Give

I was surfing some good quotes of the art of giving and I've found this, of course it was not just below, I have to pick the best 3 out of the rest and I think everyone should spend some time reading it, understand it and put it into action.

Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. - Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931)

The great art of giving consists in this: the gift should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted, so that it may be the more highly appreciated. - Baltasar Gracian

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. - Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965) 

I'm not a very generous person but I do give, from time to time, maybe I'm taking too much pride than I need. That's is something that I have acknowledged after the spending spree in the first 2 months in 2012. I bought myself iPad2, iPhone4S, Garmin Forerunner 405, etc. The total cost of these things could easily help a family to survive for a few months, or even a year.

I know what I've done and I told myself I have to cut down the spending and stop acting that I'm rich (which in fact I'm NOT!!!!) I have ensure that I make the full use of the luxurious acquisitions, I use my iPad2 for reading when I'm in the BEST, I use my iPhone to connect with my wife (utilize the 3G and other apps too, but it is not living to its best potential yet), and the most utilized one is the Garmin Forerunner 405 which I use for the training day in and day out, which I feel good about it.

Besides, the maid that has been serving my family for 3 years will leave and go back to her home town, Solo in Indonesia. She is a hardworking person, can execute tasks and behave nicely. However, she has to improve her attitude and the flexibility or the dynamic of working. It is not so important anymore. I just wish that she will be happy reuniting with her family after being separated for 5 years, expecting her first grandchild. Hope that the money she earns here could bring her family a better life.

In my opinion, she has done something great, like taking care of the house when there is nobody at home, taking care of Brandi and Benji like her own children, not to mention the Arowana and Guppies. If the new policy were to enfored, we need to pay multiple of RM700 for each and every task she has done. To show my gratitude, I actually have given away some of my belongings to her, or to her son. My old shorts, pants and jeans are still in good condition, they just don't fit me so well anymore, they are at least 7-9 years old, but I can they are in tip-top condition, some just need minimal repair. Buying things in Indonesia is expensive, I hope this really ease some of her financial burden as well. The thing that I afraid the most is her son is hesitant to take them, or to own them.

From one of the statistic that I have came across from nowhere, I can estimate myself in the top 20% high earners in Malaysia. It is not much compared to the top 3% but I actually can have a decent standard of living. Therefore, I believe that we should always give back to the community, the society to make this world a better place, although the person could be a stranger or just Tom, Dick and Harry.

Happy giving.