Words to Ponder

Words written by a young person who has already learned a lot about Life.

"There are those who speak of their immense faith,

There are those who in difficultly show it.

There are those who tell us about poverty,

There are those who give away all their riches. 

There are those who think words are what makes them,

There are those who close their eyes and listen. 

There are those who preach about kindness,

There are those who walk silently and smile.

There are those who want to teach us about love,

There are those who teach love through their lives." 
~NG

Never Defeated

You might consider yourself as a successful or a mediocre person, as a winner or a loser. And thus will you actually be, and continue to be throughout all your life, unless you change your perspective. The way you see yourself is essential. Other people won’t be able to influence your beliefs, in spite of appearances. YOU are the only one who can determine WHO you are, how you look, and also how you feel. But, although you are in charge, you are convinced that the outside world is the cause of your feelings. 
Remember the famous quote from W.E. Henley’s poem “Invictus” (= never defeated)?

        I am the master of my fate

        I am the captain of my soul

Believing (or NOT believing) this will determine how you live your life.

You Are The Judge

When you are facing a "bad" moment, try to remember all the "good" moments you have previously enjoyed.  Human beings have the tendency to focus on any unpleasant event that takes place rather that highlight the nice occurrences that also happen in their lives.

Do you do the same? Does this make you feel better? Is complaining or feeling sorry for yourself a smart way to overcome challenges? Only you can say it. You are the judge. You decide  on how to manage your actions, your feelings and, consequently, your own life.

Welcome Challenges

It's morning. Another day is starting. Will it be good? Will it be bad? Yet, it will be "Life". Whatever happens during your day, be ready to face its challenges willingly because they tell you that you are alive, that you are capable of choosing what to do with yourself and with the opportunities (or lack of them) that you encounter on your daily path. It's too simple  to just sit and complain when things don't go according to your wishes while - on the other hand - taking all the good that comes your way for granted. People have a tendency to either do too much or too little, to exaggerate in a way or another. What the world needs, instead, is a state in which opposing forces cease to be in contrast. Only acceptance of what comes along can create such state of equilibrium, the only possibility for  every human being to live more serenely. 

No Fixed Number

You may believe that the options, possibilities or conclusions available are only a well defined number: 1, 2, etc. You do not accept the idea that there might exist others just because your mind cannot rationally see them. But... 
An instructor had given her students a listening test where they had to fill in some blanks according to the words she read, which  were  slightly different from the textbook. While checking the test, she realized that most students had written not "her" words but exactly what was in the book... The conclusion she came to was that 1. either they had cheated from the book, or 2. one student had memorized the text and passed the answers over to her peers. She was absolutely certain that "nothing else" could have happened. Eventually, she found out that, during her absence, another instructor had let the students listen to the recording "from the book" and most students had changed their answers accordingly. So much for her "certitude"!!

Dust It Up!

A cute magnet says, " New shoes, new life". We could also change it into "New computer, new life". How come? Well, my friend’s laptop suddenly crashed and ALL was lost (she hadn't backed up her stuff, sigh). Upset? A little. Positive lesson? Every now and then we need to start ANEW. Done with the old, here we go with the new... So, my friend is now in front of her empty NEW desktop, ready to "re-create" what was lost, but in a new way: all her previous work evidently needed to be "dusted up" somehow so, being a smart person, instead of complaining she has decided to do just that - with a smile!

Beyond Yourself

Fulfillment is more important than achievement. In fact, if you reach your goal but you are not entirely satisfied with it, you don't experience the thrill of having succeeded. Real fulfillment is not experienced when you behave selfishly, when you act only for your own interest. You experience deep satisfaction when you do something for others, when your goal outgrows your "own self" and you are able to give something of yourself to somebody beyond yourself.

Dangerous Direction

If you suddenly realize that you are losing interest in any of the good pleasures that life offers, watch out! You may be headed towards losing "the taste" for life. Imagine Life like a table laid with many tasty delicacies. Your natural wish is to try them all or, at least, as many as you can. A nice walk, an exciting holiday, a gathering with friends, a good book or movie, a delicious meal.... They are all little pleasures that you have enjoyed up to yesterday. If you feel you don't enjoy one or more of them any more - for no apparent reason or without replacing it with something else - you need to be careful. You never know what might be happening inside yourself unless you make a thorough examination. Tomorrow you may realize that, after the nice walk, you are not interested in seeing your friends, and then in reading a book or watching a movie.... You are unconsciously moving in a dangerous direction.

Justin Bieber Can!

Thinking about people who do not respect others, what a friend recently told me has come to my mind. She had accompanied her teenage daughter to a Justin Bieber's concert in Dubai. The show was to start around 5:00 pm. The singer appeared on stage at 10:15 pm. His performance lasted until 11:15 pm., just one hour. Isn't this a good example of an individual - it doesn't matter if he is "famous" - who does not respect others (their time, their money, their enthusiasm, their subsequent disappointment etc.). He does not respect "them" because he believes "he" is entitled to do as he pleases. The saddest part of the story is that, although it seems that this singer (as well as other performers) has done the same in previous occasions and will probably keep on doing it again, nevertheless his fans will continue to sheepishly follow him enthusiastically. Blindness can be bliss, can't it?

No Guilt

You are often told that you "are responsible for your brother". And you try to comply. Yet, there are times when "your brother" doesn't want to be helped. He (or she) wants to follow his own path and, in spite of how wrong it is, you simply cannot do anything to help him. You suffer because you are aware of the situation, with all your heart do you wish you were allowed to intervene but... you find yourself powerless. In such a case, you might end up feeling "guilty" for not having helped. Discard this feeling, it is not your fault. It is not even your direct "responsibility". Everyone is responsible for him/herself. Therefore, in whatever situation one finds themselves into, it has been their "choice" (it doesn't matter how unconscious or unaware such choice has been).

The Wisest Words

A wise, famous quote says:

IF I  AM  NOT  FOR  MYSELF,  WHO  WILL  BE  FOR  ME?

IF  I  AM  ONLY  FOR  MYSELF,  WHAT  GOOD  AM  I?

IF  NOT  NOW,  WHEN?

If pondered upon, understood and, most of all, if put into practice, these words would certainly change your (and everybody else's) life.

Unbalance

Your life includes material and spiritual achievements. There is balance when you get enough of both. However, sometimes it happens that you receive too  much of one and too little of the other. For example, you might have money, success, friends while lacking real love and spiritual fulfillment. On the other hand, it is possible for your mind and/or soul to reach higher goals while the physical or sentimental side of your existence is less than satisfactory. What to do? As usual, no ready-made answer is available. Each has to work it out ... on one's own.

Lurking Feeling

Do you sometimes have the feeling that your life is either useless or purposeless? You get up in the morning, you carry out your chores and duties, you do "stuff" all right but then, if you muse on it, you start wondering "What for?". Sometimes it is not easy to believe that what you do throughout the day is ALL what life is about. There is an inner stirring that lurks from the recess of your deeper self which makes you be never fully satisfied or totally fulfilled. And again you ask why. You know that you behave they way you should, you don't avoid your responsibilities, you are reasonably good to others. So? Where does this feeling of having missed something comes from? Where does the feeling of lacking something else comes from? Can you guess the answer? Can any of us?