Endless energy, boundless strength - Why I do what I do

I doubt two weeks have ever passed faster in my life, as the past two weeks have.

Taking some time out to reflect and look back at it, I'm so amazed at how Big Idea, a forum/workshop to inspire young people to Creativity, Big Ideas, and pursuing their dreams, was weaved together in just the last two and a half weeks.

A mere two and a half weeks ago, I had a Big Idea. I approached two sisters who run their own company, founded on another Big Idea, and we decided to combine our ideas and organise this Big Idea event.

In these two weeks, people have come into our Team and our lives, catching the vision and providing the support, encouragement, funds, and resources needed to make this Big Idea a reality.

Next Friday, more than 80 creative, passionate, and brilliant young minds will meet at KLPac in the beautiful Sentul Park, to hear seven highly accomplished and successful speakers from a wide range of fields and industries - from business to music, from magic to environmental protection, from community outreach to hairstyling, from motivational training to corporate talent development - share their insights on creativity and how they got to where they are today.

Looking at how it all came together, I am so blown away - and so thankful for the privilege of working with such amazing, motivated, and passionate people and such an inspiring project.

But above all I'm so thankful that I work with a team whose priority is God - whose priority is advancing His values and His truth and His creativity not just within the walls of the church - but beyond it.

Today on the way back home on the LRT I was reading a passage from Ephesians that I felt was very fitting for the Team in this season that I pray might bless you too:

"I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. 

The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence."

-Ephesians 1 (The Message)

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 
-John 10:10 (NLT)

Live creatively, friends. 

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't compare yourself with others. Take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

-Galatians 6:1-5 (The Message)

Thankful

My last post talked about feeling empty, and lacking.

So I thought it would be a good time to focus on the opposite - on abundance and fullness.

Despite what I lack, when I have some down time to stop and clear my head - usually stuck in a jam or on the LRT after work - I never fail to be reminded of the abundance of blessings that my life is flooded with.

I could do with more thankfulness. I think all of us could. There are a million and one things we take for granted every day, every moment, that we forget to say 'thank you' for.

Someone once said if the only prayer you ever said was "Thank you", that would be enough (Meister Eckhart). I completely agree. Except I would add "I'm sorry" to "Thank you." I think those four little words are the most important words anyone could ever learn.

So this is a thankful post, counting the dozens of blessings that have been showered on me.

I'm thankful for:

• Amazing friends
• Answered prayers for Good People to come into my life  
• Working for a company whose values I share and whose vision I can believe in
• Getting plugged back into a community of believers who come together in a way I've always dreamed to see - with no regards for denomination, without being judgemental or critical, but being real, admitting we're not perfect, and just doing life together as we learn to be more like Him
• Being reminded and inspired again to live each day as if it were my last while watching Jayesslee live
• The chance to be part of an amazing global competition with the prize of a year-long trip around the world for Good Causes
• A new PC
• Being able to afford brand new books
• Being challenged to think and dream bigger
• Discovering an awesome new chocolate cake recipe with Joanne
• Working together with an amazing team behind CultureRun's Big Idea
• An opportunity to climb Mount Kinabalu (which has always been on my bucket list) that appeared out of the blue
• The occasionally-crazy, but also the sweetest, most loving cat in the world that makes me look forward to coming home every day
• Home-baked goodness
• Inspiring and challenging conversations that leave me fired up to do more, live more, be more, love more
• His grace, that is always enough

My cup overflows.

Good people

A loving person lives in a loving world.  A hostile person lives in a hostile world; everyone you meet is your mirror.  -Ken Keyes, Jr.

Time flies!

In July, it felt like I would never get used to this new phase of life. I struggled not only with fitting back into Malaysian culture but also with fitting into the working world. Change never comes easy, does it?

In July, I was also searching. For good people. I wrote: "I need to be reminded that good women and men exist. Good people. Alive people. Passionate people. Kind people. Real people."

Because life has a way of doing that thing to you. That thing where you feel you're alone, no one understands, and that you can't tell your struggles to anyone.

I still can't get over the fact that August rushed by like that. (But if I don't get around to my point now, September will have gone past too.)

Long story short, these past couple weeks have seen not a few, but many good people coming into my life.

It's been amazingly refreshing and motivating to be surrounded by real, imperfect, and yet so passionate, hopeful, and kind people.

But I have also been reminded that for these people to come into my life, I had to start opening up as well, and letting people in again.

In July I wondered to myself and several people: "Where are all the good people?"

Where are people who make your day better instead of worse, who give you a boost rather than bring your mood down, who change things rather than complain, who love thoughtful conversations rather than mindless gossip?

Today, I can say... they're everywhere. It just depends where you're looking.

A friend said, "I'm tired of looking for the right people."

But maybe it's not about looking elsewhere ie. hunting down 'perfect' friends, but rather, looking differently - ie. changing your perspective.

Over the past few weeks I've had the privilege of spending time with a group of people I initially was hesitant about - people I thought I would have very little in common with - just talking about life and faith and the meaning of it all.*

I was humbled, because I was reminded that no matter who we are or where we come from, we're all very much the same deep down. Despite how different we might seem on the outside, we share, in the words of Obama, "common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break."

*P/S - I think the best marketing / testimonial of any kind is when a sceptic becomes a believer. When the change or improvement becomes, tangible, real, personal.

Since I'd heard about it I've always been quite sceptical of the Alpha course, even after going on it once. But I'm glad I gave it another try, because not just have I realised how dynamic and uplifting it can be, but I also had the privilege to meet and talk to other huge sceptics and witness what a major shift of perspective can take place in just five weeks.

It's amazing what being surrounded by so much positivity and acceptance does - so if you ever get the chance to go on the course, don't miss it. Of course if you want me to help you find a course convenient for you (Alpha takes place in schools and workplaces worldwide), I'd be more than happy to.

See you later :)

I find that I'm not so scared of goodbyes these days like I used to be.

After 21 years on this earth, life has not failed to disappoint in that it always brings the people I need into my life.

Not necessarily those I want, though.

But if I am a better person today than I was a year, two years, five years ago (and I think I am), then those people must have been good for me. The ones I've had to say goodbye to - maybe they weren't what I needed at that point in life. And those goodbyes had to be said to make room for new people to walk in - people who were there to teach me things, to help me grow, to make me stronger, and, sometimes, sometimes... to slow me down, remind me that I'm human, and open my eyes to how beautiful life can be.

Life has also taught me that some goodbyes are not really goodbyes (more like 'See you later's). With some people, you can go without talking for weeks or seeing each other for months - but when you finally do, it's like all that time and distance never happened. If people are meant to stay in your life, they will. Even if you have to say a few goodbyes along the way. But they'll always be followed by the next 'Hello'. :)

So here's to goodbyes. The ones we need. The goodbyes that make room for better things. But also, the ones that don't last. The temporary goodbyes that show us how much the ones we care about mean to us.

And here's to the hellos that will follow. To new faces... and if you're lucky, to warm, familiar ones all over again.