The Art of Freewill

When I first began my blog, I used the same title and wrote about one of my experiences of freewill.  After a couple of days though, I deleted the entry because I felt it contradicted with my spiritual beliefs.  In my initial post, I discussed that a fortune-teller friend of mine advised me to cancel my 2-week trip around Europe during the winter of 2003, the reason being that her calculations showed unfavourable conditions awaited me in the direction of my travel.  Practically, I had already paid for the trip and was looking forward to it.  Moreover, my best friend from school organised it and we knew it would be a long time (if ever) before we would be able to travel together again.  I couldn't let her down but at the same time, I felt pretty distraught with the negative piece of advice.  I then sought a second opinion and it was a lot more positive.  In the end, I went along with it and had a fantastic time, though there were aspects which I found rather challenging to my self-esteem.  Nevertheless, I returned home in one piece.

So what's the point of mentioning this again?  Everyday, I check Doreen Virtue's oracle card reading on YouTube.  The reading for tomorrow is 'Positive Expectations'.  Doreen mentioned that the final outcome of the situation currently on our mind is still not set in stone and that with our positive expectations, a happy result awaits us.  The key is not to give the Universe an 'outline' of our wish, that is, it is unproductive to tell the Universe the specifics because life will bring us an outcome which exceeds our mortal 3-dimensional thinking.  Just merely ask for an outcome for the highest good and hold the jubilant feeling as if the wish had already been granted.  I guess I subconsciously did just that 7 years ago for my trip - I visualised coming home in one piece.  

This brings us to the 'Freewill versus Fate' debate.  As a practitioner of astrology, I see certain sets of 'life paths' mapped out in one's birthchart.  Does this mean our lives are truly written in the stars, with no room for negotiation?  Yes and no, I believe that we choose to incarnate into our present physical body for a particular sets of 'lessons', as depicted in our birthchart. However, there are more than one way to learn our life lessons.  The possibilities are endless.  We are merely choosing the path at a particular point in time in order to experience a certain lesson. Therefore, we have the 'freewill' to choose within our given sets of 'fated' life paths.

Oh Su Jung Versus Karl

I managed to catch a glimpse of some daytime TV during my mid-term/Chinese New Year break.  One of which was a Korean drama called 'Oh Su Jung Versus Karl'.  

Karl is a heavily obese man who is deeply in love with the charming Oh Su Jung.  Unfortunately, Oh Su Jung is only looking for a man who can give her financial security.  The couple is due to be married when Oh Su Jung discovered that Karl has failed his exams and so is unable to become a court judge - Oh Su Jung's reason for marrying Karl.  In the end, the bride walks out on the groom to take up another man's offer - all expenses paid to fly, business class, to New York and attend a course to become a diamond expert.  At the airport, Oh Su Jung summons up the courage to call Karl, justifying her reasons for ditching him at the alter.  She compares his ex-fiancee to pedigree dogs.  With a certificate, one could sell a pedigree dog at a high price, but without that piece of paper, the value drops - even if the 'product' is truly a thoroughbred.   Oh Su Jung explains that even though Karl respects her a great deal and is a man of integrity, he doesn't have the piece of paper to raise his status to earn more money.  On the contrary, the guy she chooses to run away with has enough credentials to give her material comforts.

How important is that piece of paper?  Naturally, one would trust a certified professional to carry out the required procedures, but to use that piece of paper to gauge one's character?  Unfortunately, this is happening as we speak.  This is something I've been struggling with for the past few years, in that, I don't judge others by what certificates they possess, but rather, I do that to myself.  I even went through a phase where having that piece of paper still didn't bring me any security or confidence.

Self-esteem is something which exudes from the inside.  I remember feeling like a fraud despite possessing the external approvals, i.e. in the form of a certificate and praises from people around me.  But funnily enough, I only come to recognise my own abilities and talents when I was challenged by individuals whom I felt had no right to pass comments on me!  Saturn retrograding in my 2nd house is definitely re-highlighting my life lesson on self-worth and values.

Happy Chinese New Year

This year's Chinese New Year coincides with St. Valentine's Day, which will occur again in 38 years.  The year of the tiger ushers in a vibrant air of independence, and since it overlaps Valentine's Day, it reinforces the message of love - not just the romantic kind, but that love begins with loving yourself and fully accepting the self.  

'How could you expect others to love you when you can't love yourself?'  I'm sure you have heard this being uttered numerous times before, but besides this handy piece of advice, loving life itself is equally important.  When you wake up every morning, do you groan because it's the start of another day or do you rejoice because it's the start of another day?  You may feel the former because life is getting dull and monotonous, perhaps you have set yourself in a lifeless routine? An injection of surprise could do the trick.  You could consider trying something different from normal, no matter how simple, from wearing that piece of jewellery/garment saved for a 'special occasion' (though I personally believe that everyday is special) to trying a new kind of food.  To be honest, I'm still not doing the latter 100% but I'm working towards it.  I like to give my gratitude to the Universe for another new day.  I find it energising to give thanks to the simplicity of life, which most people overlook and take for granted.  Watching the news, we see reports of people losing their lives in train crashes, earthquakes etc.  No man is an island, the lost of these lives have repercussions on the loved ones they leave behind. Their lives are hitherto altered completely and utterly. Therefore, every morning, I find it a great blessing to wake up to a safe environment.  I also like to list out all the things that I'm grateful for in my life, e.g, my home, my family, my friends, my job, and then I wrap it all up with Louise Hay's affirmation 'I'm open and receptive to all the good and abundance in the Universe, thank you life.'

Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree, Tai Po, Hong Kong.  What is your wish for the new year?