This covid-19 and MCO remind me of the volunteering trip in Nepal 2013, this is one of my most memorable trips. I had been assign to a host family in a small village in Nepal for seven days, and this is where it changes my entire life; I would say the turning point in my life.
The most challenging part is they only have two meal a day, and they eat the same meal EVERY DAY. Can you imagine that? I ask them: “Don’t you feel bored with the same meal?” They just said: “It is a HABIT”. I’m numb—this answer just like a big slap on my face.
When it reaches about 7 pm, the electricity is cut off in the whole village, not a single day but EVERY DAY. That’s no light, no electricity at all in the entire village. This is where I notice the moon is so bright…so beautiful…the wind is so soft…the natural sound is so pretty. It is silent, and silent is such a piece of good music.
I follow my host sister to school; she said the school is very near. We walk, I keep asking her how far more, she just said- just-in-front. ‘Just in front’ it takes me about 30+minutes long walk. But she is happy, and she enjoys the journey of walking to school without any complaint because the study is a joyful journey. She told me her ambition is to be a nurse so that she can help people and earn a living.
These seven days for me is hard but it is kind of relax.
To be frank, before I came to this trip, I’m lost, and I lost my direction for my future. I look ok, physically, but I’m devastated internally. This feeling was truly unbearable for me. I wonder why, and now I know the BIG WHY…
The big WHY is my direction is driven by SELF-INTEREST and GREED.I work so hard, year in year out my direction is all about lifestyle, fame, travel, car, investment, etc. It is ALL about MYself, MY life, MY enjoyment, MY ego, MY sense of fulfilment. Even my life get better, yet I still complain, and I want more and more, and I never feel satisfied. I’m such a selfish and ugly person.
In the investment point of view, I so call gain in term of money dollar, but I make a significant loss.
I lose my sense of gratefulness.
I lose my sense of compassion.
I lose my sense of love.
I lose my sense of responsibility to our Mother Earth.
All these is assets, and my asset is ‘depreciated’, I’m bankrupt soon.
I always said the ‘cost of opportunity’, ‘rate of return’, then what about the cost of love, cost of gratefulness, cost of compassionate and cost of responsibility. I lost my assets, I lost myself, where is my rate of return?
What is the point if I’m the richest in money dollar, but I’m the poorest in humanity and being part of the Killer to our Mother Earth, this shouldn’t be my financial direction.
I am very grateful to my host family and all the experience in Nepal trip. I get my answer and I found my direction.
Since then, I adjust myself to live simple, as simple as I can. I aim higher, work harder and learn to contribute more to others.
Since then, my financial direction is toward humanistic personal finance. I practice myself; I do my research, observation, I write my article and promote it as it directly links to my profession and I started EVOL consultancy with my partners.
Since then, personal finance is no longer a goal but a way of life. For me, Financial Peace is not just the absence of hardship, problem or difficulty. Financial peace is where we have the STRENGTH to overcome all the financial obstacle, and this is the most secure and valuable legacy for myself and my next generation.
My life 360-degree changed in this 7 days experience in Nepal. So, In this MCO 14 days or more, yes maybe we feel hard. Instead of blaming the covid19 or MCO or anything, let us turn inwardly and reflect. It might be our turning point in our life, right?
Stay calm and stay connected. 
Maxine Chan
Financial Consultant,
EVOL Consultancy
EVOL Consultancy - Enhancing Value Of Lives 