Challenge

If someone else can do it, so can you.

Life itself can be challenging in all terms. Perhaps you are tired from school or work or that complicated relationship with family members. Since it is so challenging, why are you still hanging on to it? Perhaps you believe that someday, everything will change for the better. Or, you are actually taking the best efforts to make it better.

Change can be as simple or as complex as you want to be. It is all in the mind. The human mind works wonders. Whether or not you like it, many of times you are stuck because your mind thinks that you are. It seems like there is no way out of the difficult situation. But it really is in the mind. The only way to go about this is to have an open mind.

But how do you do that?

START it!
Everything has to start somewhere. Even the most successful people you see in magazines or on social media, they started somewhere. They took action. They believe that one day, they will make it to the limelight. There is no certainty in life. Whoever you are now do not determine who you will become.

Dream big! Start small!
People often like to dream big and then start big. This is perhaps the only reason you are not successful yet even after decades of trying. Then, you get fed up and you get discouraged. Have you ever thought that a little achievement goes further than nothing at all? A mammoth project has to be broken down into tiny achievable portions. This is how any project can be completed.

MAKE it!
But I do not have time for this. But I am not this kind of person. But… But… But…
Enough of the “buts”, just make it happen.

Change occurs one way or the other. It is just a matter of sooner or later. Why not now? What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for that big breakthrough? Just a little something to ponder upon, if you are not ready to make that change now, then when? Do you think you will be better tomorrow or the day after? If you think you will be better next year, nothing will happen. Because there is always a next year in your phrases. Instead of saying later, why not remind yourself this, “Later means never!”

ACT it!
People love to start things. You start taking up courses. You start planning. You are extremely motivated that you will succeed. You make time for it. Somehow, you get stuck somewhere and your fire gets blown out. Maybe your closest family member turns you down. Maybe your day job eats in to your time. You get discouraged.

What will you do? What can you do? Continue to take action! That is the only thing you need to do. Take action according to the plan that you have made. Continue by all means, even if you do not feel like it, even if you are feeling under the weather. Determination to continue, to stay on track is the path to success. Keep that in mind.

RUN it!
Run and continue running. At times, you may feel like you are alone. Nobody seems to understand what in the world you are doing. Perhaps they may be right. Perhaps it is time for you to halt, rest, and rejuvenate. Go ahead. It is okay to do that once in a while. Take an hour off. You deserved it after weeks of hard work. Use that one hour wisely. Listen to music, calm the mind, walk the park. Sometimes, insight comes from the unlikeliest sources, nature.

After that good rest, continue your journey to the infinite. With each step taken, you are a mile closer to achieving your goals. You are that much nearer to your dreams. You are invincible.

TEST it!
Every step of the way is a test on its own.
Your patience can be tested. Instead of losing temper, you can twist to learn from the test.
Your determination can be tested. Instead of losing hope, you can twist to accept the challenge.

Every problem can be solved. As you move on, you will soon realize that you are becoming an expert in your own destiny. All in just five simple steps. When you have achieved your goal, you can always start anew with the same steps all over. Take you achievement to the next level.

Challenge yourself today in 5 simple steps. Take the SMART route!

 

Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new centre of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.

Oprah Gail Winfrey (Oprah Winfrey), American talk show host and philanthropist, 1954-present

Do

Do is one of the shorter words in the English language but it is also one of the most used words by people around the world.

Just Do It! This is the tagline used by Nike, the most famous brand in sports. The name is short, the logo is simple, and the tagline is motivating. This is by far the best branding ever created that I know of that made such a huge impact. This is by far, even though those who cannot afford to buy anything from their stores, will get something from them, insight. It is a brand that everyone models upon.

In life, we always adore the people that have a great life, or seem to have a great life. We only see what is in the limelight. We will almost never know what they have gone through to get to where they are now. We will never know what they are going through now that makes them who they are. Perhaps the only thing we know is what they are willing to let us know.

Successful people are influential. But they were not born with success written on the foreheads. Nobody can tell if the person will be successful before they even live their life. They may be born with a destiny of becoming a ruler. It takes more than just destiny to make them successful. They will end up being a ruler one way or the other. Whether or not they are great rulers is another matter altogether. If they are great rulers, their empire will last for centuries. If they are not great rulers, their empire will crumble in just years if not months within their ruling.

We are be born talented in our own way.

We may be talented at talking. If we do not take action to develop the skills to take it to the next level, we are just being talkative. If we are to learn from the masters, we may one day become the world’s greatest speaker that makes the difference in other people’s lives.

We may be born talented in music, be it singing or playing instruments. If we do not take action to practice and keep practicing, we will not forget how to do it, but the skillset that we have will deteriorate over time. By then, we would be demotivated to do anything about it. If we are to continue our efforts to improve our skillset, we may one day make an impact in other people’s lives. We know that music creates the ambience for clarity and motivation.

We may be born talented in more subtle skills that we may not be aware of. We are reserved. We love to be alone to create art, be it writing, drawing, or painting. If we do not take action in developing our passion, we are just a normal person like any other person out there without such talents. Just as I have wasted much of my earlier years whining about how life being unfair to me. I was just a regular person like all my other peers out there. I hidden my creativity.

Somehow, this year, I decided to finally do it. To start my own blog. To write in my own words. To design with the help of the latest software. I have taken the first step. I do not know where this will take me but I am determined that I am able to make a difference in the lives of others because I am making a difference in my own life. I feel more motivation. I feel more accomplishment.

Anybody can tell us to do or not to do something. Everything happens for a reason. It is up to us whether or not we want to action on the things that is bothering us. If we take action upon it and failed, it is a precious lesson in life. If we do not take action, we have failed in life because we never learnt anything. “Either way, we pay.” This is a phrase I picked up from a training by Peng Joon. He is the person that is capable of making a difference in my life. He is the only person that has managed to empower me to take it one step further. I am grateful to have encountered him. Thank you.

Just do what your heart tells you! I may be small but I am capable of making the difference, just like the word “DO”.

 

He who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything.

Samuel Johnson (Dr Johnson), English writer, 1709-1784

Pamper

Pampering is an action. It transforms us to become a better person.

The very mention of this word means a trip to the spa for many. Laying in comfort with relaxing music and soothing hands massaging our face and body with scents that calm us internally. This is the little things that we can do for ourselves after a week’s worth of hard work. This is the exclusive way we can comfort ourselves, or so as portrayed by marketers.

We are actually spoiled by choices. We live in a world full of variety. If we are to believe that the only way to pamper ourselves is in a spa, we are limiting ourselves to the various other things that can nurture us for the better.

Travelling is always a good way to turn a new leaf. When we travel to a different place, we get to meet with new people and culture, we get to taste the scrumptious meals of the locals, and we get insight from observing the way of life in a place we have never been. We once feel stuck but when we get to see the outside world, we would realize that our problems are merely just something we have to go through. It will be the past very soon.

While travelling the world may sound like a hassle to some and draining off their bank accounts to many. Perhaps a trip to a nearby park or a forest reserve will suffice. See, smell, listen, touch, and feel. Nature has plenty to offer. Observe how nature is. Breathe in the fresh air. Enjoy the whistling leaves and singing birds. Embrace the texture of soil and bark in the surroundings. Sense, use all senses to cleanse our mind and soul in the enchanting atmosphere.

The life of urbanites is hectic, perhaps we feel like we are caught in a concrete jungle, within four walls. Very often, we corner ourselves with limiting beliefs. We trust that we are the only ones who can solve the problems that we are facing. Perhaps we have been living alone for too long. Life is just but not just as is. Leave that couch behind and take a step out that door to meet new people.

There are many ways to meeting new people. We can literally go out there to meet them face to face. Or, for the introverts, we can always choose to stay home and connect with others through social media. Elders may keep reminding us that there are many dangers that lurk in the simulated world. Perhaps we have forgotten that danger exists everywhere. We just have to be vigilant of new friends that we encounter. Be kind, we will know when to stay and when to leave when the time comes.

While being surrounded by people makes us feel acceptance, but can be tiring. Ensure to choose the circle of friends that we want to become. Find a group of like-minded people and they will give you comfort as you would to them. Some will have the same hobbies, while others come from many different backgrounds but are willing to help each other in all ways possible. Stop thinking that help comes in monetary terms! Help is and always will be the mental and spiritual support.

Sometimes we feel like our colleagues are all that we have. It is true at work, but not in life. We should know when to let go. Work should stay in the office. Let home be the place for our sacred soul. Home is the place we find peace. Home is the place we go back to everyday no matter the situation we have had throughout the day.

Pampering can start at home. We can be ourselves. We can indulge in our favourite delicacies, immerse in our favourite books, dress in our favourite pyjamas, lunge in our favourite positions, and toss anything around any place we wish. There are no limits, no rules to follow. We are the rules!

Pampering can start from within. We are who we are. If we want to change for the better, we ought to know how. The first thing we need is to understand who we truly are deep within. Only when we are able to peel down to expose our own depths, we can find peace. This is not only pamper, it is also an act of self-kindness.

We live in a real world but it does not hurt to sometimes fly beyond the clouds. Pampering lifts spirits!

 

Pamper yourself into alignment with who you really are & then face your day.

Esther Hicks nee Weaver (Abraham Hicks), American inspirational speaker and author, 1948-present

Alarm

Good morning everyone. The alarm has sounded and it is time to wake up.

In the olden days, the only alarm available is from the bird species. People who stay in scarcity depend upon their own biological clock or the sounds of birds singing in the forest. Nomads or people living in groups would probably have some sort of farming activities so the very first sound of rooster would be their alarm to waking in the morning.

Centuries later, people invented bells and then alarm clocks. The first alarm clock I encounter was the typical round shaped, metal and glass casing type that has two bells on top with a little hand in the middle that can sway left and right to sound the alarm when the time is right. It is a winding alarm clock and so, we had to wind it every night before we go to bed to ensure that it keeps running and wake us in the morning.  This alarm clock lasted for the longest time I can remember. We only stopped using it when it dropped and broke.

As time goes by, alarm clocks come in many shapes and sizes. The next alarm clock I had was a square shaped one that runs on battery with a beeping sound as alarm. This plastic alarm clock was nothing compared to the previous one. The plastic became brittle after several years of using and the sound of the alarm became horribly distorted.

My father then bought me a good quality alarm clock that cost quite a bit of money back then. It is a rectangular plastic alarm clock with light that corresponds with the sound. The beeping sound and blinking light starts slow and progressively become faster if I did not switch it off. It excites me in the morning. There was even a snooze button. I loved this alarm clock very much during my university years. After that, I gave it to my mother because she bought me something new. My mother used it till her last breath. Now, it is still sitting on her bedside table.

The new device that my mother got me was a radio alarm clock. As the name says, this is a radio as well as an alarm clock. The time display is large. It runs on direct current but also has a compartment for me to insert batteries, in case the power is out. There are several alarm sounds that I can choose from including using the chosen radio channel, rather than the old boring beeping sounds. It is a very good alarm clock but bulky. I had it retired after several years when I needed to clear some space for other things.

Then, I have started using handphones to double as an alarm clock. It was only normal to have phone next to our bed when we are no longer staying with our parents. It is just in case they needed to call us for something important. From the old button handphones to the current flat screen smartphones, I have been using them ever since. The alarm sounds have been progressing from the analog tones to the musical ones now. It is inevitable that as time passes, the gadgets we use improves.

Somehow, it is the in thing now to go back to the days back then. Perhaps for the sake of health or for the lifestyle that we are looking for. I am actually hoping to be able to find that first alarm clock that I have used in the design and colour that I like. The phone, leave it at least three feet away from my bed. If my family calls in the middle of the night, I can get out of bed to answer the phone, not be lazy.

Perhaps one day we can all live off-grid and go back to basics. Sleep early and wake in the morning when we have gotten enough sleep or when we hear the birds chatter amidst trees outside our window. Life is simple.

But the biggest alarm in life is not visible. It has no sound. It is the sense of responsibility towards others, Mother Nature, especially. We have been warned so many times and yet we have not learnt. The recent pandemic has driven us off our normal course of life. It has obviously shown us the importance of life itself.

Now is the time to wake up! Live sustainably!  

 

Alarms don’t wake you up, your responsibilities do.

Nitya Prakash, Indian author, 1988-present

Incense

Incense is often associated with aromatherapy, offering soothing effect to people.

Archeological evidence show that the use of incense existed all the way from prehistoric civilization. We can only guess the usage of incense in prehistoric culture but nevertheless, it must be something important to be carried on over thousands of years in all walks of life.

In this modern date, places of rituals are considered the biggest users of incense. Perhaps in some cases, there is excessive burning. Every year, we will visit the temple for annual prayers and offerings. Each time we walk into the temple smelling fresh but walk out smelling like a smoked duck. Everyone wants to give their offerings to the Gods and deities that cause the excessive burning of joss sticks.

Some temples, in order to keep the environment clean, only allow burning of incense by the temple operators. Visitors can only offer fruits and flowers. As such, these temples make very good places for self-realization and actualization. People who seek tranquility will find such temples a great place for meditation practice and will often hours on end to just breathe the air and enjoy the serenity.

It is inevitable that incense pacifies the soul. This works on all living beings, not limited to humans. There is a Snake Temple in my home country, and as the name suggests, this temple is full of snakes. However, all of them, big or small, are always hanging on the roofs and pillars in dormant state during the day. Visitors can admire them in close contact without having to worry about snake bites. Cages are not necessary. The snakes are free to roam the temple. They can come and go as they wish.

Regular households, especially those in the outskirts often use incense to deter insects and small animals like rodents. Any type of smoke can actually prevent pests from entering the vicinity. Perhaps choosing one with the scent of our preference is ideal.

Lately, there have been studies showing that the burning of incense may cause carcinogens build up in the body. While this may be true to a certain extent, we need to be vigilant of the environment we put ourselves in. It is best to have all doors and windows open while burning incense. Good airflow is always vital for great health.

While air conditioning lets us enjoy a cool environment on a hot day, it is inevitably better to let natural air drift in and out of the house, when the sun is out. This is the perfect combination of positive chi. When incorporated with incense, we get vast calming affirmative energy circulating in our body. This is the gift of nature.

Incense is originally made from barks of trees. Some trees naturally have aromatic resins. When the bark is scraped, the resins will emerge serving to repair the scar on the tree, just like blood in humans. Everything that flows out of a living being has an odour attached to it. Those that give a pleasant smell are chosen to be used as incense. We all have our own preference. I love the smell of agarwood and sandalwood in its entirety.

In the recent years, essential oils have been widely used to replace burning of incense in aromatherapy probably due to health concerns. Initial use of essential oils was for massages. Now, we have upgraded to enjoy the aroma of oils all day long. All that is needed is just a few drops of our favourite oils in water. We can choose to use an oil burner or diffuser to dissipate the scent through the entire home. However, we should only choose quality oils for any purpose.

Modern technology has its pros and cons. Sometimes, we have too much information that we are unable to make a choice. Simplicity used to be something inherent in our lives but it is now wisdom we have to seek. Searching for the right path sounds simple but can be really demanding for some people.

All we need to do is to just sit and ponder. With a little help from soothing music and natural incense, all becomes clear.

At the end of our lives we hope we will look back and, like an incense stick completely burned away, will have poured forth all our fragrance into the world.

Prem Prakash, Indian actor, 1954-present

Music

Music is probably the greatest creation. Our life is so much more wonderful with the different beats we hear in every part of our life.

Music comes from nature itself. If you stay near the forest or in a place where trees are abundant, the first music from nature every morning is the songs of birds. They are the best singers on earth. It is especially wonderful during mating season. We can hear the beautiful array of songs and imagine that the male birds are putting out their best to court the female birds. Not long after, we can see two birds flying off together and they live happily ever after.

When the winds are strong they create a beautiful tone unlike others. They can whistle through small openings of our windows. If there is a bamboo patch nearby, you can hear the wind brushing through the leaves creating a continuous calming effect. When you close your eyes, you can almost imagine the wind blowing in your face while enjoying time with the flute in your hand. The movement of air makes life a whole lot fresher.

If you stay by the beach, you would probably have a combination of everything nature has to offer. The birds, wind, and waves. The sound of waves rolling into soft sand is calming to the ears while the sound of waves crashing into rocks creates a sense of excitement. Though they seemingly come and go at the same pace but if you listen closely, they are different each time. A minute change in the wind direction or the water temperature creates a different note. Each note carries with it a different story.

For the more adventurous, when you dive into the ocean, all you can hear is probably the active movement of water at first. When you close your eyes to calm yourself down, you can probably feel silence. Silence from deep within your heart and the heart of the earth. Nothing else matters. Then if you are far enough from land and having the luck charm, you may encounter the oceans’ most treasured music; the soft humming communications between mammals of the ocean. Simply magnificent.

When nightfall, there is a kind of music so exceptional it can put us to sleep. As every creature starts the resting mode, some creatures come out to hunt. They create an orchestra so comforting every taunting reminisce can just drift away into infinite space, never to return. Crickets are the best background singers for the smooth wisdom music of the owls and the ever soothing howls of the canines. They let us know that it is time to let go and snooze into deep sleep.

Nature is the creator of music for the soul. Humans make music based on observation of what nature has to offer. We learn to sing and produce musical instruments as we go along.

Toddlers with their simple minds create music with everything their little hand can hold; a building block, a spoon and a glass of water, or even with just bare hands. Everything around them can be used to make music, even the table, the trash can, the bowl, pots and pans. They can create wonders with their simple mind. Just give them the chance to do so.

Children learn that their voice can make the whole world sing with them. They learn to mimic the sounds of nature. They growl like a tiger, chirp like a bird, and even howl like a wolf. By simply mixing everything together, they could create something the world has never heard before; each time a different scoreboard. In fact, making sounds from mouth movement is the in thing now. Some call it acapella while others call it beatbox. I call it talent. No instruments needed and an orchestra is formed.

Now, as adults, we mostly listen to music, rather than enjoy participating in the ensemble. Perhaps we excuse ourselves from losing touch with our inner talents because we are too busy hustling in life. Some choose tranquility with the sounds of nature, some love the calming effects of slow music, some like to pump up themselves with lounge beats, some like to immerse themselves into heavy metal to let go of frustration. Whatever path one chooses is entirely ones’ choice. There is no right or wrong in any choices we make. The ultimate goal is to restore our soul.

Follow the music of your heart.

 

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.    

Plato, Athenian philosopher in Ancient Greece, 428/427 or 424/423 BC – 348/347 BC