Life hits you when you least expect it – that’s why you gotta be always prepared for change. When everything seems to be going smoothly, the tides can quickly change. While I really want to believe that there’s a sense of predictability in some of the things we encounter in life, most of the time, it is just not that clear cut.

There’s a balance to life that we call the yin and yang. Similarly, in our beliefs, we try not to be overly pessimistic or optimistic about our chances. A counter-disposition exists in us to take measures to dampen such extreme outlooks, though every once in a while, we are so eager to prove that we were right all along that we unwittingly suppress this urge. In this sense, we’re a little myopic and rather busk in our short-lived happiness.

But often, because of this, we lose sight of what really lies at the end of it all. In almost every language (or at least the two I know), there will be an adage that goes something along this line: Work hard and reap the fruit of your labour. Taken at face value, it literally means diligence will pay. But read in between the lines and you’ll realize that these fruits won’t grow or ripen overnight; it takes time for our efforts to pay off.

Don’t take a short-term view of life. Look further ahead and you’ll find a greater purpose. Be it saving lives, nurturing the next generation or whatever it may be, dedicate yourself to it. We tend to see the problem as one of the glass either being half full or half empty, and I can’t influence the way you see things. But I do know that if we want to make it as full as possible, we have to devote the effort to fill it up over time. And in many aspects, c’est la vie.