And I'm back. After a long sojourn and finally with some fundamental change in ability to move ahead, dissolving self-imposed barriers when in FTE mode.
1. State of the world
The zeitgest of the world has changed, language around dominance and power of empire and been stripped naked and exposed for all to see what justice means to them. When Empire becomes insecure is when things become dangerous for the middle, emerging and practically weak powers try to find its place in the world.
In that respect, MY is alone. Not alone in trying out a non-aligned strategic outlook and friends to all policy, but alone in that others with the same outlook are not really peers, but self-interested parties. Soft power projection when hard military power is non-existent doesn't work when others don't really see how you are better. Within ASEAN, we have fallen way behind SG, INA, TH, VN - perhaps fear-inducing to think how war-ravaged Cambodia and Laos or PH where corruption and crime is rife may match us in some ways.
We have good education systems - evidence of that lies in the brain drain numbers coming from both public, private school systems, but mainly from the Chinese school systems with their intensity, cultural conformity making them especially valuable to Oriental and Western economic systems - while the local economy just lags on with band-aids and half-hearted appeals to nationalism and patriotism while politicians skim the resources of the land.
The natural tendency is to also find employment elsewhere given the global connectivities, although the comforts and quality of life afforded to the malay-muslims in MY is uniquely appealing.
The direction then will have to be to find a direction to provide that material gain, not just for personal comfort, but one to share with the rest of the MY community given the obvious constraints of the country's leaders.
2. Personal Outlook
Obviously that means that every remaining time is a valuable resource to be levered optimally - whether that is for personal understanding of the world, to lever and create the necessary networks, to shape outcomes. Ther must be a reasonable timeframe afforded for very tangible outcomes, ones that lever personal attributes and strengths and minimises gaps.
That requires wisdom working within a divinely ordained framework, one that a certain community has forgone in their pursuit of power and dominance despite their small numbers. It requires constant attention to Divinity, the raison d'etre of existence and knowing boundaries and taking appropriate risks to cycle up. That means working within the tech industry, where this is the great equaliser of power.
3. Systems-based High-levered Mindset
That requires high-levered thinking in all major decisions. Ones that work towards moving up fast. Building up stacks and layers of capabilities and making forts and moats that are impenetrable to most. That may mean restrictions in some parts, freedom in others, sprinting in some, reversal in others. That is a cycle that is familiar to one that has been in employment as long as I have. But it is the only one left in my limited years of productive cycle I hope to have. One that can probably be managed to be as effective and as sustainable for as long as possible, with the realisation that God Almight alone has the power to make all things. And that last part is the most highly-levered systemic mindset to take on.
4. Legacies, Outcomes and Preparations
And one can only hope for a positive end to life.
Hadith on Wisdom: Believers prepare for death with good deed
Ibn Umar reported: A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, which of the believers is best?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Those with the best character.” The man said, “Which of the believers is the wisest?” The Prophet said, “Those who remember death often and have best prepared for it with good deeds; such are the wisest.”
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4259
Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Al-Albani
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَحْسَنُهُمْ خُلُقًا قَالَ فَأَيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَكْيَسُ قَالَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْمَوْتِ ذِكْرًا وَأَحْسَنُهُمْ لِمَا بَعْدَهُ اسْتِعْدَادًا أُولَئِكَ الْأَكْيَاسُ
4259 سنن ابن ماجه كتاب الزهد باب ذكر الموت والاستعداد له
3335 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث حسن في صحيح الترغيب
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