Writing a Summary of Your Year

Whether I am occupied with mindfulness of repetitive tasks or emptiness, it seems everyday is so mundane that there is no sense of extraordinary or extravagance. However, when I seat down with my full attention and trace the events and incidents retrospectively throughout the year, I become to be aware that this year was quite a fruitful one after all. Maybe this is one of the most rewarding aspect of keeping my diary for 20 years. Every year, beginning of the new dawn, I will write a brief summary of my past year. For those who are not interested in writing a diary, writing a summary of your year, just a page, would be quite a remarkable and unexpected experience than what you would have thought. You will be surprised how many things you have done for the first time, how many events have happened in your life and your family, how many places and restaurants you have visited and so on. Trace back to celebrate what you have done, and gear up to accommodate what is waiting for you to venture.  [KP]

Live in the Moment

Once my friend who was living in New York City sadly said that it is such a tough thing to find real friends in New York. She said it to me considering me as a real friend when I was about to leave New York in 2006. I could not have empathy with her because it was not the case for me. Now, I am living in Los Angeles, which is a big city as New York, I sort of understood what she had meant by that comment. Still, it is not the case for me, but I felt it through my friends around me. People come and go in a big city. It is understandable that people are hesitated or disinterested to commit themselves to any sort of relationship with someone who they probably would never meet again in their lives.  However, as I sincerely believe, one has to live in the moment. A shallow and superficial relationship or friendship is a sign that one does not live one’s life; after the moment is gone, there is nothing to remember. It is just blank. That is, melancholically, not a life.  [KP]

真友

朋友。真正的朋友，他不會始終說些甜言蜜語。他會說你最不想聽的話；你最想逃避的現實；你最恐懼的真相。也許你會討厭或厭倦這樣的朋友。但是，當你知道你身邊有這樣的真友，其實你是個很幸運的人。要好好地珍惜這樣的朋友，因為他們可遇不可求啊～！[KP]

Stereotyping

‘People are most aware of their stereotyping when they have no information. When given information that confirms to their beliefs and the individual case observed, people become less aware of their tendency to stereotype and therefore more likely to engage in stereotyping.’ This statement, which is extracted from my GRE test prep textbook, accurately explains my thoughtless, general and yet stereotyped comments regarding Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Americans. For describing cultural difference and peoples’ behavior of these countries, I seem to mindlessly apply this logic just because I have confirmed my beliefs and observed individual case in these counties. Ironically, it is exactly something that I would dispute, or even disrespect. Stereotyping is never a justifiable description when you are a subject to be labeled. I believe that when people stop applying stereotyping to others, this world would be truly globalized and borderless, physically and mentally. I would love to be someone to work on it silently. [KP]

Relationship

Relationship is such a fragile-delicate, yet lovable thing that everyone handles everyday.  We hear so many stories about broken relationship among friends, husbands and wives, friends, business partners, and even countries. It is such a complicated and interrelated web in which you cannot foresee when and where you get things wrong. However, we should not feel hopeless or miserable since there is a remedy for every braking relationship. That is “communication” with an open mind. When there is even a subtle signal of a crack on the relationship, we need to face it first, to identify the problem second, then to communicate and find a solution. For communication, we need to be fully aware that being truthful to yourself is crucial.   Because without that, owing other’s trust is quite impossible to achieve in real sense. It is because a superficial concern or an ersatz sincerity will not even touch or amend damaged feelings. It could be more likely an insulting. Do not fear the confrontation; do not hesitate to take an initiative. A great relationship is hard to maintain, but it is even harder to get by. Take a good care of it. Do not take it granted or be casual about it. It is dear to our soul, and it is our life, itself. [KP]

    

A trip

Planning a trip is something that I do well and often. I plan my trip "by-ear".  Arranging the tightest schedule with all the visits of touristic sights is not my ultimate goal, although I know some enjoys it. My trip is quite simple: just enjoy the place and the moment being at that place. For those who keep saying "I don't have time and money", try my 5 steps. It is easier than you have been imagined. Let's make it REAL!!!

Step 1: Declare your trip to all of your friends, family and co-workers (I did this one year in advance for my trip to Europe)

Step 2: Once you have enough money, just book a ticket for train or airplane! Save up whatever you can till the date.
Step 3: Book hotels for the first 2 days and last 2 days for your trip. Rest of days, take your chance. You might even get to know someones and stay at their places, who knows?
Step 4: Do not plan a trip more than 3 weeks. Less then 3 weeks seem so short, but longer than 3 weeks, you will feel tired and home sick.
Step 5: Expect unexpected

ENJOY~ [KP]

A Mindful Room to Spare

One of luxurious moments in my life is quite banal. I say that because I often create that moment,  buying flowers for others. We are living a life with severe competitions, stressful and, yet, trivial matters. As one in a desert, trying to survive up against a severe environment. However, once in a blue moon, an oasis will appear to quench the thirst, and remind us the joy of life. Giving and receiving flowers are just like encountering an oasis in a desert. Flowers quench our thirsty mind, cure our wounded soul. Useless plant, a cheap trick for girls or a waste of money they might be, could bring overjoyed moment instantaneously.  Of course, it is only a remedy for temporary. However, for buying flowers, something you ought to have, a state of mind: a mindful room to spare. Whoever lives their lives truthfully, you find them happy and content with their mindful rooms to spare with others. Moreover, these people are acting upon towards their goals and dreams, some might even have already fulfilled theirs. A secret to a success, is not to have more money or more time, but how much mindful rooms you have to spare. [KP]