I wonder how many times in our lifetime we've wanted to go back in time just to experience something all over again- to smell the homey scent of your childhood apartment, to embrace the person you love and miss, to roll down the little grassy hill after a family hike, to thank the teacher who brought characters from a storybook to life. There have been countless times where I'm simply strolling on the busy streets of Hong Kong that I suddenly catch a familiar scent from my childhood and I stop for a second and thank God for so many beautiful memories.
I recently watched the award-winning movie, 'About Time' and it completely changed my perspective of life. The main character of the movie is part of a family where all the men in the family could travel back in time and make changes. I won't go into the details of the movie, but the conclusion the main character made at the end of the movie was this: " I just try to live every day as if I've deliberately come back to this one day to enjoy it as if it was the full final day of my extraordinary life." This is my favourite quote out of all the movies I've ever watched. Last week during one of my classes, the teacher decided to give us a 5 minute break. Like the typical Hong Kong young people that we were, all the students took out their smartphones and scrolled through the endless chasms of social media. When the break ended, the professor said "I challenge you guys to go a few days without your phone." So then I raised up my hand and asked him, "Professor, have you tried it before?". He then smiled and replied "Yes. And it was great." He then went on the talk about how our society nowadays is so caught up in this virtual world and how it even affects our brain development. I heard it like an echo of the movie I had watched. I have yet to try his challenge, but I've put it on my "Before-20 Bucket List" among other simple, yet exciting, things to do as my teenage years come to a close. Since then, I've tried multiple ways to relish and taste every flavour of every day. I put my smartphone in my bag while taking the MTR (the Hong Kong equivalent of the subway) and just take out a book to read (I'm currently reading Mitch Albom's 'Have a Little Faith' and it's awesome). I take out my earphones on the bus ride back home and get off a stop early to take a little stroll back home. I try to put my phone down when my family members talk to me about 'trivial' things like "Ching! Can you take out the trash for me? Oh, and could you vacuum and do some laundry before you leave the house today?" Another experience that I had last week was a brief session of meditation during my 'Religion and Spirituality' class at school. The professor took us through the process of meditation, and honestly I was a bit scared because I had heard a lot of weird funk that had happened because of the New Age movement. So I used the time of meditation to thank God for every part of my body. "Thank you God for my toes and my fingers. Thank you for my legs that can walk every single day. Thank you for giving me life today and for the breath in my lungs. Thank you for my spine and my ears that can hear." I've noticed I've become more joyful these past few weeks after taking on this mindset. Everything around fills me with so much delight and joy. It's currently drizzling outside and I can hear birds sing (I like birds singing but I'm scared of birds haha). I love the feeling of when my feet are cold but my upper body is warm. I love the feeling of holding a mug of warm water in my hands. I love that I can feel. Who are we to decide which moments are less precious to us? What if today was the last time you could experience that particular ordinary feeling? When we are intentional about making every moment count and be grateful and mindful of where God has placed us, every moment becomes precious and extraordinary to us.
1 Comment
Yin Yin Bing
2/25/2019 12:48:18 am
So impressed of your determination, not easy to find among youngsters, not even adult. You are such a sophficated and deep individual, not realize this better without reading this article. You mentioned this “before 20 bucket list” the other day lightly. It was so light that we all did not understand all your observations and feelings behind this initiative. Thus, it hints that your written presentation is so moving and touching.
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