2011年5月17日 星期二

中場休息

波德萊爾說:女人們倦於愛戀,而男人們倦於寫作.

特別是純粹興趣沒有實質回報的時候,這和保險這份工作真的是南轅北轍.也實在很久沒有寫東西了,一半是懶,另一半也是懶,曾經打算一共寫365篇,兩年完成,現在已經三年半,目標一半也未達到,哈哈.

今天在這裡留一筆,希望很快可以從新開始寫作工作.

2011年5月3日 星期二

2010 Individual Insurance Claim Report

2010 individual insurance claim report is out.

top 3 causes of death:
1. cancer (49.72%),
2. heart disease (13.35%),
3. lung disease (10.36%),
successful claim rate (98.61%);
highest % age group: 51-60 (24.67%)

 

youngest: 1 months
gender: female
cause of death: accident

oldest: 94 years old
gender: female
cause of death: heart attack

top 3 causes of critical illness:
1. cancer (84.33%),
2. stroke (4.94%),
3. myocardial infarction (3.07%),
successful claim rate (86.32%);
highest % age group: 41-50 (38.33%)

youngest: 2 years old
gender: female
Major disease: Leaukaemia 白血病

oldest: 70 years old
gender: female
Major disease: breast cancer 乳癌

2010年12月1日 星期三

原文

天下莫柔弱於水,而攻堅強者莫之能勝,其無以易之。「弱之勝強,柔之勝剛」,天下莫不知,莫能行。是以聖人云﹕「受國之垢,是謂社稷主;受國不祥,是爲天下王。」正言若反。

- 老子道德經 第七十八章

解釋

天 下萬物中沒有比水更柔弱的了,而再怎麼擅於攻擊堅強的也無法勝過水,因為水不管把它打成什麼形狀它始終還是水。以弱勝強,以柔克剛的道理,全天下沒有人不 知道的,但卻常做不到。所以聖人說:「能夠承擔並處理國家最污穢的事,才有資格當社稷的主人;能夠協調斡旋國家最不祥和的事,才能成為天下的王。」這就是 「以弱勝強,以柔克剛」的道理,其逆亦真。

*覺悟*

2010年10月18日 星期一

兩個砍柴人

作者﹕林青青

有一個年輕的柴夫到山上砍柴,不久,另一位老柴夫也來了。到了傍晚,年輕的柴夫發現,老柴夫雖然比他晚來,砍的柴卻比他多, 於是,他暗暗下了決定,隔天要更早到山上去砍柴。第二天,年輕柴夫很早就到林子裡,他心想:「這次我砍的柴一定比較多。」沒想到,當他挑著木頭回到柴房時 一看,老柴夫所砍下的柴,還是比他的多。

第三天,年輕柴夫決定,他不但要比老柴夫早到,還要比他晚下山,他心想,這次自己所砍的柴肯定比較多。沒想到,這一天,老柴夫砍下的木頭還是比他多。第四天、第五天也是一樣。
到了第六天,滿腹疑問的年輕柴夫終於忍不住了,他問老柴夫:「我比你早到、比你晚下山、比你年輕有力氣,為什麼我砍的木頭還是比你少?」

「年 輕人啊!」老柴夫拍拍他的肩膀說:「我每天下山回到家後,第一件事就是磨斧頭,可是你下班回到家後,卻因為太累就只顧著休息,斧頭都被你砍鈍了,所以,雖 然我比你老、比你晚到、比你早下班,但是我的斧頭卻比你利,我只要砍五刀,樹就倒了,你卻要砍十幾刀,樹才會倒。」年輕人終於恍然大悟。

2010年8月19日 星期四

Best things in life

Coming to the end of Q3 my business target still has a long way to go, i know at some point it will be a huge boost in career like air being compressed in the jet engine before ignition. yet i know my managers are worry because they do not want me to leave.

more than business i have little concern yet i want to stay longer in this insurance business, it made me see a lot of things esp. from a human perspective.

We make deals for babes, parents, children, teenagers, adults, grandparents, good people, bad people at different life stages, we also deal with sickness, critical illness, happiness and sadness, depression or "hyper-active" person.

It really makes me think what are the best things a man can have in life.

1. the best day in my life would be a gathering with true friends, no need to deal with annoying parents until family time when annoying is acceptable and enjoyable. no need to worry about money, no need to have a lot, but enough not to worry about, having drinks and doing non-sense purely because we can spare enough time to do whatever we want.

2. seeing justice to be served, not justice according to small minority who use justice as an excuse to serve their will to power, but we know unjust in this world are like iceberg being hidden underwater, although looking at those above surface is already disturbing enough, some must be taken care of out on the public.

3. being alone as much as i can, with enough things to occupy, sleep as i want, no parents walking around for a long period of time wondering why you ain't in bed, why you ain't eat this or that. i ain't in bed because i am not tired, i ain't eating because i am not hungry.

4. having a career who can truly serve some purpose, could be a boss, my down line not necessary like me but the truth is they are working for me whether they like it or not, don't mind if they talk bad behind my back, just don't bring trouble to me, bring me solutions. you bring me solution, i bring this world more solutions, you bring me trouble? i will bring this world more troubles.

5. having a good relationship with God everyday, occasionally sin for fun (ok, repent later), having a good relationship might not be having no conflict, God is a pain in the ass because He is always right, and I am always wrong. I want to be wrong but hell He gave me a position with acceptance and boundary for errors as long as i do not abuse it.

6. buy my parents a house, because when they get old they need return, at least a house with lift instead of walking stair, and the selfish reason behind is then i can have my freedom by living on my own.

7. treat my parents well when i found out i am a jerk to my parents, i know i am a jerk but i don't feel like it, or maybe i enjoy being a jerk at this very moment but soon i will change when i understand the position and feeling being a parent, but so far parents are annoying creatures.

8. meet the right one and make love to her. and hope that she will never cheat on myself.

9. this world cannot be change, but i can influence it as much as i want as long as i live.

10. being saved by a random guy i can never return my favor.

11. save someone and never meet him/her again.

12. get some serious but not too painful sickness, having a taste of heavy suffering make people more humble, understanding and mature.

13. be a successful and popular governor of any sort, a country, an organization or even a facebook group at a period of time, getting the feeling of true power, and knowing i have the ability to abuse it or use it for good, or both, hahahaha. fear me!

14. always give rather than take, but reserve the ability to take.

15. good sleep, never have that for a long time.

16. see a good friend get out of trouble.

17. marry the love of my life.

18. have as much kids as God can give me.

19. become the ultimate annoying dad, annoy my children 10 times more than how much my dad has annoyed myself.

20. watch my parents go to heaven peacefully, i always expect my dad will leave us first due to unknown reason and left me take care of my mother, maybe look at the pictures over and over again when she is too weak to out of bed, she will love that.

21. fxxk around with people who hate me with no reason, play around with them and know they can never hurt me, lol.

22. get to know the anti-christ who will bring the world to doom in the bible, walk up to him and say: i am sorry no matter what you do you will end up in hell, if i weren't saved i would probably be the best anti-christ.

23. have the guts to speak freely through out life.

24. entertain my grandchildren. be the annoying grandpa.

25. have some sort of annual gathering with the people i know, and i expect the table no. will increase every year exponentially.

26. everyone i know in my life will end up seeing in heaven too.

27. have a chance to do everything i was not able to do in my childhood.

28. the people love me will love me back, the way i want them to love, not gay those sort of love.

29. see two hot lesbian kissing (or just two hot women)

30. be a hero for at least one day. definition of hero? it is defined by the public not myself.

31. do some brave in my eye but totally embarrassing in others eyes.

32. drive some super cars.

33. make a woman say you are the best i ever had in bed (and i know it is true, not fake)

34. solve some sort of big problem for this world, but refuse the man-made rewards because of that. simply thank you is good enough.

35. fight someone and win!

36. be no. 1 in a field, even 1 time only.

37. make space travel available to civilian.

38. bitch slap someone.

39. see the one i love most die in my arm

40. die in the arm of the one love me most.

2010年7月5日 星期一

24 months of service

Step into July 2010. I have officially came back to Hong Kong for 2 years, just like every story teller, I have never thought what I step into. I kinda know there is a rare type of people they know exactly what they want and pursuit their goal way from the start, some might succeed some might fail, however I have to say I have no place to fit in that sort of catalog.

I had extremely huge ambition since I was young, I dream of changing the world, building space shuttle, make poor people become rich, become owner of weapon factories those sort of ideas. I am also ultra sensitive to the best, no. 1, top of the world sort of character, born on the 10th, January, every birthday with or without celebration does not affect how I feel about my life, esp. the idea of each of the person only live once. this sort of ideas still clicks today but when I have experience more in life, different sort of point of views jumps around you.

my youth dream is to be a car designer in US, with my engineering background and artistic talents i pictures it will be amazing, before dreaming about anything you shall might prepare for the worst and which i have also done that. When i was 15 one day i was waiting for train at the station i asked myself what if all my "big plans" do not work out? that i might have to live the most ordinary life, what would i do? then i saw the train coming towards me, i said, "well, to be a train driver, the track is there, there is only one way in Hong Kong, all i have to care about is stop and go, not a bad job huh?" problem sorted, at least that's what i thought.

Now the world watched the automotive giants in US has collapsed, it seems people who love to plan always miscalculate something. When I was back to Hong Kong, I had to choose a job within insurance finance, investment bank or properties, those kind of job nobody expect a university graduate should do. With all the respect it does not mean these jobs are disrespectful, but the society expect people with above average education would able to contribute more.

the funny thing about any story of life is there is no such thing, after unwillingly step into the insurance industry, i quickly discover something i have never seen in my life. Initially I would prefer to join an investment bank, but my logics force myself to make a more suitable choice which insurance is a human business, and investment bank is a money business, i would prefer the earlier option despite the fact the later seems more "main stream".

once again thanks God for making me NOT follow my feeling, after 2 months of service in Manulife, the Lehman Brothers fell like the first tower in 911, then AIG become the second tower. when I looked back, i felt like I was blindfolded and walk across a highway, somehow two massive trucks just missed me by inch.

After two years it still felt like a dream, I have gained so much from this job it is an eye opener. I met quite a few people, break down different kind of stereotypes, trying to understand what human being really is.

It seems to me people always believe a better future, yet everyone has their own interpretation of "better", a lot of people looking for success, yet everyone has their own image of successful.

I have met some really rich people who are really successful according to the social standard, yet their children pay not respect to their reputation, some have not succeed in marriage, friendship, even the most basic integrity. they try to be perfect, improve, upgrade, by all necessary mean they might have changed how people talk about them, and the world who worship their "success" might not even care about their personal life.

When you look at people like Tiger wood, his sponsors, supporters, investors have no interested into his relationship, or moral value as long as he can still perform which also mean able to make more money.

But is it making 2 more millions in one's life is more complete than having a health family? I have to say a absolutely no to that. Human is made to be differ from animals, no matter how people talk about efficiency, effectiveness, yet somehow i discover the lowest life form is the most efficient being, while top of the food chain are usually less efficient. are we trying to downgrade ourselves so that we can be more like an single cell Amoebae.

This sort of seeing totally breakdown my previous dream of changing the world, this world do not need more space shuttles or super cars, consider them as bonus and enjoyment, but this world do need more caring and connection between people.

The other insight I got in this two years is the definition of perfect. We can easily pictures a perfect match for us, a perfect car, a perfect family, a perfect body, a perfect house, a perfect life. People want to invent different kind of ways to perfect our world, yet why the world get more separate while we are trying to be more perfect.

I like to categorize people, like men/woman, outgoing/withdraw, loud/quiet. Now i have a new kind of catalog i can use. The people who live in the past, in the present and in the future.

When I looked back from time to time after numerous conversation with different people including myself, anyone who had the experience of falling in love is not someone perfect, people who has flaws, imperfect, not complete even idiotic, once you are in love, everyone is perfect in your eyes. this world is perfect, the annoying children are perfect, the ugly bastard always accuse me has become perfect, the bird shit is perfect, the noise from your neighbor has the most beautiful sound.

This can apply everywhere, sometimes a woman give birth to the most annoying selfish screaming not considerate child, yet this child is still perfect in this woman's eyes.

This is rarely hard to explain to people who have not conducted to their emotional side, people who still pursuit their own "perfection" by getting a bigger house, better car, most expensive hardware. this is like explaining the different of having sex and making love. same action, different foundation.

When I first joined the insurance industry, I thought it is easy, i just need to wear a pair of headset, like those emergency center, there would be people calling, ordering life insurance. It turns out to be the biggest jokes in my current district now.

However I thank God for opening a door for me, the chance to explore different area of life, i did not know there are a lot of people knows insurance is a huge business, people who are wanting to get rich and know selling insurance can become so rich. I have to say so far I have no luck in money, yet i know i will be wealthy rich one way or the other. but the fact that the enjoyment having a honest conversation with few people might have find this job more appealing than anything else in this world.

Hard to imagine, but that's reality, always looks unrealistic before anything happens. When it happens, they all seems logical.

The value of man

Everyday I want to write something down, then I become tired at night, cannot be bother to type chinese, then it get worest it is not my responsibility to write, then the question becomes what is responsibility, then the evolve into who give responsibility to a man? also what is the basic standard for an ordinary man?

soon my ambition developed through day dreaming has direct contact with my reality. I have a friend who studied pharmacist now working for a well-respected cancer doctor, I tried to consult him on the treatment of cancer, also asking for some hard fact regarding the face amount for those who purchase critical illness insurance.

He is really passionate about his job, I usually learn things from each conversation during the selling progress, neglect my prospect will eventually purchase an insurance policy through me or not. I found out the more I dropped my subjective point of view being set up through my life experience, each person no matter how insignificant people see him, he must have something to offer. I have to say some of times in our life are wasted, so are many people are wasting their life, he can speak tons of bullshit with heavy bias, unreal fantasy, he must have tiny small thing that's unique about him.

Anyway, the friend of mine really care about his patient, I would say he fulfill above average effort an ordinary pharmacist should perform, so once I asked him, who give you the responsibility to do this far while other pharmacists feel they have done enough. He replied the responsilibity is given to each person by themselves.

To me I don't have to care about a lot of stuffs, I do not have a lot of liability, no family on my shoulder, as long as I don't cause much trouble this world generally fine with me.

However when I think further about building space shuttle or saving the world, it is very likely I must compare myself with the normal standard a human being should able to fulfill.

My job is quite simple but not easy, I calculate my client's life value. To be precie if I have made an appointment with someone who is willing to talk about his/her life insurance (which usually not a lot of people who is ready to face the reality), before I start the "selling", I must discuss the undiscussable topic, how much do you worth?

Of course I have done that to myself, I am surprise a lot of insurance agents not willing to face the reality themselves before they go out trying to be "successful" in the company term. The question means if I am gone, dissappear right here right now, will I have any financial effect on the people around me?

If I do have financial effect, do I really care about that?

I must admit a lot of people who is unwilling to discuss the topics is because of fear, untrust, but I also have to admit there are few people who is unwilling to discuss this topic is because they already know there will be no effect.

It sounds really harsh but this world is harsh to a lot of us, I assume the government able to pay my funeral, it cost fuel to burn my body, as well as labor cost, management fee, head count, etc. That's the most basic responsibility I must take account, I leave couple thousand bucks to take care of my own body.

The hard fact about the value of a single adult man is the composition, mainly water, carbon and iron in my blood will cost only USD1, yes, really cheap.

There is a christian mythology the devil was once the best archangel, God created all angels in fire, and when he created men with dust yet put His own image into Adam, and put him in the position above angels, Luficer is pissed, and get insanely jealous of man, then it leads to an excuse for its later betrayal.

It asked, why I am more superior, more powerful, wiser, more intelligent being, yet my master put me under a being whom is weak, fragile, and created in dust? Sounds familiar with those compliant their bosses are stupid, the government is idiotic?

If the basic value of man is someone who create the same value which make his life sustainable, I am still unable to reached the most basic standard.

Oh yes, to be plain honest I am still a liability to my family, the government and this world, despite the resources I have already spent through my entire life.

There is a program on CBS made an interview with an american businessman, he is a celebrity agent, only he promote the deceased celebrities. The idea developed when he wanted to become agent for celebrity yet found out all the living one must already have the best agent. Therefore he created the idea of promoting the deceased celebrites, and this has made him a billionaries. He brought the legal use of the celebrities' prestige, talk to their family and set up an empire, selling icons, shirts, basically anything. People including James Dean, Elvis, some famous baseball players, the "best" thing about his business is the image of those people are already fixed, and presume it will last forever.

It proved some men's value are higher when they passed away than they are living. But they must have put a lot of effort while they are still living.

This is a totally different dimension, think about Issac Newtons who define the three laws for physics world, he was treated and attacked like a dog at his generation, at his old age his work finally recongised and he is given a minor medal of something, yet 1000 years later the NASA must use his principles for the moon mission. Now that's some value you can never calculate.

Some of my clients earn little, his life insurance face amount might not even fit shoes for the monthly salary of my other clients. Yet what they meant to their family which cannot be typed in my calculator, or we must give a name: the Intangible Assets. Usually are much more valuable.

This sort of insight has given me a new meaning of my job, and it does not and should not be defined by how much I have earned for my company.