There are four things about which I blog in this blog post:
1. A long-awaited joy brings you more happiness than an everlasting joy
2. Always think twice before paying for something
3. Read only quality newspapers
4. There is no free lunch
If you’d like to join me in my quest for a better life, I’d be happy to assist you.
1. A long-awaited joy brings you more happiness than an everlasting joy
I was at a conference by Bruno MEDICINA on the 29th of March and he told at least one great think: (approximate understanding by me)
“If you wish to be happy, don’t try to be happy all the time. It’s a better thing for your happiness to have just peaks of happiness. Don’t try to satisfy all your needs all of the time.”
And this got me into one thought I long had: the most important thing in life is not a win, is not a victory, it’s all about fighting. In life, this is translated into struggling, having bad-bad times for a good victory. Giving up on good things just to enjoy them better later.
This is all in life: the struggle, the permanent fight for something better, even if you don’t ever get that close. To me, a dog never letting go to something he bites is an example of winning.
This is the paradigm by which I analyze people: if you fight a lot to beat your state, to fight against your condition, to overcome genetics, to destroy external barriers and, in spite of all that, still manage to continue fighting (not winning, just keep on the fight), then, my friend, you are the winner.
Life is not a winning course, it’s all about keeping fights.
Coming back to Sunday’s experience: I was at a conference on self-development (this is for the spirit). What did I do next? I went to a fair on books (for the mind). Next? I went to a body-building saloon (for the body). At home, I mostly worked for me, for the people who hired me, for the people that host me at home in Bucharest. (personal development, money) At the same time, I didn’t have time to meet with my friends. (bad social, but I’ve just seen them two days before)
To me this is self-development: a struggle. A fight for something better, in spite of all odds. The very joy you get after a fight (won or not) is better than the joy itself.
Sure, going to conferences is fun, but life (and self-development) is a bit more unpleasant than that.
2. Always think twice before paying for something
Example number two: Sunday I tried to buy a tea at the Body Mind Spirit festival I took part to. By following a lot of the vendor’s advice, I didn’t have time to consider two variables (it’s better to consume pineapple in fruit form than as a tea, and I might have spent too much money on that particular tea). And I bought the item fast. (and somewhat wrong)
How could this have been avoided? Simple: I just had to think a little longer on the process of buying. The vendor tricked me into buying fast, and I didn’t take a good decision. The total cost of the tea is relatively small (3 Euros per box), but I did gained a valuable experience.
Things to go home with: before buying, reserve a little time to think things over. It’s easier to do that than to work for that same amount of money.
3. Read only quality newspapers
Let me tell you about a thing that I’ve learned while at the Metro. I was traveling by Metro last Sunday, coming home from a central place in Bucharest (you’re right, the festival). One I was to sit down on a bench, I accidentally hit one fellow traveler. The traveler saw I had three newspapers with me, so he asked me for a newspaper in return for his forgiveness. I hesitated (I wasn’t paying attention, but he was kind of rude), but I gave him the newspaper. This got me into thinking: how important was that free newspaper that I was carrying?
And it hit me: it was of little value to none. I would have done a much better action by reading only quality newspaper (even if older), rather than read poor quality newspapers of today.
Bad and new is much worse than great and old. Life is short, don’t read poor stuff.
4. There is no free lunch
Tuesday evening I went to an MBA fair at InterContinental Bucharest hotel. Great event, I must say (although the waiting times were not that beautiful, the experience of talking for 10-20 minutes to an MBA official, usually directors of programs, was a great time for me).
I went at the fair with this idea in mind: there is no such thing as a MBA who will give you scholarships just because you’re smart. Well, it seems I was wrong, I was offered some three examples of MBAs with scholarships. Whoops. There was a problem:
a. You should be able to prove that you can’t bring that money yourself (and it’s hard to explain why, if you have all the professional qualities to join the club, you still can’t pay it for yourself);
b. The scholarship does not cover total costs, and in most cases it’s not even half the money (for 20% of the sum given as scholarship, surely you can find a better-quality MBA elsewhere; 20% of value shouldn’t make you favor a not-that-good quality MBA);
c. All three persons with whom I spoke left me the impression that they wish for something back; I won’t detail this, but they didn’t see that they were genuinely interested in helping me as a person taking a good decision; What is the interest of offering a scholarship for an MBA? There advantages in scholarships-offerings are getting good students, getting international students, but no donation or charity is usually involved.
So, I left with the impression that if I wish to do an MBA I must study GMAT in my spare time and I should look for a quality MBA, not for one that offers scholarships.