Impact of Our Words On Cyberspace

I saw this video being circulated and generating many angry comments. The video is about SembWaste workers emptying content from the recycling bins into the SembWaste truck. From the comments, I realise there are some misunderstanding on how the programme works. Firstly, there is no need to sort out the recyclable items into separate bags, you can place all plastic, paper, metal items into one bag and then deposit them into the bins. They will be sent to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting purpose. This process is explained in NEA website:

http://www.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/3rs/recycling-processes

See how MRF works here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CFE5tD1CCI

There is also misunderstanding that SembWaste or Veolia is treating the recycling bins as normal rubbish bins and dump the recylables into the truck for collecting normal rubbish. This is not true as SembWaste and Veolia have separate trucks for collecting recyclables and both companies are very experienced in the recycling industry.
http://www.sembcorp.com/…/business-on-site-services-solid_w…
http://www.veolia.com.sg/our-services/municipal

My post serves to educate rather than criticise. We see how easily emotions can be swayed when people are misled by incorrect info, as they felt let down by the good causes that they have been supporting all along. I emphasize on the need for responsible posting on the Internet because wrong info may cause an catastrophic impact and turn people away from doing good and supporting meaningful causes.

Building a better world is about diffusing the hate and anger, not through flaming and inciting more hate. Our thoughts and our actions impact others so let us always try to keep a cool head and not let negative emotions get the better of us.

P.S: A friend highlighted another misconception that the trucks collect preloved items for charity. The items are sent for recycling and not to Homes or needy families to reuse. I have compiled a list on where to donate your preloved items, please take a look if it is useful to you (http://tinyurl.com/z9f2zs3).

Kindness is A Choice, Not An Obligation

Whenever I see pregnant ladies or frail elderly in the train station, my immediate thought was for them to find a seat in the train or for someone kind to offer a seat to them. While it may seems like a natural thing to give kindness, it is not an obligation to do so. It is not someone's fault if they choose not to be kind. If we see giving kindness as an obligation, rather than a goodwill gesture from the heart, then we lose the beauty of giving.

I believe that kindness is a virtue which resides in all of us, it must be encouraged to grow instead of being forced upon. When we shame others for not giving kindness, we are instilling fear into them, fear being a strong negative emotion definitely do not go hand in hand with kindness. The more we make it an obligation for people to give, is the more we are pushing people away from the true meaning behind giving kindness.

If we dont see people giving kindness when kindness is needed, it is okay, dont blame them because they did nothing wrong actually. Encourage them to give if you can but don't shame or criticise them in whichever manner. If we decide not to give kindness in a particular situation, it is okay too, for there are plenty more opportunities ahead. Kindness, like Happiness, is a choice. It must be given willingly from the Heart and not mandated by any rules or social norm. Only when one truly gives from the heart can one uncover the treasures that comes with it.

More Empathy, Less Anger and More Love

Standing at the back of the long queue of the only ATM machine in sight, under the hot afternoon heat, waiting for an Indian Uncle who is struggling to make a transfer is not a nice feeling. It is easy to get impatient and frustrated. In fact, Uncle took so long that he is embarassed and went to join the back of the queue.

In situation like this, it will be good to exercise some empathy and understanding. Even before the new interface for POSB ATM machine was launched, some less tech savvy folks may find it difficult to navigate, esp. for more complicated transaction like funds transfer. Before we got angry by why someone was hogging the machine, maybe we could try to understand what he was going through.

I took the opportunity to offer him my help and while we were going through the steps, I see that he was drenched in sweat due to the heat. It is likely he was as frustrated as those behind him. When the transaction was finally completed (myself key in the wrong account number for him once), we both left the place happy, Uncle was grateful for my help and I was happy to be of service.

Isn't this better than me leaving the place bearing a grudge or feeling negative about the whole experience? Also, what better way to promote racial harmony by giving kindness to friends of different race?

Seeing the Positive Side of Things

Early Monday morning, lacking sleep, rushing for morning meeting, crowded bus, even more crowded train station, blame boss for arranging meeting on a Monday morning, blame train company for the congestion, blame govt for the over population, bad day, bad week and finally miserable life.

Early Monday morning, lacking sleeping and rushing for meeting in a crowded bus and train, am thankful that I am in good health to be able to go work, am thankful my loved ones are well and they are my biggest motivation to work hard, am thankful that this place that I am going to, is where I earn an income to fulfill my needs and chase my dreams, am thankful that my boss involves me for an important meeting which means I still have much to contribute, am thankful that the aging train system still gets me to my destination. Even if it is an old man pulling a rickshaw, it is still moving, which is better than not moving at all.

This day, with all the frustrations and challenges I may experience, I choose to be happy and look on the positive side of things. I choose not to let my frustration get the better of me, leading me to believe my life is miserable, where actually there are so much blessings around. We cannot be free from negative events or emotions, they are happening all the time, but we can always learn how to turn our negative emotions into positive emotions and make the best out of everything.

I wish everyone a fantastic week ahead, it will be when you make it to be, cheers :)

Life is A Day In the Amusement Park

Do you still remember clearly your Christmas celebration, followed by counting down to the new year 2016? It's mid April already now, which means 1/3 of the year has passed and guess what, very soon you will celebrating Christmas and counting down to new year 2017. Time passes so fast while we get busy with our daily tasks and responsibilities.

Life is comparable to spending a day in the amusement park, plenty of interesting rides and attraction but before we know it, the sun has set and the amusement park is closing.

While we are in the amusement park, we have to make full use of our time to get the best out of what the amusement park can offer. Some rides are hugely popular and have long queues, just as some goals in life will take longer time and effort to achieve. However, do not blindly follow the queue just because everyone else is queuing, for you may not enjoy the ride even though it is very popular.

Don't spend too much time procrastinating while you are in the amusement park, for the weather may change and you are unable to enjoy your ride anymore. I'll wait till I am 65 before I start to slow down and do something I enjoy, but question is will everyone get to live till 65?

Be bold and decisive when making your choices in limited time, if you keep thinking, "What if the ride is not fun?", "What if it is not worth my time?", too much of "what if this" and "what if that", you will end up spending time doing and achieving nothing. The worries, the fears are what that hold us back in life, so accept that we can never predict and control the future and every experience, good or bad, brings a valuable learning lesson.

In the midst of getting so busy with work, studies, family commitment, don't forget that life is a one day ticket in the amusement park, time is limited and there are many adventures waiting for you. Find meaning and purpose in the things you do and you are going to have a memorable day to savour. Cheers :) smile emoticon

Why Do I Encourage You to Be Kind?

Why do I encourage you to be kind? On the surface, it seems like we are giving time and energy to benefit others. Time and energy are our most valuable assets because they get lesser and lesser as we age. However, giving kindness is not as uni-directional as some may think.

A relative of mine shared how she struggled to cope with the loss of her beloved husband for almost 40 years when he passed on suddenly. It was through reaching to the poor and needy that she realised her situation was not as bad as ahe thought. Through helping others and getting to know their plight, we realise our problems are not as big as what we magnify them to be when we dwell on them.

Giving kindness is a way of bringing value to others, which is good for people with low self-esteem. If you think you are not good at anything, giving kindness is the easiest and fastest way to boost your self confidence. The purpose of our existence is defined by the values we bring to the people around us.

Kindness is a source of postive energy and we can never go wrong when giving kindness. Everyday we could be subjected to negative emotions (stress, frustration, anger, worries) and when built up, they affect our mental health. We need to find ways to detox and neutralise with positive emotions or we will suffer. Even the happiest person can sometimes be hit hard by life's sudden events; but with kindness comes healing powers which can tide us through the most difficult times.

Giving kindness and helping others can reap great rewards for the giver, which in turn empower him/ her to achieve more. The momentum built will inspire you to do greater things. We sometimes look at some great work done by volunteers and tell ourselves we can never achieve so much. However, these volunteers also start from their first act of kindness and slowly get inspired to do more.

I hope we can all harness the many benefits that come with giving kindness. While we may not get more time back, what we get back is equally valuable: happiness, self-confidence, sense of purpose and positive healing energy.

I encourage you to be open and to look around for opportunities to be kind, they are everywhere! May the kindness journey bring you to unchartered waters and amazing discoveries. TGIF & happy weekend ahead, my dear friends :) smile emoticon

Be Kind To Mother Nature While Using "Free" Resources

The water in my company is free, I do not need to pay a single cent and so is the paper, I can print thousands of pages at no cost to myself. The ink is free, power is free, so are the other resources like paper towel, toilet paper, lights and aircon. I can use all I want, even to the extent of wastage.

However, all these resources that I enjoy don't come from the company, they come from Mother Nature. The extent to which my company can provide these resources to me is directly dependant on what Mother Nature can provide to all of us. If I am working in the richest company but Mother Nature runs out of trees, there will be no paper, it is as simple as that. When temperature starts to rise due to lesser trees, everyone gets affected, both the rich and the poor will suffer. When the haze comes, you have nowhere to hide, unless you decide not to breathe.

We may not be in the critical situation when Earth's resources are depleting to a low level but the day will come if we use resources much faster than they can be replenished. We may not be there to suffer the consequences but generations down will bear the brunt.

Let's be more responsible when we are using resources, be it in office, in public areas or even at home. Being able to afford doesnt mean you will always get what you want. The next time we decide to print something we dont really need or when we leave the fans, lights, aircon on when no one is using, think again on the impact and damage we can cause in numbers. Every one can and must a play a part to protect the only planet we ever have. Let your actions show your children how it should be done so that they can keep up the good work. This is our acts of kindness to Mother Nature :)

Turning Sadness Into Happiness

Sadness is one of the most painful emotions that human beings can experience. Sadness usually comes from loss, especially the loss of someone who is very close to us and have touched our lives on many occasions. Because we are all social beings, we will inevitably experience losses and the pain that comes with it.

The pain of loss can come in waves, not just during the period where the loss occurs. While it is natural to grieve and experience sadness, we must not let these emotions overwhelm us and pull us into a downwards spiral.

How can we deal with the sadness when it comes? I think we all have the ability to turn the negative emotions into positive emotions, if we teach ourselves how to do it.

When the sadness comes, instead of focusing on the loss, think of the wonderful memories your loved ones had created for you, think of the life lessons your loved ones taught you and what they stood up for. Celebrate their life instead of mourn their passing and be happy for them, for they lead a good and meaningful life. Their life story has ended but it is a book so well written that it will enrich many reading it.

Lastly, remember that no matter where your loved ones went to, they will always want you to be happy, to take good care of yourself and to continue to live a meaningful life.

See the Blessings in Every Situation

Have we allow ourselves to get angry or unhappy too easily? Have we allow ourselves to be influenced too easily by angry or unhappy people around us?

The train station is crowded, the bus is packed and I can't get on. That makes me frustrated and angry. What happens if there is no trains and buses at all?

My boss gives me plenty of work, I am angry because I feel overloaded. What happens if there is totally no work for me?

Waking up on an early morning, feeling sleep and tired, I am unhappy because I cant catch more sleep and have to go school or work. What happens if I don't wake up at all?

It may be human nature to expect best outcome in what we get but we must not forget that the worst could have happened too. If we can look on the positive side in every situation, we will definitely be happier. The train may be packed but it brings convenience and affordable transport. Work may be overwhelming but it also means you are capable and your superiors have trust and confidence in your abilities. Waking up early can be painful but it also means you get to live another day and that is a privilege denied to many. Make full use of the opportunities given in each day to create an impact, either for yourself or for others.

Come tomorrow, the train will still be crowded, the workload will still be there and waking up will still be painful, but learning to see the blessing in every situation will determine determine your happiness level. Things will remain the same but perspectives can change, and changing perspectives is changing your life. It's a choice and you are the ultimate master of your thoughts and emotions. Choose to be happy always :)smile emoticon