Ah Q's Spirit- 阿Q精神

Was feeling down for a couple of reasons. People deal with stress, negative thoughts & energies differently. Some people go for a run, a swim, meet with friends, have a beer, dance the night away, eat, shop, etc. Whenever I feel down, I try simply to think more optimistically and bake something. (Er... but that doesn't mean that I feel down whenever I bake. I just like to bake.)

I try to thinking more positively, simply telling myself to be contented as things could be worse, much worse. So things are really not as bad as they seem. It's not a big problem. It's no big deal. Life's not perfect, but it's still good! Think this is also the reason why I started this blog- to remind myself to stay contented as life's indeed good!

I had a surgery to remove my sinus tract infection on my cheek. I was worried about the scarring. Told myself at least it's not life threatening, not a tumour or something. I already had a scar before, I can cover it under some powder. It's not that bad. It's really not a big deal. 

Have been trying to conceive for quite some time now, but with no results. It's okay, I am still enjoying life without children. We can travel freely. I would honestly rather be child-free than than have a child born with special needs. I salute parents with children born with special needs. 

Was telling Jerome that although I seem 'bo chap' (not bothered) about certain situations,  I have my own coping strategies that have helped me well. My strategy of 'staying positive' is what he referred as the "阿Q精神 (AH Q's Spirit)'. When you can't have it, just think positively to make yourself feel better -it's really self-delusion. (eg. When Jerome was young, he wanted to have a holiday. His mother said that he is fortunate enough to have left the country. There are many others who do not have a chance.)  On the flip side, there's a danger of not progressing, since one is easily contented. To me, it's like a paradox, a balance has to be strike. If there's a situation that you really cannot change, then adopting the "Ah Q's Spirit' of thinking positively will definitely make life a lot easier & happier. It's definitely the path of least resistance. Why dwell in unhappiness if you can change your attitude and mindset a little and be happy instead? 

Did a little research on the net & found the following about the Ah Q's Spirit:

Ah Q is a character in a novel written by Lu Xun. "The life Ah Q lives in his mind as opposed to his life which is reality, remind me of certain tendencies in my own life to spend a little mental power and beautifying an otherwise ugly outlook." According to the Wikipedia,  the "spirit of Ah Q" (阿Q精神)(A Q jingshen) is now commonly used as a term of mockery to describe anybody who chooses not to face up to reality and deceives himself into believing he is successful or that he has unjustified beliefs of superiority over others.


Hmm... Do I have "Ah Q's Spirit"? Whatever it is, I'm just trying to think positively... 

And remember Nick, the Australian guy born without arms & legs? If he can be happy, so can we!

I like what my sister said in her blog, "If you are unhappy, you are wasting time you could be happy instead. Rather be happy than unhappy."

Always Think of the Bright Side of Life by Monty Python
So dance like noone's watching...


"The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.
If not now ... when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. 
It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway."


After all that's being said, you can always strive for the best! 
Life's good and it can definitely be better!