Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Good thoughts

Today's smile-inducer : 


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Bleu

Today's smile-inducer : Counting one's blessings. 

When I was growing up, and when I didn't what I wanted, my mother would say " Well, count your blessings, and you'll realize your cup has runneth over ". Honestly, I could never understand that. I'm not getting that 3 feet dollhouse I've been wanting forever ? The world is ending ! Blessings ? What blessings ?! 

You know how they say that hindsight is always 20/20 ? Looking back, I realize how melodramatic things seem to be when you're right in the middle of the miasma, but when you take a step back and gain that aerial view, you see how things really are. The thing is, if that was true for something that seemed so important to us years ago, wouldn't the things we hold dear today fade as time goes by ? Why then do we hold so tightly to the things that irk us, and let the things that make us happy slip past unnoticed ? 

I took this picture at a construction that's happening behind the office. Every time I look at the workers at the construction, I see men who toil come sunshine or pouring rain because they believe that it is only by doing so that they can improve the circumstances of their life. I see fathers working hard for their children, young husbands wanting to get something for their new brides, and sons toiling to send some money home for an ailing mother. 

If they can do that, and yet listen to upbeat music, and joke and cajole ... what right do we have to complain about our comfy, cushy lives ? 

I know now what my mother meant all those years back. When you focus on the things that you do have, you lose sight of the things that you thought you wanted, because indeed, your cup has runneth over. 


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Building glass houses in the sand

Today's smile-inducer : Finding out what trust really means. And holding on. It's incredibly liberating when you just let go of the inhibitions that have held you back and voluntarily choose to free fall. 




The best way to find out if you can trust somebody, is to trust them  - Ernest Hemingway

Saturday, August 18, 2012

A shop with books in

Today's smile-inducer : is pretty much self-explanatory. This is a song about books, inspired by bookshops and written by a band who call themselves " The Bookshop Band ". Really doesn't get any better than that. Oh, and did I mention British bands are just utterly delightful ?

Enjoy !  And happy weekend everybody !


"A shop with books in" - a song inspired by bookshops, written for Independent Booksellers' Week 2012 by The Bookshop Band from The Bookshop Band on Vimeo.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Two cents

" The people who are truly ready to get married, are the people who need it the least " 

I've been told ( numerous times ) not to be too vocal on subjects like these, but hey, this is my little slice of thoughts on the world wide web and if you're not ready to accept someone else's view with an open mind, then I urge you to stop reading past this line.  

*****

But then again, thought you wouldn't. So, if you're ready, here's my two cents on weddings and the institution ( interesting how they link marriages to institutions , eh ) of marriage. 

It's wedding season, what with this year being the auspicious year of the dragon, and the fact that age is catching up and friends , left , right and center have been busy tying the knot. Whilst I'm happy for them, it got me thinking about a few points. 

Why is the divorce rate skyrocketing every year? One could argue that ways of life have been evolving and couples no longer need to stay together and iron through their differences when society is quick to sell you escape ladders and runaway cars. However, what if there's always been a seed planted in every relationship, and the way you nurture this, could either lead to whether you build a sturdy family tree, or spend your married life getting rid of weeds. 

Is your wedding a premonition of what's to come ? Weddings, big, small, elaborate, simple, are nonetheless cause for celebrations : regardless of the guests attending ( That great aunt who always had too much to say about everything from your teeth to how many of your children should be named after her, yes, her too ).  They're also the first step you take as a married couple, and the first glimpse into your future together. 

The thing is, have all this attention lavished on the fanfare of weddings caused us to veer away from the true meaning of a couple's union ? Personally, I believe in only inviting the people who truly mean something to me to my wedding ( presuming I'll actually walk down the aisle ). Marriages are something so sacred, so precious, that they're moments that should only be shared with the people who will truly value the meaning behind those two words : I do. They're also a stark reminder of the people who should have been there, but now reside only in our hearts. 

Now here comes the walking on eggshells part. How does culture and tradition factor in these sacred unions. I'm born and raised a Christian, so my views may differ, but I think that people tend to take things too high up a notch with wedding preparations ( Especially if you're asian ). Don't get me wrong, I think that traditions like the tea ceremony are sweet and quaint but all this nonsense about 'saving face' and " let's see who can throw the biggest party because hey, I CAN afford it " just makes the entire affair so cheap. ( Ok, fine, this is a little judgy, but honestly .... carts of whiskey, overpriced dishes of near extinct animals, ridiculous gowns, bawdy jokes and the whole circus ? )  I shouldn't be saying this, but the fact is .. if you have that much money to splurge on getting your guests drunk and making absolute fools of themselves, why not do something meaningful instead ? Donate to charity. Help a child in need. Pay for children who can't afford an education. Give someone else a shot at life. But then again, that's just me and whilst I can't judge what someone else wants to do, I'd like to think that I have the right to not back down on the things that make me uncomfortable.     

I wanted to type " I'm just a girl " but the truth is, I'm no longer just a girl. These are issues that are closer than ever as the candles on that birthday cake grow in numbers, and seriously, they've been bugging me. 

If you've read till the end, and haven't stormed off in a fit of rage at my disrespectful audacity, thank you and thank you very much. I'd like to know though, what do you think ? Do you prefer intimate gatherings because after all a marriage is between 2 people and a higher being, or do you prefer grand affairs ( even if some of those things drive you absolutely NUTS ) ? Will this deeeeelightful mix make things more difficult, or make the entire 'adventure' more worth the ride ?  

Disclaimer : The author apologizes for the verbiage in this post, but not for the thoughts. Not really. 

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

The bravest prayer

Today's smile-inducer : Trust and free falling. 

How many times do we say that we fully trust the word of the Lord, but actually really put into practice whatever comes out of our mouths ? Personally, this prayer would be a challenge for me. It's hard to admit this, but I tend to be a bit of an overachiever. Fast paced lifestyles with close to zero downtime appeals to me, and I get a kick from all that adrenaline rush. It hasn't been a really healthy way of life, not physically, not mentally, and definitely not spiritually. 

I'm relying on this prayer now. As a reminder that when you choose to free fall, don't think of first laying safety nets, because that's just cheating. If He put me on that cliff, He'll catch me when it's time to. 

O God, I beg two favours from you;
let me have them before I die.
First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches !
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say " Who is the Lord ?"
And if I am too poor, I may steal and then insult God's holy name.
- Proverbs 30 : 7 - 9 


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Morning conversations

Today's smile-inducer : Childlike reminders. 

Was reading this prayer with him the other morning. Had to bite back a smile when I realized that regardless of whether your age is in single or double digits, this is still so so very relevant. 

Good morning, God, 

I want to give today my very best, 
Please lead me and help me give my best in all I do. 

In Jesus' name, 
Amen. 

 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Step out and look up

Today's smile-inducer : Faith. Best piece of advice a pastor gave in his sermon last Sunday : " When faced with difficulties in life, step out, and look up " 


People are often unreasonable and self-centred,
Forgive them anyway, 
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. 
Be kind anyway, 
If you are honest, people may cheat you. 
Be honest anyway, 
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. 
Be happy anyway, 
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. 
Do good anyway, 
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. 
Give your best anyway, 
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. 
It was never between you and them anyway. 
-Kent M. Keith

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Flowing with the go

Today's smile-inducer : Letting go and learning to ignore the imaginary roar created in idle thought. Sometimes it helps to sift through the things that matter and those that don't. Oftentimes it's the choices we don't have to make that end up being the ones that do us in. Learning to sit back and let nature take its course. One day at a time, one goal at a time. 

  • Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it - Robert Frost  
  • While they were saying among themselves that it cannot be done, it was done - Helen Keller    
  • Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not a truth - Marcus Aurelius


Simply because looking at them makes me happy :) 

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Potential

Today's smile-inducer : A weed by a spotlight. We walk past it, sometimes we trod on these, but resilient as ever, they grow, stronger, taller. A quaint reminder that sometimes even the most mundane, often overlooked things can stand out when illuminated by the right light. 


Every moment has infinite potential. Every new moment contains for you new possibilities that you cannot possibly imagine. Every day is a blank page that you could fill with the most beautiful drawings. 
- John C. Parkin


Friday, August 10, 2012

Lab lights

Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit - Napolean Hill 




Too many nights for too many months. You're my inadvertent affair. 


Today's smile-inducer : Reveling in the little things. Have always loved how these lights illuminate a still night. It's the end of the week, and whilst there's still lots to be done, it's only appropriate to quote Thomas Edison's " Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration ". 

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Track on

Today's smile-inducer : Knowing what you want, knowing how to get what you want.



Where art thou,
You with the fierce desires,
and relentless spirit.

Where art thou,
You with the carefree laugh,
and crazy banters.

Where art thou,
You with the kind words,
and eyes for others.

Where art thou,
You who knows what you want,
and never lets anyone else say otherwise.

Track on,
You'll make it past the bend,
where sweet surprises mingle with unvoiced desires.

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Uncaged

Today's smile-inducer : Freedom in closed quarters. Snapped this picture of a safety ladder that looked so much like a cage from the bottom up. Ever so constricting on the climb up, it's only when you reach the top that you realize it's been there all this while ; a reassuring presence, steely arms to catch you when you fall. 


Restless souls, sleepless nights, 
Raging hearts, doubting thoughts,
 Flightless dreams still clutched tight, 
Changing perspectives, tirelessly fought. 


I change my thoughts, I change my world - Norman Vincent Peale 

Monday, August 06, 2012

Captain of my soul

Today's smile-inducer : Anticipating the storm, enduring the torrents



Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. 

-William Ernest Henley-

Sunday, August 05, 2012

Seven

7 pictures for 7 hours















Today's smile-inducer :

Time to while away,
Time to explore,
Time to spend the day,
With the one you adore

Friday, August 03, 2012

Moments like these

Today's smile-inducer : Capturing moments, not acts.


You with the heavy head of thoughts, 
miss not
how the sun glides and dips to kiss the cool waters 






Thursday, August 02, 2012

Summer lace

Today's smile-inducer : Looking up and having beauty wink back at you.


Sidle up to me, 
Caress my thoughts, 
I'll blow you a kiss and
You'll leave some change in memory's bank as you walk out the door. 

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

I was drizzle and she was hurricane

Today's smile-inducer : 
Lull me with your words,
Yes you with the silver pen.