War Cry

Definitions of war cry on the Web:
- a slogan used to rally support for a cause; "a cry to arms"; "our watchword will be `democracy'"
- a yell intended to rally a group of soldiers in battle

I remember when I was in the Anti-Riot Platoon, our squad would march together in unity, chanting "ho, ho, ho" and banging our shields on the ground with every stride we take. During our drill when we were attacked by the rioters, it was my inner war cry that fuels the strength to turn from a defender hiding behind the long shield, to the aggressor fighting back using the same shield.

The long shield. A bulky piece of equipment that renders the user highly immobile.
The long shield. A handy piece of equipment that serves as both an arm our, and as a weapon.

Life is fair; same piece of equipment, and the results depends on how you use it. You can use it to block attacks from the rioters, absorbing the shocks of the attacks with your arms and shoulders. Or you can use it to counter the attacks of the rioters, packing a punch behind every block to deter future attacks.

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When I was behind the shield, absorbing the attacks from the rioters, and watching my peers taking hits after hits, an instant thought flashed across my mind: what would the professional ARP squad have done? Visuals of riots being reported in the news came to my mind, and in each of the clips, the anti-riot police are the ones that are in control, not the rioters. Afterall, we are protected behind shields, and are wearing body armor that protects us from most physical attacks. What would the professional ARP have done?

That was my war cry. You are the ARP. You are the one properly equipped. You are the one in control.


An event like this comes and goes in everyone's lives. Sometimes, they are so trivial that we do not realize that we have experienced an important paradigm shift. Or sometimes, we are so overwhelmed with events that we are living in the past, or for the future, and worse, just going through the motions.

Whatever the reasons, I had just experienced an important paradigm shift recently, and would like to write this down, so that it can serve as a reminder to me or my friends that when we are down, sometimes we may already have what we need to get up again. Same shield, and depending on how you use it, there will be different outcomes.

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Over the past few years, I have been contemplating about taking CFA. It's been 4 years since I graduated, and the reasons (not really excuses, for they are valid at that point of time) that I have given to myself are :
1) It's too early to take CFA, I need more industry exposure
2) I don't need another paper qualifications
3) I can do my own self-study without registering for the exam
4) It's not relevant to my career
5) I can learn much more on the job, as compared to an exam
6) It will not help me get into the financial services industry

There are also other reasons (fears), which I did not explicitly identified:
1) What if I can't commit to the time required for studies
2) What if I fail
3) What if I pass, and still can't get into the financial services industry, then I will have no more excuses..

This week, I made a decision to sign up for the CFA exam. There are many reasons for my decision, but only one truly matters: If you don't try, you'll never know. And if you try and fail, then learn from the failure. Isn't this what life is about? It's not about keeping a perfect track record, for no child ever learns to walk without falling.

PS: I fell twice while roller-blading this morning. Looks like I'm one step closer to learning how to blade!

PPS: and being a rational decision-maker, below are the reasons (or counter-reasons) for my decision

1) It's too early to take CFA, I need more industry exposure - if 4 years is not enough, nothing is..
2) I don't need another paper qualification - CFA is a paper qualification if you see it this way. Fortunately, I now see it as being more than just an exam; it's a knowledge area which I'm lacking
3) I can do my own self-study without registering for the exam - face it.. I won't study hard if there are no deadlines.. 书非借不读也。。
4) It's not relevant to my career - the pursuit of knowledge is never career-dependent. And besides, Finance knowledge will Always be relevant to any career
5) I can learn much more on the job, as compared to an exam - not true. Theory and Practical works hand-in-hand. 缺一不可
6) It will not help me get into the financial services industry - maybe.. maybe not.. but this should not the reason for taking cfa
7) What if I can't commit to the time required for studies - everyone has 24 hours. You plan your own time and priorities
8) What if I fail - what if you will never know if you will fail. If you don't want to fail, then how do you define success?
9) What if I pass, and still can't get into the financial services industry, then I will have no more excuses.. - why do you need excuses? Is it because someone is not trying hard enough?...