Riding Through a Storm

This has been a rather difficult week. But as I shared with the participants at my training workshop yesterday, we can still experience goodness in our days regardless of the situations that we are facing. 

And by tapping on the tools and resources that we have, we can stay as calm, centred and sane as we can to ride through the storm. For then, we will surely experience sunshine. 

Keep faith. Trust.

Happy Children's Day!

Journey Within, 4 October 2012

Recently, I signed up for art lessons with Diana Lim from Meow-Meow-Art. I have always wanted to paint but never knew I could till my first lesson with Diana. 

This reinforced my beliefs that (1) we never know what we can accomplish till we try it and (2) when the student is ready, the teacher appears.

October celebrates Children's Day and yesterday, as I immersed myself in completing my latest painting titled Journey Within, I kept thinking of the many disadvantaged children being looked after by my friend Val Whyte's Safe Haven Projects. And I decided that I will use this painting as a way to bring smiles to them!

If you like and connect with this painting and at the same time, would like to help the children with a donation to Safe Haven Projects, please contact me. This painting would be gifted at the end of October to the donor who pledge the highest amount. :)

Happy Children's Day to one and all! Stay childlike!

:) B

Learning Can Be Fun

Having fun is the best way to learn :)

Did a couple of coaching sessions over the past weeks, and a common feedback given is that they never expected the sessions to be this fun!

I started training, teaching and mentoring since I was 18 years old. And right from my very first session, I strove to make it enjoyable regardless of how 'dry' the topic might be or who the audience might be. Students, educators, parents, professionals, bankers, home makers... it does not make a difference.

This probably stem from the fact that as a student, I often fell asleep during lessons. Auditory learning is my least preferred choice and coupled with the hot stuffy classroom (we did not have air conditioned rooms back then) plus non interactive mode of teaching, falling asleep was the most natural result. And what naturally transpired next is a chalk smacking into my face. Yup, the age of non whyteboards. 

So when I became a 'teacher'/ trainer, I decided that I will: 

• make my sessions enjoyable and relevant for the participants
• incorporate useful learnings and activities; no silly exercises or activities
• respect the participants' time so no fillers activities just to waste time
• use a blend of methods so that all learning preferences is included

One of the great things about starting my own practice is that I can decide the direction of Dream Catalyst and the projects that I am involved with. So I can be choosy about who I work with. As such, it gives me immense delight to work with organisations both non profit and businesses that serve to make a difference in the lives of others. These organisations genuinely incorporate training programme as part of it's mission to better the lives of their members or employees. Increased productivity and efficiency is the bonus of happy team members. 

Yup, learning can be fun! Why not? :)

Be Choosy about Labels

Discard non useful labels, choose positive ones!

Recently, a client brought her 9 year old daughter who has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). 

During the session with this beautiful girl, we had an engaging chat about her hobbies, interests and her thoughts. 

And after the session, it was clear that this highly intelligent girl has been labelled wrongly! 

In another case, a young man came to see me for a session. One of the issues that he faced is that of procrastination which he says he had since his teenage years. Yet in our chat, we discovered that he is certainly not a procrastinator. Rather, he tend to push himself too hard to complete tasks over a period of time. After that, he finds himself not wanting to do anything and thus procrastinate. I shared with him that he is probably having a mild burnt-out from the 'overworking' thus the reluctance to do anything. You could literally see his eyes lit up with "Aha!" and everything just made sense. It was a label that his parents had given him in his teenage years and which he had accepted. He discarded that label and instead, adopted the strategies that I proposed to him so that he can have a school-life balance. It is important for him to discover this because he will be going into a highly stressful industry upon graduation. And if he is not able to maintain his well-being, it is highly likely that he will suffer burnt out. 

In our life, society, family, friends, strangers and even we ourselves often put a label on who we are. "I am a success, I am popular, I can never succeed, I am a failure, I am a depressive, I am ugly, I am clever, I can write well, I..." 

It is important for us to be truly aware of these labels and question them instead of accepting them blindly. If they are not useful ones, discard them. Keep those that are positive and life-giving to you. 

As therapists, it is also important for us to be able to look beyond the labels "he/she suffers from a terminal illness, he is beyond hope, she is a difficult client..." The label may just present us with a first layer of awareness but it is certainly, not the full story. When we are able to keep an open mind and attitude, that is when we are truly able to uncover and discover more so that we can be catalysts of transformation to our clients.
 

Beautiful Trip

It was a beautiful trip to Hangzhou... staying centred and calm in midst of chaos resulted in the amplification of beautiful loving energies.

And people can naturally feel this loving vibration emanating from you. 

During the time there, I enjoyed exchanging insights with the participants and when there is affinity, did healing sessions as well. They have such eagerness to learn and better equip themselves. Such a joy to share with them! 

I was without internet access, neither did I read the media and that's why it was only when I reached the airport for my return flight to Singapore via Hong Kong that I realised flight was delayed due to the typhoon that hit Hong Kong the day before. Again, kept centred and calm in midst of the chaos and was appreciative of all the blessings that flowed my way such as the two very kind Dragonair ground staff in Hong Kong who went beyond the extra mile to secure seats for me and three other elderly folks on the last flight out of Hong Kong to Singapore. So the flight took 19 hours instead of 7 1/2 hours but it was good. 

I also received important insights while in Hangzhou that will point the way moving forward on my healing path. So yes, it was a trip that needed to be made. Blessed! :)

 

Loving Vibrations for Singapore

It's our 47th birthday on 9 August and to celebrate, I invite you to join the Loving Vibrations for Singapore group. 

On 9 Aug, between 9am to 9.30am, we will send loving vibrations to Singapore via distance healing wherever you may be. If you are not free at that time, do it when you are able to. 

I can just imagine and feel the wonderful waves of loving energies that will fill the air! 

Turning 40 and feeling...

fabulous! What a contrast to 10 years ago when I celebrated my 30th birthday. 

The birthday bash that my friends threw me to usher in a new birth year was the best ever - they planned, rehearsed (there was a surprise dance item by 10 of the males in our group) and celebrated big style with lots of laughter, love and kindness! 


But pain laced the celebration because at that time, my marriage was in shambles and my carefully constructed happy facade was melting. My friends sensed my pain yet respected my reluctance to talk. So they threw me the love-filled celebration to hopefully offer a distraction and respite. 


The years that followed were dark ones. Broke and in debt, heart ache from a subsequent failed relationship, self-confidence shredded.... sure felt like a complete failure. But I continued with my healing journey with the hope that life will be different and be the one that I dream about. I attended courses, read even more, self-reflected, went for healing sessions and did self-healing and whenever I grew weary and tired (and self-pity overwhelmed me), I recharged from the supportive strength of my family and friends and bask in the embrace of God. Step by step, part by part, patience layered with patience... life transformed. 

Today, I am living the life I dreamt about and that's why, each birthday is an appreciation of how life can truly change for the better. 

And my dearest wish is that if anyone is facing a dark night, may he or she too, be able to bask in the warmth of sunshine and enjoy a changed life.