Grace for the soul

Tag: dailyprompt

  • Elation and Deflation

    Elation and Deflation

    When I was six, I wanted to be a lawyer.

    It’s a rather full-on season for me. Literally weeks after setting up my consultancy, I started writing a book on kindness in the workplace. My partial manuscript was accepted by a publisher and I said I’d finish my writing by 31 July 2025. I submitted my full manuscript to the publisher by that date. It was 3.5 months in total of writing. Over and above this, I’ve been busy with a podcast that’s on the verge of a rebrand and I’ve been trying to grow a business. 

    It’s been a lot to manage. I have been very conscious of how much grace I’ve received to be able to have written my book in that amount of time. And no … I didn’t use AI to write. I can’t stand how it sounds. It’s a lot more dramatic in ways that I’m not and it’s exceedingly polished. That’s another thing that I’m not. I did appreciate its research capabilities, though. I had reports and books that I referred to in my work, and it was able to help me look for things that contradicted what was being said or find me the latest articles. That was outstanding, even though I needed to double check that it wasn’t hallucinating. 

    The podcast has also been rolling along. The technicalities of the podcast are the bits that I struggle with the most and these are crucial to growing the audience. So, it’s been a learn as you go process, which has been an interesting journey. My podcast guests have been amazing. I am beyond grateful. 

    Growing a business is challenging. There are meetings you attend and sometimes you secure a client. Sometimes you don’t. There is work you get to do. Usually this is the best part for me. I love what I do. There’s been a lot of clarity that’s been forming in terms of direction. I can see that I want so dearly to create workplaces that are kind. This is my passion and this is the next part of my journey. The coming together of my book and the learning that’s been happening over the last twelve plus months has shown me this. 

    I celebrated my consultancy’s first year anniversary earlier in March. It’s hard to believe that I launched my business on 8 March 2025. As I write this, it’s slightly over a year ago. The turnout was lovely. Everyone who came brought with them joy, which illuminated the event. I felt the warmth of their presence and reflection prior to that made me really want to thank God for everything. 

    It is surreal to remember that on 13 March 1999, twenty-six years ago, I was called to the Malaysian Bar. I remember that day so very well. I remember how difficult it was for us to get to court. My mum and dad came with me and mum’s struggle with rheumatoid arthritis was epic. She woke up so much earlier than usual just to be ready on time. Papa had to do his usual navigating. He’d to figure out how and where to drop her off, closest to the entrance before driving off to park and running back to join us. And he had to do the whole thing all over again when it was all over. 

    They were so proud on that day. I was very happy. I remember thinking that my heart would burst. It was brilliant to have the wider family join us for a lovely buffet lunch at a hotel in the heart of the city. I remember that day very clearly. I have photos from it, but I remember it. 

    Most of all, I remember the conversation that papa, mummy and I had that night. It was joyous. My parents let me know how they felt in that moment. They shared with me their gratitude to our God for how He’d brought us to that point. It truly was. I had wanted to do law since I was six. There was so much grace and I could see it. I was full of joy on that day. 

    I never would have imagined on 13 March 1999 that I would leave the practice. I never would have even dreamt it in a nightmare. But it did happen. Mummy passed away so suddenly in 2006. And although I tried for a year and a half, I just couldn’t show up as the lawyer I knew I could be. Papa was the only one who didn’t feel like I was wasting my education. He didn’t feel like he and mummy had wasted their money sending me to the UK to study. He only knew his daughter was hurting and he wanted her to be OK. 

    When I look back at things, I can see how haphazard my professional journey has been. I never intended to leave the law. It’s hard to come up with a new plan. There have been all sorts of highs and lows in the time in between. 

    Sometime in 2022, I decided I would pursue a coaching qualification. I had coached some rather high-level people by then and there was a definite interest. Again, my father, was the wind beneath my wings. He insisted on paying for the course. He was always interested in what I was doing and we talked so much about how it’d be moving forward. 

    Come June 2023, when I’d done very well on my course, I’d decided that probably around the end of August, I’d start working towards setting up my own business. That never happened because August 2023 was when papa passed away. 

    I never counted on being made redundant in 2025. It’s almost as if I was meant to go ahead with my plans to set up a consultancy. You know – I truly didn’t feel prepared. It wasn’t clear to me what the next step was. My heart was broken and I just wanted to curl up in a corner. 

    So, the amount of stuff that has happed in 2025-2026 doesn’t elude me. I see grace covering my every step. If you know about grief, you’ll know how you feel like a fog is covering your brain. Yet, I was able to write. If that wasn’t God’s grace, I know not what it was. Getting a reputable publisher has been another blessing. Everything just happened in a way that I needed it to. 

    This past few days have been busy. I am finalizing the last round of proofreading. Yes, yes – I’m writing this on a break. The cover of my book is out. Some very big steps towards the publication date and discussions for the book launch have started. I’m ecstatic. I’m also feeling so very sad. 

    For the first time, I don’t have either parent with me as I take a big step and hit an achievement. I feel a little deflated, if I’m honest. It’s something that I’m aching to share with them. It’s been hard to not have this. 

    I’m trying to be there for friends – when they need me. But I’m also in need of them. And there are some of them who continually show up in a way that really amazes me and helps me. Their encouragement has really helped me at a time when I am ready to burst into tears. I know they see me – and I am grateful for this. 

    I trust God with this pain I feel. I trust Him and am grateful to Him for the relief He sends me through some of these people in my life. It makes me want to be a better friend to them. I hope I can do this for them. I trust God with this exhaustion I feel. I trust God with the excitement I feel – the way things are panning out for the book, for the new possibilities with the podcast, for some new ideas post book that are already forming. I worry about so many things – and I keep reminding myself that I must keep trusting. 

    God has been so good to me and even when the sadness and pain of the loss I have endured come up, I will keep trusting. 

    Papa and mummy – I really think you’d be proud. I miss you both – the wind beneath my wings. 

    Both photos taken on 13 March 1999
  • Fun Five

    Fun Five

    List five things you do for fun.

    Over the COVID lockdown, which now seems so faraway and surreal, I started appreciating the time I had for myself. My dad, my pooch at the time- Loki, and I, found the lockdown somewhat cathartic.

    I don’t want to say that I was happy about COVID, because I wasn’t. Too many people died and too many families suffered heartbreak. What I came to appreciate was the slowing down of things as a result of the lockdown.

    I started having time to enjoy breakfast with my dad. There were great discussions over brekkie and it somehow set me up for the rest of the day. My dad passed away a couple of years ago, and I no longer have that time with him, but I absolutely enjoy the quiet of the morning, when I get to go on walks with my present pooch- Gamora, or even when we play ball in the garden. I feel like I have time to recount the day past and plan for the day ahead and for a reflective, organiser like me, this is a beautiful thing. Maybe it’s not everyone’s sense of ‘fun’ but I love it and am loathe to give it up.

    Another thing that is fun is spending time with little Gamora. I love our walks together. When Gamora walks into the park, her bum starts wiggling, her ears flap, and she has the biggest, broadest smile on her face. She’s interested in every smell or movement. She’s on to everything in a flash and there’s so much joy in this bouncy little girl. I love it when we play ball at home. She has her own rules, which she communicates quite efficiently. She’s also great to watch – whether she’s out doing what feels like security patrols in the garden, chasing birds, or when she’s lolling about indoors playing with her toys. She makes such guttural sounds of enjoyment and contentment which I absolutely love.

    I’m terribly conscious of the fact that I’m probably contradicting lots of people’s idea of what is ‘fun!’ But I am finding so much joy in these new ideals I have for what is fun!

    I love having friends over! I especially love it when it’s small groups where everyone knows everyone. I enjoy planning menus and prepping food – I love it. There’s a kind of peace I feel as I plan and prep. And I cannot explain it – except that I’m my element in each of these stages. It’s also brilliant watching Gamora interact with our guests. She has special greetings and playing styles for different ones.

    Something that I think is so fun now is pitting myself against myself to try and finish reading books. I’ve already finished two books this January and have started on a third. That has stuff that I need to work out as I go along and I’m contemplating starting the fourth book as I do this. I’m enjoying going back to reading.

    The fifth but not the last thing I enjoy doing for fun is chatting with friends. Sometimes we meet outside, sometimes they come over, or we talk on the phone or over video calls. I’ve come to love this so very much. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I no longer have my father with me and these conversations have ended. I’m finding a sense of enjoyment and fulfilment in these different conversations. Really am glad for these things!

    A park morning with Gamora
    An orange semolina cake with ginger crystals that my friends love
    Prepping a pumpkin salad
    Going back to reading
    Friends and family
  • The Decluttering Journey

    The Decluttering Journey

    Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

    It’s the beginning of 2026 and I’m considering the purchase of a bookcase or a storage shelf. It feels almost counter-productive, talking about such a purchase when I’m meant to be sharing where else I can reduce clutter. Doesn’t a bookcase or a shelf of sorts mean holding on to things?

    I started my journey to declutter some time in 2017. I found out that I had the same autoimmune condition as my mum. One of the biggest impacts it had on me was chronic fatigue.

    I’ve never been one for dusting and cleaning the house. It triggers allergies that end up in lung infections. This has been the case since I was a child and so I have a dislike for the tasks, while I view them as necessary. I far prefer cooking and baking and washing things up. That has always been fine with me.

    One of the things I immediately thought about when I started processing my diagnosis is this precise dislike I have of cleaning alongside the incredible amount of stuff we had. So I spoke to my dad about my plans to start simplifying things.

    These plans included pulling down built-in cabinets and wardrobes, as well as some massive built in bookshelves. My dad was a bit surprised but acknowledged that I was going to be even more reliant on cleaning help, which could sometimes be unreliable. Papa came around and I sprang into action.

    I was quite ruthless, when I think about it. I gave away a few thousand books. The only ones I held on to were ones that I found hard to track down online. It was very painful giving away a beautiful edition of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia which had gold page ends and beautiful pictures. I remembered picking it up on holiday in Switzerland.

    Such was my determination. All my CDs and DVDs went. I wasn’t to know that we’d be arriving at a point when they were obsolete. So it was giant decisions made to let go. Pyrex collections, luggage and bedding sets, countless Christmas decorations of various colour combinations, and decorative items from crystals to brass, were all discarded. That was a very painful round of discarding that happened.

    I put some stuff away in bags. One of the rooms upstairs was pretty full up with stuff that I couldn’t decide on.

    Then I also made the decision to change my kitchen cabinets. My parents had made kitchen cabinets that lined the walls of our kitchen, which meant ample space for collecting stuff. I gave away some gourmet dining sets that I had, which were so stunningly beautiful. That was hard.

    Even more painful was the decision to give away a lot of my baking stuff. I used to do heaps of baking for weddings and all sorts – as gifts to my friends. I had almost a couple of hundred baking tins of different shapes and sizes, cake stands, about 3 cake mixers and a hand mixer, hundreds of cookie cutters- most of which I bought on travels, sets of nozzles for icing, and the list goes on. This was very difficult. It was partly an acknowledgment that as a result of my health, I was no longer going to be doing the same scale of baking I used to. It was hard.

    The amount of things I’ve given away sometimes shocks me and catches me off guard. I’ll suddenly realise I no longer have such and such a thing. But it has forced me to question whether is something I need or if I can improvise on.

    My home is so clutter free now- and that final room upstairs just has a last few bits and bobs that I am now planning to organise or give away.

    This brings me back to the bookcase or storage shelves that I’m considering. I want to take what I have put away in boxes and organise them so that they can be used. At present, I have to hunt through piles of stuff to get to what I need. The plan is to do another round of sifting once I get the shelves in. This will have to be quite a ruthless round. I have held on to some things which I value, but which, if I’m honest, aren’t of any use to me whatsoever.

    I’m bracing myself for this. I’ve started looking out for shelves. The process has begun.

    I recommend decluttering because it clears up space. I have a home that’s really lovely because there’s simply no clutter. I no longer am stressed about keeping things neat and tidy because it’s all rather manageable. It makes such a difference.

    I’m very keen to keep this process of decluttering alive. It’s made me look at what’s important and practical. It’s made me thoughtful about buying. I’ve learnt to admire, appreciate, and move on. I’ve also learnt to make good purchases. The process has also helped me maintain my home, even with a progressive illness, it’s not totally unmanageable.

    It’s also been a process for which I’ve been able to thank God for. It has stirred up heaps of memories for me – about how it used to be at home, when both papa and mummy were still around. I have much to be thankful for.

    I may have got rid of stuff, but my home is as ever, open to family and friends.

    To anyone who’s embarking on this journey of decluttering, I wish you lots of peace and joy as you do it. You’re not just dealing with stuff. You’re simplifying and appreciating life.

  • A Relaxed Trip

    Think back on your most memorable road trip.

    I’ve taken lots of road trips and most have been amazing, save one or two. It’s a little impossible for me to say which has been the most memorable because they’ve all been special and people I love.

    The most recent road trip was in October 2024 with a good friend. We were headed to the island city of Penang from Kuala Lumpur. It wasn’t a complicated trip and we were both tired from hectic schedules.

    We planned to leave the city really early in the morning and we stuck to it. It was still dark! The drive was smooth as we’d managed to bypass the workday traffic.

    We had planned to stop for breakfast in an idyllic town called Ipoh. It was simply lovely enjoying a kopitiam-styled breakfast! Yummy. The lines to the restaurant were testament to its reviews for being a wonderful place for local delights.

    After we ate, we decided to look for one of the shops where we could get local treats. What trip would be complete without snacks on hand. We hopped back into our car, armed with the GPS and without too much difficulty, located the shop. Parking was anywhere by the road, which felt like we’d been transported back in time.

    The shop was simply brilliant! Nothing too fancy, but with lots of treats and more of those long lines that made us realise that they were a good gauge of whether a place is good or not. We overbought!

    Once we were armed with goodies, we decided to head off to Penang. We did get lost a little, which wasn’t too bad because we got to see some really old-styled houses. The change of pace was made apparent.

    On our way to Penang, we could see black rain clouds forming. For a bit it felt like we were trying to outrun them. But they did catch up with us at various points.

    At our final destination, it was sheer bliss looking out at the sea from our room and spending time by the pool – and simply relaxing. Everything was just lovely.

    I’m writing about it because we stayed true to our plans to relax. This isn’t always easy when we go on a break – and I’m thankful that my friend and I did this. I felt so very rejuvenated after our trip!

  • More Ways Than One

    In what ways do you communicate online?

    I have very clear memories of writing letters to my best friend. She is from the UK and I’m from Malaysia. After I returned home from university, we kept up our conversations through letters. Letters were also the way my parents and I communicated with each other while I was a student in the UK. I have a lot of great memories over letters – I remember the excitement and anticipation.

    Today, I think we’re so incredibly blessed to have so many forms of communication online. The waiting is gone. It’s not like I have to wait for two weeks before I can get news or have my news communicated. I love it when I see emails or WhatsApp messages from friends or some more exciting work related ones. I feel like these ways of communicating are so helpful in bringing us closer, when used properly.

    Right now, I’m trying to communicate better over LinkedIn. This is because I’m trying to grow my consultancy – Progressive Pathways Consulting. There are so many things I’m learning about communication there. It’s not my most natural platform. So the learning curve is steep.

    I’m also trying to grow my podcast channel on YouTube, called Pathways to Thriving. This has been an exciting way to communicate with the world. I get to highlight stories of others who may not always get heard. I’m hoping this grows.

    I hope to get better at online communication simply because it means getting better as a communicator and connecting with more people. This is important for all of us as individuals. Connection matters!

    Some of the people I’ve interviewed on my podcast.

    If you’re interested in checking out my podcast, please visit:

    https://youtube.com/@progressivepathwaysconsulting?si=3qdSUkLOuE5aNPWG

    I’d love your support – so please like and subscribe!

  • A Dog Called Gamora

    Daily writing prompt
    What is your favorite animal?
    View all responses

    I love dogs! I didn’t always have dogs but around 2010, I got my first dog whose name was Patches. Patches was a rescue we got around the time he was four. He was gorgeous. He had a white coat with black spots that seemed to fade at points. He had such a lovely personality and I nicknamed him The Turkey Thief because one Christmas he stole a turkey and ate it!

    My second dog was Loki. Loki didn’t live very long. I had to put him down when he was three. I had Loki from the time he was eighteen days old. His, was such a tragic story. All he knew from the moment he was born was pain and agony. Loki didn’t do well with people as a result of such deep rooted trauma. His eating and drinking capabilities were also significantly reduced. It was a hard decision, but the right one. He did have lots of love in his short three years.

    My present dog is Gamora. Gamora is half-pug-half-dachshund. Initially, after Loki died, I thought I wouldn’t take another pup. But a breeder was in desperate need to find homes for the pups after a pug (Gamy-girl’s dad) and a dachshund (Gamy-girl’s mum) fell in love and had a litter. Gamora chose me. She’s the first female dog I’ve had and she’s a beauty. I named her Gamora because of how she out-muscled her brother and made me pick her.

    Gamora’s an absolute sweetheart. She’s very different from Patches and Loki. Apart from being much smaller than the both of them, she’s also by far more intelligent. She seems to have problem-solving skills – especially when she sets her sights on something. She’s also incredibly brave in comparison to both Patches and Loki, which is hilarious. The hunter personality from her dachshund DNA is strong and she takes her duties patrolling my garden very seriously.

    I loved Patches and Loki with all my heart. In fact, I still love them. When I think of them, they make me smile. But there’s something about Gamora that has totally captivated me. I don’t know if this makes me bad and if I’m playing favourites here, but this little girl has simply got me. She’s got the most curious little way of worming her way to you. She does a sploot and then starts crawling towards you to give you the biggest, warmest licks of love. It’s her love attack position. She does get you. There’s no winning.

    She’s also incredibly matter-of-fact about what she wants. There’s no two ways. It’s either Gamora’s way or the highway! Every night when we go to bed, the same thing happens. She decides that she wants to sleep in the exact spot that I’m sleeping in. It doesn’t matter if she chooses first – but once we’re settled, she very confidently marches over and creates a space for herself. Even in the dark, you can feel her working it out. She makes you cooperate!

    Gamora loves people. She has a few favourite people who are often in our home. Some babysit her regularly and she shows them special greetings when they arrive. In the mornings, some of our neighbours have to stop by at our gate to greet her and have a moment with her. It’s poignant. I don’t need to be around – it’s their thing with her. Gamora makes her disappointment know if anyone of these gets into their car and drives off without greeting her. It doesn’t matter if they’re rushing off. She expects to be paid homage!

    Gamora also has favourites among delivery people. I dislike going shopping, and I try to reduce my having to go to physical shops by buying stuff online. Gamora has her special routines with some of the more frequent delivery folk. They tell me they love her and that it makes them happy knowing they’re coming to our home. One even told me that he knows our home address because of her! What’s amusing is that they actually take a moment to greet her and engage with her. She loves it.

    If there is one thing that motivates Gamora, it is food. Unfortunately for her, both pugs and dachshunds are prone to weight gain. It shows! It doesn’t help that Gamora is allergic to grass and has to be on some allergy meds, which seem to add to her weight dilemma. She doesn’t appreciate not being given my food, even thought she has just eaten hers. The look of heartbreak she manages to give, as if she’s been starved and abandoned her whole live and never has seen a day of kindness, is simply unmistakable. She’s got chops!

    The most difficult thing for me when it comes to managing Gamora is not having my dad around. When it came to Patches and Loki, my dad’s presence always helped. There are times when I need to be out for work. Patches and Loki always had my dad to fall back on to. Gamora only had my dad for about five and a half months. Saying this, her memory is remarkable. There are moments when she demonstrates her sorrow at his passing. Once the son of a friend who was visiting, a toddler, grabbed my dad’s walking stick from a corner it was in. It surprised me for a moment to see my dad’s walking stick and at the same time, Gamora became very quiet. I thought it was because she wanted to hide from the child. However, the friend left very shortly after that and when I got back inside, I couldn’t locate Gamora. I finally found her curled up next to my dad’s walking stick, looking at it with her sad puppy-dog eyes. It made me cry. This little girl is intuitive.

    I love this little girl and I love this time of my life where I’m working for myself and get to spend time with her. I wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s been such a special little gift to me from God and I am so thankful to him for her.

    Gamora draws people into her little galaxy. She’s full of love, cheer, and mischief. Love you loads, little Gamora!

    Patches and me
    Loki and me
  • A Forward Momentum

    A Forward Momentum

    Psalm 27:13
    I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

    I have had an incredibly busy year! It hasn’t been easy because I am nursing a broken heart, after losing my father. Apart from just missing him, there are many practical implications that have arisen. It’s not been easy.

    I started a coaching and training consultancy, called Progressive Pathways Consulting. Essentially, I run coaching and training work, as well as consult with organisations that are seeking to improve the workplace. I do this on the backing of about 18 years of experience in building capacity across different sectors of industry and for different levels of employee- from the C-suite levels to tea ladies, cleaners, and drivers. It’s interesting work.

    I’m in the middle of writing a book about kindness in the workplace under a publishing contract from Penguin Random House. This is both exciting and positive as events go!

    I have also launched my own podcast called Pathways to Thriving, which aims to listen to diverse voices from all over. I am hoping to grow my subscribers so that I can really get these voices heard.

    All these have been positive things and some of the other wonderful things this year have been a visit to Istanbul in January, which really made me fall in love with the city. Another brilliant event was the launch party for my consultancy. I chose to do it on 8 March- International Women’s Day. It was so precious having so many wonderful folk join me.

    In the middle of the year, I hosted a birthday drop in for myself. I was missing the two great loves in my life – my mum and dad. It felt hard to celebrate my birthday and when a friend told me that she hoped I would do something to honour their memory, I felt it was only right. It was a lovely day!

    In August, I had little celebrations too – for submitting the full book in by the end of July deadline. Three and a half months to write a book, without AI, but totally reliant on God’s grace, is something I absolutely had to give thanks for!

    There were some wobbles after August, in that I was very busy in September up to the first week of December. I learnt a lot about how I need to pace myself work wise, but the joy I had of being in such close proximity to the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers is something else!

    I did get a wonderful opportunity to take a break in October, which worked as a wonderful reset button. The friend I travelled with, the weather – yes, even the rain, our gorgeous sea view room, plus reading a book I’d bought in Istanbul in January, all contributed to a real sense of rest. So beautiful!

    I find myself in December and to alleviate the stress of not doing a big Christmas, I hosted a little Santa Paws and Birthday Pawty to celebrate little Gamora’s birthday and kickstart Christmas cheer. Family came for lunch and we had a lovely time! My little nephew and niece, alongside Gamora, took noise levels to a new high. Brilliant! The two older nieces who are turning out to be fine young ladies, always warm my heart when the arrive. The family was beautiful!

    The evening saw friends arriving with new gusto. I think little Gamora was a bit tired by then, but it was lovely sitting around, chatting, eating, and playing games that my brilliant friend had put together! My heart is full.

    At the base of it all, my heart is still broken by the absence of my father and mother. God knows how much this hurts. But I thank Him for His goodness and mercies to me- for there have been so many wonderful blessings that have propelled me forward. I’m truly in awe of Him. Perhaps this is the most positive of all events – every time there is a movement in my heart that recognises grace, I am blessed beyond belief. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the grace you have bestowed upon me!

    The Hagia Sofia
    Launch of Progressive Pathways Consulting 8.3.2025
    Progressive Pathways Consulting podcast
    The Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers at dawn
    A much needed break
    Family at the Santa Paws Birthday Pawty 6.12.2025
    My friends at the Santa Paws Birthday Pawty
    My little nephew and niece with Gamora & me
    My grown up nieces who are turning into fine women!

  • Seaside Secrets

    Beach or mountains? Which do you prefer? Why?

    I love the beach. I love it far more than the mountains. Please don’t get me wrong- I think the mountains are beautiful. However, for me, a beach holiday trumps everything!

    I love the beach. There is something about being at the seaside that causes my body and mind to relax. I wonder if it is the air – the smell of the ocean, or the sight of it.

    When we were little, my cousins and I got taken to the seaside a lot. It was such a lot of fun. Our parents would have packed all sorts of food for a picnic, but all we could think about was playing on the beach or swimming in the sea.

    Till this day, when I go to the beach, I keep my eyes peeled for the first sight of the sea. That first glimpse of the turquoise, blueish-green shades of waves, never ceases to cause a sensory delight within me.

    When I lost my mum in 2006, I was so brokenhearted. Some friends and I went to the seaside – I wanted the time to rest. A friend suggested that we each take time to write about something out in nature.

    I remember composing a poem about the sea – about how its calm exterior didn’t always show the whirling undercurrents. It reflected how I felt when I lost my mum.

    In 2023, less than a week and a half before he died, my dad convinced me to book a beach holiday. I booked it without knowing that I would be travelling there two weeks after he had passed.

    Again, the silence of the beach broken by the occasional roar of the waves, voiced the sense of overwhelm that I was feeling inside. It felt to me like the sea was acting out the restless I felt.

    In October 2025, a friend and I went for a beach holiday. It rained almost the entire time we were there, but we had a sea view room. It was amazing to wake up to the glistening sea, and watch how choppy it got because of the wind and the rain.

    I was exhausted from a gruelling schedule, but just being by the beach, looking out at the sea, I felt a sense of calm and peace. It was like the tiredness was being washed away.

    Whilst I do admire mountains and nature apart from the seaside, there is nothing like a beach holiday! I am so thankful to God for the many beach holidays I’ve been able to enjoy. I pray for more!

  • Portrait of a Turkish Family by Irfan Ortega

    What book are you reading right now?

    I literally just finished reading Irfan Ortega’s Portrait of a Turkish Family. It blew my mind!

    I bought the book on 29 January 2025, from Galeri Kayseri English Bookshop, located in the Sultanahmet Fatih area of Istanbul. I remember the date very clearly because it was the day that I was leaving Istanbul. My friends and I stopped in at the bookshop, and lo, and behold, we each bought our own copy of the book. Such were the exhortations of the store keepers, and we believed that it was a good book.

    I think whatever the store keeper said really made me want to find a moment to read the book in leisure. It has been anything but that, with the start of my business and the intensity of trying to make things work. I held off reading.

    In October, a friend and I managed to make a short trip to Penang. Penang is lovely- it is a city island, and is popular for its local cuisine. Our plan was to rest and recuperate, as we’d both had a busy year. I decided to take the book with me.

    The book was so easy to read, which sort of surprised me. I was almost expecting some stuffy sort of writing style, and have been pleasantly surprised at how wrong I was.

    Right from the word go, Irfan Ortega, draws you into his world. The story is rich, almost as if its tapestry was weaved intricately by a master carpet maker. It is hard not to feel the pleasures of the author’s family at its height, and their decline into poverty and shambles.

    I couldn’t put the book down. References to Istanbul made complete sense because some of the places were located in the Sultanahmet area – close by the Blue Mosque. Having visited the place, it brought the writing to life even more.

    It isn’t possible to do justice to the story by trying to explain it here. The emotions that Irfan Ortega conveyed could only be told with the emotional weightage of the person who had lived through the events detailed. I felt so thoroughly invested in what would happen to each of the individuals because of how powerful the writing was.

    This year, I have spent time reading books on business. I reread a couple of my long time favourites by Jane Austen, a book on the Ottomans, which I started before I went to Istanbul but only finished after I got home, and a few other books. I have been wanting to read more, and given how busy I’ve been, I am pleased that I have been able to do this much reading.

    What I can say with absolute certainty is that I was incredibly moved by this narrative of Irfan Ortega‘s. I heartily recommend it as a must read!

  • Pathways to Thriving

    What podcasts are you listening to?

    Podcasts have been on my mind a lot lately. I think they’re a great way to learn and contemplate a topic, or to gain perspective.

    There are two podcasts that I subscribe to.

    One needs no introduction- Diary of a CEO. Steven Bartlett’s staggering success with this podcast is nothing short of phenomenal. He even had a podcast episode air in cinemas! That must’ve been an amazing experience for those attending.

    The guests are interesting. Sometimes they rise and on other occasions, sink, in listeners’ esteem. This is realistic, given how wide the audience is and how many different perspectives and personalities are on display.

    The other podcast I’ve been listening to for some years is Gospel in Life. Since the passing of Tim Keller in 2023, the podcast has kept going strong with his sermons and talks. I love listening to him as I drive or sometimes when I have a moment.

    The podcast seeks to tell people about Jesus, and if anyone is familiar with Tim Keller’s work, you’ll know that his talks are faithful to the gospel.

    Lately, I’ve been listening to episodes of Pathways to Thriving. This is a podcast that I launched in September 2025. I listen back to identify bits for shorts in the editing process. I’m constantly in awe of my guests!

    I started the podcast with the aim of getting more diverse voices heard. There are so many people from different parts of the world that don’t have a platform to share their insights, but who are remarkable people.

    One of things I have to do to achieve my goal is to grow my podcast. So I’m constantly asking people to like, subscribe, and share my podcasts! It has to be done to get these voices out there.

    I have loved recording the interviews so far. In the first interview, I’m so nervous, it shows. I’m slowly gaining confidence. I’ve started doing the interviews with a script. It’s a good trajectory!

    My mind is full of my podcast- its growth, next guests, and content. I will share the link to my podcast here. If you have a moment, listen, like, subscribe, and share! I’m excited about what lies ahead. I need your support and I thank you for it!

    https://youtube.com/@progressivepathwaysconsulting?si=wG2dYeC5ZtnTA6sx