Self-motivation

Aphorisms teach life lessons not taught in school. They motivate and inspire. Reading quotes is good therapy too. It gives you an emotional and spiritual high, lifting your spirits immediately. Try it and see. The next time you are feeling down, or out of sorts, go to any quotes site and spend a few minutes going through the quotes. You will find your spirits uplifted immediately.

The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible. - David Viscott

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. - Ivern Ball

Do not rely completely on any other human being; however, dear. We meet life’s greatest tests alone. - Agnes Machphail

The big thing is not what happens to us in life – but what we do about what happens to us. - George H. Allen

Difficult things take a long time; the impossible takes a little longer. - Unknown

It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment. - Naomi Williams

Don’t give up. Normally it is the last key on the ring which opens the door. - Paulo Coelho

Remember that very little is needed to make a happy life. - Marcus Aurelius

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars. - Og Mandino

I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing. - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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Fame

What is fame? Is fame really important? Is it worth the sacrifice?

To be famous may seem glamorous, but the price is high. When you are famous, the first thing you lose is your privacy. You will be constantly under the spotlight, under scrutiny from the public. Expectations of you are high, and you live a life to please people you don’t know, people for whom you care little.

If you are lucky, you will be famous for a bit longer than others, while the fame slowly fizzles out. But eventually, someone will come along and replace you. Or you could easily fall from grace overnight, because of one wrong word or action.

Ultimately, fame is nothing but an empty name. In reality, there's no substance to it.

The fame of great men ought to be judged always by the means they used to acquire it. - Duc de La Rochefoucauld

Fame and tranquillity can never be bedfellows. - Michel De Montaigne

It is just the little touches after the average man would quit that make the master’s fame. - Orison Swett Marden

Fame is a bright flower, but weeds abound mostly around it. - Edward Counsel

Fame must have enemies, as light must have gnats. - Victor Hugo

I think that's the thing about fame or any notoriety. It's an illusion that you don't have to play by the rules any more, the rules of life. - Tom Waits

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Clouds

Clouds are water vapour mixed with bits of dust, ice or sea salt making them look like fluffy cotton. Clouds are constantly on the move. Propelled by the wind, and influenced by sunlight, they move across the sky creating scenes like a painter painting on an empty canvas.

People do not look up to the sky often enough to notice the changing clouds from moment to moment. Cloud-spotting is a cheap, and entertaining pastime.

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storms, but to add colour to my sunset sky.” - Rabindranath Tagore

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Life Lessons

Life’s lessons are passed down from the sages, gurus, philosophers, and the wise men before us who had experienced and understood what life is all about. They come to us in the form of aphorisms, maxims, proverbs and quotes. They are valuable lessons. If we could learn from them, we will be able to get a head start in life. They would be a great help to us in the Mastery of Life

No one is dumb who is curious. The people who don’t ask questions remain clueless through their lives. - Neil deGrasse Tyson

The keys to patience are acceptance and faith. Accept things as they are, and look realistically at the world around you. - Ralph Marsto

He who believes in nobody knows that he himself is not to be trusted. - Berthold Auerbach

Yesterday is gone and took away its tale. Today we must live a fresh story again. - Rumi

When someone does something wrong, don’t forget all the things they did right. - Unknown

Will, without reason, is a blind man's motion; will, against reason, is a madman's motion. - Benjamin Whichcote

The man who has anticipated the coming of troubles takes away their power when they arrive. - Seneca

If we can once believe that success is possible, success becomes possible. - Frank Chapman

He who is firm in will moulds the world to himself. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. - Buddha

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Golden Pothos

Golden Pothos – commonly known here as ‘money plant’ is a popular houseplant. The plant has a multitude of common names including Ceylon creeper, hunter’s robe, ivy arum, silver vine etc... However, the correct botanical name is Epipremnum aureum.

Pothos are non-flowering vine plants. They have attractive waxy, heart-shaped green leaves with yellow variegation. Easy to grow and care for, they are touted as one of top ten indoor plants. Apparently, this plant is also efficient at removing indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, trichloroethene, touen, xylene, and benzene.

People believed that money plants are good luck plants, and growing money plants at home will attract energy of wealth and prosperity. Perhaps that is why you see them in offices a lot.

Growing money plants is easy. They can grow in water alone. However, they do much better in soil. Cut a small section of the plant and stick it in a glass or jar of water. When they start growing roots, you can transfer them to the pot. Once they settle in their new environment, all they need is water and a bit of light. When the vines grow too long, just give it a trim, or grow new plants from the cuttings all over again.

These are some of my plants. They are one of my favourite plants because they are nice and easy to care for.

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Cheeky Humour

Laughter is our reflex to something that tickles our funny bone, our reflex to something which we find amusing. It is when we find, or see the humour – in a joke, an action or a situation. And it doesn’t matter if you revel in the coarsest puns or the raunchiest jokes.

Whatever humour works for you, it is great. The important thing is to have a sense of humour. And not to lose your sense of humour no matter how tough life gets.

Enjoy this week’s selection of humour! May you days be filled with laughter!

Writers fish for the right words like fishermen fish for, um, whatever those aquatic creatures with fins and gills are called. - Jarod Kintz

Remember: When you bury a body, cover it with endangered plants so it’s illegal to dig it up. - Unknown

The path of inner peace begins with four words – ‘Not my fxxking problem.’ - Unknown

If you think money can’t buy happiness, transfer it to my account. - Unknown

I don’t mean to brag, but I put together a puzzle in one day and the box said 2 to 4 years. - Unknown

We used to have village idiots, but with the internet, they’ve gone global. - Auntie Acid

A foolsih man complains about his torn pocket. A wise man uses it to sractch his bxlls. - Unknown

Failure is regarded in Hollywood as practically a contagious disease; people will literally cross the road to avoid someone who is tainted with it. - Barry Norman

I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot. - Kobe Bryant

He had a new girl, and I told him she looked like Marilyn Monroe. He smiled because he thought I meant she was beautiful, and I smiled because I meant she looked like a corpse. - Jarod Kintz

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Food For Thought

Every now and then, we come across a phrase, or a paragraph which arouses certain emotions in us. Perhaps the particular word, or phrase, or paragraph has a special meaning which we can relate to, or it may arouse some feelings or emotions we experienced in the past. Or, it may simply be that it describes something so appropriately, or so beautifully, that we always want to remember it.

Spare a few moments to ponder the following.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day. - Albert Einstein

When the mob governs, man is ruled by ignorance; when the church governs, he is ruled by superstition; and when the state governs, he is ruled by fear. Before men can live together in harmony and understanding, ignorance must be transmuted into wisdom, superstition into an illumined faith, and fear into love. – Manly P Hall

The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore… if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity – then we will treat each other with greater respect. This is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective. - David Suzuki

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Flower Photography

These photos were taken with my cell phone camera. I think they turned out quite nicely. What do you think?

The flowers are from the Flower dome. Inside the dome, there is no breeze. The flowers stay still and you can take your time to take a photo. This is when the dome is quiet and not too crowded. When there are too many people, it is difficult to take your time. You will find that people are literally standing behind you waiting for you to finish taking the photo. Dahlia

Chrysanthemum

Hollyhock

Japanese Camellia

Roses

Both the grand and the intimate aspects of nature can be revealed in the expressive photograph. Both can stir enduring affirmations and discoveries, and can surely help the spectator in his search for identification with the vast world of natural beauty and the wonder surrounding him. - Ansel Adams

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Communication

Miscommunication, or misunderstanding in a communication has been the cause of many quarrels, bad feelings and ruined friendships and relationships. Hence, it is important that we be good communicators.

Now, what does a communication entails? What are the components of a communication?

In a communication, there has to be; a) a transmitter or sender, someone who wants to ‘send’ a message, either verbally or through other non-verbal means like mails, texts, etc.. and b) a receiver, someone who the message is intended for.

It is the responsibility of the sender to make sure that the message he is sending is clear, concise and easy to understand. At the other end, it is the responsibility of the receiver to make sure that he understood the message correctly. If the message is not clear or if he does not understand the message, he should ask for clarification.

When the message sent has been received and understood, the communication process is completed. The communication is successful. It is a good communication. When the message is misinterpreted, or misunderstood, the communication has failed. It will be deemed a poor communication.

There are two main reasons resulting in a miscommunication: a) the message is not clear, and b) the inability of the receiver to grasp the entirety of the message.

To avoid miscommunication, don’t use big words. Use words that are simple, and easy to understand. Listen, or read carefully to what’s being said and not what you think is being said. And...

Don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. - Don Miguel Ruiz

Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people. - William Butler Yeats

Precision of communication is important, more important than ever, in our era of hair trigger balances, when a false or misunderstood word may create as much disaster as a sudden thoughtless act. - James Thurber

Learn to communicate, and to communicate well.

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Take Walks

To keep healthy, we need to exercise. One of the best exercises, strongly recommended by doctors nowadays, is walking.

Take walks. Walks are good for you. Be out in nature. Breathe the fresh air. Enjoy the greenery, see the colourful flowers, smell their fragrance. All these simple activities will refresh you, and lift your spirits.

Here are some photos taken when I was out on my walk.

A monitor lizard in the canal. There are quite a few of them. This is one of the babies. Sometimes, you find them on land.

If you cannot find a good companion to walk with, walk alone. It is better to be alone than to be with those who will hinder your progress. – The Buddha

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It's True

There is much to learn in life – especially about Life itself. We learn slowly, and sometimes painfully, through our experiences and mistakes.

However, some of these life lessons were already recorded down as aphorisms by the people who have gone on before us. If we could take some time to learn from these aphorisms, we will be able to get a head start in life, and save ourselves some heartache.

Take an interest in Aphorisms. Keep a note of those that inspire and motivate you for reference later.

Stay away from anger. It hurts only you and nobody else. If you are right, then there is no need to get angry. If you are wrong, then you don't have any right to get angry. - Buddhist Quote

The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful. - David Steindl-Rast

No man steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man. - Heraclitus

We are strangers to our hidden potential until we confront problems that reveal our capabilities. - Apoorve Dubey

Every great advancement in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. - John Dewey

Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us. - Susan L. Taylor

We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives. - John F. Kennedy

Sometimes, you don’t feel the weight of what you have been carrying until you feel the weight of its release. - Unknown

Anybody can sympathize with the suffering of a friend, but it requires a fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success. - Oscar Wilde

It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have. - James Baldwin

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A Blast From The Past

A collection of Singapore street scenes from the past. Images are courtesy of Facebook Pages ‘The Long and Winding Road’, and ‘Heritage SG Memories’ and '十里之外'.

Arab street

Bras Basah road

Imagine John Lennon at Bugis street

Cross Street

Duxton road

Hill Street in the late 20s

North Bridge road

Philip street 1950s

Robinson road

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Laughter

Laughter translates into any language and is contagious. So, when possible, where possible, laugh. Your laughter might be the only ray of sunshine some people see for the whole day.

The following images are taken from Facebook pages and Whatsapp messages. I hope they bring on a chuckle or at least put a smile on your face. May your days be filled with laughter.

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