Myat Nyein - Building Success Throughout the Year

Law number one

Don't be satisfied with a life of money and time.

Don't be satisfied with a life of money and time.

It was a hot, muggy evening in California. And that was when I saw it. It was the tenth time in an hour that traffic had stopped on the freeway out of Los Angeles early in the evening. I sat in the car and looked around at my fellow passengers who were waiting with me. The driver in the car to my left was slumped over the steering wheel. I couldn’t tell if he was dying or not. The woman in the car in front of me, dressed in a business suit, was talking on her phone and yelling at her children in the back seat. And the man in the pickup truck to my right was looking uh… angry. He had rolled down his window to shout at the drivers in front of him, killing himself for the precious little bit of air. After a while, he picked up the phone and started yelling. The Puchong and the car I rented were racing each other on the highway for at least five miles. I watched him and admired him. I knew the air conditioning in the Puchong was second to none. But the man's face was turning redder than ever. And he was sweating profusely.

I was so absorbed in the chaos that I barely managed to catch up when the car in front of me moved two yards ahead. The man in the Pow (shh) car saw his chance. He slammed the accelerator. His car moved into the gap just a little. That's when I saw it. A sign on the bumper of his car. "The one who dies with the most toys wins."

Since then, I have thought of him often. I must admit that I have wondered once or twice whether he is still alive or what his achievements might have been if he is no longer alive. But most of the time, I think of him because he is the embodiment of the new class of poor people that I have come to believe in.

Such people have a very high standard of living. However, their standard of living is disappointingly low. They have all kinds of time-saving gadgets. Yet, they complain bitterly that “there is not enough time in a day.” They have the latest technologically developed communication devices. They can reach anywhere, anytime. But they find it almost impossible to reach their loved ones. They have a second home. But even in their first home, they do not have time to relax for a few hours. They have everything and they have nothing.

I understand the man with the sticker on his bumper. I understand. Sometimes I feel like I know him. He leaves for work long before his children wake up. He can't remember the last time he read his children a bedtime story. He doesn't want to go to the ballet where his daughter is dancing. But all the love and affection in the world are too much to express. Despite his wife's pleas for him to relax on his day off, he can't resist the urge to "just call the office."

He has health insurance. He has in-office stress reduction classes. But he is struggling with work and time. He can't sleep well. He is on the verge of a second heart attack. He is facing all kinds of difficulties and problems. Among all these difficulties and problems, there is no disease that causes more suffering than "time poverty."

It is difficult to notice time poverty. Because every other aspect of life seems to be very comfortable and smooth. This person’s standard of living is very high. He can provide for all the material needs of his loved ones. His children receive the most expensive gifts on birthdays and Christmases. They are educated in the best and most prestigious schools. They often have high-class vacations. Therefore, it is even more difficult to notice time poverty. Their family goes on vacation for a few days once a year. They may have a second home in the countryside. The whole family may have a membership in a health and fitness club.

But there are services that can help you with this fast-paced, hectic lifestyle. They'll organize your children's birthday parties. Or put together a family photo album. They'll come to your desk in your office and give you a relaxing massage. You're a winner. They'll take care of your every need without you having to waste time.

A new job opportunity has emerged at a major London corporation. They call it a “lifestyle manager.” According to their ads, they “provide the needs of high-powered executives who are too busy to organize their lives outside of work.” They promise to help with everything from dog training to wedding planning.

Time-poor people gradually develop a sense of “missing something.” They feel like they’re being lied to, or fooled. They’ve spent the best twenty years of their lives running around. They’ve spent them meeting the demands of others. They’ve accumulated a fair amount of material possessions. But they feel a gnawing feeling inside them. They don’t have time to be intimate and kind with the people they love. They don’t have time to develop deeper relationships with each other.

Time poverty is a tragedy. Because while we are chasing “success,” time poverty attacks the things we hold most dear. A woman wrote to me.

When Andy and I got married, we were madly in love. It's hard to say when we started drifting apart. His work just kept getting bigger and bigger.

There were too many demands. He couldn't ask me about me when he got home from work. He couldn't even tell me about his daily experiences. Don't tell me, why was I so tired that I couldn't even say hello? I hated this situation. It hurt. And so, over the years, I developed a strange habit. I started living without him. Something inside me said, "For my sake and for the sake of my children, I'm going to work hard to be alone."

Then one day I realized that I didn't love him anymore. I was tired of hearing his voice, which I had been waiting for so long. He must have sensed this too. Because he said he wanted to talk to me. Oh.. I can't believe it. But now it's too late. The story is over.

The age of success

What is the state of being successful? How do you measure success? I recently went to a high-security prison. Some of the inmates there were very successful in some way. One person had more money than we had ever seen in a lifetime.

Not only that, but if the rumors I've heard are true, that man will still have that money even after fifteen years in prison. His wife and