You are your OWN enemy

It is one thing to think and another to go ahead and do it!
Most of the time, we always stop to ponder and hesitate about the consequences of our action that we tend to let things just slip by and end up with nothing.

For instance, you may want to invest in a house or a car or perhaps, start your own business.
You get to the details, plan, check out all the potential shop lots and did your own research on what it takes to start up your own business. You even read about the success stories of Tony Fernandez, the dim sum business, Donald Trump, etc and was this close to starting the business.
Then when it came to the time to really withdraw that amount of money or even get that loan from the bank, you sort of chickened out.
You withdraw and decide, "Hey, it's a bad time now"

The economic has just taken a turn downside and you are worried about the outcome of your budding business.
Then you are also worried about the effects of the crisis on your existing job and the negative impact it will have on your life and family financial situation if you lose your job and your business doesn't work out either.
So, you decided that being normal is better and you stick to convention, to play it safe and by the rules.

This is not a made-up story nor is it a script written for a play. This is real and all, I mean each and every one of us has been through this at any point of our lives.
We have strong interests in something which fascinates us and we want to pursue BUT, there is always a BUT in there which keeps holding us back.

I love music and I want to be a musician, BUT...I don't think there is a bright future for me here
I love to go around the world, BUT...I can't spend my money just like that because I need to save for the rainy days
I love to draw cartoon characters and I would like to publish my own comic BUT...how much can a comic artist earn?
I LOVE drawing BUT artists are usually famous after they are dead
I LOVE writing and would like to publish my own book someday, BUT I don't think there will be anyone who is interested in reading my scripts in the first place.

So many I LOVE and even more BUT no!

We are not wrong to practice what we have been taught to do; to weigh the pros and cons and to understand the consequences of our actions.
It is always a thin line between what is wrong and what is right, and also definitely to the careful thinker and a pessimist.

We dream BIG; most of us do, but why are there just a handful who really made it out there?
Stop and think about it, is there really anything stopping us?
Well, once you come to it, you will realize it is a big NO.
You blame it on your parents for wanting you to study engineering or something prestigious when you wanted to do something that you like
You blame it on the society for glorifying the professions of doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc
You blame it on your good grades which made it a waste to study anything else except high profile and smart courses like engineering or medicine
You blame it on your peers and your environment that everyone is going to be shining in their jobs in the future, boasting of masters and PHDs in all the professional fields
You blame it on the demeaning attitude of the media for popularizing the already popular and the rich
You blame it on the lack of financial aid that you have to fund your ambitions
You blame it on EVERYTHING
EXCEPT
yourself

You see, the root of all that is stopping you from pursuing your dreams is none other than yourself
Yes, the answer is YOU (look at the mirror)
Your mind has been controlling you right from the start.
Your heart wants to do something, your mind goes into the rational mode and weighs all the consequences and tells your mind, NO, that cannot be done

YOU are the only barrier to achieving that dream of yours and be the next big celebrity in your own dream
YOU were all the BUTs
YOU were all the NO-s
YOU are the own's enemy, and no one else.

Face it, what is REALLY stopping you from making that next move except yourself?
If you say your parents forced you to obtain that engineering degree and because they were paying for your education, you had no choice but to do it. BUT what stopped you from finding that passion and dream after you were already an engineer? What makes you think you cannot play music or draw your heart out anymore?
If you say you were busy, well, that comes the next contributing enemy to your own self, EXCUSES!

You can be a writer, why did you think nobody wants to read your pieces?
You were the worst enemy to yourself, you were the one injecting all those bad and negative thoughts into your own mind.
Nobody told you that you were lousy but yourself.
You haven't even made the move, and you were already demeaning yourself.
Of course, no one will ever want to read your pieces or listen to that piece of song you have composed with your band, because you already think you are no good.

Most people never did live their dream despite being told repeatedly that nothing is impossible.
I can't say that risks need not be taken into consideration, but do we seriously not live in a world full of them?
What's the worst that can happen to you if really, no one is interested in your piece of art?
Or no one is interested in your business and there's no one coming to your shop?
Of course, financially, it's harmful, so perhaps, if you want to invest, start small...but do, do, make a first step!
Even a small little hawker stall can be a good start and it doesn't make you go bankrupt.

The worst that can happen to yourself?
What's the worst?

Think about it, what is the WORST thing that can happen?
So what if you fall down? So what if, touch wood, you really didn't make it the first time?
Does that make you a failure forever?
Did our first Prime Minister pass his first law exam and became recognized immediately?
No, he failed more than 5 times or should I say about 9 times before he finally got his degree.
He is our first PM alright, but does that make him more superior?
He is just human just like you and me, and God never created them extra special to be successful
We are all created in the Lord's image and we are capable

Perseverance is a must and the spirit should never just die after one try

Bring out that enemy in yourself and ask yourself, am I being my own enemy?

Of course, this is definitely not applicable to crime wannabes, I do not encourage you to take that big step to rob a bank to make it big.
I believe you know what is wrong and right, LEGALLY and ETHICALLY

Your head is not just for you to grow hair, you know (Smiles)