Inspiring thoughts to get you thru that maze called life

                                                             Picture taken from here

“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” – Pema Chodron

December, the time of the year where we would sit down and reflect back on what has happened throughout the year.

This has been a rather challenging year for me, career wise, personal wise as well as family wise.

In January, everything started on a high note for me, having gone to Hong Kong (one of the world’s most happening and beautiful city). However, in February, I found myself having to make a tough decision on my career path. That was an unforeseen situation that really got me thrown off balance altogether.

February was the start of all things uncertain for me. Just before CNY (Chinese New Year), also in Feb, I was informed that one of my uncle suffered his 2^nd stroke, which, affected his vision. Apart from that, there were other family matters that kind of like put a damper on the entire mood. This year’s CNY was quite a somber occasion.

During the entire chaos, (especially from Feb - April), I am most grateful & thankful to say that ST came to my rescue without a second thought and was my pillar of strength throughout. In April, we went to Bangkok. While I was there, I took the opportunity to do some soul searching, to determine on what I wanted, what needed to be done and what my next move was going to be.

I am a very simple person where career is concerned. In my life, I’ve always imagined myself to be an employee of a company, doing a 9 to 5 job (well, not really 9-5 in actual fact, but you get what I mean). However, the path that I’ve chosen to lead early this year was totally different from what I’ve always thought it to be. 

I won’t say I’m now a successful person who can look back and advise/guide others (in fact, I'm still far from it), but having gone through the above, and "still going through it", I feel like sharing my story here with whoever that cares to read.

In this duration of one year, how many times have I chided myself, on the decision that I made and whether it is giving me what I wanted thus far. I do get self doubts and nagging thoughts every now and then, and I did get lost a lot of times.

  

My considerations & unanswered questions are still abound. And whatever that I have chosen to do, will take me to a new level of busy-ness next year. With the busy-ness also comes the restrictions in a lot of areas & many obstacles which, will pull me in every direction. I am writing this in a way to give myself the courage to push myself through.

I came across this website recently and found a lot of inspiring articles written about facing our own challenges in life. And I find the following pointers to be extremely helpful. Unconsciously, I think I must have taken these 4 steps throughout the year.

1) Accept, invite and embrace

Accept whatever that happens and try to turn the situation into an opportunity. Things happen for a reason. Maybe it happens this way because God is trying to push you into doing something that you've wanted to do all this while, but not having the guts to go thru it. Maybe this incident is created purposely for your own growth and learning.


This is easier said than done, I know. FYI, I am still learning to adjust.

2) You don’t have to have all the answers at once

There were many occasions where I hesitated and got so so frustrated because I don't know for sure if what I am doing is the right thing to do.

Learn to take one step at a time. Trust your life situation. Bring your awareness to the present moment. Identify what you need to do for that day, that week, that month and that year. Stop worrying about the future, and start working on "now."

3) Use your imagination

Do you know that the images and pictures you create in your mind are a form of energetic wealth?

What is your life challenge? Developing strong imaginary capability is a practice. Start out loud. Speak your vision. Write it down in words. Assign a scent or feeling to it. Listen to it. Bring it to life with all your senses. 

That was how my initial journaling helped me start my blogging. And as I begin to let my imagination run, everything seem to start connecting to each other.

4) Look for the life lesson

Peer straight in the eye of the challenge and say, "I see you. What are you here to teach me? I can handle it. Give it to me. I am here to learn. Show me."

Take the nastiest, most confrontational, unexpected, and inconvenient of situations, and face them. Don't back down, keep asking, "What are you here to teach me?" Then listen. Not with your mind, but with your life.

The above pointers were extracted from Tiny Buddha.

--moon

Blog name – carrot head and applemint