SMILE, IT'S WORTH YOUR WHILE

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO

There's something priceless you can give to others as many times as you wish without impoverishing yourself. It's a smile.

A smile is a message. It tells the world that you feel life is worth living, whatever the circumstances that surround you. When you bestow it on another, you tell that someone you regard her with liking, respect and goodwill. You may not realise it, but in your own, tiny way you are spreading the message of peace and love. That smile you give can resonate in countless hearts because one smile invariably invites another.

When you smile at another with genuine warmth, you start the flow of a magic current. A person receiving a smile is prompted to pass it on to someone else. What happens when you smile and nod at a stranger you meet on the street? You light a spark within him. That nod is your acknowledgment of his presence. Your smile is an indication that you're pleased to encounter him. That gesture from someone he doesn't know at all affects him, even if he's not consciously aware of it. It can even make his day.

A smile must be genuine. It shows in the eyes if it comes from the heart. You cannot fake a smile. There's no earthly reason for you to do so. Why should you? The joy of a smile you give rebounds on you. It's something that only proves its worth when you give it to another.

Remember to smile at yourself too. Look in the mirror each morning and do it. It's a reminder that you love and accept yourself for what you are. You have no love to give anyone if you don't love yourself. And you have no genuine smile to beam on the world if you cannot give yourself one too.

Smile because it's truly worth your while. The more you give it away, the richer you get.

YOU ARE THE AUTHOR, YOU ARE THE BOOK

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO


Take a good look at yourself. Consider the kind of person you are. Take stock of what you have. Ask yourself how happy and fulfilled your life is. What do they all add up to? The sum total of every single thought you have planted in your mind in the past.

If you are happy with what you have, the credit goes to you. If you're dissatisfied, the blame likewise falls on you. Don't try to push the responsibility to another party. Neither God, karma or chance made you what you are. You wrote every word in your manuscript of life and now you are the completed book you hold in your hands.

If you're not happy with the script, you can always edit and amend to your heart's content. There's no publisher to deprive you of that prerogative. How can you affect a change? By shifting your thought patterns. By giving yourself different convictions. Plant different seeds of thought in your head and you will harvest a different crop in your life.

If you're unsure of how you may effect the change you want, try consulting that greatest guru of all. We all know him as Common Sense. But while you're under his tutelage, you have to pay a fee. He demands from you total self-honesty. Don't pretend you are what you're not and stop making exuses for your own shortcomings. If you can conform to those demands, that guru can teach you invaluable lessons.

You are not what you think now. You are what you have thought. A fruit takes time to ripen. Do you wish to pluck a sweet, juicy fruit tomorrow? Watch what kind of seed you plant in the soil of your mind today.

YOUR INNER CHILD

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO

There is no gap between childhood and adulthood. One is inseparable from the other. The only difference between an adult and a child is that one has been around longer than the other.

In every child there is an adult. That's why it's been said, "From the mouths of babes come pearls of wisdom". When we see a precocious child who is unusually mature for his years, we are merely glimpsing the potential "grown-up" within him.

There is much we can learn from a child. One of the most important lessons he can teach us is how to delete the words impossible, improbable and unbelievable from our vocabulary. His world is one of magic because his mind is not restricted by these three limitations. And unless our thinking is as uncluttered as a child's, our lives will always lack the magic and beauty his is filled with.

Similarly, in every adult there is a child. It is the endless curiosity of our inner child that prompts us to search and discover. All human progress can be traced to this innate curiosity, this sense of wonderment we share with every child.

That child within us is likewise the fountain of our imagination and the source of our creativity. As long as we are like him in this respect, we will always have the capacity to create what we want in our lives.

We must never allow that little fellow who is a part of us to grow up into adulthood. If we let that happen, he disappears and our thinking grows staid and inflexible. Then we become nothing more than humanoids. We go through all the motions of being human but we are machines.

A HELPING HAND

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO

When you need a helping hand, look at the one at the end of your arm. It can serve you better than any other. And it's always there at your disposal. You'll never know what it can accomplish until you give it a chance. Don't tell yourself you cannot do a thing unless you've exhausted all your efforts. Very often all you need is a little more faith in yourself.

Granted, many a time you need assistance from another source. If common sense says you should seek help, then do so. Survival depends on being practical. But don't be too eager to rely on another. It can develop into a habit that enervates you.

Sometimes it's sheer lack of resourcefulness that makes you approach someone for help. This springs from the sense of inadequacy you plant in your own consciousness. You've been too busy convincing yourself of your own helplessness and you've come to believe it. Try reversing that belief. You instilled it in your head. Now instill another -- the belief in your own capability.

Give yourself every chance to accomplish something on your own. Chances are you can do it. Cultivate the strength of self-reliance and see the miracle it works in your life.

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

Article by 

KAYSOON KHOO

It's all right to reminisce and recall what has come and gone. We all do it once in a while. Some of our yesterdays are so beautiful we want to live them again in retrospect. Sometimes it's even imperative that we dig into the past. It may contain lessons that teach us not to repeat the mistakes we once made.

But there's always a danger of overdoing it when we look back the way we have come. We are standing on the bridge of life. The past is like water that has flowed under that bridge and made its way to the sea, never to return. All the sighing in the world won't make the stream reverse its flow. It's something we have to remind ourselves of when we over-indulge in nostalgia.

We have to concern ourselves with the here and now. The past has had its day and has faded into the sunset. The future is the dawn that has yet to come. No mortal is assured he will witness another sunrise. The present is all we have. It's the only tangible thing within our grasp, our sole reality. We should seize the moment and not waste it, for it too will soon be relegated to the realm of the past.

OPEN AN UMBRELLA

 

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO

Some mishaps in life you bring upon yourself. Others are beyond your control. We are all victims of circumstance at one time or another. But when misfortune strikes, what happens to you is not as important as how you react towards it.

You can turn a tragedy into an experience that strengthens and teaches you. Or you can bemoan your fate and indulge in self-pity. Either way, what is done cannot be undone.

Pointing the finger of blame serves no purpose. It won't rectify the problem or salvage what is lost. What you have to do is to consider the most sensible course of action to take next. If absolutely nothing can be done, you have to learn the wisdom of acceptance.

Acceptance is not weakness. It's coming to terms with what is inevitable in life. It's admitting that what cannot be cured must be endured. And you have greater powers of endurance within you than you imagine.

Life is like the weather. When the day is fine, your spirits are lifted. But when it pours, you have no reason to give way to despair. Inclement weather may not be welcome -- but railing against it will serve no purpose. Recognise it as one more shift in the pattern of your life. That's all it really is.

Don't complain when it rains in your life. The water will continue to fall however much you gripe. Open an umbrella.

THE NOBLER SENTIMENT

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO

There's a fine line between pity and compassion. The first merely creates sorrow within you at the sufferings of another. The second does the same, but it goes further. It prompts you to take action to alleviate that suffering.

When you see another in trouble, it's no use making sympathetic sounds and shaking your head regretfully. You might as well go your way and spare yourself the unpleasant sight. If you truly feel sorry for the other person, stretch out a helping hand. If it's not within your ability to render the kind of assistance needed, at least try to look for someone else who can. As long as you're not totally helpless, you can still do your bit.

Genuine sympathy should trigger you into action. It need not involve a lot of effort or expense. Sometimes words of encouragement and comfort go a long way towards lessening another's pain. Lending him a patient and sympathetic ear can also do the same. The important thing is to let the sufferer know that someone cares.

If you see someone dying of thirst, don't just commiserate with his plight. Develop the nobler sentiment. Fetch him a glass of water.