Couch Surfing???

In this day of high crime rates involving rape cases and snatch thefts, I'm genuinely pleased to see that there are still people who do believe in the fundamental good nature of human kind.

These would be people who accept offers of help without second guessing the people offering the help to them. The same people who are very willing to return the favour whenever the next opportunity arises.

I'm actually referring to a project called "Couch Surfing" that I heard about over the radio this morning. This project started by a non-profit organization involves hosting travelers from other countries in your home in exchange for meeting new people, sharing your culture and your lifestyle with them together with the opportunity of being able to guest in someone's home the next time you travel. Like most good ideas, you've probably heard of some variation of this before but this is the first time, I've seen a site with such active participation on a global scale.

Safety is of course a paramount concern and the website creators have managed to assuage the fear of being the target of criminal activity by implementing a trust circle in the form of guest and host reviews via a vouching system. In this way, a guest can see all the responses and comments left by other members before deciding on a particular host to stay and likewise, a host can also checkup on a potential guest.

Its' projects like this that warm my heart and renew my faith in my fellow humans. I'm thrilled that many of my fellow Malaysians have also jumped on the Couch Surfing bandwagon. I wonder whether I should sign up too? =)

For more info, click here

Inspiring Post...

Having recently heard about the Free Hugs campaign, I was curious and wanted to find out more. Google helpfully pointed me out to the Free Hugs campaign website, here. Reading about the campaign as well as its history brought a smile to my face. Seeing how a simple gesture such as a hug has the capability to brighten someone's day is really quite remarkable.

I wonder whether this campaign will ever be successful in Malaysia? Would you be willing to hug a stranger walking along the street? I honestly couldn't imagine doing so. Perhaps this is due to our cultural mindset that is instilled into us by our parents implying that we should respect each other's personal space.

Well, who knows? Perhaps it will be a success locally. Anyone brave enough to give it a try? ;)

A Chat With God...

Your life will be how you choose to live it. Dedicated to a special someone...

--@--

God: Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No. Who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now.
I am in the midst of something.

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic.
It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results.
Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not
expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well, I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some
clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the Medium
you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.
You are worrying because you are analyzing.
Worrying has become your habit.
That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty...

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamonds cannot be polished without friction.
Gold cannot be purified without fire.
Good people go through trials, but don't suffer.
With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher.
She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests?
Why can't we be free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to
Enhance Mental Strength.

Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you
are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems,
we don't know where we are heading...

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.
Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken.
Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in
the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others.
Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead.
You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go.
Always count your blessings, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God: When they suffer they ask, "why me?"
When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?"

Everyone wishes to have truth on their side,
but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be.
Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it.
Life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret.
Handle the present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.
I am so happy to start the New Day with a new sense of inspiration.

God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs.
Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me.
Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

--@--

PS: Taken from a forwarded e-mail

A Tale Of Two Men...

I do come across a wide variety of articles either through blog hopping, surfing the Internet or even from the 'spam' that ends up in my inbox from time to time. This particular story touched me and I decided to share it on my blog. Enjoy :)

--@--

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fin e view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.
"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."

PS: Stolen off a random blog i happened to come across

The Atheist Professor...

Does evil exist?

The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!"

"God created everything? The professor asked.

"Yes sir", the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"

"Of course", replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name — Albert Einstein.