The Present

Finally I've finished reading this book by Spencer Johnson entitled "The Present." It took me 3 months to finish such a thin book which the missus took only several hours to finish. Yeah I'm real lazy at reading, averaging 2-3 pages a night. I don't know why but by the 3rd page (regardless of the book) I get sleepy. Oh well, to my advantage I've kept my 20/20 vision in-tact. Hehe.

The book was actually recommended by my boss. "Read it lah," he said. So I did. I remember I bought this book during our last trip to Singapore. Actually I bought 2 copies. One copy I kept to myself and the other I gave to Tess as a parting-gift who was leaving for Germany at the time.

The book's message, although it was repeated over and over and over again, is pretty basic. Too basic, in fact, that in my opinion we have neglected it. This book will make you be aware of what one should be doing to live a happy and successful life.

The book's message was in 3 parts:

1. Learn From The Past. Not live in the past, but LEARN from the past. For example, when at work, once mistakes/accidents happen, you cannot do anything to correct it. But if you learn from it, you'll be able to be prepared next time.

2. Live in the Present. This is the fundamental message of the book. The "present" being explained here is the "now." Deal with what is IMPORTANT right NOW, at this very moment. When you're at work, your work is the most important thing AT THAT MOMENT. But when you're at home, your family is the most important thing AT THAT MOMENT.

3. Plan for the Future. According to the book, this is very important if you want to live your life with purpose. If you just live in the present but don't plan for the future, your life has no purpose. You're just reacting to everyday situations but not being pro-active.

Well those 3 key-points were repeated over and over by the book, apparently to hard-code (brainwash? hehe) to the reader's mind so that it's not easily forgotten.

It's a good read on my list, something practical that I'd be able to use in my everyday life (assuming that I won't forget it in the future....hehehe).