Category: My Thoughts

Are you connecting to your core values?

Connect to Core Values
Connect to Core Values

In the book Bittersweet by Susan Cain, she talked about accepting the bitter and losses in our lives, and how it can lead us to connect to our values and subsequently acting on those values.

I reflected upon it and listed the core values I believe is important to me at this season of my life:

  1. Courage – courage to do what God has called me to do, to trust in God’s plan for my life, and to be led by the power of the Holy Spirit
  2. Compassion – to reach out to others and inspire them to dream boldly, and more importantly, to have compassion on myself – to be kind and gentle to the little girl in me
  3. Creativity – to use my talents in bold unique ways to give glory to God – dare to dream big, be bold, go wild, run free, dance like no one is watching, and have lots of fun!
  4. Gratitude – to give thanks for the countless blessings in my life, including the trials that strengthen my character and driven me to be who I am today

I realise that I need to align my values with what I am doing in my life. That whatever project or work I embark on, it needs to align with my core values. And these values must be outward seeking, that is, it is to serve others and to give glory to God.

As we start the new year of 2024, I invite you to connect to your values and seek to live in alignment with your core values.

May this year 2024 be a wonderful year for you!

Bittersweet Year of 2023

I was totally struck by the interview between Mindvalley’s Vishen Lakhiani and author Susan Cain. She has a new book called, “Bittersweet – How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole”. I was so intrigue that I quickly got this book and read it. Her previous book, “Quiet – The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking” is the de-facto book for introverts.

Her book helped me to accept pain and sorrow in my life. It is healthy to recognise the emotions of pain and sorrow as part of life – that there is no escape. Her book gave me so much hope in that it encourages me to acknowledge and accept the bitterness of life, and transforming it into creativity, transcendence and love. It is after experiencing bitterness that we treasure the sweetness of joy even more. And it had given me inspiration to transform my biggest trials this year into exploration, discovery, adventure and renewed confidence. Basically, it was God’s way of pushing me out of my comfort zone into the next level of who I can become.

In her book, Susan Cain wrote the real reason for our emotions is to connect us. And Sadness, of all the emotions, was the ultimate bonding agent. We can see this in the movie, “Inside Out”. We can see it in funerals, death and grieving.

Sadness triggers compassion. It brings people together.

It is humbling to go through sadness and sorrow. But when we go through these emotions, they can bring us closer to other people through our compassion, if we allow them. It helps us sieve through our overwhelming noise and distraction, and connect us to what matters most. And this can lead us to take committed action to transform the bitter to the sweet. Let the bitter lessons of life bring renewed hope and joy, gratitude and compassion, to people around us.

My Confident Hope in Jesus Never Fails

Nothing prepared me for the challenges I faced this year. I was sent into the wilderness and went through the refining fire. I thank God that He rescued me from the financial hole I dug myself into, and saved me. He showed His loving faithfulness in so many big and small ways during this challenging time.

It has been a year of inner healing working through my inner child trauma. I realised that I had acted so foolishly out of my fear and insecurity. I have emerged stronger and more confident, knowing that God always has my back – that He carries me through my storms and sits with me through my tears. Nothing is greater than God’s love for us. I have experienced it in so many ways this year.

As the year 2023 come to an end, I am truly grateful for the year that has seen me grow in hope in Jesus. I learnt that my confident hope is in the person of Jesus and my dire circumstances will never change it. He also showed the beauty within me and when I look at myself in the mirror.

One of the physical manifestation of my confidence is wearing my hatsI I don’t care what people think because I love wearing hats and I look good in them. So I am just gonna don my hat and adorn my countenance with a smile! God has great plan for each of us. I am reminded this year that, even when I mess up, God is always around to help me pick up the pieces and make things new and better.

My Confident Hope in Jesus never fails.

How to Nourish a Starved Soul

We nourish our bodies with nutritious food.
So I pondered: how do I nourish my starved soul?

Let me share my ways:
– Gratitude: give thanks for the many blessings in my life
– Kindness: being kind to myself, and not beat myself up when I fail
– Gentleness: be gentle and go easy on myself on hard days
– Forgiveness: forgive myself
– Experience pain and sorrow: to allow the emotions to overwhelm me in a safe space, and not bury them all the time; to cry, scream or shout or any other ways to let my emotions flow out safely
– Reading: to gain insight, learnings, and to enter into the world of the author
– Travel: to explore new places, food, cultures and environment
– Support: to seek support from family and friends who understands me, instead of carrying the burden by myself
– Authenticity: to have the courage to be vulnerable and to reveal my true self, good and bad
– Beauty: to recognize the beauty within my soul and treasure it
– Service: to reach out to serve others in need, to service in a community
– To Love: to love others unconditionally, no strings attached
– To Be Loved: to allow others to love me unconditionally, to allow them to enter into my inner world
– To know that – It’s okay not to be okay sometimes, that I haven’t gotten it all together in some seasons of my life, but it’s okay
– To Wait: to know that I sometimes need to wait for God’s timing for my life, that He is working in my life as I wait patiently for Him
– To Meditate or Practice Mindfulness: to quieten my busy mind and seek my inner strength within
– To Trust in God: for me, this is the most important one; to trust that God is always faithful to walk with me through my joys and sorrows, and that He is always with me through thick and thin

To tell you the truth: I don’t always do all these things above. When our bodies are starved, we can feel the hunger pangs. But when our souls are starved, we are sometimes not even aware of it. Let us always remind ourselves to nourish our souls lovingly.

Feel free to add to my list in the comments. I would love to find out more ways to nourish my soul. Thanks!

Small Actions that lead to Big Impact



I would like to share three stories that shows how small actions that led to big impact in my life recently.

Story 1: Last October 25th 2022, I went to my friend’s house to ask her to write the Foreword to my Blessed Journal book. Suddenly, our conversations turned unexpectedly when I found out she actually has not one, but four book ideas! I incredulously asked her: why are you not writing your own book? That’s when I cornered her to choose one of her book ideas and start on her writing journey. Last month, she launched her book – I’ll Never Walk Alone, by Dr. Frances Penafort – in New York, at the beginning of July, then in Malaysia, on 30th July, 2023. A simple meeting for one thing (writing my book’s Foreword) which led to a fabulous writing journey for my beloved friend. It was truly incredible!

Story 2: During the course of my dinner with a close friend, she had a 180 degree about turn for a tricky financial situation she was in. As she was telling me about the situation, I prayed for her silently. Suddenly, she decided to give generously to bless her friend in that situation. Both of us were so shocked, and we felt the power of the Holy Spirit working in this situation to bring about that change! That was the power of a silent heart-felt prayer for a friend.

Story 3: A mistaken wrong number on WhatsApp turned into a friendship that inspired me in many ways. To know that it’s not scammers and stalkers out there, but a kind soul who wanted to be a friend. Just a small gesture of kindness that is returned back many folds.

These, and many more incidences, led me to ask myself if I see my daily seemingly small actions have any impact at all. The answer is: YES. Small actions can and do lead to big impact. If we heed the nudges, take the action (however small), and allow ourselves to be vessels to bring about the impact in people’s lives.

Soar, not Strive

This morning, I listened to a devotional from YouVersion for the verse from Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV):

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

What I loved most about the message was this: to SOAR under the wings of the Holy Spirit, instead of striving with our own effort and failing miserably. God truly wants to bless us immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. The sad part is, we sometimes dare not even ask or imagine much in the first place, as our cynicism buries our dreams and hopes.

Whatever place you are in your life right now, seek God to lift you up and SOAR in the wide blue sky under the mighty wings of the Holy Spirit. Let God bless you more than you can ever ask or imagine.

Paused – to catch the word of the Year

Yes, I have PAUSED in my blog – again. I am not quitting, but putting it on “pause” for a few months. During these few months, the Word of the Year was revealed to me: CONSISTENCY. The irony is that – I have consistently been procrastinating, instead of taking action towards my goal of writing consistently. Perhaps, like the water in the kettle, it takes time for it to boil. I consoled myself as I pondered during this season of “pause”.
I believe the concept of Consistency is tied to forming a habit, e.g. forming the habit of writing consistently or the habit of exercising regularly. Doing things consistently is one of the keys to success. Part of that doing things consistently – is not quitting, and to show up, again and again, especially after we’re down and don’t feel like getting back up.
Last year, my Word of the Year was Integrity. It helped me focus on doing what I said I would do. The greatest thing I achieved last year was to publish my Blessed Journal on Nehemiah. This was one thing I had said I wanted to do for a few years, and it finally came to fruition when I published the journal in 52 days last November in 2022. All because I had focused on one word for that year – Integrity.
It is my fervent prayer – that I would achieve my Word of the Year – CONSISTENCY – in 2023, with the help of the Holy Spirit. That I would write to share my thoughts, insights and what I have learned – and to be faithful in what God had called me to do.

I would like to suggest that you decide on your Word of the Year too. Just one word to focus on for this year. Something that resonates with you, and to challenge you! If you are bold enough – share it out!!!

One Night Procrastination that led to 13 Days Delay

One Night Procrastination
One Night Procrastination

The day I wanted to apply for ISBN for my second journal book based on Esther, was the day that the Depositori (for ISBN application) website went down. I had tried to apply for it the night before, but I couldn’t download the pages for submission from Canva, thinking I can try again tomorrow. And as a result of one night’s procrastination, I was delayed for 13 days!

Waiting was frustrating as I checked the website and its Facebook page daily. After 10 days, I realize I need to stop waiting, and move on to my third journal, based on Ruth. I already have the momentum of two books, and need to continue to keep it up for my third book. I know after my first book launch last month, I was slacking. It took a lot more effort to get back my momentum. So now, I decided to move on to the next book while waiting.

Thank God I finally got the ISBN number today, not via the website which is still down, but by emailing them and filling up a Google form.

So now, whenever I am tempted to procrastinate, I think twice: what if this delay is not just for 1 day but much longer? I think that’s quite a motivation to get things done today!

Journal Author in 52 days!

Interview with Malar
Interview with Malar

I had an interview with my friend, Malar, on my journey as an author. It started when I decided to take up 3 coaching sessions with Ze Ann with the objective of starting my side hustle. I was determined to complete and launch my journal book on Nehemiah in 52 days, which was how many days Nehemiah took to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem. Hence my Blessed Journal was launched on 6th November 2022.

What really made a difference this time – as I had been wanting to do this for three years – was having my coach be my accountability partner. I was committed to take daily action towards my goal and update my coach on a daily basis, which created a momentum.

I am still wrapping my head around my new identity as a Journal Author. I am glad that God has paved the way for me to this new life adventure.

I pray that each one of us dig out our long lost dream and pursue it with determination. God gives us dream to pursue, and in our pursuit, we will feel alive and confident.

Dare to Dream.

Dream Big.

Be Bold and Audacious.

Pursue Your Dream Relentless.

As we come to the end of the year, let us seek our God-inspired dream to pursue for the coming new year. Best to share your dream out as soon as you can, so that you don’t get a chance to back away from it!

Please check out my Blessed Journal-

Online store https://blessedjournal2022.com

Facebook https://www.Facebook.com/blessedjournal2022

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blessedjournal2022

Stop Procrastinating Now!

Yes, the last post I had written was one year ago. I had procrastinated for one year to resume writing my blog post today. The thing is: the longer I delayed it, the harder it was to get back.

I needed to know my compelling reasons for my blog:
– To share what I have learnt – distilling the knowledge and putting it concisely in a few short paragraphs (due to my short attention span)
– To live intentionally – not just going through the daily grind of living

I found that procrastination was a Stressor. It stressed me out that I am procrastinating. Worse, I am not able not do what I want to do, but I end up doing what I don’t want to do –  scrolling through endless social media news and videos for hours. So, it’s a double whammy!

I also found out that procrastination is sometimes caused by perfectionism. I realized that I was attempting to find the perfect topic to make a comeback and the perfect time too! Looks like one year is a perfect time to return?!

So today, I am following Nike’s simple and powerful logo – JUST DO IT!

Habit as a secret of success

I have been reading up a lot on habits lately. I realize that our habits have such an impact on our lives. We don’t think about our habits much – there are just things we do automatically, without thinking about it consciously. We automatically brush our teeth every morning, or drive to work, or eat with our fork and spoon (or chopsticks or hands, whichever). What we don’t realize is that these habits are our building blocks developing our personality and character. Healthy habits make us healthy, conversely, unhealthy habits make us unhealthy. Habits can lead us to our success, or to our ruin. Hence, it is so important to have habits that help us achieve what we want in our lives.

A quote by Aristotle summarizes it well:
We are what we repeatedly do. 
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

We live for many years trying to achieve our goals with our willpower and self-discipline. However, our willpower and self-discipline do not last long. And not many people can sustained their willpower and self-discipline over long-term to achieve their big life goals. I realize that the secret lies in developing the habits needed to achieve our goals, and replacing the bad habits that prevent us from achieving our goals. When we have these habits, then we don’t have to struggle so much with willpower and self-discipline. With habits, we can start small and start with something achievable, until it becomes easier and automatic. Then we can incrementally increase it to make it harder. For example, changing our eating habits can start with cutting sugar, or eating more fruits or vegetables. Recently, I bought a nice portable blender to blend fruits and vegetables (kale and pineapple at the moment). Once I started this habit, I find that it is quite easy to do it automatically before my meal at home. So, find a habit you would like to develop, then figure out a way to make it convenient for you to start! Good luck!

Find your voice simply by activating it

It has been six months since I wrote my last post. I have been feeling quite restless, and lacking motivation. It is like looking at a closet full of clothes, and saying, ‘I have nothing to wear’..! I think a few ladies can relate to that! Haha!

So why have I resumed writing? I just completed Brendon Burchard’s book, The Millionaire Messenger. He shared a story of very shy girl in his class, who requested to make her speech after she missed a few important class, and was not expected to give that speech. We find our voice simply by activating our voices. That was the important message I got. Each one of us have a story to share, insights to enlighten others, struggles that others can relate to, and a heart longing to connect and reach out to others. Hence, I can find my voice simply by activating it – through my writing and sharing with others.

A few years back, I learnt from Live Your Legend about the 3Cs – Consume, Connect and Create. I consume by reading voraciously, and I plan to share a few books that I have read recently. In terms of connection, I have started to reach out and connect with people intentionally. Hence, this blog is my creation. Not just my creation – it is my creation to have an impact and to influence others. It is also a journey that I would like to share with my readers…!

Attitude of Gratitude

Attitude of Gratitude

Last month, I did a short talk to a small group of women on the Attitude of Gratitude. These are the three insights I shared:

  1. Being intentional in showing gratitude – show your gratitude with a token of appreciation if possible, or return a favour back – find the opportunity!
  2. Be specific with what you are thanking for, not just a general ‘Thanks!’ but be as specific as possible, e.g. thank you for taking care of my daughter when I was rushing with my work yesterday
  3. Being grateful gives me an opportunity to be a blessings to others – being grateful gives me the mindset of abundance and a willingness to share my resources and time.

Recently, a friend advised me that the best way to melt away my stress is to choose – gratitude! Write, write, write – write for what I am grateful for, write as much as possible! Then my mind has no time for stress, but it will be filled with joy, joy and more joy – through the gratitude and abundance in my life. What a wonderful advice to counter stress, and it works!

As I celebrate Malaysia’s 63rd National Day today, on 31st August 2020, I am truly grateful for the wonderful people and land of Malaysia, where I enjoy the most delicious Chinese, Malay, Indian, Asian, Western and fusion foods! We are a people of warm hospitality, generosity and compassion. And I shout with one voice with all Malaysians today, ‘Merdeka! Merdeka!‘. 

First Day of the Decade

The first day of a new decade! 1st January 2020. The letting go of the past year, and the beginning of a new year holds so much promises, especially when it is also the start of a new decade! How wonderful that we have new year to start, just like how we have a new slate to start with Jesus when we are forgiven and have a new life in Him.

Looking forward, I want to have an intentional life driven by my important values of faith and courage – to focus on what is important in my life, and do the meaningful and hard work required (not just the easy or expedient ones).

For those who are still drifting in life, it’s time to wake up and be truly alive and excited! May this new year and new decade be full of learning opportunities and exciting adventures!

Last Day of 2019

As I ponder the year that is coming to an end, on the last day of 2019, I am filled with gratitude for the many blessings I have received this year. God has truly been great and I have grown in confidence.

Starting this blog in July help me believe that ‘I can do it!’. And I treasure the friend who pushed me to start it, pushing aside my many excuses and setting a deadline for me!

What I learnt this year is that when things go wrong or when it doesn’t go as planned, I can trust God to redeem the situation and make something good out of it. As I have read somewhere, God will not waste our sorrows…

More importantly, I have learnt to know how God will put in place the things He wants me to do. He would plant the desire in my heart, present the situation and opportunity to me, bring in the people, remove the obstacles, and pave the way for His Will be done. This was most obvious when a friend sent me a message about Compass, brought in the people for this pilot Catholic group in Malaysia, set the time, provided the venue and brought in the facilitators! When God makes plan, He can part seas and move mountains! Alleluia!

May God continue to bless each one of us as we seek His Will in our lives. That He will bless us abundantly for the coming New Year and many more New Years to come!

Setting Goals to Spend Time Wisely

Setting Goals to Spend Time Wisely

It’s good to have a few good friends to remind me to set my goals for next year. So I reminded a few of my other friends too. One of them asked how I have the time to reach my 9 Power Goals? So I explained that it is due to my limited time that I need to focus on what is important, where I am heading and what I want to achieve. That way, I can spend my precious time wisely, to achieve the goals that I have set, in the important areas of my life.

For me, the basic 7 Power Goals are in the areas of: Business (Career), Finances, Family, Health, Spiritual, Growth (Personal Development) and Creation (create something – art, craft, write a blog or book, podcast, etc). You can have other areas like hobbies, relationship, whichever that is important to you.

The other two Power Goals that I have is ‘MicMarie’, which is my side business in photography and album designing; and lastly, ‘Soul’ for lack of a better word, where I feed my soul by writing this blog.

So, let me persuade you to think of the important areas of your life, and set goals to achieve for the year. This will also help you make better decisions in light of your goals and what you want to achieve. Time is so precious – spend your time wisely.

Now, Turn North!

In my last post, I talked about Seasons of Life. However, there are times when our seasons have overstayed – when we refuse to move on due to being too long in our “comfort zone” or other reasons. Then it is time to discern our season.

You have circled this mountain long enough! Now, turn north! Deuteronomy 2:3

As we come to the end of the year, it’s good to reflect and think of wrapping up some loose ends in our lives – especially things or situations that we have been stuck in a season for too long – to know what are the things we need to cut loose, things that are dragging us down, or detrimental to us. Seek God’s wisdom when He tells you that you have circled in a situation long enough, and commands you to “turn north”! It could be business or job situation, a long-lost family member, so-called complicated relationship, deteriorating health, dry spiritual season that is gnawing at you, mid-life crisis that is causing havoc, etc.

Discern what is your “north” as you advance into the new year, at least move into the direction of your solution or resolution. God had made plans for the Israelite to move into The Promised Land when He asked them to turn north. Seek God’s plan for His promises to you for the new year.

Seasons of Life

Four seasons of life – planting, nurturing, pruning and harvesting

It’s important to recognize the different seasons of our lives so that we know how to live according to the seasons, and not be impatient or give up too soon.

During the Planting Season, we start a new season or projects from the seeds of ideas, with the right people and tools, in the environment of fertile soil.

Once the season has started, we have to water the plants in the Nurturing Season, with our attention, love and care. We also need to build our skills and our team.

The Pruning Season is the season of facing the challenges and hardships, and persevering through them. We need to cut the excesses and excuses, and focus on what’s important for our survival and growth. This will take as long as it takes for us to learn the Lessons of Life for this season, so it’s best to ask: What is the lesson(s) here?

When we recognize this painful season, we will not give up easily, as the perseverance will bring us to the next Season of Harvesting. Many people do not know how close they are in achieving their success have they recognized that they have to persevere through the pruning season to harvest the success of their effort.

In my life, I’ve found that recognizing these different seasons in my life help me to persevere through the seasons, and to learn and grow in compassion and greater resilience.