心甘情愿

I finally got to sing this song last night :)

歌手：光良 专辑：光芒

作词: 姚若龙 作曲: 潘协庆 编曲: 王豫民

你心里有段未完成的爱恋
听说那种遗憾最魂萦梦牵
当你决定要陪在我身边
老实说我的快乐并不完全

其实我并不常梦想得太远
付出当时也总是不知不觉
可以帮你实现一点心愿
有阳光好象搭着我的肩

爱就是一份心甘情愿
不在乎情路风霜雨雪
抱一抱就抵过万语千言
手牵手就敢去海角天边

爱就是一份心甘情愿
不计较是否情深缘浅
越曲折会留下越多纪念
闭上眼还够我们回味数十年

如果说每个人一辈子
都有机会见幸福一次
不要别人要你教我
认识幸福是一首多美多难的诗

Money Rules to Live By III

The Pointlessness of the Hedonic Treadmill
No, this isn't the latest workout device at your gym. The hedonic treadmill means that we quickly adjust to improved circumstances. A raise at work or a new possession may make us happy for a little while, but we soon take our situation for granted. Our expectations continue to rise: if only I could get another raise, or a better car, or a bigger house. Should those expectations be satisfied, again we'd adjust and quickly want more. Ours is a generation that spend too fast and commit to much. On the contrary, I have a friend who, despite being very successful, refused to upgrade to a BMW or a Merc recently. He could if he wanted to. When I asked him lately why he changed his 5 year-old 1600 cc Nissan Sunny for a 2000 cc Honda Accord instead of a Lexus or Beemer, his reply was, "I want to upgrade slowly; I want to feel the joy of improvement, but slowly". I know eventually I will get to see his Lexus or BMW one day, but I am sure he is pacing his commitment well. May his tribe prevails!
This has a lot of implications for personal finance and the economy, but here's something to consider: Maybe we need to look beyond our wallets for true happiness. Like my friend, feel the gradual improvement; display delayed gratification instead of jumping into instant consumption, turbo-charged!
That's it for now. 3 more rules tomorrow, so watch this space.

Money Rules to Live By II

Scarcity makes your choices for you
It's lovely to believe in a world of endless abundance, but the reality is that at any given point in time our resources have limits. Whether it's oil in the ground, our time here on Earth or the cash in our pockets, there's only so much available to be spent.
People who ignore this reality are the ones who run out of paycheck before they run out of month, or who extend their unsustainable spending by relying on credit cards, home equity loans and other reckless borrowing. Their refusal to make the sometimes-hard choices needed to responsibly manage money means that they will have even fewer choices in the future. The money they spend on stuff and on interest can't be invested in other goals, like retirement, so odds are pretty good they'll wind up old and broke.
Recognise and respect this reality. They help define perimeter for spending. It's a friend, not foe.

Money Rules to Live By I

Recognise the difference between needs and wants
Our actual needs are pretty limited: food, shelter, clothing, companionship. Just about everything else is a "want," and our wants are essentially endless. Because our resources are limited, we have to make choices about which wants to fulfill.
Also, the way we fulfill our needs involves a lot of choice. Shelter, for example, can be a simple 3-room apartment or a $1 million condominium. Our food choices offer a similar range, from rice and ice water consumed at home to steak and Dom Perignon at an exclusive restaurant.
Interestingly, I've discovered many people believe they have to spend money in certain ways or in certain amounts, when in reality their spending is a choice - or is at least based on choices they made earlier. If you're facing a monster mortgage payment, for example, it's because you chose to buy that home and selected that particular mortgage.
Taking responsibility for our choices can be scary, but it should also be empowering. After all, if you have choices, you're not just a victim of circumstance.

Steven Wright Humor 3

I went to the museum where they had all the heads and arms from the statues that are in all the other museums.
I wrote a few children's books... not on purpose.
I'm writing an unauthorized autobiography.
If a word in the dictionary were misspelled, how would we know?
If one synchronised swimmer drowns, do all the rest have to drown too?
If you are in a spaceship that is traveling at the speed of light, and you turn on the headlights, does anything happen?
If you can't hear me, it's because I'm in parentheses.
If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?
If you shoot at mimes, should you use a silencer?

Steven Wright Humor 2

I have the world's largest collection of seashells. I keep it on all the beaches of the world... perhaps you've seen it.
I hooked up my accelerator pedal in my car to my brake lights. I hit the gas, people behind me stop, and I'm gone.
I installed a skylight in my apartment... the people who live above me are furious!
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
I invented the cordless extension cord.
I like to reminisce with people I don't know.
I live on a one-way street that's also a dead end. I'm not sure how I got there.
I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time.
I saw a bank that said "24 Hour Banking," but I don't have that much time.
I saw a subliminal advertising executive, but only for a second.
I think God's going to come down and pull civilization over for speeding.
I used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn't park anywhere near the place.
I was at this restaurant. The sign said "Breakfast Anytime." So I ordered French Toast in the Renaissance.
I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything.
I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.
I went to a general store but they wouldn't let me buy anything specific.

Steven Wright Humor 1

Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.
Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect.
Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?
Do you think that when they asked George Washington for ID that he just whipped out a quarter?
Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.
For my birthday I got a humidifier and a de-humidifier. I put them in the same room and let them fight it out.
How young can you die of old age?
I bought some batteries, but they weren't included.

Nothing is Impossible!

Throw back the shoulders, let the heart sing, let the eyes flash, let the mind be lifted up, look upward and say to yourself... nothing is impossible!
- Norman Vincent Peale

The Gift

This one I laugh until "peng". Here we go...

A young man wanted to purchase a gift for his new sweetheart's birthday, and as they had not been dating very long, after careful consideration, he decided a pair of gloves would strike the right note: romantic, but not too personal.
Accomanied by his sweetheart's younger sister, he went to Nordstrom's and bought a pair of gloves. The sister purchased a pair of panties for herself.
During the wrapping, the clerk mixed up the items and the sister got the gloves and the sweetheart got the panties. Without checking the contents, the young man sealed the package and sent it to his sweetheart with the following note:
"I chose these because I noticed that you are not in the habit of wearing any when we go out in the evening. If it had not been for your sister, I would have chosen the long ones with the buttons, but she wears short ones that are easier to remove."
"These are a delicate shade, but the lady I bought them from showed me the pair she had been wearing for the past three weeks and they were hardly soiled. I had her try yours on for me and she looked really smart."
"I wish I was there to put them on you for the first time, as no doubt other hands will come in contact with them before I have a chance to see you again."
"When you take them off, remember to blow in them before putting them away as they will naturally be a little damp from wearing. Just think how many times I will kiss them during the coming year. I hope you wear them for me on Friday night. All my love."

"P.S. The latest style is to wear them folded down with a little fur showing."

Meet this Giant!

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) cannot be summed up in one sentence. Nor in one paragraph. In fact, in spite of the fine biographies that have been written of him, he has never been captured between the covers of one book.
But rather than waiting to separate the goats from the sheep, let’s just come right out and say it - G.K. Chesterton was the best writer of the 20th century. He said something about everything and he said it better than anybody else. But he was no mere wordsmith. He was very good at expressing himself, but more importantly, he had something very good to express.
I think the reason he was the greatest writer of the 20th century was because he was also the greatest thinker of the 20th century. He was also one of the greatest defenders of the Christian faith in Christian language. Following is one of his famous poems regarding the crucifixion.

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born;
With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me:
I am dumb, I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.

Love Letter

My Dear Wife,

I have so much to tell you. Especially you have been away for so long.

I know I'm not always the best at putting deeply felt things into words, but I want you to know how much I love you, how much you mean to me, and how important our marriage is.

I choose to write here because it explains and exposes a lot of the things I think and feel when it comes to us, and our 13 years relationship. I hope that as you read this, you will know that these words reflect my heart and my love for you.

I long to see us come together again; I long to see us getting closer. I want to learn and get better at sharing my feelings and listening to yours. I want our marriage and friendship to get stronger and our love to become a rock-solid foundation, supporting a marriage that will last and last. I want our marriage to be a platform for intimacy and open, honest sharing.

Because I love you,

Your Husband

The Weaver

At this ugly side of eternity, we often miss the perfect plan of the Grand Architect of Life. We see the mess, whereas He sees the best. I don't have all the answers, but I do know who holds the thread & needle. I just have to let Him finish with me and let Him write the last chapter in and for my life. Here's one poem that I'll like to share (I don't have the author's name, sorry).

My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily

Oft times He weaveth sorrow
And I, in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper,
But I, the underside

Not til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the fabric
And reveal the reason why

The dark threads were as needful
In the skillful Weaver’s hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

So, until my time for leaving
On His promises I’ll stand
And trust the One Who’s weaving
With loving, skillful hand

And though this life may tempt me
To turn aside my way
I’ll fix my gaze upon Him
As He weaveth each new day.