Blog by Jedde

I never thought that a single candy can teach me an important life lesson. But it did, and I would like to share that story with you today. It happened one afternoon while I was in a cab. I was exhausted after a long day under the sun, working, facilitating, and running around the warm wide space of Sentosa in Singapore. I could recall feeling heavy and fatigued. It wasn't just because of the heat but also because of the challenges I had to solve that same day that drained me out. I was on my way back to the office, along with an assistant staff and the ride was not as comfortable as I would have wanted it to be. The exhaustion paired with feeling famished made my stomach growl. It was then that I remembered something that made me look forward to finding it. I had saved one last candy inside my bag! So, I searched for it sluggishly but as eagerly as I could until I found it, tucked inside one of the pockets. I took out the candy, ready to rip it open and enjoy the much-needed sugar...

The kind of strength that is quiet and subtle is often overlooked by many. It is always physical strength that is celebrated because it is seen, felt, and heard. It can be easy to neglect other forms of strength because people try so hard to shine the spotlight on being able to carry heavy weights physically.  But what about courage? What about that choice to get up in the morning even when you feel there isn't any kind of motivation or inspiration to keep you going? Isn't that strength too? Isn't that worth celebrating too?  What about that smile you give to other people, the one that you sincerely, wholeheartedly give away even when you find it hard to make sense of your life now? Isn't that strength as well? When you choose to understand even when you are being misunderstood. Or when you choose to love despite the odds? Or when you choose to forgive someone who has wronged you? Aren't those forms of strength too?  These are quiet strengths that are innate in us. ...

There are times when we find ourselves exactly where we want to be. However, there are also moments when we look around and notice that others have gone ahead and progressed with their lives. Although we sincerely feel happy for them, we cannot help but face ourselves in the mirror and ask the big question we've always wanted an answer to: "What about me, when's my turn?" Every ounce of effort, every bit of energy we've exerted, and every single intention to grow stronger just to create the life we want for ourselves sometimes go down the drain because as we stare at our own reflection in that mirror, we magnify not only our inadequacies but we also ruminate on all the things that we could have been but we are not. And we just could not forgive ourselves for it. Why is it that we pity ourselves just because we are not on the same chapter as that of the other person we see on our social media? Why do we look defeated, exhausted, and hopeless whenever we try to matc...

We have entered a new quarter for the year. This same day of last year, many things were different and I decided to grab my diary and re-read what I've written. As I scanned, I was amused at my scribbles, touched at my insights, and felt glad that all of those things that happened last year helped me grow into who I am today.  And so I thought to share some of my thoughts with you from last year.  I wonder, what kind of feelings, emotions, thoughts, and ideas did you have from 2020? While you think about it, feel free to have a look through mine in the photos below.  Love, Mary Jedde