Angelus' Quote: Jangan Berputus Asa

"Terah membawa Abram anaknya... keluar bersama-sama dari Ur-Kasdim untuk pergi ke Tanah Kanaan. Tetapi ketika sampai di Haran, mereka pun menetap di sana"
(Kejadian 11:31, AVB)

Kenapa Terah berhenti di Haran? Bila saya melihat map dari Ur-Kasdim ke Tanah Kanaan, perjalanan Terah dan keluarganya memang sukar. Terah ada banyak haiwan ternakan, harta benda, keluarga dan sanak saudara. Lagipun mereka hanya berjalan kaki atau menunggang keldai (atau unta?) 4,000 tahun dahulu. Mungkin setelah sekian lama mereka mengembara, Terah berkata, "Saya sudah tidak larat lagi... Sampai bila? Saya tahu ini bukan Tanah Kanaan, tetapi lebih baik saya dan keluarga menetap di sini. Di sini nampak baik."

Mungkin seperti Terah, bapa Abraham, kamu sudah bersedia untuk berputus asa. "Saya sudah tidak larat"; " Sampai bila?"; "Di sini nampak baik." Kamu sudah pergi dan hampir mencapai impian dan cita-cita kamu, sekarang kamu sudah mahu berhenti? Kamu sudah selesa dengan keadaan kamu sekarang? Kamu berhenti di 'Ur-Kasdim' dan bukannya 'Tanah Kanaan'? Mungkin Terah tidak sedar bahawa Tanah Kanaan juga dipanggil (dalam bab-bab seterusnya) Tanah Perjanjian, "tanah yang berlimpah-limpah susu dan madu"?

Jika kamu sudah hampir berputus asa, saya ingin mencabar kamu untuk meneruskan 'pengembaraan' dalam kehidupan kamu. Adakah impian kamu datang dari TUHAN dan/atau akan memberikan kemuliaaan kepada-Nya? Jika ya, jangan berputus asa! Ambil balik bagasi kamu, simpan balik khemah kamu, kemas peralatan kamu dan mula lagi. "Nampak baik" tidak semestinya yang terbaik untuk kamu. Keluar. Pergi. Maju. Kamu lebih dari pemenang. Kamu diciptakan untuk melakukan kehendak-Nya. Berdoa supaya kamu dapat melihat visi Allah dalam impian kamu.

Sekarang kamu mungkin tertangguh... Tidak apa. Singgah di 'Ur-Kasdim' itu perlu, cuma, jangan menetap di sana. Malam ini atau esok pagi, dongakan matamu ke arah 'Tanah Kanaan'... Keluar... Pergi... sehingga kamu sampai ke destinasi. Jangan berputus asa. Jika TUHAN yang memberi visi, Dia akan juga memberikan kekuatan kepada kamu.

Instagram ---> Richard_Angelus

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Jadi Seperti Abraham, Keluar Daripada Zon Selesa Kamu

"Melalui iman Abraham taat apabila disuruh pergi ke tempat yang kemudian diterimanya sebagai warisannya. Dia pergi tanpa mengetahui ke mana dia pergi"
(Ibrani 11:8, AVB)

Mungkin Abraham sedang berdoa, mungkin Abraham seorang yang berfikiran berbeza, mungkin Abraham ada impian dia sendiri, tetapi dia mungkin takut untuk bertindak. Walau apapun, TUHAN memanggil Abram keluar daripada zon selesa. Bila TUHAN berfirman dan bila umat-Nya bertindak, segala kehendak-Nya akan terjadi. Pada masa yang sama, impian kita yang selaras dengan kehendak-Nya akan menjadi kenyataan.

"Melalui iman Abraham taat apabila disuruh pergi ke tempat yang kemudian diterimanya sebagai warisannya" - dia sampai ke Tanah Perjanjian di Kanaan yang subur dan kaya. Apa yang lebih berharga lagi ialah Abraham memiliki hubungan yang akrab dengan TUHAN, menjadi sahabat-Nya. Melalui suka dan duka, kejayaan dan kegagalan, iman dan keraguan, Abraham terus bergantung kepada TUHAN. Ini ialah "warisannya" yang paling berharga. Semua disebabkan dia sanggup keluar daripada zon selesa.

Berbeza dengan Abraham, bapanya Terah juga pergi keluar daripada tempat asalnya tetapi dia berputus asa dan berhenti di tengah jalan. "Ketika sampai di Haran, [Terah dan keluarganya] menetap di sana" (Kejadian 11:31). Apa yang Terah mahu ialah keselesaan dan hidup biasa-biasa, jadi, dia tidak dapat menikmati berkat TUHAN yang lebih besar lagi. Dia menetap. Jika Terah bersikap seperti Abraham, mungkinkah dia juga akan menikmati kebaikan di Tanah Perjanjian dan mempunyai hubungan yang akrab dengan TUHAN? Mungkin iya, mungkin tidak. Kita tidak tahu kerana dia tidak mengambil risiko dan keluar daripada zon selesa. Alang-alang.

Jangan jatuh cinta dengan zon selesa. Zon selesa tidak akan membangkitkan iman kamu. Memang akan kurang konflik, masalah dan kegagalan jika kamu berada di zon selesa tetapi tanpa semua itu, bagaimana kamu tahu bahawa iman kamu itu hidup? Bagaimana kamu dapat merasa pertolongan TUHAN jika kamu tidak ada masalah? Jadi seperti Abraham, "dia pergi tanpa mengetahui ke mana dia pergi." Dia mungkin tidak pasti tentang arah dan kedudukan yang dijanjikan kepadanya tetapi dia "PERGI", keluar daripada zon selesa kerana dia tahu Siapa yang mengarahkannya dan Siapa yang duduk ditakhta hidupnya. Keluar daripada zon selesa kamu. Banyak lagi yang TUHAN ingin beri kepada kamu. Terus melangkah dan terus percaya. Mahu menjadi seperti Abraham atau Terah?

Instagram ---> Richard_Angelus

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Jika Allah Memihak Kepada Kita, Siapa Dapat Melawan Kita?

"Jadi, apakah yang akan kita katakan sebagai sambutan kepada hal ini? Jika Allah memihak kepada kita, siapa dapat melawan kita? Dia tidak mengecualikan Anak-Nya sendiri, tetapi menyerahkan-Nya untuk kita semua. Oleh itu, tidakkah Dia, bersama Anak-Nya itu, juga akan memberikan segala-galanya kepada kita dengan rela?"
(Roma 8:31-32, AVB)

Setiap hari, TUHAN menabur benih-benih baru (memberi, memberkati, menyediakan) ke dalam hati kamu. Dia memenuhi kamu dengan penuh harapan dan keinginan supaya kamu berbuah lebat, bertumbuh dan menjadi berkat.

Jangan benarkan pemikiran negatif dan tidak-mungkin 'membantutkan' saluran berkat TUHAN kepada kamu. Jika Dia memberi, terima; bila Dia memberkati, ucapkan puji syukur; Dia menyediakan, percaya. Jika TUHAN memihak kepada kamu, kamu tidak akan kalah diakhirnya. Dia boleh menyediakan jalan apabila kamu dalam kebuntuan. Dia boleh membuka pintu yang tidak boleh ditutup oleh sesiapa pun. Dia boleh menempatkan kamu di tempat yang betul, pada masa yang tepat. Dia mampu menjadikan impian kamu - yang selaras dengan kehendak-Nya - menjadi kenyataan.

Masa di sekolah dulu, bila saya ditimpa masalah, walaupun hubungan saya dengan abang saya tidak rapat ketika itu, saya pasti bahawa abang saya akan berlawan untuk saya. Sekarang, bayangkan orang itu ialah TUHAN! Jika Allah memihak kepada kita, siapa dapat melawan kita? Sila jawab...

Instagram ---> Richard_Angelus

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Serve and You'll Become Rich!

Most of the time, near the elevator (this is for the psychological purpose, I assumed), when you walked at any of the shopping malls, you'll smell delicious cookies. That's Famous Amos cookies! These handmade cookies are expensive but no doubt, superbly delicious! When I read the concise history of Famous Amos at the back of the pack, I was very encouraged (this, I also assumed, is part of the psychological purposes). Here's how the cookies became famous:

"Originally, Wally Amos, a true cookies lover, baked his cookies to share with his friends. Once he perfected the ultimate chocolate chip cookies, he started using them as his calling card and as thank-you gifts. As Wally made his rounds in his entertainment business, more and more of his friends and clients asked for another bag of Wally Amos Cookies. Finally, with the backing of several Hollywood personalities, Wally launched The Famous Amos Company in 1975."

When I read about Wally Amos' story, I remember one of Zig Ziglar's famous quotes (oh, I used to listen to See You at the Top audiobook every day!): "You will get all you want in life, if you help enough people get what they want." That mean, first, you want to serve others! Wally initially baked cookies to share with his friends and clients. He wants to serve them. Soon, people want more of his cookies - he delivered what people want - and so he became the channel of blessing to others and himself (automatically) were blessed. From the desire to serve/share with others, he built his company and inevitably became rich! By serving and giving, he already a rich man in his heart and soul.

Do you want to be rich? (Famous, I'm not sure). Then, first – SERVE.

Instagram ---> Richard_Angelus

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Who You Rather Be, a Reading Person or a Boring Person?

A research says that "reading engages the mind. Reading materials, by exercising our memory and imagination, can contribute to happiness in ways similar to active positive thinking. Regular readers are about 8 percent more likely to express daily satisfaction” (Scope, 1999). Even if we don’t read any research at all, we know that those who read books benefit from what they learn and entertainment or inspirations they receive. In addition to that, readers get to exercise their brain and feel satisfied that they are spending their time wisely.

Questions: Which would you choose to be, a person with an ever-decreasing attention span, or a person with an ever-increasing attention span? A person with access to the second- and third- work that would have been considered rubbish two decades ago, or a person with access to the work of the greatest minds we have ever known? A person with access to limited same basic story with the same basic characters, or a person with access to hundreds of choices that span nearly an infinite imagination?

Last question: Which would you rather be, a person who usually spends his or her free time in front of the television, the internet and smartphone, or a person who usually spends his or her free time reading? Would you rather be a boring person or a reading person? (Bad grammar, I know. Rather than "a reading person" it should be "a reader," right? Well, I don't want to be a boring person).

Reading is important for me because as Stephen King says, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

Instagram ---> Richard_Angelus

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Iman Boleh Menjatuhkan Goliat dengan Sebiji Batu

Ketakutan menjadikan sesuatu itu lebih besar daripada apa yang sebenarnya. Kucing menjatuhkan pinggan di dapur pada waktu malam… hantu! Lampu kelap-kelip… Iblis! Suara macam Malik Noor dan badan penuh dengan tatu… gangster! Jika ketakutan ditambahkan dengan imaginasi negatif, kadang-kadang perkara yang kita bayangkan akan menjadi kenyataan. Kalau kamu takut tentang sesuatu atau dengan seseorang – JANGAN LARI KE BELAKANG, TETAPI MAJU KE DEPAN (bahasa kiasan dan kadang-kadang buat seperti apa yang dinyatakan). Kamu harus menghadapi iya atau dia dengan berfikiran bahawa dalam setiap ketakutan, yang menjadikan ia lebih menakutkan ialah – imaginasi kamu sendiri.

Pernah mendengar tentang pertarungan diantara Daud dan Goliat? Ketika Goliat, seorang yang berbadan gergasi, mencemuh orang Israel dan mencaci Nama TUHAN selama 40 hari berturut-turut, kesemua tentera Israel dan termasuk raja “kecut perut… dan sangat ketakutan” (1 Samuel 17:11). Kenapa? Kerana Goliat berbadan besar, berpengalaman dalam perang, mempunyai kelengkapan perang yang banyak dan berkemungkinan apabila dia mencemuh orang Israel, suara dia besar dan sangat menakutkan. Dikatakan lagi, “mereka dalam ketakutan yang amat sangat” (1 Samuel 17:25).

Tetapi apa yang Daud cakap dan fikir ketika melihat Goliat? Dia tidak memanggil Goliat sebagai gergasi tetapi seorang yang “cela… [dan] yang tidak bersunat” (17:26). Dia tidak memandang kelengkapan dan pengalaman Goliat tetapi dia mengingatkan kembali bagaimana dia pernah berlawan dengan singa dan beruang – dan menang! (17:34-36). Daud tidak mengendahkan suara Goliat yang merendah-rendahkannya tetapi dia berseru dengan “nama TUHAN” (17:45). Sekarang lihat perbuatannya: “Pada waktu [Goliat] maju mendekat untuk menghadapi Daud, berlarilah Daud dengan cepat…” Kemana? Kebelakang? Tidak! Daud berlari “…ke arah barisan perang musuh untuk menghadapi [Goliat] itu” (17:48). Daud maju ke depan MENGHADAPI musuh! Kamu pasti tahu apa yang terjadi seterusnya, kan? Daud berjaya menjatuhkan musuh dengan hanya menggunakan sebiji batu. Itu dikatakan iman yang hidup.

Rupa-rupanya, Goliat yang tinggi, gagah dan mempunyai suara yang besar dan menyeramkan ini sebenarnya tidaklah sekuat mana. Imaginasi orang Israel yang negatif telah melumpuhkan semangat mereka. Jika kamu berani pergi ke dapur, kamu akan menjumpai kucing, bukan hantu. Jika ada masalah lampu yang kelap-kelip, selalunya, kamu hanya perlu tukar starter, tidak perlu usir iblis. Jika kamu mendengar seorang bersuara besar seperti Malik Noor dan bertatu, kamu tidak perlu terlalu takut dengan menampilan fisikal dia, setiap hati seseorang ada taman. Semakin kamu lari daripada ketakutan kamu, semakin besar ‘Goliat’ yang akan kamu bayangkan; tetapi semakin kamu berani dengan iman (walaupun secara realitinya kamu masih takut) lari atau maju ke depan, semakin kecil ‘Goliat’ yang kamu lihat. Kalau betul apa yang kamu takut itu memang menakutkan, seperti anjing liar, jangan berimaginasi dengan liar juga… ambil sebiji batu [atau lima], kemudian – baling!

Instagram ---> Richard_Angelus

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Science of Getting Rich (1910) by Wallace D. Wattles, Book Review

The Science of Getting Rich (first published in 1910)
by Wallace D. Wattles

Two prosperity books that I dare to read in my younger years were Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. Since then, I read half a dozen others. I love reading old-classic books. After that, I slow down. At the age of 25-30, I stopped. One because many Christian leaders that I admire said that books that promote material prosperity are deceiving. And the words like “rich” and “wealth” are taboos in most of the Christian communities. I’m not blaming anyone here. What I should’ve realized early on is that I’m free to read any books that I want, be what I want to be, and dream big but be wise and discern what is good and pleasing to Christ, my Lord. What many Christian concerns are right, not all wrong. Prosperity books such as this one can lead us to believe that God (or Infinite Intelligent or Substance, as many prosperity writers refer to God or god vaguely) appears to be our ‘servant’ and we are the masters of our own lives. We willed it, God does it. This doesn't sound right. I realized too that most of the prosperity teachings are saturated with New Age ideology and not necessarily aligned with the Christian faith and beliefs. Because of this, I recommend that any Christians who want to read prosperity books such as this one should be aware of all of this and make it a priority that they should study God’s Word more seriously. With that saying, I want you to read any books that you want even if many people forbid it. There are reasons book like this stand the test of time.

I think titles like this – The Science of Getting Rich (Getting rich???) – turn people off, which is a shame. Because although this book is thin (about 150 pages only) there is nothing shallow in its contents. It is so deep and rich that it would surely benefit anyone who reads it with an open mind (this is both a good tactic and risky advice). Before I read this book, I listened to the audiobook first. So, when I read it, I can understand better and get many new insights. Wallace D. Wattles begins with this statement: “This book is pragmatically, not philosophical; a practical manual, not a treatise upon theories. It is intended for the men and women whose most pressing need is for money; who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward. It is for those who have, so far, found neither the time, the means, nor the opportunity to go deeply into the study of metaphysics, but who want results and who are willing to take the conclusions of science as a basis for action, without going into all the processes by which those conclusions were reached.” His approach is direct, simple and to the point. I love it.

According to Wattles, getting rich is an exact science. It works like a set of algorithms, much like the mathematical laws of addition and subtraction. By applying the science in this book, thinking and acting in accord with the laws, anyone can get rich. “To be rich, you must act in a certain way.” This book is for those “who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterward,” thus he wrote seventeen (17) short and straight-to-the-point chapters on how to think and act on this idea, how to overcome barriers to its application, and how to work with very direct methods that “awaken it in your life.” He further explains how “creation and not competition” is the hidden key to wealth attraction, and how your power to get rich uplifts everyone around you. “Every man who becomes rich by competition throws down behind him the ladder by which he rises, and keeps others down; but every man who gets rich by creation opens a way for thousands to follow him, and inspires them to do so.” Here are the 17 powerful chapters in this book:

Chapter 1: The Right to Be Rich

Chapter 2: There Is a Science of Getting Rich

Chapter 3: Is Opportunity Monopolized?

Chapter 4: the First Principle in the Science of Getting Rich

Chapter 5: Increasing Life

Chapter 6: How Riches Come to You

Chapter 7: Gratitude

Chapter 8: Thinking in the Certain Way

Chapter 9: How to Use the Will

Chapter 10: Further Use of the Will

Chapter 11: Acting in the Certain Way

Chapter 12: Efficient Action

Chapter 13: Getting Into the Right Business

Chapter 14: The Impression of Increase

Chapter 15: The Advancing Man

Chapter 16: Some Cautions, And Concluding Observations

Chapter 17: Summary of the Science of Getting Rich

[Chapter 4, 7, 11 & 17 worth reading over and over again]

I end this short review by quoting Wallace D. Wattles on self-development: “Get rid of the idea that God wants you to sacrifice yourself for others, and that you can secure his favour by doing so; God requires nothing of the kind. What he wants is that you should make the most of yourself, for yourself, and for others; and you can help others more by making the most of yourself than in any other way.” Even if you don’t want to get rich or allergic to thinking about getting rich, read this book for the sake of your personal development and abundance mind-sets. In fact, if you need inspiration and motivation, there are lots of real gems of quotes in the book as well. It’s a short book. You can finish reading it in 1-2 hours (max). Of course, if you want to understand it, read slower.

P.s: Currently, I’m writing chapter-by-chapter blog posts on Secret on the Millionaire Mind (2005) by Harv Eker. CLICK HERE to read.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Think Like A Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life (2009) by Donald J. Trump, Book Review

Think Like A Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life (2009)
by Donald J. Trump with Meredith McIver

Why would I want to listen to what Trump has to say? After all, he was called ‘racist’, ‘big mouth’ and ‘bullies’ by many people. When it was announced that he will go for US presidential candidate many people like George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders and even Tun Mahathir laughed out loud during their interviews. “Donald Trump will never be a president!” they said with exactness. But in 20^th January 2017, Trump assumed office as 45^th President of the United States. Who’s laughing now? I might agree with some of the criticisms that people say about him (I also agree when he says that there are “fake news” in the media) but from the success and creative perspectives, I see that Donald Trump really practice what he wrote in this book (8 years later) by thinking like a champion – and that’s why I read this book. By the way, where are those whose laughing at him now?

Trump says on himself: “People like me because I'm blunt, people dislike me because I'm blunt.” The boss! That direct communication style works for him as he writes simply with great self-belief and without redundancy. “Working with him, I have observed him thinking, then listened to his thoughts become words and his thoughts and words become actions,” writes Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, in his foreword. “In most instances, his thoughts, words, and actions are the same. Maybe this is why he is direct and blunt, he can be blunt because his thoughts, words, and actions are integrated, congruent, operating as one.” Think Like A Champion is an example of Trump’s bluntness approach to life and business. It is full of great insights into the philosophy and mindset of one who could rise to the top from entrepreneur and businessman to the President (I should state it here: I'm not interested in what others think of Donald Trump, I'll make up my own mind on whose book to read from). It is a great source of inspiration if you need a successful business model, leadership examples and how to have a champion attitude.

I like this book because Trump wrote each chapter in short pieces that summarize his singularly successful tenets on how to live a good life, both personally and professionally. These have been personally selected by him for this book, giving his special perspective in what amounts to an “informal education” on how to succeed in business and life. The pieces are engaging, informative, and educational, presenting the clearest picture yet into the mind and heart of an extraordinary individual. He also talks openly about his mistakes and failures. Some of the essays that I like include "The More You Learn, The More You Realize What You Don’t Know"; "Sometimes We Hesitate with Good Reason"; "There Are Times When You Should Move On"; "Keep the Big Picture in Mind"; "Give Your Higher Self a Chance"; "Discover and Live Your Purpose"; "Keep It Short, Fast, and Direct"; "Strive for Wholeness"; "Go Against the Tide"; "You Can Create Your Own Luck"; and " Think Like A Genius." Of course, there are few pieces of advice that may not apply to my situations, personality, and beliefs – and that’s okay. I don’t want to be like Donald Trump, I just want to learn (and re-learn) how to think like a champion like him. “I may be successful already,” Trump admits, “But I learn something new every day.” Champions are learners.

Donald Trump on think like a champion: “[Champions] wanted to achieve something special. Ordinary wouldn’t be enough for someone who has the mindset of a champion. Champions think big. Champions work in a big-time way. Champions are focused. Champions are disciplined. Come to think about it, champions think like champions. As Jack Dempsey said, ‘A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.’ Let’s hope that applies to you… Champions go the extra mile. We all know when we’ve done just enough and when we’ve really exerted ourselves. Make an effort to exert yourself – every day. Don’t fail because you never allowed yourself to get started! Don’t avoid success because you think the responsibility might be too much – just focus and get going! You’d be surprised at what intelligent effort can produce. Alexander Graham Bell said something that I always remember: ‘Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. That sun’s rays do not burn until brought to focus.’ Pay attention to these things and you will be on your way to thinking like a champion – and becoming one.” Yeah!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Belajar JUGA dari Semut dan Orang Biasa

Persoalan seperti ini seringkali saya dengar, “Brother, siapa pengkhutbah untuk kem itu nanti?” Ini soalan yang betul tetapi pada masa yang sama (jika kamu melihat riak wajah, intonasi suara dan sebutan) ia juga merupakan suatu kenyataan, seperti, “Jika pengkhutbah itu tidak terkenal, saya tidak berminat untuk datang ke kem ini.” Ada juga yang bertanya sebab betul-betul ingin tahu – ini tindakan yang bijak.

Sebagai pendengar dan mahu belajar, kita harus berhati-hati dengan siapa yang kita dengar dan baca. Betul, kita harus bertanya soalan dan menilai orang itu. Jika kamu ingin menjemput orang berkongsi tentang isu integriti, kamu harus periksa sebaik mungkin tentang integriti orang itu dalam pelayanannya dan hubungannya. Ini langkah yang bijak. Tetapi ada satu sikap dan pemikiran (yang sempit) yang sangat kritikal, iaitu, ada orang hanya mahu mendengar dan belajar daripada para pengkhutbah (atau selebriti) yang popular sahaja.

Ada di beberapa tempat yang ketara yang saya perhatikan sikap seperti ini: #1 WhatsApp Group. Dalam setiap group pasti ada satu dua orang yang suka mengongsikan mutiara kata atau renungan harian atau media setiap hari. Perhatikan, siapa pengkhutbah yang diagung-agungkan? Philip Mantofa? Gilbert Lumoindong? Joseph Prince? #2 Facebook Posts. Perhatikan, dalam banyak-banyak artikel yang ditulis di dalam laman web atau blog, artikel siapa yang selalu dikongsikan? Desiringgod.org? Christianitytoday.com? John Piper? Timothy Keller? John MacArthur? #3 Event Posters. Perhatikan poster-poster yang dikongsikan di social media. Pengkhutbah terkenal akan nampak lebih besar daripada yang lain. Yang selebihnya hanya disenaraikan sebagai “dan sebagainya.” Perhatikan ayat-ayat promosi yang digunakan. Perhatikan sorotan yang dipaparkan. Sila buat pemerhatian.

Apa yang ingin saya katakan disini ialah bukan tentang para pengkhutbah atau selebriti terkenal, saya ingin kita sedar bahawa kita JUGA boleh mendengar dan belajar daripada semua orang. Jika seorang yang lebih muda daripada kamu berkata dengan kebijaksaan, dengar dia; jika seorang yang biasa-biasa melakukan hal yang luar biasa bagi kamu, belajar daripada dia; jika ada seorang yang berbeza pendapat atau kepercayaan daripada kamu, jangan terus menolak dia, fikirkan apa yang dikatakannya. Di dalam Alkitab banyak menulis tentang watak-watak yang hebat seperti Abraham, Yusuf, Daud, Nehemia, Daniel, Paulus, Petrus dan sebagainya, tetapi Alkitab juga ada menulis tentang semut. Amsal 6:6 bermula dengan ayat, “Pergilah kepada semut… perhatikanlah cara hidupnya dan jadilah arif.” Pergilah. Perhatikan. Belajar. Jadilah arif. Siapa? Semut! Begitu juga, dengar dan belajar daripada orang ‘biasa.’

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Bandingkan Diri Kamu Sekarang Dengan Kamu Yang Terdahulu, Bukan Orang Lain

Jika kamu membandingkan diri kamu dengan orang lain, ada saja yang kamu tidak akan puas hati. Dia lebih cantik. Dia lebih bijak. Dia lebih bahagia. Jika perbandingan ialah pemikiran kamu (mindset), jadi, kamu akan melihat sekeliling dari segi, "Siapa lebih hebat?" "Apa kekurangan dan yang negatif pasal saya?" "Bagaimana saya boleh mengalahkan dia?" Orang yang suka membanding-banding ini selalunya tidak puas hati, pasif-agresif, fikir kalah-menang dan hampir susah untuk dijadikan kawan.

Dulu saya suka membandingkan diri saya dengan orang lain. Saya pendek. Saya kurang ilmu pengetahuan. Saya lambat tangkap apa yang orang cakap. Sekarang saya berfikiran begini, berbeza, berubah: Saya tidak perlu membandingkan diri saya dengan orang lain, tetapi saya boleh belajar daripada mereka. Saya mahu menjadi penulis dan pemimpin seperti John C. Maxwell, jadi saya membaca buku dan menonton seminar dia. Saya suka dengan cara Albert Einstein berfikir, jadi saya belajar bagaimana untuk berfikir secara kritis, krearif dan inovatif melalui biografi tentang dia. Saya mungkin tidak setampan rakan saya, tetapi saya ada kelebihan yang luar biasa iaitu setia (cia cia cia). Pendek kata: Kamu menjadikan mereka sebagai motivasi dan inspirasi kamu untuk bertumbuh, bukan menjadikan mereka sebagai batu sandungan bagi kamu. Jangan juga menjadi terlalu taksub... Itu menyeramkan.

Jika kamu berkeras juga ingin membuat perbandingan - kalau sudah menjadi kebiasaan atau personaliti kamu - jadi, bandingkanlah diri kamu SEKARANG dengan kamu yang TERDAHULU. Kamu tidak perlu minta puji atau ingin membuat orang lain kagum - buat diri kamu bangga dulu. Katakan dulu tahap kamu ialah pada kedudukan nombor 4 (dari segi pemikiran, sikap, pengetahuan, harta benda, kebahagiaan dan sebagainya, dengan 0 ialah terlemah dan 10 ialah terbaik), jadi kamu harus tingkatkan sampai 5 atau ke atas. Jika kamu masih lagi pada nombor 4 atau ke bawah selepas beberapa tahun, jadi, kamu tidak bertumbuh atau kamu semakin jatuh. Ini kamu kena ubah dan berusaha lagi. Jika orang lain pada tahap 5 dan setahun kemudian dia masih lagi 5; dan kamu pula mula dari 2 dan meningkat ke 3, maka, kamu bertumbuh dengan lebih lagi daripada dia.

Kenapa dari 2 ke 3 lebih baik daripada 5 kekal 5 selepas setahun? Kerana kamu tidak membandingkan diri kamu dengan dia, tetapi dengan kamu sendiri. Iya nya bukan tentang siapa lebih hebat pada masa itu, iya nya siapa yang terus bertumbuh. 3 boleh jadi 4, 4 boleh jadi 5, 5 ke 6, dan seterusnya! Persoalannya, adakah kamu bertumbuh SEKARANG berbanding dengan kamu DAHULU? (Adakah kamu faham dengan konsep ini?). Secara ringkas: Jangan bandingkan diri kamu dengan orang lain, bandingkan diri kamu dengan kamu yang terdahulu.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Learning Will Make You Humble

"Humble" is not the first-word people will describe me. I agree. If the term "humble" means slow to give suggestion/feedback, talk softly, look down on oneself, always choose the worst thing and being ignorant, then, I'm far from being 'humble'. I'm rude and brash. But I love to learn. I love wisdom (Philosophy come from the Greek roots philo- meaning "love" and -sophos, or "wisdom").

One of the main ways for me to learn is through reading. One of my favorite subjects is on creative and critical thinking. Next is philosophy. One student mentioned that I must be an expert after the amount of time I had spent on it, and I replied, "It only made me realize how much I didn't know... It is a never-ending process of learning." Studying about the mind, psychology, philosophy, theology, and history had made me very humble (or rather, it humbled me) because I knew I'd never know it all no matter how much I studied.

If you keep on learning, you'll realize how much more you don't know. Thus, every time you learn one thing, it will lead to another thing and so on. Those who stop learning are actually the proud and joyless people. The fact that I love wisdom keeps me young in my mind and heart and eager to learn more, no matter how 'smart' people considered me to be. Bluntly, I say to a group of young students, "I'm 32 years old already, but I have a curiosity and energy of 15 years old. Most of you are no doubt younger than me, but your body and energy are as low as 60+ years old. You must keep learning." Every day is another opportunity to learn something new. Better you start now while you're still young.

If you don't learn, you won't know what you don't know - that will make you a proud person. Never be a know-it-all [I hate young-and-proud-Calvinists and their gurus. They talked as if they know ALL the mystery of God. Theology supposed to humble you, not make you an a**h*l*]. Don't be a fake 'humble' person. In term of growth, ignorance is not a bliss. Take this advice to heart: The more you learn [continuous learning], the more you realize what you don't know [awareness], and this will make you humble [result].

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

How to Fix A Broken Heart (2018) by Dr. Guy Winch, Book Review

How to Fix A Broken Heart (2018) by Dr. Guy Winch

You fall in love. You break someone’s heart. Your heart is broken. How to deal with this universal experience? Guy Winch is a licensed psychologist, author, and keynote speaker. His first TED Talk, Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid, has been viewed more than 50 million times (also, check out his latest TED Talk on the same book title). "A broken heart is unmistakable. We think of nothing else. We feel nothing else," writes Guy. "And often, we can do nothing else except sit with the immense pain, grief, and loss. Heartbreak can last for days, weeks, months, and even years." 

Yet while we wouldn't expect someone to go to work or function well with a broken limb, heartbroken people are expected to function in their lives despite the emotional pain they feel. Whether it comes in the form of romantic love or through loss, heartbreak is ubiquitous. Yet we know so little about how to deal with it. With great wisdom and empathy, Guy explores how different our lives and our society would be if we better understood this unique emotional pain. 

Imagine we treated broken hearts with the same respect and concern we have for broken arms. Guy urges us to rethink the way we deal with emotional pain, offering warm, wise, and witty advice for the broken-hearted. Our hearts might be broken, we do not have to break with them. We can take control of our lives and our minds and put ourselves on the path of healing. This book (with superb illustrations by Henn Kim) published by TED Books, offers a 'toolkit' for how to handle and cope with a broken heart and how to - eventually - move on. There are four (4) chapters in this book, and I include some of my favorite quotes for each chapter:

Chapter 1: How the Brokenhearted Are Abandoned. “Our journey through heartbreak is determined by multiple variables: the specific nature of the relationship or loss, our fundamental character and coping styles, our individual and familial histories, the current context of our lives, and how we manage or mismanage our recovery. The last crucial variable that impacts our recovery is also the one most likely to disappoint us – our available support systems: friends and family, communities, schools, and places of employment”; “Most of us know of only two healing agents: social support and time”; “When our heart is broken, what determines others’ compassion is not how much emotional pain we actually feel but how much emotional pain they believe we should feel”; “Creating mysteries and conspiracies where none exist is a common response to romantic breakups”; “The worst thing we could do for ourselves when we are hurting is to internalize [it], become self-critical as a result, and deny ourselves the very empathy and support we so badly need.”

Chapter 2: When Hearts Break, Brains and Bodies Break Too. “Heartbreak is a hijacker. The emotional anguish it causes invades our thoughts, captures our attention, seizes our focus, and dominates our awareness”; “Reliving old memories and going through pictures is something many of us might do in the first hours, days or even weeks following a breakup… like a drug addict… We become intensely focused on the person who broke our heart (the ‘drug’)”; “In the era of social media, the most common way people satisfy their craving for the person who broke their heart is to stalk them digitally”; “Difficult as it is to unfriend, unfollow, block or delete our access to the person’s cyber world, it is the only prudent way to prevent ourselves from stalking them again in the future”; effects of heartbreak such as “panic attacks”, “cardiac abnormalities”, “stress” lead to depression, “suppressed immune system functioning” and more; “Heartbreak impacts our minds, our brains, and our bodies in direct, measurable, and unfortunate ways… to heal from a broken heart we have to first stop making things worse.”

Chapter 3: The Many Mistakes that Set Us Back. “Having a clear understanding of why things ended helps us reach closure much sooner than we might otherwise”; “Psychologically speaking, negative cognitions [inaccurate thoughts or beliefs that make us feel bad about ourselves] have three key features: they are self-critical, harmful or limiting; they are inaccurate to some degree; and most problematic, we tend to be convinced they are true”; “Our ‘cravings’ for them [ex] make us focus disproportionally in their best qualities... [Don’t!]… The best way to avoid idealizing the person who broke our heart is to deliberately force a balanced perspective in our mind”; “Avoiding things [memories of the person, places, activates together] does not lessen their emotional impact on us – it supersizes it… the best way to do so is by revisiting these places under different and specific circumstances so we can create new associations for them”; “We must be willing to make one crucial decision – to let go.” 

Chapter 4: Healing Starts with the Mind. “Our body’s priority is always to heal and keep us alive… but our mind’s priority is… to keep us away from situations that have hurt us in the past. The more painful an experience is, the harder the mind will work to make sure we do not make that ‘mistake’ again… to that end, when our heart is broken, our mind tries to keep our pain fresh and unforgettable…”; “Our bodies heal well automatically. Our minds do not”; “To fully heal when our heart is broken, we have to look in the mirror (metaphorically and perhaps literally) and tell ourselves it’s time to let go. And that can be extremely difficult… we need to let go our hope, of the fantasy in which we undo what went wrong… we need to truly say good-bye – to turn away from love, even when there is no longer a person or animal there to receive it… we need to let go of a part of ourselves, of the person we were when our love still mattered”; “We have to rebuild our self-esteem by practicing self-compassion”; “Emotional pain should not and need not be a constant companion.”

Epilogue: Making Emotional Pain Visible. “When societies do not sanction grief, we internalize these standards and regard our own emotions and reactions as less legitimate… If emotional pain we visible, heartbreak and the suffering if caused would not remain disenfranchised for long. When we show up to work or school with a broken leg, arm, or even a broken finger, we often garner more attention, concern, and consideration, because we can see the splints or bandages, than we are likely to when our heart is broken. They are there as evidence that we hurt. And yet, broken bones inflict none of the profound cognitive, emotional, and psychological impairments heartbreak does”; “Heartbreak is all around us. It’s time we open our eyes and see it, for only then can we truly heal it and move on.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

[P.s: Why you need to buy a book? Borrow from your local library!]

Angelus' Quote: Theoretically, 150 Is the Limit of Real Friends on Social Media (Why?)

I don’t like the post that says “Scientists say...” without any references. But I will tell you one social science research here without extensive references. Robin Dunbar, an anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist at the University of Oxford, done a research on online networking and found that the average number of friends on Facebook (or social media in general) that we can really have meaningful friendships online is about 150 individuals. Dunbar suggests this number (now known as ‘Dunbar Number’ which actually 148 rounded up to 150) because “friendships ultimately require occasional face-to-face interaction if they are to be maintained over time.” You can read more about this research... yes... online... yes... Google.

When I thought about this Dunbar’s Number, it makes sense to me. Why? On average, I assume roughly we have 5 real/intimate friends, 15 good friends (include the 5), 50 ‘okay’ friends (include the 15), and the rest are just acquaintances. Some may have more or less, but basically, we have below than 10 real/intimate friends online/offline. Now, imagine you have ‘collected’ 5,000 friends on Facebook. What’s for? Besides you know well that you have issues such as self-image, these numbers are just a fantasy. If you ‘confirm’ another friend on Facebook, you’ll have 5,001 now, after 1 week or less, this one ‘friend’ will be buried under your crowded wall. Even if they follow you or you follow them, how about the others? ‘Confirm’ and then ‘gone’? Now, one good reason to have thousands of online friends is that it is good for your online marketing and business. But then, if one is a sensitive person, she will ask, “What’s the motive here?” Basically, I'm okay with 'permissible' marketers as friends.

Now, Dunbar’s Number can be wrong or inaccurate or over-generalized. I take this number sceptically. Since we human sometimes overestimate our ability, I increase the number to 250 (but as for my Instagram, I don’t put any limit). Not that others are less value but it's about priority and purpose of having social media. When you Log In, why? It’s not about limiting your ability to make more friends, but it’s about limiting yourself for quality friendship online. Unless you’re a marketer, celebrity, artist, or pope, I suggest you trim down your friend lists. “Unfriend” one name at a time.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: If You Want to Be A Creative Frame of Mind, Listen to Jason Mraz

Are you stuck of an idea? Are you feeling overwhelmed and having a mental block? Do you feel the least bit creative? Then it’s time to get your creative juices flowing by listening to music. There are so many different things you can do such as take a walk, read a book or magazine, watch YouTube or movie, chat or talk to a friend. But let me focus on music.

Some suggest that you need to listen to classical music. Not necessarily. Listening to Mozart or Beethoven probably not you. I understand (at first I don’t like it either). Maybe you like to listen to rock music or techno, or jazz or pop, whatever music that inspires and motivates you. Music has different effects on different people, choose one or two genres that can inspire you (please include Rachel Platten's Fight Song).

For me, I prefer to listen to Jason Mraz. He wrote songs that have souls, great soothing voice, meaningful and heart-piercing lyrics, positive vibes, inspiring and uplifting words wrapped in magical music. Mraz blends with his guitar so well that you can rely on the quality of his music either from studio recordings or live on stage. Most important of all, listen to Jason Mraz can be relaxing and therapeutic and help in clarifying my mind of clutter. I can better concentrate and stimulate ideas (But I always end up sing along, whatever). If I need be in a creative state of mind, I listen to Jason Mraz. How about you?

[P.s: If I need a workout music, one of my favorites is Eminem. Btw, Jason Mraz has a new album out, Know (2018). Listen to it!]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Persuaders: The Hidden Industry that Wants to Change Your Mind (2016) by James Garvey, Book Review

The Persuaders: The Hidden Industry that Wants to Change Your Mind (2016)
by James Garvey

Brought this book (worth RM79.90) for RM19.90 @ BookXcess PJ. I'm one happy customer! Now, about the book, if you're new to the world of persuasion, this book is a good way of learning the basics. If you're already familiar with it, there's not much here that you haven't already heard before. Because I've read Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational, Robert Cialdini's Influence and parts of Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow - must-read books - some of the information, scientific researches and arguments stated in this book are not new to me. Not to say that it's a bad book (it's not) just that it's a primer. By the way, his historical and current examples are superb, scary, and mind-boggling. His view from philosophical perspectives is refreshing, deep and thoughtful.

If I were to retitle this book, I will put it as "The Persuaders: How We Let the PR Industry Control Our Minds." James Garvey shows that we are no longer thinking, reasoned and argued (well) - instead, our opinions and behavior are manipulated by advertisers, lobbyists, marketers, politicians, companies, organizations and more, especially in the way they go about selling their ideas and products. Persuasion is now big business and big politics. In the technological era today, you'll never see the world in the same way again after reading this book. For example, in the case of near election periods, Google might change its algorithms and support one candidate rather than another. And because those algorithms are secret, the people wouldn’t know. And they wouldn’t be able to tell that that was going on. When people search for more information about the election on the internet, they thought they have come to their own conclusions, having read the different articles that they searched for, even though they didn’t know that those articles were slanted in one direction or another. They thought that it was their own conclusion they were arriving at, so they believed (presumably) it in a way – in a sense – rationally (this also happened when we were persuaded to buy a product or to respond to an idea).

If you've ever wondered how the hell we ended up in the post-truth world we inhabit today, this is the book that you want to read. You see, we are constantly manipulated in our everyday lives. We were nudged, anchored, and incentivized in barely noticeable ways. Whether the ability to reason is something we've lost or something we've never really had, being at least vaguely aware of the methods used to make us spend our money or distract our attention or cast our votes gives us some small defense against them. This book makes a great service to its readers by explaining how powerful individuals and groups take advantage of the natural irrational weaknesses of human beings. By reading this book you will learn how to be more aware of them. You will also be more prepared to advance the discussion about the ethics of Public Relations.

"[If] you are now asking yourself what you can do about modern persuasion, its sometimes enough to think that if a critical mass of us learns to listen to reason again, maybe then we'll realize that there's power in the simple but very difficult act of withholding assent and insisting on good reasons. Sheer numbers can change things. They always do," writes James. Thanks man!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: It's Time to Break Things Off

If you’re feeling too much pressure to have sex, you’re dating the wrong person – and it’s time to break things off. If you’re seeing someone who’s pressuring you to become sexually active, here’s an important question to ask yourself: Why, in the name of common sense, would you want to date a person like that? After all, if the person you’re dating really cares about you – and if that person wants to spend the rest of his or her life with you – waiting isn’t really a sacrifice, it’s an honor. But if the person you’re dating simply views you as sexual conquest, then you’d better run, run as fast as you can… in the opposite direction, to God and His Word.

Common sense tells you to wait; God’s Word commands you to wait, and your conscience begs you to wait. So wait! And if somebody tells you to do otherwise, you have absolutely no business dating them. If you’re feeling pressure from your date, it’s time to end your date.

Goodbye!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: 92% of Your Worries...

Worry is a natural part of life, in a small dose, it’s helpful. But too much worry can distract and paralyze you. It crowds out the good in your life and keeps you focused on your problems, which only makes them seem worse. It’s like giving a steroid to your mini-minny problems that if you examine at it closely, most of the time it never happens. An old man was asked what had robbed him of joy the most of his lifetime. He replied, “Things that never happened.” I heard someone say it best: Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s trouble.

Consider the things human beings worry about. The average individual’s worries can be divided into four categories (I get this somewhere in a scientific journal): First, there are things that will never happen, which constitute 40% of worries. Second, there are things over and past that can’t be changed by all the worry in the world, and they are another 30% of the total. Third, there are petty, needless worries, which constitute 22%. Fourth, there are legitimate worries, and these are only 8% of the whole.

Now my dear friends, which category of worry is you struggling with right now? Remember: Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s trouble.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: You Can Run Faster... When the Dogs Chasing You

I remember when I was in primary school, I and my friends use to walk from SRK Sg. Stutong to Kpg Stampin. These were our favorite things to do: ring the doorbells at BDC area and hide, stealing fruits that creeped out of the residents' gates, climbing the walls, plugging flowers, went to the drain to catch small fishes and tadpoles, destroying ants with plastic-fire meteors, etc. You get the idea. Inevitably, dogs would bark as a warning; double barks with staring eyes as a second warning, and chased after us if we still don't get the warnings (cats would run first). If you had had this experience before - chasing by the dogs - you would not be surprised when I say that we run faster than we normally would. Adrenaline rush, muscles tighten, breathing fire. Once, on a normal day, I tried to climb a high wall, but I couldn't. But when these dogs chasing us, I can easily climb up!

What happened? Almost everything is possible for us. What we need is a little (or massive) push. You can climb higher, you can run faster, you can endure longer. You can work harder, you can be bigger, you can expand wider. All you need (maybe not only) is the motivation and the will to do so. Your 'dogs' can be #1 Fear/Shame: For example, you fear of failure, so you study hard for exams; #2 Desperation (or matters of life-and-death): For example, a mother can lift a heavy car in order to save her baby who is stuck underneath it; #3 Love: For example, Jesus endured the horrible cross due to the Father's love and His unconditional love for the sinners; and, not least, #4 Commitment: For example, a faithful soldier will stay on his post regardless and follow orders during wartime even it will cost him his life.

What is your motivation and the will to 'run faster'? What stopped you from 'climbing the walls'? How can you find the reason to 'endure one more day'? May wild dogs chasing you! May you run faster! May you know how capable you are! It is possible.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Act Like A Tourist

As tourists, me and Ken, this is our first time in Thailand (when I was a kid, my dad worked at Alor Setar, Kedah, so the closest I was to Thailand was at Malaysia-Thailand border). As any good tourists should be - if we don't know or not sure - we ask the locals. 80%-90% of the locals WILL try their best to assist us. Broken language, weird gestures, smiling faces. Even dogs will bark at us!

The joy of discovering new places intensifies when we get help from others. We learned to communicate with other human beings. When we ask, we let them be helpful. It's not just about you getting answers. So act like a tourist, wherever you are, at school, at home, at public, with friends, family members, and strangers - ASK.

Ask and you'll find. It's true. You don't find because you didn't ask. Even better, ask good questions and you'll get good answers. If you don't get the answer that you want, what you have to do is to modify or change your question. Even if you still don't get the answer that you (might) expected, you'll learn along the way. So, be like a tourist, if you don't know or not sure - ASK

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: How To Kill A Dragon?

Most of our problems/troubles/failures (what I called 'dragons' of life) that happened to us can be avoided or prevented much earlier. Your boyfriend abused you but because early in the relationship you were blinded by your affection for him, you now actually 'stuck' in this unhealthy relationship. You failed your exams because instead of focusing on your studies, you're busying yourself with ministries, thinking, "I'm doing God's works... God wouldn't fail me." You're lazy coming to Bible Study once a week, instead, you waste your time lepaking with your friends and the end of the day you regret that you lack Bible knowledge and never grow into maturity in Christ... Forever a baby Christian.

What if you walk away from that relationship much early on? You'll be happier today! What if you see your studies as God's calling in your life at that period of time? You'll be successful and more useful in the marketplace ministry! What if you choose to come to Bible Study weekly? You'll create a godly habit, discipline, and will be mature in your thinking and walking with the Lord. But what most of us do on the daily basis? We won't take action. We delayed. We think short-term. This is dangerous. This is nurturing 'dragons' in your life.

So, how to kill the dragon? You don't fight it when it fully grew, you'll be defeated. The dragon will be larger than your life, you'll surely lose. It's too late. If you don't take action now or making the hard decision now or think long-term now - you'll burn in the fire! You must destroy it (face it) while it's still young. Or better, break the egg before it hatching, which means, you have to make decisions and resolutions - having principles of life - before the event began. In short: baby dragon [in all cuteness and innocent as it seems], if left unattended, will become large [fury, dangerous] dragon! Now, it's up to you if you want to take heed of my suggestion...

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: Unfriend Your Ex After Break Up

It has been said to "Always follow your heart" and it can be true sometimes. But when it comes to matters of the heart (I'm talking about emotion) listening to your head (logic) can save you a lot of pain. Listen to me - both as heart-breaker and as the heart that has been broken - please UNFRIEND your ex. It might don't make sense now; You might think that it's harmless; Perhaps you want to act kind or maybe you just don't have the gut to do it... Take a deep breath, let go of whatever confusing emotions you have right now, go to your ex's profile - UNFRIEND!

Why? In today's world, social networking is like living in a virtual world, and there are times when your virtual world and real world intersect. When it comes to relationships, all too often the virtual and real world are at odds. If you want to really let go, then please include let them go from your virtual world too. If you still keep your ex in your friend lists, it will make the hurt deeper, longer, harder to let go, make you feel insecure and negative (imagine you see your ex with someone new, then you'll think to yourself, "What's wrong with me?" "Am I not good enough?" "Is he/she happier without me?" and all sort of imaginary questions).

Don't be overconfident by saying, "No problem, we just gonna be normal friends" or "The past is the past, it won't affect me anymore." Unless you do not really love your ex before, these foolish talks are self-deceiving talks! You're not a robot, you're an emotional being. The reasonable thing to do is to UNFRIEND your ex. Plus, what if in the future you (thought you) already move on and found someone new, what if he or she finds out that you still connected with (or secretly 'stalking') your ex? I tell you, he or she will be mad and break up with you! Then, you neither have one or the other. So, don't be overconfident. Emotionally, this might be hard for you to do, I understand. But in a long-term, logically, this is the wisest thing to do. Listen to me: UNFRIEND your ex, Now!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Angelus' Quote: You Are Not Special (Sorry)

As of May 2018, Wikipedia informed that there are 7.6 billion people on Earth (1 billion = 1,000,000,000. That's 9 zeros!). About 360,000 humans are born every day. And the population will only rise. It has been estimated that by the year 2100, the population will grow to 11.2 billion people. You are one of the billion people living on this planet right now. Even more, people have come before you and will come after you. Now, let me ask you, do you think you’re special?

If you think you're better, know that there is someone much better than you; If you think that you're talented, there are more people that are much talented than you (plus, there are richer too!); if you think that you're the center of the universe, think not! You're insignificant!

But perhaps, that's the Good News. You’re not special, but you can make your life special. God is the Giver of Life, do you think it's not special? Of course, your life is special! You can dream dreams, you can make a difference, you can enjoy it to the fullest! You're not special but you can live with purpose and meaning. You're not special but you can be great. There is greatness in you. Insignificant grain has great potentials. A small fire can cause a forest to burn. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. So, don't be a fool - you're not special (as is to say 'It's not about you' in a narcissistic way). But you can make your life special.

Affirmation: Look yourself in the mirror or see your Facebook or Instagram profile picture, place your right hand on your chest, and say to yourself, "I'm not special but I can be great because there is a greatness in me. God creates me!"

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.