The ‘I Must’ Quadrant

Ken Soong says:

A True Horror Story – The Rat Race
(That Takes Away Your Entire Life – Right In front Your Eyes! Under the Broad Daylight!!!)

There is nothing more fearful than being stuck in a rat race. No position in the rat race is a good position to be in. For every winner, there will be very many losers. For those who’d won it – they did it at the expense of their own dreams and precious time with their loved ones. So in other words, they’d still lose.

If you have to fearful of something in life …

Be fearful of not having spent your time wisely in your remaining years.
Be fearful of not believing more strongly in yourself.
Be fearful of getting in the way of your kids’ dreams.
Be fearful of not being able to do the things you are passionate about.
Be most fearful of being stuck in a rat race – whatever position in a rat race is not a good position to be in. (I have seen people who are close to me in their retirement, there is not an adequate sense of fulfilment in their recollections – especially the men and it is truly sad)
Be fearful of losing yourself, your values and your ideals.
Be fearful of losing faith in humanity.

BUT we must never be fearful of facing the challenges in our attempt to leave the rat race.

BECAUSE… Nothing good ever comes out the rat race. Nothing good!

And if you ever want to have anything to do with the rat race in your life, be the organizer of the race. But do not run it yourself. NEVER!

In 2004, we (my Brother and I) were on our way to leave our rat race. We had a small thriving business supplying to pharmacy chains across Malaysia and Singapore.

Stupidly or naively, rightly or wrongly so, we sold everything to come to the ‘land of opportunities’ called Australia without seriously considering whether it suits our unique set of circumstances of the time.

So, we left the rat race in Malaysia to join the rat race in Australia. Only to gradually find out that after all these years, that the race conditions are even more unfavorable to us. High tax, high cost of living, rust-belt industries, downsizing corporations, bullet-proof glass ceilings and so much more that we were not able to see then.

(More information on this ‘subject’ can be found in our book “Migrating to Australia Good Meh???” available in all major book stores across Malaysia and Singapore retailing at RM25).

Some said we are being bitter. I say we have way gone past that point. People who are honest enough to admit their mistakes can’t be that bitter about themselves, can they? Maybe, but not as bitter as many would have thought. In our mind, bitterness has more to do with denying something eg self-denial – not admitting our own mistakes or misjudgments.

Now, in our tenth year here in Australia, we are reflecting upon our past actions and are able to see things more clearly. We hope to remind fellow Malaysians to think twice before taking the plunge. And also, things do not always have to be done in the way of a plunge. Looks like younger people tend to do things in big splashes!

The top priority in life for anyone (who is still) in the rat race is to get out of one.

Having said all that, does it mean that Australia for us is a basket case? No, far from it. We are still young -although not as young as we would have liked. And we still believe in ourselves – although we should be even more so. We have put ourselves in this rat race. So, we will pull ourselves away from it.

It only means that we have to try harder, try smarter, and try more innovative-ly, try more resourcefully to create a breakthrough for ourselves. One way to do that is to learn from those who have made it in Australia, and are still making it and are ever scaling even greater heights.

As a result, we (Michael Soong, Ilja Thomas Gull & Ken Soong) have come up with our first project (with all three of us) together entitled “Making It in Australia: Success Stories from Different Walks of Life”. This book will be published and launched in the second-half of 2014. It contains inspiring stories from inspiring people who are local Australians as well as migrants from places like the UK, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, India and South America. I am sure everyone will have something invaluable to learn from their real-life stories in Australia.

To access to some of their stories and clips, please join our FB Group – Making It in Australia.

Note: One of the very powerful ways that help us in getting out of the rat race is to connect with people who share the same desire. Strength comes in numbers. Numbers make our dreams even more legitimate.

In reality, nobody succeeds alone – you need a team. But YOU yourself is responsible for building that team!

Written by Ken Soong co-author of Migrating to Australia Good Meh??? now selling in all major book stores across Malaysia and Singapore and Making It in Australia: Success Stories from Different Walks of Life – to be published in late 2014.

http://kclau.com/blogging/the-rat-race-story/

Lori Favela says:

I’m the person “I Must be comfortable”. How do I get out of this???