Every so often, we complain about the things we don't have and how tough life is. We complain about our families and feel defeated when life doesn't go our way. Yet, there are also people who can look at life in such wonderful light and face lack with such strength.
This is one of the most moving stories I have come across this year. Hearing her broke my heart, warmed it and encouraged my soul all at the same time. God bless the child for maturity beyond her years, her strength and ability to find happiness even in a situation where many would find despair.
Please listen to what Esther Kim has to say about her family in this video.
She comes on at about 09:00:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgigkOv9g6Y&feature=related&fmt=18
Her story continues here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGUZMNmp4U&feature=related&fmt=18
May she always stay strong and happy!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Today has got to be one of the happiest days of my life. I would even cry out of happiness but I am not for now. I would save it for another day. Trust me, the person inside is crying.
Today, I felt what it was like to be really happy, to feel like the world is a wonderful place. Never mind the people who may irritate, today I felt happy enough to feel that it doesn't matter at all.
Discovering writing is one of the most important developments in my life so far and taking real steps to make it a reality has been of tantamount importance to me.
Today, I got a much needed vote of confidence for my prologue from someone whom I respect- an ex-literary agent and published author. She said she loved it, writing was good, she expected the rest to be good and wanted me to show her more.
Never mind that the story hasn't been fully edited or that it's not reached publishing stage yet. The vote of confidence from a professional was enough to brighten my day. It feels like I am taking real steps into making my dreams a reality.
For that, I would like to shout thank you to God, the universe and all the people who have helped me so far. Thank you universe, for being so kind to me. I feel truly blessed and very loved.
Thank you so so much!
Today, I felt what it was like to be really happy, to feel like the world is a wonderful place. Never mind the people who may irritate, today I felt happy enough to feel that it doesn't matter at all.
Discovering writing is one of the most important developments in my life so far and taking real steps to make it a reality has been of tantamount importance to me.
Today, I got a much needed vote of confidence for my prologue from someone whom I respect- an ex-literary agent and published author. She said she loved it, writing was good, she expected the rest to be good and wanted me to show her more.
Never mind that the story hasn't been fully edited or that it's not reached publishing stage yet. The vote of confidence from a professional was enough to brighten my day. It feels like I am taking real steps into making my dreams a reality.
For that, I would like to shout thank you to God, the universe and all the people who have helped me so far. Thank you universe, for being so kind to me. I feel truly blessed and very loved.
Thank you so so much!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room
I accidentally came across this song when I was watching the fantastic lyrical performance by Katee and Joshua on SYTYCD. It's really beautiful when you can dance your heart out like that. Check out the dance here:
Which then led me to the song used...a touching song by John Mayer. Love it when music speaks to you.
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room
by John Mayer
It's not a silly little moment,
It's not the storm before the calm.
This is the deep and dying breath of
This love that we've been working on.
Can't seem to hold you like I want to
So I can feel you in my arms.
Nobody's gonna come and save you,
We pulled too many false alarms.
We're going down,
And you can see it too.
We're going down,
And you know that we're doomed.
My dear,
We're slow dancing in a burning room.
I was the one you always dreamed of,
You were the one I tried to draw.
How dare you say it's nothing to me?
Baby, you're the only light I ever saw.
I'll make the most of all the sadness,
You'll be a bitch because you can.
You try to hit me just to hurt me
So you leave me feeling dirty
Because you can't understand.
We're going down,
And you can see it too.
We're going down,
And you know that we're doomed.
My dear,
We're slow dancing in a burning room.
Go cry about it - why don't you?
Go cry about it - why don't you?
Go cry about it - why don't you?
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room,
Burning room,
Burning room,
Burning room,
Burning room.
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Which then led me to the song used...a touching song by John Mayer. Love it when music speaks to you.
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room
by John Mayer
It's not a silly little moment,
It's not the storm before the calm.
This is the deep and dying breath of
This love that we've been working on.
Can't seem to hold you like I want to
So I can feel you in my arms.
Nobody's gonna come and save you,
We pulled too many false alarms.
We're going down,
And you can see it too.
We're going down,
And you know that we're doomed.
My dear,
We're slow dancing in a burning room.
I was the one you always dreamed of,
You were the one I tried to draw.
How dare you say it's nothing to me?
Baby, you're the only light I ever saw.
I'll make the most of all the sadness,
You'll be a bitch because you can.
You try to hit me just to hurt me
So you leave me feeling dirty
Because you can't understand.
We're going down,
And you can see it too.
We're going down,
And you know that we're doomed.
My dear,
We're slow dancing in a burning room.
Go cry about it - why don't you?
Go cry about it - why don't you?
Go cry about it - why don't you?
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room,
Burning room,
Burning room,
Burning room,
Burning room.
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Saturday, November 01, 2008
The Design of Your Life
A few observations have occurred to me recently. While my mind is in a jumble, here's an attempt to make some sense out of it.
I have always been taught that self awareness is an important element of life. It opens doors to greater understanding and happiness. It had always been at the back of my mind but like I mentioned before- learning, understanding and integrating are completely different matters. You can know one thing and think you know it until you finally understand it years later and then realise what it really means to you yet again, years later.
It is during your challenges that you discover who you are. In the wake of the terrible mess on the markets and the fiasco with the Lehman issue, disheartenment has weighed heavily on many advisors' heart, including my own. It is at this point that I realise, that perhaps this business does not suit me. I am not mercenary enough for my own good, especially my wallet's. I've even questioned if I actually suit the modern world. A friend of mine commented that she felt I should be somewhere that allows me to help people more and in a more direct manner.
It is also at this point that I realise the little changes that have grown into huge differences in me over the last few years. While the sense of materialism still exists, it has become more and more apparent to me that I am now valuing other things with far greater significance. It isn't that money isn't important. It's just that the realisation of what money means is greater. Gone are the days where I would want to have millions but not be able to answer how many. I can answer now but the truth is, the importance of it is no longer as gripping. Have I settled? Actually no. I don't necessarily feel compromised. Instead, I feel a greater sense of awareness of who I might have been born to truly become. I have learnt to let go of things more and in return, find greater peace.
It is this sense of awareness that led me to appreciate the significance of self-awareness. The other day, a thought occurred to me suddenly. It has never crossed my mind but somehow it did that day. I realised the number one thing I would like to be in my life and also the number two thing that I would like to do alongside number one. When I thought about it, I realised they fitted me more in terms of love, passion, personality, beliefs and direction. It was like I finally had an idea of how the ideal design of my life would be. The discovery of this design has brought a new sense of calm and purpose amidst the current storms brewing around me.
Any self respecting believer of self-improvement would have probably been asked to draw up a picture or design of one's ideal life at some point. It has occurred to me that when most people were asked to do it, they were frankly clueless. I was clueless. Hence, we often took the easy way out and almost haphazardly wrote whatever came to mind in the form of what we felt and thought we wanted.
Most of the time, there is some truth to the things that we write because it is a reflection of one's desires in life after all. However, it is now years later that I began to truly appreciate the meaning behind the effort that the self-improvement gurus have gone into asking one to consider one's belief and value system before writing that down. I can say with some degree of confidence that most people did not really think it over as much as they thought they did.
I say so because I am looking at the design in my head now and comparing it to the design I had then. I can happily say that I am far more pleased and aligned with this design that the one I had then. The difference is that this is the one that I drew up, according to my beliefs, what I want to do, can do and feel that I was meant to do. It has far more significance and meaning that what others have influenced me to believe that I need. For that, I feel a lot happier, at ease and most importantly, aligned with myself.
If you had a free hand, what would the design of your ideal life be like?
I have always been taught that self awareness is an important element of life. It opens doors to greater understanding and happiness. It had always been at the back of my mind but like I mentioned before- learning, understanding and integrating are completely different matters. You can know one thing and think you know it until you finally understand it years later and then realise what it really means to you yet again, years later.
It is during your challenges that you discover who you are. In the wake of the terrible mess on the markets and the fiasco with the Lehman issue, disheartenment has weighed heavily on many advisors' heart, including my own. It is at this point that I realise, that perhaps this business does not suit me. I am not mercenary enough for my own good, especially my wallet's. I've even questioned if I actually suit the modern world. A friend of mine commented that she felt I should be somewhere that allows me to help people more and in a more direct manner.
It is also at this point that I realise the little changes that have grown into huge differences in me over the last few years. While the sense of materialism still exists, it has become more and more apparent to me that I am now valuing other things with far greater significance. It isn't that money isn't important. It's just that the realisation of what money means is greater. Gone are the days where I would want to have millions but not be able to answer how many. I can answer now but the truth is, the importance of it is no longer as gripping. Have I settled? Actually no. I don't necessarily feel compromised. Instead, I feel a greater sense of awareness of who I might have been born to truly become. I have learnt to let go of things more and in return, find greater peace.
It is this sense of awareness that led me to appreciate the significance of self-awareness. The other day, a thought occurred to me suddenly. It has never crossed my mind but somehow it did that day. I realised the number one thing I would like to be in my life and also the number two thing that I would like to do alongside number one. When I thought about it, I realised they fitted me more in terms of love, passion, personality, beliefs and direction. It was like I finally had an idea of how the ideal design of my life would be. The discovery of this design has brought a new sense of calm and purpose amidst the current storms brewing around me.
Any self respecting believer of self-improvement would have probably been asked to draw up a picture or design of one's ideal life at some point. It has occurred to me that when most people were asked to do it, they were frankly clueless. I was clueless. Hence, we often took the easy way out and almost haphazardly wrote whatever came to mind in the form of what we felt and thought we wanted.
Most of the time, there is some truth to the things that we write because it is a reflection of one's desires in life after all. However, it is now years later that I began to truly appreciate the meaning behind the effort that the self-improvement gurus have gone into asking one to consider one's belief and value system before writing that down. I can say with some degree of confidence that most people did not really think it over as much as they thought they did.
I say so because I am looking at the design in my head now and comparing it to the design I had then. I can happily say that I am far more pleased and aligned with this design that the one I had then. The difference is that this is the one that I drew up, according to my beliefs, what I want to do, can do and feel that I was meant to do. It has far more significance and meaning that what others have influenced me to believe that I need. For that, I feel a lot happier, at ease and most importantly, aligned with myself.
If you had a free hand, what would the design of your ideal life be like?
If
I got this from...surprise surprise....the guy who sends me market updates everyday. No doubt a response to the current turmoil in the markets.
If
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
If
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
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