Sometimes...

Sometimes, you find yourself at a very low point in your life. It can be a time when nothing seems to go your way. It can be a time when you feel like the biggest failure in the world. It can be a time when you start to think, "What's the point of living?" It can be a time when you feel yourself start to crumble and unable to pick up the pieces, unable to get up again (kinda like Humpty Dumpty ;-)).

It is normal. Many people have experienced this feeling before. Some are lucky to have someone to lean on or even better, someone to help pick up the pieces, glue them back together and push them up. Others might not be as fortunate or may actually refrain from accepting or asking help from others. Everyone works in their own way, handling their life in whichever way they think is best for them. Asking for help doesn't make one weaker than others, not asking for help doesn't make one stronger than the rest either.

Anyway, when you feel this low, when you feel like a failure, you tend to forget that you have done some really great (ok, if not great, good then) things in your life. Just look around your room and I'm sure you have some mementos or keepsakes that bear good memories. Trophies and medals won during school competitions, certificates of education, acknowledgments of participation in activities, pictures of your travels, some writings you have done, heck, even small stuffed dolls won at funfairs count too. You'll be amazed at how much you have done and achieved once you lean back from your misery and take a good look around.

Sure, some would say, "But those are really small things. I didn't achieve something great like winning a nobel prize, or become a famous celebrity or a rich successful businessman." But then again, who decides what makes you successful? Who decides what makes you great? Being rich doesn't necessarily make you a great person, being famous doesn't necessarily mean happiness. It's all in your own perspective, choose your own path to what fulfills you. If you keep looking at what other people are doing, when will you have time to look at yourself and make your own success, be it richness or a close-knit family?

When I feel low (as low as a snake's belly), I like to remember this particular story I read in Robert Allen's '365 Smiles from Buddha' and I quote:-

A certain king called together his wise men and commanded them to have a magic ring made for him. It should cheer him up when he was unhappy, but when things were going well, it should stop him from getting proud and overbearing. They went away and puzzled over the problem for a long time. At last someone had a bright idea. A gold ring was brought to the king and on it were engraved the words, "This too shall pass."

Those four words help me alot whenever I'm down (I tend to focus on the negative, not so much on the positive unfortunately :laugh: and that phrase is kind of like my mantra).

And so, I would look around my room, note the accomplishments I have done so far and I find that life doesn't seem so bleak after all. I find that I'm not such a failure after all and that I am still capable of success, in my own way, in my own terms. Thus, the phrase above comes to mind and I know that this feeling of inadequacy will pass. :victory: Here's hoping that your sadness will pass too.

As I Sit Here...10

As I sit here, at Kiz Sport & Gym in One Utama, I watch as my 4-year old nephew (soon to be 5) come running up to me from his bouts in the playground.

"Auntie, I want Milo," he says.

"I want Milo, please," I tell him, still trying to educate him on politeness.

"I want Milo, pleeeeease," he repeats after me, stretching the last word. "I- I want Milo so I can grow big."

"Why you want to grow big?" Excuse my English, I am, after all, talking to a 4-year old whose native tongue is Bahasa Malaysia.

"I want...I want to be bigger than my friend." I glance over at his friend/classmate, who is a white boy with a build that is bigger and taller than my slightly slim and small nephew. I dig out my purse and listen with half an ear as my nephew proceeds to tell me how he wants to be stronger and taller so he wants to drink Milo everyday.

As I watch him run off with my RM10 note to the food counter, I start to wonder why my nephew thought Milo would help him grow bigger. Then I remember my own experience, also involving Milo.

When I was in primary school, we had a mini inter-class race. I remember spurring on one of my teammates in particular because she had eaten some Milo snacks (I think it was Milo nuggets or something) before the race. I was muttering, "C'mon, you can do it. After all, you ate Milo just now." Don't ask me the reasoning behind this; at that point in time, in my childish mind, I had some sort of belief that Milo has the power to make you run faster, be stronger, etc. When it came to my turn at the race, I sprinted, believing the whole time that I can zoom pass all the other kids because I had a 'Milo' edge. Don't ask me if we won 'coz I can't remember, haha!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="192" caption="Nestle Milo (from www.deliver2u.com.my)"][/caption]

The thing is it's amazing how some advertisements can penetrate your conscious mind and it's even more amazing how the same product can span the generations  (case in point, me and my nephew) with the same belief; Minum Milo, Anda Jadi Sihat Dan Kuat (direct trans: Drink Milo, you'll be healthy and strong. The real English slogan is something like Nestle Milo Brings Out The Champion In You!) Makes me wonder what other advertisements have penetrated my mind without me knowing.

P.S: Do you know that Nestle came out with a Neslo sachet (Nescafe coffee with Milo, for those who dunno)? I still haven't tried it yet but I'm gonna give that and the Nescafe Tarik sachet a try as soon as I find them, yum!