Happy Chinese New Year! As we celebrate the festive and look at all the things to note for our zodiac sign, here's a quite meaningful post that explains the real meaning of the Chinese Zodiac signs and how they are paired up to express the hopes and wishes for future generations. 

Here's a quick infographic to explain it in a picture. 

P.S. It reveals the real secret to lifelong success.

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It was said that Mr Zhou En-lai was once having a meal with his European friends. 

A person by the name of Klaus passed an impolite comment when he was drunk. 

"You Chinese carry the signs of pigs, dogs, and mouse at birth. 

"I can't understand what's going on in the mind of your ancestors?"

At that point, the distinguished group of friends started to laugh. They started to toast each other rowdily. 

The cultured and serene atmosphere was broken. 

Some people believe that when someone insults your ancestors, even if you don't have a response to it, the least you could do is to overturn the table against him. 

Fortunately, nobody acted rashly or in violence. 

For a while, not a single word was uttered. It was probably because they have not come across this situation before. 

Then, Mr Zhou En-lai stood up and spoke to everybody in a calm and peaceful way.

"The Chinese ancestors were very wise. They arranged the twelve zodiac signs in pairs. Six pairs in a cycle.

In this way, they expressed their hopes and wishes for the generation that came after them."

By then, the room was in complete silence. There were some sceptical looks among the audience. 

Mr Zhou En-lai continued, " The first pair of animals is the rat and cow. 

"The rat represents wisdom and the cow represents diligence. Wisdom and diligence must operate in harmony.

"If there is wisdom but no diligence in applying it, it's foolishness. 

"On the other hand, if there is diligence but no wisdom, it's an act of folly. 

"That's why wisdom and diligence must go hand in hand. This is our ancestor's first wish for us. The first pair of animal also represents the most important hope.

"The second pair is the tiger and rabbit. 

"The tiger represents courage and the rabbit represents carefulness. These two qualities must work closely together. 

"In that way, it can have a better chance to achieve success.

"Without carefulness, courage becomes recklessness. Similarly, without courage, carefulness becomes cowardice.

"This pair of qualities is very important. That's why it is the second pair."

Mr Zhou En-lai looked at the audience and then he added, "Therefore, when we demonstrate our carefulness, please do not think that we do not have the courage to fight for social justice.

"In truth, what our ancestor is pursuing is wisdom through integrity, harmony and balance. It's never about a single hope or task."

When he saw that the audience was deep in thought, Mr Zhou En-lai continued, "The third pair is the dragon and snake. 

"They represent strength and flexibility. 

"Strength without flexibility becomes brittle. Without strength, flexibility becomes meaningless. 

"That's why strength with flexibility is an important lesson from our ancestor that has lasted through time.

"The next pair is the horse and goat.

"The horse represents the ability to gallop to success. The goat represents the ability to be considerate and have compassion. 

"If a person only looks after himself as he pursues his goal and with no consideration for others, he will face obstacles from the people around him. 

"Finally, he may not even be successful.

"However, if a person only looks after others and seek only to be amiable, he will not have a sense of direction. His goal will eventually be lost. 

"That's why the spirit of the horse and virtues of the goat must be applied in harmony with each other. This is our ancestor's fourth wish for us.

"The next pair is the monkey and the chicken.

"The monkey represents agility. 

"As for chicken, as there were no clocks in the days of old, it is needed to wake humans to start a new day. 

"The chicken represents stability. 

"The qualities of agility and stability must be tightly coupled together. 

"If you have agility but no stability, your best plan will not come to pass. However, if you focused on having stability and refuse to change, you will not have a better future. 

"When the two qualities are in harmony, on one side, there will be stability in terms of having, for example, effective system and collaboration. 

"On the other side, there will be a release of unrelenting creativity and innovation to achieve progress. 

"When these two qualities operate in synergy, it is one of the basic imperatives to achieve success.

"Lastly, we have the dog and pig.

"The dog represents loyalty while the pig represents good nature. 

"If a person is loyal but does not have a good nature, he will be blindly following others. 

"On the other hand, if he has a good nature but does not have loyalty, he will have no people and principles to guide him. 

"That's why whether its loyalty to a country, loyalty to a team, or loyalty to an ideal, you need to ensure that good nature is tightly coupled with and working alongside with it. 

"In that way, you can have a deep-seated sense of loyalty that comes from the heart. 

"This is why the Chinese believes that the outer core must be in alignment with the inner core (外圆内方,君子和而不同).

"At the inner core, we must have a pure heart that subscribes to high moral values. We must seek to live with ethos and positive principles. 

"We must live up to our words and not do anything that will harm others."

At the external core, we must be knowledgeable about the ways of the world. We must be wise in managing affairs around us. 

"We need to focus on what matters in life and not be influenced by evil. 

"We need to live with integrity and in harmony with others and the environment. We must not have any form of prejudice or seek to discriminate against anyone."

At the end of his speech, there was complete silence. They say that you can even hear a pin dropped.

The surprising truth about what motivates us

- this is a very interesting video by RSA Animate regarding Drive - 

A very interesting and educational video suitable for all parents and childhood educators =)

別身在福中不知福！有錢人和窮人的生活！

 有能力的人就多付出一點，相對的沒有就珍惜感恩多一點。♥

«慈悲没错，但要用智慧»

一个禅者在河边打坐时，听到挣扎的声音。睁开眼睛一看是，一只蝎子正在水里挣扎。他伸手把它捞上来，被蝎子竖起的毒刺蛰了一下。他把蝎子放到岸上，继续打坐。过了一会儿，他又听到挣扎的声音。睁开眼睛一看，蝎子又掉到水里了。他又把它救上来，当然又被蛰了一下。他继续打坐。过了一会儿，他又有了相同的不幸遭遇。

 旁边的渔夫说：“你真蠢，难道不知道蝎子会蛰人吗？”

 “知道，被它蛰三次了。”

 “那你为什么还要救它？” 

“蛰人是它的本性，慈悲是我的本性。我的本性不会因为它的本性而改变。”

 这时，他又听到挣扎的声音。一看，还是那只蝎子。他看着自己肿起来的手，看看水里挣扎的蝎子毫不犹豫地再次向它伸出手去。这时，渔夫把一个干枯的树枝递到他手上。禅者用这根树枝捞起蝎子，放到岸边。

渔父笑着说，“慈悲是对的，既要慈悲蝎子，也要慈悲自己。所以，慈悲要有慈悲的手段。” 

保护好自己，才有资格善待别人。 人们常说的一句话：“这年头，好人难做”。是啊，好人行善，是他的本性。但行善的对象却不一定也是善的；行善的结果也不一定是善果。为什么会这样呢？正如渔夫所言：“慈悲要有慈悲的手段。”

 “慈悲是对的，既要慈悲蝎子，也要慈悲自己。” 

实际上是在提醒我们：首先要对自己负责，才能真正做到对其他人负责。很难想象，一个连自己都照顾不好的人，怎么可以照顾好别人。保护好自己，才有资格，才有能力去善待别人。

New 5 Cs that will actually make you a happy Singaporean

1. Compare less 

The more we compare ourselves with others, the unhappier we become. There will always be someone who is: Smarter than you Richer than you Luckier than you Better-looking than you More popular than you More charismatic than you More accomplished than you You don’t benefit from comparing yourself with these people. The only person you should compare yourself with is you. Are you wiser than you were a year ago? Kinder? More generous? More courageous? If your answer is “no”, then it’s time to reflect and to commit to making real changes in your life. 

2. Cherish what you have 

Every expert on happiness will tell you that grateful people are happy people. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, in her book The How of Happiness, describes from a scientific perspective why counting your blessings makes you happier. Following Dr. Lyubomirsky’s advice, we should write down at least one thing we’re grateful for every day. That’s sure to make us happier. By expressing gratitude, we’re not denying that some things in life aren’t ideal. We’re simply acknowledging that, in many ways, we’re blessed. We can all become happier by making a conscious effort to cherish what we have: family, friends, religious freedom, food to eat, a safe country to live in. 

3. Choose your attitude 

I’ve heard a saying that goes, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” Cheesy but true? I think so. You can’t always choose your circumstances, but you can always choose your attitude. Your boss gave you a difficult assignment? You can either see it as a problem or as a challenging opportunity. Your project didn’t get off to a good start? You can either see it as a stumbling block or as a stepping-stone to future success. Attitude is a choice, just like happiness is a choice. 

4. Complain less 

Complain—it’s something we all do. But whenever we complain, without also proposing an alternative, we’re being irresponsible. Some people believe that it’s the citizens’ job to complain and the government’s job to provide solutions. But this isn’t the right attitude. As a responsible citizen, if we oppose government policy, then we should also take the initiative to suggest a viable solution. When we’re whining, nobody’s winning. So let’s complain less. 

5. Change your circumstances and yourself 

When things don’t go your way, it’s easy to feel frustrated, helpless or confused. Any time you feel this way, ask yourself: “What is one thing I can do right now to improve the situation?” This is an empowering question, because it makes you realize that there’s always something productive you can do. Always. You just need to focus on the one action you can take immediately. If you’re unhappy about your relationship with your boss, schedule a conversation with him or her. If you’re unhappy about your salary, improve your skills, enroll in a course, find a mentor, or negotiate a pay increase. You could even start a business on the side. There’s an endless list of things you could do to make your life better. If you’re not willing to do anything on that list, then you shouldn’t complain. Instead of complaining, take action. 

In closing… 

Happiness isn’t just an emotion. It’s a choice—a daily one. Finding real happiness takes dedication and determination, so it’s not for the fainthearted. It’s time to embrace the new 5 Cs. It’s time to build a happier life and a happier Singapore. It’s time to get to work.

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adapted from yahoo.com, by D*aniel W*ong, see article here.

The Goose Story

When you see geese flying along in “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone — and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether with people or with geese flying south. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

What messages do we give when we honk from behind? Finally — and this is important — when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

~Author Unknown

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我们是否也在团体生活中呢？有没有一些时候是我们需要替补其他人的？也许是因为对方有些懈怠了，也有可能是因为对方发生了一些事情，所以，需要我们顶替上。但无论如何，馆主都认为大家既然有缘来到了这个世界，而在那么多的人里认识了某些人，一定有其因缘。所以，一定要互相扶持，才能精进、不放弃。

加油！

^_^g

Face Difficulties Positively

This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule praying or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, HE WOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up!” He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him . . . all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

THAT’S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity.

~Author Unknown

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我们是否也是这样呢？遇到难题或困境时，都会想要放弃。可是，自怜是不会让我们度过难关的。惟有自己自强才能变得更好。

在学习馆五岁的这一天，馆主祝福大家会时时学习，变得更坚强、更棒的人！大家加油！

^_^g

Believe in Yourself

There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren’t the way you had hoped they would be.

That’s when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.

But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.

Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.

So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.

Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.

Keep Believing in Yourself!

CONVERSATION WITH GOD

God: Hello… Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No, who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don’t know. But I can’t find free time. Life has become very hectic. It’s rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can’t figure it out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well. I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With that experience, their life becomes better, not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term. Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can’t we be free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly, in the midst of so many problems, we don’t know where we are heading.

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside you awaken. Eyes provide sight, heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock. 

Me: In tough time, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessings, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God: When they suffer they ask, “Why me?” When they prosper, they never ask. “Why me?” Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, “Who am I? Why am I here?” I can’t get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation. 

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. 

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered. 

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Day with a new sense of inspiration.

God: Well... Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don’t believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve.

-Anonymous-

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我们可曾期望可以亲自问上帝一些我们不明白的东西吗？是否有时也会觉得上帝祂怎么都不理睬我们呀？其实，馆主相信上帝无时无刻都在我们的身边，只不过祂是以不同的形象出现。无论我们是快乐还是悲伤的，上帝的温暖从未离开过我们。只要相信，就一定能关关难过，关关过。

加油！^_^g

What You See Is …

"Why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye?"

You may have read about the young couple who moved into a new neighborhood and, the next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging washed clothes on the clothesline. "That laundry is not very clean," she said, "she doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap." 

Her husband looked on, but remained silent. However, every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments. 

About a month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice, clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her how." 

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows." 

And so it is with life: what we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. The reality is that we see things not the way they are, but the way we are. Furthermore, to the degree that we are in denial, we will see only what we want to see; will hear only what we want to hear; will expose ourselves only to what we want to be exposed to, and will twist what we see to make it match our distorted perception of reality. Only the truth—brutal self-honesty—will set us free from this self-deception.

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是呀，我们是否用着自己的想法去看待身边的一切事物而扭曲了事实？一定要谨慎面对一切哦！

加油！^_^g

And A Meadow Lark Sang

The child whispered, "God, speak to me"
And a meadow lark sang.
The child did not hear.

So the child yelled, "God, speak to me!"
And the thunder rolled across the sky
But the child did not listen.

The child looked around and said,
"God let me see you" and a star shone brightly
But the child did not notice.

And the child shouted,
"God show me a miracle!"
And a life was born but the child did not know.

So the child cried out in despair,
"Touch me God, and let me know you are here!"
Whereupon God reached down
And touched the child.

But the child brushed the butterfly away
And walked away unknowingly.

By: Ravindra Kumar Karnani
(Old Hindu poem)
Source: sapphyr.net
----

God touches and is present everywhere in our life, regardless we realize it or not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

大家可能很多时候都是后知后觉的。上帝其实无时无刻都在我们身边，所以不要忘记我们不必我们去奢求些什么，上帝就已经在我们生命中。

加油！^_^g

Never Quit

One day I decided to quit... 
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. 

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. 

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?" 
His answer surprised me... 
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?" 
"Yes", I replied. 

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.. 
I gave them light. I gave them water. 

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. 

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo." He said. 

"In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. 

In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. "I would not quit." He said. 

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. 

Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. .. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. 

It had spent the five years growing roots. 

Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle." 

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots." 

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. " Don't compare yourself to others .." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern ... Yet, they both make the forest beautiful." 

I left the forest and bring back this story. 

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. 

He will never give up on you. 

Never regret a day in your life. 
Good days give you happiness 
Bad days give you experiences; 
Both are essential to life. 

A happy and meaningful life requires our continuous input and creativity. It does not happen by chance. It happens because of our choices and actions. And each day we are given new opportunities to choose and act and, in doing so, we create our own unique journey." Keep going...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

的确，上天绝不会放弃我们，而我们呢？我们是否轻易地就向困难投降、屈服了？有很多时候，其实我们并不一定能在实行新方案时得到立竿见影的成效，但那不应该是击退我们的啊，我们越是遇到挫折就更应该更勇往直前。当然，说得容易但做起来可能没那么容易。但馆主觉得，有些时候，我们需要自我挑战，努力突破自己，就万事都有无限可能！

加油！

^_^g

Dream-Stealer

There was once a young girl who was very fond of dancing. Her skill in dancing was extraordinary and surpassed her dancing friends that she often appeared as the champion in many competition held. She thought, with what she possess at that time, one day later when she grew up, she would want to be a world class dancer. She imagined herself dancing in Russia, China, America, Japan, being watched by thousands of people giving applause to her on salutation.

One day, the city she resided in was visited by a dancing expert proffessional who came from abroad. This dancing expert was very fascinating, from his hands have been born out world class dancers. The young girl desired very much to dance and exhibit her prowess in front of the teacher, or even if possible, to be one of his pupil. Finally the opportunity came at last. The young girl managed to meet with the teacher behind the screen after his performance was over. The young girl asked "Sir, i really want to be a wold-class dancer. Can you give me a moment of your time, to judge my dancing skill? I want to know what you think of my dance." "Fine, dance then for 10 minutes", the expert responded.

Not even 10 minutes have passed, the teacher stood up from his chair, and left the place without saying any word to the young girl. How broken heart the young girl was upon that. The girl immediately ran out, reaching her home, she cried and cried. She began hating herself. Afterall, the dance that she had been proud of all those years were nothing at all for the teacher. She then get hold of her dancing shoes and threw it in the garbage. Since then, she swore not ever to dance anymore.

Several decades have passed, now the young girl have became a mother with three children. Her husband had passed away. And to feed her family, she had to work as waitress in a restaurant at the corner of a street. One day, there was a dance exhibition being held in the city. The same expert could be seen behind the young dancers behind the platform. The expert looked much older, with his hair whitening. The mother with her children went to see the dance show. After the show, the mother brought her three children into the back, looking for the teacher, and introduced him to her three children. The old teacher still recognize her, and so they converse with each other enjoyfully.

The mother asked, "Sir, i still have one thing that still bothers me. It was about me performing in front of you many many years ago. Was my perfomance that bad that you leave straight away?" "Oh yes, i remembered it. Frankly speaking, i never have ever seen in my life such beautiful dance that you showed me at that time. I was even sure that you would surely become a world-class dancer, but i was dumbfounded how you suddenly stopped from the world of dancing", answered the teacher.

The young mother was extremely shocked hearing it. "This is not fair!", she exclaimed. "Your attitude had stolen all my dreams! If it was true that my dance was good, why did you just leave me that way when i had just only danced for several minutes? You should have praised me, not ignoring me like that. I am supposed to be a world-class dancer right now, not just a waitress!"

The teacher answered calmly with his wisdom, "No...No, i think i have done what i thought was right. YOU DONT NEED TO DRINK A BARREL OF WINE TO KNOW THAT THE WINE IS GOOD. The same goes with me. I didnt need to watch you for 10 minutes to prove that your dance was good. That night i was also very exhausted after the show. So i was thinking to leave you for a moment, to get you my name card, and hoped that you would contact me again the next day. 

But then you were not there anymore when i returned. And another thing that i have to remind you, that YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON YOUR DREAM, NOT ON WHAT I SAY OR WHAT I DO OR WHAT THE WORLD SAY! Then applause? So you expected praise and applause? Ah, maybe at that time you were still growing, young lady. 

PRAISE IS LIKE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. AT SOME TIMES IT WILL MOTIVATE YOU, AT OTHER TIMES IT WILL WEAKEN YOU. And the fact is that i had observed that most of the PRAISE GIVEN TO A GROWING CHILD, WILL JUST MAKE HIM/HER FEEL SATISFIED OF THE CURRENT PROGRESS AND HINDERS FURTHER GROWTH. I EVEN PREFER TO IGNORE YOU, AS IT SUPPOSEDLY CAN ROCKET YOUR PROGRESS. 

Besides, praise is something that should come from myself, NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD ASK FOR." 

"You see, this was actually only a small matter. If only at that time you didnt ignore what happened and kept on dancing, you would have became a very great world-class dancer. 

YOU MIGHT FELT HURT AT THAT TIME, BUT IT WILL DISSIPATE QUICKLY ONCE YOU KEEP ON PRACTISING AGAIN. BUT THE HURT EMERGED FROM THIS REGRET TODAY WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE..."

感谢月莉小姐的分享！真的很有意思，对吧？=)

大家一定要为自己的梦想奋斗、努力哦！不要只因他人的言语而轻易地放弃梦想！

加油！^_^g

The Story of a Blind Girl

There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend. 


One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, “now that you can see the world, will you marry me?” The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying: “Just take care of my eyes dear.” 


This is how human brain changes when the status changed. Only few remember what life was before, and who’s always been there even in the most painful situations. 


Life Is A Gift 


Today before you think of saying an unkind word– think of someone who can’t speak. 
Before you complain about the taste of your food– think of someone who has nothing to eat. 
Before you complain about your husband or wife– think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion. 
Today before you complain about life– think of someone who went too early to heaven. 
Before you complain about your children– think of someone who desires children but they’re barren. 
Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn’t clean or sweep– think of the people who are living in the streets. 
Before whining about the distance you drive– think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet. 
And when you are tired and complain about your job– think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job. 
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another– remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker. 
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down– put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around. 


Life is a gift – Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, and Fulfill it. 
~unknown~

Tips To Become A Stronger Person

Everyone wants to be a strong person in life. We always want to succeed, and stand tall in the face of adversity. 

What does being a ‘strong person’ really mean though? Is it physical strength?Is it mental strength? Or is it a balanced combination of the two? What are the characteristic traits we need to develop to become a strong person? Read on to find out more. 

1. Identify 

To one person, being a strong person may be equivalent to having the courage to stand up to others, while to another it may be the ability to make decisions without hesitating and dallying too much over it. What we need to do is identify what we consider as a weakness which comes in the way of our growth as a person. We then need to work on that specific aspect to get rid of it. As we can see, the definition of a ‘strong person’ varies from person to person. 

2. Decide 

The first step lies in deciding for ourselves that we want to make a conscious effort to improve as a person. No matter what our shortcomings may be, there is nothing that cannot be achieved with proper focus and belief. We should remind ourselves every morning that the new day is going to be better than the previous one, because we’re not going to let anything affect us negatively. 

3. Believe 

Self-belief is one of the most potent ‘medicines’ in the world, if we may call it that. We must have belief in our abilities to turn things around and get them right. Belief in our emotional strength will enable us to act stronger on a conscious basis. If we don’t believe in ourselves, then self doubt will nag away at us from within, making us all the weaker for the worse. Also expect more retaliation from the outside world for our changes, but remain steadfast in your decision to improve. 

4. Act! 

Belief without action is a futile exercise. Acting on our decisions is what helps us improve and move one step ahead. Confronting our fears and shortcomings as they come is of essence. Start with the small things and gradually move up towards the bigger problems. Don’t fear the unknown. If we are afraid, how will we win?! 

5. Expect the unexpected 

We’ll have to practice moving out of our comfort zones. This is the only way we’ll be able to get rid of those irritants which have plagued us for so long. It is not going to be an easy task, not at all. For every new problem we face, we might need a solution we do not know or have. However this should not be a deterrent in our path. Above all, we must be prepared to battle our own mind, as it may try to find escape routes in order to avoid facing adversity. 

It would be very unfair to say that these are the only tips that we need in order to become a stronger person in life. However, the basics always remain the same. Our belief system is what matters the most – and it is the defining factor that can make or break a person in life. We have to discipline ourselves to work hard towards this end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

馆主相信大家也希望可以变成更强的人。那么，也许我们都可以参考这些建议哦！

加油！

^_^g

Love Life 紀錄片

<3 珍惜生命 <3 Love Life <3

The Amazing Transformation of a Guy Who Didn't Give Up!

你是否也曾经想过要放弃呢？你知道吗，人真的是有无限的可能，只要你相信！

信念真的很重要，它的神奇是我们可能无法想像的。。加油！

^_^g

7 ways to beat your worries

Can't stop worrying? Try out the seven ways to beat the bother and boost your happiness. Whilst worrying is necessary for spurring us on to achieve our goals, chronic worrying can disrupt the balance in our nervous system and be detrimental to our health. Here are seven ways to wash away your worries:

# 1: Forget the things you can’t change
If you’re worrying about something that’s happened in the past, you need to stop. The power of your mind isn’t strong enough to solve problems through panic, so it’s important to beat your worries by thinking logically and tackling them head-on. Bad memories from the past are toxic to our health and highly counterproductive so you must bury the burdens of your past and move on.

# 2: Write a worry list
Write down everything you’re worried about; the bills, your job, the car MOT – everything. Then rate them on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the things that are concerning you most. You can then turn your worry list into an action list. Take action on the worries that you rated the highest first, and then work through the rest of the list. You will feel a sense of relief each time you tick a worry off, and this is a sure-fire way to boost your happiness and relieve your worries.

# 3: Discipline your thoughts
If you’re a chronic worrier, you need to learn to take control of your thoughts rather than letting them take control of you. To do this, every time you think a negative thought, you must turn it into a positive. Every time you worry, think “is this really helpful?” If the answer is no, turn the thought into a positive or forget it completely. Whilst this may seem difficult at first, it will eventually become second nature and you will find that turning a negative into a positive is a much more constructive way of dealing with your thoughts.

# 4: Distract yourself through relaxation
When we’re worried – particularly about a number of things at once – our brains don’t tend to find a logical solution to our problems. In order to think logically, we must take the time to relax and unwind. Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. After a couple of minutes of relaxation, the tension will leave your body and you will be in a better position to tackle the problem from a fresh perspective.Woman relaxing in bath with candles

# 5: Talk to friends and family
A problem shared is a problem halved. Talk to your family, your friends, or a doctor if you have a good relationship with them. Sometimes saying your problems out loud can get your thoughts straight in your head and if you’re worrying about something useless, saying it out loud can make you realise that it’s just not worth the worry. With those close to you, you can laugh, cry, and moan as much as you like without being judged and this is a healthy way to relieve stress.

# 6: Confront the problem head-on
Some worries can’t be tamed through talking to others or relaxation. A problem that won’t go away until you physically do something about it needs to be confronted head-on. Sometimes, we have so much on our mind that we don’t know what to deal with first. Make a decision on which problem you want to solve and how you will go about it, and then stick to it. You will probably find that once you resolve the problem, you’ll wish you’d done something about it sooner.

# 7: Put things into perspective
Don’t be overwhelmed by small things; try and see the bigger picture. Is your problem really as bad as you’re making it out to be? The chances are there will be many people worse off than you. Instead of zoning in on certain things and panicking about them, put everything into perspective. Does this problem affect your entire life? Will you still be panicking about this in a few weeks or months time? If the answer is no, then it’s really not worth the worry.

天堂午餐

真的很感人吧？馆主希望大家都记得，很多时候我们有太多太多事情是没有办法等到以后的。因为我们不一定有以后。

所谓子欲养而亲不在，我们要在当下珍惜啊。。

加油！

^_^g