If you are wondering where are the gratitude series, it’s on the way! I have a challenge deciding which post to go “Live” first but it will be out in due time.

Nonetheless I would like to blog about my recent goings, like I say this is very much my personal life record that I will revisit and I am sharing it with you because I hope that it will give you some food for thoughts =)

The title “Eat, Pray, Love” just came out instantaneously, but I firmly believe the 3 words summed it up well and it is indeed a blessing to do just that.

Eat, I am grateful for the awesome food that I get to taste, oh wells if you are hanging out with me I am sure you will agree that I am very much a foodie =)

Pray, I have always say this to my closest buddies that I believe that all religions are here for the good of mankind so I really do respect each of them all. And my personal experience is that at all times, through good and bad times, having spiritual support and guidance is comforting and knowing that the universe is there, it is somewhere out there.

Love, I am really grateful for the superb and unconditional love from my family, buddies and love. I would not be where I am today without all of them. Thank you.

I would like to share with you a quote I recently read on Anthony Robbin’s website:

I have always been an advocate for the topic on “Gratitude“, and I totally agree with what Anthony Robbin mentioned with regards to this, and it further reinforces or should I say amplify my understanding of the Law of Attraction that when you are being grateful for the things and people you already have in your life, the universe will only be sending you more of it because it knows that you can handle it.

Your Priorities In Life Analyzer

Finally before I end this post, I would like to share with you an activity that I have gone through recently following a volunteers’ training at a local hospice and I thought that it is an insightful experience as much as it is for us to grapple the fact and understand what our patients are going through.

It has been an experience where I really took time and thought to relook and reflect upon.

I would sincerely encourage you to partake in this quick activity if you can =) And I hope that this serves you well.

Here’s How It’s Being Done….

Step 1: On 4 small sheets of paper write down on each paper, a material item that you swear by, it could be your car, your laptop, your mobile phone, your house so on and so fourth.

Step 2: On another 4 small sheets of paper write down on each paper an activity that you will do whatever it takes to upkeep, some examples are travelling, watching movies, golf, gaming etc.

Step 3: On yet another 4 small sheets of paper write down on each paper a person whom you love and adore.

Really Feel It

Now you will have 12 small sheets of paper with you, with material items, activities and individuals starring into your face. I would like you to take time to relive or simply recall the feelings and sensations that you get from each thing, activity or person. Feel that happiness, the joy and the love your receive when owning the material items, engaging in the activities and being with your loved ones.

Now, here is the kicker, but I would have to say that the following will be much more impactful when you have a facilitator conducting this activity with you but nonetheless it is a good reflection activity that you can do it on your own.

A) Imagine, for some unforeseen circumstances, you need to forgo 4 sheets of paper, which is reflective in our lives that some times we need to give up and sacrifice, which one willl you be letting go first?

B) Now imagine life just keeps throwing its curves at you and you need to forgo another 4 sheets of paper, which would you discard? Is it the materials that you may still own, your activities that you are super enthusiastic to be involved in or the individuals whom you loved with all your heart that you will forgo.

C) There is no right or wrong answers, but it is a reflection activity that may or may not give your new fresh perspectives if you have been muddled all this while.

So finally with 4 sheets in hand, you need to decide, at this point in time, when I was doing the activity myself, I could see participants having tears welled up in their eyes and some are already crying and I did felt a tinge of heaviness in my heart because as much as this is an activity, it is very much a reflection and how we have set our priorities in life.

Without second guessing, the facilitator says we have to decide to discard 3 out of the 4.

And the last straw was yet to be drawn, because at the end of the activity, she mentioned that in usual circumstances she would for the final show down, really walk around and start pulling the last piece of paper that the participants are holding on, but she did not because she felt that it was already too much for some of us.

So how are you feeling if you have been through this activity with me?

Honestly in my personal experience with this, I felt like someone has just given me a clean filter to look into my life, like how you are having a new pair of eyes with clean and clear crisp lens.

I am not exactly sure what are the last 4 sheets of paper in your hands, but for many of us it were those of people whom we love and adore.

But before I dwell on further on what is my thoughts on it, just to enlighten you on the purpose of this activity for the volunteers is such that we experience and put ourselves in the shoes of our patients living in the hospies that overtime in the course of their illnesses, they have to give up on things, experiences and people. Because at the end of the day for your last journey it is you and only you whom will truly understand the feelings and agony and turmoil.

Anyway my take home message from this activity was that it really made me realised that what I have been fighting for, the house, the car, the travels they are all really nice things and experiences to have but at the end of the day the “thing” that we fight hard and guard with our lives and not let it be removed are the people whom we have in our lives.

Like I say this is for me very much a reflection on the priorities that I have and ought to set in life and I am not saying that you should not strive for the beautiful things in life but just know your priorities. I would still love to have a beautiful home, a gorgeous car to drive in and travel around the world but all these will only be made complete with my family, buddies and life partner in toll to experience them all together.

Finally I hope that this post has served you well, till the next post, live well, be happy, be grateful, be kind. With love, JY Chia and here is wishing you a merry holiday season! =)