Our life is our own adventure and journey. During the journey, we make choices and these choices will push us to our limits. Following each choice, there could be pain, sorrow and joy. Each one of us will have to endure the consequences of our choice.
Sometimes, the pain becomes unbearable because of the choice we have make and it will hurt us tremendously. To overcome these pain or lessen its impact, we have to find the joy inside us and these joy will burn or melt away the pain.
Look deeply and you will definitely find the joy and you have to bring out these joy and make it stronger and make yourself live through it and by then, it will push the pain into the background.
We tell ourselves that time would heal all the pains but at times, time will relive the pain especially when we open up ourselves to the memories. THe memories will overtake you an dmake you grief more. It will get stronger it we let it be or if we fan it harder by thinking about it more. We should let ourselves focus on happy thoughts and the joys we have encountered in our life. The more focus we place on joy, it will shine brighter and will mitigate the hurt and the wound.
The joy like when you know your first boyfriend, the birth of your child, the first kiss, the first present you get, your career promotion, when your friend say he or she loves you, the moment you get an award, the moments you have enough to give to charity,etc. Search within yourself and you will find joy.
It is your choice to think about joy and let joy take over your thoughts and your life. It is all up to you.
Namaste.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
A boring sunday?
Doing nothing and just sit around lingering and spend time eating tim sum with our loved ones, seem to be boring. Our ever fixing mind wants every second to be productive and active. Sitting and resting and doing nothing is boring. Is it?
As we grow old, our preception will change and we will understand that life is not all around running around, handling our own matters or the matters of other people. Life should not be just all actions from the moment we wake up. Is this process is a way to occupy our mind and refrain from our lingering thoughts. If we slow down, many thoughts will start to float up in our mind. So, active involvement gives us no time to think about the things which are pending or troubling us.
In our early phase of life, we are strong and active but as age catches up, the natural process of aging will slow us down and we will need rest longer and longer. We cannot avoid this process and will need to face the issues as it arise. Hence, it is better to slow down and train ourself at the early stages, rather than not to be prepared at the later stage and still have to face the slowing down process and our monkey mind.
Now, we can see what is in our future but we try to avoid it and push all these lingering thoughts into the back of our mind. See not, fear not. Maybe, this is the best way to be happy and a easiest way to solve a problem. Time will solve everything. By controlling our mind or not resting to avoid our thoughts have the same impact but the end result will not be the same.
So, slowing down and resting should be a natural process for our mind and body to recuperate. Doing nothing is actually doing something. So,how can doing nothing be boring. Even GOD rest on Sunday. Just think about it.
Namaste.
As we grow old, our preception will change and we will understand that life is not all around running around, handling our own matters or the matters of other people. Life should not be just all actions from the moment we wake up. Is this process is a way to occupy our mind and refrain from our lingering thoughts. If we slow down, many thoughts will start to float up in our mind. So, active involvement gives us no time to think about the things which are pending or troubling us.
In our early phase of life, we are strong and active but as age catches up, the natural process of aging will slow us down and we will need rest longer and longer. We cannot avoid this process and will need to face the issues as it arise. Hence, it is better to slow down and train ourself at the early stages, rather than not to be prepared at the later stage and still have to face the slowing down process and our monkey mind.
Now, we can see what is in our future but we try to avoid it and push all these lingering thoughts into the back of our mind. See not, fear not. Maybe, this is the best way to be happy and a easiest way to solve a problem. Time will solve everything. By controlling our mind or not resting to avoid our thoughts have the same impact but the end result will not be the same.
So, slowing down and resting should be a natural process for our mind and body to recuperate. Doing nothing is actually doing something. So,how can doing nothing be boring. Even GOD rest on Sunday. Just think about it.
Namaste.
The best "Char Koay Teow" in Penang
When I was on my way back from KL to Penang on Friday, my boss H suddenly brought up the subject of food on the plane. Each of use was sitting on the isle seat besides each other and he asked me about food and I asked him where is the best "char koay teow" (fried white flat noodles)in Penang?
He told me that recently there was a "char koay teow" competition in Penang and the champion is from Asia restaurant in Air Itam on the way to Penang Hill. I have been to Asia restaurant and I think it caters more for tourist. I had Tim Sum and some noodles there but the food is only so-so. Nothing special. Looking at my puzzled face, he told me that the stall has only been open recently at that site after the owner win the food competition. Sorry, fellas, I have no experience to share on this stall.
I told H that I used to frequent the " char koay teow" stall at Lasia which is diagonally opposite the Asia restaurant. The "char koay teow" is abit wet and soft and it comes with three big prawns and it cost about RM5.50 per plate. You have to wait one hour for that specialty on certain days. After hearing, he has to wait for one hour, he told me that he will have to forget it because he is not used to waiting for food. Well, I know he dislike waiting and used to book his appointment in advance. Sorry lah no booking in this case.
He countered me another place for the " fried koay teow". He enquired whether I have eat the "char koay teow" at the padang brown. The owner fried the koay teow using charcoal. I stretch my head as I try to locate the site he had mentioned. Oh, yes, I told him. Is it near the famous persumbor stall and the "poh pian" stall. HIs answer was affirmative. Yes, I have tried the " char koay teow" at that place. It is very good and they place a few pieces of " lap cheong" on the fried noodle and it is abit oily. But, it smell real good. I used to eat the persumbor and the poh pian. These two dishes is my favorite.
It was my turn to test him. "Boss, have you tried the "char koay teow" stall at a coffee shop oppersite the ex-Federal Cinema?". His answer was negative. I told him that I went to the site and waited for half an hour and the owner told me to wait another one hour and that is when I give up waiting. I was told that it was one of the best "char koay teow" and they served the fried noodle with a few big prawns and it cost RM8.50 a plate. By far, this is one of the most expensive char koay teow in Penang.
Frankly, there are a few more places which serves good fried koay teows and some have diminished in status for the wrong reasons. The sisters' char koay teow at Macalister Road ,slightly oppersite the new Loh Guan Lye Hospital and the char koay teow in Lorong Selamat. Both these two stalls are managed by furious women owners who is famous for scolding their customers if you chase them for your order. For the locals, we have other sources but for foreigners, they are still famous.
There are still many good char koay teow stalls in Penang and I think there are easily 100 plus char koay teow stalls all over Penang. For your information, every kopitiam or food court, you will find a char koay teow stall in it and sometimes, it could be two or three stalls in a same complex.
I am only sharing my experience and one man's food may be another man's poison and in food, there is no absolute taste. Some food can be too sweet or too dry or too wet or too salty and each person have their special preferences. No one stall is an absolute winner. The same in life, no one way or path is correct for everyone of us. It is our choice and as long as we are happy, that is the winner.
Namaste.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Tomorrow is not guaranteed....
Yesterday, I travelled to Kuala Lumpur on a business trip with my boss,H. It was a hectic day trip flying MAS and returning by Firefly. We were waiting at a coffee shop at Subang Airport and s ddenly,H told me that he received news that his secretary's brother had passed away due to a heart attack. He told me that his secretary's brother is only in his mid forties and has no sign of sickness and was a healthy person doing regular exercise. Just very recently, the lead singer of the Monkees, a 70's famous band also die in his early forties from the same sickness.
These news bring to our mind the fragility of life. Anything can happen and with a slight twist of fate, either we die or our life will change forever. This fate like air or love can not be caught and hold on to by our hands. At its own time, it will slip away. What we can do is to live happily in any single moment and banished away the fear, the fear of negativity.
Last Thursday, before the start of my yoga class, my teacher, M asked us to gather around her. She asked all her students a simple question "What is our fear?". Each student was requested to reveal their secret to all the members. Some said that they fear height,some said fear to be alone, one said poverty, another said "monkey", etc. My teacher M's fear is to be alone. Being alone, sometimes is a blessing and not constricted by the need to care about other's feeling or well being.
Her intention is not to know the fear per se but to let us be aware of our fear and bring it out and let us stare at it and face it squarely. By knowing our fear, we will be able to overcome it when we do the difficult poses in yoga. At times, we cannot push ourselves to the limit due to the fear inside us. We are scare that we hurt ourselves and this fear inhibits us from attempting to push the limits in our pose.
Yes, like the fear that tomorrow may not come. We hide in our comfort zone and not doing anything that is dangerous or risky. We became less adventurous and less daring to protect our life and by so doing, we need enjoy the finer things in life or achieved a self fulfilling life. When we are in pain, we live within the confinement of the pain to enjoy the comforty in our movements instead of overcoming the pain and live the way we should live. We did not control the pain but instead the pain control us and push us into a restricted corner.
My boss,H wrote an article "banished fear and live your life to the fullest". Fear is self imposed and fear manifest fear and make the fear stronger. If you fight it, it will deminished in power and we will be able to control your life more and live the way, we should live.
Start today, look from within and search the fear and bring it out and place it infront of you and acknowledge it, be aware of it and overcome it. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Stretch and reach to the fullest and enjoy the enlarge moments in our life.
Namaste.
These news bring to our mind the fragility of life. Anything can happen and with a slight twist of fate, either we die or our life will change forever. This fate like air or love can not be caught and hold on to by our hands. At its own time, it will slip away. What we can do is to live happily in any single moment and banished away the fear, the fear of negativity.
Last Thursday, before the start of my yoga class, my teacher, M asked us to gather around her. She asked all her students a simple question "What is our fear?". Each student was requested to reveal their secret to all the members. Some said that they fear height,some said fear to be alone, one said poverty, another said "monkey", etc. My teacher M's fear is to be alone. Being alone, sometimes is a blessing and not constricted by the need to care about other's feeling or well being.
Her intention is not to know the fear per se but to let us be aware of our fear and bring it out and let us stare at it and face it squarely. By knowing our fear, we will be able to overcome it when we do the difficult poses in yoga. At times, we cannot push ourselves to the limit due to the fear inside us. We are scare that we hurt ourselves and this fear inhibits us from attempting to push the limits in our pose.
Yes, like the fear that tomorrow may not come. We hide in our comfort zone and not doing anything that is dangerous or risky. We became less adventurous and less daring to protect our life and by so doing, we need enjoy the finer things in life or achieved a self fulfilling life. When we are in pain, we live within the confinement of the pain to enjoy the comforty in our movements instead of overcoming the pain and live the way we should live. We did not control the pain but instead the pain control us and push us into a restricted corner.
My boss,H wrote an article "banished fear and live your life to the fullest". Fear is self imposed and fear manifest fear and make the fear stronger. If you fight it, it will deminished in power and we will be able to control your life more and live the way, we should live.
Start today, look from within and search the fear and bring it out and place it infront of you and acknowledge it, be aware of it and overcome it. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Stretch and reach to the fullest and enjoy the enlarge moments in our life.
Namaste.
My friend, ES is retiring
This afternoon I happen to call an old time friend,ES he is a senior manager with a big local banking group. ES have been hinting to me that he will be retiring soon but each time, he delays his intention. Today, he told me that he will be submitting his resignation letter and will be retired in a month's time. I tickle him and make a joke " Are you sure?" and a definite "yes" came back on the line. I want to do my business before it is too late. I am not sure of the real reason but he has told me that the work pressure is getting heavier and heavier each day and month.
He told me that his management is increasing his target every year irrespective of the market conditions. The general business condition is down but his target is always on the rise. Maybe another 10%. If he is unable to meet the target, he will be humiliated at the weekly business meeting and infront of his subordinates. According to ES, some of his current bosses are younger than him and he told me it is getting more and more difficult to be scolded by his younger peers or bosses. Well, that is the fact of life.
But, going into business is not easy either. Instead of a few bosses,all his customers will be his bosses and human behaviours are unpredictible and crude at times. Nothing is easy in business and there will be a full bus load of responsibility or liabilities. Sometimes, you won't have enough time to eat, sleep or rest. The strains of business is heavy and cruel. Some people are make to be businessman but some are not. For ES,I worry very much as he does not have the cut to be a good businessman.
I always tell my friends. Those people work in a factory or a bank is like a pot of beautiful flower, fourishing in the air condition room but if you take it out in the sun, it will die immediately if the comforting condition is change drastically. Don't under estimate the power of the "sun".
I wish him all the best and I hope he can curve out a path for himself in the business world. Miracle can happen and I do hope it will happen for him.
Namaste.
He told me that his management is increasing his target every year irrespective of the market conditions. The general business condition is down but his target is always on the rise. Maybe another 10%. If he is unable to meet the target, he will be humiliated at the weekly business meeting and infront of his subordinates. According to ES, some of his current bosses are younger than him and he told me it is getting more and more difficult to be scolded by his younger peers or bosses. Well, that is the fact of life.
But, going into business is not easy either. Instead of a few bosses,all his customers will be his bosses and human behaviours are unpredictible and crude at times. Nothing is easy in business and there will be a full bus load of responsibility or liabilities. Sometimes, you won't have enough time to eat, sleep or rest. The strains of business is heavy and cruel. Some people are make to be businessman but some are not. For ES,I worry very much as he does not have the cut to be a good businessman.
I always tell my friends. Those people work in a factory or a bank is like a pot of beautiful flower, fourishing in the air condition room but if you take it out in the sun, it will die immediately if the comforting condition is change drastically. Don't under estimate the power of the "sun".
I wish him all the best and I hope he can curve out a path for himself in the business world. Miracle can happen and I do hope it will happen for him.
Namaste.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
A passing of the day
It was a normal day. I took two hours off today as my leg is abit swollen because of ghout. The drinking of beer and eating of meat in Bangladeah was the main reason for painful leg. After reaching office, I immediately answered all the incoming emails and clear off some queries and I head off to lunch at 12.45pm.
The lunch was a fast and simple one. Just bread with egg and curry mee. The eating was fast and I rush back to office to set up a skype conference with my counterparts in Dhaka, Bangladesh with two of my colleagues assisting me. It was a project meeting. The tele-conference finished at 3pm and I rush back to my office to answer my new incoming mails. I was supposed to retrieve a report which was done years ago but it was a futile search on my archive files. This matter is still pending.
Suddenly, I remembered of a meeting with a lawyer and my tax consultant. I called her and she confirmed that the meeting was on and immediately, I rush to Penang Island to attend the meeting. I was slightly late and the meeting start off from 4.40pm. The traffic on the road from the mainland to Penang Island was light and easy. The meeting place was at Traders Hotel.
The meeting ends at 6.30pm and I waited at the lobby and wait for my wife to pick me up. She was slightly late and I reached home at 7.30pm. I had dinner and went back to my own house.
It was a simple day and business as usual. Nothing spectacular happen and it was a routine. But, time never stops and it slips by our hands as we move along with our routine. It never object or raise a voice but quietly, it sneaks by and before you realize it, many moons have passed. How many of us is aware of each moment? We are distracted most of the time and we do not care to be conscious as we are involved in a race. A race to where ? The final destination is the same and why then are you in a hurry ?
Slow down,fellas and let the things in our life come together and make you restful. If you keep going or moving, such happenings could not be closed and it keeps your matters unclosed and fluid. Stop and you will receive.
Namaste.
The lunch was a fast and simple one. Just bread with egg and curry mee. The eating was fast and I rush back to office to set up a skype conference with my counterparts in Dhaka, Bangladesh with two of my colleagues assisting me. It was a project meeting. The tele-conference finished at 3pm and I rush back to my office to answer my new incoming mails. I was supposed to retrieve a report which was done years ago but it was a futile search on my archive files. This matter is still pending.
Suddenly, I remembered of a meeting with a lawyer and my tax consultant. I called her and she confirmed that the meeting was on and immediately, I rush to Penang Island to attend the meeting. I was slightly late and the meeting start off from 4.40pm. The traffic on the road from the mainland to Penang Island was light and easy. The meeting place was at Traders Hotel.
The meeting ends at 6.30pm and I waited at the lobby and wait for my wife to pick me up. She was slightly late and I reached home at 7.30pm. I had dinner and went back to my own house.
It was a simple day and business as usual. Nothing spectacular happen and it was a routine. But, time never stops and it slips by our hands as we move along with our routine. It never object or raise a voice but quietly, it sneaks by and before you realize it, many moons have passed. How many of us is aware of each moment? We are distracted most of the time and we do not care to be conscious as we are involved in a race. A race to where ? The final destination is the same and why then are you in a hurry ?
Slow down,fellas and let the things in our life come together and make you restful. If you keep going or moving, such happenings could not be closed and it keeps your matters unclosed and fluid. Stop and you will receive.
Namaste.
Everything happens for a reason
This is one of the Great Buddhist belief , there is a reason or cause for everything. My brother in law, Ed called just now and he told me that he got into a nasty accident when he was at the gym. He forgot to lock the weight and the whole weight fell on to his leg and he suffered six stitches to sew up his wound by a Doctor. So, the cause is his forgetfulness and the result is his injury. He told me that he look at life differently now and he is more restful and peaceful after the ordeal.
Yes, it is very true. If we sow a apple seed, the final result is an apple tree if you water and take care of it well. It will never be an orange tree if you sow an apple seed. If we apply the same concept to the law of karma , we will understand that if we do good deeds, only good things will happen to us. Maybe, it is not immediate but it will come back with good luck. However, if you have misdeeds, then these good deeds will help you to redeem your negative points.
As for relationships, everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, two strangers just know each other and for a long time, nothing happens and suddenly, something drastic happen or a difficult task which both needs to resolve together, this would trigger an appreciation for each other and a strong friendship could develop from that point. The relationship could develop further or could just die off over time. It could be just a strong bond without attachment but just pure appreciation and plutonic in nature.
Can we believe a plutonic relationship without attachment ? It depends on the people involved in such relationships. If they are mature and of right thinking mind, such relationship remained pure and pure out of great passion and appreciation for a living being. It is not necessary to be lovers but admiration and care for each other. The line separating the loving desire and admiration should be remained clear and bold. Once, the border have been breached , the whole dam would collapse. The holding back of each other’s desire to love is a big challenge.
To all those people in this situation, holding back the cravings and sexual desires could energize your mind and yourself to be wiser while breaching the line could be disastrous.
Namaste.
Yes, it is very true. If we sow a apple seed, the final result is an apple tree if you water and take care of it well. It will never be an orange tree if you sow an apple seed. If we apply the same concept to the law of karma , we will understand that if we do good deeds, only good things will happen to us. Maybe, it is not immediate but it will come back with good luck. However, if you have misdeeds, then these good deeds will help you to redeem your negative points.
As for relationships, everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, two strangers just know each other and for a long time, nothing happens and suddenly, something drastic happen or a difficult task which both needs to resolve together, this would trigger an appreciation for each other and a strong friendship could develop from that point. The relationship could develop further or could just die off over time. It could be just a strong bond without attachment but just pure appreciation and plutonic in nature.
Can we believe a plutonic relationship without attachment ? It depends on the people involved in such relationships. If they are mature and of right thinking mind, such relationship remained pure and pure out of great passion and appreciation for a living being. It is not necessary to be lovers but admiration and care for each other. The line separating the loving desire and admiration should be remained clear and bold. Once, the border have been breached , the whole dam would collapse. The holding back of each other’s desire to love is a big challenge.
To all those people in this situation, holding back the cravings and sexual desires could energize your mind and yourself to be wiser while breaching the line could be disastrous.
Namaste.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)