Well, it's not something that's well celebrated in Singapore but I "enforced" it among my best friends since last year and it has been a ritual for us since then. A great ritual I must say. Ok, it has only been 2 years haha! But heck, it's going to be a ritual from now on.
Due to my short-term memory, I don't really remember what I was thankful for in 2011 but my great BFF kept it on her mobile and we were able to have a glimpse of all things we were thankful for. Apparently my cockiness has never changed. I always declare that I have too many things to be thankful for and my list can grow as long as I want them too. No! I was not born this way. Trust me on this. It's a learned process.
Anyway, as I was short of time ... with my tired body that just touched down Singapore from a long trip, I chanced upon this newsletter when my Blackberry was finally able to receive emails. The title of the email is - 20 Questions for Thanksgiving.
So, while my BFFs were thinking about what they were grateful for (since I already did it the night before, yeah yeah ... I'm a snob haha!), I threw them some of the questions from the given list. I didn't ask them all but one of my favourite question was:
14) Name three days in your life that you feel especially grateful for.
One of my friend said - Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The other one said - 23, 24 and 25 of December.
And here are mine:
- The day I was aware that I will die
Don't ask me when I realized this. I don't have the exact date. But maybe, it was sometimes in 2007. When I was so fully aware that my heart is not going to beat here forever, I lived differently. It was a good realization but not as good as when I came to the next realization. Anyway, I was pretty ready with my own eulogy but I think it still can be done better than that. I must thank my MonkeyBro for teaching me the most important phrase on earth "Memento Mori". - The day I was aware that people around me will die
Well, I knew about this in Oct 2012. It was an internally painful process. When I finally realized that my loved ones will just vanish and I won't even know when. This realization is very different compared to #1 and I must say it's so much more powerful. Words couldn't express the essence of this lesson. You really have to live and feel it. I see people differently since then. Not just my loved ones, everyone. - The day I was "roughly" aware of my purpose of life
This is a tough one! It has been a gradual process! I have been asking the question of "purpose of life" for really long! For many years! I never stopped asking myself and even strangers. I asked others because I thought through them I might just see a glimpse of my answer. My friends found me amusing and probably a bit strange, but heck, I kept on asking. Eventually, I slowly unfolded it. I wouldn't say that I know the exact answer to it but I know I am on my way of discovering and I'm in a better place compared to where I was when I asked that question. - (To insert my cockiness here, I am adding #4 though only 3 were required) The day I understood my mother's advice. I don't need to say much. Click the link above and you will get what I mean. If I ever forget all the lessons above, I think by remembering my mom's best words, I am safe in life. It's a great moral compass that took me 14 years to fully grasp it. But once I got it, I have never lived a day without it. Never! Even Shakespeare agrees with it when he said - "to thine own self be true".
Gratitude is heaven itself. – William Blake
So, again, happy thanksgiving! It's a day that I think should be celebrated daily. So, what are the 3 days of your life that you are grateful for? Why not make it everyday since we are all blessed with 365 days per year? Wouldn't that be awesome. :)
What am I thankful for on Friday, 23 November 2012? I am thankful for the new people I met below that have made my day so memorable. It would have never been the same without them. So, thank you George, Heather, Zaki, Haikel and Rhizza (whom I met on the very sad day when my mentor passed away). Didn't know she too experienced the same thing as I did then. Life is an amazing journey, isn't it? You really wouldn't know where it will bring you, so just sail your boat and keep discovering what it has to offer.
