Wednesday 27 May 2015

Maybe it not that complicated.

At times when everything is simpler, still the mind plays up and make it look more complex. So Today I got myself thinking 'what about if it was just as easy and simple as.....?'. There is always complications somehow, every now and then. Yes I like to think of all these challenges as part of the greater plan but then sometimes I think it is just the mind being over melodramatic and creating more hurdles and obstacles that are not even there.

So this is actually 1 week away from finals for me and I have been studying slowly. My exam timetable is just perfect. Its as if I sent a request to whoever organizes those timetable and they granted my request. If I had to plan my exam timetable, I would have planned it just like that. I have a good 2 weeks left to study. I have been studying the hardest unit of them all which is 'FM303 - International Finance' because for the other 2 units I am also taking;  'Intermediate Microeconomics' and 'Environmental Economic' I feel that for both of them I can confidently say its "It Handled" (like how Olivia Pope say's it).



While I was studying today something crept up in my mind and then things just seemed to get a whole lot more complicated. Maybe its because of the lack of sleep, I think it is. Anyways so all this pieces of puzzles are flying around in my head. I had a lot of decision making to do, few compromises to make and some next steps to take. After a while a I went off to sleep on top of the study table because there was just too much thinking going on. When I woke a few minutes later I realized that there are just simple solutions to solving these problems. I finally resolved to just follow the easiest step, like derr it shouldn't be as hard as it seemed to me anyways. Again the advice that I gave to myself again; "Just do the Work! Simply do the work that needs to be done and let all else figure themselves out...Goshhh".






For this finals, I am just going to do the work, everything else will be sorted after finals. I have dreams and I will focus all my energy on accomplishing my dreams right now too. 

Cheers! XO XO. Wishing all the readers a simple and happier life!





  

Saturday 23 May 2015

Have or Have not: We are all unimaginably powerful!

Once me and a good friend of mine +Mesui Toganiyadrava discussed about how this world seems so unfair. We were both at the lowest points in our lives, we were exhausted and feeling a little bit hopeless. We emotionally and reflectively talked about how for some people they seemed to be given everything in life; the talent, the natural good looks, good relationship, wealth, intelligence and confidence. Whereas for other people like us we have to struggle and endure so much pain in this world. That conversation had to be one the most memorable conversations, it was very intimate and it really defined my friendship with that person. It was also a defining moment in my life, from then onward it made me very accepting of reality. I think it pushed me a step closer to maturity.

As we grow older, we start to get a lot of bruises and I think that makes us react to situations in a much more deeper way. I go to church and during praise and worship sessions I usually watch older people as they dance, cry and sing passionately and I know that's because they have lived long enough to get as many bruises that they need healing. Some things can build us up and some things can break us down if we are not spiritually prepared for it. From that day I had that conversation with my friend about unfairness in this world, I underwent a journey (nothing fancy...just a bit like a spiritual journey) that led me to this blog post.

My perception has changed since then. With this new perception I feel that I have become more confident and content with all that I have been given in this life. I think we must not be intimidated by anyone because at the end of the day we are all flawed human beings. We should not to get disheartened seeing other people having it good in life because like my inspirational beauty queen Michelle Phan  says in one of her videos; most people like to showcase their best lives but that doesn't mean they don't have problems so lets all go ahead have a smile on our faces. Let's showcase to the world our best lives. Whatever unfavorable situation we are in, we should always be optimistic and forward looking with a vision of what our best lives will look like once we have gone through that trial. See it as a test, see it as something that will make us become a better person, better at what we do. When we get punched in the face, let's stand back up stronger and continue fighting the good fight. Another problem we have to deal with is the naysayers. Yup the naysayers, they can be really frustrating to deal with. What I usually do is to take the negative power that they emanate and use it as a force to prove them wrong. 

Whats really interesting about each one of us is that we are uniquely created. We should all seize that uniqueness and make the best out of it. I heard from somewhere that it is not about how much we have but what we can make out of the little things that we have. I think that God rewards those who are grateful. With a simple pencil and a simple book, we can write a best selling book or draw designs that becomes a successful fashion life. I think that talent is not just singing and being able to win gold in a sport. Talent comes in all varieties of shapes and sizes. Talent is a product of love and passion. Like Beyonce say's in one of her videos "Once you realise the thing that makes you passionate and the thing that makes you stay up at night, the thing that you would fight for..once you realize those things and you are working towards that...its preety much HAVING IT ALL!!"  

So may you be filled with so much love and positivity & always remember to live your best life. 

Cheers!! 




Sunday 10 May 2015

Dealing with MayDays.

It's the month of May, and for me ever since school started this year I have been very nervous about facing this Month. The reason is because a lot of things in my course assessment for the Units I have taken this semester falls due this month. From the beginning I have always been anxious thinking about how this month will go down especially with assignments and minor exams falling due almost every week.

Prior to facing the challenges of this month, on the last week of April I called for a mentoring session with my mentor Dr Vanisha Mishra Vakaoti  who offers a great professional mentoring service. I just had this gut feeling that I needed to call for a session, because it was the perfect opportune time to utilize such a service. I needed someone else to tell me that the situation lurking around the corner then could be handled. Even though somewhere within me I knew that I could successfully complete this hectic month but then I just couldn't get myself to figure out how to do so because my mind was just too congested. So that's why I needed to have another person uplift my spirit and give me directions.

I had to carefully plan my goals for the mentoring session. I prepared questions in advance so that I could gain as much as possible from that session given that it lasts for a good 1 hour. I also made sure that my questions were very relevant and honest. I really needed the mentoring session to be successful. The mentoring session turned out to be more bountiful than what I had expected it to be. The 3 key messages my mentor shared with me were to; 1) Remain calm, just do the work, avoid panicking 2) Create study time as sacred time for yourself, that no one get's to move you or distract you from the work that you are supposed to do 3) Set boundaries for yourself, learn to say No.

Those key learning's created a warm feeling of contentment, calmness and reassurance that yes I can do it. I can skillfully handle all of the upcoming challenges. I made a mental note to self to remain calm and work hard. I also made a point that I am not going to deprive myself of life and happiness this month just because I have a lot of work to do. Even though it was going to get busy, I was still going to have fun. I told myself that 'I am going to have the time of my life this May'.

It's now 1 assignment and 2 short test later and I feel so proud of myself. I never felt much pressure than I used to feel before. What really worked for me was staying calm and composed. I was more rational and I got a lot more done when I just chilled and stayed calm. For instance this last week I had 2 exams one after the other. As a student we really have to be strategic when it comes to moments like these. I had to prioritize one unit more than the other given the time constraint. I studied day's in advance for the more difficult unit that was carrying more weight in terms of it's contribution to the final coursework. I must admit that for a while I was considering asking the lecturer to sit for that less harder unit another day (he was a very kind and flexible Lecturer so he could have approved my request anyways) because I thought that I can do much better if I did so. But then as I was making my way to school that morning I recalled what I had learnt from the mentoring session and instead of making my way to the Lecturers office I made a detour into the Library. In the Library coincidentally I bumped into 2 of my friends who also take the same units. I told them what I had planned to do, 1 of them a lady who was a working student (She works full time and studies part time) again reminded me that I needed to calm down and study because we had a good solid 5 hours to complete studying 5 units. With that reminder to stay calm I dived straight into studying and I managed to complete studying within 3 and a half hours. The paper that evening turned out to be really enjoyable and I would have really regretted not taking it. I applied the same principle that evening when I completed my study for the more harder unit. Again it helped me deliver better results in a more enjoyable way. An important thing also that we need to have is teamwork with other fellow human beings, preferably interaction in physical presence. People are not only there to offer their assistance when needed but to also share happiness with. I often find that's it's very fun and efficient working within a group. Not just any group people, that great feeling of teamwork often comes about when I am sharing my time and energy with people who have the same goal, drive and passion as me.

I never thought that these busy May Days would have taught me how to continue living life to the fullest despite the hectic demands of life's hustle and bustle. Let us just immerse ourselves deeply in the work that should be done and never forgetting to be happy.

When the water get's deeper, don't panic (because you might just end up drowning) instead swim, enjoy where the water currents takes you.