Busyness

"Hey, how is your day?"

"Ahhh.... busy, super busy"

This conversation sounds familiar, the fact is it hangs on everyone's lips. We say this too often until we don't feel it anymore, and perhaps it has become an general answer given when people greet us.

The question is .... Are we REALLY that busy? Seriously we need to give it a thought.

When we tell others we are busy, subconsciously we have given ourselves an explanation. This answer seems to be valid to us and we do not think deeper anymore. Therefore we will no longer spend time to seek for solution to improve our situation, and we continue to be busy.

Many people said busyness is security, I personally do not think so. When we are busy all the time, we are being washed away by its current, we will have no chance to stop to think for moment (consciously). By the time we are tired of our routine busyness, we stop and then. By the time we do so, we have passed our golden time. It happens to most of us.

Being busy is also a form of irresponsibility. Why?

When we are busy, we pass by everyday basically with the same schedule. The thing we can't finish today, we will leave it for tomorrow. The fact is we do not even know if we can wake up again tomorrow. We expect ourselves do and we take daily for granted, and continue to live the same way as yesterday.

Let's say if we know that we are given only 1 more month to live, today we will live differently. We will have list of priorities on our mind, and we will treasure every moment we have. And why are not living according to the list of priorities today?

We cannot afford to live our life without much thought. Our mind needs to be renewed daily, otherwise we can't rise above the storm, we will only live life as a norm, follow the sequence and back to the earth, leave no legacy behind, just chasing the wind in our whole life.

Rich "get" Poor "beg"

My friend told me,"I don't ride bike".
"Are you scared of falling down", I asked naturally because most people are.
"No", he said.
"Then why?" I questioned surprisingly.
"More on health concern, I don't want to suck in all the pollution", he answered.

That triggers me thinking. I was slightly disturbed and offended, not because of what he said but more on what the world has become.

The rich will become richer, the poor will become poorer. This is utterly annoying but i can't deny that it is the trend now and it is going to be.

We are uniquely made by our creator. Yet the world has made the poor people lives "cost" less than a penny.

Yes, the environment is polluted, so the poor has to breathe with polluted air because they are poor while the rich comfortably driving bigger and bigger CC cars to emit more and more CO2?

Yes, the traffic is busy and dangerous, so the poor has to risk their children life with whole family riding on a bike while the rich drives recklessly on the road?

Why are we being so selfish? The poor are human being too, why are they given less privilege? Rich men life are precious, what about poor men life?

The world has become so blinded, chasing more and more earthly treasures. Remember we came into this world naked, we will leave this world naked as well.

Is there anything more meaningful you can do in this life?

Burned Out

Just came back from WTR'09 last week... now I am burned out again.

It is 11pm now, i am still working but feeling better now. This afternoon I felt total burned out.

Sign of burned out:
1. Feeling very tired.
2. Strong stream of depression within.
3. Could not think and make stupid mistakes.
4. Efficiency down to < 25%.
5. Feeling sick of job.
6. Feel like digging a hole, jump in and hide .
7. Extremely low self esteem.
8. No longer sure what is doing.
9. Lost interest in almost anything.

Solution:
Take a break and pray la... for goodness sake.

Dishonesty causes disaster

On 19th April (Sun), my car broke down in the middle of the road, right at the coastal highway, right in front of Crystal Point Domino Pizza.

A kind mechanic volunteered himself by helping to push the car and to check what is the problem. We pushed car to the side, opened up the bonnet. We tried to turn the key to start and let him observe what problem.

It is like in the drama where the doctor exit the room of the patient, the family members quickly arise from the bench and approach the doctor eagerly. The doctor did not give any eye contact, expressing his empathy and said, "I am sorry, I have tried my best, your timing belt has broken off " and he walked away...

Here is the receipt:
One thing that I wonder...
It is written on the cover of the timing belt that claimed that it will last for at least 60,000km. However, I have only driven 40,000km. I suspected the last mechanic that replaced the belt has cheated by using a non-original part. An original part won't break off so much earlier than the stated life span. I am an engineer, I do understand this well.

Careless Words

Around this time... hot and dry season. Trees wither, grass turning crispy. A careless spark will set a forest on fire.

Same for our words, a careless word spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that take years to build. Once spoken, it can never be taken back. Thinking of apologize? Sure... but scars will remain.

What to say and what not to say are both important. Not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also not to say a certain thing at a certain time is equally crucial.

Before we speak, ask if what we are going to say is true, necessary and constructive? ... because none of us can reverse the damage our words can potentially do.

Faith and Endurance

"When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing". James 1:1-4

The point is not to pretend to be happy but to have a positive outlook when we face trouble. Tough times can teach us perseverance.

We can't really know the depth of our character until we are put under pressure. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should try as much as we can to see them as opportunity for growth.

Be patient, for God will not leave us alone with our problems, He will always stay close to help us grow. This is His promise.

Colours, Picture and Painter

Life is a journey. We travel, we stop, we ponder ...
Different moments we encounter, each moment is a colour.
We'll see a picture at last.

It depends who is the painter......