"I owe you a great debt of gratitude"

Say a prayer of gratitude

The folks at NST received their productivity bonuses last Friday. Some were happy while others felt that they had been cheated out of their share of the profits.

Their year-end appraisals were excellent; so, why? I have no intention of going into the whys and the wherefores of the situation.

I am more interested in the expressions of gratitude or ingratitude that emerged on the day NST employees checked their bank accounts.

A Facebook post by journalist Suzieana Uda Nagu stood out as being more meaningful than the rest. She told Facebook friends what was on her mind at 5.34am on February 25 when she posted this cryptic message: "Are you smiling now warga NSTP (or NSTP denizens)"?

Several friends responded to Suzieana's status update with all kinds of comments. And it went back and forth.

Suzieana Uda Nagu

Those who work for the company would know what Suzieana was alluding to. The bonus payments which were promised to all staff with high levels of productivity were paid directly into their bank just before dawn broke on February 25.

Apparently many were online at the time to view their accounts. Suzieana wrote: "While most will be smiling ear to ear today, remember that some aren't getting their fair share of the pie. Some got more than they deserved, while others didn't get anything at all. So be thankful for what you got."

Wow! That blew me away! Those simple sentences encapsulate the positive emotions that emanate from the feeling of being grateful or thankful.

It serves as a timely reminder of just how easy it is for me to forget to say "Thank you God for allowing me to live another day".

Comments

Who am I?

Malaysian artist Jeganathan Ramachandram will be exhibiting his paintings in Singapore if a deal with a company to display Human Watching: A Visual Poetry on the Science of Human Watching in the island republic is successful. The intuitive artist told Survey that the move is still under negotiation. Human watching made its debut at Galeri Petronas in March, 2009 and was well received by both art critics and art lovers. Fourteen portraits representing females and males born on each of the seven days in a week were put on view. The depictions (acrylic on canvas) were based on his observations of human behaviour for the past 14 years. Images of seven females and seven males inform viewers through symbols of their strengths and weaknesses and their relationships with other people. Those who have seen Human Watching identified with their profiles almost immediately. Admit it: you are curious about yourself! Males, who were born on Sunday ( bottom picture ), were pleasantly surprised to dis...

Jehan bagged it!

Journalist Jehan Mohd is 30 today. I thought she would like a mer? original handbag so I invited Ice to design one that would suit her charming and vivacious personality. Ice did not disappoint and I am very happy with her creation. I think Jehan likes the stylish tote ( see picture ) too. Happy Birthday Jehan and enjoy the bag!

When a card came out of the blue ...

This post is prompted by a remark made by my good friend Wei Lin. She saw me reading a card I had received from a friend recently and said: "Traditional cards are so old-fashioned." I wondered if that was true and decided to probe into the issue. A Google search revealed numerous articles on the debate between traditional paper-based cards and e-cards. Tracey Grady's examination of the pros and cons of each type is informative. In my opinion, e-cards are not substitutes for the real (traditional) ones and they shouldn't be. I treat e-card e-mails with suspicion because spammers could be using them to download viruses and software onto my computer. I have never sent anyone an e-card and I don't plan to; I dislike the cold impersonality of conveying greetings electronically. I have always liked sending and receiving cards the traditional way. The ritual of going to a bookshop, browsing at the card section, picking a suitable one for the recipient and then walking to...

a fleeting stay ...

Search This Blog