Sunday, August 11, 2013

Stop acting so small ♥


" Paper? " rushing in rudely, he asks me. " No, my name's  Jasmin." I answered sweetly. He went " huh? " I smiled and acted stupid. I knew exactly what he wanted. I was being cheeky. The first thing they do when they board the aircraft is to open their mouth and ask this question. What is wrong with a " hello " or a " hi " to start off a conversation.  Sometimes I feel like a broken tape recorder, churning out the same script, getting the same response which is either silence, a mumble or a nasty remark especially if there were no more papers for them to read. Sigh, like as if I am not right in front of you smiling from ear to ear. If you are deaf or dumb I wouldn't have minded at all but to completely ignore me and to look past me like as if I am made of glass or to pretend that I am not even there is plain rude. To blame me for not being able to provide your daily dose of news is utterly and comically pointless. I can go on and on about passengers and their love affairs with newspapers but I'd rather leave it at that.

Then, there are those who would make their presence felt. These folks are the first to greet you, to ask how your day has been or to personally thank you at the end of it by making you feel great when in fact you were only carrying out your duty and nothing more. These are far and few in between but good enough to make one's day.

You and I, we face life situations day in and day out. Mostly, it is the human kind that we fear the most. People could either lift you up or break you down. It only becomes a problem, if you let them. The good news is, you can choose to block out the unwanted. Does someone have to create a button, a click or a function such as the ones available on Facebook for you, before you can proceed? Individuals that have hurt you are never really deleted from your memory unless you are able to convince yourself that they are just not worth your pain, time or effort and move on.

      YOU, are GOD's little miracle. He gave you the POWER to decide. CHOOSE wisely.

I read somewhere  recently about choices and I liked what it says. Women, take note. " Open books, not legs. Blow minds, not guys. " I have had my own fair share of disappointments, setbacks, failures and being taken for a ride. It is especially frustrating when you try your very best and yet it is still never enough. Be careful whom you rely on for support when you are at your lowest especially when it comes to men. Chances of you falling head over heels with your saviour is high. I did and I know, you might too. What both of us did was just to transfer our hopes and dreams to another person and that is futile. He did make you feel wholesome again but what happens when he decides to leave or when he feels that you no longer needs saving? Some do it genuinely out of empathy and sympathy. You can't expect them to love you when they don't. When you are broken, any amount of concern will be taken as a form of love and care by you. When you are back up on your feet, you tend to put these people on a pedestal when you should be patting yourself on the back first. No one could have gotten you out of your black hole had you not done the hard work in the first place. There is so much one can do to inspire another but it is you who must want it badly enough to change your future. They were placed there for you by the Universe thanks to your own inner voices. There's this conversation between a master and his student that I read somewhere. The student asks, " What should I do when I feel discouraged? " The master replies, " Encourage others. " See how the Universe works? No one is perfect. Not even your saviour. The difference is they don't stay depressed for long and instead focus on turning it into something useful. In time, they will come to realize their worth. Isn't it about time you snap out of it and do something useful too? Time to wake up and see the world as it is. You are not alone. I have gone through it. You are going through it now. Someone else will be going through it someday. It is not a one time thing. It comes and goes whenever it pleases and stays as long as it is welcomed. The trick is to be able to handle it better the next time around and be so good at it that someday, you are able to smile politely, slam the door right in its face and be totally unaffected by it, before moving on with whatever you were busy doing earlier.

There are those whom you think have everything and wouldn't need or want anything else, so you envy them. You compare yourself to them. You wish you could be them. Did you ever think what it is like for them? What they had to lose in order to be where they are today? You have only seen the outcome. Were you there throughout the whole process? What makes you think that we are that different from each other? Are they happier than you can be if you had allowed yourself to be? You might think that you have nothing but did you know, that your nothing is their everything? You have someone to love, who loves you in return. They don't. You have children, try as they might, they can't have any. There are also those who worked their asses off to be recognize for their achievements, contribute to society and yet, no amount of money could give them back the good health that you are currently enjoying. Why are they still not giving up on life? What is their secret? It is in their giving that they find life worth living and if it works for them, what is stopping you? They might have spouses but they don't have your freedom. You might not have money but you have time. You complain about how neurotic your parents are, constantly telling you what to do, but have you thought of the rest who wished they had parents who cared or how much they would trade, to have these wise old folks in their lives again? 

See how similar we all are? I could continue listing down plenty more of grievances and blessings. Why don't you do the math instead on your own lives and come to your own conclusions. No one is forever happy neither will you be always sad. Try being your very own cheerleader and bestfriend. It is weird to compare and envy others or complain about your misfortunes. We tend to think that the grass is always greener on the other side when all one has to do, is to tend to his or her own garden. No two lives are alike and yet we will all have our fair shares of ups and downs. Why then give in to temptations, quick fixes or your life completely when we both know that life is a cycle. If it is not your time to die yet, why would you rather live through it miserably when it is up to you to make it better? Imagine the world of good that you are capable of doing. I love words of wisdom. Rumi once said, " Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion. " Isn't that beautiful? 





Your loss is my gain. Your rubbish is my treasure. One man's meat is another man's poison. Haven't we heard all this before? Ain't that the truth! Equal opportunity for everyone. No matter what happens, persevere ~ have faith both in yourself and God, continue hoping for all things good, do the neccessary and believe in the true essence of love.

When I had to shut down to feed my anger or sadness, there was no FB to share my feelings with back then. I have never even heard of blogging. Everything was either kept hidden in my memory, a diary or a few willing pair of ears and strong shoulders to cry on. I was technologically challenged and still am. I felt that if fewer people knew of my mess, the lesser the embarrassment. Being cool, calm and collected takes years of practice and understanding of oneself. I am still trying to stay balanced. Not many knows what you are going through unless you tell them. Choosing the right people to share your troubles with is also a delicate process. Trust is such an elusive and overated word. One day, you could both be the best of friends and the next day, the world's greatest enemy. Knowing that, however, has yet to stop me from confiding. After all, you can't blame the wind for sharing its secrets with the trees. The best is to live your life with integrity. Only then, will you have nothing to hide. Besides, I believe everyone needs an outlet. Unfortunately, nowadays with the abundance of technology over the social media, things can get quite complicated. If you do not know how to control your emotions wisely, everything you say, send out or do will be your electronic *tattoo*. That's dangerous when you want to get over something fast and not to be reminded of it often or ever again. People might misunderstand or abuse the said knowledge. Life can be hard. It might even affect your chances and lessen your opportunities! Having said that, it hasn't stopped many from bouncing back :)

Seeing someone posting wonderful shots of their happy moments on FB or Instagram could also trigger your depression. When you are happy, it is easier to share someone else's happiness but when you are sad, you'll feel ten times lousier. So, perhaps instead it is a better idea to reach out internally, shut down the computer, ask for help from genuine people who are experts at it and open yourself up to new possibilities. Learn something new. Get close to nature. Be one with yourself. Heal from within and then only share the beauty with all. Happiness is contagious. We need more of that and what better way than to share our triumph over adversities. Teach others how to survive. Share your fears and show them how you overcame it. You were, you are and always will be a winner as long as you don't give up on life! Stay connected. 

                   Nature and the wonderful mind of mankind works wonders together ♥


I try not to envy others for I know that everyone is struggling with their own inner demons and outside forces. Nothing is what it seems. I write in the hope that you are able to understand the difference between illusions and reality, to not judge others and rather choose to be compassionate, as well as make full use of the life that has been given to you. People say that you only live once. That is wrong. You live everyday. You only die once. Then again, some did come back to life even when they were pronounced dead! It only shows to prove that nothing is impossible. The World is your ♥yster. Remember that my de:)R



                                 

4 comments:

  1. I'm always impressed whenever I board an MAS aircraft at how nice the flight attendants are ... always smiling and never complaining. You guys work so hard without losing that courteous touch.

    *hugs*

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  2. Thank you. It is nice to feel appreciated ♥

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  3. Amazing article Jasmin! I would love to reach out to you as I am looking to starting a blog of my own. my email is robinst37@gmail.com or visit www.opportunities2serve.com. Thank you.

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  4. Happy New Year Mr Robinson. It is indeed nice to know that I have not wasted your time. This article was inspired by love, pain and all things human. May the blessings be and thank you for reaching out :)

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