CompassionQuotient

  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...

 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...