Life Changing TWITTER

Sign up twitter - 5 Life changing events followed over the past few weeks

I signed up twitter ever since the outbreak of revolution in Libya. Since then, 5 life changing events followed as such,

(1) Topics of interests incredibly expanded.  Not only things I come to know but also different things and peoples that I care about (e.g. Egyptians, Libyans, Iranians etc).

(2) Tracking the latest development of neuroscience, health research, education changes and so on, creates more perspectives and greater tolerance of the dynamics of local politics. Chaos and reorganization are everywhere. I believe that we are standing on the verge of dramatic changes that have never been so extensively and intensively expressed in the history of mankind.

(3) Empowering. I am ready to reshape a preferable lifestyle as informed by those thought provoking, informative, insightful articles via these social media platforms. For example, some enlightening expert views on the BBC website help me discover my bearing of what I am heading to for a fuller life particularly in the 21st century.  Before, I resorted to iphone games wasting lots of pastime.  Now, I do exercises every other day before going to work and I read at least three articles from my favorite sites following the twitters. The operation of my mind-body-action vehicle is better coordinated. Hooray!!

(4) Enriching my daily life with expanded new interests.  For example, the readings concerning eminent female scientists in arabian countries are inspiring to me.  Whereas the joint platform for dialogue among the mathematicians, philosophers, astrophysicists, evolutionary biologists, and historians that I found in the lectures of the royal science society has created kind of small bang (if not big bang) on my mind. OMG.

(5) I want to know more. I want a lifestyle that is fully human, fully alive and positively energizing the growth of the global community. I really want to identify the life principles of an invaluable global citizen serving not only the local community well but also the wellbeing of my brothers and sisters in the rest of the world. We are family!!

N.B. Background of the author- JH (female, graduated in University of Melbourne)

I am a professional starting a small business in Hong Kong since 1997.  I work with the gifted and talented people who experience challenges in managing their executive functions, sensory integration, mood dysregulation, academic or career life development or learning disabilities. I do consultation, psychological and vocational assessment, formulation of coaching plans for meeting the individual needs of major life transitions (e.g. transition to Senior High School, Colleges, Graduate Schools, job change etc).  In other words, I provide lifespan coaching to these individuals working closely with their families and passionate advocates.  I travel frequently and extensively because campus tours and international collaboration in our professional fields are my passions.

Understandably, I have to be a knowledge builder tracking, reviewing and organizing an extensive knowledge base for personal and professional growth upon which the premise of my professional service can be built up and maintained.  To be an effective knowledge worker, I have to sort out a number of things for sustaining not just the growth of knowledge but also a healthy lifestyle and meaningful connection with the community that I belong.  This community grows bigger and bigger as I become more aware of what’s going on around me and around the world.  It is clear that I live not by and for myself. 

After all, Twitter reminds me the mission and values that deeply planted in my brain. Thank you.

2011 Adventure

At the end of 2010, Lucia was recruited to take care of the disadvantageous students at the residential Hall who were at risks in their social emotional wellbeing and learning development.


Her post has been created in 2011 so it is a new one.  There had never been before that the special needs of the gay and lesbian students, aborigines and others who were affected by mental health issues would be supported at their residential hall. 


With as much excitement as uncertainty, Lucia is taking up a challenging post in her hall on the top of the demanding work load of double majors, economics and history. The dean of hall, who set up this post and interviewed her for this part time job had no idea of what exactly the job description should be precisely about.


He told Lucia to write it on her own, given that there would be a team of 6 senior residents who acted as academic guidance counselors would support her role. Nonetheless, the Dean has been promoted leaving Lucia to a team of six and writing up the job description by herself. Wow!!! It's fantastic! I'm sure that she's going to explore a lot of resourceful people and networks for community growth and mental health promotion.


I am so proud of Lucia. She is going to align people and discover resources in the university community for a support network to address the needs of these at-risks students who may have great talents, diverse competences, invaluable experiences and, above all, lot more to offer, if a supportive and caring environment is there, everywhere, every time, every encounter to grow and glow as a community.

Love Letters to LuLu

Lulu, my precious child, be very grateful that you were chosen to offer and care for those who may have challenges in adjusting to the university community.

I know this job is going to be challenging and, after all, rewarding to you and your team. At the end, you will find that love is everywhere. Trust that the more you give, the more you receive.

My dear, you are one of the unusual angels God sent from Heaven. Humongous angel, rarely seen among the Asians. Our Father Lord will bless, guide and protect you in whatever you do and wherever you go.  I understand that you are concerned with your studies and limited free time. The hint is, letting go by accepting the limitations you bear and the outcomes, for better or for worse, are His work. As Servants of His Love, we simply listen, obey and follow His Words, His Will, His Way.

On Earth as it is in Heaven

You don't feel overwhelmed. Please understand that the great mission is achieved through, for and with lots of great people.  The most important thing is to expose yourself to great ideas, the positive influence of compassionate people and existing infrastructures. All of these resources will turn into facilitative factors for achieving some breakthroughs of those who are suffering.

As you are not trained as a helping professional, community psychiatrist or project manager, you will not be the person who can fix the problems of students with diverse special needs. Nonetheless, you will be the best companion for them, one who cares, shares and volunteers to help the people find the right persons for help early, at least in your residential hall.

As a result, it becomes an adventure that you will meet lots of people who may be in their legitimate, professional, expert, political or managerial positions to help out. These people may be in the Dean's office, head of medicine department, medical consultation rooms, annual conferences of school-based mental health, press rooms, coffee shops, student union restaurants, library etc etc. Just go, talk and share to encourage more people to get interested and involved in helping the students who deserve more early support to reverse their disadvantageous situations. More and more miracles will take place.

Just meet people and share. Let the coffee or teatable be your altar for collective offering.  Sooner or later, you will find so many people who get so much to offer. You are not alone. I love you dearly.     

(Great materials for conceptual framework- the Integrative Model of Mental Health Prevention.)

He's cute

Hoff is such a charming boy. Turning 5. His lips ready to smile and so do his little eyes. Whenever walking close and leaning forward to speak to me, his eyes capture my attention in split seconds and locks my mind in his. Space lost. Only his words. Heard.


He insists, "Don't need breaks." He is so sure that he could keep on doing the math problems, one after another. From numerical and rational numbers to operation, then measurement, estimation. He actually misses some items especially in areas that expect one to have practical experience in daily life context like money, time and travels etc etc. The point is that his understanding of mathematical reasoning comes from within, not tortured.


He keeps telling me that he knows only plus and minus. But then he can actually work out "how many legs that 4 donkeys have" and then each child takes 6 pieces of chocolate of there are 18 pieces for 3 children to fair share. He wants me to know that he really loves chocolate and each time he wants more than just 3 pieces.


It's always hard to predict the next surprise from these super evolved young people. When i ask him to work out 3 times 7, he says that he likes doing 3 times 9 (rather than 3 times 7) as 9 is his favorite number. Eventually, he gets 27 and minuses one 3 and then two 3.


The fact is, Hoff's performance is equivalent to a 8 year 3 month old and the results earn him the eligibility to do the talented youth math program (run by the Johns Hopkins University since the 70s). I hope he finds this program enjoyable and free to express his passion for learning.


To be honest, the assessment results would not be a big surprise to me. I can tell that Hoff is exceptional in many aspects, probably beyond our imagination.


During the math assessment, I point to a picture and ask Hoff what season it is. With complete confidence, he bets that his mom and dad can tell the answer. He suggests me to check it out. He is so cute.

Why Vehicles Are important?

Vehicles transport people from place to place. Some people see language as vehicles for thinking whereas knowledge provides us with certain road systems for reaching our goals. This evening I had spent over 2 hrs watching some world renowned professors explaining their theories of managing business. Their theories help me rethink about strategic plans for sustainable growth in business context. They made my ideas transport fast and vast.


Seriously, I found the interviews of Michael Porter, Eric Zaltman, Rita MaGrath thought provoking. I guess that sound theoretical models work like highways for facilitating the transport of my ideas to the customers. They provide me some safer and efficient options to think.


This afternoon, I become so motivated that I almost figure out a model to highlight the five competitive forces for being gifted happily. A new powerpoint slideshow on the essentials of gifted development towards happiness will soon release.


Thank for the inspiring thoughts of the guru, as aforementioned, on strategic planning, deep metaphorias and ideaslab. Lucky you! Just take the ride.

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Farmers

Farmers live on the stuff grown in their field. They know what they grow and apply all the tacit skills accumulated from the teaching of the seniors in their families and community, keen observation and analysis of various patterns ( e.g. Weather, drainage, soil fertility, market demand, transport, manpower etc etc). Then they work dedicatedly and know exactly how much they can yield from their effort, be it high or low.


Nowadays, we work dedicatedly in the fields of social planting. There are different fields such as Facebook, linkin, YouTube, twitter, flickr, blogs, net games or you name it. Hour by hour, time after time, we are sowing mutual acceptance and social involvement. The information we gathered from all these contacts is hardly transformed into any tacit knowledge for yielding something we can live on. Unlike working in the fields, the farmers take charge of what, when and how to do something in order to yield the desirable crops. Unless there was natural disaster or political instability, farmers can find food to eat and survive difficult times as long as they are in control of the land.


The pressing problems challenging the contemporary men are lack of links. Despite the external links, the inner link, that is the clarity of our inner aspirations, as well as the selective link between our internal traffic and external traffic may be ambiguous. While hours and hours being spent on the virtual fields of sowing seeds of social understanding, the harvest is not going to be real or filling the empty heart.


The rules for being contented farmers finding enough food for social, emotional, vocational, financial wellbeing and striving our spiritual richness are yet to be discovered.


It absolutely calls for a contemplative life of everyone of us.

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Gifted Solutions

Looking for solutions. Ever since the beginning of ICGT (International Center for the Gifted and Talented, Hong Kong), people came to us for the right solutions to their problems. These may be concerned with identification of intellectual functioning, interventions to address underachievement or unmet needs, interpersonal challenges, suboptimal development, untreated learning or mood issues impairing personal growth or relationship, college or career choice, coping with challenges in life transitions and the like.

Seriously, I learnt a lot from our clients. Not only did their issues urge our team to advance our knowledge, skills and personal growth, the on-going learning and reflection led us to become constantly alert.

Be alert to what exactly bothering the people to reach out for possible solutions.

My hunch is, people are not really able to tell what problems most bothering to them. The most common scenarios would be asking for professional advice to solve, like when, which, where and how to do something, such as providing accommodation for supporting the exceptional needs of their children. 

In fact, the parents are not sure what support their kid and family need to overcome the fear, challenges or the like. Behind the solutions the clients appear to search for, there are other issues going on bothering them. Yet, people are not used to spending time on reflecting. What makes their life complete, what is the burning needs in their life, what is most satisfying or regretful to oneself.... These questions, once unattended for a long period of time, will give rise to other sets of problems bringing disproportional stress to us.

Are there solutions to ease the challenges of growing up gifted or bringing up the gifted?

Well,  yes and no. 

Yes, there are solutions to lots of problems commonly arise in raising up gifted children. No, there isn't a single solution out there that can give sustainable peace of mind to people. It is plainly because peace of mind doesn't come with solutions to certain problems. Peace of mind is a state of soul focusing on the most important thing in one's journey of life. The quality of solution is pretty much predicted by the quality of the problems we concern. If these problems are peripheral to the the most important concern of our inner self, any solutions we quest or reach will not bring any sustainable impact.

Over the past ten years, I kept taking professional training programs for self advancement and career development. I thought I had developed a spectrum of sound solutions to tackle the questions or challenges commonly concerned with the functioning of the gifted in their learning and development in school, at home and with the wider community.

Interestingly, peace of mind or self contentment doesn't really rest in finding the solutions to daily issues. The most fundamental thing is to be in touch with the blessing we are endowed sinceour birth. Once that abundance of life became distant in our conscious mind, we shall be anxious about something missing and eager to identify that something. Of course, effort to find that something will be in vain.

I guess the most proactive way to solve our daily challenges is to keep at least 30% of our time to count how much blessing we have received that day, to say the least.