What is Rat Race ?

When we just leave college and get a job, we have lots of dreams, and a whole list of things to buy. We felt the freedom because we finally become an adult earning and spending our own money.

We earn, we spend, the more we earn, the more expensive "toys" we can afford.

We buy these "toys" thinking that it is the best way to please ourselves after working so damn hard during the weekdays.

Sometimes, we spend a little bit more and swipe our credit cards a little bit too often.

Then the banks call to say that since we are obedient customers that pay the minimum amount on time, so they increase our credit limits.

With bigger limits, means we can please ourselves a little bit more.

Then we met someone right and decided that it's time to settle down and build a family.

Some of us will take up personal loan to finance the lavish once-in-a-lifetime wedding reception.

After married, we realized that combined incomes means we can afford better, larger things like a dream house and happily sign for a mortgage.

With a new house, we buy furniture and appliances to match with it.

Thanks to the 0%-interest installment plan, we can now afford to buy more furniture.

Soon, a baby comes along. We work harder and harder.

All of a sudden, we wake up to discover that the money we are earning is just merely enough to cover the monthly installments, and loan repayments.

With so many commitments and so many bills to pay monthly, we get stuck with our job.
We couldn't afford to lose it.

We hope and pray for a pay rise and promotion.

We end up forcing ourselves up every morning, pulling the heavy body to workplace, doing boring routine job, waiting for Saturday and Sunday, and the month end salary... We are addicted to the paycheck. We are working harder and harder for money.

Then we wonder, when will all these end?




















This is the typical life in the Rat Race.

Why called Rat Race?

See, everybody living months after months wondering why they are still not earning enough, it's exactly like little hamster running round and round in the metal wheel, come the next day, they are still in the same little cage.


It's a kind of Race that everyone participates but no one ever wins.

Have you ever ask yourself when will you stop running in the Rat Race?



If you were to ask my parents, they will probably tell you that all of these will stop when you retire or die.


Can you bear with it until you retire, or until you die?

Yes, many people are doing that, including my parents.

They believe they have no better option.

They look around, and they see everyone doing the same...

Then they tell themselves, it's life, everyone are working for money...

They work hard all their life, but in the end, nothing much left.

All that is left is a huge bill for the coffin, and few unpaid bills.

Then they say to themselves, it's better not to leave anything to the children, otherwise they will fight for the money...

That's the advice I get from my parents, but I'm sure that's not a workable answer in this 21st century.

Well, I truly believe that all of these will stops when we get out of the Rat Race.

There's no end to the Rat Race, unless you stop running, sit down and think rationally is this what you want out of life. The longer you run in the Rat Race, the less motivated for you to strive to get out of the Rat Race. It becomes a habit.

Let's focus on getting out of the Rat Race as soon as possible.

Let's motivate each others.