Opportunity cost: The loss of the next best alternative.

It has been said that our greatest gift and resource is time. Given this limited resource, should we not find the production possibilities frontier; that is, the combination of activities that produces the maximum potential? Haha, incredible isn't it, that economics is *actually* applicable to life? Oh, what is that? It *is* life? Okay, ri-ght.=P Enough jargon for now.

*However*, depending on your definition of maximum potential, the optimal combination does not necessarily lead to balance. People who love their jobs may just want to spend their day and nights at the office. Workaholicism isn't a problem then, is it? Haha, no, I'm not advocating for myself... =P The root of this issue is independent, questioning the appropriateness of one's placement of value.

Personally, I've come to the realization that I'm not as ambitious as I thought I was, or as I used to be. NO, it does *not* have to do with anything marriage related. =P I think everyone has a purpose for our lives, and I no longer see the value in a stellar career. For me, I place value in the people around me. As a Bessie Stanley (to be confirmed) wrote, (apparently incorrectly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson), "...To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived..."

What is *your* purpose on this earth?

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

As I mentioned in my Introduction, I'm not (really) one who likes to express my thoughts or opinions... that would require me to have some sort of logical thought process to begin with.

On the other hand, I will spare you the lacklustre details of my life:
"I went out to [an unnamed client] this morning to audit their pension fund... they situated me in an empty office, otherwise used as their new storage room! So there is no light (thank goodness it's been really sunny), and it is dusty in here! I started going through their custodian statements of their defined benefit pension plan of $XXX million dollars and started ticking away..."

Really, accounting / auditing isn't that bad. No, I'm not sarcastic.

Balance. I would have put a description in, but I needed to think about it first.

What *is* it about balance that we strive to achieve it? We (should?) strive to balance our diet, balance our time, balance our life. (Not to mention balance our chequebook; how fitting that I'm an accountant. =P)

OR, is it worth striving for at all? Does balance lead to mediocrity across the board and lack of excellence in any particular area?

Let us discuss... in the time to come. =P I really need to get work done. =P

If you have any thoughts or comments on this subject, I welcome you to share them with me at yamkaryee@hotmail.com. I will consider them in my following posts.

Until next time, then, this is Gladys Yam.

[sigh] Internet is bad.

Despite my criticisms of "bloggers"... ("People have way too much time on their hands..."), I have succumbed. =P

Well, *only* as a result of a combination of an (unexpected) internet connection and (expected) procrastination at work... okay fine, *I*'m the bad one... [sigh].
Gotta...stay...connected.... =P

Anyway, so finally, here is my blog; it is up after some minor technical difficulty. I hope you don't expect too much though; I'm not one who often expresses an opinion.. that would require an opinion to begin with. And well, nothing much is going on with my life for now, but I suppose we shall see. If I'm *really* bored one day maybe I'll re-archive my expeditions in Hong Kong and China from Winter 2001, especially for those young people out there who did not know me prior to Spring 2001.

In any case, I have work to do, so until next time, this is Gladys Yam.