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.

Memorizing Bible Verses

As a Catholic, memorizing Bible verses is not a natural habit. In a recent course where I had to memorize a Bible verse/passage every week, I have learnt to appreciate how this habit benefitted me.

Firstly, it helped me to know God’s word intimately. Secondly, it helped me to pray better, using Bible verses. Thirdly, it calms me down when I worry or feel overwhelmed. Fourthly, I am able to share these Bible verses to encourage or comfort those in need of God’s love. Lastly, it draws me closer to God.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8

So what I have done now, is that I started collecting my favourite Bible verses by searching them online for some nice images with the Bible verses, copy and paste them into my Microsoft OneNote page. I find it nicer and easier to memorize them visually.

This month, as I pray anxiously for my family’s health matters (surgeries), I found that memorizing the Bible verses has helped me focus on God instead of worrying. Every time I find myself worrying too much, I turn to my list of favourite Bible verses and start memorizing them. Truly, there is power in the Living Word of God. Amen!

Faithful Stewards

Recently I joined the pilot group in Malaysia for the Compass course, Navigating Your Finances God’s Way. The first lesson was impactful – all that we have and own belongs to God, and He is in control of everything. We are God’s faithful stewards to the money and possessions that He has given us.

When we realize that we are accountable for this stewardship, then we must understand what is our responsibilities as stewards, namely, to be faithful with what we are given, and to be faithful in every area (not just the supposedly 10% tithing only). The most important lessons I have learnt from the course are: to trust God with the money and possessions He has entrusted to me, to give joyfully, to be absolutely honest, to seek Godly counsel when the situation requires, to avoid debt and being a guarantor, to save for emergency, to invest wisely and to work unto the Lord.

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men… It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. – Colossians 3:23-24

When I share with my group that I am ‘changing my Boss‘, I am not sure if they understood that I am changing my earthly boss to a Heavenly Boss, and not that I am changing job! Haha!!!

A Different Take on Yes/No

I recently read an interesting article by James Clear called ‘The Ultimate Productivity Hack is Saying No‘. He has a different take on saying yes or no, which was most interesting! He looked at it from the opposite end – meaning that saying ‘no’ is to just to one option, whereas saying ‘yes’ is actually saying ‘no’ to all other options! Furthermore, saying ‘Yes’ is a responsibility – a commitment you promise to the person you say Yes to.

When you say no, you are only saying no to one option. When you say yes, you are saying no to every other option.

No is a decision. Yes is a responsibility.

He went on to say the importance of saying No as a productivity hack, as it safeguard against our most precious commodity called ‘time’. You will realize that saying ‘no’ allows you to say ‘yes’ to those things that are important to you, or has more value to you. That, I think is a big motivation to master this important skill of saying ‘no’ or ‘yes’.

I Am Enough

I love the quote from Maya Angelou that says I am enough. I know I am enough because I am a child of God. He has made me in His image. Enough said!

With the constant bombardment of marketing advertisements and social media highlights, it is no wonder if we can stay afloat with our feeling of adequacy. That’s why it’s important to ground our identity in who we believe we are and live congruently with the values important to us.

I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I am who I am in this space and in this time. The only thing I need to do is to serve my purpose in my unique way and do things that matters, while helping others do the same too! Knowing that, indeed, I Am Enough!

Side Mirror

Recently, I lost my car’s side mirror at the passenger side. I felt so handicapped without it, as I felt so unsure when changing lane or parking or reversing as I can’t see my blind spot! It made me think of living life with blind spot and wondering what is my blind spot.

I figure that one of the blind spot I have is my limiting beliefs. Past bad experiences has shaped what I believe I can, and cannot do. Fear of Failure has kept me away trying new things. Fear of Winning has kept me within my comfort zone, as winning might mean more responsibility and new challenges.

My analogy of having a side mirror in life is to have friends, in particular, Accountability Partners, who can see your blind spots and hold you accountable for your actions. If you set any goals, be it health, business or any goals, your accountability partners can help you see through your excuses and justifications, guide you in your journey, get you back on track when you have sidetracked, and make you accountable. They should “mirror” who you are and show you your blind spots as you drive along your journey towards your goals. It certainly has a significant impact on my life having accountability partners!

Prayer that changes me

Yesterday, I was struck by a quote from the movie ‘Shadowland’, a very old movie about the famous C.S. Lewis. He said that prayer doesn’t change God, that prayer changes me.

I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I am helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me. – C.S. Lewis

I thought about how I need to be praying persistently, and more importantly, I have to pray persistently – until it changes me. Often, we pray to change our situation, our job, or our (addictive) habits, our children, even our spouse! So, my prayer should be to change me – to change my perspective or my mindset – to develop my character or to strengthen me.

Many times, we are unable to control our situation, but we can control how we react to the situation. We can control our perspective of the situation, and hence, we can change from a negative to a positive perspective. That each situation is a lesson in the making, and that we can learn from our failures and mistakes, and hence grow stronger from the experience. Our prayer should help us to see God’s will for us and how He wants to change us and develop our character. That, I believe, is one of the important aspect of Prayer.

PichaEats Malaysia

With the help of PichaEats, we met some Myanmar refugees who shared their stories. I was amazed with one of PichaEats founder’s story of how the three of them decided to help refugees in Malaysia, while still studying in university! They found a unique way to help refugees – turning their culinary skills into a quality and delicious food business.

Through PichaEats, refugee families who are forced to flee to Malaysia can get a chance to rebuild their lives, regain their dignity, and provide for their family.

As I reflect on the PichaEats team and the refugees’ sharings, I am reminded again of how blessed I am to have my home, my family, my job and my friends, and many things that I take for granted! It also reminded me to stop complaining about what I lack, but to appreciate what I already have, which is more than enough!

PichaEats team is a young dynamic entrepreneurial team. I salute them for their courage and tenacity to start and maintain this business of helping refugees in Malaysia, and inspiring more people to help others. Read their story, support them by ordering their food if possible, and be inspired to do something to help others too.

L.E.A.D.E.R

Acronym for Leader

Recently, I attended a Talk by Cash Flow Story founder, Alan Miltz, in Kuala Lumpur. He gave the acronym for leader that I found most useful and insightful:

L – Listen

E – Empathy

A – Attitude

D – Decisions

E – Energize

R – Resilience

These are the admirable qualities of a leader! What a apt acronym for them! Furthermore, he highlighted that the letters for the word ‘listen’, are the same letters for the word ‘silent’, signifying that we must learn to be silent when listening! So true!

Do you have these qualities as a leader?

Start With Why

Why I started BlessedAbundance

Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why, started a movement and shook people and corporations at its core. In his TED Talk in September 2009, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, he talked about the Golden Circle – What, How, Why. Most people start from the outer circle of what they are doing, then how they are doing things – but very few people know, or stay true, to the Why they are doing the things they are doing!

The Golden Circle provides compelling evidence of how much more we can achieve if we remind ourselves to start everything we do by first asking why.

Simon Sinek

So it begs the question of why I have started BlessedAbundance? I had this idea a personal blog a few years ago but gave lots of excuses for not starting it. It took me a long time to overcome my limiting belief that I am not good enough and/or I don’t know enough to share. I believe each of us have a unique story to tell, and more importantly, each of us can inspire and be inspired. Just as I am constantly inspired by books and articles that I read, I can also inspire others to overcome their limiting beliefs and fear of failure, and do what they have always wanted to do! Even if I just inspire one person, I believe that is a very good start!

Congruency

I first heard of the word ‘congruent’ in the Live Your Legend course, ‘21 Days to Discover Your Passion’. Congruency means the ability to act in direct accordance to your dreams, values and strengths. It got me thinking about the values that are important to me, and evaluate my life in relation to them. For example, health is an important value to me, however, am I eating healthy, exercising regularly and having enough sleep every night? Truthfully, no.

So I started writing down the top 5-10 values that are important to me, then ranking them, which was challenging. I realize that having these values written down will help me make better decisions based on what is important to me. I believe that it will give me greater clarity and help me live my life’s purpose.

Now or never!

Is it human nature to always procrastinate? Giving reasons when there are actually excuses and justifications? Is it human tendency to seek the easy and least resistant path? I do so admire those people who stop procrastinating and really get things done!

If you don’t do something now, now just becomes later, and later just becomes never…

Chelsea Dinsmore

I felt like being slapped in the face the first read the above quote, coz it was so true for me! How many ‘later’ have not materialized in my life? Chelsea’s quote made me realize that if it is important to me, and I don’t do it now, it will end up never done. In fact, this quote inspired me to get this blog started, as I didn’t want it to be a ‘never’!

For any of you still ‘pondering‘ on your passion or interest, the time to start is now. It’s so okay to start and fail, and learn from your lesson, rather than not trying at all due to fear of failure. Through my failures, I have learnt so many valuable lessons, and looking back, it was more like adventures to me! So, start now! And share your stories with me, yeah?

To Cherish…

How often we hear the words in the wedding vows, ‘To love and to cherish‘, yet we tend to think mainly of love. In Gary Thomas’ book, ‘Cherish: The One Word that Changes Everything for Your Marriage’, he summarised the meaning of Cherish as ‘to go out of our way to notice someone, appreciate someone, honour someone, and hold someone dear‘.

One of the ways to cherish our loved ones is to be grateful for who they are – with their imperfections – knowing that we are imperfect as well. To thank them in specific ways for the big and little things they do for you, to encourage them when they need support, to inspire them to be better persons, and to help them achieve their dreams. Be intentional in cherishing them – so that they will definitely feel the warmth of your cherishing heart.

Are we stealing our own joy?

I first heard of the term ‘foreboding joy’ in Brene Brown’s book, Daring Greatly. I’ve had that feeling before – when things are going well but I feel it won’t last long, or I will run out of my good fortune soon – but didn’t know there’s an actual term for it…!

It makes me wonder: why do we steal our own joy and deprive ourselves of those joyful moment or season of life? Least we get disappointed? Or we feel unworthy of such joy and/or good fortune?

Scarcity and fear drive foreboding joy. We’re afraid our feelings of joy won’t last, or that it won’t be enough… If the opposite of scarcity is enough, then practicing gratitude is how we acknowledge that there’s enough and that we are enough.

Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown

Next time you have that feeling of foreboding joy, don’t let it steal your joy – instead, be present and be grateful for your moments of joy, knowing that we are enough!

Do It Afraid

I started this year with Sheila Walsh’s book, “It’s Okay Not to be Okay: Moving Forward One Day at a Time”. To know that God’s grace is sufficient for me, and that He will redeem every drop of my suffering.

What struck me most was her advice: Do It Afraid. To be Present. To Show Up. To bring all my anxieties and what-ifs to God. To let God take control.

Do you have a wish or dream you’ve always wanted to start, yet for various reasons (excuses), have yet to do so? Now will be the perfect time to do it! Just do it Afraid!