When you do Good, Good comes back to you.

What do you call the moments where we keep on bumping on the same thing over and over again?

I keep searching for the right term. Serendipity? no nope. Deja Vu? Quite like it, but not.

Well anyway, if you happen to know such term, let me know.

It just happened to me.

These past days I kept on bumping into that message, When you do good, Good comes back to you.

In 2 days ago, my previous manager answered to my question: "whenever I am stuck, at wits end, I will pray to God. And I am a firm believer that we need to constantly do good, do charitable things, be good to everyone, spoil your parents, siblings, family ... and by that, we will have all the support needed in this life. Somehow, when I am on trouble, rescue or idea just came out of nowhere". My question to the person was: "how do you manage stress, how do you cope with overload?"

The answer gripped me. For me, you do good because you do good, no ulterior motive. If I do good hoping that I will receive something in return, my doing is not sincere. Just as God is doing good to us, whether we return it back at Him or not -- we need to be like that to others. 

Then yesterday, I came across that phrase in linkedin, an article about it - When you Do Good, Good comes Back To you. 

So I told myself: what does this mean? what does God wants to say to me?

Reading the article, and having thought about it, and asking God about it, here's what I concluded:

- That we need to do good for the sake of the other people we are helping, not for the sake of us (so that we got blessed, so that we will receive back good things in life). In Phoebe Buffay's term "unselfish good deeds"

- However, we should realise, God takes into account all our good deeds. He will reward us, in His own way and terms. I believe, that is why my ex-manager keep receiving back goodness in life.

- When we do good to others, do that and quickly forget it. Do not remember what we had give, do not count it. That is the art of giving.

- When we receive goodness, receive it, and remember the good-feeling we experience. Remember this when next time, others need the same goodness from us.

Hope you are blessed with this writing.

OXOX,

KataBeni

 COVID

A scary word.

On December 19, who would've thought 2020 will be gloomy for the world. 

Sudden loss. Death, wealth, job ... people grief over sudden loss.

I thought I got 2020 figure out, well planned --- thought so many people in this world too.

Interesting. Albeit we understand that this worldly life is all but certainty, still we are drop dead with the unplanned COVID.

We are in this together, hoping we will all enter into the finish line of this pandemic period, safe and sound, together with our loved ones, family, and friends.

 Covid has taught so many lesson for life, and I would like to carve it here:

- that no fix plan, there is always the X factor. Plan your life bullet proof water tight, but be prepare for some flexibility.

- Learn to manage stress. An X factor may affect so many things, life is all but certainty. We need to stand over our emotion.

- In all difficulties, lies opportunities. Covid gives the opportunity of working from home. With the commuting out, WFH allows more time spent with husband, with the family, more time to do sport, to take care of your personal life. 

- Life will ends for everybody, eventually. Be kind, it is not forever, he/she is not forever. Be Kind.

Bye bye Covid period. Don't wanna see you again.

- BeniTheLearner -

Consistency

In between the long pause from December to today, July 2020, I learned lots of lesson.

Life -- within, and outside of me ... were crazy!

Outside? the world caught Corona Virus 19. It changes everything, everyone. Nothing and no one excluded.

Within? Failure happen (with the baby program, marital quarrel, etc), many disappointments ... out of sloppy decision, greedy ambition... these.. mixed with immaturity, brings a sorrowful heart and grumbling spirit.

After weeks experiencing those turmoil, I do realise, that it all goes back to my attitude on life and my maturity. Life is full of ups and down, if we let our peace and joy goes ups and down depend on the occurrence of our life, we will be as volatile.

It is either to change, and keep growing in Love, or to stay bitter.

I got back up. I realise, having a good mindset and a heart set to God, must be kept in consistency. I must continually work on it, consistently. 

If not --- setbacks will come, and soon I am at a place where I do not want, thinking: 

how the hell did I got here?

Life is a journey, keep developing a consistent habit of good lifestyle and good mindset, and peace + joy will remain during the journey, no matter what.

So it's been quite some time, where I consistently (ok, admit it, there were days where I skip):

- Sleep well

- Get up early, pray, exercise

- Consistently use & do the to do list in every area: personal life, household, work

- Have a devotional time with husband

- Read and ponder on the Bible

- Write the diary

- Learn by either read, watch or listen to good books, youtube video, or podcast.

This is my journey of life.

XOXO,

Beni on reflection.

Don't Stop: You are Progressing. Right on Track.

That's what I just said to myself.
There are times when you feel like failing, like doing the wrong thing over and over again.
The same mistake -- a donkey that falls to the same hole.

Have a problem with the sarcastic tongue, promised to change it, but there you repeat it.
Have a problem with being judgy, promised to change it, but there you repeat it.

But hey,  don't give up. That's the devil's up to.
Just keep praying, keep trying, keep doing your part. God is in control.
He will change us, at His time, we need to only trust and obey Him.

God: always forgiving, always understanding.

Keep on trying. One day, we'll look back and see how much we've progressing. How much He has processed us.



xoxo,
Ben Ben.

Stop Complaining, Start Action!

Today I am reminded of one of Jim Rohn's youtube video where a lady came to him and complain about her work.
At the end of the story, the moral that JR conveys:
- complaining never changes things
- there will always uncontrollable reason to fail -the weather, the low investment rate, the corrupt government, the rainy seasons, the unfair competitors- but guess what? it happens to everyone, and that does not stop some people from achieving. So? do what you can with what you have, what you can control -- make it right. What you cannot control, no point of fusing it. Do it anyway.

Many bad people around you? do it anyway, advance despite of the given situation.
The environment is not right? do it anyway, advance despite of the given situation.
The economy is bad? do it anyway, advance despite of the given situation.

Complaining never helps, it slows you down. Learn from others. Evaluate each day. Action, grow, persist, persevere. If it is God's will for you, He will give you the timing, the situation, the people, just about anything that you need to accomplish your mission.
You just need to pray, obey, and act!

It's a little extra effort, repeated everyday.

xoxo,
KataBeni

#JohnMaxwell #JimRohn #Persevere #DoItNow #Persist #PraiseandBeRaise

Growth is a Choice

Baca Kitab Suci Doa Tiap Hari
Doa Tiap Hari
Doa Tiap Hari
Baca Kitab Suci Doa Tiap Hari Kalau Mau Tumbuh

- Please google translate if needed :) -

It is a lyric of my fave Sunday School song.
I am so grateful for whoever made that song, and so many more Sunday School songs that is so good and memorable for me. As an adult, in some instances, those songs slip through my unconscious mind, and strengthen me.

The song is so true. If you want to grow at anything, you need to do something about it everyday. Advancing everyday. Grow is not a one time thing. It's an every day thing, it's a commitment, you like it... you don't like it.
Whatever situation in your heart, you just need to push yourself to do... do... do... do.... do it!

As to my life, I believe that the Book is the manual of life. So if I want my life to grow, the 1st thing 1st is ..... (and the song resound).

So, Grow? No? your choice!!

XOXO,
Beni Yours. 

Habits. Keep Building.

Today I got an invitation for a team lunch with a leader of another department at the office.
I always love meeting leaders.
Almost always, I learned something.

Today I learn and reconfirm that:

1. Leader creates habit:
the person wakes up at around 5 AM, do the morning prayer, do 30 minutes exercise (6 days @ week), breakfast with family @ 6.30 AM, skip lunch (lunch consume time: menu choosing, travelling time back and forth the restaurant, reheating your brain and eye to start working again), go home at 5 or 6 PM, dinner @ 7 PM with family.

2. Leader chooses performance, efficient + effective WoW over being nice:
the leaders' team tells how the leader fiercely set target and track it over, NO mercy.

3. Leader is confident:
I can see it in every gesture, and the confidence radiates an aura that is contagious. A can do aura.

Notice that I mentioned reconfirm -above- because, those 3 are not new to me. In years of researching leaders and their success recipes, I kept on bumping unto them.

So, since it is proven, shall we?

PS: Tonite I started a new goal tracker book. A pocket-size book that I carry everywhere. Pray that I be consistent with it please :)


-BeniSays

Maxwell oh Maxwell

Why with the title?
Because John Maxwell is one of my favourite 'online mentor' for personal growth, other than Zig Ziglar and Jim Rohn and Ken Blanchard.
And these past few days, I got excited, when I learned that he is on podcast.
So I download all of his podcast, as much as I can get, and as much as my phone memories can bear :p

Since 2 days ago, I have been repeating his podcast titled "winning is an inside job".
The most relevant key takeaway for me is "take responsibility of your life, you want to grow. Stop making excuses", and "learn from successful people".

And then he points-out the key characteristic that might be in those people, in his experience those people has at least some out of 10 of them.

I then remember, one of the words of a female global leader that came to my office said. When asked what is her key success factor, one of it being "I have a journal. Everynite I wrote what works and what don't. What could have been better. And I learn from that experience"

I would say that is her 'taking responsibility of her life'. Maxwell said, you cannot win if you do not take responsibility of your life. Because if you don't take responsibility, then you will not learn. If you do not learn, you will not win.

As simple as that. They have proven this formula. And it works. So why not give it a try?
Let's??

XOXO,
Beni