Surprises, Kindness & the Marshmallow Challenge Made My Day

On Wednesday like usual we had our HC class at J218. Just when I almost forgot we would have surprise singers that day, Dr. Udani invited them out in time. This time we had a pair of 'best friends', Davi and Suki to perform in front of the class. They might not sing perfectly well but I could see everyone, included me, was moved by the emotion they had put in their singing.

But the surprise did not end so soon. Just when the flashlights of cameras were about to stop, Dr. Udani suddenly came out and sang. This time it was even more surprising because we rarely hear him sings.

After the performance we moved on to the lesson. This time it was about kindness. We were shown a video introducing a 'kindness school'. Yes, that's right, a kindness school. I never heard of something like this and I did not expect a school would employ kindness to facilitate learning. This approach to learning is pretty new to me and yet I find it impressive and inspiring.

The Kindness School



I really love how they try to put people sitting together and let them each by each express their appreciation of the others. Personally I think sometimes we simply underestimate the 'power of appreciation' that we try not to show it. Simply saying 'you did a great job' or 'I really appreciate your help, thanks!' to someone can already make his day. This also means that you are attentive to others' contribution and you really care. Thus, in my opinion, showing appreciation to others is the very first and essential step to learn to be respectful and kind.

Nonetheless, the art of being kind is not easy to master.  Acting kind and showing appreciation to others are simple to do. But it is difficult to do them with sincerity. If one is acting kind to another because he wants to be liked or wants something in return, then it is not sincere. If one shows appreciation of someone's contribution or accomplishment for the same reason, then he is definitely not appreciating but flattering.

'It's good to be kind, but it's better to be sincerely kind.'

Afterwards, we had the Marshmallow Challenge game. It was not my first time to play this game. Before we began playing I thought I would do better this time but I failed, mostly because our group did not plan much on the structure of the tower. Since we did not have a plan, we did not have a clear direction while constructing the tower. That's why I agree with what Shiping has said: whenever we need to finish something, we probably need to have a bigger picture of it first. Just like the 4 managerial functions, we PLAN before we ORGANIZE, LEAD and CONTROL.

Anyway, I truly enjoyed this lesson and I APPRECIATE the fun and inspirations the others have brought to the class!

Cheers :)

Raven

Thoughts On the LEAP

Our LEAP kicked off at the Learning Commons on Thursday. Honestly I did not expect we would have quite a number of participants. It made me even more surprised when our participants were actually willing to share their own wish or even something that people usually keep it secret. I think this shows a good sign because generally it is not easy to make others share something very personal. I must say our LEAP has got a promising start. I simply cannot wait to make those wishes come true.

You don't know how amazing it was to see more than half of the people at the Learning Commons writing down their wish at the same time. We were even delighted by the smile on their faces when they were writing or thinking about their own wish. The number of participants we have is encouraging, but it is even more encouraging that we have brought joy to them.

Even though our LEAP has just started, I can already feel the excitement and joy of serving others. To be honest, I never thought of the concept of 'Serving Leader' and I did not recognize the importance of serving. But now, I have to say I really appreciate this kind of idea, which I think plays a crucial role in one's leadership and personal development.

'We serve to become a leader, we become a leader to serve.'

The art of serving is not easy to master. However, this is what makes the LEAP worth doing. The ultimate goal of our LEAP is not only making wishes come true but also influencing our participants to SERVE. We want to advertise the idea of serving within the UMAC community.

 

Raven

Here I also want to cheer for the other groups who are doing their LEAP =]

Choose Your Own Life. Choose Happiness.

Today I just read a blog post by Ms. Bronnie Ware. The post lists the top 5 regrets the dying commonly have on their deathbeds, which I find very inspiring and worth sharing.

‘I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.’

This is found as the most common regret of the dying. Imagine you were about to pass away, lying on your deathbed, looking back and bemoaning your life which was not the one you’d wanted to have, then you might understand what it feels like to die with your dreams unfulfilled.

Most often people give up on their dreams because of their fear of failure, as well as the disappointment which may be induced by the failure. However, it does not matter if you succeed or fail, what matters is whether you have got the courage to pursue your dreams. Even if you cannot make it, at least you have given it a try and this in fact plays a crucial role in a person’s growth. The result of your pursuit of dreams is not important, what is important is the process.

Of course, there is a difference between dreams and reality. There are plenty of reasons that make our dreams almost impossible to be fulfilled. Nonetheless, as Ms. Bronnie said in her blog, we should at least try and honor some of our dreams before it’s too late.

‘I wish that I had let myself be happier.’ – the 5^th common regret of the dying

Happiness is a choice. Please remember that it is YOU choosing happiness, NOT happiness choosing you. No one has ever bemoaned their past. There maybe thousands of reasons which make you sad and yet, try to find that one reason which makes you happy.

As last, let me end this post by quoting a line from Ms. Bronnie’s blog:

‘Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.’

Raven :)

Ms. Bronnie Ware’s Blog

http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html

The Bond Between Us Is Becoming Concrete

Last night, the HC 2014 class had a gathering at Estabelecimento de Comidas Si Fu Chai. The gathering was amazingly fun, and it could not have been any more enjoyable. For me, it was not only a normal gathering but also a remarkable event which I will definitely etch into my memory.

We spent the night having some nice chats with each other and exchanges of personal experiences, and the food had played a crucial role in adding fun to this night of joy and warmth. However, the gathering could have been flawless if we had had a bigger table so that we might not need to sit separately.

To be honest, before this gathering I seldom talked to my classmates Ervin and Charlotte. But after last night I begin to remember how they speak, smile and laugh, as well as how funny they are. Since the moment we all sat down, Ervin and Charlotte had been being as freindly as they can be and I really appreciate that. At that moment, we did not look like friends but were more like brothers and sister, and I am pretty sure each of us in the class is seeing each other as family members as well.

Picture taken with Ervin and Charlotte.

I did enjoy the gathering last night, and I am delighted to see the others feeling the same. Recalling what Dr. Udani had asked us at the gathering while typing this post ("What should we do to make everyone in the 2014 class as happy as they can be?"),  I've suddenly got an answer: we should see each other as part of our family just like what we are doing right now because the relationship with family is something everyone would like to cherish and, more importantly, it is something that never dies.

The Honours College has brought us together and this has formed a bond between us. And now, the bond that links us together is becoming concrete and strong.

Raven