Posts

Workplaces

  We spend much of our life at our respective workplaces. It is where we socialise, grow, nurture our abilities and earn an income to sustain our lifestyles. It is also where we spend majority of our waking hours. So it naturally becomes our environment that lends itself to our personality development. Picture this: Workplace 1 A workplace where nobody is allowed to talk to anyone. Lunches are quiet affairs on the desk. Only interactions  you have are work related and totally to the point. Nobody dares pass a smile or worst still, have a conversation with another colleague for the bosses might think they are wasting their time and have nothing to do.  Daily routine in such a place will look like this: Arrive at work at the same time. Sit down and work. Eat lunch. Work more. Go home. Work some more as the boss will be upset if you did not send them reports later tonight. This entire process repeats the next day and carries on through the week. On the weekends, you are to s...

Being in the moment

 It was N's 16th birthday. Her special milestone day in her absence. She died in 2017, just after her 9th birthday. Usually when they turn sweet 16, they have special plans on how they would like to celebrate this milestone birthday and parents usually just have to provide for the budgets and logistics of their requests. In my case, she wasn't there and I was conflicted on what I must do. Over the years, I had done charity events, public awareness drives and competitions in her memory. This year, I felt emotionally fatigued and at a loss of energy to plan and execute anything grand. My heart yearned for something simple, thoughtful and quiet. So after much deliberation and thanks to my sisters, we decided to do just that - a simple, quiet family get together. It was perfect, I thought. She would have loved to spend this day with her family for the first time. All her birthdays during her lifetime, she kept hoping to spend with her family but it sadly never happened.  The day c...

Casual Conversations & Friendly Banter

It was a difficult year for Anna as she had taken a gap year at the ripe age of 45 to pursue what had always been her calling. For years, having done just a job to support her family was weighing on her. Kids were growing up and finding their feet. The husband, as loving as he was, found it strange that she took such an abrupt decision to quit her job and 'sit at home'. Anyways the job was a remote one so he could not understand the fuss about not being able to do the usual hours and pursue whatever passion emerged, after work hours. "You barely do much around the house anyways! If anything, your weight and progressively changing dress sizes indicate that certainly", he said in front of their common friends. Everyone except Donna and Anna laughed.  Kim was anxious about her school reunion. On the chat group, people were sharing how successful they were, one could see a few looked perfect too as if age seemed to have totally escaped them. Kim considered skipping it but...

The Compassion Quotient

  Ever wondered if this world really recognises the importance of empathy and compassion? Within your social circle, workplace, school, university, or even random stranger interactions, what kind of people stand out for you? Who is that one person you remember that left a lasting impression? I have believed firmly that "People will forget what you did for them, they will always remember how you made them feel". Compassion as a subject is very close to my heart and via this blog, I plan to explore every day life situations via Ethical and Moral Dilemmas for people to reflect on. The blog is a diary of personal and extended secondary, tertiary experiences of people in various circumstances where Compassion played a part in building resilience, strength and success. Become a Compassion Champion! This blog is a movement that encourages us to reflect on various examples so it is an immersive, engaging platform for you to anonymously share your experiences and for the growing co...