Steph's Ripples

Something that keeps popping recently is this: live in the moment. What you can do now. It's strange how I never came across that symbolism. I mean it makes so much sense to me now. It's so bluntly obvious that I wonder where I've been all this time and what I've been doing.  The key to good life is to not rush things. Let things unfold naturally. Live every single moment as a cumulative to the next. Then look back and connect the dots. The beauty of life remains in the present. 

One of the greatest virtue one can possess is that of Patience. In life, we need to be patient. Do not rush things, do not rush into things. Do not hurry, let things unfold naturally. When the time comes, you will know it and you'll be ready. Sometimes when we're constantly looking at the when, we fail to appreciate the present moment. Patience is about embracing the now. One day at a time.

This is a reminder that we should be always be grateful, especially during tough times. Practicing gratitude keeps you grounded. My perspective has completely changed when I started to purposely list and think of things I'm thankful for. Over time, it came to me almost naturally. You begin to notice the little things. You begin to see beauty around you. You begin to appreciate what is. . In gratitude, there is no judgement. There is only us at the level of being. Gratitude makes us feel whole when we are shaken up. It keeps us centered and helps us to move forward.  My gratitude journey started with writing 3 things I'm grateful for after waking up. I have a special notebook. After I ran out of pages, I stopped. It had already became ingrained in me and I'm so grateful for such an uplifting experience. 

A few events happened recently that reminded me of the importance of appreciating the simple things. Breathing in fresh air (as compared to polluted and toxic air). Eating a proper meal (rather than junk or ready-made meals). Enjoying nature (instead of getting lost in the usual surroundings). When you take time to appreciate and be grateful, it feels like nothing else matter. All the busyness, the worries, the stress of daily life seem to fade away. It's like there's something so much greater than our life. Saying thank you can be such a reliever. This can be to everything and nothing in particular. Thank  the morning, thank your cup of tea, thank the lovely lady who engage in conversation with you. I feel like this simple gesture connects us back to the world. 

I admit, I lost track again. It's alright. We all do. Things happen. Stumbles are part of the journey. To get back to life, take tiny steps. 1 single action. The key is it doesn't have to be huge, only enough to get you started again.

Let's face it. To become good at something, you need to be consistently doing the work. This is the key and it's simple. Showing up everyday no matter what. Ironically what is simple is usually the hardest to do. We are often too busy trying to do everything. We get caught up by everyday distractions and what not. Keep this in mind. Focus on doing the work you need to get better and better everyday. Our duty is to become better versions of ourselves every single day. Leave everything else that is not bringing you closer to the person you want to be. 

Information we receive is often distorted by our own views and opinions. We don't pay enough attention to what is happening in front of us or around us, because we're busy running behind schedule, thinking about the past or the future. We fail to appreciate the blessings we're surrounded with because we choose to focus on other meaningless things.  Take a moment and consider everything you already have. Most probably you have all that it takes, but you can't see it because you're not paying attention to the essential. Take note.

There will be many times when you'll feel like 'Why bother?'. Truth be told, there is no such thing as the perfectly smooth sail. There will be waves, tides, storms. There will also be moments when everything feels like a breeze. In times of distress or what appear to be challenges, keep your eye focus on what matter, the direction to follow and your journey forward. There is no point in dwelling on what's preventing you from moving. Always stay focus on what is most important when you get distracted or carried away with everyday life.

Did it ever happen to you when you're trying to say something, making a point and the other person completely miss it? Well, it does occur several times and I found this has nothing to do regarding the point, but rather the person's own opinion about the subject matter. They have a mental image of how things should be, own beliefs and interpretations. We need to have 'open ears'. Be willing to hear what one has to say before interpreting it in our own terms. Stop being bias. Don't judge. This is besides the point of listening, of a two-way communication. If one wants to be heard, one has to listen. It doesn't mean you have to agree with everything one says, but rather accept what has been said, before jumping straight to conclusion.

I notice that I spend too much time being reactive to life events. By this, I mean things that occur on a daily basis, distractions, unexpected events. Instead of working on your dreams or goals, you get carried away by mundane tasks, daily occurrences. For example, it could be checking emails every now and then, checking social media or watching the news. These will be present all the time. What you should not do though is lose precious time doing those trivial things, tasks that do not move you towards your dreams.  Think about it. It's not easy to get rid of bad habits. However, it is essential to acknowledge the fact that time is limited. Make good use of it. Stop being reactive and start doing things that truly matter.

Perfection is so overrated. Striving for perfection is almost like taking a route with no destination. Aiming for progress is the road towards improvement. With progress, there is room for all kind of experiences. We start where we are instead of waiting for the right time.  Life is short. It is worth spending by becoming better every day- learning something new, making this world a better place, discovering new things. I believe all we have to do is taking actions that will benefit us in the long term. Do those actions consistently, the best you can. For example if you want to write a book, aim to write everyday. The daily actions that we do repeatedly ultimately determine who we are and become. 

Let's be honest. I had a pretty late start to liking reading- any kind of readings. I decided this wasn't going to be a hobby of mine. I especially found it hard when I couldn't understand half of what was written. A real deep struggle to keep going. However,  I manage to survive through my lack of reading. I think after I had a better grasp of the language, I finally was able to enjoy reading for entertainment. Before,  it was more of a pain. Anyway, what I want to advocate is the amazing rewards of reading. It is a therapy on its own. Reading broadens your horizons and stretches yourself. Take the time to read daily and it will change your life for the better.

Dealing with consistency is pretty hard. It's not pretty for sure. It's always easier to fall behind than to progress. One of my goals is to become more consistent with consistency. There are so many things I want to be constantly doing on a regular basis. However, I tend to forget and then it's hard to go back. Let's take for example, I want to post daily but sometimes I get too tired, I can't bother to switch on my pc or mostly, I get caught up in other daily matters. One way to deal with consistency problem is planning. Plan the tasks into your schedule and stick to it. The problem is that I tend to be a flexible person. I always allow myself a buffer and don't like to put too much pressure on myself. I want life to run smoothly, organically and freely. I don't like imposing myself because I believe that we all have negative reactions to pressure, or applied force.  Now it sounds so paradoxical. I think the best way to deal with consistency is to...

Reflection has never been my forte. I used to hate doing reflection or rather I simply didn't feel the need to. Little did I know about the benefits of taking the time to reflect, the healing power that it all encompasses. It's a such a powerful tool we can use to help us. It's free and doesn't require much. All you need is to take a few moment, relax and think.  You can reflect on anything from your life, your feelings to aspirations. Reflection can be useful in so many ways: - To hold us accountable for our actions - To allow us to breathe - To take time to learn from the past - To stop and see where we are going - To give us perspective - To see what's truly happening in our lives - To relax - To enjoy the now - To appreciate all of our blessings - To calm our mind Our lives get so busy sometimes and it's so easy to get caught up in this madness. In a way, this blog is the perfect medium to reflect on my life and lessons learned. ...

I was made aware of this concept whilst I was reading the book 'The Slight Edge' by Jeff Olson. We have the ability to choose what we want to do with our lives. The distinction between those people who are successful- not referring to financial gain- and those who are unsuccessful comes down to habits. What is it you are making every day that is bringing you forward towards achieving your dreams/ goals. What is it you are doing that is moving you away from your dreams? Successful people do what unsuccessful people don't do. They are committed to self-development, growing, doing what it takes every single day- the mundane actions. Take for example, reading 10 pages a day compounded over time leads to a great deal of pages read. You don't have to start big, but create a momentum. Daily repetitive actions over time lead to accumulation of wealth. The problem here is that not many of us are willing to do those actions every day. We are quick to sink to old habits, we a...