The Yin and The Yang

~ Eva ~ 4 Comments

In times of pandemic, we are often preoccupied with worries, fears and dread.

We are all surrounded by uncertainties. Especially now, when the only thing that is certain is being uncertain.

Emotions constantly swirl in our hearts and minds. So here is your daily reminder that what you are feeling is normal.

As time pass by, some of our feelings and worries level off as we slowly grow comfortable in a set routine.

We call this Adaptation.

Hats off to you for being strong. YOU ARE A FIGHTER.

Along with our adaptability, I have discovered another source of our strength and that is EQUILIBRIUM.

I am constantly fascinated about how everything manage to be at equilibrium. Call it Yin and Yang. It is embedded in the concepts of good and evil, happiness and sadness and so on.

Human nature is also rooted in it. We are filled with good intentions and evil thoughts. We rejoice and savour in happiness and wallow in our own pitiful sadness. The Yin and the Yang.

The year 2020, although far from ending, has brought us along in this one crazy joy ride.

TIME LINE 2020

  • JANUARY 7: The World Health Organisation is notified of the novel coronavirus, then known as 2019-nCov, in China.
  • JANUARY 11: China records its first coronavirus death.
  • JANUARY 23: Wuhan, China the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak goes under an unprecedented lockdown, impacting 11 million residents.
  • FEBRUARY 11: The WHO names coronavirus disease COVID 19.
  • MARCH 10: Italy becomes the first country to implement a nationwide lockdown.
  • MARCH 11: The WHO declares the coronavirus as a pandemic.
  • MARCH 24: The 2020 Summer Olympics, which were supposed to take place in Tokyo, are postponed until 2021.
  • APRIL 2: Global coronavirus cases surpass one million.
  • APRIL 7: Officials in Wuhan, China, lift the city-wide lockdown after 76 days.

It is overwhelming how the pandemic has impacted our daily lives.

Going to concerts and comfortably going to crowded areas, has now become a luxury we fervently hope to re-experience.

Grocery shopping, a trivial thing in the past, is now a war zone as we don our masks, face shields and gloves as gears before we step out of the comforts of our homes just to buy basic necessities.

A concept that used to be out of this world is now the new norm.

The New Normal as we now call it could either be viewed as good or bad. The Yin and the Yang.

Remember like Rome, the New Normal wasn’t made in a day. Days, turned into weeks turned into months worth of lockdown finally built up to this moment.

Jotted down below, are my personal insights on how the lockdown affected my contemporary reality.

The GOOD

  • The pandemic made me realise how important work friends and family are.
  • The pandemic made me realise whether rich or poor, we are all affected. This disease knows no borders and doesn’t know the concept of social classes.—-Equality.

The BAD

  • The pandemic made me realise how deep, shallow my pockets are.
  • The pandemic made me realise our vulnerability. After all we humans are not a well oiled machine.

So how does Yin and Yang come back into the picture?

The principle of Yin and Yang is that…

All things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites.

A principle dating back to the 3rd century BCE or even earlier, made famous by King Wen in the 9th century is quite complex.

For this philosophy has been present for at least 3,500 years, it would be quite heavy to be talking about it in detail. Nor am I in the position to impart its teachings and philosophies.

But here is the gist. The balance of yin and yang is key. If yin is stronger, yang will be weaker and vice versa. The two must co exist, as the yin elements must contain parts of yang.

In these times of uncertainty, what these novel ideations such as (COVID19, quarantine, lockdown, the new normal) has imparted to me is the importance of maintaining a state of balance.

As we try to apply centuries thousands of years old philosophy in our new daily lives, learning not to tip the balance is our new challenge.

Finding courage in our fears.

Finding happiness amidst this sadness.

Finding calmness in the state of this anxiety.

Finding freedom in the confinement of our homes.

I hope this message could somewhat ease your burdens and worries. May it spark a little positivity in you.

After all what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Let us together find a balance between the Yin and Yang.

Together let’s KEEP SANE IN THIS INSANITY.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please do drop a comment down below.

  • What are the good and bad things the pandemic has brought into your life?
  • How do you manage to find a balance between your yin and yang?
  • SIMPLY, How have you been?

P.S. I just recently opened an official Instagram account. Let us connect and meet there.

👉ultimatetidbits

❤️ Eva
© 2018-2020 Ultimatetidbits All Rights Reserved
Photo credits: Pexels.com

Timeline 2020 credits: insider.com/shocking-things-that-have-happened-this-year-100-days-2020-4

What is it like to be broken?

~ Eva ~ 14 Comments

What is it like to be broken?

Is it the state of a porcelain jar, fallen and shattered to pieces, where the pieces don’t fit anymore?

What is it like to be broken?

Is it how the long hand and the short hand of an old grandfather clock is at a complete stand still despite winding it up repeatedly?

What is it like to be broken?

Is it a state of mind or a state of choice?

Continue reading “What is it like to be broken?” →

An ODE to myself

~ Eva ~ 20 Comments

Dear Self,

How are you?

It’s been such a long time.

Are you still there?

Do you even care?

 

You once told yourself.

That if you didn’t practice the art of healing,

You’d be typing away.

So you could express your heart out.

 

Days passed by without a word,

Weeks flew by and months began rolling in.

No words resonnated.

Nothing.

 

I am busy, I am tired.

Do I need to justify myself some more?

My mind is blank.

Inspiration has foresaken me.

 

Was it the pressure of living to people’s expectations?

Was it the numbers the failed to satisfy your own greed?

Were these the reasons you felt like drowning?

Drowning, in you own words left unsaid?

 

Did you eventually get lost on your way to the top?

Do you even know the directions as to where you are headed.

Well you thought you did.

Boy, you got everything wrong.

 

Stop thinking too hard.

Stop thinking too much.

Stop berating yourself.

Stop doing this to yourself.

 

Didn’t people say its okay to fall.

After all, it’s the journey not the end point.

So stop nursing that wounded ego of yours.

Scars are there for a reason.

 

Finally, these uncoherent musings finally make sense.

Words are out.

Do you need to hear the verdict?

You’ve done well.

To all those reading, I know it’s been a while since I posted. I was gone for a while from this great community.

I know every person feels to justify themselves for their actions. I too feel that way so I should try to justify myself. I know there are people who enjoy my work that I feel I have letdown by keeping silent.

I finally understand the true definition of silence. It is not merely the absence of sounds but rather the absence of thoughts and a form of expression.

Silence can strip away a person’s freedom of expression. It can even strip one’s soul.

Like most people working tireless to earn a living, these past months have been spent juggling two work jobs while I manage to squeeze in sometime for myself, friends and most importantly family.

These are but reasons.

We are full of justifications once we feel cornered. Right? 

As the list of reasons became longer, the longer I spent away, the anxiety began to build up inside me. 

The numbers were going down and I felt that the pressure to write something great, sucked out all the inspiration from me. Hence the vicious cycle began.

Self doubt suddenly flooded in. 

Can I live up to my readers expectations? 

Would anyone still be reading this anyway?

And that is why it took so long.

Like any curious soul would do, every now and then I would visit and read other’s posted works. And like a ghost, I left no trace. Nothing.

It took a while for everything to settle out. IT TOOK AWHILE FOR ME TO MAKE THESE REALIZATIONS.

  • I envied them.
  • I missed the community.
  • I missed myself even more.

After gently smacking myself in the forehead, I’ve decided to go back. To go back to where I started.

Back to the time where stats didnt matter much to me.

Back to the time where building a following wasn’t the biggest of my worries.

And back to the time where writing was my own form of expression.

I am here to inspire those who want to be inspired. I am here because I want to connect and not for the following. 

Rest if you must but dont quit! You only cease to be a writer once you actually stop breathing, your heart stops beating and if you stop writing. 

 

 

Thought Corner#2 How do you know?

~ Eva ~ 4 Comments

 

How do you know if both of you had a great time?

How do you know if you both had a decent conversation?

How do you know?

Having a great time could be spent doing anything. You could go out on a movie date and enjoy the film. You could go wine and dine at a Michelin Star restuarant and eat to your hearts desire. 

Or you simply could order take out, wear comfortable clothing  and sit idly by and still have a good time.

But how do you know if both of you had a great time?

Can it be seen in your body language towards each other? Where one comfortable rest an arm around your shoulders.

Can it be seen on your facial experience? Surely a sparkle in your eyes and a wide smile could be a hint right?

Does not noticing the time mean you had a great time too? How did we fail to realise an hour breeze through when it only felt a mere 5 minutes together.

How do you know?

Having a decent conversation could mean

 

 

How do you know if someone is interested?

How do you know if someone really cares?