Hate vs. Love

There are different kinds of hate. 
But  the worst kind is the hate carried out in the name of religion.

Why? Simply because religion - "all" kinds of religion - encourages men and women to accept, to understand, to establish a good relationship with, to "love" each other.

Why? Because God is one. Because His word, no matter the language, says the same thing: "Love".

A Simple Question

If the next action is the last one you will be carrying out in your life, what would you do?

Friend or Foe?

If someone as wise as Buddha advises you to only count on yourself, and no-one else, it must be true. You sometimes receive help, comfort, support etc. by your family and friends and you are right in feeling thankful for such gift. But you can never be sure that you will "always" receive it. The only human being who will "never" abandon, neglect, betray you is yourself, provided you allow him/her to stand by your side. A well-known saying states that you are your own best friend as well as your own worst enemy, according to the choices you make every instant of your life. Can you deny it?

Caring and Worrying

It is commendable to care for others while it is not so good to worry about them. Is there a difference? There certainly is. When you "care", you actively participate to the life of your dear one, you give support, help, a listening ear, maybe simply your presence... whatever is needed. You feel good because you are doing something useful. When you "worry", on the other hand, beside not doing anything useful or helpful, you hurt yourself by entertaining negative thoughts non-stop. It is up to you to understand that worrying, beside being harmful, is totally useless.

The River

Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: "You can not step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing on". As the water that we touch is continuously the last that has passed and the first that is coming, thus are our life experiences: a never-ending movement that can be lived only one instant at the time. The past is gone and done with. The future does not exist yet. All we actually have is the present moment. Therefore... why worry about what is only mere abstraction instead of concentrating on and making the best out of what is here, "now"?

A Quote

For all that has been, thanks.
For that will be, yes.
Don't look back,
Don't dream about future either.
It will neither give you back the past
Nor will satisfy other dreams.
Your duty, your rewards,
Your destiny are here and now.

(Dag Hammarskjold - Swedish diplomat, former Secretary General UN, Nobel Price for Peace 1961)

Laugh or Cry?

Some say that we were born to be happy, others call our world a "valley of tears". So, who is right?

Reflect upon your personal experience and find your own answer. You may discover that, every time you felt either happy or unhappy, it was the consequence of a choice of yours. Whether you believe your destiny is to laugh or to cry, be aware that - in most cases - you have the power to make changes, to transform a situation, to re-create your life.

Sympathy

For several weeks a woman had been kept in a jail where inmates were not allowed to ever go out of their cells and have some fresh air. One evening a warden ordered the woman to help her in a menial task. The woman didn't want to obey but she had no choice. She unwillingly followed the warden but, instead of having to carry out the chore, she was secretly brought up on the roof where - for a few minutes - she could see the full moon that was brightening the night sky.

Amounts

You tend to give more importance to the amount rather than to the quality of what is said or done, either by you or by others. The result of words or actions, i.e. the reaction they may cause in others, is usually overlooked. You are used to judging according to a weight and a measure that appreciate a greater "quantity" and despise a smaller one, just because it is not "big". If you speak less (but more carefully) weighing words and concepts before you utter them, you will be taken into consideration to a higher degree. Try it... you will see!

Students

University students prepare themselves for their exams with different attitudes, according to the goals they are aiming at. Those who are not interested in getting good marks don't concentrate because their interests are elsewhere (sport, entertainment...). They only see their future in a dull office, doing a job that will merely provide them with enough money to survive. Hence, their lack of engagement is proportioned to their lack of enthusiasm. Other students, on the contrary, know exactly what they want to do, have a clear goal and endeavor to be successful in their studies in order to achieve it. Whatever they want to become, motivation is the trigger behind their efforts. And it is this motivation, along with determination, that sharpen their intelligence and ability to focus. The results can't be other than positive. How do you face life? Like the former or the latter?

Now

Most human beings don't seem interested in creating "excellence" in their lives. The don't endeavor to be the best they can be, act as well as they can, be helpful, creative, positive. They are unaware of the skills they own, of their hidden talents, and such unawareness makes them ignore the many opportunity to experience a richer life.  Most people are satisfied with taking life as easily as possible, doing things with the least effort, behaving somehow carelessly. They seem to be always busy thinking of "something else". But... what is there that is so important? What can be more important than doing well what you are doing right now? It is exactly such lack of attention, of care for the present moment that condemns many people to a most mediocre life. What about you?

Jump!

Imagine yourself at the foot of a mountain. You want to climb it but you are not prepared. You try but you are afraid you won’t be able to reach the top, so you give up. You realize you have to go back and do all you need to face the challenge. So you get a coach, buy the equipment, prepare yourself both physically and psychologically. Then… you try again. This time, in spite of a few doubts about your ability that are still lurking, you are more self-confident because you know you have done your best. Courage and trust blossom in your heart. Do the same whenever you are facing problems in your life (family, social, work related issues). Try not to get overwhelmend by emotions, impatience, self-centeredness. On the contrary, train yourself to be calm, balanced, available. In order to get to the other side of a chasm, you need to jump. Are you ready (and willing) to do it?

Summer Again

In winter the whole world seems to disappear under a layer of snow or in the mysterious shroud of fog. Everything seems lifeless: the trees have no leaves, the fields are bare, there is no green grass, there are no colorful flowers. Even the sun seems unwilling to give us light and heat. As a consequence, also the human mood changes. People feel less cheerful, less willing to be active and productive because everything seems to have fallen into lethargy. They miss the singing of birds and the buds on the tree-branches. Similarly, your heart becomes prey of laziness, of boredom, even of sadness when you experience a lack of motivation, when you forget the meaning of your life. Don’t be deceived by such negative feeling. Accept it and experience it for  as long as you need but then remind yourself that Life still exists and that it will soon start vibrating again inside of you, like an electric shock providing the energy that will make you snap out of inactivity and depression. And it will be summer again.

Doubts

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have no doubts, only certitudes?  Life, instead, makes us face situations that, while they seemed in a certain way, end up being something totally different. The one you thought was your soul mate… The job you had been so enthusiastic about… The friend you believed to be faithful and sincere… The diet suggested by a famous physician… None has met your expectations, so you find yourself doubting that any of your dreams will ever come true. You fear you will never find true love or a job you enjoy, you think that real friendship does not exist, that you are unable to reach your ideal weight… What to do? The simplest “recipe” is to refuse to accept disappointment and keep on believing that it "is" possible to reach your goal. Only faith and trust can help you not to get lost in disillusionment and dissatisfaction.