I wonder how many know what a delight it is to work on a Sunday. There will of course be a nationful of people who will try to shout me down. "Down with that fool who works on Sundays. Down with that spanner-in-the-works who buck the system!"
In my line of work, it actually pays to work on a Sunday. First, it is very quiet at my workplace because three quarters of the editorial staff are away, either still sleeping at 1pm or somewhere window-shopping with their families.
Sundays for most people are sacrosanct. That means it should be left undisturbed, and untouched by management hands.
I prefer to work on Sundays because there is a general absence of distraction. I get work done much faster. I am in a peaceful state of mind. The loudest noise I hear within ear-shot is the click-clacking of computer keyboards. And there is not much of that going on right now.
Very unsurprisingly, I am more alerted in the office on Sundays. The hours passed by much faster and I get to go home that much earlier. The day seems shorter too.
To me, any day is just a matter of light and darkness. However, Sundays can be alluded to being in a ashram retreat. The wind is silently brushing its way across the tree tops, the air is serenly still and the earth seems at peace with itself.
I usually gain a lot from Sunday at work. I think better. I am a much calmer person and I get to email some people who I would otherwise would have forgotten on the weekdays.
Yes, Sundays can also be a time reserved for the family. I am not giving up that time because the hours after I have returned home are enough to take care of the leisure and pleasure activities.
So I calculate along these lines. I work a five-day week. I work on a Sunday which seems to be like a half-day, so in actual fact, I end up working a four and a half-day week. It is a win-win situation.
This evening, I am going mall-crawling with my family. My daughter is attending her friend's wedding at his particular shopping complex. The opportunity arises for me to window-shopping and buy things I generally don't need.
Isn't life great? Not all of us get to derive pleasure from a five-star holiday at Barbados, Seychelles or Maldives. The rest of us ordinary mortals have to make do with very ordinary, mundane activities.
The quality of leisure pleasure, as I would like to phrase it, is often relative. Sure, you can sunbathe on the shores of a mediterannean country, or even ski on the slopes of Aspen but your pleasure and happiness could just be as intense if you are having a marvellous time at the neighbourhood mall.
Now, as I gaze across the wide expanse of my office floor, I see empty tables and empty chairs. I also detect a distinct flavour of tranquillity that's conspicuously absent during the weekdays.
Praise be to Sundays, I say. May some of you realise what you are missing in life. Life can be long or short but what really matters is what you squeeze out of every second of every minute of every hour and everyday.
Think about it. Forget about being unable to be a millionaire at 30 or still smarting over the notion that you have lost your opportunity at being a famous movie star.
There are bigger and more important things in life than these trivia of no significance.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
The Floods are here again!
Even as I write these lines, more than 100,000 of my fellow countrymen are languishing down south of Peninsular Malaysia, specifically Johor.
The floods have been merciless this season. Perhaps for the first time in almost a century, the State of Johor is at the mercy of the elements.
Nobody knows when the weather and climate will let up. But right now, what we do know is that tens of thousands of families are staying in evacuation centres. Their homes have been washed out in many instances.
Children are unable to go to school. Workers have forgotten about employment for the time being and local authorities are up to their eyeballs in rescue efforts.
This phenomenon is repeated throughout the world. In other countries, the unpredictable weather comes in the form of blizzards, especially in parts of America.
Over in western Australia, fires recently wiped out thousands of acres of trees. Japan recently experienced earthquakes and mini tsunamis. All these natural happenings do not portend good things ahead.
Perhaps Mother Earth is finally awakening to the fact that man has too long been given free play of her backyard and she's no longer amused. When Earth is viewed as a living entity just like the rest of us, then perhaps the bigger picture can be seen.
There's only so much a planet can take from prolonged periods of abuse and misuse of her resources. Thus, the big quakes, the mounting sea waves, the heat and the blizzards.
Over in Malaysia, we are luckier than most countries. We don't really experience the really big nasty weather reactions. But that doesn't mean we should be smug about the whole situation.
Ultimately, nobody is really isolated from Earth's violent reaction to global heating. And heating up is what it is. The Polar caps are melting at an alarming rate.
The Ozone layer is widening and naturally, when things go amiss there's a chain of events that don't conform to peaceful co-existence between man and nature. These are the beginning of reminders to us all that no matter what we do on earth, we have to be mindful that our basic sciences tell us that there's always a cause and effect.
We have been forewarned in the past. We took no heed. Mother Nature is no longer playing the nice guy.
The floods have been merciless this season. Perhaps for the first time in almost a century, the State of Johor is at the mercy of the elements.
Nobody knows when the weather and climate will let up. But right now, what we do know is that tens of thousands of families are staying in evacuation centres. Their homes have been washed out in many instances.
Children are unable to go to school. Workers have forgotten about employment for the time being and local authorities are up to their eyeballs in rescue efforts.
This phenomenon is repeated throughout the world. In other countries, the unpredictable weather comes in the form of blizzards, especially in parts of America.
Over in western Australia, fires recently wiped out thousands of acres of trees. Japan recently experienced earthquakes and mini tsunamis. All these natural happenings do not portend good things ahead.
Perhaps Mother Earth is finally awakening to the fact that man has too long been given free play of her backyard and she's no longer amused. When Earth is viewed as a living entity just like the rest of us, then perhaps the bigger picture can be seen.
There's only so much a planet can take from prolonged periods of abuse and misuse of her resources. Thus, the big quakes, the mounting sea waves, the heat and the blizzards.
Over in Malaysia, we are luckier than most countries. We don't really experience the really big nasty weather reactions. But that doesn't mean we should be smug about the whole situation.
Ultimately, nobody is really isolated from Earth's violent reaction to global heating. And heating up is what it is. The Polar caps are melting at an alarming rate.
The Ozone layer is widening and naturally, when things go amiss there's a chain of events that don't conform to peaceful co-existence between man and nature. These are the beginning of reminders to us all that no matter what we do on earth, we have to be mindful that our basic sciences tell us that there's always a cause and effect.
We have been forewarned in the past. We took no heed. Mother Nature is no longer playing the nice guy.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Here Comes Christmas Again
Two thousand years ago, give or take a few years, a man and his wife, found their way into Bethlehem. As the story goes and it has been well told for 2,000 years, the couple was turned down by every innkeeper in town.
So the new born child found his new home on earth in a manger for animals. However, his birth was marked by the Star of David which shines on earth forevermore.
He was the messiah as promised by the prophets and as foretold in the Bible. But he brought no army with him, and raised none. In his wake, as a man around 30 years old, he brought forth another message.
It was a message of peace unto mankind and forgiveness for enemies. On top of that, he says all men are brothers, and that includes the women as well. So it came to pass, that his end should come at the cross where he was crucified and nailed.
It was a death, he foresaw and shuddered but as all righteousness shalt be fufilled, he walked steadily to meet destiny and the future of mankind.
Now in the third millennia of civilisation of mankind, the symbol of the cross has spread across the world, across the lands where he had never walked. But the message is the same: love thy neighbour, forgive your enemies and walk in the light of the Almighty.
It is now the evening of the year 2006, and we are standing on the threshold of the dawning of 2007. But before all that, Christmas is upon us again. As citizens of this modern world, quite unlike that which was Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem of the days of yore, we celebrate Christmas in bright lights, good food and family dinners.
The carpentar who came, saw, preached and died, left his teachings in books and elsewhere in printed form for all of us to remember and learn. This Christmas as in all the past Christmases, we strive to remember others, even as we can't forget ourselves.
Christmas in its true spirit is all about caring for others. Afterall, God has already taken good care of us. The others have not been forgotten by God because we have forgotten them.
The little acts of kindness that we remind ourselves that we must do have been forgotten in the loud cheers of a spirited pub or boisterous restaurant. How many more die quietly and perish in hunger thousands of miles away without our knowledge.
It is Christmas for them, too but where are we? It is time we remember these brothers and sisters of ours in faraway lands. These are the people we have not met and probably won't meet for the rest of our lives.
Modern media have brought their plight to our living rooms. As we partake in our God given festivities and blessings, we should strive to say prayers for our fallen brethern. These are the women, children and the infirm who can't fend for themselves.
Their prayers, if they know how to pray, seemingly go unanswered. But their prayers have been heard by God and now it is our turn as fellow members of this human race to do all we can for them, as much as we can, and as long as we can.
There have been thousands of Christmases over the ages. Each year when the occasion comes, most of us fortunate ones end up partying till the wee hours of the night and into the early hours of the morning.
Even though enjoyment is not a sin itself, perhaps somewhere along the way, we have forgotten what the true spirit of Christmas is all about.
Do we remember the troubled and hungry people of Darfur, do we care for the angry inhabitants of Gaza and West Bank, do we spare a thought for our brethern in North Korea, in every land that has been struck by natural disasters of magnitudes that easily claim lives?
The message by the Nazarene has been the same for two millennia, and it is we must look after our own kind, no matter where they are on earth. Only when these "lost sheep" have been found and cared for, will our own woes begone.
Our future is tied to their worrisome present. Christmas is not so much about celebrating the arrival of the Messiah. He has come and gone. He has done his job and is now back with his Father. We are still on earth, and our duties are not over.
Perhaps it may be unfair to ask each man to do the job of world leaders, perhaps it is too colossel a task for most of us to venture forth and extend a helping hand to all troubled souls in every corner of this earth.
But it won't be difficult to help our next door neighbour who may be unhappy for reasons known only to himself. If we can't help him in a concrete manner, we can extend a ever ready listening ear to his litany of woes.
Help comes in all forms. It is helping an aged citizen to cross a busy road; it is that smile that is unexpected by the stranger; it is the unannounced gift for someone who needs it badly; it is the voice that speaks up for the meek; it is those legs that help seek succour for others too tired to walk: and above all it is that willingness to help total strangers in every way possible.
This is the Light, the Way and the Truth that have been spoken and echoed for ages. We do not belong to the Legion of the Deaf. Why do we not hear? We are not members of the Army of the Blind, why do we not see the misery of others?
The spirit of Christmas is once again sweeping across the world. It is supposed to lighten the burden of our hearts and lift that weight off our minds, and yet we do not do anything to help ourselves.
As we help others, we alleviate our own load. Blessed are they who help others more than they help themselves, for they are the true children of God.
The road to kindness is narrow and winding. The highway to the pursuit of happiness is long and wide. The road to love and compassion is obscure and untarred. The highway to avarice is a dual carriageway.
It's time to rebuild the smaller and much neglected roads because they are the highways to heaven. Unless we get back on the right road, we will forever wander in darkness and in sorrow.
Christmas descends on us once more so that we remember that we are a race of superbeings. That we can do better, because we are better. The light has always been in us. It is part of us, and it is us. Yes, the Star of David shines in perpectuity, but the light in us shines for eternity.
Merry Christmas to all you good folks.
So the new born child found his new home on earth in a manger for animals. However, his birth was marked by the Star of David which shines on earth forevermore.
He was the messiah as promised by the prophets and as foretold in the Bible. But he brought no army with him, and raised none. In his wake, as a man around 30 years old, he brought forth another message.
It was a message of peace unto mankind and forgiveness for enemies. On top of that, he says all men are brothers, and that includes the women as well. So it came to pass, that his end should come at the cross where he was crucified and nailed.
It was a death, he foresaw and shuddered but as all righteousness shalt be fufilled, he walked steadily to meet destiny and the future of mankind.
Now in the third millennia of civilisation of mankind, the symbol of the cross has spread across the world, across the lands where he had never walked. But the message is the same: love thy neighbour, forgive your enemies and walk in the light of the Almighty.
It is now the evening of the year 2006, and we are standing on the threshold of the dawning of 2007. But before all that, Christmas is upon us again. As citizens of this modern world, quite unlike that which was Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem of the days of yore, we celebrate Christmas in bright lights, good food and family dinners.
The carpentar who came, saw, preached and died, left his teachings in books and elsewhere in printed form for all of us to remember and learn. This Christmas as in all the past Christmases, we strive to remember others, even as we can't forget ourselves.
Christmas in its true spirit is all about caring for others. Afterall, God has already taken good care of us. The others have not been forgotten by God because we have forgotten them.
The little acts of kindness that we remind ourselves that we must do have been forgotten in the loud cheers of a spirited pub or boisterous restaurant. How many more die quietly and perish in hunger thousands of miles away without our knowledge.
It is Christmas for them, too but where are we? It is time we remember these brothers and sisters of ours in faraway lands. These are the people we have not met and probably won't meet for the rest of our lives.
Modern media have brought their plight to our living rooms. As we partake in our God given festivities and blessings, we should strive to say prayers for our fallen brethern. These are the women, children and the infirm who can't fend for themselves.
Their prayers, if they know how to pray, seemingly go unanswered. But their prayers have been heard by God and now it is our turn as fellow members of this human race to do all we can for them, as much as we can, and as long as we can.
There have been thousands of Christmases over the ages. Each year when the occasion comes, most of us fortunate ones end up partying till the wee hours of the night and into the early hours of the morning.
Even though enjoyment is not a sin itself, perhaps somewhere along the way, we have forgotten what the true spirit of Christmas is all about.
Do we remember the troubled and hungry people of Darfur, do we care for the angry inhabitants of Gaza and West Bank, do we spare a thought for our brethern in North Korea, in every land that has been struck by natural disasters of magnitudes that easily claim lives?
The message by the Nazarene has been the same for two millennia, and it is we must look after our own kind, no matter where they are on earth. Only when these "lost sheep" have been found and cared for, will our own woes begone.
Our future is tied to their worrisome present. Christmas is not so much about celebrating the arrival of the Messiah. He has come and gone. He has done his job and is now back with his Father. We are still on earth, and our duties are not over.
Perhaps it may be unfair to ask each man to do the job of world leaders, perhaps it is too colossel a task for most of us to venture forth and extend a helping hand to all troubled souls in every corner of this earth.
But it won't be difficult to help our next door neighbour who may be unhappy for reasons known only to himself. If we can't help him in a concrete manner, we can extend a ever ready listening ear to his litany of woes.
Help comes in all forms. It is helping an aged citizen to cross a busy road; it is that smile that is unexpected by the stranger; it is the unannounced gift for someone who needs it badly; it is the voice that speaks up for the meek; it is those legs that help seek succour for others too tired to walk: and above all it is that willingness to help total strangers in every way possible.
This is the Light, the Way and the Truth that have been spoken and echoed for ages. We do not belong to the Legion of the Deaf. Why do we not hear? We are not members of the Army of the Blind, why do we not see the misery of others?
The spirit of Christmas is once again sweeping across the world. It is supposed to lighten the burden of our hearts and lift that weight off our minds, and yet we do not do anything to help ourselves.
As we help others, we alleviate our own load. Blessed are they who help others more than they help themselves, for they are the true children of God.
The road to kindness is narrow and winding. The highway to the pursuit of happiness is long and wide. The road to love and compassion is obscure and untarred. The highway to avarice is a dual carriageway.
It's time to rebuild the smaller and much neglected roads because they are the highways to heaven. Unless we get back on the right road, we will forever wander in darkness and in sorrow.
Christmas descends on us once more so that we remember that we are a race of superbeings. That we can do better, because we are better. The light has always been in us. It is part of us, and it is us. Yes, the Star of David shines in perpectuity, but the light in us shines for eternity.
Merry Christmas to all you good folks.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Death takes a friend
Recently, I lost another friend to terminal illness. Death comes these days on swift wings. Earlier this year, a former boss of mine also lost his battle with cancer. He died at 61. My former office colleague died at the age of 51.
It is true to some degree what some people are saying. They are saying that people are dying at younger ages these days. Is it because they pile pressure upon themselves.
Actually, very few people like to discuss the subject of death. Why be so morbid, they would say. It is as if, none of us really dies. I mean if you say a person has passed away, that doesn't mean he's still around.
What's the difference between "died" and "passed away". Whatever term you use, it doesn't change the fact that his lifespan has ended.
We all know Death will be knocking on our doors one of these days, so why wait for it with great anxiety?
I sometimes tell friends that I learn more about Death then from people who think they can outlive others. What's so great about living up to 120? By then, most of your friends are dead and gone.
Children have parents who live up to a ripe old age, are often overheard grumbling that it is becoming an increasing burden to maintain an aged parent or two. Asians normally just bring their aged parents under their roof until it's time for time to die a natural death.
Sometimes, I tell others and myself: "Have we learnt nothing from death?" We are born, we study, we work, we marry and then we die." Surely, life is more than all these.
Well true. Those who live life to the fullest know life is slipping away from them by the minute but they are often too busy to notice. It's fine to live up to 200 years old, provided there's a divine mission in there somewhere.
I have heard someone grumbled once: "I am losing more and more of my friends to death and old age." My reply was "make new friends." Actually, if we can live life as if we will die tomorrow, we will have truly live.
Unfortunately, many of us try our level best to beat Father Time and the man with the hood and sickle. It's when we try too hard to extend our longevity that we lose sight of life's objectives.
Allow me to put it in simpler terms: if you are too preoccupied with eating vitamin supplements and dieting, you will have no time to have fun with your family, go fishing, watching great movies or just plain reading marvellous books.
Every time, a friend of mine dies, a relative checks out of Planet Earth, or just hops on to that one-way celestial flight 101, I ask myself: "So now what have you been doing to make your life and other people's lives better and happier?"
You will be surprised at what I found out. I actually find out that I have been neglecting doing some of the more meaningful things in life. And what are these?
Would you believe taking an early morning walk, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the magpies sing in the trees a great pastime? Or, riding a motorcycle with no special purpose in mind other than feeling the cool wind against your cheeks, another great thing to do?
Well, these are really fun things to do. A friend of mine just stopped by at my desk about a minute ago and said something about making money. I told him, one doesn't have to be rich to be happy. He said something about not many people are in the state of zen.
Actually, we don't have to take the "long route" but if we just simplify our lives and cut down on unnecessary chores, we will carry far less burden on our shoulders.
When you tell some people this, they may inadvertently think you are preaching to them. And yet there are people who actually saunter up to your house or living room and want a conversation about life and its priorities.
I have spent a number of decades on earth. I am no genius. I am no philosopher but there are some things I know from other people's experiences. Surprise of surprises, I learn a lot when I hear or read about the death of colleagues, relatives and others.
What's so terrifying about death? People think of death in the wrong terms. They think when they die, they will have not spent enough of money to enjoy themselves to the fullest. They believe that if they can't live an extra 10 years, they have not fulfilled their destiny. They are firmly convinced that if they have not visited the 10 most visited holiday resorts around the world, they would have failed as human beings.
Pity them? No. Just lead a useful, productive life, and you will know the true meaning of personal fulfilment. The happiness that you generate for others will be the happiness given unto you. The love that you give and share with others is the love that will surround your life.
When people ask me what is the secret of true happiness, I tell them to look at the simple things in life. What are these simple things? Well, for a start, family. If you have a happy family and much of the happiness under your roof comes from your kindness and compassion and selfless acts of charity, then you would be considered to have seen the brighter side of simplicity.
The other simple thing is food. Do not try to eat everything on the table. You only have one mouth and one stomach. When you have had enough, please stop. That's not rocket science. That's commonsense.
If you can't visit Barbados this year, try not to cry yourself to sleep. Take a drive to a small town, sit in a rundown coffeeshop and make conversation with strangers, you may find it being more beneficial than sunbathing with strangers who really don't want to talk to you at all.
Again, we come back to the subject of life and death. If you don't have a stretch limousine, don't be blue. Billions of people on earth don't have stretch limos. Big cars don't bring happiness, they just take up more parking space and become a target for car thieves.
When you are trying too hard to earn an extra million or two, stop and ponder over the fact that God may call you home early tomorrow morning. Then, where will all your earthly possessions take you?
You leave them all behind, you dope! You take nothing with you. You take with you the intangibles, like love, memories, kindness, prayers and sincerity. All these that are given freely by you, will in turn be freely be given unto you.
The gates of heaven are only open to those who have no earthly baggage. God's house only admits the things that he recognises. The peace, harmony and happiness that you have created or generated while you were on earth will be accounted for in the treasury of heaven.
All that is done in His good name will be checked in at heaven's gate. Death is the final arbiter of your time on earth. Being good at making money on earth simply means just that - you are only good for making money on earth. Heaven wants no part of that because money is not legal tender in heaven.
Next time, you come face to face with Death, stare at him straight in the face, he may be trying to tell you something.
It is true to some degree what some people are saying. They are saying that people are dying at younger ages these days. Is it because they pile pressure upon themselves.
Actually, very few people like to discuss the subject of death. Why be so morbid, they would say. It is as if, none of us really dies. I mean if you say a person has passed away, that doesn't mean he's still around.
What's the difference between "died" and "passed away". Whatever term you use, it doesn't change the fact that his lifespan has ended.
We all know Death will be knocking on our doors one of these days, so why wait for it with great anxiety?
I sometimes tell friends that I learn more about Death then from people who think they can outlive others. What's so great about living up to 120? By then, most of your friends are dead and gone.
Children have parents who live up to a ripe old age, are often overheard grumbling that it is becoming an increasing burden to maintain an aged parent or two. Asians normally just bring their aged parents under their roof until it's time for time to die a natural death.
Sometimes, I tell others and myself: "Have we learnt nothing from death?" We are born, we study, we work, we marry and then we die." Surely, life is more than all these.
Well true. Those who live life to the fullest know life is slipping away from them by the minute but they are often too busy to notice. It's fine to live up to 200 years old, provided there's a divine mission in there somewhere.
I have heard someone grumbled once: "I am losing more and more of my friends to death and old age." My reply was "make new friends." Actually, if we can live life as if we will die tomorrow, we will have truly live.
Unfortunately, many of us try our level best to beat Father Time and the man with the hood and sickle. It's when we try too hard to extend our longevity that we lose sight of life's objectives.
Allow me to put it in simpler terms: if you are too preoccupied with eating vitamin supplements and dieting, you will have no time to have fun with your family, go fishing, watching great movies or just plain reading marvellous books.
Every time, a friend of mine dies, a relative checks out of Planet Earth, or just hops on to that one-way celestial flight 101, I ask myself: "So now what have you been doing to make your life and other people's lives better and happier?"
You will be surprised at what I found out. I actually find out that I have been neglecting doing some of the more meaningful things in life. And what are these?
Would you believe taking an early morning walk, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the magpies sing in the trees a great pastime? Or, riding a motorcycle with no special purpose in mind other than feeling the cool wind against your cheeks, another great thing to do?
Well, these are really fun things to do. A friend of mine just stopped by at my desk about a minute ago and said something about making money. I told him, one doesn't have to be rich to be happy. He said something about not many people are in the state of zen.
Actually, we don't have to take the "long route" but if we just simplify our lives and cut down on unnecessary chores, we will carry far less burden on our shoulders.
When you tell some people this, they may inadvertently think you are preaching to them. And yet there are people who actually saunter up to your house or living room and want a conversation about life and its priorities.
I have spent a number of decades on earth. I am no genius. I am no philosopher but there are some things I know from other people's experiences. Surprise of surprises, I learn a lot when I hear or read about the death of colleagues, relatives and others.
What's so terrifying about death? People think of death in the wrong terms. They think when they die, they will have not spent enough of money to enjoy themselves to the fullest. They believe that if they can't live an extra 10 years, they have not fulfilled their destiny. They are firmly convinced that if they have not visited the 10 most visited holiday resorts around the world, they would have failed as human beings.
Pity them? No. Just lead a useful, productive life, and you will know the true meaning of personal fulfilment. The happiness that you generate for others will be the happiness given unto you. The love that you give and share with others is the love that will surround your life.
When people ask me what is the secret of true happiness, I tell them to look at the simple things in life. What are these simple things? Well, for a start, family. If you have a happy family and much of the happiness under your roof comes from your kindness and compassion and selfless acts of charity, then you would be considered to have seen the brighter side of simplicity.
The other simple thing is food. Do not try to eat everything on the table. You only have one mouth and one stomach. When you have had enough, please stop. That's not rocket science. That's commonsense.
If you can't visit Barbados this year, try not to cry yourself to sleep. Take a drive to a small town, sit in a rundown coffeeshop and make conversation with strangers, you may find it being more beneficial than sunbathing with strangers who really don't want to talk to you at all.
Again, we come back to the subject of life and death. If you don't have a stretch limousine, don't be blue. Billions of people on earth don't have stretch limos. Big cars don't bring happiness, they just take up more parking space and become a target for car thieves.
When you are trying too hard to earn an extra million or two, stop and ponder over the fact that God may call you home early tomorrow morning. Then, where will all your earthly possessions take you?
You leave them all behind, you dope! You take nothing with you. You take with you the intangibles, like love, memories, kindness, prayers and sincerity. All these that are given freely by you, will in turn be freely be given unto you.
The gates of heaven are only open to those who have no earthly baggage. God's house only admits the things that he recognises. The peace, harmony and happiness that you have created or generated while you were on earth will be accounted for in the treasury of heaven.
All that is done in His good name will be checked in at heaven's gate. Death is the final arbiter of your time on earth. Being good at making money on earth simply means just that - you are only good for making money on earth. Heaven wants no part of that because money is not legal tender in heaven.
Next time, you come face to face with Death, stare at him straight in the face, he may be trying to tell you something.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Taking blue skies for granted
We human beings are always taking the good things in life for granted. Take for example, the blue sky that greets you every morning when you walk out of the front door.
I have been expecting and receiving blue skies for decades,until recently when the haze from a nearby country swept into our region (Southeast Asia). For weeks, the sky was grayish and was definitely dirty.
Breathing became laboured for most of us who travel daily on the road. For a while back there, it was depressing. Nature which used to grant us all kinds of favours was not amused anymore.
The shifting cultivators in Kalimantan, Sumatra and other Indonesian islands were burning up patches of the jungle and forest indiscriminately. At one point, satellites spotted close to 900 hot spots from the orbit.
Suddenly, the entire situation became quite grim. Doctors were doing good business. Bronchial problems became common. I developed a cold that wouldn't leave me for about seven days. Normally, the flu bug normally takes up residence in my body for only 24 hours before I give it the heave-ho!
Today, I read in the newspapers that the depletion of the ozone layer over earth's atmosphere is alarmingly large. Just about a week ago, Tony Blair (British PM) had one of his environment experts pronouncing dire warnings about global warming.
It's all coming together, if you know what I mean. If the earth thinks it can survive very well without some positive contribution to the well being of a living planet, it is becoming quite apparent that the planet will strike back.
It bears logic that if you don't after your backyard, it is not going to grant your the favours that you deserve. In many industrialised countries and in continents where manufacturing and other industrial activities are taking place, signs are seen on the ground and in the sky that all's not well.
Soon, and here we are talking about perhaps a decade or two, the process will become hazardous to our health. Yes, we probably have to go into damage control when the alarm bells ring. However, by then, the death toll will indicate that once again, man has committed another colossel error in managing earth.
It is so strange that while we are making so much fuss over wars, potential regional conflicts and life-threatening diseases, we are also neglecting with impunity the planet we call home.
It is like setting the roof of your home on fire and still have meals in the dining room. It really makes no sense. Where are all the so-called intelligent people on earth? Have they left for another planet?
At this rate, we really don't have to worry too much about AIDS, cancer or bad food because we are going to die while jogging on our tracks. The tragedy of it all is that death will come in instalments.
It won't be that funny once the process starts. Scientists will as usual have their two-cent worth of expert advice. There will be as many expert views as there are researchers who are willing to give their opinions.
World leaders will call for summits, conferences and seminars to address these pressing issues. Some people are of the opinion that we can stop worrying about nuclear bombs and uranium enrichment programmes because the badly abused environment will smack us right in the face.
As an individual I have taken so many good things in life for granted, starting with the blue sky that I mentioned in the beginning of this passage.
If all the so-called clever scientists in the world can find the moral courage to get together to plead their case in front of their governments, perhaps there might still be some hope for the people on earth. Otherwise, it is going to be a long road to hell.
I wish there was someone out there brave enough to call me an alarmist. It's probably a little too late. The signs are all out there for everybody to see. If we are blind, that's fine. We have other things to worry about but for the rest of the 6.5 billion on earth, it's not going to be rock and roll.
This line: "Life is not what it used to be" is going to be heard more often now. I wish I have more reassuring words for the younger generation but the only thing I can say to them right now is "sorry, the adults have really fouled things up this time."
Life is no longer going to be a bed of roses because the roses are dying. Environment neglect and land abuse are gateways to touching base with death. I guess we have touched that once too often. Now, Death is knocking at our door, regardless where we are residing on earth.
It's no longer funny. Notice, I am not laughing anymore.
I have been expecting and receiving blue skies for decades,until recently when the haze from a nearby country swept into our region (Southeast Asia). For weeks, the sky was grayish and was definitely dirty.
Breathing became laboured for most of us who travel daily on the road. For a while back there, it was depressing. Nature which used to grant us all kinds of favours was not amused anymore.
The shifting cultivators in Kalimantan, Sumatra and other Indonesian islands were burning up patches of the jungle and forest indiscriminately. At one point, satellites spotted close to 900 hot spots from the orbit.
Suddenly, the entire situation became quite grim. Doctors were doing good business. Bronchial problems became common. I developed a cold that wouldn't leave me for about seven days. Normally, the flu bug normally takes up residence in my body for only 24 hours before I give it the heave-ho!
Today, I read in the newspapers that the depletion of the ozone layer over earth's atmosphere is alarmingly large. Just about a week ago, Tony Blair (British PM) had one of his environment experts pronouncing dire warnings about global warming.
It's all coming together, if you know what I mean. If the earth thinks it can survive very well without some positive contribution to the well being of a living planet, it is becoming quite apparent that the planet will strike back.
It bears logic that if you don't after your backyard, it is not going to grant your the favours that you deserve. In many industrialised countries and in continents where manufacturing and other industrial activities are taking place, signs are seen on the ground and in the sky that all's not well.
Soon, and here we are talking about perhaps a decade or two, the process will become hazardous to our health. Yes, we probably have to go into damage control when the alarm bells ring. However, by then, the death toll will indicate that once again, man has committed another colossel error in managing earth.
It is so strange that while we are making so much fuss over wars, potential regional conflicts and life-threatening diseases, we are also neglecting with impunity the planet we call home.
It is like setting the roof of your home on fire and still have meals in the dining room. It really makes no sense. Where are all the so-called intelligent people on earth? Have they left for another planet?
At this rate, we really don't have to worry too much about AIDS, cancer or bad food because we are going to die while jogging on our tracks. The tragedy of it all is that death will come in instalments.
It won't be that funny once the process starts. Scientists will as usual have their two-cent worth of expert advice. There will be as many expert views as there are researchers who are willing to give their opinions.
World leaders will call for summits, conferences and seminars to address these pressing issues. Some people are of the opinion that we can stop worrying about nuclear bombs and uranium enrichment programmes because the badly abused environment will smack us right in the face.
As an individual I have taken so many good things in life for granted, starting with the blue sky that I mentioned in the beginning of this passage.
If all the so-called clever scientists in the world can find the moral courage to get together to plead their case in front of their governments, perhaps there might still be some hope for the people on earth. Otherwise, it is going to be a long road to hell.
I wish there was someone out there brave enough to call me an alarmist. It's probably a little too late. The signs are all out there for everybody to see. If we are blind, that's fine. We have other things to worry about but for the rest of the 6.5 billion on earth, it's not going to be rock and roll.
This line: "Life is not what it used to be" is going to be heard more often now. I wish I have more reassuring words for the younger generation but the only thing I can say to them right now is "sorry, the adults have really fouled things up this time."
Life is no longer going to be a bed of roses because the roses are dying. Environment neglect and land abuse are gateways to touching base with death. I guess we have touched that once too often. Now, Death is knocking at our door, regardless where we are residing on earth.
It's no longer funny. Notice, I am not laughing anymore.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
The road to personal happiness
This question has been asked countless times in the course of the history of mankind. The great, the powerful, the ignorant and the ordinary have asked for the roadmap to happiness.
Some have been given the answer. Some have found the answer themselves. But as always, the answer is never outside their heart and mind.
Happiness is a decision. For example, if you are unhappy because you are poor then you must tell yourself that certain material possessions are necessary but they are not essential to the creation of happiness.
Happiness is also a state of mind. You can be roasting in the middle of a desert in the middle of Africa but if you decide to be happy amid the miserable surroundings, you can be so.
It is a crazy thought but it's true. For example, your wife leaves you for another man, your children hate you, you have just been sacked, your house is burned down and you have no more friends left.
You have every reason in the world to cry and wallow in self-pity but if you so wish, you can just walk up to the mirror or just stare into the blue beyond and tell yourself that despite all that has happened to you, you WILL be happy because you are a child of God and being a child of God, everything works in your favour eventually.
Again, this may seem impossible but are you wise enough to see that everything in this life is an illusion. Consider the possibility that if tomorrow, half of the world is wiped out by a series of unnatural disasters, those victims won't have anything to worry about anymore.
As long as you have breath in your body, you can be happy. Happiness, as I have said, is your right. Tell yourself the next time when everything is working against you that you will be happy regardless of the circumstances.
Believe it or not, people are unhappy because they have decided that they have earned the right to be unhappy. They want to be unhappy and they will themselves to be sad.
The path to everlasting happiness is to know that everything and anything that happens on earth and to you, are divinely engineered for your eternal happiness. It sounds idiotic, I know but it's true.
Once you understand the concept al All There Is, you have nothing to fear. You need not marry the most beautiful person in the world. You need not be a billionaire nor do you have to rule a country to find that elusive state of mind called happiness.
You can be happy whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever you will be. It is simply a decision based on the divine understanding withe God that you are part of him and no matter what happens, happiness is built into your life.
Some have been given the answer. Some have found the answer themselves. But as always, the answer is never outside their heart and mind.
Happiness is a decision. For example, if you are unhappy because you are poor then you must tell yourself that certain material possessions are necessary but they are not essential to the creation of happiness.
Happiness is also a state of mind. You can be roasting in the middle of a desert in the middle of Africa but if you decide to be happy amid the miserable surroundings, you can be so.
It is a crazy thought but it's true. For example, your wife leaves you for another man, your children hate you, you have just been sacked, your house is burned down and you have no more friends left.
You have every reason in the world to cry and wallow in self-pity but if you so wish, you can just walk up to the mirror or just stare into the blue beyond and tell yourself that despite all that has happened to you, you WILL be happy because you are a child of God and being a child of God, everything works in your favour eventually.
Again, this may seem impossible but are you wise enough to see that everything in this life is an illusion. Consider the possibility that if tomorrow, half of the world is wiped out by a series of unnatural disasters, those victims won't have anything to worry about anymore.
As long as you have breath in your body, you can be happy. Happiness, as I have said, is your right. Tell yourself the next time when everything is working against you that you will be happy regardless of the circumstances.
Believe it or not, people are unhappy because they have decided that they have earned the right to be unhappy. They want to be unhappy and they will themselves to be sad.
The path to everlasting happiness is to know that everything and anything that happens on earth and to you, are divinely engineered for your eternal happiness. It sounds idiotic, I know but it's true.
Once you understand the concept al All There Is, you have nothing to fear. You need not marry the most beautiful person in the world. You need not be a billionaire nor do you have to rule a country to find that elusive state of mind called happiness.
You can be happy whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever you will be. It is simply a decision based on the divine understanding withe God that you are part of him and no matter what happens, happiness is built into your life.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The world tottering on the precipice of horror
I was having my breakfast this morning when I saw the headline flashed across the TV screen.
North Korea has practically spit in the face of the United Nations Security Council. It was a 15-0 vote for sanctions against North Korea. However, the Communist nation has taken the vote as an indication that it could be pushed into war footing.
Barring against all unforeseen circumstances, we the non-politicians can only expect the North Korea-against-the-world situation to get progressively worse.
For a long time now, Pyongyang has been simmering with irrational belligerance against other developed countries.
Japan has raised its alert level. So has South Korea. It is not a pleasant situation. Nobody in Asia desires to see the situation deteriorate beyond the point of no-return.
Sometimes, situations like what is going on beyond the 38th Parallel cannot be accurately assessed or predicted. But what is guaranteed at this point is that the art of brinkmanship has been played many times before in the past.
This time however, nobody is prepared to lose. The world can actually do with one less high conflict level situation.
We won't go into an unnecessary debate about why North Korea is behaving as it is doing right now. Perhaps its condition could be attributed in part to the new Secretary-General of the UN, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon. Stranger things have happened before.
It is my wish and hope the peace and sanity will prevail before long. I am getting a little tired from worrying about hurricanes, typhoons, regional haze, and then have to worry some more about conflagration somewhere in the Pacific region.
Some of us still have horrendous memories of what happened during the Korean War of the early 50s. It wasn't a pleasant situation then. It certainly won't be any less painful if the unthinkable happens again.
You would have thought that after half a century, leaders of the then participating countries would have learnt a couple of valuable lessons. I hope the world does not have to be taught another painful and bitter lesson in order for other members of the human race to progress admirably in the 21st century.
With Middle East on the boil, and now North Korea furiously engaging in some sabre-rattling act, it is a bit difficult to get a good night's sleep. I know that once a big conflict begins, the political, socio-economical repercussions will ripple across the world, much like a tsunami that we all not want to experience.
Will mankind be able to save itself again as it did, many times in the past? We all pray that it can and it will.
North Korea has practically spit in the face of the United Nations Security Council. It was a 15-0 vote for sanctions against North Korea. However, the Communist nation has taken the vote as an indication that it could be pushed into war footing.
Barring against all unforeseen circumstances, we the non-politicians can only expect the North Korea-against-the-world situation to get progressively worse.
For a long time now, Pyongyang has been simmering with irrational belligerance against other developed countries.
Japan has raised its alert level. So has South Korea. It is not a pleasant situation. Nobody in Asia desires to see the situation deteriorate beyond the point of no-return.
Sometimes, situations like what is going on beyond the 38th Parallel cannot be accurately assessed or predicted. But what is guaranteed at this point is that the art of brinkmanship has been played many times before in the past.
This time however, nobody is prepared to lose. The world can actually do with one less high conflict level situation.
We won't go into an unnecessary debate about why North Korea is behaving as it is doing right now. Perhaps its condition could be attributed in part to the new Secretary-General of the UN, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon. Stranger things have happened before.
It is my wish and hope the peace and sanity will prevail before long. I am getting a little tired from worrying about hurricanes, typhoons, regional haze, and then have to worry some more about conflagration somewhere in the Pacific region.
Some of us still have horrendous memories of what happened during the Korean War of the early 50s. It wasn't a pleasant situation then. It certainly won't be any less painful if the unthinkable happens again.
You would have thought that after half a century, leaders of the then participating countries would have learnt a couple of valuable lessons. I hope the world does not have to be taught another painful and bitter lesson in order for other members of the human race to progress admirably in the 21st century.
With Middle East on the boil, and now North Korea furiously engaging in some sabre-rattling act, it is a bit difficult to get a good night's sleep. I know that once a big conflict begins, the political, socio-economical repercussions will ripple across the world, much like a tsunami that we all not want to experience.
Will mankind be able to save itself again as it did, many times in the past? We all pray that it can and it will.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Joy is having a good lunch
This is an inane subject of innocuous proportions. Having a good lunch? Plenty of us do. We eat and then we are back at work and we quickly forget what we have just eaten.
Well I just had a great lunch. What made it even more memorable was the fact that I shared a table with two other colleagues and we partook in a great lunch conversation.
Some of the nicest things that happen to us on a daily basis is lunch and how we go through it. We think eating is compulsory in maintaining life. Well, it's true to a small extent. Man can actually survive for quite a long spell without eating.
But since we belong to that lucky group of people who get to eat three square meals a day, we should be slightly thankful that we can afford to eat and have meals to eat several times a day on a daily basis.
I have had hundreds of thousands of lunches in my lifetime. I have had many forgettable lunches but as time passes by, I realise that I have taken a lot of important things for granted.
No longer so. These days, I anticipated each meal with some happiness and joy. Am I crazy? Absolutely not. Eating is a blessing. Just think of all those who want to eat, and eat joyously but can't. It could be due to ill health, it could be due to a lack of good teeth, and it could also be due to a constant lack of appetite.
Thus, having a good lunch is one of those blessings that come upon many of us without prior notice, and it often taken for granted by the best of us for many a good year.
Hence, I would like to conclude by announcing to all and sundry that you all must no longer look upon lunches as some kind of a chore but as a privilege and a gift from heaven.
Just imagine the scenario where you could no longer have lunches or can't afford to have one regulary. Surely, that must be one of life's greatest punishments if I ever hear one.
Enjoy your lunch and I mean it!
Well I just had a great lunch. What made it even more memorable was the fact that I shared a table with two other colleagues and we partook in a great lunch conversation.
Some of the nicest things that happen to us on a daily basis is lunch and how we go through it. We think eating is compulsory in maintaining life. Well, it's true to a small extent. Man can actually survive for quite a long spell without eating.
But since we belong to that lucky group of people who get to eat three square meals a day, we should be slightly thankful that we can afford to eat and have meals to eat several times a day on a daily basis.
I have had hundreds of thousands of lunches in my lifetime. I have had many forgettable lunches but as time passes by, I realise that I have taken a lot of important things for granted.
No longer so. These days, I anticipated each meal with some happiness and joy. Am I crazy? Absolutely not. Eating is a blessing. Just think of all those who want to eat, and eat joyously but can't. It could be due to ill health, it could be due to a lack of good teeth, and it could also be due to a constant lack of appetite.
Thus, having a good lunch is one of those blessings that come upon many of us without prior notice, and it often taken for granted by the best of us for many a good year.
Hence, I would like to conclude by announcing to all and sundry that you all must no longer look upon lunches as some kind of a chore but as a privilege and a gift from heaven.
Just imagine the scenario where you could no longer have lunches or can't afford to have one regulary. Surely, that must be one of life's greatest punishments if I ever hear one.
Enjoy your lunch and I mean it!
Friday, September 01, 2006
Forgive, Forget and Move on
There's a saying that goes: Forgive and forget, life's too short. Actually, that's one of the most practical piece of advice I have ever come across.
Most of us don't really think about that until we find a very good reason to dislike a particular person. It gets worse when our hostility is amply justified. Can you imagine forgiving someone whom you dislike intensely, and then in the same breath, proclaim that you will not forget that incident.
A philosophy of that kind is simply unacceptable. To forgive means to forget as well. When you say that you will forgive but will not forget, you are in actual act, saying that you will get married but will also continue to lead the life of a single person.
Through personal experience, I have found out that forgive, forget and move on is the best antidote to all painful experiences that sometimes come unexpectedly. I know of a couple of people who can't forgive, never forget and vow not to move on until the other chap drops dead.
It is a monumental waste of energy and time. If that person whom you dislike intensely does not know that you have such strong feelings towards him or her, then it doesn't affect him. Only you have that hostility all bottled in your frail body.
The body cannot contain too much of this kind of strong feeling because too much of aggression, hostility and frustration will be manifested in illnesses and transformed into all kinds of unhealthy stress-related abnormalies.
One of the most powerful factors for sectarian conflicts in many parts of the world is this unusual propensity to destroy another community, simply for the sake of killing someone.
The consequence of taking another person's life is to trigger a chain of events that will lead to more destruction. The more the feeling is allowed expression through murderous means, the more it will gather momentum.
So if you caught in this tragic cycle of runaway emotions, you must immediately break the momentum by forgiving, forgetting and moving on. I know it is very difficult but it sure beats getting yourself killed as well as trying to kill others.
All the great religious teachers who have come before us eons ago have promulgated the philosophy of loving your neighbour and doing good unto others as you would want them to do unto you.
The teaching is rather simple but humans have this sad inclination of learning simple things.
If you think you have a long life ahead of you, and you can stop hating after 50 years of existence on earth, you may be in for a deep shock. The reason is because your life may come to an abrupt end at 40 years.
Not quite the 50 years that you have expected. There's no prize for wanting to hate others until they retire in the cemetery. You will join them there too, soon enough.
The idea is to make your passage on earth as smooth as silk. Why indulge in all these meaningless and physically exhausting feelings that will bring you no good at all.
Don't wait till you are at death's door before you suddenly realise that all those bad feelings which have been kept under lock and key in your heart and mind have been a terrible waste of time all those decades.
Think about it!!
Most of us don't really think about that until we find a very good reason to dislike a particular person. It gets worse when our hostility is amply justified. Can you imagine forgiving someone whom you dislike intensely, and then in the same breath, proclaim that you will not forget that incident.
A philosophy of that kind is simply unacceptable. To forgive means to forget as well. When you say that you will forgive but will not forget, you are in actual act, saying that you will get married but will also continue to lead the life of a single person.
Through personal experience, I have found out that forgive, forget and move on is the best antidote to all painful experiences that sometimes come unexpectedly. I know of a couple of people who can't forgive, never forget and vow not to move on until the other chap drops dead.
It is a monumental waste of energy and time. If that person whom you dislike intensely does not know that you have such strong feelings towards him or her, then it doesn't affect him. Only you have that hostility all bottled in your frail body.
The body cannot contain too much of this kind of strong feeling because too much of aggression, hostility and frustration will be manifested in illnesses and transformed into all kinds of unhealthy stress-related abnormalies.
One of the most powerful factors for sectarian conflicts in many parts of the world is this unusual propensity to destroy another community, simply for the sake of killing someone.
The consequence of taking another person's life is to trigger a chain of events that will lead to more destruction. The more the feeling is allowed expression through murderous means, the more it will gather momentum.
So if you caught in this tragic cycle of runaway emotions, you must immediately break the momentum by forgiving, forgetting and moving on. I know it is very difficult but it sure beats getting yourself killed as well as trying to kill others.
All the great religious teachers who have come before us eons ago have promulgated the philosophy of loving your neighbour and doing good unto others as you would want them to do unto you.
The teaching is rather simple but humans have this sad inclination of learning simple things.
If you think you have a long life ahead of you, and you can stop hating after 50 years of existence on earth, you may be in for a deep shock. The reason is because your life may come to an abrupt end at 40 years.
Not quite the 50 years that you have expected. There's no prize for wanting to hate others until they retire in the cemetery. You will join them there too, soon enough.
The idea is to make your passage on earth as smooth as silk. Why indulge in all these meaningless and physically exhausting feelings that will bring you no good at all.
Don't wait till you are at death's door before you suddenly realise that all those bad feelings which have been kept under lock and key in your heart and mind have been a terrible waste of time all those decades.
Think about it!!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
How to Write a Book Without Really Trying
RECENTLY, I suddenly discovered the easiest way to getting my first book published is to NOT think about it too seriously. The idea is to just go out there and write something - anything!
Once your mental wheels begin to grind, there is a sense of motion. Who cares what is being written. Write anything that you fancy. Write something that has caught your interest.
Do you know that there are literally millions of people out there who are thinking of writing their first novel? Only a handful of them actually get down to doing it. Of course the number of successful ones can be numbered in single digits but the important thing is are you one of them?
I have been blogging for God knows how long. There's no monetary reward in doing it other than having the satisfaction of penning my thoughts in mostly random fashion.
My intention is to galvanise my writing apparatus. Writing is like swimming or any activity that may be deemed important to an individual. If you want to be good at poker, you play everyday or practise playing everyday, much like tennis, golf or baseball.
If you practise long enough and hard enough, one day you will be better than average.
Same goes for writing and publishing a book. Many people harbour the wrong intention of trying to impress other people, or worse their book publisher. Nobody wants to be reminded of your ego.
Do you have a story to tell? Even if it is a simple tale but it is well told, it will be well received.
Look at Mark Twain or perhaps further down the road, Ernest Hemingway. Both men wrote simple and yet powerful stories. They didn't bombast their way to success. They just told a good story in the simplest way they knew how.
When a story is well told, in a way that captures the imagination of the reader and holds it there for long minutes, you may just have a winner there. Some of the most successful writers on this planet are not the most intelligent people around. They are just some of the most passionate writers you have come across.
If you ever ask God for one writing gift - ask for the great, insatiable passion to tell a great tale in the grandest manner possible. And you will have publishers breaking down your door to get to you.
Yes, you can begin by blogging. So what if nobody cares a hoot as to what you have to say. You care, that's the most important thing. Once you start writing, don't stop. Just go on and on. Keep lighting that flame. Keep it alive, fuel it, fan it and never let it simmer down to become ashes.
Life is too short and too important to left go of your kite of ambition. Let it fly, let it soar. I recall once reading these inspiring words - A kite flies higher against the winds of adversity!"
Let then this be your credo. If you are an aspiring writer like me, write and throw caution to the wind.
One day when you look back you will be surprised what you will discover. You will be glad to realise that you have trudged many a mile down the road to your first published work.
You will realise that it all began with a simple entry in an ordinary blog. Champions are not born overnight, nor great writers created by a single novel. These are the unnamed people, strangers in fact, who continue to work and toil long after the sun has set and the ordinary blokes have returned to their families.
These super achievers continue to produce, create and invent new things, new works and write great lines so that the many others who follow after them will one day be inspired by the lines they have left behind.
Perhaps you would like to be among such people. Never give up. Don't be discourage. Never let the small people get to you. You are not one of those little people. You are born for great things. You are special. If you not born, then you probably don't need to hear these words.
But you are here. You exist, therefore you are. You are one of God's people. You are indeed entitled to greatness just like all the other great people who have populated the earth before your time.
Remember that always, up till the day you call it a day on earth.
Once your mental wheels begin to grind, there is a sense of motion. Who cares what is being written. Write anything that you fancy. Write something that has caught your interest.
Do you know that there are literally millions of people out there who are thinking of writing their first novel? Only a handful of them actually get down to doing it. Of course the number of successful ones can be numbered in single digits but the important thing is are you one of them?
I have been blogging for God knows how long. There's no monetary reward in doing it other than having the satisfaction of penning my thoughts in mostly random fashion.
My intention is to galvanise my writing apparatus. Writing is like swimming or any activity that may be deemed important to an individual. If you want to be good at poker, you play everyday or practise playing everyday, much like tennis, golf or baseball.
If you practise long enough and hard enough, one day you will be better than average.
Same goes for writing and publishing a book. Many people harbour the wrong intention of trying to impress other people, or worse their book publisher. Nobody wants to be reminded of your ego.
Do you have a story to tell? Even if it is a simple tale but it is well told, it will be well received.
Look at Mark Twain or perhaps further down the road, Ernest Hemingway. Both men wrote simple and yet powerful stories. They didn't bombast their way to success. They just told a good story in the simplest way they knew how.
When a story is well told, in a way that captures the imagination of the reader and holds it there for long minutes, you may just have a winner there. Some of the most successful writers on this planet are not the most intelligent people around. They are just some of the most passionate writers you have come across.
If you ever ask God for one writing gift - ask for the great, insatiable passion to tell a great tale in the grandest manner possible. And you will have publishers breaking down your door to get to you.
Yes, you can begin by blogging. So what if nobody cares a hoot as to what you have to say. You care, that's the most important thing. Once you start writing, don't stop. Just go on and on. Keep lighting that flame. Keep it alive, fuel it, fan it and never let it simmer down to become ashes.
Life is too short and too important to left go of your kite of ambition. Let it fly, let it soar. I recall once reading these inspiring words - A kite flies higher against the winds of adversity!"
Let then this be your credo. If you are an aspiring writer like me, write and throw caution to the wind.
One day when you look back you will be surprised what you will discover. You will be glad to realise that you have trudged many a mile down the road to your first published work.
You will realise that it all began with a simple entry in an ordinary blog. Champions are not born overnight, nor great writers created by a single novel. These are the unnamed people, strangers in fact, who continue to work and toil long after the sun has set and the ordinary blokes have returned to their families.
These super achievers continue to produce, create and invent new things, new works and write great lines so that the many others who follow after them will one day be inspired by the lines they have left behind.
Perhaps you would like to be among such people. Never give up. Don't be discourage. Never let the small people get to you. You are not one of those little people. You are born for great things. You are special. If you not born, then you probably don't need to hear these words.
But you are here. You exist, therefore you are. You are one of God's people. You are indeed entitled to greatness just like all the other great people who have populated the earth before your time.
Remember that always, up till the day you call it a day on earth.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Better Than Ever
Almost every morning when I step into the office, I inadvertently bump into someone or somebody who will ask "hello, how are you?" My reply, standard and sincere is "better than ever".
If that sounds a bit corny, it's because very few people actually say that and mean it. Most of the time, they will say "could be better" or "one day at a time."
I use to say "one day at a time, brother." But I no longer say that. These days, I am more upbeat. One day, I woke up and realised that life can be as good as it gets, if you allow it to be.
Too many people are cautiously optimistic or pessimistic for no reason. Why should we be sad and gloomy. We are not dead. We are not sick. And we are living a good life. The fact that we are not recuperating in a hospital somewhere shows that fate has been kind to us.
I have been working for almost 30 years. There have been good years and there have been sad years. In all those years, I have never been really down. Yes, there were a few instances when I might have commented "it could have been better."
I no longer indulge in that kind of thinking. There are too many people beating me to the door of gloom. Simply put, I am tired of being sad, gloomy and angry. Why waste time on useless emotions?
When you can eat, sleep and walk around unaided, it should be considered a blessing. The trouble with humans is that we are always envying others. We envy Donald Trump. We are slightly jealous of Hugh Hefner and all his Bunny girls. We are unhappy that we are not born with Brad Pitt looks.
Why are we always looking over our neighbour's fences? Aren't we all satisfied with our own things, or physical attributes?
Happiness is a state of mind. It is actually a decision. At this very minute, when you tell yourself, "I am happy" - then you will be. Peace of mind is also reflective of one's own soul.
A life that has 80 years in it may not be such a great life. Chronologically, it is just an accumulation of years. Some people live only 30 years but what a life they had led.
Life must not be sipped but gulped down with great gusto. Life is to be lived to the fullest. A man has not lived to his fullest potential unless he has tried his darnest to be the greatest version of the grandest vision of himself.
What does it profit a man if he makes 10 billion dollars and sits alone in his own mansion wondering if he could go out without telling one of his 20 bodyguards.
What kind of life is it if a man has to walk with 10 bodyguards keeping a close watch on his physical form and his family as well.
Very often, I comment to my friends that if I have to live the life of a recluse because of my enormous wealth, then I don't want it. Freedom is a privilege. Most of us throw that away and opt for wealth.
If a man cannot live free then all the money is the world is meaningless.
Everything that happens to us is of our own making. I wasn't convinced of this until the day I decided that I shall always be "stronger, faster, tougher, kinder and gentler" everyday in everyway.
Never, never, never let anybody get you down. Happiness is your right. Make up your mind to be kind, to be peaceful in every way, be at peace with everybody, not to be impressed by our own ego, and instead of finding love, give it, show it, and bring it to others. Then watch the amazing process of your own life transforming right before your eyes.
Be happy, brothers and sisters. You and I will not live forever but we can choose to be happy all the time, every minute of every hour of everyday for the rest of our lives. Now, isn't that wonderful?
If that sounds a bit corny, it's because very few people actually say that and mean it. Most of the time, they will say "could be better" or "one day at a time."
I use to say "one day at a time, brother." But I no longer say that. These days, I am more upbeat. One day, I woke up and realised that life can be as good as it gets, if you allow it to be.
Too many people are cautiously optimistic or pessimistic for no reason. Why should we be sad and gloomy. We are not dead. We are not sick. And we are living a good life. The fact that we are not recuperating in a hospital somewhere shows that fate has been kind to us.
I have been working for almost 30 years. There have been good years and there have been sad years. In all those years, I have never been really down. Yes, there were a few instances when I might have commented "it could have been better."
I no longer indulge in that kind of thinking. There are too many people beating me to the door of gloom. Simply put, I am tired of being sad, gloomy and angry. Why waste time on useless emotions?
When you can eat, sleep and walk around unaided, it should be considered a blessing. The trouble with humans is that we are always envying others. We envy Donald Trump. We are slightly jealous of Hugh Hefner and all his Bunny girls. We are unhappy that we are not born with Brad Pitt looks.
Why are we always looking over our neighbour's fences? Aren't we all satisfied with our own things, or physical attributes?
Happiness is a state of mind. It is actually a decision. At this very minute, when you tell yourself, "I am happy" - then you will be. Peace of mind is also reflective of one's own soul.
A life that has 80 years in it may not be such a great life. Chronologically, it is just an accumulation of years. Some people live only 30 years but what a life they had led.
Life must not be sipped but gulped down with great gusto. Life is to be lived to the fullest. A man has not lived to his fullest potential unless he has tried his darnest to be the greatest version of the grandest vision of himself.
What does it profit a man if he makes 10 billion dollars and sits alone in his own mansion wondering if he could go out without telling one of his 20 bodyguards.
What kind of life is it if a man has to walk with 10 bodyguards keeping a close watch on his physical form and his family as well.
Very often, I comment to my friends that if I have to live the life of a recluse because of my enormous wealth, then I don't want it. Freedom is a privilege. Most of us throw that away and opt for wealth.
If a man cannot live free then all the money is the world is meaningless.
Everything that happens to us is of our own making. I wasn't convinced of this until the day I decided that I shall always be "stronger, faster, tougher, kinder and gentler" everyday in everyway.
Never, never, never let anybody get you down. Happiness is your right. Make up your mind to be kind, to be peaceful in every way, be at peace with everybody, not to be impressed by our own ego, and instead of finding love, give it, show it, and bring it to others. Then watch the amazing process of your own life transforming right before your eyes.
Be happy, brothers and sisters. You and I will not live forever but we can choose to be happy all the time, every minute of every hour of everyday for the rest of our lives. Now, isn't that wonderful?
Monday, July 24, 2006
A long, long time ago, in a place where I once roamed....
Actually, I am talking about my growing up years, if you are wondering about my heading for this topic.
All of us have our own childhood experiences. Some of you may wish that the memories be best buried. Not me, though. I had a whale of a time when I was young. My childhood friends were a motley crew of youngsters like me who came from varied backgrounds.
There was one Indian boy by the name of Peter who took me fishing at a nearby river. It was actually located in some rarely visited part of our terrain. A bit wild, plenty of leeches and a fast-flowing river.
Now that I think of it, it was a bit dangerous for a young chap like me who could drown faster than I could swim. But nevertheless I had some fond memories of seeing a guy who caught fish by planting short stakes with a short line and a hook with a worm attached to it at the edges of the river.
The procedure was to check out the numerous stakes at the various points of the river the next day. There was a good chance that his hard work had produced a fish or two. It was a bit primitive (method) but at that age then, I thought it was certainly one of the most exciting things I had come across.
Then there were the Malay kids who taught me how to make glassed string by smashing blown-out bulbs into powder form. We misec the powdered glass with boiled glue in an used tin can and later run the big coil of string through the concoction.
The idea was to have this slightly stiffened ball of string that would "deadly" in the battle of kites. Even back then, when the windy season came, children my age gathered at the nearest field to fly our kites.
The unwritten rule was to challenge other kids' kites high in the sky. Those who were unfortunate enough to lose their kites in the air due to the "sharper" string (maybe ours) would have to give up their kites.
The other low-tech activity was to collect spiders from faraway environs. At that time, "fighting spiders" was a favourite hobby among semi-rural children. There was a particular species of spider that fights another one of its kind on sight.
We used to fan out into the furthest parts of the neighbourhood to search for these prized specimens. Occasionally, we wandered off further than we should but in the end, we come home, heavily tanned but none the worse for wear, other than being slightly tired but exhilarated for bagging a couple of "great spiders.
We kept our spiders in metal cigarette boxes and fed the spiders with houseflies. I don't see this kind of activity among children of the present generation. What a pity. They would have a great time.
Growing up also meant having a wild time with our imaginations. There was always the popular subject of ghosts. Children all over the world love what they cannot understand and fear what they cannot see.
As adults, I have found out, the rules have not changed since those early years. However, I recall that the older children loved making our hair stand on end by telling us exaggerated tales of ghostly sightings.
The fact that we told these stories late at night only added to the excitement of the occasion. Hearing ghost stories was one of our favourite and most feared pastimes. Imagine a young child whose strongest asset was an unbridled imagination of borderless proportions.
Now visualise the surroundings: wind blowing gently, perhaps an owl hooting at a faraway distance, shadows dancing on walls and rooftops of houses, insects' sounds in the bushes, and a bunch of kids doing what they did best, that is, trying to frighten one another to death.
It was a wild, scary pastime. We loved it. We would not want to repeat it every night but it was fun while it lasted.
Now on looking back, I miss those years. Those experiences didn't warp our personalities. We grew up more or less normal. We matured a fair bit along the way and we now feel sorry for our own children for not sharing the kind of games we used to play.
The world has changed so much while I was growing up.
All of us have our own childhood experiences. Some of you may wish that the memories be best buried. Not me, though. I had a whale of a time when I was young. My childhood friends were a motley crew of youngsters like me who came from varied backgrounds.
There was one Indian boy by the name of Peter who took me fishing at a nearby river. It was actually located in some rarely visited part of our terrain. A bit wild, plenty of leeches and a fast-flowing river.
Now that I think of it, it was a bit dangerous for a young chap like me who could drown faster than I could swim. But nevertheless I had some fond memories of seeing a guy who caught fish by planting short stakes with a short line and a hook with a worm attached to it at the edges of the river.
The procedure was to check out the numerous stakes at the various points of the river the next day. There was a good chance that his hard work had produced a fish or two. It was a bit primitive (method) but at that age then, I thought it was certainly one of the most exciting things I had come across.
Then there were the Malay kids who taught me how to make glassed string by smashing blown-out bulbs into powder form. We misec the powdered glass with boiled glue in an used tin can and later run the big coil of string through the concoction.
The idea was to have this slightly stiffened ball of string that would "deadly" in the battle of kites. Even back then, when the windy season came, children my age gathered at the nearest field to fly our kites.
The unwritten rule was to challenge other kids' kites high in the sky. Those who were unfortunate enough to lose their kites in the air due to the "sharper" string (maybe ours) would have to give up their kites.
The other low-tech activity was to collect spiders from faraway environs. At that time, "fighting spiders" was a favourite hobby among semi-rural children. There was a particular species of spider that fights another one of its kind on sight.
We used to fan out into the furthest parts of the neighbourhood to search for these prized specimens. Occasionally, we wandered off further than we should but in the end, we come home, heavily tanned but none the worse for wear, other than being slightly tired but exhilarated for bagging a couple of "great spiders.
We kept our spiders in metal cigarette boxes and fed the spiders with houseflies. I don't see this kind of activity among children of the present generation. What a pity. They would have a great time.
Growing up also meant having a wild time with our imaginations. There was always the popular subject of ghosts. Children all over the world love what they cannot understand and fear what they cannot see.
As adults, I have found out, the rules have not changed since those early years. However, I recall that the older children loved making our hair stand on end by telling us exaggerated tales of ghostly sightings.
The fact that we told these stories late at night only added to the excitement of the occasion. Hearing ghost stories was one of our favourite and most feared pastimes. Imagine a young child whose strongest asset was an unbridled imagination of borderless proportions.
Now visualise the surroundings: wind blowing gently, perhaps an owl hooting at a faraway distance, shadows dancing on walls and rooftops of houses, insects' sounds in the bushes, and a bunch of kids doing what they did best, that is, trying to frighten one another to death.
It was a wild, scary pastime. We loved it. We would not want to repeat it every night but it was fun while it lasted.
Now on looking back, I miss those years. Those experiences didn't warp our personalities. We grew up more or less normal. We matured a fair bit along the way and we now feel sorry for our own children for not sharing the kind of games we used to play.
The world has changed so much while I was growing up.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
My heart bleeds for the holy land
IT HAS long been the sore point for all those who value their lives and staying in countries like Egypt, Jordan to Syria and Iran for ages. The heart of all that is holy should be the point of contention for people whose ancestors who shared land stretching from ancient Judea down the river of Babylon.
Even as I write these words, I wonder what's really the point of fighting over plots of dirt. I am sorry if I have trivialised this issue of territory but there's really no way to put it in simplistic terms.
Just think of it, two thousand years ago when that man from Nazareth walked the streets of Jerusalem and preached the urgency of love for our neighbour, a lot of people believed in the wisdom of his words.
For a while, the numbers of people practising what he had preached were heartening. His principles of a life-worthing-living spread across the continents and over the millennia.
But now, two thousand years have gone by. Millions had died in the march of time but lessons from the past have been forgotten. Jews and Arabs, people of flesh and blood, are fighting with each other over land that they will eventually be buried under.
I ask you what does it profit a man if all he gains is just dirt that will eventually be his resting ground? Nobody, I mean, nobody is going to take with him any of the land he so vehemently fights for and over.
The Jews or Israelis have called their present nation their home since the time Moses led them out of Egypt. The Jews have a very long and troubled history. Their descendants have scattered all over West Asia and the European continent for ages. The word "diaspora" has an exclusive reference to the dispersed descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel.
It is a fascinating story of how a "chosen race" has gone to the ends of the world, struggled and later returned to their beloved homeland. It took them 2,000 years. Those of us who have left our original homelands understand only too well the feelings of the Jews.
Then on the other hand are the other communities who have occupied the Middle East for eons. They too have as much right to be there. The question we ask ourselves is who has more right to be there.
The answer is always none has as much right as the other, for no one created that land. It was there before man first planted his feet on earth. What then is the answer? Actually, in this case, it is the question of what lessons are there to be learnt from this contentious issue?
When mankind finally learns how to answer the question correctly, then he finally deserves the peace he so desperately craves. Seek the answer in the deeper regions of your heart. Know that in the end, our life is limited in its length. In eternity, a lifetime of 70 years or even 120 years is but a blink of an eye.
What do you do with your life is more important than how many years you have spent on earth? People tend to equate longevity with good fortune. How wrong most of us are.
If a man lives for 33 years, like Jesus did, and the fruits of his labour are enjoyed by generations thereafter forever, then his life has got more meaning than a life span of 500 years.
In the holy land now, the battle rages on for pieces of land that is subjected to the hot desert sun for untold ages. The word holy may no longer be applicable to territory that has seen so much battles and experienced so much sorrow.
If Middle East wants the peace it seeks, the people who are fighting each other now must recognise the fact that bullets and missiles can solve nothing. These weapons of destruction can only spark off more incidents of woe and suffering.
Are we courageous enough to see the face of our brother in a stranger? Are we wise enough to embrace our sworn enemy, knowing full well that an embrace could lead to our death? Fear is our enemy.
Fear then is our greatest foe. We fear that we will lose all if we trust too much and share all that we have. It may be a cliche but we must conquer fear and invite back love into our lives. Without that, we will have nothing but fear and fear leads to hatred and hatred leads to hostility.
From then on, it is but a short path to war and from war, the gates of hell will be opened to all who partake in it.
Sometime and somewhere along the journey of life, man whether he be Jew or Arab must realise that all his beliefs will come to nought if peace and happiness will not be part of his rewards before his life ends.
For a better part of 2,000 years, the people who had occupied and are still occupying what was once called the holy land had bickered and quarrelled over the fleeting and the intangible.
The God that they pray to must be saddened by the ways of these people. We shall pray for the eternal wisdom that must surely be ours before we know everlasting peace.
Amen to you, my brothers and sisters.
Even as I write these words, I wonder what's really the point of fighting over plots of dirt. I am sorry if I have trivialised this issue of territory but there's really no way to put it in simplistic terms.
Just think of it, two thousand years ago when that man from Nazareth walked the streets of Jerusalem and preached the urgency of love for our neighbour, a lot of people believed in the wisdom of his words.
For a while, the numbers of people practising what he had preached were heartening. His principles of a life-worthing-living spread across the continents and over the millennia.
But now, two thousand years have gone by. Millions had died in the march of time but lessons from the past have been forgotten. Jews and Arabs, people of flesh and blood, are fighting with each other over land that they will eventually be buried under.
I ask you what does it profit a man if all he gains is just dirt that will eventually be his resting ground? Nobody, I mean, nobody is going to take with him any of the land he so vehemently fights for and over.
The Jews or Israelis have called their present nation their home since the time Moses led them out of Egypt. The Jews have a very long and troubled history. Their descendants have scattered all over West Asia and the European continent for ages. The word "diaspora" has an exclusive reference to the dispersed descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel.
It is a fascinating story of how a "chosen race" has gone to the ends of the world, struggled and later returned to their beloved homeland. It took them 2,000 years. Those of us who have left our original homelands understand only too well the feelings of the Jews.
Then on the other hand are the other communities who have occupied the Middle East for eons. They too have as much right to be there. The question we ask ourselves is who has more right to be there.
The answer is always none has as much right as the other, for no one created that land. It was there before man first planted his feet on earth. What then is the answer? Actually, in this case, it is the question of what lessons are there to be learnt from this contentious issue?
When mankind finally learns how to answer the question correctly, then he finally deserves the peace he so desperately craves. Seek the answer in the deeper regions of your heart. Know that in the end, our life is limited in its length. In eternity, a lifetime of 70 years or even 120 years is but a blink of an eye.
What do you do with your life is more important than how many years you have spent on earth? People tend to equate longevity with good fortune. How wrong most of us are.
If a man lives for 33 years, like Jesus did, and the fruits of his labour are enjoyed by generations thereafter forever, then his life has got more meaning than a life span of 500 years.
In the holy land now, the battle rages on for pieces of land that is subjected to the hot desert sun for untold ages. The word holy may no longer be applicable to territory that has seen so much battles and experienced so much sorrow.
If Middle East wants the peace it seeks, the people who are fighting each other now must recognise the fact that bullets and missiles can solve nothing. These weapons of destruction can only spark off more incidents of woe and suffering.
Are we courageous enough to see the face of our brother in a stranger? Are we wise enough to embrace our sworn enemy, knowing full well that an embrace could lead to our death? Fear is our enemy.
Fear then is our greatest foe. We fear that we will lose all if we trust too much and share all that we have. It may be a cliche but we must conquer fear and invite back love into our lives. Without that, we will have nothing but fear and fear leads to hatred and hatred leads to hostility.
From then on, it is but a short path to war and from war, the gates of hell will be opened to all who partake in it.
Sometime and somewhere along the journey of life, man whether he be Jew or Arab must realise that all his beliefs will come to nought if peace and happiness will not be part of his rewards before his life ends.
For a better part of 2,000 years, the people who had occupied and are still occupying what was once called the holy land had bickered and quarrelled over the fleeting and the intangible.
The God that they pray to must be saddened by the ways of these people. We shall pray for the eternal wisdom that must surely be ours before we know everlasting peace.
Amen to you, my brothers and sisters.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Coming to terms with Today
All of us without exception think of life in terms of tomorrow. If there's even one among you out there who says 'no' then you are not being true to yourself.
Perhaps you have understand the concept of Now and Today. If you have, then you will know what I am talking about. Without going into the philosophical arguments of what constitutes 'tomorrow', let me just say that if you are thinking of the good that is going to come out of tomorrow, then I will tell you to just forget it.
Tomorrow metaphorically never comes. When tomorrow comes, it will identify itself as Today. Yesterday just waves at you from a distance. In fact, it is like greeting a familiar face from across the river.
Greeting Yesterday is like seeing somebody you know but the chances of shaking hands or hugging each other is nil. That's Yesterday for you. So what is the best among the three: Yesterday, Today or Tomorrow?
Naturally, it is Today. Today, you can do anything you like and you can see the immediate results. If you were to buy somebody lunch today, you will hear the verbal expression of gratitude, or you will receive the words "Thank you very much."
Today basically is all you have. You don't have Yesterday because it has left the building. You can't get hold of tomorrow because it hasn't shown up. What's the use of pining for something that may or may not turn up?
Forget about Yesterday. You don't possess it. At best, you can learn from the past. At its worst, you are chasing after a dream. It's like trying to catch the mist.
Tomorrow is somebody else's dream. It doesn't really take shape. It holds the promise of Today when it comes. By the time, it appears before you, it would have transformed itself into Today.
So your best friend is actually Today. If you wish you could or would say something nice to your wife, children or parents, say it Today and be done with it.
Why wait till tomorrow. Before the day ends today, you could be diverted from your personal intention. Or worse, you could end up in sick bay. There goes your chance if that happens.
The opportunities of Today are only good enough for the day while it lasts. Now is all the time you have. You can feel it, you can revel in it and you can do anything and everything with it - only for Today.
Today, yes my friends, if only you realise that your best chances of success are embedded into Today's soil. If you plant a small seed of greatness in the ground of Today, tomorrow it will begin to grow. All that happens if you do it Today, not yesterday or tomorrow. Do it now, do it today and be happy with Today's deed.
Time is forever an illusion. It is made for our convenience and for planning our dreams. We really do not implement anything great or small tomorrow. We do all that Today.
For today is the day we take that first step. The journey of a million miles begins now, if you take the first step.
Many of us grow old wondering what we have done after seven or eight decades of living on earth. We reflect on the missed opportunities and the what-could-have-beens. Very few of us actually bask in the satisfaction of what have been achieved.
We can have that feeling, that kind of experience, if we stop wondering about it long enough to work our dreams.
Dreams will remain dreams forever if we don't wake up and do it. Once, many years ago, I came across this saying: "The best dream can only be achieved once you wake up!"
That is so true. People, human beings, are different from animals. A lot of animals survive by instinct. Man is the only member of the animal kingdom who has the luxury of dreaming. The secret that makes man great is that what we can dream, we can do. But we have to do it Today.
Today then is the key. It is the solution that leads to future successes. Once we implement our objectives today, we await tomorrow. When tomorrow shows up, we continue with our unfinished work today.
And so on it goes. We are constantly working - TODAY. We never work yesterday or we can't work tomorrow. It is today, today and forever today.
Once you understand the power of Today, you won't shed tears for Yesterday or harbour the ache of waiting for Tomorrow. For Today holds the master key to all the Time Vault.
Today is all you have. There's no other time. Make use of it before it slips away from you and is transformed into Yesterday. Yesterday and Tomorrow are distant cousins. They keep in touch but they never meet.
Today is your constant companion. It greets you every morning when you open your eyes. It follows you to work. It keeps you company in your loneliest moments. It joins in when you celebrate a major personal success. It is there for you. Frankly, you and Today are inseparable. You two are not twins. You two are one.
Realise that and you will never in want of anything for the rest of your natural life on earth.
Perhaps you have understand the concept of Now and Today. If you have, then you will know what I am talking about. Without going into the philosophical arguments of what constitutes 'tomorrow', let me just say that if you are thinking of the good that is going to come out of tomorrow, then I will tell you to just forget it.
Tomorrow metaphorically never comes. When tomorrow comes, it will identify itself as Today. Yesterday just waves at you from a distance. In fact, it is like greeting a familiar face from across the river.
Greeting Yesterday is like seeing somebody you know but the chances of shaking hands or hugging each other is nil. That's Yesterday for you. So what is the best among the three: Yesterday, Today or Tomorrow?
Naturally, it is Today. Today, you can do anything you like and you can see the immediate results. If you were to buy somebody lunch today, you will hear the verbal expression of gratitude, or you will receive the words "Thank you very much."
Today basically is all you have. You don't have Yesterday because it has left the building. You can't get hold of tomorrow because it hasn't shown up. What's the use of pining for something that may or may not turn up?
Forget about Yesterday. You don't possess it. At best, you can learn from the past. At its worst, you are chasing after a dream. It's like trying to catch the mist.
Tomorrow is somebody else's dream. It doesn't really take shape. It holds the promise of Today when it comes. By the time, it appears before you, it would have transformed itself into Today.
So your best friend is actually Today. If you wish you could or would say something nice to your wife, children or parents, say it Today and be done with it.
Why wait till tomorrow. Before the day ends today, you could be diverted from your personal intention. Or worse, you could end up in sick bay. There goes your chance if that happens.
The opportunities of Today are only good enough for the day while it lasts. Now is all the time you have. You can feel it, you can revel in it and you can do anything and everything with it - only for Today.
Today, yes my friends, if only you realise that your best chances of success are embedded into Today's soil. If you plant a small seed of greatness in the ground of Today, tomorrow it will begin to grow. All that happens if you do it Today, not yesterday or tomorrow. Do it now, do it today and be happy with Today's deed.
Time is forever an illusion. It is made for our convenience and for planning our dreams. We really do not implement anything great or small tomorrow. We do all that Today.
For today is the day we take that first step. The journey of a million miles begins now, if you take the first step.
Many of us grow old wondering what we have done after seven or eight decades of living on earth. We reflect on the missed opportunities and the what-could-have-beens. Very few of us actually bask in the satisfaction of what have been achieved.
We can have that feeling, that kind of experience, if we stop wondering about it long enough to work our dreams.
Dreams will remain dreams forever if we don't wake up and do it. Once, many years ago, I came across this saying: "The best dream can only be achieved once you wake up!"
That is so true. People, human beings, are different from animals. A lot of animals survive by instinct. Man is the only member of the animal kingdom who has the luxury of dreaming. The secret that makes man great is that what we can dream, we can do. But we have to do it Today.
Today then is the key. It is the solution that leads to future successes. Once we implement our objectives today, we await tomorrow. When tomorrow shows up, we continue with our unfinished work today.
And so on it goes. We are constantly working - TODAY. We never work yesterday or we can't work tomorrow. It is today, today and forever today.
Once you understand the power of Today, you won't shed tears for Yesterday or harbour the ache of waiting for Tomorrow. For Today holds the master key to all the Time Vault.
Today is all you have. There's no other time. Make use of it before it slips away from you and is transformed into Yesterday. Yesterday and Tomorrow are distant cousins. They keep in touch but they never meet.
Today is your constant companion. It greets you every morning when you open your eyes. It follows you to work. It keeps you company in your loneliest moments. It joins in when you celebrate a major personal success. It is there for you. Frankly, you and Today are inseparable. You two are not twins. You two are one.
Realise that and you will never in want of anything for the rest of your natural life on earth.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Speaking from the heart
HOW many times have you wanted to say something heart-warming to somebody but at the last minute, decide to abort the mission? Many times, am I right?
Yes, I too have experienced that kind of emotional situation. Why do we postpone or cancel feel-good moments like that? My guess is that we feel we will become embarrassed or the other party may feel embarrassed, and consequently there may be a long silence of embarrassed feelings.
About 35 years ago, on the last day of my high school, I decided to throw all caution out to the wind. The story went back about a year before that. A friend whom I had come to respect and like very much, did something that I thought was too much for my ego, so I ended our friendship.
It went on for more than a year, until that last day of school when all of us would go separate ways. Technically, we had reached the end of the road. The road further travelled would be done without the company of classmates, because that was when we started to plan for university and beyond.
I really like this guy because we had lots of things in common, so on that day, something happened. It was as if an angel had whispered in my ear and said: "This is your last chance to repair the broken friendship. Shake hands and be done with it."
So after some careful consideration, I walked up to this classmate and said: "I know when we haven't been friends for some time now but I like to be friends again and let bygones be bygones."
The look on this classmate's face was worth a million bucks. His facial expression revealed that he was so relieved that I had said it first although that was what he had in mind all the time but lacked the courage to carry it through. And so a friendship was saved.
We are still great friends today even though we had gone separate ways and led separate lives.
This is what I am driving at. Sometimes, there come opportunities to say things direct from the heart. These are some of the most precious moments in life. You will never know how much it will mean to the other person and how those kind words of yours will change his or her life for the better.
My advice to all those who hesitate: DON'T. Say it and be done with it. Don't let 20 years pass you by and then meet again when you two are in the twilight of your lives and then realise how you have missed that golden opportunity.
Yesterday, I gave my daughter the same advice when she asked me if she should buy her friend who's going overseas to study, a present. I told her that if she cannot afford to buy a gift for this friend, then thank her verbally for all those nice things her friend had done for her.
I said: "There are many times in your life when kind and sincere words are worth more than gold. These are treasured for a lifetime. More than that present which you have spent on. Tangible gifts are soon forgotten but not gifts from the heart, because these are stored in the heart and they will remain fresh forevermore."
Yes, I too have experienced that kind of emotional situation. Why do we postpone or cancel feel-good moments like that? My guess is that we feel we will become embarrassed or the other party may feel embarrassed, and consequently there may be a long silence of embarrassed feelings.
About 35 years ago, on the last day of my high school, I decided to throw all caution out to the wind. The story went back about a year before that. A friend whom I had come to respect and like very much, did something that I thought was too much for my ego, so I ended our friendship.
It went on for more than a year, until that last day of school when all of us would go separate ways. Technically, we had reached the end of the road. The road further travelled would be done without the company of classmates, because that was when we started to plan for university and beyond.
I really like this guy because we had lots of things in common, so on that day, something happened. It was as if an angel had whispered in my ear and said: "This is your last chance to repair the broken friendship. Shake hands and be done with it."
So after some careful consideration, I walked up to this classmate and said: "I know when we haven't been friends for some time now but I like to be friends again and let bygones be bygones."
The look on this classmate's face was worth a million bucks. His facial expression revealed that he was so relieved that I had said it first although that was what he had in mind all the time but lacked the courage to carry it through. And so a friendship was saved.
We are still great friends today even though we had gone separate ways and led separate lives.
This is what I am driving at. Sometimes, there come opportunities to say things direct from the heart. These are some of the most precious moments in life. You will never know how much it will mean to the other person and how those kind words of yours will change his or her life for the better.
My advice to all those who hesitate: DON'T. Say it and be done with it. Don't let 20 years pass you by and then meet again when you two are in the twilight of your lives and then realise how you have missed that golden opportunity.
Yesterday, I gave my daughter the same advice when she asked me if she should buy her friend who's going overseas to study, a present. I told her that if she cannot afford to buy a gift for this friend, then thank her verbally for all those nice things her friend had done for her.
I said: "There are many times in your life when kind and sincere words are worth more than gold. These are treasured for a lifetime. More than that present which you have spent on. Tangible gifts are soon forgotten but not gifts from the heart, because these are stored in the heart and they will remain fresh forevermore."
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Remembering my father on Father's Day
My father died about nine years ago. He had led an interesting life, even though there were hard times for him as well as for us, his children. However, God has always been with us, and we survived and became stronger.
Now that I too am a father, I recall what all fathers may sometimes care to remember, that my children, our children, will walk down the same path all fathers will walk down.
It is not a difficult road if you don't make such a big deal out of it. It is easiest to travel when your heart is full of joy and you perform your fatherly duties out of love more than anything else.
I have been a father for about 25 years. It wasn't really difficult, I can now admit. In fact, it has been rather pleasant because I never consider it a chore. I took it in stride.
All of us men will one day be a father with the exception of a few who choose not to be fathers themselves. But it is a marvellous role - to be a father. Your children will make it all worthwhile.
There's nothing like having your offsprings remembering you in their own special ways. Life is like that. You teach them and at the same time you learn from them. One of the secrets of wonderful living,you learn as you teach.
There is no exception. Living and learning is a dual highway. It transcends all ages and make exceptions for none.
Today's Father's Day will be celebrated in a way by all fathers who have brought up their children to be better than themselves. It is a hope that I harbour, that my children will live their own lives beautifully and magnificently.
If I can help them to move faster along that road, so much the better. If not, may other experiences help to shape their character for the better. Being a man and then a father is a privilege. It took me a long time to realise that.
Now that I understand its message, the children become special to me, just as I am precious to them.
A Happy Father's Day to all fathers who are reading this.
Now that I too am a father, I recall what all fathers may sometimes care to remember, that my children, our children, will walk down the same path all fathers will walk down.
It is not a difficult road if you don't make such a big deal out of it. It is easiest to travel when your heart is full of joy and you perform your fatherly duties out of love more than anything else.
I have been a father for about 25 years. It wasn't really difficult, I can now admit. In fact, it has been rather pleasant because I never consider it a chore. I took it in stride.
All of us men will one day be a father with the exception of a few who choose not to be fathers themselves. But it is a marvellous role - to be a father. Your children will make it all worthwhile.
There's nothing like having your offsprings remembering you in their own special ways. Life is like that. You teach them and at the same time you learn from them. One of the secrets of wonderful living,you learn as you teach.
There is no exception. Living and learning is a dual highway. It transcends all ages and make exceptions for none.
Today's Father's Day will be celebrated in a way by all fathers who have brought up their children to be better than themselves. It is a hope that I harbour, that my children will live their own lives beautifully and magnificently.
If I can help them to move faster along that road, so much the better. If not, may other experiences help to shape their character for the better. Being a man and then a father is a privilege. It took me a long time to realise that.
Now that I understand its message, the children become special to me, just as I am precious to them.
A Happy Father's Day to all fathers who are reading this.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Losing track of time
According to my el-cheapo but reliable watch, it is now 3.50pm. I believe it is fast by one or two minutes but it's all right, I can live with that.
I have been in the office since 10am. The hours have flown swiftly past without me realising too much of the "lost" time. Anyway, life slips by you pretty quickly if you are busy doing your daily chores.
My daily routine comprises running around having tea breaks, lunch and chit-chat sessions with office colleagues. If I have the time, I will sit down and do some work for the organisation. Kidding!
Anyway, I told someone the other day that I was slightly surprised that it was June already. I could still recall Christmas celebrations with great clarity. Has it been six months since? Where has it all gone to?
As I have always maintained, Time is just a figment of man's imagination. Time was originally created to bring some semblance of order to man's life. Time or the watch or clock was invented and designed so that a person's life and work can be organised in the most intelligent manner conceivable.
There is such a thing as "losing track of time". Such a situation arises when an individual is too busy doing something else. It means that you are so engrossed in performing the "now" activities that you completely forgot to look at your watch and thus forgotten you are operating in your own time zone.
A person who knows about the value of time and also knows how to purposely "lose" time is the captain of his own fate. In other words, time has got no hold on you because you choose whether to recognise its importance or not take note of it to your own advantage.
Time, at the end of the day, can be an ally or a foe. It depends on how you use it. Having said all that, I have to admit I love wearing watches. It just helps me to organise my tasks which I set for myself throughout the day. Then, on the other hand, I also ignore my watch when the occasion calls for it.
There is really no point being "tied to time" when losing track of it will be to your greatest advantage.
Remember where all of us will end up eventually, time does not reign. So now you understand its overstated significance.
I have been in the office since 10am. The hours have flown swiftly past without me realising too much of the "lost" time. Anyway, life slips by you pretty quickly if you are busy doing your daily chores.
My daily routine comprises running around having tea breaks, lunch and chit-chat sessions with office colleagues. If I have the time, I will sit down and do some work for the organisation. Kidding!
Anyway, I told someone the other day that I was slightly surprised that it was June already. I could still recall Christmas celebrations with great clarity. Has it been six months since? Where has it all gone to?
As I have always maintained, Time is just a figment of man's imagination. Time was originally created to bring some semblance of order to man's life. Time or the watch or clock was invented and designed so that a person's life and work can be organised in the most intelligent manner conceivable.
There is such a thing as "losing track of time". Such a situation arises when an individual is too busy doing something else. It means that you are so engrossed in performing the "now" activities that you completely forgot to look at your watch and thus forgotten you are operating in your own time zone.
A person who knows about the value of time and also knows how to purposely "lose" time is the captain of his own fate. In other words, time has got no hold on you because you choose whether to recognise its importance or not take note of it to your own advantage.
Time, at the end of the day, can be an ally or a foe. It depends on how you use it. Having said all that, I have to admit I love wearing watches. It just helps me to organise my tasks which I set for myself throughout the day. Then, on the other hand, I also ignore my watch when the occasion calls for it.
There is really no point being "tied to time" when losing track of it will be to your greatest advantage.
Remember where all of us will end up eventually, time does not reign. So now you understand its overstated significance.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Worrying about when it's going to get you
RIGHT now I am experiencing something that is very common among people. Ordinary folks like you and I. All of us are worried about something at some stage in our lives.
A few of us practically excel in the art of worrying. We are all creatures of habit and emotions. We feel like we are going to die, or will have this unshakeable forboding sensation of impending doom.
Most of time, this nagging feeling doesn't seem to want to leave us. We think long and gloomily about it just before we go to sleep. We allow it to plague our mind the whole day and the very next morning we jump onto this bandwagon of detestable load called Worries.
I was like that once until I got so mad with myself that I almost shouted "to hell with it all! Bring it on!" That doesn't to be the permanent solution. What happened was I delved into a lot of those books that discuss life hereafter.
I suppose my quest was so persisting that soon enough the right answers begin to flow in like the Missippi River waters. The light at the end of the tunnel became to be like the flood lights in a football stadium.
When the glare of the light shone on the darkened corners of my mind, all the fears taht were hiding there begin to evaporate. Of course, I still harbour a bit of worry here and there but that creature named Worry which was Godzilla-size in the past has become a little pygmy. It no longer poses any threat to me.
Don't let worry worry you too much. In a way, worry serves a little purpose but if you pamper it too much, it climbs on your head, clutches your heart and squeezes your stomach. Consequently, you can't eat, you have a headache and you feel as if your heart is going to explode.
If you but understand that all of us are creatures of spirit, without exception, then you will have the everlasting assurance that in the end, all will be well. Nothing bad can happen to you in the long run. It is simply impossible.
Life on earth is meant to be one huge adventure. Why waste time worrying about things you cannot change. Be happy for all those little unexpected occurrences that can only make your life that much more exciting.
Worry?! Bah, let it pass you in the daytime as well as in the night time like a gust of wind that slips past your body and vanishes into thin air. You, my friend, are a spirit that has been bestowed with the finest of virtues to make this life of yours right now the happiest and most exciting at any time.
Believe that you are going to have a great time on earth and you will.
A few of us practically excel in the art of worrying. We are all creatures of habit and emotions. We feel like we are going to die, or will have this unshakeable forboding sensation of impending doom.
Most of time, this nagging feeling doesn't seem to want to leave us. We think long and gloomily about it just before we go to sleep. We allow it to plague our mind the whole day and the very next morning we jump onto this bandwagon of detestable load called Worries.
I was like that once until I got so mad with myself that I almost shouted "to hell with it all! Bring it on!" That doesn't to be the permanent solution. What happened was I delved into a lot of those books that discuss life hereafter.
I suppose my quest was so persisting that soon enough the right answers begin to flow in like the Missippi River waters. The light at the end of the tunnel became to be like the flood lights in a football stadium.
When the glare of the light shone on the darkened corners of my mind, all the fears taht were hiding there begin to evaporate. Of course, I still harbour a bit of worry here and there but that creature named Worry which was Godzilla-size in the past has become a little pygmy. It no longer poses any threat to me.
Don't let worry worry you too much. In a way, worry serves a little purpose but if you pamper it too much, it climbs on your head, clutches your heart and squeezes your stomach. Consequently, you can't eat, you have a headache and you feel as if your heart is going to explode.
If you but understand that all of us are creatures of spirit, without exception, then you will have the everlasting assurance that in the end, all will be well. Nothing bad can happen to you in the long run. It is simply impossible.
Life on earth is meant to be one huge adventure. Why waste time worrying about things you cannot change. Be happy for all those little unexpected occurrences that can only make your life that much more exciting.
Worry?! Bah, let it pass you in the daytime as well as in the night time like a gust of wind that slips past your body and vanishes into thin air. You, my friend, are a spirit that has been bestowed with the finest of virtues to make this life of yours right now the happiest and most exciting at any time.
Believe that you are going to have a great time on earth and you will.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
What's up with the weather?
Cyclone heading towards Hong Kong and south China. Volcano erupting in Java, Indonesia. Floods in European cities. Tornadoes and Hurricanes in North America. Drought in North Korea. Dramatic ice reduction at the polar caps.
If I take these phenomena, which I do, I would conclude that the whole world is in for one hell of a time. Read the signs, as it is always said. Well, now we better look at the weather conditions.
A relative who just returned from vacation in Brisbane, and Sydney, Australia told me that it was sunny one day and next day wintry conditions in the cities. Bizarre was the word she used.
Not recently, the river Danude overflowed its banks and caused massive floodings in several European countries. It was the worst in more than half a century. In December 2004, tsunami affected about 12 nations in the Asian region. By the time, the bodies were found and later buried, the death toll surpassed 300,000.
Volcanoes are suddenly active. Smog covers a large part of the Southeast Asian region. One word again, global-warming. Global warming is so serious that even Hollywood is starting to make movies about it. For example, Day After Tomorrow.
According to some scientists, the scenario in that movie can become reality should Mother Nature loses her temper. There is startling evidence that the polar caps are melting at a dramatic rate. If this continues, we really do have to shift further inland all over the world.
Thunderstorms are beginning to be more violent. Hailstones are no longer the subject of geography books. In America, hailstones caused some serious damage recently. CNN showed footages of hailstones as big as golf balls. Car windscreens were smashed and vehicles damaged by those hailstones.
The explanation for all these drastic atmospheric changes is found in the way the earth is being treated. Earth is afterall a living organism and anything that is a life form when subjected to averse conditions will switch to its self-preservation mode, as it is probably doing now.
Meanwhile, the latest AFP reports more than 180,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Guangdong province in the wake of Typhoon Chanchu which is heading its way.
On the same day (May 17, 2006), an earthquake measuring 6.4 shook the Indonesian island of Nias. Nias is also one of the islands that was devastated by the 2004 tsunami. On the island of Java, volcano Mt Merapi continues to spew poisonous gas and lava, as Code Red has been announced a couple of days ago.
Meanwhile, three northeastern states of America have declared a state of emergency as rains have hammered Massachussetts, New Hampshire and Maine for days, triggering floods.
Thousands in these States have been evacuated and hundreds of schools closed. Now as dark clouds loom over the horizon from East to West, fires and floods ravage the lands that humans have called home.
It has long past becoming a laughing issue. The question is: how serious are we in tackling these phenomena? Or, are we just waiting for the authorities to perform some miracles.
Frankly, we are just plain running out of time.
If I take these phenomena, which I do, I would conclude that the whole world is in for one hell of a time. Read the signs, as it is always said. Well, now we better look at the weather conditions.
A relative who just returned from vacation in Brisbane, and Sydney, Australia told me that it was sunny one day and next day wintry conditions in the cities. Bizarre was the word she used.
Not recently, the river Danude overflowed its banks and caused massive floodings in several European countries. It was the worst in more than half a century. In December 2004, tsunami affected about 12 nations in the Asian region. By the time, the bodies were found and later buried, the death toll surpassed 300,000.
Volcanoes are suddenly active. Smog covers a large part of the Southeast Asian region. One word again, global-warming. Global warming is so serious that even Hollywood is starting to make movies about it. For example, Day After Tomorrow.
According to some scientists, the scenario in that movie can become reality should Mother Nature loses her temper. There is startling evidence that the polar caps are melting at a dramatic rate. If this continues, we really do have to shift further inland all over the world.
Thunderstorms are beginning to be more violent. Hailstones are no longer the subject of geography books. In America, hailstones caused some serious damage recently. CNN showed footages of hailstones as big as golf balls. Car windscreens were smashed and vehicles damaged by those hailstones.
The explanation for all these drastic atmospheric changes is found in the way the earth is being treated. Earth is afterall a living organism and anything that is a life form when subjected to averse conditions will switch to its self-preservation mode, as it is probably doing now.
Meanwhile, the latest AFP reports more than 180,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Guangdong province in the wake of Typhoon Chanchu which is heading its way.
On the same day (May 17, 2006), an earthquake measuring 6.4 shook the Indonesian island of Nias. Nias is also one of the islands that was devastated by the 2004 tsunami. On the island of Java, volcano Mt Merapi continues to spew poisonous gas and lava, as Code Red has been announced a couple of days ago.
Meanwhile, three northeastern states of America have declared a state of emergency as rains have hammered Massachussetts, New Hampshire and Maine for days, triggering floods.
Thousands in these States have been evacuated and hundreds of schools closed. Now as dark clouds loom over the horizon from East to West, fires and floods ravage the lands that humans have called home.
It has long past becoming a laughing issue. The question is: how serious are we in tackling these phenomena? Or, are we just waiting for the authorities to perform some miracles.
Frankly, we are just plain running out of time.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Here come the terrible twins - Success and Failure
There have been times and there will be times ahead when you will encounter either of these two "brothers" called Success and Failure.
I have met them constantly in my regular travels along the journey of life. Success is a much more congenial companion because he's always someone you like as a walking companion. Success makes you laugh, makes you happy and makes you feel like a million bucks.
Failure on the other hand is a morose chap who's constantly moaning and groaning about you, and why you never think of him at all. In a way, Failure is right. We should think more about him because his presence will make us wiser people.
Failure has got important lessons for us all but we almost never appreciate his presence. We dislike his body odour. We resent his uninvited presence and his unexpected intrusion into our peaceful lives.
But we were to scrutinise this repulsive character named Failure, we will find out that this guy is actually trying to teach us some very valuable lessons in life. For one thing, Failure helps us to cultive empathy and sympathy for others who also have come across Failure.
Failure in his sullen ways enlightens us about his twin brother Success. He makes us more appreciative of Success and not take for granted the often limited time, Success spends with us.
It is from Failure that we learn that there are other ways to climb a steep hill, or to develop a skill, or even to be a better person.
Success and Failure are a pair of twins who seldom meet because they are so busy travelling around the world and across all strata of society quietly expounding knowledge and secrets that a lot of people need to learn.
We welcome Success but shun Failure. Those among us who are wise make friends with these twins because they know that all are worth knowing. Success helps us to further strengthen our positions. In other words, make us work harder so that we may not his friendship.
Failure by making us fear him, or sometimes run away from him, indirectly teaches us that into every dark corner we hide ourselves, we will eventually have to come out and face reality, the twins' cousin.
Failure looks at us in the eye but we do not see the knowledge he wants to impart. We see but our own fear reflected in Failure's eyes. Failure sincerely wants us to hold his hand, thereby know that he too is like us. Unless we dare to befriend him, we will never be able to fully appreciate the beautiful land that he has roamed since time immemorial.
The great teachers among us know these twins very well. They have been in their company for eons and realise that all is an illusion. They are but lesson couched in human form to help us understand, learn and celebrate the joy of living.
So next time, you are visited upon by either of the twins who called themselves Success and Failure, be sure to welcome them in your company and say thank you for coming. Put your hands around their shoulders and call them brother.
If you can do that and be not fearful or too glad, you will be given the key to everlasting happiness. It is a privilege that is seldom bestowed on citizens of the world except the few who would later become teachers.
I have met them constantly in my regular travels along the journey of life. Success is a much more congenial companion because he's always someone you like as a walking companion. Success makes you laugh, makes you happy and makes you feel like a million bucks.
Failure on the other hand is a morose chap who's constantly moaning and groaning about you, and why you never think of him at all. In a way, Failure is right. We should think more about him because his presence will make us wiser people.
Failure has got important lessons for us all but we almost never appreciate his presence. We dislike his body odour. We resent his uninvited presence and his unexpected intrusion into our peaceful lives.
But we were to scrutinise this repulsive character named Failure, we will find out that this guy is actually trying to teach us some very valuable lessons in life. For one thing, Failure helps us to cultive empathy and sympathy for others who also have come across Failure.
Failure in his sullen ways enlightens us about his twin brother Success. He makes us more appreciative of Success and not take for granted the often limited time, Success spends with us.
It is from Failure that we learn that there are other ways to climb a steep hill, or to develop a skill, or even to be a better person.
Success and Failure are a pair of twins who seldom meet because they are so busy travelling around the world and across all strata of society quietly expounding knowledge and secrets that a lot of people need to learn.
We welcome Success but shun Failure. Those among us who are wise make friends with these twins because they know that all are worth knowing. Success helps us to further strengthen our positions. In other words, make us work harder so that we may not his friendship.
Failure by making us fear him, or sometimes run away from him, indirectly teaches us that into every dark corner we hide ourselves, we will eventually have to come out and face reality, the twins' cousin.
Failure looks at us in the eye but we do not see the knowledge he wants to impart. We see but our own fear reflected in Failure's eyes. Failure sincerely wants us to hold his hand, thereby know that he too is like us. Unless we dare to befriend him, we will never be able to fully appreciate the beautiful land that he has roamed since time immemorial.
The great teachers among us know these twins very well. They have been in their company for eons and realise that all is an illusion. They are but lesson couched in human form to help us understand, learn and celebrate the joy of living.
So next time, you are visited upon by either of the twins who called themselves Success and Failure, be sure to welcome them in your company and say thank you for coming. Put your hands around their shoulders and call them brother.
If you can do that and be not fearful or too glad, you will be given the key to everlasting happiness. It is a privilege that is seldom bestowed on citizens of the world except the few who would later become teachers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
