People have been asking me since I was 12 on what I wanted to be. The answers have gone from archaelogist, to priest, to architect, to businessman, to conman. But the answer that I always had was the same as the Japanese sword saint, Miyamoto Musashi; to be the greatest under heaven. And like Miyamoto, I came to realise what being the greatest means.
When I was born, my dad chose an audacious name for me, in English it reads Tan Yeong Par but in Chinese, it is Chen (family name) Yeong (brave) Par (tyrant). Chinese have a believe that if you can not live to your name, you will pay for it with your life. Needless to say, my grandmother was furious and I grew up challenging everything regardless of the odds. Doing what I do in each job is a challenge. Right now, my words are my words and like Miyamoto who went around the land searching for the greatest, I started out that way too way early in my career. Seeking to make a name for myself. Now, Miyamoto according to records after defeating his arch rival Sasaki Kojiro finally understood the meaning of being the greatest after that. Being the greatest meant that you had to understand that you were the not the focus of the universe and that the world does not revolve around you, rather, greatest is just a word. The way of the sword is a journey of self discovery and thats all that matters.
To be the greatest, it means that you have come to realised that the only opponent has always been yourself. When you have reached that peak, you look around and see so many more peaks around you but you do not go around beating each peak. You grow with your peak in your own way. That is the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū school that Miyamoto established. I have dreams of my own that the blog has come to represent and I think I may have found a measure of peace, I came to realise that when I left a 'real' job at Sime Darby and decided to be the 'greatest under heaven' and forge my own road. I want to see how far I have come and how far more I have to go. Now, how does this all fit into the 'So You Wanna be a Pilot?' competition? This is a competition where it is all about the candidates understanding their motivations, and putting in their best efforts.
What I'm looking for are the 'greatest under heaven'. Those who understand their limitations, their strengths, and willing to do what it takes to be a pilot. Simple? Not so. I've been swamped by countless calls by mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and others on the competition. If you want it, all I can say is, come and get it! this is your fight, your duel, your life.
You have to stand up and want it. I want to see your sweat, blood, and dreams in your posts. If you can't do that then you're not up for it. This competition was designed on several physchological reasons which was never revealed. For one, the amount of entries you sent shows your confidence level or even how much you want it. The amount of effort you put in shows your character, although you have the results but if you expect it, you are only going to get so far. The amount of creativity that shows how much you think out of the box. Your writing shows me more than you know and if you are serious about this. Yes, there are other ways to be a pilot but how many reveal to you as well whether you are making the right choice?
So are there any out there that are 'greatest under heaven'?
