Where 2011 ends, 2012 begins...

As I wait in anticipation for the clock to strike announcing the new year, a feeling of contentment filled me ~ for I feel that it is a privilege to be able to usher in another new year... :))

I don't mean to sound negative but in contrary I feel blessed to be able to live another year and I look forward and am ready to take whatever 2012 has to offer!

The year 2011 has been a very productive year for me in terms of spiritual and career development. I have travelled to six countries (around Asia ~ considering that I haven't been out of the country in the past ten years!) and have been given the opportunity to do what I loved doing: training and curriculum planning. As 2011 ends, 2012 begins with new opportunity (I have accepted a new position) which I hope will bring me closer to my dream.

A happy and progressive 2012 to all! :))

socialise ~ for an active brain

I took the Komuter train to KLCC yesterday (didn't fancy being caught in the weekend traffic jam should I drove) and on the way back, met an interesting chinese 'old' lady. I got the seat next to her half-way thru the journey. She asked whether I could gave her my spare plastic bag (Saturdays being the no-plastic bag day!) and I gv it to her.

We started talking in Mandarin!!(I don't read chinese and am more conversant in English and Malay) and the subject moved on to... spending time after retirement. She told me that if she didn't communicate (as in talking/speaking) to someone, she may soon loose the ability to talk, ie. might not be able to get the mouth to form the words!!! So,, she keeps herself active speaking to people and also communicating with people including her grandchildren thru fb!!! (the advantageous of fb) and keep her brain active learning how to use iPad(it has to be iPad, lol!!). The funny thing is, she said her grandchildren will write in the simplified chinese and she will reply in the full original chinese writing. Interesting lady ~ I hope I wld be as ineteresting and motivated when I am at that age =)

Changes

There's the saying, 'the only constant thing in life is change.' Human being is so unique -- no one human stays the same all the time.

People change everytime they learn/experience something new - if there's no changes in their thinking/behaviour, they have not learnt from the experience. People who do not change, are normally fearful of something and they tend to live in their own small world and build a fence around themselves.

Learning happens only when one is receptive and reflective. What happens if one outgrows the other, be it a close friend or partner - what would one do then? Would one try to stay status quo or get the other to learn something and grow in tandem? What if the friend or partner couldn't see the reason to change or grow?

Changes are bound to happen one way or another - one just need to accept them and change accordingly or be left behind.

Is it, then, time for one to move on... ???

I choose to listen to my inner voice :)

fnote: taken from http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Frobinchoosehappiness.blog.com%2F%3Fp%3D12&h=jAQGkCOoH

Opening a door that I can't shut

Last year I had to make a big life decision and I had felt that I might be opening a door that I can't shut. After walking thru that door, now I realised that there are many more doors that I can open...

...especially one which I will be opening soon and I might step into a totally different territory. I am telling myself to walk thru without fear and hope that I will enjoy what lies beyond the door... :)

View from above

View from the window
that greeted me in the mornings
and calmed my soul each evening
...in the past two years... =)


Many days were spent
on doing what I loved most
and on self-reflections
... throughout these two years... :)

Don't let the spark die

"Many of us go through school, university and several years of working quite aimlessly. We may feel on occasion like something is missing – that spark, the zing of life, the song in the heart or whatever it is that makes one feel alive and raring to go. That fantastic and special activity that has some others jumping out of bed, looking forward to yet another day may not have existed. Not to say, there were no exciting days – there sure were some of those moments which we wanted to hang on to forever.

The key is to pause and notice what we are doing at that precise moment when our heart is pumping harder and happier. Is there just one specific activity that creates this feeling within us or are we fortunate enough to have different options? Once we can identify that note of music that drives us to keep dancing, then we just need to find ways to strike that note again and again. Living that way is the most authentic, fun-filled and passionate existence we can have.

To conclude this piece, I would like to share a small story. Few months back, we were in Seattle visiting with family, and I overheard a conversation between my 14 year old son, Aman, and 13 year old niece, Resham. They were having a profound discussion on what they would like to do after high school, and Aman who is a basket ball player was sharing with Resham, “I am going to the University of Kentucky – they have the best basket ball team in the world. After that I will get recruited by the Boston Celtics.” Resham asked him, “Oh! But what if you can’t get in there? What’s Plan B?” Aman responds, “The Boston Celtics are my Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D.”

When you discover your passion, then do away with every back up plan."

The above is a post from a blog that I follow (see my blog list). I totally agree that, once the spark is ligthed, don't let it die... and if you haven't noticed yours yet, keep searching and you will find it soon enough :D

Steve Jobs

Oct 5, 2011 - The man behind Apple, Steve Jobs, passed away at the age of 56. He was, to many, "a man whose brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives."

However, reading Joe Nocera's writings about him, one wonders would he have compassion for the people around him if he had gone to Japan when he wannted to then???

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/opinion/Nocera_Ch2.pdf

EQ

When my daughter was 7yo, she asked me, "Mummy, why the girls (in our neighbourhood) didn't want to play with me?" (those girls were a year or two older than her) and ten years later, she asked me a similar question, "Mum, why some people don't return my smile?"

My daugther is a very friendly and helpful person; is the president of her school student body and I am glad that she is bothered with the above sentiment ~ shows that she is reflexive and will develop good EQ sense - what Daniel Goleman would termed as inter and intra-personal intelligences :)

I think that the world will be a better place if everyone practices a little EQ...
.

Tibet ~ Roof top of the world

In my quest to find myself and to know more about Buddhism, last month I embarked on a 11-day trip to Tibet with a friend and other like-minded people :)

Tibet is the highest country in the world and where Mount Everest is located. Our purpose to Tibet was not to climb Everest but to visit the various Tibetan monasteries and to be blessed by the Living Buddha. We were told that there were two types of lamas in Tibet, the Dalai Lama and Penchan Lama. Apparently, the Dalai Lama lived in the front-side of Tibet and the Penchan Lama lives in the inner-side of Tibet. After the self-exile of the Dalai Lama to Dharamsala, India in the late 1950s, Penchan Lama took over. The lovely palace seen here is Potala Palace, the main residence of the Dalai Lama before his exile.

We entered Tibet via Xi Ning, China (3,000++m above sea level) and took the 24-hr scenic train ride to Lhasa (3,650m high). The scenery throughout the train ride was amazing and breathtakingly serene. I took many pictures of the snow-covered mountains, the mirror-image lakes, the clouds... :) As we reached Lhasa, the biggest worry on everyone's mind was the high altitude sickness. Although most of us were mentally prepared, some succumbed to the sickness and had to put on drip and carried the 'oxygen tank' around with them throughout the trip. There were cases where travellers were hospitalised (2 - 3 days) due to severe breathing difficulty. I am happy to say that I was all right all the way - I didn't feel any dizziness, headaches or fatique, just a little breathlessness here and there. I was really surprised because I am not a sports person and had never been very active.

The highest point we reached was the Tibet Plateau and the Karola Glacier near Kamba- la Pass(about 4,700m high). The view from there was amazing! As usual, I took lots and lots of photos! :)


The visit to the monastries were what I loved most - we visited about five of them. In most monasteries, the monks kept to themselves and we were not allowed to take their photos, except one monastery where we were allowed to with a fee. I paid the fee and took some photos of monks reciting the scriptures. Some of the monasteries were quite run-down and deserted. In Lhasa, we stayed in a hotel which is owned and operated by a company set-up by a group of monks. I guess, this is the only way they could have money to upkeep the monasteries.

Being in Tibet, the highest country in the world, and seeing the vastness of the mountainous country and the amazingly breathtaking and tranquil scenery ~ I can understand why the lamas build the monasteries there. I had enjoyed the trip very much and brought back the popular Tzi beads (aka sky beads) as souvenirs and also a potrait of Buddha painted in natural-dye. Once is not enough for me, I would love to visit Tibet again :)

The power of mind

During the times of bandits and masterless samurais, a famous Japanese tea maker was asked by his master to take a trip to the city. Being a non-warrior type, he hesitated but his master told him to just dressed like a samurai and nobody will bother him. As he was walking around the city, he came face to face with a ronin. The ronin invited him for a fight, panic stricken, he tried to buy some time and said to the ronin, "I hv a very important tea ceremony to attend now, we will meet this evening by the bridge for the duel.'" The ronin agreed and the tea maker rushed to a samurai school and asked the chief samurai, "Please show me how a samurai dies in honour."

The chief instead asked him to make him a cup of tea. Perplexed, the tea maker started the tea making process, step by step (thinking that this would be the last time he would make tea and took every step as his last) and the chief watched every step closely. When the tea was done and was presented to the chief, it was the best tea that he had ever drunk. Hence, the chief told him,"'Go for the duel, approached it just as how you would make tea." Still unsure, the tea maker made his way to the bridge and kept pondering on the chief's words and picturing the process of getting ready to fight.

So, when he faced the ronin (with the exact state of mind as when he was brewing tea), he fixed his gaze on his opponent, then unhurriedly removed his hat, robe (folded it slowly) and proceed to robe himself for battle from head to foot remaining calm and unruffled throughout. The ronin started to get anxious - the more he watched, the more disconcerted he became, because he could not guess how great his opponent's skill with weapons really was.

When the tea maker had finished preparing himself, his final action was to draw his sword and as his sword was drawn hissing from its scabbard, and brandish in mid-air... the ronin threw himself to his knees, crying: "Spare my life, I beg you! I have never seen so skilled a fighter in all my life!"

Ref: 'Confucius from the Heart' by Yu Dan.
.

A missed opportunity?

Last nite, I was awaken (at abbout 2.30am) by a sudden thought: what would have happenned if I had seized the opportunity to lay out my cards in a relationship which ended a year ago?

The opportunity did arise at that time but I was filled with saddness + anger that I didn't grasp it. If I was able to control my emotions and acted 'rationally', I might still be in the relationship. But then there are other things that bugged me about the whole relationship that I didn't think it's worth staying.

I have always trusted my inner voice/feelings and think it is best to go separate ways for a while. I need to find myself again. If the relationship is meant to be, then a reconciliation might be possible.

For the time being, my life is pretty stable and smooth sailing :)

Openness...

Our days are numbered - some are destined to live only a few days or weeks, others push through the century mark. But whether we live a day or a century, a central question always remians: What is the purpose of our life? ie. what makes our life meaningful?

It seems like common sense that our purpose of existence is to seek happiness ~ but isn't a life based on seeking personal happiness by nature self-centered, even self-indulgent? Apparently not...

Research has shown that happy people exhibit a certain quality of openness, a willingness to reach out and help others. In fact, it is the unhappy people who tend to be most self-focused and are often socially withdrawn, brooding and even antagonistic. For eg., "Well, I've been stuck here waiting all this time; why shouldn't they?"

Hence, as one begin to identify the factors that lead to a happier life, one will learn how the search for happiness - offers benefits not only for oneself but the family and society at large.

My thoughts: being open is one of the many ways leading to a happier inner self - don't be afraid to be open. =)

ftnote: above are excerpts from: "The Art of Happiness" by HH Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler

.

Remembering yesterday ~

Remembering yesterday ~ "...I ran so fast that time, youth at last ran out and I never stopped to think what life is all about..."

Now, as I pause and take stock of my life... there are still so many songs to be sung and many friendships to be rekindled and strengthened :)

Here's the song that brought up this nostalgic feeling...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRaIvpMNpJw&feature=related

Connecting the dots...

In his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005, Steve Jobs sum up his life in three stories.

I love his second story: he talked about connecting the dots and a belief in something, ie.yr guts, destiny, karma, etc., that the dots from the past will connect to the dots in the future. An event/situation happened for a reason and the reason will be known sometime in the future.

Listen to his full speech on youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

How are you, Marvin?

Hi Marvin,

Maybe what I hv written so far may not be in sync with your current train of thoughts. It may seem like I am pushing you to the direction that you cannot or won't take or that I do not understand yr situation. But, if I were to concur with what you hv written, would there then be any room for inner reflection in yr part or mine even? It is because of the differences in our opinions and situations that l believe can create more room for self reflection.

I know, I may sound like I don't understand yr current situation, but I do. Sometimes, there are too many high stakes in the current situation that a mistake can cause a lot of damages. And there is no 'window of opportunity' to get out. I was lucky that I had my window of opportunity but then it came after 10 years! My mother didn't get her window of opportunity because she lived in an era where divorce or separation is unheard of. Having said that maybe her window of opportunity was her ealry death (at the age of 38 yo), ie. releasing her from her torment and sadness.

However, I believe that even though one does not hv the window yet, one can still empower oneself by saying it out loud to someone or write in a journal. Because when you do that, you sort of share your trouble or predicament with someone and somehow it will feel much better and lighter. And the thing will be stored in your memory space and will not occupy your current state of mind (if you know what I mean...).

Anyways, I read in a psychology journal, "a sense of personal control, empowerment and self-determination are associated with positive mental health"

I hope you are getting along fine :)

Warm regards,
Alee.

A Reader, A Writer and A Converser

Always a book at the side
for a quick escapism
from the harshness of life
into the realm of imagination;

Always a pen in the fingers
to pen down sweet or funny anecdotes
that bring daily cheers
and fun into the life of others;

Always a sweet converser
ever so sensitive to another
although life is no better
in this world filled with trouble.

A reader whose mind I admire
A writer whose words I yearn
A converser whose lips I adore
A heart which I yearn to own :)
.

A song a day ~

A song a day
Keeps distress at bay
Awaken what may
... to brighten up one's day

A song a day
Lovely music to the ear
When all is played
Soothed the soul of those who hear

A song a day
This I reckon
Will help me stay
... in perfect condition

A song a day...

I am a big fan of narrative works, especially reflective journals. I see song lyrics as a personal narrative where the song writer is actually retelling her story and reflecting over it when she sings it over and over again. To the listener, each has its own interpretation of the song's lyrics.

Songs have been a part of my life since I was young. My mother used to listen to songs every day and I began to appreciate songs in my early teens. I love songs that tell a story. Songs were so much a part of me that it became one of the topic for my toastmasters' speech (back in mid 90's). Lately songs played an even bigger part in my life: I would post songs (on a daily basis) on my fb wall; would dedicate songs to my fb friends; include a song or two in my training sessions and recently I even read a book which the author named it after a song.

It's amazing that there are so many song writers (English, Malay, Japanese and Chinese) who write such good song/lyrics that I could relate to. I can find a song or a part of the lyrics to relate to everything that is happening in my life; whether I am happy, sad or in need of encouragement - there are songs for every mood/occasion.

As I am writing this post, I am listening to a malay song sung by Aizat, "Lagu Kita." I have dedicated this song to my close friends and the lyrics, "arah hidup kita tergambar bintang di angkasa" - our direction in life is destined in our stars: which means that our life's destiny has been fixed the day we were born ~ such lovely lyrics... :)

.

ME ~ my life is my choice

When I was thniking of a name for my blog, I had wanted to name it my life is my choice but then many bloggers have already claimed the name and similar ones. Hence, I decided to name it authentic person ~ it turned out to be true because that was the essence of the blog -- searching for the authenticness in me : what is ME all about (???)

ME as it turned out have been lugging along many baggages -- some of which I have thrown out since I started the blog and I hv added on new and more ligther ones which do not bogged or tied me down. See March 24, 2010 and Sep 6, 2010 posts.
.
ME as it turned out have many dreams -- some which have been realised, some just realised and many more have yet to be realised. See March 4, 2011 post.
.
ME as it turned out was soon to be embarking on a spiritual journey -- a journey that has so far bring me to meet people that could help me along the way to reach my spiritual journey's desttination (is there one?). See Sep 21, 2010 ; Nov 4, 2010(a) and Nov 4, 2010(b) posts.

.
ME as it turned out have many friends - who have been so kind and supportive in helping me all this while. See May 6, 2011 post.
.
ME as it turned out -- do have a wonderful and illustrative life which I will not trade with another.
.
Happy ME Day! :))

Numerology: Vision and Number

"Numbers are an inspirational journey where it unlocks the door to self-awareness. They inspire one to question life’s purpose and seek the truth of self-realization. You will be amazed to know that numbers can tell a lot about almost everything that links to every human form and the environment surrounding us"

I have wondered about my affinity with number '9' since 18yo (ref. post on May 2, 2011). And last month, a friend introduced Visiber (Vision + Number) to me and through it I found out that indeed my base number is '9' and the personality trait of number 9's is very optimistic and open minded; loves to look neat and presentable at all times; very civilized, intelligent, alertness and sensitive. '9' knows when and how to attack and defend. Good at winning one's heart. Do things very fast and capable with their work but not in details. He/she doesn't take care of his subordinates. Outwardly, looks tough but soft inside. An emotional person, feeling of loneliness. Hmmm... I think the last three lines do not apply to me because I trust and respect my staff more than my clients. I am very resilient which can be translated to being tough and whenever I feel lonely or bored, I will look for a book to read/blog or call/look for my friends.

Apparently, each of us is born with a certain set of numbers. When some of the numbers are missing in our life, we are unable to reach our potential in life and may face many obstacles. Hence numerology can be used to lead us back to the right life path and live the life meant to be. Now, if you are like me: a believer in the power of the universal laws and LoA, it would be easy to believe in numerology as well. It is said that with the knowledge of your hidden field of potential and an in-depth understanding, you can gain mileage in a more profound life experience, which could be within your grasp and ultimate control. Life’s destiny is not destined without mercy nor control, but certainly within your capacity to crystallize a situation for yourself.

I am a believer and am practising it ~ hoping that it will lead me to the right path in my quest to live an authentic life :)

.

How happy are you at the moment?

I was reading a book about developing happiness in daily living and found this simple scale interesting. It was devised by psychologist Edward Diener, the founding father of happiness research in the 1980s. The scale has been widely used by researchers.

Read the following five statements. Then used a 1 - 7 scale to rate your level of agreement. I found the same scale on Oprah.com, go to the link below if you wish to do it on Oprah's website.

Scale:
Not at all true (choose either 1 or 2)
Moderately true (choose 3, 4 or 5)
Absolutely ture (choose 6 or 7)


Statements:
1. in most way my life is close to my ideal ( )

2. the conditions of my life are excellent ( )

3. I am satisfied with my life ( )

4. so far, I have gotten the important things I want in life ( )

5. if I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing ( )


Scoring:
31 to 35 - you are extremely satisfied with your life
26 to 30 - very satisfied
21 to 25 - slightly sattisfied
20 - neutral point
15 to 19 - slightly dissatisfied
10 to 14 - dissatisfied
5 to 9 - extremely dissatisfied


I do not have anger in my life at the moment but a little dissatisfaction to iron out. Am working on it and hope my dissatisfaction will decrease :))

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Satisfaction-with-Life-Scale

A friend in need

New entry, 8 May 2011:

Last month, I was asked by a friend to read: 'Secrets of the millionaire mind' by T. Harv Eker. I have not been reading any motivational book for the past 15 years - especially books on how to be rich! I don't buy the stuff they wrote and actually kept my distance from such books. However, since I am not reading any book in particular at the moment, I decided to give the book a try.

Wow, I was in for a surprise ~ he is one provocative speaker! His first chapter, 'Your Money Blueprint', had me saying to myself, "He is right, it does make sense." I was thinking of Pavlov's and Skinner's human conditioning and behavioural reinforcement theories. Most of the stuff he wrote, does indeed make sense and I am thinking of re-reading it.

Now, the reason I added this new entry here is to stress a point that Harv Eker has made, ie. "rich people are excellent receivers, poor people are poor receivers." Frankly speaking, I don't want to be rich for the sake of being rich, but I want to live a life that enable me to help people unconditionally. I can't be there if I don't have financial freedom :(

Relating to the last entry in this post, in the last paragraph, I wrote: "I am humbled to have them as my friends." Now, if I were to apply what Harv Eker said ~ I am not a good receiver. I should instead say to myself, "I am glad there are such good people around me and I need more good people." It is true that what you focus on expands, thus if I say that, I am placing focus on more good people coming to help me, hence the law of the universe will make it happen.

Reading this book got me thinking of my definition of authentic person/authentic living. If you noticed, since my first post (4 Jan 2010), I did not give a description on what I think authentic person/authentic living is all about. Honestly, I had felt that it is very individualised and subjective, ie. you live on what you think is true not based on what others think you should be like. I have given this some thought and may come up with my own definition some time soon :)
.
Entry on 6 May 2011:

I am thankful to have a staff who has turned into a very good friend ~ if I were to say in so much as I need something or missed eating something - she will get it for me in a day or two or cook/buy for me; and most recently I was looking for a place to relocate my centre - she (together with her husband) went round the neighbour hood and immediately let me know where there are houses for rent, even get the hp numbers for me. The relocation had troubled me because I was only given a month to vacate due to the change of my business status.

Being my staff, one may say that she did those things to gain my favour, but truthfully speaking, she didn't even ask for any special favours and declined my offer to promote her (she doesn't fancy dealing with too many people).

I don't wish to say that I am blessed to have such good people around me, but I want to say that I admire their goodness and truly bless them and I will return their good in my own way. I am humbled to have them as my friends :))
.

Number 9

Have you ever been told that you have an affinity to a certain number?

When I was 9 years old, I was told that the number 9 would be a very special number for me. At that young age, I don't know anything about numerology, did not pay any attention to it.

Then, when I was 15yo, I obtained a total aggregate of 9 for a major exam and at 17yo, an aggregate of 18 for another major exam. Looking at my results, it struck me that I do have some sort of relationship with the number 9! I do not know how the relationship works, but I have since taken number 9 as my lucky number ~ any major event in my life, after that realisation, would be planned on th 9th or 18th day of the month (the two most favourite numbers) and to a lesser degree, on the 27th. By far, 18 is my most favourite number ~ my handphone number ends with 1800 :)

When I went looking to purchase a house, I bought one next to a number 18. Most recently, I found a rented place which faces house number 18 and beside house number 9. I am now living in this rented place and is trying to understand more deeply the extend of my relationship with number 9.

Btw, as I write this post, my visitor counter stands at 1080 :))

Just One More Breath

The space between life and death = one breath!

Life can be so easily taken from us ~ just a breath away.

Life is so fragile ~ we do not know when our final breath would be: tonight, tomorrow, day after... ???

A good friend of mine lost her eldest daugther in a motor accident last night. Her daughter was in her early twenties. When I first received the news, I could not believe it - I told myself they must have mistaken, it must be someone else. I tried calling my friend but couldn't get thru to her. Then this morning, at 6.30am, my friend sent me a message: "Alee, I have lost my daughter, forever" That message really broke my heart. I called her and tried to console her. Deep down in my heart, I know that any parent who had just lost a child would be unconsolable. I told her that I will be there for her, call me whenever she wants to talk to somebody. I hope that she will find comfort from her family members.

Does knowing that life is short makes one more afraid to die or more determine to live a happy and fulfilling one? My choice is the latter :)

Remembering Mom

It is now past 1am ~ I am in a melancholic mood and thinking of my mom. A close female friend's predicament has triggered my melancholic feeling and the sudden thought of my mother.

I did not have the opportunity to know my mother very well. She passed away after a bout of illnesses. I was 13 yo then. I had felt for many years later that her death was untimely and I missed her a lot. I had gathered from the promise my mother made to me that her life was not the life that she had planned. She made the promise to me when she was lying in the hospital bed but sadly she was unable to fulfil it due to her early death.

My mother's life experience has taught me to believe in myself and not to depend on others. She was the reason for the way I think and the actions I had taken that have gotten me exactly where I am today, right now. The memory of her gave me the strength to do what I had to do to live the life I wanted.

My wish for all women in the world ~ live the life that you want and don't let others tell you otherwise :)

Unicity

New entry (22 Apr 2012)

Considering that this post gets quite a number of viewers, I have to make it clear that I posted the car pics here not because that they are expensive/luxury cars but... because of the registration number, ie. no. 9!! If you have browsed my blog, you will read a post about the number 9 :)

It has been a year since I was introduced to Unicity and I am happy to say that I am enjoying better health and is less worried about my health condition nowadays. The results can be seen by the many comments (compliments!!??) I received, eg.

"you look brighter these days",
"you have lost weight!",
"you look younger!" ...

But then it is not how I look, but how I feel inside is important :))

Last Entry (12 Apr 2011)




Haha..., you will be wondering why I have all these pix of luxury cars in my supposedly authentic livling blog??? Please read on to find out...

I was introduced to Unicity by a friend last month. Anyone who is into body detox and herbal products will ultimately be introduced to Unicity (my believe ~ unless you are already a practitioner of natural home remedies and herbal stuff). Hence, if you are a follower or just happened to browse my blog, let me share my experience with you here...

As you can see from my past entries (postings), I have wrote about my search for a detox program and the health farm that I have gone through to gain knowledge about healthy lifestyle. My life at this juncture, I would say that I have time freedom but not so much of financial freedom and even less health freedom. The latter has been worrying me for the past year. Then, I was introduced to the "Happy Life Project", a program designed by an organisation, Unipower, which is based in Bangkok, Thailand. Unipower is the business partner of Unicity (USA). Unipower has touched the life of thousands of people in Thailand and Unicity's herbal products have helped more than a million people there, including people suffering from illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chollestrol, hormone imbalance, etc. Others who are not suffering from any illness, like me, take the products to maintain good health in order to achieve health freedom status.

After hearing about the goodness of Unicity products and the viable system designed by Unipower, I decided to take a trip to Bangkok with my friends to attend a Unipower seminar last weekend. As my friend said, you need to be present (there in Bangkok) to feel the energy and vibration from the 10,000 people who are in the huge hall! Believed me, I FELT THE ENERGY!!! I was mesmerised by the huge crowd!

After the seminar, I had the priviliged of meeting the Unipower founder at his guest house located in the affluent housing estate in Bangkok. Again, I was mesmerised by the huge lovely house and all the luxury cars (a white lamborghini, a white bentley, a white porche cayenne and a black sport merc) he has in his driveway. Looking at him (at forty-plus), he is full of vitality and exudes good health ~ he looks like a young child full of enthusiasm and life. In order to protect his privacy, I will not post his pic here but posted some pix of his luxury cars.

Well, if you are given the opportunity to be introduced to Unicity, please listen and try out their products. You don't have to look further ~ you will gain your health freedom soon, and the time and financial freedom as well and live a happy and fulfilling life...

.

A letter to 'Future Me'

New entry, April 1, 2011:

I just came across a website, futureme.org: letters to the future. This website allows you to write an email to yourself and you can choose to receive it on any date in the future. I thought that was really cool! I am putting the link here (see below)for anyone interested to try it out :D)

Entry on March 30, 2011:

A letter to 'Future Me' -- I read the article in a magazine and thought it is an interesting way to get a person to look within them to search for what s/he would like to do but was unable to and his/her aspiration for the future.

Writing a letter to the future me allows the person to reflect and set her/his life back into the path that s/he wants to take. I think the process will help the person to look at her/his life objectively, ie. take stock of her/his life and do whatever is necessary to live a happy life henceforth.

I have promised myself that I will write a letter to 'future me' -- about the things and changes that I have made to live the life of an authentic person. I don't like to plan things too far ahead, hence my letter to the future me will be an annual affair.

"http://futureme.org/"
.

An uneasy feeling...

New entry, April 3, 2011:

The first 3 days of April has been good so far ~ the uneasy feeling is gone and I am feeling much brighter and happier now :)

On reflection, whenever one has an uneasy feeling, one always thought of it in a negative way: uneasiness = bad feeling (ie. something bad going to happen). I think the uneasy feeling I experienced was not a bad feeling afer all, but about tuning in to the universal laws. If you are interested in tuning to your inner self, you will realise that everyone of us has our very own cosmic force. This cosmic force allows us to be in tune with the universal laws or nature's laws. I believe everyone of us is connected to each other, one way or another ~ we are after all a part of the one great Universal Whole. So, when one's cosmic force is awaken, one's consciousness will be transmited into energy which anything and everything, both seen and unseen, is comprised of.

I believe my cosmic force has brought two new people into my life. These two persons were introduced to me by two of my friends and the one singular thing that we all (five of us) have in common is that we share the same chinese horoscope. For many years, I have experienced working harmoniously with people of the same chinese horoscope with me; we are somehow in tuned to each other. So I have no qualms at all when given the opportunity to work with such people.

I believe that the two persons I had just met could provide me more opportunity to live authentically. I can see that these two persons could be the ones that can help me to achieve higher spiritual growth :)

Entry posted on March 27, 2011:

I have been having this uneasy feeling for the past weeks -- I feel like something is going to happen, but, WHAT???

Things that normally go smoothly did not go too well, like: I missed the dateline of my bills, had a terribly bad sore throat and nearly lost my voice (my voice is my work), home appliance not working as it should, my car engine is not as smooth as it used to be (though I have just serviced it), etc. Hmmm... to calm myself, I kept telling myself that the month will pass and all will be well again. I am looking forward to next month!

April will be here in 3 days time, hope all will be well... :)
.

Goals vs Dreams

"A goal is a dream with a deadline" (Napoleon Hill)

Dreams on the other hand ~ "pass into the reality of action. From the action stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living" (Anais Nin)

New entry (March 14, 2011)

Barack Obama’s dream is — 'bring about real change, change that we can believe in.'

He has proven that if someone has a clear authentic dream, responds to it with love and passion, has the courage to pursue this dream, has faith in him/herself, and lives according to their dream, this dream will guide that person’s life and will result in purposeful and resolute actions. He took the responsibility to identify with his dreams and hope, and to respond to them with love and passion.

Entry posted on March 4, 2011:

I don't make goals but I have dreams. I realised one of my earliest dream in early 90's. Realising my dream made me believed that dream does come true! I have never stop dreaming ever since. Many more dreams has came true for me. One of my early 90's dreams came true in early 2000's (which has since paved way to more dreams). The most recent dream that came true was the one in early last year; another came true today; and one more in the pipeline waiting to be realised, hopefully this September. But then, since it is a dream, whether or not it materialised doesn't bother me; by focusing on it long enough, it will materialised when the right time comes along (ie. when its time to ripen).

I would not say that they materialised due to luck alone but in fact, I was preparing myself and waiting for them to materialise. Dreams do come true, one just need to be prepared and ready to accept them (sometimes, it does take a number of years, though, hahaha... even a decade!, ~ one need to have lots of perseverance and patience). When they do come true, you will feel a sense of real joy in your heart and only those who had their dream came true will truly understand the feeling.

"Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them" (John Updike).

Being mindful

I snapped at a good friend yesterday over a problem in my computer. Usually, I would have let it go, but this friend has done it again (changed my computer setting for the second time). I guess, the reason I snapped at her was more like to let her know that I was not pleased with her for messing with my computer (which is a personalised item) and that if she had wanted to change something, please check with me first (I thought this is plain courtesy). That was also the reason why I did not apologise immediately after that. However, my mind kept thinking about the matter and I realised that I must apologise in order to be at peace with myself. "A mind that cannot release phenomena is in a state of intoxication; it is important not be intoxicated" (Ven. Ajahn Chah).

So, I pondered over how should I apologise to her and decided on sending her a text message to confess and say that I was sorry that I lost control earlier. She texted back and said that it is okay, she understood that I was not in a good mood. I would have replied: thank you for understanding, but I didn't because I was not seeking for her understanding; I was seeking to release my mind of the matter so that I can be at peace (and not be intoxicated). Now this may sound very selfish, but I think to be mindful, we must first understand what clutters our mind. The whole incident wouldn't have happened if I do not have a cluttered mind, something must have bothered me to such an extent that I snapped at her earlier. My cluttered mind has impeded my thoughtfullness. I did not wish for this state of mind to continue, lest I will be snapping at every one I meet in the next few days ~ I need to clear my mind!

Therefore, I have to watch my mind and become aware of my thoughts; "paying attention in a particular way -- on purpose, in the present moment”(Jon Kabat-Zinn). The best way I can think of to explain this is ~ knowing that you are eating is not the same as eating mindfully (a quote from the Wildmind Buddhist Meditation @
http://www.wildmind.org/applied/daily-life/what-is-mindfulness

Here I would like to share a link on a talk given by Jon Kabat-Zinn on mindfulness (please skip the silly intro part). He talks with such truthfulness and authenticness. I love listening to him talk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc&feature=related

Soulmate: compatibility or complementing

I have always been intrigued with the notion of finding one's soulmate. I had reflected upon this notion many years ago and had concluded (then) that, "soulmate is hard to identify instantaneously and most people do not meet theirs in their current lifetime." I had pondered on its definition: a person with whom one has a feeling of deep and natural affinity; similarity; love; intimacy; sexuality; spirituality; or compatibility. In a related (spiritual) concept: is that of the twin flame or twin soul, which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate.

Therefore, when two person (putting gender aside) have the capability of existing or performing in harmonious or congenial combination, does it mean that they have found their soulmate? Does this mean that one's soulmate can be one's sister, brother, female friend, male friend or anyone who has established a close and harmonious relationship with us? I think this is possible and I believe that one can have more than one soulmates in one's life; they appear at a certain phase of our life to bring balance and harmony into our life.

A JoY in My Heart

I woke up this morning with a feeling of JoY in my heart:)

It is a wonderful feeling and I am still reflecting on what has brought the joy back into my heart. It is not the same feeling that I'd feel after I've done something or helped others (which I have been doing for the past decade). It is more like a serene feeling; a feeling of contentment ~ tranquil happiness. Yes, that is exactly how I feel and I wanted to record this feeling in my journal.

I thought about this feeling of tranquil happiness and realised that it has something to do with the wooden Buddha figurine that I have taken from my parents' home during the recent visit. The Buddha figurine has been in my parents' home for 35 years. Now, it sits in my living room and it gives a sense of serenity to my home.

We are what we think we are!

New entry (6 Feb 2011):

"Writing stimulates thoughts; the act of putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard engages our brains. To write we have to think" ~ from my earlier post titled, 'Engaging the brain' (24 Jan 2010). Writing (in any form) stimulates the thoughts and in the process helps to strengthen certain part of the brain. This is one of the reasons for this blog, ie. my living journal.

Entry posted on 1 Feb 2011:

When I was young, I thought that we can't be any more cleverer than what our genetic setup has for each of us; our propensity to learn has its limits. Now, neuroscientists are telling us that our brain cells do not stop growing after 6 yo but keep on growing and making new connections every time we experience something new. We can learn new things even at old age as long as we have a healthy bright brain. A quote from The NY Times: "We can indeed form new brain cells, despite a century of being told it’s impossible." Wow, that's good news indeed. We are what we think we are!

Reading about the new discovery spurs me on to change the way I think, to strengthen and to use my brain more efficiently. As each year passes, I am more aware of age-associated diseases such as Alzheimer and Dementia. Now, all books on regaining and retraining brains write about exercising the brain (eg. reading, doing crosswords or playing brain games such as the ones offered by Lumosity @ http://www.lumosity.com/), eating brain healthy food and being physically active.

This is all very interesting, I will continue to strengthen my brain and hope that I will not be suffering from Alzheimer or Dementia one day :D)

A lost book...

In a recent outstation trip, I found a book on the airport taxi counter. Before, I would have just picked up the book and put it in my bag without a doubt because I believe that finders are keepers.

But at the taxi counter, as I picked up the book and reading the title, I was thinking about the owner of the book. The subject matter is about regaining, retraining and maintaining one's brain. As I love reading anything about our three-pound universe, I can't resist taking the book. So as not to feel guilty (and being mindful about bad karma), I asked the lady behind the taxi counter whether she saw anyone leaving the book there? She shooked her head. So I told her that I am going to take the book with me and I will leave my contact number with her in case the person comes back to claim the book.

Now, in order not to have bad karma, I decided that I am going to sort of "borrow" the "lost book". I will take it with me and will return it should the owner call. If the owner did not call, I will then pass it forward to someone else after reading it.

The rationale; I will not only avoid accumulating bad karma but creating good karma when I pass the book onto some else who needed it... :)

May your day, be a Shay Day

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

I felt so touched with what the team members did for Shay in the following story:

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection."

"Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!
Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

Reflection from this story: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

The first week of 2011

The first week of 2011 ~ uneventful but interesting development nevertheless.

I started by reviewing the resolutions I made for 2011: to have more happier thoughts and smile, smile, smile.

Throughout the week I continued reading Destructive Emotions: How can we overcome them? The first time I started reading this book (in Jun 2010), I couldn't relate to the contents. I left it after the first chapter.

What I read in the week reafirms my resolution; firstly, to have happier thoughts. According to the Dalai Lama, emotion and cognition are intertwined; these two elements are inseparable. An emotion is a mental state that has a strong feeling component. To have happy thoughts all the time, I need to learn how to control my mind and to understand what's destructive emotion (not to allow it to control or blind me). It is said that, the true mark of spiritual development lies in how well a person manages disturbing emotions such as anger, envy and jealousy. Through training the mind, one can become more calm and compassionate.

Secondly, to smile, smile, smile. It is said that the Dalai Lama's face has the muscle tone of someone in his twenties, not a man of sixty-four. Apparently, that is a consequence of him never restraining his emotions, but instead letting them show clearly on his face - which means the muscles are used a lot more than usual, thus have more elasticity. This would be a good tip for those who wish to have youthful face muscle tone.

So there, I have justified that my new year resolutions are indeed inline with my spiritual growth. By end of the year, I will not only have better facial muscle tones and be at peace with myself but have compassion for others as well :))