Down, but Not Out

Good Morning everyone, I really hope you’re having a better morning than me.

I’m not feeling too great today, actually feeling really tired and my mind feels all clouded and cluttered. Could only swim for 8 minutes this morning and getting out of bed at 7 was so hard even though I went to bed before 10 last night.

I’ve been feeling more tired this week, and today is the worst. Feels like one of my normal days during early this year. Tired, in pain, fatigued, clouded. I couldn’t make it to work today. I feel slow, feel like crap, the world has lost a little of it’s colour, but only a little. I’ll bounce back from this soon 🙂

I’ve actually been expecting the for some time, this is the sort of cycle i’ve been going through for the last 2-3 years, but usually it would be a max of 2 good weeks and then I would enter this sort of slump, but this time it took 6 weeks! Which is a great improvement. I could look at this and say, “oh no, why has this got to happen, why do I even try?”, but I won’t. This tired phase will last a couple of days, just my body’s way of asking for a break, plus some of my supplements have finished, so that could be contributing to this.

But anyway, yes I feel like crap, yes my body hurts and yes my heads feels clogged, but the last 6 weeks have been worth it. If I keep this up, maybe the next time will be an 8 week run before the slump kicks in. but whatever it is, I’ve made progress and will continue to make progress. Just need to get through this little slump and get on the next wave. I know I can, I will.

I’m sorry if the post seems a little messy, that how my mind feels right now. But this won’t last long, it won’t stop be Revival. This is just a little speed bump. Just need to get some good rest, wait for my new batch of supplements to come in and in the mean time, I’ll continue to try my best to get up by 7 and go to bed by 10. I hope I can go to work tomorrow.

Of course when you’re on the right path, there are going to be hard times, difficult times, speed bumps, but don’t let that ,stop you. I’m not. Because its not how hard you can hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. Courtesy of Rocky. Don’t give in. Don’t give up.

And I’m going to Keep Moving Forward

Anyway, that’s all for today folks.
Sorry if this weeks writing has disappointed.

Straight From The Heart

Arkay6

Tuesday Morning Inspiration 4

Good Morning everyone. How are you guys doing? I’m feeling a little jaded but good. Had my holy hour, swam and spent some time with my mummy 🙂 ❤ that’s why today’s post is a little later than normal. Love you mum 🙂

So I’m joined at Starbucks by a few friends studying for their finals and not my normal Café Mocha, but with a dash of hazelnut, I think I’ll stick to normal Café Mocha after his 🙂

So today is Tuesday and I’ve picked Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Steve Jobs is part of my Council (a team of great/inspiration people who are my role models/inspirations etc) and he has been for some time. Not the nicest person you’ll find but definitely a great man. I won’t go into depth here about him, he’ll be Octobers Crazy One.

His commencement speech addresses many issues that we face in life, and always helped me to re-focus and realigned myself. Whenever I need something to help me get thinking, I watch this
Reminds me always live my own life, and not somebody else’s, that things that really suck (like the last 2-3 years with the health and dropout) can be a blessing and help you achieve and reach your best. It may not seem like it wt the moment when shit hits the fan, it never will, but you just got to remain positive and keep moving forward. It’s not easy, it’ll get hard. Thats when you look to your loved ones for support and your Council for inspiration. That will be the difference.

You may not be able to connect the dots now, but it’ll be worth it one day.

Life has a way of taking away that which you love, stay strong, keep moving forward. Remember last weeks post, Tuesday Morning Inspiration 3, re-read it.

Death is the best invention of life, your life is short, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do,” he told the Stanford grads in 2005.

“If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

“Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

-Steve Jobs-

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.

Watch the clip above

Straight From The Heart,

Arkay6

Hurt

Good Morning everyone and a happy Sunday to you! Please enjoy this day, spend time with the family, have some fun and chillax. Unless you’re like me and work Sundays 🙂

A couple days back, I was talking to a friend about hurt. And that got me thinking.

So yea, in life we’re going to get hurt. It’s part and parcel of growing up and living life, and yes it sucks.

No one looks forward to getting hurt, I know. I’ve been physically broken, mentally broken and spiritually broken ever since mid 2009 and along the way, got my heart broken a couple of times… or more. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that the last few years have been tough and that the last 5/6 weeks have been a Second Coming. Recovering from hurt isn’t easy, not at all, it takes a lot of work, determination and self-belief, and also having people that have your back doesn’t hurt. During the time before my Second Coming, as mentioned above, I was hurt in many ways. I was confused, i was clouded, i thought I had wasted all my potential, I was using them as excuses as to why I couldn’t do things or why I failed or why I shouldn’t try something. I was scared. Fear invaded and took control. I was so damn scared because no one wants to get hurt again.I didn’t know what the definition of happiness was to me.

My health wasn’t great, I stopped believing in myself and my heart had been scarred many times along the way, it was scary to see a doctor because I was afraid they would tell me that something else was wrong, I was scared to believe in myself because I was afraid I would fail again and I was afraid get back into the Game because I had been hurt so many times and didn’t want to experience the sight of the girl I liked walking away with someone else. So you know what, I stopped really trying… Sure I tried a couple of times last year to get out of this funk but every time things got sour I relapsed back behind the shield I built.

I did that for a while a long time, until 6 weeks ago when I went back to India and it seemed like India had decided to give me back the part of me it took back in 2009/2010. It was then that I woke up and saw the life I was living, or the life I wasn’t living. I wasn’t really living life. I was in a coma, sleep-walking thought life, letting it act on me instead of me acting on life…. I stopped putting living in my days…. I was basically as good as dead. I didn’t want to venture, I didn’t want to experience, i didnt want to make mistakes, I didn’t want to love, I didn’t want to learn, I didn’t want to believe in me, all because I was afraid. Why was I afraid, because I got hurting instead of being strong and facing it, I decided to hide.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m still scared, but now I’m willing to try, willing to live, willing to learn and willing to love because I know that no matter what happens, I’ll eventfully get through it. The most important lesson I learnt over the past few years is that the only thing between me and getting what I want… is me. The last 6 weeks have been great, I’ve discovered my niche, I’ve learned, I’ve made more relationships, I’ve strengthen old relationships, I’m happy again, and no, it hasn’t been perfect but it feels damn good to be alive. A rekindled spirit.

And yea, I’ll get back into the Game, and yes i’m scared. The memories and emotions of my previous ventures are still very much with me, but I guess i’ll try and learn from them instead of letting them stop me… And you know what, maybe the new-old me will find success in the Game this year, who knows, I certainly don’t… But you know what I do know…. That I will definitely be trying. Because the more I face my fear, the more power I will gain from it.

So please, take it from me, I know I haven’t lived and learned all that much, but please keep moving forward and take small steps daily, because over time these small steps will lead to results. you got to move on in order to live.

“The fears we resist will persist, what we befriend we will transcend.” Robin Sharma

So guys, have a great Sunday, take some time to think about life, what needs to be addressed and how can heal the hurt and move one. It won’t be instant, it won’t be easy but it’ll be worth it.

Straight from the Heart,

Arkay6

Keep Moving Forward

Saturday “Should Have Been Morning” Reflections

Good afternoon dear readers, how’s your Saturday been so far? I slept at 6am and woke up at 11:30 am to the sight of Nazrin staring at me from the room door.
Last night was good, had great a conversation with two of my good friends, a conversation that was deep and meaningful, full of emotion and vulnerability. It was good. I listened, really listened as I looked them in the eyes to truly appreciate the depth of their words, and they reciprocated and listened to me as I poured my heart out. It was really good, a conversion spanning over 3 hours and 3 different locations. Thank you , the both of you. You know who you are.

Anyway, so that’s why I woke up late which is why today’s reflections are a “little” later. Sorry guys.

So it’s Saturday, and you know what that means, Saturday Morning Reflections. So let me take a look at my week, would you like to join me and do this for your own week?

5 things to be grateful for this week.
1. Another week of progress 🙂
2. My doctors who are so supportive
3. A family that always has my back; that make sure I know how proud of me they are.
4. That I’m not alone, going thought struggles in life, that we all have problems.
5. Growing relationships with many people this week, from close friends to new friends, to random strangers.

Other Things that were good during the week
1. Finished my re-read of The Greatness Guide
2. Finally got my iPad casing.
3. Decided that I definitely want the Bose Quiet Comfort 15

Things that weren’t as good.
1. Didn’t achieve one of my main daily achievements this week
2. Didn’t have lunch with mum
3. Didn’t take Bro for our outing

Hopes/Goals for the next week
1. Achieve wake up time of 5:30am
2. Meet more people
3. Further strengthen the new relationships in my life
4. Swim 6 mornings
5. Finish my current book
6. Holy Hour 6 mornings

All in all, I’m very happy with this week, my progress has been contains, though a little slower than the week before, I felt a little more tired this week, hence the day off. But the momentum is building up and my sleep-wake cycle has is on the right track, woke up at 7 on Thursday every though I slept at 12:30. The best part, I woke up naturally, without my alarm.

Anyway have a great Saturday guys and remember, Keep Moving Forward.

Straight From The Heart,
Arkay6

Tuesday Morning Inspiration 3

Good Morning dear readers! And thanks for joining me on the wonderful morning 🙂

I’m feeling pretty good today, woke up at 6. Got my ‘Holy Hour’. Did my journaling, put a list of my goals in the bathroom so I’ll read them every morning, listened to some great classical music via my dad’s Bose Quiet Comfort 15 (amazing headphones), and swam for a bit. I’ll admit I wasnt feeling as good when I woke up, I felt tired but I fought the urge to go back to bed and got the day started.
I’m chilling at Starbucks now, listening to Good Feeling (love the song, makes me feel so damn alive) on my dad’s headphones with my Café Mocha beside me.

So today is Tuesday, and you know what that means, it’s my weekly dose of inspiration for you guys 🙂 today I’m posting a clip from one of the Rocky movies… I haven’t watched any of the movies but I absolutely love the clip, Rocky Balboa best inspirational speech ever (Subtitles). it’s where I got the phrase at the top of my site. Whoever wrote the speech got it so right, life isn’t easy, it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, but that doesn’t mean you should let it beat you down.

The first time I heard this speech, it really resonated in me, I related to it, I saw my self as Rocky’s son who had gotten lost. I started looking for something to blame when things got tough, i didn’t want to take responsibility or when i did it didn’t last very long before i relapsed. These 6 weeks have been my best run, and i want to keep it that way. So many emotions come into play whenever I watch this, even today. It feels like Rocky is talking to me. I feel motivated, inspired, there are times i feel like tearing when this clip makes me reflect on the times that I was a coward and refused to take on the world, that times that I turtled up and stay within my comfort, not wanting to get hit, not wanting to get hurt… Yes, getting hurt sucks, but it’s part of life, it will help you grow, gain experience and reach for excellence… That is as long as you don’t let life beat you to the ground and stay there instead of fighting back and getting back up.

It dint about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.

Straight from the heart,

Arkay 6

Keep Moving Forward

Ghost Protocol

Good Sunday everyone, hope you are all doing good. I’ll be working today. Surrounded by what I love… Apple products.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that I Love my gadgets, my iPhone, my iPad, my MacBook etc. they help me stay organised, help me stay productive and help me unwind. But that doesn’t mean that i should give them my undivided attention. I believe that we need to have gadget time outs, this is related to my thinking time post. Our gadgets are wonderful but they have tendency to interrupt social life and disrupt thinking and /or productive time. When having dinner or a conversation, put the phone away. Whoever is trying to contact you can wait until you’re done with dinner or until the conversation is over. don’t interrupt your Physical contact with another person because you’ve got an iMessage or a FB notification or a tweet.

As my dad always says: “time and place”.

This is especially important for my generation.

Now those who have to stay by their phones for work, set aside a Electronic time out to have some quality bonding with your family and give you your own time. Your family needs it and most important, you’ll need it; To get your best ideas, to think better, to be more productive, to remain sane.

I haven’t perfected this yet, but I am certainly making progress. I hope you will join me in setting aside at least an hour a day, gadget free, for family and then another hour for your own, undisturbed, thinking time…. A Room of One’s Own. A time to go dark, covert; go Ghost Protocol and Black Ops. Go all Ninja.

You own your gadgets, not vice versa.

What better day to start than today? A Sunday.

have a great day,

Straight From The Heart

Arkay 6

Saturday Morning Reflection

Good morning everyone! How are all of you doing?

I had my first day of work yesterday and today is my second, as for my firstly, it was kept swinging from boring to fun, depending on how many customers there were at Machines. I sold 2 iPads, a few covers and a few screen protectors. So not too bad. Though my feet and knees hurt so damn much today and I’m feeling really tired, but I can do this…. Maybe just shorter shifts?

Haha. So today is Saturday and like last Saturday I’m going to do some reflecting. Interesting, my Cafe Mocha is a little off…

5 things to be grateful for this week.
1. I reached 20 followers on my blog
2. I got a job at Machines
3. I bumped into old friends, strengthened current ones and made new ones.
4. My family make sure I knew that they love me
5. It’s been another week of progress. That takes it to 5 weeks now.

Things that were good during the week
I wrote some of my new favourites articles this week, I’m really proud of some of my new ones. I woke up at 6 twice, had a Cafe Mocha everyday, eating to know the Starbucks staff at my normal place and my new place better. I’ve been pointing in the right direction to solve my uni issues. And it’s been a good week on a whole. And I didn’t watch much tv.

Things that weren’t as good.
Well, I could have placed less FIFA I guess, and I haven’t swam since Thursday, I’ve been more tired than usual and I kind of had a little relapse moment on Thursday, which I’m working on, I don’t want that to happen again. I didn’t visit my grandma. And there were to days that I let FIFA delay my sleeping time. I didn’t spend as much time as I should have with my mum and brother.

Hopes for the next week
First of all I hope that next week is better 🙂 I want to work 2-3 days a week and for starters 10-5, yesterday was 10-7 and that has taken quite a toll on my body. I want to make up at 6 every week day and swim. Make more friends at Monash. Keep taking steps forward in my uni issue. Meet up with my best friend more often, experiment with sleeping 7.5 hours, eat healthier, eat dinner earlier, have my morning in ‘Holy Hour’ everyday, especially weekdays and spend more time with my mum and brother.

Evaluations of goals.
So looks like I’m in line with most of my goals, i aimed to gain 15 followers for my blog, and I got 20. Thanks guys 🙂 I’ve been waking up before 8 everyday. Swam 4 times this week. Wrote a piece everyday. Finished 2 books. And is started working. Not too bad a week. 🙂

So now I hope that you will do your own little reflection for the end of this week. It doesn’t have to be complicated and long. Simple is good. Just as long as it means something to you.

I’ve got work in 40.

So here’s Arkay 6 singing off,

Straight From The Heart

Have A Great God Damn Saturday, and if you’re in MV, pop into Machines and say Hi. And I warn you now, No Discounts!

Haha 🙂

I Will Keep Moving Foward

Good morning everyone! My Cafe Mocha and I are coming to you live from Starbucks Mid Valley.

It’s an interesting scene here, never been to MV this early…. Ever. I’m sitting outside and just observing all the people walking about, the people chilling at Starbucks. Most of them being working people, actually, I think all of them, and I will somewhat be one of them.

I’m doing good today, it could be better, not feeling as great as the last few days. Feeling a little more tired actually, no its not because of the job, I’m nervous yes, a little scared but also excited. It’s a whole jumble of feelings, like now I’m feeling all calm and cool. It’s just this university issue that’s been hanging over me. When I was really sick, like down in the dumps, wanting to give up, feeling like shit, which was in January, I had to drop out of summer school and unfortunately I couldn’t do it cleanly, it was either fail the course or defer the exam, so I deferred the exam but I lost the 30% of the course as that part is course work etc and I didn’t do any of that work, i wasn’t in any shape to. I went for about 3-4 weeks, but I couldn’t think, my mind was so clouded due to the damn brain fog, etc so yea, it was hell, now I’m trying to sort that out because it’s an important subject and will impact my entire major. So it’s stressing me out a little, I’m just worried that this sort of stress would screw up all the progress ive made in the past 5 weeks, that the stress of sitting for an exam in August about a difficult subject that has had some changes this semester would be detrimental, i know i’ll Be ready for uni again in july, but Not for an exam, and the stress that comes with it, that soon after re-starting. But whatever happens, i’ll deal with it, if I have to delay my education a little longer, so be it, but I want that Major in Accounting. Anyway, I can’t do anything about it now, we’ll see how things go. May the Force Be With Me.

I really hope that didn’t put a damper in your morning, me venting like that. It’s just a little coincidental that the day after I get this news about uni that I wake up more tired than usual etc. but if I’ve learnt anything over the past few weeks, actually the past few years, is that it’s not about what happens to you in life, it’s about what you do about it.

I won’t let this be a damper on my Second Coming, on my rekindled spirit and this revival of mine. I will stay strong , I will keep writing, keep reading, keep waking early, keep drinking Cafe Mocha, keep swimming and keep moving forward.

Turbulence is normal. Just fight though it.

I will Keep Moving Forward, one step at a time, no matter what.

Straight From The Heart

Arkay 6

Dreamers & Realists

“There are dreamers and there are realists in this world.

You’d think the dreamers would find the dreamers and the realists would find the realists but… more often than not, the opposite is true.

You see the dreamers need the realists to keep them from soaring too close to the sun.

And the realists… well, without the dreamers, they might not ever get off the ground.”

-Cameron, Modern Family (Episode: Punkin Chunkin)

Tuesday Morning Inspiration 2

Good morning everyone, any guess where i am? 😉 hope Monday didn’t take too much of a toll on you.

As for me, I wasn’t feeling in tip top shop on Sunday, but I’m doing way better today. Got up at 7:30, swam for a bit, and came over to Monash. It’s feeling like a good day.

I have said before, motivation is something that we need regular doses of, just like showers they eventually wear off. So put together your own regular dose of motivation, I’ll help you if you want it, all you have to do is ask. Have I told you about my wall? It’s covered with papers. Quotes, sayings, lessons etc. I read it every morning before I go out into the world, and it helps. I’m not bullshiting. It has made a huge difference in my attitude and mood.

For every “issue” of ‘Tuesday Morning Inspiration’, I will attach a video with it, a video that I feel is great motivation and hopefully you feel the same way. Today’s video is a scene from the Al Pacino’s movie ‘Any Given Sunday’, please do watch it and tell me what you think. I first watched it last year, sometime after Arsenals colossal screw up in the Carling Cup, the original clip I watched was Pacino’s voice over an Arsenal clip, if you are an Arsenal fan, take a look at it, it is a fantastic clip called Arsenal – March 2011, Down But Not Out‘.

I just finished re-reading Richard Branson’s Screw It, Let’s Do It (Expanded), a great read, I highly recommend it. Here are a few quotes from this amazing, persistent, innovative, entrepreneurial, Crazy Humanitarian Capitalist.

“The lesson I learned throughout all this is that no goal is beyond our reach and even the impossible become possible for those with vision and belief in themselves.” Richard Branson

“Don’t Give up, stick to your guns and find another way.” Richard Branson

I hope this post has helped you, even a little. 🙂

Straight From The Heart

Arkay 6

“You need to stretch to grow.” Richard Branson

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