Are we rushing through life ?

I had a good experience to share with all of you.  It had been raining for the past 30 days, alternating between sunshine in the morning and rain in the afternoon or the whole day raining. The mood have been gloomy and wet. Human being belongs to the dry land, otherwise, we would be living in the sea like the fishes. Traffic have been heavy in these few days due to the extended holidays co-inciting with the celebration of Eid, a Muslim religion holiday.  I read in the news that there are about 2.5 million people in Mecca performing the Haj.  Ow! it must be jam packed. The feeling is the same in Penang as cars packed the road as tourist poured into Penang.

Most of us are on the rush especially when we are working or rushing to carry out a task or doing something. Before the start of our trip or routine, we have already a plan or agenda in our mind and at the start, we want to complete all the task in the fastest time. We mapped our journey in our head and we rush through the wide and narrow lane  and we overtake on the left and the right , we squeeze in between the cars to have a clear way and we honk and curse when someone jump lane in front of you, we get upset when other people did the things we do to get ahead. We have the right of the way.

I have gone through all these traps and I think I have mellow much. If you video tapped the situation, you will realize that it is so meaningless and funny.  It had been a torture at your own choice. We are tensed up and stressed and we have been doing these countless times and never learn. At the end of our life, when our body and mind  had worn out, we asked our self why?  We took supplements to balance back our mind and body when in the first place, it was already balance. Human being struggle so hard to earn their money and spend most and all of it to cure themselves.  This is the irony of life.

Coming to my experience, my wife had an appointment at 3pm and we start the journey at 2.30pm assuming that the roads are all ours as it usually took about 15 minutes to reach the destination on a normal day.  Again here, people have short memories and refused to think or reminded that there will be a holiday traffic. We know and encounter such situations many times but yet, we believe that we are blessed and life is simple. It was raining and I run smacked into a slow and heavy traffic.My wife starts her nagging and told me that I chose to drive at the slowest speed ever and she will be late for her appointment.  The disturbing thought of her being late, starts to upset her and she starts to focus on the wrong things happening around her. Her whole journey was a torture but fortunately, we managed to reach her destination at 3pm.

Looking the whole trip, it was a mad rush and many times, we do these tasks without realizing that there is so much beauty around and we would have relaxed and enjoy the trip if we focus on other more pleasant things in us. We could have a good conversation and we spend our time to titillate and catch up the things which is happening when we are caught in the jam.  What can we do if there is a massive jam in front of us? Can nagging, worrying and angry help to clear the traffic?  If we slow down and find our inner space. we will realized that it was our mental habits that have been playing a fool with us. We let our emotions and feelings to rule us and we became illogical and self justification. Blaming  others is the best form of relief. We are really silly ?

If you have  been hiking as an exercise, I want to take the same trip by taking a slow walk. The focus is not just exercise but exercise with awareness. You walk at a slow pace and you focus on the minute details of the surrounding. Like the pebbles on the road, the tress by the road side, the people who pass by you, scenery on your way, the slow breeze that swell up to you and the many things which you have not seen before. You will realized that you have missed so much beauty and meaning in life. What you have missed on your hurried journey and why you have not enjoyed your exercise to the fullest ? Is life so meaningless by just rushing through it and completing the tasks at the fastest speed ? Challenging yourself to complete as many things as possible ?  It has all been a waste if you are doing it.  There are much more in life if we put our head to it. A simple conversation, a slow dance or walk, time to catch up with your relatives and friends. Doing all these things without time as a constraint. Just slow down and things will come into focus.

It took me many years to realize from hindsight that my life could have been better and my time on earth could be more meaningful instead of involving in a mad rush and finally, suffering from the rat race and it ends with  nothing. Start your journey with the right focus and manage it properly with the agenda to enjoy yourself as the top priority and other things came along gradually. Start your journey early and be prepared and if you reach your destination early, relax and re-focus inwardly and enjoy the peace while waiting. Enjoy the surrounding and sit down to have a cup of tea and do whatever you want like calling up a friend or walk around to enjoy that moment. You will find the peace and tranquility in you.



There is so much beauty in and around us , just slow down to focus its existence.



Namaste.

The benefits from eggs - ext

1. Eggs and milk are among the best foods for the body especially to a growing child.
2. Eggs do not cause an elevation of blood cholesterol
3. Eggs do not clog up the coronary vessels as once thought. In fact the opposite is now true
4. Eggs are low in energy value, and is a factor to consider in the formulation of a caloric-restriction diet
5. Eggs protein  quality is extremely high, and has a very high nitrogen-retention value. Hence it is extremely useful in post-surgicalcare, trauma, and in post-management of hypovolemic shock against
negative nitrogen balance
6. Eggs contain vitamin D in its natural form. The benefits of vitamin D require several chapters on human nutrition in medicine to discuss. And I refuse to repeat
7. Eggs are cancer-protective, especially for breast cancer
8. Eggs are very rich in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine which is a very crucial amino-acid in blocking damaging free radicals. These are directly linked to the pathogenesis of heart disease, cancers,
DNA damage, all degenerative disorders, and accelerated aging.
9. Eggs protect against fatty liver, slow growth, macular degeneration (degeneration of the macula area of the retina in the eyes..This is responsible for central vision for reading, face recognition and detailed vision), edema (water retention), and various skin lesions
10. Eggs promote healthy growth of nails, hair and skin
11. Eggs are rich in tryphophan, selenium, iodine, and riboflavin (vitamin B2)
12. Eggs selenium content is cardio-protective against Keshan disease, cardiomyopathies (diseases involving the heart muscles, cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), myocardial dysfunction (poor heart function) and death from heart failure.
13. Eggs are protective against Kashin-Beck disease (osteoarthropathy), myxedematous endemic cretinism (mental retardation)
14. The list goes on…on!

10 Health Benefits of Eggs

1. Eggs are great for the eyes. According to one study, an egg a day may
prevent **macular degeneraton*<http://www.healthdiaries.com/macular-degeneration.htm>
#due to the carotenoid content, specifically lutein*http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/lutein-and-eye-health.html and zeaxanthin. Both nutrients are more readily available to our bodies from eggs than from other sources.
2. In another study, researchers found that people who eat eggs every day lower their risk of developing cataracts, also because of the lutein andzeaxanthin in eggs.

3. One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids.

4. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, there is no significant link between egg consumption and **heart disease*http://www.healthdiaries.com/heart_conditions/ In fact, according to one study, regular consumption of eggs may help prevent blood clots,*stroke*<http://www.healthdiaries.com/stroke-survivors.ht and **heart attacks* http://www.healthdiaries.com/heart-attack.htm*.**

5. They are a good source of choline. One egg yolk has about 300 micrograms of choline. Choline is an important nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. *
6. They contain the right kind of fat. One egg contains just 5 grams of faand only 1.5 grams of that is saturated fat.** **

7. New research shows that, contrary to previous belief, moderate consumption of eggs does not have a negative impact on cholesterol. In fact, recent studies have shown that regular consumption of two eggs per day does not affect a person's lipid profile and may, in fact, improve it. * *Research suggests that it is saturated fat that raises cholesterol rather than dietary cholesterol. **

8. Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring **vitamin D**.

9. Eggs may prevent **breast cancer*<http://www.healthdiaries.com/breast-cancer.htm>
*. In one study, women who consumed at least 6 eggs per week lowered theirrisk of breast cancer by 44%. *

10. Eggs promote healthy hair and nails because of their high sulfur content and wide array of vitamins and minerals. Many people find their hair growing faster after adding eggs to their diet, especially if they were previously deficient in foods containing sulfur or B12. *****

A good night sleep to avoid depression - news

Fri Nov 4, 2011 5:43PM EDT

By Kimberly Hayes Taylor

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who struggle to get a good night's sleep are twice as likely, on average, to suffer from depression down the road as those who sleep soundly, Japanese researchers report.

After surveying thousands of adults in a rural Japanese town over the course of two years, a team from Tokyo Medical University found that participants with insomnia at the study's outset were up to two and a half times more likely to have a new or ongoing case of depression by the end.

"The study is interesting because it confirms again that there is a connection between sleep abnormalities and depression," said Dr. Srinivasan Pillay, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the work.

"What it does not tell us," Pillay told Reuters Health, "is whether sleep abnormalities are the cause of depression or something else. It tells us there is an association between the two."

Because a growing body of research shows a link between insomnia and depression, researchers led by Dr. Yuichi Inoue in the Department of Somnology at Tokyo Medical University set out to see whether it held true over time in a Japanese population. They also looked at whether specific types of insomnia were especially tied to future depression risk.

It was already known that one-fifth of the Japanese population reportedly suffers from insomnia and that sleep problems were a suspected risk factor for other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse. But little research had been done in Japan.

Starting in 2005, Inoue's team administered two surveys to nearly 3,000 adults in the town of Daisen in Tottori Prefecture. One survey was designed to measure insomnia symptoms and the other to detect depression.

The insomnia survey let researchers analyze categories of sleep disturbance, including sleep quality, the amount of time participants took to get to sleep, sleep duration, sleep "efficiency" and daytime dysfunction.

In 2007, a little over half of the original participants agreed to take the two surveys again.

Inoue's group found that quality of sleep was more important than quantity in predicting a person's likelihood of depression and its severity.

Poor sleep quality and daytime dysfunction raised depression risk by 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively, compared to people who didn't have sleep problems or depression at the outset. Disturbed sleep raised depression risk by 30 percent and difficulty falling asleep or use of sleep medication each upped risk by 20 percent.

The researchers also looked at depression's influence on sleep and found that a new case of depression raised the risk of having insomnia by 7-fold and ongoing depression raised it by 3-fold.

Inoue could not be reached for comment, but his team concludes in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry that insomnia should be seen as a red flag for increased risk of depression and should be treated "cautiously" to prevent depression from setting in.

Dr. Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist on the clinical faculty of UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute said she found flaws with the report.

"This study does not prove that insomnia causes depression, but rather that insomnia is often associated with depression. We know that already," she told Reuters Health. "One of the classic symptoms of depression is sleeping too much or sleeping too little. In fact, early morning awakening has long been considered a...particularly characteristic symptom of depression. This study mentions this, but does not seem to have specifically tested for it."

She also noted the study's finding that many of the people who reported insomnia in their first survey were already depressed.

"The fact that they had insomnia and/or depression two years later is not surprising and is more reflective of their not being treated for their underlying depression," Lieberman said.

One lesson the study offers is the importance of getting treatment when insomnia sets in, said Daniel Taylor, a sleep researcher and associate professor at the University of North Texas.

"If you are having problems with sleep, get assessed by a sleep doctor, a board certified sleep specialist because the research is very consistent that you are going to be at risk for developing depression down the line," Taylor said. "If it turns out that you have insomnia, you should probably get treatment by a behavioral sleep specialist because it looks like sleep medication continues to put you at risk."

The silent majority......

"Many are called but a few are chosen". These words will be familiar  among the Christians as this phrase is commonly used in the preachingg sermons. It means that many people are called to Christianity but only a few are chosen as leaders. These leaders are the one who will speak out and lead the spread of Christianity. However, if we bring this context to our daily life, it means people who seek for perfection or the protection of their rights. If you rule a country, there are basic human rights and if you are running a company, you must  provide and protect the right of your customers. Otherwise, these chosen leaders have the right to speak up and "right the wrongs" which, if not  the silent majority would suffer in silence.

I am talking about an experience I have yesterday when I visited BIL J in the hospital. After his dialysis, he was very uncomfortable and in pain. The pain was coming from his cancer. He was eagerly wanting to go back to his room to rest and he was panting for  a wheel chair  to sent him to his room. We waited and waited and expressed our verbal request to the nurse in charged and she told us that they are waiting to hand him over to another nurse as this is the hospital's procedure. We waited for almost 20 minutes and the wheel chair was not coming.  So, I went to see the Administrative Staff at their counter to file a complaint and after about 5 minutes, the wheel chair came to take BIL J to his room. On departing, I make a comment to the nurse " if you decide to provide a service, you have to provide the service with an excellent attitude and go all out to serve the customers" . The nurse apologized for their operating system's failure.  If I have not put my foot down, we would be part of the silent majority queuing up innocently and suffer in pain.

However, my action was rebuked by my wife who told that I am creating a lot of noise.  Well, I was not agreeable to her comments. A lot of people do not like to speak up for fear of embarrassing themselves and to criticize people is not a norm in our Chinese culture and in many culture. We have to be polite and wait for our turn. This is a nonsense thinking and  because of this silent majority, inefficiencies have prevail and improvement is retarded.  People can get a way with a simple " I am sorry"  excuse  from inefficiencies or mistakes.  I don't think so because these inefficiencies will affect the service of the hospitals and will continue to impact more and more people coming for treatment. We have to complain for improvements.

There are a lot of other things in life which needs tidying up and make the world a better place. Stop hurting other people's feeling is the least of the concerns as " rots of the fish starts from the infected parts" and in most cases , starts from the head.  I am modifying this phrase to suit the occasion. I believe and encourage " positive feed backs" and let the people who have committed the errors to sit up and tidy up their acts and "save the people".  This comment is also applying to the people running the politics of a country and even more so, they owe this responsibility to the people and the Nation to be efficient.

I  am not a hero or want to act as one but there are so many imperfections which affects our daily life which we have to suffer in silence. In Buddhism, we are taught to have understanding and be patience and  learn to tolerate imperfections in world by improving our inner self and mind. as this will bring peace. I would like to agree to disagree to a point and in a different perspective, we should practice pro-active Buddhism to reduce imperfections as to provide an effort to reduce sufferings in this world. The people who is sick is suffering in pain and by such imperfections, they suffer more pain and discomforts. If we look in this perspective, we should encourage improvements in the hospital operating procedures.

I was disturb by people lacking loving kindness and compassion in this world and treating their job as a job and nothing more. We should cross the fine line of our job area if there  is a need and to ratify it if the outcome is giving suffering to other  people. Have loving kindness and compassion in our heart and in our effort and it won't he wrong. Our complaint may hurt some people but it will bring benefits to may other people in the future. It is actually a merit or good karma to act in this positive manner. If we look at it in another perspective, it is actually a waste because any delay leads to waste ie wasting of the other people's time and energy and it is a sin to waste.

Please live and live positively and act in good faith to bring more constructive feedback to this world in order to reduce sufferings in our daily life.

Namaste.

A lapse in concentration.,,,,,,,,,,

I had dinner at a Taiwanese noodle shop after visiting BIL J at the hospital.  Yes, he is admitted because he was not feeling well. He was tested for chemical imbalance and also undergone dialysis to harmonized her chemical problem.  He was in pain after the dialysis  and he kept on asking us to go home or go for dinner. He felt obliged if we have stayed longer , so we cash the rain cheque and I went off with my wife for dinner.

It was a simple dinner and when we were on our way back, it was drizzling a bit  and it was wet and dark outside. On the way back, my wife say that she wants to buy Fab , a washing powder at a supermarket which is on our route home. When we reach the supermarket, there was a long queue of cars because it was a Saturday and we decided to skip the supermarket.  Our next stop was a bank which was also on our way home. I just took the normal route , heading to the bank.

While nearing my home, my wife asked me where am I going ?  I say I using the normal way to the bank and she said that I have missed the turn to the bank and she scolded me for making excuses and it was indeed a mistake by me.  I kept arguing with her that there was a traffic light so that is why I choose this route. She kept questioning and tease me and I told her firmly that I have make the correct turn. So, after going the bank, I decided to show her mistake and prove that I was right. And when, I reach the traffic light, I knew I was wrong. There were two ways leading to the bank and one of the way is my working days' route and another way is my weekend route.  I have based on my argument using the weekday's route to support my weekend route. I was a switch in the routine and my mind is confused.  A lapse of concentration have done it and I was on auto pilot during the driving back.

It is dangerous as the daily stress and BIL J's sickness has gone into me. My mind was full and I have to emptied it before I get into trouble. Like I say before. If we are only 10 years old, we are free and easy because there is not much image and experience been stored in my brain but after 50 yeas, I have times more and it sure gets full, right?   It is a bit of malfunction and it just skip a line.  However, it can have serious consequences or it is a common error which is hardly felt. It is not the consequences but rather the mind is full. There is an urgent need to shake the stress away and have a clearer view of things.

I believe this kind of signal of an overdose is common to everyone of us. Don't be in  a self denial mood and find excuses to justify it.  It takes more courage for one to apologize for their mistakes rather than covering it up.

Namaste.

Six golden rules on f###ing

I got this lesson on the four letter words from my FB, it was a message listed by a female student and I think she also learn it trom her texting friends or learn the easy way... She became an expert in that subject..

THe six golden rules are -

Fxxxing is good for your health and your heart
Fxxxing in bed save a lot of energy and is more comfortable
After fxxxing don't eat so much  but drink a lot of liquid
Fxxxing reduces cholestrol and make you light
Fxxxing once a week is healthy but everyday is bad for you
Fxxxing  clears your mind and make you relax after it.

So, remember fasting is good for you  .... and make you a divine.

Hey, Gotcha ,.... you dirty minds , thinking of sex every time.

Hahahax ,, enjoy the teaser,

Namaste.

To err is human ; To forgive is divine.

It is never easy to forgive. So, if you can forgive easily, you have a divine nature. Most of the time, if someone commit an error which affects you, your mood change and your anger takes over.  You either shout obscenity or raise your voice to show displeasure. For instance, a motorcyclist cross your path suddenly, your anger rose instantly and you just focus on the error and how it have affected you but you fail to see that it is not you at that moment as if some strange fella have overtaken you.  If you slow down and re-focus, it is really not such a big error and it is also not serious. But, yet you still keep biting your lips with anger.

To some bosses, a mistake is a mistake and you will get a verbal blow for it. The problem will be bigger if we find excuses and try justify the mistake.  All the mumbo jumbos will only make things worst. From my experience, we should take the bull by the horn and admit it. It is easily said then done. It takes great courage to admit our mistake and face the consequences.  We spend a lot of time trying to find ways to hide the mistake or to justify the mistake but nothing works better than just admit the mistake.

Having said that we should not justify our mistakes by saying that “ to err is human” as it is natural to make mistakes. To be a responsible person, we have to be careful in our actions and to take all the precaution to avoid such errors. It is also not right to continuously committing and admitting our mistakes. This is also a silly way in living this way.

So, this phrase is calling on both parties to the occasion to balance each other.  For those people committing the error to be careful in our actions and reduce the chances of mistakes while for the people affected by the mistakes to have some allowance for forgiveness. We should not make a mountain out of a mole hill and we should commit murder by our carelessness. It is an art of compromise living and we should work towards living in harmony. If we keep thinking that it needs divinity to forgive and we keep all the unhappiness in you then it will us more miserable and angry.

In real life, they are lots of people committing eternal hatred and dying as enemies out of small misunderstandings or errors. This incidences show us the unforgiving nature of  human beings.

 Finally, I would like to say that “ To err is carelessness ; To forgive is human”.  This phrase would make it more human and more attainable.

Namaste.