Small STEPS to success

You have heard of the expression, "a leap of faith" before. It alludes to taking a risk when you don't know what is ahead of you; sounds like 2008 is ending on such a metaphor. The economic gloom, the social unrest, the political uncertainity is very much requiring many to take leaps of various kinds. Some take leaps of occlusion to disappear, some take leaps of abandonment, to disregard what they are facing. Some take leaps of disillusionment, to mask their present state. Leaps can be dangerous; we miss, we fall, but then again that is why its called a leap of FAITH. I suggest we take a small step instead, cautious as it may seem, it is a confidence building step that I am suggesting. small steps, like a baby learning to stwalk for the first time, or a patient after a hip operation or major surgery. Small steps aren't done alone; there is support, people around us to hold on to us as we take those initial steps. Nothing embarassing-you never know, your step could be an inspiration for another person to take their own first step....

But it all requires FAITH. A belief that you can do it, that it isn't impossible...

GO ON!

SELAH

GLOBAL vision

When I woke up this morning, it was drizzling, it looked dreary. It is a holiday in Singapore and such weather is a great excuse to stay in bed, curl up with a good book, or watch TV or DVDs that have been begging you to watch them! As I hesistantly crawled out of bed, I looked at the weather report on this really cool global satellite called Global TV that shows you weather in different parts of the world, real time. Here I was, in near the equator, and it was drizzling outside and there in other parts of the world it was picture perfect weather.

It set me thinking...

We can get so consumed by the environment around us, because we don't strive to look for bigger pictures. We don't need better spectacles, or more highly powered lenses to see it-it's there! Here I was constricted in my vision, but I forgot that the sun still shines somewhere else. It's just passing weather; soon, I'll get to see the sun as well...that's a big picture perspective...we need to see it where darkness looms-soon light will shine again! It may not happen as soon as we want, but we need to look forward to it, we need to work towards it, to pray until it happens. We need to anticipate it....now!

So go get global vision today!

SELAH

wHAT IS tHE poINT?

Mumbai- carnage, mayhem, terror, outrage.
Thailand-factions, split loyalties, frustrations, action.
North Korea-disillusionment, barbaric, elusive, manupilative
Europe-dark ages, despair, hopelessness, anger
America-panic, hurt, sorrow, divided
YOU- lost, disillusioned, disheartened, pain, panic
ME- reflecting your point of view-but what is the point?
WE NEED A RAINBOW,
WE NEED A SPRIG OF OLIVE,
WE NEED A SAVIOR,
WE NEED HOPE
WE NEED IT NOW

SELAH

Change for the .......?

Is he the new prophet....or the new messianic figure to come riding on a white horse into the White House? Seems to be....Barack Obama is the latest name craze all across the USA and even on distant shores. I'm not going to be political here, but I am going to be candid about his philosophy. It's a philosophy that has become a mantra of hope..the hope is in the operative 'YOU CAN' and the hope rest in that powerful word, 'CHANGE'. It's a word that excites some and causes others to tremble. We are seeing both sides of it even now as I type...the winds of political change breezing in to a chilly storm of economic change that is causing fear and panic among many middle class citizens worldwide.

CHANGE- its a dangerous two edged sword.

We need to understand that change is inevitable- we will evolve emotionally, psychologically, academically but what really counts is in what direction that change is taking us. In Obama's case, change comes from a different angle of approach. Where do we put the emphasis on? Who do we prioritise? Who benefits most from this change?

That is the rhetoric that I enjoy- looking at the benefits and working to change direction to achieve that. Change in the positive, change as a verb of optimism.

Yet change can maim. It can hurt, especially when we don't have grounded VALUES attached to it. That's the essence of change...it's built on values...

So here's the formulae:

the values you ascribe to will determine the direction you take and result in the outcome we call CHANGE.

Live each day....

Have you ever sat in a diner or on a window sill and gaze at the many faces that pass by? We may be drawn to interesting sights, traffic, unusual sights-but faces? Why would we want to look at faces? Because faces reflect the real story of the land. Each face is a reflection of a journey each passerby is enduring.

On my recent trip to Myanmar, I looked at the faces from my hotel room window and they were content. I saw faces of patience. I saw lines and expressions of resilence etched in their expressions.

Content? Patient? Resilent? After all that has happened in that country? it was a lesson for me- and a lesson for all who run our race with greed motivating us. In this simple land, despite the obstacles faced, people have learnt to live one day at a time. They make the most of each day, as the gods have blessed them with. Isn't that a glorious lesson for us to be with inspired with? Live each day with contentment, because we have been blessed; live each day with patience because the day has only just begun and there is more to come; live each day with resilence, because yesterday was successful and we made it through another day.

Live each day......

SELAH

I was peasantly surprised to hear a childhood jingle,

the more we get together,together,together/the more we get together/the happier we'll be/for my friends are your friends/and your friends are my friends/the more we get together/the happier we'll be

being used as a McDonald's advertisemnt to promote the fastfood chain as the food sponsors for the Olympics 2008. it's a jingle of my childhood, but its a jingle that is so relevant not just to the spirit of the Games, but to the essence of life. it was refreshing because it brought me back to the need for a childlike coexistence, as when we were little children and didn't think twice about mixing with people of different creeds, color or status, so long as they wanted to play with us. What has happened to that innocence?

It has been eroded away with prejudice, by self-centeredness, fueling hatred and judgement and condoning condemnation and bigotry. Think about it, is that the legacy we want to leave to the next generation? I pray not. What we want to teach them is acceptance of each other, of forgiveness, of universal love. So next time you hear the jingle, don't just think of a Big Mac; think of the blessings of friends and how important they are to us, and we to them.

SELAH

SMILE!

Is it that hard to stretch the corner of one's mouth?

Is it too time consuming to consider being vulnerable and letting one's guard down for a brief moment?

Is it too unrealistic to even consider being nice?

When we smile, we create a paradigm shift in thinking. A smile is an invitation, an invitation to connect, to communicate, to be human. In a world of self-centeredness, a smile is warmth in a cold care less environment. We should learn to smile more...who else best to learn from but a baby? Watch how a baby draws mum into baby's world..they can't articulate how they feel, but they can smile! That's their weapon-a smile... and hearts are softened, bonds are made and community is formed.

We have alot to learn from our babies. it's a pity that in adulthood, we add criticism, sarcasm, cynicism to the smile. We pollute it and destroy its simple and innocent purpose.

Let's put on a smile again. Smile at your neighbour, smile at your colleagues in work and for goodness sake, smile at yourself in the mirror and say, "I am special!"

Go on....SMILE!

SELAH

ZEN

We all anticipate a 'zen' moment in our lives; a moment of bliss, when the harsh reality of our world is superceded by a quiet realisation that there are pockets seclusion that we can run and hide in, away from the maddening crowd. We love weekends when we can escape to just be ourselves, don't have any responsibilities and just be free. Don't you feel like that most times?

I know I do! We need to create such pockets; even when it seems to difficult to accomplish we must try to slot in a 5 minute 'zen' moment in our lives. It's like a slotting ourselves into a recharger and getting filled up with a shot of energy to face the day ahead.

Waht can be your 'zen' moments?

• a walk in the park near your home


• playing with your pet for 5 minutes


• listening to music on your iPOD


• just getting up and having a nice glass of your favorite beverage

There are so many ways of just being revivied.

Try it today....

Zen on......

SELAH

What is it about Easter that draws thousands to enact the steps that Jesus of Nazareth 2000 after he down the way of the Cross in Jerusalem up to Golgotha? You see people weeping along the way, some people so overwhelmed that they tremble and shake, feeling the pain, feeling the anguish, feeling the hurt. When I think of Easter, from a spiritual perspective, it is a carthatic experience, because it shows a God who chooses to sacrifice himself for people who condemned him. Yet, the walk, along the Via Delorosa is very much the essence of an experience. Many Christians look at the destination, where Jesus of Nazareth was heading; undoubtedly it was important but for me what is also important is the journey, the process to the cross. it is a reminder for me that to reach a point of completion, it is important to learn the lessons along the way. I shouldn't be consumed with finding a solution but learn from the experiences along the way. As a counselor, it is important to take note of the client's experiences and not be so quick to find a solution to the problem. In taking a step back and listening to the client, the clients are given room to express themselves and share their experiences.

Life is all about the sum of the experiences along the journey undertaken. Let us begin take the experiences of others as well as our own to heart

SELAH

think about it

No pain no gain

No guts no glory

No rainbow without the rain

No forgiveness without saying sorry

Calamities that never change

Faith of the old old Story

SELAH

PERFECT baLANce

These days, I'm hearing alot of people mention the words 'juggle' and 'balance' in a single sentence. It's normally accompanied with a sigh or a pursing of the lips, a sign of the hurried existence we face today. When you think about it, the two words just don't sit together. How do you maintain a balance in life with so many expectations to juggle, so many roles to fulfil, so many results to achieve? Or do they?
The two words bring me back to the circus arena, where as children (and even as adults), we would stand in awe of those jugglers who managed to walk a tightrope, keep their balance and yet juggle with ease. How could they do it?

• Practice makes perfect. They kept at it, day after day, during their spare time, they honed their abilities. They knew that without the practice, no success.It was a focused objective, something we need to apply in today's demanding lifestyle where multi-tasking is the norm.
• Do we need to be perfect? Yet we aren't looking for perfection per say; that is what our mind perceives we should achieve. Therefore, in the quest to strive for a perfect juggle, we may lose perspective and focus and hence lose our balance.

Life isn't about perfection...it's about making the most of our limitations count!

What we need to really reflect upon is whether we have a balanced perspective on the life we lead today-or are we too ambitious and want to juggle too many things in such a short space of time?

Take time to look at what your juggling today-and don't forget to see how far the drop would be if you try too hard to please too many people and lose balance of your life..

SELAH

Getting to know yourself

How well do you know yourself?

When we read the tabloids or dive into the morning paper, we're really interested in what goes within the minds of terrorists, murderers and on the other side of the coin, scholars, movie stars, acclaimed politicians...but

.......how well do you know yourself?

How well do you know you about the way you react to situations?

How well do you know the habits you have adopted, consciously and unconsciously?

It's fun and exciting to see others being exposed, but

......how well do you know yourself?

When we get in touch with real person within us, it creates a transparency a sense of genuineness that is attractive because it is rare.

The new year could be a time to get to know the real you. It's a wonderful journey of self-discovery, far outweighing what the tabloids could write.

Let 2008 be your year of getting to know yourself.

happy and joyful

"Happy? Joyful? Is it normal to be so these days? We are on a spiral downwards aren't we?

The world isn't as happy as it should be, isn't it? " Have you had these thoughts swirling in your head? I think lots of people feel this way because the circumstances around them dictate how they must feel.

But should it be so? I don't think so. Yes, circumstances may appear bleak and unavoidable, but we can certainly not choose to be guided by what we see or feel.

Happiness is a choice; it comes from within. Who we associate with, what choices we make in life determine our degree of happiness. Sure, we won't be happy all the time. But happiness is something we can certainly experience most of the time.

make it your conscious thought today...to be happy, inspite of.....

SELAH

Responding WITH Understanding

RESPONSE? OPINIONS? REBUTTALS? DEFENSE?

Society today seems to be on the guarded side of communication....we want answers to probing questions and we want answers in details, instantaneously. We are not contented with 'ifs' and 'maybes' but definite concrete viewpoints and details. It stems from a lack of trust, a trust that answers can be found, a lack of patience, to step back and think through before proceeding. In the light of this, we become hurried beings, seeking revenge with technology, looking for payback as soon as we can.

Isn't that sad? We don't sit to discuss, because we are so focussed on getting to the bottom of a situation. We don't want to relate because that makes us vunerable and weak. It's truly become not a civilised race but a race for survival of the fittest barbarian.

UNDERSTANDING? ACCEPTANCE? FORGIVENESS?

Can we learn to do these things again?

SELAH

HiDiNG UnDeR THe BLaNKET

Remember when you were young and you were afraid? You probably ran to mum's room and slided in her bed because you were so afraid; or you probably hid under the covers with your raggedy doll as your only defender against the impending foe. Do you remember? You felt so comfortable and secure with all these elements of security surrounding you-mum, blanket and raggedy doll.

When we look at the world today, we find it quite daunting to find a place to crawl into or find security in a secure figure, because the world has become so suspicious and malicious. The person we assume we could trust could be the very person who can betray us, to hurt us. That is why some turn to the bottle or synthetic drugs or tangible green notes called dollars with little sense for comfort and security. Some people knowingly turn to those to who manipulate them, caught in the helpless cycle of deceit and betrayal.

• We need to reverse the situation we face.
• First we need to speak out and demand safety and security.
• It is our fundamental right.
• Then we need to find platforms to reach and bridge the differences we face.
• Look for common grounds, not differing peaks and heights.
• We need to be honest with each other and establish trust across lattitudes and longitudes.
• We all deserve a space on this earth; no one can be the judge and juror of our fate.
• Our lives are only determined by the One who made us.

SELAH

Facing Fear with FEAR

FEAR.
That's a word that sends us scurrying into dark alleys, shivering with apprehension and wondering how we might actually free ourselves from its evil ensnarement. It's not just a word to many-it's a real threat that they face on a daily basis, where fear has already taken on the cloak of its darker cousin, paranoia. The threat of diseases that arrive at our doorsteps in ways we cannot fathom; the threat of anger resulting in violence and the killing of innocent lives. How do we deal with this? We can't be subliminal about it? We can't simply allow the word to float away. How do we deal with it?
FEAR.
F ace it. We know it stares us in the face. We know it rears its ugly head ever so often. Yet, we won't back down. We face it, because its there.
E mbrace hope. We have the antidote in hope. It's there, but we need to endure and perservere. Like the rainbow, it's only visible after the storm.
A rrest fear before it arrest us. Don't let it grip you and control you. You have a choice-exercise it now!
R each out for support. You don't have to face it alone. There are people who will come alongside you and be your cheer team, your embrace team. Don't push them away.

Face Fear with FEAR.

SELAH

SilencE

How do you respond to silence? Some people find silence deafening; some people find silence awkward; some people find silence refreshing.

It can be deafening when we keep silent and allow our inner thoughts to flood our minds. Some of these thoughts might be suppressed emotions or viewpoints that we had placed in storage. Silence allows them a 'voice'.

Some people like silence because it gives them space, space to think, to contemplate, to draw some conclusions in a very noisy world.

We should learn to treasure our silences- and if we don't have such moments, learn to put them into place in our lives. Journaling, listening to nature can be so therapeutic to our well being.

Yet we can't always be silent; we need engagement because that's the way we were wired. Yet silences equip us for such engagements.

The good and the wise lead quiet lives.
Euripides (c. 485 - 406 BC)

So let's enjoy the silences, let's integrate the silences ino our lives. Don't be afraid of silence.

SELAH

COnTACTS and SPECTacles

I've been debating over the proposition on whether I should switch to contacts or remain with these old specs I have worn since I was 7 years old. Some people say contacts are better, specs are old fashioned; some say specs are safer and contacts attract infections. Some say do away with both- lasik is in!

Well to be honest, i like my world seen through my current spectacles. I wake up every morning anticipating the world to be as i had pictured it the day before. Contacts may change that comfortable feeling i have. Lasik, may be a whole new world!

Life is like that isn't? We get so used to a certain way of looking at things that we forget about other means of vision. Sometimes a change in apparatus is akin to finding a new perspective in looking at a situation that has existed for a while.

Sometimes we need to get that change into operation for results to show, for results to be found. But comfort has this uncanny way of giving us false security. What we assume is best isnt always the best.

Time to take a new leap forward...but wear your eyes!

SELAH

OpTiMiSm

Can we really be THAT optimistic? I mean, the world's gone crazy, crime rate is on the rise, abuse is second nature, weather patterns have gone beserk, diseases have taken on humans with a vengence. Can we really believe that the 'sun will come out tomorrow'?

It is hard trying, but that is the operative word- trying. We don't try anymore. We speculate, we assume and we just expect gloom and doom.

I think what is lacking is what I call an 'ant mentality'. I was looking at this trail of ants and I was intrigued at how determined the colony was in ensuring that the colony thrives. Here we are giants in the their land, and there they are with an optimistic streak in them. Some would say it isn't optimism, it is the law of the jungle; but isn't that banking on having an edge by making the most of every opportunity to survive?

Surroundings change but our tenacity to survive should remain strong and determined. It's taking the small steps that even account for the slightest degree of change as an optimistic prick to our desire to move ahead, even if it is a centimetre since we moved last.

SELAH

Rain RAIN.....don't GO AWAY

it's 2.30 am....yes AM! ......and its raining! how i love the sound of rain....the smell of rain too.....it permeates the air with freshness, it represents a cleansing, a renewal, a softening of grounds that have been baked by the sun. Yes i may be getting carried away with my metaphors, but i'm not saying that the sun isn't important; it is....it gives life and it provides light. Yet, we need the rain as much as we need the sun. Both are essential to growth and development.

In life we need sunshine days where everything appears rosy and happy, but we also need rain, inspite of it sogging our shoes and depressing our days! The sun and rain work together, in a beautiful balance that man could never orchestrate....but can definitely contaminate. We wouldn't appreciate the good days if we didn't have the soggy rainy days would we? We would get complacent and take life for granted.

So next time it rains, smile and say 'thank you'.

Next time you have a heat wave, think of what the rain would do to change all that....and smile!

SELAH