<body>

Getting Through

Sunday, January 27, 2008

He is an old friend of mine. The kind of friend who you never made the effort to keep in touch with but the friendship never really fades and you quickly pick things up where you left off. He is the kind of person that I have that love-hate relationship with. In the sense that you hate him when he picks on you but you do respect him when he's being a good listener.

His Dad passed away near the end of last year. I don't know too much about his family but he became the head of the family every so instantly. He takes care of his Mum, work and finishing Uni all at the same time. Being the father of the house pretty much.

He told me all these today. It made me feel ashamed of myself. I laughed as I realised how silly I have become. Dwelling over practically nothing compare to what he has to go through. I thought he doesnt know anything about getting through and I have had enough of people telling me cliches. I was so wrong. He knows more than I do about handling "difficult times". He said, "I may not know what exactly that you have to go through, but I'm sure that you can get through it."

For that. I thank you.

You grieve you learn, you choke you learn
You laugh you learn, you choose you learn
You pray you learn, you ask you learn
You live you learn
- Alanis Morisette, You Learn

Labels: ,

Listen to your parents

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Every passing day teaches you something new. When I was young (not that I'm old now, though) my parents are so worried and over-protective of me. They want to know who I hang out with, I cannot bring the friends that they have not met home and they always tell me to be careful in choosing who I am friends with.

I think it is quite strange. Why and how should I choose my friends, why can't I bring friends home, why cant my parents be a little bit friendlier to my friends (it's not like they dont, its more to the friends that they dont know). Obviously, I never listen to them. I am friends with whoever I want because I think I know the best who should I be friends with.

When I moved to New Zealand, and this is when I was in my late teen, they did the same. The same old advice to choose my friend carefully. The fact that they are not here to see my AIESEC friends especially, making it a lot harder for them. As always, I stand by my own principle.

After this morning, I realise what it is meant to "choose your friends" and "don't bring friends home." I realise now how lucky I am to have the friends that I have now. Lucky.

After so many years, I now understand, Mum.

Labels: ,

Happy relearning!

Friday, July 20, 2007

Almost 3 weeks into the term, boy have I learned heaps in the last few months than ever in my life before? Re-learning things that I already knew or maybe things that I thought I knew -is proven to be harder than learning new things. Challenging my view. Challenging myself. Learn about how to be a leader and a motivator. This is why a culture shift in organisation is taking ages!

When my coach summing up our discussion about motivation and leadership- I found that there was nothing new about it. I have seen it demonstrated before, I have demonstrated it and , as the receiving end, I have felt it. Care, respect, passion, sense of belonging.

Sometimes we forget these fundamentals? Sometimes are we so caught up in rules and policies to drive performance and we forget the "marshmallow" of things.

On the other side of life though, Simone was back from the Landmark course in Auckland, that, apparently happened to change lives. I'm a skeptic so I won't say much about it :) However, Amy, Sim and I were having a lengthy discussion about how events in our past that affects our today's behaviour. It is amazing to see that the smallest thing, the things you thought you have forgive and forget - shape who you are today and how you interacted with society.

It is proven that forgiving is not easy! I am thinking about doing the course but I also need a money-back guarantee :/ because sometimes I found myself immune to this type of course. The one that has anything to do with "Getting in touch with your soft side".

Labels:

The Final Analysis

Friday, May 18, 2007

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may
accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are
successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed
anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest
and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed
overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they
may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will
often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you
have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never
between you and them anyway.


The
Final Analysis -is a version of the
"Paradoxical Commandments" by Kent M. Keith


I forget that I have this in my laptop. Yesterday, I was just flicking through some old folders and I bumped into this particular prose. I have read this many times before, however it feels a lot more meaningful now than ever.

Labels: