Mahatma Gandhi said “ Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” When it comes to GMBA learning, I will never want to put this to an end, because that’s a lifelong investment. Sometimes I felt I am like a shark, whenever there is good chance approaching, I will directly attack without any fear. Therefore, I invested many things in my life. To be honest, as a 43 year-old young man, my investment portfolio is not too bad.

At the age of 18, I borrowed money from my parents and invested in traveling to see the world. My first trip was to Japan, it was also my first time traveling abroad. However, Asia is not enough to satisfy my curiosity. Then I traveled around Europe and USA every winter and summer vacation in my four years college. After college I returned the money to my parents, ever since then, I never use their money.

At the age of 22, I bought my first car with the salary I saved in military college. It’s a brand-new Mercedes-Benz car (the cheapest one-Smart for Two). I always hate to spend money on something I don’t like, since we vote with what we buy. As a communication officer, I do need a car to travel around military bases in Taiwan.

At the age of 28, I purchased my first art collection in order to support the disaster relief in Japan. Since then I have started my art collection path and did many research in the art world. Now I have hundreds of art collections, including Antiques and contemporary artworks (my favorite artworks are from Andy Warhol and Hiroshi Sugimoto).

At the age of 30, I invested in my first house, it’s huge and located in the countryside, because Taipei city is way too expensive to buy. I am lucky to own this piece of land and I believe in destiny, it must be something beautiful going to happen in the future.

At the age of 32, I decided to quit my job and invested in NTU Global MBA program, job transition from military to business. Believe it or not, it turned out to be the best investment I have ever had.

Thanks to GMBA, I was able to have business case discussion with talented young professionals around the world, get out from comfort zone learning finance from zero, especially thanks to professor Hsu Wenhsin, Joe Hsueh and Chen Chialin. I also audit many cool courses outside business school and I was lucky to fulfill my dream of studying in Paris during the time I had exchange program, big thanks to Yvonne Chen’s assistance.

Thanks to GMBA, I met Joseph Liao, a senior from NTU EMBA program, while I was working as brand manager in iTutor group. Thanks for his encouragement and invitation, we co-founded Tai-fu association, and facilitated cross-sector collaborations. I am now the CEO of NTU EMBA YiShi Club, we do charities and create a social platform for bridging GMBA and EiMBA. Moreover, I have also hosed a monthly book club among NTU EMBA for more than 8 years.

There was a time when I was full-time student in GMBA, I worked as Teacher’s assistant for professor Joe Hsueh, I was fascinated to learn the foundation of systems thinking, it really corresponds to what I learned in Buddhism. Joe invited me to start working with him from part-time consultant, through the discipline and practice of systems mapping, I do believe our systems approach can really make the world a better place. Now I am traveling around the world to help leaders in aligning resources for Systemic Impact.

Thanks to GMBA, I learned the happiness of simplicity. Being a full-time student will make your life very simple, it’s an amazing “Pause” in my life. After crazy Avicii party in Ibiza island, I still enjoy listening Electronics music in my MINI car. After participating many classical concerts in Europe, now I like playing cello by myself, it’s a great way to calm me down. After participating VIP events of Paris Fashion week and Art fairs with endless cocktail talks, now I prefer deep dialogue with close friends. After life and death experience during “Camino de Santiago”, now I appreciate every breath and every moment in my life.

Life is too short to waste on something you don’t even like. I especially love the quote from Oscar Wilde: “I have the simplest taste, I am always satisfied with the best”. If I can provide any suggestions to young people, please do not shop around your life, instead just aim high and invest, quality is always more important than quantity. Please don’t compromise and only invest the best option for yourself, it will make your life much simpler, then you will find not so many things are able to trigger your attention, and Voila, that is the spirit of “The pursuit of simplicity”. Please go find your “Wild”-your true self, humbly go with the flow and stick with the right direction in service of others.