I WAS talking to a friend earlier this week when the topic of quality came up, and how people have forgotten that life is about going to bed at night feeling satisfied with the quality of not just their lives in general, but everything that they take part in.
My friend lamented that many people are cutting corners by taking shortcuts to achieve their goals, and in the process, forgetting their real purpose.
I couldn’t agree more with him. Many of us are guilty of being constantly on the lookout for the cheapest bargain, ignoring the possibility that it could land us in trouble later.
For example, instead of buying a certain item in the store where we can look, feel and test it, we resort to buying it online because it is cheaper.
We fail to anticipate the item arriving at our doorstep broken or damaged, and in some cases, completely unusable.
We also apply the same approach when buying food products.
There are occasions when certain products are sold at outrageously low prices because health regulations have not been met, which come at the expense of our health.
I, for one, have made this mistake and learnt my lesson the hard way.
A store was holding a sale and some food products were sold at insanely low prices.
I jumped at the chance and bought a huge quantity. Later, I realised most of the products were either near their expiry dates, or had expired.
By then, it was already too late as I had consumed them.
I ended up with a horrible case of food poisoning for days.
Cutting corners are not confined to items and food products. Many people cut corners in life.
I have known of people who were more than willing to do things unscrupulously, just because they thought they were smarter.
I have heard countless cases of people who “buy” their academic qualifications to get a job, without actually earning their degrees. It’s easier and faster, they said.
Many women are obsessed with losing weight and/or getting slim. Many want to get fit and lead a healthy lifestyle.
However, consuming slimming pills is not the answer, and neither is starving ourselves by going on crash diets.
The results may be fast, but I can assure you that they will not last.
The worst part is you might end up with serious health problems — all for the sake of wanting to get quick results in the easiest way possible.
Let me tell you something: don’t take shortcuts in life.
They don’t last and they certainly don’t get you far.
It is okay to spend an extra couple of ringgit to buy a food product that promises quality.
It is okay to spend a few years to obtain a degree that assures excellence.
It is okay to take a few months to lose weight through a safe method.
At the end of the day, what matters is that you don’t end up feeding yourself, or your loved ones with something that can endanger their health.
At the end of the day, what matters is that you don’t end up lying to your employer about possessing something that you dishonestly acquired.
At the end of the day, what matters is that you don’t end up putting your life at risk for the sake of your vanity. We all have so much to live for, so focus on doing that.
Learn to enjoy the little things life has to offer because we need to comprehend the fact that it is not the destination that counts. It is the journey that is of significance.
Ashley Greig is a lecturer at Sunway College, is a Malaysian-born Eurasian with Scottish/Japanese/ Indian lineage. She believes in a tomorrow where there is no racism and hatred