LAUGH IT ALL OFF

A couple of days ago, I watched a Dharma video on Youtube and the Vajra Master Samantha was sharing her experience with a cancer-stricken man. The man came to consult her on how he can prolong his life. The catch is he didn't want to do any of the usual homework that the Vajra Master gives, nor does he wish to make any donation to anywhere to accumulate merits.He said he didn't have the time or knowledge about this. He wanted to leave his money behind for his wife & children.

I wonder why he came to a Buddhist master seeking advice, when he didn't subscribe to the beliefs & ways of doing things.

Then the experienced and smart Vajra Master Samantha said alright, then make it a point to look into the mirror and laugh hard every morning. On top of that, he was to laugh heartily 3 times a day and countless smiles. Not the grin kind of laugh, but the laugh-very-hard kind.

No matter what he experienced, regardless of how people treat him. he had to be able to laugh about it. Laugh heartily about whatever that happens in life.

The man went home and thought about how to laugh so hard, when he was so frightened about having only 3 more months to live.

3 years later, he came to look for the Vajra Master Samantha and upon seeing her, he laughed very heartily, infecting everyone present with his contagious laughter. And the first thing Master Samantha said, "你好！你還在啊！" (You're still around!)

He made it through.

The subsequent days after the consultation, he went out to rent all kind of comedies in both English & Chinese. Everyday he would spent many hours watching the shows and read all kinds of funny things and laughed and laughed and laughed. And as the days started ticking by, his heart started opening up, he started to realise how silly and superficial humans can be chasing after things that didn't really matter in the face of death. He found it laughable and started laughing about life. He gained a new insight about himself and somehow managed to laugh his cancerous cells away.

That got me thinking abit. 對於人生的得失，我要多久才不會那麽計較？ 還有多少時間給我學？

I dread to think that I might just die unhappy and unfulfilled. And I probably would if I die now.

I am not a optimistic person by nature. And it shows, I think. People don't gravitate towards me as readily. 我人不坏啊。 I find myself very closed up when being around with people, especially people I am not familiar with. I fret about what they think of me. My pessimistic thinking has hindered much of my life, aspirations and interactions with people. I hope to be a person who is able to give out positive energy. Life is short, why should we spend too much energy being negative?

It's an irony that we spent the first 10-20 years preparing ourselves for working life & learning the best possible way to make money. But how come on the MRT, I still don't see many happy people, do you?

I woke up the next day, trying to laugh into the mirror. Oh man, it was hard. Strange leh, why is laughing with no one around still so hard? Something inside my brain and the way I behave need to be rewired.

“人生能夠向彌勒佛一樣笑口長開，這是值得去學習, 也是我們追求的。

每天，什麽事情都能夠淡化，都能夠看開，都能夠放下，都能夠大笑，不是微笑，是嘴巴張開大笑。 這樣子的笑，一生當中有幾次，一個禮拜有幾次，一天有幾次?

我們不敢講一個禮拜，幾個月有一次這樣子哈哈哈笑出來從内心笑出來，笑不停的，開懷的。 要什麽事情能夠讓你笑開懷。能這樣子大笑的有幾次？”

~ 蓮花麗惠上師

So today, I went on Youtube to find something to laugh about & I remembered Ellen Degeneres. I like her sense of humour.

 

One of the videos that crack me up and I hope it does for you too. If it doesn't, alright let's try this. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Metta, 欣雨 Xinyu

Staying positive

I have been feeling down recently, due to a whole lots of stuff. Been trying to sleep early, but somehow working at TFL has thrown my sleep cycle topsy turvy. Okay, not that I was an early sleeper pre-TFL.

I was a notorious late comer in school. From primary, to secondary to jc and of course Uni...I just CAN'T sleep & wake up early! I got so many dentention & warning letters I lost count. Even my mum gave up on me. If I had to do a 9-5job, you see how I die. During my flying days, I used to curse & swear when I have morning flight. The job was so not for me.

And tonight was one of those nights I feel obliged to work, but yet by the time I switched on my laptop, it was 330am. You know, at least settle some stuff before going to sleep. I have like 1001 things on my mind. Wanting to think abt TFL for 2014, wanting to do more translation for my Grand Master's Dharma sermons, wanting to set up a new site for my new venture (nothing to do with fashion, if you are wondering) and all these are things that take lots of time. Not a quick surf and I will get my answers kind.

The Husband says I always take on too many things but I would be like it's now or never, no? Maybe I need to be quicker in doing things. Maybe I need to be more decisive. And if I can't decide, go bug people who can help me and pay for their services if necessary. Like this setting up of a new site. I am so TERRIBLE at art and everything that needs a sense of creativity. Sometimes I think for TFL to have come so far, it's always very amazing. Thank Buddha thank Guan Yin thank all deities. Really.

Yes, I should just save up for it, sacrifice some things, and just pay for some pro service. So I can keep the whatever hair I have left on my head before I start pulling all out.

Anyway, so I turned on my laptop at 330am. Feeling torn between sleeping & doing some work. And somehow, I went to Blogilates website.

I like Cassey Ho alot. More than Amanda Russell, whom I previously blogged about. Cassey has full-length videos. Her moves are less complicated for me and I adore how colourful her videos are and how she's so energetic and positive. She has an inspiring story on how she became a fitness trainer & it's so amazing that her Youtube channel & website gives us all we need to have a fit lifestyle & a great body! It's SO COMPLETE! She even has monthly calendars of workouts for us to follow everyday!

 Natural Belly Slimming Detox Water Recipe on Blogilates.com

I have been following her on Instagram for sometime. Though I am very impressed with her dedication & energy, I have never made the effort to do her workout. Does playing it in the middle of the night & watching it to feel the infectious energy count? Haha.

For some strange reason, when I randomly visited her website today, I was attracted to the "The 5 Best Ab Exercises" videos in her latest post.

I clicked 'Play', lied on my Seahorse mattress bed (super hard enough to be double up as a yoga mat on the floor, but not that painful for my problematic back), used my Ikea alarm clock (it was the heaviest object within that close proximity) as the weight for one of the moves and I NEARLY DIED doing those moves. First 2 minutes was easy-peasy....then I start to feel my upper ab muscles cramping up...oh my tian! I have concealed upper abs!!

I couldn't follow all the moves at the same time, but like what Cassey says, "Even if you didn't get through the whole thing, it's ok. You got through the whole at your BEST level. And everyday, you are better than you were yesterday! And that's all I want from you. I want you to reach your BEST potential. It's in THERE!"

The best thing about this random 10-minute Ab exercise at 330am is I felt real good afterwards. Not that those worries are gone like magic but suddenly things seem more possible! There is this mysterious new-found energy to charge forward. Haven't look myself in the mirror, but hey I'm feeling this post-dying-ab-exercise glow on my face! Gosh, I must really make more effort to do Cassey's workouts! I am not the kind who like to cramp myself in a gym or studio & workout with many ladies. And I believe exercise at home is possible without forking out a sum of money to work out (save on all the gym clothes. I can wear the same outfit & no one would care.)

If you feel the need to lose some weight to feel better about yourself, the above video has great tips!

I think Lord Buddha really heard my prayers just now and this is the answer to my worries. WORKOUT to feel on top of the world & I will be able to see things & do things with new energy & zest!!!

If you harbour this secret dream of having a Victoria's Secret Angel's body, Cassey has the complete workouts for various body parts on her Youtube channel too!

You know...if I have a quarrel with the Husband & say, he wants to do something to show his apology, I think I will ask him to do this workout with me...and see how he survive...Muahahaha.

Train like a Beast, look like a Beauty.

My motto for 2014.

From Cassey's e-store. So lemming for this! I love hoodies!



Metta, 欣雨 Xinyu

HAPPY PLANTS 開心苗

On Saturday, we were shopping at Sembawang Shopping Centre when the Husband spotted this.

Sorry for the blurry pic!

The Husband was attracted by the crowd and dragged a tired me over.

These adorable Big Bird's head lookalike plants were drawing crowds by the throngs! That explains my 'overcast' photo. 

At first, I thought they were ordinary indoor plants, packaged to be small, portable & really easy to take care, but guess what?? They are actually DRAGON FRUIT PLANTS!! Yes, that dragon fruit that we eat!

The seller, Ken, was explaining to us how they shrunk the plant biological makeup by 50 times, so that the plants would stay small & not overgrow into the real dragon fruit tree which looks like this.

They restrict the amount of nutrients fed to the plant by using coconut husks in the pots. There is no fertilizers and no soil so that they won't attract insects. Since there is no insects, no one would have to kill intentionally or unintentionally. So these made the plants really vegetarians!

I really think this is such an innovative idea! The pot is cute and handy to move around. Almost everyone like seeing some greens around, be it at home or at office! It would be great if there are different sizes for people to choose though. I have this huge dining table at home and this small pot looks kinda miserable on it. A medium pot would be great!

Low maintenance aside, another amazing thing about this Happy Plant is it ABSORBS radiation! They did this experiment with 2 plants where they put Plant A besides a computer at the work place and Plant B at a room near the window with sunlight exposure.

After 6 months, Plant A looks like:

Wow, really look like dragon fruit plant! But Plant B still looks pretty much the same. Ken claimed that showed the plant strive on radiation instead of sunlight and how this Happy Plant is not just pretty to look at but really useful to have around too.

This is my first time seeing this plant and knowing its capabilities. Though I'm well aware that plants can help improve indoor air quality, I have no idea that some can absorb radiation from our electrical devices and grow. Now, why don't the electronic shops start putting more of such plants around for the sake of its staff too?

I chose the Happy Plant 'Live' for the Husband to put in his office! It costs S$22 for this pot. A plastic round tub is also provided for watering the plant every 15 days. You are to fill the plastic tub with water to the half-level mark and put the whole pot in the tub. There's a hole at the pot base and the coconut husk would absorb the water in 5 minutes. Really cool!

We asked if the plants were genetically modified to stay so small but Ken said he's a Christian and he didn't believe in such work. So do we! So these Happy Plants are really au naturel and organic!

They are expected to live 1-1.5 years. And after which, you can bring the pot back to Green Inn Organic Plant and buy a new dragon fruit plant for half price. Oh man, I would be really sad to see it die!

By the time we left Sembawang Shopping Centre at 10plus at night, there were still onlookers at the stall. 開心苗好有攝召力哦！

Randomly, while Googling for how dragon fruit plants look like, I stumbled upon this pic of cutting the dragon fruit such that it resembles a lotus. How quaint!!

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

THE GOWN WAREHOUSE

I'm real excited for my sister-in-law who set up this new venture with her partner.

Looking for affordable wedding gowns or DND gowns? You won't walk away disappointed!

Will be paying The Gown Warehouse a visit over the weekend and I will be back with more pics to share with you ladies!

Here's one of my favourites from their Facebook Page!

Have a wonderful week ahead, girls! And in case you didn't know, TFL's latest launch is up at www.tianfenlan.com! =D


Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu