Life Lessons From Fire.

by Patrick Liew on February 14, 2013

The theme for Chingay 2013 is Fire In Snow. This spectacular street parade will be held on 22-23 February 2013 in Marina Bay and the final rehearsal will be held on 21 February 2013.

According to the People’s Association, this year’s show will be the grandest in size, involving about 10,000 performers from more than 120 organisations.

The purpose of the theme is to remind ourselves to be ever-ready to face any challenges in life. If we are united as a country and have a resilient spirit, we can overcome them.

Besides the theme, another reason why Chingay 2013 is important to me is because I will be participating in a Chingay procession for the first time in my life.

If you are watching it, please look out for an old man with two left feet, carrying a torch of fire. Hopefully, I’ll remember not to use it to scratch my backside in case it ever become itchy. Lol!

On a serious note, I spent time thinking about the element of fire. I contemplated about its vital role in life.

I’m not sure when humankind first discovered fire.

All I know is that at some point in history, we learned to control fire. We learned how to enjoy and leverage on the use of fire.

We also learned that fire can be a helpful servant but a harsh master. It can protect us and it can also destroy us. It can be a force for both good and evil.

With fire, we can protect ourselves against nocturnal predators. It can also help us prepare food and thus, enhance the availability and variety of nutrients.

With its heat, we can survive better in a cooler environment. We can use the light to help us see our way through and operate in darkness.

In the modern economy, we can use it as a weapon. We can also utilise it to generate electricity and power our industries.

We can build various combustion-based vehicles to take us around the world and even into outer space.

Fire has increased our working hours, making life more comfortable and firing up our creativity and  imagination. It has helped to create more possibilities and opportunities for ourselves.

Fire has changed the way we live, work, learn and play. It made it possible for us to live a better life.

Fire has become a vital and sometimes, a sacred part of our life. It has also become a symbol for many laudable values.

In the Bible, fire has been used to represent our Creator and His emissaries. One of the most popular stories was about how He used pillars of fire to lead His people through darkness and into the promised land.

Every time, we look at fire, we are somehow caught up with something mystical about it. It reaches out to a deep recess of our minds and places us in a trance-like state.

It can be a tool to activate the synapses of our neural pathways and remind us to pursue a purposeful life. It can challenge us to dream beyond ourselves.

Perhaps what is more important than the tangible fire is the proverbial fire in our belly. This is a burning desire that can be kindled to release passion, energy, creativity, single-mindedness and a fiery vision.

It is the one of the most powerful forces that can be used to blaze a trail in our lives. It can propel us to fulfill a worthwhile dream and change the world around us.

Fire can represent destruction for all things negative. It can also stand for purification, the need to bring out the best from each and every one of us.

As an active force, fire helps to maintain various ecological systems and stimulate growth. It compels and catalyses the renewal of life.

We can choose to be like life-giving fire. We can contribute to our community and help generate restorations, improvements and growth.

Fire requires oxygen and other materials to burn on an ongoing basis. In the same way, we need to harness other forces to help us achieved meaningful results and reach our desired destinations.

It will bode well to remember that to start a fire, all we need is a spark. No matter how small the spark is, it has the potential to become a flame and eventually, it can become a razing fire.

That’s how positive revolutions were started. They were started with an idea.

The people who came out with the idea oftentimes deemed themselves to be ordinary. They could not imagine that their simple action to turn the idea into a reality could end up making a major impact on society.

Th e next person with such an idea can very well be you.

Keep stroking the fire and don’t let it die within you.

Go4It!

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

By the way, I have also recorded other reflections.

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

For my quotes to the mass media on current affairs, please visit my Transformation blog at http://hsrpatrickliew.wordpress.com/

Please visit my website, www.patrickliew.net

Please read my reflections and continue to teach me.

Life is FUNtastic!

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