Reflective Seeds by Counsellor Seyram

As humans who are in constant interaction with others in our environment, it is natural to give information about ourselves to others just as we receive information about the lives of others . Quite often, there is the tendency to share too much detailed information about certain events or activities happening in our lives with others close to us for various reasons. This may be caused by the need for validation or appreciation, empathy, sympathy, support or maybe just out of excitement to share good news with those we care about and assume care about us as well.  Usually in the moment of excitement, we do not cross-examine ourselves or the person we are sharing the information with as much as we ought to on the need to give out the information. We give out the information with the belief that it will be kept privately between us and the receiving person(s). Sadly, this is not the reality in most cases. Except in rare cases where we appreciate that it is classified information, we

Contentment is a state of being happy or satisfied as a result of what one has accomplished. One’s achievements can be educational, financial or socio-economic and politically related. However, there is no specific measure of what height one needs to attain in terms of financial, socio-economical, educational, political, or probably marital status to be considered as content in life. Contentment does not necessarily mean that all things are in place concerning you. However, it means that you are satisfied with your life as it is. Sometimes, it relates to situations or instances where you have given the best of yourself to your circle of influence and possibly extending similar support to others in the community. Indeed, your ideal contentment is exclusively known to you alone. To attain any state of contentment in life, one has to consciously be in control of his or her life independent of public opinion. Everyone needs to define what contentment means to him or her because it is a

  A weakness is considered as inability to function satisfactorily in a particular way, activity, place, etc. It is therefore common for individuals to shy away from their weaknesses. They would normally deny any of such weaknesses in their lives in a bid to escape it.   It may also be because they want to make excuses to avoid being considered as inadequate.  On the contrary, I hope to encourage you to explore your weaknesses and possibly focus on transforming them more than glorifying your strengths.  Knowing your weaknesses: 1.   enables you to learn new ways to help you cope in situations that are unfavourable for you; 2.   challenges you to discover yourself and align to any needed obligations where necessary; 3.      helps you to avoid stressful and upsetting situations that could affect your mental, emotional, psychological and social life; 4.      guides you to predict your responses to situations at all times; and 5.      helps you accept yourself and be firm in your

In ending each year, it is common for many individuals and even groups to set resolutions for the ensuing year. Some individuals might have achieved set resolutions for previous years but same may not be said for others who, for some reasons, could not achieve theirs. Regardless of how the year turned out vis-à-vis the set resolutions, aspirations or goals, being alive is the best gift anyone can possess in the year. We may not be able to undo much about the year ending, however in the year ahead and those beyond, here is a twelve-point food for thought that can contribute to make the new year meaningful. 1. January: Be kind to and tend yourself: Quite often, we are so engrossed in working hard to earn an income as well as make other significant strides; thus we tend to be very hard on ourselves. We forget to take care of ourselves or show kindness to our person. It is important to be considerate of ourselves and put our needs first. Highly significant is the need to prioritise our h

When things are going well in our lives, we seldom require the support of others. We are able to handle situations within our means. However due to the endless uncertainties and unpredictable nature of life, there often comes a time when we need the help of others to be able to navigate through life.  In such times, our relationships are tested. Understandably, every individual has personal hurdles to overcome in life thus there is no easy life for anyone - that is the reality of human existence. There is always a need to be met. It is therefore a privilege for anyone to shelve his or her personal and primary obligations to make time to offer support to others. This is not exclusive to finances. It stretches far into the scope of emotional, spiritual, physical, psychological, educational and social support. In fact, the greatest support any individual can offer others is his or her time and presence for they will never be recovered again - at least not in the same form or instance it i

Life is fluid and passing. Across many religious beliefs, no one seems to have a definitive guide to the specific duration of life span of mortal beings. Irrespective of this reality, it is evident that life starts at a point - inception - and physically comes to an end when one draws his or her last breath and is no longer counted among the living. Nonetheless, many theories exist about the spiritual and metaphysical realms in relation to life after death but that is not the focus of this reflection. Despite the knowledge that life is passing and that we all may pass this way once (except for the beliefs of subjects like reincarnation), most humans tend to live in a state of uncertainty vis-a-vis what the future holds. Ironically, we live counting on a future whose end no one can tell, constantly struggling to find purpose and trying hard to fit into acceptable standards of excellence as determined by society and culture as well as unceasingly desiring to be and feel recognised.

  Friendship is a wonderful relationship. It is one which can be a source of upliftment, joy, anguish or even bitterness. It can be a bittersweet experience based on a myriad of factors. We reflect on what it means to have a friend and also to be a friend to someone. Let us closely consider the various definitions for the word "friend". While the Cambridge online dictionary conceives a friend as “a person you know well and who you like a lot but is not a family member”, the Oxford online dictionary considers it as “a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations”. Also, the Dictionary.com and Vocabulary.com  respectively define a friend as “a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard or a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter” and “your buddy, your pal, your amigo, your comrade; someone you trust and like enough to hang out with on a regular basis”. Based on the foregoi