Happy New Year, everyone!
Take care, and God bless.
Saturday 31 December 2011
Friday 30 December 2011
Soul and sole and sun
Soul sounds like "sole", meaning the one and only.
Since each of us can only ever have one soul, and since it is the companion all along the journey of life, we should always remember to love, cherish, and protect the soul, in the same way that it always takes care of us.......
PS. In Italian, the word for sun is "sole".
(Even though the Italian word "sole" (sun) is pronounced:
so, as in the English "so", e.g. so that...
le, to rhyme with the English word "day")
Since each of us can only ever have one soul, and since it is the companion all along the journey of life, we should always remember to love, cherish, and protect the soul, in the same way that it always takes care of us.......
PS. In Italian, the word for sun is "sole".
(Even though the Italian word "sole" (sun) is pronounced:
so, as in the English "so", e.g. so that...
le, to rhyme with the English word "day")
Thursday 29 December 2011
Green candles
Green leaves glowing in the sunlight....... are like green candles which have been lit.......
Blue is uplifting
It seems that blue is the colour most loved in this world.
Perhaps, whenever people look at something of this colour, their inward eyes are looking upward - perhaps they are remembering the colour of the sky of a wondrous day - of heaven - and are thus uplifted......
Perhaps, whenever people look at something of this colour, their inward eyes are looking upward - perhaps they are remembering the colour of the sky of a wondrous day - of heaven - and are thus uplifted......
Tuesday 27 December 2011
LOVE = AI = A1
The Chinese and Japanese word for love is "Ai".
(It's pronounced like the English word "eye").
In capital letters, ai becomes AI.
AI looks similar to A1.
A1 (A and the number 1- pronounced A one) is an English expression which means something wonderful, superb.
And so, because love - love and compassion for anything or anyone - is truly marvellous and uplifting, we can say that LOVE = AI = A1
(It's pronounced like the English word "eye").
In capital letters, ai becomes AI.
AI looks similar to A1.
A1 (A and the number 1- pronounced A one) is an English expression which means something wonderful, superb.
And so, because love - love and compassion for anything or anyone - is truly marvellous and uplifting, we can say that LOVE = AI = A1
Monday 26 December 2011
Invincible summer
"In the depth of winter, I finally learnt that there was in me an invincible summer."
Albert Camus
Albert Camus
A new day
"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning."
J. B. Priestly
J. B. Priestly
Good weather
"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."
John Ruskin
John Ruskin
Saturday 24 December 2011
Enjoy your ice cream
"My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate."
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Wilder
Wednesday 21 December 2011
S.M.I.L.E.
S.M.I.L.E. = Soul Merry In Life Everyday
and
S.M.I.L.E. = Simplicity Matters In Life Everyday
Take a minute now, or whenever you can, and think up one or two more for yourself, or just smile and remember to live not in the past, and not in the future, but in the present moment...
and
S.M.I.L.E. = Simplicity Matters In Life Everyday
Take a minute now, or whenever you can, and think up one or two more for yourself, or just smile and remember to live not in the past, and not in the future, but in the present moment...
Sunday 18 December 2011
Serene = See reborn
Serene = see rene = see reborn = see hope and happiness and peace
(Rene is a name with the meaning of reborn - born again - or rebirth.
It's mainly a first name which can be given to women as well as to men, although the more usual variant for women is Renee).
(Rene is a name with the meaning of reborn - born again - or rebirth.
It's mainly a first name which can be given to women as well as to men, although the more usual variant for women is Renee).
Be enthusiastic
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."
Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley
Strong wish
"We can do whatever we wish to do provided our wish is strong enough. What do you want most to do? That's what I have to keep asking myself, in the face of difficulties."
Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
An inward flame
"The spirit of man is an inward flame; a lamp the world blows upon but never puts out."
Margot Asquith
Margot Asquith
Monday 12 December 2011
Opportunity = Port & Unity
The word "opportunity" contains "port" and "unity".
Thus, an opportunity grants us a port to practice unity. To practice uniting our dreams with our actions. Making what we merely wish for, and what we actually work for, into exactly one and the same thing.
An opportunity is a port - a haven, an anchorage - which can give us unity in the inner and the outer, unity in our thoughts and our deeds.
PS. This may also be a way to remember how to spell "opportunity" correctly, in 3 parts:
"op" as a short form for operation, meaning a project, a process, an exercise, an enterprise, followed by
"port" and finally
"unity"
= opportunity
Thus, an opportunity grants us a port to practice unity. To practice uniting our dreams with our actions. Making what we merely wish for, and what we actually work for, into exactly one and the same thing.
An opportunity is a port - a haven, an anchorage - which can give us unity in the inner and the outer, unity in our thoughts and our deeds.
PS. This may also be a way to remember how to spell "opportunity" correctly, in 3 parts:
"op" as a short form for operation, meaning a project, a process, an exercise, an enterprise, followed by
"port" and finally
"unity"
= opportunity
Gain our own esteem
"That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own esteem."
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Inner and outer
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Sunday 11 December 2011
Right is might
"Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Friday 9 December 2011
The bravery of small things
It was raining quite hard today, and on some instinct, some impulse, I was drawn to the window.
Looking out, I saw a sight I will never forget.
Birds. Small birds. A flock of them. They had gathered on the roof of the building opposite. Although there was plenty of shelter nearby, where they could have gone to keep safe, and stay out of the rain, they were not in the least concerned with taking cover.
They just stayed where they were. In the driving rain. In some sort of still, dreaming meditation.... Serene. As if welcoming hardship. Braving it. Enduring it. No retreat. No surrender. Stoic. It took my breath away. Unearthly.....
Half an hour later, I went back to the window to check. The birds were still there. In the pouring rain. A few of them were moving their feathers quietly for a moment, but most remained absolutely calm, peaceful, dreaming....
It touched my heart. An "amber" moment. Preserved in amber. For all time. For eternity. The bravery of small things......
Looking out, I saw a sight I will never forget.
Birds. Small birds. A flock of them. They had gathered on the roof of the building opposite. Although there was plenty of shelter nearby, where they could have gone to keep safe, and stay out of the rain, they were not in the least concerned with taking cover.
They just stayed where they were. In the driving rain. In some sort of still, dreaming meditation.... Serene. As if welcoming hardship. Braving it. Enduring it. No retreat. No surrender. Stoic. It took my breath away. Unearthly.....
Half an hour later, I went back to the window to check. The birds were still there. In the pouring rain. A few of them were moving their feathers quietly for a moment, but most remained absolutely calm, peaceful, dreaming....
It touched my heart. An "amber" moment. Preserved in amber. For all time. For eternity. The bravery of small things......
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Change has an Angel
The word "change" contains "ange".
In French, "Ange" means Angel.
Let's not be too troubled, then, about any changes we want to - or have to - make in our lives.
The Angel of change will be looking after us.
In French, "Ange" means Angel.
Let's not be too troubled, then, about any changes we want to - or have to - make in our lives.
The Angel of change will be looking after us.
Monday 5 December 2011
Effort = "of fort"
"Effort" contains in it the word "fort".
We can think of "effort" as "of fort".
Let's each one of us make an effort to build a fort.
A fort, especially inside the heart, inside the soul, where we can guard and grow our passions, dreams, good thoughts and deeds, and keep those treasures safe, against all intrusions, against all onslaughts.
We can think of "effort" as "of fort".
Let's each one of us make an effort to build a fort.
A fort, especially inside the heart, inside the soul, where we can guard and grow our passions, dreams, good thoughts and deeds, and keep those treasures safe, against all intrusions, against all onslaughts.
Courage
"Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them."
Rabindranath Tagore
"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along ....... You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt
"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection."
Thomas Paine
but to be fearless in facing them."
Rabindranath Tagore
"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along ....... You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt
"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection."
Thomas Paine
Your Life = Your Garden
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Sunday 4 December 2011
Photo of a cat reading....
Long, long ago, and far, far away, a beloved stray cat, somewhere outdoors, reading a magazine........
Mount Kilimanjaro photo
A view of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, its snow-capped peak there among the clouds.
Photo taken at the town of Moshi, on my visit to Tanzania, East Africa, a few years ago.
Kenya lion photo
A lion at Nairobi Safari Walk, a small but beautiful conservation place in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, East Africa.
To have a chance of seeing lions and other animals in the wild, go on a safari in one of Kenya's unforgettable wildlife reserves, for example, Masai Mara or Tsavo.
Kenya has a special place in my heart. It's a stunningly beautiful country with warm-hearted people and diverse landscapes.
Quite a few areas there have cool and even cold climates. For instance, the capital, Nairobi, at an elevation of around 1,600 m (around 5,000 ft), has moderate, very pleasant weather. No air conditioners or even fans necessary at all. In fact, Nairobi can get very cold, especially from the evenings onwards, during certain times of the year. And there also happens to be snow on Mount Kenya.......
Nainital Photo 1
Nainital, a hill station town in India, about 300 km from Delhi.
I've visited India as a tourist about 3 or 4 times now, but have so far managed to see only a tiny fraction of this vast land.
On this particular visit a few years ago, I remember climbing Naina Peak (also known as China Peak) for a bird's-eye view of the beautiful green lake below. The peak is the highest point in Nainital at 2,615m (8,579 ft).
There was also a cable car (I think it's still there) elsewhere in the town. Had an aerial ride on that on my last morning there, and as far as I recall, it had actually snowed a little not many hours before then.....cold, sparkling air....refreshing......
JT House photo
Saturday 3 December 2011
See with the heart
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly - what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Friday 2 December 2011
The Long Riders' Guild
The Long Riders' Guild
To get to their website (about wondrous horse journeys), please click on the heading of this post.
To get to their website (about wondrous horse journeys), please click on the heading of this post.
"The Long Riders' Guild" good website
Searching for the (horse journey) movie called "Serko", I came across "The Long Riders' Guild".
http://www.thelongridersguild.com/serko-film.htm
Looks to be a very good and interesting site. Please take a moment to visit it.
To get to their website, please click on the following link:
http://www.thelongridersguild.com/serko-film.htm
Cheers!
♥
http://www.thelongridersguild.com/serko-film.htm
Looks to be a very good and interesting site. Please take a moment to visit it.
To get to their website, please click on the following link:
http://www.thelongridersguild.com/serko-film.htm
Cheers!
♥
Sunday 20 November 2011
Sing, hum, whistle
Sing. Really sing. Belt it out. To the rafters. (For example, at a karaoke or similarly appropriate place). Give it all you've got. It's good for breathing deeper, too.
At home, put on some music, and sing along. Don't worry about your skill. Don't be too shy. Just let it all out. Happy it all out. (Happy as a verb? Why not.)
If you're in a place where you can't sing loudly, then sing low. Or hum. Hum under your breath. Even for just a moment. Any cheerful tune. You can make one up. If you like. Just say Tra-la-la-la-la, and go on from there. No need to put too much effort into it. Let it happy out naturally.
Try to sing or hum or whistle a little, every day. It's very uplifting.
Any pleasant song or tune. The more positive the better. For instance, I know someone who loves to sing or hum Christmas Carols like "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the halls", at any time of the year... The lyrics and maybe even a sing-along version can be found on the internet.
NB. Whether singing or putting on the radio, TV, music system, etc., let's always be considerate of the people, children, and pets in the same house, or next door, or in the neighbourhood. Even during the daytime or weekend. Since we ourselves wouldn't like to be disturbed, let's not disturb others. Keep the volume low, and try to use headphones as often as possible. Cheers.
At home, put on some music, and sing along. Don't worry about your skill. Don't be too shy. Just let it all out. Happy it all out. (Happy as a verb? Why not.)
If you're in a place where you can't sing loudly, then sing low. Or hum. Hum under your breath. Even for just a moment. Any cheerful tune. You can make one up. If you like. Just say Tra-la-la-la-la, and go on from there. No need to put too much effort into it. Let it happy out naturally.
Try to sing or hum or whistle a little, every day. It's very uplifting.
Any pleasant song or tune. The more positive the better. For instance, I know someone who loves to sing or hum Christmas Carols like "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the halls", at any time of the year... The lyrics and maybe even a sing-along version can be found on the internet.
NB. Whether singing or putting on the radio, TV, music system, etc., let's always be considerate of the people, children, and pets in the same house, or next door, or in the neighbourhood. Even during the daytime or weekend. Since we ourselves wouldn't like to be disturbed, let's not disturb others. Keep the volume low, and try to use headphones as often as possible. Cheers.
Deeper breaths
Take deeper, slower breaths.
They can be done anywhere. They don't have to be huge. Or in any way noticeable.
When you exhale, imagine that you are whoooooooshing out, blowing out all your worries.
And imagine that you are drawing in happiness. Hope. Beautiful things to come. Beautiful, sparkling mountain air. Lovely, alpine meadows. Fresh. Crisp. Sparkling. Pure. Full of Spring sunlight. Flowers everywhere. The sight of them. The scent of them. Near you, birds are singing. And a mountain stream is dancing. Merrily. Full of joy. Your heart lifts. You take off your shoes. Dip a toe in the cool, refreshing water. Then walk barefoot on the soft, green grass...
Or think of any lovely, natural landscape you like. A green park. A river. A lake. An ocean. Picture yourself there. For a moment's vacation. While gently breathing in... just a little deeper... a little slower...
Until you start feeling calmer... more relaxed...
They can be done anywhere. They don't have to be huge. Or in any way noticeable.
When you exhale, imagine that you are whoooooooshing out, blowing out all your worries.
And imagine that you are drawing in happiness. Hope. Beautiful things to come. Beautiful, sparkling mountain air. Lovely, alpine meadows. Fresh. Crisp. Sparkling. Pure. Full of Spring sunlight. Flowers everywhere. The sight of them. The scent of them. Near you, birds are singing. And a mountain stream is dancing. Merrily. Full of joy. Your heart lifts. You take off your shoes. Dip a toe in the cool, refreshing water. Then walk barefoot on the soft, green grass...
Or think of any lovely, natural landscape you like. A green park. A river. A lake. An ocean. Picture yourself there. For a moment's vacation. While gently breathing in... just a little deeper... a little slower...
Until you start feeling calmer... more relaxed...
Be kind to be calm
Be kind -- to have a calm life. A calm, spiritually meaningful life. The only type of true, real, life that there is.
Plus, kindness -- kindness in thoughts, words, deeds -- compassion to others, and compassion to ourselves -- will give us inner peace. An inner oasis. No matter what our outer circumstances are. No matter what obstacles we have to battle. This is what I've come to believe in, more and more, as I continue on my journey.
Plus, kindness -- kindness in thoughts, words, deeds -- compassion to others, and compassion to ourselves -- will give us inner peace. An inner oasis. No matter what our outer circumstances are. No matter what obstacles we have to battle. This is what I've come to believe in, more and more, as I continue on my journey.
Thursday 17 November 2011
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