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What to do when you wake up feeling under the weather?

Everyone has had this feeling whether or not you admit it. Once in a while, you will feel like you just cannot get out of bed. Perhaps you have been working too hard for the past few months you hardly get enough sleep throughout the whole period. Now, you are burnt out. It does not help when the weather outside is gloomy. The sky is still moody at 9 in the morning.

Perhaps you feel like your daily routine is torn. Perhaps you feel like you are going to breakdown at any moment. Perhaps you are alone or even with your family, everyone else seems to be also in the same situation. There are too many things still on the plate that you need to handle but you are just not up to it. What do you do when this happens? Have you ever felt like life is turning against you in the peak of your performance? Have you ever felt like the energy level suddenly just drop in the peak of your motivation? What can you do?

Your mind tells you to get going but your body stops you from moving. You know your responsibilities but everything just does not seem to gel. You know you have to do something to get out of this situation but your brain is just not functioning the way it usually does. You are not sick but you feel like you are getting sick. How do you overcome this? How do you think you can handle the situation? Why is it so different today? Why does it feel like you are going back to the old you now? Why is change so difficult?

Do you realize that there is a button in all of us? It is called the reset button. You can always switch from a terrible situation to a wonderful one once you press on that button. All you need to do is to find that button within you.

Where?

The question to ask is not where the button is. The question to ask should be how to reach the button of functionality. Each of us function in our own unique ways. Only you know what works best for you.

If meditation sounds too mystical for you, perhaps just sitting quietly in a clear space in your room will help. Observe everything there is in the room. There may be a little crease in your bedsheet, or a hairline crack in the wall, or may be a little ant trying to find its way home. All these little details, what do they have in common despite their differences? All these little details, as little as they may be, they are part of your room. They have been around probably since you moved in or they may be newly created along the way. They could be an important change in the structure of your room. Just observe, do not judge.

You may say that you are living in a square tiny room in an apartment and you really hate the lack of space, then just get out there. There surely is a park or garden or playground somewhere you can just sit and be still. Observe everything that goes on around you. There could be children playing and running about screaming and shouting as they have fun. There could be butterflies or bees having their taste of pollens and nectar from the beautiful flowers all around. The wind is blowing and the leaves whistle. The birds are chirping. There could be a whole colony of ants transporting food back to their queen. Immerse yourself into nature. Spend as much time as you possibly can, be in this moment. Just be in this moment.

We have been too busy in our hustle and bustle of life that we have lost connection with what is. Your body knows it better than you do because you have cramped so much information within you that everything become congested and crowded, you can no longer differentiate what is. There is only so much our physical body can take. When it tires, it affects your mind. This is when you know you need a break. Trust your body. Trust your mind.

When self-esteem is low, it is time to switch on the button of functionality.

 

When you mix with the wrong energy, there’s bound to be an explosion. Pay attention and switch lanes when the signal changes. What’s really real, is ultimately revealed.

T.F. Hodge, author of From Within I Rise: Spiritual Triumph Over Death and Conscious Encounters with “The Divine Presence”, 1969-present

Special

We are all special in our own way!

Everyone is born for a reason and the reason is to be our self. How many times have we looked at other people and admire them for who they are? We sometimes envy them for what they can do. Then, we look down on ourselves for not being that healthy or wealthy person as we see.

The world is changing every minute. Technology permits us to get free information easily. We can get whatever materials we want to be the person we want to be. Instead of looking up to the other people and think small of ourselves, why not just take the first step in making the change in ourselves? What is pulling us back from chasing our dreams?

Everyone has a dream. There is this one dream that we want to achieve but have no idea where to start and how to start. Information is vast and we find it difficult to digest every bit of it. So where do we start? How do we do it like those successful people out there?

Some people are born lucky. Without any effort, everything is given to them. There are not that many people who are successful by chance or luck. Most reach the height by effort.

It takes effort to take that first step. We can search. We can look. Whatever it is, information is worthless if never put into action. What works for one may not work for others. While we feel like drowning in the World Wide Web, there are pieces here and there that we can use to path our own way.

It takes courage to move forward. Trial and error is hard way and takes time but it is also the foolproof way to learn the path that suits us best. We have signed up for a dozen courses and searched for a thousand ways to go about chasing our dream. People can tell us anything but if that does not suit us, then we might as well be different.

It takes perseverance to bring ourselves to the next level. Normal people tend to give up half way saying that it is impossible because we have not seen results past all time and efforts put in. Perhaps we have been looking at things the other way around. The goals can be set high, but the steps have to be laid. Unless we have wings, otherwise we still have to take one step at a time.

If we find it really hard to believe the toughness in life, perhaps life really is simple. We just do not see it yet. Whatever material things that we chase after are just things that matter now, but not later. Time is playing a trick on us. Nothing in this world lasts forever.

If we can understand that life means change, and we take action to change, then we are definitely one step closer to realizing our dreams. If we change now, there is a chance that we will succeed one day. If we refuse to make the first move, then we are definitely stagnant in the same spot till the end of our days in this life. Change is inevitable.

We will never know where change brings us. We will never walk the exact same path as any other person in this world. We each have the right to create that special path for ourselves. With all the information we have, with all the lessons learnt along the way, we soon will notice that we are special in our own way.

There is no room for comparison. There is only idols for us to model upon. Creating something entirely new can be hectic. It takes such a long time to reach a checkpoint. Instead of envying other people, why not ponder upon them? What is it that the person is doing that I am not? What makes that person special that he is looked up upon? What can I learn from the person to make my life easier?

Look beyond what we can see. Appreciate the differences.

 

We’re all different. That’s what makes us special. We have to love each other and get on with each other. It’s not up to me to judge anybody.

Carrie Marie Underwood (Carrie Underwood), American singer, 1983-present

Sun

The sun is simply the center of our universe.

We live on this earth that depends solely on the sun to bring us many things that nothing can ever replace. When the sun rises, a new day arrives. A new day, a new beginning. Anything that has happened yesterday becomes history. Whatever that happens now is what creates history. Everything that happens tomorrow can be random or planned.

Every time the sun rises, it brings with it hope. We just wake from slumber. We had a dream. We dream far and wide. We do not know how but we know that we can hold on to that dream. We realize that with hope, a dream can come true. We only need to believe that the universe is working with us, for us.

What is life without hope?

The sun is the source of all life on earth. Perhaps we have not realized. The sun brings with it heat. The warmth that is created makes life possible. Just imagine life where the sun is not present. How are we to live? We probably would need to hide indoors under layers of sheets to stay warm. We probably would need to carry on our shoulders coats of sweaters to stay warm. Life may not even exist.

It is rather easy to imagine life in the everlasting snow and ice caps. The first men have done it, and perhaps we can too. But life will not be easy without the sun. How many have really been? The snow is fair and pure, they are beautiful but lifeforms are scarce. Many lifeforms stay under the snow to keep warm. What are we to make for food? Where do we find variety like we have here in tropical countries? 

Most humans populate areas where the sun is out most of the time. Life flourish the way it should. I am grateful to be born and raised in a country with little natural disaster. My home country is blessed with a large area of tropical rainforest that supports vast species of life. Though unfortunately, many forests are cut down for development to happen, I have set upon myself to build a little haven of my own in the little space I have at home. Perhaps I do not have green fingers but at least I give it a try.

With all the light that we have from the sun, we are able to grow many plants to contribute to the environment. I am an individual that is doing my part. Just imagine if the whole neighbourhood will do their part as well, then perhaps life would be better for everyone.

A little light from the sun, combined with a little shower from the rain, which forms a rainbow. When we strike a balance between something that seems good and something that seems bad, we will reach a destination beyond our imagination. Rainbow is perceived as the most beautiful natural form of light. It contains all spectrum of colours in different hues. Every rainbow is different.

Just as we are brought down with something that seemingly has no values, we may not realize that we are on the way to creating that rainbow within us. Always look at things beyond our imagination. Everything happens for a reason. All we need to do is to embrace it and learn from it.

We can tap into the energy of the sun to bring us to greater places. Just stare at the rays coming through the window and we can see little specks of dusts moving aimlessly back and forth. We should realize that the sun exists for one great reason, which is to energize all there is in this universe. The sun’s energy may run out one day, but never in our lifetime. By then, the human race would have already found other ways to energize life on earth. Perhaps, we are one of the contributors of this invention too. We never try, we never know.

The sun represents power. The land of the rising sun has conquered many parts of the world. We know from history that there were sufferings in creation of all empires. Generations have passed. We are living in peace now. Let us all use our little power with great minds to continuously bring peace to the world.

Let the sun guide us the way.

 

The day, water, sun, moon, night – I do not have to purchase these things with money.

Titus Maccius Plautus (Plautus), Roman playwright, 254BC-184BC

Random

People may think that their life is meant to be. Is it really so?

Perhaps we ought to think that everything is random. How our life turns out is by choice. Nothing is this world is hard fixed. The path we choose is entirely up to us.

We were born at random. I could have born to be you and you me. It makes no difference in the universe. We are just a speck of dust. It is the mindset that we have been educated with since young is the reason we are different. If I was born you, I could have been successful. If you were born me, you could have been creative. Does that matter? We all have our own choices to make.

Every event that happens in our life has a reason. The only reason they happen is to grow us to become a better person. Whether or not we walk out in life being stronger is entirely up to us. It is by choice. We can choose to stay put and do nothing about it. Or we can choose to take action. Taking action does not mean success but it puts us one step closer to our goal.

One very good example is decluttering. Some people love emptiness while others may want a little clutter. We can see books and files everywhere in a lawyer’s office. We may think that their life is cluttered. Perhaps, perhaps not. A cluttered looking office only means that the person is in the mode of gathering information. It is fine if the clutter is out once the project is completed. What is not acceptable is clutter at all times.

I remember giving myself various reasons as to why I am not going to throw things out. Throughout the years, we definitely have some sort of collections. Be it action figures, memorabilia, books, magazines, shoes, paper bags, stamps, etc. Do we really need all these things? We can have them as hobbies or we can have them as something nice to have and not willing to send them away just because they have been with us for a long time.

It is hard to decide which ones get to stay when we put emotions into everything. Humans are born with emotion right from the heart. Perhaps it only takes one random day for us to wake up. A cluttered home makes a cluttered life. We need to take action to find out. Never in my life would I think I could thin out my collection of clothes to the point that I only have three small drawers left of them from a whopping whole wardrobe full of them. It took me one year to do so but it really made me feel great. Life is so much simpler this way. The clothes that I have now are the most comfortable everyday clothes, no extras collecting dust.

Random actions add spice into our life. Doing something different every day is interesting but can be exhausting. Doing something similar day by day is boring. We live our life the way we should, go to work, come home, have family time and finally to bed. These are the things that we need to do daily on work days. When weekend arrives, we have to deal with chores that we do not have time for on weekdays. This is fine. Once in a while, we do need to get out there for a little adventure. We can learn a lot by doing something random every once in a while. We may get enlightened to move on a different path which leads to a better tomorrow.

This blog is random. I just woke up one day and told myself that I should explore my passion. Everyone is born with special abilities. I am not talking about X-Men. I am just talking about regular people having special abilities that we left behind because of outside influence. What is life if we do not have passion? I was born artistic but I was told it does not bring in money for my survival. One day, I just promised myself that I would write about the first word that comes to my mind and here I am, writing about the RANDOM word that came to my mind this morning.

You never know until you tried.

 

If you so choose, each day can be filled with even more joy than the one before. If you so choose, even the most seemingly random events can work in your favor.     

Ralph S. Marston, Jr (Ralph Marston), Author – The Daily Motivator, present