Why BLoG?

I guess now is a good time as any to pose this question. Bloggers have been in the news lately, with not so good reviews. Blogging is like an online diary, where we pen our thoughts and share ideas. The danger of it being online poses ethical and moral dilemmas for us all. We have to be sensitive in what we say, conduct ourselves in an appropriate manner, so as not to offend anyone. Yet, the realist will argue that we aren't allowed to be ourselves, expressing how we really feel. There is truth in that, but there is also a need for us to remember responsibility needs to be taken seriously too. That's the reason why my blog is generic...it deals with motivation and inspiration through a reflective process from a counseling perspective. If it helps, I'm happy. If it makes you think, I ponder with you. If it changes your perspective positively, I smile.
SELAH

GOOD MORNings

Mornings.....what do they signify for us? Some of us dread mornings....we dread the unaccomplished from the previous day that now needs to be completed. We dread the relationships we need to face, the people we don't feel like saying 'hello' to; we dread the morning ritual of meetings, of targets, of........yes I could go on...but..we still wake up don't we? Especially when the sun tickles our eyelids and says "its a new day of life!" Haven't we forgotten? Mornings are testimonies that life is in us....we are......ALIVE!
SELAH

sMILE

A smile goes for miles! We don't smile enough these days. Maybe we do, at ourselves, a smirky smile that says I'm better than you; or we smile a seductive smile that says we can use you for ourselves? Smiles really tells us if your heart is smiling as well. Yup, a smile should come from the heart, not from the head. When we genuinely smile, all barriers are broken, bridges are restored, lives are mended. When we smile, we are spreading hope and happiness to a gloomy world. You don't have to follow the majority; don't scowl, don't despair.....sMILE!
SELAH

Facing Ends

They say that all goods must come to an end. It's an interesting quip to analyze when it comes to death. Do we really want to end our dreams, our aspirations,our journey? Some may say it's a viable option if you are struggling, if you are in hardship. I disagree. I believe the suffering and hardships are more lessons than trials for us. We learn resilence, we learn patience, we learn inner strength that helps us travel the journey with confidence and determination. Yes, if our day's journey comes to an end, we have to realize that, our final resting place isn't in our control, but in the control of God.It's how we face an end that will determine if it will becoming a beginning for us.
SELAH

dePRESSion

depression.....notice the operative paranthesis is the word PRESS? its what depression does...it presses us deeper into the muddle, the fog we have in our head. I remember, when I was in Queensland, I was caught on a boat with thick fog surrounding me; it was freaky, it was surreal. I really didn't know what was before me, or behind me, and i became conscious of my fears, my insecurities. Thats what depression does.....it pulls you in. But you have a CHOICE......sail persistantly on your desire to see your destination or be swallowed up....
SELAH

FEAR

Let's play a game....try rearranging the word 'fear' into as many combinations as you can...ready? let's see.....'ear';'far'...that's it? ear and far.....quite interesting that ear and far are two words we have different reactions too these days....Well, fear isn't far from us...bombs in London, suicide bombers in Palestine, tsunamis in Asia; fear isn't far, its very near and very scary for many of us. What about the word 'ear'? It's what we hear too....there is fear in our words as well. Fear is everywhere. Yes it maybe, but we don't have to have fear...we can choose faith. Faith in our values, faith in our beliefs.
SELAH

Where Am i In All Of This?

I heard a song many years ago that has stuck in my mind....and my heart. "My Place in this World" was a hit for its singer Micheal W Smith, but it asked a very pertinent question tht many people are asking today...where is MY place? In fact, the question today wouldn't so much center on our place, but is there going to to be one, knowing how uncertain life is? I am not God and I can't answer, but I know that what I do today has immense reprecussions on what I do tomorrow. I have learnt to take one day at a time, making each moment significant and relevant for my tomorrows. Relevant. Significant. That you are. Act upon it to make your tomorrow happen!
SELAH

uNdeRsTanDinG

Have you ever worn a pair of spectacles with a different degree lens? Or maybe a pair that you probably wouldn't need? It changes the whole landscape of what you see..the depth, of how far, how wide.What does it take to understand another person? As a counselor, I question myself continually. Quite often people don't accept an understanding, but demand an understanding. Understanding doesn't mean you judge; it means you listen, you digest, you take time to emphatize with the other person. You actually walk in the other person's shoes for a while and get a feel of the shoe, of the gait. That's true understanding-because you are trying to gain another person's perception.
SELAH

LiMiTs

We all hate limits. Well, it depends on the how you perceive limits. Some people see limits as a good thing, because it highlights their inability to control themselves, others see limits as obsessive control. To be honest, we all need limits. Wait! Let me rephrase that: we need to RESPECT limits. Limits are needed, no matter what we may think. Limits help us to pause and reflect; why are they there for? What do we need to consider? What steps do we need to take? Next time, when you see a limit, don't vehemently discard it, or cling it without first using it as a mirror to look deep within yourself.
SELAH

Clogs

Have you heard about the blocked sink syndrome? It's quite a serious condition-we try to input in but we have blockages that prevent any knowledge gained from getting applied. It results in a slow and painful malady of hardness of heart and cynicism. We see life as a satire, not as a challenge to grow and develop as individuals. It's sad when that happens. How to unclog? Short of calling the plumber, we need to remove the debris that clutter our existence first. We need to apply the rule, prevention is better than cure, resistance only makes us sore!
SELAH

DReaMS

Are you a dreamer? I guess, if I were to ask many people to answer, they would probably be a little defensive and think of it as an insult. Dreamers are seen as wasting or idling their time....but are they? I believe it's important to have dreams. Dreaming isn't counterproductive, but inspirational. Shouldn't we all be dreamers? It means we are forward looking, exploring possibilities. That's a productive person. We should encourage dreaming, because it helps us construct our future.....but we also need concrete plans to make that dream happen. So, go ahead and dream, but don't forget to have a plan as well.

DEJA VU

Have you ever experienced that, "I think I've done that" or "I've been here before" experience? It can be a just an awkward second where you feel your mind is playing tricks with you. On the 20th of June, my birthday, I was at the hospital accompanying my mum for her check up. What was uncanny was that it was the same hospital where I was born 40 years ago to the day.

As I saw the many new borns being carried around by their radiant mums and proud dads, I had a deja vu experience; I was one of those babies! I was a bundle of joy to proud parents. I gave them joy, I gave them hope. I asked myself- am I still a person (no longer a bundle!) who brings joy to those around, and still possess hope to a share with those around? I hope so.....and for you too!
SELAH

Fellowship of the Things

We decided to have a pot luck in the office. It was a novel idea...actually, necessity is the mother of invention! All the canteens are closed for the school holidays so we had to find alternative means to eat. I think it's so important to have a game plan for life. If Plan A doesn't work out, then Plan B might. The worse thing we can do is be reactive and not have a plan to follow through. The pot luck was great. It was a time of community bonding, where people from various departments came together over a common meal and interacted. What a wonderful start to the weekend!
SELAH

cHaNgE

I'm soon approaching 40. Many people have been congratulating me for reaching a milestone. Some have been reminding me that life begins at 40.My body tells me that 40 requires extra oiling, extra attention to details. My mind tells me, what was that? I can't remember. My spirit is telling me to simplify further. No matter what is being said to me, I know to embrace change can either be a struggle or be a gentle process of coping and adapting to the change. It is my choice. I can't change the mounting numbers, but I can learn to cope with the changes. I can either enjoy the change, and appreciate the beauty of change or be dismal and mope with strong regret. You know what? I take the challenge.......
SELAH

Being a channel

It was amazing. In just one night I had 2 encounters with 2 different cab drivers with different views. The first cab I went in was a lady driver who exclaimed excitedly,"thank you sir for picking my cab!" I was taken aback. Shouldn't I be thanking her instead? She was a Catholic and had just prayed for a passenger and I was an answer to that prayer. It's interesting-I became a catalyst for her faith and I was rewarded with an act of courtesy.
The second cab driver was a middle-aged man who was on the verge of divorcing his wife for 22 years. The whole journey was a filled with his anguish, his tale of woe. I felt sorry for him, and I just listened to him. He kept apologising for being so talkative, but I encouraged him. It's important to empty the channel, not build a dam to hold it in. Yes sometimes we flow vgorously, with clear water, and sometimes we get murky with stagnant water. But we can all choose to be channels of blessings, wherever it may be in a cab or on the street. Learn to be sensitive and listen. SELAH

Apologies

It was a crowded restaurant; people were anxious to get a table as lunch break was only for an hour. It was noisy, it was hot. What got my attention were the waiters and waitresses. They were cool and constantly apologetic. I was impressed with their sensitivity and I think in the midst of the bustle, people were willing to make exceptions. The power of apology. Saying sorry isn't a modern cultural norm-it's a sign of weaknesss to some;it's a sign of defeat to others. Apologies are powerful statements that don't put us down but raises us up to another level. Ther's no need to be apologetic about apologies! Practice it and you will find respect being given to you. Go on....give it a try.....
SELAH

CONNECTING

How well do we connect? Sometimes connecting isn't so much an issue of 'how' but an issue of 'why'. There could be many reasons why we do connect; for me connection is all about relating and developing those relationships. I can never do something on my own- I need input, I need ideas, I need people. I don't connect to make myself look good, but to make every one look better. I connect to pass knowledge, to share skills, to develop bonds. How do I connect will invariably stem from a reason. Developing people skills is so important for this to take place.
Yet there are moments when i need to disconnect, to rest, to pause, to recharge. I need to keep the balance of connecting and disconnecting in constant perspective. It is what spurs me on, it drives my goals, it infuses my quest.
SELAH

Electric Avenue

Have you noticed how electricity really (pardon the pun) illuminates our lives? When we assume that it's there and suddenly its taken away from us we begin to panic? Or we really go listless and complain that "there's nothing much we can do?" That's the problem with dependency..we really seem so lost without it, we feel crippled. Think back, when light was a simple candle or a kerosene lamp, that really only filled up a small space that you strained to look into or read a book from. You couldn't take the light for granted could you? You treasured every minute of it's burning wick. Dependency leads us to complacency and also we take the luxury of light for granted...
May we never learn to assume; learn to appreciate it while you have it. Allow yourself to be taught and not just be fed....then we can go and spread the light to other places, because we ourselves were enlightened (oops!)
SELAH

Growing old isn't a pretty sight. Hearing stories about how the old and infirmed suffer to take one step, suffer to close the tap, and other simple tasks. It makes me wonder, why? Why do we have to grow old? Can't God take us away when we're just withering? But then I see the determination of these wonderful people, the simplicity of their lives, how each day is seen as a blessing from God.We take life so liberally; they take live as sacred. We become so complacent, they teach us contentment. God has a purpose for us in growing old-it's to teach the young how to cope and thrive. Thankyou for the valuable lessons I continue to learn. Most of all, thank YOU.
SELAH

Parents Day

We had parents day today. I wonder if it was a day that parents looked forward too? Well maybe some. It could be an excellent opportunity for some parents to give their children "I told you I was right!" look, or the "didn't I warn you?" look. For some parents it might have been, "Oh no, not again!" groans. Whatever the anticipation, or the expectations, think about the student. Your response results in his/her reaction. If you were right about his performance, take it as a learning opportunity for you to bond with your child; If it was warning ignored, then take it as an opportunity to affirm your child that you still love him/her. If it was a mistake repeated, then remind yourself, "I am as human as my son/daughter." Once you have reminded yourself, then put your arms around him/her and say, "We can work on it together!"
SELAH