Day 3 to Better work

My 3 gratitudes today:
1) that I have awesome parish priests who stand out in the cold after mass to see their parishioners off
2) that boss is back in office
3) that I live so close to office that I do not contend with bad traffic

My positive experience today was Ash Wednesday Mass.

Day 2 to Better Work

gratitude. =) (Photo credit: camerakarrie)

My 3 Gratitudes for Today:
1) That I am in London
2) That I have work
3) That I am learning a lot

Random Act of Kindness - sharing my passion and knowledge with someone today

Positive Experience: 
Sitting down with the guys today to come up with the department action schedule for the year helped in developing a greater clarity of what we do and how we should move on in the year ahead. Things are still a little vague but at least we know what goes where and when we have to do them.


Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. The typical kiasu me + Catholic blood made sure I stuffed myself for dinner before the impending 40 days of fasting. Not all 40 days I guess because I am sure going to be stuffed with food when I am back in Singapore for a later CNY celebration.

Boy I miss my family and friends.

The happy secret to better work - Day 1

Gratitude (Photo credit: justOneMoreBook)

I have come across Shawn Achor's video in TED. His talk was one of the best by far I have seen and I do feel inspired.

His key takeaway to rewire oneself to create lasting positive change below:
1) List 3 gratitudes daily for 21 days
2) Journal-ling 1 positive experience everyday to relive it
3) Exercise to teach the mind that action matters
4) Mediation to focus
5) Do randoms act of kindness to enforce a consciousness of positivity

So here I am on Day 1. Hopefully for many days to come.

My 3 Gratitudes for today:
1) that I have awesome colleagues
2) that I can savour my fish and chips
3) that I can be warm when it is cold

Random act of kindness - give away oranges as part of CNY and treat my colleagues to lunch!

Positive experience:
I spent one whole day on a report, generating the data from scratch. It was indeed a struggle but every bit goes into reinforcing my learning and a firmer hold on the concepts. My learning is like an exponential curve. Very slow in the beginning, but once the momentum gains traction, I go on quite speedily. Now i am just in the painful part. I take it as a cross to bear - trying to acknowledge that I really don't know a lot and to accept that I am not as smart as others. God has a way to make one swallow pride.


For those who are interested in Shawn Achor's awesome TED video, it is embedded below.

His book that I intend to read

Shopping for childcare

From Feb to June 2012, we made some trips to the respective childcare centres, here are some of them:

Bethel Day Care Centre
12 Jalan Lateh. With transport.
$370 after subsidy
Tel: 62885078/62823121
We quite like this area and like the idea that Imm can be exposed to a Christian environment.


Bright Juniors @ SC Pte Ltd
Blk 255 Serangoon Central Drive
Tel: 62811173
$420 after subsidy
This place is very convenient as it is near to our parents place. Our parents can drop by to sneak a peep at Imm anytime :P


My First Skoolhouse at Serangoon Ave 3 (NTUC)
Waiting for their reply. Also a convenient area and the place looked nice and clean.


Bethany Child Care Centre
Blk 127 Serangoon North Ave 1.

Not really what we wanted and there was no transport.

School house By The Garden
12 Phillips Ave
Tel: 62808562
$580 after subsidy
It is situated in a terrace house, place is very bright and nice but a little cramped.

Preschool by the park @ Li Hwan
2 Li Hwan View
$850 after subsidy, no transport

Nurturing Confidence in your Child (talk) - Fiona Walker

SMART PARENTING CONGRESS 2012 - Raise a Little Thinker

Learning Snippets from Fiona Walker, Principal of Schools, Julia Gabriel Education

Self esteem is about knowing oneself and being confident about the strengths and limitations ones have.

Confidence recipe - ingredients

- Attachment bonds (don't threaten the baby about isolation)

- Individuality

- Time to build mastery

- Establish routines

- Opportunities to build social skills

- Exposure to new experiences

- Emphathetic listening (be present) 

- A loving family (be an example as well)

- Consistency

Do celebrate any small progress made by the child even though it might not be what you have expected.