The Future

For those, who are of my age, and are contemplating your prospects, whether you think you have any or not...

What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to do? What do you want to achieve? Is there anything, in life's twisting path, that you desperately want to experience?

Perhaps, all of you have different answers. I don't know yours, but I'd love to hear them. I invite your comments.

Yet, I am sure, somehow or another, all of your responses could be summed up in one sentence: "I want to succeed in life".

Such a vague statement. It almost seems trite, doesn't it? However, I think my surmise is correct.

I think that everyone wants to do well in life. To people it may mean excelling in school. It may mean riches or fame. But maybe, to a small group of people, it might just mean being happy. Would you rather be a miserable tycoon, or a happy pauper? I'd choose the latter.

For us, we're put through the Singapore education system. And certainly, I see a lot of resentment towards that very fact. I hear people say that it produces graduates who are unimaginative, as a result of the rote-learning that is prevalent in virtually every level of the system.

I'd first like to say that I too have an inherent distaste for this. I feel like a cookie-cutter student, destined to be the same as everyone else. We're sometimes made to take subjects that we simply are not interested in, and the reason for that is apparently because we should have some form of a broad-based education. That is why we cannot dedicate ourselves solely to the science stream, or to the arts stream. Regardless of how badly we fail in one stream, we simply have to take the subject. It tends to be that subject that prevents us from reaching those oh-so-lofty institutions of higher learning that we've always desired to enter.

There are some subjects I did that I really didn't want to do at all. I wanted to spend my time on other things; learning stuff that I enjoy. Academics are not everything; there are other pursuits, such as art, music and the like.

And yes, I did neglect those subjects. I failed miserably. But I don't regret it at all, not in the slightest. I've learnt far more in an hour studying what I love, than I have in a month memorizing all the stuff tested for the neglected subject.

My point is this: success is happiness. Do what you love, and love what you do; you'll get really good at it. Maybe you'll be the best. Don't listen to those people who say that you'll never make a living with it. You might not earn much, especially not in this lousy economy, but you'll be glad you learnt something you love.

Don't accuse me of saying that academics are not important. Sadly, they are, because the world places emphasis on credentials. That sucks.

But then again, that's only if you want a well-paying job, right?

I could be wrong about some things. If you disagree with me on the economy or on the education system, by all means, tell me about it.