The Tiger Who Came to Tea | READ
Chinese New Year is one of my absolute favourite times in Singapore.
When I arrived 12 years ago living in Asia as a newbie I didn’t appreciate, or understand, the New Year ceremony and celebrations. Now, I not only get to enjoy the fantastic cooling winds that flow through the island, but I get the opportunity to celebrate two New Years in one calendar year!
In case you’re not aware, the tiger zodiac sign represents strength and bravery. It certainly has been symbolic to me, from the first year arriving in Asia to this year’s Tiger.
My First Year of the Tiger
Back in 2010, in last year of the Tiger, I arrived in Singapore as a ‘trailing dependent wife’ (how’s that for a motivational title!). I had no job to go to, no children to take care of, no friends to play with and no dog to clear up after.My husband immediately started his new job, jaunted off to his office and I was left in the home alone. So I quickly had to find ways to fill my days and find something to do with all this excess time I had on my hands. Luckily in my first week I found a fabulous yoga studio that I could attend 3 times a week so I could remain balanced and keep my sanity.
After my yoga class I would walk down Orchard Road and treat myself to a cup of tea at TWG Ion. I loved sitting in the cocoon of the tea salon and listening to the uplifting classical music whilst sipping on my tea (Jasmine Pearls) and writing in my journal about how I wanted my life to be moving forward. I wanted to rebuild my Coaching business, (for the third time) to become a mother (a wish I had been pursuing unsuccessfully for 18 years) and to make new friends (I’m really good at that).
During those early days I used to go there so often on my own that the very efficient and courteous staff once said to me, in kindness “Mam, haven’t you got any friends?” And I replied smiling, “not yet but I am working on it!”
Year of the Tiger 2022
Fast forward to 12 years later and I have a thriving global business, 2 adorable children, amazing friends all around the world and an unconditionally loving dog!
I still visit TWG Ion as it’s one of my happy places in Singapore. I regularly invite special friends with me but I still sneak in there on my own too, where I journal and have some quality ‘me time’.
One of the other non tea related things I love about TWG is that when you get the bill they give you a lovely postcard. It’s always a beautiful picture that changes with each season or to showcase a new tea and it is such lovely quality, just like their tea and food. Knowing how regularly I visit, and to not waste such a lovely gesture I made sure I used this postcard in a very special way.
Forecasting your Future
As a Clinical Hypnotherapist I know that the unconscious mind can’t differentiate between fact or fiction. This is why, when you are watching a scary movie, you will feel the emotion of whatever you are thinking about.
We can use our creativity and imagination to either ‘fearcast or forecast’ and I love to spend my energy forecasting my best life. Knowing that valuable information I have started a little ritual at TWG. Whenever I do invite a friend to join me (as I have lots now), I always ask for two postcards. I ask my friend to do some forecasting in their one and only life too.
As Dr Wayne Dyer says
“We have to believe it before we see it”.
My friend and I both write a postcard to ourselves saying how proud we are about what we have achieved in the future but writing ‘as if’ it has already been achieved.
For example:
Mary
I even took my daughter as a treat last year before she started Year 6. I invited her to write to herself too and it was wonderful. Firstly, because she wanted to do it and secondly, both of her achievements came true quite quickly.
Dreams do come true
I have the joy of owning lots of these future-paced achievements. I ‘file’ them in my favourite journals and books. It’s such fun when I come across one, read it and remember when the ‘as if’ was just a dream and realise now that so much of it is a reality.
Gosh! So that’s just some of what the last 12 years have gifted me. I’m so grateful. When my daughter, who was born in the Year of the Tiger said to me, “Mummy you do realise that I will be 24 years old at the next year of the Tiger”, it made me feel quite sick and excited at the same time. Sounds like I need to get some more of my ‘as if’ postcards writing in action!
My dearest friends, some of whom are now based around the world, thank you for playing the ‘as if’ game with me. I know many of your dreams have and are coming true too. To my friends in Singapore, when I invite you to join me at TWG for a cup of tea you know now what to expect don’t you. 😊
And guess what TWG stands for? The Wellness Group – of course it does, syncrodestiny at work!
