?

it would really help, if i knew what i love doing more than anything else.

what i could spend and invest my entire lifetime into.
it would really help, if i knew, right about now.

Questions.

"From the moment we wake up in the morning till our head hits the pillow at night our lives are filled with questions. Most are easily answered and soon forgotten. But some questions are much harder to ask because we’re so afraid of an answer. And what happens when we ask ourselves the hard question and get the answer we had been hoping for? Well, that’s when happiness begins."

- Desperate Housewives

"There was a storm and thousands and thousands of starfish were washed up on the shore. This beautiful little girl was running down the beach and she was picking up the starfish and frantically throwing them back into the ocean. When I saw her doing this I said to her, ‘Why are you doing that? You can only save a few before they die, what difference does it make?’ And she looked at me and she said, ‘To that one, it makes a difference.’ To that one, it makes a difference, the little girl said. And she was right. At that very moment she was making a difference for that starfish and she was making a difference for herself too, because she was connected to that starfish. And that’s what life is all about, connecting. In fact that’s the only time you’re ever alive, really, is when you’re connecting."

— Holy Man

hey you,

"Take chances.
Tell the truth.
Say no.
Spend all your cash.
Fall in love.
Get to know somebody random.
Be random.
Say I love you.
Be the first to say sorry.
Scare yourself at least once a day.
Sing at the top of your lungs.
Smile lots.
Dance in front of the mirror.
Laugh at a stupid joke.
Cry.
Tell someone how much they mean to you.
Let someone know what they are missing.
Laugh hard.
Live Life."

every day is a gift

this afternoon, like many other afternoons, i was sitting in coffee bean with naima, revising. but this afternoon was special. because this afternoon could have never happened.

has it ever occurred to you that every small thing that happens in your life, is only but standing on the brink of not happening? every moment, be it bad or good, becomes so special if you remind yourself that you were fortunate enough to be presented with an extra day, an extra hour, a minute, a second. someone else might not have been as lucky.

it felt really good sitting opposite naima, it felt good hugging bindiya and getting to feel that she's physically here, still here. it felt amazing laughing when i flicked pen caps at naima, and it felt even better to see that smile on her face. it was such a pleasant surprise to turn around to find ms. tan (the maths teacher) sitting at the table behind us, and see that familiar kind smile on her face. it warmed my heart to see a young man pat a Labrador sitting outside starbucks with his owner, and that look in the young man's eyes told me he saw the dog not as a dog, but much more than that. it was great hearing wei ling's voice on the phone. it made me smile seeing a mother come in carrying a baby, and as she goo-goo-ga-gad to the baby, naima laughed. and then suddenly you just understand that, as people die, new babies are born. people come, and people go. no one can stay forever.

bindiya, i didn't know what to say to you, i've never experienced the pain of losing a friend. i know why you're asking, "why do people have to die?", ''why him?", because i asked the same questions when my dog passed away a few years ago. she meant the whole world to me. i have no answer, but i can tell you that you can live for your friend. all of you, his friends, his family, anyone who had known him, live for him by living your life to the fullest. as long as his memory lives in you, he's still here.

i went for an evening walk with my dad after dinner. i stretched out my arms as i walked, and felt the wind on my fingertips. i breathed in, very deeply. how could i have forgotten how good the wind feels on your skin? and how the air smells like grass, and heat, and.. life.
it's so simple. it's too beautiful. everything around us, every day, is a gift.

we're alive.

Realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted.

— Anna Quindlen

♥

for you.

to find happiness:

1. Write a grateful list

“Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy – because we will always want to have something else or or something more.”

- Brother David Steindl Rast

2. Celebrate your sense of sight

“Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hand, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is.”

- Maxim Gorky

method:

· Set a timer to go off in five minutes

· Tie a blindfold around your eyes

· Go about your normal routine as best as you can

· When the timer sounds, take off the blindfold

3. Feel your pulse

Happiness pulses with every beat of my heart.

- Emily Logan Decens

method:

o Place your 2nd & 3rd fingers on your wrist under the thumb

o Feel the blood coursing through with each heartbeat

o Count the number of beats per minute if you wish

o Think about what it means to be alive

4. Recall the adventures of your hands

“I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour.”

- Hazel Lee

method:

Examine your hands closely

Remember what each hand has done in your life

Re-live the happy times in as much detail as you recall

look inside you, look for what's already there, not materialistic objects, and you'll find happiness. it's actually really very simple, but it's entirely up to you whether you want to find it or not. it's all in the mind, love.

the best things in life.

It is not that cup of good coffee that you find - it’s the person you share it with or the place you can keep going back to and they know how you like to have it, remember your name and greet you with a warm smile.

It is not the expensive wine that you drink - it’s the company you have with you while you drink it. Or that amazing meal at a fancy restaurant but the person you are having a conversation with while enjoying that meal.

It isn’t the gifts that you receive but the people you receive them from, the thought, time and effort put towards that gift.

It’s not the party you attend or the venue; it’s not the shoes, shirt or dress you wear but the people you surround yourself with, that determines the good time you have.



It’s not the random compliments that you receive from strangers but the conversation it may turn in to and maybe even a friendship.

It is not the apartment you own or rent… how big and luxurious it is, it is the rewarding feeling of knowing it was the effort and hard work you put behind it in order to live your dream.

It isn't the title you hold or the company you work for; the amount you earn - it’s the pleasure you get from working with your colleagues and doing what you love and knowing you are being paid for it, no matter how big or small the salary… (of course big is better, but it does not determine success or happiness).

It isn't how many people you know, but those who will be there for you in a heart beat when you need them.

It isn’t the relationship you're in that’s keeping you secure or defining who you are or the fact that they can buy you the world, shower you with gifts, take you out to fancy places - it’s the fact that they can make your heart beat or put a smile on your face with simply just their presence.

We live in a world of materials, and yes I love it but when I seriously think back to all the things I own and I love - it isn’t the thing itself that I love but the story behind it.

-Alaleh Adl
1984 - 2010

read. think. absorb.

One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, greed, and arrogance. The other is Good - It is peace, love, hope, humility, compassion, and faith."

The grandson thought about this for a while and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

To which the old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

universal message

love, forgiveness, communion, hope and sacrifice.

today, i learned not to be ashamed or terrified of my own sentiments, because i'm not alone.

------------------------------------------------------------

life

i remember there was a time, i would contemplate a lot about life: what we live for, what's our purpose, why are we here. i dont know whether it's because I realized people around me were pondering on the same question and coming up with the same conclusions (or none at all), that i've stopped thinking (because i found it kinda silly that all of us should be confused over the same thing); or whether its because i was tired of going in circles, tired of feeling frustrated and upset, and making something big out of something small. or maybe its because i've found my answer, that i've stopped contemplating.

my answer at this point is that there is no definite answer. at every stage of your life, even every single day, there is a different answer to those questions. you may be the president of america, or a fireman who saves hundreds of lives, or even a construction worker, you do big and impressive things, but i don't think that was the sole reason you were born.

i think we live for today. today is here so that we can reminisce on our past. today is here so that we can look forward to the countless opportunities that the exciting future has to offer. today is here, and thats the reason you're alive.

taku, my dog, is a very good example to me. every morning, she wakes at 6am, rushes to the garden and does her daily patrolling of her territory to make sure no frog or lizard or neighbour's cat is intruding, once assured, she trots back into the house, greets every member of the family goodmorning by jumping on us. then has breakfast. plays with a towel for 2 hours and shreds it into a million pieces. takes an afternoon nap. goes for a sun tan. catches frogs and releases them. barks at every dog that walks past our gate. goes for a car ride with mum to come pick me up from school, she absolutely loves this. takes another nap. shreds another towel. has dinner. sleeps like she's dead, in my arms.

she does the same things every single of her life. and she's the happiest creature i have ever met. such simple pleasures, and she doesn't ask for more. i have never seen her upset (other than the times mum shouts at her, but she takes about 5 seconds to recover). taku reminds me that there are so many reasons to be happy.
there isn't a need to question why you here, when you are happy. and this kind of happiness has an amazingly powerful effect of helping you look at things from a different perspective whenever something isnt going right. of recovering, perhaps taking longer than 5 seconds, but still recovering faster than everyone else.

i hear my parents arguing over whether i should go to hong kong or uk. whether i should become a lawyer or a businesswoman. this used to be very important to me, it still is. but now i see it isn't everything. it doesn't matter where i go or what i become, as long as i still remember what i'm thinking of today: i'm living a life. and no one thing equates to life as a whole.

sometimes i keep silent because i'm so happy with what's going on inside me. in these silent moments, sometimes i have a lot in my head, but sometimes, my favourite times, there's nothing in my head at all but a complete calmness.

i wish you would join me.
:)

happiness

a friend of mine in cambridge said:

「樂」是一種淡淡的快樂，然而這卻是最安穩的幸福.

i can't translate that directly into english, but it means something like..
sometimes, when you have nothing but a peaceful gratitude and appreciation for everything, that is the most stable kind of happiness. i've never been able to define or grasp on to the definition of happiness, but i think i'm beginning to understand. and for that, i'm grateful.

so to any of you out there who have forgotten what it was like before.. before whatever left you smitten, i wish you'll regain your happiness soon. it may take some time, but hey, it'll come.

hope all of you are having a good break :)

crayons :)

Mahogany

Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown

Chestnut

Red Orange

Sunset Orange Bittersweet Outrageous Orange Burnt Orange Mango Tango Atomic Tangerine Beaver Tumbleweed Macaroni and Cheese Neon Carrot Banana Mania Sunglow Dandelion Spring Green Antique Brass Laser Lemon Unmellow Yellow Inch Worm Granny Smith Apple Screamin Green Mountain Mountain Meadow Robin Egg Blue Sky Blue Outer Space Pacific Blue Midnight Blue Periwinkle Wild Blue Yonder Blue Bell Purple Heart Royal Purple Shocking Pink Purple Pizzazz Wild Strawberry Lavender Cotton Candy Piggy Pink Blush Tickle Me Pink Meadow Maroon Red Radical Red Scarlet White Silver Gray Black

Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you're really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back.I fancy myself to be a 64-color box, though I've got a few missing. It's ok though, because I've got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal. I have a bit of a problem though in that I can only meet the 8-color boxes. Does anyone else have that problem? I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation.. so when I meet someone who's an 8-color type.. I'm like, "hey girl, magenta!" and she's like, "oh, you mean purple!" and she goes off on her purple thing, and I'm like, "no - I want magenta!"

- John Mayer

Sydney J. Harris

“When I hear somebody sigh, "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?"

perhaps words don't count. perhaps neither do condolences, embraces, nor kisses.
although i am not a religious person myself, i have to praise Carol's belief in God. because God has led her to see the bigger purpose. God has allowed her to understand that emotions are merely, emotions. And yes, that God has greater plans for her. And also, life isn't about living for yourself. it's about putting people before you. I do not believe, nor do I not believe in God. but i like his teachings. i like compassion. i like it when people are able to grasp the idea that perhaps.. you live for everyone else. and if you sacrificed a bit of yourself, to "feed" another person - maybe that's what life is truly about. yes it may be difficult. and yes you may not gain anything from it. but that isn't really the point. maybe the greatest love is being able to sacrifice for a person who would not even bat an eyelash for you. when you're sad, think that it means there are others who are happy. there needs to be a balance. nothing is ever truly fair anyways, so sometimes, you can volunteer to be the person who loses. but in the end, you're the one who has gained the most.
when you understand this kind of sacrifice, when you understand and is able to carry it out, that's when you see beyond it all.
and that's when sadness, is merely an emotion.

When there has been so much love and happiness for someone, it is natural to be reluctant to close such a wonderful chapter in our lives, for moving forward is rarely accomplished without considerable grief and sadness. And while our sorrow may be profound, the clouds will clear, and the sun will shine on us again. And in that warm, bright light we will find ourselves facing a glorious future. A future of exciting challenges and infinite possibilities, in which the horizon will stretch out before us, trimmed in the heavenly glow of the sunrise of our tomorrow.

– The Prince and Me

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Come to the edge.

We might fall.

Come to the edge.
It's too high!

Come to the edge!

And they came,
and he pushed,



and they flew.


- Christopher Logue

Sara Loh is fabulous :)

"When life becomes too easy you never learn to live. Never learn to struggle, never have to give. Everything that's in you to make and pay your way. Filling every minute of a full Length day. Pity the the youngsters, whose blessings freely fall. From the state. They miss so much : the greatest thrill of all; the thrill of independence that develops character --- Ambition as the stimulant, Adversity the spur.
When life is made too cosy a bore it soon becomes. There is not much flavour in the unearned plums. Only that which cost you an effort to possess ..... yields the satisfaction of pride and happiness. When life becomes too easy a dead-end path it seems. No lovely peak to strive for; no point in dreaming dreams. It's the daily challenge that difficulty brings. Teaches self-reliance in big and little things."

-by Patience Armstong

thank you for sharing this with me sara. you keep this in mind too kay?
ily:) be strong.