.: 感恩是幸福的源 :.

Gratitude is the source of happiness. 

While I was in the LRT, I found myself with this question in mind;

Just what are people grateful for?

We often hear people saying they are grateful for their family, their friends, their career, education, wealth, and health, but I was not looking for the standard definition. More of, I was heading for the less than ordinary outlook of what it means to be grateful.

And I found myself at Petaling Street.

Walking along the dark alleys of Petaling Street, I came to the realisation that gratefulness can also be found in observing others, and I honestly feel blessed to come across the homeless. 

Through them, I discovered that gratitude doesn't necessarily have to come from something, or someone we are familiar with. 

Because honestly, it is easier to be grateful for something that we work for. It is fairly easier as well to be grateful for the people we have around us, particularly the ones who have been supporting us.

But for these people, they have no one, and they have nothing much. 

Or so I thought.

Despite their difficulties, the homeless are still able to impart lessons to appreciate the little that they have, the people they have taken for granted, and the random people that appear in their lives. 

Every single moment is cherished, and for them, they are never alone. It would not be far fetched for me to say that in reality, I believe they have so much more to offer. 

Because to them, everything, and everyone, matters.

12.19noon, Malaysian Time

.: BookUp :.

Saving books, one at a time.

Tuesday.

It was the beginning of another regular day at the office. There was still time to spare so I grabbed my phone, looked through my personal emails, and that was when I came across a blog comment.

Mike, the founder of BookUp, had left his email address. Usually I would regard it as spam, however my curiousity got the better of me, thus I decided to drop him an email. Through our correspondence, I learned about his project.

According to Mike, BookUp is the project brainchild of two everyday Malaysians who want to make a difference in the society, more specifically, the student’s society. It is a website which sells books for up to 70% cheaper. BookUp also helps book owners to sell off their own books.

Sounds phenomenal, but I wasn’t entirely convinced. During my off day, I decided to cruise over to their website and Facebook page, and do some epic probing.   

Their website (http://bookup.my/) is surprisingly simple and easy to use. I hoard books as a hobby, but for those who are keen on letting go of their books, BookUp offers 3 simple steps to sell 'em:

1.      Submit your books ISBN

2.      Ship for free (T&C applied)

3.      Get paid

Mike further explained, “As a student once, I understand the challenge of having too many unused textbooks at every end of semester during my university years. The worst thing is I do not know what to do with them, except sell it to the recycling centre or donate to the orphanage. I wish knowledge could be shared with others through books. We at BookUp will handle everything for you, including sales, marketing, packaging, warehousing, packaging and posting, so all you have to do is sit back and relax while we clear up your inventory for you.”

I have to hand it to Mike. He is very transparent about the details. In return for selling the books, they’ll be taking 20% off the sales after the sale is completed.

Honestly, I have not used their service. But I fancy the idea where people are able to buy and sell books at discounted rates, even if it involves used books. Books are still books, and every single one is filled with an abundance of knowledge waiting to be discovered.

And as a book-hoarder, I think the project provides an excellent platform for people to inculcate, or in my case, feed my love for reading, and learning, without stretching my wallet.

Awesomeness! :)

4.29pm, Malaysian Time