Since we love our food so much here in Singapore, I thought it would help to see this blog as a buffet of tips on how we can enjoy a more more awakened, happier and kinder experience on earth.
1. You won’t know how something tastes till you try it, yes? So don’t believe things here. Try them out.
2. Start with what you can digest best first.
3. Chew properly before swallowing. Reflect on what you read.
4. Take what you will really try and can digest. Just taking (reading) and not eating (trying) won’t benefit you. On the other hand, eating all at one go may cause indigestion!
5. Unlike most buffets, I encourage you to share what you love with others! If you try something and it was yummy, let others know by posting your comments. If it was yucky, do share about that too so others and I can understand what happened and learn from it. But remember, some things that taste yucky are good for you…
6. This buffet has a potluck element. So bring your own dishes so others can try them too. They could be in the form of ideas, resources such as films, books, websites, observations or your personal experiences. I just ask that your dishes are made with love. This is a buffet that celebrates nonviolence so I am happy to publish comments that honour that.
7. A buffet’s strength is in its diversity. This blog will honour and draw from science, different spiritual traditions, my professional training and experience and my personal observations, experiences and conversations with others.
8. This is meant to be soul-food, some of which has healing value. But if you need emergency medicine or surgery (such as crisis counselling), this is not a replacement so please seek the relevant professional help.
9. Know what to expect from this buffet. It is meant to be life and love-affirming. But that can come in many forms, including speaking about “heavy” issues such as chronic illness or prejudices we hold.
10. You have a wide choice. Use your intuition to guide you. Know when to try something familiar and when to push your boundaries so you balance ease with adventure, curiosity and risk.
11.
I’ve left this blank so I can invite you to create an intention for yourself on how you best want to use this blog. Do you want to read it every morning at a certain time? After your prayer or meditation? During lunch when you have some time and space to reflect?
Bon apetit!
Chef’s training?
My best training has been through my own life experiences, my struggles and mistakes, books I have read, workshops I have attended and wise people I have had the honour of knowing.
I graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in Social Work in 1995/96. I completed my Master of Public Administration at Columbia University, New York City in 2009. My practicum was in conflict resolution and I took some amazing workshops in dignity, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence and appreciative inquiry at Columbia.
Having said all that, my favourite poem, “The Invitation”, sums up what I think of formal credentials or academic excellence. Some of the wisest, most joyful and compassionate people I have known did not have the best education. Gandhi was not known to be a good student. So I gently urge you to look closely at what sustains someone “when all else falls away”, as Oriah says in “The Invitation”.
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