To be offered a discount seasonally or to create your own discount to be used anytime you prefer?

Apparently, there is a lack of data to decide for the preference above. Nonetheless, it could be an interesting conversation-starter.

Recently, I thought about how to think about discounts and investments.

Retailers put up sales signages to sell items at a discount in order to entice potential consumers to buy. “Ah, there’s a discount! I feel like I’ll miss out if I don’t buy now.”

#FOMO #senseofurgency #marketingtactics

Level #0: The Discount That Most Consumers Know

If something is sold to you, even if at a discount, you have not saved money off the discount. You have spent money, i.e. expense. Money out = money spent.

Money today is more powerful than money tomorrow because of the effect of inflation.

If I spent money today, my money spent can no longer work for me (via investment growth). That lost chance to invest is my opportunity cost. This transaction benefits  the seller more than the buyer since cash (money) is taken out of my pocket (cashflow out).

The speed of cashflow can work for or against me.

Cashflow in = income

Cashflow out = expense

If my cashflow in is faster than my cashflow out, I will result with a net income.

How much I keep matters more than how much I earn.

Person A who earns $10k and spends $10k would have $0 left for any investment (in the same month).

Person B who earns $5k and spends $4k would have $1k left for investment (should any investment opportunity arises in the same month).

Notice that although Person B earns less than Person A, it is how much Person B got to keep that allows him to grow his wealth.

Therefore, if I wish to create my own discount, at my own terms, I can choose to stack my discount on top of the retailer’s discount. What is ‘my discount’?  I am referring to dividend(s) or sales of shares, i.e. portion of income from the growth of my investment.

How?

Consider this scenario…

I invested an amount and resulted in a dividend of $30. Now, during this time of the year, a sale happens and the item I have been eyeing is having a 30% discount. It was $100; now it is $70.

Level 1: The Discount That Discounts the Discount

When I spend $70 using my dividend of $30, I really only spent $40 from my active income.

My investment money (working capital) is still growing. My money is still working for me even when I sleep.

#goodprocrastination #delayedgratification

That is how I create my own discount, regardless whether a sale is going on or not.

Let’s take the thought experiment further. What if the retailer I purchase from is also the business I have shares in? I invest in it and I have a vested interest. I become a part-owner of the business. If the business does well, my investment does well. If its sales revenue and net profit does well, so shall the value of every share I own of the company. If I buy the products by the business, I contribute to its revenue…

So here lies a win-win-win situation I may have…

Level 2: The Discount That Becomes Your Discount

Buying a discounted item from the business I invest in using a portion of income from the growth of the business I invest in.

What’s the win-win-win about?

• Win for my investment – contribute to increase income
• Win for business – retailer increases income
• Win for me – I get my item (product)

What would the next level of self-created discount look like? What if my passive income/dividend is higher than the item?

“Ultimately, I want to be in control of how I use Social Media and I don’t want Social Media to control me.”

Christina Farr, CNBC Technology Reporter

I watched this on 23rd June 2020, Tuesday, at the comfort of my home, as I enjoy a period of lull time from a day of errands. My iPhone 6S just died on my yesterday, and the battery simply would not charge up, let alone to start up, even with the power plugged in. Having no phone basically halted my mindless scrolling of Instagram feeds (or whatever feed in whatever social media platform I am in).

As I travelled via public transport, I found myself looking at the sceneries and reading a book on my Kindle. My eyes were not “glued” to the screen of my phone. Refreshing.

This idea of “consuming too much media” behaviour is not new. Watching this video has been a good reminder to me. Tools and technology are meant to support and assist our lifestyle.

Truth is, we need information, but we don’t need information all the time. If you may practise to source for relevant information from the right source at the right time, it is good enough. Habit.

Here is another video for your consideration.

References

CNBC. (December 11, 2018). Why Quitting Facebook And Instagram Made Me Happier. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/69Il1AHsT-c

John Delony. (Apr 24, 2020). How Much Media Consumption Is Too Much? (And Who Can You Trust?). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5o_HtFbXU4

Frnka-Davis, L. (2020, April 02). Too much media can take a toll on mental and physical health. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.utphysicians.com/consuming-too-much-news-can-take-a-toll-on-mental-and-physical-health/

McNaughton-Cassill, M. E. (2017, February 23). We’re consuming too much media. It’s time to detox our brains. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/2017/2/23/14669710/reprogram-brain-media-overload-political-fake-news

Savage, M. (2020, May 06). Coronavirus: How much news is too much? Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200505-coronavirus-how-much-news-is-too-much

Westcott,, K., Loucks, J., Srivastava, S., & Ciampa, D. (2018, October 05). Digital media segments: Looking beyond generations. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/telecommunications/media-consumption-behavior-across-generations.html

Palm, M., & Pilkington{, M. (2016). Perennial Millennials: A viral phenomenon [PDF]. London: Executive Insights. Media & Entertainment Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.lek.com/sites/default/files/insights/pdf-attachments/Perennial_Millennials_Viral_Phenomenon__Life_Stage_Analysis_Of_Millennials_Media_Consumption_Habits_Executive_Inisghts_Analysis.pdf

Recommended Reading

This post is for you if you are  at a crossroad of making a decision and you feel afraid of taking that step forward.

When you make your way from Point A to Point B, how much care do you give to the details of every path you make? Let’s say you’re walking –  do you calculate the trajectory of every step you make? If you’re driving a car, how important is it for you to know how much pressure and traction the tyres grip on the road? If you’re taking a flight from a country to another, how do you ensure the pilot is skilled and the aeroplane is serviced properly?

What I am saying is: there are always risks. Progress can alway be made in spite of imperfections.

Analogy of Walking

Nonetheless, in terms of decision-making, what we focus on is important. I may be oversimplifying things, but the following analogy will do. When I walk from Point A to Point B, my eyes need only to focus on my destination. Sometimes, along the way, my path may deviate slightly, but if I may project the shortest possible known route, I simply walk towards my desired end point. The path might not turn out to be as flat or straight. Along the way, I may be interupted by distractions and important encounters, but I may still move towards the goal. I just have to keep walking. Do I need to put so much care into every step I make, even to the detail of how I land my foot? Is it necessary? As far as I am concerned, and as you probably are as well, I instinctively assume I can walk and walk.

Extremity of “Cannot Fail”

An overemphasis for perfection may inhibit progress.

Perfection Promotes Procrastination

“I want to suceed at something. I cannot fail. I dare not fail. Okay, I shall not even try, so I won’t ever fail.”

Don’t try —> Won’t fail

If I had strived for perfection, many of the progress in my life would not happen. (This post is an example. I thought about writing this post,  but I never got around to write it until this week.)

Those who wait for perfection are likely to experience non-progress. Procrastination is an act, and it can serve for or against you. If the fear of failure (imperfection) paralyzes your progress, that would be a problem. But if it slows your progress, that is okay… right?

Fear of Failure

Fear of failure is not necessarily a bad thing.

Certain items have little to no tolerance to imperfection, understandably. In rocket science, if NASA is sending astronauts into the space, they better make their calculations down to as little imperfection as possible. The pilot who flies the aeroplane full of passengers better know ALL of the controls in his panels. Lives are at stake. If an organization has engaged a lawyer and a legal document is being crafted for contract purposes, they better make sure the details are scrutinized to the minute details to avoid legal impingement. You have a surgical decision to make. Take your time, as much as you can. These kind of situations ought to be approached at a slower pace. Yes, please sort out the details. I am not undermining the importance of upholding excellence.

However, not everything deserves such  an extensive thought-process. Certains decisions simply take too long and cost too much. Often than not, regrets occur from inaction than action towards a well-intended goal. Heuristics would help in aiding a quicker decision-making process, but that would be a topic for another time.

“I want to suceed at something. I cannot fail. Okay, I failed. I shall give up.”

Generally-speaking, today’s education culture seems to incline towards the “factory production” from the industrial age societal mechanism, i.e. labor-intensive requirements to advance a third-world nation to a first-world nation’s living standard. For example, pupils are made to take a year-end high-stake Math examination – of which, marks are deducted from “perfection”. Guess what happened to most of the people who graduated from school? They stopped learning what they were learning in schools. And many of those who failed the subjects hardly attempted at the subjects again. Why? Could it be they are avoiding the pain of failing again?

Not everything is avoidable. The only way to avoid failure is never to attempt to succeed.

Inevitable/Unpredictable Interruptions and Disruptions

“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

Murphy’s Law

Sometimes, changes come to you. Sometimes the battles pick you.

Analogy of Covid-19

Consider how many of the so-called plans are often disrupted. In early 2020, Covid-19 virus spread wide enough to force many nations to rethink their way of lifestyle. Consider the sudden drastic change to have to work from home (WFH) and the closure of schools to transit to Home-based Learning (HBL). Parents and children are affected. The various systems were not perfected, but the situation did quicken the progress of many systems. The adaptation of online-conferencing, remote-working and non-contact payment system suddenly increased in priority. Online purchases suddenly experienced surge in adoption rate. Consumer behaviors were pushed to evolve faster than ever.

Analogy of Inflation

Consider inflation. Whether you like it or not, as long as inflation occurs, every cent you save in your bank account will diminish in value, with compounding effect. That’s a battle brought to regular folks like you and me, as long as we live in tyhe current financial system. We didn’t pick this negative progression, but it picked us.

Who would have thought? Oh the unknowns. The uncertainties. There are simply things one cannot foresee. Inasmuch as one may prepare and preempt, there are human limits to what may be.

Whether Murphy’s Law holds true to any extent, I believe people, in general, want to avoid the sense of punishment. Regardless, for progress to happen, it seems failures and setbacks are unavoidable. That brings my musing to the other end of the spectrum…

Extremity of “Must Fail”

I have heard of the sayings

“Fail many; fail fast; grow stronger.”

Unknown

and

“What does not kill you makes you stronger.”

Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher

Really? What is the context involved? Obviously, it is stupid to dive headlong into the unknown without assessing the risks and rewards. There must be a reason for one to even consider taking on a risk in the hope of progressing something. It can be regarding a relationship… a potential life partner, a career move, an investment decision, etc.

Does one, then, chase after failures? When is a good time to fail? When to give up? When not to give up? This brings my musing to the next thought…

Balancing Between Extremities

Analogy of See-saw

Again, at the cost of oversimplifiying the idea, the following analogy may communicate my message. Consider having two persons sitting on two ends of a see-saw. To balance the see-saw, ever-changing factors involving the weight of the two person, how far each of them sit from the fulcrum, and the length and width of the board holding them, etc, all matter. Finding a balance between the alluded extremities of “Cannot Fail” and “Must Fail” may not be a matter of finding the center. The balance may not be pivoting at the center of the See-Saw board.

[Insert-image]

Analogy of Innovation

Consider how the progress of innovation happen…

Innovation and progress sound like they go hand-in-hand, don’t they? Indeed, in the business world and scientific research-and-development world, innovation are also often asscoiated with upscale failures and imperfections. Think Thomas Edison who brought forward the adption of electricity. Think Steve Jobs who introduced the first iPhone. In fact, iPhone would not have existed if not for the failures of its many predecessors. Think Internet. Think Jeff Bezos and Amazon. Think Jack Ma and Alibaba. Think Colonel Sanders and KFC. Many of these ideas and solutions would not have been, had they not started from imperfect beginnings. I am a proponent that knowing what do not work contributes to the value of what does work.

“I don’t have to wait until I am perfect to progress.”

Ask Better Questions

What is your “why”? 

“I want to suceed at something. I failed. Why?”

“Is it better to give up or try again later? What can I do differently to reach the same goal? What must/can change?”

Perhaps it is not about stating “I cannot fail” or “I must fail”. Perhaps it is about asking better questions. Perhaps in the pursuit of your goals, better questions might involve:

“What can I afford to fail/lose?”

“What can I not afford to fail/lose?”

“How can I maximize my return and minimize my risks?”

“What is the worst that can happen if I fail?”

“So what if my progress is hindered by imperfections?”

“So what?”

Sometimes, you go to the changes. Sometimes, you pick the battles. You can.

If the quality of your upsides supercedes your downsides when you take up the risk of progress, what are you waiting for? Unless your downsides supercedes your upsides, what is stopping you from taking the leap of faith?

Waiting for perfection before progress is foolish.

Instead, progress towards perfection. Yes, minimize the imperfections and maxmize the progress positively.

失败乃成功之母。

Failure is the mother of success.

Chinese Proverb

Dare to fail. Take calculated risks. Failures are excellent learning platforms. They can be your upward stumbling. If you learn from your mistakes and failures, then progress is made regardless of perfections or imperfections. If you learn to be flexible and develop your adaptibility for different situations… if you can manage your emotions to your advantage, then you are positioned for positive progressions.

In fact, creative solutions often stem from necessities. These necessities are often imperfect situations. A problem calls for a solution. The problem itself is an imperfection. An imperfection calls for a progression. A problem opens up opportunities of progression.

Identifying and assignining the level of precision to advance a progress is a skill one ought to hone and refine throughout his life.

Conclusion

Both perfection and progression are important. Apparently, I assume that we want both, if possible. However, they are not as straightforward. The means and the ends are not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes, it is about making do with what you have.

Back to the analogy at the beginning of this article. When I walk, there is a certan level of assumption I make. Part of it is that I can walk. Now, how I travel from Point A to Point B may vary with many factors. But I must move. I must walk. The path may not be perfect, but I can still walk. I may not walk perfectly, but I can still walk. As long as I walk, I know I will reach my destination.

Only He who is perfect can make what is perfect. He who is perfect can even make a good progress (outcome) out of what is imperfect. If you will, trust in the One who is perfect with everything imperfect in your hands. That’s faith. Now move.

During orientation, one of the first concepts shown to us Student-Teachers (ST) is a comic strip depicting a conversation between two characters. For illustration, let’s call them Adam and Brian.

Having taught as an external vendor trainer in my local public schools for about seven years in the private sector, and having observed many teachers from both private and public sectors, I have come to a sobering conclusion:

A skilled musician does not necessarily translates to a skilled teacher.

“Just because you covered it, it doesn’t mean they learned it.”

– Jennifer, Cult of Pedagody

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

– Albert Einstein

To ask a fish with no limbs to climb a tree like a monkey is asking for the impossible. A mustard seed planted yesterday cannot be expected to grow into a tree overnight. Regardless of the potential of a learner, whatever of the debate of ‘nature versus nurture’, some things simply require time for development. Hence, the need for Scaffolding¹and Differentiated Instructions (DI)².

Anecdote

Here is an example of my personal experience. I ever learnt under a professor known for his deep music theory mastery.

Of the eight pupils in my batch, some have masters certification in their instrument, and most were able to sight-read scoresheets since they were trained since young to perform on the piano. Being a guitarist who was largely self-taught, even my ABRSM Music Theory Grade 5 was acquired only in less than three years. I was apparently disadvantaged when that teacher expounded concepts beyond Music Theory beyond at a tertiary level.

I felt as if I was dyslexic since I had to copy his examples and scribble my notes during class only to review them later by referring to the textbook at my own time. I had had to spend extra time to write the note names letter by letter within the treble and bass clefs in order to follow along the lessons. I was hungry and willing to learn but he was teaching too fast and too deep for my pace of learning. That made me felt inadequate and discouraged me very much.

All in all, it turned out that I was not the only one having to frequently refer to the textbook and consult each other in the midst of our ten other modules happening in the same semester. It felt as if I was learning a grade 8 theory when I only had the foundation of grade 5 theory. 

My experience from that module reinforced my belief that not all subject content experts are experts in imparting their knowledge.

The subject content expert may not necessaily be the expert communicator of the subject content.

Footnotes

1. Scaffolding refers to the transference of knowledge and skillset with the help of a more knowledgeable other through a process of expanding the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The idea was made famous as derived from Vygotsky.
2. Differentiated Instructions (DI) refers to the adaptation of lesson experience to cater to the unique learning needs of individual students. The idea was made famous as derived from Tomlinson.

{title:O Daddy God (Cover)}

Benjamin Lim – New Creation Church
Time: 4/4

Chord and Lyrics

Key:

[D]

Verse 1:

Oh Daddy [D]God

You are my [A/C#]refuge

Oh Daddy [Bm]God

You are my [F#m]fortress

Oh Daddy [G]God

You hold my [D/F#]hand, in my [Em]darkest [A]hour

Verse 2:

Oh Daddy [D]God

You’ll never [A/C#]leave me

Oh Daddy [Bm]God

You’ll never for[F#m]sake me

Oh Daddy [G]God

You’re always [D/F#]with me, till the [Em]end of [A]time

[/chordpress]

Video

{title:Jesus Loves Me This I Know (Cover)}

Anna Bartlett Warner
CCLI: 1187
Copyright: Anna Bartlett Warner, William Batchelder Bradbury
Time: 4/4

Chord and Lyrics

Key:

[G]

Verse 1:

[G]Jesus [D/F#]loves me—[Em7]this I know,

[C]For the Bible [D]tells me so;

[G]Little [D/F#]ones to [Em7]Him belong—

[C]They are [G/B]weak, but [D]He is [G]strong.

Chorus:

[G]Yes, Jesus [Em7]loves me!

[G]Yes, Jesus [D]loves me!

[G]Yes, Jesus [Em7]loves me!

The [Cadd9]Bible [D]tells me [G]so.

Verse 2:

[G]Jesus [D/F#]loves me—[Em7]He who died

[C]Heaven’s gate to [D]open wide;

[G]He will [D/F#]wash a[Em7]way my sin,

[C]Let His [G/B]little [D]child come [G]in.

[/chordpress]

Video

{title:I Will Follow After You (Cover)}

New Creation Church
Benjamin Lim
Time: 4/4

(Original Key is F, Capo 5 in C, female)
(G key voicing is good too)

Chord and Lyrics

Key:

[C]

Verse 1:

I will [C]follow after You as long as my [G/B]soul lives

I will [Am]lift up my hands, unto Your [Em]Name, oh Lord

My mouth shall [F]praise You because [C/E]You have been my [Bb]Help [G]

In the [C]shadow of Your wings will I re[G/B]joice, my Lord

Your loving[Am]kindness overwhelms my [Em]soul, Oh Lord

And I will [F]bless You, I will [G]love You, all my [C]life

Verse 2:

I will [C]meditate on You in the [G/B]darkest night

Seek Your [Am]face oh my Lord in the [Em]morning light

My soul longs [F]for You in this [C/E]dry and thirsty [Bb]land [G]

In Your [C]holy sanctuary, will I be[G/B]hold Your face

Your loving [Am]right hand guides and covers [Em]all my ways

And I will [F]love You for You [G]love me all my [C]life

Chorus:

So let me [Em]give You [Am]glory,

Pour my [F]life [G]upon Your [C]feet,

For Your [Em]grace and [Am]mercy

Is more than e[Bb]nough, more than e[G]nough
(x2)

[/chordpress]

Video

{title:Nothing But the Blood (Cover)}

Hillsong
Original Key: E (Capo 2 in D)
Time: 4/4

Chord and Lyrics

Key:

[D]

Verse 1:

[D]What can wash a[Bm]way my sins

[G]Nothing but the [G/B]blood of [A]Je[D]sus

[D]What can make me [Bm]whole again

[G]Nothing but the [G/B]blood of [A]Je[D]sus

Chorus:

[D]Oh precious is that flow

[Em]That makes me white as snow

[D]No other [Bm]fount I know

[G]Nothing but the [G/B]blood of [A]Je[D]sus

Verse 2:
This is all my hope and peace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
This is all my righteousness
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Verse 3:
Glory, Glory, this I sing
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
All my praise for this to bring
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

[/chordpress]

Video

{title:You Alone (Cover)}

Don Harris
Time: 4/4
Tempo: 75
CCLI: 826393
Copyright: 1990 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music

Chord and Lyrics

Key:

[G]

Chorus:

For you a[Cmaj7]lone deserve all [D/C]glory

For you a-[Bm7]lone deserve all [Em]praise

Father we [Cmaj7]worship and a-[D/C]dore you

Father we [Bm7]long to see your [Esus]face [E7].

For you a[Cmaj7]lone deserve all [D/C]glory

For you a-[Bm7]lone deserve all [Em]praise

Father we [Am]love you

and we [D]worship you this [G]day

Verse 1:

[G]You are the peace that [Bm]guards my [Em]heart

My [Cmaj7]help in times of [Dsus]need [D].

[G]You are the hope that [Bm]leads me [Em]on

And [Cmaj7]brings me to my [Bsus]knees [B].

For [Em]there I find You [Bm]waiting, and [Cmaj7]there I find re-[G]lease

So with [Am]all my heart I’ll [G]worship

And [Cmaj7]unto [A/C#]You I’ll [Dsus]sing

[/chordpress]

Video

{title:牧者 (Shepherd) (Cover)}

New Creation Church
Original Key: C#
Time: 4/4

Chord and Lyrics

Key:

[G]

Verse 1:

耶稣，[Em]祢是我的[C]牧者，[D]我不至缺[G]乏

祢使[Em]我躺卧在[C]青草地[D]上

领我在可[C]安歇的水[D/F#]边

祢使我的[Bm]灵魂苏[Em]醒

牵着[C]我的手，引[Em]导我走[D]义路

Verse 2:

虽我[Em]走过死荫[C]幽谷，[D]也不怕遭[G]害

耶稣，[Em]拯救主，祢[C]与我同[D]在

祢的杖和[C]竿都安慰[D/F#]我

祢用油恩[Bm]膏我的[Em]头

我必[C]住在祢殿[Em]中直到[D]永远

Chorus:

主耶[G]稣， 我的[D/F#]心 仰[Em]望祢

我的[C]主， 我的[G]神， 我倚[D]靠祢

我将[G]一切的忧[D/F#]虑

卸在[Em]祢 十[D]字架 [C]前

因祢[G]为了爱[D]我而舍了[G]己

[/chordpress]

Video