Woke up this morning, and I knew it was going to be a slow day. I had slept for a solid eight hours, and yet my body was still refusing to get out of bed. That’s always a sign. A “slow day” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a “bad day”. I just won’t be following my original schedule. That’s all. It’s not bad, just different.
A lot of my friends journal as a way to process their internal stress. However, even though we all use the same word “journal”, the actual methods could not be more different. One person is very formal in her approach. She records a specific event in detail, and saves it on her computer. Another friend hand writes in her notebook, and lists the rational arguments about her decision making. While these methods have their own merits, they are vastly different from the way I journal.
Photo by picjumbo.com“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
– Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
When tragedy happens, we ask why. The reporters and social media flood us with various theories and responses. Why did it happen? How can someone commit such inhumane acts. We attribute the cause to religion, prejudice, advanced weaponry… looking for any and every external factor that could have culminated in the horrific events. But, I feel like there is one factor that we are afraid to really look into – our own human nature. Continue reading
Many years ago, there’s a really popular worship song called “Open the Eyes of My Heart.” One day, after service, a friend asked me “What are the ‘eyes of my heart’? The heart has no eyes?!” It stopped me dead in my tracks. I can see he was serious. Completely serious and baffled. To him, the heart was an organ in his body. It’s function was to pump blood through his veins. His heart had chambers, but it surely had no eyes. Continue reading
Have you ever felt like there’s something gnawing at you, but you just don’t know what it’s about? Well, that’s how I’ve been feeling this whole week. There was a heaviness on my heart, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t figure out what it’s about. For some reason, God was present, but quiet. And that almost made me more nervous. I knew He has a message for me, but I just couldn’t decode it…
Some days I miss being back in school. Don’t get me wrong. I definitely don’t miss those all night lab sessions or studying for exams. It is great to have a set schedule though. The school year starts in September and ends in May or June, and we move on to the next level at the end of that term. The transitions are clearly defined and it’s easy to track your progress. Real life, however, is not set up that way. Life flows in seasons instead of semesters.
Update 3/21/2016: I just checked this link, and looks like the free e-book download promotion is now finished. 😦 If you’re still interested in this item, the book (hard copy) is available here.
One of my favorite authors, Graham Cooke, is giving away his meditation journal for FREE! 
I’ve learned a lot about meditation and how to keep a quiet heart from Graham. His teachings have always inspired faith and hope in me, especially on difficult days. This book, Secret Sayings, Hidden Meanings, is a collection of questions and prompts for journaling or meditation. Continue reading
Apologies for the late update. The year started with some life changes, and it has taken a few weeks for me to find my rhythm. Thank you for waiting. 🙂
We’re only four weeks into 2016, and Changes are abound! After being at home for five years, I started working at a full-time job right before Christmas. My husband also started a new job a few weeks later. Both of our career changes presented exciting new opportunities. Even so, I had a hard time adjusting to the new routine both physically and emotionally.
Photo by picjumbo.comThese changes brought out the worst part of my persona. Every unexpected scenario triggered a complaint. In fact, my negativity was so intense that even I was tired of carrying it around. Realizing that my emotions were spinning out of control, I had to be quiet and do some inner work. Continue reading
The end of the year is a great time to reflect – especially the day after Christmas. After giving away all the gifts and catching up with friends and family, I feel like I’ve finished “the mission”, and can finally shift my gears down. There were so many changes for us this year – both in our personal lives and in the society around us. Reflecting on some of these changes made me feel uncertain about how to move forward into the new year.
Continue reading
Recently, I wrote an article about my journey into the contemplative tradition. I’m grateful that this article is now a guest post on Abbey of the Arts – a website that integrates contemplative practices and creative expressions.
Here’s a snippet from my article…
“Helpful Tips from the Recovering Perfectionist*
When I started practicing contemplative spirituality, I faced quite a culture shock. Being from the Silicon Valley, I was task oriented, perfectionistic, and goal driven… everything the contemplative ways are not. Where were the deadlines and checklists I’m so familiar with? It took quite a while for me to understand and adapt to this new and curious lifestyle.
The contemplative traditions are more “organic”. You can follow a plan and do the exercises, but the results are not so concrete. It’s more like watching plants grow. From day to day, the growth are so minuscule that they are barely noticeable. Similarly, when I started meditating and going on walks, I couldn’t really see where all these changes would take me. What would really come of just ten minutes of being quiet? Then, little by little, the peace and quiet from the few minutes spilled into the rest of my day. The changes didn’t come overnight, but they did come.
…Continue reading on Abbey of the Arts.
* Thanks to my friend Liwen Ho for introducing me to the phrase “recovering perfectionist.” 🙂
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