It's Finally Over

Thank You J.K Rowling and also all those who involved in the film - actors, directors, crews..etc.. It was a great journey both in the books and also the movies. I have immensely enjoy everything and for sure going to miss it! Tsk tsk tsk

Inspiring

"Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy to finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one area where I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter, and a big idea. And so rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life." – J. K. Rowling, Harvard commencement address, 2008

p/s getting ready and getting excited for the final part of Harry Potter movie...

Is The Life You're Living Worth the Price you are Paying?

What toll does it take, over time, if you get too little sleep; skip breakfast or settle for something unhealthy; struggle with a relentlessly challenging commute; attend meeting after meeting with no breaks in between; pump yourself up through the day with multiple cups of coffee or sugary snacks; deal with hundreds of emails that accumulate in your inbox; remain at your desk for lunch if you eat lunch at all; push through fatigue in the afternoon; head home at night feeling exhausted, but continue to check email through the evening; work on the weekends; and limit your vacations to no more than a week or two, if you vacation at all?

Consider the story of the boiling frog. It may or may not be true, but the point it makes certainly is. Toss a frog into a pot of boiling water and it instinctively jumps out, self-protectively. Next, place the frog into a pot of cool water. Not surprisingly, it swims around, happily. Now heat the water up very gradually and what does the frog do? It acclimates to untenable circumstances — and slowly cooks. The frog doesn't notice what's happening to him, until it's too late.

We're experiencing the same phenomenon. Facing ever more demand, complexity and uncertainty, our initial response is to push ourselves harder and more relentlessly, without taking account of the costs we're incurring.
Physiologically, we move into hyperarousal — flooding our bodies with stress hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. It's an automatic response to the experience of threat, and it provides an instant source of energy.

"Allostatic load" is a term coined by the neuroscientist Bruce McEwen that refers to the physiological consequences — most especially on the brain — of chronic exposure to relentless demand. When fight-or-flight hormones circulate in our body for too long, keeping our arousal high, they become toxic — not just physically, but also emotionally and mentally.

The most immediate problem with the fight-or-flight state is that our pre-frontal cortex begins to shut down. We become reactive rather than reflective. We lose precisely what we need most in these complex times: the capacity to think analytically and imaginatively; to embrace nuance and paradox rather than choosing up sides; and to take a long-term perspective rather than making the most expedient choice.
It's not good for us, and it's not good for companies.

The antidote, well understood by trauma researchers, is to give people practical and specific ways to lower their physiological arousal — to get out of fight or flight. If you're hyperaroused — and vast numbers of us are, much of the time — you must learn first how to regularly relax your body. Only then is it possible to calm your emotions, quiet your mind and make wiser choices.

In the trauma community, it's called self-soothing. In the workplace, it's about using simple strategies to buffer relentless demand by taking more conscious and regular care of our most basic needs.
Our most fundamental physical needs, beyond food, are to move and to rest. Sleep is the foundation of physical energy. All but a tiny percentage of us require at least 7-8 hours a night to feel fully rested and even small amounts of sleep deprivation take a significant cognitive toll.

We also operate best when we take renewal breaks at least every 90 minutes during the day. Breathing deeply for as little as a minute, for example, can completely clear the body of cortisol.
Movement is a second, more active way to change channels and to build physical capacity. The best way to move is to regularly challenge our current comfort zone — to push our heart rate into the aerobic and anaerobic zones at least four times a week, for at least 20 minutes at a time, and to train with weights at least twice a week.

Even if you don't do that, it's immensely valuable to get up and move at least several times during the day — and even better, to get outside. Above all, our goal should be to increase our oscillation over the course of the day — moving between relaxation at one end, and more active forms of energy expenditure at the other.
At the emotional level, our core need is to feel safe, secure and valued. The most reliable way to ensure that happens is to move flexibly between valuing, appreciating and taking care of others — which builds trust and appreciation — and taking care of ourselves. One without the other is insufficient. We need to regularly refuel ourselves with positive emotions just as much as we need to renew ourselves physically.

The more attentive we are to meeting these core needs, the less likely we are to feel overwhelmed and exhausted, and the more sustainably high-performing we're capable of becoming.

Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2011/07/is-the-life-youre-living-worth.html

Note:  Just something my boss gives once in a while via e-mail. Happy Reading.

Run!Run!Run!

I need to start running seriously again. Happily of course. Just a bit more disciplined than I was lately. I think my weight is not getting any lesser.

Coincidentally too, I have been feeling like I need to get away for a while. I'm not sure what it is exactly that I really need to get away from but sometimes I feel suffocated by everything that is going on through my head. I even started to dream so much of things that I hate and things that I wish for. Omg. I know. Sometimes I think that there might be something wrong with me. So I think beside jogging, I also need to run away to some place where I can get a peace of mind.

Maybe I should just go for an unplanned trip once in a while. Even better, I should just pick any location now and buy me an overnight plane tickets or bus tickets or train tickets...whatever it is. The tickets sound weird to me now after repeating the sentence through my head.

I have a small world globe like this in the room. Almost the same shape and color. Bought it during that first visit to Singapore.

I just want the whole world to stop for a while. Please let me wander around as long as I want and let me be at every places I need to be.

Reasons Why

or

T-R-Y

Oh baby we can fight like dogs we can fight like cats

A dirty laundry needs a laundry man

Maybe the king and the queen should lay off the caffeine

Baby breathe before you react

Sometimes we do forget to behave

And we regret what we say

Cause words are too weapons

If we don't choose'em carefully

Ladies and gentlemen this is instrumental

If life's to be a bed of roses

I know i gave you everything you like

Because you still give me butterflies

If we just try try try

Just to be ni-ni-nice

Then the world would be a better place for you and I

If we just live our lives

Putting our differences aside

Oh that would be so beautiful to me

Are we just dangling in the middle of a galaxy

Well i'm stoked on gravity

To be stuck with you like flowers on the dew drops

Now let it in my direction

My direction is up when everybody's down

Cause i don't mind being anybody's clown

I love a little lift cause i'm an optimistic

In an altruistic way

Cause basically this place is needing instruments of harmony

Spreading my philosophy of love and inspiration

Oh these words I speak I commit to like a crime

With a rhythm i deliver i'm giving them a picture

Of the reasons why

We should just try try try

Just to be ni-ni-nice

So the world could be a better place for you and I

If we just live our lives

Putting our differences aside

Oh that would be so beautiful to me

Well it wouldn't cost a penny but could save so many lonely lives

From teary eyes

If we just try try try

To open up a can of understanding open up your heart

I'm just planting seeds

Cause i believe

We could just try try try

Just to be ni-ni-nice

So the world would be a better place for you and I

If we just live our lives

Putting our differences aside

Oh that would be so beautiful to me

If we could try, just to be nice

oh That could be so beautiful to me

I believe,

that could be so beautiful to me

Reading My Way Through Life

It has been a while since the last time I read a book and COMPLETED IT WITH JUST A FEW HOURS. That's the indication of how much I ENJOYED the book I have just finished reading. Although I did feel a bit disappointed of the ending, one that I felt ended too soon when I was hoping for more reconciliation and elaborated happy ending pages after all of what each of the character have gone through. Nevertheless, it was a VERY GOOD read I could not really get enough of it in the end.
 
Anyway, I guess all those writers did it sometimes. To not gives you everything and leave some for your imagination and let you decide how it's going to end. It happen a lot in movies too. Those movies that ends abruptly and leaves you wondering whether there's a second sequel to it or it was purposely done to let  your mind play tricks on you - something like that.

This is the first book that I read from this author, Meg Rosoff and I'm LOOKING FORWARD to read more of her writings after this.

Run Your Butt Off!

I used to hate dislike running. I couldn't see any point in just running from one point to another without a ball to kick or a racket to swing at the same time. I did a lot of sports but I was never the runner type.

It all started to change once I got into the working world. I didn't have friends to play basketball or volleyball anymore and the only alternative were badminton or ping-pong (both never been my strongest or favorite games)...and I started gaining weight...kg to kg. I know for myself that it will be hard for me at first to like or do something that I'm not really good at or familiar with but I also do know that if I try hard enough, I'll be just fine and it will turn out great.

Just last week, I did a charity run for Husky. I mean for the SPCA Penang but we (together with Wel & Jew) kind of tribute it to Husky. Jew printed a picture of Husky and laminated it with dog-quote words and pinned it at the back of our running shirt.

This coming Sunday, we will all be running again for the Beach Run 'Race Against Time' in Batu Ferringi which is a run to boost awareness of organ donation. Now it does feel good to run and do something good at the same time. Apart from personal reason or goal for running, you can do your part for the community too. Isn't that great?

Despite my obvious change of heart on running, it might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you feel that you want to try it out (cause you'll never know if you never try either right), then I'll say...go for it! Run slowly at first...listen to some music to distract the temptation of stopping and I assure you that you'll feel like the healthiest people on earth after you are done with it.

Remind Yourself Everyday

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

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Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present

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Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about

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Always choose life.

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If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

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Forgive everyone, everything.

Early Morning Jog

I decided to wake up early this morning to go for a jog and start the day early as I could not really go back to sleep after waking up around 6am.

The message from Chris Guillebeau keep on playing through my head while I lay in my bed contemplating on getting up.

"Why do you get out of bed in the mornings?"

Here's what he wrote in one of the articles that he emailed to every subscribers. A little motivation for your guys today.

May 19, 2011

Rain Running

Every Sunday morning that I'm in town, I head out for a long run. Two weekends ago at the waterfront, the weather was glorious. The whole city of Portland took up jogging or cycling.

Last weekend at the waterfront, the weather was more to our usual end-of-Spring form... rainy and gloomy. The whole city of Portland stayed indoors.

On the sunny day, joggers and cyclists smiled at each other with a mutual appreciation of our good fortune. The implied message was, "It's good to be alive!"

But on the rainy day, a much smaller crowd of amateur athletes nodded at each other with mutual pride. The implied message was, "Nice job. Glad to see you made it out while other people are sleeping in."

If I don't feel like running one weekend, I go anyway. It's not just out of duty -- nine times out of ten, I'm glad I went. The days I feel bad about my writing aren't the days when I've written poorly. It's the days where I've done everything but write -- those days are killer. If you base your workout schedule on the weather, you'll never build a habit of exercise.

The same is true for writing or any other creative practice: base it on anything outside your control, and good luck getting anything done.

In a creative practice, waiting for "inspiration" is the worst. I follow the Somerset Maugham school of inspiration: "I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp."

It might not be every morning at nine o'clock sharp for you, but the point is that inspiration shows up when you have a deadline to meet. If you don't have a real deadline, better make one up.

***

I always like to hear about other people's goals and projects. One interesting way to find out what motivates someone is to ask:

"Why do you get out of bed in the mornings?"

Sometimes the answer is "school" or "a job," and that's fine -- I don't think everyone should walk away from schools and jobs without a plan. But the obvious follow-up is, what if you didn't have the obligation; what would you get out of bed in the mornings for if it was completely up to you?

I get up to run on Sundays, rain or shine. I'd rather it be shining, but regardless, the shoes are by the door the night before. The other six days of the week, I get up to write. I'm working toward something; I'll put the miles in.

How about you -- why do you get out of bed in the mornings?

Emo

Not really in a fine mood these last few days. I'm not going to let it show and hopefully I will feel alright again. What's wrong? I don't exactly know.

wtf$%^&#$!!@#it