Wow.. i didn't realise that my blog had died..
Anyway, let me try to revive it again...
I promised to blog about "How to Pursue Happiness".
But i shall do it after this post, because its linked..
Anyway, like the title says, i'm gonna blog about the meaning of Life.
What is the meaning of life?
What is life's purpose?
What is the reason you're here for?
Some people believe that we're here just to exist.
To be born, to grow up, to study, to find a girlfriend or boyfriend or computer game to others, to study more, to play and slack, to get married, to find a job, to earn money, to have children, to have grand children, and to die...
Others might not agree and feel that there has to be a purpose for their existence.
So what is that purpose?
What do you find meaning in life?
I am not a super duper old wise man or whatever, so i can't give you a 100% correct answer.
So i plan to open up the floor for you to tell me what do you feel the meaning and purpose of life is...
The main attraction of this post will not be what i write, but it'll be what comments that you guys will leave.
It'll be interesting to see everyone's different opinions.
Pls feel free to drop your thoughts and feelings down in my comments.
Not too offensive stuff i hope, haha..
For example you feel that the purpose of life is to have fun.
Or mayB some of you feel that you find meaning in your life when you see other people happy, etc, etc..
So don't be shy!!!
Whoever you are, even if you want to keep your anonnymous status, don't be shy..
Dun be intimidated by other's opinions too, coz mayB other ppl's meaning to life is so noble, but yours might not be.
Like to find a rich husband or a rich wife.
To play dota until you die.
To find a girlfriend/boyfriend.
To find 2 girlfriends/boyfriends.
To be alone with your goldfish everyday, etc, etc..
No matter how.. eh.. "unique" you see your purpose and meaning of life, there is no right and no wrong, only opinions.
So feel free to flood my blog!!
(not with dumb stuff though, haha)
This post has value in view of time and in view of eternity... That is if people really do respond and leave comments, haha..
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
FUN = Joy ??
To my readers and myself : Sorry for the super duper long delay in updating my blog!!
As you know, I was on my final year project for the past 3 months.
I had a great time doing the project although i had to stay in school from Sunday to Thursday on the 3rd last week, Monday to Saturday on the 2nd last week and Sunday to Friday on the last week.
As in overnight.
So i guess now you could understand why i did not blog for the past few weeks/months.
Anyway, to redeem myself, i've prepared a very good post!
I decided not to continue from the previous post because i realised that i do not have ample research to write a great post about that topic.
So sit back, relax, forget about Rickson not updating his blog for months and enjoy this post!!
Oh, and prepare yourself for a paradigm shift!!! (change in thinking due to being able to see in a new point of view)
Here Goes..
I've realised that not much people has given this a thought.
Is Fun the same as Joy?
Why is there an extensive use of the former but the later used only in certain circumstances?
In the world today, everyone is seeking for Fun.
Upon recieving invitations to parties, to new places where they haven't been to, the first question that pops out from their mouths is...
" Is it fun? "
While on the other hand, I've yet to hear anyone asking "Is it joyful?" or "Will I feel joy?", etc, etc...
So what do they really want?
What do we really want?
Does having fun gives you joy?
The answer behind this question....... is no..
Fun does not equals to Joy.
Having Fun does not equals to having Joy.
Now let me give you a few important points about the difference between Fun & Joy.
1) Joy lasts long, but Fun is temporary.
A common question asked is "Was it Fun?" (not was it joyful)
Another common phrase is "I had Fun that day" (not joy again).
Did you see it?!
Fun is commonly used with "was" and "had", which means Fun is often assisiated with the past.
Fun can fade away easily.
I come to a conclusion through different analysis and research that:
Fun is TEMPORARY.
What about Joy?
A common way to use that vocabulary is "I have joy in my heart."
Joy is seldom assisiated with the past tense.
Phrases such as "I have fun in my heart" and "I had joy" is almost never used. (unless your English isn't very good).
Try to understand the two important sentences I am going write next.
Fun is for the today that will become a yesterday.
Joy is for the tomorrow that will become a today.
Allow me to break it down.
Men today pursue fun all day all night long.
But fun fades away so quickly.
You could be having fun one moment and totally lose the fun the next moment.
But for Joy, it is the opposite.
Joy is something to be pursued for the future.
Joy is like a dream, a vision, a goal that people pursue but will not recieve it immediately, unlike fun.
But upon strong pursuit, we will recieve Joy, and Joy usually lasts long.
thus,
Fun is for the today that will become a yesterday.
Joy is for the tomorrow that will become a today.
2) Joy is e state of heart. Fun is the activity of the heart.
What i mean is that Joy is in the heart, if you have it, you have it. If you don't, then you don't.
But Fun is more of an activity.
That when you are doing something, you feel the fun.
When you stop doing that something, you stop feeling the fun.
Let me give you an analogy.
Having Joy is like saying "I am healthy!"
Having Fun, is like saying "I love to play sports!"
So Fun, though associated with Joy, can be present in total absence of it.
Fun can be present in the absence of Joy.
But Joy cannot be present in the absence of Fun.
Why?
Because the presence of Joy, having Joy in your heart causes you to do things with enjoyment, leading you to experience fun in doing little things that might not seem fun to others.
Joy is like Spectacles to one who has myopia.
When you wear your spectacles, you'll see everything clearer no matter what you are doing.
But for Fun, its like a person with myopia squinting his eyes.
Only when he is squinting his eyes can he see clearer, but when he stops squinting his eyes, he sees a blurer vision again.
And squinting your eyes can never give you as good a vision as wearing your spectacles if you have myopia.
In other words, having Joy is a higher level of having Fun.
Fun is found in the activity.
Joy is found in the person, that causes whatever activity he does to be fun.
It affects you mentally
Whereas Fun is just the activity.
Thus when we are affected by such emotions, we won't feel a desire to participate in activities that produces fun.
let me break it down further.Lets take it that:
Spirit = State of Heart = King
Soul = Emotion = Prince
Body = Activity = Slave
The prince can give orders to the slave who has to listen.
Emotions can command the body to do things as it will.
So when you're feeling down, when you're feeling pain, Fun is commanded to leave by your emotions.
Which means you'll lose the mood to have fun and enjoy life.
On the other hand, the slave can't command the prince to do what he wants.
Which is the problem that the people in the world is experiencing today.
We try to take part in activites to cover up the hurts and brokeness of our hearts.
We try to ask a slave to command a prince.
Our state of heart ultimately decides how we think and what we do.
Even when there is pain, negative emotions, etc, etc, having the right state of heart, namely Joy, will drive us to think positively, to know that emotions are just temporary, and to do things positively too.
So go for the King.
Don't ask a slave to command a prince.
Stop blindly pursueing Fun!!!
PURSUE JOY INSTEAD !!!
The smart thing is to control yourself .
I'm not saying that we deny that we feel sad or hurt.
I'm saying that we should make decisions that will minimize the harm that negative emotions can have on your soul and body.
When you're sad, don't have self pity on yourself and keep listening to music that will make you even more sad.
Becuase you will end up being worse than before, you might fall into depression or feel even more pain.
Instead, tell yourself that everything will be alright.
That None of us are perfect, we still make mistakes.
That at least you have experience now on how to handle things better and not get hurt in the future.
As you know, I was on my final year project for the past 3 months.
I had a great time doing the project although i had to stay in school from Sunday to Thursday on the 3rd last week, Monday to Saturday on the 2nd last week and Sunday to Friday on the last week.
As in overnight.
So i guess now you could understand why i did not blog for the past few weeks/months.
Anyway, to redeem myself, i've prepared a very good post!
I decided not to continue from the previous post because i realised that i do not have ample research to write a great post about that topic.
So sit back, relax, forget about Rickson not updating his blog for months and enjoy this post!!
Oh, and prepare yourself for a paradigm shift!!! (change in thinking due to being able to see in a new point of view)
Here Goes..
I've realised that not much people has given this a thought.
Is Fun the same as Joy?
Why is there an extensive use of the former but the later used only in certain circumstances?
In the world today, everyone is seeking for Fun.
Upon recieving invitations to parties, to new places where they haven't been to, the first question that pops out from their mouths is...
" Is it fun? "
While on the other hand, I've yet to hear anyone asking "Is it joyful?" or "Will I feel joy?", etc, etc...
So what do they really want?
What do we really want?
Does having fun gives you joy?
The answer behind this question....... is no..
Fun does not equals to Joy.
Having Fun does not equals to having Joy.
Now let me give you a few important points about the difference between Fun & Joy.
1) Joy lasts long, but Fun is temporary.
A common question asked is "Was it Fun?" (not was it joyful)
Another common phrase is "I had Fun that day" (not joy again).
Did you see it?!
Fun is commonly used with "was" and "had", which means Fun is often assisiated with the past.
Fun can fade away easily.
I come to a conclusion through different analysis and research that:
Fun is TEMPORARY.
What about Joy?
A common way to use that vocabulary is "I have joy in my heart."
Joy is seldom assisiated with the past tense.
Phrases such as "I have fun in my heart" and "I had joy" is almost never used. (unless your English isn't very good).
Try to understand the two important sentences I am going write next.
Fun is for the today that will become a yesterday.
Joy is for the tomorrow that will become a today.
Allow me to break it down.
Men today pursue fun all day all night long.
But fun fades away so quickly.
You could be having fun one moment and totally lose the fun the next moment.
But for Joy, it is the opposite.
Joy is something to be pursued for the future.
Joy is like a dream, a vision, a goal that people pursue but will not recieve it immediately, unlike fun.
But upon strong pursuit, we will recieve Joy, and Joy usually lasts long.
thus,
Fun is for the today that will become a yesterday.
Joy is for the tomorrow that will become a today.
2) Joy is e state of heart. Fun is the activity of the heart.
What i mean is that Joy is in the heart, if you have it, you have it. If you don't, then you don't.
But Fun is more of an activity.
That when you are doing something, you feel the fun.
When you stop doing that something, you stop feeling the fun.
Let me give you an analogy.
Having Joy is like saying "I am healthy!"
Having Fun, is like saying "I love to play sports!"
So Fun, though associated with Joy, can be present in total absence of it.
Fun can be present in the absence of Joy.
But Joy cannot be present in the absence of Fun.
Why?
Because the presence of Joy, having Joy in your heart causes you to do things with enjoyment, leading you to experience fun in doing little things that might not seem fun to others.
Joy is like Spectacles to one who has myopia.
When you wear your spectacles, you'll see everything clearer no matter what you are doing.
But for Fun, its like a person with myopia squinting his eyes.
Only when he is squinting his eyes can he see clearer, but when he stops squinting his eyes, he sees a blurer vision again.
And squinting your eyes can never give you as good a vision as wearing your spectacles if you have myopia.
In other words, having Joy is a higher level of having Fun.
Fun is found in the activity.
Joy is found in the person, that causes whatever activity he does to be fun.
3) Fun dies in the presence of pain. Joy can live in the presence of pain.
When arguments appear, when conflicts arise, when wounds are felt, Fun will run.
Simply because Fun and Pain are the opposite.
When you have the pain of rejection, the pain of regret, etc, etc, you would not have the mood to have fun.
Becuase Pain is an emotion.
It affects you mentally
Whereas Fun is just the activity.
Thus when we are affected by such emotions, we won't feel a desire to participate in activities that produces fun.
But, like how humans can live breathing oxygen and carbon dioxide together, Joy can live in the presence of pain.
As mentioned earlier, Joy is the state of heart, pain is an emotion and fun is an activity.
Having the right state of heart can allow you to control the emotions that pounce towards you which therefore will affect the activities that you participate in.
Let me break that down for you
Joy = state of heart = spirit
Pain = emotion = soul
Fun = activity = body
The spirit is a level above the soul which in turn is a level above the body.
In other words the spirit is in a higher position than the soul which in turn is in a higher position than the body.
Thus having the right spirit (joy), can control your emotions (soul), which in turn can control what you do (fun)
let me break it down further.Lets take it that:
Spirit = State of Heart = King
Soul = Emotion = Prince
Body = Activity = Slave
The prince can give orders to the slave who has to listen.
Emotions can command the body to do things as it will.
So when you're feeling down, when you're feeling pain, Fun is commanded to leave by your emotions.
Which means you'll lose the mood to have fun and enjoy life.
On the other hand, the slave can't command the prince to do what he wants.
Which is the problem that the people in the world is experiencing today.
We try to take part in activites to cover up the hurts and brokeness of our hearts.
We try to ask a slave to command a prince.
In reality, it is impossible!
You would say "Maybe the slave can use violence to threaten the prince.
Yes, in reality that might work, but eventually the prince would try to escape, along with the help of his father and his followers.
We try so hard to cover our feelings and emotions by doing things that makes us seem like we're doing okay
But one day the prince will escape!!!
The solution then becomes obvious.
How do we command the prince.
Go for the King!!
The answer is the state of your heart!!
Our state of heart ultimately decides how we think and what we do.
Even when there is pain, negative emotions, etc, etc, having the right state of heart, namely Joy, will drive us to think positively, to know that emotions are just temporary, and to do things positively too.
So go for the King.
Don't ask a slave to command a prince.
Stop blindly pursueing Fun!!!
PURSUE JOY INSTEAD !!!
Have the right state of heart.
Have Joy!
Don't have sympathy on your emotions.
At times we might feel down, sad, hurt, etc, etc.
But if you listen to your emotions and continue doing things that will deepen those emotions, if you continue harbouring and focusing on such emotions, you'll be dragged further down each day.
The smart thing is to control yourself .
I'm not saying that we deny that we feel sad or hurt.
I'm saying that we should make decisions that will minimize the harm that negative emotions can have on your soul and body.
When you're sad, don't have self pity on yourself and keep listening to music that will make you even more sad.
Becuase you will end up being worse than before, you might fall into depression or feel even more pain.
Instead, tell yourself that everything will be alright.
That None of us are perfect, we still make mistakes.
That at least you have experience now on how to handle things better and not get hurt in the future.
I shall summarize all this post in two sentences.
PURSUE JOY, AND FUN WILL FOLLOW!!!
Because pursueing joy instead of fun is more beneficial to you.
This post has great value in view of time.
Upon learning this principle that fun does not equals to joy, you will seek and pursue for the right thing which has beneficial results and gain to you on earth.
This post also has great value in view of eternity because by understanding these principles will your character strengthen, will you have joy in your heart and will you enjoy your future allowing you to not waste time thinking of the wrong things but focusing on doing great things.
Now that you see that seeking Joy is the better choice, the next question is "How do we seek for Joy?"
I shall blog about it the next time
This is Rickson Tan.. out.. (camera zooms out and pans out to show the audience in the live studio chattering)
Sunday, 24 June 2007
The Lack of Love..
The world today is a world growing cold in love.
People are seeking for love everywhere only to find out they've been finding it in the wrong places.
Many people think that marriage is the only solution, because when you're married to a person, that person has to "vow" to commit to you forever.
Which brings forth security and feelings of being loved.
But in this century, the divorcement rate in every country is escalating rapidly.
What is the cause for all these?
Or rather, which is the cause and which is the effect?
Is divorce an effect for the lack of love or is it the one that causes feelings of lack of love?
what else is linked to the lack of love in the world?
For now, i could think of two main effects..
The lack of love results in the development of either one of these two characteristics in our lives.
1) A rebellious attitude
2) Depression
It might be difficult to believe, but yes, the lack of love is manifested in such a way.
I shall talk more about it next time (due to my fatique gained from my final year project, i have to continue it another day), but for today, i want you to really spend some time thinking.
Do you have a lack of love?
Not just bgr, but love from parents, love from friends, or even love from yourself.. I'm sure that at least 80% or more will have a lack of love in a certain area of his/her life.
If you do, what form has it manifested as?
You have a rebellious attitude (pride) or some form of depression (feelings of unworthiness or insecurity, etc, etc..).
So identify the problem first.
I will update soon in more detail about what really are the exact causes of rebellion and depression, and the effects of the lack of love..
This post is more like a Pre-post for the up coming post.
People are seeking for love everywhere only to find out they've been finding it in the wrong places.
Many people think that marriage is the only solution, because when you're married to a person, that person has to "vow" to commit to you forever.
Which brings forth security and feelings of being loved.
But in this century, the divorcement rate in every country is escalating rapidly.
What is the cause for all these?
Or rather, which is the cause and which is the effect?
Is divorce an effect for the lack of love or is it the one that causes feelings of lack of love?
what else is linked to the lack of love in the world?
For now, i could think of two main effects..
The lack of love results in the development of either one of these two characteristics in our lives.
1) A rebellious attitude
2) Depression
It might be difficult to believe, but yes, the lack of love is manifested in such a way.
I shall talk more about it next time (due to my fatique gained from my final year project, i have to continue it another day), but for today, i want you to really spend some time thinking.
Do you have a lack of love?
Not just bgr, but love from parents, love from friends, or even love from yourself.. I'm sure that at least 80% or more will have a lack of love in a certain area of his/her life.
If you do, what form has it manifested as?
You have a rebellious attitude (pride) or some form of depression (feelings of unworthiness or insecurity, etc, etc..).
So identify the problem first.
I will update soon in more detail about what really are the exact causes of rebellion and depression, and the effects of the lack of love..
This post is more like a Pre-post for the up coming post.
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Coming Soon...
Sorry!!
It's been an extremely long time since i've blogged, due to a major project i'm taking on now.
I'm currently doing my final year project!!
Its like the final examination for the 3 years of my Diploma, and thus the delay.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
I'm apologising to those people who like to read my blog and feels that i'm wasting my "interesting-blog-writing" talent. I'm not saying its very good, i just say its interesting, haha.. Bad things can be interesting too. So don't think that i'm proud when i say i have the talent to write interesting stuff, haha..
I will do my best to keep blogging!
If possible, i'm going to blog by this Sunday..
so prepare yourselves for the most most awaiting blog entry this summer.. Coming soon..
It's been an extremely long time since i've blogged, due to a major project i'm taking on now.
I'm currently doing my final year project!!
Its like the final examination for the 3 years of my Diploma, and thus the delay.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
I'm apologising to those people who like to read my blog and feels that i'm wasting my "interesting-blog-writing" talent. I'm not saying its very good, i just say its interesting, haha.. Bad things can be interesting too. So don't think that i'm proud when i say i have the talent to write interesting stuff, haha..
I will do my best to keep blogging!
If possible, i'm going to blog by this Sunday..
so prepare yourselves for the most most awaiting blog entry this summer.. Coming soon..
Monday, 16 April 2007
I Shouldn't Be Alive
This title is the same title of a documentary airing on Discovery Channel.
You've guessed it, I am not going to talk about relationships or love or infatuations in this post.
I'm going to teach you survival skills...
Treat this as a advertisement break from your everyday life.
I watched an episode of "I Shouldn't Be Alive" a month ago, but was too busy to pen it all down.
Anyway, its about these 3 friends who decide to explore the Amazon forest together.
It'll be interesting, so sit back and enjoy~~
The story starts off with 3 friends who want to explore the Amazon forest (by the way, its a true story).
They went to a nearby village and found a guide who self-elevates his ability as a guide.
FOUL #1 - Make sure your guide is really experienced. read up a little and test him first.
FOUL #2 - They were unable to tell that the guide was not very good because they themselves have not read up much on or have much experience in survival skills.
TIP #1 - Always read up on something before you start doing it
Unaware of what the forest has in store for them, the four of them started the adventure.
On the 2nd day(if i remember correctly), one of the guys complained about pain in his foot.
Due to my poor memory, lets just name this guy "Squidward".
So anyway, Squidward took off his boots and found out that his foot was in a very bad shape.
It has becomed a square!!
Nah, kidding.
The skin off his foot was peeling off and his foot was partially swollen.
FOUL #3 - What Squidwart just experienced is called TRENCH FOOT.
This is a symptom whereby our feet get soaked in water for too long such that the skin tears and now germs and bacteria are given direct access to his foot.
If left untreated, it will get much worser, to the extent that it leads to death.
TIP #2 - Every hour of travelling (especially if the ground is wet), take a small break. Sit down, take off your boots and socks and let your feet breathe. Dry your feet a little by using your hands to clean your feet. By the way, I am only referring to people travelling in a forest or jungle, not in a city or town. I don't want this post to spark of a new trend of taking off your shoes to dry your feet in orchard road.
Anyway, Squidward also complained about his headaches, which was a symptom of his trenched foot.
So Sandy (the guide's name, a result of my poor memory again) decided to make his way back to the village with Squidward.
The other two guys, "Spongebob" and "Patrick" decided to continue exploring the Amazon forest.
FOUL #4 - Do NOT explore a forest without a guide!!!
Tip #3 - Follow the guide always.. But don't follow him too closely, the guide might misunderstand due to the society issues of our century, which were stirred up even more by many movies such as Brokeback Forest.. i mean mountain.
So Sandy and Squirward went off, while Spongebob and Patrick decided to try out the river.
They build their own raft and decided to go down the river.
Foul #5 - Know how strong the rapids of a river is before attempting to sail on it.
Tip #4 - Never try out a river unknown to you.
As they were going down the river, the rapids got so strong that it threw the both of them off the raft.
Upon regaining consciousness, Spongebob realised that he was now alone, left only with a machete (huge knife, a.k.a ang moh parang).
He decided not to take the machete as it was quite heavy, and decided to walk along the river to find Patrick.
Foul #6 - A knife is the most important tool you can have if you are in the forest. It is a vital tool for your self-defense and survival.
Tip # 5 - Carry your knife with you everyhwere!
After walking for 5 hours, Spongebob got very hungry.
He realised that he made a wrong move by leaving his machete, but decided not to go back and take it because e would have wasted 10 hours if he did that.
Tip #6 - Told you the knife is important.
Tip #7 - Find food.
a)fruits
Choose those fruits that you see animals eating.
Test those fruits by rubbing it against your skin and wait for 1 or 2 minutes.
If nothing happens, rub against your lips and wait for 1-2min.
Then your tongue for 1-2min.
If rashes or something else appear, don't be stupid to continue eating, its actually safer to eat your own faeces than those.
If nothing happens, bite it and chew for1-2min, then swallow and wait for another 45min.
Still nothing happens?
Then its totally safe to continue eating the same kind of fruit.
b) insects
find some wierd looking nuts from the floor and crack them open.
If you see larvae (white in colour, those that look like extremely fat and hairless caterpillars, usually portrayed as alien larvae in movies), you can eat them directly, they are super high in proteins.
Don't be afraid to eat it, i think it'll taste like bubble tea pearls.
Pluck out the head of grasshopper, then the legs, then the wings, and slurp up the juice from its body.
Those are super rich in proteins too. (Rickson is not making all these up, these are facts!! by the wway, it has been proven that insects contain x times more proteins than animals. That explains why ants are so strong :D)
c) snall animals..
like rabits, snakes, or even a snake that swallowed a rabbit (two-in-one).
Look out for small snakes (not those like the cobra which obviously has alot venom in it) that has its attention drawn away. Maybe the snake found a mice or something.
Then from behind, grab its head tight. You control a snake's entire body by controlling its head.
Slice the snake into two, open in up and tada!! Amazon Unagi.. something like that lar..
If you find a rat in the snake's belly, please throw it away.
If you find a hamster in the snake's belly, you might want to split open the hamster's stomach because hamsters eat grasshoppers too, and you might find a grasshopper inside for food! Its all about survival man. (Rickson's personal advice).
BUT, if you neglected Tip #6 and left your knife somewhere else, then i don't know how you're gonna eat the snake and hamster you found man. You can still eat the grasshopper though.
Tip #8 - Told you the knife was really important. Its good that you realise it by now. Maybe you can start taking precautions by carrying a pen knife everywhere you go..
But guys please don't use it to cut other people.
And girls please don't use it to cut yourselves.
And biology students, don't experiment dissecting hamsters at home.
But Spongebob did not have the courage nor the knowledge to find food, and thirst was getting to him.
Tip #9 - look for water in plant stems (vines).. chop off both end and pure rainwater will flow
If you don't have your knife, then it'll be more difficult.
Because water everywhere might b filled with bacteria, unless it comes from a clear sky, which rarely happens in a forest because the sky is covered by leaves in the Amzon forest.
If u see a puddle of clean water don't try it immediately.
Dig a small hole a metre away and let the water from the puddle flow in and get filtered by the roots in the ground.
Then drink straight from the top of the new puddle.
The bad news is, the water might still be infected.
The good news, its less infected. :D
After a long day of travelling, Patrick could still not be found.
The night is setting in with clouds of insecurity and fear covering the sky.
Spongebob lies down on the ground, hoping that the night will pass soon, while dreaming of his pineapple home under the sea.
Foul #6 - Do not sleep on a the ground of the forest!!
Why? Because at night, millions of ants will come out, and the bites of the ants can kill you.
Futhermore, if it suddenly rain heavily, a flood or landslide might get you.
Tip #10 - In a forest, the most dangerous time is in the night.
Build your "house" early, before a hint of nightfall sets in.
The best is that you use a poncho to make a hammock (a hanging bed or couch made of canvas, netted cord, with cords attached to supports at each end.)
If you do not have a poncho, find a tree hollow, gather alot of branches and make a bed there.
Just make sure that you are above ground.
Poor little Spongebob's efforts availed him little in trying to get some sleep on the ground of the forest.
When he woke up, he was filled with ant bites and mosquito bites.
Tip #11 - Bring a mosquito net along.
Cover yourself with it when you're sleeping.
The animals that hunt in the night are scary, but the most dangerous of all are the many mosquitoes that are ready to sample your blood without permission and inject drugs into your blood which causes dengue and malaria.
Tip #11 - Find natural mosquito repellents
Find a fruit that looks like a coconut which stinks real bad.
I don't mean a decomposed coconut, i mean a coconut looking fruit that looks fresh but stinks like crap. Smellier than smelly tofu (famous delicacy in certain parts of asia).
Wait... i think the smell comes from the inside of the fruit.
So you got to crack open the fruit first.
If it stinks, you got your mosquito repellent.
If it does not stink, rejoice, you found yourself a coconut (food).
Anyway, rub the flesh of the fruit (not the coconut, the other one) on a small portion of your skin and wait for an hour.
If nothing happens, you probably hit the jackpot.
Mosquitoes hate the smell of such fruits, many other animals too.
So apply on your skin before nightfalls (even if your face has lots of pimples).
A balloon flew up into the air, reaching for the heavens.
Suddenly, a very strong glare emits from the sky.
Patrick jumped up to his feet, to realise... that he was dreaming. (extra parts by Rickson to add interest)
It took him less than a minute to recover from that temporal amnesia he had and realised that he is now lost in the forest alone.
Technically he is not lost alone because Spongebob is lost too.
So i have to rephrase it...
Patrick is now alone and lost.
As darkness pours down from above, Patrick realised that he was in trouble.
Thoughts of regret filled his mind as he thought about the times he was watching cartoon instead of watching the many seasons of survivor that aired frquently on prime time back in his country.
Can Spongebob and Patrick outwit, outplay and outlast the Amazon forest?
What about Squidward and Sandy?
CREDITS
Adapted from "I Shouldn't Be alive"
producer
Rickson Tan
writer
Rickson Tan
Et Cetera (etc)
Rickson Tan
This post has great value in view of time, because you'll never know when you'll end up lost in a jungle/forest.
Plus the fact that most men will have to go for National Service (in my country - Singapore) and would have a high chance of being in a forest. These survival skills alone can save your life.
This post have value in view of eternity too because your life could be saved by knowing such skills, and the extra years of life you have from surviving gives you more time to do things that have great value.
more time = more opportunities to do great things.
So get yourself more time by learning survival skills, watching your health, and taking simple precautions to avoid accidents such as putting on your safety belt.
Yes, putting on your safety belt has value in view of eternity too!!! haha..
But it is also how you use your "extra" time that is important..
voom*
How do we make the best smoke signal?
voom*
What if you fall sick in the forest?
voom* voom*
What are the best ways to get out of a forest?
voom* voom* voom*
Have you ever wondered why we tend to walk in circles when lost?
voom* voom* voom* voom*
Tune in next week, only on i-v-o-e channel...
]to be continnued]
You've guessed it, I am not going to talk about relationships or love or infatuations in this post.
I'm going to teach you survival skills...
Treat this as a advertisement break from your everyday life.
I watched an episode of "I Shouldn't Be Alive" a month ago, but was too busy to pen it all down.
Anyway, its about these 3 friends who decide to explore the Amazon forest together.
It'll be interesting, so sit back and enjoy~~
The story starts off with 3 friends who want to explore the Amazon forest (by the way, its a true story).
They went to a nearby village and found a guide who self-elevates his ability as a guide.
FOUL #1 - Make sure your guide is really experienced. read up a little and test him first.
FOUL #2 - They were unable to tell that the guide was not very good because they themselves have not read up much on or have much experience in survival skills.
TIP #1 - Always read up on something before you start doing it
Unaware of what the forest has in store for them, the four of them started the adventure.
On the 2nd day(if i remember correctly), one of the guys complained about pain in his foot.
Due to my poor memory, lets just name this guy "Squidward".
So anyway, Squidward took off his boots and found out that his foot was in a very bad shape.
It has becomed a square!!
Nah, kidding.
The skin off his foot was peeling off and his foot was partially swollen.
FOUL #3 - What Squidwart just experienced is called TRENCH FOOT.
This is a symptom whereby our feet get soaked in water for too long such that the skin tears and now germs and bacteria are given direct access to his foot.
If left untreated, it will get much worser, to the extent that it leads to death.
TIP #2 - Every hour of travelling (especially if the ground is wet), take a small break. Sit down, take off your boots and socks and let your feet breathe. Dry your feet a little by using your hands to clean your feet. By the way, I am only referring to people travelling in a forest or jungle, not in a city or town. I don't want this post to spark of a new trend of taking off your shoes to dry your feet in orchard road.
Anyway, Squidward also complained about his headaches, which was a symptom of his trenched foot.
So Sandy (the guide's name, a result of my poor memory again) decided to make his way back to the village with Squidward.
The other two guys, "Spongebob" and "Patrick" decided to continue exploring the Amazon forest.
FOUL #4 - Do NOT explore a forest without a guide!!!
Tip #3 - Follow the guide always.. But don't follow him too closely, the guide might misunderstand due to the society issues of our century, which were stirred up even more by many movies such as Brokeback Forest.. i mean mountain.
So Sandy and Squirward went off, while Spongebob and Patrick decided to try out the river.
They build their own raft and decided to go down the river.
Foul #5 - Know how strong the rapids of a river is before attempting to sail on it.
Tip #4 - Never try out a river unknown to you.
As they were going down the river, the rapids got so strong that it threw the both of them off the raft.
Upon regaining consciousness, Spongebob realised that he was now alone, left only with a machete (huge knife, a.k.a ang moh parang).
He decided not to take the machete as it was quite heavy, and decided to walk along the river to find Patrick.
Foul #6 - A knife is the most important tool you can have if you are in the forest. It is a vital tool for your self-defense and survival.
Tip # 5 - Carry your knife with you everyhwere!
After walking for 5 hours, Spongebob got very hungry.
He realised that he made a wrong move by leaving his machete, but decided not to go back and take it because e would have wasted 10 hours if he did that.
Tip #6 - Told you the knife is important.
Tip #7 - Find food.
a)fruits
Choose those fruits that you see animals eating.
Test those fruits by rubbing it against your skin and wait for 1 or 2 minutes.
If nothing happens, rub against your lips and wait for 1-2min.
Then your tongue for 1-2min.
If rashes or something else appear, don't be stupid to continue eating, its actually safer to eat your own faeces than those.
If nothing happens, bite it and chew for1-2min, then swallow and wait for another 45min.
Still nothing happens?
Then its totally safe to continue eating the same kind of fruit.
b) insects
find some wierd looking nuts from the floor and crack them open.
If you see larvae (white in colour, those that look like extremely fat and hairless caterpillars, usually portrayed as alien larvae in movies), you can eat them directly, they are super high in proteins.
Don't be afraid to eat it, i think it'll taste like bubble tea pearls.
Pluck out the head of grasshopper, then the legs, then the wings, and slurp up the juice from its body.
Those are super rich in proteins too. (Rickson is not making all these up, these are facts!! by the wway, it has been proven that insects contain x times more proteins than animals. That explains why ants are so strong :D)
c) snall animals..
like rabits, snakes, or even a snake that swallowed a rabbit (two-in-one).
Look out for small snakes (not those like the cobra which obviously has alot venom in it) that has its attention drawn away. Maybe the snake found a mice or something.
Then from behind, grab its head tight. You control a snake's entire body by controlling its head.
Slice the snake into two, open in up and tada!! Amazon Unagi.. something like that lar..
If you find a rat in the snake's belly, please throw it away.
If you find a hamster in the snake's belly, you might want to split open the hamster's stomach because hamsters eat grasshoppers too, and you might find a grasshopper inside for food! Its all about survival man. (Rickson's personal advice).
BUT, if you neglected Tip #6 and left your knife somewhere else, then i don't know how you're gonna eat the snake and hamster you found man. You can still eat the grasshopper though.
Tip #8 - Told you the knife was really important. Its good that you realise it by now. Maybe you can start taking precautions by carrying a pen knife everywhere you go..
But guys please don't use it to cut other people.
And girls please don't use it to cut yourselves.
And biology students, don't experiment dissecting hamsters at home.
But Spongebob did not have the courage nor the knowledge to find food, and thirst was getting to him.
Tip #9 - look for water in plant stems (vines).. chop off both end and pure rainwater will flow
If you don't have your knife, then it'll be more difficult.
Because water everywhere might b filled with bacteria, unless it comes from a clear sky, which rarely happens in a forest because the sky is covered by leaves in the Amzon forest.
If u see a puddle of clean water don't try it immediately.
Dig a small hole a metre away and let the water from the puddle flow in and get filtered by the roots in the ground.
Then drink straight from the top of the new puddle.
The bad news is, the water might still be infected.
The good news, its less infected. :D
After a long day of travelling, Patrick could still not be found.
The night is setting in with clouds of insecurity and fear covering the sky.
Spongebob lies down on the ground, hoping that the night will pass soon, while dreaming of his pineapple home under the sea.
Foul #6 - Do not sleep on a the ground of the forest!!
Why? Because at night, millions of ants will come out, and the bites of the ants can kill you.
Futhermore, if it suddenly rain heavily, a flood or landslide might get you.
Tip #10 - In a forest, the most dangerous time is in the night.
Build your "house" early, before a hint of nightfall sets in.
The best is that you use a poncho to make a hammock (a hanging bed or couch made of canvas, netted cord, with cords attached to supports at each end.)
If you do not have a poncho, find a tree hollow, gather alot of branches and make a bed there.
Just make sure that you are above ground.
Poor little Spongebob's efforts availed him little in trying to get some sleep on the ground of the forest.
When he woke up, he was filled with ant bites and mosquito bites.
Tip #11 - Bring a mosquito net along.
Cover yourself with it when you're sleeping.
The animals that hunt in the night are scary, but the most dangerous of all are the many mosquitoes that are ready to sample your blood without permission and inject drugs into your blood which causes dengue and malaria.
Tip #11 - Find natural mosquito repellents
Find a fruit that looks like a coconut which stinks real bad.
I don't mean a decomposed coconut, i mean a coconut looking fruit that looks fresh but stinks like crap. Smellier than smelly tofu (famous delicacy in certain parts of asia).
Wait... i think the smell comes from the inside of the fruit.
So you got to crack open the fruit first.
If it stinks, you got your mosquito repellent.
If it does not stink, rejoice, you found yourself a coconut (food).
Anyway, rub the flesh of the fruit (not the coconut, the other one) on a small portion of your skin and wait for an hour.
If nothing happens, you probably hit the jackpot.
Mosquitoes hate the smell of such fruits, many other animals too.
So apply on your skin before nightfalls (even if your face has lots of pimples).
A balloon flew up into the air, reaching for the heavens.
Suddenly, a very strong glare emits from the sky.
Patrick jumped up to his feet, to realise... that he was dreaming. (extra parts by Rickson to add interest)
It took him less than a minute to recover from that temporal amnesia he had and realised that he is now lost in the forest alone.
Technically he is not lost alone because Spongebob is lost too.
So i have to rephrase it...
Patrick is now alone and lost.
As darkness pours down from above, Patrick realised that he was in trouble.
Thoughts of regret filled his mind as he thought about the times he was watching cartoon instead of watching the many seasons of survivor that aired frquently on prime time back in his country.
Can Spongebob and Patrick outwit, outplay and outlast the Amazon forest?
What about Squidward and Sandy?
CREDITS
Adapted from "I Shouldn't Be alive"
producer
Rickson Tan
writer
Rickson Tan
Et Cetera (etc)
Rickson Tan
This post has great value in view of time, because you'll never know when you'll end up lost in a jungle/forest.
Plus the fact that most men will have to go for National Service (in my country - Singapore) and would have a high chance of being in a forest. These survival skills alone can save your life.
This post have value in view of eternity too because your life could be saved by knowing such skills, and the extra years of life you have from surviving gives you more time to do things that have great value.
more time = more opportunities to do great things.
So get yourself more time by learning survival skills, watching your health, and taking simple precautions to avoid accidents such as putting on your safety belt.
Yes, putting on your safety belt has value in view of eternity too!!! haha..
But it is also how you use your "extra" time that is important..
voom*
How do we make the best smoke signal?
voom*
What if you fall sick in the forest?
voom* voom*
What are the best ways to get out of a forest?
voom* voom* voom*
Have you ever wondered why we tend to walk in circles when lost?
voom* voom* voom* voom*
Tune in next week, only on i-v-o-e channel...
]to be continnued]
Thursday, 22 March 2007
Diploma in Acceptance
Today, I am going to feed you with the foundation basics if you were to take a diploma in acceptance... What do i mean?
There are laws that are not in the physical realm.
Laws such as the law of gravity, the laws of motion, and even the laws of love, etc, etc..
Basically, those are the laws that keep the earth going round.
All these are good.
But, many of us behave as if we are highly skilled in certain laws.
To be precise, the law that is often abused and the one that i am going to talk about, is the law of acceptance.
Why that?
Because so many of us think that we know about acceptnace so much that we can decide who/what should be accepted and who/what should not.
It is as if we know and understand literature so much, that when someone comes up with a new way to express certain things with literature that we feel is not right, we dismiss it as wrong.
But if you were to understand literature, literature is about personal expressions of experiences being artistically penned down into words, and there is no right or wrong.
let me give you an example.
One day John comes up to you in tears, "Bob... Tyrannosaurus died yesterday. He was a really good terapine (small turtle). He was my best friend whom i always trusted, he had never betrayed me before, never hurt my feelings, never cheat on me, and he's always there for me. I really miss him."
So you replied, "Don't be sad. You didn't really lose a best friend. You still have me."
"But he was really my best friend. He always listened to me whenever i had problems."
"How do you know he even listened? He doesn't even have any ears for goodness sake."
"But.. but.. but... He was always there for me."
"Because he was stuck in his tank 24 hours. Listen John, don't be so sad, he isn't your real best friend. You still have other friends out there."
"BUT HE WAS REALLY THERE FOR ME!!!!"
"He's just a terapine, so what if it died? Come on John, don't think so much about it already, its just a terapine."
"HE'S NOT AN IT!!! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND WHO IS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME!! AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION HE DOES NOT LIVE IN A TANK, HE LIVES IN THE TOILET BOWL IN MY ROOM!! AND YESTERDAY HE JUST DIED AND DISAPPEARED INTO THIN AIR!!"
" He was in your toilet bowl? No wonder i saw something moving. Phew! Heng man, i thought my stomach had worms or something like that."
For those who didn't get it, Bob flushed Tyrannosaurus down the toilet bowl lar.
Anyway, many of us behave like this.
Wait, let me rephrase it.
All of had behaved in the same manner at least once before.
What manner am i referring to?
Bob rejected John saying that his terapine was his best friend. And he even tried convincing John that he was just being foolish.
But the fact is, to John, Tyrannasorous was really his best friend!!
So many of us behave like Bob.
When we think we know certain things, we reject anything that is contradictory to it and neglect the feelings behind it.
Even worse, we continue making people feel bad by convincing them that they were foolish.
I don't mean only in such situations.
How many times have we not accepted people who are different? or should i use the word that we oftenly use to describe them : wierd.
People who not just have physical but mental disabilities too.
People who have problems with their eyesight,
people with speaking disabilities,
people who have problems with their legs,
people who look wierd,
people who are extremely obese,
people with huge birth marks,
people who have a paralyze body or facial part,
people with a funny hairdo,
people who are hyperactive,
people who can't control talking alot,
people are slow in understanding,
people who are super duper quiet,
people who behave differently at times,
people who do not talk in a very tactful manner not on purpose,
people who are not trained to have manners from young,
people who don't look very decent,
people who look too decent (a.k.a nerdy),
people who have a wierd sense of dressing,
people who have "lower class" occupations,
girls who behave too rough,
guys who behave too gentle (a.k.a aqua),
people who are bisexual or homosexual, etc, etc...
The list continues running.
I mean who have not rejected at least one person in his/her life?
or should i say, who had treated everyone he/she know with great acceptance?
And when i say acceptance, i mean "the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception".
not many right.
But, Why do we need to show acceptance?
Because all of us are of the same level, none of us are of a higher breed, even if we think so.
All of us are humans.
So what if John was being foolish to think that his terapine is his best friend?
So what if he sees things in a different point of view?
John is still a human like us who have feelings and Bob (as a good friend) should accept the part of John that loves his Tyrannasorous.
Imagine you were the one who was born with a paralyzed limb or facial feature instead.
How many people will make fun of you in primary school?
How many bullies will beat you up in secondary school?
How many companies will turn you down in interviews just because you look different?
How many people will treat you as their best friend?
How many guys/girls will approach you and talk to you because you look good?
Imagine you were the one who was sexually abused when young and thus when you grow up you lost trust for the opposite sex and only are attracted to the same sex..
After so much abuse, you grow up thinking it'll be better but now you continue getting rejected by society.
Imagine you were the one born with a very low metabolism rate and could not shed weight no matter how little you eat. You have this physical problem, and instead of encouraging you, people around you laugh at you for being fat.
Its not just these extreme cases that deserve attention.
Even the minor ones such as behavioral problems and stuff.
Some people just do not know how to behave "normal" even though they want to.
Instead of helping them, we condemn them and judge them.
I admit that i am guilty too.
But i realized that those people are suffering enough already, and they deserved to be loved as much as i deserve to be.
In fact, even more!!
Why do I, a person with not much problems or difficulties recieve more love than people who have so much problems and difficulties just because i am well recieved by society?
It is not fair ot them.
How many times have they cried out thinking how unfair life is to them.
It is not life that is so unfair, it is people who create and add in to the unfairness of life!!
Whether you are part of the cure or part of the disease (like in the coldplay song), it is our choice. Those who choose to be the cure continue reading. Those who still don't feel a need to be part of the cure, please keep reading what i've written above until you feel a need to be part of the cure.
Or you could try asking your friends and family to help you by not being accepting to you for one week. By the end of the week, you'll understand how it feels.
So let me give you two enlightening points on how to accept people easier.
How to "force" your unsympathetic hearts (many of us have pity on people at times, but we don't know why we just can't show it) to become accepting.
1. Do Not Judge!!! measure...
Judging is one of the killers of relationships, be it with friends, strangers or close ones.
Measure instead.
What do I mean? For example, maybe you have to take the waist line of an obese person. So you measure her waist and tells him that her waist line is 45 inches. That is called measuring and is okay. But, when you tell her "you are fat", that is judging!
Judging doesn't care about how people feel, judging is just making a general statement, and that is what hurts people. Things like "you are always like that", "you are like this everytime", "you are never so good", etc, etc.. Avoid speaking in general because speaking in general is a part of stereotyping and judging.
When people ask you how his hairstyle look, (no matter how terrible it is) don't tell the person that your hair sucks or something like that. Give an honest answer but do not neglect his feelings. You could say "hmmm.. I feel that it'll look much better if its neater, or you could cut your hair shorter because i don't think long hair suits you", or something like that. I'm sure none of you want to hear people saying that your hair sucks. So avoid speaking in general!
2. See people as "perfect enough"
"I am imperfect yet people accept me. Thus I am going to accept him even though he's less perfect."
That is the mentality to have if you want to become a very accepting and loving person. None of us are perfect, though there are some people whe are way less "perfect" than us. Remember what i talked about in "Dream Girl... Dream Guy part 2"? We fall in love because we start seeing a certain person (be it opposite or same gender) as perfect, neglecting their flaws. This is how we can love others too!! As in in terms of friends.
Though many people have much more flaws and are many times irritating or scary to be with. But we just have to remember that we are on the same level as them, we are all humans. Thus if you want to love someone, see the person as "perfect enough" for you to love him. No one is too imperfect to recieve your love.
This post have great value in view of time and in view of eternity.
Because with more accepting people in this world that we live in today, it will be a much better place. The people who get rejected by society will be able to see and feel hope, and love.
The suicidal rate in this world is ever increasing, 1 out of 3 deaths in China is because of suicide. And i believe that the main reason is because they do not have hope, because they were not accepted.
Thus, i ask that those of you who read this be more accepting today. Start small conversations with the "wierd" people that you know whom not many people talk to. You'll never know how much impact these small things that you do with acceptance have.
There are laws that are not in the physical realm.
Laws such as the law of gravity, the laws of motion, and even the laws of love, etc, etc..
Basically, those are the laws that keep the earth going round.
All these are good.
But, many of us behave as if we are highly skilled in certain laws.
To be precise, the law that is often abused and the one that i am going to talk about, is the law of acceptance.
Why that?
Because so many of us think that we know about acceptnace so much that we can decide who/what should be accepted and who/what should not.
It is as if we know and understand literature so much, that when someone comes up with a new way to express certain things with literature that we feel is not right, we dismiss it as wrong.
But if you were to understand literature, literature is about personal expressions of experiences being artistically penned down into words, and there is no right or wrong.
let me give you an example.
One day John comes up to you in tears, "Bob... Tyrannosaurus died yesterday. He was a really good terapine (small turtle). He was my best friend whom i always trusted, he had never betrayed me before, never hurt my feelings, never cheat on me, and he's always there for me. I really miss him."
So you replied, "Don't be sad. You didn't really lose a best friend. You still have me."
"But he was really my best friend. He always listened to me whenever i had problems."
"How do you know he even listened? He doesn't even have any ears for goodness sake."
"But.. but.. but... He was always there for me."
"Because he was stuck in his tank 24 hours. Listen John, don't be so sad, he isn't your real best friend. You still have other friends out there."
"BUT HE WAS REALLY THERE FOR ME!!!!"
"He's just a terapine, so what if it died? Come on John, don't think so much about it already, its just a terapine."
"HE'S NOT AN IT!!! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND WHO IS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME!! AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION HE DOES NOT LIVE IN A TANK, HE LIVES IN THE TOILET BOWL IN MY ROOM!! AND YESTERDAY HE JUST DIED AND DISAPPEARED INTO THIN AIR!!"
" He was in your toilet bowl? No wonder i saw something moving. Phew! Heng man, i thought my stomach had worms or something like that."
For those who didn't get it, Bob flushed Tyrannosaurus down the toilet bowl lar.
Anyway, many of us behave like this.
Wait, let me rephrase it.
All of had behaved in the same manner at least once before.
What manner am i referring to?
Bob rejected John saying that his terapine was his best friend. And he even tried convincing John that he was just being foolish.
But the fact is, to John, Tyrannasorous was really his best friend!!
So many of us behave like Bob.
When we think we know certain things, we reject anything that is contradictory to it and neglect the feelings behind it.
Even worse, we continue making people feel bad by convincing them that they were foolish.
I don't mean only in such situations.
How many times have we not accepted people who are different? or should i use the word that we oftenly use to describe them : wierd.
People who not just have physical but mental disabilities too.
People who have problems with their eyesight,
people with speaking disabilities,
people who have problems with their legs,
people who look wierd,
people who are extremely obese,
people with huge birth marks,
people who have a paralyze body or facial part,
people with a funny hairdo,
people who are hyperactive,
people who can't control talking alot,
people are slow in understanding,
people who are super duper quiet,
people who behave differently at times,
people who do not talk in a very tactful manner not on purpose,
people who are not trained to have manners from young,
people who don't look very decent,
people who look too decent (a.k.a nerdy),
people who have a wierd sense of dressing,
people who have "lower class" occupations,
girls who behave too rough,
guys who behave too gentle (a.k.a aqua),
people who are bisexual or homosexual, etc, etc...
The list continues running.
I mean who have not rejected at least one person in his/her life?
or should i say, who had treated everyone he/she know with great acceptance?
And when i say acceptance, i mean "the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception".
not many right.
But, Why do we need to show acceptance?
Because all of us are of the same level, none of us are of a higher breed, even if we think so.
All of us are humans.
So what if John was being foolish to think that his terapine is his best friend?
So what if he sees things in a different point of view?
John is still a human like us who have feelings and Bob (as a good friend) should accept the part of John that loves his Tyrannasorous.
Imagine you were the one who was born with a paralyzed limb or facial feature instead.
How many people will make fun of you in primary school?
How many bullies will beat you up in secondary school?
How many companies will turn you down in interviews just because you look different?
How many people will treat you as their best friend?
How many guys/girls will approach you and talk to you because you look good?
Imagine you were the one who was sexually abused when young and thus when you grow up you lost trust for the opposite sex and only are attracted to the same sex..
After so much abuse, you grow up thinking it'll be better but now you continue getting rejected by society.
Imagine you were the one born with a very low metabolism rate and could not shed weight no matter how little you eat. You have this physical problem, and instead of encouraging you, people around you laugh at you for being fat.
Its not just these extreme cases that deserve attention.
Even the minor ones such as behavioral problems and stuff.
Some people just do not know how to behave "normal" even though they want to.
Instead of helping them, we condemn them and judge them.
I admit that i am guilty too.
But i realized that those people are suffering enough already, and they deserved to be loved as much as i deserve to be.
In fact, even more!!
Why do I, a person with not much problems or difficulties recieve more love than people who have so much problems and difficulties just because i am well recieved by society?
It is not fair ot them.
How many times have they cried out thinking how unfair life is to them.
It is not life that is so unfair, it is people who create and add in to the unfairness of life!!
Whether you are part of the cure or part of the disease (like in the coldplay song), it is our choice. Those who choose to be the cure continue reading. Those who still don't feel a need to be part of the cure, please keep reading what i've written above until you feel a need to be part of the cure.
Or you could try asking your friends and family to help you by not being accepting to you for one week. By the end of the week, you'll understand how it feels.
So let me give you two enlightening points on how to accept people easier.
How to "force" your unsympathetic hearts (many of us have pity on people at times, but we don't know why we just can't show it) to become accepting.
1. Do Not Judge!!! measure...
Judging is one of the killers of relationships, be it with friends, strangers or close ones.
Measure instead.
What do I mean? For example, maybe you have to take the waist line of an obese person. So you measure her waist and tells him that her waist line is 45 inches. That is called measuring and is okay. But, when you tell her "you are fat", that is judging!
Judging doesn't care about how people feel, judging is just making a general statement, and that is what hurts people. Things like "you are always like that", "you are like this everytime", "you are never so good", etc, etc.. Avoid speaking in general because speaking in general is a part of stereotyping and judging.
When people ask you how his hairstyle look, (no matter how terrible it is) don't tell the person that your hair sucks or something like that. Give an honest answer but do not neglect his feelings. You could say "hmmm.. I feel that it'll look much better if its neater, or you could cut your hair shorter because i don't think long hair suits you", or something like that. I'm sure none of you want to hear people saying that your hair sucks. So avoid speaking in general!
2. See people as "perfect enough"
"I am imperfect yet people accept me. Thus I am going to accept him even though he's less perfect."
That is the mentality to have if you want to become a very accepting and loving person. None of us are perfect, though there are some people whe are way less "perfect" than us. Remember what i talked about in "Dream Girl... Dream Guy part 2"? We fall in love because we start seeing a certain person (be it opposite or same gender) as perfect, neglecting their flaws. This is how we can love others too!! As in in terms of friends.
Though many people have much more flaws and are many times irritating or scary to be with. But we just have to remember that we are on the same level as them, we are all humans. Thus if you want to love someone, see the person as "perfect enough" for you to love him. No one is too imperfect to recieve your love.
This post have great value in view of time and in view of eternity.
Because with more accepting people in this world that we live in today, it will be a much better place. The people who get rejected by society will be able to see and feel hope, and love.
The suicidal rate in this world is ever increasing, 1 out of 3 deaths in China is because of suicide. And i believe that the main reason is because they do not have hope, because they were not accepted.
Thus, i ask that those of you who read this be more accepting today. Start small conversations with the "wierd" people that you know whom not many people talk to. You'll never know how much impact these small things that you do with acceptance have.
Monday, 12 March 2007
Dream Guy... Dream Girl... (part 2A)
From the Board of Directors of I-V-O-E : If you have not read the previous post "Dream Girl... Dream Guy... (part 1)", i encourage you to read it first before you read this post. It'll be better and you'll get more out of it.
The post that you were waiting for.. is finally here!!!
Its been sooooooo very super ultra super extra very duper extra long man. haha.
Sorry readers.. I've just completed a major project and am now in an industrial attachement, thus the delay in the delivery of this post. I promise i'll do my best to not get delayed for so long in future. Probably an update every week.
Anyway, before i start officially blogging about "Dream Girl... Dream Guy... (part 2)", i want to share how i feel about the response on my blog. Firstly, i'm happy because i really enjoyed blogging and the comments you people gave.
I recieved encouragements, praises, hate comments, and even confessions from a guy who thinks he's a girl.
On the other hand, i was wondering, who really reads my blog? Because only 5 different people left comments on my previous post even after much persuasion. Hmmm.. Actually i know quite a number of my friends -at least more than 5- who read my blog. I guess you're just shy lar, so i shall forgive all of you, haha..
Okay, commercial break time is over. Time to touch back on to my main topic.
The theme of my blog is doing things in view of eternity, yet enjoying life on earth.
But have you wondered why did i include a post about having a dream guy/girl/animal/object?
I mean, having a dream guy/girl/animal/object give us joy and pleasure only in our minds, in our fantasies. But usually, the great expectation leads to a greater disappointment. Needless to say about people who having dream guyS or girlS. Yes, to me, having a dream guy or girl will make us more miserable. UNLESS, we know how to handle it...
Here comes the serious stuff...
Let me show you now, what the words "dream guy" or "dream girl" mean to the average person.
Your dream guy or girl is a person who appears in your fantasies the way you picture your perfect spouse to be. - Rickson
Of course that is not a perfect defination, or something i found in the dictionary. I believe though, that that is how most of us would think when the words "dream guy" or "dream girl" are mentioned. I found this quote by anonymous (as in the author is unknown, i'm not referring to any anonymous who left comments on my blog, haha)
“Infatuations: This is the stuff of 'falling in love,' living in a rosy magical glow, etc. My beloved has no faults and is perfect. We shall live happily ever after. This is denial, overlooking many things all too obvious to those around me. Infatuati”
What the author mean is that infatuation causes you to live in your own fantasy. You do not think by logic or common sense when in an infatuation. One more last quote.. I couldn't find it on the net, either i forgot the words, or it never existed. Because it really seemed like there is no such quote around, must've been something thats always in my mind and feels so real that i thought i read it somewhere..
Anyway, here goes..
We fall in love when we start seeing someone who is imperfect as perfect...
If you noticed, there is one word which is common in all the quotes/defination mentioned above: perfect. So what point am i trying to make here?
That, like what i mentioned above, we fall in love because we start seeing certain people as perfect. And the most important question here is that..
Why do we see certain people as perfect?
I'm sure i've whetted your appetite right now, but i'd like to have another commercial break. I want you right now, to think about a girl or guy that u have an infatuation on.
For those who do not know the meaning of "infatuation", please read my previous post.
Anyway, choose one of the infatuation that is more recent or the most impactful one.
Take one minute to think why do you see the person as perfect?
DON'T continue reading, just take a one minute break to think about it. Because i believe that by doing so, the things that i am going to share with you later will make more sense.
So, go take a break right now, look out of your window and start thinking. Not only does it benefit your brain, it benefits your eyes too. Staring too long at your computer can give you asmagtism or cause myopia, haha.
Come back in a minute~
I see your true colours
Shining through
I see your true colours
thats why i love you
So don't be afraid
to let it show
your true colours
true colours
so beautiful
COMMERCIAL BREAK OVER!! haha.
Lets get back to the main topic.
So why did see that person as perfect? Because she's so cute? Because he's so sexy?
It might sound stupid (or it might sound like you're stupid if that is the real reason), but that MIGHT actually be the answer to why you see that person as perfect.
In fact, the answer to why we see the person we have a crush on as perfect because... He or she fits in the description of our Dream Guy or Dream Girl!!!
Put on your safety helmets, here comes the good stuff..
Having a dream guy or dream girl is like placing a recruitment ad on who you would like to be with. We have limited space to write what we want, and thus many of us will just post the main points such as "have beautiful eyes", "a very happy person", "have a great sense of humour", etc, etc.. AND... when the person comes along with all these good points that we are looking for, we instantly HIRE them!!
Even if they have many other bad points, we'll still hire them.
And, the thing about infatuation is that we see people as perfect when we look at their good points (the ones that we want). BUT, we neglect that fact that the person have many other bad points too. and thus... your infatuation for that person develops!!
let me give you an example.
So you have this female friend of yours.
She's pretty, has a good attitude, shares the same interest as you (for example basketball), and even able to shoot a hoop from halfcourt. But when she raises her hands to shoot a basketball, the sight of the numerous cylindrical, keratinized, often pigmented filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal (hair) found at the hollow under the upper part of the arm at the shoulder (armpit) does not affect you at all.
For those who do not get what i mean, i mean "the sight of the uncountable hair at her armpits does not affect you", haha.
Why? I mean, a woman having armpit hair (especially if found in large quantities) is a chracteristic labelled as "unhygenic" or "lazy" or even "disgusting" in many parts of the world. But why wouldn't it affect the person who has a crush on her?
Because he sees her as perfect!!
Her good qualities "blinded" him so much that he could not see her bad qualities.
So, all his friends would talk behind her back about how unsightly it was to play basketball with her. How wasted it was that such a pretty girl happens to be pretty "disgusting" too.
BUT, the guy who has a crush on her would feel otherwise.
The thoughts that will come into his mind might be something like this:
"WoOahH!!! she's such a rare beauty!! she has such a strong character man!!
she's so brave to not shave her armpit even though society calls it as unsightly..
WoOahH!!! She's pretty, she loves basketball, and now she's sooooo brave and daring!!
She dares to make a statement.. oh.. and she dares to break wind (fart) in front of a lot people too... i LoOoOoVe courageous women!!! She's not afraid to be who she is... she's just so.. so.. sooo... unique!!!"
hahahaha..
oh btw, I (Rickson) did not know that women have armpit hair and that they shave them until the age of 18!!! Shocking.. As in no one told me. And society managed to conceal it from me for 18 years!! Amazing.. Or maybe i was just naive in the past, haha.. anyway, lets move on from here.
So let me summarize what point that i was trying to make.
Having a Dream Guy or Girl leads to having an infatuation.
And why would i blog about something that sounds so common?
Because, having an infatuation leads to many other things and some might be dangerous.
On the good side, infatuation helps love blossom. It gives you a desire to know someone more and to love the person more. Infatuation itself is not bad, but it may lead to many bad things.
Anyway, take a break for awhile to digest everything i touched on 1st, then continue reading on "Dream Girl... Dream Guy... (part 2b)"
Here comes the trailer..
Have you had an infatuation before?
voom*
The 3 bad points of Infatuation..
voom*
that has been stealthily affecting you.
voom*
voom*
voom*
Unwanted infatuation..
voom*
Learn how to get over it today...
voom*
voom*
voom*
(to be continued)
The post that you were waiting for.. is finally here!!!
Its been sooooooo very super ultra super extra very duper extra long man. haha.
Sorry readers.. I've just completed a major project and am now in an industrial attachement, thus the delay in the delivery of this post. I promise i'll do my best to not get delayed for so long in future. Probably an update every week.
Anyway, before i start officially blogging about "Dream Girl... Dream Guy... (part 2)", i want to share how i feel about the response on my blog. Firstly, i'm happy because i really enjoyed blogging and the comments you people gave.
I recieved encouragements, praises, hate comments, and even confessions from a guy who thinks he's a girl.
On the other hand, i was wondering, who really reads my blog? Because only 5 different people left comments on my previous post even after much persuasion. Hmmm.. Actually i know quite a number of my friends -at least more than 5- who read my blog. I guess you're just shy lar, so i shall forgive all of you, haha..
Okay, commercial break time is over. Time to touch back on to my main topic.
The theme of my blog is doing things in view of eternity, yet enjoying life on earth.
But have you wondered why did i include a post about having a dream guy/girl/animal/object?
I mean, having a dream guy/girl/animal/object give us joy and pleasure only in our minds, in our fantasies. But usually, the great expectation leads to a greater disappointment. Needless to say about people who having dream guyS or girlS. Yes, to me, having a dream guy or girl will make us more miserable. UNLESS, we know how to handle it...
Here comes the serious stuff...
Let me show you now, what the words "dream guy" or "dream girl" mean to the average person.
Your dream guy or girl is a person who appears in your fantasies the way you picture your perfect spouse to be. - Rickson
Of course that is not a perfect defination, or something i found in the dictionary. I believe though, that that is how most of us would think when the words "dream guy" or "dream girl" are mentioned. I found this quote by anonymous (as in the author is unknown, i'm not referring to any anonymous who left comments on my blog, haha)
“Infatuations: This is the stuff of 'falling in love,' living in a rosy magical glow, etc. My beloved has no faults and is perfect. We shall live happily ever after. This is denial, overlooking many things all too obvious to those around me. Infatuati”
What the author mean is that infatuation causes you to live in your own fantasy. You do not think by logic or common sense when in an infatuation. One more last quote.. I couldn't find it on the net, either i forgot the words, or it never existed. Because it really seemed like there is no such quote around, must've been something thats always in my mind and feels so real that i thought i read it somewhere..
Anyway, here goes..
We fall in love when we start seeing someone who is imperfect as perfect...
If you noticed, there is one word which is common in all the quotes/defination mentioned above: perfect. So what point am i trying to make here?
That, like what i mentioned above, we fall in love because we start seeing certain people as perfect. And the most important question here is that..
Why do we see certain people as perfect?
I'm sure i've whetted your appetite right now, but i'd like to have another commercial break. I want you right now, to think about a girl or guy that u have an infatuation on.
For those who do not know the meaning of "infatuation", please read my previous post.
Anyway, choose one of the infatuation that is more recent or the most impactful one.
Take one minute to think why do you see the person as perfect?
DON'T continue reading, just take a one minute break to think about it. Because i believe that by doing so, the things that i am going to share with you later will make more sense.
So, go take a break right now, look out of your window and start thinking. Not only does it benefit your brain, it benefits your eyes too. Staring too long at your computer can give you asmagtism or cause myopia, haha.
Come back in a minute~
I see your true colours
Shining through
I see your true colours
thats why i love you
So don't be afraid
to let it show
your true colours
true colours
so beautiful
like a rainbow.
The average age of females having eating disorders... is 15..
COMMERCIAL BREAK OVER!! haha.
Lets get back to the main topic.
So why did see that person as perfect? Because she's so cute? Because he's so sexy?
It might sound stupid (or it might sound like you're stupid if that is the real reason), but that MIGHT actually be the answer to why you see that person as perfect.
In fact, the answer to why we see the person we have a crush on as perfect because... He or she fits in the description of our Dream Guy or Dream Girl!!!
Put on your safety helmets, here comes the good stuff..
Having a dream guy or dream girl is like placing a recruitment ad on who you would like to be with. We have limited space to write what we want, and thus many of us will just post the main points such as "have beautiful eyes", "a very happy person", "have a great sense of humour", etc, etc.. AND... when the person comes along with all these good points that we are looking for, we instantly HIRE them!!
Even if they have many other bad points, we'll still hire them.
And, the thing about infatuation is that we see people as perfect when we look at their good points (the ones that we want). BUT, we neglect that fact that the person have many other bad points too. and thus... your infatuation for that person develops!!
let me give you an example.
So you have this female friend of yours.
She's pretty, has a good attitude, shares the same interest as you (for example basketball), and even able to shoot a hoop from halfcourt. But when she raises her hands to shoot a basketball, the sight of the numerous cylindrical, keratinized, often pigmented filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal (hair) found at the hollow under the upper part of the arm at the shoulder (armpit) does not affect you at all.
For those who do not get what i mean, i mean "the sight of the uncountable hair at her armpits does not affect you", haha.
Why? I mean, a woman having armpit hair (especially if found in large quantities) is a chracteristic labelled as "unhygenic" or "lazy" or even "disgusting" in many parts of the world. But why wouldn't it affect the person who has a crush on her?
Because he sees her as perfect!!
Her good qualities "blinded" him so much that he could not see her bad qualities.
So, all his friends would talk behind her back about how unsightly it was to play basketball with her. How wasted it was that such a pretty girl happens to be pretty "disgusting" too.
BUT, the guy who has a crush on her would feel otherwise.
The thoughts that will come into his mind might be something like this:
"WoOahH!!! she's such a rare beauty!! she has such a strong character man!!
she's so brave to not shave her armpit even though society calls it as unsightly..
WoOahH!!! She's pretty, she loves basketball, and now she's sooooo brave and daring!!
She dares to make a statement.. oh.. and she dares to break wind (fart) in front of a lot people too... i LoOoOoVe courageous women!!! She's not afraid to be who she is... she's just so.. so.. sooo... unique!!!"
hahahaha..
oh btw, I (Rickson) did not know that women have armpit hair and that they shave them until the age of 18!!! Shocking.. As in no one told me. And society managed to conceal it from me for 18 years!! Amazing.. Or maybe i was just naive in the past, haha.. anyway, lets move on from here.
So let me summarize what point that i was trying to make.
Having a Dream Guy or Girl leads to having an infatuation.
And why would i blog about something that sounds so common?
Because, having an infatuation leads to many other things and some might be dangerous.
On the good side, infatuation helps love blossom. It gives you a desire to know someone more and to love the person more. Infatuation itself is not bad, but it may lead to many bad things.
Anyway, take a break for awhile to digest everything i touched on 1st, then continue reading on "Dream Girl... Dream Guy... (part 2b)"
Here comes the trailer..
Have you had an infatuation before?
voom*
The 3 bad points of Infatuation..
voom*
that has been stealthily affecting you.
voom*
voom*
voom*
Unwanted infatuation..
voom*
Learn how to get over it today...
voom*
voom*
voom*
(to be continued)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)