A Lesson for Every Salaried Employee

Someone sent me this article. It's quite an interesting article.

If your boss is making you feel inadequate at work, don't be too hard on yourself as long as you have tried your best. :)

Back from Beijing

I'm back from my Beijing commercial training. Except for the harsh cold weather (i really really appreciate our sunny weather here!)  and the many work phone calls from Singapore, it has been a great trip. The event was well planned, interesting, informative, great for networking and provides room for entertainment. Most importantly, my training presentation went well. :)

Can't share my work photos but here's some personal photos to share.

Me ( my eyes looking sleepy after some wine)

At the Three Kingdom Muesuem, me by the Kuan Yu statue         

With the serving lady in imperial costume at the restaurant

Keep Smiling

She looked at him and smiled. She was aching inside. But the more it aches, the harder she smiles.

7 Steps to Resolution Success

I read from Eldon Taylor's Intouch newsletter on some basic steps to defy the odds and actually keep your resolutions. I've made a resolution this year, actually a few months before 2010, something i want to make a deep concious effort to achieve. It's not about losing weight or exercise more or finding a partner and settle down. These are resolutions my friends know about. It's a difficult decision, something which i had previously decided, executed, broke many times over and struggled internally, which only my diary and i know. It's time. I shall succeed this round. I hope..


Here's the article:

7 Steps to Resolution Success
Resolution Solutions


".... Let's say that on New Year's day you sit for a while contemplating the past year and the new year and you decide that you want to finally stop smoking, or lose weight, or manage you money better, or build stronger personal relationships, ad infinitum. Go ahead and make the resolution,
but don't attempt to begin immediately!


Instead of beginning immediately, follow these seven proven steps.


1. First give the idea some real thought. Do not just grab all the standard resolutions like lose weight, stop smoking, find a partner, etc. Instead think long and hard about what is really important to you and do not take on too many in one go.


2. Make a plan. What must you do in order to achieve your goal? Break this down into smaller steps and layout a reasonable time table for each of the steps.


3. Do a tally sheet listing in one column the pluses and in another minuses to your resolution. Make sure the pluses outweigh the minuses.


4. Change the context. For example, if cigarettes are your friend in your mind then understand that this is absolutely untrue. Read about the harmful effects, the addiction process, the deliberate aims of the tobacco companies to enslave you, the cost of smoking and so forth. Put
the proper context around your goal.


5. Make a mental movie. Image what everything will be like when you are successful. If it's smoking cessation, then see yourself free--really free. If it's a better body image, see yourself as you look in the mirror with great pride about your accomplishment. Image how you will feel, how you will smell, how you will look, the pride you will have and so on. Imagine in detail and put it into action. See yourself in your workplace, after work, at home, at play and so on.


6. Rehearse in your mind the image of you as successful in your goal. Rehearse it daily at least once.


7. Use some technology to assist. We think of our InnerTalk technology as the resolution solution because it changes the way you talk to yourself and thereby your self expectation, making change possible from the inside out. If you don't have access to technology, use affirmations. Write them in first person and then repeat them morning, noon and night.


..."


I'm really looking forward to 2010. I hope everyone will have the best year ever in 2010. :)





















P/s: And btw, i'm quite pleased with myself, i run 8.5Km this week. It's normally 3-4 km each time when i just started in Nov. Yesterday i skipped to a new level, slow but continuous. I'm quite proud of myself. hee! :)

Running - My New Found Interest

I picked up running about 2 months ago. It was due to a mix of influence from a good friend, a wake up call after a medical checkup that informed me that i have high cholesterol level and an unflattering photo a friend posted on facebook which was a rude reminder to me that i have put on weight and needs to start keeping lean.

I thought running would be a great choice as i can do it anytime. I do rollerblading every other weekend with my friends but it was not enough. Tennis was also out as i was still recovering from an arm injury.

So i got a new pair of running shoes, a gift :), and kickstarted my new sport. To make sure i keep the momentum to run at least once a week for the start, i told my friends about my sad situation (high cholestrol level!) and my new ambition, hehe, and make plans to go run together. My idea was, if i made appointments to do the runs, i couldn't back out like if i were to go alone.

So far, it has been great. I have ran at the Botanical garden, Hortpark, Bishan park, Ponggol park and around my housing estate. For the last two, it will be when i run alone. Actually, i rather enjoy running alone. I can run at my own pace and set my own targets. And i enjoy thinking of things or not thinking of anything when i run. It helps to clear my mind. And with my ipod to accompany me, it has been perfect! :)

But running with friends helps fix the regularity and routine for the run. (at times, when i planned to go myself for a run afterwork, i found myself skipping the plan when things gets too busy at work, and things are always busy at work for me) And it is nice to chat, relax or have breakfast together(on weekend runs) with my friends after the workout.


It has been slightly less than two months since i have started running. I am quite pleased with myself as i have consistently run at least twice a week. :). I received comments from some friends that i seemed to have slimmed down. I'm not sure if this has been due to the runs since i've only started recently, or if it was due to my smart dressing to hide my fats, but definitely, i feel much better. I like the feeling at the end of each run when i'd be all sweatly. It feels really great. I like to imagine that i have expelled that much of toxins out from my body each time.


And i downloaded a cool running application to participate in my new interest. I don't use the application often but still it's quite a cool application that allows you to track your running actitives. Here's a snapshot of my running route earlier this week through the RunKeep iphone application. :)






With my new interest, i start to read more about the sports on the internet. I rather like Runner's World, they have very interesting, informative and inspiring articles. I especially like the section under Runner's Stories. Each story is an inspiration...

And recently, i have signed up for the addias Sundown Marathon 2010. Since i'm a beginner, i shall not be ambitious and signed up for the 10Km run. Managed to persuade a non runner friend and two others to sign up together. Now my non runner friend has to go for morning runs with us every saturaday morning. hehe.

I'm actually quite looking forward to the run.



Quote of the day:

"You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, if you hold that desire with singleness of purpose."
--Abraham Lincoln


 

Goodbye my Almost Lover

Almost Lover

Your fingertips across my skin
The palm trees swaying in the wind
Images

You sang me Spanish lullabies
The sweetest sadness in your eyes
Clever trick

I never want to see you unhappy
I thought you'd want the same for me

Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

We walked along a crowded street
You took my hand and danced with me
Images

And when you left you kissed my lips
You told me you would never let forget these images, no

I never want to see you unhappy
I thought you'd want the same for me

Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

I cannot go to the ocean
I cannot drive the streets at night
I cannot wake up in the morning
Without you on my mind
So you're gone and I'm haunted
And I bet you are just fine
Did I make it that easy
To walk right in and out of my life?

Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

Stroke of Insight - Jill Bolte Taylor