How much does it cost to keep a memory?

A place I wish to keep in my life, has been sold.

This is the place that I have stayed during my high school time, the place that witness my first love, first time being away from home, first time going on a date, first time raring my own rabbit, first time raring my own fish, first time taking care of an elderly, first time prayed until I cried, the place I spent the most time with an elderly and learned that no matter what happens in life, always look at it differently because everything changes every second.

I received a message informing that the place I grew up in, has been officially sold at the tag price of near to 4 million Ringgits. I do not own it, neither did my direct family have any ownership towards it but it has been sold and it will highly be turned into a commercialized venue since it is situated in the centre of attention in one of the most well known heritage in Malaysia.

Do you know what makes it hurtful?

I have been working really hard for 10 years with the purpose of having to be able to have the capital to keep my memories and buy thing I always wanted to keep. This time round, I couldn't do it because it is too costly, something that I cannot afford.

Making the feeling worse, it was purchased by my former schoolmates whom were at least 1 year younger than me, 4 of them. I wonder what did they do to be able to buy the property so quickly since they graduated much later than me.

It is definitely a mixed feelings because I cannot afford it while those graduated after me can. (Note: I didn't go to university hence started working 4 years earlier than them)

I know many would think that it could be that they are rich or made a fortune or probably struck a lottery to afford it. Have a thought at it, they afford something I couldn't, what is my excuse to still be status quo?

Opportunity knocks on the door

The fisherman's boat sinked and he was hanging on the float he had.

He prayed hard for God to help him. 

A luxurious cruise passed by and offered his a free spot on the ship, he rejected saying he is waiting for God to save him. 

A fishing boat passed by and offered him to be on the boat so that he can have enough of food to eat and warm his body. He rejected saying he is waiting for God to save him. 

A submarine passed by seeing him floating and they offered him to be in the submarine so that he can be sent onshore for proper medical treatment. He refused the offer, saying he rejected saying he is waiting for God to save him. 

A patrolling helicopter passed by and saw him in the middle of the sea. They attempt to save him but he struggled and refused to be on the helicopter, saying he rejected saying he is waiting for God to save him. 

He floated and arrive to an island where it is hosted by its origin and they saved him but he jumped back into the ocean and thought that he is waiting for God to save him.

Yes you guessed it right, he died. When he gone to heaven, he questioned God, why didn't God save him while he have been praying for it.

God told him that He have sent a luxurious cruise, a submarine, a fish boat, an island and a helicopter but the fisherman refused all of it. How can he be the one questioning? 

When was the last time you turn down an opportunity a friend shared with you to earn money because you don't think you have the time, energy,  skill or it is not the opportunity you are praying for?

Ask yourself, is it possible you earn more, gain more, grow more by keep on doing the same thing?

Bill Gates quotes, "if you are born poor, it is not your fault but if you die poor, it is your fault" .

My quote, if you were like that one year ago, it may not be your fault but if you are still like that one year later, whose fault do you think it is?

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Passive Income 2 - Should I charge less for tuition?

Anyone whom have a child in Asia would most probably send their child to a tuition class, it is a type of class on top of the ordinary classes to be attended by any student from primary up (6 to 7-year-old) to secondary (17 to 19-year-old).

Have you ever encountered this situation when you are own a business, a part time or a full time job and your friends or family actually ask you to earn less from them because they think that they are someone in their lives?

While a child attends a tuition class, it is counted by hours. As low as RM20 per hour up to RM50 per hour, depending on the subject to be studied.

An average student goes to tuition 2 days a week, each time 1.5 hours to 2 hours, per subject. During school holidays it can be from 3 days up to 5 days a week, in order to get the students on track during school holidays.

An average tuition teacher gets 5-10 students per class, per 1.5 hours or 2 hours.

Assuming that a student attend tuition 2 days a week, each time 2 hours, per month it will be RM640.
Assuming that a teacher does the same as above and have 7 students, that teacher get RM4,480 per month.

However, there is situation where a tuition teacher have relatives and friends whom thinks that they prefer the "special price" so the tuition teacher have to charge a "discounted" price tuition fee. If there is one in each class, paying at the minimal of RM20 per hour, the teach end up losing RM320 per month.

What would you do if you are asked to provide discount?
Would you still think this is an ideal business?
What if the discount is to make it free?

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Passive Income 1 - Should I share my Referral Fee?

If you have worked in a corporate company, you may heard of referral fee.

So you refer a friend in favour to get them a job at your awesome company then upon their confirmation of employment, you get your cut of referral fee that you deserved. Your friend told you that he/she deserve the cut in half because they were confirmed.

If we were to not give half of the share, we risk of losing a recently confirmed "colleague", a known before friend, would most probably be defamed by a person whom we once called friend, worst part is that we might be the most wanted selfish person because we refused to share and things could go dramatically ugly.

Many I know have encountered this so the easy way out is to unwilling, devastatingly and painstakingly give out the other half.

Will you give is not the question, should you give it?

Answer this:

1. Did your friend get the job before you got yours?

2. Would your friend know about the job before you said so?

3. Can your friend's resume standout in all those resumes in queue for the position offered?

If your answer is no or maybe for all the above, then you should never share it. That person have to be confirmed to keep their job and to get their regular paychecks. You're not the person whom have to determine if this person is to be confirmed, you're not the person that decides to employ this person, most importantly your company is paying this person's salary, not you.

I can share the referral fee but please share with me your every month's salary during probation period because I REFERRED YOU.

Do you have a friend that wish to work part time? Refer them and you get paid.

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What change do you want in the next 10 years?

Malaysia's independence day makes me wonder when can I achieve my independence?

As a typical Asian, I have been brain washed that my life plan should be to complete my degree, get a job, get married then live happily ever after. While I was in the cross road of deciding what degree to pursue at the age of 19, I accidentally found out that if I were to further my studies, my single parent mother would need to mortgage our home, the place I grew up in.

I decided to not further my studies and involved myself in a part time business, I was doing well at the start until I started losing my direction because of the 3 major things happened in my life at this time.

First, my younger sister called me a hypocrite, materialistic person whom loves money for not obeying my mother's decision to further my studies.

Second, My mother chased me out of my house for pursuing a business that is not her choice because her friend and the internet, yes the internet told her the business is no good. I had no official job experience, no degree, no friends, no family, no home to stay and no money. I stayed in a place without electricity for 60 days, showered at a public toilet, scraped my coin box to buy drinking water and could hardly afford a meal. When I sneaked home to take some instant noodles, I was told by my sister that I was a terrible daughter and that I should be paying for it. I starved for days.

Third, I was cheated by a guy and his friends, I lost all my business goods and money.

At the worst time of my life, I came across a book that I can't recall the title but it spoke to my soul. It was about fire fighter and fire lighter of our passion in life. It shared the story of an author whom was very demotivated by his mother that used to tell him that he was not doing hard work so he will never succeed in his life. He couldn't hate his mother because he loves her dearly but he wish to outgrown poverty so he made the painful move to leave his home, he reduced his time to talk to his mother until he was successful.

I wanted to be successful so that one day I can afford to spend for my mother to enjoy her life. I took a job and did everything I can to be excel at it. I changed jobs so that I can climb the corporate ladder and I wanted to learn everything to service a customer and financial management. These were the main reasons my part time business failed - poor servicing and poor financial management. Customer Experience and reading became my passion.

For almost 7 years, I study relentlessly about customer experience, read articles, attended self funded courses, learned from anyone and everyone I met at my work place. Everything became my learning portal. Now at my workplace, I am called the "painkiller".

Yes, 7 years of 16 hours per day of non stop learning is starting to pay off and it is time I take charge of my cause. I started numerous part time since April 2018 to earn passive income that includes property referral, investment in mutual funds and a part time business.

I earned nothing from property referral, investment in mutual fund would take 5-7 years to see an initial refund but I have made RM1600 in 31 days by following a flow my coach taught me.

It was not what I did not expect to work but it did!

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What's next for me?

How long and what caused you to start doing something in your life to be someone?

I can't be sure but it is long enough.

I constantly feel like I am struggling to be better but when I look back 10 years from now, I realized that I have grew from having only RM30 in my pocket when I first came to Kuala Lumpur to be able to afford a meal at RM30 (not all the time but yes I can afford it now).

I recall many people telling me that I can do something because I am capable. To be honest, I don't know what they are referring to. I never thought I am capable because it was always what I am tasked to do and all I did was to do it at my level best.

I have been in this city for 7 years, where I had to sleep on our company's floor in a sleeping bag for the first 2 months (my employer never knew it) until I can afford a room in an apartment. Back then, my dream was to afford a tablet, a new mobile phone and an apartment where I can stay in the master bedroom. I learned the word, 'GOAL'.

I changed my job to be working in a call centre where I was able to earn more and learn even more. I started as an executive - senior team - support team - shift supervisor - specialist - assistant manager, in 26 months. I didn't know how but I only knew that I needed to learn as much as I can and do it as well as I can because I wanted the promotion so that I can earn more to cover the debts that my boyfriend by then that have caused me to have. Yes, it was my stupid choice but I sucked it up and live on. After 3.5 years in the same company, I left because my employer wanted me to manipulate a set of data in order to cheat our client. The resignation was impulsive but the intention to leave the job became stronger when I realized that there is a world outside of the job I have been having for 3.5 years. At this point, my goal was to be able to pay a flight ticket for my single mother whom have striven her lifetime for me to be better, whenever she wants it and to become person that is reasonable but will not jeopardize my credibility to keep a job. I learned the word, 'HIERARCHY'.

I changed my job because I wanted to not be asked to manipulate data in order to keep my job, I wanted to give a good working environment, establish indifferent work culture, out of the box working hierarchy and groom leaders than having a working team. I learned how to prepare a decent presentation from some of the best consultants in the industry. I wanted to quit for doing my superior's job 99% of the time but a great manager have managed to keep me by offering me a business process management position at customer experience level. At this point, I have been working here for 2.5 years and I am still learning. I learned the word, 'LEARN'.

The journey has not been easy. I finally realized that I want to be in the customer experience industry and be great at it. I still cannot say I am someone in the industry but I can say this, I am someone because of the words of GOAL, HIERARCHY and LEARN. I need a goal to move on, I need to be someone in the hierarchy to say something that matters and no matter who I am, I can never stop learning to be better.

It is just few months before I am near to 30, I have hit my goals. So, what's next for me in this city?

Create a passive income so huge that if one day I am no longer just an employee, I can still do what I love the most. What about you?

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