Being authentic, being real, is a form of freedom. You are free to live out  your true nature. You could live out your feelings, thoughts, values, beliefs, preferences and personality. I found that it is a real great pleasure to be able to be yourself and stay true to your heart, as well as congruent in the way we treat people around us with no pretense. I realized how being authentic helps our mental, physical and spiritual health, and been thinking about what are some of the qualities of being authentic and wanting to be like that. Here are six qualities of being authentic in my own words. Authenticity: 6 Qualities of Being Authentic 1. Authentic people accept and are secure of who they are.  Authentic people acknowledge and accept their biggest strengths and flaws. They accept their failures and mistakes. Their self-esteem are healthy and do not depend on others to feel good about themselves. Not only that, t hey stay true to who they are and do not compromise o...

When people associate the word "solitude" or "alone", it sounds boring, like you're lonely and unpopular with no friends, and people may even "pity" you. Being alone does not mean you are lonely. Even when surrounded by people you can even feel lonely. Here are what loneliness and solitude mean. Loneliness is a negative state of mind that causes people to feel empty, isolated, and unwanted. It can be a symptom of a psychological disorder. On the other hand, solitude is a positive state of being alone and is a time for reflection, relaxation, and an opportunity for growth (Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today). It is when I started to spend time alone regularly I find myself thriving in terms of personal growth, mental health, physical health and many more aspects of life. Here is what I personally discovered, and I hope it could benefit you.  Solitude: 7 Powerful Benefits of Spending Time Alone 1. Solitude helps you discover who you...

Ever experienced times when life does not go as planned?  Perhaps not just minor things like losing your keys, tripping and spraining your ankle, spilling coffee on your laptop, or just having a bad day from work. It could be serious events like a failed marriage or relationship, dealing with a major conflict with a good friend, facing a major car accident and now you're lying on the hospital bed, losing your job, being diagnosed with a serious illness and even grieving from the death of a loved one. I'm sure none of us would want to have all these happen to us. They are undesirable things that we wish to avoid at all cost. And yes, we could not even control that from not happening, they are out of our control. Surely you would be down in the dumps, feeling ill-hearted, discouraged, depressed and in low spirits if these unfortunate, unexpected negative events turn up in your life. As we grow up, we realized that life is not as easy as it seems.  We have all been there...

In our society,  co unselling often comes across as something unnecessary, and it is deemed to be for those who are "weak" or have "mental problems".   I wonder how long more this stigma of  having to go to counselling sessions would stay in the minds of most people nowaday s in Malaysia. It was reported in 2018 by The Star Online that the prevalence of mental health issues among adults above 16 years old is 29.2%, which is  4.2mil of Malaysians, living with mental health issues. I would like to highlight this fact because we now know that mental health issues are getting serious, yet, people still would not talk about counselling openly. There is nothing wrong if you would like to seek help from professional counselling. In fact, counselling is not just for people living with or suffering from mental issues, but for anyone. Whether you are facing a difficulty in life, or just seeking for new insights and self-improvement, ANY individual could benefit ...