What I learned through Taking a Blurred Image on Camera

Photo Credit: gaspi *yg via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: gaspi *yg via Compfight cc

My photography skills isn’t that bad. Or is it?

I was trying to help take photos for an acquaintance and her friends at impromptu. She didn’t have a phone with her at that moment so she asked me to use my new phone, which I  didn’t get used to so I just snapped the button randomly and spammed it.

*not posting the real blurred photos to protect the identity of the person.

Most of the pictures turned out blurry, and didn’t look great even. Out of 10 photos, only three look clear, still, the pose was awkward or weird.

After reviewing the photos, she told me  bad I was at taking photos which I thought I was so good at.

It was disappointing to have taken blurry shots because it’s hard to retake a good moment together.

I did a better one after that, focusing and taking my time to ensure the picture was clear and looking good.

Looking at the positive of the story, I learned a valuable lesson.

It’s good to try to hone your skills in anything that you do. It can be a skill like cooking, drawing or even communicating.

Imagine Chef Ramsey cursing you in the kitchen for not doing it right.
Imagine getting your piece rejected
Imagine getting ignored by the girl or guy you tried to talk to.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and take our errors and criticism into room for improvement.

It doesn’t help me be a pro at what I’m lacking at after one try, but it does help me be more conscious about what I’m doing and tells me to do something about it.

I have to improve because if I don’t do it, I’m gonna go nowhere. There is no way I’m gonna improve by having someone else do it for me.

Do you have something you need to improve on? How are doing something about it? Share it with me in the comments.

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How You Can Make The World A Better Place Now? | Better World Project

The Better World Project

The Better World Project

We are living in a world with issues still left untold and it needs addressing.

You may find an issue more crucial to life as compared to others. We all have our own views when we see it, AND If we voice out and get ourselves heard, we can spread a vast awareness and share our views together.

In search of trying to understand how we can improve ourselves and our world, I started a small project called The Better World Project.

It’s my first time doing a project for my blog which involves going out of the internet life and asking people questions. I was nervous like hell because I didn’t expect it to be so scary. It’s also hard because people might think that I’m some salesman or promoter, getting the palm’s up and No’s before I even mentioned anything.

Still, it triggered me that if I want answers, I need to go for it. I want to understand what is it that concerns our people.

With the help of my friends Sodrudin and Rasif, we went to town, from Scape to Orchard Road with our whiteboards and sweets to ask people a simple question.

What do you think can help to make the world a better place?

I’ve got to say that some voiced out really good replies.

It’s amazing how people can have a diversity of answers to contribute. Some that I find really true and unconsciously didn’t even think about. Some gave concerns about our environment, while others tackles on our society and how we treat ourselves.

I would like to give thanks to the supporters for this project, and for spreading out your message for others to look and think about.

There are still issues out there that we are afraid to voice out how we feel. The world needs our help make her a better place.

You can make the world a better place through awareness. Share your views with your neighbours, friends, community .Facebook it, Twitter it out, blog about it. Even better, participate in the activity, and Insta-pic or Insta-vid it.

What is yours? Share it with me in the comments!

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What the JOBS movie teaches me?

Steve Jobs poster quote

Steve Jobs Quote

The picture says it all. I’ve got to say that the JOBS movie really inspired me and allow me to look at life in a different perspective.

Talking about JOBS reminded me of how we are sometimes so bound to what other people think or do. To do something that other people are not doing is considered abnormal.

How I see a typical story normally goes would be having a group of people you hang out with considering someone an outcast because he plays with rubrics, or he doesn’t share the same idea like the rest do . As long as you’re not siding that person, you’re safe, and in order not be an outcast, you choose to play it safe and do what others do.

I urge you. Don’t be the next Monkey See, Monkey Do. What if you are the one being outcasted?

Trust in your views.

I could consider myself a misfit. I’ve fallen and fought the battle of my early secondary school days,  and with enough criticism (nerd, fatty bom bom) that could make me want to just give up on life.Though that world that surrounded my life seemed small, I dreamt BIG.

I told myself that I do not have to worry about not fitting in, because life goes on. I do not give up at the point when I’m falling, and push myself back up. I took in comments and ignore the rude remarks or LAUGH about it and make it my fulfilling desire to change these things others might think I won’t be able to or think I’m SIAO.

Reading the Meta Secret by Mel Gill, has allowed me to understand the situation I went through. Imagine our lives  and what we are feeling like a thermometer. What we feel when we’re down and happy is the same thing. It’s only at a different degree.

We are able to choose how we move up and down that degree by allowing it to flow through us and understand that there’s ups and down’s in life. Understand how to react when a situation arises.

We know it in our heart we shouldn’t be afraid to fall yet, we’re always afraid of failure. 

It might seem illogical or going to affect how people think of you, but the ones who sees things differently benefits from life in the long run. You allow yourself to change your world and also inspire other people to understand your world.

The question is will you do it for your own sake because you believe in your ability, or are you going to fall back and give up when the times are rough?

Side Note:

I blogged about overcoming my perspective of not being able watching movies alone. I find watching movies alone weird. That excuse of not having friends has led me to missing a lot of good movies.

Thanks to The Movie Club for the amazing event  for JOBS movie and poster as well as the nice dinner.

The movie club dinner

 

ps. Thank you for letting me be the crazy one. It has made me to what I am today.

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Things You Missed Out Not Climbing that Staircase

I was observing how many people went up the staircase whenever they got out of the train to exit out from the underground station at Outram Park and the amount of people climbing up the staircase compared to those riding the escalator up to another level.

From my observation, it felt like there’s an aura that’s different spreading around individuals who went to take the stairs. What’s so different about it was the energy that was brought in them and it felt like how do I say, the black  among the white sheep, or the white along the red roses?

It just hit me at that moment and I felt more conscious with my surroundings. I ask myself, “Why are these people taking the staircase?”, I’m thinking of a specific reason to why they are taking the staircase instead of the escalator.

Why work so hard when things are already made easy for you right, Stoner? (that’s what my inner alternate would say to me)

And I told myself, why not take the staircase? It will sound cliché, but I felt a TRUE sense of achievement after doing it. I felt like I had a choice to either go for the escalator or the staircase, and that moment felt that I made a good choice because I’m able to tell myself to climb those steps, and just go for it. You really have to go for it to understand how it feels like.

I managed to do something that I didn’t believe I’m strong to do so mentally and said,  if I believe in myself, I can fight that excuses that goes in my mind like “I’m too lazy” , I’m too tired” or “The staircase is too high” and etc.

I can imagine the benefits it would have given myself if i started earlier , that extra training for my leg muscles in physical and feel more health conscious and stronger in mentality, and that’s a great thing for my well-being.

What I really appreciate and learn most from this small yet interesting part of life, it to have allowing me to train on the ability to focus on my thoughts , and training me on making good choices in life.

What if you decided to take the staircase for a day? What about  changing your routine to take the staircase to work every time you pass by the same station? What difference and impact can it bring to your life?

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Support the Earthship Project For A Good Cause

Most of us are lucky to have our common staple needs, like water and food supplies, shelter and electricity at our doorsteps. Through these, we allow ourselves to progress with life and don’t have the need to worry about how to survive.

But how about those people who lives in hard conditions where natural resources are scarce?

Came the brilliant idea of Earthships from Mike Reynolds, providing solutions and a new way of living communally.

So what are EarthShips?

Earthships are 100% sustainable off-the-grid structures that are both cheap to build that use modern engineering to work with the natural processes of the planet to provide automated generation of food, water and energy, all at zero cost to its inhabitants.

In other words, it allows the inhabitants, to live depending on themselves and what they have.

Food

Food are important, so the Earthship allows the people to grow their own food through greenhouses without worrying about climate. It allows to grow crops all year round and also build your own fishing pond or chicken coop. I can agree to that.

Amazing Water Recycling System

The building makes uses of the rain water catchment system, which collects rainwater which helps to make use of every thing running in and out of the houses. It filters the water for drinking, showers and sinks, the used up ‘grey’ water are then used for their edible plants/crops and after cleaned by plants, it’s then used for the toilets, and  those ‘black’ water are used to provide nutrients for non-edible plants outside the exterior garden.

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Made up of Recycled Materials

Most of the structures for the base are made with used tires which are available almost anywhere or thrown away and the walls are made using recycled water plastic or glass bottles.

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phoca_thumb_l_IMG_4063Energy Wise

These Earthships use solar panels and wind generators to get their energy and provide lights and  to other parts of the house that requires electricity.

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No more bills

No more worries about bills as everything is done to recycling water and generating on electricity. Surviving on a no cost payment. Now you don’t have to think on how to pay for bills and instead focus on how to do great things.

Better Life ahead

Imagine if we can learn to build a better life with Earthships. That would change the way how we manage our lives. We can learn how to love the environment, and also save planet Earth from completely depleting. We can let the world regenerate and be part of that regeneration instead of consumption.

But then again, sustainable doesn’t mean that we’re living in places that’s basic and  not equipped.

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Support the Earthship Malawi Project

Most of the Earthship Projects are used with items already available at use, but this time round, the team has built a new model, Flower Design to help third world countries, in Malawi, the plan is to build self-reliant community center complete with a school, library, bank, administration offices, medical center, and food store.

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Through this project it allows the community to learn how to build their own Earthships and find self-reliance to survive with limited resources.

How can we contribute?

 

  • Visit the Kickstarter project and help to donate
  • Share this info with your friends
  • Write a post about it
  • Support the cause or if you’re really into it, learn how to build an Earthship at $1000 and be part of the amazing experience

 

Community Center Earthship: Flower Prototype – Malawi

 

What the world decides to start living on Earthships concept , how cool is that?

More information or posts about the project
10 Reasons why Earthships Are  Awesome
Holy Moly Mothership
Earthship.com

The post was inspired from following HighExistence, a community of conscious individuals wondering about life.

 

 

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Stoner Wishing you Selamat Hari Raya AidilFitri!

selamathariraya

 

There’s much to be learnt from the 1 month of fast I’ve experienced lately. I was not only fasting but at the same time learning how to curb my emotions and controlling the bad desires. I learnt how not to be angry and let it go when someone decides to pull my strings. I tend to give in to other people’s complains. I learn to not gossip and badmouth, prevent myself from saying all those vulgarities people keep on saying.

I learn to accept the hard truth and forgive myself for the mistakes I’ve done. I learn how to love myself and despite not having to have everything, I’m contented with having to have nothing and make something out of it.

The 1 month has allowed me to open up to approach others and ask them for forgiveness for the things I’ve done. I’ve learned to willingly accept that mistakes is a part of a human being’s life, and feel the better about it.

I was able to read books during spare time, to read up books on life,  ‘The Meta Secret’, its humble teachers and its knowledge.

I’ve learnt to appreciate the people around me for having to break fast with me during the occasion, and bond more.

After all that, it has finally come to the end of fast. Its time to celebrate Hari Raya. I take my life lessons with me and bring it with me in my pocket so that I can remind myself of the better man.

Selamat Hari Raya to my Muslim friends Happy National Day for you Singaporeans!

Thanks for the support and i hope you can also pick up some of the life lessons of this post and apply them in your daily life !

 

and yes that was a reindeer’s hoof I wore.

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How to Improve your Body Posture and appear Confident.

folded arms

via lifehacker

I was sitting thinking about how my body language is affecting people. The more i thought of it, the more conscious i start to become. At the same time while doing so, I can’t help but to look at other people’s body and see what their body is trying to show.

There was a really cute girl in front of me while i board the train one day, but she seemed to be slouching down with her arms crossing in front of her. She seemed like a nice person, but her posture made it seem like she didn’t want to be seen or just want to be left alone with.

Have you ever thought of the message you’re bringing across while you’re standing with your arms folded in front?

An arm folded in front crossing each other signals insecurity. I happen to observe that this happens almost anywhere, or when there’s someone in your line of sight or zone.Then again, you might say its cold, which is also a sign of insecurity that you need to keep yourself warm.

These unconscious acts often leads to lesser communication because it makes you seem unapproachable. Other ways people are doing unconsciously is putting their bags in front of them, nervous tension, fiddling with their hands or trying to look down all the time and avoid eye contact.

Truth is there’s a lot of amount of people who do this unconsciously. I’ve to admit, as conscious as i am, i happen to do it too, so as soon as I realise what I’m doing, I quickly correct my standing position to make me look more approachable and visible at least.

I was following reading up on a book called ‘The Body Language Bible‘ by Judi James and in one of the chapters talks about your power posturing, which I find would be the best posture to make you look better, feel healthier and be confident.

Look in the mirror on how you would normally stand, and then try to compare it with you standing following the steps below.

  • Stretch your spine as if you’re trying to touch the ceiling with your head
  • Keep your head straight and chin at a right angle.
  • Wriggle your toes to make yourself feet aware. Know your ground well, and find the balance between both of your feet
  • Roll your shoulders in a circular motion starting from up and forward and then back and down. Keep it back and down
  • Keep fingertips brushed against side of your thighs.
  • Push your lower pelvis forward a little (men please be more delicate with this)
  • Take deep breaths in
  • Tuck in your stomach
  • And then Smile!

Does the Power Posturing make you look better, and appear more friendlier? Try applying it in your life and see some changes.

(it may feel a little bit weird standing in the position, because your body is used to your natural position, but you will soon get used to the new position) 

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