Why go through life as if it is a drudgery? From the time we wake to sleep, we need to add life to whatever we do. Whether it is about, doing routine such as brushing teeth, getting dressed up for the day or doing chores like watering plants, cooking or spending time with our loved ones such as playing with kids or talking with a family member and even in office while doing our work. Many a times we do things only b’cos we are expected to do things and the focus is on its completion. Rarely do we pay attention to the process.
The state of mind you are in most of your time during the day indicates the state of your life. If you are spending most of you day in anxiety or anger, that is what your life is about.
No matter how much you have, you always have something less than the other and something more than the other. So if there is something to complain about there will always be something to appreciate or if we have a reason to keep track of or worries, we have also a good reason to count our blessings too. Worrying makes us helpless and unenthusiastic towards life, however, counting our blessing helps us to appreciate life and gives us vigor to deal with life challenges.
Begin your day, counting your blessings. Give life to everything you do. Enjoy whatever you are doing. Stay in the moment and experience fully, that which you are doing. Eg. If you are watering your plant focus on the colors of the leaves today. When you are cooking smell the aroma of the spices. When you are drinking water feel the taste of it. When you are eating food, experience how it is nourishing your body. Maybe that is the reason they say not to talk while eating. If something is a drudery combine it with something you like. Eg. Listning to music while driving. Reading while waiting for someone or something etc.
This does not mean that we need to work in slow motion. It only means we need to be present in the moment. As mentioned earlier, the state of mind you are in most of the day indicates the state of your life. If you find yourself thinking about what you need to do next or what lies ahead, chances are good that there is an eagerness to finish what you are doing and hence some anxiety too about the future. Which means your state of mind is about eagerness or anxiety. Some of us do things constantly dwelling in our past. Thinking about what happened in the past and how it could have happened differently. Hence the experience would be of either sorrow or anger. And that is your life experience. And how will we be leading our life differently? When I am in the moment of the task I am doing, I give undivided attention to it. And when I do it, I learn something new about my task which I would not have otherwise. For eg. When I water my plants and am in the moment. Chances are good that I would be enjoying it, I feel relaxed among my plants. It would be a fulfilling experience because the reason I have a garden is for the beauty it adds to my surrounding and I am in the moment of beauty contributing to its growth. Similarly when I am in the moment with my kid or a family member, without being bothered about what is happening in the kitchen or TV. I would learn something new about my loved one, A reason to laugh. Probably a reason to reach out to the person. When you are dressing yourself up and are in the moment, you will realize how good you are looking in the dress you picked up and how well it suits you. You will find yourself happier and confident.
But it will not be easy changing to this way of living - i.e living in the moment, giving life to what you are doing. Simply because we have been
programmed as kids to do everything focusing on the end. We are meant to do everything fast. Before we do something we are told what we would have to do after that. Problem is not with planning. Problem is with speed and sending accuracy for a toss.
So it is time to reprogram ourselves and our kids. Lets be with the process of life. Lets experience every moment of life and that is when we add Life to LIFE
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
My ultimate favourite Quotes on Friendship
I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.
-John Burrough
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.
-Albert Camus
Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another,
"What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"
-C. S. Lewis
True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.
-Charles Caleb Colton
When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do.
Think up something appropriate and do it.
-Edgar Watson Howe
My father always used to say that when you die, if you've got five real friends, then you've had a great life.
-Lee Iacocca
The real test of friendship is: Can you literally do nothing with the other person?
Can you enjoy together those moments of life that are utterly simple?
They are the moments people looks back on at the end of life and number as their most sacred experiences.
- Eugene Kennedy
I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar,
but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar.
-Robert Brault
-John Burrough
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.
-Albert Camus
Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another,
"What! You too? I thought I was the only one!"
-C. S. Lewis
True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.
-Charles Caleb Colton
When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do.
Think up something appropriate and do it.
-Edgar Watson Howe
My father always used to say that when you die, if you've got five real friends, then you've had a great life.
-Lee Iacocca
The real test of friendship is: Can you literally do nothing with the other person?
Can you enjoy together those moments of life that are utterly simple?
They are the moments people looks back on at the end of life and number as their most sacred experiences.
- Eugene Kennedy
I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar,
but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar.
-Robert Brault
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
My favourite Quotes
Work like you don't need the money
dance like no one is watching
sing like no one is listening
love like you've never been hurt
and live life every day as if it were your last
I shall pass through this world but once.
Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show any human being, let me do it now.
Let me not deter or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Stephen Grellett
“Tell me and I'll forget;
show me and I'll remember;
involve me and I'll understand.”
"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be."
Two roads diverged in a wood, and --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost
Along the Road
I walked a mile with Pleasure
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow
And ne'er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me.
-Robert Browning Hamilton
When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.
When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.
When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.
When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.
When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.
When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.
When you're feeling tired, dare to keep going.
When times are tough, dare to be tougher.
When love hurts you, dare to love again.
When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.
When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.
When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.
When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.
When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.
When the day has ended, dare to feel as you've done your best.
Dare to be the best you can At all times, Dare to be!
-Steve Maraboli
dance like no one is watching
sing like no one is listening
love like you've never been hurt
and live life every day as if it were your last
I shall pass through this world but once.
Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show any human being, let me do it now.
Let me not deter or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Stephen Grellett
“Tell me and I'll forget;
show me and I'll remember;
involve me and I'll understand.”
"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be."
Two roads diverged in a wood, and --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost
Along the Road
I walked a mile with Pleasure
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow
And ne'er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me.
-Robert Browning Hamilton
When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.
When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.
When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.
When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.
When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.
When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.
When you're feeling tired, dare to keep going.
When times are tough, dare to be tougher.
When love hurts you, dare to love again.
When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.
When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.
When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.
When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.
When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.
When the day has ended, dare to feel as you've done your best.
Dare to be the best you can At all times, Dare to be!
-Steve Maraboli
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The Serenity Prayer - by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)Complete, Unabridged, Original Version.
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
On CHILDREN by Kahlil Gibran
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
Are You Wasting Your Precious Life? - Steve Pavlina
Let me share with you a simple perspective shift that can help you clarify your priorities in life.
You may spend time on a variety of different activities in the course of a day. Some of these will only take up small slices of time, like 15 or 30 minutes. However, over the course of a year or longer, these small slices can really add up.
Here's a little table showing how many 8-hour days you'll devote to certain activities over the course of 1, 5, and 50 years based on how much time you devote to them in an average day. Eight hours is a typical workday for many people, so this will give you an idea of how much "work" you're investing in these tasks over time.
Per DayPer YearPer 5 YearsPer 50 Years
10 min7.6 days38 days380 days
15 min11 days57 days570 days
30 min23 days114 days1,141 days
1 hour46 days228 days2,281 days
2 hours91 days456 days4,563 days
For example, if you average 30 minutes per day processing email, you'll spend the equivalent of 23 8-hour days processing email this year. That's equivalent to 4.6 weeks if you worked 40 hours per week. This means that you're investing more than one full working month out of each year, just processing email. And over the course of 50 years, you'll spend the equivalent of 4.6 working years doing nothing but processing email (assuming 50 work weeks per year at 40 hours per week).
And how easy is it to spend 30 minutes or more per day on email?
If this jolts you a bit, then it's time to reassess how you're investing your time. Do you really want to spend the equivalent of several years out of your life processing email? Checking Facebook? Watching TV? Would you deliberately dedicate 5-10 years of your life to any of those activities?
Having a long time perspective can sharpen your daily decisions. Wasting 15 minutes here and there may not seem like a big deal, but if you get into the habit of doing this every day, it means you'll waste the equivalent of 2.3 years of your life over the next 50 years. Do you really think it's wise to discard all that time as worthless?
Investing Your Time
If you consider how much time you're really investing in certain activities over the long run, you may question whether certain activities are worth such huge chunks of your life.
For each activity you regularly engage in, figure out what your long-term investment is over the next 50 years... or whatever you perceive to be your remaining lifespan. Then imagine how it would feel to make that investment all at once as opposed to doling it out over time.
Would you sacrifice a decade of your life to passively consume all your favorite TV shows? Can you imagine what it would be like to watch TV 40 hours per week for 10 years straight? Do you feel that's a wise investment? Would you want to invest even 1-2 years in such a pursuit?
How about sleeping in late each day, when you could function just as well if you got out of bed an hour earlier? That's the same thing as taking a year off once every 5 years just to lie in bed as if it were your full-time job. Does that seem like a good way to live?
Consider a certain friend or relative that you talk to for 30 minutes a week. Over the next 10 years, you'll have invested about 33 8-hour days in these conversations. Which of your relationships are worth that kind of investment? Which aren't? And who's maintaining those relationships?
Cut the Fluff
When you see how small daily time expenditures add up to years out of your life, you may want to cut some of the most obvious fluff that clearly isn't worth a big investment.
What are the greatest sources of fluff in your life? What can you cut right now?
Which TV shows can you drop? Which websites clearly aren't worthy of you? Which relationships have got to go?
What's Worthy of You?
Once you gain some clarity about which activities are obviously a waste of your life, ask yourself, What activities are truly worthy of my precious time?
If you imagine dividing your life into 5-year chunks, which activities are worthy of a whole chunk?
Would you like to spend 5 years using Facebook for 8 hours per day? Is that a worthy investment? Would you get good value from that?
Some activities I couldn't stomach doing for 5 years straight would be: processing email, watching TV, reading the news, handling junk mail, working at a regular job, or doing accounting.
Some activities I can imagine myself doing for 5 years straight would be: traveling around the world, learning and self-education, creating and sharing original content (writing, speaking, etc.), conducting experiments, having deep conversations with people who fascinate me, cooking (if I was steadily improving at it), learning new languages (maybe), becoming an expert on a subject that interested me greatly, studying martial arts, building a business, or working on projects that inspire me.
I could even see myself potentially enjoying the experience of playing poker for 5 years straight, assuming I got really good at it and was able to travel and compete in tournaments. This wouldn't be at the top of my list, but it's a lot more appealing than spending 5 years answering email.
What do your lists look like?
Upgrading the Unworthy
You'll find that some activities aren't worthy of the time you've been devoting to them, but with a little tweaking, you may be able to change them into worthier activities.
Suppose you realize that you're on track to devote a full 10 years of your life to playing video games. Maybe you like playing games, but you don't feel this activity is worth a decade of your life, so something needs to change. But the idea of dropping games completely doesn't feel good.
Fortunately you don't have to completely abandon an experience that you value. You can upgrade it to something that still feels good to you.
Perhaps 10 years of playing video games is too much to accept, but maybe you'd feel good about devoting 1 year of your life to a similar pursuit. Instead of playing console or computer games, what if you switched to strategy board games? Imagine a fun year spent playing unique and challenging strategy games with your very best friends. You could learn a new game every week, so you'd get to play about 50 new games that year. If the games challenge you mentally and fire up your competitive spirit, this may be a worthwhile pursuit. And it would be a social experience too.
In practical terms, this would mean having one 3.5-hour gaming session about once a month for the next 50 years. And if you're willing to devote 2 years of your life to this pursuit instead of just 1, you could double that. If you really enjoy the games AND you're playing these games with people you like, then this kind of investment might feel good to you -- potentially a lot better than spending a decade of your life playing video games by yourself.
Creating Your Life
You're in charge of creating your life. If you don't like where your time is going, it's up to you to change that. Other people can't dictate how you spend your time unless you willingly yield your power to them or they're physically forcing you.
Start by saying no to that which is clearly a waste of your life. Then upgrade or replace those low-value activities with choices that are worthy of you. Cancel your cable TV, and use the time savings to read the books you've always yearned to read. Quit that time-wasting social networking site, and spend a month out of every year traveling instead. Get up an hour earlier, and invest that time in a worthwhile hobby. Dump the corporate slave job, and spend those years doing work you find purposeful and fulfilling.
Don't let this be written on your tombstone:
Here lies John, who passed away
While answering his email one day.
No friend, no child, no loving mate
Could keep poor John from working late.
With each new mail, he worked like hell
To click "reply" instead of "del."
A prompt response he'd always give
But somehow he forgot to live.
Fill your days with activities that are truly worthy of you. Don't be an unconscious drone. Create a real life for yourself.
You may spend time on a variety of different activities in the course of a day. Some of these will only take up small slices of time, like 15 or 30 minutes. However, over the course of a year or longer, these small slices can really add up.
Here's a little table showing how many 8-hour days you'll devote to certain activities over the course of 1, 5, and 50 years based on how much time you devote to them in an average day. Eight hours is a typical workday for many people, so this will give you an idea of how much "work" you're investing in these tasks over time.
Per DayPer YearPer 5 YearsPer 50 Years
10 min7.6 days38 days380 days
15 min11 days57 days570 days
30 min23 days114 days1,141 days
1 hour46 days228 days2,281 days
2 hours91 days456 days4,563 days
For example, if you average 30 minutes per day processing email, you'll spend the equivalent of 23 8-hour days processing email this year. That's equivalent to 4.6 weeks if you worked 40 hours per week. This means that you're investing more than one full working month out of each year, just processing email. And over the course of 50 years, you'll spend the equivalent of 4.6 working years doing nothing but processing email (assuming 50 work weeks per year at 40 hours per week).
And how easy is it to spend 30 minutes or more per day on email?
If this jolts you a bit, then it's time to reassess how you're investing your time. Do you really want to spend the equivalent of several years out of your life processing email? Checking Facebook? Watching TV? Would you deliberately dedicate 5-10 years of your life to any of those activities?
Having a long time perspective can sharpen your daily decisions. Wasting 15 minutes here and there may not seem like a big deal, but if you get into the habit of doing this every day, it means you'll waste the equivalent of 2.3 years of your life over the next 50 years. Do you really think it's wise to discard all that time as worthless?
Investing Your Time
If you consider how much time you're really investing in certain activities over the long run, you may question whether certain activities are worth such huge chunks of your life.
For each activity you regularly engage in, figure out what your long-term investment is over the next 50 years... or whatever you perceive to be your remaining lifespan. Then imagine how it would feel to make that investment all at once as opposed to doling it out over time.
Would you sacrifice a decade of your life to passively consume all your favorite TV shows? Can you imagine what it would be like to watch TV 40 hours per week for 10 years straight? Do you feel that's a wise investment? Would you want to invest even 1-2 years in such a pursuit?
How about sleeping in late each day, when you could function just as well if you got out of bed an hour earlier? That's the same thing as taking a year off once every 5 years just to lie in bed as if it were your full-time job. Does that seem like a good way to live?
Consider a certain friend or relative that you talk to for 30 minutes a week. Over the next 10 years, you'll have invested about 33 8-hour days in these conversations. Which of your relationships are worth that kind of investment? Which aren't? And who's maintaining those relationships?
Cut the Fluff
When you see how small daily time expenditures add up to years out of your life, you may want to cut some of the most obvious fluff that clearly isn't worth a big investment.
What are the greatest sources of fluff in your life? What can you cut right now?
Which TV shows can you drop? Which websites clearly aren't worthy of you? Which relationships have got to go?
What's Worthy of You?
Once you gain some clarity about which activities are obviously a waste of your life, ask yourself, What activities are truly worthy of my precious time?
If you imagine dividing your life into 5-year chunks, which activities are worthy of a whole chunk?
Would you like to spend 5 years using Facebook for 8 hours per day? Is that a worthy investment? Would you get good value from that?
Some activities I couldn't stomach doing for 5 years straight would be: processing email, watching TV, reading the news, handling junk mail, working at a regular job, or doing accounting.
Some activities I can imagine myself doing for 5 years straight would be: traveling around the world, learning and self-education, creating and sharing original content (writing, speaking, etc.), conducting experiments, having deep conversations with people who fascinate me, cooking (if I was steadily improving at it), learning new languages (maybe), becoming an expert on a subject that interested me greatly, studying martial arts, building a business, or working on projects that inspire me.
I could even see myself potentially enjoying the experience of playing poker for 5 years straight, assuming I got really good at it and was able to travel and compete in tournaments. This wouldn't be at the top of my list, but it's a lot more appealing than spending 5 years answering email.
What do your lists look like?
Upgrading the Unworthy
You'll find that some activities aren't worthy of the time you've been devoting to them, but with a little tweaking, you may be able to change them into worthier activities.
Suppose you realize that you're on track to devote a full 10 years of your life to playing video games. Maybe you like playing games, but you don't feel this activity is worth a decade of your life, so something needs to change. But the idea of dropping games completely doesn't feel good.
Fortunately you don't have to completely abandon an experience that you value. You can upgrade it to something that still feels good to you.
Perhaps 10 years of playing video games is too much to accept, but maybe you'd feel good about devoting 1 year of your life to a similar pursuit. Instead of playing console or computer games, what if you switched to strategy board games? Imagine a fun year spent playing unique and challenging strategy games with your very best friends. You could learn a new game every week, so you'd get to play about 50 new games that year. If the games challenge you mentally and fire up your competitive spirit, this may be a worthwhile pursuit. And it would be a social experience too.
In practical terms, this would mean having one 3.5-hour gaming session about once a month for the next 50 years. And if you're willing to devote 2 years of your life to this pursuit instead of just 1, you could double that. If you really enjoy the games AND you're playing these games with people you like, then this kind of investment might feel good to you -- potentially a lot better than spending a decade of your life playing video games by yourself.
Creating Your Life
You're in charge of creating your life. If you don't like where your time is going, it's up to you to change that. Other people can't dictate how you spend your time unless you willingly yield your power to them or they're physically forcing you.
Start by saying no to that which is clearly a waste of your life. Then upgrade or replace those low-value activities with choices that are worthy of you. Cancel your cable TV, and use the time savings to read the books you've always yearned to read. Quit that time-wasting social networking site, and spend a month out of every year traveling instead. Get up an hour earlier, and invest that time in a worthwhile hobby. Dump the corporate slave job, and spend those years doing work you find purposeful and fulfilling.
Don't let this be written on your tombstone:
Here lies John, who passed away
While answering his email one day.
No friend, no child, no loving mate
Could keep poor John from working late.
With each new mail, he worked like hell
To click "reply" instead of "del."
A prompt response he'd always give
But somehow he forgot to live.
Fill your days with activities that are truly worthy of you. Don't be an unconscious drone. Create a real life for yourself.
There’s Always Something Better! By Cheryl Richardson
This week I caught an interview with Jennifer Hudson, the young singer who was voted off of American Idol and ended up stealing the show in the movie, Dreamgirls. Jennifer was asked how she handled the disappointment of being eliminated from Idol when most people thought she would win. She admitted that it was painful and that she cried a lot, but that eventually she returned to her faith. “I chose to trust that God had a bigger plan for me than I could see at the time,” she explained.
I guess so. Her performance in Dreamgirls led to an Oscar.
Jennifer's story is a powerful reminder of how life's disappointments may in fact be preparation for something even more significant in our lives. And, this belief has the best chance of coming true when you make a demonstrated commitment to learn and grow from your present day circumstances.
When I look back at the painful breakup of the relationship I was in before my marriage, for example, I can see that the suffering and subsequent growth I went through was exactly what I needed to prepare me for a more mature and lasting relationship later on—although I certainly didn't know it at the time. The pain and disappointment forced me to grow. It challenged me to face my fear of living alone. It prompted me to get my butt into therapy. And it ultimately helped me to develop self-respect. I learned to treat myself better, which in turn, naturally raised my standards for how I would allow others to treat me in the future.
Jennifer's belief can serve us all in times of suffering or pain. For example, is there something going on in your life right now—a breakup, a problem at work, the slow growth of your business, or financial hardship—that might be attempting to prepare you for what's next? Think about it. What if your current challenge is a call to action—the kind of action that will prepare you for the next phase of your life? What are you being invited to learn? What qualities of character are trying to be strengthened or developed? Where do you need to take more responsibility in your life?
As I've dealt with my own challenges, the belief of "disappointment or suffering as preparation" is something I hold onto as a reminder that we are never alone, that there is a purpose to our suffering and pain, and that when we get to the other side, a great opportunity to use what we've learned in service to ourselves and others awaits.
Take heart. Every day, in some way, we're all being prepared for something better...
I guess so. Her performance in Dreamgirls led to an Oscar.
Jennifer's story is a powerful reminder of how life's disappointments may in fact be preparation for something even more significant in our lives. And, this belief has the best chance of coming true when you make a demonstrated commitment to learn and grow from your present day circumstances.
When I look back at the painful breakup of the relationship I was in before my marriage, for example, I can see that the suffering and subsequent growth I went through was exactly what I needed to prepare me for a more mature and lasting relationship later on—although I certainly didn't know it at the time. The pain and disappointment forced me to grow. It challenged me to face my fear of living alone. It prompted me to get my butt into therapy. And it ultimately helped me to develop self-respect. I learned to treat myself better, which in turn, naturally raised my standards for how I would allow others to treat me in the future.
Jennifer's belief can serve us all in times of suffering or pain. For example, is there something going on in your life right now—a breakup, a problem at work, the slow growth of your business, or financial hardship—that might be attempting to prepare you for what's next? Think about it. What if your current challenge is a call to action—the kind of action that will prepare you for the next phase of your life? What are you being invited to learn? What qualities of character are trying to be strengthened or developed? Where do you need to take more responsibility in your life?
As I've dealt with my own challenges, the belief of "disappointment or suffering as preparation" is something I hold onto as a reminder that we are never alone, that there is a purpose to our suffering and pain, and that when we get to the other side, a great opportunity to use what we've learned in service to ourselves and others awaits.
Take heart. Every day, in some way, we're all being prepared for something better...
The Power of Oneness
As long as I believe I am separate from you based on gender, age, colour, race, caste, class and educational level etc., I will find it difficult to rid myself away from Ego, prejudice and competition.
It is the realization that we are ONE because we come from the same source i.e the Universe , that creates in me the feeling that I am as much a part of you as we are of the Universe.
As long as I have this feeling of ONENESS towards everything that shares this planet, this universe , I will find it easier to contribute because every good I do to you will do good to me and every bad I do, will eventually hit me.
When I water my plants and see my plants grow, a part of me has grown. When I manage to wipe someone’s tear and bring a smile on the person’s face, I indeed have managed to bring a smile on my face. When we work towards a cause, we create better circumstances, better opportunities and a better world.
In our journey of life we may meet people who may be bitter towards us. It may be so because they have always encountered bitterness themselves. Use this as an opportunity to give someone their first taste of goodness. Because the fact is WE ARE ONE.
It is the realization that we are ONE because we come from the same source i.e the Universe , that creates in me the feeling that I am as much a part of you as we are of the Universe.
As long as I have this feeling of ONENESS towards everything that shares this planet, this universe , I will find it easier to contribute because every good I do to you will do good to me and every bad I do, will eventually hit me.
When I water my plants and see my plants grow, a part of me has grown. When I manage to wipe someone’s tear and bring a smile on the person’s face, I indeed have managed to bring a smile on my face. When we work towards a cause, we create better circumstances, better opportunities and a better world.
In our journey of life we may meet people who may be bitter towards us. It may be so because they have always encountered bitterness themselves. Use this as an opportunity to give someone their first taste of goodness. Because the fact is WE ARE ONE.
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