Toiling in Your Youth Beats Poverty in Your Old Age

Her squinted eyes were bloodshot and her cherubic cheeks were red and puffy.

A scorching fever over 39℃ was no joke for my 4-year old niece.

I knew just how that felt.

Just 2 weeks ago, a little cough of mine escalated into a 39.7℃ fever that basically roasted me in bed for 4 days.

I didn’t feel hot, but I became that useless lump of marshmallow which got shot down suddenly.

Paracetamol was useless in bringing it down.

After I emptied my first bottle of cough syrup, I found myself back at my favourite clinic and was diagnosed with influenza.

(Never going back to the first clinic ever again…)

As I left the clinic with a bag of medicine, my stomach was churning.

Because I was smart enough to take the previous medication on an empty stomach too many times for my own good.

On the car ride home, I hippo-rolled about in my seat and bellowed miserably like a sick cow.

I couldn’t think straight.

There was no brain in my skull.

The thought of taking more medication made my intestines churn in protest.

So I totally understood when my niece refused to take her medication and sat on the floor crying like a angry tomato puffball.

My heart went out to her.

I showed her my two empty cough syrup bottles. I told her about the sufferings I went through and why I took my medication as advised by the doctor.

My bottles were like 2-3 times bigger than hers.

As I coaxed her, she gradually put the syringe of medicine syrup into her mouth.

But I was in a dire rush of time and couldn’t finish the whole persuasion process.

At the time I left, she had yet to ingest any of her medication.

In that split second, I was reminded of my clients.

Many of them were unhappy and suffering in their lives.

From the posts I put up, the people who referred them to me, they were somewhat confident that I could help them.

One young working mother was telling me how her husband didn’t wanted her to look for me, but rather she sought the services of a psychiatrist.

I asked her why she still wanted a consultation by me.

Coming from someone who didn’t believe in Chinese Metaphysics and religion, her answer was memorable.

“I have the gut feel that you will be able to help me.”

You know what they say about a woman’s sixth sense?

It is always accurate.

Yet, despite such similar initial confidence, there are clients who will choose to burn with their fever of sufferings than to take the medication I prescribe.

If I have the time, I would want to tell them, just like how I would explain to my niece:

You always have two choices in Life.

To continue burning, or end the suffering decisively.

This is the mortal realm. We are here to suffer more than to enjoy. Life will continue to bring you many sufferings, many times over, many beyond your imagination.

How many times can you burn yourself and come out unscathed?

How long can you burn yourself?

What are you missing out as you roast yourself alive?

While you sit there and burn, look at your family members who are suffering silently because of your choice.

Are you being loving or selfish to them?

How long do you want to compromise on them?

You choose your own destiny, and your choice will either pull up your family to new heights, or drag them down to the gutters together with you.

Your choices have consequences that affect not just you.

The medicine may be bitter, but I would rather down it now because time, money and love wait for no man.

Why stay sick when I can be in the pink of health?

That will be self-abuse. I’m not stupid.

Change can feel painful, but that is merely a thought.

And like what Louise Hay says, a thought can ALWAYS be changed.