Why Wonders with Mama

Bring no regrets forward

I have a very special relationship with my mum. She is a mother, a (discipline) teacher, a coach, a friend and a soulmate.

A little while ago, I read this book called Wabi Sabi ( 侘寂) by Beth Kempton. In its last chapter, it encourages its readers to run an exercise to seek for the answers (I would say, courage) they need to answer that inner voice.

The exercise

1. List down the five most important things in your life and write them down as title to a five posters: family, wellness, climbing, career, friends...

2. Bring out some post-it notes, write down on each, your daily task that you would consume time on

3. Pair up the post-in notes with the posters

I did not have to do the exercise physically to know that I have been a hypocrite with myself. I hardly spend enough time on the things rated as important in my life. I get so consumed with work, with my career, but then it is just ONE of the many things in life that matters. I asked myself why.

The ugly truth is, I probably thought those other things can wait. I will spend time on them when I finish my work. I have been in the business world for long enough to know that: you can never finish your work; and it is never good enough.

So what the f am I doing?!

The result

I even came up with a very crude metaphor to help me anchor the deep message that this exercise ought to bring to my core. It is like half way through your financial modelling, when you are so engrossed with it, you feel that you need a number 2 (yes it is a toilet chat). But you do not want to interrupt those creative thoughts so you convinced yourself that you could hold on until you finish. You complete your model, you go to the loo, you sit and wait and the moment is gone. You curse yourself why you didn't seize the moment as you now suffer from a bloated tummy. It happens to all of us. This is something we can undo, but other things in life, we can't. We cannot fight against what nature will impose on us one day: so I have decided, I am not going to let myself bring regrets into my future.

The decision

I know I am blessed with this special bond with my mum and I would never take it for granted. I am going to do something about it, this is why I started working on #timeoutwonder to give myself the time, and I can get consumed in building beautiful memories with things that truly matter to me in life. Most other Wonders I have chosen, #cookingwonder, #climbingwonder, #dreamhomewonder are all derivatives to #wonderswithmama: as these are all things I would like to achieve together with her. I am so looking forward to it!

305 days till #midlifewondersliberationday.