Saturday, November 27, 2010

Break the Monotony

photo credit - grzegorzmilos.com
I haven’t written a full-length article in a while and I’m thinking maybe I should revisit this. I miss writing but life is such that there is little time for the things that matter the most to us. Everything is just rushed as we try to squeeze in the many things that encompass a typical day. You get up early, get ready for work, for those of us with families we hurry to get our kids ready for school all packed and ready to face the day equipped with all the necessary tools to have a productive day. All set, we hit the road…literally. Some days the traffic is better but some time or another we encounter some sort of discomfort on our travels. I have found it worth the sacrifice (of sleep) to leave at least fifteen minutes earlier on mornings and afternoons to avoid the agonizing delays and frustration spent in jams…not to mention less fuel consumption…it’s amazing! You hear me going on and on about traffic but the plethora of cars on the roads these days is just horrific! I know everyone wants to be independent in terms of their daily commute but it is frustrating at times (forgive me for saying this) especially with all the “bad drives” you have to dodge on a daily basis.

When you get to work you juggle many tasks, meetings, deadlines, phone calls, projects and the like in an effort to get everything done before it’s time to hit the road again. Some days it passes faster than others…other times you can’t wait for it to end so that you can just spend some quality time with loved ones, relax or get to your after work activities. Some may have classes, some may have hobbies such as exercise or sports. Others may not have it so easy and have to pick up the kids from school and make drop-offs to after-school activities and help with homework - leaving little time for much else. Most of us get home at nightfall with just enough time to prepare for the next day, whether it’s meals, ironing or other household chores. By this time you are just praying for your bed to put up your feet and catch some zeez. Before you know it …your alarm goes off and it’s time to do it all over again and you feel like you're trapped in the movie “Groundhog Day.” For those of us that haven’t seen this 1990s movie, it’s about the actor Bill Murray’s character who keeps reliving the same day over and over until he finds redemption. Then the weekend goes so fast sometimes you wish there are less workdays and more of the weekend.

My point through all of this is that it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and forget to enjoy life. You get bored with life, work and those around you. You hear people complaining about this all the time. It’s the little things though (that we don’t stop to absorb) that makes you thankful and bring a smile or laughter to your countenance. It may be a scenery of trees or flowering poui that you pass by everyday on the way to work and never take the time to notice until you are stuck in traffic one day and you suddenly notice it, or a bird, a breathtaking sunset….or rainbow that just catches you by surprise. This has happened to me on several occasions and it brought such joy and appreciation for life. To think that all these things were there all the time and I did not realize it until that moment. Every time I pass by the foreshore and the sun sparkles on the water as it sets, I can’t help but slow my pace a bit and thank God for the ability for my sense of sight. I was giving a colleague a ride home yesterday and without prompting, she said to me as we both passed this same spot: "don't you just love it when the river meets the sea?!" We both looked across and watched it in silence (someone else notices I thought!...although mute). At work it may be an eccentric co-worker that breaks the monotony of the day. Or at home, a pet that greets you when you open your gate…we must all find ways to get a little enjoyment from life…it’s the simple pleasures that makes your life unique and worthwhile. Whether it is a nagging spouse or sibling that you constantly argue with. Thank God that you have a spouse or brother or sister to nag you sometimes, for there are many lonely people out there that long for the experience and wish they had someone in their life. If you hate going to the gym like me, stop to give thanks that you have the ability and means to exercise, for there are many that can’t for one reason or another. And when I think about it, it is for my benefit and I do get some enjoyment when all is said and done and I am grateful that I find the energy and willpower to rally through and maintain a healthy fitness lifestyle for the past 8 years.

No matter how busy your life gets though, you must make the time to do something for 'you' regularly. Whether it is sewing, baking, caring for your automobile, listening to music, playing an instrument, talking to your best friend on the phone, sharing a joke from the day with your neighbour or spouse, watching your favourite television show or writing in a journal. I haven’t watched television in almost two years as I was studying and it did not bother me, now I have re-discovered what I was missing. It is an escape from reality for half an hour or more as you enter into a make-belief life with your favourite characters. I have found that I like old movies maybe from a decade or two ago (no not black & white!), sitcoms, comedies and action/drama. Just three times a week I like to escape to a private world. Nikita and The New Adventures of Old Christine are some of my favourite shows on TV right now. Recently I have watched Home Alone, Pretty Woman and Willy Wonker and the Chocolate Factory and for those few minutes I don’t think about anything else which is a simple pleasure for me. I am not fond of television but it takes me back to a time when life was simple.

These are just some of my favourite things that I like to do to break the monotony when I am not out enjoying the outdoors. I thought that I would share, so you too can pass on what you like to do to make life fun. Remember it’s not the big things that make you happy, but little moments that add to your joy and form part of the whole picture. When you look back at your life you would not remember that one 'big thing' that suddenly caused utopia, but snapshots of a good life well lived to the fullest. Live it in a way so that you can testify to this. ©

Peace.




Thursday, November 25, 2010

A Special Feeling

Today is exactly one month away from the big day. There’s a certain feeling in the air now that Christmas is drawing nearer and nearer.  Not just the darkening of the sky a bit earlier or the slight drop in temperatures and rainy days around these parts but it’s a special feeling…Maybe of nostalgia of Christmases past or maybe of all the planning and preparation. But underneath it all do we remember why we are doing all of this? Do we remember to keep Christ in Christmas no matter what denomination or religion? Do we remember the ‘reason for the season’ while we hustle and bustle and spend it all in a hurry as if it won’t mean as much any other time of year? Christmas is not about the presents or the ham or turkey, snow, mistletoe, stockings or punch de crème. It’s about the feeling it invigours, the people around us that we share it with, it’s about the sacrifices that were made for us to enjoy a better life.  How we spend it is up to us but we need to give thanks that we have life to spend another Christmas with our loved ones for there are many others who were not as fortunate.  I am alive!  You are alive! No greater gift than that. We are privileged beings to be present in this era. We need to give thanks and live every moment as if it is a gift. Give of ourselves freely and we will appreciate the feeling it creates. ©

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Startling Discovery

photo credit - pongoresume.com
I don't know how come I did not realize this before, but I am discovering new things about my blog everyday. I made this discovery quite by accident while watching an episode of "Gossip Girl" last night....How weird is that? I've discovered "stats" on the site!! This from someone who has been blogging for the past 2 years and wondering if there's a way to track hits, thinking this was only tracked by page views on my profile! I'm sort of embarrassed to admit this:( And here I thought no one was reading my blog :S........Anyhow, the purpose of this post is to thank all my readers whether you comment or not, I'm glad to know that you're out there. So to my readers in Russia, Turkey, Slovenia, Netherlands, Hong Kong, The United States, Canada, Jamaica and last but not least Trinidad & Tobago....I thank you! for making the time to stop by! Please feel free to leave your comments and ratings....so I know what you're thinking! Can you relate...what are your experiences on the issues like? Now I know I am not just rambling and talking to myself :D
Love you all!!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Have you answered the call?


photo credit - sgforums.com
November is upon us…and it’s the second anniversary of my blog:-) Yeah I know what's the big deal right? No, but seriously it is a milestone since I have enough things to say to keep it going this long...and I got to thinking: did I accomplish all the things I wanted to with my blog? For the most part, I think the answer is yes. I am my own author of my own website (someone just pointed that out last night) and my own publisher…independent of when, where and how I am published. I can edit, delete or redesign anytime I want…I think it’s great. But have I reached the audience that I want to? That’s the question at hand. If my writing has reached 5 persons I think that I have accomplished what I set out to do. I can’t change the world all at once! (which is my greatest wish by the way…however grandiose that is). I long to transform and touch lives, to bring about changes in thought patterns, behaviours/modus operandi... inspire, motivate…the sky is the limit. I think writing is one of the greatest talents in the world…that along with song, dance, theatre and the arts. I am humble yet, and know there are many others like me out there…perhaps even better…but I even inspire myself sometimes…so I think that’s impressive, once you have confidence in your own work…that’s important. And I thank God everyday for this ability and zeal that I have to see it through to the end. The adrenaline never ends...passion never wanes. If I can do it full time that would be even greater….but hey there’s a divine reason behind everything in your life…you are exactly where you need to be at any given moment. And each of us has that gift deep inside us, whether we have discovered and realized it as yet is another question, but we have a force working within us to touch another soul and enhance lives, making it richer and more fulfilling if only we look inside, and live it every day. So I urge you to find your calling and answer it…don’t just go through the motions...then suddenly your whole world would open up and change for the better and life would become more worthwhile. ©

Peace.