Tag: inspirational

Touching quotes from Tuesdays with Morrie

I had wanted to write about this book for a very long time, but the last time I read it was around 15 years ago. Time really flies.

I recalled feeling very touched and inspired after reading this, and bought ten copies on a whim to gift to people. (At the time, it was only $9.99. Now, the prices have more than doubled. *sniff* Inflation sucks!)

Anyhow, today, I finally finished rereading the book. Now that it’s fresh on my mind, I’ve written down a few quotes I personally found very touching from the story.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a real-life story about an old man dying from ALS. Morrie shares his life lessons with his student, Mitch, who is the author of this book. It’s a very genuine story that really makes you ponder on life. Here are a few quotes from the novel that evoked a lot of emotions in me:

 

“Well, Ted, one day soon, someone’s gonna have to wipe my ass.”

Mitch was very accepting of his condition and knew he was dying. But this was one thing he dreaded the most. Because when you need someone to wipe your ass, you no longer have the ability to take care of yourself. It is such a sad realization. Society also makes us feel very ashamed.

Despite so, Morrie was grateful he had the time and mental state to say goodbye to those he loved.

 

“I traded a lot of dreams for a bigger paycheck, and I never even realized I was doing it.”

This is also so sad. I think most of us would choose a bigger paycheck over our dreams. Sometimes, we just need that stability in order to survive or maintain our quality of life. It’s really hard to find a balance.

I just hope that we can still dream a bit, and chase some of our passions even if it doesn’t pay.

 

“Everyone knows they’re going to die, but no one believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.”

Death seems to be something that’s so far away. For those of us who are in our 20s or 30s, we probably think we still have several decades left; perhaps working another thirty years or so before even thinking of retirement. But who knows when life will end?

I don’t want to regret, so I’m going to do the things I want to do now before it’s too late.

 

“This is part of what a family is about, not just love, but letting others know there’s someone who is watching out for them. It’s what I missed so much when my mother died –what I call your ‘spiritual security’ –knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame.”

Knowing that there’s someone watching out for me is very comforting. I’m really lucky both my parents are still around. Although the generation/cultural gap makes it very tough sometimes, I am grateful for everything they’ve done for me.

I’m learning to cherish and forgive. Continue reading “Touching quotes from Tuesdays with Morrie”

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My mini autobiography

Several days ago, I turned 32 and I feel like it’s time for another reflective post.

I have the tendency to think a lot; about my past, present and future. I think about my past mistakes, the choices I’ve made, and what I look forward to. I think about my dreams, goals, and purpose.

I think about why I do what I do, and why I am the way I am.

I think about how I can achieve what I want, faster.

I think about how I can make a lasting, positive impact.

I want to do so much.

It may sound crazy, but I want to be a legacy.

You may ask, how? By doing what?

I think, by using my words to impact others.

I want you to feel better, happier, more empowered after reading my blog posts and translations.

I want to share my experience and advice, and you to benefit from it. Knowing that I have the power to change someone’s behaviour makes me feel good.

I’ve come to realize that I need to live a life with meaning to be happy. For the first 23 years of my life, I basically followed exactly what my father had wanted me to do.

As a child, my only goal was to get good grades so I could get into university and then get a good, stable job.

I needed good grades. I was a “good” student, but at the same time, I wasn’t. I mean, I showed up to class and did all my homework. I tried to study and do well, but half the time I was daydreaming because it was so damn boring.

I tried to retain as much as I could, but I’m just not very academic. At least, it’s not easy for me. I have a slow brain, so it takes me a long time to understand something.

I had friends who could seamlessly get 90s without trying, while here I was, working hard and struggling to get an 80. So sad.

I knew school wasn’t really for me, but I still tried. In fact, I even got an award for perfect attendance. LOL, so lame. Who gives an award for that??? Continue reading “My mini autobiography”

BLM: We want to see change

By now, most of us have probably seen the clip of George Floyd suffocating under the policeman’s knee.

When I saw it, I was disgusted, infuriated and heartbroken.

He clearly said he couldn’t breathe, yet instead of loosening his control, the policeman pressed down even harder.

The policeman was stopping blood flow and oxygen from going into his brain. Did it not occur to him that George could die?

George was UNARMED and couldn’t move at all. There were FOUR policemen on scene and ONE of him.

It’s unbelievable.

If he were trying to rob someone, or was committing a physical act, you could say the policeman needed to “restrain” him. But George was accused of spending a counterfeit bill.

He was already handcuffed. The force used against him was completely unnecessary.

A few days later, riots and protests began happening worldwide. I wasn’t surprised.

Enough is enough.

It’s just so sickening to see this happening again and again. I couldn’t help but wonder, why did George Floyd die? Why do the police think it is ok for them to act this way?

For years, police officers have been getting away with this sort of behaviour. It’s like they don’t have to be accountable for their actions.

I was watching a clip on facebook, and a black man was sharing what it was like to be black. There are so many things he has to constantly think about.

He has to make sure his hands are always visible. If they’re hidden, the cops might think he has a gun or weapon.

He has to make sure to keep enough distance between him and other people, so that they don’t feel uncomfortable. Continue reading “BLM: We want to see change”

My thoughts on the Coronavirus

Online, I’ve seen many netizens comparing the coronavirus with the flu. They say that millions of people die from the flu, so people are overreacting.

But please keep in mind the numbers that you see are only the confirmed cases. There are limited testing kits and many suspected patients are undiagnosed. Many are left to die at home or “self quarantine” because there are not enough hospital beds due to the huge demand.

If it were really only several hundred dead, China would never take such drastic measures. Over 50 million people are under lockdown right now. The government got thousands of people to build two new hospitals within 10 days. China even shut down money making attractions like Disneyland in Shanghai and the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The moment suspicious cases started popping up, the CCP should’ve taken it seriously. Instead, they tried to suppress the messengers by sending out warnings.

Li Wenliang was a Chinese ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital when he warned his friends and colleagues about a new coronavirus strain on Wechat on December 30th, 2019. Rather than thanking him, the authorities approached Wenliang to sign a document admitting he was wrong for spreading rumours and inciting fear amongst the public.

Although Wenliang wasn’t lying, he admitted to the accusations because of the implications it could have had on him and his family. If he had gone against the CCP, he probably would have been thrown in jail.

After Wenliang passed away from the virus several days ago, there was a huge public outcry. It was as if his death had woken up millions of citizens.

However, in order to maintain their power and control, the CCP puts very strict measures on what its citizens can see and do. They only post propaganda content that reflects them in a positive light. They dispose anything that could lead to social instability and weakens their power.

So within a matter of hours, all the posts regarding freedom of speech and other topics that criticized the government were taken down.

Several weeks ago, there were clips that had been leaked onto twitter with nurses saying that over 100k people have already been affected with the virus. Additionally, there have been multiple clips online of bodies lying in Wuhan hospitals next to the living. The CCP has repeatedly denied that the videos were real, but one of the guys I followed on youtube and twitter had actually gone to report the real situation in Wuhan by personally visiting the hospitals and interviewing the locals.

His videos show what is actually going on and his critiques are quite fair in my honest opinion. He only reports what he sees and hears in person. It is very heartbreaking and agonizing to see the current conditions.

There is so much fear and hopelessness. Can you imagine if your loved ones were dying from excruciating pain and all you could do was beg and watch?

Sadly, Chen Qiushi “vanished” six days ago while he was on his way to another hospital. His mother made a video asking netizens for help to locate her son. Apparently, Chen Qiushi has been detained and forced to go under quarantined. However, his phone has been confiscated and no one has been able to reach him at all.  I really hope he’s okay and that he will be released soon.

To give you an idea, here’s a clip that SCMP posted:

By now, it is no surprise that the CCP is cracking down on these “citizen reporters”. They cannot allow their videos or content to go viral as it causes panic and social unrest. Continue reading “My thoughts on the Coronavirus”

The Magic of Thinking Big

The magic of thinking bigTo my dear readers,

Long time no blog! Sorry, I am really lazy and uninspired. T_T. There are times when I do want to write something, but my lack of willpower results in no action.

However, today, I am very inspired by this book, “The Magic of Thinking Big” by David J. Schwartz. I read this book at a bookstore and took some notes on my phone. I would like to share it with you guys today. Please take some time to reflect on the questions. You don’t have to tell me the answers. You can just answer them in your mind.

Note: The bold words are from the book itself.

Persons with mediocre accomplishments are quick to explain why they haven’t, why they don’t, why they can’t, and why they aren’t.

Which type are you?

Most of us make two basic errors with respect to intelligence: 

  1. We underestimate our own brainpower
  2. We overestimate the other fellow’s brainpower 

Don’t underestimate yourself. You can always do more; be more. 

See what can be, not just what is. 

What can you see? 

The price tag the world puts on us is just about identical to the one we put on ourselves. 

How much do you think you’re worth? 

Eliminate the word impossible from your thinking and speaking vocabularies. Impossible is a failure word. 

If you’ve already made up your mind that it is impossible, you’ll never take the necessary action to get what you want.  Continue reading “The Magic of Thinking Big”

Who says you can’t? You do

Who says you can'tIt has been so long since I last blogged! Today, I’m back again with another inspirational post. This time, I’m going to be posting quotes from the book “Who says you can’t? You do” by Daniel Chidiac.

All the quotes I’m about to mention are from the novel itself. I reflect on everything Daniel says and it really pushes me to be more. It is incredibly empowering and motivational. I hope his words will also have a similar effect on you.

If you take a good look around, you will notice that most people would have perceived every creation as impossible before it was created.

Everything seems impossible at first. If 30 years ago, someone told you that in the future they would be able to use their phones to take pictures and face-time with someone across the world, would you have believed it?

I hear people say to me, “I know how life works; you wake up, go to work, and come home. It’s the same thing every day.” My reply is, “No, that’s how your life works.”

This is so powerful. How does this statement make you feel?

It is only achievement and fulfilment together that brands someone truly successful.

I completely agree. What is your definition of success?

Most people know what they want; they just believe it’s out of their reach. We let so many dreams, visions and ideals slip because we think others might find them stupid, that it will be too hard, or we give up due to the hurdles we come across. 

Sometimes, it seems like it’s impossible. As a result, we don’t even bother to try in order to avoid the likelihood of disappointment.

Everyone on the road of achievement has experienced self-doubt. Those who win, though, always overpower that doubt with self-assurance. You’re not the only one that has or will experience hardship on your road.

You’re not the only one who is experiencing hardship. But if it’s something you want, you must persevere.  Continue reading “Who says you can’t? You do”

Twitter inspiration

growth

I haven’t written an inspirational post for quite some time. I know I used to blog weekly, but I honestly do not have enough content to sustain it. As a result, most likely, I’ll only be blogging once a month or so.

I was going through my twitter the other day, and I ended up scrolling through all of my old tweets.

I’ve always been a huge fan of personal development and inspirational content. So today, I would like to share six quotes that I have tweeted in the past. These quotes resonate a lot with me, and I hope they will also have some positive impact on you.

Note: The way I interpret the quotes may differ from you.

—–

  1. Days are expensive. When you spend a day, you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely. – Jim Rohn

This is one of the quotes that personally affected me the most. All of us know we’re going to die, but I don’t think we truly realize that our time is running out. We shouldn’t postpone the things we want to do until a much later date. We should make it a priority to do something each day to get ourselves closer to our goals.

  1. It’s not about having the perfect relationship. It’s about finding someone who matches you and will go through everything without giving up.

I’ve realized that there is no such thing as a perfect relationship. All relationships have issues and flaws. In the end, it really comes down to how much two people want to be together. Both parties must be willing to keep trying in order to have a lasting relationship. Continue reading “Twitter inspiration”

The five hardest things about breaking up and three lessons

Heartbreaks

Since I just broke a million views, time for another post!! It was either going to be an inspirational post or a relationship post, but since my readers seem to enjoy reading my relationship posts much more, I decided to give you guys what you want.

Normally, my relationship posts are trying to help you get the girl (Ex. The Perfect Man, How to tell if a shy girl likes you, 3 dating tips, and etc). However, what happens after you get the girl/guy? Not all relationships will last. Chances are, you will experience at least one heartbreak during your lifetime.

So, this post is about breaking up. It will be a bit sad though. So don’t say I didn’t warn you!

——-

Break ups can be tough. Unless it is a mutual break up, one side usually wants to stay together.

You could still be sad if you initiated the break up; but since you wanted it, your ex would most likely be more hurt.

Five hardest things about breaking up

  1. Accepting the fact that your ex will no longer be part of your future. All those things that could’ve been will never be.
  2. Everything reminds you of them. Someone simply drinking a coffee could remind you that your ex used to like drinking his/her coffee black.
  3. If you had been seeing your ex on certain days, those days or time slots will now be empty until you fill it up with something else.
  4. If you had been deeply submersed into your ex’s life, chances are, her/his friends and family were part of your life as well. Now that you two are no longer together, you may be losing more than your ex.
  5. Accepting that your ex no longer feels the same way about you. Perhaps, at one point, your ex had strong feelings for you. But the harsh reality is that he/she no longer wants you.

Continue reading “The five hardest things about breaking up and three lessons”

The Slight Edge

the-slight-edge-explained

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while now, you would know that I’m very into personal development. I constantly want to improve and become better. Not only that, I want to inspire others to grow as well. (That’s why my slogan is: Grow with me! 😉 )

This post is based on a book called, “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson. This is one of the best personal development books I have read (Trust me, I have read a lot).

I’m only going to be sharing a bit of what really resonated with me. If this type of stuff motivates or inspires you, buy the book or listen to the audio book. It can change your life!!!

  • Your philosophy creates your attitude, which create your actions, which create your results, which create your life

Your philosophy is what you believe in; how you think and reason. Your thoughts will determine your attitude.

If you think terribly of yourself, you will have a bad attitude. A poor attitude will lead to little to no action because you do not think you’re capable of succeeding. With little to no action, obviously your results will be horrible. Ultimately, it will lead to an unhappy life.

You see? It’s a cycle. If you want to succeed, you must first change your philosophy.  Continue reading “The Slight Edge”

My attention span and Pokémon Go

I haven’t written a personal post in a very long time. But I haven’t forgotten you guys. I just don’t want to write for the sake of writing.

These days, I feel like I have the attention span of a potato. When I was young (before I had the internet), I would breeze through a book in one sitting. 300 pages? No big deal.

Nowadays, reading 50 pages is a struggle. I’m constantly tempted to do something else.

Haha, honestly, I blame the internet and my lack of self control. With so many social media applications nowadays, my generation is constantly checking up on what others are doing or posting something to show others what they are doing.

Deep down, I know the smart thing is to focus on my personal growth rather than see which pokemons my friends have caught. But I guess I enjoy being amused and not using my brain (I know, I sound terrible).
Continue reading “My attention span and Pokémon Go”