“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. (Psalm 4:1 King James Version)
“Sorrows of life have themselves been the source of life’s enlargement. We all need the iron in life to enlarge our character. The gold is simply a passing vision, whereas the iron is the true experience of life. The chain that is the common bond uniting us to others must be one of iron. God has enlarged you through the suffering of sorrow’s chain.” (George Matheson)
Having gone through pains in life, I have learnt to view testing time like menopause symptoms more positively. In the past, I would simply try to get rid of the trial and signed with relief when it was finally over. Now I pray for strength and wisdom to go through sufferings and trials. God always works through people and things around us.
I decided to break new ground in my daily routines about fortnightly ago. Doing new things, see new places, can revive one’s spirit and renew one’s enthusiasm for life. Now I start my morning everyday (except weekend), if I am well, doing qigong with a group of senior citizens at a nearby community club which is five minutes’ walk away and also through the internet(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7hVL4WU6_c&NR=1 )in the privacy of my home. I have also just commenced my taichi class(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sWjoMKq5kQ). I will also try to do 30-minute brisk walking at the nearby park.
My symptoms have not go away totally but are now more manageable, unlike in the past, they almost totally paralysed my daily activities. Qigong is very easy to learn on your own,doing just part One(18 steps) which takes about 20 minutes is sufficient for me (book: The theory and practice of Taiji qigong by Chris Jarmey, available from library), but not taichi which involves precise foot-work, so joining a class is a must. Yesterday I have also consulted my Chinese physician at Thong Chai Medical Institution, hopefully the Chinese herbs she prescribed will also helped.
Your sharing on 'breaking new ground' reminded me of this story I read in the Internet entitled 'Sharks in Your Life'
ReplyDelete'The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So the fishermen had to go further out to sea to catch their supply of fish, the fishing boats got bigger and bigger. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh and they lost their fresh taste.
To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish.
Also, the frozen fish brought a lower price. So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive. Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference; because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.
So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies added a small shark to the tanks that the fish were kept in. The shark, of course, eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state due to the fact that the fish are challenged'.
The moral of the story is that some of us are also living like fish that have been caught, we give in too easily, and we are not challenged. Some of us could use a Shark in our lives. Consider the challenges and problems can keep us motivated and moving forward. Without challenges we can become complacent and we find life boring and uninspiring.
Challenges in our lives can keep us moving forward. As the quote goes, "When we long for life without difficulties, be reminded that - oaks grow strong in contrary winds, and diamonds are made under pressure."