May the dawning of this New Year, fill your heart with new hopes, open up new horizons and bring for you promises of brighter tomorrows.
May you have a great New Year! ♥
Friday 31 December 2010
Happy New Year!
May the dawning of this New Year, fill your heart with new hopes, open up new horizons and bring for you promises of brighter tomorrows.
May you have a great New Year! ♥
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962), born Norma Jeane Mortenson, but baptized Norma Jeane Baker, was an American actress, singer and model.
An amazing, intriguing woman, more clever than she was ever given credit for... here's a few of her insightful quotes.
"It's far better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone — so far."
"It's often just enough to be with someone. I don't need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You're not alone."
"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
"No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they're pretty, even if they aren't."
"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no-one but yourself, and sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together."
An amazing, intriguing woman, more clever than she was ever given credit for... here's a few of her insightful quotes.
"It's far better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone — so far."
"It's often just enough to be with someone. I don't need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You're not alone."
"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
"No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they're pretty, even if they aren't."
"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no-one but yourself, and sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together."
Monday 27 December 2010
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher. Central to his philosophy is the idea of “life-affirmation,” which involves an honest questioning of all doctrines that drain life's expansive energies, however socially prevalent those views might be.
In my opinion he seems to have been quite a gloomy guy. Very insightful and gloomy but, perhaps one can't be a philosopher without a certain amount of gloom...? ;)
More Nietzsche:
"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."
"It is not the struggle of opinions that has made history so violent, but rather the struggle of belief in opinions, that is, the struggle of convictions."
"One must have a good memory to be able to keep the promises one makes."
"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."
In my opinion he seems to have been quite a gloomy guy. Very insightful and gloomy but, perhaps one can't be a philosopher without a certain amount of gloom...? ;)
"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."
"It is not the struggle of opinions that has made history so violent, but rather the struggle of belief in opinions, that is, the struggle of convictions."
"One must have a good memory to be able to keep the promises one makes."
"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."
Confucius
Confucius (Kong Fu Zi), 551 BC – 479 BC. A Chinese thinker and social philosopher, whose teachings deeply influenced East Asian life and thought. Confucius presented himself as a "transmitter who invented nothing" (not speaking of unknown things? ;)) and he put great emphasis on the importance of study (or learning).
Confucius's moral system was based upon empathy and understanding others. Virtue was based upon harmony with other people, summed up in the earliest versions of the Golden Rule.
"What one does not wish for oneself,
one ought not to do to anyone else;
what one recognises as desirable for oneself,
one ought to be willing to grant to others."
- Confucius
More quotes from Confucius:
"Knowledge is recognizing what you know and what you don't."
"Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew, you are fit to be a teacher."
"To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous."
"When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves."
"It does not matter how slowly you go
so long as you do not stop."
"To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness."
"He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good."
Confucius's moral system was based upon empathy and understanding others. Virtue was based upon harmony with other people, summed up in the earliest versions of the Golden Rule.
one ought not to do to anyone else;
what one recognises as desirable for oneself,
one ought to be willing to grant to others."
- Confucius
"Knowledge is recognizing what you know and what you don't."
"Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew,
"To study and not think is a waste.
"When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves."
"It does not matter how slowly you go
so long as you do not stop."
"To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness."
"He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good."
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Monday 20 December 2010
Love...
Do you love the one you love for you or do you love him for him (or her)...? Confusing? Yeah, it sure is. :P But! There is a difference!
Usually, naturally, there is a bit of both kinds of love in a relationship. Giving and taking. It's taken me a looong long time to (I think) "figure" this one out and I want to try it out on you "all"... ;) :)
Love can be about how safe, protected and loved you feel by your certain someone, i.e. loving someone for you for what you get out of Love. Or (and!) it can be the love you feel for your partner - what a great dad he is, what a kind heart he has or his quick wit. You love your partner for all the possibilities that he/she has for him- or herself...not what you get from Love but what Love enables you to see in you partner.
Again, love is usually, hopefully, a healthy mixture of both - from both lovers. But, a lot of the time, it's not. I say this both from my own experience and the experience of others. When there's an...let call it an imbalance of the two, not uncommonly between partners - where one loves for the all possibilities of the other and the other one love only for what he/she gets out of his/her partners affections. One of them could soar but is too frightened to do so...and the Love that he receives is...ultimately...wasted. This imbalance may last forever but will (again in my opinion) in the end to some degree be seasoned with bitterness.
There is also the desperate love between two partners who are both trying to fill themselves up with the other persons love, in the end draining each other out completely and usually ending in emotional, quite often dramatic, break-ups with wounds so deep they feel like they'll never heal.
Sometimes we're not even aware that we love someone only to fill a hole in ourselves rather than being the wind beneath our loved ones wings, helping them soar...
Is it right to deem one kind of love better than the other? I'm not sure, perhaps this will come back and bite me but I'm daring to say that Yes, there is a "better" more true kind of love...and it is not loving someone for yourself.
Because when you are in a relationship where you love each other, not for what you get, but what Love lets you give it is more true. You both grow, learn, evolve together into better, brighter, more beautiful versions of yourselves.
But, it's hard...we all have our own insecurities and old hurts that haven't healed so we love when love makes us feel special, beautiful, safe... We just have to be aware that what makes us special, beautiful, safe is our love for ourselves!
It's a cliché but it's true...you can't Love someone if you don't love yourself. You can give someone the illusion of love but it isn't the love that they, or you, deserve!
Find yourself first, love you, then give love and you'll get it back...! :)
I'm convinced of it!
Usually, naturally, there is a bit of both kinds of love in a relationship. Giving and taking. It's taken me a looong long time to (I think) "figure" this one out and I want to try it out on you "all"... ;) :)
Love can be about how safe, protected and loved you feel by your certain someone, i.e. loving someone for you for what you get out of Love. Or (and!) it can be the love you feel for your partner - what a great dad he is, what a kind heart he has or his quick wit. You love your partner for all the possibilities that he/she has for him- or herself...not what you get from Love but what Love enables you to see in you partner.
Again, love is usually, hopefully, a healthy mixture of both - from both lovers. But, a lot of the time, it's not. I say this both from my own experience and the experience of others. When there's an...let call it an imbalance of the two, not uncommonly between partners - where one loves for the all possibilities of the other and the other one love only for what he/she gets out of his/her partners affections. One of them could soar but is too frightened to do so...and the Love that he receives is...ultimately...wasted. This imbalance may last forever but will (again in my opinion) in the end to some degree be seasoned with bitterness.
There is also the desperate love between two partners who are both trying to fill themselves up with the other persons love, in the end draining each other out completely and usually ending in emotional, quite often dramatic, break-ups with wounds so deep they feel like they'll never heal.
Sometimes we're not even aware that we love someone only to fill a hole in ourselves rather than being the wind beneath our loved ones wings, helping them soar...
Is it right to deem one kind of love better than the other? I'm not sure, perhaps this will come back and bite me but I'm daring to say that Yes, there is a "better" more true kind of love...and it is not loving someone for yourself.
Because when you are in a relationship where you love each other, not for what you get, but what Love lets you give it is more true. You both grow, learn, evolve together into better, brighter, more beautiful versions of yourselves.
But, it's hard...we all have our own insecurities and old hurts that haven't healed so we love when love makes us feel special, beautiful, safe... We just have to be aware that what makes us special, beautiful, safe is our love for ourselves!
It's a cliché but it's true...you can't Love someone if you don't love yourself. You can give someone the illusion of love but it isn't the love that they, or you, deserve!
Find yourself first, love you, then give love and you'll get it back...! :)
I'm convinced of it!
Sunday 19 December 2010
Choosing the Path
Again, from Mr. Coelho.
Choosing the Path “I am willing to give up everything”, said the prince to the master. “Please accept me as your disciple.”
“How does a man choose his path?” asked the master.
“Through sacrifice,” answered the prince. “A path which demands sacrifice, is a true path.”
The master bumped into some shelves. A precious vase fell, and the prince threw himself down in order to grab hold of it. He fell badly and broke his arm, but managed to save the vase.
“What is the greater sacrifice: to watch the vase smash, or break one’s arm in order to save it?” asked the master.
“I do not know,” said the prince.
“Then how can you guide your choice for sacrifice? The true path is chosen by our ability to love it, not to suffer for it.”
“How does a man choose his path?” asked the master.
“Through sacrifice,” answered the prince. “A path which demands sacrifice, is a true path.”
The master bumped into some shelves. A precious vase fell, and the prince threw himself down in order to grab hold of it. He fell badly and broke his arm, but managed to save the vase.
“What is the greater sacrifice: to watch the vase smash, or break one’s arm in order to save it?” asked the master.
“I do not know,” said the prince.
“Then how can you guide your choice for sacrifice? The true path is chosen by our ability to love it, not to suffer for it.”
Wednesday 8 December 2010
The Porcupine and Solidarity
Once again fabulous words of wisdom from Paulo Coelho's blog. A cute story with profound depth, what I've come to expect from this amazing author/philosopher.
(image: Google)
During the Ice Age many animals died because of the cold. Seeing this situation, the porcupines decided to group together, so they wrapped up well and protected one another.
But they hurt one another with their thorns, and so then they decided to stay apart from one another.
They started to freeze to death again.
So they had to make a choice: either they vanished from the face of the earth or they accepted their neighbor’s thorns.
They wisely decided to stay together again. They learned to live with the small wounds that a very close relationship could cause, because the most important thing was the warmth given by the other.
And in the end they survived.
During the Ice Age many animals died because of the cold. Seeing this situation, the porcupines decided to group together, so they wrapped up well and protected one another.
But they hurt one another with their thorns, and so then they decided to stay apart from one another.
They started to freeze to death again.
So they had to make a choice: either they vanished from the face of the earth or they accepted their neighbor’s thorns.
They wisely decided to stay together again. They learned to live with the small wounds that a very close relationship could cause, because the most important thing was the warmth given by the other.
And in the end they survived.
Tenzin Gyatso - 14th Dalai Lama
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
"All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness..."
"I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.
The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger, and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and compassion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion."
- The 14th Dalai Lama's Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1989
Kindness is my religion too, even if I'm not a buddhist. This man has so many ideas so similar to my own. Truly someone to draw inspiration from, whatever faith you belong to or renounce yourself from...
I speak not of unknown things.
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