Competent Communicator

It has been more than 4 years since I joined Toastmasters. Two days ago, I finally completed my 10^th Toastmaster speech and awarded Competent Communicator. Above that, I won my first Best Speaker.

It was indeed a moment to remember. Much thanks are to be given to Yoong Hean, Ying Ying and Wai Hong for their evaluations and support.

November rain comes late

It has been raining since sunrise this morning and is still raining past midnight. Such a rare occurrence. I can't help feeling cold and lonely. Suddenly, I keep thinking of the song November Rain.

*Disclaimer: I appreciate that this is one of the best song ever composed but in no way supporting the smoking and drinking depicted in the music video. Such a lifestyle is foolish and leads only to more pain in life.

Passion and Detachment

When it comes to finding myself a life partner, things just seem so challenging and I cannot understand why. I consulted my best friend of more than 20 years, he agrees that nothing is wrong with me. Worst of all, there are many people think and say that I am picky. Perhaps they are right. If there are many people who say so, they must be right. Nevertheless, is the majority always right? Can I as a beggar be a chooser?

I was a slave of passion and kept falling for the girls I shouldn’t fall for. It was so difficult to forget one of them that without me realizing, my heart became hard as a stone to kill the feelings I had for her. That was the hefty price I paid to in order to be obedient.

To cut a long story short, it took me almost long eight years to realize that I was a man without emotions. Thanks to the book Emotional Intelligence by David Goleman, I began to learn about emotions. The so called “negative” emotions are important for our survival and I should not suppress and disregard them. In contrary, I should recognize these emotions, reflect upon why I feel them and take actions to diffuse such emotions.

Having said so, I still stumble when it comes to finding a partner and I still don’t know why. Anyway, I have decided to be detached and turn my face unto God. To be detach does not imply in any way to have nothing. Abdu’l-Baha said, “Detachment is the non-existent of desire in the heart, not in the lack of material things.”

“O Son of Utterance! Turn thy face unto mine and renounce all save Me; for My sovereignty endureth and My dominion perisheth not. If thou seekest another than Me, yea, if thou searchest the universe for evermore, thy quest will be in vain”

Catchy November

For some unfathomable reasons, this November had been a month of catching up with friends I hardly get to see.

From good old buddies from childhood, one who came back for holidays from the US and another from Down Under, to friends from college, who was back from the UK, university, who stayed nearby but hardly meet (and also one who is back from UK), and previous employment, a maiden alumni gathering thrown by Maxis Berhad. I was told that the HR intended to organize such alumni gatherings annually. I look forward for it.

We shared our stories, we laughed and though much have changed, the bond of friendships remained. The characters of each and every of them remain the same. Such blessings have I got that all of them had brought joy and made a difference in my life. I wish them all the best and may they continue to progress further and higher in their future undertakings.

Confirmation

The word confirmation has now greatly influence my life. When my efforts produce the result I desire, it is confirmation. When my efforts do not produce the result I desire, it is also confirmation. It is confirmation that I have put in the wrong efforts, having the wrong the desire or simply the wrong timing.

Having confirmation does not imply that life is going to be a bed of roses. Sometimes, we try so hard and yet we still do not succeed. Sometimes, our efforts seem to be completely futile. However, confirmation may happen in the least expected manner. For example, Alexander Fleming was focused on the search for a "wonder drug" and by chance he discovered the penicillin.

I have not fully grasped the concept of confirmation but I do know that if we put total trust and complete submission to God, He will confirm us.

Dynamics of Prayer for Solving Problems

1. Pray and meditate about it. Use the prayers of the Manifestations as they have the greatest power. Then remain in the silence of contemplation for a few minutes.
2. Arrive at a decision and hold this. This decision is usually born during contemplation. It may seem almost impossible of accomplishment but if it seems to be as answer to a prayer or a way of solving the problem, then immediately take the next step.
3. Have determination to carry the decision through. Many fail here. The decision, budding into determination, is blighted and instead becomes a wish or a vague longing. When determination is born, immediately take the next step.
4. Have faith and confidence that the power will flow through you, the right way will appear, the door will open, the right thought, the right message, the right principle, or the right book will be given you. Have confidence and the right thing will come to your need. Then as you rise from prayer, take at once the 5th step.
5. Act as though it had all been answered. then act with tireless, ceaseless energy. And as you act, you, yourself, will become a magnet, which will attract more power to your being, until you become an unobstructed channel for the Divine power to flow through you.

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Many pray but do not remain for the last half of the first step. Some who meditate arrive at a decision, but fail to hold it. Few have the determination to carry the decision through, still fewer have the confidence that the right thing will come to their need. But how many remember to act as though it had all been answered? How true are these words "Greater than the prayer is the spirit in which it is uttered" and greater than the way it is uttered is the spirit in which it is carried out.

Shoghi Effendi (Pilgrim note)

Cleansing the Mirror of the Heart from Jealousy and Envy

The other day, I was discussing a statement on jealousy and envy with my Junior Youth Group.

Cleansing the mirror of the heart from jealousy and envy.

I asked why do we feel jealous? One answered because others have what that we don’t have. Another answered because we think that what other people have is better than what we have.

About.com explains that the three common causes for jealousy are

1. Unmet expectations
2. A sense of entitlement
3. Insecurity

While the ways to overcome jealousy includes:

• Stop comparing yourself to other people
• Stop worrying about you all the time
• Stop wanting what other people have if you’re  not willing to go through what they did to get it
• Start focusing on all that’s positive in your life

Then I asked, “So how do we cleanse the mirror of our hearts from jealousy and envy?” We had a short discussion and came out with a brief conclusion.

                We should be grateful with all that we have. Every individual has their own strengths and weaknesses. Others may have something that we don’t have but we also have something that others don’t. If we are truly grateful and thankful for who we are and what we have, we would have cleansed the mirror of our hearts from jealousy and envy.