Exams....

Yes...they are here. Mine's starting on the17th of April till the 27th.

The usual mugging will start soon. But the one thing different this time is that I will still devote time to practice my guitar playing.

The last semester I didn't touch that stringed-instrument for around 3 weeks plus and when I did pick it up after the exams were over, the feeling was terrible. (Not to say that I'm good or what, but) I felt so mediocre. I felt as if I've lost quite a bit of experience during the time of abstinence.

Like swimming or cycling, you can never forget how to play an instrument after putting it aside for some time. The issue is, will your playing skills be as proficient? Answer is no.

Therefore, I feel convicted that there is always a need to at least maintain my playing proficiency. When the exams are over, I will be experimenting new songs, new styles, new techniques, new genres, etc.

I'm always striving to find more things to do with that instrument. To learn new stuff so that there's always something to look out for.

Nothing wrong playing whatever you're familar with, but if you really want to improve, then you will have to step out of your comfort zone to experience something different - then, will you be able to take your playing to a higher level.

And yes, May's approaching, the month (last year) when I picked up the guitar and decided I wanted to learn how to play it. Will talk about the details in another entry.

For now, all the best for your exams. Will see you at the finish line. And will definitely need jamming sessions to release the pressure valve.

God bless!

To take your playing to a higher level

One very important lesson I learnt from our church's guitar lesson:

If you want to be good at playing or doing a note/chord/song/solo/rift/particular technique/etc...

...do it 1000 times.

If that's still not enough, do it 1000 more times. If not, add more 1000's till you are good/satisfied.

Practice makes perfect. And one thing which the instructor said to us is that there is bound to be pain and practice regardless of your playing competency or experience.

Fingers' gonna hurt and left palm's gonna get cramp. All these pain for the greater gain.

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If you think you are very familiar with a song in the key of A, C, D, E or G, use the capo and get a different playing experience.

For the songs in Key G: Capo 2, play in F

For the songs in Key D: Capo 2, play in C; or Capo 3, play in B

Barre chords are good for you. They strengthen your muscles and barring finger. A little practice everyday makes a proficient player in the long run.

Experiment more. That's the fun and vibrance of music.

I'm not a workaholic

Please....don't think that my life is all about studies. And all I do is study, mug, and do my tutorials. Don't think that I'm always on the look out to accomplish more. And don't think that I essentially have no life.

In fact, the reason why I'm trying to work so hard (and sometimes place myself in 'overdrive' mode) is so that I have time for other people/things. Because the more work I get done now, I will have more spare time for my other commitments and I can proceed with them without the nagging feeling that I'll have to disengage from them soon to get back to my unfinished business.

I'm currently pushing myself harder during the weekdays so that I have time for church, family, friends and some personal recreational time during the weekdays. I'm not doing this because I'm addicted to my work. No!

There's already a lot to be done.

Sometimes when I'm close to the point of 'death', as in burnout, I feel like throwing in the towel. But I know I'm not doing what I'm doing in vain. In a way, it's the business in life which makes it interesting. Imagine if you have nothing to do, no commitments, no hobbies, nothing to look out for and too much time in your hands...I think that kind of life is a wasted life.

And for those of you folks who think that I'm "missing out a lot" when I stopped playing computer games, think again. What do all these give/benefit you besides the temporal stress relief?

Not to say that I haven't played them before, but in fact, I played away a few years of my life with them. And now, I say that that's the wasted life.

Pick up something more constructive. Computer games isn't morally wrong or detrimental to society, but is that the best avenue for you to channel your time into?

Picking up a skill would be great way to improve yourself and unwind your stress at the same time. Learn a musical instrument, learn a new computer software, learn a new sport, learn how to cook, learn how to fix hardware, learn some soft-skills (time management, effective leadership, interpersonal communication, etc).

Make the best use of your time, because life is short.

And whoever thinks that Christians have no life, PLEASE.... We have the most life, in fact. Eternal life - life in Jesus Christ.

God bless.

I'll wait on You, Lord

There are certain aspects of my life which are exceptionally crucial to me. Some private ones and some public ones (like studies, family, church, work, etc).

As for those which are critical and can affect the days of my life to come to great extends, I shall seek and inquire the Lord of them. No answer, nevermind...Continue waiting.

I shall stop being a smart-Alex in the decisions I make. Instead to going ahead with them and only stopping when God says "No", I'll wait until God says "Yes"...then I'll proceed.

If He doesn't respond, I'll wait and will continue waiting because I know that He will answer and speak to you if you seek Him with all you've got.

There are certain desires in me which I would dearly like them to be granted/fulfilled. But looking at whatever I been through with the Lord, I decided to place them below Him in terms of importance and priority. Those things I may not have, but Him, I surely have.

Certain desires in me drive me to the point whereby the moment God takes away any part of it from me, I'll feel somewhat despaired and empty. That doesn't look right at all. Because the Lord gives and takes away, I will bless Him for the times He takes things away from me, so that I'm just left with Him.

...Till the point when that particular desire is nothing compared to Him. And if it's meant for you and according to His will, nothing can stop Him for granting you that desire.

If it's His way, He will make a way. If it's not His way, He will close all ways even though in your eyes the path is apparent.

Speak to me, Lord...that's all I desire. I'm sick and tired of being so preoccupied with serving You that I'm not even that close to You. I don't want to be obsessed with doing things for You that I neglect the relationship between the both of us - intimacy.

I want to hear Your voice, O Lord. I want to be so close to You, like how close the prophets were to You. Even though You're omnipresent, I'm desperate for Your manifest presence.

Let's meet up more often God...