Mid-night enjoyment- reading Antigone :)

"We are asked to see that a conflict-free life would be lacking in value and beauty next to a life in which it is possible for conflict to arise; that part of the value of each claim derives from a special separateness and distinctness that would be eclipsed by harmonization."- Nussbaum (1986, p.81)

So well and beautifully written. I totally agree!!! This was the exact idea that I attempted to express to my dearest Sagwa Shawnna Fighta earlier on facebook chat while updating each other about college. To put the idea into simpler words: life without struggles is not worth living because we do not get to grow to our fullest. My beliefs is that the more struggles, the more one can grow. Of course, there are different direction of where one could grow- be defeated and grow into a failure, or be victorious and grow into someone truly beautiful. I know I have the most Powerful and Mighty God by my side, I will be victorious! 

At first, I was not a big fan of this cover so I thought Antigone was a play that I never read before. But as I read more about the introduction, I realized I read Antigone in the huge high school literary book! Absolutely love this play! I noticed that my little bro Jin and I both have affinity for anything Greek related. I love reading about Greek culture and how the ancient people interact with each other. I then combine what I know from watching Chinese drama to the lifestyle and values Greeks. They are so different in millions of ways yet so similar! 

I really enjoy reading. 

It provides me a safe and calm space to just go back to the minds of people who lived thousands of years before me, and to connect with them as if they were still alive! 

Reading also allows me to grow not physically, but mentally and spiritually. I get to grow from my heart as new epiphanies come up everything I read something triggers my thoughts.

Reading expands my views of the world.

Therefore, I would never stop reading! :) 

let me

keep r-e-a-d-i-n-g

Keep t...h...i...n...k...i...n...g

Keep growiNG

簡簡單單地。。。

溝通(Communication) 成了我近年來一直在興趣去研究的一門學問。家人需要溝通，朋友需要溝通，戀人需要溝通，師徒需要溝通，基本上任何一種關係都離不開溝通。但往往在溝通的過程中我們都容易變得太主觀，總是希望別人專心聆聽我們的意見，而很少留給對方空間去表達他們自己心裡所想的。

最近認識了一位好朋友，很好很好的朋友。我們那種心靈上的溝通使我忘記了大家相識原來只有半年的時間；感覺總是好像認識了很久很久。這應該要謝謝溝通的成果吧。 

有趣的是，英語不是我們倆的第一語言，再加上大家都有自己獨特的口音，在溝通的時候就會特別注意也會特別的有耐心。當被問到去重複一句話的時候，心裡並沒有那種不耐煩的感覺。只覺得要更加有耐心地相處。還有另外一個奇妙的發現，原來當大家溝通的語言不是最熟悉的語言，說話的方式會變得簡淺，因為會兼顧對方的接收能力。而同時間用簡淺的語言來來表達複雜的情緒或想法的時候，自己也會發覺原來很多時候都是自己的大腦無意中將事情複雜化了。這樣使用簡單的語言去溝通的另外一個好處是那種一言觸發而生氣的情況會明顯地降低。因為大家不會因為那一個小小字眼而生氣。

聖經有句話說得很好：

我 親 愛 的 弟 兄 們 、 這 是 你 們 所 知 道 的 ． 但 你 們 各 人 要 快 快 的 聽 、 慢 慢 的 說 、 慢 慢 的 動 怒 。［雅各書1：19］ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. [James 1:19] 當我還在探討溝通的竅門的時候，神老早就在聖經裡給予提示：快快的聽，慢慢的說，慢慢的動怒。這樣的幾句包含著多少智慧啊！

說起溝通，值得一提是我最近比較貪婪，同時開始了閱讀幾本書。除了之前提過的“The Art of Loving愛的藝術”，還開始了“The Psychology of Cross-Cultural Communication跨文化溝通心理學" 去年暑假在上海的時候買了好幾本有趣的心理學書籍。這是其中一本無意中發現的，覺得聽有趣就買下來了。雖然只是讀了幾頁，但我愛它的程度已經明顯的飆高，隨時有機會成為我最喜愛的書本之一！

其實我最近很懶，甚麼也沒有做。特別是功課！Term 3就快完了，我也有堆滿如山的功課。但是我卻容讓自己沈澱在這些課外書裡，享受著這‘忙’裡偷閒的樂趣。。。