Unexpected Joys in Ordinary Moments

           As I had my normal weekend routine this day that is swimming, I engaged into a conversation with one of the regular attendees of the facility. While hearing the sound of the pool water, I could also sense his excitement as he narrated to me his personal life that after all those years he spent working, he was able to finally reach his milestone: his retirement by April this year. 

          What was amazing for me is his sense of gratitude for all years he spent working with his company. Though he told me that it was not pure joy due to his job's challenges but somehow, all in all he was joyful to have been able to contribute to the growth of his company. He tried to emphasize to me that it was his company that helped him put food on his table. As I listened intently to his story, I tried to reflect my own Company and there is that sense of gratitude for me to be able to contribute to the success of the Company. 

imagecredit: Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

         For my friend, retirement could be a start to a new phase of his life journey yet his gratefulness as well as joy to his past life with his Company is considered as a significant chapter of his present life. How about you, when was the last time you felt being grateful to something or to be overjoyed by the turn of your life's events?

                                                                                 

Be a Gift to Others

          As human beings, one of our basic needs is to be in contact with others. Life is a give and take reality. I always believe in the saying that " No man is an island". Life is a reciprocal relationship in which we invest in ourselves and we acknowledge the presence of the other person. Thus in relation to this, we can ask ourselves "How could we, in our own way, be gifts to others?" 

         Some of the ways that we can realise this is through the following: practicing empathy, listening actively, showing kindness and generosity, offering encouragement and support, sharing knowledge and skills, being realiable and trustworthy.

          On practicing empathy, learn to put yourself in the other person's shoes. By so doing, this allows you to understand his perspectives, experiences and feelings. Aside from this, also learn how to extend genuine concern and compassion to his well being.  On listening actively, assimilate to be free from any bias and never put judgment on the other person. When situation allows you, consciously give support and validation while keeping away from suggesting any solution. 

imagecredit: Image by Djordje Vezilic from Pixabay

         On showing kindess and generosity, keep yourself away from making any judgment and bias even if you are tempted to do so. Being generous of your time is such an honourly act that it results a smile on him. Just complimenting someone of a job well done could be a simple thing but for the other person, it may be a big deal. On the other hand, on times of difficulties, master the art of extending affirmation and words of relief. 

          Meanwhile, being able to share your knowledge and skills could result to being an invaluable thing to others. Becoming a companion to other's journey results positively since it is a relief to realise that we have a shoulder to lean on to make the load lighter. 

                                                                            

Kindness is the Sweetest Form of Revenge

          One precious activity when time is at my side is to listen to stories about people. And recently I had the pleasure of hearing the sharing of a friend. Her story's gist is that she was unlucky to have people in her life who were unsupportive of her goals and dreams. She doesn't feel accepted and welcomed in their lives.  However, instead of doing the exact negative thing, what she manifested to them was humility and kindness. 

Imagecredit:https://pixabay.com/photos/portsmouth-england-old-town-uk-713991/

          Yes, the finest form of revenge is at times being better---killing them with kindness, success and a smile. In her case, nothing frustrates her haters more than seeing her thrive. It clearly sounds like she might be dealing with some resentful and jealous people. Its logical to feel that sometimes but it can also be an opportunity to reflect- why does her success or even just herself bothers them. However, instead of being down and frustrated, she utilized it as a driving force to level up in her own way. 

          Furthermore, frustration can be a motivation for success. Personally, I also believe on that frustration, when channeled positively, can be a powerful driving force. It can push people to work harder, prove themselves, and refine their gifts. Many successful people, including my friend, have used setbacks, criticism or even jealousy as energy to arrive new heights. The key is turning that negative energy such as jealosy to motivation and action instead of letting it consume you. 

P.S.- Heaps of thanks to my friend, Theresa, for trusting me to hear her story.

                                                                                

How Do You Face Personal Adversity in Life?

          Amidst the challenging times that we are facing nowadays (I mean it is a universal thing presently that mankind is facing such a tested phase with all these negative situations like inflations, low wages, high cost of living, poverty, housing crisis, conflicts and war in places etc. it is but natural for us to panic and be uneasy in the midst of all these hindrances. 

          And how about you, how do you engage and immerse yourself in the middle of this chaotic situation? Personally I would say that there are elements that we should all possess so that we can overcome this test. And these are the spirit of being resilient, extending our support system and self care. 

                                                                                     

Imagecredit: 🌸♡💙♡🌸 Julita 🌸♡💙♡🌸 from Pixabay

          First, resilience will allow us to bounce back from adversities. No matter how difficult the situation is, we should stay calm and never to allow our emotions to take over our heart and head. If we are able to do it, our self confidence will be boosted. In addition, this is essential for us to be able to maintain our mental health. Here in Australia, heaps of cases of people with depression exist since it goes by with the difficult times that we have now.  Of course, I know of some people also who were strong enough to get up in the experience of depression. At the end of the day, it boils down on how a person behave in the face of a difficult situation. 

          Second, extending our support system is very crucial for I constantly believe that we are born to help each other. No one among us could ever survive in such a complicated world just by him alone. We should always acknowledge the presence of others especially those significant people in our life. It is always a give and take situation. Can you feel the security when you think that you are not alone in this life journey? Thus it is beneficial to establish and strengthen our relationships with others. 

          Finally, overcoming today's situation can also be made possible by taking care of ourselves. Self care is very important for it is said that we can only be able to help others if initially, we are healed and in contact of our own reality and dynamics. We will only be capable of extending love to others if on the first place, we are convinced that we are also loved by others. Remember always, learn to go easy with yourself then everything will be on its proper place. 

                                                                              

My Son's First Day in High School

          Yesterday marked another milestone for me and my son since he started his first day in High School on that day. Me and my wife were both excited and nervous as well since it was his first time to ride the public transport by himself. What made us a little bit relax though was by reminding our son to make sure that everything is prepared the night before. This included his school supplies, bag, and uniforms. 

          Knowing that it will be his first time to ride the bus by himself, we tried to orient him where then is the route of the bus and also its point of stop. Thus the day of reckoning came in yesterday as he had his first day in school. We were excited waiting for him in the afternoon. And when he came in, we eagerly asked him how then was the day for him. 

Image by Thomas G. from Pixabay

          As parents, we were also monitoring the school's update through their website and indeed, we were so elated to read those news coming from the school's staff especially from the principal letting us know the developments/ updates for all students' first day in school. At the end of the day, I was telling myself that I need to give patience for my son in his period of transition. 

How to Be a Positive Member of a Community.

         Here in Australia, I am proud to share that I and my family are members of Cloverton Estate in the Northside of Melbourne. And it is always my dream of living in a community that is such a vibrant, fun and a loving one. And I would say that being a good member of a community includes  contributing positively and helping to create a supportive and harmonious environment. Here are tips to follow so as to be one: 

1. Respect Others: We must learn to treat all community members with respect regardless of their backgrounds, opinions, and beliefs. Respect differences and be open- minded.

2. Actively listen: Be a good listner. We should learn to give attention to what others are saying and show empathy towards their concerns and ideas. Engage in constructive and meaningful conversations. 

3. Communicate effectively: Communicate clearly and honestly. Express your thoughts and opinions respectfully and avoid aggressive or confrontational language. Effective communication is crucial for resolving conflicts and misundersatinding. 

imagecredit: Анита Морган from Pixabay

4. Contribute positively: Create a positive impact on the community through your action whether it is through volunteering, sharing knowledge or helping others. Be a prt of the solution and not a problem. 

5. Cooperate and collaborate: Work collaboratively, extend your resources with others to achive common goals. Teamwork and cooperation are essential in any community setting. Extending oneself for the growth of thew community is a very noteworthy action and if each member of the community will do this then most ;probably the community will grow tremendously. 

6. Offer support: Be present to your  fellow members in times of need. Offer help, support or comfort to those who require it. Acts of kindless go a long way.

7. Lead by example: Set a positive example through your behavior and actions. Demonstrating good counduct can inspire others to follow suit.

          These are but just a few tips on how to be a good member of any community. Remember always, no one amonbg us can live alone rather we always need each other. 

Life is Too Short

A Reflection:

     Life is indeed too short. I have been hearing and reading stories about life being too short. I have heard of somebody who has been diagnosed with a stage four cancer at such a young age......or that of a friend who is just on his thirties yet already suffering from a life threatening condition......or those cases we heard when Covid hit us so deep and hard where numbers of people were killed as a result of acquiring the dreaded disease.

 

    Personally I just had my own experience on how fragile life is. Though mine is one not as such a life threatening one yet with my present state, I still was able to reflect how vulnerable life is it. While at work last Tuesday afternoon, I began to feel pain on the lower part of my left leg. I finished work then went home and rested for the night. The next day, while at work, the pain on same spot was beginning to cause me uneasy and uncomfortable hence I decided to go home. The following day, I had check up with my doctor and he mentioned something about condition on my muscles plus some medical terms which for me are hard to digest. 

                                                                        

imagecredit: https://pixabay.com/users/kseniyaegor-8514713/

     Anyway, as I write this post, I am in medications and still experiencing the pain ( though not as intense anymore as of that Wednesday). My condition leads me to reflect how unpredictable life could be. We might be so healthy and strong today but the next day we don't exactly know how life would be for us. Thus, it is so notable for us to spend life to its fullest. We need to take care of ourselves ( I often heard this from a mate at work) and this is so true. We need to keep a constant positive checklist of our  body. Yet reality would tell us that somehow, out of our busyness, we tend to neglect and listen to our body. It's only when we are in a situation that the body tends to complain already through a sickness or any feeling of discomfort that we realise how fragile life is.  

     Being good to our body is a sacred obligation for us and it is done not just for our sake but also for those special people in our life- our family and for all people who loved us.  As I would always remind myself and others, when we hurt or experience pain in ourselves, directly or indirectly, our loved ones also feel the same. So let us constantly be good to our bodies. Be happy and always spread the positive vibes ( avoid any negative indeed).