Soaked Sponge

Have you 'absorbed' the experiences you have had in your life? If the word absorb means to take in, you can also interpreter it as to make it part of you. Therefore, absorbing your past experiences means to realize that what you are now is formed by all you have experienced in the past. Every single action, thought, word has contributed to form the individual that you are now. Try to recall something that happened long ago, remember what you said or did, and how the 'others' reacted. Now bring back to memory the way you felt afterwards. Did other similar situations occurred with the same outcome? Several times? If your answer is yes, you can infer that there was a repeating pattern. Was the outcome positive or negative?Assess the impact of such experiences on yourself: if you understood their meaning, you learned your lesson. This knowledge has become part of you. Just as the absorbed water becomes one with the sponge.   

 

Easy Made Complicated

Chinese philosopher Confucius said (about 1500 years ago), ""Life is really simple but we insist in making it complicated." Sometimes you see a pebble as a boulder. The problem is certainly there, but you make it bigger than it is. It's all a matter of points of view. The same could be said for modern technology. New discoveries have made many aspects of your life much easier but, at the same time, they have also made things more complicated. A highly computerized device is not as easy to use as turning the button "on" to have it work, then turning it "off" to make it stop. In the former case, you must be computer savvy, in the latter, you just need to know how to read 'on/off'. As everything in this world, it's always the perspective you look at the situation from (and the kind of person you are!). 

A.A.G.

If you lead your life without paying attention to what is going on around you, to how you behave, to people's reactions towards you, you live in a state of inactive consciousness: you need Awareness, in order to be a 'complete' human being. If you lead your life resisting everything you don't welcome and everybody you don't like, you live in a state of permanent disappointment. You need Acceptance, in order to be at peace with what "is". If you lead a life in a state of never-ending longing for what (or whom) you don't have, you lead a life in a state of dissatisfaction. You need Gratitude, in order to appreciate what (or whom) you already have. Three common words that could operate an astounding change (for the better) in anybody's daily existence. 

An Intriguing Statement

Someone said that what we don't know is better than what we know. Do you think it's wrong, or do you accept the possibility that it may be right? Of course, there is no correct answer. It is just a mental challenge that may be worth accepting because it could help you to know yourself more. If you believe the above statement to be wrong, it means that you are sure that all you "know" is absolute truth, that you have no doubts about it, that you have nothing more to learn. Therefore you must be completely satisfied with your knowledge about life, death, spiritual beliefs, society, standard of behavior, ethics and so on. What you firmly believe is certainly good for you - "now". But you may also accept the possibility that any of your beliefs could be incomplete and there is much more to explore, to discover. As the horizon is never a fixed point but is simply a virtual boundary that keeps expanding while you proceed forward, so is mental exploration for your mind: a limitless field of realization.

A Worthy Wondering

 "Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?" It's the title of a widely known painting by French artist Paul Gauguin. It's famous, it's beautiful, it's symbolic. If you reflect on the first question, "Where do we come from?" you may feel like wondering. Yes, when, where and what was our "origin"? Many might find this question useless. Why do you need to know what happened in a past that has no bearing on your present life? It sounds logical. But, is it really? If this were true, you could just go on living day by day without ever trying to understand the reason and the meaning of what happens to you, in your life. You can certainly do that, and be okay, but...wouldn't it be a bit reductive to limit yourself to only look at what is around you, without wanting to know what is "beyond"? A healthy curiosity is what has encouraged human beings to move forward, to progress, to be "more". Wouldn't it be interesting to also know when and where and how it all started?

Feather in the Wind

When things go well, you feel good. When you believe you are in control, you feel powerful. When people are nice, you like them. But when things stop going well, when you realize that  you are not in control, when people are not so nice, then you skies become dark, your mood sours, you don't feel good any more. Instead of seeing yourself as a rock steadily set on the ground, you rather feel like a feather, at the mercy of the wind, upon which you have no influence whatsoever. Your willpower, that you consider so strong, cannot affect the direction of certain events; they keep going where they are bound to go, in spite of your attempt to deviate them. Don't be discouraged, though. It's just temporary. Soon the wind will subside, your feathery image alights on the ground, and once again you feel as steady as a rock.

Your GPS

The importance of being in the 'now' will never be stressed enough. Actually, if you think about it, you realize that it's the only really important concept to be always kept in mind. Why? Simple. When you go for a walk, you pay attention to where you put your feet, one after the other (at least, you should). You don't look back to check the distance you have already covered. When you go on a trip, you check the map to know where you are in every moment. If (as probably it is the case) you are using a GPS, you pay attention to the instructions given, in order to be always sure that you are going in the right direction. In conclusion, it is more advisable to pay attention to where you are right now, to what you are doing and saying this very moment, and the next, and the next... Thus will you be sure to reach the destination of your trip, or create a better life if you are just...living day by day. 

Building Your Life

Back then, you had it all figured out, or so you thought. You knew exactly what you wanted. Your future house, job, family, social circle were going to be exactly this way or that. You were the architect who was going to build the perfect environment for yourself. Later, some of your dreams came true, others didn't, others did not turn out exactly as you had planned. Now your life, as a whole, is okay, but you are also aware that, in general, you are living in a way that only slightly resembles the image you had in your mind. What happened? Real life happened. In order to create something according to your precise specifications, you need to have all the 'ingredients' exactly the way they should be. But unforeseen circumstances materialize, unexpected events take place. Many factors play a role in the construction of your -  and everybody else's - earthly experience. You'd better overlook the differences, and enjoy the result you got! For your own serenity.

Hammer and Nails

To a hammer, everything around the world seems a nail. Similarly, a typical human feature is viewing the world according to one's disposition. In fact, when you are happy you see the world as a nice place to live in, if you are grouchy you perceive others as unpleasant. It's interesting to observe how every individual tends to paint the picture of their own lives according to their character, mood, feelings. When only feelings or mood are the 'painters', it will be a temporary image. But when the 'artist' is your character, it doesn't portray only one minute or one day: it outlines the picture of your whole life. Caution must be used when allowing a negative attitude to influence your character, because it has the power to seriously damage your state of mind and, consequently, your serenity.

Off Balance

Thinking is the most 'normal' activity that all human beings do. It's the main function of the brain, therefore this feature is needed by everyone in order to live organized, well-functioning lives. Sometimes, though, a little problem arises with two opposite kinds of people: those you think too little and those who think too much. The former are superficial and don't care to analyze the possible consequences of their actions. They just go ahead, say and do what they please without paying attention to how their words and actions may impact someone else's life. The latter are those who behave in the opposite way. Their characteristic is 'overthinking'. They have to scrutinize everything that happens around them: Why did they say that? Why did he behave in such a way? Did she really mean what she said?  Their lives are lived with the constant need of finding reasons. 

Under-thinking / Over-thinking: neither is balanced.

Tough Choice?

Picture this scenario: you happily planned your day, you have everything under control and you are looking forward to what is coming. Then, something happens. Nothing serious, just a little mishap: the friend who was supposed to call, doesn't call, a meeting you really wanted to have gets canceled, you had planned a picnic and it starts to rain, your hair doesn't look as good as usual....Just nuisances that, nevertheless, ruin your mood, and can even ruin your whole day. It's so common, so human, so 'normal'! Observe now your reaction: you are upset, you grumble, you feel really disturbed. It's ok. At this point, after having grumbled, felt upset and disturbed for a few minutes, you have a choice. Either you maintain this attitude, and feel miserable, or you snap out of it and move on, regaining your usual cheerfulness. Is it too difficult to decide? 

Now or Later?

Many tend to overlook the importance of "now" because they are too busy planning for tomorrow - for later. However, how sure can they be that there is going to be a 'later'? Besides, what does 'later' actually mean? Is it the next hour, day, month, year, decade? How do they know? They can only guess or, rather, hope. If you take a moment to reflect upon this, you realize how human beings seem to prefer fantasizing, making plans, arranging situations in their minds, and neglect to assess what they are presently experiencing. If everyone were aware that this very instant is the only one that really exists, greater attention would be given to the way such instant is lived. Through such awareness, there would be no regrets because every word or action would be carefully weighed before being expressed. The word "awareness", in fact, may be interpreted as a sort of deep knowledge of what is actually happening, right now. More 'focus' would yield more satisfactory results. Could there be a better way to move through life?

Contrast

Most words have just one clear meaning (chair, house, spoon etc.). The appearance of the 'things' may change, but there is no doubt about what they signify. Some words, on the other hand, can have a very different - often opposite - interpretation. One of these words is 'contrast'. Think of how light and shade in paintings by Caravaggio or Rembrandt create masterpieces. Think of the lively vision brought out by chiaroscuro in a drawing. Think of yellow leaves strewn on a green grassy lawn. How can you not admire the admirable combination of colors, of light and shade? But 'contrast' also indicates the striking difference of opinions that can give rise to misunderstanding and fights among human beings. Nature and art are always harmonious, even when they use 'opposites'. Mankind isn't. Although 'opposite' is a recurring feature in all facets of life, sadly it is highly misused by the part of creation that should be the wisest. 

Leonardo's Way

If you have the opportunity to see Leonardo da Vinci's drawings, you will be amazed by one thing: the incredible number of sketches he made before painting a picture or carrying out a scientific or mechanical project. He appears to have examined the subject of his interest from every possible viewpoint and in the minutest detail. After all this work, it is not surprising that he could achieve perfection, or near-perfection. Could you do something similar with your life? If you examine it in all its facets: thoughts, words, expressions, behaviors, moods etc., you might be able to understand yourself better and, if necessary, make some changes here and there. In this way, as Leonardo's work achieved the highest artistic level, also your life might get closer and closer to reaching fulfillment and serenity.