Doors

I remember when I was still working in Japan, I would fly back to England once a year. I'm now reliving the same lifestyle - working in Hong Kong and flying back home for my annual break.

There is one big difference though.

Back in the days of jetting back and forth between Japan and England, I would feel attached to Japan while I was there and not wanting to leave, and vice versa for when I was back home. This changed in my final year when I had a sudden yearning to leave Japan and return home.

A few years on, I'm now flying between England and Hong Kong. One big difference is that I have family, relatives and in both places. What's more, when in Hong Kong, as much as I miss England, I do want to stay there, and now that I'm home, as much as I want to stay, I do want to return to the far east. I feel at home in both countries. If you ask me to choose, I wouldn't be able to.

Maybe a few more years down the line, my feelings will change, but for now, I want to go with the flow - the flow being what feels right at this moment in time. If something is meant to be, then doors will open for you to breeze through.

However, there are different types of doors - some are already wide open, so all you need to do is step through the threshold. Others are half-closed, ajar, closed or even locked. Thinking back, the door to Hong Kong was ajar to start with. The Universe nudged me to come face-to-face with it. I had to have the courage to walk up to it, push it wide open, then finally stepping through it. It wasn't a smooth ride though, there were times when I had the urge to run back out, but my intuition told me to stay put. I used positive affirmation, Angeltherapy, the Secret etc to help me through the tough times.

Life is a long journey, there will be challenges and obstacles in the way. Asking for help is a strength not a weakness. Light is always at the end of the tunnel.

Basil Does the Trick

Apparently, constipation is prevalent in the female population of Hong Kong. I have learnt this fact from more than one source - friends, relatives and the media. I was initially surprised by this piece of information, especially that I do not suffer from it at all (touch wood!). A quick browse in Louise Hay's dictionary of ailments finds that it is related to the difficult in releasing old ideas, being stuck in the past and sometimes being stingy. The corresponding affirmation is 'As I release the past, the new and fresh and vital enter. I allow life to flow through me.'

Perhaps collectively, these women are finding it hard to let go of their past hurts and are resistant to changes. I encountered a recipe from Spirit & Destiny which may be of help:

S & D, March 2009, p88

Basil pesto

Basil aids digestion and eases stomach cramps associated with constipation, so tuck into pesto if you're a bit bunged-up. A natural tranquiliser, basil helps the body relax, which also keeps things moving. Whenever you're in need, eating three spoonfuls of pesto - neat, tossed through pasta or spread on bruschetta - should do the trick.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 50g basil leaves

- 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled

- 25g pine nuts

- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1) Roughly tear the basil and put into a mortar with the garlic, pine nuts and a little of the olive oil.

2) Pound with a pestle until the mixture forms a paste, or whizz together in a food processor.

3) Gradually pour in the rest of the olive oil, mixing together well.

4) Stir in the Parmesan. Can be served on bruschetta and salmon or mixed with pasta.

Let go Max! Let go....

I don't handle endings well.

I can recall quite a few incidents where I found it so hard to say goodbye that I just left the situation. This then left me with a bad feeling and the regret of 'I should've just said goodbye! I so wish I could turn back the time...'

Perhaps the universe is trying to make me stronger, so it keeps on sending me these 'ending lessons'. But every time, either I don't have the courage to say goodbye and regret it or that I do make the effort but then get criticisms from those around me. I think at the end of the day, the underlying lesson is to trust myself and ignore other people's opinions - easier said than done. Angels, continue to work with me!

Life Mission

The demise of Michael Jackson has sent a shock wave across the world.  For some, it is still hard to believe that the King of Pop has left the earth plane.  I remember it took me a long time to accept Princess Diana's death.  I was so convinced that she was hiding away in a secret location!

Over lunch today, I had an insightful discussion with a friend about identifying one's mission in life.  When you find your gift or talent endowed by the universe, all obstacles put in your path would seem illusional and easy to defeat.  I guess for the longest time, I had doubts of my own chosen career path.  Seeing others around me, gaining social respect because of how much they earn, did make me think I had made the wrong choice.  However, the economic crisis we are currently in has confirmed the fact that I have made the right decision.  I am doing what the universe has asked me to do.  Once you find your mission in life, all problems begin to melt away, or at least, would seem surmountable.  

Life is extremely fragile; living happily is ultimately more important than anything else.

Mr G has left the building!

Coincidentally, it has been exactly a year since I wrote about Mr G - an endearing character with too much self-confidence.  I talked about the Mr Gs in my life and the lessons I had to endure.  Every time when I enter a new phase in my life, I would look out for the new Mr G.  Strangely enough, since my relocation, I notice that the typical Mr G is absent.  This does not mean I am leading a peaceful life - far from it!  Mr G has simply 'evolved' to someone who is covertly arrogant.  However, once you have scratched the confident surface, a rather vulnerable side is exposed.  With the assistance of a newly acquainted spiritual friend, I soon discovered that the quietly confident mask hides an individual with negligible amount of skills and talents within. 

I had a tough time adjusting to this evolution of life lessons.  Initially, I thought perhaps these newly evolved 'teachers' are mirroring a part of me?  But after discussing this through with my spiritual friend, we identified that perhaps the lack of talent in these people is actually acting as a motivator to squeeze out all the confidence I have within me - if these people can find a reserve of it without having the reason to, then surely I could too?!  In addition, I think another lesson is to have a great heart to forgive these people.  A sensitive soul like me have found their harsh energy pretty hard to bear at times, but, as mentioned in a previous post,  as hurtful and annoying these people can be, the cure is to think loving and positive thoughts of them.  I command justice in the situation and trust with all my heart that the universe will be fair to everyone involved.  

Though tough and treacherous, I walk on this path with like-minded companions, both near me and from a far distance, connected via cyber space.  I am grateful to still have my existing spiritual links with certain individuals who have been counselling me on my life's ups and downs.  I want to thank the universe also for sending me new individuals who speak my language of spiritualism.  If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have detected this evolution so quickly and would still be wallowing in self-pity!

Courage or Impatience?

Have you ever felt the urge to tell a friend, who has been complaining non-stop on the same problem, to snap out of it?

I've had my share of these people in my life.  Every time, though, I didn't have the guts, or heart I would like to think, to tell them to stop retelling their problems to me and instead, think of a plan to get out of the hell-hole.  Unfortunately, there are people out there who love to just complain and complain - I like that too, but not on a regular basis!  I like to get my moans out and then get on with life.  

I find these people quite draining.  At first, I thought it was my own problem for not being patient enough to assist my pals, but then one day, while travelling on the train, I overheard someone talking (loudly) on his mobile phone.  Basically, he was announcing, rather firmly, to the person on the other end to stop wasting time on discussing the same problem.  I wished I had his courage (or impatience!) to tell my acquaintances to stop going round in circles.  Having lived in Hong Kong for the past 10 months, perhaps I've accumulated enough blunt/bold/rudeness to be less considerate?!

Stand Your Ground

Arthur Schopenhauer's quote I'm sharing with everyone this week has given me some food for thought:

All truth passes through three stages - 

First, it is ridiculed;

Second,  it is violently opposed;

And third, it is accepted as self-evident.

Just over a decade ago, it would be ludicrous to suggest that stress can affect our physical health.  Once upon a time, it was heretical to even think that earth wasn't in the centre of the universe and that we could be related to gorillas and baboons.  Furthermore, God used to live on the clouds until mortals extended their mode of transport to the firmament and discovered 'the man upstairs' must have moved somewhere else.  I'm sure you can think of many more examples where ridiculous ideas have become a part of our daily routine.

The more I practise The Secret, the more I am convinced of its ability to shape our lives.  Of course, 'Cosmic Ordering', 'Positive Affirmations', 'Angeltherapy' are all part of the same idea - that we send out to the universe our wishes.  I wonder if our future would incorporate these practices as part of our daily life?