Recently, I hailed a Grab car for my commute. What began as an ordinary ride unexpectedly changed my outlook on the business of earning.
The driver, Encik Baharudin, imparted a valuable perspective during our journey. Encik Baharudin looked like he was in his retirement years. I commented how well he kept his Perodua Bezza. The car's interior was spotless, and pleasantly scented.
He replied in Bahasa (translation), “I bought this car just before I retired. It was 3 years ago. Every evening, I will give it a wipe and wash its exterior.”
As he seemed chatty, I mustered the courage to inquire about his journey into becoming a Grab driver. He shared that he initially relished his retirement alongside his fellow retirees but soon got tired of their company as they often lamented about life's hardships and rising expenses.
Encik Baharudin then said something that prompted me to reflect deeply: “Selalu kita komplain hidup ini susah padahal duit kat depan kita langsung tak nampak.” (We often complain that life is difficult, but we fail to see the money right in front of us.)
So instead of getting caught in the whirlwind of complaints, he decided to hang out less with his friends and made full use of his new Bezza to earn some additional cash as a Grab driver. What a wise man!
His statement serves as a reminder of how our fixation on negativity can blind us to the abundance of possibilities around us. Amidst our grievances, we fail to notice the opportunities that lay right before our eyes.
It's not uncommon to hear people groaning about their financial woes, job dissatisfaction, or personal struggles. Yet in many cases, solutions to improve our situation may be closer than we think. Perhaps a lucrative job offer goes unnoticed because we're too preoccupied complaining about our current employment. Maybe a chance encounter with an investor gets overlooked because we're too focused on our own perceived limitations. Or maybe we possess a particular skill or talent that can be leveraged to start a business but we overlook it because of our self-limiting beliefs.
Here are two lessons I learned from Encik Baharudin:
1. Instead of fixating on what you lack, shift your focus towards cultivating a mindset of ABUNDANCE - one that acknowledges the potential for growth, possibilities and prosperity even in the face of adversity.
2. STOP COMPLAINING. Dwelling not only drains your energy, it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle where negativity begets more negativity, trapping you in a state of perpetual dissatisfaction and demotivation.
This lesson was a timely wake-up call for me - a reminder to break free from the shackles of complaints and embrace a mindset of opportunities and possibilities waiting to be seized!
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