How do you lead by example?

I always believe in leading my example, maybe because the society has instilled such a value in me. If you want someone to do it, you have to do it yourself. If you want to encourage someone to run a marathon, you have to run it yourself first. If you want someone to work hard for his exams, you have to prove that you have done that before.

Therefore, I was pretty annoyed recently at the lack of this value - shown by the entire 'white' party. Why keep everyone in suspense when you know the actual date to vote? Why can't you allow others to plan ahead whilst you continue to plan ahead in secrecy? Why is there a lack of foresight as you focus on little things that do not matter? How do we expect us to listen to you when you can't even allow us to plan beyond 3 weeks?

Now, I know that 7th May is the date. Now, I know that my plans are screwed. They failed to tell me in advance. How can I not blame them when the leaders are not open with us? How can I not point my finger at them when they want us to have faith in them? How can I not trust them for the next 5 years when they led me to believe that guessing is a fun game to play?

When I look for models to follow, I am inspired by those who lead by example. Apparently, as the whites continue to be clueless with us, I now believe that we can use the phrase as clueless as the whites.

What is satisfaction?

I am not sure what satisfaction really means. There is no scale of measurement for me to gauge satisfaction. So, I was left wondering recently - what exactly quantifies satisfaction?

I felt satisfied recently for giving a humorous speech at the recent toastmasters chapter meeting. It could have been due to the bonus of me winning the 'Best Speaker' ribbon. But more importantly, I knew I have given my best, I have shared my best with the audience and the final performance of my speech commensurates with my process of preparing for the speech.

I felt satisfied recently for leading a fruitful day - for leading each day with purpose and excitement. For taking efforts in the things I do and not trying to procastinate any matters that I could be holding on to.

I felt satisfied recently for being able to give myself some attention, such as attending toastmasters to develop, creating a blogpost to reflect, tidying my finance to balance up.

What is satisfaction? I can't really measure it, but it could be a combination of efforts, fulfilment and self-purpose.

It wasn't EASY

For the past month, it has been a trying time for me, but I am glad that I managed to give my best shot. It wasn't easy, because I have been getting out of my comfort zone.

Work: My boss, AL, told me that I need to buck up. He felt that I had slipped into the comfort zone. There is a need to get out of my comfort zone. And only when I am uncomfortable, then I am charting new territories and in the process, increasing my 'comfort zone' area. It wasn't easy, because I had to respond to his call-for-action. It wasn't easy, because I had to learn his expectations.

Career Advancement: Maybe it was the shelling I received that gave me a wake-up call. I had earlier thought that I could settle into this stable job and concentrate on other areas, such as personal development. But I now have to think about what my next step will be. It wasn't easy, because I had to craft my cover letters and resumes. It wasn't easy, because I am not sure what lies ahead of me.

Fitness: I had been too easy on myself, such as the oily food I east and my non-existent fitness regime. My age crossing the big 3 was an excuse I had given myself for gaining the pounds. I went for buffets and chose not to exercise. But I knew I can cause my downfall if I don't watch my health. It wasn't easy, because I had to force myself to exercise. It wasn't easy, because I'm not sure if my efforts will translate into results.

Getting out of my comfort zones are never easy. But it's never the easy things that make me a man.