Food-for-Thought Series 2

Song Title: Can't Remember.
Singer: Would like to give him more acknowledgement but don't know.
Impact: Lifetime

Renew me down again,
Ever at your feet,
Show me how much you love humility,
O Spirit be the star that leads me to,
The humble God of love,
I see in you.

You are the God of the broken,
The friend of the meek,
You wash the feet of the weary,
Embrace the ones in need,
I want to be like you Jesus,
To have this heart in me.
You are the God of the humble,
You are the humble King.

The song above is the closest to my heart. More than the words, the songwriter amazes me. I always find it the hardest to truly sing this song was when I go through a difficult time. One day, I stopped singing at "I want to be like you Jesus..." because I was going through a lot and having Jesus' heart wasn't really my concern, so I rewrote it:


The hardest time to give
Is when you want,
The hardest time to love,
Is when you're hurt,
The hardest time to walk,
Is when your feet,
Can't carry you no more,
To the rest you need.

And you are the God of the broken,
The friend of the meek,
You wash the feet of the weary,
Embrace the ones in need,
I need to be like you Jesus,
To heal this pain in me,
For only you can be worthy
To change this heart of mine.

I've loved too long in words,
Day in and out,
I have carried when I could,
But failed no doubt,
O Spirit, how can I bear any more?
When all my strength is gone,
And my arms are sore.

For you are the God of the broken,
The friend of the meek,
You wash the feet of the weary,
Embrace the ones in need,
I tried to be like you Jesus,
To bear and to care,
But I have fallen away,
And failed once again.

O Jesus, take me home
Where I can reach,
The rest you promised me,
That the world can't teach
O Spirit, be my guide that leads me to,
The humble heart I need,
to be with you.

Yes you are the God of the broken,
The friend of the meek,
You wash the feet of the weary,
Embrace the ones in need,
I want to be like you Jesus,
To have this heart me,
You are the God of the humble,
You are the humble King.

Give me something to live for. (Arabic Song Title)

Yesterday, I met a young, vibrant, extremely charismatic HR director at a huge conglomerate based in Dubai, who, frankly speaking, blew me away with what he had achieved over an extremely short career span.

After volunteering some “expert advise” on an engagement I am currently working on, he talked a bit about a job offer he was pondering. Since I promised utmost confidentiality I cannot really type the details here but lets just say it’s close to the one of the highest titles you can achieve in a lifetime career.

Gaping back at him I asked, “and?!” He said, “Nothing, I turned it down thrice before.” I said, “Why?!” He said something that I think will forever remain ingrained in me: “What do I live for after that?!” This opportunity meant he would be hitting the ceiling … and from his eyes I could see that scared him to death.

Ironically enough, right before this discussion, him and I were talking about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I wondered whether that opportunity for somebody who is so career-oriented would be reaching the state of “self-actualization.”

When I was first introduced to this term as a freshman, my professor said she was “very close to that stage.” She went on to explain her life from a waitress-turned-MBA-holder, to a professor and a mother. I still think about her and wonder if being “only close” is what keeps her wanting to live for a bit more.

Self-Actualization (redefined) (n): An imaginary state that we would all like to see from afar and yearn to be at. We are motivated and sane as long we are working towards it. Once we’re close to being there we search for another milestone to make ourselves feel alive. We would rather die getting there rather than die once we’re there…

Exit Music: “Ill see u… when you get there…see when you get there…if you ever get there…yea yea”

Self-Actualization (Actual Definition) (n): The most fulfilling state of being alive…Anywayz…Next.

Please Send me Back on Same

Every morning, when I walk into our mini-pantry at our current client's site to make my coffee, I see the neat, smiling and courteous office boy making the staff their tea and coffee. When I take out the spoon from the coffee jar, I almost always forget to put it back. Every single morning, I remind myself not to stir my coffee with that spoon but I still forget - for the past two and a half months now! I always told myself I had good intentions. At least I'm making my own coffee! I am very new to this concept of office boys making coffee for employees. I actually find it particularly demeaning.

Today morning, I made a point to remember. I found a neatly printed label exactly trimmed to fit the spoon handle and laminated to be waterproof saying in all the English he could gather: "Please send me back on same." Just, how polite and cute is that? In a more "professional" environment, I think he would have been slighlty unforgiving. As the rapid commercial and professional development takes its toll on this city and people's egos, many forget simplicity in reacting when they don't get red carpet treatment - let alone when intentional damage is done unto them.

A lady at my last job not only openly trashed a team mate because he used her mug (not that he knew it was hers and stil wanted to use it) but also demanded he wash it and then she sanitized it. When somebody repeatedly used my mug, I put a little label with my name on it. The whole company then started to use it.

A courteous "No" wouldn't work too well in many places....anywayz...