It's too late when we die ...

"I wasn't there that morning, when my father pass away, I didn't get to tell him, all the things I had to say.....I just wish I could have told him in the living years"

No matter whom....
father, mother, sister, friends, colleagues, neighbours, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.....
"It's too late when we die....."
quarrels, arguments, misunderstanding, anger, etc, in the end, those things don't matter....
Life's short, so forgive, move on and BE TRULY HAPPY !!


The Living Year by Mike and the Mechanics

If only I was aware .... today ...... all the time ....

If only I was aware today, I wouldn't have gotten so annoyed at everything
If only I was aware everyday, I'd be so much HAPPIER !!!

I get annoyed easily, as much as I try not to, I still get annoyed.
Sometime I only see things from my perspective & I want things done my way.
Although it's good to be efficient n effective, especially in the work place (or everywhere else), the world doesn't work that way.
People are different, they do things differently, the think differently, they have different problems in their lives.

So here's what happen today and how I reacted
(or how I react to every little annoying things most of the days of my life.....)

Story 1
I was at a pharmacy with Person A & he wanted to buy a cheap sunblock with whitening.
(fyi : "whitening" or "brightening" cream is very popular for self-conscious people who are naturally tanned)
When I told him the brand was unknown & a whitening properties on a sunblock might not be the best thing to put on your skin, he insisted on buying it. I got so irritated, I left the store.

I can't understand WHY o why on earth would you want to buy a cheap unknown brand sunblock with whitening ? Even writing this, his action irritates me still.
But If I were aware, I wouldn't have just left the store angrily, I wouldn't have disrespected him by labelling him as an idiot in my mind and think of him as inferior to me.
I should just realize that I gave him a SANE opinion (yes I know I'm right) by advising him to get a better product but I should know that the decision lies in his hands and that he's free to think for himself and he can take responsibility for his actions.
Other than that,
Other than thinking that he's an idiot, I should respect him because, fact is, he's someone dear in my life and who has done SO MUCH for me and he truly does deserve A LOT of respect from me.
So If I was aware of that thought & that fact, and if they came first in my head before I start dissing him off and got angry at him, I wouldn't have gotten so annoyed, instead I would just stay calm and things would've been great today :)

btw... I could always steal that cheap unknown brand sunblock, throw it out and get him a new and better one :) Yes I should respect his decision to buy that sunblock, but sorry man, if something might and could harm you, I should do something about it ;p
See.... it's a win win...... without being annoyed and ruining the day.

Story 2
I find Person B annoying, he sings crappy songs out loud, out of tune. Sometimes he sings like a crazy drunk lunatic and he doesn't drink at all.
Even worse,
His jokes are off.
His comments are annoying, which explains why he has no friends.
Sometimes he acts like a crazy dictator and expect you to "obey" his weird old fashioned "rules"
He complains on every little detail and is quite a clean freak but he's very lazy to do the cleaning himself.
He walks really slow, like a zombie who's really lazy.
Anyway.... I don't talk to him. I don't respect him. I don't like him.
So... everytime he sings crappy songs out loud, I don't like it, it annoys me BIG TIME.
Everytime he makes weird jokes, I would just roll my eyes.
Everytime I heard that he's acting all bossy, I hate him even more.
and I let all that negativity fill me up. I just let it, I'm not aware of his positive traits, of what he does everyday.
Yes he's a lousy singer who specializes in crappy songs, his sense of humor is none existence, and he can be very bossy and super duper annoying,
BUT BUT BUT BUT.......
He is a very hardworking guy, He wakes up early, he spends a lot of time driving in unbelievable crazy hectic traffic and he has to deal with a quite a lot of annoying obnoxious people every day.
So when he got home tired & stressed out, I think he can whine a little and be bossy. (okay, maybe not so much, but it's understandable)
So he sings crappy songs out loud, maybe that's how he vents after a crazy tiring day, so let him.
Even though he complains about little things, he never actually points out someone else's past mistakes (okay he does that sometimes) and he never mentions this one HUGE FAVOR he did and gloat about it.
So, knowing all his positive points, the part where I say "I don't respect him. I don't like him" is way way too hard on him, it's just me being mean.
Because realizing all that positive points about him .... I DO respect him now !!
I don't have to pretend that I like his jokes or talk to him much, but I now think that he's a good guy and I feel so guilty and ashamed to have thought that I was better than him.
I think tomorrow when he sings his heart out, I'd just smile and wish it makes him happy :)
okay...I'll try.... hey man, for me it doesn't really happen overnight, I'm really curious what radio station he listens to that make him sings all those ridiculous songs and I still do get annoyed, but not as much, you see, I'm learning here, I'm accepting, I'm understanding, I'm letting it be and I realize now that he's actually quite alright :)
Baby steps, you see, there'll come a day when he sings all the crappy songs out loud n out of tune and I'm happy about it (or I'll learn to block the voices out or I'll have my mp3 player on) but for now, his singing doesn't bug me as much.
See... that's what happens when you're aware. You realize & admit your mistakes and you try to correct it and be a better person.

quote from Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
"Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out"

Story 3
Don't you just hate it when there's a long line at the cashier and the girl scanning the barcode is working super slow and ignorant of everyone ????
Don't you just want to yell at her ??
What to do ?
Well, you can complain to the manager and hope she gets a warning
or you can stay quiet but cursing on the inside --> really bad for you.
or you can just calmly wait for your turn and stay in a "happy and grateful" / "aware" state of mind all the time.
Why ?
You don't know why she's working really slow.
You can ask her, she could tell you why or she could just lie.
Either way, you won't know "Why?" and it doesn't matter, really.
Maybe she's just plain annoying
or maybe she has so much in her mind, problems she can't solve, financially perhaps or a sickness in the family.
or she's angry at her minimum wage and lack of skill so she's stuck being a cashier all her life.
or maybe she's ill but she still has to come to work anyway.
maybe her boss just accused her of something she didn't do and she just got pissed that she had to take the blame.
You don't know and You probably will never know why.
(unless she's your employee, then she gets a "friendly" warning and maybe a little nudge in the motivation department, etc etc)
But hey.... it doesn't matter......
Don't let an extra 5 mins standing in line ruin your whole day !!

Just realize that other people have issues in their lives, so we need to stay aware that whatever happens to us and our surroundings, we need to stay in a "happy & grateful" state of mind and don't let the negativity brings us down and ruin our day, or worse ruin our lives.
Being aware, being happy and grateful all the time, doesn't mean you smile non-stop like an insane dude, it just means you're awake and you realize what you do and how you choose to let outside things affect you.
Being aware also mean being respectful and understanding to others. Like you have made mistakes in the past and you're now constantly trying to fix them and be a better person, and you try on daily basis, and maybe because you yourself is not always 24/7 "aware", you might still offend other people without realizing it. So other people, too, are probably on the same 'journey' as you are in.

Don't think you know everything, because you don't
Focus on the good of others
Remember baby steps
Be Aware and Be Happy :)
Forever

No time to get angry.... No time

a quick one.
I know some ppl are super unbelievably annoying and unreasonable
and you can't accept that and you can't help to wonder why why WHY WHYYYY ???
and they make you frustrated and angry and annoyed
bla bla bla bla bla

So....
if you stay awake and aware
You know that there are greater things to do
Greater problems to solve
Greater dreams to pursue
There are more important things in life other than letting their rude manners / offensive behaviour / negativity to affect you.
Now.... once you're aware and awake at all times, and you know those facts
You don't have much time to complain
You won't have any time at all to think about it

When you're busy pursuing your dreams
When you're busy doing what you love
When you're occupied helping others and doing BIG POSITIVE things in your life.
You are focused at your Goal
You won't have time to be offended or angry anymore.
They don't bother you anymore.
Even if it crosses your mind, you're definitely going to ignore it, automatically.
Why ?
There are more important things at your hands right now.
Those minor things won't matter

What matters are the POSITIVE things that you're doing or you're going to do.
IMPORTANT things that will get you somewhere, make you someone.
You are automatically focused on positive things in your life,
Your Life, Your Dreams, Your Goal, Your good deeds, Your Families ....

Now you see ? :)

We are the miracles

My sis just had a baby girl, and the first time I saw her, I knew I saw a miracle, that she is the perfect gift from heaven.
that she can be anything she wants to be, that everything is possible.

We were all once babies.
We were all the miracles brought into this world.
and Guess what ?
We are still the miracles.

I know some of you think that you're now a failure and it's too late for you to change.
Just remember this :
You were once the miracle and You still are the miracle !!!
No one can ever change that.

Once you realize that you still are the miracle,
You know what you must do now :)

"You are looking for miracles, that's the problem.
You are the miracle ! " - Rumi

We're all different, Accept it, Let them be

Story 1
I seriously don't understand people who watch cheesy soap opera. I think they're cr*p and a waste of time.
How can people get addicted to it ?

A family member who's smart & successful loves to watch cheesy soap operas. I'm annoyed everytime he turns up the volume and watches it (yes, it's a he)
I even think it's killing his brain cells and I'd grunt and roll my eyes everytime he's in front of the TV.

But then it hit me.
I watch TV Series.
I watch Supernatural, Grey's Anatomy, Glee, etc etc
I like them.
What if someone comes up to me and said "Why do you watch those cr*p ?"

After a busy day, it's pleasing to watch those TV Series, that's how I unwind.
And since people are different, they unwind differently too.
So....No more complaining... I'm gonna treat him with respect.
Apologies from me.
altho I still think watching cheesy soap opera is a waste of time, but hey.... Respect :)

actually watching TV is not always a good thing, but that's for another discussion ;p

Story 2
You know how some people are cheesy, loud, laugh at jokes that you think are NOT funny, dress really old fashioned and think they're cool, buy branded stuff only with gigantic logo so everyone could see that it's expensive, somewhat rude, etc etc
and You just can't stand them because they annoy you so much ?

Well.... Some people are like that, let them be, hopefully they'll evolve and grow out of it.

I remember when I was younger and I thought I wore the coolest T-shirt ever because it has a famous brand written in huge bold capital letters. yup that was me.
Looking back, I realize I liked that T-shirt because people will know that it was a famous and expensive brand.
Oh boy......

Some of my family member gets really loud when they get together in public places, it doesn't really bother me, but it may bother strangers sitting next to them.

Then someone else in my family likes to sing, like all the time, He sings cr*ppy songs loudly, out of tune. This one bothers me big time, all the time.
Like I wanna run up to him and stuff smelly socks in his mouth.
Yup.... still working on that one ;p

So, the point is ,
Let them be
There's nothing you can do
Why annoy yourself ?
Let them be and be free
Simple

Your wish came true, so what now ?

You're problem free now.
Your prayers have been answered.
Miracles happened.

Is it time to celebrate ?

Problem free, Debt free, doesn't mean that you're free to do whatever we want. To go on a shopping spree, To travel all around the world, To live the American dream (as advertised by the somewhat manipulative media)

Remember what you've learned from your experience.

You asked God for help
You prayed hard
You've never prayed more in your entire life.
It was a sense of urgency, you didn't know who else to ask, so you came to God, or maybe it was Him who pulled you closer.
You hoped for a miracle and it happened.

So what now ?
Some of use would pray less, finding excuses not to go to church.
Why ?
The sense of urgency is gone, The problem is gone.
So, right after you got your miracle, you pull yourself away from God ? because you're lazy ? because there are more fun things to do than praying or than going to church to say "Thank you God ?"
If an old friend lent you money, wouldn't you be so very very grateful to him and you'd be super duper nice to him whenever ? Why is it when it comes to God, you think it's okay to skip ? to postpone ? to stall ?
I know sometimes going to church is really really sleepy and boring, but let's be honest, sometimes it isn't, in fact, sometimes it makes you very peaceful, even if it is only for 5 seconds.
So why stop now ?
Do you want another huge problem to arise to remind you ?

We need to keep on praying.
It's talking to God, We need to stay close to Him, to feel a longing to be closer to Him, to be thankful/grateful, to be a better person, to be a better child of God, even in the littlest things we do in our daily life.
Simple things such as : Were we polite ? Did we say thank you ? Did we help someone out today ?
We need to be awake and stay aware in our lives so that we are living a worth life.
(A good book is "Awareness" by Anthony de Mello)
Remember that We still need to ask for His help for our future dreams and wishes to come true and we need his blessings to achieve all that.
So, No pressure whatsoever, Don't feel burdened that you have to pray or go to church. "Oh I'm so tired to pray" "Oh I didn't get enough sleep last night".
And don't feel like, "I'll pray some more until I got my second wish granted, then I can do whatever I want". That would be wrong.
Wanting to talk to God and be closer to Him should be a feeling of longing that comes from your heart. It should be a pure intention of gratitude.

We need to remind ourselves of what He has done for us and that is by being thankful and grateful, and that happens we we pray. Praying doesn't happen only when you're sitting down in church or alone in your bedroom, you can pray even when you're on a bus, when you're in a meeting, when you're having dinner with families, being grateful is also a form of prayer. That's why it's important that we stay aware at all times. To always be grateful , to be in control of our mind, to want to help others, to know our purpose in live.
If you wanna know more about awareness, I recommend the book "Awareness" by Anthony de Mello, it's not boring, I promise you.

Stay Humble
When you were "down" there and people treated you with disrespect. Let them.
Now you're back on top, forgive and stay humble.
I think by now, you know better that it's the right thing to do.

You know how some TV hosts or journalists say that the nicest people they've interviewed are successful hardcore Rock Stars and the most annoying obnoxious ones are newcomers with only 1 single that made it to the Top 10 list.

It's simple
- When people treat you with disrespect, you don't get angry and offended, you forgive and you move on.
- You don't treat others like dirt, You treat everyone with respect, equally.
In your darkest hours, You were given a taste of what it's like to be the underdog and be treated like one. People treat you badly, disrespectfully, rudely, NOT so that you can take revenge on them when you're back on top, NOT so that you can treat others disrespectfully once you gain your "power" back, but so that you learn from it.
and really, there's no "power" in status or money.

If you expect people to treat you like a king because of your money/status, then you've learnt nothing at all.
Don't expect a special treatment from anyone, Don't even expect anything, Just be a kind hearted humble person who treats others with respect. Period.

The more you have money means the more you should realize that money isn't everything. You should be aware of that, at all times.

Your promises
When you prayed in your troubled times, You must have made some promises.
"If a miracle happen, I'd give away a percentage of my income for charity."
"If my prayers came true, I'd go to church every Sunday"
"If I get my wish, I'd never tell a lie again."
etc
Well, now that you've got your miracle, it's time to keep your promises, whatever it may be.
Even if you didn't make any promises, it's always a good idea to reach out to help others.
You can do it either way you prefer, if you want to start by helping people anonymously, start by doing so.
If you're an outgoing active person, you can be more hands-on.
It's now time to give back.
We actually have responsibility to listen to our conscience, to listen to God as our guide, to do good deeds.
But you do it because you want to, not because you think you have to, but because the heart wants to.
Either way, Helping people will make you feel really really good inside :)

Debts, Financial crisis, and Prayers

yup... when you have a Financial Crisis which leads to piles of Debts after Debts, Happiness seems to go right out the door.
Yes you have the rare occasional fun-filled outing with friends, Laughter with your kids, Going out to a Great Movie / dinner, Minor Shopping with credit card installments, etc etc, but deep down inside, You worry, You fear, You're not happy, almost all the time.

First,
it's good that you're able to get out and find moments of happiness.... don't shut everyone out altogether, get out every once in a while, Have fun, you need it.

Second,
Keep your mind focused and clear and Start doing what you can, Do it now, Keep trying, Do your best.
Ask for help from friends and families if you must.
and Pray !
When you pray, Have Faith in God, Be Patient.

Here's my story :

Debts... yup
It's been 7 years now
Imagine living in debts for 7 years.
It's like being frozen in time for 7 years, at least for me.
Somehow, between paying bank interests and daily expenses, we manage.
We have incomes but expenses are slightly bigger, still, we manage.
We're happy, but we worry deep down.

But it's good in a way.
I learn that some people are not stingy, they just need to save.
Hey..... Restaurants are okay, but Expensive Restaurants ?, we'd feel guilty if we did go there, it'll only add to our credit cards debt.
Overseas vacations ? what vacation ?
But we stick together, we're good, we have what we need.

then recently,
one of the banks threatened to auction one of our properties. If that bank did go on and auction that property, the price's is probably only third of the normal price.
So we panicked.
Deadlines are approaching, it was kinda chaotic.
We needed to get a loan, fast.
We needed to sell that property before the bank auctioned it, fast.
and Fast didn't happen fast.
panic panic panic
1 day something would seems promising, the next day it was nothing
1 day another thing is looking good, the next day it was canceled
it goes on and on and on and on
It's been a roller coaster ride these past few months

We prayed daily, we never prayed so much before.
We grew stronger as a family.
We learn that we need to be patient and trust Him.
We keep on trying our best to find a solution.

and After a few months, at the very last minute, at Christmas
It was a perfect timing that just happened suddenly.
we got a loan
we got an offer on the property
everything is looking up now, pretty soon, we're debt free.

How did that happen to take place perfectly in time ?
We've been praying for months with no answers, but at the exact last minute, help came.
Isn't it amazing ? I say it's a miracle. our Christmas miracle. :)

So what do we learn ?
- We learn to be patient for God to answer our prayers.
- We learn that prayer is power
- We learn that there's always hope and to always have faith in God.
- We learn to trust Him, even when we still worry and have doubts, we have to choose to trust Him.
In our situation, it was a rollercoaster ride, so when we had a "green light" from the bank, a positive sign, we worried still, we doubted the chances, we had "what if's" questions. We shouldn't have worried, we should've stayed calm and have faith in God, because we are in God's hands.
- We learn that God's timing is perfect,
Perfect because, If we weren't "threatened" by the bank that they were gonna auction our property, we wouldn't rush things and take immediate necessary actions. It may seem like a "punishment" in the beginning. "Why now?" "This is gonna end bad" etc, We initially got all panicky and scared, but we got closer to God, because we learn to do our best and ask for His help because He is the only one that can perform miracles, at exactly the last minute, our prayers was answered. Perfect !
- We learn that miracles do happen

btw, when I was a kid, My mum and I was once stranded in an airport with no money to buy airline tickets, a total stranger offered to lend us money, she actually asked what was wrong and offered to lend money.
An Angel ? :)

Other than that ? What do we learn ?
- We learn to treat others with respect, no matter what.
My parents always taught me to treat other people with respect and never to make enemies, They were right, we may need their help in times of trouble.
(Although in this case, those people didn't actually help us, but it's a good point)
- We learn that even someone unexpected (such as the janitor or a food vendor) can be or link you to a potential helper
- We learn to stay humble.
People can be rude when they're ON TOP and they'd feel superior when we need their help and they'd treat us like dirt. We hope that we would never turn into them, ever.
- We learn to always help others when they need our help, just as how relieved we feel when others are willing to help us.
- We learn to never get bank loans ever again, lol

So there's my story.
If you're still in debt or you're still having any problem whatsoever.
Don't lose hope, Keep praying, Keep doing your best and believe that what ever the outcome is, God will give you the best solution according to Him and His perfect timing.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!
God Bless :)

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive. - Mat 21:22
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding - Proverbs 3:5-6
God's timing is perfect , never early, never late, and His plans are what's best for you

Motivational Speakers are ex-failures

You see......

Failure = Low self Esteem
Accomplishments = Confidence
(u have stay humble n modest, tho)

and Some Motivational Speakers are ex-failures
yup... that's why they know so much
because they've been there
they just know
and they've found a way to get back on their feet
we should all too :)

How ?
Hard Work, Effort, Determination, Faith, Patience
and By starting NOW :)

Find out How you work best

Finding out how you work best is crucial
It makes you more productive, more creative, more more more
and You're more comfortable during work.....
actually when you Love your work then it's not work anymore :)
and when you're more productive and creative, you get more work done, you wow yourself with the result, in the end.......................... YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF
You feel satisfied that you've done such a good job
You get that boost of confidence, still humble, but confident :)
You wow yourself
It's a win win

So........
How ?
Ask yourself this : "How do I work best ?"
- Do you work best alone or in a group ?
- Do you need a healthy competition so other people's talents can encourage you to do better, to be better ?
Maybe a role model to inspire and motivate you.
(I need healthy competition, maybe that's my ego talking ;p but other talented people makes me wanna be as good, or if possible, better)
- Do you work better in a quiet environment / noisy / doesn't matter ?
- Do you work best during the day or at night ?
(I find myself work better during the night, but I'm now trying to sleep right & fix my body rhythm, goal is : sleep early, wake up early --> tough to achieve but I'm trying )
- Do you need kind words or honest blunt & sometimes harsh critics to prove them wrong ?
or you may need both :)

Ask yourself more questions !
Know yourself !!
Know How and When and Where you are at best and what you need to support you to reach your dream goal.
Then when you find all that out, YOU START !
Surround yourself with what you know will push you forward and Start.
Just Start !!
Not on the beginning of the month, not next Monday, not tomorrow, NOW !!

and give yourself solutions if you know the culprit of your problem :
Lazy much ?
- If you're lazy, even though you like your job, but you're just lazy and easily distracted,
Fight it.
Even famous artists, designers, businessman, photographer, etc still get that lazy attack
Just Fight it !! Force yourself at first, and after 5 mins into it, you'll be so into it you wonder why you were lazy to start in the first place.

- Create a situation where you MUST do it
If you lack motivation / will power to fight Lazy, then Create a situation where you can't run/hide/postpone/stall.....
Promise a Deadline !!! That usually work like a charm.
Work for someone else, so either you do or get fired ;p
Declare you goal & deadline, so you'll face humiliation if you don't finish / succeed.
etc

- Have Patience
Don't rush things and Have Patience
Don't expect to work hard for 2 weeks and expect instant success with multimillion dollar deal
Just stay motivated, Have discipline and start by doing... Do do do do and do
Lazy will come back... Fight it
Losing Hope and Disappointment might appear, Don't let it shake you.
Just keep working hard and enjoy the process. Focus on your dreams !!
Know in your heart that if you do things right, if you keep at it, you will eventually get there.
and I do hope you get there :)

Do you feel like a failure and you can't get out of it ?

After a while, a long while, you forgot about your goals in life.
you forgot about the stuff you love doing / passionate about
you forgot what it feels like to have that spark of excitement
it used to sparked even just by thinking about it, now.... u forgot what it's like
you forgot what they feel like, to live life filled with hopes and dreams, accomplishments and confidence, to be good in something u love doing.

Instead you live a zombie life
You constantly feel like a failure.
you can't sleep at night,
you don't feel like waking up in the morning because there's nothing to look forward to,
wandering doing nothing during the day, waiting for the golden opportunity to be presented upon you out of thin air, or maybe winning the lottery ;p

The more you let it, the more it ruins your life, the more "lost" you get.
You just forgot what it was like.
You don't know what you want anymore, you are without purpose/mission.
Life becomes boring, you forgot when the last time you laughed so hard, out with good friends, feel good about yourself, like you've accomplished something good in life.

You choose to hide
You sink deeper
You avoid friends,
you're too lazy to do anything,
you're not sure what you want anymore, you kinda want it, but not really coz life seems "fine" right now..... "fine" you say ??
You're in denial

Really ask yourself what you want
because deep down, you know
It's haunting you, but you're afraid to go there
You're afraid you'll fail and embarrass yourself in front of everyone.
You're afraid you're not good enough, you feel you're not ready.
you say to yourself "Now is not the right time" as an excuse
your suppress the fear, the guilt.
So you postpone, you stall, you keep it for later

Days become Months become Years
5 years have passed, 7 years, 10 years have passed
Everyone else has moved on
Friends and Enemies have moved on
Younger siblings and cousins have moved on
They got jobs, good jobs, got promotions, got houses, got married, got kids, more kids.
and you're still standing in that same spot, stagnant
No Life, No Life

Don't you think it's time to change that ?
What's that ?
You started to think maybe you're not meant to shine.
WRONG
You feel it inside you, everyday, every minute.
You know you are meant to shine,
You know you're meant to do something more, something meaningful, something you're passionate about, something wonderful.
It's building inside you but you keep on suppressing it.
Cause of fear ? You're scared ? of what ?
of failure ? of hard work ? of discipline ? you fear that so you choose to live a lifeless life ?

Don't you want to be successful and happy ?
Don't you want to make your parents proud ?
Their life & dreams, not to mention money, spent on giving you the life they never had, but you're accomplished nothing.
So what if you have crappy parents or no parents..... So what ? Don't you wanna prove to the rest of the world that you CAN succeed ? That you have such will power and determination to make your dreams come true ?
Don't you wanna wake up excited everyday ?
How you can't wait for tomorrow because it's always gonna be better ?

So get your lazy ass off that chair.

Your dreams....You've dreamed them too often.
You've imagined winning awards and being interviewed by Oprah way too many times.
Time to get into action.

It's hard to start I know.
Lazy will linger in the beginning, or probably forever
What ? you're gonna let Lazy win ?
Fight it !!!

You'll feel lonely and start to think everyone's having fun and you have to....work ?
You'll keep telling yourself, "one more day of relaxing is ok"
But it's not !!!
Fight it !!!
Stay the course, Focus on your goal.

Know what you want and Go for it !
- Make a daily schedule, Set your priorities right.
- Make lists of things to do to occupy your time so you won't spend useless time watching gossip shows or crappy movies.
Don't spend too much time browsing other successful people's blogs & feeling down, wishing their lives was yours.
Focus on your Life !!
Know that it's never too late, never !
and There's always Hope, always !
Your journey starts now
It's your choice
Have Faith, Work Hard, Have Fun

Stick with your daily schedule
Say NO to friends and families who ask you out for daily casual shopping/lunch/dinner, etc
Focus !
Do a 9 to 5 thing if you're working from home.
Have Discipline
Schedule yourself a leisure time, but when you're working --> Work !!
Don't get distracted.
Work but Have Fun doing it.

You also need that list of useful things to do
Why ?
So you don't end yo doing useless stuff
So you always know what you're supposed to be doing !!
Don't end up wasting time because you think you don't have anything to do today.
There's always something to do.
Learn something, Use your brain.

So.... it's all up to you
Your choice
All you have to do is to Start, Right Now :)
Use your brief time on earth well
Good luck & Have Fun !

Why we buy motivational books and never read them

Yea...why is that ?
we want to be better, we buy books
"oh this one will help me be a better person"
"this one will help me be more motivated"
"this one bla bla, that one bla bla"

At first, we read em and we're all excited and ready to change
what's dat....change, you say ? mmm.....change, ey ?

next book u read, u're like....
"I know all this stuff already.... yea yea...."
next book u read, u're like.....
"boringgg......true, but boring"

next book u read will be fiction, science fiction, chicklits (what?), comic books, gossip tabloids
why ?
becoz it's easy.....they don't require you to change
u don't feel guilty if u don't change
especially w the gossip tabloids, u see other people mess up
so it's okay if u mess up a bit

Wait....
So you don't read motivational books coz u don't want to change ?
because it requires effort from your part ?
Let me get this straight, u keep buying motivational books, because u want to change, right ?
but when u're face with the situation of having have to change, u simply dun wanna ?
You want to, but you don't want to ?
Confusing huh ?
That's why u have a pile of good motivational books dusting away somewhere in your home.
You keep saying to yourself, "I'll read it when I have time" but you never seem to have time... Really ? you dun have time to read, but you have time to watch that soap opera / celebrity gossip channel ?
Do you really not have time, or are you really just finding excuses not to read em ?

but here's the thing
motivational books are there to remind yourself of what you already know
u know u gotta have discipline
u know u gotta love life
u know u gotta live life to the fullest
u know u gotta be happy...u gotta choose to be happy
etc etc
u know all that already.....but u just don't do them.
What ? Do you really think in order to be better, you need to read the latest-number-1-selling-book from a certain someone ? and until you do, you can....slack ?
Do you really think that book will give you all the answers to your questions ? the specific techniques to change your lazy habit ?
Yeah some books are that good, but you don't need to read em all, coz if you do, u'll end up reading every book in the universe and you won't start living your life.....u're just back at stalling.

Motivational - self help - inspirational books won't do you any good if you're not willing to change for the better.
and your not reading it is to avoid feeling guilty for not changing today, besides, you already know most of the stuff anyway.
you're just stalling, postponing, avoiding, whatever you may wanna call it, it's the same thing
so it's your choice,
u dun have to read all the books there is
No point of reading all the ways and techniques to be motivated, no point of reading how to be happy if you're not willing to forgive and let go
So it begins from within you, not from a book.
Books might inspire you, motivate you to a certain level, after that it's all up to you.
Do you want to change ? for the better?
It's your choice !!
Take action Now

Don't Fear Life !!

Don't fear life and its challenges !!
Face 'em and triumph !!

For most of us in the land of opportunities.
Reality is supposed to be better than our dreams.
not the other way around.

What are dreams ?
Dreams are your guide, that's where you wanna go, what u wanna achieve.
but then u wake up and u make that dreams come true. u work on it.

But a lot of us dwell in our dreams for too long..... dreams become our comfort zone
Be it sleeping, daydreaming, watching movies, they're all just your hiding place, a place where you can escape reality.
You neglect Real Life and you just keep on dreaming wishing that one day your dreams would come true without any efforts whatsoever.
Those dreams are not real !!

Make your dreams come true in real life.
That's what you're supposed to be doing.
Hey... we're all meant to shine, remember ?

It's a journey,
enjoy every brief unpredictable exciting moment

It's a big creative world out there, explore.
Play it safe , but Don't play it too safe either.
Go solo, explore new possibilities, find what you want.
Most of us tend to go where the crowds go, or where our friends go.
Find out what you really want and Go there.

Don't fear Life and its challenges !!
Face em and Triumph !!
:)

so Make your Reality better than ur dreams.... Now :)

Don't you dare waste your fucking time.

Gabrielle Bouilane
Stage 4 cancer - died January 2010

"Do not wait. If you don't start today, get the fuck up walk out the door and change your life to the best it can be, then when?. Don't you dare waste your fucking time."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gePQuE-7s8c

Don't let this be one of those videos that inspire you for 2 seconds but after you're done watching it, you're back to your lazy self.
Get off that couch.... Start your life
When it's too late.... there's no turning back
Live your life,
you know what your dreams are, work on it, really work on it
You'll soon find out that it's not that hard.... Life is Fun
But you've got to start now !!
Now !!

Read the blogs first !

Old unupdated blogs sometimes have great content
(they're like old books that have great content)
don't get turned off by the date of the last post
Try to see what they have to offer first.
u might find urself a jewel.

Danger at the Gym

So we all know using equipments can spread germs
and especially those mats in group classes.
Imagine hundreds of sweaty people reusing the mats :(
I'd bring my own, but the portable mats are so thin
(I have to use mats because when I bruise easily ;p)
I probably should bring my own and lay it on top of the thicker gym mat,
but rolling my mat would cause both surface to touch, so.... kinda pointless ?

Anyhooooooo..................
My concern right now is LOUD NOISE at the Gym
yes.... they play the music so louddddddddd
I do Body combat, Body pump, Body whatever....
and it's deafening.
what's worse, at my gym, the speaker is not of a very good quality so it's loud and pitchy.
Hey... I'm not cheap, it's a well known gym ;p
The instructors may already have damaged their hearing somehow for listening such loud music everyday.... so they don't think the music is too loud.
I can ask them to turn down the volume, but to do it before every class ?
I'm just afraid everyone's gonna be annoyed at me.
I'm thinking ear plugs would be the solution for me, except, it's gonna be hard to socialize with the others before the class starts.
I'd be like "what ? wait, I need to get this yellow thingy out of my ear first"
and they'd be like "man this girl is so weird"

A lot of people have discussed this in forums
and Research have been conducted that loud music can damage your ears.
Especially if you're a regular clubber or concert goers.
Protect your ears !!!!!

I so wanna get the musician earplugs that's custom made to fit your ear
yes... musician wear earplugs/filters to protect their precious hearing
they filters the loud music so you can still hear them clearly, but not as loud
and yes, they're way more expensive
So I'm thinking to try the foam earplugs first,
although I haven't tried them yet.

Info :

Waxy earplugs may be dangerous
http://atypicalgirl.wordpress.com/2008/06/28/psa-beware-the-waxy-ear-plugs/

Good video on how to fit foam earplugs
You have to roll it into thin tube and insert it in....
I have read the instructions on the box but I didn't really know that the foam would roll so thin
I haven't inserted anything up my ears yet ;p but this is a good video on how to correctly insert a foam earplugs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPNPZJingZA

I tried buying that 30 cents foam earplugs with cord I found at a hardware store.
yeaa... don't buy them, I tried rolling them into a thin tube, it won't roll down, it retains it bulky earplug shape. I know.... 30 cents ;p
I haven't bought the ones sold at health food store/pharmacy tho

Always use your own camera !

So whenever I go to a party or a gathering with friends, we'd take pictures, right ?
I've said to myself over and over again "USE MY OWN CAMERA"
but sometimes I think, oh she's a good friend of mine, I see her all the time, I'll definitely get the photos of our New Year's party from her.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!

For some reason, a lot of people just don't send you the photos.
They don't send it to you via email, they don't upload it to facebook.
They just keep it in their computer and it's not like they look hideous in those pics, they're just plain lazy.

AAAArrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
It's just so annoying..... we had a little get together the other day and my 2 friends brought their cameras.
So I'm like, you are so sending me the photos and they go, of course, I'll even upload them on facebook tonight.
that was 3 weeks ago.
I've asked them to upload just at least 1 photo.
nothing !!!!!
and they're not like super busy or anything,
Well, one of them is kinda busy but the other one is online on facebook almost everyday.
So I seriously don't know why they don't upload the photos....

The moral of the story
If you want to have the photos,
Always bring your own camera, Always use your own camera !!!
period.

Why are people rude / annoying ?

Ever wonder why some people are just plain ride ?
Ever wonder why some people get offended easily....
so very very easily.... that you wonder what exactly it is that you did wrong that might've made them upset in the first place ?
or you even wonder that they're just crazy..... ;p
ever wonder why they're like that ?
I often do.... I often wonder why they're acting like super a**holes.

But we all need to understand that :
First of all....
Everyone's got a story...
we all know that but we tend to forget that.
They may have financial problems, a sick family member, family tragedy, they've been lied to, they've lost a fortune in business, etc etc... or they're probably just pms-ing ;p
But all those details about them, we don't know....
we don't know what they're feeling inside and those things are affecting those people.

and it's not all about you, so when someone is being 'rude or unfriendly' to you, don't take it personal and assume that they hate you, that they judge you, or that they are discriminating you.
while some people are actually a**holes and they are just unbelievably evil ;p, some just have a lot on their mind and they probably just don't have enough patience nor the energy to be nice.
I guess, It's easier to be bitter and negative and hostile towards others.
of course, some people are using their personal problems as an excuse to be an a**hole.

Some people may even have personal problems of their own.
The feeling of failure is one of the most destructive feelings.
It robs you of everything, I suppose.
You pull back and remove yourself from friends because, well, you haven't accomplished anything that you can be proud of and you're just ashamed of yourself.
After a while, you feel lonely
Then you become a sensitive person, meaning , you get offended easily, you get ticked off easily, you expect others to treat you with a decent amount of respect and kindness, when they don't you become angry.....
the worst kinda of angry is the one you suppress ....
You can't let it out, so it's eating you from inside out.
That's also some of the reasons why some people are acting the way they are.
maybe that particular friend of yours that's been avoiding your phone, or that one who's always trying to get away from get-togethers, or the quiet one that always seem so troubled but pretended to smile, and yes.... that lady in the administration office at your school that's always so mean to everyone, the waiter that spilled wine on you and didn't even apologize, the list goes on and one.

You need to understand why they're behaving a certain way and maybe not get offended yourself when they're being rude to you.
then you ask, "if they feel like such failures, why don't they do something about it ?"
well.... some actually are doing something about it, they're probably working 3 shifts a day to cover the cost of their mom's cancer treatment, they're probably trying to cope with a divorce, they're probably trying to cope with the grief of a miscarriage, they're probably trying to look for a better job than this current sh*tty one, bottom line is.... they're cranky, they're bitter, but they're still hoping for a better tomorrow, they're trying to get out of it.
Some probably already lose hope and it's just sad, they need to know that there's always hope, no matter what.

I think we need to 'open' your minds more and try to understand that a lot of them are trying.....
it's hard to be all smiles and peachy if you're working as a credit card sales person at the mall where you spend day after day, week after week, month after month being ignored by us, as the unfriendly obnoxious people. Imagine how they feel at the end of the day ? the end of the week ?
Of course they want a better job, but in the mean time, they're stuck with this one and they feel like a total failure doing a job that they don't like. In the mean time, they need to help pay for their younger siblings school fee and their parents high blood pressure pills and the rent.
No wonder some of these sales person are so persistent that you feel so annoyed at them pestering you. Don't blame them, they probably need need need to be like that....that's probably the only way they now to achieve their goal, so try to understand.

I know their stories are not the same.....
but a lot of them are.
I kinda feel sorry for them and I wish the all the best.

I'm the person who gets so annoyed when people offer me stuff I don't need, they just bug me.
I get offended when I go to a boutique and the shopkeeper treats me with disrespect.
I hate it when I phone customer service and they're very rude.
But I should know better now....
Everyone's got a story and I should try to understand them and forgive them and just let go.
just let go....
besides.... I have better things to do with my life than being annoyed at 1 person from the mall, and I'm not going to let 1 stoopid customer service operator ruins my mood for a fun lunch.

Little things shouldn't bother us !!!
yes... they may come back and try to rob us of our fun moments, but just shake them off..... don't let the negative feeling take over your fun exciting life.
Besides, we have been rude to others too, we have hurt someone too, whether we realize it or not, so.... if we feel bad about it and we want to change to be better, I think we should allow them the opportunity to change as well, right ?
Remember that Life is short..... fill them with smiles and kindness.
Achieve your dreams, keep on trying one day at a time, till you're finally there.
Make the whole journey fun, spread happiness while you're at it :)
Know this, you'll never run out on positive energy, it's all around you, it's in you, it's always been there and it'll stay there forever.

Do people really change ?

I personally think that people don't change.
period.
well... for most people, that is.

of course, life experiences can always make you change
things that happened to you or your close friends might change your perspective in life, it might change they way you think, they way you choose to live your life.
so you can actually change, but it requires a great deal of 'events' from the outside.

but what if you're life is on the peace lane ?
Nothing drastic ever happens to you so far.
You don't seem to need to change, but people kinda want you to change.
example, you're making a good living, you look good, you have lots of friends but you feel that you can be better, because you're always late, you're a major procrastinator, you're a couch potato, you're lazy, you're greedy, it can be many things that you wanna change in your life but you haven't actually step up to it, yet.
So people say "I've known him for ages , he won't ever change"
and you know what ?
there are lots of people like you, thus the saying "People don't really change"

BUT !!!
People can actually change if they want to.

First, you've gotta wanna change
Second, If you really want to change,
you have to be 'awake' most of the time,
meaning, you're really aware of what you're doing, what you're saying, the effects you have on others
that way, you'll pay attention to what you're doing/saying and you'll always try to be a better person and you'll always be improving yourself.
then.... under that circumstances

YES, PEOPLE CAN CHANGE....
you just have to want it and make an effort and stay 'awake' all the time :)

We are actually Ready

Most people don't realize that we as individuals are equipped with everything we need to succeed in life.
We're all useful, we're all meaningful, even the poorest of the poor can prove themselves talented if they just had more chances in life.
and for the rest of us, the ones that are considered the lucky ones, We need to make every second counts.
Each and every one of us is blessed with individual distinct talent.
We need to work on it, tirelessly.
We need to kick "laziness & procrastination" goodbye
then We need to let go of the fear and the "what if I fail?" questions
and We just need to believe in ourselves and the higher power :)
Then one day, you'll get there..... you'll achieve your dreams.
and hopefully, you'll help others to also get there :D

Easy way to memorize things

Record it and play it over and over again.
It does so work !!!

I was going for a piano exam, Royal exam ? Royal what ? I can't remember.
I think there was a theory test as well.
Anyhoo.... there was so much stuff to remember , and I've forgotton most of them anyway...
okay... easy example.... what is staccato, what is legato, etc

So what I did was read them out loud and record it.
I mixed it with some songs so I wouldn't get bored.
put it on your mp3 player, phone, cd player, whatever.....
I'd listen to it whenever I can, and after a while, I remembered everything.
It was so easy, I didn't even have to try to memorize them.
Apparently hearing things over and over again makes you remember them.

That's maybe why it's not a good idea to listen to songs with destructive violent lyric.
Listen to songs with inspirational and encouraging lyrics instead :)

So...............if you wanna memorize things, record it and listen to it over and over again and mix it with some good songs so you don't get bored.
give it a try.... :)