Dream Catcher

Namaste!

I had made a resolution to write at least 1 gratitude for 365 days without any break but I couldn't follow it up. I think I had set quite an unworkable goal. Some days I am tired because of traveling and I do not have the energy and motivation to upload a new post whereas some days I do not seem to be able to find any inspiration. Well when I do find one, I know that I want to write a new post about it.

Well, I think I will change my plan for now. Yes, I will be sharing with you about what I had initially planned but it will not be daily so that it will provide me more flexibility.

I am an avid news reader. Today while I was doing my checks for any new and interesting news I found an interesting article on China.org.cn. It was about a woman named Hu Fenglian who lost her lower part of the legs when she was 6 months old. Her story inspired me because inspite of the many challenges a normal disable people face, she shows the determination and courage to live her life fully and rather than dwelling on the past, looks forward to the future. If you want to know more about the story coverage you can click on this link:- http://www.china.org.cn/china/2015-02/25/content_34883041.htm

 

After reading her story, I asked myself what my dream is. Where do I see myself? I am currently in my final year. And this is a crucial question for me. If you have your own story, I would love to learn about your dream and your chase to dream.

I had such a hard time completing this post because I am so confused. When I am confused, I like to procrastinate a lot.

People say "You just need to follow your heart" but how is one to recognize what the heart wants to follow.

I think Steve Jobs has the best answer to my confusion.

The meaning of dream has become so ambiguous. Dreams by the professional self help gurus are called goals - short term, medium term and long term. For others, dreams are just dreams that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep and for few of them, dreams means a special meaning that adds value to their existence.

I feel like I need to rely on Mr. Steve Jobs on this one. Until I find myself my dream, I will be running, chasing after it. Hence, I become a dream catcher.

Gratitude 3:
I am grateful that I am healthy, that I can run, jump, walk, talk, be able to do whatever I want to do.

Cheers!

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Roots

Namaste!

I came to Malaysia when I was 18 and now I am 22. I have only tasted a bit of life and I know there are loads of surprises waiting for me - bad, good; all uncertain. The future does indeed seem uncertain but what does seem certain is the power to shape it.

What about past? Past is unerasable; the only power we have now is to contemplate it. If our life was a Facebook timeline, our newsfeed would begin right from the time we were out into this world. Yet the timeline begins before we are born. To exactly start from where is nearly impossible so this is probably why we begin our existence and identity from the place we are born.

I was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. I never had the opportunity to travel so when I came to Malaysia and subsequently traveled to Singapore and Thailand, I realized how big the world really is. Traveling, observing and meeting people from different countries has truly been an enriching experience and at the same time has led me to question about my roots

For me tracing our roots is important because roots are the very reason why trees exist and without it there would not be things such as tress so had it not been for my ancestors, there would not be a person that you know today called Karma Dolma Gurung.

Much more than the place where I was born and raised, I have a closer affinity to the community that I belong to. I belong to a mountainous ethnic tribe, Managis, in Nepal which is influenced by Tibetan Buddhism.

Manang

I was given an assignment on one of the course I was taking in my first year of undergraduate. It was about my cultural identity. Below is an excerpt from my assignment:-

"My name is Karma Dolma Gurung. I was given this name by our spiritual leader who guides and teaches all the Managis to act in the right path. Our religion which teaches us compassion and kindness has played an important role in shaping out culture, beliefs and values. Our everyday life is guides by following the main teachings for betterment of not only our fellow human beings but also for nature and its creation. Karma means a cyclical cause and effect process where the present good or bad doings influences the future or our next life. Managis believe in Karma so they perform good doings in their present life to earn good merit.

I believe that my family and my community have had a profound effect in shaping my self-identity. If not for them, I would have never been the present Karma. I have guided myself to follow what I have been taught by my parents as well as principles that I have developed, through various experiences as I grew up. After I left home for abroad, I have been exposed to there various arrays of culturally diverse people that made me think about the global village I am part of. My community has taught me to live in peace and harmony with others. This is probably the reason why I have been able to adapt to AiU's environment. I hope to someday write about the stories of my land and people as a gift to my community for the beautiful lessons it has taught me." ( 5th November, 2012)

Kid me at Manang

Gratitude 2: I am grateful that I come from such a culturally diverse background. I am grateful that I have supportive family.

Sweet Dreams!

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Namaste

नमस्ते! (Namaste!) It's a form of hand-gesture by pressing your two hands together commonly used to greet another person. NAMASTE!

What does it mean anyway? Namaste is a word that is just more than a form of greeting. I got to know this when I was reading one of my favorite book of all time "Aspire" by Kevin Hall; you should try reading this book.

The word can be traced back to Hindu mythology. The Gods were frustrated with the humans who were misusing their godly power so they decided to hide this power but had no idea where. They wanted to hide it in a place where humans wouldn't be able to find/ reach. Hence, they thought about hiding it in the highest mountain but then humans would one day be able to climb the highest mountain. They came up with another alternative, to hide it in the deepest ocean but then humans would one day be able to dive in the deepest sea.

Finally, after much contemplation they finally found a perfect place. They hid it inside humans because they knew that humans were selfish, greedy and self-centric so they would never able to discover it.

So saying Namaste means " I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the place in you of light, love, truth, peace and wisdom" (from Aspire by Kevin Hall).

I love telling this story to other people because it carries a meaning that we fail to express our gratitude everyday in our life i.e to respect ourselves for our uniqueness and god-given gifts.

This is the reason why I started this blog in the hope that many people including me will find an answer and be able to find light at the end of the tunnel.

If you feel like we are sailing on the same boat, join me with my journey. Remember "Every journey begins with a single step."

For 365 days, I will be sharing you about the uniqueness and god-given gifts that I have received. So here is my first gratitude to start off this blog.

Gratitude 1: I am grateful that I was able to go to school and receive proper education. I am grateful that I can read and write. With this gift that I have received, I want to be able to touch people's lives and teach to pass this gift to children so that they can also feel blessed.

My study table

Sweet Dreams!

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