ThunderStorm

In a world that often favours extroversion, introverts can feel like they're swimming against the tide. Here are some strategies to help you navigate this environment: Self-Care and Recharge  * Prioritise solitude: Schedule regular alone time to recharge your energy.  * Practice mindfulness: Meditation or deep breathing can help manage stress.  * Set boundaries: Learn to say "no" when you need to conserve energy. Socialising Strategically  * Quality over quantity: Focus on meaningful connections with a few close friends.  * Find your people: Seek out social groups or activities where you can connect with like-minded individuals.  * Prepare for social events: Practice small talk or visualise social situations beforehand.  * Take breaks: If a social event becomes overwhelming, excuse yourself for a short break. Leveraging Your Strengths  * Embrace your introspective nature: Use your ability to think deeply and analyse situations to your advantage. ...

Tools to combat stress: 6 breaths per min or Box breathing (Navy Seal technique) Physiological sigh Power posing The importance of recovery: top athletes sleep at least 8h a day Growth mindset courage to take risks > fear of loss "A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are." - Bill Shankly (Former Liverpool manager) More:  Brown Bag Series

Source:  Sometimes I Hate My Husband, But That Doesn't Mean Our Marriage Is Doomed (msn.com) An interesting exploration of the complexities of relationships. Since no two persons are completely alike, there are bound to be habits and quirks of the other that can charm and/or irk us. You can love some parts of a person, hate some parts of the same person, and that's perfectly alright.

<< Warning: For ages 13+ >> The following content discusses topics of a sensitive nature and are unsuitable for children. Read at your own risk. Man Abused 4 of his Daughters and Assaulted His Son I have been coming across plenty of news articles about paedophiles and incest lately and am distraught by the fact that such incidents are even happening in my country. Firstly, what frustrates me is the lack of parental guidance and supervision in some instances e.g. parents being unaware that their spouse is abusing the child and/or they have not built a strong foundation of trust with their child such that their child ends up in a secretive and exploitative relationship. Secondly, it is the audacity and means with which one would use to satisfy their own curiosity and urges. Thirdly, there are the keyboard warriors who blame the education system for this mess really grind my gears. To the children and youths, I am sorry to say that you live in a globalised world where you are ...

Here are some key takeaways after attending a Resilience and Your Success Workshop with Paula Eddy and Becky. Related articles: Women's Health: How to Destress Resilience is About How You Recharge, Not How You Endure You can't give from an empty cup. To build resilience, recovery needs to take place in your mind, body and soul , so that you can refill your cup. Recovery is the key to boosting your positivity, energy levels and morale/confidence. Reflect: - Which aspect of you (mind, body and/or soul) is needing nourishment? - How can you prepare yourself/fill your tank? - Change one thing at a time, and slowly build up this habit - Tell an accountability partner - Keep practising Ways to relax your mind: Breathe Meditate Eat/drink Listen to calming music Taking a walk Take a shower/go for a therapeutic massage Journalling/drawing Reframe your perspective Adopt a growth mindset Ways to strengthen your body: sufficient exercise proper nutrition sufficient sleep Ways to nourish yo...

Overwhelmed? Stop. Catch hold of your thought. Reframe it. Source:  John Assaraf - One of the leading mindset and behavior experts in the world

February 10, 2021 Letters from Esther “Grief and Growth: The New Questions That Help Us Create Closeness Now”  My responses to her questions: In a post-Covid world of social distancing, do we feel socially distant? For me, yes. When you’re longing to socialise, what are you specifically longing for? Physical presence and emotional assurance that we are in this together. What other emotions come up for you? Feelings of insecurity of being unloved, unheard, unfelt and insignificant. When you’re feeling antisocial, what aspects of socialising are you looking to avoid? The energy drain from empathising with someone else or listening to a long rant. Usually, this state is a result of physical exhaustion. What other emotions come up for you? Frustration that I am not allowed to rest. When people ask you “how are you doing?” what do you say? I'm alright. I've been busy working. What do you wish you could say? I am thankful to God for my work although at times I do feel unmotivated a...

I've been tired from working on the laptop, so much so that there are moments where I am tempted to toss away my phone and laptop just to get away from the constant barrage of information and push notifications from people who expect instant replies. Send, send, send. I desperately want to disconnect from tech, but I can't. It's convenient and efficient, but it's wearing me out. I need an indefinite break, a sabbatical period of digital cleansing. It doesn't help that updated information is critical during a period of isolation due to COVID-19. Nation-wide precautions keep changing from week to week, and there are those who need to be kept in the loop. What can I do during my time of unexpected distress but lift my eyes to the hills to my God who is peace? Psalm 139:7-12 NIV 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the...

Summary of the video: Constantly removing people who irk you from your life is not a magic pill to solve your problem. Rather, it reveals that you still need to master your mind . Understand that negative people have a right to their own perspective and that their circumstances moulded them into who they are today. They are fully responsible for their own problems and actions, not you. It is not your responsibility to fix their problems , even if they come to you for advice, and especially if they have no intention to change or often come up with excuses not to resolve their issues. You may offer your advice, but it is ultimately up to them to act on it. You decide how much of the process you want to participate in. Say, "Take my advice, and do as you wish." Because they will. Offer them the responsibility . Ask when appropriate, "What have you tried? What haven't you tried? What are your options? What do you think you can do about it?" Adjust your ...

🎼I am the thorn in your crown But You love me anyway I am the sweat from Your brow But You love me anyway I am the nail in Your wrist But You love me anyway I am Judas' kiss But You love me anyway See now I am the man who yelled out from the crowd For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground Yes then I turned away with a smile on my face With this sin in my heart, tried to bury Your grace And then alone in the night I still call out for You So ashamed of my life, my life, my life But You love me anyway Oh God, how You love me Yes You love me anyway It's like nothing in life That I've ever known Yes You love me anyway Oh Lord, how You love me🎶

https://ymi.today/apologetics-sg-19/ Session 1: How can a loving God only save some? Common questions about Christianity: How do we know that the bible is reliable and hasn't been corrupted by humans? What is the nature and moral character of God? How does God love us? What does it mean to be saved by God? According to Jesus, to love God is the ultimate purpose of our life. To love others is the next step. A fish that leaves its aquatic habitat will die. The violation of natural laws results in natural consequences. The issue of free will and the brokenness of mankind. Living for man's approval means living a life of insecurity. Why didn't God instead create beings that can only choose to do good? Good and evil are abstract concepts that exist only because a moral distinction has been made between the two. In order to have the freedom of choice, free moral beings have to exist. We do not have all the information in contrast to God, therefore we are not qualifi...

If I could give my friend one advice, it's this: "If you CAN do something about the problem, then there's no problem. If you CAN'T, then it's not your problem to solve. Delegate it to someone who CAN." Worrying only takes away your health.

Daily verse for today:  1 Thess 5:17 ...pray continually... Encouragement from cell group today: If we persist in prayer, aligning our will with God's will, we can be confident in His providence and be assured that He will act according to His perfect timing.

So I kinda broke down in tears rather unexpectedly in front of my classmates today. I think I had been feeling rather stressed by the consecutive project  deadlines and had been repressing much anxiety. They all rallied together to comfort and encourage me. I feel really grateful and blessed that these kind souls, despite being all foreign students in a strange land with their own clashes in personalities, put aside their differences and extended such grace and empathy to someone in a completely different background from them. May God bless their hearts and satisfy their spiritual thirst for meaning in this world.

This post is for those who struggle with internal and external critics who destroy your self-confidence and create anxiety in you, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

This is going to be an upsetting topic for many people, especially while emotions are still raw from the suicide cases that have been reported in the media in escalating numbers over the years. There is weight in every word, written or spoken. It shapes our thinking and influences them. The more influence a person carries, the heavier the responsibility they bear in shaping the minds of others. Whether or not you are in the education industry, you are a teacher or mentor to someone, like it or not. You matter. In my opinion, depression is a very real and very human emotion in a subset of sadness and affects every individual at some point or another. Because of all the attention depression and suicide has been receiving in the media lately, people either think it will not happen to them or they view it as some sort of medical condition that some unlucky few go through. The moment you feel like you are alone in this world with your problems, reach out and talk to som...

Oh, Zen Pencils. You make me feel guilty. 161. SHONDA RHIMES: A screenwriter’s advice

Image by 1388843 from Pixabay 1. Rejoice despite trouble. 2. Remember that God can use our problems for good: our bad experiences can help us empathise with people in similar situations and can make us a source of comfort to others to test us to guide us to shape us into people we were meant to be 3. Refuse to give in to our fears. 4. Reaffirm our faith in God. Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 5. Recruit others to pray for me. Carry each others’ burdens The importance of fellowship (with a small group): Level 1: Sharing (Small chit-chat) Level 2: Studying the word together Level 3: Serving together Level 4: Suffering together James 1:12 (NKJV) Loving God Under Trials 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

I was away for the past week on a group trip to Hong Kong, Guangdong (China) & Macau. There were times on the road when I just had to write some notes in a little notebook. Random thoughts on... the cold weather - it freezes the pee out of you. For some reason, the weather is cold enough to make your trips to the W.C. more frequent. driving - say your prayers when on the road. Driving in China is like having a death wish. The cyclists & pedestrians think they own the road and cross the streets, expecting cars to stop for them. At some point, I was thinking that road kill is a form of population control. Forgive me, Lord. driving - Honk if you say 'Hi'. Drivers honk their horns as often as one would step on the brakes. And the cyclists and pedestrians mostly do not heed the warnings. Hong Kong - of hills and roller-coasters. The roads in Hong Kong are steep like rollercoasters because the country is situated in hilly or mountainous areas. Driving there ca...

It's a day of goodbye and a day of celebration in one day. Happy birthday to me. My thanks to my family for celebrating this day with me today and to my sis for her thoughtful gifts. In the morning, I managed to capture this low quality picture of the sky on my phone. I swear, the real thing looked much more beautiful. To loosely quote fake "Katara" in ATLA, "I feel so full of hope that I'm tearbending!"