Being hopeful is beneficial for you

When you look at the sky or ocean, I wonder if it is the blue colour that makes you feel calm and serene? Feeling hopeful? That’s great as being hopeful is beneficial for you.

Here is a summarized version of an article on being hopeful: 5 ways to cultivate hope when you don’t have any from the TIME magazine, dated November 20, 2023.

What is hope?

As explained by Chan Hellman, founding director of the Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma:
Hope is a way of thinking.

It is not wishful thinking or blind optimism. Hope comes with the belief that the future can be better and more importantly, we have the capacity to pursue that future.

Hope is not just a thought process, it is about taking action!

Hopeful is beneficial

Hope is one of the strongest predictors of well-being.

People who feel hopeful have favourable health, both physically and mentally, and have stronger support system and live longer.

So, we should all practise being hopeful as it is worthwhile for you!

5 strategies to be hopeful

  1. Give yourself permission to be hopeful: This makes you look forward to the future!
  2. Set at least one meaningful goal: Something that you want to do, not something that you need to do!
  3. Brainstorm solutions: Think of ways of achieving that goal in step 2 so that you do not lose hope of not attaining your goal.
  4. Call your support team: Make a list of your biggest supporters, so in times of need, you know who you can contact.
  5. Tap into your imagination: Visualize how you would feel or the results from achieving your goal.

Learning from thousand-year old trees

Standing in awe of these towering trees that are several hundred or thousand years old, in contrast, we humans live far fewer years.

Adapting to the environment, the trees stand upright, strong and tall, withstanding the thunderstorms during their lifetime.

Sometimes extremity occurred and it might be struck by lightning, some survived this and lived on for many more years before another disaster befell on them.

We ponder upon the fact that long when we have passed on, the trees live on and keep flourishing.

Alas! Fussing over small incidents or tiny inconveniences in our daily lives? How minute are these as compared to the challenges that these giants face during extreme weather from mother nature.

Learn from the giants to stay calm, adapt to the environment and thrive under challenging circumstances.

When they are young, they are flexible and learn to adjust to the environment, swaying with the wind.

When they become stronger and tough, some become determined and face the challenges head on.

However, being stubborn can have its disadvantages, as when external forces are enormous, they might weaken, like the thick and strong branches which refuse to sway with the stormy weather. Once cracks appear in the branches from the continuous pounding of the storm, these branches snap under the extreme force of nature.

Nevertheless, nothing stops the giant – slowly new shoots appear from the broken parts, they thrive and grow again, until many years later when their time has come.

Hence, we can adopt these lessons, experience gained from thousands of years of living on mother earth.

Learn to adapt to the environment, face the challenges in our lives, have the flexible to change if needed and the resilience to bounce back from failures and calamity.

What trait do all successful people have?

The billionaire Mark Cuban says he sees …

one trait in all successful people—and it’s one of the only characteristics you can control …

‘Effort’!

I saw this in Jeju, South Korea. The owner put in enormous effort, as carving the design on the jugs was no mean feat!

This attracts attention from passersby, and I believe it would have given him some additional business.

It attracts shutterbugs as well 😉

What’s sweet and salty and oh so delicious in Penang Malaysia?

For those who likes peanuts, and you have a chance to visit Penang, be sure to drop by the Chowrasta market to pick up these oh so tasty and ‘with one bite and you can’t let it go’ peanut biscuits.

If you prefer the traditional type which is made with caramel, get this.

I like the new flavour, which uses honey and have both white and black sesame seeds.

It is less hard than the traditional type, although no less crunchy, which will be especially suitable if you are buying some for your elderly folks at home. It is also less sweet 😉

Put me at the Top of Penang

What better way to feel at the top of the world then to be at the highest point!

You get to see the lovely view of Penang. It is especially captivating at night.

Penang night sky at Window of the Top

In Penang, you would want to go to the Window of the Top and if you aren’t afraid of heights, walk the Rainbow Skywalk.

At Komtar – Window of the Top


It is a short distance of few meters. If you are nervous of heights but still want to experience walking the Rainbow Skywalk, one tip is not to look down ; )

Rainbow Skywalk is just a short path of few metres of glass flooring


For those not keen on the Rainbow Skywalk but want to go to the Window of the Top, there is a restaurant, and you can buy a voucher to go up to the restaurant.

You could enjoy a stroll or just sit down with your family and friends enjoying a drink after your meal. Especially when it is cool and breezy at night, it is a delightful experience looking at the night skyline.

I definitely recommend going in the evening for the night view. Enjoying the night scene at the Window of the Top is an awesome experience!