Share & Reflect

Some days back, i was at a talk that my colleague gave to a group of teachers on stress management. A tough assignment given the audience :) Anyway, i thought he did pretty well in giving something different from what we usually hear. One thing that stood out for me was that he observed that people working in this sunny island lacked the time and/or motivation to dialogue (i.e. share problems, especially men, heh heh) and self-reflect (which requires the discipline to shut out distractions). Both are crucial in helping people to become un-stuck in the current stress-inducing situation. When we share our problems or we quiet ourselves (mind), options and possibilities become (suddenly) available and we begin to see hope in the situation.

This morning, one of my mummy friends was sharing how stressed she is feeling now that her husband is outstation and her only son is taking the PSLE soon. i asked her how she is coping. She shared that her husband told her to sleep early and stop worrying. She tried but couldn't and guessed what she did? She FB :( Needless to say, it doesn't help in her situation.

Then there is another friend whose children just recently gone through the flu bug one by one (with the youngest admitted to hospital). When i asked how she is coping, she said ok lah and then talked about another friend whom she had bumped into at the hospital. i think i found out more about her friend's situation then hers :) Granted, there is a time and place for sharing and reflection. Let's just hope she has other means to relieve her stress.... please, not FB :(

Recently, our elderly statesman talked about meditation and how it helps him to have the peace of mind.

The problem is to keep the monkey mind from running off into all kinds of thoughts............You must be disciplined.  I find it helps me go to sleep after that.  A certain tranquility settles over you.  The day’s pressures and worries are pushed out.  Then there’s less problem sleeping.

What gives me the peace of mind is when i'm running. A few years ago when i was doing the church magazine, most of the ideas came when i'm running, not when i'm trying to get ideas out. And some things become unstuck after a run.

But sad to share i haven't been running :( My left foot hurts. No, i'm not even thinking of marathon. i can live with it if i don't get to run that this December. i'm just missing running badly. Running for me falls into the category of reflection i guess. There's no other distraction. me, myself, i. and ah, when the endorphins flow...

There you go, i've shared my frustration. (And to one non-running friend, thank YOU for making me laugh).

If it takes any longer for my foot to recover, i think i may just give meditation a try, lol.