Our Deepest Fear

 

I am. Being is. The Way is not an intellectual understanding.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I frequently feel very jailed within this body/mind and karmically conditioned self. All through childhood, I’ve been rather alone whether I realized it or not. I vaguely recall a moment of staring at my cousins laughing and being silly, and I was thinking “I can’t talk with them, because they can’t talk with me.” They were too young and unconscious. However, this is still my projection of most people in this world. I take my conscious awareness so very seriously, but cannot seem to share in such consciousness, nor open aware presence with nearly anyone. I am often aware, but still longing for very deep intimate connection with a significant other. I want an aware and open exploration of relationship, like an improvisational dance for a lifetime. The choreography is all ours. Sadly, lamentably, none of my relationships have gotten this deep. They got scared, they don’t dance like that.
There’s a massive conscious/unconscious gap that most people don’t seem to even see. This isn’t much of an assumption either! This gap is the difference between being giddy after seeing a movie you just enjoyed in the theater and experiencing the radiant energetic presence during and after resting in alive, aware, spacious being in meditation. If you’ve experienced both, then you know that not only are they so very different experiences, they are also “not two!” So, herein lies the typically non-understandable aspect: non-dual being is all being. The energy of living is within all our lives at every moment. We’re already dancing through our lives. Let’s be with one another, let’s lay here together, why are we missing this vital connection?

When I have conversations with others, I easily get caught up in (attached with) the things, thoughts, and stuff. At work, I may be grumbling and annoyed by the stifled workflow or pressures of expectation piled onto the situations. At home, trying to return to peaceful presence by letting go of and attending to the pained and suffering bodily, emotional, and mental bodies, I am often alone. This is healing work that most people in my life don’t understand and can’t seem to embrace with acceptance and peace. Often, what I hear from others is some version of “why aren’t you responding or attending to me or my concerns?” Maybe I need to reply with “I am working on healing myself so that I may attend to you too with authentic care.”

Life isn’t so much about doing, but about truly being in our living. I say “our” because there isn’t any separation. I emphasize “being” over doing because everything is changing (and clinging to action/activity is no different than any other egotistic stronghold) . And I use the word “truly” because everything is naturally empty. When we’ve gapped from identified borrowed consciousness to spacious conscious awareness, then we are truly seeing. As Krishnamurti said, “the seeing is the doing.” You do change (immeasurable by “time”) when you’ve seen and continue practicing seeing. This is the subtle, yet profound difference between common consciousness and conscious awareness. So, “I am healing with awareness bathing me in the truth.” I am changing, which means I am more Wayward. May egocentric karmic conditioning recede and fade away.

Thank you for your presence in reading, in “being with,” as I like to say.

I watched the movie, “Coach Carter” last night. There is a great quote near the end of the movie. I found it online on a site that talks about the movie. But I wondered where the quote came from. I did some more searching and found that the quote is from a book by a lady named, Marianne Williamson. I have not read her book, but the quote is terrific!

The quote in the movie was very inspiring

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

10 simple ways to save yourself from messing up your life

• Stop taking so much notice of how you feel. How you feel is how you feel. It’ll pass soon. What you’re thinking is what you’re thinking. It’ll go too. Tell yourself that whatever you feel, you feel; whatever you think, you think. Since you can’t stop yourself thinking, or prevent emotions from arising in your mind, it makes no sense to be proud or ashamed of either. You didn’t cause them. Only your actions are directly under your control. They’re the only proper cause of pleasure or shame.
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• Let go of worrying. It often makes things worse. The more you think about something bad, the more likely it is to happen. When you’re hair-trigger primed to notice the first sign of trouble, you’ll surely find something close enough to convince yourself it’s come.
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• Ease up on the internal life commentary. If you want to be happy, stop telling yourself you’re miserable. People are always telling themselves how they feel, what they’re thinking, what others feel about them, what this or that event really means. Most of it’s imagination. The rest is equal parts lies and misunderstandings. You have only the most limited understanding of what others feel about you. Usually they’re no better informed on the subject; and they care about it far less than you do. You have no way of knowing what this or that event really means. Whatever you tell yourself will be make-believe.
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• Take no notice of your inner critic. Judging yourself is pointless. Judging others is half-witted. Whatever you achieve, someone else will always do better. However bad you are, others are worse. Since you can tell neither what’s best nor what’s worst, how can you place yourself correctly between them? Judging others is foolish since you cannot know all the facts, cannot create a reliable or objective scale, have no means of knowing whether your criteria match anyone else’s, and cannot have more than a limited and extremely partial view of the other person. Who cares about your opinion anyway?
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• Give up on feeling guilty. Guilt changes nothing. It may make you feel you’re accepting responsibility, but it can’t produce anything new in your life. If you feel guilty about something you’ve done, either do something to put it right or accept you screwed up and try not to do so again. Then let it go. If you’re feeling guilty about what someone else did, see a psychiatrist. That’s insane.
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• Stop being concerned what the rest of the world says about you. Nasty people can’t make you mad. Nice people can’t make you happy. Events or people are simply events or people. They can’t make you anything. You have to do that for yourself. Whatever emotions arise in you as a result of external events, they’re powerless until you pick them up and decide to act on them. Besides, most people are far too busy thinking about themselves (and worry what you are are thinking and saying about them) to be concerned about you.
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• Stop keeping score. Numbers are just numbers. They don’t have mystical powers. Because something is expressed as a number, a ratio or any other numerical pattern doesn’t mean it’s true. Plenty of lovingly calculated business indicators are irrelevant, gibberish, nonsensical, or just plain wrong. If you don’t understand it, or it’s telling you something bizarre, ignore it. There’s nothing scientific about relying on false data. Nor anything useful about charting your life by numbers that were silly in the first place.
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• Don’t be concerned that your life and career aren’t working out the way you planned. The closer you stick to any plan, the quicker you’ll go wrong. The world changes constantly. However carefully you analyzed the situation when you made the plan, if it’s more than a few days old, things will already be different. After a month, they’ll be very different. After a year, virtually nothing will be the same as it was when you started. Planning is only useful as a discipline to force people to think carefully about what they know and what they don’t. Once you start, throw the plan away and keep your eyes on reality.
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• Don’t let others use you to avoid being responsible for their own decisions. To hold yourself responsible for someone else’s success and happiness demeans them and proves you’ve lost the plot. It’s their life. They have to live it. You can’t do it for them; nor can you stop them from messing it up if they’re determined to do so. The job of a supervisor is to help and supervise. Only control-freaks and some others with a less serious mental disability fail to understand this.
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• Don’t worry about about your personality. You don’t really have one. Personality, like ego, is a concept invented by your mind. It doesn’t exist in the real world. Personality is a word for the general impression that you give through your words and actions. If your personality isn’t likeable today, don’t worry. You can always change it, so long as you allow yourself to do so. What fixes someone’s personality in one place is a determined effort on their part—usually through continually telling themselves they’re this or that kind of person and acting on what they say. If you don’t like the way you are, make yourself different. You’re the only person who’s standing in your way.

What if…

 

What if I forget the words when I stand up there? What if I go completely blank? What if I totally suck? What if I look or sound stupid?  What if they hate me? What if I’m not pretty enough? Cool enough? Smart enough? Qualified enough? Experienced enough? Talented enough? Thin enough? What if they see through my act? What if they discover what I’m really like? What if they find out about my issues? Or my history? What if the course is too difficult for me? What if I do what Craig suggests and it doesn’t work? Or what if it does work and then I lose motivation and focus? Surely I’m too old to start something new anyway? Or too inexperienced to establish my own business? Perhaps I’m past learning new things and developing new skills? Surely I won’t fit in, will I? What if I get all excited like I always do and then fail again? What if I disappoint people again? Hmm, perhaps I need a little more time to plan and think about this.

Which is code for “I’m too scared to do anything, so I’ll do nothing”.

Again.

Self doubt it’s a disease that doesn’t discriminate. It affects our mind, our emotions and even our physiology. It’s multi-dimensional and if you let it, it will destroy your opportunities, waste your potential, ruin your relationships, infect your thinking, crush your hope and at its worst, ruin your life. It’s not concerned with race, religion, age, skin colour, past achievements, social standing, sex, talent, IQ or bank balance and it knows where you live.

For many of us, self doubt comes knocking on our door every day. Sometimes it will give an apologetic, sorry-to-bother-you kind of tap, and on other occasions it will almost smash the door down with it’s incessant and violent banging. More often than not, it will arrive disguised as something much more noble like concern, logic or reason but in reality, it’s none of those things. It’s just fear in a different outfit. Self-doubt with a little make-up and a pretty dress. Don’t be fooled, she’s a bitch and despite the charade, she doesn’t care about you at all.

That’s all self doubt is by the way, one of the many faces of fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of public humiliation, fear of getting uncomfortable, fear of the unknown, fear of poverty, fear of isolation and even fear of success. Like all forms of fear, self-doubt is essentially self-created and perpetuated because it can only exist in our head. In order for it to survive, we must give it a place to live. And we do.

In the pursuit of our best life, our challenge is not to overcome self-doubt but rather, to manage it. To recognise it for what it is (a form of fear), to feel it, acknowledge it and then do what we need to do (to reach our goals), DESPITE it.

“Recognising, feeling and acknowledging self-doubt, does not mean being controlled or determined by it.”

Of course, over time we will find a way to turn down the volume (of the banging on the door), but a life totally devoid of self-doubt is an unrealistic goal. People who succeed (no matter what the endeavour) invariably find a way to do what they need to do, despite their self-doubt. They are aware of it and they are challenged by it, but they are not controlled or determined by it. Self doubt is universal and it is an unavoidable part of the human experience. For life. None of us are exempt. If you doubt yourself often, don’t feel weak or flawed, feel human. Feel alive. Feel normal. If self-doubt is a sign of weakness then I’m a big pussy.

The questions we should ask ourselves in relation to this chat are not:

“Do I ever experience self-doubt?”

But rather:

1. “What impact do I allow self-doubt to have on my decisions, behaviours and results?”

and…

2. “Do I manage it, or does it manage me?”

If you came here today looking for a solution, then walk to the bathroom and look in the mirror there’s your solution. Even if you don’t know it or feel like it, let me tell you that no book, blog, idea, program, CD, DVD or guru will change you. No, that’s your job. Those resources (that’s all they are) can stimulate, inspire, educate, challenge, provoke and encourage you, but only you can change your current reality and only you can build your best life. That’s why this my write up is not a solution but rather a humble resource.

Do what you need to and stop looking for the magic pill.

My breast tumours

By LUKE TEOH (TheStar)

A man recalls his traumatic experience of having growths in both breasts.

I RETURNED home from an extremely cold, wintry holiday in Melbourne in July. A few days later, I had some pain on my right breast. I thought nothing of it as I felt the pain might have been brought on due to a change of weather from the extreme cold in Melbourne to the stifling heat back home.

However, the pain persisted for a week, so I went to the doctor’s. The GP examined my breast and told me not to worry about it. He told me that a course of antibiotics would clear it off.

After the antibiotics had run its course, there was still the persistent, gnawing pain, but I continued to think nothing of it as it was bearable and I felt fine. I was able to continue playing tennis.

However, one evening when I web-searched the Internet for “pain in the breast of men”, two words, “cancer” and “carcinoma” came popping up frequently in my search. The words really struck fear in me. That really got me petrified and worried. I had a terrible, restless night.

Before Teoh underwent the operation.

The next day, I could not wait to go to another doctor where I knew the GP had a scanner. When he scanned my right breast, he said that there was a small growth in it. He further said that he did not like the look of the growth as it had cilia-like protuberances. He advised me that I should have a biopsy done by a surgeon. I immediately agreed to his advice as the terrifying words “cancer” and “carcinoma” popped in my mind, again.

The doctor measured the size of the mysterious growth on the monitor and then had the picture printed out. He then wrote out the referral letter to a surgeon and attached the picture on it.

I left the doctor in a state of shock. How could it happen to me? A man, with the possibility of having breast cancer? I imagined I had it already and felt like a dead man walking!

On reaching home, however, I began to go into a state of denial. I imagined that the cyst had shrunk and the pain was subsiding. I kept postponing going to the surgeon’s for the next three weeks. I was still able to play tennis but with a heavy load on my mind.

A day after the operation.

My moods began to fluctuate. One moment, I felt terrible, and the next, all right. One of my darkest moments occured when I searched the web for “breast cancer in men”. I came across this sentence: “Men usually ignore the early signs of breast cancer and leave it too late before seeking medical treatment”, which immediately got me scooting to the surgeon’s.

After waiting for some time with much trepidation at the surgeon’s, as there were a lot of patients, it was finally my turn to be seen by the specialist. He examined and then scanned my right breast.

Turning to me, he said, “I’d be worried if the growth is seen in a woman,” which gave me a bit of hope and I felt a tinge of relief.

He continued: “We better check the left breast, too.”

After doing the examination and scanning of the left breast, he said “There’ a smaller growth here. We’ll do a small-needle biopsy on the left breast and a large-needle one on the right. Could you wait outside while we prepare everything in the treatment room?”

Surprisingly, I was quite calm while I waited for the biopsies to be done, as the surgeon had given me the confidence that he knew what he was doing compared to the first GP I had consulted.

The procedure to extract a few pieces of the growth from my right breast was extremely painful. I had to grit my teeth and clench my hands tightly to the sides of the operating table to withstand the excruciating pain as the anaesthetic was being injected into my breast through the nipple each time. With tears in my eyes, I forced myself to see the liquid slowly spreading into the tumour on the monitor. Then the surgeon told me to turn away from the monitor as he did the actual apposition of the bits of the tumour for biopsy.

Everything was repeated with the left breast, too.

I was told to return for the result of the biopsies in five days. I came away from the surgeon’s feeling quite relaxed as the surgeon had a fantastic, reassuring bedside manner.

As I was being driven to the clinic on the appointed day for the result of the biopsies, I was extremely quiet as I felt I was leaving on a hearse for my funeral. When it was my turn to see the specialist at the surgeon’s, my walk into the consultation room felt like the steps of a condemned man walking to his execution.

A week after the operation.

I broke out in a cold sweat as I sat by the side of, and, then facing the surgeon. When he uttered the magical words, “Benign, non-maglignant”, I could feel relief and happiness instantly oozing through every part of my body and spontaneously, I could not help but grasp his left hand for bringing me the great, comforting news.

He then told me that the growths needed to be taken out. I readily agreed and I was scheduled to be operated on under general anaesthetics at a private hospital in a week’s time. I came from the surgeon’s feeling like a man being given a new lease of life. I felt like having been resurrected, rescued from sure-death.

A week later, I underwent the operation. I had a subcutaneous mastectomy done on me and I was discharged from the private hospital after a day-stay.

I received the histology report a few days’ later. It says: Trucut right benign. No other pathology or evidence of malignancy is seen. Bilateral gynaecomastia.

Well, it turned out that the first GP that I had consulted, was correct after all. He had said that there was nothing to be worried about.

However, from the onset of the problem, I was worried sick. I suffered bouts of depression and sudden short spells of weeping when I was alone. I told no one about the problem. Neither my wife nor my children knew anything about it at the beginning. I did not wish them to suffer my pain as my wife had first endured the suffering and eventual death of her mother from breast cancer and then later saw her step-mother suffering the same fate, too. I decided to tell my loved ones only after the result of the biopsies was known.

However, I wrote about it, but in the third person, and emailed to my email groups. I found that by doing it this way – telling the whole world in cyberspace – anonymously in the third person – had been rather cathartic to me. I was comforted when a few members of my e-groups wrote in to comfort or offer prayers for “my friend” who was suffering pain.

After removal of the bandages

Unfortunately, one of my e-group members from Canada told my elder daughter about my impending operation. She immediately phoned frantically home but I was out. She got her mother, instead, who knew practically nothing about it as I had decided earlier only to tell her everything only after the operation.

I got a real shelling from my wife for keeping quiet when I returned home. I immediately pacified and reassurred her. I told her to keep mum about it to her brother and her younger sister as I would wait two days before the operation to tell them about it. I did not want them to worry and come rushing home.

I am relieved and thank the Lord for helping me survive this terrible problem. I was most fortunate to have found a great surgeon who gave me peace of mind while I was being treated. I am thankful to my email friends who knew about “my friend’s problem” for their prayers and good wishes for a speedy recovery.

I feel blessed to have a strong, supportive wife and three wonderful, filial children. I am humbled by the traumatic experience and am now able to look at life with a better and clearer perspective.

The experience has made me stronger and more caring.

I was totally and completely traumatised by the experience. I felt stigmatised as I imagined I was a possible sufferer of an ailment mostly suffered by women. The stigma of having breast cancer haunted me for more than two months.

I can now tell the whole world as I am now alright.

My breast tumours

My breast tumours

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Love when you are ready not when you are lonely

If you search how to date a women/men in google.com or yahoo.com, you probably end up with million of results over the net. No I’m not teaching you how to date a mate but I think these are the points which I think is important to be precaution with after I spoke to Mary (my crime partner/my ex girlfriend in Phuket when I’m diving there) many years back about an hour ago. Yes, she suffering from another breakup but it is because of one of those silly mistake many of us did before or going to.

A lot has been written about dating, some people rally enjoying dating but for many, dating seems like a horrific trauma. Consider how many people stay in unsatisfying or even outright bad relationship because they are even more terrified by the prospect of being “out there” again.

Dating can be chore because it seems so far removed from real life. But I wonder if there aren’t some everyday lessons we can learn from dating. Maybe its not that dating is different from the rest of our lives but that it’s an intensified version of our day to day lives.

We work hard on a date to put our best self forward but wouldn’t it be nice to put our best self forward throughout the course of our lives? Maybe instead of rejecting that persona, we should embrace it? And maybe, just maybe, if we were used to being our best selves all the time, dating wouldn’t be such a chore, either we’d just show up and be awesome.

1. Dress counts.
We all want to be appreciated for who we are, not what we wear, but unfortunately, what we wear often determines whether or not anyone will take time to know who we are. You wouldn’t dream of showing up for a date in torn sweats and a dirty shirt – but I’ve seen people show up for job interviews in similar outfits! Unless you need specialized clothing – a uniform for work, grungy clothes for helping a friend paint a house, etc. dressing like you’re on your way to a first date means you’ll always put your best face forward.

2. Listen more, talk less.
On a date, being fascinated with what your partner is saying is the best way to make them feel good about themselves – and about you. Asking questions and really paying attention is a great way to demonstrate that you value the person you’re dating. It’s also a great way to show people you aren’t dating that you value them – and to make sure you’re as well-informed as you need to be.

3. Don’t be too needy.
“Desperation,” says a character in the movie Singles, “is the worst perfume.” Spend a date leering or pawing at your date, or explaining how very, very, very, very lonely you are is a sure way to get the brush-off. Nobody likes a loser, and that’s exactly how you come off – winners date people they’re totally into, not whoever will have them. This is true throughout our lives as well – lots of people have noticed how much easier it is to get a job when you already have one (and it’s said that the best job interview is the one you come to straight from work) than when you’re down to plucking couch-cushion change for macaroni money. Of course, you have needs – everyone does – but you can get a lot farther in life making it clear to everyone that you’re driven by your passions and talents, not your needs.

4. Be decisive.
Partners of both sexes like to see their dates make decisions quickly and effectively – it lifts the burden from them, and it shows a confidence that most find attractive. Unfortunately, we often think it’s nice to offer our date a bunch of choices to pick from, thinking that it shows we respect their wishes, when what it really does is throw them into decision paralysis – and increase their anxiety because they’re suddenly fumbling and looking bad in front of you. In life, as in dating, making decisions quickly and firmly, while respecting other is input, is a sure sign of leadership. Even bad decisions made boldly often turn out to be better than good decisions made hesitantly.

5. Smile a lot.
This is extremely important. People like people who smile. More than that, there is a lot of evidence that the physical act of smiling actually triggers changes in our brain chemistry that make us happier. On a date, that means less stressed, more confident, and more attractive to our partner. In life, that means the same thing – even when we are not perfectly comfortable, a big smile conveys to others that we are, and often gives us the boost we need to actually become more comfortable.

Do you like the thought of becoming a native somewhere other than your country of birth? Work abroad for a while and that’s exactly what you will do. You get to explore the city that you been dying to work with and to learn their fascinating culture they have, but some how or rather this morning I saw something that annoyed me. I saw with my own eyes that a man was BEATING his wife on the street. Too many people and me will think that his act was unacceptable but to certain peoples they just don’t care.

So, what is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is abuse that happens in a personal relationship. It can happen between pass of current partner, spouses, or boyfriends and girlfriends and even parents and children. It affects men and woman of any ethnic group, race, or religion wheatear you are gay or straight, rich or poor, in your teenage, adult, or elderly. Nevertheless, most of its victims are women. In fact I believe 1 in 4 women will be a victim at some point.



Abuser may use fear, bullying and threats to gain power and control over the victim. He or she may act jealousy, over controlling and possessive. These are early signs of abuse may happen soon after the start of the relationship and might be hard to notice at first.

Soon after the relationship becomes more serious, the abuse may get worse. One type of domestic abuse involves hurtful physical acts that include pinching, slapping, beating, kicking, punching, pulling of the hair, and the actual use of weapons. These weapons can include but are not limited to knifes, guns, belts, bats, vehicles, cigarettes or lighters, curling irons, hammers, tire irons or gardening tools.

Another type of abuse is sexual in nature. A few examples of sexual abuse include rape, forced or coerced sexual acts, incest, molestation, fondling, forced viewing or participation of pornography, sexual jokes and even insults concerning the victim’s sexuality or performance. But..


The hardest abuse to prove is that of a psychological nature. The intentional degradation of self-esteem by insults or belittling conduct as well as excessive limitations or control over another person’s behavior, financial freedom, or interaction with others.



With this, it will form of emotional abuse that is sometimes used to make a person feel bad, guilty or weak. It is sad but in reality these abusive are actually happening in our society today. Domestic violence and abuse knows no boundaries as far as race, religion, age, sex, geographic location, sexual orientation, or financial and social standing. Parents abuse children, children abuse elderly parents, husbands or lovers abuse women and yes, women abuse men and other women.

Men and women who have stayed with a violently abusive partner are often asked why they stayed. Some of the most common answers are “for the sake of their children,” “religious beliefs or fear of excommunication,” and the “fear that the abuser will come looking for them to kill them.”

In the past, all types of domestic abuse was quietly swept under the rug and ignored by society. Thankfully the attitudes of the general public and the legal systems are changing, I hope!.

Many cities around the world have battered women’s shelters to give temporary haven to the abused women and children. These places usually have a security system set up, counseling services, aid for job placement, as well as legal resources and information.

These halfway houses or shelters are not a long-term solution though. Many limit the days you can stay in the complex as well as the allowed age of minor male children and while they will aid you in getting away from your abuser, it is ultimately up to you as to what is eventually done.

Only you can decide to take the drastic step and get out of the situation. It will also be up to you as to whether charges are actually pressed against the perpetrator since it is highly unlikely the Attorney will see his way to prosecute when the victim has decided it isn’t what she or he wants.

It takes a great deal of courage for a victim of domestic abuse to step forward and make a conscious decision to take a stand against a violent spouse or lover. It takes even more to stand before a judge and tell the story of the abuse while wondering how you will be able to keep a home and food available for yourself and children.

In the end though, those who take that first step towards becoming a survivor instead of a victim will hopefully find a life filled with hope and promise instead of one of constant fear and pain.

I hope that woman I met this morning is doing fine by now.

Stanly

Stay young at heart.....

Nobody really likes getting older. But, to think of ageing purely as a physical process is to miss the importance of our mental outlook. If we want we can easily remain young at heart – whatever our age.

Sometimes we see someone in his twenties and already he is grumbling like an old man. But, at the same time we see someone in their 70s and they have the life and attitude of a young child. To remain young at heart and forgetful of our outer age is a real blessing which enables us to enjoy life whatever our advancing age may be.

My Secrets to Remaining Young at heart

Spend Time With Children.
Children enjoy life from the heart. To see a child’s smile uplifts even the hardest heart. If we spend time with serious old people we will feel a serious old person too.

Don’t Identify your Self with Your Physical Age.
Everyday we look in the mirror and gain the habit of identifying our sense of self with the body. Thus when we see grey hairs and rinkles appearing we feel older – because our body is becoming older. But to remain young in heart and mind, our physical appearance is an irrelevance. We need to break the link between our physical condition and state of mind. We try to keep the body healthy. But, our sense of self should never be dictated by the number of summers this body has seen.

Be Spontaneous.
A childlike attitude is spontaneous and free. A child can take joy in simple things because it is not mentally creating a 5 year plan to buy a new TV. Try to listen to your heart and do things which give you innocent pleasure. Spend less time thinking and more time living in the present moment.

Don’t Spend Time Picking Faults,When we criticise others,
We do not go forward.,We just go backward,
To our greatest shock.

It is complaining and grumbling which really gives us a feeling of being old and weary. Unfortunately, as we get older we get into a mental habit of finding fault and criticising the innumerable problems of the world. It is this tendency to be critical which really gives us an ageing outlook. A critical attitude has an impact upon ourselves. It is we who become negative, yet, of course, our criticisms never improve the world.

Be Active
If we are active we don’t have time to get depressed about our old age. Compete with yourself and not others and get joy from transcending your own goals.

Stop Being Guilt of Your Age
I know many people close to me, who really feel bad if you ask them how old they are. They tell their age with such reluctance – as if they had just been diagnosed with some serious illness. Be proud to have more experience and more years under your belt. Becoming older in age is nothing to feel bad about.

by 1979°

Blame your parents!

I was talking to a friend from London last night. She is one of the many victims of child abuse but somehow I really tired of her complains and stories. I know it is rude in away to shut her but firstly let me say, stop it.

It’s pathetic and pointless. And for the rest of us innocent bystanders… very annoying.

To be completely honest, I am sick of your whining, your complaining, your anger, your victim mentality and your inability to see that your current attitude (not some historical event) is your biggest problem. I am also sick of you blaming your (current) bad behaviour on your parents. What is standing between you and success right now is YOU. Not your folks, not your history, but it is you. And the fact that you think THEY have sabotaged your life and are somehow responsible for your (current) stupid behaviours and less-than-desirable outcomes, wreaks of denial, immaturity and delusion.

Yes, I get that your childhood, or parts thereof, sucked - welcome to the world’s largest club.

I also get that your old man was periodically a completely insensitive, uncommunicative bastard at times. Sadly, that’s what (many) fathers do. And yep, I know that your mother was a selfish cow that time when you were in high school, it happens.

Okay, let’s be honest and blunt… some parents are crap. And yes, many of us have been hurt -physically, emotionally and/or psychologically - by our parents. I am not suggesting that you deny your past, but I am suggesting that you don’t live there. It’ll kill you. In ten different ways. Some people have been inhabiting the seventies and eighties and re-visiting their childhood for the last few decades.

No matter how much you think your parents deserve your anger, vitriol and resentment, I’m telling you
1. it serves no positive purpose
2. it will hurt you more than them
3. stop being a big, immature, stupid baby and
4. you and only you, are responsible for your current reality - no matter what your parents have or haven’t done to you, or for you.

Even though you may have a very good ‘reason’ to be eternally pissed at your folks, I’m saying let it go anyway. Move on. And it’s not about what they do or don’t deserve; it’s about what you deserve. If you want to destroy your potential, your enthusiasm, your optimism and your hope, then become a chronic parent blamer. Hang on to that hurt, no matter what!

Or you could let me save you some serious time and pain and just believe me when I tell you that being a parent blamer is a pointless, destructive, pathetic waste of your potential and emotional energy.



And if you’re not careful, a waste of your life. It will destroy you from the inside out. It’s true; some people will die angry, bitter, resentful and tortured souls because they never found a way to let go of the self-perpetuated - yep, read that clearly, self-perpetuated - misery. When you’re still desperately holding on to emotional crap from years ago, it’s YOU that’s the problem. When you’re twenty five, thirty five or fifty five and you’re still thinking, talking and behaving like a teenager who’s mad at their parents, you need a big reality check.

The only thing you can change about the past, is how you let it affect you now.

You may wanna read that again.

People who have blamed their parents for everything from their poor communication skills, dysfunctional relationships, destructive habits and violent behaviours, to their fat body and poor eating habits are stupid!. What!!! Do you not have a brain in your head? Are you incapable of independent thought? Can you not make your own decisions, choose your own behaviours and be responsible for your own existence? Surely you feed yourself these days? Surely you have some control over what comes out of your mouth? And surely you can choose to do, be and create different in your world.

Let me say that I totally understand that your parents weren’t always what they should or could have been for you as a child (caring, supportive, forgiving, understanding, loving, available, guiding, honest). You have my sympathy and understanding but you’re not alone. You’re in a very large majority. The problem with parents is that they’re flawed and that whole ‘being human’ thing kind of gets in the way of parental perfection. If only parents were cyborgs.

Sometimes the vitriol, the anger, the resentment and dare I say, the absolute hatred, that people hang on to (for decades) amazes and saddens me.

The parental blame game is a slippery slope of self-pity, self-destruction and futility that’s played by far too many people to their own detriment. It’s a game you’re advised to avoid.

I hope this letter finds you well,
Stanly

They Are Living Treasures

Senior citizens have always fascinated and charmed me. Since I was a small boy, I have always loved hearing their stories about the world and how things used to be. I have found that the older the person is, the more wonderful the stories they tell. I wonder why young people today don’t seem to care much about the thinking of the elderly. How could anyone who has survived to a ripe old age after the disasters of the 20th Century – not have some real gems of wisdom to tell.

My father’s father died long before I was born. I believe he was chocked and I’m glad that my father’s mother still alive and living with us today. I have seen pictures of my grandfather pretty much looks like the same like my father. I wish I could have met and talked to him at least once.

As a boy and even as a teenager, I easily made friends with senior citizens. I suppose it was because I was brought up in a strict household that taught us to respect people and to show deference to them. It could also be because I was not popular at all in high school and was considered a geek by my peers. When I did meet my friend’s parents, grandparents or other elderly folks, I knew what they were talking about if those folks enjoyed talking politics, history or were interested in other geeky things Ham radio for instance. I guess those folks might have appreciated it when I addressed them as "Sir" or "Ma’am" as opposed to when those same girlfriends brought home their other courtiers and those guys would greet the adults with a, "Dude!" or grunt language. (Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do… I went to high school with a lot of surfers and stoners.)

During my recent hospital stay I was placed into a room with four other senior gentlemen; the youngest being 65 and the oldest 85. That was very good for me. I’d much rather enjoy the conversation with temporary roommates than to watch TV. At least I could learn something from these old gentlemen. These old guys had many good stories to tell and I had all the time in the world to listen. I wasn’t going anywhere. Let’s face it, when you are in the hospital for a while, no one really wants to come and visit you; and if they do, they want to leave immediately. That’s fair enough, I suppose. Hospitals are not the most exciting places to visit nor are they the safest. I didn’t have many visitors. Talking with them and observing the sadness of the human condition was also a big reason why I realized that I needed no revenge for what had hospitalized me.

I spent time with these good old folks and shared many stories about many things. As was my past experience with senior citizens, I found all these gentlemen extremely interesting people to talk to and full of wise words of advice and points to ponder. It was through talking to them that I realized that I should be thankful to still be alive after my mishap and that, hopefully, I still had many more years to look forward to. They helped me to realize that living a life full of vengeance and guilt is no way to enjoy life.

In Japan, as with many other countries in Asia, especially Buddhist countries, being old means being wise. In fact the elderly are celebrated once a year in Japan with a holiday called Keirou no hi (Respect for the Aged Day). I believe that Japan is the only country in the world that has a national holiday dedicated to senior citizens.

I also believe that one of the biggest problems with America today is the lack of respect people show for each other and especially for their elders. There is no amount of government legislation that will ever begin to fix this problem. This problem is one that can only be addressed by each and every one of us as individuals and as a family. The elderly have so much to share with each and every one of us that it’s a shame and a waste for younger people not to take advantage of the knowledge and wisdom that their elder relatives can share.

Do yourself and your kids a favor, visit or call your elderly relatives soon and make sure to tell them that you love them. Or, if you don’t happen to be close to them, how about visiting a local Senior Citizen’s home? Show reverence and respect to the aged in your daily lives and you will be more than rewarded. Talking to these people will help you to understand the lives they have led and to respect the many contributions they have made to society. This, in turn, will help you to give pause and reflect on what is really important in this world and what you need to do to live a better, more rewarding, and more fulfilling life.

My short time in the hospital helped me to open my eyes more. I appreciate that I was able to share a short time with the elderly witnessing the sorrow and joys of the human condition.

It is a good thing to get to know the aged, to hear their stories about living and life, and to respect them as real people.

Phase of thought

Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind. You cant change the past but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future. All people smile in the same language. A hug is a great gift. One size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it’s easy to exchange.

Everyone need to be loved, especially when they do not deserve it. The ealmeasure of a man wealth is what he ahs invested in eternity. Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it. It’s important for parent to live the same things the teach us. Thanks God for what you have today, trust yourself trust god for what you need. If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.

Man looks at outward appearance but god looks within. The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow. Take time to laugh, for it is music of the soul. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so one will believe it. Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.

Love is strengthening by working through conflicts together. The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts. To get out of difficulty, one usually must go thru it.

We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for. Love is only thing that can be divided without been diminished. Happiness is to enhanced by others but does not depend upon others. For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness tat you can never get back.

My condolence to the Jackson’s family.

Meng

Turn Your Weaknesses Into Strengths

When you start falling behind, your biggest fear must be that your weakness has caught up to you. However, looking at great athletes play, they must have weaknesses too! Those weaknesses can be turned into strengths with a very simple change: A improve-yourself mindset.

This isn’t the same as positive thinking however. This is about finding ways in which weaknesses can be turned into strengths; into something that you are confident about. If you start thinking that your weaknesses aren’t really weaknesses, you’ve just took the first step through your limitations and fears. The next step is to work at it.

Let’s say you aren’t good at typing on the computer. Your first step is to see that it really isn’t a weakness. You can still type right? Now, your next step is to push yourself to improve your typing. Maybe practice once or twice a day for an hour altogether and aim for your goals. By the end of the day, it wouldn’t seem like a liability.

1. Think Differently. What you need to do is to think differently and not get stuck in your narrow world of negative and unsupportive thinking. Thinking that it is a weakness has a negative effect on you because you won’t be thinking about ways to improve but rather ways to increase frustration because you just can’t seem to get out of the invisible box.
2. Set Your Goals. For some goals, you need to sustain it for a long time. Maybe years! Slowly reach it by taking small steps. If you think you’re going too fast, slow down and do it again. What you’re trying to accomplish is making your weakness a strength and not just “doing it.” You want results and just doing it won’t give you any results.

When I started my blog

When I was blogging, I knew my weaknesses were writing, uniqueness and branding. I never excelled at writing. I was just decent enough so people would understand me. This could pose a big problem later on when people see my writing as having many mistakes but later, I just didn’t let it bother me and just write. The more I write, the better I’ll become. That’s all I can do.

I also knew that I would face uniqueness problem later on. After all, everyone hits a bit of writer’s block and can’t come up with ideas. But like writing, all I can do is to find a solution. I found out that I just need to monitor my everyday actions more closely and use it to my advantage.

The last thing I listed I was worried about was branding. I only blogged once before this blog and although it became successful, I also had a lot of luck involved with it. But like what I did before, I just focused on the strengths and used it to my advantage.

What is holding you back?

What do you think you are weak at? Are they preventing you from starting something you have been interested in or from pursuing an aspiration?

Assess yourself and find out what you fear about. Sometimes people think too much of their own weaknesses without realizing it. Step back and think about what you’ve wanted to do or even what you do right now that you hope to improve but can’t because of the “fear”.

Change. Turn Your Weakness Into A Strength

Changing is the hard part but if you’re able to overcome it, it’s the stepping stone to success. Change your mindset to where all of your weaknesses can be turned into strengths. Don’t worry, impossible is nothing like Addidas slogan and it’s true!

1. Assess yourself. Find your weaknesses
2. Find your strength in relation to the weakness.
3. Find a plan to move your weakness to your strength.

Get started on turning your weaknesses into strengths — start right now.

Surrounding Yourself With The Correct People

There are many different types of people in life and there’s no correct way to say that these are the right people. Humans are unique and like different things. This is what makes them special. It’s 100% normal to disagree with who the people are surrounded by when you think that it is the wrong group. People often have their own thoughts and the correct thought is the caring thought.

How do you re-assess yourself and find out which people are the right people you should be hanging out with?

Find out your weaknesses and try to find the people that can help you fix those weaknesses. There are many types that I will list here. These people will all help you. Maybe in different ways for each but without a doubt, they can help you and will help you. I know they will help me definitely.

1. Loyal People. These people are loyal to you. They appreciate what you have done and they come back to you for more of your wisdom.

2. The Hard Working People. These people just flat out hustle and work hard. You need these types of people if you want to be successful. They just go out and get the job done. You have to be careful with these people though, do not “use” them. Join venture with them and finish tasks.

3. The intelligent people. These people are crucial to success. Surround yourself with these and use their wisdom to guide you though tough times.

4. Successful people. These people have done or are doing what you are trying to accomplish. These people have lots of wisdom and can mentor you. I know many bloggers who are helping me on this blog and i’m very appreciative for it.

Finding the correct team to form will help you finish your task more efficiently. It is not to say you can’t have fun with these people but when it comes down to work, work first then play.

Do I need to scrape everything I have now?

After I tell them about surrounding themselves with the correct people, they ask, “Do I have to ditch all of my friends now?”

Of course not! True friends are very important but a complete team of working individuals are important also. You have to find the correct balance and make sure that both of the two groups are getting the best of you.

I have a friend where I can put into both categories. A work friend and a close “insider” friend. Recently, another friend of mine who is also inside my “inside circle” gave me a heads up that one of the “inside circle” friends is getting too over himself and I just assessed the situation. The friend who was getting too over himself was a very intelligent friend. He can think of ideas fast and can contribute to projects that require intelligence to succeed readily. He was great before he got too over himself. After careful assessment of what he was doing positively verses what he was doing negatively, I knew that one of my friend was indeed getting too over himself so now we are slowly trying to push him away so we can go back to working well. We do not need negatively as that drags us down.

The only type of people that you don’t need to surround yourself with are negative people. They are people that drag you down instead of your goal up. Friends or work people with a common goal upwards reach success faster than people who don’t do that kind of activity.

Conclusion

I’ll repeat once again, this is not to say to remove all of your peer level friends. This topic is strictly teaching people to focus on true friendship and other people with a common goal.

* Not good advice: “Stop being around xxxx people.”
* Good advice: “Start being around xxx people who are working towards your goal.”

This can be applied to many situations. Your business, work with people like you who want to be promoted or work with people like you who has a great idea that will be a hit later but just can’t produce because of the wrong group of skillset.

Happy Father's Day

He didn't tell me how to live, he lived and let me watch him do it.

Happy Father's Day

Aioli

• ½ a small clove of garlic, peeled
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg yolk, preferably free-range or organic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 285ml extra virgin olive oil
• 285ml olive oil
• lemon juice, to taste

Aïoli is a lovely fragrant and pungent type of mayonnaise – and the great thing is that you can take the flavour in any direction – try adding some pounded or chopped basil, fennel tops, dill or roasted nuts. Also great flavoured with lemon zest and juice. It’s normally seasoned well and is used to enhance things like fish stew in order to give them a real kick. You might wonder why I suggest using 2 types of olive oil to make this. By blending a strong peppery one with a mellower one you achieve a lovely rounded flavour.

Smash up the garlic with 1 teaspoon of salt in a pestle and mortar (or use the end of a rolling pin in a metal bowl). Place the egg yolk and mustard in a bowl and whisk together, then start to add your olive oils bit by bit. Once you’ve blended in a quarter of the oil you can start to add the rest in larger amounts. When it’s all gone in, add the garlic and lemon juice and any extra flavours (see above). To finish it off, season to taste with salt, pepper and a bit more lemon juice if needed.

Try this: Lemon- or basil-flavoured aïoli are good with salads, all types of fish, and in seafood soups. Also great with roasted fish, chicken or pork, and classic with salmon.

I just want to feel being loved again and lonely never again.

"I found someone that not only changed my heart.. She changed my life."

The easiest thing I ever done was fall in love with her.
Finding the right person is not really a matter of finding.
It is more of a surprise then a search because if you are looking for the "one" you may find more disappointment than love. So my advice is enjoy the ride and don't let your goal of being loved influence you to fall for the wrong pair of arms. Be patient and have fun. When its the right person you will know...

Life is short and love is precious. Don't fall for anyone that will make you anything less than happy.

Love someone that will improve your life.

Always remember that love is kind

Freediving? I want to try that!!!!

They float on the surface, breathing slowly, focusing on the bottom and slowing down their heart rate by 100..90…80…70…60 beats pre-minute. A final full breath and thrust downward, kicking slowly with big stiff legged kicks, relaxed and trying to minimize exertion. They reach the bottom and glide along at twice the speed that they could with scuba gear and the feel a part of the environment. Soft, smooth, serene, peaceful is how freedivers describe their experiences. A euphoria they can get only from this activity! And they look breathtaking as they are doing a dive!
I have been increasingly infatuated with the sport of freediving since starting to scuba dive. The beauty of watching the diver descend with nothing more than a mask and fins, then dive deeper than some recreational scuba divers go is absolutely mesmerizing. I watched countless videos on you tube.

There are actually several different ways to freedive, with fins, without fins, with a line or without, among others. There are world records held by men and women diving to depths of over 200 meters! These freedivers hold their breath a long time…no not seconds, MINUTES! Tanya Streeter won an Absolute World Record in 2002 doing a no limits dive to 160 meters and did it in 3 minutes 26 seconds! What a great athlete Tanya is, holding a number of records in this sport. You can find all the record holders in each class on the AIDA’s site (International Association for the Development of Freedivers).

I am going to put it on my list of goals to take a freediving class.

“Scuba Diving is a Passion & Dream Come True for One Diver”

I was looking for scuba related stories last week since I am recovering from my sick that hopefully help explaine why scuba diving can be a passion for many. I know that my story was similar when I became a diver however for this post I decided to add other peoples that I met interesting stories of how scuba diving has affected them which I describe it as passion to most people. Case in point Mary is my dive buddy when I was at Similan Island, Thailand 3 years back. She wrote to me recently and she has a great story that I think everyone should hear. So for our first Scuba Human Interest story I give you Mary’s story:

Dear Stanly

Remember the question you asked me last week. Well I have a story to tell you. I think I should thank you

When I was 15 years old, I developed an appreciation for oceans and ocean life and came to the conclusion that I definitely have a GREAT love for the ocean and water in general and that it is THE place for me. I started doing more than just going to the beach attending a Christmas Island marine biology camp at the age of 16, studying books about the oceans, tidal patterns and dolphins and even sitting in on a USYD (University of Sydney) oceanography class volunteering at the Sydney Aquarium and much more everything pretty much aligned with my purpose of being close to the water/increasing my knowledge of it.

My life moved forward onto a different path in March of 2000 at which point I embarked on career in the human rights/non-profit sector putting my marine dreams on hold for the moment (but the dream was still alive in the back of my mind)

Fast forward to the year 2001 and thereabouts and while sitting at home watching television program, I was fortunate enough to watch a commercial for The Underwater Centre Tasmania, a college that specializes in commercial diving.

I ordered a packet of information about their program and read every bit of it and watched the DVD. I called the admissions advisor to gather more information and get more questions answered. Several years later I even wet out to the facility to take a tour and then I went online to check out other divers’ viewpoints and get feedback on the availability of work, how the pay scale works, typical places that divers travel to etc. etc. I wanted to be certain that this was the profession for me.

I really did need to make a decision on whether I wanted to be a diver or any one of the other numerous marine professions out there or did I want a career in some other entirely different field. But I took my time on making this decision.

My human rights work was completed in December of 2004 (my passion for human rights will never die though) In 2006 I was fortunate enough to travel to the Similan Island and diving in some of the most beautiful environments I’ve ever seen. Thank to you for being my diving buddy and I’m envy your spirits. Simultaneously I was fortunate enough to get out of an unhealthy relationship with my boyfriend.

And then in mid 2007 I moved to Bangkok, Thailand and took advantage of the opportunity to do more diving and have more time both on the sea as well as in the sea. It was amazing and just served to increase my love and appreciation for the oceans.

Moving back to Sydney, in April 2008, I got involved with various other work endeavors and had a few bad experiences. One experience in particular involved an employer that didn’t pay me for a full month’s work upwards of AUD 3,000. This experience and he devastation that came along with it, kicked me in the butt and made me realize that I needed to get my act together and really had a focus on what’s going to help me achieve career success, and provide a good life and allow me to be in an environment that I love. It’s been said that if you love what you’re doing you’ll never work a day in your life, and that’s what I wanted to achieve. And all toads pointed towards DIVING!.

As if to confirm the above thought, in mid-June of ’08 when I was leaving Melbourne to head back to Sydney, I ended up missing my flight and had to be put on the next flight out, well not a big issue. The seating arrangement though ended up putting next to a commercial diver (with 4 yrs experience) that had graduated from Tasmania, The Underwater Centre. This was an incredible opportunity, and I pretty much picked his brain during the entire flight to get the scoop on his diving experiences and travels and everything I could think of that I wanted to know about the profession.

Fast forward to August 2008 and by that point I had it set in stone and guaranteed that I’m going to be a commercial diver. All of the experiences that I’d had and everything I had learned over the years seemed to culminate into this pinnacle that only had one direction.

I had it planned out that I would go to The Underwater Centre in Tasmania. I filled out the school application form and paid the fee. I did the financial aid application online and was approved for grants and all kinds of other stuff. I was scheduled to start classes in October.

And now I’m here and poised and ready to start school. Just need to secure my health insurance and medical exam and a few other bells and whistle, and the dream will be set in moiton. Classes will begin some time around June and July…..sooo exciting.

So it’s done. I finally made it out here and I’m at a point where things are really happening in my quest to achieve the career of a lifetime. I get to learn rigging, mixed gases, underwater cutting and burning and all kinds of other exiting aspects of diving. And then I get a actually do this for a living! WOW! Well this is what I’ll be doing for a living when 2010 starts, filly certified and ready to go.

Despite all odds and barriers, its finally happening and of course I have to thank you for your advises and supports all this while. You had show me the spirits of not giving up in every our own dream makes me feel that you are one wonderful person I ever met. I hope one day we can work together and it’s time for you to pick up your commercial diving as well. No doubt you are unwell at this moment but I believe you will recover soon. You prove to me more than 1 time. If there is one man I can describe you I would say ……Wolverine

Take care

Lot of love,
Mary

P/s : Take care and get well soon.

Thank you Mary...

Stay positive be strong

I still have the mix feeling. Although the medicines given weaken, my body system and I having headache most of the time but I have no regret for making that one particular decision. It will not turn me down. Not now, not this way!

It's my father birthday

Happy Birthday Dad

Denmark..Shame on you!

The Chestnut Tree

Well, It’s quite often that we go by each day of our lives without saying a single thank you To those who loves us and has been with us constantly,

Red + White = Pink

Gay people will always be a part of our lives wheater we know it or not, show them that you support their freedom and love....

Thailand beneath the surface

I often get asked “when is the best time to go” or “where is the best place to go diving in Thailand”. The truth is that you can go anytime and always find good diving – as long as you go to the right place!

Thailand is, as far as diving is concerned, divided into two regions; The Gulf of Thailand, east of the Kra Isthmus, and the Andaman Sea to the west. Both areas have distinct diving seasons complementing each other; The Andaman Sea is at its best between November and April, whereas the Gulf of Thailand is the place to go during the months of May thru October.

Absolute Beginner

If you are a newly certified diver, or perhaps looking to learn, numerous dive centres in Krabi and on Phuket, Phi Phi and Koh Yao Islands offer daily trips to shallow and easy dive sites in this part of the Andaman Sea. Always bustling Phi Phi in particular have got some brilliant sites suitable for novice divers, and with the first dive centre being opened on Koh Yao, there is now an alternative for divers who “just want to get away from it all” for a few days.





Saltwater running through your veins

Hardcore divers, who go to Thailand to spend as much time as possible below the surface, should join a live aboard trip to the Mergui Archipelago or to the Surin or Similan Islands. Or even better; a trip that combines all these destinations – if you have the time that is. Trips range from a couple of days up to two weeks and there are a wide range of options available. Boats depart from Phuket or Khao Lak and trips can be booked well in advance online through a number of operators.

I’m a family man!

You know the feeling; you would love to go diving, but won’t leave the family stranded all day with nothing to do. Dive operators in both Phi Phi and Krabi offer local diving trips that will have you back by lunchtime and on top of that, there are plenty of other activities for the rest of the family here. Daytrips are also offered from Phuket, but they tend to leave very early and return late in the day.

Feeling adventurous?

If you are willing to venture off the beaten track to find some amazing diving, but don’t want to spend your nights on a boat far offshore, Koh Lanta or Koh Muk could be the place for you. Both are idyllic, laid back islands and both have some interesting diving to offer. Don’t expect too much to happen here after 8 pm, so pack a few books with your dive gear. Both islands are fairly close to Hin Dang and Hin Muang, a couple of world class dive sites in the southern part of the Andaman Sea.

Budget

Prices are fairly uniform across this part of Thailand – daytrips tends to range between $50 and $100 depending on the dive sites’ location. Liveaboards, or should we say “Existaboards”, can be found from $100 per day and up, but here you pretty much get what you pay for. If it is really cheap, there is probably a reason for it!

Enjoy your trip, dive safely and don’t forget to respect the fragile marine environment whereever you go!!

Happy Mother's Day

"I hold in my hand my entire world. Happy mother's day."