Enthusiasm

Over last weekend, I did something crazy...
At my age when I'm no longer that "young" & "energetic", I did a 28-hr shift of manning a booth to sell things & promote a particular event. It's part of a project I was helping out with. Working such hrs was no strange thing to me in my uni days.. however, it's been a couple of years since then & working has zapped much of my energy.

Despite the long hrs, I found it rather enjoyable. I re-learnt & experienced something that I've long forgotten... Be it doing voluntary work or Buddhist work, the most important thing is the process & we derive joy from doing it. I've long forgotten the main objective behind such work so much so that I often grumble when I meet with setbacks. Surprisingly, the people who taught me such a profound philosophy were actually my juniors! Though we were all tired after 1 night, they were still very jovial & were teasing each other & running around a little (true, we're a bit old to still play like that.. but who cares?? it's the fun that matters! :))
Well, I guess this is most impt.. in whatever we're doing, the process is a very impt part.. quite often we focus on the end results & being a pragmatic person, this is my way of doing things. However, this means that we've totally forgotten abt the whole process & it's often through the process that we learn the most & gain the experience. My juniors were having a good time themselves while they were helping others.. we can all achieve this! It doesn't necessary mean that a particular event is successful coz we've sold x items, raised $y. It could also be a time that we gather & learn & work together. The experience gained & the comaraderie shared are invaluable.

Revel in the moment, enjoy it...

Perceptions & truth

What do we mean by the truth?
Pretty often, what we believe in are merely our perceptions. Conflicts arise due to the different perceptions towards one matter.
Take for instance.. I might feel that someone is lying to me.. However, that person in question is hurt or feels indignant if he finds out that I think in this way.. He might think that I doubt his character & integrity.
But how do we define the word "lie"? It could simply means that actions do not match his words. I'll leave it up to the individual to decide whether the word has different implications when it's done with the intention or without/subconsciously.

Sigh... Recently, I got into this situation involving the definition of lies, integrity & honesty.
A big messy lot..
Then one fren came along & asked me this qn: Do u really need the company of this particular fren?
At that point of time, I felt as if I were Newton & an apple has just dropped on me! Eureka! I got it!
I've many frens.. each is different & unique. No one can substitute another. However, it's only a matter of my choice as in whom I want to be frens with & remain so. No man is an island.. but again, no 1 will die w/o the company of a specific person. I've chosen to make my stand & I guess it's up to that particular fren to accept it or walk out. Well... I guess this sounds rather curt.. but in reality, when ppl are frens, it's coz they enjoy each other's company & there's a particular bonding. However, at times when there is a strain, the relationship can only heal & strengthen or simply not withstand the test & break. It also depends how badly I want to remain as frens or rather how much efforts I wish to put in. I value friendship but if 1 party feels that he's short-changed, then it's time to re-evaluate on whether u wish to continue on...

Well.. life's always abt choices... We made the choice & we'll have to accept the consequences whether we like it or not... Regret? We might from time to time but do not wallow in it.. move on...

Action

If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart.
Leave no room for regrets.

Love & Compassion

Love and Compassion are necessities, not luxuries.
Without them, humanity cannot survive.

Hearing & Believing

Do not believe anything simply because you heard it. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

Male or Female??

I must clarify first... I'm no feminist...
But this is really too good not to share!!

A French teacher was explaining to her class that in French, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. "House"for instance, is feminine - "la maison." "Pencil," however, is masculine "le crayon."A student asked, "What gender is "computer'?"

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether"computer" should be a masculine or feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.

The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender ("la computer"), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic
2. The language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
(No chuckling guys ... this gets better!!!)

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine ("le computer"), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time THEY are the problem
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

Fly away!

Life's truly amazing... Pretty often, one action can lead to a whole domino effect. I'm truly happy that wat started off as a self-gratifying action has led to people whom I do not know at all to read abt me & my life. Well.. It's definitely good to know that it has a certain positive impact on others. Friends whom I seldom meet now come to me & said "wow... u've been keeping busy huh.." It's definitely a great feeling.. :o)

Life's been so busy that I think I've been sick coz I do not have enough rest!
In a recent trip to Kota Tinggi, I experienced the wonders of nature.. The feeling of the waterfall coming down on me was simply fantastic! & of coz... most importantly, it's actually the company of a few gd frens on this trip that made it so enjoyable. & of coz, all our needs were taken care of by this fren of mine who scored brownie points with all the ladies in the group! He not only went shopping earlier to get all the food, he also ensured that there were plenty of snacks, equipment to heat up the food, lamp, etc. Very very well-prepared. We were so pampered!

During the night, we went on a firefly cruise. Initially, the cruise simply sailed past the bushes where the fireflies were. We saw lights blinking on & off. The whole ferry went into turmoil each time a lone firefly flew past. Finally, thanks to the request by a couple on the ferry, the boatman brought us very near to the home of the fireflies. To my ecstasy, I managed to catch one in my hands. To see the small living thing moving around with the light pulsating, it was as if I held a small miracle in my hands. I decided to let it go.. coz it was where it belonged. Several of my friends were attempting to catch some. I became culprit to kidnapping one of the miracles by offering my friends my candy box to contain it...(and of coz stuffing all my frens with the candies that were not emptied out) I regretted my action almost instaneously. It was cruelty to remove the firefly from its species & familiar surroundings. Though its lifespan is short, it could have led a happier life in sychronisation with its family. Call me over-sentimental or watever, but I really felt that we were killing it faster by removing it from its habitat. Though we did eventually release it, the faint light that it emitted somehow told me that it was struggling to live. Well, humans always take whatever they wish from Mother Nature. One day, we shall all pay for this atrocity.

Lost something & found something?

I'm glad that someone likes the previous entry I put in (courtesy of a fren who emailed that to me). I find it extremely useful yet hard to practise. Many a times, we hold on to somethings coz we think we can't let go.. We know that it might be more painful holding on to it.. but while it lasted, it may be beautiful & we cannot just bring ourselves to let go. It can be that special someone whom you like but you know that it'll not work out, someone close to you who's dying & you refuse to let the person go, the project that you've been handling all the while but someone else just took over... It takes much determination to give up certain things.. these things might be harmful to us or to others, yet we simply cannot let go.

For the relationship, both parties might be better off if we choose to let go & simply remain as frens. Of coz, there're times when you definitely have to try it out or you'll regret it.

As to letting go of a love one, pretty often, though the person is in much pain, we simply cannot bear to let go & persist in finding a miracle cure. It's true that miracles might happen.. but at times, the love one simply needs "permission" from you to move on...By hanging on, you're prolonging his pain. This point of view is explained very well in the book "Tuesday with Morris". It not only touches on how to deal with dying, but also on how to live & on the various religious perspectives. Consider reading "The Alchemist" & "Veronika Chooses to Die". These are some great books! They bring across great philosophies in an easy to read story.

As work, it's often hard to let go when something is your brainchild all along. However, if we're less selfish, the handling over of our project to another party might result in better & more innovative ideas. We're often too stuck in our own way of thinking coz we were the 'parent' of the baby. It can also signify that it's a good idea, hence it's being continued by another person. It's also time for us to move on & maybe handle a new challenge.

You may say that I'm a rather morbid person for the thought of my love ones leaving me have often crossed my mind. I always choose to believe that no matter what happens, death cannot take away the memories we have of the person nor the moments we've shared. The person has simply moved on ahead of us. Hence, we can be sad.. in fact, it's natural & healthy to be sad when we lose someone or something. But in a reasonable time, we should move on... & allow ourselves to heal..

Lost something?

One day an old man boarded a bus. As he was going up the steps, one of his shoes slipped off. The door closed and the bus moved off so he was unable to retrieve it. The old man calmly took off his other shoe and threw it out of the window.

A young man on the bus saw what happened, and could not help going up to the old man and asking, "I noticed what you did, sir. Why did you throw out your other shoe?"

The old man promptly replied, "So that whoever finds them will be able to use them."

The old man in the story understood a fundamental philosophy for life -
Do not hold on to something simply for the sake of possessing it or because you do not wish others to have it.

We lose things all the time. The loss may seem to us grievous and unjust initially, but loss only happens so that positive changes can occur in our lives. We should not always assume that losing something is bad, because if things do not shift, we'll never become better people or experience better things. That's not to say of course that we only lose "bad" things; it simply means that in order for us to mature emotionally and spiritually and for us to contribute to the world, the interchange between loss and gain is necessary.

Like the old man in the story, we have to learn to let go. The world had decided that it was time for the old man to lose his shoe. Maybe this happened to add momentum to a series of events leading to a better pair of shoes for the old man. Maybe the world decided that someone else needed the shoes more.

Whatever the reason, we can't avoid losing things. The old man understood this. One of his shoes had gone out of his reach. The remaining shoe would not have been much help to him, but it would be a cherished gift to a homeless person desperately in need of protection from the ground.

Hoarding possessions does nothing to make us or the world better. We all have to decide constantly if some things or people have run their course in our lives or would be better off with others. Then, we have to muster the courage to give them away...

Tap your feet to the rhythm!

I went to catch Lord of the Dance yesterday. It was a highly-entertaining performance. I was utterly amazed at how a whole group of dancers were able to tap their feet in synchronisation to the rythym of the music! It was also rather bewildering the speed that the human feet could move at! It was a classical story of how the hero, Lord of the Dance, stood up to justice & defeated the bad guy, the Dark Lord, & at the same time, hold off the enticement of the "Temptress" & won the love of the fair lady. Interwoven between the dancing was the solo singing of "Erin the Goddess of Love" & the performance of 2 violinists.

Never mind the fact of how 2 persons can fight by circling each other & tapping their feet furiously while posing some "menacing gestures". Never mind how the Lord of the Dance & the Dark Lord fight by pushing each other around like 2 small schoolboys. If you simply immerse yourself in the performance without engaging the logical mind, the performance was highly enjoyable & at the end of it all, there was some audience who stood in ovation.

Oh.. yes.. before I forgot, I must thank the company that I had for this performance. As my fren once mentioned, quite often, it's not the activity that matters.. it's the company.. & I must say that this particular fren of mine was pretty entertaining as well with his "attempts" at trying to emulate the movements of the dancers & his humour :)

Figures

Grown-ups love figures…

‘When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead, they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.’

~The Little Prince~

Anonymous?!!!

Hihi dear frens.. I really love it when u guys add in your comments to my blog. It really feels like an interaction. However, 1 favour to ask tho... can you kindly leave your name behind instead of "anonymous"??? At least I know who's leaving the comments mah! Even if not your full name, maybe some initials so I can at least identify you??
For Mr/Ms Dear Anonymous, pls add in your name lah!

Thks so much! & do keep all your comments coming in! :)

4-Letter Words

Last Mon to Wed, my head was filled with 4-letter words... everyone I see, I was trying to see these words on them!

Dun be mistaken... I merely attended an MBTI course - Myer-Briggs Type Indicator.
It was an extremely fun-filled learning experience these 3 days & I learnt to see why certain people behave in a certain manner & why I reacted in certain ways myself!
The instructress, Angeline Yam, was fantastic.. She can jump into any role at the snap of your fingers & at the start of the course, I almost thought that she was a bit hysterical! :p But she proved to be extremely learned in this area.. as she mentioned, she lived, walked, breathed MBTI! And she's extremely 'fixed' in her idea that people are "born" into the 16-type indicators. You might acquire & develop the other types.. however, you cannot change your type since the day you're born! Well.. I'll leave this to the individual to mull over & think more abt it..

I still cannot figure out what exactly am I at the end of the course... my test results shown that I'm an ENTJ - Extravert, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging but the description that seems to fit me would be that of an ESTJ - Extravert, Sensing, Thinking, Judging.
Basically all these simply in summary means that:
1) Extravert - I draw energy from talking to people. I love to interact.
2a) Sensing - Figures, facts & details are impt to me. I'm practical & support all my reasoning with these. I'm a here-&-now person.
2b) iNtuitive - Look at possibilities & the big picture. Conceptual, abstract, follows hunches & trusts inspiration. Look more at the future.
3) Thinking - Analytical, solve problems with logc. Reasonable. Use cause-&-effect reasoning. Objective but can appear as "tough-minded" as often directed at issues rather than persons.
4) Judging - Scheduled, systematic, like to make short & long-term plans.
Angeline's idea is that I'm an ENTJ who has a highly acquired "S"!

So it's up to you all to judge for yourself if I were an ENTJ (field marshall) or ESTJ(executive)! Btw, I must emphasize that despite being a "J", I can be just as spontaneous & fun! Coz a "J" can make the decision to just go along with changes & be just as flexible! :p

Move your feet & open your ears!

2 weekends ago, I attended a workshop conducted by Super Mario & Susana Montero. These 2 instructors are from UK & they were simply fantastic! Though the course was extremely tiring (since it spanned over the entire Sat & Sun), it was truly an experience to see 2 of the top salsa instructors in action. Mario has plenty of moves while Susana's styling was extremely cool...her movements were so fluid & beautiful! They were great instructors... hmm.. let's see if this particular student can remember what they taught though! :p

After the workshop on Sat, I went to watch Sound of Music. It was fantastic! Some of the songs they sang were so catching that you cannot help but sing along. The actress in the role of Maria has an extremely good voice & those few small little kids jumping around were so adorable.. Never know that this story was true... until a fren who was watching the musical with me mentioned so. Hmm... that really changes the whole perspective towards this musical! You can't help but admire the courage of our hero & heroine in it!

The technique to deal with teasing..

I've not been blogging for quite some time since I was busy.. so some catching up here on my hectic 2 weeks!
2 Fridays ago, I had a dinner with my frens as 1 of my frens is leaving to work in Shanghai in a couple of days. Well... I dunno why on earth this particular fren of mine loves to tease me abt 1 of my close guy frens & I. There were indeed some rumours going on in our university days as we were often together but the rumours died down after awhile.
Though I'm not that affected by his teasing, it does get a bit irritating since this guy keeps going on at it everytime we meet!

So I devised a plan to get him to stop teasing me.. each time he starts, I'd say "how can you do that?? You should know the person I like most is you & it hurts to be pushed away like that!" :p :p
It works like a charm... as this fren of mine is rather shy.. of coz... if it comes to dealing with thick-skinned guys or guys that are quite sporting, this technique might not work...