On Sugar Paper

Yesterday, I conducted a training for a corporate's CSR programme. I am generally sceptical about CSR programmes, but this one, inspires me at several levels. The programme aims to engage employees in their CSR activity and again I think that is a bold aim because employees sometimes do not want to (nor have the time to) do anything other than their jobs. There are some gems though, among the employees, whose eyes light up at the sound of getting involved in 'good' work. This, lights my soul. When I told the 'trainees' that "our stories make us who we are" and asked them to share some of their most defining life experiences that a quote reminds them, many of them began sharing. Two stories stand out and I am going to share them here. These are personal stories, not confidential ones. Forgiveness and Judgement One of the employees was a naval officer prior to joining this organisation. A few years ago he was on a small vessal and his job was to watch

I know how I want to die. I am very afraid of death and still get a bit superstitious about it (yes, this post has been edited several times!) Just recently RD called me to inform me of her father's death. She told me that her father had been diagnosed with brain cancer and he had chosen to not go through any treatment. In the months that he had he prepared them for his death. This post is not going to be about the physical aspect of my death but the emotional and mental aspect of it. I guess I want to die making everyone feel that I have lived enough. The problem as I see is not of the one who has died- the dead are on an adventure of their own. It's the ones who they leave behind that are filled with regret, sadness and a sense of loss. In order to leave others happier when I die, (maybe not 'happy' but at least not distraught) this is what I will do: 1. Tell people how happy and appreciative I am of my life. I don't want people to think that my life is sad and I