Project 10: The Present
Project 10: The Present (23June 2011)
Good evening! I have not attended MDC meetings for a while. In past 4 weeks, I was working on a special assignment in Bangkok. I’ve not forgotten about you - Ingrid has been calling me to attend this meeting & to deliver this speech.
This evening, I’m glad to be here. I was also glad last week, we had a sunny weekend after many days of raining. It was a beautiful weekend, wasn’t it? What did you do? Last Sunday, my husband and I decided to cycle from Tai wai to Taipo. While I was cycling, I can’t help, but think about my work.
Does it happen to you too? When you are working, you think about having a holiday. And when you are having a holiday, you are constantly checking emails on your blackberry or iphone!
What about now? Are you completely with me in this room, or are you thinking about office work or thinking about someone at home?
Most of us lead a busy life in Hong Kong. Many things are screaming for our attention - we multi-task – we talk on the phone while we eat mechanically, we think about work when we go to bed. Our minds are shooting back and fro - from the past to the future, from yesterday to tomorrow.
The past, yesterday – do you often dwell on them? Some of us regret our past, we beat ourselves up for what we’ve done or what we’ve failed to do - the silly mistake we’ve made or the task we’ve forgotten to do.
The future, tomorrow – do you often think about them? Some of us worry about our future – we lose our sleep and sometimes we lose our hair over what will happen or what might never ever happen – the coming important meeting or cancellation of an important account.
While I was cycling and busy thinking about work, my husband was busy doing something else “Hey, look at this jackfruit tree! Oh there are lots of longan on that tree!” When he approached low hanging leaves, he stretched his hand to touch them. My husband was completely engaged in what he was doing at that moment.
His actions reminded me that our cycling trip was not about getting from Taiwai to Taipo. It was about what we see during the journey. I began to relax. I started to notice pretty yellow flowers on the road and admire the beautiful Tolo harbor.
Fellow toastmasters and friends - Living in the present, Living in today – we already know about it, we already know how to do it. We knew it best when we were younger. We have simply forgotten. Look the children at play, see how they are completely engaged in their games – they laugh, they run around, they enjoy themselves without regrets of yesterday or fears of tomorrow.
I would like you to rekindle that feeling of living in the present.
Whenever you find yourself overwhelm with lots of things, I suggest you PAUSE a moment! PAUSE and ask yourself - where are you now? What are you doing? Who are you speaking to? What do you see? Slowly, you bring your state of mind to the present moment. Slowly, we will feel the peace from within. We will begin to actually chew and taste our food, admire the trees on the roads - you will be surprised to see there are a lot of jackfruit and longan trees in Hong Kong.
If you still could not stop yourself from thinking about the past or the future, I suggest you mediate. Mediate to block out the distractions and anxiety. For 15minutes, you sit still, sit straight, close your eyes – do nothing except concentrate on your breathing……….breathe in…breathe out.. slowly you will feel the peace from within.
When we live in the present, we are more able to respond to what is important today, we are more able to work, live and love better.
You know our friend Teresa, our regular visitor from Canada? Most of us know that last year, when Teresa knew her dad had only a few months to live, she left her well paid job and flew to Hong Kong to spend time with him. Teresa certainly anchors herself firmly in the present and knows what is important for her and her family. After her dad passed away, Teresa tried to return to her old job but could not do so. Instead of counting regrets of yesterday or worries of tomorrow, Teresa lives truly in the present. She is now enjoying her new found life – what she calls the Best Job in the Word - a well deserved break after years of working.
Fellow toastmasters and friends, I’ve a simple poem to conclude my speech. And here it goes:
Don't let the past mess up your present.
What will be, will be
The future is not ours to see.
Life is not about getting from point A to point B
Remember to smell the roses during your journey
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow a mystery
Today is a gift.
That's why we call it the present.
Good evening! I have not attended MDC meetings for a while. In past 4 weeks, I was working on a special assignment in Bangkok. I’ve not forgotten about you - Ingrid has been calling me to attend this meeting & to deliver this speech.
This evening, I’m glad to be here. I was also glad last week, we had a sunny weekend after many days of raining. It was a beautiful weekend, wasn’t it? What did you do? Last Sunday, my husband and I decided to cycle from Tai wai to Taipo. While I was cycling, I can’t help, but think about my work.
Does it happen to you too? When you are working, you think about having a holiday. And when you are having a holiday, you are constantly checking emails on your blackberry or iphone!
What about now? Are you completely with me in this room, or are you thinking about office work or thinking about someone at home?
Most of us lead a busy life in Hong Kong. Many things are screaming for our attention - we multi-task – we talk on the phone while we eat mechanically, we think about work when we go to bed. Our minds are shooting back and fro - from the past to the future, from yesterday to tomorrow.
The past, yesterday – do you often dwell on them? Some of us regret our past, we beat ourselves up for what we’ve done or what we’ve failed to do - the silly mistake we’ve made or the task we’ve forgotten to do.
The future, tomorrow – do you often think about them? Some of us worry about our future – we lose our sleep and sometimes we lose our hair over what will happen or what might never ever happen – the coming important meeting or cancellation of an important account.
While I was cycling and busy thinking about work, my husband was busy doing something else “Hey, look at this jackfruit tree! Oh there are lots of longan on that tree!” When he approached low hanging leaves, he stretched his hand to touch them. My husband was completely engaged in what he was doing at that moment.
His actions reminded me that our cycling trip was not about getting from Taiwai to Taipo. It was about what we see during the journey. I began to relax. I started to notice pretty yellow flowers on the road and admire the beautiful Tolo harbor.
Fellow toastmasters and friends - Living in the present, Living in today – we already know about it, we already know how to do it. We knew it best when we were younger. We have simply forgotten. Look the children at play, see how they are completely engaged in their games – they laugh, they run around, they enjoy themselves without regrets of yesterday or fears of tomorrow.
I would like you to rekindle that feeling of living in the present.
Whenever you find yourself overwhelm with lots of things, I suggest you PAUSE a moment! PAUSE and ask yourself - where are you now? What are you doing? Who are you speaking to? What do you see? Slowly, you bring your state of mind to the present moment. Slowly, we will feel the peace from within. We will begin to actually chew and taste our food, admire the trees on the roads - you will be surprised to see there are a lot of jackfruit and longan trees in Hong Kong.
If you still could not stop yourself from thinking about the past or the future, I suggest you mediate. Mediate to block out the distractions and anxiety. For 15minutes, you sit still, sit straight, close your eyes – do nothing except concentrate on your breathing……….breathe in…breathe out.. slowly you will feel the peace from within.
When we live in the present, we are more able to respond to what is important today, we are more able to work, live and love better.
You know our friend Teresa, our regular visitor from Canada? Most of us know that last year, when Teresa knew her dad had only a few months to live, she left her well paid job and flew to Hong Kong to spend time with him. Teresa certainly anchors herself firmly in the present and knows what is important for her and her family. After her dad passed away, Teresa tried to return to her old job but could not do so. Instead of counting regrets of yesterday or worries of tomorrow, Teresa lives truly in the present. She is now enjoying her new found life – what she calls the Best Job in the Word - a well deserved break after years of working.
Fellow toastmasters and friends, I’ve a simple poem to conclude my speech. And here it goes:
Don't let the past mess up your present.
What will be, will be
The future is not ours to see.
Life is not about getting from point A to point B
Remember to smell the roses during your journey
Yesterday is history, Tomorrow a mystery
Today is a gift.
That's why we call it the present.
posted by Mae at
9:26 AM
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