Life

I lost my job today, but I am grateful and excited!

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Motivation, Productivity , , , , , ,

I lost my job today! Few immediate negative thoughts:

  • How could they do that to me? I’ve been working here for over 16 years!
  • What will I do now? There aren’t many opportunities in my specialized field and my set of skills!
  • How long can I survive without a job? The mortgage, bills, kids… and the bigger dreams!
  • Why did it happen at the worst possible time?

Fortunately, there were a lot more positive thoughts that followed:

  • Most dynamic companies go through restructuring, reorganizing and cost-cutting. Nothing personal! 
  • Thousands of people lose their jobs every day around the world – there are over 197 million unemployed people. This is part of working life and can happen to anyone, any time.
  • There are endless opportunities if I look with an open mind, and beyond my current industry!
  • It’s an exciting challenge, and I am totally ready for it. I must stay focused, continue to believe and dream.
  • The timing couldn’t be better! I’ll be 48 in a few weeks. It’s time to do something even more exciting!

And looking back, I felt even more grateful and excited that my job had allowed me to learn so many new things, develop different skills, almost master the art of training, travel the world, see amazing places, meet wonderful people… and above all, make a difference in the lives of so many people in so many places! My job is gone but all of that will stay with me forever! And all of that has prepared me for the next phase of my life.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change. At such moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back…” -Paolo Coelho

Please feel free to share your words of support and encouragement through comments.

Update (17th March): Thank you for such kind, nice, wonderful, amazing, surprising messages! I am deeply touched by your love. And also under a lot of pressure to do something big 🙂 I have no issues with the company, and do not wish to hear anything negative.

IMG_4861

Happy Women’s Day! 10 quotes women would love…

Mush Happiness, Life, Relationships , , , , ,

IWD

I am not a big fan of “days” – New Year day for resolutions, Valentine’s Day to show your love, Clean-up Day to un-clutter or Women’s Day to acknowledge that women rule… But here’s a collection of quotes for all the women in my life and the female readers of this blog. I know you’d love these:

  1. Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him. –Groucho Marx
  2. Women like silent men. They think they’re listening. -Marcel Achard
  3. Women have always been the strong ones of the world. The men are always seeking from women a little pillow to put their heads down on. They are always longing for the mother who held them as infants. –Coco Chanel
  4. The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think. -Author Unknown
  5. Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good.  Luckily, this is not difficult. -Charlotte Whitton
  6. Can you imagine a world without men?  No crime and lots of happy fat women. -Nicole Hollander
  7. A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction. -Oscar Wilde
  8. When men reach their sixties and retire, they go to pieces. Women go right on cooking. -Gail Sheehy
  9. Women always worry about the things that men forget; men always worry about the things women remember. -Author Unknown
  10. Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man and work like a dog. -Caroline K. Simon

Please tell me which one did you like best. And share your own favorite quotes about women too.

[Photo of two of the most wonderful, amazing, funny, friendly, beautiful and inspired women in my life.]

 

One link at a time…

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life , , , , , ,

201303 iCard18

 

The full collection of my iCards (inspiration cards) are posted on this page, using my own photographs. Free to download and share.

 

A reason to smile

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life , , , ,

201302 iCard17

 

More iCards (inspiration cards) here.

4 ways to feel unhappy and miserable!

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , ,

IMG_5203_2

Feeling unhappy and miserable must be one of the easiest things to do, considering that almost every other person does that most of the time. Here’s how I think people get unhappy, sad and depressed:

  1. Think of all the things you do not have: more money, the perfect job, better relationships, great health, slim body, free time… that’s sure to make you unhappy and sad.
  2. Focus on all the imperfections in the people around you: she is not tidy enough; he is not obedient enough; they are not caring enough; people are inconsiderate; he never listens; she never understands… that will make you angry and frustrated.
  3. Imagine all the things that could go wrong: you could lose your job; the economy could get worse; someone you love could leave you; there could be another tsunami; the world could come to an end; you could get a major illness… that will make you worried and depressed.
  4. Blame everyone and everything possible for all the problems in your life, except yourself: your parents/upbringing, your country/government, your company/boss/colleagues, your friends, the economy/’market’, customers/buyers, the weather, gods… and see if you feel the helplessness and lack of control.

I know these always work; I have done that quite a few times in my life. Fortunately, I have also learnt the antidote to depression and unhappiness: Be grateful for what you do have; focus on all the good things; do not worry about things that haven’t happened; accept responsibility. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s a fact that how we feel is totally in our control.

“Just as your car runs more smoothly, and requires less energy to go faster and farther, when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings and emotions are in balance.” -Brian Tracy

[The two photos on top and bottom were taken within 15 minutes of each other – Aberdeen Harbor, Hong Kong]

IMG_5220_2

The lies we tell…

Mush Fitness, Happiness, Health, Inspiration, Life, Motivation, Productivity, Relationships , , ,

201301 sunrise

The lies we tell ourselves and others…
Lie: I am late because of traffic
Truth: I am late because I got up late; I am late because I am not organized…

Lie: I don’t have time to read/exercise/call…
Truth: I am not really interested or committed

Lie: I am not good enough for…
Truth: I haven’t learnt how to…

And some more…
There’s plenty of time/life for…
It’s just one bite…
People are no good…
I’ll be happy when…

What other lies can you add?

[Photo of sunrise in Hong Kong. Some more photos of the sun and moon between 31st Dec and 1st Jan here]

Greetings for a new day!

Mush Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , , ,

2013-01 iCardNY

 

More inspiration cards here.

“Un-inspiring” quotes about the New Year!

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , , , , ,
201212 sunrise2

  • “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • “New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.” -Mark Twain
  • “Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols.” -Thomas Mann
  • “New Year’s is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions.” -Mark Twain
  • “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” -Hal Borland
  • “Celebrate each new day, and be grateful for every moment of this wonderful life. Happy New Day!” -yours truly

It’s that time of the year again – the happy new year wishes, fireworks, cheer, and most importantly, the optimism for the year ahead.

How about greeting each new day with the same cheer and optimism. Isn’t waking up each morning a reason to be grateful and happy? Isn’t every day a chance to celebrate life and everything it has to offer? If that seems a bit too extreme, then how about ‘happy new week’? Could we not be as excited about the challenges and surprises that each new week brings?

This year try new month resolutions at the start of every new month. I’ve tried and it works much better than new year resolutions.

Two related posts about the New Year: You DON’T need New Year resolutions! and Make it happen in 2013 – without any New Year resolutions!

[Photo of sunrise during an African Safari – December 2011]

It’s not them; it’s you!

Mush Happiness, Life, Relationships , , ,

Who is bothering you today?

Kids who don’t think or behave exactly as you do? Or your spouse due to his annoying habit? Or the driver in front of you that’s too slow? Or someone else who is incompetent, rude, inconsiderate, uncaring…? If other people’s behavior is going to bother you, chances are you will always be angry, hurt, disappointed or frustrated… because ‘they’ are not going to change any time soon.

So there are only two choices: accept everyone as they are, and focus on your own imperfections. Or continue to be annoyed at everyone who is not ‘perfect’ by your standards. Hint: One of the choices will give you lots of stress!

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change; courage to change the one I can; and the wisdom to know that it’s me.”

Inspiring moments in Laos
Inspiring moments in Laos

You DON’T need New Year resolutions!

Mush Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , , , , ,

201212 Laos

That’s right. If you are happy with your life and don’t need any changes then you don’t need New Year resolutions. If you want to change or improve certain things in your life, you don’t have to wait for the New Year. And certainly New Year resolutions alone are not going to get you the results you want.

The most popular New Year resolutions seem to be:

  1. Health related: lose weight, get healthy, get fit, quit smoking, quit drinking…
  2. Money related: earn more, save more, get out of debt…
  3. Relationships related: find a soul mate, improve relationships…
  4. Other goals: job/business related, travel, learn something new, contribute…

And here’s why I believe most New Year resolutions fail:

  1. No commitment. Interested but not committed. Nice to have but not a must. If not this year, there’s plenty of life ahead.
  2. No belief. Goal setting doesn’t work for me. I am beyond any diet plan. I am not talented, skilled or lucky enough for…
  3. No knowledge/skill. You don’t know how to go about achieving that goal. For weight loss, you need to know/learn about food and exercise. To get out of debt or to invest wisely, you need to know/learn the basics of finance. If it’s a sales goal, you need to improve your selling skills and so on.
  4. No action. Procrastination. Excuses. I am going to start from Monday. It’s too cold/hot to go out running. Just one bite can’t make me any fatter. This is often due to reasons 1-3 above.

If the above sounds familiar, try something different this year. Don’t make any New Year resolutions. Instead, pick one thing that you really really want to change. And follow the tried-n-tested, never-fail, 4-step method for a few weeks/months. Once you have learnt and mastered that method, you can start on the next goal. Want to know about the 4-step method? Coming up in Sunday morning post!

[Photo of Tad Yeuang in South Laos. One of the things on my 2012 to-do list was to see the beautiful waterfalls of Laos and live in a village for at least two days. Check. See some more spectacular photos here, and a short video here.]

If you only had one month to live…

Mush Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , , , ,

201212 iCard13

 

Check out some more iCards and my free ebook here. And read about my book Dhinchak Life here.

An extremely inspiring video: Janine Shepherd’s limited body, unstoppable spirit

Mush Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , ,

Cross-country skier Janine Shepherd hoped for an Olympic medal — until she was hit by a truck during a training bike ride. She shares a powerful story about the human potential for recovery. Her message: you are not your body, and giving up old dreams can allow new ones to soar.

Buy Nothing Until 2013

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life , , , , ,

From ZenHabits, one of my favorite blogs:

Today is one of the worst days of the year: overconsumption day (or Black Friday as some call it). Or you could call it one of the best days of the year: Buy Nothing Day.

I prefer the latter — it means we waste less, consumer fewer resources, stop looking to shopping to solve our problems and make us happy, and instead find simpler ways of finding contentment. And so today I extend a challenge to all of you, and the world: Buy Nothing Until 2013. Yes, I’m taking Buy Nothing Day and extending it through the end of the year.

Why the hell would you want to do this challenge?

Do it as a protest against consumerism and corporate influences on our lives. Do it as a tool for contentment, for simplicity. Do it to reclaim the holidays as a time of connection and love, not of buying and debt. Do it just to see if you can.

And yes, you can still do it if you’ve already done some Black Friday shopping. We’ll forgive our past sins and start afresh. 🙂

The Manifesto

Buy Nothing Until 2013 is about freedom.

Freedom from consumerism. Freedom from corporations (or a little bit of freedom, at least). Freedom from debt and overspending. Freedom from the need to shop to be happy. Freedom from the use of shopping as therapy or stress relief. Freedom from shopping as a way to connect with others. Freedom from buying to show our love for others. Freedom from sales and holiday madness and malls and huge chain stores and crazy shoppers. Freedom from overuse of resources, from wasted packaging, from wasted fuel to ship all that junk to the store.

Freedom from crap we don’t need. We are more than consumers. We don’t need to buy gifts to celebrate the holidays with each other — we can get together, make delicious food, go outside and do something fun, play games, talk, tell jokes, tell stories, give hugs.

We are alive, and don’t want to waste the hours we have in chain box stores and malls buying things we don’t really need. We know that just because stores have massive sales doesn’t mean we need to buy what they’re selling. Sales don’t mean we’re saving money — it means we’re spending it. We used precious life hours earning our money, and we want to use that to live, not buy.

We are free from buying, and free to live. Join us, and Buy Nothing Until 2013.

The Challenge Rules Continue reading →

Monday morning inspiration: starting now!

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , , , , ,

These iCards (inspiration cards) are made with my own collection of photos that are un-copyrighted (free to use). Dhinchak Life is my first book. You may read about it here. More iCards and a feee ebook here.

What if?

Mush Fitness, Happiness, Health, Inspiration, Life, Motivation, Productivity , , , ,

What if…

  • we start being a little more grateful for everything we do have?
  • we complain a little less and compliment a little more?
  • we accept everything and everyone exactly as they are?
  • we wake up half an hour earlier every morning?
  • we read something positive and/or useful every night?
  • we focus on the most important tasks, instead of just the urgent ones?
  • we exercise just 10 minutes every day?
  • we replace just one unhealthy meal with a healthy one every day?
  • we add just one healthy snack to our daily diet?
  • we dedicate just one day of the week for our loved ones?
  • we tell them just once a day we love them?
  • we sometimes just listen without passing judgement or advice?

Each of these seemingly small actions have the potential to significantly improve our level of happiness, productivity, health and relationships… and improve the quality of our lives and the lives of people around us. Too difficult? Let’s start with just one of the above, just for this week!

“Just do it! First you make your habits, then your habits make you!” -Lucas Remmerswaal, The A-Z of 13 Habits

[A new day dawns over Shek’O in Hong Kong – courtesy Sara Mush]

Happy New Week! Monday morning inspiration

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , , ,

 

More iCards (inspiration cards) here. And the full story on ‘happy new week‘.

‘Dhinchak Life’ launched at Dymocks in Hong Kong today!

Mush Books, Inspiration, Life , , , , , , , , , , ,

My book, Dhinchak Life, has been selling at over 30 online stores, including Amazon, for about six months now. And from today, it’s on the book shelves of Dymocks in Hong Kong! The whole experience of talking about the book to an audience, watching them review and buy, then signing copies… was just something else! Thanks to all the supporters, participants and sponsors…

Thanks again to my wonderful family, friends and readers of this blog for the support and encouragement! [Photo of the organizers with the Store Manager] See some more photos here.

Do dreams come true?

Mush Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , ,

A post by Sara Mush on her blog: Do dreams really come true?

A question that every human being must have asked themselves at least once in their lives, and only very few people that I know have actually lived out their dreams while alive! It’s never easy… because it takes an insane amount of motivation, inspiration, determination and most of all passion and very few people can wake up every single day and wholeheartedly feel ready to take on a new day with that kind of optimistic mindset! Well, I know one person who does that for sure, the only person I know who preaches what he truly lives by!

My Dad has been dreaming about publishing his own book for years now, and he’s finally done it! He has been running his motivational Blog for around 2 years now, and once he had enough people telling him to compile his posts into a book, he decided to finally go ahead and do it! So the book Dhinchak Life; is a compilation of his best, most popular blog posts! Now you may be wondering, what is that word Dhin-Chak?! Well, it would be no fun if I was to give it all away here would it? [Read more…]

[Dhinchak Life book launch in Hong Kong today!]

Monday morning inspiration…

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , , ,

 

 

More iCards (inspiration cards) here.

Happy New Week: thought for the week

Mush Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Motivation , , , , ,

What’s the difference between problems and situations, or responding and reacting? Related post.

Why ‘Happy New Week?’ Related post.

Did you read about the official launch of my book: Dhinchak Life?