The world is with you, not against you.

Have you ever seen this happen? You line up quietly outside the glass doors of a subway (no, not the franchise Subway) waiting for the train to arrive. I say quietly because this is little Singapore; where most people are perhaps so tired after a whole day at work that they have no energy to either smile or chat with the person next to them. Some of course, would rather be entertained by their electronic device. Live , and let live. Of course there are strange people like me who look around, and smile at unsuspecting fellow commuters.

Anyway the train arrives, people walk in and those able to find a seat, do. The beeping starts, warning commuters that the trains doors are about to close. Suddenly someone comes rushing through just as the doors start to close. The expression on the person who just made it through the doors is one of relief of course- that he or she did not get jammed between the doors! Perhaps theres a little pride mixed in at their athletic ability.

I was was watching one such person. Actually it was not the person who had just made it that I was watching; I was watching the rest of the people in the compartment. Maybe it was just me, but it seemed as if everyone was holding their breath. Most conversation had ceased around that particular entrance. Once again it could have just been me, but I was hoping that somehow the person would make it.

I'd like to think that I'm not too different from other human beings in wanting to see someone succeed. I think there is a desire in each one of us- unless we're either clinically depressed or in a comatose state- that we want to see someone make it. To reach their goal. To reach the pinnacle of their career. To be all that they can be. It doesn't matter who the person is- all that binds us to one another is a common bond of empathy and understanding. And most of the time, that is more than enough, to show that we care.

Esther @ www.soakupinfo.com/Esther

The elusiveness of happiness

Is happiness something really worth pursuing? And how does one go about defining happiness anyway? I sincerely doubt that we would be able find a more abstract noun. What is the difference; or is there even a difference between general happiness of the world at large, and that of personal happiness? Or does one lead to the other?

So many questions and so few answers! It's been said that one of the marks of a successful person is his or her ability to ask the right questions, addressed to the right or relevant authority on that subject. So who could we ask that we would deem to be an authority on the subject of happiness?

The answer, i believe lies in our childhood. The time when we were babies and had not a care in the world, except that of seeking out our next meal, and nap time. Babies and toddlers have no conception of fear- they depend on the parent or a significant other to be with them constantly. To monitor them, and of course for survival basics. They truly exist in the now- something which many of us strive to do and few actually do. Perhaps that's what happiness is.

Learning how to live in the now- to make the most of our present moment. To really be present where we are- with all of our faculties. And not just to be present, but to enjoy and make the most of each moment. To learn from the tougher moments, and to move from moment to moment with lightness in our hearts. Maybe love and happiness are synonymous; or at least exist side by side.

Yes I think happiness should be pursued- it may bring greater self-awareness and love for both our self and for others. It may even bring us to Maslow's point of self-actualization. If you're not happy, take some time for self-reflection and find out why. When you seek with all your heart, you will find.

Esther @ www.soakupinfo.com/Esther

Is love as risky as its made out to be?

One of my essay topics when I was in high school was the question," Is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all?" For those of us who may be wondering where this oft-quoted phrase originated from, it was stolen from Lord Temnyson's poem, 'In Memoriam:27, 1850. I

"I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all."

I haven't had the good fortune of meeting Lord Temnyson, so I can't give you the exact reasons behind his writing such wonderfully sorrowful and yet pleasurable words words as the ones above. What we can tell is that perhaps he did once love someone so much that even when that person passed from his life- either through death or other means- he never regretted it. For those of us who may have had a similar experience, I'm sure we can agree with this heartfelt expression. I honestly can't say I've had a similar experience; I only pray that the person I love will also feel the same, and that I may never have to express Lord Tennyson's sentiment!

I think it's safe to say that we can extend this statement to more than just romantic love; it could also be the love of a parent for a child, or the love of a family member. It's strange how when we read of statements expressing love, our mind seems to assume romantic love. Or it could just be my foolish, sentimental mind!

I honestly can't remember what I wrote in my essay; the only thing I remember was that I for some inexplicable reason chose this question among others. I'm sure at that tender age my only real experience with love would have been that of parental love, or 'puppy' love, with the latest crush. It's amusing to think of it in hindsight. And why is hindsight always perfect? It's almost unfair! If only hindsight and foresight could trade places, the world would be a far nicer place!

Just out of curiosity, what do you, my reader feel? Is it better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all?

Esther @ www.soakupinfo.com/Esther

What is truth?

I remember playing word association games during the course of my study in psychology. In fact I still play them every now and then! For some inexplicable reason the word 'truth' has been popping up in my head. What ideas, thoughts, or associations come to your mind when you think of the word 'truth'?

I can only speak for myself of course. There are two ideas that come to my mind; one is the word trust, and the other is the story of Pontius Pilate in the Bible. Also the phrase that many of us hear and sometimes even quote."the truth shall set you free".

Looking back in history the word 'truth' is taken from an Old English word 'treowth' which meant faithful. If we like, we can further trace back this word to the word 'faith' itself. Which would mean that truth and faith are synonymous. I'll leave you to make your own conclusions though. On my part I think trust comes to mind because of the simple logic that we can only trust someone who tells us the truth. Which raises a secondary question of how do we know when someone is telling us the truth? After all Hollywood, Bollywood and so many other successful movie industries base their paycheck on people who act- or to put it another way- people who portray non-truths and who do it so convincingly that we pay them for it! Of course I'm putting this very simplistically, since I'll be the first to admit that I like a good movie!

However this is a day and age when trust has become a highly priced commodity- it goes to the highest paying bidder. Or to the person who can market it in the most appealing way. How do we know whom and what to believe? I like the idea that many eastern and even some western religions propose; that truth can only be found by searching within ourselves. We each of us needs to find a truth inside us that we can hold onto- while the world around us is shifting and changing. It could be faith in an unseen source, it could be faith in ourselves and our strengths- it doesn't matter as long as it is something that we can hold onto- our anchor.

The story of Pontius Pilate is the story of a man searching for truth or 'the' truth. Be was faced with the decision of punishing Jesus, and he was caught between the guilt of punishing an innocent man, or just going with the crowd and doing whatever they suggested. A dilemma many of us face- especially those of us who choose to step out of our respective comfort zones. He asked the now famous question." What is truth?" He made his decision on his own idea of truth.

Which is what each of us must also do, or are already doing. Truth to one person may not be the same as truth to the person beside him/her. What does matter is how intensely we believe in what we choose to believe and hold on to.

Esther @ www.soakupinfo.com/Esther