A "Philosophy of Life"

A good "philosophy of life" would be to enjoy whatever and whenever you can and endure the challenges when there is nothing else that you can do. Examine your usual attitude and see how much are you usually able to enjoy the little things  which everybody's life is rich in: a kind word, a smile, a job well done, a beautiful sunset, a listening ear, a comfortable chair, a good book....On the other hand, how do you face unpleasant situations? Are you able to "endure" them? How? With acceptance or with resistance, with patience or with a scowl? The way you end up feeling totally depends on your attitude. Worth giving it a little thought, isn't it?

Believe You Are The Winner

American author W. Somerset Maugham wrote that a funny thing about life is the fact that, if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.

Aren't these comforting words to remember when we feel discouraged, ready to give up? We start a project, we make a plan, we undertake a treatment and, when we don't see the results we wish for, we give up and accept whatever comes along, which is usually well below our expectations. What to do? Persevere, try again, try in a different way, don't lose hope. Believe you are a winner, never a loser.

An Interesting Distinction

The word intelligence could be defined as the capability  to deal with problems. I have heard someone talk about "social" intelligence. I had never thought of making a distinction between different kinds of intelligence. Are there? Let's see. "Personal" intelligence helps us to face and eventually solve our challenges in a logic way, after considering the possible outcome of the different actions available. "Social" intelligence might refer to our capability of perceiving a wider interpretation of our environment, i.e. not being restricted by purely personal needs and considerations. Is there also a "spiritual" intelligence?

Astound Yourself!

A Latin writer of the 1st century BC wrote: "No one knows what he can do until he tries." 

And, in modern times, Thomas Edison said: "If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves".

Do you believe THIS to be true? Do you believe that your potential is greater than you think, that you could do much more, if you only tried? Examine your attitude towards your daily chores, honestly look at how you perform your tasks, how you do your job, how you treat yourself and others, how much or how little you appreciate what you have. You are capable of improving whatever situation you find yourself in, you are capable of "re-creating your life". It's a fact that only needs to be acknowledged and then put into practice.

Excuses Are For Losers

How would you answer the question, "Why don't you do more of the things that you want to do and less of the things you don't want to do?" You would certainly have several justifications ready. You are too busy, you have responsibilities, you can't find the time, it would be too expensive, you don't have anybody willing to go with you, you feel you are not up to it, you are too old, you are not fit, you ... you... Wow! An overwhelming amount of excuses for not doing and not being what you would like to!  Do you believe you could make a little effort in order to find whatever you need to do to fulfill your wish? Or do you rather prefer to forget, or ignore, or complain, or be miserable? Think this over carefully. You might be surprised with what you discover.

Real or Imaginary?

Is it possible that life - as you conceive it - might be an illusion?

With autumn, the color of the leaves changes from green to yellow, brown, red: all beautiful shades indeed. But, as pretty as they appear to the naked eye, these colors seem to be much brighter - as if more lively - if you look at them through your sunglasses. Now you should be wondering: are the colors you see with your naked eye the real ones, or are those perceived through the sunglasses the true colors that the naked eye is unable to see? And life.... Does everything (people, situations) correspond to the way you interpret it, or might it be different? Give it a thought but....Beware! In order to find a useful answer you need to be totally honest with yourself.

Precious Life

While checking something online, an unexpected quote popped out, by contemporary American poet Mary Oliver:

"What do you do with your one  precious life?"

It made me stop and think. Yes, what do we do? We have one life to live right now, so it is our duty to make the best out of it, without neglecting any opportunity. It is "one" and we will never have the chance to live it again. 
Is your life "precious"? Precious means "of great value". How much do you value your life? What do you do to preserve it in a sound, healthy way (physically, emotionally and spiritually)? Do you live according to what your true self suggests, if you only take the time to listen? 

The Telephone Rings

The telephone rings (it's an important call) just two minutes before you leave the house; an unexpected bus materializes and you are able to catch your connection with an only thirty-second wait (instead of half an hour). Do these coincidences suggest anything? They possibly mean that sometimes things happen without your participation. Therefore you should be grateful and appreciative when they are pleasant and patient and accepting when they are not. Some things will go on happening in a way or another and what you have control upon is only your reaction (and consequent mood).

The "Dish" Of Life

A famous Italian song, "Perdere l'Amore" (Losing Love) says: "Pick up the broken pieces of an imaginary life". It makes me think about how often our lives are lived in a way where  all exists in our minds instead of in truth. Then - when we are faced with reality - we tend to refuse to see situations as they are. If we were wiser, we would accept the fact that our dream was unreal  and would pick up the shards. What then? We could try to glue the pieces back together (but the cracks will always show) or simply accept that the "dish" is not there any longer. How to react? Cry and mope? Accept the situation  and do without the "dish", with a smile? Get a new "dish"? You decide.

"What" and "How"

Someone said: "I feel responsible only for what I say, not for what you understand". It sounds right, doesn't it? But it may also be not totally true. How come that I say something and you understand something else? Don't words have the same meaning for everyone? Actually, they don't. The same word, phrase or sentence may be interpreted in different ways, according to how they are uttered, the intonation they are accompanied by, the context in which they are used. It also depends on the situation, the mood, the  expression and body language. Can you see how important it is to be aware of how you speak? Of what you say? Of how you say it? Instead of simply speaking your mind, also think about who is listening and, if necessary, make some adjustments. In this way many misunderstandings could be  avoided.

Just The Opposite!

Is it OK to allow yourself to change your mind? Or are you one of those people who believe that - once you've made up your mind about something or someone- you are not going to change it for any reason? I, personally, have just had an interesting experience. I love quotes and I was going to jot down my comment on an interesting, simple one, whose meaning was extremely clear (or so it seemed). But... oh, my! When I actually started writing, I realized that the meaning those words had "for me" was exactly the opposite of what it had seemed at first. I was astonished for a few seconds .... then I went on to write down my changed interpretation. Too often are we rather superficial and prefer to stick to appearances rather than dig more deeply into our beliefs and "certitudes". But it's worth trying "digging", whenever the opportunity arises and whatever the outcome might be.

Who Are You?

Italian Renaissance despot Cesare Borgia is said to have wondered: "What kind of man am I?" Intriguing question, isn't it? We don’t know what conclusion HE reached, if he did, about his own crimes. Did he feel guilty? Was he proud? Did he find his behavior rewarding, amusing, fulfilling? What about YOU? Do you ever wonder what kind of person "you" are? Do you dare to examine your motivations, do you take the time to at least try to understand why you do certain things, behave in a certain way? As nothing happens by chance, so nothing you do is done without a deeper, mostly hidden reason. Knowing yourself implies finding out these reasons.

Being Upset Is Fair But......

What would happen if you suddenly (or finally?) realized that one of the reasons to be alive is to enjoy life? Would your attitude change? Let's think about this for a moment. If you reached the inner conviction that all your upsets are useless, that many of the judgments you express are unfair, that the resentment you harbor is groundless, how would you feel? Probably you are still convinced that you have the right to be upset when things don't go the way you want, that how you judge others is fair as you have good reasons to do so, that your resentment has ground because others have treated you badly. And you are absolutely right. You are entitled to believe all this. BUT.... are you happy because you believe you are right? Do you enjoy feeling this way? Is your life better, more pleasant and serene because of your "righteousness"?