I came across this book by chance in Bali, and thought to share it with you guys as it really is pretty marvellous! I’m only through four chapters and I can already see the way my perception has been reformed, whilst clearly aware of the benefits I’m reaping.
Behold the Law of Attraction and the power you wield with the right perception!
Okay so I haven’t been updating for awhile! I spent all of last month traipsing Dubai, been ultra busy! 
Had such a lovely Christmas Day 2011 in front of the tallest building in the world, and the Dubai fountain showcasing awe-inspiring water shows and light displays.
The seafood buffet was absolutely fantastic – I ODed on lobster, crabs and Prosecco.. hmmm the feast at Address Hotel is awesome, you’ve got to try it!
New Year’s Day 2012 saw me ill with a viral bug in Dubai hospital. Was put on a drip and warded for half a day before recovering after a full week voiceless in bed. A really innovative way to kick off the New Year I must say.. From now on, things are only gonna go uphill!
I also am in discussion for my next big adventure – I’m super excited about it and fingers crossed everything turns out the way they always do – almost perfect!
Life is more than good. Let’s all remember to cherish every second we breathe and not to take things for granted. It’s so easy to get caught up in a flurry of noise and forget to treasure relationships/things that matter most (eg: health). Live life to the fullest and don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers.
I’m thinking of a new set of resolutions for 2012 – they are gonna be quite different from my usual ones it seems! Have you made yours yet?
I woke up to this awesome piece of news yesterday!!
I was pretty surprised as it was meant to come in the mail sometime in January but I guess better sooner than later!
Can’t wait to show this to my piano teacher on Sunday hehehe! I had an inkling I’d get a distinction, but this is a HIGH DISTINCTION – omg 97% is more than I ever dreamt to achieve.
Yet another distinction to add to my growing list of achievements woohoo!
A massive thank you to all my favourite people who have supported me in one way or another. I don’t know what I would have done without you all!
xoxo
Fi
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 hours in a day is not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and start to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the
sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
with an unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.
The sand is everything else — The small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So…
Pay attention to the things that are
critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time
to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.
‘Take care of the golf balls first –
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’
One of the students raised her hand
and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled.
‘I’m glad you asked’.
It just goes to show you that no matter how
full your life may seem,
there’s always room for a couple of cups of
coffee with a friend.’
It’s my birthday weekend!
Got my first baby pastel pink birthday bouquet delivered to my office yesterday!
My weekend’s packed with surprises from all you lovely people! Although none of you guys want to tell me what they are, omg I’m dying of suspense!
I’ve been running such a mad schedule I didn’t think I’ll come around to planning anything, and thank you all for being so sweet to take it upon yourselves! I have the best friends in the world! Feeling the love! Xoxo
Another year of my life has come and gone. It’s been a most eventful year with plenty of interesting revelations, fruitful lessons and most importantly, milestones and achievements! When I look back, I constantly remind myself to be grateful for all my blessings and never to take anything for granted.
One big reminder I recently got was via the Justin Timberlake movie, ‘In Time’.
It has such a strong storyline, and made me realise how all of us are so prone to taking time for granted. Have you ever found yourself saying something along the lines of, ‘I’ll do this tomorrow’ or ‘don’t worry, there’s always next year’?
How do you know for sure that tomorrow will come around?
If you knew you had to leave this world next week, will you still be doing what you are right this moment?
I know I wouldn’t. But that’s okay because things are going to change pronto. The wheels of change have already been set in motion, so expect some major updates coming up!
The bottom line is – life is short, so make every second count. Everything that you do require certain bits of your time, and your time is your life. Be happy with your choices!
I’m going to make a wish on my birthday, and it’s going to be extra special this year.
Date: 20/11/2011
Time: 20:11
In fact, it’s such a special moment that I’m planning to come up with a bucket list of wishes and recite them all within this magical minute! Fingers crossed that at least one of them will come true.
Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time.
~ Betty Smith
Swarmed.
This is probably the best word to describe the last two months of my life. I feel like an expert juggler who’s been given a few balls too many. Except in this case, I was the valiant volunteer to take on those myself.
My piano teacher told me how proud she is of me today. Apparently she never thought I’d be ready for my exam this Saturday. The time frame I’ve been given for preparation from scratch to grade five is a mere three months, in comparison with an average of five years most students will take. I guess sheer determination plus loads of sacrifices on my social calendar work wonders.
Her confidence in me is like a double edged sword – it warms my heart and yet stresses me out like nothing can. I’ve been mugging incessantly almost everyday for the last three months and strangely, I still don’t feel quite ready for the day of reckoning! Frankly after this week is over, I never want to compose any music or think about the 400 new Italian/French words in my vocabulary. At least not for the rest of this year. My brain needs a real break!
It actually feels a tad deep fried. My brain, I mean. On top of getting up to speed in the quickest time possible in my new job, I’ve had to max it out with numerous study evenings, new tango moves, yoga, pilates, kickboxing and god knows what else.
I wonder how I did that now.
Anyway, it has dawned upon me (finally), that considering I only have 16 waking hours a day and so many things I’d like to achieve, I really need to streamline my priorities alot better! I’m tired of people constantly commenting on how exhausted I look.
The burning question is, why am I not spending the most time on what is truly important in my life?
If you were to die tomorrow, would you live today as you have done?
All hail the wind of change.
When something is missing in your life, it usually turns out to be someone.
~ Robert Brault
Long distance relationships aren’t for everyone. Having walked this path myself, I have come to realise that it definitely takes a fair amount of effort for both parties to keep the spark alive.
If you are someone who values physical closeness over emotional connection, and feel the need to spend copious amounts of time engaging in activities with your partner as opposed to having intense, meaningful conversations, then this route would likely be a challenging one to take.
However, if you welcome the opportunity of having more space to pursue your dreams and passions, whilst having the knowledge that someone (on the other side of the world) is probably ‘the one’ for you, then this might very well bear fruit in the long term.
Undoubtedly there are many pros and cons of pursuing such ventures, as you would probably have heard from some of your friends who have walked this path less traveled. Here’s a snapshot of some of the more common revelations:
Space to pursue your individual passions and develop your career
Gone are the days where you feel obliged to keep to a schedule of meeting your boyfriend thrice a week. You now have the liberty (and space) to fully utilise your time to pursue your interests and develop your career. No more guilt trips for working those overtime hours and being late for dates!
Intensify the emotional bond
Because of the time you spend apart, the primary form of interaction that the both of you will engage in is likely to be phone, video, or text conversations. As time passes and you learn more about one another, the chances of confusing infatuation with love is significantly lower. As such, you have a higher assurance that the attraction is true and sustainable.
You learn to appreciate the precious moments you have together and not take things for granted
Quality over quantity. Remember those times where you feel obliged to meet your boyfriend even though you’d rather be doing something else?
Poof.
These moments of togetherness will seem all the more precious and intense now that you both know there is a time limit placed on the moments that you two have together.
Conflicts or misunderstandings are much harder to resolve
Nothing beats face-to-face communication. Even with modern technology, can you imagine if your love simply refuses to take your calls or answer your text messages? Bearing in mind that you both are continents/hours apart, what are you to do then?
The I-miss-you-so-much syndrome
There will be (many) times where bouts of loneliness hit you and send you reeling into an emotional frenzy. More often than not, this is more prevalent during the night after you begin to unwind from the day’s activities. It is then that thoughts of ‘if only s/he was here’, and/or a horrible sense of emptiness will creep into the very essence of your soul.
You can’t be there for one another in times of adversity and needs
While it is possible to plan trips in advance, it is simply not the same as being able to arrive within a lead time of minutes. In this case, proper organisational skills will definitely come in handy, not to mention the ability to be understanding and patient.
That said, how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard!
Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky.
~Rainer Maria Rilke
The inspirational Holstee Manifesto pretty much sums up my life!
