Free

To do or not to do?

Sometimes we wake up in the morning we are totally blank. Most of the time we do have something in mind. Perhaps that something has been in our mind since the night before or even for the past whole week. We are just not sure whether or not we want to really do it.

What is the cause of the halt?

Whatever that is in your mind, what is the issue with it? Why are you not taking action to doing it yet? What is bothering you so much that you do not want to act on it? Is it because of uncertainty? Is it because of the risks involved? Is it because you are just not ready for it? Is it because you are worried that the people around you will mock you? It is because you do not know how?

Where there is a will, there is always a way.

STOP! Stop your procrastination right now. Just ask yourself this one question:
# How bad do you want it? #

If you really want to do something, nothing in the world can stop you. If you keep giving yourself excuses, nothing can help you. No matter how high your motivation is, it really does not matter unless you do something about it. No matter how happy you may feel when thinking about it, nothing really matters unless you are really in it. No matter how big or small your dream is, it is just going to remain a dream unless you build upon it.

Your dream may be big. Everyone has their own big dreams at some point of their lives. It does not matter what that dream is. It only matters if you take initiatives to work towards making your dreams come true.

Sometimes, just by thinking you already have what you want will simply bring you to it, even though you do not yet have it. Sometimes life is as such. When you want something bad enough, you think about it all the time. You believe that you are going to get it one day. You picture yourself in that happy state of mind when you already have it. You remember that feeling all the time. You remind yourself over and over about that thing that you love so much. The universe will find a way to put it in front of you. You will get it one way or the other. Sometimes the outcome is even better than imagined.

I always tell people that I have manifested my dreams before. The most important of all is the dream since I was a kid. Of course when we were kids we had many dreams, most of which are just day dreams. But there is this one dream that I have manifested and have brought immense light into my world of darkness. Perhaps you have already read my previous articles telling of this story but I am really proud of this and I will tell it over and over to remind myself that the Law of Attraction really works.

I love dogs, all kinds of dogs, big or small. One species in particular that had captured my heart so deeply is the German Shepherd. Their intelligence and loyalty is just… indescribable. They are willing to sacrifice everything, including their own lives, to protect the humans they love. I told myself that I would like to have one when I grow up. Perhaps I have wanted it so badly this dream dwell right inside my subconscious mind for the longest time ever. Consciously, I have forgotten about this during my teens and my work and married life.

I was just living the normal lifecycle that everyone is living. Get through with school. Get a job. Get married. Start a family. One miscarriage brought me into total darkness for six whole years. I was in deep depression that I thought I hid well from others. One day, this little abandoned German Shepherd puppy lookalike came to our doorstep. He lit me up instantly. My husband finally saw the light in me once again. As much as he is afraid of dogs, he is willing to adopt this puppy into our lives. Our Max is four now. This miniature German Shepherd lookalike has brought so much happiness into our lives.

I have finally let go of the prison I set myself in. I am 100% depression free now. I can talk about my depression. I can talk about my loss. I can finally talk freely without holding myself back. I can finally be myself with the arrival of our beloved Max.

Letting free your mind can bring you what you really want deep within.

 

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.

Lewis Benedictus Smedes (Lewis B. Smedes), Christian author and theologian, 1921-2002

Routine

What do you do when you wake up late on a work day?

Each one of us have our daily routines that we do that seem important day in day out. But there will be days that we find ourselves too tired to wake up on time in the morning and having to pick and choose which routines that we must complete before we really get out that door to head to work.

How do you determine which activities you must do?

First things first, the toilet visit is a must. We must clear ourselves of the toxins that our body worked hard to collect over the entire night while we are asleep. No matter how rushed life is, we must remember to remove unnecessary things out from our body in order to function well for the rest of the day. One must never skip toilet visits, especially the first one in the morning.

What else is there that we must do before we walk out that door?

Some people have very simple routines. Wake up. Get cleaned and they are good to go. However, most people with families have more complicated routines in the morning. There will be some that needs to prepare breakfast and pack lunch. There will be some that needs to water the garden and feed the pets. There will be some that need to take care of the young and elderly. We each have our own problems and difficulties to face every single time we open our eyes in the morning.

Sometimes, we tend to think of everything else before ourselves. If you have been on a plane, you would have heard of this very important announcement before the plane lifts off. In case of an emergency and the oxygen mask drops from your overhead, always put the mask on yourself before attending to others under your care. This announcement is very important as we always tend to care for everyone else before looking into ourselves.

Perhaps we have forgotten one very important point. We can only take care of everything else if we are in the proper position to doing so. Just imagine having to take care of your child, or your parents, or your pets during the time you are sick. How does that feel? Just imagine having to give positive advice to others when you yourself are having low self-esteem and out of confidence. Do you think you will be able to handle everything in a mindful way?

It is important to spend at least 20 minutes every morning to ponder upon yourself. This is the most important thing you must do every single morning whether you wake up early or late. It does not matter the time. It only matters the space. You need the space for yourself. You need to look within to move further. You need to first tend to yourself before helping others find their way. You need to be in good shape. This 20 minutes can be your daily stretches, or your daily meditation, or even your daily workouts. Just do it. It is only 20 minutes after all.

Great parents will say they need that 20 minutes to prepare breakfast for their children.
Great children will say they need that 20 minutes to care for their parents.
Plant lovers will say they need that 20 minutes to water their garden.
Pet lovers will say they need that 20 minutes to feed their pets.

We always have choices that we can make. How about taking that in between instead of sacrificing one or the other? Is it possible to take 10 minutes to yourself and 10 minutes for others? Give yourself time to uplift yourself. Give yourself time to think and be yourself. You will feel the difference, instead of just rushing through your already late morning routine. Is it possible for you to call in to your boss to inform that you woke up late this morning and that you will be late for work. Admit your fault. Your boss may be angry. You may get a warning for this misconduct but at least you are doing what is most important in life. You take care of yourself as well as the people close to you.

Waking up late is no excuse for self-ignorance. Any routine can be adjusted to fit whatever limited time one has.

 

Spontaneity-flexibility within a routine.

Marty Rubin, Self-titled aphorist, philosopher bum and happiness freak

Simple

There is just so many things that needs to be done. Which is more urgent?

Humans have the greatest minds in the entire world but humans have also made things more complicated than it should be. Life is really simple. You wake up, you get through the day, and then you sleep. This is basically all we need to do every single day. How complicated can this be?

In this day and time, having a simple life seems so distant. We have too many things on our plate. There are too many distractions pointing us to different directions. We just cannot decide on anything when the time comes. The most common question people ask these days is probably one that nobody in the ancient history would even imagine any of their descendants asking.

How to live a simple life? I have no time, no money, and no skill to do it.

Seriously?

We have been too cluttered with the outside world that we just forgotten to connect with our inner self. This is the only reason we are feeling totally lost, especially at times like this. When the whole world is on lockdown. When you are sustaining a pay cut. When you risk losing your job. When everyone else is talking about the pandemic. When the people around you seem to be changing but you are still the old you, stagnant. You still think the world revolves around you.

It is time to wake up. Nobody is stuck. Everybody has been put to the test. When there is a huge challenge, there is the opportunity unlike any other you have ever seen before. You need to grab that opportunity to make you become the better version of you. What are you waiting for?

The world is on lockdown. You have all the time you need to ponder on what makes your life simple. What other time better can you think of if not now? How much time do you need to think? Does it take a whole year to sit in the loo? Perhaps you do not yet realize this but sitting in the loo actually is the best time to find clarity. When you are passing motion, that is the time when your strength to force trash out is at its peak. Notice the feeling right after that peak. Does it feel like a big sense of relief? Notice that second this happens, notice how clear your mind is. You only need this moment. Your body is clear of shit, your mind is clear of clutter, and your soul is pure.

Living a simple life really only mean simple, nothing more than that. Do not be brainwashed by anyone else. We see things differently. We live through life differently. You may have friends telling you that living a simple life means to have a cottage in the countryside away from the city. Then you would be having all sorts of objections to it because living away from the city means you will have to commute very far each day. It is just not economical. If it is possible for you to live in the countryside, you are free to do so. But if not, then what is wrong with the place you are living in now? Any place can be simple. You buy less things. You keep less things. That is a simple life. Just that.

You say that you are a very messed up person. You do not know how to simplify things. You love to keep all memorabilia. You want to have everything just in case one day you might use them. You do not know how to differentiate which ones are important and which ones are not. You are always living thinking of the future. Really, it is not a skillset to learn to let go of things. It is all in the mind. You do not know which ones to throw out, simple, just close one eye and junk everything out. Put yourself in the situation whereby you have lost everything and you need to rebuild your life. What do you really need in your life? Do you still need that magazine you bought two years ago but never flipped a page? Do you still need that dress you bought five years ago just in case you attend a ball but has never seen the light?

In the end, you will realize what you really need is just you, and probably your phone.

Finding yourself takes little to no effort. Living a simple life gives you time, saves you money, and require no skill at all.

 

Best rule for a simple life… Care with no reason, Love with no expectation.

Ritu Ghatourey, Indian writer

Complicated

Life is complicated is just an opinion.

Thanks to the extraordinarily huge human brain size, we love to complicate things. Even the simplest things in life gets labelled mistakenly for being difficult. Is it really that difficult or we chose to see it so?

Whenever we are in a situation, we usually only see the negative portion of it. It comes automatically. There is no doubt that there surely is a problem to it but is that really it? Only problematic? Or is there more to it? Why are we just thinking on one side of it?

Old wise people will tell you to listen to both sides of the story. Yes, there is always two sides to a story, sometimes even more. Why are we almost always listening only to one side of it? Why are we only focusing on the same side, the side where we first heard of?

Perhaps our big brains have given us the power to better memory but we have forgotten the more significant use of our brains, to decipher information and make decisions. Are you a memory logger or a flesh and blood living being? Are you a computer or a human?

Think before jumping into conclusions. The first information you get may be correct but may not be necessarily the only correct information there is. Any other information that seems to clash with the first information may be wrong but may not be necessarily wrong in its entirety. Always find out before jumping into conclusions, which most of us just love to do.

I always remember this story which was shared by a family with a loving dog several years back. They heard their baby scream and they ran into the room. They saw their dog’s mouth covered in blood and their baby by the dog’s side. They jumped into conclusion that their dog harmed their baby. The man of the house ran out to get a gun, luckily before he took the shot, the lady of the house saw something on the floor. There was a snake in the room. Nobody saw the snake at first look because everyone was so focused on the bloody mouth of their dog. Their dog protected their baby by killing the snake.

It does not matter whether or not you are an animal lover. It only matters what you learn from this true story. Sometimes you just need to look farther and deeper.

If you jump into conclusion too early, it could be a matter of life and death. Even if it is not as serious as this, it could actually affect someone else’s life, sometimes to a permanent extent. Before we decide if anyone is guilty of something, perhaps we should look at the boarder picture. Never to only focus on what catches our attention at the very beginning.

Take it from this pandemic. As humans, we think that it disrupts our livelihood. Our plans are gone, our money is down to the bottom, our job is insecure, and on and on we complain. We cannot travel the world. We are separated from our families that live in another state or country. The whole lockdown worldwide has caused many businesses to crumble.

On the flip side, we ought to see something that should have been done decades ago. A lesson to teach humans to get out of their everyday lives and see the world in a different perspective. Life is not about waking up to that 9 to 5 job. Life is not about chasing after materials. Life is about living life.

It is time for us to wake up. Mother Nature has suffered a huge loss in the past centuries due to human evolution and exploitation. We become better at our inventions. We become better at using resources to the max. We become so good at development and yet we have forgotten the one most important thing, our roots. There is only one place we call home. We are not made up of nations. We are in fact actually only one unified world. If humans are able to work together for the better of the world, this would not have happened. Do not blame others. Look within yourself. Ask what you have done to protect your home.

Life is simple. It is the human minds that decided to make it complicated.

 

The more complicated and powerful the job, the more rudimentary the preparation for it.

William Frank Buckley Jr., American public intellectual and conservative author, 1925-2008

Inspiration

Anything can be inspiring when you have an open mind.

We have mostly forgotten about what nature brings us as we get through our day to day busy lives. Our daily routines are the usual wake up, clean up, eat up, rush up, work up, then back home, settle down, and finally rest. Sometimes we end up sleeping late and everything gets delayed the next day to the point that we can no longer handle. We skip that first meal of the day because we do not have time. We get stuck in traffic because we left our homes later than usual. We cannot finish our work because we arrived late in the morning. When we finally get home, we have very little time to settle our mind that causes us to not get the good night’s sleep that we needed after a long day of work. Then we wake up late again the next day. It is a vicious cycle.

Has this ever happened to you? I know it has for me.

Perhaps this is life, you say. But there is always a way to a better life. Well, it is easy to say. Plan it. Schedule everything you want to do. As you tick it off your daily routine list, perhaps you will feel better. Just perhaps, you will be able to stick to that routine you have planned so nicely. That perfect routine for your day to day life.

Majority of the people on this planet have similar mindsets because they have been brought up to believe so. They are living in the environment that tells them this is their life and there is no other path for them to choose from. Is that really so?

Open up your mind!

Your mind is the one most crucial asset you have from the beginning till the end. Everyone has a choice whether to waste all the space in the mind thinking that life is as such or to use it wisely.

Planning is great. But there is always another way. We can incorporate something different into our daily routines. There are more than seven (7) billion humans beings in the world and the numbers are probably increasing by the minutes. There are more than seven (7) billion minds out there waiting to be tapped. Knowledge and wisdom is in abundance.

Everyone has been brought up differently. Everyone is able to give you some insight one way or the other. It could have been that neighbour who introduced to you the beauty of meditation. It could be that other person on the internet that has enlightened you in certain ways. There is no limit to how and where. That person may be half way around the globe, with technology, no place is too far to reach.

In your weekends, do something out of the norm. Get back to nature. Reconnect yourself with nature. You have worked hard all your workdays. Unwind with every chance you get. There is no need to look far, nature is around us.

People may have the idea that it is difficult to do many things with young children or pets around. Says who? It is all in the mind. It is all limitations you tell yourself. Everything can be done. You just need to look for the how. Find ideas from everyone else. Include your children and pets in your activities. Yes, you may face difficulties but if you never take the first step, you never know.

Just give yourself a chance to make things happen.

My personal experience. I always like to bring by dogs around wherever I go whenever I can. But because the country that I live in do not permit pets in many places, I had to search high and low to find those that allow pets. They cannot follow me to work. They cannot follow me to the shopping mall or the market place. Even places of nature has restrictions on pets. It is really difficult. It is okay. There is the internet. It allows me to find what others are doing with their pets during day offs. They give me ideas I could have never thought about on my own. Little by little, we figured more we can do with our beloved pets.

Life is when you open up your mind and let inspiration find you.

 

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (Ella Fitzgerald), American jazz singer, 1917-1996

Secret

Shh… I have a secret to tell you…

What is the secret?

Everyone is always interested with the secret to this that and everything under the sky that their mind can think of. But what really is the secret?

The secret is a powerful process that certain people practice to get what they want in life. There is no right or wrong way to practicing the secret. Everyone understands it differently. It really is very simple. It is the intention, that ultimate goal that you really want to achieve.

For a start, learn from the experts. Rhonda Byrne has compiled in her best-selling book simply named “the Secret” all the people who understood the secret that brought success in whatever they do.

We often ask these questions to ourselves or to the people around us or even Mr Google:
What is the secret to wealth and abundance?
What is the secret to lasting relationships?
What is the secret to great health?
What is the secret to being successful?
What is the secret to living a good life?

It has been known for centuries, probably from the first existence of men, that whatever our mind thinks, the universe works in the best interest for us. But knowing is one thing, practicing is another. What is it that the people who have been enlightened do that I am not doing?

First step, perhaps you should pick up that book. You might not like to read but every doing can be nurtured. Some people just doze off the moment they pick a book up. Perhaps it is the location that is causing you to doze off. Reading is a good practice. There are numerous books in the self-help section of any book store, even the online ones. Just pick one with the title that most interests you.

I personally recommend the first book to be the Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The layout is interesting and the text is not the regular super boring same type of fonts used throughout the whole book. The way things are highlighted to catch the interest of readers is really propelling. She even incorporated success stories from regular people like you and I. By practicing what they believe is true, they achieve success in their own way.

It is all about taking the first step. The very first thing to do is to step outside your comfort zone.

There is no guarantee as to when you will succeed but if you do not take that first step, you will be grounded within the fence that you have happily put up. There are no fences in nature. Humans have created that tool to supposedly keep humans safe and dangers out. But if everyone were to just stay within the fence, nobody will be able to discover what exactly is out there. Perhaps we have been made to believe that life is as such. There is no way to turning things around.

This brings me to an interesting movie, “The Maze”. Perhaps we all have been put in an experimental enclosure. Perhaps whatever we do is being observed. We never know unless we choose to find out.

Be clear of what you want to achieve in life. Dream big! Start small!

We are all born equal. We are all born with six senses. It is us that have crippled our sixth sense. It is time to bring it out to light again.

Start something, anything. Commit to doing it on a daily basis. It is discipline that really matters, nothing else. You can have the best plan in your mind but the universe is random. Everyone has a different thought. The universe compiles all thoughts and make the best outcome to fit everyone. The universe cannot determine what is good or bad. So, if you have positive thoughts, positive events will happen to you. It may look like something negative at first, but the ultimate outcome will always be positive. You just need to look further.

Believe. Truly believe that the universe is working in your favour. Truly believe that everything you think and do is working towards your ultimate goal. The universe will align itself to suit your needs. Stay strong in your beliefs and ultimately, you will see your dreams come true.

Start with a clear mind, commit with discipline, and truly believe in it. This is the secret to success!

 

People who have drawn wealth into their lives used The Secret, whether consciously or unconsciously. They think thoughts of abundance and wealth, and they do not allow any contradictory thoughts to take root in their minds.

Rhonda Byrne, Australian television writer and producer, 1945-present

Deliberate

Sometimes we do things accidentally but most of the time, deliberately.

Though we may not realize, most of the actions and reactions we think is spontaneous is actually deliberate. We have deliberately conditioned our mind to think a certain way, hence act the same way we thought is correct or normal.

We are all born and bred differently. The word bred may sound animalistic, which may offend some readers. We always put ourselves one point higher than animals simply because we wear clothes, live in a house, drive around in a car, surf the internet, and travel the world. Before our forefathers advanced themselves, we were merely just another animal. The only difference is the proportion of our brain versus our body. We have a much larger ratio compared to all other animals.

To humans, having a much larger brain ratio is a blessing because our brains allow us to think differently from all other species in the world. We are able to use our motor skills like no other animal can do. We are able to use our thinking caps like no other animal is able to. We are more superior than all other living beings on earth, or so we think. Sometimes we appreciate ourselves so much we have forgotten the basics.

There is a certain limitation to the things that we can do. While we try to be positive and think that we are capable of anything, there are some things that we will leave out, whether or not we agree to letting go of it.

How often do we see academicians having six packs? How often do we see sportsmen taking a slow walk in the middle of busy streets? While there may be some who would challenge themselves to the max, most would just concentrate on the one thing that they are good at. We usually only either love reading or love sports. Only a very minute percentage of the world’s population would be eyeing to do both at the same time.

Where can we find the balance? We are so well-versed with our skills we sometimes lack the connection with nature. We lack the skills to sense danger.

If we bring our pets out for a walk, we will probably look around, walk, play with our cellphone, and chat with friends that we meet along the way. Our pets, on the other hand, have a very different perception on every walk. They will follow us when all condition is normal. Sometimes they will be distracted with a bird or squirrel. But there is one thing that they have and we lack, be vigilant all the time. They always know when danger lies ahead. If we are to observe their movements, we will know too.

Our pets can be playful this moment and all of a sudden just stand still looking at one direction. Their senses are much more sensitive compared to ours. We should always trust animal instincts.

Animals know before a storm hits. We have literally lost this skill to the protection we made for ourselves. While buildings can protect us from the sun and wind, they are also shielding us from our senses. We can no longer tell when is a good time to sun the clothes we just washed. We can no longer tell when a hurricane will tear down the place we call home. We have been made to believe that we are safe in our house, that no harm could ever come to us if we are to stay put in our house.

It is time to step out of the house. It is useful to sometimes do things out of the ordinary. While it may sound scary, we can always prepare for the worst. We can deliberately challenge ourselves to living next to nothing. We can volunteer to become someone we are not. We can choose to be different from the rest. We can make drastic changes to the way we think or do things. We can stretch ourselves over and over to educate ourselves with the sense of preparedness in all situations. Life is not about just being, it is conquering life itself.

Be deliberate. Be spontaneous. Be prepared. Be courageous. Be one with no regrets.

 

Human nature and deliberate effort must unite, and then the reputation of the sage and the work of unifying all under Heaven are thereupon brought to completion.

Xun Kuang (Xunzi), Chinese Confucian philosopher and writer, 310BC-235BC / 314CB-217BC

P.S. The “Early” post was deliberately scheduled one hour after noon yesterday. It is not accidental.

Universe

The universe is at large, we are but a speck of dust!

Yes, we are that minute in the universe. But we somehow like to magnify problems that we are facing, making them so enormous we are unable to solve. Is there really a problem that we cannot solve?

Everything happens for a reason. This is what we should all remind ourselves daily. Nothing ever happens without any reason at all. Though we may not be able to see the reason now, there will come a time when we finally would understand the true meaning behind everything there is.

The little tasks that we have to deal with every now and then. The people we meet. The events that happen in our lives. They are all to build us, to improve us, to nurture us to become our better self.

Everyone is different. There is no point comparing with each other. Instead, compare ourselves then with now. If we are to pull ourselves out of our current situation and become an observer, we will find that we have changed.

Change is inevitable. We should embrace change. At times, we may sway a little to the dark side and end up making wrong decisions. We then find ourselves tumbling downhill like never before. Everything we do seems unacceptable. It is okay. We are human after all. It is not how hard we fall, it is how fast we get up to face challenges again.

Every human makes mistakes. What is important is to let go, never to dwell and blame anyone, especially ourselves. Learn from the past and make a better future. This is the utmost important practice everyone should adhere to.

Change for the better.

Live the path of truth. Be true to ourselves and everyone else. We may not be able to please everyone, in fact, we can never please everyone, not in our family, office, amongst friends, let alone the entire world. Everyone has their own opinion. As long as our decision is what we think is right, we are on the right track. Most importantly is to never harm another being. Even better, to be able to lend helping hand to those in need.

Everyone has their own dreams, they could be similar to ours but never the same. It would be perfect if everyone has the same dreams as ours, then the world would be better. Life is simple, but not as simple as that. Just imagine if everyone is to compete for the same things, what would happen to the world? We do not need to look far. If everyone in the family only wants to use that same cup, can they take turns or will they fight day in day out?

We can never tell what the future will be but we can always work toward a better future. Variety is what we have. Creativity is what we are born with. We just need to use them to guide our path in the right direction heading towards our dreams.

Our dreams will come true one way or the other. Sometimes may be exactly the way we dreamt of but most of the time, there is a twist somewhere.

I have always wanted a German Shepherd (GSD) for a dog. We now have a miniature GSD lookalike and act alike in our home. He the size of a Corgi but his entire outlook, intelligence, and energy is exactly like I imagined. This dream of mine came true in a subtle way. The universe knows that with the little space I have at home, a full-sized GSD would be too much. Thus, this little loyal creature makes the perfect match for me. Thank you.

I am grateful I have been given a gift. The gift of life.

We only have one life. We should all cherish the one life that we have. Though the universe is colossal but we each have a universe deep within us. All beings have a little universe within. We just need to find it, tap into it, and bring it out to the light. We are the energy that can bring life to the next level. We have to be willing to do so.

This is our life, our universe.

 

The universe had to fall apart into dust first to become its majestic, incredible, infinite self. What makes you think this breaking, this trauma, this destruction, won’t be the making of a more powerful you too?

Nikita Gill, Poet and writer

Garden

The best way to enjoy life is in a garden full of trees and fruits and flowers.

Everyone perceives life differently but there is no doubt that a garden makes the heart beat slower. This sense of relaxation is undeniably wonderful. Life is so much more beautiful with the scent of freshness in the air and hues that cleanse the eyes.

Anyone can have a garden in the home. Gardens can vary in sizes. Every urban living person is probably used to the concrete jungle. However concrete it can be, there is always room for some greens. Be it a little pot next to the computer screen or the tiny bed at the window sill. A garden is somewhat something that has no rules.

Home gardening is gaining popularity nowadays. Tiny homes become especially interesting with little pots of plants hanging from the ceiling right in front of the windows. All plants need a little sunlight and some nurturing to provide so much more to us humans. With little care, they adapt quickly to the environment. There is a lot we can learn from the little leaves from the hanging stems. They seem so fragile and yet so tough. Never judge a book by its cover describes them well.

Some people have become more creative in way of planting. They reuse kitchen containers and tin cans from the canned food urbanites indulge on to make their little herb garden in the kitchen. This is the best place to have herbs hanging around. Not only they are a pretty sight, they are also conveniently available for cooking. Their fragrance will drive away pests in the kitchen as well.

There are city dwellers more fortunate to have a little patch of soil in front of their houses. With more space, the variety of plants grows wider. Scrubs and small fruit trees can be of great choice. As long as their root system is not too invasive, they can easily beautify the home while providing shade and yield. Not only it is very satisfying plucking fruits from trees planted in our little garden patch, it is also healthy. We know the source. We know it is organic.

Retirement means differently to everyone. Some see retirement as dreadful because they love to be surrounded by people and work. Some see retirement as a chance to finally travel to see the world. Some would like to give back to nature and society.

We have spent most of our lives hustling and bustling without realizing that nature is paying the cost of everything. Perhaps retirement means to have us slow down and return nature a favour. I have a plan to move back to where I was born. This place is neither a city nor a village. It is a town where basic amenities are readily available and yet each house has their own patch for planting. Life in a town is calming. The birds sing beautifully every morning. The main roads are a few kilometers away. The only sounds covering the night are from crickets and bats.

Neighbours all greet each other. They chat about almost anything under the sky. There are no boundaries. When we are travelling, it is so easy to get helpful neighbours to take care of our home. The barter system somewhat exist in town areas. I have a mango tree, you have a mangosteen tree, and we can exchange the yields. This is what urban societies lack and should learn from.

Some who have seen a lot in the world may have even bigger dreams on retirement. Perhaps a piece of land far away from the rest is ideal. Many would seek to migrate to New Zealand for the peaceful life there. Perhaps it would be much easier to adapt to life in home country. The weather is just right. The people talk in the same language.

I have this dream of building a Homeless Sanctuary right in my home country. As the name says, this is a sanctuary solely for the homeless. This is a place for the strays and abandoned, be it dogs, cats, or even humans. The rule of thumb is to have the homeless humans take care of the animals and everyone live in harmony. The green fingers can even start a farm and sell the yield to upgrade the sanctuary. This is a combination of an animal shelter, orphanage, old folks’ home, and much more. It is win-win for all.

Dream big.

 

A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself.    

Eleanore Marie Sarton (May Sarton), American poet, novelist and memoirist, 1912-1995

Black

I have a black dog.

Dogs are wonderful creatures. They have been called men’s best friend for centuries because of their loyalty to their owner.

There are many kinds of animals that can live amongst humans and in humans’ homes. Some are invited, some are not. Whilst house dogs are invited, some may be living in the porch, some get to live in the homes together with their humans.

Dogs, like humans are different individuals. If we are to stereotype all dogs to be the same, we are right and wrong at the same time. Based on their characteristics alone, there are so many we can hardly group them. Some are meant to live in the wild, some are great on the streets, some love cuddles, and much more. Just like humans, each has their own personality.

We, humans like to think that we are the master of all in the animal kingdom. While we may be the smartest in terms of science and technology, we lack the sixth sense. Perhaps we have even lost our senses in many ways. We can no longer predict the weather even though we have eyes to observe, ears to listen, nose to smell, and skin to feel because we depend so much on the weather forecast on the news.

My black dog is the best rain detector in my observation. He would warn us when the air smells different. It is as if he is born with a 360 degree detector right at the stratosphere. Sometimes he makes me wonder how he can be so sensitive towards minute changes in the air quality. Is it a gift to all animals, or is it his specialty?

Before the rain comes, his warning is sometimes misunderstood as barking for no reason. When it drizzles, he would lay under a bench for some protection. When it starts to rain, we can pretty much guess what is next by observing how he acts. If he continues to lay under the bench, it means that the rain is just the rain. If he keeps barking and banging on the door to get into the house, it means that storm is coming. A few minutes before lightning and thunder strikes, he would have already pounced onto me getting my attention. This, to some owners, means that the dog is scared. To me, it means he is the greatest storm detector in my household.

My black dog is perhaps suffering from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). He is a great dog when everything in the house is as is. However, when there is even the slightest change in the position of his bowl, he would be staring at it for hours on end. It is as if he is lost and do not know what to do when the location of things are different. Sometimes, it would take him a few minutes to adjust to the new position of things. Other times, it would take a surprisingly long time.

We had a very messy little patch of soil in the porch we never took care of for years. He made that his personal loo. When we finally got fed up of the unsightly patch, we took into our own hands and made it into a little zen garden with our favourite plants. We had to barricade the whole area to prevent him from doing his business there. He was lost. He did not know what to do. Even though we made him two toilets out of extra-large terra cotta pots, placed them right next to his previous toilet, and filled them with the soil we dug out from the same spot he loved to pee at, he did not use it at all. He held on. He refused to pee and poo for a week. Now, he is great at using his new toilets.

Some people are amazed at his size and thought he is a special breed. Some people admire his black shiny coat. Some people keep asking me what is wrong with his ears, one standing and the other drooped down. Some people admire his piglet tail. I love all of him. Whatever his breed, however odd-looking he is, he is my son, my black beauty.

He chose me to be his mummy. No matter how many years have passed, I can still remember the day he was rescued and brought to our home. He sat right in front of me waiting patiently for me to adjust the oversized collar for his little puppy neck. I was the only one he allowed to put a collar around his neck. It was as if it was meant to be.

Thank you for bringing such joy to my life, my beloved black dog. Adopt, don’t shop!

 

I don’t care if you’re black, white, short, tall, skinny, rich or poor. If you respect me I’ll respect you.    

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (Adele), English singer-songwriter, 1988-present

Pets

What can we learn from our best friend?

Pets are a wonderful addition to the family. They come from different environments but they all have the same purpose, they are there for us whenever we need them.

There are many classes of pets we know of today; from the cuddly cats and dogs, to the needy fish and birds, to the exotic reptiles and amphibians, and even the challenging arthropods and arachnids. Whatever the class they belong to, people from various households treat them differently.

When pets are involved, there are controversies that lay beyond our imagination. Some people take pet industry as passion while others may only see profit. Whichever way we approach, there are always better ways to doing things.

Some people may not like animals at all because to them, animals are a lower species that do not deserve any part in this world. These are the special kind of people. They probably have not opened their own box to see what is missing in their life. While pets may be animals, they have a function greater than what we can see. All we need to do is just to accept them and observe their way of life and we will be enlightened. Pets fill voids in our heart.

Lately, we are become aware of the condition of some irresponsible puppy mill owners thanks to the efforts of true animal lovers. We should realize that whilst puppies are cute when they are in the windows of the pet shops, we have to question the credibility of the breeders. People are more concerned if the breed is of champions and is certified rather than understanding the true needs of the puppy. Just because they look cute, does not mean they remain cute forever. Everything changes.

Dogs are very versatile creatures. They mirror our true self. They become who we are truly deeply within, while we do not even realize it. They tell us who we should be. They let us know where danger lurks. They are there for us through thick and thin. They are heroes for our soul. We should always cherish them for whatever they are.

While dogs are labeled as men’s best friend, they are sometimes abandoned by men themselves. People have many reasons to abandon their dog. The most common reason, especially to those who bought puppies from a pet shop to be given as gift to a loved one, the reason of abandonment vary from having a baby to getting a divorce to moving to a new place. Whatever reason we have, it is still a matter of making that decision. We can educate the dog of a new addition to the family before the baby comes. We can decide on whom to keep the dog in the divorce settlement. We can find a good home for the dog before moving to a new place or even bring the dog along when moving. Why not? There are always excuses for not doing something while we only need one reason to do it right.

Dogs are the most advertised animals probably because they are the most common strays we see on the streets. Why is that so? It all started with one or two irresponsible owners. All animals have the urge to mate. One animal left out in the streets, they are left to multiply at an exponential rate. Certain countries help strays by taking care of their health and of course neutering them to curb the ever increasing numbers. Some may say that this is humanity while there are extremists that would curse the people who alter the course of nature.

Is there a better way? Perhaps we should think of it as a solution rather than an action. If neutering is not the answer, then what is? There are countries that do mass culling of over populated strays. Do we want to see that happen?

Let us not forget about the other animals that were taken in as pets but when something happens out of the ordinary, the pets are either killed or abandoned. Shelters around the world are receiving various species of animals that have gone through hell in their life. There are wild animals involved in some cases too, like big cats, bears, crocodiles, boas, and even piranhas. These are animals best left untouched. Somehow, some people have gotten bored with the regular pets and seek the most exotic in the world but little do they know that having them as pets or for show mean a huge responsibility; to the safety of the public and the animals too.

Let us all be responsible pet owners. If you are new in owning a pet, always visit your local shelter. The volunteers there will be more than happy to help match you with the most suitable pet for your livelihood, not the cutest pet in the window.

Adopt, don’t shop!

 

Pets bring vital energy to our homes and lives. Pets communicate many messages about love and connection. Care tenderly for all pets throughout their precious lives. The interspecies dance of love softens and expands the heart.     

Laura Staley, Feng Shui Expert, present