Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Inspiration, Aspiration, Motivation, & Realization

Came across these 4 words before? Do you know that these 4 words are interrelated? In fact, you'll actually find them to be interchangeable at some time. In order to complete a milestone, accomplish a goal, achieve the desired results, stand at the peak of success and etc., one would require to understand these 4 terms. They are what defines one's journey or path from one end to the other. Without either or any of them, one would either be stuck halfway or one would have never gone far beyond the few steps taken.

What do you aspire to be?
What inspires you?
What motivates you?
What made you realize it? / How do you realize it?


Between Inspiration and Aspiration, some find it hard to tell apart from one another. While others are just not bothered about what they are. One day, you'd be asked "What are your aspirations in life?" or "What are your life's inspiration?", or both. What and how would you answer?

Between Inspiration and Motivation, many wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two due to they both share in common. "Aren't they the same thing?" The answer is Yes and No. Logically looking at how it has been used interchangeably, they simply mean the desire/force to do something. But are they really the same?

Between Aspiration and Realization, it's pretty easy to determine eh? Simply because one is To-Be/To-Do and the other is Been or Be-ing/Done or Do-ing. Sounds easy? So have you realized your aspiration? If you're reading this, most likely it's a "Hahaha, I'm on the way!" or "Errr, still looking around". If your answer's the former or somewhat similar, then "Congratulations! I'll see ya at the finishing line! We'll cheers to that!" But if your answer's the latter, I'd suggest you to wake up from your fantasy / dreamy world to reality that you've got bills to pay, people to take of care, and that you better start picking up the pace! So, which answer have you?

Alright, enough of the trivial questions (I'd be glad if it wasn't) and let's go into the real deal here. We'll be going through a series of definition (No it's not going to be from the Oxford dictionary. Rather it'll be from experience.) based on situations that we're mostly familiar with.

Inspiration:
Ever feel the need to rush / run to the toilet just because your stomach had a pinch in the inside? No, that's not inspiration. Inspiration's something (usually a solid reason) that one going on doing something that's different from usual. For example, a young lad who wants to be a fire fighter, after seeing a heroic fireman saving an old lady from a burning building. That heroic fireman, or that heroic action is the inspiration for the lad's journey on being a fire fighter. It's the kick-start factor, that usually leads to a long-term path towards that the specific something (goal).

Motivation:
Same definition as Inspiration? No. As compared to Inspiration, Motivation would mostly be the reason as to why one would continue doing something (after a period of time). Motivation may get one started in working up something, but unlike Inspiration, it requires one to "re-visit" (or "repeat") it, otherwise, it'll just "burn out" or (fade-away). In other words, Motivation is what keeps one's Inspiration "alive", and without Inspiration, Motivation doesn't have much affect on the things you do. A good scenario is which I'd come across before. When back in junior school, music captured my attention and I was inspired to take up music and make it a career path. Appearance of celebrities like Wang Lee Hom (a big fan of his), Christina Aguilera (love her voice), and etc, motivated me to practice the pieces and score sheets. Then, I found friends who are great in guitars, keyboards, and drums, and it pull me more into spending time on practicing music. In time, I was transferred to another school, and had lesser and lesser time to meet up with the gang. And so I practice lesser and lesser. Before I knew it, I'd let go of the acoustic guitar (it's kept away) and celebrities on TV just became people on TV. So what I'm trying to say is that good friends (motivating factor) or the lack of enthusiasm in music (another motivating factor), the inspiration of going into the music industry just "dies" off.

Now, some of you might be asking, "So, a motivation can also be an inspiration?". Not really, it's not like smoking where your friends tell you to smoke, you tried and you get addicted to it. No, motivation and addiction is on two separate pages. If your friend ask you to do voluntary work, and you obliged to it (well, I'll be damn sure that you'll agree to it if you're a guy and the person who ask you is a HOT girl, or the other opposite gender around), that's the Motivation there, the charms. But hey, if the voluntary work is cleaning up after elderlies at the old folk's home, would you continue on? Some say 'Yes', some say 'No'. I bet the 'Yes' is due to the Motivation there. But if I take away the motivating factor there, would you still continue? If your answer is 'No', then you should know what's the difference between Motivation and Inspiration. If your answer is 'Yes', well then, I believe you've found your inspiration that made you continue on. Another scenario is Studying with "Benefits" (Motivation factor) at the end. Unless you want to be the next Einstein or Plato, I believe there's nobody who'd like to do academic studies, BUT you'd do it if you were paid for it, or if you were promised an XBOX, iPhone, Alienware or a Burberry accessory. Take the Motivation factor away and voila, you stop studying like a machine without electrical power.

In short, without Motivation, Inspiration can still get you going on, but perhaps at a slower rate to reach where you're targeting. But if there was no Inspiration to begin with, and you lost your Motivation along the way, you'll immediately stop what you're doing.

Aspiration:
"I want to be the world's greatest Formula 1 racer!" Heard of that? Yeah, then the next thing you hear, especially back then, when it was a trend everywhere... engines roaring, tires screeching, and then BAAAAANNNGGG!!! Well, that's not my point. What I meant was the person you want to be, that's Aspiration. And yes, Aspiration is a synonym to Ambition. So, have you gotten the answer to the first question I asked?

Realization:
This word here is a little tricky, as the meaning tend to change strongly depending what phase/stage/situation you are at. If you're at the beginning (or in the midst) of something, Realization simply means you've gain awareness or you're fully aware of a fact that determines the direction, the goals, or your understanding of the plan. However, if you're at the middle or at the end of something, it simple means you're doing (realizing) your work, or you've completed (realized) the designated work. So Realization covers from the act of gaining awareness, to make it real and keeping it real. A good example of understanding what I meant would be, "Have you realized it?" could you referring to "Have you noticed it?" or "Have you done it?"


Understanding these doesn't necessarily means that you're done with it, or that you've achieved something great. That goes with saying, "You've only successfully understood what was told. Doesn't mean you're at success." This only provides you with mere understanding and how to distinguish them. However, making full use of this knowledge will bring you somewhere greater than you think - Kick start your Aspiration with Inspiration, with the support of Motivation, in order to achieve Realization in whatever you do or plan.


I wish you success in whatever you do.


"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm"
-Sir Winston Churchill-

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Spot the Diff !

This is very disappointing, I mean like seriously... Enough of dirt/mess on the ground but now you wanna try and grow them on trees? No matter how good green-tech will be, it ain't gonna help if people are gonna stuff their leftovers/dirt/mess on the actual greens...


A hint: Color difference...

Dining @ T-Bowl Sucks!

Just when you think another weekend couldn't or shouldn't get any worse than the previous one, I'd say it's Strike TWO! Bad weekends on a streak =( and this time it's on T-Bowl (aka Toilet Bowl) Concept Restaurant. Heck I think it's a rip-off as well, I've seen its serving a while back, and compared to that, I'd say they'd drop the ball on quality of their food. Thought I'd give it a try at the Sunway's Branch (well everyone deserves a chance right?) so brought family and a friend of my sis there... just to be disappointed...

Before you read the rest, take a short look
at the site and the picture of the food I ordered

Now brace yourself ...


Tasty Crusine (they got it spelled wrongly, it's Cuisine for crying out loud!) Chicken Rice

See what's missing?
Not only that, picture couldn't even tell me it's actually
a Kung-Pou Chicken Rice...
Worse still, doesn't taste like Kung-Pou at all, more of black pepper
(=.=")


Blue Curacao Bubble
I feel kinda cheated, it's like liquid sugar with blue syrup,
heck the icing you see on top, doesn't have any taste...

My opinion, they should have added a lil' sprite at the very least...
At least if you wanna cheat your customers, do it properly...
Otherwise, it's not even worth it...


Mushroom Chicken Chop Rice & Chinese Mambo Pork Rice
It's literally a MUSHROOM (original there were 2 mushrooms
and an extra wonton) and Chicken Chop Rice...
But oh c'mon! if I'm gonna order lemon grass chicken chop...
you mean I'll get lemon and GRASS? sheesssh people...

I mean I do have a sense of humor, but it's not quite there,
especially when a person's hungry...

And you know the saying "when you're hungry everything's good" ?
Well, it's wrong, it's good, if it's truly good...
but this... Arrrggghhh!


Japanese Style Fried Rice (Vegetarian) & Honey Lemon Tea
Don't get me started on this as well...
I don't expect much from this meal, but again,
even so, I should have been given a decent meal right?
*sigh*
The drinks were very PLAIN... so no comment..
(or rather, it's just not worth the additional words)



Donut Delight & Fried Pumpkin
Ice cream came melting its way to our table.
I manage to quickly snap a picture, before it really melts into soup
the Fried Pumpkin? I guess I didn't like it at all..


Complimentary fruit from a dinner set
The setting is just wrong...
But I guess this is alright after all ;)


Long stuffs short, if you'd asked me,
that would be my first and last time...
But hey, don't take my word for it,
you give them 1-time business, and be the judge of it yourself!
(please don't say I didn't warn ya...)

but of course, if in anyway, should they have improved themselves,
(in which I highly doubt it's possible, especially in a short time)
then you're very lucky!

Sunday, May 08, 2011

My Honeymoon Experience Sucks!

I personally had one of THE most disappointment experience eating a dessert. To make things worst, it's the night of Mother's day where my sister decides to take us to eat at My Honeymoon! Don't know what I'm talking about? You gotta follow through on the story.




I got to know the place through a friend. Searched the net and found the Honeymoon site, and it looks amazing, they had lots of varieties, having my saliva dripping all over the keyboard just by looking at it!

So, Sis and I decided to head over (Kuchai Lama's branch),
and guess what we got there...
*shows angry fist!*




we specifically told the waiter to separate all the toppings and sauce from the main dish, and this is what they gave us (=.="). Unsatisfactorily, the kitchen gave us a lump of shit with different colors.

My mum had the chocolate set. The chocolate melted so badly, and for a moment I thought they had a war going on back there, that it turned out to be this way! *sigh*

I believe the war lasted a while, because the strawberry set that came in later, was alright *relieved*



Not only that, you see this mango above? In the earlier picture, if you'd noticed the mango was in a "mess". So we returned it to them and told them to change it because it was "messy". They went in and guess what? *points to the picture above* That's the same mango, but was washed with water before giving it back to us. WTF! Is this the way to do business? I asked for a new set, they CLEANED (with water) in hopes we'd believe it's a new set? You can still see the traces of "mess" there! OMG!

Very annoyed, disappointed and a little embarrassed (that our mum got a treatment she didn't deserve), we just finished it off to quickly get away from the place. FYI, the price for the dishes above aren't cheap either.


If you were me, what would you have done?


Note to Mum & Sis: So sorry to put you through this bad experience...
If only I'd knew better, that Honeymoon SUCKS!
I'd brought you to a better place...