2008: A Year of Change It Was!

Indeed 2008 has been a Year of Change as I stated in my blog entry "2008 : The Year of Change !" in the beginning of the year. For one, my university has a new President, US is getting a black President into the White House for the first time in history, Malaysian on the other hand has reduced the 2/3 majority of the ruling party in the parliament and there were surprisingly and unexpected change of state governments in 5 premier states, though the much anticipated change of federal government never materialized and rather disappointing.

Now that changes have occurred, will they last? Will they turn out to be good changes?

Change is only the beginning, change will not occur if everyone still expects to work the old ways. Real change is not just at the leadership level, it is in the hands of everyone, as Barack Obama said:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

Real positive change requires actions; it is obvious the whole world is in uncertain times. There is the economy crisis, the leadership crisis in the world, in the country and in our society. Wars and turmoils are everywhere, there are people with too much to eat, and yet people are dying from hunger everywhere. People busy making a living and yet too busy to live. Homo sapiens are destroying the only habitat they share with other species and it is almost too late.

The first black president will take office soon in the White House next year, Malaysia is expected to have a new Prime Minister, Cyberia will hopefully get a new property management.

At a personal level, I will have to get my PhD somehow by this next year, but not by hook or by crook for sure. Getting PhD is not the end, just the opposite as there are lots to be done in research. Completing PhD will mean moving on different and tougher challenges in my life that has been pending for too long. My university is going through a whole face lift and many changes have taken place, it is still uncertain if those changes are sufficient to effect real changes when many people still work the old ways and having the old work cultures and mentality. Everyone of us will have to play our share of responsibilities to effect real changes, and that is like swimming against the stream and when many people are swimming merely following the stream down to the ocean of obscurity.

In all these tough time and uncertainties ahead, hope is all we have, hope is what we need. Other than doing the little thing we should and could be doing to effect positive changes, all we could do is to hope for the best and to believe real changes will come.

Indeed 2008 has been a year of change, what 2009 will be? What do you think?

Happy New Year 2009 to everyone !