Tag: #courage

The Courage to Pause: Find Strength in Stillness

Courage is usually associated with doing big bold things. Today, I want to talk about the Courage to PAUSE – to stop where we are or what we are doing – and to reflect.

Why is it good to sometimes pause?

  1. Pause to Reflect on God’s Purpose
    In our bid to pursue our dream, we sometimes lose our way. It is always good to pause along the way, to realign with God’s purpose and to review our progress to see if we are still on the right path. It is easy to detour or get distracted or get sidetracked from God’s purpose. Hitting pause gives us a chance to review and realign our plans with God’s purpose. It is in the stillness that you can hear the soft whisper of God’s voice.
    “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
  2. The Strength to Wait in Faith
    Sometimes we become impatient with our progress and feel we can’t afford to wait, especially when we are waiting on God’s timing. Waiting on God is His way of strengthening our faith – as we trust Him in the waiting. Rest assured, He is working behind the scene to prepare us. Just like brewing soup takes time to extract its flavours, growing in maturity takes time and patience.
    “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)
  3. Rest as a Source of Courage
    God sometimes call us to rest, but we are reluctant to do so. We feel guilty when we rest, so we continue to push ourselves. However, rest is necessary to restore our strength and creativity. Rest gives us a way to step back so that we can see that we are moving in the right direction. Rest gives us a moment to review our journey and see the progress we have made. Rest gives us the courage to reflect and make bold decisions intentionally.
    “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

This is my invitation to you today: have the courage to pause and find the strength in your stillness.

Starting a New Chapter with Courage

What are your dreams and hopes for 2025?

What new chapters are you starting in 2025?

What do you want to achieve by December 2025?

Starting a new chapter in life requires courage – courage to dream boldly, courage to defy limiting beliefs, and courage to act consistently, especially when the going gets tough.

Start a new chapter is liken to painting your first stroke on a blank canvas:

  1. Where to put the first few strokes? Always start with small steps – steps that you can start on today. Seek God’s wisdom to lead and guide you, as He will always establish your plans.

    Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”

  2. What if I make a mistake? It’s okay to make mistake. In fact, the faster we make mistakes, the faster we learn and improve. Change your mindset of making mistakes to learning from mistakes and seeking continuous improvement. Learn to embrace imperfection and go with “good enough” to keep the momentum, instead of being stuck with perfect.

    Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

  3. What if it doesn’t turn out alright? It is most likely going to turn out quite different from when you start out, but that’s part of the adventure. You trust in the process, and sometimes the winding path will lead you somewhere unexpected. Nevertheless, know that God is able to do more than what you can ever imagine. When He puts a divine dream in your heart, He will certainly bless your journey.

    Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

This is my invitation to you today: take courage to pursue your divine dreams and trust in God to establish your ways, knowing that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ever imagine.

How 2024 Shaped My Framework: Clarity, Courage and Consistency

As you look back on this year, what moments stood out the most—those that challenged you, grew you, or filled your heart with gratitude?

At the beginning of the year, I made a decision to post my blog every week. I wasn’t that confident I would make it through the year. Now, on week 52, I am proud to say that I have posted my blog every Monday (maybe a little past midnight on a few rare occasions) this whole year.

I am most grateful for this “win” in my life, as I can proudly pat myself on my back for keeping my word to post every Monday. It has challenged me, I have grown through my writing, and I am most grateful for the feedback I get from my friends for my posts.

In the process, it has shaped my 3C Framework:

  1. Clarity – knowing what I want and why
    I want to post my blog every Monday, as I want to share my insights and inspire others to pursue their dreams
  2. Courage – taking courage to do what I want
    I had announced I would post every week in my blog, even though I was very hesitant at first. Taking that first step was a leap of faith – faith that God would see me through and reveal to me what He wants me to write every week. There were weeks when I felt it was not “perfect” – I have to overcome my doubts and the fear of whether it is “good enough” to post. Just Do It!
  3. Consistency – show up and do the work
    It has become a habit to post every Monday. So I am always on the lookout for things to share, e.g. books or videos. There are times when something cropped up on a Monday, but I would make a decision to post, not wanting to miss a single Monday. Once I have made that decision, I will find ways to make it happen. Show up, whether you feel like it.

This is my invitation to you today: to get crystal clear on what you truly want, summon the courage to pursue it boldly, and stay consistent in your efforts to make it a reality.

Harness Kindness as a Super Power

Kindness has become a rarity in our culture, no longer occurring as naturally or commonly as it once did. It is more common that we are too busy to even notice – a person who had stumbled, or rushing to a closing lift door, or a pregnant woman standing in the bus, or a mother juggling grocery bags and screaming kids – much less do something about it.

We live in a detached world where everyone is distracted. We have no idea what another person is going through. Sadly, we don’t even know what those closest to us are going through – their private battles and silent tears. Yet, we are quick to judge and condemn – particularly among keyboard warriors and netizens who arrogantly voice their opinions, behind the shield of digital media and/or anonymity, and without the filter of normal social decorum!

We need to bring back kindness as part of our way of life. Kindness can bring great hope and joy, which has a rippling effect of kindness spreading far and wide with lasting imprint to our hearts and souls.

A kind word spoken at the right time can transform a person’s life.

A kind remark can inspire others.

A kind act can heal wounds.

A kind gesture can offer strength and comfort.

A kind question can show curiosity and seek to understanding.

A kind smile can bring joy and laughter.

A kind giving can help someone in their critical finances.

A kind thoughtfulness can bring warmth to a friend in need.

A kind heart can love profoundly.

A kind consideration can uplift spirits.

A kind hand can reach out to the lonely and desperate.

In all the kindness to others, let us always remember:

to be kind to ourselves.

The reason kindness is a super power is that it takes courage to be kind – when we speak lovingly, or write thoughtfully, or give generously, or smile, or reach out, or forgive, or being considerate, or sometimes, when we go out of our way to do something for another person. And this courage gives us the power to do something good and bring out the goodness in others.

Let us harness kindness as a super power – to bring hope, compassion, generosity, inspiration and understanding into the world.

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!