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The Boy Who Knew Too Much

I am fascinated by the mysteries of this universe and The Boy who Knew Too Much feeds my fascination about past lives and reincarnation.

I grew up a Catholic but deep down I’ve always believed in reincarnations and having past lives. This fascination led to an interest in Asian myths and religions as well as my own personal experiences encountering memories of past-lives in recent years. And because of this, I like reading books about children’s memories of their past lives.

The Boy Who Knew Too Much book cover
Photo taken from Cathy Byrd’s website

Lots of children under the age of 6 remember their previous lives or the time before they were born. Memories of Heaven is another book that I enjoyed reading cause it shares stories of a child’s past life and his recollection of time before birth.

When I first heard about The Boy who Knew Too Much, I was immediately intrigued by story of Christian Hanupt that recalled his previous life as Lou Gehrig. Anyone who has lived in the States and sometimes keep up with sports would have heard of this Baseball legend. Unfortunately, people also associate Lou Gehrig with the disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) – now known as the Lou Gehrig Disease, that took his life in 1941. Remember the ALS ice bucket challenge a few years ago? They were raising money for the cure to this disease.

It’s amazing to hear stories of someone who was as big as Lou Gehrig in his previous life. I also like Cathy Bird’s story of how she came to terms with this odd revelation. But really, it was Christian’s story that hooked me in.

My favorite part of the book is how it reminded me that our soul is so much bigger than the physical body and physical life we have at present. The soul has a bigger purpose and the soul is connected to the whole entire Life on this planet (and beyond?). As a human, one of the hardest thing we have to go through are separations and heart breaks. It’s nice to read stories like this to be reminded that the soul doesn’t know separation and we are always connected to each other :).

I heard one of the big production houses is making a film out of the book. Read it before it goes to the screen!

Interested to buy The Boy Who Knew Too Much? You can check it here.

What Gives Us Our Names

WhatgivesusournamesOnce in a while I find a book that I fall deeply in love with and I would hold it dearly and read it over and over and let the words wrap me and lift my heart.

This is one of them.

It came in a mail from a dear friend in Singapore. I probably have seen it multiple times in BooksActually, but had never picked it up. So I’m extremely thankful that I received this beautiful gift.

Pang took human’s most common emotions and life traits and projected them into the people that we meet on the street, people we know, and ourselves. Through these stories, I saw myself, my relationships, my old friend Passion, my elusive friend Purpose, and was reminded of Success and Failure.

A beautiful simple book with bite-sized, yet very impactful, stories.

I’ve been recommending it to my friends and now I’m recommending it to you.

It’s only $10, and if you buy this, you’ll be supporting local talent of Singapore, and a beautiful Singapore publishing house, and also a very very awesome Singapore’s very-loved indie bookshop. And plus, you’ll be supporting literary art.

So when you get a chance, do read it. (For those in Singapore) Also available from the BooksActually vending machines at the National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Visitor Centre, and Goodman Arts Centre. [I can’t wait to buy a book from one of these vending machines!]

And to end, here’s a short passage from the book.

“No one really knows where Courage came from or who his parents were. In his youth, he was considered a hero, and many things, good and evil, have been done in his name. But he prefers to be remembered for his garden – where even the tiniest seeds brave the wind and rain, he says, because it is their nature to grow or die.

I once asked Courage what he was afraid of. He joked that he lived every day in fear that it would be his last. And then as I turned to go, he whispered to me what he truly feared above all else: that things would remain only as they are.”

Brene Brown’s Daring Greatly

I’ve been reading Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly. If you don’t know who is Brené Brown, she is the one known as the Vulnerability lady cause her TED talk on Vulnerability is so good it went viral. If you haven’t watched it, I encouraged you to watch it here.

This book is a continuation of the talk. So it discusses the findings she had discovered from her research on shame, vulnerability, and how to live a wholehearted life. There are lots of great nuggets in there. But to me, it does feel like reading someone’s PhD’s findings. Still easy to read, but it has that feel.

Anyway, I’m still going through the book. But I’d like to share this quote, which I feel, sadly, reflects the truth of the people in the society today:

Vulnerability is the last thing I want you to see in me, but the first thing I look for in you.

I’d like to create an environment where people would feel comfortable sharing their true vulnerable selves. Cause true connection happens only when we share that.

If you want a little taste of this book but doesn’t want to read it, you can also watch Brené Brown’s second TED presentation here. Enjoy!