Author Archives: Faith Yee

The Golden Cow

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I know cows are not gold, but this one was.  In fact, it was gold with silver splotches.  I received it as an award last week and it was the result of serendipity, an unexpected surprise that grew from a delightful discovery.  Let me explain.

I was at the Vancouver Public Library when I happened to notice a flyer promoting a Toastmaster meeting for Positive Thinkers.  As someone who embraces positive thinking, it was like an invitation home for me.  I envisioned a group of joyful people with whom I felt very comfortable with.  The meeting was scheduled in 4 days time and I committed myself to attending.

I arrived early and was warmly greeted with smiles, engaging introductions and an overall briefing of the process and evening’s agenda.  A total of 12 cheery people were in attendance and the session lasted two hours, with one short celebratory break to honour a members’ birthday.  (Somehow, cakes and meetings seem to go very well together just like strawberries and whip cream!)  The meeting was full and eventful with a trail of speakers heading to the front like a train of busy worker  ants.  The timetable was tight and tasks were many.  Midway through the second half, an exercise called Table Topics was introduced where people were asked to speak on a topic unknown to them and created by the Table Topic leader.  It just so happened that the theme for the evening was philosophy which is one of my favourite subjects, so I decided to take a chance and volunteer myself for the challenge.

Coincidentally, the topic I drew out of the bag was one that I recently wrote about in my Mind Master Training blog.  “You can’t judge a book by it’s cover” was easy for me to discuss and I effortlessly filled the two minutes with a string of thoughts about reserving judgement with people and remaining open.  Much to my surprise, I was voted the best Table Topic speaker among 8 others and this was where the delightful surprise came in!  I was presented a bright green ribbon and trophy for being the “Best Impromptu Speaker” of the evening.  The golden cow was my prize for the duration and it was quite obvious that the silver splotches were the result of all the loving strokes it received from prior recipients!

I am tickled by the outcome and glad that I followed my instincts in choosing to attend the meeting and take on the challenge of Table Topics.  I had no idea that I would be speaking or awarded anything that evening, which brings me to conclude this lesson in life.  Act on those things that inspire you and trust that good will come from it.  Embrace new experience with an open mind, prepare yourself for surprises and take risks occasionally to discover more in life.  Who knows, maybe there is a golden cow waiting just for you!  Now doesn’t that moove you?!  Embrace yourself for an an udder adventure!

Joy

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Joy is the golden moments in life that you cherish.  It is the feeling you get when your senses are ignited and heart is fulfilled.  If joy were something that you could hold on to, what would it look like?  How would your senses experience it?  Imagine joy as something you could store in your pocket and retrieve at anytime.

Last weekend, I attended a wedding and encountered an abundance of joy.  It is amazing how much joy can be created from a single event.  It seems that celebrations honouring love brings joy quite naturally.  Joy was apparent at the ceremony with heartfelt sharing, cameras clicking and tears of happiness.  Joy was in abundance at the reception with much laughter and camaraderie, delicious food, music and dance, and even a photo booth for guests to have fun and play!

Brightly coloured wigs, oversized glasses, character hats, and fluffy boas flew about as people lined up to have their pictures taken.  As many as 9 people bunched together in one photo frame, with bursts of laughter as the camera clicked photo after photo.  Some people rallied to the moment (including the Bride!) and made funny faces to add to the frivolity.  Reviewing the pictures moments later brought sheer delight to many as these keepsakes became the golden moments of joy.

I find great joy in funny photos, special moments that I cherish, and a pocketful of lightly scented flowers.  

Just as I can preserve these flowers, I can also preserve joy by keeping cherished memories fresh in my mind and not allowing them to fade into distant memories.  Joy comes in handy when life’s difficult moments arise.  Keep joy within reach and you will never be far from the golden moments of life.

You-niquely You

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We are all unique.  Each of us have certain qualities that make us special and stand out from others.  Together, our natural gifts create the rich and vibrant world we live in.  Our world is a beautiful place because of the colourful ‘brushstrokes’ that each of us imparts upon it.  We each leave our mark in some way.  Leonardo daVinci, Oprah Winfrey, and little ole’ me, we’re all as different as can be!  Recognize your gifts and share them with the world!

Realizing our gifts and sharing them is fun but not always easy.  It sometimes takes confidence and courage to realize them, and then more confidence and courage to showcase them.  A recent visit to a tulip farm revealed this very lesson to me.  As I stood in awe overlooking fields of gorgeous pink tulips, I marvelled at the one yellow tulip that proudly stood out before all others.  I am sure if it could speak, it would say: “Hey, look at me!”

I also marvelled at the two daffodils that grew courageously in a well trodden footpath.  They too boldly called attention to themselves, fearless of what may come their way.  These flowers revealed an important lesson in life:  that sometimes we all need to stand apart from others to be heard or fully express ourselves.  If we look to these flowers as our role models in life, we can make our presence and natural gifts known.  We can contribute our unique ‘brushstroke’ to the world.  Whether you adopt a different role or choose to physically stand apart, I hope that you share your unique gift and shine as you were meant to!

The Winds of Change

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Windstorms are powerful.  They can both destroy and purify.  Windstorms are Mother Nature’s way of cleansing our world, with strong gusts of wind that sweep old debris, weak branches and even trees from their roots making room for new growth.  Fresh air replaces old stagnant air as it renews and revitalizes the surroundings.

Windstorms happen in our personal lives too.  This is when turmoil enters and disruption and chaos take over.  Just as a storm dies though, so too does turmoil, eventually giving way to calm.  When the dust settles, peace returns as we take a deep breath and survey the events behind us.  It is here that clarity happens and life lessons reveal themselves.

I recently went through a few windstorms that took me by surprise.  I was not prepared for the enormity of the gusts that took my breath away and I worked hard to keep my feet firmly planted and my head clear about what was really important.  Equally surprising was the real storms raging outside my window.  The wind whistled and tree branches whipped to and fro like a fast-moving dance.  Just as the winds have died, so too have the storms in my life passed.  Just as the clouds gave way and the sun broke through, so too has the chaos given way to peace and clarity.  It is a wonderful place to be.

Here, buds are waiting to burst.  Light grows ever stronger and the magic of newness comes forth.  There are untold joys and revelations in the wake of cleansing.  Surviving turmoil makes you stronger, wiser, and better.  That is the irony of life and it seems that one must suffer in order to experience more joys.  Life is not flat and emotionless.  It is ever-changing with cycles of growth, beginnings and endings.  It is through deeper understanding that we come away with greater appreciation for life.

In the wake of my storms, I have come to fields of abundant flowers, bright warm sunshine, and the arrival of delicate blossoms burgeoning on trees.  I am captivated by the birth of new life and embrace it even more so, appreciating all the nuances of the world around me.  I am grateful for all that I have and all that surrounds me.  With both eyes wide open, I see the “bigger picture”.  I understand the lesson that life has provided to me.

Sometimes, life is confusing.  We may cry and laugh and we may laugh until we cry.  We may feel sadness and somehow, odd humour seeps in and tickles our funny bone when we least expect it.  Perhaps the late Gilda Radner said it best: “I wanted a perfect ending.  Now I’ve learned the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next …. Delicious Ambiguity!”