Do you believe in Magic? I do. But not the Harry Potter or David
Copperfield kind of magic. I believe in the magic of human kindness.
Magic is about making a seemingly impossible task possible, magic is
about wow-ing everyone watching and magic creates hope. Now, I am going
to invite all of you to be real life magicians by doing all of the
above.
The Magical Project:
Fundraising for Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home (LAMH).
Background:
LAMH is expanding it's nursing home care to it's 2nd home in Silat
Avenue. The home needs $2.6M funds to renovate wards, install lifts to
aid residents' mobility, build a garden and create a conducive
environment where pioneers can age with dignity and respect.
Why Help Lee Ah Mooi?
Lee Ah Mooi Old Aged Home is a family run nursing home that does not
receive any subsidies from the government and unlike other profit-driven
nursing home, LAMH's mission is to provide quality nursing care at
affordable price. Over the years, they have relied on generous public
donations to keep the operations going and absorb increasing operating
costs without compromising the quality of nursing care or increasing
fees for the residents.
The Home epitomises the true spirit of
giving, as cemented through the legacy of the late Mdm Lee Ah Mooi, who
started bringing abandoned Samsui women and Ma Jies to her home to care
for them. They are also very welcoming of volunteers to host charity
events at the Home.
How can we help?
The current
crowdsourcing campaign stands at $19k, which is less than 1% of the
intended target. Let's give within our means to help them get momentum
going for this project. If you can only spare $1 or $2, it is also good
enough because a million of us donating $1 is one million dollars.
Link for donation:
bit.ly/SupportSilat
If you can't donate due to tight finance, then help to create more
awareness for this project by sharing this post. You may just share it
with someone who wants to donate so never underestimate the power of
share, especially in today's increasingly connected world.
If you don't wish to share on your wall, you can leave a comment or #supportlamh
because every comment you leave is seen as an engagement by Facebook,
which will bump this post up in the group and has more chance to appear
on our member's wall.
Everyone can help play a part in
supporting this project in the simplest of ways. I assure you that the
magic will appear when the donation figures started increasing, achieved
through our collective efforts in creating awareness.
We all
will grow old someday and become reliant on other's help, isn't it nice
that we give some kindness while we are blessed with good health? Isn't
it wonderful that we can do something nice for someone who probably
won't find out or has a chance to repay us? When the renovation works
are completed, you and I will own a part of the Home.
Thank you for your love and kindness !
PS: As LAMH's kitchen will be closed for a year due to renovation, they
need sponsors for meals and snacks like biscuit and milo for tea
breaks. If anyone is willing to sponsor or know of sponsors, pls sound
out! Home bakers are welcome too, cheers
Monday, May 29, 2017
Don't Let Fear and Worries Rob You off the Happy Moments you have Now
Let's say you just bought a pet goldfish, he is so adorable, respond
to you when you are near. You love the goldfish so much and feel so
happy that you are blessed to have this goldfish as your pet.
Then, a thought entered your mind, "What if I lose my goldfish one day?" So, everyday you spent a portion of your time worrying and let fears and insecurity fill you, dreading about the day when you will lose your goldfish.
The same principle applies in Life. We sometimes fill ourselves with so much unnecessary worries that rob us off precious time to seize the moment. Actually, there is no need to ask the "What if" questions because we will lose what we have someday. Everything has an expiry date, including ourselves.
Worrying may get you slightly mentally prepared but you cannot possibly cover all angles and it will not prevent things from happening anyway. If we live in the moment and live everyday the best we can, there is no need to fear the day we lose what is precious to us because we have make full use of every opportunity to cherish what we have.
When a negative thought fills your mind and makes you worry about losing what you have, don't waste time engaging the thought. Instead, shift the focus to making full use of whatever time / opportunity we have to create beautiful memories and to treasure what we are blessed with. Cheers.
Then, a thought entered your mind, "What if I lose my goldfish one day?" So, everyday you spent a portion of your time worrying and let fears and insecurity fill you, dreading about the day when you will lose your goldfish.
The same principle applies in Life. We sometimes fill ourselves with so much unnecessary worries that rob us off precious time to seize the moment. Actually, there is no need to ask the "What if" questions because we will lose what we have someday. Everything has an expiry date, including ourselves.
Worrying may get you slightly mentally prepared but you cannot possibly cover all angles and it will not prevent things from happening anyway. If we live in the moment and live everyday the best we can, there is no need to fear the day we lose what is precious to us because we have make full use of every opportunity to cherish what we have.
When a negative thought fills your mind and makes you worry about losing what you have, don't waste time engaging the thought. Instead, shift the focus to making full use of whatever time / opportunity we have to create beautiful memories and to treasure what we are blessed with. Cheers.
My Blessed Childhood
One of my vivid "childhood memories" is visiting hospitals, GP, TCM,
to treat the various ailments I had as a child. My parents were lowly
paid blue collar workers and medical expenses aside, it is draining for
them to keep seeing different doctors yet unable to find a cure. I
considered myself blessed because I eventually outgrow them and they
were neither major illnesses nor life threatening.
However, not all children are as blessed as most of us, in particular those suffering from cancer. All parents will want their child to grow up healthy and enjoy a memorable childhood but a major illness like cancer turns their world upside down. The parents, with their immediate loved ones, suffer together with the child who is sick.
We can do a little more to encourage them, by pledging our support to Children Cancer Foundation (CCF). CCF helps many Singaporean families whose children suffers from cancer to deal with the hefty medical bills as well as offer emotional support for the immediate family members.
I have done a small part in making the bald statement to raise awareness for childhood cancer, donations for CCF and to encourage children cancer patients that it is okay to be bald.
https://www.ccf.org.sg/giving/fundraisng_event.php?id=fundraising-for-children-with-cancer
As we shower love onto our own children, let's give a little bit love to the children who are suffering from this illness. I hope more of us can come together to do something for them and their families. The annual Hair for Hope is coming up in July, so please support your friends, especially the courageous ladies, who shave their heads for this event.
We help because we can, we help because we are more blessed, we help because we can build a more caring and gracious society with kindness. And eventually, we will all benefit from the seeds of kindness we sow today.
However, not all children are as blessed as most of us, in particular those suffering from cancer. All parents will want their child to grow up healthy and enjoy a memorable childhood but a major illness like cancer turns their world upside down. The parents, with their immediate loved ones, suffer together with the child who is sick.
We can do a little more to encourage them, by pledging our support to Children Cancer Foundation (CCF). CCF helps many Singaporean families whose children suffers from cancer to deal with the hefty medical bills as well as offer emotional support for the immediate family members.
I have done a small part in making the bald statement to raise awareness for childhood cancer, donations for CCF and to encourage children cancer patients that it is okay to be bald.
https://www.ccf.org.sg/giving/fundraisng_event.php?id=fundraising-for-children-with-cancer
As we shower love onto our own children, let's give a little bit love to the children who are suffering from this illness. I hope more of us can come together to do something for them and their families. The annual Hair for Hope is coming up in July, so please support your friends, especially the courageous ladies, who shave their heads for this event.
We help because we can, we help because we are more blessed, we help because we can build a more caring and gracious society with kindness. And eventually, we will all benefit from the seeds of kindness we sow today.
Give Yourself Many Reasons to Be Happy
You and I, we are so different. We have different outlook in life, different priorities, different goals and different dreams.
Yet, we are so the same. We yearn to be loved, we hope to receive encouragement when we are down, we seek to find meaning and purpose in life and lastly, we want to be happy.
I am just like everyone else, I have bills to settle, I face issues in life and I am not spared from experiencing anger, stress or any negative emotion, either self-inflicted or bestowed by someone.
But I try to live my life a little differently by constantly reminding myself of the many blessings that I have and this makes me happy. Every blessing that I count is a reason of happiness. For example, it can be as simple as having a good night rest on a comfortable clean bed and waking up feeling refreshed.
If Life can give me 10 reasons to be unhappy, then I give myself 100 reasons to be happy. When you can give yourself so many reasons to feel happy, I can assure you that your mind will treat your current issues as a passing raincloud. On the other hand, if you choose to focus on your issues only, you magnify them and make yourself feel miserable. Very soon, you will let your issues define who you are.
I share with you how I live my life as a reference, I am not expecting anyone to be me because we are all born differently. But amid the differences, all of us deserve to be loved and to be happy.
Yet, we are so the same. We yearn to be loved, we hope to receive encouragement when we are down, we seek to find meaning and purpose in life and lastly, we want to be happy.
I am just like everyone else, I have bills to settle, I face issues in life and I am not spared from experiencing anger, stress or any negative emotion, either self-inflicted or bestowed by someone.
But I try to live my life a little differently by constantly reminding myself of the many blessings that I have and this makes me happy. Every blessing that I count is a reason of happiness. For example, it can be as simple as having a good night rest on a comfortable clean bed and waking up feeling refreshed.
If Life can give me 10 reasons to be unhappy, then I give myself 100 reasons to be happy. When you can give yourself so many reasons to feel happy, I can assure you that your mind will treat your current issues as a passing raincloud. On the other hand, if you choose to focus on your issues only, you magnify them and make yourself feel miserable. Very soon, you will let your issues define who you are.
I share with you how I live my life as a reference, I am not expecting anyone to be me because we are all born differently. But amid the differences, all of us deserve to be loved and to be happy.
The Best Gift We Give to Our Loved Ones is Our Health
The best gift we can give to our loved ones, other than our time, is
to take good care of our health. Because we are not the only ones
suffering when we fall sick, our loved ones suffer together with us.
Taking care of our own health seems like an easy and straight forward thing to do, but it actually requires discipline and hard work.
Take for example, if you have time on the train to take a short rest, will you choose to surf the net or FB instead? When it is time to sleep at night, will you sacrifice your sleep to catch the addictive korean dramas? When it comes to eating, will you choose the soupy/ steamed dishes or will you choose the oily, flavourful and deep fried? When you are hungry, will you think that it is okay to delay your meal for an hour or two because work comes first? When stress and anger come, will you learn to let go or dwell on negative energy and make yourself feel worse?
I never believe in taking shortcuts to good health, we need to moderate ourselves in every aspect, physically and emotionally. Less of the negative stuff (fatigue, unhealthy food, sugar, negative emotions) and more of the positive stuff (exercise, rest, water, clean vege/fruits, positive vibes) and we will all do fine.
Our loved ones need us to be healthy so we can all care and love one another. Without you, everything will be so different, just like no matter how big and magnificient the jigsaw puzzle can be, missing one piece makes a world of difference.
Taking care of our own health seems like an easy and straight forward thing to do, but it actually requires discipline and hard work.
Take for example, if you have time on the train to take a short rest, will you choose to surf the net or FB instead? When it is time to sleep at night, will you sacrifice your sleep to catch the addictive korean dramas? When it comes to eating, will you choose the soupy/ steamed dishes or will you choose the oily, flavourful and deep fried? When you are hungry, will you think that it is okay to delay your meal for an hour or two because work comes first? When stress and anger come, will you learn to let go or dwell on negative energy and make yourself feel worse?
I never believe in taking shortcuts to good health, we need to moderate ourselves in every aspect, physically and emotionally. Less of the negative stuff (fatigue, unhealthy food, sugar, negative emotions) and more of the positive stuff (exercise, rest, water, clean vege/fruits, positive vibes) and we will all do fine.
Our loved ones need us to be healthy so we can all care and love one another. Without you, everything will be so different, just like no matter how big and magnificient the jigsaw puzzle can be, missing one piece makes a world of difference.
An Act of Kindness Creates Positive Energy and Happiness
Saw an elderly Auntie at Mcdonalds asking around for someone to buy
her a cup of green tea but was rejected a few times. She looked kind of
embarrassed that no one was buying her a drink so I decided to approach
her and do the honor. Though the green tea ($3.50) costs more than my
fillet-O-fish burger ($2.50), the more important thing is that it made
the Auntie happy. When you have the ability to make a person happy, you
will be happy as well, especially when you see that the person is so thankful to you.
Maybe this action alone is not going to change the world, but at least it creates some positive energy, it creates happiness and when I share this experience, maybe it will inspire you to do likewise when you are in a similar situation. If everyone starts giving a little more love and kindness, it will definitely make our society a better place to live in.
We are all surrounded by so much negative energy, e.g. stress from studies, workload, financial burden, rising cost of living, news of gloomy economy...etc. All these negative energy inside us will not disappear by themselves, they transform to frustration and anger, and it only takes a spark to ignite a big outburst. We need kindness, we need to give kindness, because only then can we diffuse the negative energy and live happier lives.
Maybe this action alone is not going to change the world, but at least it creates some positive energy, it creates happiness and when I share this experience, maybe it will inspire you to do likewise when you are in a similar situation. If everyone starts giving a little more love and kindness, it will definitely make our society a better place to live in.
We are all surrounded by so much negative energy, e.g. stress from studies, workload, financial burden, rising cost of living, news of gloomy economy...etc. All these negative energy inside us will not disappear by themselves, they transform to frustration and anger, and it only takes a spark to ignite a big outburst. We need kindness, we need to give kindness, because only then can we diffuse the negative energy and live happier lives.
Our Society Needs More Kindness & Tolerance
The recent video on an elderly being bullied by a young couple got
many netizens angry. Some netizens condemn the actions and are keen to
identify the couple to public shame them. This also led to some distress
for a lady who was wrongly identified.
While public shaming seems the easiest way to achieve an agenda (get even, seek justice, send out warning), I hope we understand that we are using negativity against negativity, which is probably fuelled by another negative emotion called anger.
Somehow, I think this incident wouldn't have happened if there is more tolerance, understanding and kindness, i.e. more positive energy. If the seat is "choped" and taken, the young couple could have shared the table or at least gently tell the Uncle it is taken. Of course, it takes both hands to clap, Uncle could have shifted elsewhere if the table had no more seats left, when politely informed by the couple that the table is taken. When everyone can respect one another, there will be peace.
I hope we achieve some positive outcome out of this incident. Amid the stress and pressure we face daily, together with all other negative emotions like anger, frustration, let's try to be more tolerant, treat others how we want others to treat us and give a little more kindness. It makes our community better and makes us happier. Because in an incident like this where negative emotions were overflowing, no one (young couple, Uncle, Uncle daughter, netizens) wins.
While public shaming seems the easiest way to achieve an agenda (get even, seek justice, send out warning), I hope we understand that we are using negativity against negativity, which is probably fuelled by another negative emotion called anger.
Somehow, I think this incident wouldn't have happened if there is more tolerance, understanding and kindness, i.e. more positive energy. If the seat is "choped" and taken, the young couple could have shared the table or at least gently tell the Uncle it is taken. Of course, it takes both hands to clap, Uncle could have shifted elsewhere if the table had no more seats left, when politely informed by the couple that the table is taken. When everyone can respect one another, there will be peace.
I hope we achieve some positive outcome out of this incident. Amid the stress and pressure we face daily, together with all other negative emotions like anger, frustration, let's try to be more tolerant, treat others how we want others to treat us and give a little more kindness. It makes our community better and makes us happier. Because in an incident like this where negative emotions were overflowing, no one (young couple, Uncle, Uncle daughter, netizens) wins.
Always See The Good In Every Situation
When a pregnant lady walks into the train, the lady at the reserved
seat did not stand up to offer her seat but 2 gentlemen not on the
reserved seats quickly offered theirs.
What is the picture that you paint in your mind? Will you condemn the lady or will you commend the gentlemen? If you understand the true meaning of kindness, you will know that giving is without obligation, it cannot be forced upon (lady on reserved seat) but given from the heart when nothing is expected of the giver (gentlemen who offered their seats).
Also, always see the good in every situation, rather than remember the bad. It will change your perspective of this world and that makes you happier too.
What is the picture that you paint in your mind? Will you condemn the lady or will you commend the gentlemen? If you understand the true meaning of kindness, you will know that giving is without obligation, it cannot be forced upon (lady on reserved seat) but given from the heart when nothing is expected of the giver (gentlemen who offered their seats).
Also, always see the good in every situation, rather than remember the bad. It will change your perspective of this world and that makes you happier too.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Doing My Part For Children with Cancer
"Mommy, why does everyone else has hair but I don't?"
This is one question that children with cancer could be asking their parents when they suffer from the side effects of chemo treatment. They may not understand why they are going through this difficult phase. Their self esteem could take a dip when they lose their hair, especially when they are teased by their classmates.
This is one question that children with cancer could be asking their parents when they suffer from the side effects of chemo treatment. They may not understand why they are going through this difficult phase. Their self esteem could take a dip when they lose their hair, especially when they are teased by their classmates.
It has been
almost a week since I shaved bald. Despite the assurance from the barber
that I had a fantastic head shape, family members commenting that I
actually look better in the new look, I still feel weird and somehow a
little insecure walking around, esp. when meeting shocked colleagues and
friends.
I think for children or anyone, men or women, suffering from cancer, the most morale crashing thing they fear is for people to look at them in different light and think they look weird or shun them thinking the illness is contagious. This is a double blow on top of the physical trauma (hair loss, appetite loss, the pain and suffering experienced during the treatment process).
We as fellow members of the community can do so much more for them. If we can encourage them by telling them it is okay to be bald, to show them they are not alone in this fight, and to provide that little financial support for the families in need, it will make their lives so much better. When we give them hope, we also give ourselves hope.
This is my humble fundraising project for children with cancer and their families: https://www.ccf.org.sg/giving/fundraisng_event.php?id=fundraising-for-children-with-cancer
I do whatever I can, whenever I can, within my means, and I feel blessed to be a giver rather than a receiver. This is not a quest to prove how much I can raise personally but a quest to prove that every one of us can help make a difference to shape a better world together.
When you know that your existence helped made someone's life better and when you know you have achieved things that money can't buy, you will realise that your life is a well lived one.
Thank you everyone for your support and kindness !
I think for children or anyone, men or women, suffering from cancer, the most morale crashing thing they fear is for people to look at them in different light and think they look weird or shun them thinking the illness is contagious. This is a double blow on top of the physical trauma (hair loss, appetite loss, the pain and suffering experienced during the treatment process).
We as fellow members of the community can do so much more for them. If we can encourage them by telling them it is okay to be bald, to show them they are not alone in this fight, and to provide that little financial support for the families in need, it will make their lives so much better. When we give them hope, we also give ourselves hope.
This is my humble fundraising project for children with cancer and their families: https://www.ccf.org.sg/giving/fundraisng_event.php?id=fundraising-for-children-with-cancer
I do whatever I can, whenever I can, within my means, and I feel blessed to be a giver rather than a receiver. This is not a quest to prove how much I can raise personally but a quest to prove that every one of us can help make a difference to shape a better world together.
When you know that your existence helped made someone's life better and when you know you have achieved things that money can't buy, you will realise that your life is a well lived one.
Thank you everyone for your support and kindness !
3 Things we can learn from babies.
1. Always curious, always learning.
Babies are always curious and always keen to explore the world around them, as a result they learn a lot within a short period of time. As we aged, our curiosity and desire to learn things slow down because we thought we knew a lot already. But the world we live in is big enough for everyone to keep learning and exploring, until the last day of life. Technology advancements (think google and youtube) mean that these information are more readily available as compared to 20 years ago. So, keep learning and keep improving.
Babies are always curious and always keen to explore the world around them, as a result they learn a lot within a short period of time. As we aged, our curiosity and desire to learn things slow down because we thought we knew a lot already. But the world we live in is big enough for everyone to keep learning and exploring, until the last day of life. Technology advancements (think google and youtube) mean that these information are more readily available as compared to 20 years ago. So, keep learning and keep improving.
2. Keep trying until you succeed.
What happens when babies first learn how to stand or walk? They fall, then they get up, then they fall again, then they get up and keep trying until they succeed. No babies ever thought that this is too tough and decided not to try anymore. As we grow older, the negative thoughts, self doubts we have inside us made us want to give up more easily and thus stop us from reaching our goals. Be like the baby, ignore the negative voices and keep trying until you succeed.
3. Love the people who love you, and ignore the rest.
If a baby loves you, they enjoy playing with you and they want to spend their time being with you. Babies don't waste their time on people they don't like, nor do they do harbour hate in their mind. As we matured, we start to get affected by the negative people, the negative events but these are things that do not matter, yet take our focus off those that matter. So, be like the baby, focus your time and energy on the people you love most and ignore those who are not deserving of your time.
The traits of a baby represent the purest form of human beings, there is no prejudices, discrimination, hate among the different races, religion, nationalities or skin tones. If we truly want the world to be a better place, it is time we "almighty" adults take a leaf out of a baby's book and start to bring out what we are truly made up of
What happens when babies first learn how to stand or walk? They fall, then they get up, then they fall again, then they get up and keep trying until they succeed. No babies ever thought that this is too tough and decided not to try anymore. As we grow older, the negative thoughts, self doubts we have inside us made us want to give up more easily and thus stop us from reaching our goals. Be like the baby, ignore the negative voices and keep trying until you succeed.
3. Love the people who love you, and ignore the rest.
If a baby loves you, they enjoy playing with you and they want to spend their time being with you. Babies don't waste their time on people they don't like, nor do they do harbour hate in their mind. As we matured, we start to get affected by the negative people, the negative events but these are things that do not matter, yet take our focus off those that matter. So, be like the baby, focus your time and energy on the people you love most and ignore those who are not deserving of your time.
The traits of a baby represent the purest form of human beings, there is no prejudices, discrimination, hate among the different races, religion, nationalities or skin tones. If we truly want the world to be a better place, it is time we "almighty" adults take a leaf out of a baby's book and start to bring out what we are truly made up of
Start the Day with Positive Thoughts
When you wake up every morning, what are your first thoughts?
If you wake up thinking, oh man, another working day, so tired, you dread about facing your boss, the workload, demanding clients and so on, chances are your day will be uninspiring and boring because you have given yourself many reasons to be unhappy and negative. And this happens when your day has barely started.
If you wake up feeling blessed that you are alive, you don't have major health issues to deal with, you are living in a safe country, you have all your basic needs fulfilled, there are variety of food options everywhere, the public transport system can get you almost anywhere, you have an income to support yourself and your loved ones, then you set the tone for a happy day ahead.
If you wake up thinking, oh man, another working day, so tired, you dread about facing your boss, the workload, demanding clients and so on, chances are your day will be uninspiring and boring because you have given yourself many reasons to be unhappy and negative. And this happens when your day has barely started.
If you wake up feeling blessed that you are alive, you don't have major health issues to deal with, you are living in a safe country, you have all your basic needs fulfilled, there are variety of food options everywhere, the public transport system can get you almost anywhere, you have an income to support yourself and your loved ones, then you set the tone for a happy day ahead.
Even if things don't
go your way and negative events are happening, e.g. stuck in traffic
jam, more workload, you will still feel thankful that you have so much
more that matters, beyond these ad hoc negative events. But if you start
your day already feeling negative, any negative event happening is
going to make you further demoralised or depressed.
So, pay attention to your thoughts as you start your day, because how you think determine how you live. How you live affects the people around, your loved ones, your friends or even strangers online. If you live your life in a very negative fashion, it rubs on to the people around you, more anger and hate will be generated in our world. So, let's all be more positive and spread more positive vibes around, shall we? It may not be the easiest thing to do but we can all try ya?
So, pay attention to your thoughts as you start your day, because how you think determine how you live. How you live affects the people around, your loved ones, your friends or even strangers online. If you live your life in a very negative fashion, it rubs on to the people around you, more anger and hate will be generated in our world. So, let's all be more positive and spread more positive vibes around, shall we? It may not be the easiest thing to do but we can all try ya?
Counting Blessing in a Power Outage
We
often don't realise how much we are blessed until the blessings are
taken away from us. For instance, my block experienced a power outage
just 2 nights ago. During that one hour plus of outage, we were
basically doing nothing in darkness because the lights, fan, TV and
whatever electrical appliance were all down. We had torchlight but it
was not bright enough for us to carry on our normal activities. We had
battery operated hand held fans but they were not strong enough to keep us cool.
It is in these times that we realise that we have taken for granted the
many blessings that we have in our lives, simple things like having
electricity to operate the household appliances, the lights, the fans,
the aircon, the water heater, having clean drinking water off the tap,
having gas for cooking...etc. Not everyone in this world gets these
things readily like we do. Even within Singapore, there are poor
families who had their electricity cut off because they couldn't afford
them.
The more we realise how much blessings we have, the more thankful we are for having them, is the more contented and happy we will be. Stop being unhappy with what you don't have and instead shift the focus to the many blessings you already have.
The more we realise how much blessings we have, the more thankful we are for having them, is the more contented and happy we will be. Stop being unhappy with what you don't have and instead shift the focus to the many blessings you already have.
Give when the Opportunity Comes
Was
clearing my old stuff when I chanced upon a stack of uni notes. Back
then, I loved doing mindmaps to understand the concepts better, and I am
glad that I shared these mindmaps with anyone who found them useful
during that time. Because if I held onto the mindset that sharing would
let my peers gain an edge over me or made me acdemically weaker, and I
missed the opportunity to help someone, then it is an opportunity gone
forever. The syllabus has changed after so many years and the notes are
pretty useless to me or anyone now.
Opportunity missed may be opportunity gone, what we can give today may be irrelevant tomorrow, so let us give whenever and wherever we can. Life is too short to look back on missed opportunities and the things we could have achieved when we are given a chance to do so.
Opportunity missed may be opportunity gone, what we can give today may be irrelevant tomorrow, so let us give whenever and wherever we can. Life is too short to look back on missed opportunities and the things we could have achieved when we are given a chance to do so.
Know Your Needs vs. Your Wants
Overheard the PA behind me asking one of my junior staff about his
new bag. They then went on to talk about the price and the conversation
goes something like this, "His (another junior staff) bag cost $200+
because it was made in Korea, mine cost $100+ and it was made in US."
I just bought a new bag too, I thought it is stylish, lightweight and fits my needs. Because it was brandless, it costs only $20. I have nothing against young working adult paying hundreds of dollars for a backpack but they must not later complain that life is tough, everything is so expensive and work is chaining them down because they can't survive without the income. There are options out there and they chose the one that is more high class which obviously comes at a higher price.
I just bought a new bag too, I thought it is stylish, lightweight and fits my needs. Because it was brandless, it costs only $20. I have nothing against young working adult paying hundreds of dollars for a backpack but they must not later complain that life is tough, everything is so expensive and work is chaining them down because they can't survive without the income. There are options out there and they chose the one that is more high class which obviously comes at a higher price.
If we can all learn
to manage our "wants" and focus on our "needs", life is not that bad
afterall. We may eventually learn that we are more blessed than we
thought.
Kindness Makes the World Better
This morning, I was very thankful that at my most desperate moment, I
managed to find a toilet. It was at a place I didnt know a toilet
exist, the petrol kiosk. The attendant was kind to direct me there. I
was also thankful that the seat in the lone cubicle was clean because I
really dread toilet seats covered with urine. I then realised the toilet
roll ran out but luckily i have own pack of tissue. I left the
remaining of my pack there, so the next patron will not get a shock when he realised there is no paper.
Life can hit you with unexpected events and nothing is more comforting
when you can get help when you need them most. Always be kind when you
can, you could just be another person's life savior at their most
desperate moment.
Part 2:
Was lunching at a coffeeshop when an Uncle dropped by to sell tissue paper. Let me make a visual assessment: Uncle looks to be in his early 50s, not very old, no disabilities, don't look like needy so I didn't buy from him. He walked one round and got rejected by everyone else. That justified my assessment/ judgement on him, doesn't it?
However, something in me made me want to buy from him, to encourage him after all the rejections. I mean I dont have to give him $5 or $10, but surely I can pay him $1? Even if he is not a needy, he is still a businessman. So I waved for Uncle to come to my table. I gave him $1 and told him I only need 1 packet (instead of 3).
Uncle's reaction surprised me, he told me since I only need 1 pack, he can give me for free. Moments ago, I was judging him but now he was willing to give me a packet for free despite not earning / selling anything when making his rounds. I eventually insisted he sell me 1 pack for a dollar and he later gave another pack of pocket tissue to me and told me it was good (useful).
We built walls with people because we passed our judgement way before we even made an effort to understand them. Only kindness can help to tear down all these walls and made us bond closer as fellow members of the human race.
Part 2:
Was lunching at a coffeeshop when an Uncle dropped by to sell tissue paper. Let me make a visual assessment: Uncle looks to be in his early 50s, not very old, no disabilities, don't look like needy so I didn't buy from him. He walked one round and got rejected by everyone else. That justified my assessment/ judgement on him, doesn't it?
However, something in me made me want to buy from him, to encourage him after all the rejections. I mean I dont have to give him $5 or $10, but surely I can pay him $1? Even if he is not a needy, he is still a businessman. So I waved for Uncle to come to my table. I gave him $1 and told him I only need 1 packet (instead of 3).
Uncle's reaction surprised me, he told me since I only need 1 pack, he can give me for free. Moments ago, I was judging him but now he was willing to give me a packet for free despite not earning / selling anything when making his rounds. I eventually insisted he sell me 1 pack for a dollar and he later gave another pack of pocket tissue to me and told me it was good (useful).
We built walls with people because we passed our judgement way before we even made an effort to understand them. Only kindness can help to tear down all these walls and made us bond closer as fellow members of the human race.
Compare With the Right Group if you wish to be Happy
If I ask you don't compare and you said you can't because it is human
instinct, then I ask of you to compare with people who are worse off
than you, if you really want to be happy.
It is simple logic actually, you compare with someone who is better than you in certain aspects, naturally you feel inadequate and unsatisfied. But if you compare with someone who is worse off, you will more blessed in many ways.
All our life, we are always comparing, consciously or subconsciously. As long as we have common ground, we have room to compare; we compare against our friends, our siblings, compare kids, compare spouse...etc. However, have we stopped to ask ourselves what is the true purpose of doing so? If it is to excel or gain happiness, by all means pls go ahead and compare. But if it creates unhappiness, jealously or anger, pls stop to evaluate again because the purpose is meaningless really.
It is simple logic actually, you compare with someone who is better than you in certain aspects, naturally you feel inadequate and unsatisfied. But if you compare with someone who is worse off, you will more blessed in many ways.
All our life, we are always comparing, consciously or subconsciously. As long as we have common ground, we have room to compare; we compare against our friends, our siblings, compare kids, compare spouse...etc. However, have we stopped to ask ourselves what is the true purpose of doing so? If it is to excel or gain happiness, by all means pls go ahead and compare. But if it creates unhappiness, jealously or anger, pls stop to evaluate again because the purpose is meaningless really.
Sometimes, you may be sucked into this cycle of comparison unknowingly
because it was initiated by another person, but I believe you absolutely
have the power to pull yourself out and re-evaluate what you are doing.
Don't spend all the time and energy doing things that are unconstructive and then later regret you could have spent your time more wisely or give them to the people who matter most.
Don't spend all the time and energy doing things that are unconstructive and then later regret you could have spent your time more wisely or give them to the people who matter most.
Kindness is Looking Out for One Another
A group of pedestrain was walking across the road even when the
lights were not in their favour, simply because there were no cars.
Then, a car came and a lady quickly alert another lady who was nearest
the car but busy on her phone. They do not know each other, yet it
doesn't stop one lady from looking out for another.
I like that and I think we need that. Life can be tough, Life can be hard, but if we look out for one another, help one another, we can make things so much better for all of us. We don't need to keep competing with one another, fight one another, the world is big enough for all of us to co-exist together. The world has enough negative energy, if we continue to fight one another instead of help one another, we will only create more negative energy, which is neither meaningful nor helpful.
I like that and I think we need that. Life can be tough, Life can be hard, but if we look out for one another, help one another, we can make things so much better for all of us. We don't need to keep competing with one another, fight one another, the world is big enough for all of us to co-exist together. The world has enough negative energy, if we continue to fight one another instead of help one another, we will only create more negative energy, which is neither meaningful nor helpful.
We
all want to see a better world, yet it is in these little actions that
we give on a consistent basis, that we bring about change, through our
collective efforts.
The Story I did not Share
The year 2014 was a fantastic year for me in terms of community
service. My Project Act of Random Kindness - PARK initiative was picking
up, I started this group, P2P, and together we helped many projects/
initiatives achieve their goals and reach out to those in need. I also
had another group where we rally everyone to help water the drying
plants everywhere in Singapore and we were all so happy when the rain
finally came.
Just when life couldn't get better, I crossed path with the big 'C'. I was initially very confident of my health as I rarely fell sick and didn't want to go through a biopsy. The doctors told me that the chance of getting the illness is only 1%, considering my age and health profile. I did it anyway to get a peace of mind. The biopsy result turned out positive and I was diagnosed with the early stage of a rare and aggressive cancer. It was a period of denial followed by uncertainty and then fear, as I struggled to cope with the diagnosis. I was not the only one suffering, my family members suffered together with me. We were busy running around, seeking 2nd opinion, learning more about the illness and exploring the treatment options. Luckily, I was well covered by insurance then and only need to fork out 10% of the total treatment cost. Otherwise, the medical bills would be another burden for me.
From my own experience, I know that cancer can hit anyone and sometimes it is very unexpected. I was living a healthy lifestyle, I don't smoke or drink, I rarely fell sick and there was no family history in my entire family tree but somehow I still got it. When cancer happen to a young child, it is even more heartbreaking, because their lives have barely started. Their time should be spent on exploring the wonders of the world and not in battling this illness. It is a draining journey, waiting for test results is nerve-racking and sometimes complications kicks in during the treatment cycle. Even if results are negative, the risk and fear of relapse are always there.
I think we as fellow members of the community, can do our part to support the children suffering from cancer and their families. If I can forgo that just one meal at my favorite Japanese restaurant or miss just that one movie and use that amount to help save a life, I think it is money well spent. I hope we can all understand that we are not just donating money, we donating hope as well, to encourage these children and their families that they are not alone and many are in this battle with them.
This is my campaign to raise funds for CCF, to help the families of children cancer patients:
https://www.ccf.org.sg/giving/fundraisng_event.php?id=fundraising-for-children-with-cancer
I know I can count on all of you to make a difference. This is what makes our group great and this is what that makes every one of you special and wonderful.
Thank you for believing in kindness and thank you for spreading your love to those who need them the most. Let's build a better world for ourselves and many generation to come.
Just when life couldn't get better, I crossed path with the big 'C'. I was initially very confident of my health as I rarely fell sick and didn't want to go through a biopsy. The doctors told me that the chance of getting the illness is only 1%, considering my age and health profile. I did it anyway to get a peace of mind. The biopsy result turned out positive and I was diagnosed with the early stage of a rare and aggressive cancer. It was a period of denial followed by uncertainty and then fear, as I struggled to cope with the diagnosis. I was not the only one suffering, my family members suffered together with me. We were busy running around, seeking 2nd opinion, learning more about the illness and exploring the treatment options. Luckily, I was well covered by insurance then and only need to fork out 10% of the total treatment cost. Otherwise, the medical bills would be another burden for me.
From my own experience, I know that cancer can hit anyone and sometimes it is very unexpected. I was living a healthy lifestyle, I don't smoke or drink, I rarely fell sick and there was no family history in my entire family tree but somehow I still got it. When cancer happen to a young child, it is even more heartbreaking, because their lives have barely started. Their time should be spent on exploring the wonders of the world and not in battling this illness. It is a draining journey, waiting for test results is nerve-racking and sometimes complications kicks in during the treatment cycle. Even if results are negative, the risk and fear of relapse are always there.
I think we as fellow members of the community, can do our part to support the children suffering from cancer and their families. If I can forgo that just one meal at my favorite Japanese restaurant or miss just that one movie and use that amount to help save a life, I think it is money well spent. I hope we can all understand that we are not just donating money, we donating hope as well, to encourage these children and their families that they are not alone and many are in this battle with them.
This is my campaign to raise funds for CCF, to help the families of children cancer patients:
https://www.ccf.org.sg/giving/fundraisng_event.php?id=fundraising-for-children-with-cancer
I know I can count on all of you to make a difference. This is what makes our group great and this is what that makes every one of you special and wonderful.
Thank you for believing in kindness and thank you for spreading your love to those who need them the most. Let's build a better world for ourselves and many generation to come.
If You Want to Be Happy, Envy Yourself !
If you want to be happy, the person you should envy most is yourself.
I am very sure that someone out there is going to envy you for
something you have and they don't. It could be your cheerful
personality, your quick wit or your kind nature. Find it and "envy"
yourself for that.
We live in a world where there is so much comparison with everyone else, yet we conveniently forget that no one is perfect. I envy you, you envy him, he envy her and end up we are all unhappy. If everyone start looking at what they are blessed with, the enviable traits of being themselves, then that is when they start to find contentment and inner peace.
We live in a world where there is so much comparison with everyone else, yet we conveniently forget that no one is perfect. I envy you, you envy him, he envy her and end up we are all unhappy. If everyone start looking at what they are blessed with, the enviable traits of being themselves, then that is when they start to find contentment and inner peace.
Be the person enviable and envy the person you are, because you are the
one and only one in this world. You are unique, you are special and you
are your own kind of beautiful, so love yourself because you deserve it
!
The World Needs More Actions
This morning I realised something while taking the bus, that is if
the hammer to break the glass is dislodged, it will give out a stinging
alarm sound.
The hammer was dislodged somehow in the midst of my journey and the alarm sounded but no one did anything about it. Some people could be ignorant, some people could be waiting for the bus driver to do it, since it is "his bus and his job" right?
To keep waiting means we suffer together, until someone do something. So instead of questioning why others is not doing it, why don't I question why I am not the one to put the hammer back to stop the alarm? Of course, I can give reasons like I don't know how or I am sitting way at the back of the bus but I can try?
The hammer was dislodged somehow in the midst of my journey and the alarm sounded but no one did anything about it. Some people could be ignorant, some people could be waiting for the bus driver to do it, since it is "his bus and his job" right?
To keep waiting means we suffer together, until someone do something. So instead of questioning why others is not doing it, why don't I question why I am not the one to put the hammer back to stop the alarm? Of course, I can give reasons like I don't know how or I am sitting way at the back of the bus but I can try?
The world has too many questions, why this why that, yet too little actions being taken by the people who question.
Let me ask pose these questions too:
"If not me, then who?"
"If not now, then when?"
You and me, we can do so much more, and the world needs that. Start taking small actions today, we will make a difference together.
Let me ask pose these questions too:
"If not me, then who?"
"If not now, then when?"
You and me, we can do so much more, and the world needs that. Start taking small actions today, we will make a difference together.
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