Don't play small

Do you feel that you can actually achieve more but you have been “busy” playing small?

It’s so easy to be trapped into a pattern of finishing up the mundane tasks everyday and forget about seeing the bigger picture.

Nelson Mandela’s quote really gave me a wake up call:  “There is no passion to be found paying small, – in setting for a life is less than the one you are capable of living.”

Don't play small

The key is to stay focused and continually reflect through out the year. Ask yourself: Who do you want to be? What do you want to create in your life?

There are only 4 months left for 2015. Did you set your goals for 2015 at the beginning of this year? Do you regularly review your goal and reflect to see how far have you gone so far this year?

With that in mind, here are some questions to help us reflect:

  • What would you like to be your biggest achievement of this year?
  • What are the greatest lessons you have learned so far this year?
  • what was the biggest risk you took so far this year?
  • what is the major effort you have put to improve your financial results so far this year?
  • How have you seen yourself grow so far this year?
  • What are you most happy about yourself so far this year?
  • What is the biggest business you’d like to finish by the end of this year & what is your progress so far?

Don’t settle on playing small. Go on, you deserve better!

health benefits of bananas

Do you like bananas? If you think bananas are boring, think again. They are so good for you!

Got to admit the reason I like bananas is because they are sweet. And soft, easy to chew.

You see I’m addicted to sugar and kind of lazy…

Got to share what I found on facebook: The 8 amazing benefits of bananas! Admittedly, I don’t smoke but there are definitely more reasons to have bananas more often now:).

benefits of bananas

Energy:

Bananas supply proper carbohydrates necessary to replace the muscle glycogen ( muscle sugar) used.

Potassium:

High in potassium, banana help the body’s circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain, helping maintain regular heartbeat and proper water balance.

PMS

Bananas contain vitamin B6. This vitamin regulates blood glucose levels and helps in times of stress and helps to suppress cranky moods.

Brain Power

Potassium – packed fruit helps learning because it makes the pupils more alert. Students find that they have more brain power and do better on exams when they eat bananas at breakfast and lunch.

Bower Health

Bananas are high in soluble fiber which helps stop constipation and helps to restore and maintain regular bower function

Increase Happiness

Bananas release a mood regulating substance called tryptophoan which is converted to serotonin in the brain and thus elevates mood and makes us happier.

Help Smokers Quit

Bananas contain B vintamins and other minerals that lessen the effects of nicotine withdrawal both phsically and psychologically.

Iron

Bananas are rich in iron too and can help individuals with anemia. Iron rich foods, such as bananas help stimulate production of hemoglobin in the blood.

Also found this smoothie recipe so I’m sharing it here too:

Creamy Banana & Avocado Smoothie Recipe

health benefits of bananas

Serves 2

Ingredients

(use organic ingredients where possible)

  • 2 bananas (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/2 avocado, stone and skin removed
  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk (or any other milk)
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon bee pollen
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter (optional)
  • Handful of ice

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for half a minute until you reach a smooth consistency.

Well, I don’t have bee pollen (not even sure what it is) and vanilla paste but will put everything else and try it tomorrow morning!

Now back to you, do you have a great banana recipe to share?




“Don't worry about a thing

My Chinese name is 欣 (pronounced sin) which means happy and prosperous. Yep, my parents had all the good intention for me.

But man, I was miserable and a consistent worrier. I worried about every little thing and complained so much.

When J found out about my Chinese name, he said quietly: “Hmmm. You have the wrong name.”

God love him. He is so honest.

Remember the saying? — The truth always hurts but it will set you free. 🙂

Nowadays, I always try to calm down and worry less though it takes a lot effort on my part.
This blog is a good place for me to sit down, collect my thoughts and get it all out.

Worry less, because happiness is really a choice.

8 Ways To Supercharge Your Life

Hardly any of my friends know that I have a blog – I’m rather secretive in a way.

Those who do know often joking say, when you get famous….

I typically don’t enjoy that kind of comment because I’m not one of those people who want to be famous.

The reason I want to keep this blog is because I want to have this space to record my thoughts, my journey, to make myself accountable.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone else suffers from downward mode swings as much as I do, so writing motivational stuff often is also good for my soul.

The point is, I don’t want to spend my life feeling down. Everyone has the right to reach their full potential. So here it is:

The 8 ways to supercharge your life and reach your full potential:

1. Don’t complain.

Who wants to spend time with negative people that always complain? Unfortunately I used to be one of those people. Luckily enough, I realized that complaining is not productive. It doesn’t help anything but putting yourself and other people down.

Lighten up, look at the brighter side. There is ALWAYS a brighter side.

2. No more excuses.

Have you heard “Nobody will be impressed with your excuses?” What’s the point of making them. It’s not cool.

If you really want something, try the hardest you can to get it. That’s the only way I know about how to get what you want.

3. Stay focused.

We all have equal amount of time in each day. Some people achieve so much while others sleep walk through their lives. The thing is, most people have very similar intellectual levels, it’s just that focused people are more successful in the long run.

8 Ways To Supercharge Your Life

Sydney Botany Bay

4. Keep reading.

Never stop learning through reading.

You can’t experience everything but you can learn from other people’s experiences. You can learn so much by reading various materials from different sources.

Knowledge is gained by daily accumulation.

Read up.

5. Ditch procrastination.

We humans are good at procrastinating. It’s often much easier to up with some ideas and wait than to take action.  I find the best way to fight procrastination is to write a to do list and cross them off once you finish the task. I have no patience to wait so it’s often easier for me to take action if I write down my list of things to do.

Be decisive and take action NOW.

6. Stop regretting.

There are no regret pills for you to take. If something has been done, MOVE ON. Don’t waste your precious time thinking about it over and over.

7. Never give up.

If you really want to achieve something, never give up trying. The end result might not be as splendid as you have hoped but it would still be a lot better if you’ve tried everything you can than not trying or giving up too early.

8. Conquer fears.

Everyone has fearful moments. The difference is how you deal with your fear. Never run away from fears.

You’ll make mistakes; other people will laugh at you.Deal with it. It’s all part of life.

In return, you’ll learn from your mistakes and be a much stronger person.

A friend of mine is so into health and well being. She started to share information about how to live until 100s since she was in her early 20s.

We were all like, why think so far ahead??? But years on, I start to get her, at least her point of looking after yourself and staying healthy.

I’ve seen 100 year olds in the wheelchairs, almost the laugh material of the family because their minds couldn’t keep up;

80 year olds in bed, being treated as the burden of their family because they’ve lost their minds & couldn’t take care of themselves.

Old age alone is not sad. But being old without a sharp mind is sad.

So what are the secrets of these sharp and healthy 100 year olds? It all comes down to building good habits:

According to research, these are the top 11 Secrets Of Sharp 100 Year Olds:

  1. Drink warm water as soon as getting up in the morning.
  2. Drink vegetable and fruit juice at least 3 times a week.
  3. Stay in the Sun for at least 15 minutes a day.
  4. Have dark Chocolate.
  5. Love cooking.
  6. Avoid soft drinks and processed food.
  7. Excise & sweat.
  8. Try to loose 5% of body weight.
  9. Walk 30 minutes everyday.
  10. Incorporate onions into dinner.
  11. Never eat after 8pm.

The list looks more like common sense than top secret but few people can do this day after day. And doing everything on the list everyday doesn’t guarantee a long life until 100s.

The whole point is not trying to live until 100s, the point is to stay alert and be healthy enough to enjoy life in our older age.

Personally I think start building these good habits are not difficult. But make these long lasting habits of ours is not easy. I’m envious of my friend who got a head start and has maintained her healthy way of living for a long time but never say too late right?

Emile coue’s method is “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better”. So let’s do it!

What grow old? Grow better:).

11 Secrets Of Sharp 100 Year Olds

Photo taken at Sydney Centennial Park

 

 

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight

Have one egg a day can not only help improve memory but also protect eyesight and loose weight.
That’s a hell lot of benefits. Eggs are loaded with good nutrition such as vitamins, protein and antioxidants. If you are running out of ideas of what to have for breakfast, it’s time to have a couple of boiled eggs, because it is so good for you! And no, eating a few eggs a day won’t increase your risk of heart disease. Here are 6 main health benefits of having eggs for breakfast:

 

1. The perfect protein.
The protein in eggs has the highest biological value – a measure of how well it supports your body’s protein needs of any food.
2. Make you feel full.
The combination of fats and protein means eggs are very satisfying. Eating one or two eggs for breakfast will keep you from getting hungry later in the morning, hence the next point:).
3.Help loose weight.
Having eggs for breakfast may help you loose weight by helping decrease your calorie intake for the whole day. Studies have shown that people have eggs for breakfast lost 56% more weight, compared to people who have carbohydrate meals for breakfast, people have eggs for breakfast have more energy too.

Check out these 10 foods that help you loose weight.
4. Improve memory.
Eggs are packed with riboflavin, folate, vitamins B6, B12, D and E, and iron. Having eggs help you improve memory and boost concentration.

6 Health Benefits Of Having Eggs For Breakfast
5. Help stay alert.
Study has shown that the proteins included in the eggs help our brain cells to be more alert and therefore, help us stay awake. A morning meal high in protein raised your brains’ tyrosine levels. This helps your brain produce neurotransmitters called norepinephrine and dopamine, which give you energy and make your feel awake and alert.
7. Good for eye health.
The yolk is a prime source of lutein and zeaxanthin—plus zinc, which also helps reduce your macular degeneration risk, according to Paul Dougherty, MD, medical director of Dougherty Laser Vision in Los Angeles. Eggs contain both of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. It has been shown that lutein and zeaxanthin from eggs is better absorbed by the body than from plant sources (like spinach and corn), making eggs an important contributor to overall intakes.So if you have to work in front of the computer for the whole morning, have eggs for breakfast!

I have a bad habit… Recently it got even worse.

I swallow food without chewing properly and I’m often busying doing other things (working on the computer, reading etc) while eating too.

Remember I’m striving to be healthier from this year onwards?

Eat slowly & chew longer for better health.

london thames-001

 

 

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight

It’s winter in Sydney and reported to be the coldest winter in the last 30 – 40 years.
So what we do when it’s cold? EAT.

Oh yeah. I love having fried pork ribs or chicken for dinner
and rich chocolate mud cake for desert nowadays.
The thought of these foods make me happy, let along eating them.

But, there’s a big but. While I’m not denying the pleasure of having deserts and fried meat, I must try to consume everything in moderation. What foods can help maintain your well being and healthy weight?

Here are 10 foods that help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight:

1. Almond seeds
10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
Rich in antioxidant, Vitamin E, fiber and protein. They fill you up and help control weight gain.

2. Apples

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
Again they help you crush cravings because they contain natural sugar and are filled with water. It is a slow process to chew an apple.. Remember what they say? Eat slowly and you’ll feel full sooner.:)

3. Coffee

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
Love coffee. Not sure if it’s correct to classify coffee as food but nevertheless, one or two coffee a day can not only help you stay awake but also helps your metabolism.
I only consume one cup a day now but maybe 2 cups are acceptable too.

4. Eggs

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
Eggs are very helpful when you want to lose weight fast. New research shows you could lose around 1kg a month just by eating eggs for breakfast.

5. Sweet Potatoes

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
Love roast sweet potatoes. So easy to cook and so tasty. It make is even better because they are sweet!

6.Dark Chocolate

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
The bitterness of dark Chocolate helps crush cravings.

7. Tofu

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
Not very tasty, so J refuses to eat them. But research shows Tofu helps stop food cravings so if you want to feel full quickly, try tofu.

8.Oats

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
A bowl of warm oats with honey for breakfast in Winter… So Satisfying! Wait, there’s more. A 15 year study has found that oats lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease.

9.Green Tea

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
I’m a Chinese but hardly drinking any green tea. Must incorporate drinking green tea in my afternoon routine.

10. Salmon

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight
I can have Salmon for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Being next to Sydney fish market gives me easy access to fresh Salmon.
So I’m quite happy Salmon is on the list.

All in All these foods are full of healthy nutrition and help you feel full. All of them are easy to work with too.
So next time, before you order that fired chicken again, have a look of this list.:)

It has been getting busier, just as I had hoped.
But I forgot to enjoy the beautiful world around me and breathe.

It was a gorgeous and sunny day. I looked up and decided to drop everything and go out for a walk along the Pyrmont Pier.

How I loved everything!
Peace.
Glorious afternoon sun.
And deep breath.

Always remember to breathe.

Pyrmont, Sydney

Pyrmont, Sydney