The Shadow

Abraham Lincoln said  that character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow. While the shadow is what people believe to be true, the tree is the only reality. How much importance do YOU give to your reputation, i.e. what you believe that others think about you? Are you convinced that what others think is so important that you need to change some of your behavior in order not to be criticized, in order to fit in? Actually, what “the others” think about you has nothing to do with who you really are. Your “essence” is totally independent from outside judgment or criticism. Could you ever be convinced of this truth? And become FREE?

A Possible Shift

You reach a point in life where, if you are "aware" enough, everything you have ever learnt and known seems to get overturned. You end up non knowing what is true and what is not. "How come? What's going on?", you ask yourself. Well, you might be on the verge of a major "shift". What to do? Hard to say. Maybe... just wait and see what happens, without worrying or over-thinking. If the "quantum leap" takes place, you will have landed on a new level of awareness. If it doesn't, it means that you are not ready yet.

The "Web" of Life

Quote from a book: 

"Getting into marriage or a relationship, there are two basic dynamic attitudes, 'I am going to get something out of this person" or "I am going to share with this person'. "
While believing this observation to be true, I can't help thinking that it might not be true for ALL cases. Your deep self might "know" that you have to be with that person for no specific, "inter-personal" reasons. The relationship may dissolve into nothing, but the situation it brought you into is what really counts. Such situation may include a place, a job, children, friends etc...Things and/or people that HAD TO become part of your life. Getting into that marriage or that relationship was simply the cathalist for the unfolding of the "web" of your life.

What For?

The Latin poet Ovid said that everything takes place gradually and at the right time. Don’t YOU say it and affirm that you believe it? But how patiently do you wait for the results you are hoping to? Not always are you willing to work longer or harder to achieve your goal, to wait till tomorrow for what you believe you should get today. You prefer to ride your car rather than walk because it’s swifter. You eat fast food because you are served more quickly. Your life seems directed by speed and "increased efficiency", because you can do more things in a shorter time. But what for? WHAT FOR? Does your life become happier, more fulfilling? Do you ever truly relax? The verb “to wait” is becoming obsolete and people choose to run, rush, hasten, speed up....till where? till when?

Friendship Ends When ...

A final quote: "Friendship ends when you stop sharing."

Having a true friend (and being one) means that you trust, that you feel comfortable with that person. When you trust and feel comfortable, you also have the need to confide in such person. Everybody experiences the desire to share their feelings and occurrences because they have the necessity of being acknowledged and sympathized with. But when you realize that you are not interested any more in telling your friend what is going on in your life, in your mind or in your soul, you must accept the fact that such "friendship" has dissolved. It has been demoted to the rank of acquaintance.

Stubbornness

A poet wrote:

"If you cannot be a road, you can be a lane;

if you cannot be a sun, you can be a star.

Winning or losing has nothing to do with greatness.

What matters is to be the best you can be."

"Stubbornness" is our problem, though. We - more often than not - insist on trying to be what we are not. 
And we are convinced of doing the right thing.

Investing in Fear (2)

A man who feels he is not appreciated by his family might "employ" his fear in the form of a recurring disease in order to get constant attention. A woman who believes she is not loved enough will probably try to protect herself against this lack of love by building rolls of fat around her body. What kind of spiritual investment have you made for yourself? Have you invested in negative thoughts, resentment, blame, guilt - erroneously hoping to obtain positive results in exchange, or expecting to build some psychological barriers against the blows of bad luck? Would it not be better to invest in trust in the future and in your capabilities, in availability towards others, in open mindedness, in determination to pursue your goals?

Investing in Fear (1)

If you decide to put your money in the bank, you do it in order to get a good interest. If you buy a house in order to rent it, you intend to use the rental you get for your own benefit. If you purchase jewels or paintings, you are sure that your money is well invested because it is a capital that will certainly increase in time. Also fear can become a sort of investment, a source of gain for you. How? Simple. As excessive jealousy is generated by the fear of losing the person you want only for yourself, you invest your fear of being abandoned by means of jealousy. What benefit do you hope to get in return? You believe that your attitude will tie your beloved to you by instilling in him/her a feeling of guilt...

"Ease" Is Difficult

A line in a meditation prayer says: "May I live with ease". What does it actually mean? The definition of "ease" is 'Absence of difficulty or effort'. What difficulty or effort? Does this refer only to material stuff or could it also mean something else? What about making life easier  by stopping our continuous, never-ending flow of thoughts that jam our minds? We voluntarily, although unconsciously, make our lives more difficult than they actually are. Aren't we often  creating fictitious situations (usually negative) that do not exist at all? Don't we have a tendency to see a rope as a snake? If we really encounter a snake on our path, we'll deal with it. But if we "think" it is a snake while it's not, we - ourselves - create "dis-ease". Let's give our minds a brake, let's briefly relax and just BE.

Hope Ends When...

A quote says: Hope ends when you stop believing.

Are you able to keep your hope high at all times? Or do you rather tend to give up and feel helpless, convince yourself that nothing can be done about a certain situation? It is true that often life makes things difficult or disappointing. But it is just then that you must resist, persist, and allow hopelessness to be replaced by the belief that situations can be healed, problems can be solved. Without hope, desperation is the only other option, isn't it?

Wise Craziness

A wise thinker said that the world is a madhouse. We all behave like crazy people when we create illusions and believe them to be real. On the other hand, some “craziness” is necessary to lighten up our existence. In fact, why take ourselves so seriously? Great saints like Joan of Arch, St. Francis of Assisi and Sri Ramakrishna were considered insane. Just stop for a minute and think about the importance you attribute to all the things (usually negative) that happen in your life. But…are they really so important? Are they really worth you getting upset because…. or being angry at…. or resenting …. labeling…. judging…? How much lighter – and merrier – life would be without all those self-inflicted burdens!

Preaching vs. Doing

Do you know a person who likes to preach on goodness and kindness? You surely do. Probably most of your relatives, friends and acquaintances love to talk about positive feelings and good deeds. And you do the same, don't you? 

As far as "talking", everybody is proficient. 

Now, let's see what happens when "doing" is concerned. Do they, do YOU, act according to the preaching? There is no difficulty in affirming that - for example - it's advisable to be patient. Then, when the distressing or provoking situation materializes, what is your attitude? Are you "really" patient? Or don't you rather find excuses to justify your contrasting behavior? 

Love Ends When...

A quote: "Love ends when you stop caring."

In spite of repeating that love is eternal, that you believe your relationships (with your spouse, with your best friend, with your family members) will last forever, you often find yourself facing a situation where you simply stop caring. You are no longer interested in what they think, feel or do. You see them like totally separated entities who don't mean anything any more to you. When such situation materializes - but you continue affirming that you still love them - you are deceiving yourself. No blame, here. It simply happens and, when it does, just accept it and be honest about it.

Possible Interpretations

People - the rich and the poor, the handsome and the ugly, the healthy and the sick...- seem to have each been assigned a "role" in life. Every character has his/her own "specifications" (FATE) and must deal with them.

But they still have the choice to play  them in different ways (DESTINY).

What role have you been assigned?

How are you playing your part?

Your Life Ends When...

A quote says: Your life ends when you stop dreaming.

What is your dream? Do you have one? Is it a worthy one? Is it strong enough? Not having a dream does not mean that you are actually going to "die". It only means that your life, without a purpose to pursue, is empty and unfulfilling. No matter how rich, handsome or powerful you are. If you don't have a higher goal, such "gifts" will keep your spirit tied down to mere materiality.

Riding Backwards

I was riding in my car, sitting on the back seat, and felt like relaxing. I closed my eyes and the image of a tunnel came to my mind. I had the sensation of speeding up forward. Then, suddenly, the sensation reversed and I felt like speeding backwards. It seemed so "real"!

That feeling of "reality" of an incorrect situation made me wander: To what extent can we trust our senses in our everyday experience?