I’m going to miss the easy access to local Malaysian drinks. It’s funny how food and drinks trigger memories, and ground us back to home realities. It’s funny how the cup and the drink even with it’s contradictions merge with ease.
Family time was pleasant last night with a number of regular hiccups. It’s quite an ordeal to manage three energetic kids. Gareth has his spouts of reading mixed with sudden surges of excitement. Elysia skips more than she walks, so you can imagine what the future holds for her. Ewan cool and calm that he is always asks for the iPhone, he finger navigates it like a true native of the digital age. And my long suffering wife who might include me as the 4th kid or KIT in the family that sometimes drives her up the wall. Yet, in all of this we survive our dinners out, mini-wars at home, with interspersed moments which we know we will treasure forever.
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As one who tends to be proactive, I don’t like myself put in a position of being reactive. It’s not just I hate the “I told you so” mode, it’s simply at times unnecessary. Energies are sucked in directions which could have been used to direct rather than swayed by the winds of other people’s expectations.
There’s no fool proof way to deal with this. We will need to react when provoked. A more softer way of saying it respond. However we say it, we will still need to pay attention to what to do after the act of another. Being proactive either allows us to set the tone, or at least invites others to come alongside and work together. This assumes our willingness to include others in this way.
I’ve discovered often in reactive situations, we are less likely to have the priority of working together towards a solution. The stress level is also higher. We’ll survive, since we always have. But, again it’s about the time and energy which potentially would have used for more productive endeavors.
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It’s fun getting back to these random thoughts blog posts. I think it helps me slow down a little. Today will be one that’s going to zoom by quick.
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