Lookout for Rainbows and Stars

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." -- Dolly Parton

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream." -- Vincent Van Gogh

"Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun." -- John Lennon

"When you share your light, you live in a brighter world." -- Mary Spio

Oh, btw, if you like the above poster, please click here to visit KLOSH. Look  for Wall Decor under Home & Living at www.klosh.online

Photo credit: www.klosh.online

Let Your Dream Grow

Don't Uproot Your Dream; Let It Stand and Grow Up!

Let PINK Inspire You With "Try"

"Try" as sung by Alecia Beth Moore, who is better known by the stage name Pink, is stirring and powerful. It was written and composed by Ben West and Busbee.

Image Credits: Vevo

An extract from the lyrics of "Try" is as follows:-

"Funny how the heart can be deceiving

More than just a couple times

Why do we fall in love so easy

Even when it's not right

Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame

Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned

But just because it burns, doesn't mean you're gonna die

You gotta get up and try, and try, and try

Gotta get up and try, and try, and try

You gotta get up and try, and try, and try"

This song may well inspire you to keep trying even when you have been hurt in a relationship or venture; to keep on trying even when you don't succeed at the first or even after several attempts. The hurts may remain (for a while more), but your resolve must not diminish. 

Keep listening to "Try". Better still, sing it like you mean it until you really get it. And, your subconscious mind is thus set in motion to work for you and not against you so much so that you no longer see yourself as a failure like a bird with a broken wing.

The images from the dance choreography would help you to identify with your struggles and prompt you to steel yourself to keep on keeping on. 

According to www.songfacts.com, "The Floria Sigismondi-directed video features shots of a paint-covered Pink and her male counterpart expressing their frustrations through dramatic dance moves, choreographed by the Golden Boyz. (who have worked with the likes of Madonna and Britney Spears) and stunt choreographer, Sebastien Stella. It was inspired by the Apache dance, a highly stylized Parisian street performance."

You may have to pivot and look at things from fresh perspectives, or make some adjustments to your approaches, say, by seeking first to understand more about that someone or your target audience/market before you are, in turn, understood and celebrated.

Yes, there are obstacles and maybe even risks to your endeavours, but there are also payoffs when you do eventually succeed, if you don't give up. 

As PINK would have you know, "You gotta get up and try, and try, and try."

Of Donkey's Flute and Rain Cheque

When you use two different words side by side, it is fun to note that they will transcend their respective literal meanings. Here are two idioms which I have came across, recently.

A donkey's flute is best played in your own private space like a bathroom or bedroom and perhaps out in the open faraway from people, for goodness sake. 

However, when a person (I would like to think that it's only the men) could help it but still persist to proceed with a full-blown blowing of his nose in public (e.g. during a meeting), we may well say that he is like a jackass playing his 'flute'.

In general, who wouldn't mind receiving cheques in the mail? 

A rain cheque, on the other hand, is a polite form of saying that you are declining the current invitation but would make good on a future occasion. 

Have you asked for a rain cheque or taken a rain cheque, recently?

Incidentally, according to Free Online Dictionary, a rain cheque ("rain check" a la American English) also refers to:

"1. A ticket stub entitling the holder to admission to a future event if the scheduled event is canceled because of rain.

2. An assurance to a customer that an item on sale that is sold out or out of stock may be purchased later at the sale price."

It is good to know that when it rains, be it literal or figurative, all is not lost. You can count on a rain cheque. Check this out!

Twelve Cupcakes for Every Day and Season

Click here for more of Twelve Cupcakes. 

Why twelve? Well, they serve twelve everyday flavours, and their founders former radio DJ Daniel Ong and Miss Universe 2001 and TV personality Jaime Teo, think that 12 is ubiquitous -- 12 numbers on a clock, 12 months in a year, 12 holes in a muffin pan, etc.

Sugru - the world's first bendable glue

I am a little late to the party -- just got wind of Sugru today. 

(Photo credits: Sugru.com)  Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh - the inventor of Sugru

As gleaned from its website:-

"Sugru sticks permanently to lots of stuff like  ceramics, glass, metal, wood, and most plastics and fabrics. Just push it onto something, then it’s time to build, seal, fix, create and stick things together. You’ll have 30 minutes to get the job done.

(Photo credits: sugru.com)

Give it 24 hours, and Sugru turns into a durable, flexible silicone rubber that stays stuck (unless you remove it)."

Click here to check out Sugru's amazing properties, applications, and join this community of users. Oh, and remember to take note of the precautions, as well.

May you have a blast of refreshing ideas and really useful fixes as you delve into Sugru world.

Persistence Beats Resistance

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." - Napoleon Hill

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge

"A great leader once told me 'Persistence beats resistance'. And after working at Facebook, Intel and Microsoft and starting my own company, I've learned two major lessons: All great things take time, and you must persist no matter what. That's what it takes to be a leader: willingness to go beyond where others will stop." - Noah Kagan 

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

One day a garden snail hitched a ride from a giant tortoise. They came by a slug who was also keen to take a ride.

By the by when the slug was settled on the tortoise's back, the snail quipped, "Hang on tight. This tortoise is really fast!!" 

Choose To Be Happy

Do not be like sour limes with smiles turned down.

Image credits: City Harvest Church

Stand out from the crowd like an orange with a smile from ear to ear that brings sunshine and positive energy (liveliness) to your sphere of influence.

Smile and the world will smile with you, too.

"Your wrinkles either show that you're nasty, cranky, and senile, or that you're always smiling." - Carlos Santana

"A smile is happiness you'll find right under your nose." - Tom Wilson

Best Salmon Porridge in Singapore

Long John Silver's is pretty well known for its food fare, particularly seafood such as fish and prawn. They serve awesome chicken and french fries, as well.

Their recent spread of breakfast deals is a refreshing option for hungry residents of Singapore. 

Their salmon porridge is simply the best that I have come across and it's a steal at S$4.90 (inclusive of hot coffee or tea) considering that a cup of hot beverage at a fastfood joint would costs at least S$2.00, if not more, at last count.  

The portion of porridge served is generous and as with the chunks of stir-fried salmon. Yes, you can eat to your heart's content. For garnishing you have a selection of ginger, shallots and spring onions. Additionally, you may wanna add S1.00 for 2 soft boiled eggs.

And, you get to stomach a priced-in cuppa, as well, to help you get started for the day.

N.B. It's available for a limited time. 

The Sound of Christmas

Christmas 2016 is just 12 days away and the time to enjoy this festive season (and a spiritual one at that for Christians) would be now rather than on the day itself.

And, aside from the feasting, gatherings, shopping, Christmas services, charity givings and so forth, this is also the time to listen to Christmas carols and songs.

Here are just a sample from YouTube for your refreshing:-

1) Winter Wonderland / Don't Worry Be Happy - Pentatonix (ft Tori Kelly)

Pentatonix is a surprising discovery for me (better late than never) and their acapella-style will put a smile on your face with added finesse from Tori Kelly. 

2) Trans-Siberian Orchestra -- Christmas Canon (video)

J. Pachelbel's Canon in D is renown the world over and this rendition will not disappoint as it stretches and sketches the depth, height, width and immensity of Christmas.

3) Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You 

This song by powerhouse songstress Mariah Carey will help you reflect on those dearest to you during this Christmas. (Daily Refreshing wishes that you would be home for Christmas with loved ones.)

4) Gayla Peevey - I want a hippopotamus for Christmas

This song was recorded way back in 1953 and sung by Gayla Peevey at age 10. It is whimsical yet commendable as she negotiated her way through the song with earnest patience and conviction. This is one tall order for Christmas!

5) O Holy Night - Hometown 

Be blown away by the singing of Hometown -- the next biggie after One Direction(?), and be drawn into the divinity of that first Christmas which was heralded by the Star of Bethlehem and a host of angels.

Have a Blessed Christmas today!

Can't Get Enuf of Star Wars?

If you are still mesmerised by Star Wars and its seemingly never ending stream of movies and memorabilia, then the following spread of pewter by Royal Selangor may well perpetuate the force to be with you. Enjoy.   

Click here to explore the pewter world of Royal Selangor.

Inspiration on Finding Happiness

This is an endorsement found on a recently sighted bag which goes to show that inspiration is everywhere. 

"My best advice for finding inner happiness is to reach outside yourself, to use your talents and brains and personality to make life better for someone else. I've been on the receiving end of that, and I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that it changed my life." -- Nick Vujicic 

Christmas Tree Decked with Guilt-free Treats

Click here and indulge in products by Marigold.

Light Up with AZEL MONO LED Lamp

For more of Aztech Group's products, please click here.

Embrace Lifelong Learning

Photo credits: Lifelong Learning Exploration Centre

Photo credits: Lifelong Learning Exploration Centre

What Does Your Boss Want From You?

The list may well include productivity, consistency, reliability, high quality work, quickness, honour (deference), and ..... right at the end, loyalty. Honestly, he would get a canine or bowwow if loyalty is the name of the game.

And, if your boss happens to be a legendary Superboss in the likes of George Lucas, Mary Kay Ash, Larry Ellison and Ralph Lauren, what would he or she want from you?

Photo credits: matthewssteer.com.au

Based on his reviews of numerous articles and books as well as more than 200 interviews conducted, Sydney Finkelstein surmised that Superbosses value these 3 attributes the most:

a) Intelligence;b) Creativity; and c) Flexibility.

Daily Refreshing would say that Intelligence encompasses Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Agility and other soft skills such as the ability to lead, communicate, suss out the truth, ask incisive questions, organise, delegate and supervise.

Creativity would entail being a thought leader and innovator who expands his vistas and extends his horizon to do things with a fresh and invigorating perspective and give birth to new products or services.

Flexibility or agility is now in vogue for business folks with catchphrase such as "Adapt or perish". George Bernard Shaw has well noted that: "Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” Albert Einstein went even further to state that: "The measure of intelligence is the ability to change."

In case you are wondering whether you have the privilege of working for a Superboss (and become one yourself someday, if you learn to survive under their tutelage), Finkelstein have grouped them into 3 types for you to identity as follows:

A) Glorious Bastards 

- Care only about winning; ultimate hard drivers.

B) Nurturers

- Bring others along and care deeply about their success.

C) Iconoclasts (think "Icon")

- Inspires with their single-minded passion in their creative fields.

The power of change in your own hands. It is not your bosses' job to change you, especially when you are resistant to change or seek to get off the hook by spouting that you do not wish to change for the sake of change.

Renew your mind, and change for the better. Your best is yet to be. It's all up to you.

"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change." -- Carl Rogers

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." -- Barack Obama

Sydney Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business and the author of Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master The Flow of Talent (Portfolio/Penguin, 2016)

Bibliography:

pages 104 to 107, Harvard Business Review (January - February 2016)

Coolest Scooter Sighted Thus Far

The following scooter takes the cake as the most stunning scooter that I have come across thus far. Check it out and imagine riding it into the golden sunset. 

Hand-crafted Cards from Vietnam

If you are looking for hand-made cards with a unique 3-D topping such as the following exhibit, please click here and let this artisan of cards brighten up your imagination.

The Top 10 Most Read Books

Photo credit: The Truth Bookroom

If you are interested to explore The Truth Bookroom, please click here.

How To Be A Great Teacher

Photo credit: Chizzle

If you are interested to know more about Chizzle, please click here.

Within Your Mental Vision You Are UNBREAKABLE

If you are in need of a perk-up or you are an aspiring athlete, this Unbreakable clip would serve you well.

Click here to pump up.

Interestingly, Joseph Schooling was featured in the clip before he became a Rio 2016 Olympic champion by winning the 100m butterfly event on 13 August 2016 ahead of American great Michael Phelps, South Africa's Chad le Clos and Hungarian Laszlo Cseh.

Click here to watch Joseph Schooling's triumph.

Food That Improve the Synapses In Your Brain

If, like me, you wanna know the food that improve the synapses in your brain, then you may wanna do a Google search.

My search has landed at www.foodnetwork.ca with the following results on "12 Foods That Improve Short-Term Memory", namely:

1. Salmon
2. Blueberries
3. Capers
4. Whole Grains
5. Chewing Gum
6. Broccoli
7. Dark Chocolate
8. Coffee
9. Eggs
10. Sage
11. Pumpkin Seeds
12. Tomatoes

Please click here to read up in more details.

I wonder why pumpkin seeds only and not the whole pumpkin, as well. Chewing gum was a revelation but, of course, you won't be ingesting it.

Cool Vespa Scooters

Vespa scooters have a timeless appeal and the following two recent sightings have been refreshing for me:

The Race Is Not To The Swift

"I returned and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen to them all." -- Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NKJV)

The One Thing That You Need To Teach Your Child

What is the one thing that you need to teach your child?

Overhead, the suggested answer is to teach your child the discipline of cultivating winning habits. 

This is a compelling answer and the following poem will shed some light in support of the suggested answer.

The Habit Poem 

I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me,
and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great men.
And, alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine.
Plus, the intelligence of a man.
You may run me for profit, or run me for ruin; it makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me and I will put the world at your feet.
Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.
Who am I?

I am a HABIT! 

But, this discipline would apply to teenagers and adults, as well. After all, we will need to discard some childish habits (much like the following playhouse) and cultivate new habits so as to grow in stature.

In answer to the million-dollar question of what is the sure way to success, the answer came as: Replace bad habits with winning habits!

What Does A Robo Keeper Look Like?

A robo keeper was reportedly featured as part of Liverpool Football Club's World Tour with the likes of former Liverpool players such as Ian Rush having a go at it. The robot with technological swiftness and reflexes is apparently pretty impressive -- Ian scored a goal, ballooned a second and got a third shot saved. 

And, I had wondered what a robo keeper might look like. He or rather it was a far cry from what I had imagined.

House Rules To Live By

Pick your own House Rules to live by. 

At Daily Refreshing, we would add: "Early To Bed & Rise", "Forgive Yourself" and "Forgive Others"; subtract "Try Everything Once"; and aim for "Be Consistent" rather than "Break The Rules Once In A While".

Powerful Words To Live By

In her book entitled "Magic", Rhonda Byrne opined that one word can turn your life around -- gratitude. Being thankful and counting your blessings would certainly change your feelings and the way you look at things.

But, the real power is not head knowledge but the application of knowledge which leads to experiences being gained, translating into heart knowledge. You gotta make "thankfulness", "gratefulness" and saying "thank you" second nature.

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." -- William Arthur Ward

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." -- Henry Ward Beecher

Speaking on the vocabulary of success in his book "Notes From A Friend", Anthony Robbins illustrated that the choice of words can change the way we feel and react.

For example, "peeved" would be much more less intense than "furious", "angry" or "pissed off". 

You can control your words and therefore your feelings; keep your cool and feel good all the same. Hey, nobody going to thumb you down or ruffle your feathers, unless you let loose words that are detrimental to your good self.

Then, there is "love", which I would say is the greatest of all. Yes, you may have heard it at weddings or in church, but it still rings true. 

Here then is 1 Corinthians 13 from the New Testament of the Holy Bible (NKJV version) for your rumination:_-

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Remember, words make us strong not in themselves, but only when we live by them and make them part and parcel of our way of life. Stay fresh and be refreshed.

The Hand That Wields The Chalk

There are chalks and chalks a plenty. The bar-cum-cafe owner even told me that I could get some from downstairs. But, alas, it would be of no use to an untrained user like me.

These are a tribute to the man or woman who has wielded the chalk with a commendable degree of finesse:-