Finding Peace

Women who are already beautiful are never satisfied with their looks, they believe that there is always something that could be done to improve them. If you have good health, you probably take it for granted and don’t pay too much attention to it, if you are rich either you’ll try to increase your capital or you’ll be afraid of losing it. And love…. Love is quite deceitful, too. You believe that your beloved is the one who will make you happy, forever, only to discover after  some time that it is not the case. Nothing and no one can give you happiness, can make you  more serene. All you can do is create in yourself a state of mind receptive to calm and tranquillity. No more worrying, fretting, getting upset, expecting… A simple act of acceptance of what you presently have is the most secure way to find peace in your heart.

Happiness on Demand

Is there anything more important than peace in our lives? Superficial people, who don’t reflect on the issue, will surely answer that there are plenty of things more important than “peace”, because peace would be a consequence of achieving what they value most of all: such things as health, wealth, beauty, success, fame, power, romantic love etc… They believe that, obtaining one of these things, or several of them, will automatically bring along peace and happiness. They think of happiness as the fulfillment of their desires. Nothing could be farther from the truth. No one can say: “I am a powerful/famous/rich/beautiful person” and be automatically happy. Can you?

No Control

You always struggle to feel “in control”. You don’t like the idea that certain things are out of your reach, that you have no power over yourself or others. You want to be able to do what you want, to move as fast as you wish, to have things going your way, to see others behave according to your own expectations. Does it work? No. Do you learn the lesson? Probably not! You refuse to see things as they are and continue to trudge though life burdened by your beliefs and pre-conceived ideas about how things should be, being usually disappointed because things go differently. Wisdom asks you to say yes to whatever happens, which evidently is the only wise decision to make, as situations often shape themselves without your intervention. You sometime have the possibility to actually create your circumstances, and it is good to be aware of this and make the most of it. But when it is not the case… better accept willingly what you cannot avoid.   *

Good For Them!

Many believe that they must be on the go all the time, eat a sandwich gobbling down a cup of coffee while doing some work on the computer. That is why many people go around with tense expressions, always talking on their cellphone, texting, messaging – wherever they are and no matter whom they are with. They are afraid that some important news might elude them, they loathe the idea of being left behind. Well, that is their choice and they have the right to it. They do things and deal with other people without really seeing them, without enjoying them, without caring for them, as long as there are things to be done, engagements to be kept, people to be met. They feel so important, so necessary, so sought after. All we can say is: If they feel fulfilled, good for them! 

Who Needs to Relax?

“Isn’t it wonderful that she can do so many things all at the same time?”, we say in admiration when a colleague is a 'multitasker'. She can check the mail and give directions while answering the phone. You may admire such a person simply because you can’t do it. You need your time to do ONE thing at the time. Now you wonder who is more serene and relaxed. “She” is surely more “successful”, being able to achieve so much in the shortest time but…what about relaxation? On second thought, probably this is an extremely appreciated word in the modern, most updated vocabulary. In fact, who needs to relax?

An Iconic Word

A man in a museum tells his children, "Hurry, hurry! If you stop to look at each thing, you won’t see anything.” Comical, isn’t it? Yet, it’s the way some people act most of the time. They feel they are so busy, they have so many things to do but not enough time. They believe that what is at hand is not as important as what is coming. They end up not living the present moment in full awareness because they are projected towards the future. If doing something takes too much time, they think, “I can get away with doing it just 'fairly' well, so that I can move on to the next task.”. The new iconic representation of the modern successful person is Multitasking! 

Does Your Life Have a Purpose?

If you are not sure about your life's purpose, ask yourself:

* How do I see myself?

* What am I presently doing?

* Whom am I doing it for?

* Am I satisfied with it?

* Is there another endeavor that could be more beneficial to myself 

   and to others/ society?

Many people spend most of their lives without knowing what their life's purpose is. That is the cause of their feeling unfulfilled. What about you?

Expect or Not Expect?

It is commonplace to say that you should not expect anything from others, that disappointment is caused by expectations, that you should do things without wondering about the results. It is a good principle, but it cannot be accepted unconditionally  If you give your friend a gift just to make them happy, it's wise not to expect for it to be necessarily reciprocated, as your friend may have other ways to show their affection towards you. The main point is this: you might not expect tangible proofs of their love, but the feeling that such love really exists is indispensable. Otherwise it would be like throwing flowers in the wind: they would be carried away without leaving a trace, without giving anybody pleasure. And if you have a talent (baking, singing, writing, acting etc.) and you share it with others, it's fair for you to expect at least some attention. Otherwise... what's the use of sharing?

Evidence

Some people spend their whole existence either ignoring or denying the "facts of life" (= something unavoidable that must be dealt with). Is this a positive or a negative attitude? Whatever it is, it is certainly a defense mechanism. If something unpleasant happens that you don't like and don't want to face, you may choose to ignore it. In case the situation is set, unchangeable - if you are not responsible - ignoring it can be an acceptable, even wise, decision. Nevertheless, if this is not so, ignoring it becomes a sign of cowardice. When, on the other hand, you are forced to face the unpleasant situation and deny it or try to find excuses to get away from it, you are simply, desperately avoiding the evidence. Attempting to prove the opposite of what "is", the only thing it proves is your  stubbornness. 

I, I, I...

There are some people - normal, good people - who do not realize how self-centered they are. It seems that the world revolves around them and that nothing or nobody else deserves attention. If you happen to talk (actually, if you "try" to talk) to them, they will monopolize the whole conversation, from start to end. They will tell you about all that is going on in their family, they will inform you about the tiniest details concerning their health, they will report the latest gossip, and so on. They are good people all right, they mean no harm and they are totally unaware of their behavior. Therefore... bear with them - every now and then. They might have a deep-rooted need for attention. So, in the end, listening to them may end up being a good deed. But ... not too often!