The Cooling Stream

What would you do to reduce stress?

• By playing sports?
• By working out in a gym?
• By listening to music?
• By reading?
• By doing something with your hands?
• By taking a deep breath and saying the word “calm” silently to yourself?
• By physical exercise and activities?
• By using humor?
• By using the mind to release tension by a process called visualization?
• By dancing?
• By traditional massage?
• By joking and laughing together with family members, relatives, and friends?
• By blogging, venting all the grievances and outrages?
• By swimming or sailing?
• By managing your time and your workload efficiently?
• By using breathing techniques, such as those found in yoga and tai chi?
• By taking hot bathes, saunas, and steam baths?
• By gratifying your own needs?
• By sleeping?
• By screaming?
• By using punching bag?
• By cycling or brisk walking?
• By admiring flowers and plants?
• By visiting neighbors and friends?
• By window shopping and people watching?
• by prayer and meditation?

Whatever you do, please do not throw your problems, tensions, and anger onto innocent people.

Life is a long and lonely journey.

Some people walk alone most of their life. They manage their own lives. They concentrate on their own works. They maybe highly sensitive to noise and disturbance. They may have certain weird habits and hobbies. But they just love to be alone. They can be very satisfied at times when they have found the right kind of friends. But they love to be alone and live at peace with people, domestic creatures, flowers and plants, musics and songs and dances, books and novels.......

Some people just cannot live without company. They may have their privacy in their secret room. But most of the time they just love to linger around friends and relatives. They have so much to talk. Some are rumor mongers. Some indulge in petty talks. Some just cannot live a day without criticizing others. Some can never talk seriously on any topic. Some just want to boast and draw attention. But there are many around for heart to heart talks and some quality discussions.

Some think lonely people must stay together often. Some feel that lonely people must get married. Some try very hard to gain friends and relatives, only to see them slowly walk away and disappear.

I believe lonely people must learn to manage their own lives first.

I believe lonely people must learn to be independent and self-sufficient in their own lives.

I believe lonely people should not come together because they are lonely, but because they have something important and necessary to share.

Lonely people need not be lonely.

Adam lives at peace with God and nature and he was happy.

Adam only yearned for Eve because he had something to share. He needed a companion and a helper.

Life is not lonely at all if we learn to live at peace with God, men and nature.

Enjoy your life and your "lonely" journey.......

It is good to find someone in the family who can tell stories.

In my younger days, I loved to listen to all kinds of stories.

Not many people are good story tellers, but when I found one, I would stick with him or her for a long while.

There were many touching and inspiring stories that I had heard that moved me to tears and literally made my heart ache.

There were scary and creepy stories that made me screamed even on my bed and made my stomach turned.

There were many fairy tales with good moral lessons that seeped into my dreams and instructed me how to live a better life.

There were adventurous and mysterious stories that always captivated my imaginations and propelled my ambitions to further pursuit my dreams and visions.

There were funny stories that made me laugh and smile.

*******

How many times have we made poor and bad decisions, hurting others and harming ourselves?

How many times have our careless words and idle-talks torn apart relationships and home?

How many times have our outbursts and self-indulgences caused more disagreements, conflicts and wars?

How many times have our careless, ruthless and indiscriminate actions threaten and brought shame to many including ourselves?

When we were young and inexperienced, we were curious and inquisitive, we were ambitious and daring, and we were zealous and adventurous.

But we did more harm than good then. Our progress, advancements, and achievements came at great cost. We earned more rivalry and bitterness. We had more discouragements and disappointments. We fell, and we fell hard and deep. Some never returned from their quests. Some struggled to come back but had since lived a defeated life.

No, old man, you are not slow.

It is just that you are more careful in your speeches, decision-making, and every single step you take.

It doesn't matter what others say. Some may think that you are wiser, others may think you are timid. Some may say that you are too slow and you worry too much.

It doesn't matter what they say. Just be more careful and consider all aspects. Be cool, and relax a bit.

I believe the price of growing up is the many mistakes and wrongs we make. We have become more humble and quiet. I believe it is a good sign. After all, God has called us to be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to become angry (James 1:19).

No, old man, you are not slow.

Someone had come to the school to evaluate the teaching of certain subject. He had talked to the school management staffs, the subject teacher, and also interviewed some students. But he acted awkwardly and he was wearing a mask. Of course, visitors are always well received in my school. But then, as he continued to cough and sneeze, the school got suspicious of his well being. Everyone started to get worry. Is he having H1N1? The person admitted that he was not feeling very well. This had caused a great havoc. Why did he come to the school in the first place? The school authority rushed him to the hospital, and the hospital attendants suspected him of having H1N1.

Everyone started to blame one another. Grumblings and mumblings were heard everywhere. Doors were opened wide, and people started to point fingers. Everyone was anxious to hear the latest development of the case. Oh no, please, not in this school of more than 3000 students... Some were shaking their heads and a few drew very heavy sighs. Suddenly people everywhere were getting very concerned. Words were few but anxious looks were everywhere... That night many must be a sleepless night.

Then the next day someone broke out the news that it was a false alarm. Now the happy mood returned. Everyone started to smile and tease one another. And you could hear laughter in the air. But the fear of H1N1 still lingered and everyone once in a while looked very worry.

What can we do? How do we know we have H1N1? What precautions to take and what medicine to take? How effective is the latest cure? No one knows.... No one knows.....

But God knows and He cares. And so I will take things easy and believe that the Almighty God can take care of me, my wife, my children, my relatives, my friends, my colleagues....

And I pray for more rains and subshines, hopefully the disease will go soon....soon.... please....

But I will continue to feel uneasy if H1N1 refuses to go....