The Letter ...

This is worth a read...so, am sharing !

LETTER BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO HIS SON'S TEACHER

Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. In school, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, tough with tough. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can how to laugh when he is sad, teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.

Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is doing it. Teach him to listen to everyone, but teach him also to filter all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right. Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind, in God.

Empty & Thoughtless

It's always good to EMPTY THE TRASH in our head/mind ...

and be THOUGHTLESS pretty often too ...

So, have an EMPTY & THOUGHTLESS weekend :) 

Stay FREE of EVERYTHING that troubles you ...

Be back soon :)

Pause - Silent Mind - Meditate

We're into the 3rd month of the year. Yeah, it's March. How positive are you in life now ? If you need a jump start, continue reading. Nothing is perfect in the world we live. Some days may be blissful and some filled with negativities. Try to let go of any negativity that you face. Start seeing a positive vision instead. Finally, embrace them with a sense of openness and adventure.

Learn to pause, everyday. When you pause, it is refreshing. It's a good way to start and end your day.

Then, remember - a total silent mind is awesome ! Put everything aside that's troubling you. Train your mind to be silent.

Finally, meditate - this is the way to calm down ! For me, it's a way to calm even the simplest of my desires, to forget my dreams for awhile, to tell myself that I am expecting nothing...no personal expectations for now, just so as not to be let down. Calm your mind, calm your heart, calm your soul...relax !

So, there you go ! Try it... I'll be back :)

A Memory ...

Within each heart there lies a memory
It may not be for all to see
But within the heart it will always be
A Memory

It may be secret & locked with a key
Buried deep and hidden like the roots of a tree
But still it lies there in the heart
A Memory

Or it may be displayed for all to see
To be shared and enjoyed happily
Still it is
A Memory

To be cherished for all eternity
To be coddled and fondled tenderly
For it recalls the past that flowed fluidly
A Memory

Of you and me
And he and she
And all of we
A Memory

Happy Valentine's Day !

Happy Valentine's Day to you ... and here's a rose for you :)

The Rose - Roses have endured as the traditional flower of Valentine's Day. The rose, which is undoubtedly the most popular flower in the world, speaks of love and has been the choice of lovers in every century. If you rearrange the letters of the word rose you get Eros, the God of Love. The color of roses are also important. If you want to know the meaning, here you go ! :_

White roses are for true love and purity of the mind.
Red roses are for love and passion.
Yellow roses are for friendship.
Black roses mean farewell.
Pink roses mean friendship or sweetheart.

And how do you present the roses and what does that mean ? Here, check it out ! :-

A full rose placed over two buds meant secrecy.
Remove the thorns from a rosebud and you say "I fear no longer."
Remove the leaves also and your message becomes "There is nothing to hope or fear."

So, get going ... with the roses ... express your love ! 

Stay Connected

Sharing an article by Phyllis Kominsky - "Getting Back to Life When Grief Won't Heal"...

"If there is any meaning to be taken from the terrible losses we must face in life, it seems to me it can only be that we need each other. We have to treasure the time we have with those we love. We have to stay open to love even after we have learned the hard way how much it hurts to lose those we love. If the past is never really past, then no one we have loved is ever fully lost to us. What we hold in our hearts is there forever.

To love another person is like visiting a beautiful place, a place where we are fully present and alive, even though we know that we will have to leave it sometime. The last time I was in such a place, the kind of place I visit in dreams, I stood looking out at the water and thought, I will leave part of myself here, and I will take part of this place with me. I thought then how this is true of anything I treasure and fear to lose.

When someone we love dies, a part of us dies too, but it is also true that a part of our loved one stays with us. Maybe that’s what the emptiness inside us is for: to make a place where our loved ones can live inside us, be part of us, always. Maybe this is true for you?

Stay connected to other people. Stay connected to life. Be aware of what you have lost but also of what you still have."

Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi

My family and I decided to do a weekend trip to Colmar Tropicale at Bukit Tinggi yesterday. It's actually a French Village managed by the Berjaya Groups. We wanted to stay in Colmar but the hotels were all fully booked. Thus, the only available one was at Selesa Hillhomes at the foothill (close to Janda Baik). We left at 11am and it actually took us more than 2 hours to reach our destination. This was due to the heavy traffic - people leaving KL for the Chinese New Year holidays. Anyways, we got there earlier than the check in time (3pm) and thankfully the rooms were available, so we checked in and had some rest. Since it was raining, we were not able to drive up to Colmar immediately as planned. It's only 10mins drive up to Colmar. But as soon as the rain stopped, we made it there. However, when we reached Colmar, it began to drizzle, heavily !We had to dismiss the idea of activities and even the trip to Japanese Garden. So, we strolled along the resort and my ! it's still as beautiful as ever. You get the feeling like you're in fairyland :)

This French-themed resort has castle buildings and colourful dutch looking cottages. They were simply awesome. Many gift shops and cafes. But all of them - costly ! I was secretly wanting to go for a spa but had to drop that idea since they were charging an arm and a leg :(

So, here you go ! Pictures of the trip...

And, if you've not been to this place, here are the details. You can even do a day-trip if you're not interested in the activities. Just the sight-seeing and having a coffee at their cafes is good enough. Sit and relax and take in the beauty of the buildings around you. It's a wonderful sight...

Visitor entry is RM12.00 but we got it at RM6.00 (maybe some festive discount?) 

Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills

KM48, Persimpangan Bertingkat Lebuhraya Karak

Bukit Tinggi 28750

Pahang

http://www.colmartropicale.com.my/