5 Easy Steps to be a Life Lover

• Be excited
  If the other people are being indifferent, you don't have to be like that too. Show your excitement, and they will be influenced.
  
  
• Be decisive and determined
  Know what you're doing and where you're heading to.
  
  
• Care about what is happening in your surroundings
  Have an opinion on issues.
  
  
• Wake up early
  Get a head start and be more relaxed for the rest of the day.
  
  
• Don't be afraid to fail
  To err is human. You tried, you failed, so what? At least you've tried. If you don't try, you never know.

Pave Your Own Way

They said

they've already tried it and failed,

and so surely I'd never succeed.

I say

I'm sorry to hear that, and thanks for your concern,

but it's  YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE .


Still,

I'm gonna take the chance and

begin  MY OWN JOURNEY  whatsoever.

Interview Failure Analysis

Dating back to 2 weeks ago, from being hopeless for a bachelor degree to receiving an interview invitation letter, I have been so nervous and have been preparing for the interview ever since.

It's the first time I have ever prepared for an interview, not even when I interviewed for the associate degree, nor in the UE exam. I was almost fearless and everything were impromptu yet excellent and confident.

Today is the big day, and guess what? I was given a chance and I freaking blew it. I performed way worse than 2 years ago when I had the UE oral exam or the associate degree interview. Everything just went wrong and almost disastrous all of a sudden. I never thought that I could perform that bad. Indeed I've never been that inarticulate ever before.

To be honest, I can't bear with the failure cos' I've never failed in any interview of similar structure, and I have always been fluent and able to deliver exactly what I want to express. Basically I have no difficulty in English communication at all. 

But this time, I failed. I failed thoroughly. 

1. The biggest mistake is doing preparation. I should have realized that I can't memorize well, and if I try to, I usually would stumble upon words and get so nervous, which won't end up well.
2. Comparing myself with the other candidates is completely unnecessary. The more I tried to admire how great the others are doing, the more I forgot that I can actually do the same, and most of the times I can push myself to perform way better.
3. Confidence is the key. Whatever you're trying to convey, no matter how good or how vague the content is, the interviewer would be impressed if you're saying it from your heart with confidence, a smile and enthusiasm.
4. When it's over, move on. No matter how you did in the interview, nothing is reversible. As the proverb goes, "let bygones be bygones". Let it be and carry on with your life.

The 4th point is actually easier said than done. I can't move on except wallowing in self-pity. I really can't hate myself more. It's all my fault. Every decision I made has led to where I am today. I have no one else but myself to blame on. I'll never forgive myself. The interview means the world to me and yet I was dumb enough to let my nerves got the best of me. Everything I have been fighting for and all the efforts I've put forward seemed to have vanished within that 15 minutes. 

Are 15 minutes really enough to determine whether to admit a student or not?

What if I was given an individual interview instead? Would the situation be turned around?

What if I had not prepared and just walk in impromptu? What if I had calmed down to allow myself to have a clear mind for the discussion?

I definitely would perform better. But so what? There's no second chance. A missed opportunity is a missed opportunity. I'll just take it as a painful reminder on my journey to future success.

YOU are Your Biggest Enemy

When we feel nervous over some important events coming soon, whether it's a big project, a presentation, or an interview, there're always so much noises in our head.

There seems to be an angel and a demon living inside. "You can do it! Don't disappoint yourself and everyone around you. Show them what you've got and kick some asses!" "No, you can't. You're just too weak. Look how strong your competitors are. Everyone just want to see you fail."

To a certain extent, the heated arguments may even turn into an intense fight. One of them may get terribly injured, while the other one will just take over the situation.

If it is the demon who is promoted to be the Director of your brain, it is highly possible that you won't succeed under such mindset.

In order to turn the situation around...

Remember, YOU are WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE. 

Trust yourself. Don't beat yourself up. The power comes from within, so does the enemy.

Learn to Say "No"

Some of us may find it difficult to reject a request which you don't actually wanna comply with. But why? How can we solve it?

Be Our Own Self

Admire how people express themselves
with their unique outfits at the punk side of London.
(Stable Market, Camden Town, London, June 2013)

There were times when I take everything others say about me into my heart. It was a time of low self-esteem and high sense of insecurity. It was very sad and pathetic that I tried to change myself in order to make myself likable for everyone.

How silly and ignorant.

Now, seriously, I just don't give a care about what others may think about me. It's just me, right here. Whether they like it or not, it's their own business. I can't please everyone cos there must be someone who dislikes me. And if someone dislikes me for my personality, it just proves that they're out of my league, and we won't get along well, so why bother wasting time on incompatible relations?

Evolving into this state of mind, I've learnt to be selfish. The logic behind is that we've gotta have a certain degree of confidence disregarding what others think, and refrain from changing ourselves according to their needs or mindsets.

Not sure why I'm bringing it up. Probably because I notice some of my friends are still clinging onto this kind of mindset which restricts themselves to expand and mature.