So once in a while, I’ll share interesting facts and discoveries with my students. Sometimes, they’ll share it with me.

Earlier in the month, one of my students, Ben, showed me an image from National Geographic and Fox News which totally blew me away.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/18/albino-cyclops-shark-is-real-experts-say/

This is an albino white shark. A severely mutated one with only one eye. Mutations like this occur every now and then but it is extremely rare to be able to capture one on film, much less capture one. As far as I know, this ‘Cyclops shark’ is probably the only one caught thus far. Most mutated offspring of wild animal will usually die off at a young age due to natural selection.

I was expecting a squeamish response from my kids, but most of my students whom I showed it to compared it to the enduring one-eye green monster from Pixar’s Monster Inc. They found it cute instead. Oh well.
If you like to find out more, just Google “Cyclops Shark” and search for the images!

Well, here’s a game I found online that is pretty fun and yet educational at the same time! Edutainment, as they call it.

http://www.kongregate.com/games/CellCraft/cellcraft

Do check it out!

Just came back from an overseas trip

A Quote from my GF which I really love.

“I think the most enjoyable part of being in Bali is the people. I wouldn’t exactly say that they have good customer service, instead, I’ll put it that they have excellent human service.

There is a difference when people treat you as a customer and as a human.”

“What are lifeskills?”

What are lifeskills?! I realized that I had to think really hard! Lifeskills has always been a noble idea of sorts, but its boundaries had been elusive to my understanding. Defining lifeskills and putting it into words was difficult, and the best answer I could give was amazingly vague.

And I later found out why. The definition of Lifeskills is really vague. Ask ten different people on the street and you will likely get ten different answers.

I was then given a model answer, which went something like this,

“Lifeskills is anything that helps you become better in life. It can range from financial management to self-belief to dining etiquette.”

And that itself is also amazing vague and broad. What does becoming better in life mean? It’s the kind generalization that encompasses everything but yet gives you nothing specific to work on. But before I could dive into that arena, I was asked another question.

“What does lifeskills mean to you?”

And that question simply nailed it. The definition of lifeskills does not matter at all.

Imagine this four-legged object right in front of you. You can sit on it and it even has a back support for you to lean on. It is a distance from you, and you ask a friend next to this object to carry it over.

What would you call this object? (A chair?)

But what if the object does not have a back support? What will you call it then? (A stool?)

The truth is, you can call it whatever you want (Even if you referred to it as the ‘thing’, it’s cool too). As long as you and your friend have an alignment on what that object is called, the actual definition of a chair or a stool does not even come into consideration.

So what is important really, is my definition of lifeskills. And to get everyone else interacting with me aligned with it (or reach an alignment everyone can accept).

It is all in the mind

And to me, lifeskills is all about the mind. It ranges from the image one sees himself as, to the way he reacts during dire circumstances.

But for now, my focus is to bring the success mindset to people I meet. The belief that no dream is too far-fetched as long as I can find ways to chart a path to reach that goal. The belief that the success is already in my hands, and it will manifest itself so long as I continue to remain committed. The belief that everything is an opportunity to learn, and I can choose which opportunities I want to propel me fastest to my dreams.

Perhaps it is because I am fervently on the path to my dreams, which is why I feel so in tune with the success mindset. And I hope to get as many people on board with me on my journey, so that we may realise our dreams together.

May we have an awesome and fulfilling year ahead!

While a dreadful task to become, this seemingly mundane activity can be pretty good for the soul. I as rampaged through my pile of stuff at home, I came across cards, letters, photos, and gift that were left ignored with the passage of time. These were glimpses into a part of my life I had almost forgotten.

I came across photos of old friends, many of whom have become acquaintances. I found birthday cards, New Year cards, Christmas cards that seemed to be little signals in the transience of time. Some of these cards meant nothing to me, while others spoke to my heart. I came across letters from close friends, and very close ones, and became thankful for those who have survived the passage. And yet, it has been a long time since the last contact with any one of them.

I immersed myself into the moment of nostalgia, and relived the tiny moments that left tiny ripples. After which, I left home to catch up with other people who were important to me. Whose names may not be in the cards I have seen, but have definitely left their mark in my mind and heart.

People come and go. You meet many in your life, and most of them are connected to you in ways the intelligence of man cannot comprehend.  Some leave a dent so deep that you must change in order to absorb the impact. Others affect you in more subtle ways. Either way, you must change. For better or worse.

So here is a question I ask myself.

Do I want to make a positive dent ?

I do.

And to start it off I will be sending messages to people of my yesteryears to remind them I am here. And to remind them they are remembered.