#YourBetterSelf

So we are told, and many times reminded that: Change is the only constant!  Question is: do we like change? In fact, do we even want things to change?  Personally, I am happy with the status quo, especially when things seem to be going well. Why change, anyway?  So this past week, I was forced to reflect on the change(s) I encountered in my reality. A lot of matters demanded my attention, at the same time. One would say, it comes with age. But on a more sober note, I realised that the pressure of prioritising and trying to deal with all-important issues, at the same time, was due to the fact that I was ill–prepared to deal with the change(s) taking place in my situation of reality.  In the moment, I could not see it. But in hindsight, I realised that, had I been a little more prepared, just maybe I would not feel the pressure.  One wise man said one day, “learn from other people’s  mistakes. You may not live long enough to learn from your own.”  So my ...

“Success leaves clues” , so says one wise man who willingly and always shared wisdom on what it takes to be successful in life. One of the clues is celebrating achievements no matter how big or small. Every small milestone reached is a step closer to the bigger milestone.  Think of it as running a 96 kilometer marathon. Every meter the athlete reaches is a step closer to the next kilometer mark. And so it continues till the entire 96 kilometers are covered. Alas the big milestone: completing the marathon. The whole race. It does not take much to celebrate the milestones in-between. By simply recognising the minute milestones, it becomes easier to acknowledge the big milestone. So, celebrate milestones.  Many-a-time even the small milestones are hidden. It takes conscious effort to seek the small milestones. I recall a certain meme that was doing the rounds during the COVID days, that said, “remember to dress your best daily. Do not reserve good clothes for Sunday only. Each da...

Through his book entitled, “The Purpose Driven Life” Rick Warren helped me realise in a deeper way that as individuals we all have different forces that drive our lives. “There are hundreds of circumstances, values and emotions that can drive your life” , writes Warren.  He goes on to list five common aspects as the driving forces in the lives of people, namely: guilt, resentment and anger, fear, materialism and the need for approval. I found that list quite insightful.  I became more curious in trying to understand what really was the driving force behind my thoughts, feelings and actions during the various circumstances I encountered or found myself. Whether it was thinking through a situation, identifying my feelings or making a decision about how to proceed, I have generally used Warren’s list as a filter to help me understand my own motivations better.  This is an on-going process because as human beings we are evolving each day. What may have been the driving force...

What’s Love got to do with It? Today is Wednesday 14th February 2024. The date is celebrated as Valentine’s day. A day when hundreds of people celebrate love with their partners and loved ones. The day has an interesting history, based on Saint Valentine. The story is told that St Valentine wedded couples against the laws of his time, thus celebrating and promoting love. He was killed for that. He died for what he believed in, Love.  Incidentally, today is also Ash Wednesday. It is a day marked by traditional Christian churches signifying beginning of  the Lent season. Lent marks forty days of fasting, prayer and almsgiving for spiritual purposes. I have been reflecting on this co-incidence and wondering what intersects the two celebrations: Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. They seem worlds apart, yet today they are marked on the same day. Love is the notion that emerged during my reflection. Immediately, the question arose: “What’s love got to do with it?” Interestingly, th...

I recently bumped into an interesting book by Deepak Chopra (https://www.deepakchopra.com/), where he explains the seven spiritual laws of success. Deepak calls the fifth law, the law of intention and desire. In one of the paragraphs, I find his distinction of attention and intention quite interesting. He writes, thus: “Attention energizes and intention transforms. Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life. Whatever you take your attention away from will wither, disintegrate and disappear. Intention on the other hand, triggers transformation of energy and information. Intention organises its own fulfilment” It is the last statement that captures my imagination in light of how many people make beginning-of-year-resolutions. Intention organises its own fulfilment. Many-a-time, the word resolution is used to indicate decisions that one has made with the aim of making some change in their individual lives. For instance, one may say, I will stop smoking in 2024. Or ...

As a self-proclaimed student of life, I have made it my mission to become observant each day. It is interesting what one can see, hear, sense, smell or even taste when one is open to learning.  In fact my mentor and former supervisor - Professor Michel Lejeune once told me that learning does not stop in the classroom. It goes on even when we have long left the classroom aka graduating. But the question remains, “How many of us are actually open and willing to learn daily?” So as 2024 has just begun, many have been involved in setting new goals or resolutions for themselves as individuals and organisations as corporate entities that have a vision towards achieving their identified goals.  One may ask however, “what is it that makes some individuals and organisations achieve their resolutions and others not?”   After posing such a question to several people, there are various versions and answers one would get.  Among the many answers one would get to the above questio...

A very happy new to you all dear readers and followers of my Blog posts.  It is always a pleasure to share reflections on insights that I pick up on this life’s journey. I believe we are called to do better, be better and have better. It is what we were created for. And as a human species on earth, we have been endowed with special abilities like no other on earth.  My blog is entitled #YourBetterSelf for that very reason. At the beginning of each new year, many people make effort to set new goals or revise the ones from the year before. This depends on their personal circumstances. I have learnt that there are also creative ways this can be done, so as to stay on track, in being effective. But that will be a story for another day.  For this post, I was struck by the parallel depth of a story I have always heard around the Christmas season. It is the story of the three wise men who embarked on a journey to seek for the new born king, that they could pay him homage. On th...