Weekend Wisdom #002

Yeah, after my last (and first!) Weekend Wisdom entry, I went kind of lazy. Not really lazy, but busy. Whatwith GITEX and all.

Inanycase, Weekend Wisdom for this week is quite simple really.

Friends are for 12-year-olds. I have no use for them.

Yup, that's it.

Birthday wishes ...

A colleague's birthday celebration today made me realize that I am really very fortunate to be working in an office with such loving colleagues. Honestly, we are all in our offices in a professional capacity, but when you think about how you probably spend more of your waking time in the office with your colleagues than you do at home with your parents/siblings/partners, and then you realize how much a part of your life these “colleagues” are!

I feel blessed to have a bunch around like the one that I do! from super-hyper Loony to crazy Zizou who swears more than she uses normal words. LOL.

And no, I didn’t write this post to get all soppy and emotional :) I do have an ulterior motive.

It was this colleagues birthday today and I relaized that mine is also coming up in just about 20 days (yay!) and it got me thinking about what I want for my birthday (in order for me to forewarn potential gift-giver, lest they end up getting me something I already have!)

I thought and thought about what I could possibly ask for on my birthday and you know what? I realized that anything I need that can be bought in a shop, Alhamdolillah, I already have.

It felt oddly unsettling to realize that, no, there really isn't anything that I want right now. Both a kind of awakening on how fortunate I am, as well as humbling in how we can crib and gripe, yet still not be in need of want for anything.

But what good is a girl if she can't pick out her own birthday gift? And that’s where Oxfam comes in. Visit http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com/.

According to their website, “Oxfam Unwrapped offers a range solutions to every gift buying dilemma, whether it be Christmas, Eid, Diwali, Chanukah, birthday or wedding gifts … all of the gifts available will help Oxfam to overcome poverty and suffering all over the world. There are over 50 great gift ideas and prices start from £5. These can be bought on-line, by phone, post or through your local Oxfam shop.

You buy a gift from Oxfam Unwrapped. You receive a card and a fridge magnet that represents the gift that you have chosen to give to your friend or family member. Someone in the developing world receives this gift. Whether it be an alpaca to earn a living from, the means to plant an allotment or safe water to drink – the result is that their lives are much improved!”

So this is a note to everyone who wants to buy me a gift this year: please buy something from Oxfam Unwrapped.

That poor family in Africa probably needs at least one nutritious meal a day more than I need a new handbag/watch/mobile phone,

THAT would be the perfect gift for me!

Weekend Wisdom

Living life means being on a constant learning curve. And I'm not talking about learning things like the chemical formula for Glutaminylasparaginylthreonyl. I'm talking about Life Lessons.

We learn something new everyday. That's the good part. The sad part is, we often forget what we have learned. And it's not just because we don't care ... sometimes it's simply because of the logistical challenge posed to us thanks to the plethora of facts already cluttering our mind. Sometimes though, it really is because we quite simply don't care enough.

In the lead upto the New Year, BPC is working on her NYRs (yes yes, the infamous New Year Resolutions) and one of them is to - for a change - learn from my own mistakes.

Henceforth, every weekend will conclude with an analysis of what was done that week (and what of it was right or wrong and why) and while a detailed introspection will be maintained in private, this blog shall feature a brief excerpt in the form of Weekend Wisdom- the source of which might be cause for speculation among the visitors of this blog, and inquiries to the specific nature of which shall not be entertained :)

So read and learn, my humble Padawans.

Weekend Wisdom #001
No matter what you do, there will always be people who will tell you to do other wise. So when you've done something based on your best judgement, resist being pressured into feeling guilty.

Most of all, resist being pressured into doing something to make ammends on what you've done. It seems simple enough: if you haven't broken something, why fix it?

But sometimes, a guilt trip can lead you to try and fix something that's not broken in the first place and you know what happens then?

Lack of sincerity mixes with misguided goodwill and you end up with a Sticky Mess that (if you're lucky) might not swallow you up like quicksand, but it sure as hell will trickle down your back and leave you squirming in your shirt.