A friend sent this to me.  It’s amazing.  It will either scare you or elate you.

For me, my virtual age went down about 15 years and life expectancy increased by 15 years.

So parents, if you want to know whether you have or a shorter or longer life expectancy,  click on the link below and try it out.

http://www.sonnyradio.com/realage3.swf

Just be honest and happy trying.

It has been 6 months since I ended my marriage of 27 years last August 2009.  Life has been wonderful to me and there are 2 kinds of reactions that I get:

The one from my “in-laws” is hostile.  I am barred from all family gatherings from his side.  Nonetheless, my 2 sister-in-laws (ex-brother-in-laws’ wives) are still in touch with me.  Occasionally, we will go for meals and catch-up on what is happening.

My own family has been very supportive, especially my children.  They are sensitive kids and I really want to thank them for helping me through this period.  My stand is that he is still their father and he is welcome to join any family functions where the children are involved.  Other than my children’s birthdays and mine, he has avoided other functions involving my other family members.

For my mum, accepting the separation initially was a pain to her.  She has since accepted the fact and seeing me cheerful again was a consolation to her.   My own siblings had been supportive in their silent ways, respecting my decision.

For the past one year, close friends who knew about my relationship challenge have been giving me moral support.  I really appreciate the time they had taken to accommodate me when I was down.

The painful decision took me one year to deliberate after weighing the pros and cons.  Without financial, emotional and physical support from your spouse and still burden with taking care of 4 children, the strain was too much to bear.  I broke down in Dec 2008 where I left home for 2 nights, just to think things over.  We went through 2 rounds of counseling with the situation remaining status quo.  That’s when I make the decision . . .

And what have I been doing these past 6 months . . .

• I was involved in the Parenting Conference held on 23 Jan 2010 where preparation started way back in Sep 2009.  The event was supported by 2 government bodies.  We had more than 10 sponsors and the team of 7 really worked our heart out.
• In Nov 2009, I was offered a job in a bookstore and started worked in Dec 2009.  After 2 months’ probation, my boss confirmed my appointment.  This is the third month and I am still negotiating for more pay to compensate for the amount of time I spend in the company.  Very positive environment and I kind of like it.
• In Dec 2009, I also took on the role of co-ordinator with a secondary school.  Something new to me but I am one person who enjoy learning new things.

Life is short and I still look on to every day as a new day.  Every one has a choice how they want to live and I have chosen mine.  The years ahead may get lonelier when my children start they own families.  Well, who knows . . . I may find a second Mr Right.  Ha ha . . .

Hi Singapore parents

Time flies – here’s a new beginning of another year and a new decade 2010.

May you a wonderful new month and a happy new year.    

Don’t work too hard but work smart.  May your boss appreciate you and say !

Take care of yourself.    Pamper yourself and buy some beautiful.

Don’t worry because   will come from above.   May you also purchase or change a house and a car.

     
May the days ahead be busy but easy working, relax and go holiday around the world.   It’s important to have good health, therefore at more  and less carbos,

Do remember to exercise at least once a week.    Don’t fight with your sweetheart, and be generous to say : “I  you.”

So parents, Wish all of you the best!

Today, would like to share some words of wisdom with you:

Walk for 10 - 30 minutes every day, while smiling.

Sit quietly for at least 10 minutes every day, in isolation, if necessary.

Upon arising in the morning, one must immediately say: “My goal today is . . . . . . . ”

Listen to quality music every day.  This is real nourishment for the soul.

Live with the 3 Es - ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM and EMPATHY.

Play more games than last year.

Read more books than last year.

Look at the sky at least once a day, appreciating the majesty of the world that surrounds us.

Dream more while awake.

Eat more food that come from trees and plants.  Eat less manufactured food.

Eat berries and nuts.  Drink green tea, plenty of water and a glass of wine each day; toast something beautiful in life and if possible, in the company of a loved one.

Try to make a least 3 people laugh every day.

Eliminate clutter in the home, the car and the office.  Let a new energy enter your life.

Do not spend your precious time immersed in rumours, things from the past, negative thoughts or things beyond your control.  It is better to invest your energy in the positive present.

Life is a school and we are here to learn.  Problems are lessons that come and go; what we learn from them will serve us for the rest of our lives.

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

Smile and laugh more often.

Do not let an opportunity pass to hug a friend.

Life is too short to waste time hating someone.

Do not take yourself so seriously.  Nobody else does.

It is not necessary to win every argument.  One must accept that the other person is not in agreement and learn from his position.

Make peace with your past so as not to ruin your present.

Do not compare your life with others.  You have no idea of the highways they have travelled during their lives.

Nobody is responsible for your happiness, except yourself.

Remember well that we have no control over what happens to us but only what we do.

Learn something new every day.

What others think of us is not completely under our control.

Appreciate your body and its marvels.

Whether the situation is good or bad, it will change.

Work will not take care of us when we are sick.  Our friends will.  Stay in contact with them.

Reject everything that is not useful, amusing or beautiful.

Do not lose time.  We already have all the things we need.

The best is yet to come.

Nothing is as important as sitting, standing, getting dressed and helping others.

Have fantastic sex, always in harmony with the other person.

Phone your family regularly and tell them “Hi, I was thinking of you.”

Each day, before going to sleep, say: “I am thankful for _____________.  Today, I succeeded in _____________.”

Remember that we have too much that is good to be stressed.

Enjoy the voyage.  There is only one chance to be successful.

Life is beautiful.  You must appreciate it as much as possible.

(Author unknown)

Singapore parents, have a wonderful journey through these words of wisdom.

Today, would like to share with you an extract about “Thoughts for this moment . . .”

 Do not take away someone’s hope, it may be all they have to hold on to.

Do not make decisions when you are angry, take cause of your physical body.

Do not pay for a job until it is finished.

Be careful of those who have nothing to lose.

Learn to say NO but do so with kindness and caring

Do not expect life to be fair.

Do not worry about losing a battle if this helps you win the war.

Do not put things off.  Do what is needed to be done in the moment.

Do not be afraid of saying “I don’t know” or “I am sorry”.

Contemplate the dawn hours at least once a year.

Look into the eyes of people.

Loveliness is a state of mind.  You do not need other people to love yourself.

There is nothing good or bad in life. it is all about choices so choose wisely.

Treat everyone as you would like to be treated.

Live in the moment. Do not rush ahead . . .

There is much to taste life in the “now”.

Do not be hard on yourself.  You have come to this life to learn al about who you are so enjoy the experience.

Always tell the truth.

Do not believe al that you hear and do not say al that you think.

Much of your growth as a person will come through hardships and challenges.

Enhance those and know you will be better, stronger and wiser because of them.

Learn to listen, it is an ART.

Life is all about energy.  Try to feel it around you, through you and in you.

Distinguish the positive from the negative.

Enjoy the beauty of this Earth all around you.

Do not get out of control at any time, breathe deeply.

There are no coincidence and no accidents in life.  Everything big or small is for a reason.  Pay careful attention.

Meditate at least 30 minutes a day.

Enjoy times of rest.

Nurture and maintain your friendships.

Live more in your heart and less in your head.

Get rid of hatred and bitterness, they do more harm.

There are those things in life that can never be recaptured: the spoken word, time passed and opportunities.

Do one thing at a time and do it well.

There are 2 dominant energies in life – LOVE and FEAR

LOVE overcomes all.  Stay our of FEAR.

There is nothing to fear, it only brings chaos.

Love your body.  It knows what you think, from your emotions spring health or illness.  Send yourself positive thoughts al the time.  One day, you will look back over all that you did in this life and you will die with laughter . . .

Surround yourself with LIGHT everyday!

(Author unknown)

So parents, something to ponder on this weekend . . .

One day, a donkey fell into a dried well.  The poor donkey cried for several hours to no avail.  The desperate farmer tried in vain to have it rescued.  Finally, the farmer decided the donkey was old, the well ought to be covered, so it was not worth the while to save the donkey.

The farmer then gathered all the neighbours to help him cover the well.  Everyone took the hoe and started filling up the well.

The donkey immediately realized what was happening.  Initially, it continued to wail.  However, shortly, it quiet down.  After a while, the farmers could not bare their curiosity and decided to take a look.  What they saw was a shocking sight.

For every scoop of soil ploughed onto the donkey’s back, it shook them off and fiercely stamped them on the ground.

With that, the donkey was able to elevate itself out of the well in no time.  It jumped out of the well and sped off.  Everyone was amazed by this act.

Morale of the story – actually life is just so.  For all difficulties and setbacks, it will fall on our back.  To get out of this suffering well and move towards success and glory, there is only one way.  That is, shake them off and heavily stomped them onto the ground. Because, for life’s difficulties and failures, it is actually the stepping stone in one’s journey. 

So parents, do share this story with you kids.

I read with interest 2 articles in today’s Straits Times - Mind and Body section:

• Retire, but keep working on Page 2 and
• Working retirees in better health on Page 5

I cannot agree more.  After retirement, one must continue to work in some ways to stay active.  That way, you will also be in better health.

3 years ago, I opted for early retirement with my company of more than 30 years.  I remembered my HR Manager telling me: “June, you are still young.  Why do you want to retire?”  My answer was:  “I have given 30 years of my life with this company.  I want to try new things and do things that I like.”

Well, I must say the last 3 years have been very fulfilling for me.  I have been working part-time to get things going as I still have 3 school going children.  During this time, I also learn many new things and made many new friends.

What I would like to share is you have a choice.  Be it wealth, career, health, family, knowledge and social aspects, you decide what you want.  For me, my concentration is on health, family and knowledge.

For healthy living, I practise Reiki and watch my diet.  Reiki has helped my physical being to look younger and rid me of many ailments.  As for diet, have been dishing out salads and simple delicious meals which my family enjoys.

For family, I am glad that I am able to spend more time with my mum who is catching up life in her 70s.  For my children, I am pleased to see them growing up to be confident and mature kids.

For knowledge, this is a never ending journey.  New found interest was acting with Theatre For Seniors with The Necessary Stage since March 2008.  We will be staging another public performance in March 2010.

So Singapore parents who are thinking of retirement, do plan and stay active.  That’s the way to go . . .

The above event has been postponed to 23 January 2010.   For those of you who are still interested, do log on to http://www.familiesfortomorrow.sg/  for registration.

Cheers

@ 23 Oct 2009

Hi Singapore Parents

Are your children’s exam over?  For those still in progress, I wish you and your family good luck and good health.

Come 21 November 2009, do give yourselves a break.  Join the Parenting Conference at Hersing Hub, Toa Payoh, 743 Lorong 5, Singapore 319457.  Hear the following 4 speakers touch on topics such as:

• Protecting and strengthening marriages by Mr Simon Sim
• Nurturing and developing a learning resilient child by Dr Moo Swee Ngoh
• Communicating and managing emotions effectively in the family by Mr Jason Ng
• Healthy money management for the family by Mr Dennis Ng

Also concurrently, children from Primary 1 to Secondary 2 can participate in fun and activity-based learning workshops such as:

• Genius brain development training
•  Magical journey to creative thinking
• Habits of successful teenagers
• Money wise apprentice camp

This event is organised by Family For Tomorrow, an appointed School Family Education (SFE) service provider which conducts family eduction programmes at primary/ secondary schools and junior colleges.  It is supported by Ministry of Community Development , Youth & Sports (MCYS) and Health Promotion Board.

So parents, if you are interested, do log on to http://www.familiesfortomorrow.sg/  for registration.

Would like to share with you the following flu tales . . .

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu.  Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy.  When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then).  The doctor couldn’t believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope.  She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion.  It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy. 

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ.  She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers.  The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop.  To her surprise, none of her staff got sick.  It must work..  (And no, she is not in the onion business.)

The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home.  If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere.  Try it and see what happens.   We did it last year and we never got the flu.

If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better.  If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case..

Whatever, what have you to lose?  Just a few bucks on onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Singapore parents, on your next visit to the market or supermarket, just pick up the onions!

Yesterday, I was at 8Q, Singapore Art Museum and did an art piece using some of my past articles and photographs. The invitation was by Felicia Low who was tasked to do visual arts from people relating what they want to do with their lives.

I shared on My 100 successes, Reflections for Year 2008, Half A Century Old and Remembering My Dad.

At this point of time, I want to live life to the fullest, enjoy what I do and follow my heart.  The 3 things I want to focus on are:

v    To do more training - with my NPL certification, I would like to help willing parties improve their lives;

v    To write more articles on health and parenting topics which I am passionate to share with other parents;

v    To continue to use my ‘magic’ hands and apply Reiki to those in need.

So parents, do make a trip down to 8Q, 8 Queens Street Level 3, Felicia Low’s My Space and see my ‘master’ piece.  The exhibition is on until Dec 2009.