Tag: #IntentionalLiving

Restoring Faith and Identity after Shame and Loss

It was October 2023 when I finally admitted that I was scammed. I couldn’t believe it – how foolish could I be?!! I lost a huge 6-figure sum, but more than that, I lost all my confidence, trust and identity. For months, I cried tears of shame and guilt.

WEEK 8 Theme: Restoring Faith and Identity after Shame and Loss

The experience of being scammed brought deep meaning to the words, “God’s redemption and restoration” – as I lived through it in a real and painful way. I was brought to a lonely desert place, where God redeemed me with His grace and restored me with His love. When all I could feel was shame and I wanted to run far away from God, He pursued me relentlessly with His fierce love and held me tightly in His loving grace.

He brought friends who prayed and supported me, books that enlightened me, and songs that helped me weep. He restored my shaken faith and broken identity. He restored me by renewing who I am.

Weekly Intention

Each of us has past experiences of shame and guilt – but they do not define us:

  1. Identity one past experience that has haunted you for a long time. Find a safe time and space to sit with it and experience the emotions, however painful or uncomfortable they are.
  2. Place your pain and suffering at the foot of the cross – releasing them to our Great Healer, Jesus.
  3. Simply ask Jesus: Please heal me, redeem me and restore me.
  4. Thank God for His great love, mercy and compassion.

Our negative past experiences will continue to hold us captive if we do not release them to God – trapping us with their lies about who we are – lies that we are not enough, or we can’t be trusted, or we have nothing to offer.

I rebuilt my confidence through God’s faithfulness. The money may or may not return in the same form, but something deeper already has – my identity as a daughter of God. This post today is my testimony of God’s redemption and restoration. And also to close this chapter of my life, so that I can move on to new chapters.

Question: What lie did shame plant in me – and what trust is God restoring in my life?

Restored to Your True Identity

I was reading the passage of the Prodigal Son today – how the father welcomed back his youngest son who squandered his inheritance after demanding it from his father. Usually, I would relate to the elder son who felt indignant that his father celebrated and welcomed back his prodigal son. Today, I had an epiphany – like the younger son, I too had squandered the many blessings God had given me.

WEEK 7 Theme: Restored to Your True Identity

The younger son had sought freedom, pleasure and fulfilment outside of his father’s house – and ended up losing all his money and starving in a pigsty in a foreign land. In shame, he wanted to return back to his father’s house as a servant. But his father ran towards him from afar, welcomed him back and restored him as his heir. The father celebrated his son’s return by getting his servant to fetch him his robe, ring, and sandals. And on top of that, he slaughtered the fatted calf to have a feast for him.

What a wonderful imagery of restoration – being reinstated and celebrated as a beloved child.

Weekly Intention

In our lives, we neglect the many blessings that Our Father has given us. We squander our time, opportunities, and calling. We run away to find pleasure. We distract ourselves with social media scrolling or food/wine or other self-indulgences. We strive for performance and perfection. All in futility…

This week, we will set our intention to live as a Child of God, and not as servant. Hence, we will need to change our mindsets:

  1. Stop performing for Approval – I don’t need to do/achieve more to please God, but to know that I am already deeply loved. I serve from love, not for love.
  2. Replace fear with Security – replace punishment and shame with security in God’s love. God is always waiting for us, even when we have squandered His treasures.
  3. Make decisions from Identity, not insecurity – stop chasing validation and needing to prove our worthiness, but be secure in our identity as a Child of God and in His love and grace.

Question: Where have I been living like a servant instead of a Child of God?

Allowing God to Restore Our Souls

Restoration is God’s work of making us whole after we have been slowly drained, neglected or wounded – often without us even noticing.

WEEK 5 Theme: Allowing God to Restore Our Souls

This week is about permission – permission to slow down, to stop pretending we’re fine, and to let God heal our soul. For God is our creator – He understands us like no one else. He knows our secret thoughts , our deepest longing, and our hidden desires. He is aware of our years of carrying, coping, striving, and staying strong. And He grasps that we are tired, exhausted, and muted – for He realizes that many of us have been surviving on an empty tank or low fuel.

He restores my soul – Psalm 23:3

Weekly Intention

This week, let us do a contemplative practice of allowing God to restore our soul (5 minutes):

  1. Settle Down (1 minute) – sit comfortably, take a slow breath in and an even slower breath out. Let us create a space to enter God’s presence.
  2. Become Aware (1 minute) – gentle ask yourself, “What feels most tired in me right now?”. It could be your body, your emotions, your mind, or your spirit. Whatever comes up – just notice it. No judgement.
  3. Turn Toward God (2 minutes) – simple pray this simple sentence: “Lord, I allow You to restore my soul”. Just sit with the words, and gently return to this sentence if your mind wanders.
  4. Rest (1 minute) – stop the words, sit quietly and breathe. Let God do what only He can do – restore what you cannot fix by trying harder.

Weekly Reflection Question:

Let God heal and restore your weary soul – to bring joy that has gone quiet, to give hope that has been postponed, and to revive dreams that have been buried. God restores us by aligning our soul with His still water, where clarity returns.

Question: Where do I need to allow God to restore me, instead of trying harder?

Listening To Your Younger Self

Today, my friend talked about seeking the wisdom of your younger self, starting from 5 years old, up to your current age, in increment of 5 years. I thought he was referring to imagining what my younger self would say, but he wasn’t referring to that. It is to listen to your younger self “speak” to you.

WEEK 3 Theme: Listening to Your Younger Self

Reawakening isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about remember who you were – before fear learned to speak louder than your faith, or setbacks kept you from moving forward, or tragedies broke your heart.

It is not about fixing your past. It’s about letting the past speak life into your present.

Weekly Intention:

Sit down in a quiet place and allocate a time where you won’t be disturbed or distracted. Ask yourself this question:

Imagine I am 5 years old, and knowing what I know now, what would my younger self share with me? (Do this for the next 5 years – 10 years old, 15 years old, 20 years old, etc)

After this reflection, very importantly, you must say this to yourself:

Thank you for serving me. I can now take it from here.

Do not judge or beat yourself up. Do not allow shame or guilt to overwhelm you. Do not scold your younger self.

Be compassionate. Be kind. Be forgiving.

Honour yourself and be proud of how far you’ve come. Appreciate and thank yourself for the person you are today. Do not be ashamed of your battle scars, because those scars are evidence of the battles you have fought and won. Do not be ashamed of your brokenness, because they show how God has saved you and made you whole again.

God can use the wisdom of your younger self to transform you – to remind you of His grace, mercy and compassion. Whether you see it or not, God has redeemed, restored and protected you in miraculous ways.

Remember: you are God’s masterpiece.

Weekly Reflection Question:

If you feel stuck or restless, then listening to the wisdom of your younger self might bring invaluable insights. Seek the truth from your younger selves – to claim their wisdom and to transform your life today.

Question: What truth from my younger self am I ready to claim?

Presence is Where God Meets Us

WEEK 2 Theme – Choosing to be Present on a Consistent Basis

We live a noisy and distracted world, so choosing to be present on a consistent basis is a rare skill. We tend to enjoy the badge of honour that comes with being busy or productive. We allow ourselves to drown in doom scrolling as a so-called reward for working hard. We fool ourselves with excuses or justifications – just this once, this can wait, you’re doing enough already… Slowly, our presence erodes, sometimes without us noticing.

Reawaken is not a moment of insight – it’s a daily choice to return. To return to God – to return to ourselves – to return to what actually matters. Being present is an act of resistance in a world addicted to urgency.

Presence is where God meets us – not in the past we regret, or the future we worry about. Stop reminiscing the past, or worrying about the future, but be fully present.

Weekly Intention (Choose One):

Let us start this adventure by choosing presence:

  • Set a daily alarm called, “Choose Presence” – to do one thing fully present, for example, deep breathing, look at the sky, sip your water slowly or eat your food mindfully – do it intentionally, without multitasking, and invite God into the moment
  • Daily Devotional – download a devotional app (YouVersion/Bible, or Ascension) to guide you to read God’s Word and be in His presence
  • Be Still – sit quietly at a place where you will not be disturbed, set a timer for a few minutes and be present in the moment – see yourself with the loving eyes of God – but be kind if you find yourself easily distracted or feeling restless

Weekly Reflection Question:

In the midst of our busyness, let us be intentional about setting time apart to be present – to meet God. He is always knocking at the door of our heart, waiting for us to invite Him in. Even when we turn our backs to Him, He will not stop pursuing us. And especially when we are too busy for Him, He will remind us to seek Him wholeheartedly and to rest in Him.

Question: How can I be more present with God – and with myself?

Awakening deepens through repetition, not intensity.

Wake Up from Distraction and Be Present

Last week, I revamped the CREATE framework from my Intentional Living series. This week, I simplified this framework to just 3 steps – REAWAKEN – RESTORE – RESPOND. I realize that transformation does not happen by doing more, but by paying attention (REAWAKEN), healing deeply (RESTORE), and obeying faithfully (RESPOND).

A new year of 2026 has begun, but many of us are still asleep in our spiritual slumber. The noise and distractions from the world has a way of numbing our spiritual awareness, keeping us in an autopilot of busyness and daily grind.

WEEK 1 Theme – Waking Up From Distraction and Be Present

But before we start the journey, let us reflect back:

  • What were the three biggest distractions last year, that is pulling you away from God’s presence?
  • What are the three things from last year that you are ready to release this year?

Intention Living beings with your ATTENTION.

Weekly Intention (Choose One):

Let us start this adventure by paying attention:

  • Be present and put your phone away when you are with your family and friends, especially during meal times and festive seasons
  • Be bored and look around you – cut down the non-stop social media scrolling and train yourself to be bored – then maybe, just maybe, you will be aware at the strange and beautiful world and people around you
  • Be imaginative – dare to dream again and actively pursue whatever you can imagine, or ask silly questions like a small child and come up with crazy answers for yourself (let’s see how imaginative you can be!)

Weekly Reflection Question:

As we start a new year, let us forgo the New Year’s Resolutions, and lists of annual goals for the year, but take a deep dive on the transformation you want for yourself this year.

As yourself the question: who do you want to become this year? Visualise a “transformed you” at the end of the year – with great clarity, excited emotion and in full detail.

Question: “What is God inviting me to do—and who is He inviting me to become?”

From Scrolling to Thriving: Break Free and Build a Life Worth Living

Just 5 more minutes!? Last one! I promise I will stop right after this!

If you know what I am referring to – then you can relate to the feeble excuses we give when we try to stop scrolling social media!

It’s a fact that social media has been designed for continuous streaming of content, enticing people with constant dopamine hits, with an algorithm tailored to our interests to keep us hooked. It is so easy to reach out to our phone out of boredom or for de-stressing, and our fear of missing out (FOMO) makes us want to scroll even more. When we watch a movie or read a book, there is an end to it, but with social media, it is practically endless!

My biggest problem is that I end up sleeping way past midnight as I slip into the rabbit hole of social media scrolling. My other problem is that I feel out of control of my time trapped in endless scrolling – from minutes to hours!

I stumbled upon this great insight from The Dr. John Delony Show on How Do I Stop Scrolling Social Media All Day: Build a Life Worth Living. Simple, right?!

All of us have a one-and-only precious life on earth. Do not let the non-stop social media scrolling and the endless noise of the world drown out our purpose and higher calling. Do not let the doom scrolling numb our sense of peace and justice.

What do we need to do?
Pursue our passion and live out our dreams.
Live an Intentional Life of impact and contribution to the world.
Stop wasting our precious time.

Imagine a transformed life if you just spend half of your scrolling time to pursue your boldest dream. You can still scroll through social media, but with intention. Set time limits and remove distracting notifications. Check social media for ideas to build your dream life, instead of mindlessly scrolling.

This is my invitation to you today: discern your calling and purpose, pursue your hopes and dreams, and live intentionally – so that you build a life that is worth living, not just scrolling through other people’s amazing life!

Free Bagel vs Long Queue

Free Bagel

Simon Sinek told this interesting story: after a run, he wanted the free bagel but his friend didn’t want to wait at the long queue. He realised that some people see the thing that they want, and some people see that thing that prevents them from getting the thing that they want. Simon Sinek could see the free bagel but his friend could only see the long queue for the free bagel. It was so funny the way Simon Sinek repeatedly said, ‘Free Bagel?!’

How often we want something but we are usually prevented from getting it because we can only see the trouble or hassle in getting what we want. Even a simple thing like going out for a nice dinner, when we think of the traffic and parking, we may just opt to order GrabFood!

Let us focus on the thing we want, instead of the obstacles in its way. Think ‘Free Bagel!’. Once we focus on that, then we can find ways to get what we want – which was what Simon Sinek did, even without queueing up! As Simon Sinek mentioned, Life has a funny way of looking after you! 

Direction Determines Destination

Intentional Living – Direction Determines Destination

In Andy Stanley’s podcast, The Beginner’s Guide to Predicting Your Future, he says that you have the ability to predict your future by paying attention to where you’re headed. It is your Direction, not Intention, that determines your Destination. Therefore, as we elevate to the next level in our lives, we need to make sure we are heading in the direction that we want to go.

We always have the intention to do many good things, like losing weight or changing to a better job,  but many times we find ourselves doing things in the opposite direction. We need to realize that the direction of our actions will ultimately determine where we end up, irregardless of our best intentions. That’s why Andy Stanley says that we can predict our future by paying attention to where we are headed.

Are our choices, decisions and actions leading us to where we want to go? If not, then it is time to change our direction to where we truly want to go.

Growth vs Goals

Growth vs Goals

I always love to set goals and strive to achieve them. Recently, I read something profound by John Maxwell that has given me a new perspective: instead of setting goals to achieve where I wanted to be, I should set the course for who I wanted to become. I realize that I should strive intentionally for my personal growth and not just setting goals year after year. And the growth is intended to be a better person of who I can become, i.e. the best version of me. To elevate to the next level of who I wanted to become.

My life began changing when I stopped setting goals for where I wanted to be and started setting the course for who I wanted to become. I have discovered that the key to personal development is being more growth oriented than goal oriented – John Maxwell.

This made so much sense when I revised my Vision Board, as it now shows me the vision of who I want to become.  It is not just a task-oriented, goal-setting exercise anymore, it is a vision of the best version of myself that I want to elevate to! 

For example, one of my vision of myself is being Debt-Free. I am using this example as I am currently facilitating for the Compass Course ‘Navigating Your Finances God’s Way’. Therefore, it is not just the task of clearing my debts, but to gain the financial freedom of being debt-free – the who I want to become. And in becoming debt-free, I am free to serve God wholeheartedly.

Test Your Limits

Intentional Living – Test Your Limits

Naturally, we live within the boundaries of our limits. However, there comes a time or an opportunity, that drags us out of our comfort zone and our perceived limits, to lead us into the wild unknown.

The only way to test your limits is to push beyond your limits – that’s how you will find out your limits! During this Covid situation, we are all pushed out of our comfort zone into a new norm of lockdowns, social distancing and strict hygiene. We have to accept our new norms and move forward. We have to stretch our limits in terms of how our business and cash flow have been affected, how we work and travel, even how we eat!

For those in traditional brick-and-mortar business or in the service industry, it is a great challenge to diversify and/or move online to digital eCommerce if possible. It is an opportunity to test our agility and adaptability, and to come out stronger than before.

To dream anything that you want to dream. That is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do.That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed. – Bernard Edmonds.

Start Small

Intentional Living – Start Small

For any venture or project, it is important to start small. Why? Because it is more achievable than attempting a huge project! And the important part is START! Follow Nike’s famous slogan – Just Do It!

Also, it allows you to have mini-experiments to test what works and what doesn’t, and tweak it along the way, making it better through feedback and evaluation. When I first started my blog, what I shared were quite random thoughts, or books that I have read. This year, I started this “Intentional Living” series, which is what I am focusing on for the first half of the year. Then I will figure out what I want to do next for the second half of 2020!

As we encounter this global pandemic of Covid-19 in the world, it is even more important to plan and act fast, to be agile and be adaptable in the new norm. Explore new ventures and possibilities, start something to test it out, get feedback and keep on improving it. If it doesn’t quite work out, then modify it, or explore the next idea. Be positive and make it adventurous and exciting!

Dream Big. Start Small. But most of all, Start – Simon Sinek.

Setting Power Goals

Intentional Living – Setting Power Goals

All talk is worthless without any Action Plan. The best place to start is setting your Power Goals. Determine 8-10 areas of your life that you want to set powerful goals in your life, e.g. health, finances, business, family, relationships, spiritual, personal development, recreational and lifestyle. For each Power Goals, know your WHY or reason, what are the benefits you will gain, the choices you have to make, and how are you going to execute your plan. For example:

    • Power Goal – I have a healthy weight by shedding 5KG
    • Why: I want to lose weight and belly fat
    • Benefit: To have strong heart and fit body, and able to wear nice clothes
    • Choices: do intermittent fasting and daily exercise, have at least 7 hours sleep and healthy eating habits
    • Execution: to eat 2 meals a day, start the day with morning exercise, sleep before midnight, eat nutritious and variety of foods, cook at home

Doing it this way, you are recognizing your reason and benefit of doing it, and making the decisions to take action to achieve your goals.

With definite goals, you release your own power, and things start happening – Zig Ziglar.

Vision Board

Intentional Living – Vision Board

Using Vision Board is an effective way to achieve your power goals. In this video, Jack Canfield explain how to use this powerful visualization tool to tap into your mind and make it work for you. 

You can make one for the whole year, and another one every month to keep you on track, which is what I do. For my monthly Vision Board, I put down what I want to achieve for that month, based on the Power Goals I have set for the year. Breaking down your power goals into smaller monthly goals make it more achievable and/or doable, and helps you see your progress towards your goals. Remember to celebrate your achievements every month, even if it is pat on your back, as you become a more courageous and stronger person. 

What you get from achieving your goals is not as important as by what you become by achieving your goals – Zig Ziglar

Surpass Your Limits

Intentional Living – Surpass Your Limits

Currently, I am watching an Anime called ‘Black Clover‘. Whenever the underdog Black Bull Squad confronts their enemies, their Captain Yami would shout at them to surpass their limits!

Most of our limits are self-imposed by our beliefs system. Based on past experience and our upbringing and support system, we develop our belief system that consciously and subconsciously tells us what we can do and what we can’t do. When we recognize that our belief system is holding us back, then it is time to revamp our belief system and surpass our limits.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said: Do one thing everyday that scares you. Isn’t that a great challenge to overcome your fear and limiting beliefs?

A warrior doesn’t repeat himself. Surpass your limits. This is the path to you realizing your dreams – Yami Sukehiro (Black Clover).

Your Game Plan

Your Game Plan

What is your game plan in life? Do you play not to lose, or do you play to win? Many people, who have reached a certain level of success in their lives, default to living life with the game plan of play not to lose. As long as I am not losing, I am fine; why rock the boat? Similar to the mentality – if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it!

Playing to win is a different mentality, whereby you are determine to seize any opportunities to win. You take on the challenges, you take on the risks, because you want to win!

If you have been drifting through most of your life, it’s most likely you are playing not to lose. However, if you want to succeed in life, or go to the next level in your life, it is time to change to a new game plan of Play To Win! Or at lest, be in the winning team, or with people who wants you to win in life.

Find the game where you can win, and commit your life to playing it; and play to win.

Robert Kiyosaki

Uniquely YOU

Most of us have traits from our parents, some even from grandparents or uncles or aunties. Nevertheless, we are totally unique, even with twins. We want to constantly fit into society or groups of people, thinking that it will help us belong there. The problem is when we lose our identify or our values trying to fit in.

The beauty of our uniqueness has become cliche and lost its meaning. We are meant to be born in this time, in our family, in our country. There is no mistake, no accidents. Each person in our family help each family member to be who they are. They make us who we are. The people who support, encourage, love and inspire us; as well as the ones who annoy, irritate, scold, humiliate, shame, and even abuse us; they make us who we are today. Like it or not, your past experiences, and the people in your past – they uniquely make you who you are today.

In the concept of Kintsugi in Japan, broken objects are often repaired with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object’s history, which adds to its beauty. The transformation from brokenness to beauty, is made possible when we recognize our past hurts and experiences – turn them into powerful life’s lessons – to strengthen us and make us compassionate beings. Then we become unique masterpieces of ourselves.

Dare to be YOU

Dare to be YOU

Who are you? Such a simple question, but I bet many people would find it quite a challenge to answer this question succinctly. Do you identify yourself with your name, job/business, your roles, your strength and weakness, your personality, etc?

I believe we are all Children of God, or the universe if you prefer. We are created to serve our purposes with our lives. Many people have found their purposes in their calling or ministries, businesses or projects, many more have found in their families, raising their children for the next generation. We are always being prepared for the next phase as we progress in life, though they are some who are stuck in the same phase as they refuse to learn the lesson to proceed to the next phase, or they are too comfortable where they are.

Then they are the chosen few – who seek out and establish the boldest version of themselves – just to fulfil their true purpose, in humility and in gratitude. As we weather through the global storm of the Covid pandemic, let us take this time to search deep within us for the answers waiting in our hearts for the question: Who Are You? Then Dare to be YOU.