Meteor shower

Last night, I heard that there was going to be a meteor shower. There was quite a lot of hype about it- some people were setting up their cameras, some were drinking coffee to stay up late, some were doubting the legitimacy of the rumors. 

But one thing everyone had in common was that they kinda want to watch the meteor shower. 

Why? Cause this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! It could be a life changing experience! I'll have something to tell my friends about! 

But if you think about it, this meteor shower is an event which has too many expectations tied to it. People are already expecting to be wow-ed and dazzled by an amazing show of... I don't know, light and heat? And expectations never fail to steal the magic from an experience.

The first (and only) time I ever saw a shooting star, I was caught unaware. I remember I was in the car. Staring straight ahead, I was shocked by a brilliant flash of light that sped across the night sky. It was over in less than a second, but after that I was just sitting there, delighted that I'd seen something so cool. I'm ready to bet that staying up for this expected meteor shower would be less cool.

But hey, of course this meteor shower could have been a special experience for some. Maybe you convinced your family that it would happen, and you all went out and spent time together stargazing. Maybe you had the chance to appreciate the beauty of the night sky, something you haven't done in a while. Maybe you had fun laughing with your friends about how gullible your other friends are... 

Which goes to show that it doesn't take a big, once in a lifetime experience to fulfill you. It's about appreciating the small, unexpected things in life, always marveling at how magical life is, if only you allow it to be.

One more day

Today is a blessing. Today is a gift. Be grateful for today.
No one ever guaranteed that today would be yours. But here you have it. You're lucky enough to have this brand new 24 hours. You can do whatever you want with it!
Today was really rainy. On the road, our car almost got hit by a truck. I didn't even know we had come that close to death. When my mom told us what happened, I had a thousand thoughts running through my mind. Would I have been happy with the life I have lived? I wouldn't have gotten to live till 15, but I'd be happy. Would I have saved my brother? I hope so. Would I be able to tell my family I love them for the last time? Probably not. But I'm lucky enough to be given one more day.
It's really scary thinking about how something so precious can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Our lives would be lived in vain if we don't live every day to the max.
Today is a new day, full of opportunities. It's yours for the taking.

Reflection

Reflection was the topic for today's power lunch. I didn't share, but I while listening to others share I was reflecting on what reflection means for me.
I guess that when we take the time to reflect deeper on our actions and words, we manage to achieve a few things. We see instead of look. We listen instead of hear. We understand instead of know. And we feel instead of think. 
With reflection, we can find out our strengths and flaws. Then it's up to us to make the choice to build our strengths and to fix our flaws. 

Money $_$

Last night, the topic for the power dinner was MONEY. 
I didn't get to share, so here I am.
Money is energy. It is a symbol of all the energy that has been put into it, all the effort to have gained the money. Until it reaches your hands, there is a story full of energy behind the money, including the effort YOU put in to gain the money. 
So before you spend the money, compare the energy you spent to earn that money with the energy put into the product you are planning to exchange the money for. Is the value equivalent? Is the product really worth all the energy you placed into getting the money?
Also, your sense of self worth can also be judged by the way you spend your money. If you have a sense of scarcity and don't spend sufficient money on yourself, it's obvious that you don't value yourself enough. Worse still, if you find the need to steal, you really do not think you are worthy of having whatever you want. 
Money is a tool. It should be used for good, not for bad. Someone shared last night that 'I like things that money can buy, I love things that money can't buy.' That's true, because a lot of the best things in life are priceless. But the things that money can buy...they can either build or destroy you. Be aware of how your money flows.

What's the big deal?

Sometimes we humans make a really big deal our of nothing. We rush around doing things that are 'important', forgetting to slow down and live life. We chase after goals that seem to be of extreme urgency, but by the time we've accomplished the goal, what do we get? A little ego boost, that's all. And then we go on pursuing more. Think about it. We live in this vast expanse of a Universe. In comparison, the Earth itself is just a small piece of carbon matter in outer space. We are not more than a tiny speck troubled by big problems. Ironically, we create those problems ourselves. Human beings are funny. They want to feel important, like humankind depends on them. It's selfish, really, thinking that we matter so much. We DO matter, but the world does not revolve around us. Sometimes, things in life go wrong. When you feel like everything that matters is lost and you feel like giving up, think again--is it really so destroyed it can't be fixed? If your answer is no, good on you. Go out there and make things better. If your answer is yes, it's too late to fix anything--well, let me just tell you that every second is a chance to turn it all around. It's not too late to apologize to that person you neglected cause you were rushing to work. It's not too late to say 'I love you' to someone you've taken for granted for years. It's not too late to make amends with that person you've been avoiding all this while. It's not too late to call up a friend and go out just like old times. And when the going gets tough--think about it--is it really what matters? Stay true to yourself, don't lose who you are. THAT is what truly matters.

Limits

I realized that I set way too many limits to my abilities. I think I know myself and my boundaries so well, so whenever I THINK I've crossed the line, my mind tells me to quit.
Limits are good, in a way. They stop you from getting too big for your boots. But too many limits confine you into a tiny box.
Last night I dreamt that I was chasing someone on a bicycle. But after running less than a few meters, I told myself to slow down before I get tired. It was a DREAM, where I had the power to fly even, but my limitations in real life existed in my dream too!
That proves that limits aren't very healthy for growth. 
So believe that you can spread your wings and fly...in a metaphorical sense, of course.

You are significant

Identity crisis

I was reading an article about e-dentity crisis. E-dentity crisis is the split personalities people have online on different sites. For me, E-dentity crisis is true. On Blogger, I sound different than I do on Youtube. I sound different on Tumblr compared to Facebook. 
But does this apply in real life?
For yours truly, YES it does. 
With different people, I adopt a different personality. To 'fit in', as people say. I try to blend into the environment, a human chameleon. 
Why is this so important though? Why do we have to try so hard to adapt in a social environment? Why can't we just be who we really are, instead of struggling to meet society's standards and expectations? It's up to the environment whether they want to accept us as we truly are or not. As long as you're authentic, it's their problem, not yours.

To be the best

To be the best is to show up as your best...when nobody's watching.
People are so addicted to the limelight (whether they know it or not) that everything they do is dedicated to building a personal image and reputation. So many things that once held meaning become hollow and shallow. People are in it just for the fame and name.
Does all this outside work make someone a better person? On the surface, maybe. But as the old saying goes, 'Beauty is skin deep'. So what use is an amazing outer exterior when you have a heart only set on achieving selfish goals to boost a false sense of self esteem?
Because that's exactly what it is. False self esteem that people build up when they are in the eyes of the people. But behind closed doors, they themselves know how unpleasant it can be. Others may envy them, leading such a perfect life...but usually it's these people who have it the worst. So caught up they are in maintaining a good facade that they forget to be who they really are inside.
So to be the best, you have to BE the best, not just act the part.

Time

Yesterday I broke my watch. So I put it away in my bag.
It started bothering me for the rest of the day every time someone asked "What time is it?" or when someone mentioned the time. For example "It's one o'clock." So I check my wrist to find that there is NO WATCH there. 
We're told time is an illusion. We as human beings do not move through time. Time moves through us. ( Yeah, it might sound a bit complicated). The definition of time is created by us human beings. 
But that doesn't mean it's not important to be on time. 
If you're late for something, it shows your arrogance (everyone will wait for me), lack of efficiency in work. etcetera. It's an icon of the negative side of you, showing disrespect for the punctual people.

Why War?

Today we went to Cu Chi tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City. We got to see a lot of old weapons and traps- those Vietnamese guerillas and soldiers were really stuck in survival mode. They had to be aware of their every step, in case they hit a trap or land mine. There was no compassion or sympathy for the opponents-their only goal was to get rid of the enemy. In the documentary we watched, they even had a schoolgirl in their troops! Although she was weak, she told the other soldiers that she could go wherever they could go. They lived in underground tunnels for 20 years! The whole group of us went through a tunnel for, what, 10 minutes and came out sweating and panting. Imagine 20 YEARS in those tunnels! They had to cook their meals really early in the morning so that the smoke from their cooking could be disguised as morning mist. It was interesting, trying to figure out their strategy and how heir history fitted into their culture nowadays. It gave me a deep sense of appreciation of the era I live in, and a greater sense of urgency to do something before the human race loses the war against itself. It's an internal war we are fighting, and I am not just talking about health problems. The emotional side of humans is hardening and soon we may well be like those soldiers, watching an enemy soldier stabbed in the gut with sharpened bamboo, expressionless and cold hearted. That brings us to another lesson where we have to be more human in order to not be replaced by robots, because that is in the near future, possibly this lifetime. But that is a story for another post. Stay tuned, and give it a thought-Why war?

Smiling

Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today I started smiling too
I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin
When he smiled I realized I'd passed it on to him
I thought about that smile then I realized it's worth
A single smile like mine could travel round the earth
So if you feel a smile begin don't leave it undetected
Quickly spread this epidemic and get the world infected!

The only limits of tomorrow are the doubts of today

That's right.
There's another saying that goes with the title:
' Do not underestimate the power you have over today;
  Do not underestimate the power today has over tomorrow.'
You plant the seeds of the future in the present, and what other present like now? :)
Everything you do, every choice you make in the present, affects what's going to happen next. That's probably why time travel is impossible. The future is constantly changing. But it's all up to you! No pressure, yeah?
:)
So know that YOU (yes, you) have the ability to change your life.
With one simple choice.
Get rid of you fears, for the key to change is to have no fear.
Change.
And see magic unfold.

Unexchangeable

There are some things in life that we would not sell for any price.
For me, those things are:
a) family
b) friends
c) shared moments

That basically sums it up.

Family is really important to me because, well, it makes a person complete. A family gives me the love and happiness that is really really hard to find somewhere else. And my family also plays an important role in b) and c). My family members are my closest friends. And they are the ones I have the most memories/shared experiences with. Even though we're just a band of 5, the difference we can make is unlimited. :)

Next up is friends. Friends for me are people with whom you can relate to. Because sometimes, it seems like your family is too different than you. So of course, the next best thing is someone(s) who have something in common with you. And for me, one of the best things about having different friends is that you get to try out different personalities, if you know what I mean.

Moments...I have cherished and treasured these as long as I can remember. I can remember lots of stuff that others can only faintly recall, and those moments keep me going whenever I feel uninspired. Those moments remind me that life is awesome.

One moment I would not trade:
Today at school the Interact Club had a sale. At the same time, there was a committee meeting going on. I really really wanted to be in the meeting, because I had tons of ideas. But the president assigned me to help out with the food sale, and this fact made me grouchy for about half the morning. What a waste of a day!
After school, when I was monitoring the ice-cream section, a pudgy primary school kid wandered up to the fridge.
He was staring so intently at the flavors, clutching two ringgit notes. What happened next was truly unforgettable. Here's how the conversation went-

Kid: Uncle...
Me: (thinking-is he talking to me??)
Kid: (looks at me) Auntie...how much is one scoop of ice cream?
Me: Oh, um...RM 1.50, and two scoops is RM2.

There was laughter all around the stall, and one of the older kids called me 'Auntie'. I didn't feel offended...in fact, I think I'll be going back to running the sale tomorrow. And I'll tell all the little kids to call me 'Auntie' Hahaha! I really admire that kid's effort to be polite!

One of the other committee members told me how fun the meeting was...I still wish I'd been there, but I think that I wouldn't have exchanged that moment for ANYTHING.

Meaningful Contribution

Today a whole bunch of CVers headed down to the Association of Churches to participate in a charity sale. We sold stuff like homemade Kaya, homemade chocolate cake, soya sauce, instant oatmeal, chocolate powder and juice.
It was really fun. Everyone was very enthusiastic and upbeat. The best part of this enthusiasm was that it didn't meet a "muddy middle", in other words the point of time where all the enthusiasm is gone. No, that didn't happen. The people from our stall were yelling out the prices and products, all the while with a big smile and AWESOME energy!! Lots of people were attracted to our stall and in ONE HOUR, we sold out. :D We managed to raise RM1325 for the cancer society in Sarawak.
Thank you to all the participants for making today full of 3M moments!! You rock!!

Special thanks to Jodie, Patrick, Cliff, Jessica, Wilson, Marvin, Bernadette, Sherene, Li Sze, Regina, Jayden, Patrick, Faustina, Emily, Mio Ting (and her kids :P) and James for making this happen!! (I didn't forget anyone, right?)

You can count the seeds in an apple, but who can count the apples in a seed?

That quote is all about potential. You can count all the seeds someone has, like for example you can label people with all sorts of talents and flaws. But most people just see the talents and flaws as someone's personality, and take it for granted. Those who really pay attention, can see those 'seeds' blossoming and turning into who knows what wonderful thing. 
Here I would like to thank every single one of you who has believed in me more than I believe in myself. 

4 years ago

Four years ago on this very day, my dad was in an ICU getting a heart operation.
I was 9 years old, if my math is correct. I still remember very clearly what I was doing then at this exact hour. 
I was lying in a bed at my grandma's house, with the house phone next to me. I couldn't sleep, no matter how hard I tried. I was praying for my dad's life. I didn't know how serious it was, but I was waiting for my mom to call home and tell me it was all ok. She didn't. I remember going to sleep that night wishing my dad all the best. 
I think the biggest lesson for me the next day was appreciation. I was so grateful that the operation was successful, and that everything was ok. And when Dad said he was going to stop working for a week to sort of calm down after the operation, I was really glad, because I got to spend more time with him. And I think I was hoping that after one week he would like staying at home so much he would quit work and be at home all the time. No such luck. Haha...
I guess this story has many point-of-views. Mom told me that she was outside the ICU, where it was extremely cold. She was waiting with 3 other people who were also waiting for the good news.
Every story has many angles. So I guess one of the lessons that is learn-able from this is that we have to see the big picture to get what's really going on. 

Compliments

One thing I realize I RARELY give. That's it-compliments. I don't know why, I guess it's the ego in me not wanting to see the satisfaction on someone's face when they are praised. But actually, every deserves to be complimented once in a while.

Today, Dad went to buy an iPhone protecting sticker. The woman who was helping us out at the time seemed really grumpy, you could feel it from the way she talked to her partner. And then my Dad decided to do something about it. The people who ran the store were Foochow (like us!! :D don't know why, I'm always glad to see a Foochow no matter how grumpy they are!)  So my Dad saw this as a chance to shift the energy. He started talking to them in that dialect. In most of the cases I've encountered, the other Foochow in discovering that we speak their dialect, would be considerably cheered up. But this woman somehow persisted on using Chinese to talk to us. But slowly, the ice melted...and Dad was admiring the skills she had in putting on the iPhone protector, she did it like a real pro!! And then the couple started laughing!!! And then Dad told them about Nana's (my sister, BTW) performance tomorrow night, and they actually responded really enthusiastically when they heard the song she was going to sing!! 

It really made me smile inside, the way my Daddy can make people smile just by talking with sincerity. So...compliment people(don't forget yourself) more, and while you're at it, be SINCERE!! :)

Intention and courage

This Monday, at school, it was raining heavily and the wind was really strong. before that it was alright but suddenly a really strong wind came and actually made the rubbush bin fly up to the sky . On the way back home, we saw a whole tree uprooted my mother said that it happened because the intention was not clear . like the roots, if your intention is clear, the roots will go deep and not spread out ! Actually, after a day ,the tree somehow was planted back leafless and it was also another breakthrough for me about having courage to stand up. so, set the right and clear intention and when you fall, have courage to stand up!

The day before was my first day back at school after CV Grad Cambodia. I was a little nervous at first about going back to school after so long (although in reality what is there to worry about??) It was okay as the first day of school. People sort of  'commented' about my absence for so long, but I chose not to take it personally. I jsut accepted that it was the way they thought, and I chose to be aware of how I show up. :)

Yesterday, the teacher changed my seating position in class. This was because I was supposed to help a 'weaker' student in his studies. I never really liked this person, because he's so quiet and serious, and I am what you could call a chatterbox. :) But I realized this could prove as a good thing. You have to be good to help others be good in something. So I became aware that this was a reason for me to put in more effort to my studies, because not only do my grades depend on my hard work, so do his. Plus, the fact that he doesn't talk much could help me improve my communication skills. :P

Today--I didn't go to school because I had an upset stomach last night. I think this is a small issue, I could have gone to school today. But my dad, being, well..a dad, insisted that I stay home. I became aware that lots of people rely on their illness to seek attention from their loved ones. OR it can be the other way round, the loved ones jump at the chance to prove that they love the patient! :)

Haha, that's my 3-day recount of the past 3 days.