“Remember tortoise and hare?” The story on how a tortoise wins against the hare who is dumb enough to sleep in the middle of a race? A fable which works great in reminding the smart and motivating the mediocre on the importance of putting focus and working hard in life? Well, if that’s what mother has been telling you, you’re missing the full picture. I know I did for sometime.
The finishing line
Before he even bothers making his calm slow walk, tortoise makes sure he has a destination, a goal in mind. Say if you work hard, but you’re uncertain of what you really want, there’s a big likelihood you’ll end up getting to the wrong destination. A place you wouldn’t be fond of staying. Hint: Wrong career choice.
While we all have different goals in life, in the end of the day, we are all after the same thing, which is simply acquiring happiness. Sadly however, the common denominator for happiness in this age happens to be money. And although it’s true that as long as we have money, we can have all the things we want, that’s still too shallow a notion.
Think about it. If you spend most of your time trying to acquire wealth by working on a job you hate, how would you actually find happiness amid the stressful life? That’s like trading happiness in hope to gain happiness.
But let’s not focus on that for now. Instead, let’s focus on the possibility that one can actually get rich by working for others. Unless you’re one of a kind, climbing the ladder to the top of managerial position is frankly hard and time consuming for most people. The competition is stiff and stressful. And even if you did manage to make it happen, unless it’s something you enjoy doing, you’re still trading most of your time for the money. So where the hell is happiness?
On the other hand, you can get a job you enjoy doing, lead a simple happy life, and without all the stress, but granted you may take less home. Diving instructor, teacher, organizer, DJ, gym instructor, freelance writer, modeling, songwriter and blogger are all jobs that many would not recommend, but is still lucrative provided you don’t suck at it. And the best part, it’s something you truly enjoy doing.
We often complicate happiness. We seek, we search, and we fight for it, when in reality, it’s right under our nose all along. Its start with having the right mindset, follow by the courage to live the life you want, instead of what has been forced to you. You don’t need branded accessories, big house or expensive cars to be happy. That’s what the society, the media and the ads tells you. To be happy, simply do what you like doing and find a way to make a living out of it. It’s really that simple. If you’re willing to put up with working 9-5 every day on a job you hate for the rest of your life, this should sound like cake to you.
Moral behind the story: Before you even bother trying, know your finishing line.
The road
Now that tortoise has got a destination in mind, the next step is to find his way to reach it. Having a destination without a direction is like asking a blind to find his way to the grocery store without his stick and letting him ask for directions.
A month ago, I joined AListBloggingbootcamp (not aff. link). It was a 10 days course provided by one of the most influential blogger, Leo Babauta and Mary Jaksch which coach members on how to build a successful blog. Before I even started this blog, I have done my homework. I have made detailed plans, read on blogs that provide tips and pore over books on how to build a successful blog. I would be lying if I say I didn’t hesitate for long before joining the boot camp. At the price of $395 (3.5 conversion rate), it wasn’t cheap for me. But my blog at the time didn’t seem to get the attention that I was hoping. It was unknown to many and I have no idea where went wrong. So, I did what I had to do, and joined. Safe to say that it was the best service I acquired for a long time. Following the tips provided, my subscriber counts when from 1 digit to 3 digits in a month. Though with that said, I’m aware that money doesn’t always come easy for some. If you’re inspired to be a blogger, at the price of mere $19.95, 31 Days to Build a Better Blog (aff. link) by Darren Rowse is the second best option there is that I would recommend. I have the book myself.
And it’s not just blogging. The same should be for whatever you decide to do in life, if you wish to be successful. Frugality should never be in expense of opportunity.If you think you’re lacking in skills and knowledge, it’s always better to pay and acquire those skills than finding your way to success through trial and error. And that is assuming you actually found your way to success because the chances are more likely that you’ll give up way before finding it. There’s nothing more valuable in life than time. And from the way I see it, the less people are willing to set aside money to learn those skills and knowledge, the better for you because you would have an advantage and head start over them. Just make sure you don’t end up being one of them or it will be the other way around.
Moral of the story: Learning the path to success may not be cheap, but it’s essential.
Tortoise knows the art of healthy comparison
There’s an art of comparing most have no idea of, yet tortoise has seemed to master with ease.If tortoise were to compare himself with the hare, he wouldn’t even bother with the race in the first place. Comparison can either build us or break us depending on how we go about doing it. What makes a healthy comparison? If it’s something you can improve on, eg. writing or exam results, compare and doubt yourself. If it’s something you can’t improve on, eg. luck or good looks, don’t bother comparing because it’s pointless. But even with that said, comparing should be done with someone of similar level. Just don’t go way over your head or you will end up depressing yourself for no reasons. But the best is always not to compare and just focus on what you have to do. That’s yet another secret to simple happiness.
Moral of the story: Compare only when you have to.
Wrap up
The fable of tortoise and hare is never about working hard. Ok maybe it is, but that’s not the only point there is. No, it’s more than that. The story is about how one should live their life (find his goal, find the path to his goal, and work his way to reach it), written in a simple play. Now, remember tortoise and hare?
Your thoughts
I know I missed out on job security, but that’s only because I don’t believe in it, and hence to lazy to write on the subject. Please share your opinions or personal experience on job security, if you have any. Your thoughts and criticisms are always appreciated. 
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Yes, good thing for the tortoise that it didn’t start running in the wrong direction. Dumb hare or not, it would have been stretching its luck!
Rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point!
I like Lafontaine. My favorite:
Patience et longueur de temps valent mieux que force ni que rage.
Patience and lengths of time work better than strength or rage.
A must-know for all beginner bloggers!
Charles´s last blog ..Review of The Leap, and associated tools by Rick Smith
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All I could think of right now is, Charles, you speak French….
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Going after your dreams wholeheartedly is always the best option. But I noticed that many people suggest that when someone wants to start a new venture, they should consider keeping their job in the short term to support themselves but also work on their venture during the hours after work and during the weekends.
As the venture heads toward the trend of reasonable profitability, that’s the moment when the person should consider cutting ties with their place of employment. I’ve heard of many entrepreneurs using this strategy.
What do you think of this perspective and is it necessary in some cases?
Tim´s last blog ..How To Control Your Subconscious Mind
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Definitely Tim. I always believe in a backup plan. Just in case things don’t work out, you have something to fall back on. The reason for this article is not to encourage quitting daytime job without a plan, but finding ways to survive without it, and then quit. But more importantly, I wished more teenagers would read this article, so that they can plan their goals before having to settled for things they might not enjoy doing. Sometimes, we tend to think of our parents recommendation to be our goals. But often after getting way into the career path, many would realize that is not the case. I believe parents, in the end of the day only wish their kids to be happy. Which is exactly why I wrote this article.
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Great article. I can’t quite handle slow and steady like the tortoise, but I am definitely getting better at sticking to the plan. I don’t always get there as fast as I want to but I keep my eye on where I’m going. That’s the key to reaping life’s benefits.
Nea | Self Improvement Saga´s last blog ..50 Regrets and the Life Lessons to Learn From Them
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Karlil, great post! Wisdom in abundance here! I completely agree that if you make your ultimate goal in life to be about money, you’re almost guaranteed to have an empty life.
Belinda Munoz´s last blog ..ALL CLEAR: FeedMedic Alert for thehalfwaypoint
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Karlil Reply:
October 9th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Glad you agree Belinda. To be frank, my goal is to be a diving instructor along with being a professional blogger. But that is assuming I would want to severe my relationship with my family. The cost of my education was too high for that kind of bs in their eyes. And in part, I do agree with them.
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Hey Karlil, great story! As you said, having a goal for the tortoise was the win formula, because otherwise it wouldn’t start against a hare.
Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..Cloud Living Review
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Karlil Reply:
October 9th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
I think the same goes for the hare Oscar. He’s probably not as focused as the tortoise though, that leads to him sleeping in the middle of the race. ;p
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Hi Karlil,
Well being French makes that easier… Just as I expect your Malysian language skills must be pretty good
Charles´s last blog ..Review of The Leap, and associated tools by Rick Smith
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Karlil Reply:
October 9th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
There’s no indication you’re French in your About page Charles…. I can’t simply assume you’re French now can I ;p
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Another lesson to take is you don’t have to start off with an advantage in order to win. If you are willing to take your time, grow slowly, and most importantly start perseverance and gall can trump raw ability. I also wouldn’t get too caught up in the money. While yes, investing in your dreams adds an extra level of seriousness to them, if you really don’t have the money, there are other ways.
Justin- AlittleBetter.net´s last blog ..What Makes a Great Leader?
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I understand completely. Money doesn’t come easy for many. And there’s always another way to go about learning the skills necessary, though if you have some to spare, nothing beats paying to learn as it is much faster and more accurate.
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My job security is being good at what I do and a good work ethic. Liking what I do doesn’t hurt either.
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You have the best of both world Josh. A job security and working on a job you enjoy doing. The working hours must seem to pass by fast for you.
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Hi Nik, I really enjoyed this post. Perseverence is the answer; if the tortoise gives up we wouldn’t have the story which has made him world famous
Seriously, keep going, and when you think it’s time to give up; keep going!
Steven Aitchison´s last blog ..Sunday Siesta – 13 Fantastic Female Personal Development Bloggers
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Karlil Reply:
October 11th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Indeed Steven.
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Hey Nik.
These morals sure are right. I know a person who went to a fairly expensive test review class for 2 months, but it saved him loads of time and effort later on that paid itself back multiple times. The cost is usually much lower to pay first for something that is worth it, than to spend a long time doing it for free.
About comparing, I agree with that point. I don’t compare in a way that isn’t helpful. I avoid it for the most part. When I see myself comparing in a useless way, I stop it right there.
Good stuff sir.
Armen Shirvanian´s last blog ..Outdoor Mountain Hiking Trail Adventure – Realistic Optimism
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Glad you like it Armen. I try not to compare myself whenever I don’t need to. Most pressures are unnecessary in my opinion. And then there’s some which you really want pressure so you can stay focused.
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Hi Nik. The moral of the story to me is that that hare is not focused and not paying attention. Slow and steady are good but the hare would have kicked tortoise ass if he had just been paying attention to what he was supposed to be doing.
Stephen – Rat Race Trap´s last blog ..Top 10 Ways To Clear Your Mind Clutter
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