May You Be Blessed | May You Be Blessed Movie

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Is going to work, hazardous to your health?

Someone told me the other day, that going to work was killing her. Although she was in a viable position in a well known company, she was falling apart from the strain of trying to cope with the demands of her job. Out of exasperation she told me, "Mary, going to work is hazardous to my health. It is killing me slowly!"

This prompted me to ponder if going to work can be hazardous to one's health. Yes my friends, it can be hazardous to your health, especially if you work in an organisation that places more value on its productivity and the management of information, than it does on it's staff.

How will work be hazardous?

1) Well, to meet the expectations of the 'Management ',  the employees will compete with one another by putting in longer hours to increase production. Some will even be forced to put in or even coerced into putting in longer hours.

2) Some will manipulate their colleagues for their own benefit.

3) Some may even carry tales about their colleagues in order to be esteemed highly by their employers.

4) Some will even have to eat their meals at improper times or not eat at all. Thus becoming critical, complaining and eventually ending up with gastric ulcers and a negative working environment. 

In this mad race to increase production and to climb the ladder, jealousy, dissension, strife, anger and hatred among colleagues will ensue. All these feelings will cause undue stress, high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke and ulcers will erupt. The staff will turn out to be complainers and critics of the management.

Now do you get the big picture? Going to work in the above situation is definitely hazardous to your health.

On the other hand if the organisation you are working in, places more emphasis on the climate of the working environment and shows a keen interest in the personhood of each employee, then everyone will feel like family rather than a subordinate. Those working in this kind of environment will be self motivated, passionate about what they do and will co-operate with each other. Then truly work will be blissful rather than a hazard.

Not everyone is as fortunate as me. I am blessed to be working in a school where the school leaders and KP's care for each individual and the welfare of the whole person. Every programme is specially created and organised for the individual needs of the pupils and staff. Every need is looked into, mental, emotional and physical. All staff, be they teachers, admin staff or OSO's are treated fairly and with love and compassion. The staff in my school care and share with one another just like family members do. This then filled my heart with grattitude.

I want everyone to be blessed as I am. You too can be happy and enjoy your work, if you start with yourself.  You can begin by creating the safe atmosphere for others who work with you and around you, instead of expecting the organisation to create a safe environment for you. Be a giver, not a taker. Give! Give of yourself until it hurts. That is real giving. Only then will you receive a great measure shaken together and pressed down to overflowing. That is a promise of God to us in the bible. Ask, "What can I do to help others, how can I create a peaceful and plesant atmosphere," instead of asking, "What is the organisation going to do to make the working environment friendly and condusive for me?".

Remember the organisation is made up of people like you and me. We are the hands and legs, eyes, ears and mouth of the organisation. What we do and say will greatly impact the organisation we work in. We have to stop being reactive and begin to be more proactive. Thus we will be able to create a positive and caring working environment.

When this becomes a reality and you are asked, "Is going to work hazardous to your health?" You can safely reply, "Definitely, not, because I create the atmosphere I want, around me".

So, my dear friends, I wish you a very happy working life. God bless.

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Book Review 2

Flipping the Switch



In this book the author shares with us the secret behind his success. He tells us not to ask the IQ's ie. the Incorrect Questions, which we normally do, when things go wrong or when we need to get things done. What are these Incorrect Questions? Well they are simply questions like, " Why is this happenning to me?" OR,  " When will they ever understand me?" OR, " Who is going to help me?" These questions drive us deeper into exasperation.

Instead, he tells us to ask the QBQ ie the Question Behind a Question. Examples of such questions will be, "How can I prevent this from happenning to me again?"  OR, " How can I better understand his/her point of view ?" OR, "What can I do to convince others to get themselves involved in this project with me?" These questions help us to find a solution.

The IQ's are reactive questions while the QBQ's are proactive questions. Those of us who are working in an organisation must remember that organisations don't serve people, individuals do! Therefore we have to constantly ask the QBQ's to upgrade ouselves so that our organisation can thrive. Our organisation's reputation is in our hands.

This book  is a very easy read, filled with nuggets of wisdom. All of you out there, this book is for you. You maybe an officer, a CEO, a cleaner or even a meat seller at the market. There is only one thing you must remember. Your job's reputation is in your hands. You have the power to make it popular or unpopular. Therefore let us ask the QBQ's and unleash the power of accountability today. You can find this book in any of the NLBs near your place.

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BOOK REVIEW 1

PATRIMONY by Philip Roth

A True Story

Winner - National Bk Critics Circle Award.

This is a heart warming story of a Jewish father and son. The author's father has been diagnosed incorrectly, as suffering from Bell's Palsy, a viral infection that causes paralysis, usually temporary, to one side of the face. But the father thinks that he has suffered a stroke like his own late father. Eventually he loses hearing in his right ear and also his sight partially in both eyes , and is only able to drink with a straw; otherwise the drink ran out the paralyzed half of his mouth.

As the story unfolds, the author goes on to describe his father during his younger days: a healthy, robust, powerful leader, father and husband.

He writes about the time his father gave away the author's prized stamp collection without his permission; the time  the author's mother was  sixty and his father sixty three, when his mother was suddenly faced with the stark reality that her freedom was to be forever taken away. All these years she a Jewish immigrant's daughter, had managed her household without any interferance. Then when the author's  father retired, he began to control everything about Philip's mother's management of the household affairs. This forces her to confess to her son that if she was given a chance, she would want to divorce her husband. Yet she loved him ardently.

Philip Roth the author, goes on to describe his father as an obsessively stubborn and overbearingly bossy person. He narrates an incident when his mother tells his  father that she could not walk any further, he, the father, stubbornly encourages her to walk a distance saying that it is good for her. This eventually leads to her death.

Philip goes on to describe his feelings for his father, from that of a cold one which transforms into filial piety and unconditional love. As he struggles with his own problems, he writes about what was really wrong with his father and the time his father became a child once again allowing even the basic needs to be performed by his son.

This story is about the vulnerability of love, anxiety, dread and the survivalist tenacity. Those of us who read this book will learn to appreciate our own parents no matter what characteristics they posses. We who think that we have the worst set of problems will learn to appreciate the lives we live and be tenacious and pragmatic leaders and will be prompted to look for ways to put ourselves in the shoes of others thus becoming a blessing to those around us.

This will make an interesting read. You will find it in any of the National Library Branches in Singapore.

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A Prayer for Everyone

This is my Prayer for all who read my blog:

I pray that our Father in heaven will bless you with all the riches in heaven and put His favour around you, so that whomever looks at you, will look at you with God's favour in their eyes. May He protect you mightily from the devourer who waits to devour your health, happiness, peace of mind, your earnings, your blessings from God and especially your soul. May our heavenly Father cover you with the Precious Blood of Jesus and guide your every thought, every word that comes from your mouth and your every action. May you  marinate, live , move and breathe in God's holy presence every moment of your life. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.