about it. - Jimmy Connors. There's no doubt that a big part of wisdom does come with experience, but one of the most important formulas for gaining wisdom is to surround yourselves with people much wiser than yourself whom you trust to help you on your journey of gaining wisdom.

3. When to open your mouth and when not to.

Here's a humorous way of explaining the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Being smart is knowing your girlfriend/wife's hair style isn't as good as her last one. Being wise is knowing enough to keep your mouth shut. Gentlemen, this can help you tremendously.

Another explanation could be that a smart person is aware that a tomato is a fruit but a wise person knows not to put one in a fruit salad.

4. Know-it-all versus willing to learn and grow.

A wise person knows that they're not the smartest person out there, which makes them seek new information in order for them to learn and grow. We've all heard the saying "he is too smart for his own good," but I'm not sure how often you've heard "he is too wise for his own good."

5. Knowing versus doing.

There's a big difference between knowing things and knowing how to use what you know. Reading a book about how to start a business is a waste if you don't actually start a business. Reading a book about how to improve your health is a waste if you end up having a whole cheesecake by yourself that evening after finishing the book.

6. Employing knowledge versus employing judgment under pressure.

It's easier for a wise person to gain knowledge than for a smart person to gain judgment. The obvious difference is that being smart is a process of learning while being wise is a product of experience. Age has very little to do with this. A 17-year-old kid who grew up in a war-stricken environment has much better judgment when it comes down to how to react during war than someone who is 50 years old with no experience in war, even if that person has read every single book on war.

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Always Be Sexy

Apart from Paramore's amazing performance on Teen Choice Awards, this was the part that I thought meant anything real, as far as useful stuff for young people to take away from the show as a whole. It's awesome to see someone like Ashton Kutcher speaking to teenagers in a way that seemed genuine and loving and without coming off condescending. So this is what he said:

"I  believe that opportunity looks a lot like work. When I was 13 I had my first job with Dad carrying shingles to the roof, and then I got a job washing dishes at a restaurant, and then I got a job in a grocery store deli, and then I got a job in a factory sweeping Cheerio dust of the ground. And I never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a stepping stone to my next job, and I never quit my job until I had my next job. And so opportunities look a lot like work.

The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful and being generous. Everything else is crap. I promise you. It's just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don't buy it. Be smart. Be thoughtful and be generous.

Steve Jobs said when you grow up you tend to get told that world is the way that it is. Everything around us that we call life was made up of people that are no smarter than you. And you can build your own things and you can build your own life that other people can live in. So build a life, don't live one, find your opportunities and always be sexy."

To be One with Nature

Me and The Baks were supposed to have a trip to Kundasang on last Tuesday. But something came up so we had to cancel it. Yet it didn't stop right there because we had another plan, like always. Well that's how we roll, we won't let the day goes by without any interesting stuff to do as we got our hopes up to have fun. So on that Tuesday, we were going on an awesome picnic at Kibambangan Water Park, just a small place in Penampang. As small as it is,  it's beautiful and such a joy to be one with nature, to listen to the sounds of flowing river, insects and birds chirping in the nearby woods and feel the cold, refreshing water to dip in. It's such a bliss and ideal way to escape concrete jungle. It's quite an adventure to get there actually as the place is located in deep rural area of Penampang, the road is hilly, and when we got there, we had to cross a swinging bridge. Much fun!

So we brought along some food and stuff; tuna sandwiches, marinated chicken wings, snacks, sausages, rice, drinks, BBQ set, mats, etc. Luckily it's a weekday and the place's empty, we easily found a perfect spot for our picnic, just right at the riverbank. While the guys were dipping in the river, other friends and I barbecued the marinated chicken wings and sausages. We really loved the chicken wings. Honestly it's the best BBQ chicken I ever ate. I don't know why, but maybe the marinating time was long enough for the chickens to absorb all ingredients. We never thought that a cheap BBQ sauce that I picked could do wonders. I can take credits, right? Lol. 

I didn't miss the chance to get down in the river, sit on rocks and soak my feet. It's cold but I liked it. I also helped out my friend, Jasper, to design a pool by rearranging the rocks and building dam. Then it started drizzling. When the sky's getting darker and the rain kept pouring, we moved our things into huts, except the grill as we can't move the burning charcoals. So they took a wooden table from the hut and made it as shelter for the grill. Despite the crazy weather, we still had so much fun munching away happily on our food, listening to music, singing and chatting while waiting for the rain to stop. But it didn't stop. As it rained heavily, the river flowed faster and water level got higher. It's frightening. You could die if you fell into it. 

It was still raining when we packed up things and went back. Crossing the wet swinging bridge while the stream ran fast beneath really scared the hell out of me. Well, it's a wonderful day and we're surely gonna do it again next time. ^^

Ifo and Naszreen were starting the charcoal fire

Bon appetit!

Teamwork

From left: Naszreen, Jasper and me

Rock pool.

Behind the scene

Me and Russel took the initial shift to burn the chickens

We had fun ^^

You are Enough

Stop comparing where you're at with where everyone else is. It doesn't move you farther ahead, improve your situation, or help you find peace. It just feeds your shame, fuels your feelings of inadequacy, and ultimately, it keeps you stuck. The reality is that there is no one correct path in life. Everyone has their own unique journey. A path that's right for someone else won't necessarily be a path that's right for you. And that's okay. Your journey isn't right or wrong, or good or bad. It’s just different. Your life isn't meant to look like anyone else’s because you aren't like anyone else. You're a person all your own with a unique set of goals, obstacles, dreams, and needs. So stop comparing, and start living. You may not have ended up where you intended to go. But trust, for once, that you have ended up where you needed to be. Trust that you are in the right place at the right time. Trust that your life is enough. Trust that you are enough.