Living A FUNtastic Life (Part 46)

The cars were zooming past us on both rides.

It was not an unusual phenomenon as Doris Wood, my adopted mother was a careful driver, “Never had an accident before.” That’s what she kept telling me.

There was a moment when she was deep in thought while she was driving me from Irvine to Los Angeles Airport. It was a labour of love to send me off at the Airport.

She turned to me and said something that kept me thinking all the way up the plane,

“Í like your self-depreciating joke, but there are times when you should be proud of yourself and talk about it.”

What she said ran contrary to the typical Asian culture. If anything else, Asians can have a tendency to be overly modest.

For me, I have a lifelong habit of making fun of myself – not because of any false humility but because it was fun and a source of good fun for others.

I would rather they laugh with and at me than laugh at others which can have negative effects.

Should I condescend and make myself feel bad? God forbid, no.

Although on saying that, I know many people who victimize themselves. They should have practiced more self-love and more kindness to themselves but strangely enough, they don’t.

If I’m going to live a FUNtastic life, I should know my strengths and be proud of them. I should leverage on them to create achievements that can bring me additional pride and joy.

I need to pat myself on the back regularly. I need to reinforce my strengths by reminding myself how I have built on them and how they have helped me earn respect and recognition from others.

When someone compliments me, I should be able to adopt a healthy mindset to say, “Thank you” – even if I may use it to crack another self-depreciating joke.

Obviously, I have to ensure that patting myself on the back is based on genuine achievements. I should be mindful that my ego do not negatively feed itself until it becomes conceited and arrogant.

I should catch myself doing well and continue to pat myself on the back. It will help me to have a healthy self-esteem.

I will be a better friend to others and it will strengthen our relationships.

This will in turn help me to start a virtuous cycle of looking out for more good in myself. It will enhance the foundation to live a FUNtastic life.

Go4It!

I hope this message will find a place in your heart.

By the way, I have also recorded other reflections.

Please go to ‘Notes’ found below my profile picture.

Visit my Inspiration blog at http://liewinspiration.wordpress.com/

Visit my Transformation blog at http://hsrpatrickliew.wordpress.com/

Please read them and continue to teach me.

Life is FUNtastic!

 

Think: How can we pat ourselves on the back positively and regularly?