A PAT ON YOUR BACK

BE ACCOUNTABLE

2008-09-03T08:55:00.002+08:00

Recently I've been encountering people who are not accountable. These people are too individualistic. Don't they understand that sometimes, not being accountable can have a chain effect on other people too?

Every Sunday, I was supposed to book seats for my friends in church. There were some who are constantly late. I guess they don't understand what goes on behind seat booking. First you have to book the seats, then when the praise and worship starts, the usher will constantly come to ask you if your members have arrived to take the seats. Other people who are on time are denyed of the seats that the late comers have "booked" and also denyed the seat booker a proper praise and worship session. Then when the late comers take their seats, they will need to pass through other people who are also worshipping. The excuse-me-s are really a nusiance, especially when you are already in the mood. What an anti-climax. It will be greatly appreciated if the latecomers will take the initiative to say that they will be late, so that we can give up the seats. It will be even better if they take the initiative to come to church earlier.

Another colleague of mine is also not accountable to her fellow workers, us. In the past, she is so used to working as an individual, she has lost the ability to work as a team. Working as a team with her, we always have a portion of information missing, hers. Even when she's going for a week-long's business trip, she did not do a proper handover, leaving us high and dry when the boss or the client needed something. What a headache she is! This is not surprising though, as even when she's sitting a seat away from me, she does not share information. I certainly hope that it's a sincere mistake on her part and not other ill feelings.

Well, this is not exactly a complaining session. While experiencing through these situations, I spur myself to be more accountable to the people around me. I don't want to be the source of the difficult situations that other people is facing.

And as you are see, Christians are not saints. We make mistakes, just like non-Christians. As human beings, we are not perfect, but we can be a better person today than we were yesterday.

BE TEACHABLE

2008-08-28T08:49:00.002+08:00

I was looking back to when we were still in school. We were in a "being taught" environment. We were all sitting faced to the teacher and we had exams to motivate us to want to be taught. However, learning does not end when I get my degree in university. Learning continues when I stepped into the working society. In the society, there is nothing to motivate you to want to be taught. Our pride in us built up and we find it difficult to lay down our pride to accept that we need to change certain aspects of our life. It's the same for me.

Then one day, my pastor preached about being teachable and I began to look into my own life. Yes, indeed there were many "teachers" in my life and because of pride, I kept pushing their teachings away from me. How much I have missed out! If I had my pride broken earlier, I would have become a better person earlier.

Recently, I see my "old self" in a colleague of mine. Because she matters, I told her that she needs to make an effort to change the way she walks (she walks with big arm swings and big strides with feet pointing outwards). It will make her look better. Not only was I reminding her, other colleagues were reminding her too. However, her excuses were always "I'm tired. That is why I walk the way I am walking now." After a while, we stopped our reminders. She has an unteachable attitude. No point wasting our effort.

This incident has once again reminded me of having a teachable attitude. Only then will I be able to become a better person.

BE A GOOD FINISHER

2008-08-25T22:49:00.004+08:00

I had not been sharing my thoughts yesterday and almost wanted to be lazy and skip today. However, something inside me kept bugging me. It tells me that I must make an entry today.

I started out this blog to encourage people who read it so I must have entries frequently. I remember my pastor once preached about being a good finisher. This message totally applies to me. I have many things in my to-do list and everything was started 1% and stopped. No wonder I have not accomplished anything.

Only a good finisher can be successful.

At the 1968 Olympics, an hour after the marathon's winner crossed the finish line, Tanzania's John Stephen Akhwari limped across the finish line, injured in a fall early in the race. Asked why he didn't quit, he said, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start this race. My country sent me to finish it."

I think John Stephen Akhwari is truely a remarkable finisher. I am totally inspired by him. Although he did not win, at the very least, he could say "I finished the race."

Each day, I try to push myself to finish things that I have started. A seed is planted into my mind and only I can make it grow and bear fruits.

DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY

2008-08-23T10:05:00.000+08:00

Until a year and a half ago, I have been worrying about a lot of things.

Ever since I came to know "worry", I worried about my schoolwork, my tests and exams. In my university years, it was economic downturn and I worried about not being able to find a job. When I eventually found my first job, I get worried everytime my boss frowned. I get worried when I made mistakes. I get worried when things are not going on as planned. After all those worries that I have put myself through, I still eventually managed to gain my boss' trust and given significant responsibilities in the department. After a few years in my first job, I began to worry about my future again and eventually found a new career path. Then the same worries of the first job began to find their way back to me again.

There were times, because of worrying, I broke down in tears. I thought I was going to burst. But a year and a half ago, I looked began to look back at things that I have worried about. Most of the worrying things are uncalled for. Example, instead of worrying for my schoolwork, tests and exams, I should study even harder and prepare for the best to happen.

Worrying will only hinder success. It leaves me less time to prepare myself to achieve the best that I can. Most of the things that we worry about have not happen, so no point worrying for the unknown. What we can do with this worrying future-things is to predict the worst case senerio and prepare for it. Other things that we worry about are things that have already happened. And since it has already happened, do something to solve it and not sit there and worry.

Now, when I am facing difficult situations, I first lift up every worries unto my God and trust that I will pull through with the wisdoms that He has given me. Now I am a happier person.

BE AN OVERCOMER

2008-08-22T08:45:00.000+08:00

Last year, I had the previlege to listen to a motivational speaker, Nick Vujicic and was greatly inspired by him.

Many times when we are in face with problems, most of us have the tendency to avoid them. Problems like difficult situations, difficult people or even difficult maths questions had most of us turn our tails and run for our lives. However, have you ever realise that these problems that you have always been avoiding will always come back to haunt you.

Some people quit their jobs because of a mean colleague. Guess what? Yes, they keep meeting the same kind of mean people and they keep quiting their jobs.

Like I mentioned in my previous entry, I am someone who will fail in the 'details' department. After many times of failure and scoldings from my boss, I have decided to raise the white flag and throw in the towel. But someone told me that I should overcome this hurdle and make myself a more useful person. Overcome this problem and it will never be a problem to you.

Indeed problems that do not kill you, will definately make you stronger. If Nick Vujicic can overcome, you can too.

CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK

2008-08-21T08:46:00.000+08:00

"For he thinks in his heart, so he is..." - King Solomon

I have always been a big picture person who usually don't take care of the details. I love the outdoors and my first job takes me allowed me to bask in the sun the whole day.

In search of a new challenge, I decided to make a career switch and became deskbound. My greater challenge was to become very detailed in my job, which I weren't used to. In my heart, I keep telling myself that I am a big picture person and will not be able to perform in my new job. I gave myself excuses just to make myself feel less guilty for not doing my job well.

After attending a talk, I began to have a change in mindset. I told myself that I can be a very detailed person if I tried. True enough, it worked. Although it took me a great effort to overcome this problem, I am now a detailed and at the same time a big picture person.

If you are someone who thinks "down" of yourself, it's time to change your mindset and walk towards a path of a better you.