“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
Who would have thought that the COVID-19 pandemic would last for this long (and nobody knows when it will end?). Our country has gone into another full lock down. For sure there will be lots of businesses affected by it. With such critical times, many people (including myself) will be feeling uneasy, anxious, uncertain and to some extend, frustrated.
Past weeks, I have been working from home and it takes a lot of effort to balance work productivity and personal life all at the same location. Sounds easy and believe me, it is not. So, take a rest if you must and do your very best.
As a reminder to myself (and leaders out there who are reading this blog), learn to be kind, understanding and compassionate with your team members, colleagues, customers, partners, and your loved ones. The environment, situation and how they are handling their emotions are not easy. Why the need to add more negatives and problems to the people around us?
Let us focus on the positives and encourage the people around us. Provide emotional support and let them know that we care for them. Most of the people (based on my observation, myself included) will be triggered easily, i.e., to think negative or having the thoughts that the job done is not good enough. Instead of letting the feeling of negative to go down the spiral, put a stop by acknowledging them that they are doing all right or provide some pointers on how we can help support them to do better… rather than criticizing that whatever that they are doing is not good enough (people will always fall short; depending on who you are comparing with).
Focus on their strength and let them do more on what they do best. Collaborate or discover who has the talent to perform based on your expectation – unless the expectation is extremely or ridiculously high (also this depends on the expectations and standards of comparison). What I am trying to share is… be kind, caring and seek to understand, not condemn, question nor telling them that they are not doing a good job. Like what my mentor shared with me… “Talk is cheap… opinion is free… and actions speaks louder than words…”
“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” – Albert Schweitzer
I really need to work on being kind to others, especially to my loved ones and the people who are working with me. I look forward to perform my best to be kind, caring and understanding. I pray that God will give me the wisdom, patience and discernment to be a better leader.
Let us all enjoy our journey in life and spread kindness.
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Aristotle Onassis
The title of this blog is left unfinished on purpose… how would you finish the phrase? As I have been in my new role for the past 3 months and frankly, the journey has not been easy… not the work, I do not have any issues with work… mainly people… who has the attitude of “holier than thou”, self-important and low self-esteem who is trampling on others to make themselves feel good… they may not think that they are doing so to others but it surely shows that many are somehow giving the feedback!
Anyway, how I would complete the phrase for this blog’s title will be… “What you focus on… you give power to…” as what my mentor-friend shared with me… the more I focus on the problem, the more the problem will be magnified.
It is not easy to just brush the feelings aside when they keep finding fault with the team and I chose not to do the same as I find it a waste of time just wanting to fight back. Yes, I may be suffering in silence and to react will to make them having the fun of watching me losing it to their unnecessary actions. They may have the thought that I am just doing nothing and being weak… anyway, time will tell and I believe that I just have to focus on doing the right thing, then the results will be realised in time. May not be our time, it will be in HIS time.
I know my time will come, I just have to be patient and keep going. I have been called to this role for a reason. Most people may not know it, I have my purpose. At the end of the day, people only care about themselves. So, I will take the higher road and building my strengths, then when the timing is right, reveal them to the world.
“Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you.” – Ovid
“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Anyhow, I believe that in the eyes of many people who care for me… I am a WINNER! Praise God for that.
I arrived in Kampar, Perak on the 8th November 2020.
Why? I have been given an opportunity to serve and work with young leaders.
Part of the reasons why I did not update this page in November 2020, I was busy settling in and doing what I need to do to get myself started with this new journey that I am venturing.
Frankly, there are a lot of things to do and doing my best to learn as much as I can to shorten my learning curve… so that I can start getting some small wins and outcomes.
Anyhow, it is going to be an exciting journey and looking forward to transforming minds and changing lives… of the people that I am working with and the leaders of tomorrow.
In the midst of this COVID-19 crisis, there are potentials to be unleased and opportunities to work on, I believe it depends on our perspectives – whether we see it as positive or negative… even if the event is a negative one, how we respond / react to it will lead to the outcome.
“There is no failure. Only feedback.”– Robert Allen
I am writing this article based on my own opinion and also as a reminder to myself, the next time I visit and read this article again.
In my life’s journey, I have come across a lot of feedback, I would prefer to cherish the positive ones and learn from the “not so positive ones”.
When we are the person who is giving the “constructive” feedback (and at times it sounded more like criticism), we tend to believe that we are doing something good and helping the person that we are giving the feedback to… and in our minds, we thought that the feedback is a gift to the recipient.
In my humble opinion, it depends on the the following:
how is our trust and relationship with the person?
how much does the person like us?
what is the level of respect from this person to us?
when are we giving the feedback? timing is everything!
how are we presenting the feedback to the person?
what is our level of expertise to provide the feedback?
what is the context of giving the feedback?
There is never one factor when taking action or giving feedback. The situation is normally more complicated then we think.
No matter how noble we think we are giving the feedback to the other person, he or she may not think otherwise…
“Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection.”– Kim Collins
I have received a lot of feedback to date and just the other day, when I was doing a project for a client, not sure what got into me… I was really affected by the feedback from one of my business partners (not that the feedback was really bad or serious)… I believe I got triggered NOT by the WHAT but by the HOW the feedback was delivered.
Can you imagine, how much effort and hard work I have put into this project and to wait for the day to run the session? And how difficult it was to run the session with high expectations and pressure to deliver?
Then suddenly, a message stating that the person is not happy with one thing… how about all the other good things and effort put in?
Then the experience had made me realised that, feedback is only a gift when the other person is ready to receive it… this is one of the surprise that the recipient is not looking forward to get!
There is no perfect situation to provide feedback… ultimately, it boils down to the trust and relationship of the person with us. Even giving feedback to our loved ones, we will need to ensure they are in the right state of mind (mood) to hear what we have to say… Not forgetting to communicate with them our intention of providing the feedback, based on some facts and not just feelings.
No one is perfect and free of mistakes, we are all works in progress. At least for me, there is a need to work harder and strive for excellence.
“Knowledge rests not upon truth alone, but upon error also.”– Carl Jung
All the very best to you and enjoy life’s journey.
“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” – Bruce Lee
Hello there! How have you been keeping lately? As we go through this interesting times, I would like to share the second part of the “Questions to Ponder” series.
Here we go…
1) How are you spending your weekend?
Many of us will be looking forward to the weekend and the question is, how to make the most out of the weekend? Not sure about others, and as for me, I will be doing the activities that I love doing; going to the market (apart from buying groceries, it is a good place to observe all walks of life), have my cup of coffee, breakfast, relax, recharge and rejuvenate. Catch up with my reading, listening to podcasts and attend Sunday service. It is also a good time to plan for the coming week’s focus and priorities… then put that aside… drink some water and relax… slow down and get ready to speed up!
Everyone will have their own way to spend their weekend.
2) How are you using technology to help you?
The use of technology is a part of our lives now, whether we like it or not. The other day, I experienced a crisis at home… what was the crisis about (apart from the COVID-19 pandemic)? The WIFI router decided to die on me and there was no connection to the internet. My kids and I, PANICKED! I was going to do my project assignment, and my kids, their homework and studies online… I was trying to troubleshoot the issue for half-a-day, I even went out to get a new WIFI router! But it did not work… Felt really helpless and stuck for not having any connectivity to the world. Anyhow, I have to resort to my phone’s data personal hotspot… slower speed but at least connected.
Anyway, technology can help us in many ways, I use it for the following:
Online research for my assignments, projects and content ideas;
Online purchases (YAY! Shopping)
Order food and beverages
Make payments (utilities, bills, loans, transfers, etc.)
Virtual learning, workshops and coaching
How about you? What do you use it for?
3) How do you plan to serve others?
Everyone has their own strengths (let’s not focus on the weaknesses), talents and passion. How will you be using your strengths, talents and passion to help and serve others.
Having to discover my life purpose; “Inspiring and Developing Leaders to reach their highest potential for God”, I have decided to use my strengths, talents and passion to help people (leaders) to discover their potential via learning and development engagements.
Please do not underestimate yourself, we may think that our strengths are not significant, I am certain that to some people, they will need help in the area that you are good in. Let’s have an open mind and learn how we can serve / help people, so that our world can be a better place.
4) What good habits do you want to form?
Haha, the meme above may seemed funny… however, the message may have some truth in it. We do not have to focus on cultivating a lot of habits all at one. Just focus on one main (key stone) habit (as per the learning from the book, “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg) and you will be discovering the journey of changing habits (as one behaviour that you change may affect the other areas of your lives).
“And once you understand that habits can change, you have the freedom and the responsibility to remake them.” – Charles Duhigg
Some of the good habits you may be interested in to form:
Exercise, run, walk, sweat and move more than being sedentary
Plan, strategise, prioritize and take action
Read to add value on a daily basis
Sleep and have a good night’s rest
Eat right and in moderation
Be present and focus, not get distracted
Be kind, compassionate and practice empathy
Express yourself, via journal, blog, have a conversation
Invest, spend and do your own financial planning
and many more… let’s start with one first… when you get results, I believe you will be motivated.
5) How do you rejuvenate and restore yourself?
In November 2018, I have shared a blog regarding the same topic… the title of the blog is, “Reboot” and “Refresh” Habits
You may click on the link and enjoy the article.
Should you have anything to add, please do not hesitate to put it in the comment section.
“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise, we harden.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
There you go… the next five -(5) questions to ponder…
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” – Eugene Ionesco
During the month of June, my buddy and I have done the TIK4TIPs chit chat show based on the daily questions that I have for reflection purposes. In this blog (part 1), I will share five -(5) questions for this part as the show was from Monday to Friday and we did total of 25 shows for Season 1. It was a fulfilling and meaningful journey.
Now that I am not doing the Live Show, I will put down my thoughts and answers based on my reflection. Thank you for ready and I look forward to all of us who read to get some ideas / wisdom to help with our lives’ journey.
Question #1: What is new normal to you?
The new normal to me will be doing most of my work via online platform. Since March 2020 until recently (beginning July 2020), all face-to-face training sessions were cancelled; a few changed to online / virtual training and mostly postponed until further notice (most of the multi-nationals still prefer virtual training).
Another will be wearing mask when going out to public locations, practicing social distancing… people will not be able to see your smile and not able to shake hands when meeting.
As a family, we used to eat out almost every weekend and with the movement control order (MCO), I cooked for my family for more than 90 days and have discovered new recipes, improved my cooking skills plus getting to know my family’s food preference better.
My wife also ventured into planting edible greens… our house porch area is full of pots and plants now… waiting to harvest and enjoy the produce of her labour, haha.
Question #2: How do you move to the next level?
“The journey is never ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.” – Antonio Brown
What does next level mean to you?
To me, it simply means, better than yesterday. Have you improved, grown and being better that who you were before? Life is about continuous improvement journey and discovering what you are able to learn / do… a blessing!
It can be simply having better relationship with your loved ones or people close to you. A wider coverage of network; clients, partners, business contacts and opportunities.
Growing spiritually, understanding your own calling, serving the community, doing charity or helping people around you… do whatever that make you feel alive.
Depending on the priority of the individual, to some, next level could be the business / career, and to a few, it could be having the financial stability or overall wellness / lifestyle.
Which area in your life you would want to focus on right now to be better?
Question #3: What is your purpose in life?
“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something.” – Winston S. Churchill
In terms of purpose, it will be very subjective, different people will have different views and why they are living their lives.
I have discovered my purpose and it goes like this:
“My purpose is to inspire and develop leaders to reach their highest potential for God.” (I only discovered my purpose about 10 years ago when a good friend of mine were curious about my career, he sat down with me and started asking me a series of questions that triggered me, to realize my purpose in life).
Once I have decided and have clarity about my WHY, I am more willing to pay the price on the choices that I make (or will make). I truly believe that anything that is worthwhile pursuing, there will be a price to pay, when we are more willing to pay the price, the journey will be somewhat easier.
I would highly recommend for anyone to invest some time to reflect and find out the WHY?
Question #4: How do you free yourself from worry?
“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.” – Swedish Proverb
Just yesterday I had a conversation with a potential client (the client is looking for a life coach) and through our conversation, some how I mentioned that we worry and feel the pain due to we are alive to feel it. It’s part of our live journey and some will lead to more serious health issues (if not treated).
I used to be a worrier and I would be lying if I were to tell you that I am free of worry now. The difference now, I have ways to deal with my worries. Some of the methods I am using to be worry-free will be as below:
Write down my thoughts, all the issues and all that I am thinking off – that will help to clarify my thoughts. What are the resources needed to solve the issues? What are the priorities? If any of the issues are future related, what do I need to do to prepare for them? How can I prepare, to minimize the impact and get the expected outcome?
Have a chat / conversation with someone that I can trust, can be my loved ones, my coach or mentor… they may provide some insights and triggering questions. All that will be “gold nuggets” to me!
Pray and meditate… I believe that, when we are ready for something bigger, we will be presented with opportunities. We will have to accept the challenge and grab to opportunities – then the journey of discovery starts. Be thankful and practice the attitude of gratitude (instead of worry).
“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere” – Erma Bombeck
Question #5: What are you doing to develop yourself?
“Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.” – Morihei Ueshiba
Everyday is a learning and we learn (experience) in different aspects of our lives. What are the areas you would like to focus on to develop?
In most of my leadership workshop sessions, I will share with the participants that the word, “LEADER” comes from two -(2) words; “LEARNER” and “READER“… a leader is a learner and reader… then ultimately, the leader becomes an “EARNER” – earning knowledge, skills and learning perspectives from the resources.
There are many great resources that we can learn from… below are some of them that I am utilizing:
Books and E-Books – library, buy my own, from contacts or internet. My recommendation is to buy own book as at different times of our lives, when we read the same book, we get different learning (as we mature and have grown in wisdom, thus the learning we seek will be different).
Internet – Google, YouTube, Social Media – all the good and bad will be available, it will be up to us to filter what we want to learn and prioritize.
People, contacts, networks – by having conversation, coaching or mentoring session.
Reflection or feedback – we can reflect on our own experience or feedback from the people that we trust and respect (in my humble opinion, not all feedback is relevant to us).
Media – magazines, TV, radio… we will need to filter in accordance to what we want to learn and whether it is positive or not.
There are many resources that we can learn from, it’s a matter of our preferences.
“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.” – B. B. King
Well, that is all for part 1 for now. Happy ready and let me know if you have any extras that you would like to share. I would like to learn from you too.
“Focus on being productive instead of busy.” – Tim Ferriss
It has been about 80 days since the day the Movement Control Order (MCO) started. I have to confess that business is badly affected and I thank God for providing me enough opportunities to date.
How have you all been keeping lately?
This is me keeping myself busy, HAHA!
One of the reasons for me to have this blog site is to record relevant memories of my activities, and who knows, one day, some one would like to know about my life story…
“Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before.” – Franz Kafka
Busy being busy… WOOHOO!
Below will be my activities in the past 80 days and not in any particular order:
Working with my partners on promoting some virtual / remote online training I am blessed to have good partner friends who have included me into their digital marketing plan. Together with one of my good brother, we have presented to many clients and we have branded the programme as “Crash Course Series” which can be done in 60 – 90 minutes. An effective, straight to the point learning and application tools for people who attend the session. The learning here is for us to create our own opportunities and not everyone will buy-in to your ideas. We just have to keep going in this journey of our lives. As what Simon Sinek wrote in one of his books, “The Infinite Game”, it’s a continuous process of learning.
Delivering virtual / remote online training Thank God for some great opportunities to provide learning sessions for clients and the overall feedback was good, some were even surprised that virtual training can be effective and engaging. I truly appreciate the feedback and encouragement. What I have learnt from the delivery, we have to put in extra (boost) of energy level and constantly engaging with the participants as they cannot feel your physical presence, thus we have to use various methods to create the engagement.
Getting news that some loss of business and cancellation of events Every time during this period, receiving this kind of message is really not easy and it weighs down my heart (initially). As a professional trainer, coach that constantly preaching and selling the idea of being positive and motivated… now my actions will speak louder than my words. Like I say to most of my friends, we are now living in an interesting times. It’s a journey of learning discovery. Nil desperandum!
Chin UP!
New Normal of doing things The other day during dinner time, we had a conversation about the lock down and not being able to go out like we used to. In fact, we have not gone out to the supermarkets or malls as a family for leisure, not eating out at restaurants, watching movies and many more that we used to before. That is one of the new normal of lives. Coming back to training, I have also helped one of my partners to deliver a certification programme, the new normal was having leaders from different countries joining the session, borderless participation and learning. My good trainer friend and I had this conversation about using technology to deliver our training, never expected that this would come sooner than all of us thought it would.
Improved cooking and time to perfect the hobby I have to confess that I used to tell people that I do not like to bake as baking was not for me… guess what? Because of this interesting times, I have ventured into baking breads, muffins and experimenting new recipes, making new dishes for my family (thank God that they liked it… HAHA!). Not only that, my wife had seriously ventured into edible gardening and soon, we will get to enjoy the fruits of her labour.
TIK4TIPs Chit Chat Time / Show
TIK4TIPs Chit Chat Time / Show My good brother, partner and friend, Ravi had inspired and invited me to do a talk show with him, I am blessed and honoured to be collaborating with him. We want to leave our legacy behind by adding value to share our discussion / question of the day with people who tuned in. I will be posting the videos in my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp7dGv9pxwNdM7Gf2CxE4gw?view_as=public
Learning and improving video creation skills During this period, I have also received requests to provide short videos and digital content to clients. The only way to learn, is to do the work and by doing, I learn from mistakes. Also the need to do more research on tips and tricks in video creation. I am thankful for the requests that I get to learn more about video creation skills.
One of the videos created
“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.”–Nate Berkus
Learn new things…
There are a lot of things to do and learn, what are the new things and skills you have obtained during this period? Do share with me in the comments. Looking forward to learning from you.
“Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
What’s next after the lock down? What is the new normal? What can we do moving forward? and many other questions…
More than 50 days have passed since the first phase of the lock down. Been thinking a lot of questions and also discussed with some of my friends pertaining to this interesting part of history that I am going to be in. I believe some will be more positive than others and also some who are suffering from this event.
In this blog sharing, the focus will be on preparing ourselves for what is coming, as a disclaimer, I am not a fortune-teller nor having any super powers to see the future. What I am sharing here will be my thoughts and what I feel is needed for myself plus my future generations. Please message me should you have any comments or thoughts about this article. Thank you.
PROBLEM-SOLVING I am drawn to believe that we need skills to solve problems. Be it creative thinking, critical thinking, design thinking, any models or tools. Which one is the best? My answer will be, “The one that you will use effectively…” Especially in times like this, a lot of people, including myself have problems that can be transformed into opportunities… should we know how to solve and turn it into solutions to help people (and the money will come 🙂 )
RESILIENCE “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.” – Michael McGriffy M.D. Imagine if we learn how to be adaptable and build our strength, Working towards being flexible… a lot of the issues will seem easier and we are calmer, thus having the ability to see things clearer then come up with better solutions. In my opinion, resilience means practicing adaptability and flexibility.
ELECTRONIC (Platforms) After talking with many friends who are in the same industry (even in different ones), and having to experience it first hand… there is a need to learn how to communicate, present, run meetings, talks, seminar, coaching, mentoring, team building… using VIRTUAL Platforms. Any platforms, apps, programmes, tools for that matter… there are a lot of information, tutorials and guidelines on how to use them online. We just need to put in the time and effort to learn. Believe me, we need to learn how to operate in E-Platforms, the future is NOW.
POSITIVENESS Being positive here in this article is being productive and generating ideas. That leads to creativity and innovation, another important traits for being a leader. No matter what industry we are in, there is a need to be producing new improved products and services. The best (and fastest) way is to be positive – transforming adversity / crisis into opportunities. Of course it is easier said than done. One tip I have learnt from one of my mentors… do not do it alone, work as a team, synergize and collaborate.
AUTHENTICITY “Authenticity is your most precious commodity as a leader.” – Marcus Buckingham By sharing this, it is also a reminder to myself. I need to be true to myself and others. No need to pretend, just be the unique and original self. Like the word “YOU” which can mean “Your Own Uniqueness”. Just be YOU, no need to be others. I truly believe that by being consistent, sooner than later, people can feel and sense your authenticity. We are all created to be one and only special person. Never let anyone tells you otherwise (another reminder to self).
REPORTING (Data) One of my friends said… Data is going to be the next phenomenon which is going to be more valuable that oil and gold. This is one of the areas that I really need to work on to learn. My data literacy still needs a lot of work. I believe that the future is going to be bright for those who are experts in this area. I have heard some companies hiring data scientist… and there are more opportunities similar to this coming soon.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EQ) Anyone who wants to lead a team (direct or indirect) will need this skill. Being high on IQ is important and if we want to lead in a longer term, EQ will be the focus. Of course, there are more than IQ and EQ, we will not be discussing that in this article. Should you are able to learn how to control / manage your emotions, more great happenings will come your way. There are many good resources out there that we can learn from on EQ.
DIGITAL+CODING This is something that I do not have patience for… when I studied IT many moons ago (oops… not disclosing my age!), I need to do it to pass my exams but now, with the dynamic change in technology… I can barely catch up with this. Well, a wise man used to share with me… if you are not willing to do the job, find someone that will do it but be prepared to PAY THE PRICE! Anyhow, I can imagine, in the near future, this skill will be easier to learn with more straight-forward interface and steps. As long as we are willing to learn, we will find a way to do it.
“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
This year is going to be an unforgettable year for many people, especially me… ever since January 2020, I was looking towards a busy and productive year focusing on what I am going to do. Then the inevitable happened… nobody expected it and it just happened. We are all in this together, no matter who we are and where we are. This event does not care and recognize who is who… and of course some who have more resources will weather through this easier than those who have not much.
The focus of this blog is not on the details of the event, it is just a sharing on what I have learnt so far… please message me should you have any comment or feedback. I do look forward to learning from you as well. Thank you and enjoy some perspectives from me.
“One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity. “ – Albert Schweitzer
What I can learn from this event (so far)?
HUMILITY The virus do not care who you are and the news on suffering of others have made me realized that “life is short!” I need to be humble and ask myself, “how do I want people to remember me (should something were to happen to me)? With tools like social media, I can use it to “brag”, tell others about my achievements, how I am in certain activities and you know what I mean… or I can be doing more contemplation, reflecting on how I can lift others up, doing what I can to take care of people close to me and inspire others to focus on the positives?
“A great man is always willing to be little.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
CHOICE I have a choice to be positive or negative. I can also choose to be bitter with what is happening or with some people who tends to trigger / upset me. I kept reminding myself that I need to choose to focus on the positive. One of my mentors have asked me once (when we were together and some one upset me), “How do you want the story to end?” Thank you for the question and I need to choose wisely. Anyhow, there is always a price to pay to whichever direction that you have decided upon. Are you willing to pay the pay? It will be easier if you are willing…
“In the end that was the choice you made, and it doesn’t matter how hard it was to make it. It matters that you did.” ― Cassandra Clare
CREATIVITY In times like this, especially when the government has enforced the Movement Control Order (MCO), with my son who is active and who wants to play… I have to wear my “creative hat” and come up with some simple activities… one of them is to convert our dining table into table tennis… well it has been about 20 days for the MCO… so far we (including the mom) are enjoying playing the game of “modified” table tennis. There is definitely no end to a creative mind. What are you doing to be creative? Care to share some creative activities that you and your family have come up with?
“The sky is not the limit, the mind is…”
PATIENCE Everyone is spending most of the time together at home and there will be some conversations that will test your patience. I have learnt to perfect practice patience to listen (with the intent to understand, rather than to answer), expecting less on the things I want people to do and negative postings in social media. Remember, we have a choice…
FRIENDS I also realized who are your good friends and the importance of having some close friends (that is good enough). How can we help to cheer our friends up and go through this journey together. I am sure one day when this is all over, there is much to share and laugh about!
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”– Walter Winchell
How to cope with the event?
Below are the 10 -(ten) things you can do to cope with the event… I am sure there are more, let’s experiment some of these, to start with… all the best!
FOCUS – make a choice to focus on the positives and do the things that will add value to your own self-development.
QUIET TIME – have your own “ME” time, to do reflection, listen to relaxing music, journal, pray and meditate.
COOK – good time for new cooks and great time for experience cooks to experiment new recipes.
PLAY – make time to play, embark into your hobby and discover new games.
COMMUNICATE – call your family members, friends and partners. There is so much to talk about and discuss; good old times or future opportunities or just a conversation.
EXERCISE – keep yourself active, or you can be creative to play some indoor sports with your loved ones or even pets. There are a lot of good resources on-line that you can use as reference.
FOOD – enjoy the fruit of your labour (from own cooking or as a test subject from new cooks). Think about those who are less fortunate, be glad that we still have food on our table.
READ – reach for the books you have read before, I truly believe that if you read it again, you will gain different insights. There are also a lot of good on-line resources to learn from.
ON-LINE ACTIVITY – e-learning courses, articles, shopping, videos, social media… so many positive things that we can get from the internet.
TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME – smile if you can wake up in the morning. A good practice to be having the attitude of gratitude…
My prayer is for everyone to be safe and healthy. Keep going and there is so much to learn from this journey that we are embarking.
