It seems like I come here to blog every after I renew my domain name. To justify the cost, most probably. The struggle is not about not knowing what to write (because there are endless things I could write home about) but mustering the courage to do so. All the time.

It's 4:21 AM as of this typing. Like a miracle, I slept at around 7:30 PM. And like the usual, I don't sleep through the night if I sleep early. So I woke up at around 1:30 AM today. I like the peace and quiet. I like being the only one rustling and bustling (besides the assortment of critters that live in our home).

A few weeks ago, I finally got to finish reading one of Malcolm Gladwell's bestsellers—Outliers: The Story of Success. It touched on the correlation of intelligence and success, among other things. Long story short, intelligence is not a guaranteed factor in one's success. It does give one an advantage, but according to the book, "It is not the brightest who succeed." "Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities—and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them." "The lesson here is very simple. But it is striking how often it is overlooked. We are so caught in the myths of the best and the brightest and the self-made that we think outliers spring naturally from the earth."

I highlighted several lines throughout the book in my Kindle, so let me share those to serve as my own personal reminder.

It took me an hour to type all that. It's currently 5:38 AM. The real point I want to get at is, intelligence is overrated. And I'm saying that even after testing with an above average IQ. I've always known this since high school but people always reduced me to my grades. I am nowhere in life but good news (or bad news) is it's not my brain power to blame! It all has to do about my attitude, my creativity, my circumstances, and my opportunities. But it's not too late! At least now I know outliers are not really outliers and we are all at a somehow level playing field. I don't really aim to be a big deal, a hotshot, I simply want to make something out of my life and move past feeling useless.

All these remind me of the fable about the Hare and the Tortoise. The Hare had the advantage of speed but he was complacent. The Tortoise did not expect to win, he just kept on going, wanting to finish the race. Is life a race? I don't think so. But I want to be as determined as the Tortoise. For all I know the race could be over, but I just want to reach that goddamned finish line.