"The Shop Of My Dream"

Are you one of those who dream of owning a really lovely shop where you can decorate it with all the lovely furniture, paint it with your favourite colours, and imagine having people going in the shops buying things you sell. When I look at some of these lovely eateries in town, that thought crossed my mind. These people are among those who have the same dream. You totally understand. They way they decorate it, you know it's every favourite items they can think of. The theme, the fabric on the sofa, the colour of the chairs, totally one of the things you normally want in the shop of your dream.

I entered a few of these eateries with that "dream shop" concept. They are really lovely, You gonna love what you see. But...suddenly I wonder, is it enough to just materialize the dream shop into reality, which gonna cost a fortune, but How practical that dream shop is in reality? In reality, you don't have a fairy godmother to magic wand that dream shop to simply appear before your eyes. Some of them sold a land, even work for years to have enough fund to afford that shop. So, do you think you make your dream shop just as an exhibition for people to pass by, to drop by and compliment the shop? Is it enough? IT'S NOT. 

Shop is where you do a business. A business means you expect profit to come from your investment. That investment is gonna be your source of income. That income you gonna use to afford your life necessities as well as your family's. So in reality, a dream shop will be your nightmare if you simply invest without return. Eventually you gonna lose that dream shop to the premis owner when you can't afford the monthly rental. You might gonna lose more when you start sacrificing your asset to save your dream shop. You get my point here? That dream shop must make money to continue to exist!

From my observation, some of these dream shop owners, they think profit with come as long as they manage to make the dream shop come true. When they realize that business is more than just how beautiful their premis is. They don't have enough worker, they simply being hasty about the foods they sell, they don't care if they have a special recipe, they think anything will be good enough as long as the place is lovely. NO. Not true. I sat at one dream shop last weekend and they made the shop so exclusively lovely but they talked to each other like they were at the wet market. They were some non-apron young girls handling the foods and orders, and they were too busy talking and laughing, they forgot the orders. No wonder, they were busy with their phone too. Oh man. The owner sat there talking out loud, bragging about the shop being the loveliest around, and spoke about his plan opening at a bigger premis. But as he was talking, the few customers in the shop were not even served well. Some of the foods arrived half an hour later after we reminded them, they said they didn't know about the order. Goodness!! How?? You plan to open in a bigger premis when you can't even manage a small premis! No, don't do that please. Don't do that to your dream shop. 

I am not here to just criticize, cos I know and I can feel the kind of achievement to finally have your dream shop. But don't stop there. You guys are doing alright, but don't take it lightly whatever the business activities in the shop. That is the "heart" of the dream shop. It is what makes money. It's a big mistake to simply open one and treat it like "a haunted shop" instead. Like this other dream shop I went to, he got NO worker!! He said he would prepare the food alone, and we would have to wait if we order a lot. A beautiful restaurant like that, and he could not even have one assistant! He thought he could run it alone? Oh gosh, don't do that lah! We asked him why he got no worker? He said, not easy to find workers. He was right but he must know about this before he decided to make that restaurant. Don't act like he only learn about some obvious reality in life after spending so much. 

Deep in my heart I hope that they can continue! I want them to continue. I love seeing people achieving their dreams, cos it can inspire me and a lot more other people. But they might just in the learning process, so I hope they won't give up. Please continue building more dreams from that dream shop. May you achieve more and more dreams from there.

Note : I know you have your dream shop too :))

The Half-Hearted You

Suddenly I'm wondering, every good words I say, every smile I give, every little kindness that I do, do I do it with all my heart @ wholeheartedly? Cos I notice that, sometimes the words that I say, only half of me actually involves in it. Half of me claim no responsibility, no attachment at all. Ah, doesn't feel so good for someone who believes that someone must be sincere in what they do before they can give and get back the best. But, why this question now?

Lets put it this way. As much as we want to do things wholeheartedly, we do things subconsciously. We can control our intention, we can control our level of politeness, but there are things we can't control. Sometimes out of compassion, we act in a certain way spontaneously to respond to the individual or situation - because we feel that it's the most we can do at the moment. And the next thing you know, you don't really mean every word you say, but it doesn't hurt to say them as long as you don't hurt people; in fact if you can make people feel good, you think it doesn't matter if you really mean it or not. Words from our mouth - they just flow and pour. Come to think about it, does it matter if you mean it? In some situations, it doesn't. People don't have to know what you are really thinking. What they care if how much good things you would share from it, and that's enough. 

Speaking of being totally involved in words and actions; wholeheartedly or halfheartedly, suddenly I wonder if people will be happy if we just mind to do things only when we do it wholeheartedly. Like people say, if you wait for the right time to do something good, maybe the time will never come. Do it now, do it today. I just put it this way. I am no way as friendly and polite like people wish me to be, which I know I am better becoming the person they expect of me. But how capable I am to do that? I can't just wish for it and already I become one, no. But with all the noble intention I have in the world, with limited capability, at least I make the first step, of trying to do the right thing. Yeah, maybe I may only do it halfheartedly today, but one day I might really really do mean it. 

I'm sure you have the same issue yourself. It's alright. We'll get there someday, I'm sure :))