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
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
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 :))
.
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 :))
.
Monday, May 2, 2011
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 :))
Monday, April 25, 2011
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 :)
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 :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
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 :)
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 :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
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...
.
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...
.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
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/"
.
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/"
.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
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... :)
.
Friday, March 4, 2011
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).
Sunday, February 27, 2011
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
Friday, February 18, 2011
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.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
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.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
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)
"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)
Saturday, January 29, 2011
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... :)
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... :)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
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?
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?
Sunday, January 9, 2011
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 :))
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 :))
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010: A year of personal transformation
2010 has been a good year for me, not in a materialistic term but in a spiritually way...
"Spiritually in its widest sense can refer to any source of inspiration, awe or wonder that impacts on an individual's identity or sense of purpose. Spiritual growth is about personal transformation and the belief that life is a process of moving towards enhanced awareness."
... at this moment, as I bid goodbye to 2010, I am thankful for the transformation that it has brought unto me :))
"Spiritually in its widest sense can refer to any source of inspiration, awe or wonder that impacts on an individual's identity or sense of purpose. Spiritual growth is about personal transformation and the belief that life is a process of moving towards enhanced awareness."
... at this moment, as I bid goodbye to 2010, I am thankful for the transformation that it has brought unto me :))
the Extraordinary People
According to Paul Ekman (in Destructive Emotion), extraordinary people share four qualities:
1. they emanate a sense of goodness (a transparency between their personal and public life);
2. they are selflessness;
3. they have a compelling personal presence that others find nourishing; and
4. they have amazing powers of attentiveness and concentration.
... images of Buddha, Jesus, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, instantly appear in my mind.
1. they emanate a sense of goodness (a transparency between their personal and public life);
2. they are selflessness;
3. they have a compelling personal presence that others find nourishing; and
4. they have amazing powers of attentiveness and concentration.
... images of Buddha, Jesus, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, instantly appear in my mind.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Reminisce: 2010
Here, at home alone in the last few days of 2010, I am in a reminisce mode.
What started as a growth journey in 2009 has evolved into a soul searching journey in 2010.
2010:
* has shown me the path to take to continue my life journey;
* has taught me to not seek answers from outside but from within;
* has led me to examine and reestablished my belief and faith;...
the year has not ended yet, what else will it teach me...
What started as a growth journey in 2009 has evolved into a soul searching journey in 2010.
2010:
* has shown me the path to take to continue my life journey;
* has taught me to not seek answers from outside but from within;
* has led me to examine and reestablished my belief and faith;...
the year has not ended yet, what else will it teach me...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Marriage ~ a mutual consent that robs one's freedom...
"The point of marriage is not to create a quick commonality by tearing down all boundaries; on the contrary, a good marriage is one in which each partner appoints the other to be the guardian of his solitude, and thus they show each other the greatest possible trust.
A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development.
But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky."
~Rainer Maria Rilke (Letters to a Young Poet)
When a marriage falls apart, one may be awaken with the feeling of continuing where one left off; reliving one's freedom and continuing one's growth/ development...
A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development.
But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky."
~Rainer Maria Rilke (Letters to a Young Poet)
When a marriage falls apart, one may be awaken with the feeling of continuing where one left off; reliving one's freedom and continuing one's growth/ development...
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