4. Education - The Easiest Way Toward Success (1).

Let define success first. Most people think success as having a prestigious and well paid job. In other words, to be successful means to attain higher level of education so that you can hold a well paid job and consequently earn huge amount of money.

Different people have different opinion of success. I do not want to beat around the bushes, all the definitions of success I have read and known, points to single common denominator – to have lots of money for easy living.

There are lots of ways to make money. Education is one of them. To study is actually to invest time and money toward the purpose of making even more money later on. This is no difference from investing in shares, stock markets or unit trusts. The only difference is the value of investment in education will never drop or crash. The value will be either static or going up. Once you hold an SPM qualification, you will not be downgraded to PMR later on. Once you get your Degree, it would not depreciate to Diploma later in life.

EDUCATION IS THE EASIEST WAY TOWARD SUCCESS.

Why? Let me explain.

In Malaysia, the opportunity for education is open wide. In fact you will be lawfully punished if you do not send your children to school at least to Primary School. The laws actually guarantee that you will be able to at least read and count. This is a luxury not available in many parts of the world.

I came from a poor family. My dad was a teacher, but we struggled each day juggling our financial needs. We lived in a bamboo house for the most part of my childhood. In Form Two and Tree, we were still living in a wooden house with room only partly divided between all my siblings and my parents. Our floor is basically the ground itself. I regretted very much for not taking the picture of the house which holds so much memory (then again, camera was such a luxury in those times). With the photo, I could at least see how much we as a family have progressed since then.

We were poor. How could I change the status from poor to middle class then to upper class and then rich? I could work hard and earn money. That is possible. Many people have done that. I personally know one or two who have started almost with nothing in their twenties and later became millionaires in their eighties. (May I add that both of them were immigrants).You may know examples of such stories as well. However, there are a lot more stories we did not hear of people who works just as hard (if not harder) and yet still toiling daily just to survive. Obviously this method is not for everybody.

I could nurture talents like acting, singing, playing sports etc and make money by becoming a celebrity. Stories exemplifying this are also abound. Even some of our local celebrities started very poor. However, not everybody has talents (I am definitely not one of them), and even if they do, without proper guidance and support, not to mention the opportunity, they will not succeed. Again this method only reserved for a very few special people.

May be I could hit a Lottery or Jackpot and become instant millionaire. I haven’t known anybody with such luck. They usually win, but they spend the money even before they got it.

I could joint politics and become rich in ways that nobody supposed to talk about.

I could mysteriously inherit fortune from distant relative.

I could marry a rich girl and inherit her money.

Well, all that I am sure has happened somewhere, sometime in the past. But, come on and admit it, do you really think this method is easily available to most of us. I personally do not think so.

Let gets real here. The people who succeed through the above methods are very few. They are exception rather than the typical. However, look around you; the chances are you will find many people who have changed their status through education (to be continued) ...