Monday, January 9, 2017

Moments

Moments

"Unhappiness is a series of moments in time; so is happiness."
Simple Bear 09.01.2017.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Happiness and Unhappiness

Happiness and Unhappiness

"Sometimes our very pursuit of happiness is the cause of our unhappiness."
Simple Bear 08.01.2017.

快乐与不快乐

"有时,我们对于快乐的追求是我们不快乐的源头。"
简单熊 08.01.2017.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

烦

烦

沉浸于心觉非烦
回荡红尘才知烦
不知非烦还是烦
才知非烦也是烦

简单熊 05.01.2017.

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Pink Tulip

Pink Tulip

Spent my afternoon with volunteers spreading cheers of the new year with our special friends in the hospital and nursing home.

I saw the name of the ward in the nursing home, Tulip and it reminds me of my work.

What is the flower language of Tulip?

Love. Perfect love.

And pink Tulip symbolizes happiness; happiness from being loved and love.

Heard an inspirational story of care giving. A father who comes to visit the daughter every single day, bringing her out for some sunshine.

Perhaps, the significant reason to most of us finding it inspirational is due to its rarity in our society.

Most of the people in the long term stay wards in the mental health hospital and nursing homes rarely have people visiting them regularly. And some, have no one.

For them, perhaps, their closest family are the nurses who take care of them; and their friends, volunteers who comes to visit especially during festive periods.

I am inspired by the commitment of volunteers who visit them regularly. Over the years, I have seen and work with volunteers who inspired me to volunteer time and time again with their love for others.

I am super inspired by the nurses who take care of them with love and commitment. Perhaps to some, it is their job to take care of them, but the job requires tons of love. And I have seen in my daily work, the love my nursing colleagues put in their work, to provide not only the nursing care that our special friends require but also the care that their hearts needed.

Thank you nurses for working hard this holiday season to take care of those who needed the care.

Thank you volunteers for working hard this holiday season too to spread the cheers to our special friends.

Happy New Year again everyone.

May everyone love and be loved.

With Love
Simple Bear 01.01.2017.

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Reflection 2016

Reflection 2016

It is the last day of the year 2016. And it is time to perhaps to do a reflection of the past 365 days.
2016 had been a crazy year for me, from surviving a car accident, months of being away from work and to a certain degree, leaving my past life behind and back to the work force, working with people in senectitude.

If there is one word to summarize my feelings and thoughts for this year, it would be gratitude.

I am grateful for:
1. Being alive
2. Opportunities to learn more about the health care sector in Singapore, especially in the mental health, dementia etc.
3. My family and friends especially during the period which I was staying at home and dealing with my internal struggle with fear and mortality.

Last but not least I like to express my gratitude to the most important person of all.

Me.

Great job Eric! You have survived and had grown over the past one year. You have grown to accept and confront your subconscious fears especially in the nights. You have grown to embrace your vulnerabilities more and emerge from the acknowledgement and confrontation, a stronger individual.
Some of my habitual tendencies had given rise to difficult times in the past but I am grateful that I am able to see them more clearly than before in 2016. It will be some time before I can reach my goal but at least I think I am slowly inching towards that destination.

2017 will be another journey of self discovery and spiritual progress. Tomorrow will be a new start to a wonderful new year.

May all have a great new year ahead.

May all be well and happy.

With Loving-Kindness
Simple Bear 31.12.2017.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

人生有如两颗橘子

人生有如两颗橘子

人生际遇有如两颗橘子,一颗大而酸,一颗小而甜。
凡人拿到大的,抱怨橘子酸,拿到甜的,抱怨橘子小。
智者拿到酸的,感谢橘子大,拿到小的,感谢橘子甜。
橘子是甜,是酸,是大,是小,一切全都来自于心。

蔡志忠 《蒲公英的微笑》

English translation

Life, is akin to having two oranges

Our experiences in life is akin to having two oranges, one which is big but sour, and the other small but sweet.
When the mortal gets the big orange, he complains that the orange is sour; when he gets the sweet orange, he complains that the orange is small.
When the wise gets the sour orange, he is grateful that the orange is big; when he gets the small orange, he is grateful that the orange is sweet.
Oranges, our perception of whether it is sweet, sour, big or small originates from our mind.
Tsai Chih Chung <Smiles of Dandelion>

A rough translation, do pardon if there is any mistakes; my ang moh not good :P

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Belonging

Belonging

Friend: "I am a little lost right now."
Simple Bear: "Why are you lost?"
Friend: "I feel that I don't belong anywhere. I don't feel that I belong to any of the groups in my social circle."
Simple Bear: "I feel that also sometimes."
Friend: "How do you deal with that? I am feeling sad and depressed right now."
Simple Bear: "I ask myself one question."
Friend: "What question?“
Simple Bear: "Where do you think you should belong?"
Friend: o_O ?