Use our freedom years to best advantage
Benefiting both ourselves and those around us
What are our hopes and aspirations for the years ahead?
What are we particularly looking forward to?
What hindrances do we expect to waylay our plans?
What other worries lurk in the undergrowth?
Retirement is an open gate to the future. We have the opportunity of moving into new fields at a pace to suit ourselves and develop new skills and use old ones.
What do want to achieve that we have not achieved so far.
List our options and strategies for doing so. Set out an agenda for change,deciding where and how we are going to erect our new stall. Continue to contribute to the good of ourselves, our families and society, just as we did in the past.
Readjust circumstances to our requirements
Have a positive attitude
Care and not be in denial
Make it our business
Have ambition
Have an open mind
Have control over our lives
Recreate our sense of self-esteem
Continue to act as decision-takers rather than followers of orders
Don’t let those wrinkles invade mind and soul
Do not be too judgemental or mean.
Have a good sense of humour
Try laughing- have a smile, a happy expression
Build new relationships and continue to network by joining clubs and interest groups
Keep healthy with proper food and exercise
Be fit and mentally agile
Communicate effectively with the younger generations
Manage our money and financial advisors
Use freedom years to learn new tricks
Work on projects to give sense of meaning and purpose to life
Keep learning and exploring ways to make life better for self and others
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Embracing the fullness of life- In the moment
Celebration of Life’s daily moments
Both the small and large events of life lend value and texture to our lives.
If we don’t put effort into celebrating these moments, they can be lost and the very texture of living goes with them.
We should integrate all elements of our life and connect within outside and ourselves, across the generation preceding us and into the future. The function of celebration is to do all this and in doing so, to help us create our own legacy and legacy of our time.
How can we use our resources to strengthen our connections with others rather than insulate ourselves from the challenge of closeness?
We can overcome inner obstacles and choose to bring that richness into our lives and the lives of those around us, then the celebrated life is without our grasp.
What are the elements of celebrations
Recognise the moment
Name the moment
Share the moment
Open ourselves and bring ourselves forth most fully into a thoughtful and sensory awareness of the moment
Acknowledge mystery and awe
Move backward to the origin and regrind and polish to remove or repair flaws and blind spots.
Both the small and large events of life lend value and texture to our lives.
If we don’t put effort into celebrating these moments, they can be lost and the very texture of living goes with them.
We should integrate all elements of our life and connect within outside and ourselves, across the generation preceding us and into the future. The function of celebration is to do all this and in doing so, to help us create our own legacy and legacy of our time.
How can we use our resources to strengthen our connections with others rather than insulate ourselves from the challenge of closeness?
We can overcome inner obstacles and choose to bring that richness into our lives and the lives of those around us, then the celebrated life is without our grasp.
What are the elements of celebrations
Recognise the moment
Name the moment
Share the moment
Open ourselves and bring ourselves forth most fully into a thoughtful and sensory awareness of the moment
Acknowledge mystery and awe
Move backward to the origin and regrind and polish to remove or repair flaws and blind spots.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Trip to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa
After working for eight weeks, it was great to go on holidays again. This time, hubby and myself booked budget air tickets to go to North Vietnam.
It was indeed a relaxing holiday after that eight weeks of hard work. We spent a total of eight full days not including the night we arrived and the morning we left for the air port.
We were completely satisfied with the hotel, which though small was clean and comfortable.Taking tours from the hotel was not advised by those seasoned travellers on the Internet. However, it turned out to be the right decision as we were satisfied with the tours to Halong Bay and Sapa.
There was ample chance to meet up with fellow travellers to exchange our experiences with one another. Particularly, it was interesting to befriend a French couple from Lyon,an English couple from England besides more acquaintances from other countries such as Australia, Germany and America.
The view at Halong Bay was exhilarating, especially the wonderful staclactites and staglamites at Surprise Cave and the calming effect of the Bay in the light drizzle.
We did a lot of walking at Sapa but the view of the highlands and terraces were inspiring.The overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai or old street was a memorable experience.The return journey seemed less smooth as the train felt as though its carriages were about to disintegrate completely!Memorable too was the happiness expressed by the Canadian sixty- two year old man who had come to Vietnam to meet his sweet heart whom he intended to marry soon. May the Lord bless their marriage.
The trip had been most educational too as we learnt more about the Vietnamese people who were ruled first by the Chinese then by the French.To gain her independence the country had gone through the long Vietnamese war.
Vietnam is still in the process of modernisation. Her people have to work very hard to survive and tourism is one avenue for the people to get out of the poverty cycle.
The water puppet at Hanoi was entertaining and the Vietnamese cuisine was comparable to the food that we eat at home.
The Vietnamese hotel staff pandering to the Westerners seemed disgusting at first till we put ourselves in their shoe and understand their reason for doing so. Once we adjusted our thinking, we were less judgemental and more loving towards these gentle Vietnamese who seek to delight their customers.
All in all, it has been a most wonderful holiday. The Hmong guide at Sapa is one of those whom I will not forget for her perseverance to learn English and enterprisingly looking forward to a better life for herself and her family. She is filled with hope for the future and I know that she will be successful with her perseverance and hard work.
It was indeed a relaxing holiday after that eight weeks of hard work. We spent a total of eight full days not including the night we arrived and the morning we left for the air port.
We were completely satisfied with the hotel, which though small was clean and comfortable.Taking tours from the hotel was not advised by those seasoned travellers on the Internet. However, it turned out to be the right decision as we were satisfied with the tours to Halong Bay and Sapa.
There was ample chance to meet up with fellow travellers to exchange our experiences with one another. Particularly, it was interesting to befriend a French couple from Lyon,an English couple from England besides more acquaintances from other countries such as Australia, Germany and America.
The view at Halong Bay was exhilarating, especially the wonderful staclactites and staglamites at Surprise Cave and the calming effect of the Bay in the light drizzle.
We did a lot of walking at Sapa but the view of the highlands and terraces were inspiring.The overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai or old street was a memorable experience.The return journey seemed less smooth as the train felt as though its carriages were about to disintegrate completely!Memorable too was the happiness expressed by the Canadian sixty- two year old man who had come to Vietnam to meet his sweet heart whom he intended to marry soon. May the Lord bless their marriage.
The trip had been most educational too as we learnt more about the Vietnamese people who were ruled first by the Chinese then by the French.To gain her independence the country had gone through the long Vietnamese war.
Vietnam is still in the process of modernisation. Her people have to work very hard to survive and tourism is one avenue for the people to get out of the poverty cycle.
The water puppet at Hanoi was entertaining and the Vietnamese cuisine was comparable to the food that we eat at home.
The Vietnamese hotel staff pandering to the Westerners seemed disgusting at first till we put ourselves in their shoe and understand their reason for doing so. Once we adjusted our thinking, we were less judgemental and more loving towards these gentle Vietnamese who seek to delight their customers.
All in all, it has been a most wonderful holiday. The Hmong guide at Sapa is one of those whom I will not forget for her perseverance to learn English and enterprisingly looking forward to a better life for herself and her family. She is filled with hope for the future and I know that she will be successful with her perseverance and hard work.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Spiritual growth in the age of anxiety- Scott Peck
How can we live a rich and fulfilling life in a world fraught with stress and anxiety?
The greatest challenge is to learn how to deal with life's conflicts, problem and paradoxes to find true simplicity on the other side of complexity.
we need to be more aware both within ourselves and within society.
It is crucial that we learn to think with integrity, know the difference between good and evil and overcome narcissism to love and be loved as well as to live with paradox and accept consequences of our action and come to terms with dying and death.
We continue to learn and grow with the ultimate goal of perfecting our soul. It is only through the death of old ways that we make room for the birth of new ones.We see learning as an adventure and the stages of dying as important to the process of unlearning and new learning.
The greatest challenge is to learn how to deal with life's conflicts, problem and paradoxes to find true simplicity on the other side of complexity.
we need to be more aware both within ourselves and within society.
It is crucial that we learn to think with integrity, know the difference between good and evil and overcome narcissism to love and be loved as well as to live with paradox and accept consequences of our action and come to terms with dying and death.
We continue to learn and grow with the ultimate goal of perfecting our soul. It is only through the death of old ways that we make room for the birth of new ones.We see learning as an adventure and the stages of dying as important to the process of unlearning and new learning.
The redemption of Odysseus-Patrick Fitzhugh
The writer recalled how his father tried to read the story of Odysseus to him and his brothers.
Just as Odysseus, he was fighting against the unfair odds the world threw at him and doing his best to emerge with honour and family in tact. At that point of time however,the writer thought that Odysseus' weakness was his great ego and therefore he dismissed everything as hyperbole.His own trip to Italy brought him face to face with what the Mediterranean really is and not the picturesque calmness portrayed in travel books or as seen from above.
He realised what his father was trying to do in sharing the story of Odysseus.His father was trying to prepare him and his brother for the trials and hardships they would face one day. In his first-hand experience with the Mediterranean seen at close quarters, Odysseus had been redeemed and he understood what Odysseus and his own father had gone through in search for respite from their daily battle with life.
Just as Odysseus, he was fighting against the unfair odds the world threw at him and doing his best to emerge with honour and family in tact. At that point of time however,the writer thought that Odysseus' weakness was his great ego and therefore he dismissed everything as hyperbole.His own trip to Italy brought him face to face with what the Mediterranean really is and not the picturesque calmness portrayed in travel books or as seen from above.
He realised what his father was trying to do in sharing the story of Odysseus.His father was trying to prepare him and his brother for the trials and hardships they would face one day. In his first-hand experience with the Mediterranean seen at close quarters, Odysseus had been redeemed and he understood what Odysseus and his own father had gone through in search for respite from their daily battle with life.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Simple steps-10 things to create an exceptional life
Choose the right attitude
Tap your inner momentum
Transform your life with kindness
Welcome stillness in your life
Settle with the past and move on
Banish prejudice from your life
Take risk to a brighter future
Connect with a higher power
Put discipline on your side
Heed the call to leadership
Quotes:
Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound- Goethe
He that does good to another does good also to himself- Seneca
Never stop thanking
Put other people first
Pass grace along
Be your own person-get in touch with yourself and with God
Do good for no good reason
Tap your inner momentum
Transform your life with kindness
Welcome stillness in your life
Settle with the past and move on
Banish prejudice from your life
Take risk to a brighter future
Connect with a higher power
Put discipline on your side
Heed the call to leadership
Quotes:
Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound- Goethe
He that does good to another does good also to himself- Seneca
Never stop thanking
Put other people first
Pass grace along
Be your own person-get in touch with yourself and with God
Do good for no good reason
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Your bridge to a better future
Progress in life is not measured by security but by growth. Growth means taking risks as we will never get anywhere interesting by always doing the safe thing.
"You can't stay in the harbour and discover new worlds at the same time."
Life is a journey, a process. Everyday, we must deliberately make the effort to take a few steps, learn, grow and become better than we are today. The secret of our future is hidden in our daily routine.
There are three choices that we can make with things that bother us.
We can deal with it, get over it or learn to live with it.
When making choices, we must never lose sight of the big picture.If we can't see the forest for the trees, we will almost certain to get lost.
Some notable quotes:
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.- Marie Curie
The best medicine is to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about other people.- Frederic Loomis
I must lose myself in action lest I wither in despair.- Alfred Lord Tennyson
I had the blues because I had no shoes, until upon the street I met a man who had no feet.- Harold Abbot
Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours- Benjamin Disaeli
When good men die, their goodness does not perish but lives though they are gone- Euripides
"You can't stay in the harbour and discover new worlds at the same time."
Life is a journey, a process. Everyday, we must deliberately make the effort to take a few steps, learn, grow and become better than we are today. The secret of our future is hidden in our daily routine.
There are three choices that we can make with things that bother us.
We can deal with it, get over it or learn to live with it.
When making choices, we must never lose sight of the big picture.If we can't see the forest for the trees, we will almost certain to get lost.
Some notable quotes:
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.- Marie Curie
The best medicine is to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about other people.- Frederic Loomis
I must lose myself in action lest I wither in despair.- Alfred Lord Tennyson
I had the blues because I had no shoes, until upon the street I met a man who had no feet.- Harold Abbot
Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours- Benjamin Disaeli
When good men die, their goodness does not perish but lives though they are gone- Euripides
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