We decide our future...

Lately, people everywhere are grumbling about the rise in petrol prices, as a result of rise in crude petroleum prices. If you read newspapers they tell why the crude oil prices are sky rocketing, in such a short time of period. Reasons given being higher demand and shortage of supply. Higher oil prices lead to inflationary pressures around the globe. There is also another major problem i.e food shortages. Reason being given climate changes, the increasing use of some food items such as corn and oil palm for fuel production and again higher demand for those items from China and India. Actually, I'm not going to discuss about the oil, food crises or inflationary pressures but more of how mankind can dealt with these crises.

Look back at history, man had come long way, facing through numberous crises and challenges most of which created by man himself and others are the product of mother nature. Each of these problems or challenges were overcomed or it just fade away after wiping out some human lives. There are also innovation and new creations by humans to deal with the challenges. Among which are the new discovery of cure or medicine for diseases and cutting-edge communications gadjets. Each new creation brings benefits and also adding new challenges for humans in wanting more and more. Humans are innovative creatures.

Having said that humans too are capable of destroying the entire universe. The greed of unlimited wants lead to destruction of mother nature. Rising pollution level and changing global climate are due to human actions.

In actual we decide our future. We shape our world. How long we want the world to last in the galaxy.

Note: Wants should be limited according to one's needs.

Fitting into the environment......

I have been quite busy lately, dont even have time to sit down and write. Just finished another meeting - again everybody talking about problems and gave all kind of solutions. One thing common among all those who came for the meeting is that they all say the good things either about their organisations or about what good things their organisations have been doing so far. It's always others who does not do things or don't perform. Among government agencies people will complain about inefficiencies and bureaucracies. I think even among private sector companies they will blame each other. So who is right and who is wrong. Each organisations as in each individuals, they have their strong points and their weak points. The great people whom I really respect will be those who have the guts to admit both the strong and weak points.

Even among my peers, subordinates and more so among friends, I have been noticing their characters. Some will be boasting, some think they know everything, some are so humble, some feel inferior but seldom you will find one with a combination of telling both about his strong and weak points. Great humans will talk sensibly and know how to fit into an environment. You need to know what to say when and when not to say what. A person should also understand or at least sense whether the person whom you are communicating with, really listen to you. Some are just insensitive to the environment and will act as though everybody likes what they are doing or saying.

Note: I'm quick to understand a person's character but the weak point - I won't tell them that I'm tired of listening to them but instead I will just play dumb listener.

Seeing from another's eyes

Seeing from another's eyes makes us understand what his or her feelings about things. Seeing things from others perspective or point of view, as Christine always used to say is to have empathy. Empathy is the capacity to recognise or understand another's state of mind or emotion. It is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes", or to in some way experience the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself. It may be described metaphorically as an emotional kind of resonance or mirroring.

In most working environment, decisions made and actions taken are without empathy. It's like when somebody is killed then only you take actions. Most things are implemented without looking at all angles and most importantly without the element of empathy. When failures, complaints or disatisfactions occur, then only one will try to think about remedial measures. In the first place, if you have given serious considerations, you don't even have to think about remedial measures.

Who's fault? Human beings by nature, have egoistic feelings and feel thier ideas are the best or some even have vested interest. As such, it blinds them from seeing from others perspectives.

It's painful to see things happening and you are part of it but helpless to do things differently. Christine is radical, she will say leave the system. I believe in living with the system and changing people's attitude to have empathy in them.

Note: No news from Christine since she left for UK. As I said in my previous entry, new environment, new friends.

People Change, Friends change

In the course our journey in life we meet all kind of people. Some become close friends, one or two even become lovers. However, as time passes by you will or have to go separate ways partly due to work or other inevitable commitments. Before going separate ways, each will promise not to forget each other. Of course, other promises will be made. But as usual as the saying goes "promises are made to be broken". Both initially will communicate alot but after sometimes slowly either one or both will seldom contact. I don't blame either party maybe they are busy. On the other hand, in the new environment they have met new friends. Me too sometimes so busy with daily work and hardly have time to contact long time friends.

So people do change? Of course, people change according to time and place. New place, new environment surely they go for new friends because they are on the same wavelength and have common things to discuss. You are not in the daily diary of them. Well, you have to accept the changes and accept to live a new life with new friends.

Note: I only remember friends who are worth remembering