Be Happy.... Stay Happy

'nough said.

Practice Compassion, Goodwill, Love and Kindness

com•pas•sion [kuh m-pash-uh ]

noun a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.




My lesson for today is compassion.

Buddhism is all about it and truth be told, I am easily moved by the plight of others. By others, I mean those I’m not related to. My compassion lesson is for my family. Somewhere along the way, I started suffering compassion fatigue for my relatives. Who was the first to wake up to the fact that sometimes we treat strangers better than we treat our family?

I’m not sure when or why it happened and I’m not even sure how to live with compassion when suffering can’t be alleviated without destroying yourself with grief. Whatever happens, I will open myself fully to my family and walk with them through any trial or tribulation.

Keep Karma and Carry Om

Week One of Meditating.

In short, j'adore.

2011 started out innocuous. Truth be told, I felt slightly short-changed throughout January. After all it was the Year of the Rabbit; my year. Magic was promised and I was impatiently waiting.

Somewhere in the midst of that grey, painful winter season, everything changed. A shift in my thinking from acceptance to challenge. Is this the life I wanted to live? Exactly when had I fallen into the trap of believing dreams could be contained if not squashed by the recession? No more.

It was as though I took the first exit from the path I was on and immediately felt better. Breathed easier. It would be easy to mourn how long it took me to wake up to mindlessly traversing the wrong road but mourning belongs to that old life and I believe everything comes to us in the perfect timing.

Meditation has been a long-running but ignored theme in my life. Friends and family members have encouraged me to try it, especially during those career-driven periods of madness where 60 hour weeks were the norm. But I didn’t have the time or inclination to meditate. I was fuelled by adrenalin.

The winding path of my life is taking me closer to Buddhism and before I knew it, I arrived at meditation but this time with an eagerness to try it. That being said, I still assumed it would be difficult. That there would be navel-gazing and robes. In short, I assumed it would be 10 minutes of my life I’d never get back.

I may be slowing down to smell the roses but frankly I don’t have all day so I decided to start with the Headspace app – Take 10. 10 minutes of meditation a day. Even I could spare 10 minutes.

I wasn’t prepared for the effortlessness of meditation nor the seismic shift from off-balanced to feeling centred straight away. It’s intricately complex and simple at the same time. It is awareness and contentment and joy and peace. It is part of my path now and I can’t wait to see where I go next.

Namaste.

http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/

Optimist's Creed

My Nanna

I miss my Nanna ~ every single day since she passed away in 1998. She was the most amazing person I've ever known. A real inspiration. Her joie de vivre was amazing and I am still trying to replicate it.

I believe that our loved ones can give us signs after they have passed away and for 11 years I have been looking. I have seen little things that I have attributed to my Nanna but I got the biggest sign a few weeks ago.

I've been looking for a new job, found one I really liked and went for an interview. Even my friends remarked how calm I was about it all. Even after the interview - just ..... "zen". Later that day I was called and told I got the position. (Yippee). A few moments later when my Mum was looking for a new puppy in the newspaper, she came across Memoriams by accident (she never looks there) and saw the post for my Nanna ~ who had passed away that very day 11 years previously.

I just felt like my Nanna was saying she was there for me, with me, and that this is the right job for me. It was a really awesome moment.

Always

This was on one of my daily pages from The Daily Teachings of The Secret and I thought it was worth remembering:


No matter where you are,
no matter how difficult things might appear to be,
you are always being moved towards magnificence.
ALWAYS.

Nick Vujicic - Finish Strong!

An amazing person!

The Optimist Creed

PROMISE YOURSELF:
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come rue.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful counternance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but in greast deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

by Christian D Larson (1912)

Success!

I have this written on a little plastic card in my diary and I was reading it this morning and thought I'd share it here.

To laugh often and much,
to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children,
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others,
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier, because you have lived,
this is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Believe

Lest We Forget

Slowing Down to the Speed of Life

Eventhough my work life seems to be full of drama, I have found peace in it all.

I have been reading alot and one of the books I recently read was called "What About the Big Stuff?" by Richard Carlson (author of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"). It was really enlightening (not to mention poignant remembering how the author passed away unexpectedly in 2006) and I am approaching things better (or so I think). I have also started relaxing more and being patient. Slowing down to the speed of life. All my life I've been go-go-go, always doing two or four things at once ;) but now I have slowed down.

One of my slowing down strategies has been to read in the bath (I've never ever done that before) but it quietens my mind from the everyday stress, worries etc. Instead of being in and out within 5 minutes, I can now soak away for half an hour. I am in no rush. There's no better place I have to be.

I am also going on the treadmill every day (I figure exercise increased endorphins so I'll feel better, I'll also lose weight and boost my immune system). I read while I am on it (I have to hold the book and the treadmill handles at the same time - LOL) but 35 minutes go by in a blink and again, I am in silence absorbed in a book. It's the quiet times that seems to help with stress and nervous energy.

PLUS my clothes are starting to feel looser which is an amazing feeling ~ and not one, I've had in forever.

So eventhough there's a lot of stress going on right now, I am in a good place. Slowing down really does make everything better.

The Dash

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on his tombstone
From the beginning to the end
He noted that first came his date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For the dash represents all the time
That he spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved him,
Knew what that little line was worth
For it matters not, how much we own:
The cars, the house... The cash
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So please think about this long and hard
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real
And always try and understand how other people feel.
And be less quick to anger
And show our appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last awhile.

So, when your eulogy's being read
With your life's actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

Author Unknown

Life of your Dreams...

To create the life of your dreams, the time has come for you to love You. Focus on Your joy. Do all the things that make You feel good. Love You, inside and out. Everything will change in your life when you change the inside of You to love. Allow the Universe to give you every good thing you deserve, by being a magnet to them all. To be a magnet for every single thing you deserve, you must be a magnet of love.

Taken from The Secret Daily Calendar for Sunday 12th October.

Liisa 1 ... Skinheads 0

Skinhead: Someone with a shaved head; Member of the skinhead subculture arising in late 1960s England or its diaspora; Someone, often associating with a violent gang, who adheres to white-supremacist or anti-immigrant principles.

I feel I should be wearing a cape or at least a tight-fighting sparkly crime-fighting outfit as I type this. Yesterday I took on a group of skinheads and won. Well, sort of.

On my way home from work, sitting in Gorgeous George, listening to the freakishly talented Jimmy Wayne on my iPod (through my car radio not through earphones) when I noticed (in the stop & start traffic queues), a group of skinheads in a car harassing a young Muslim woman in a neighbouring car which happened to be in front of me. They had their windows down, leering & jeering, doing hand gestures and swerving towards her pretending to hit her.

Because the traffic was so stop & start, she couldn't escape them. They just ended up stopping right next to each other.

Super Liisa needed to intervene!

Since I didn't have a 'phone booth handy to change into my crime-fighting outfit, I floored Gorgeous George instead and swerved in front of the skinheads meaning they couldn't get level with the young girl.

Ha ha ha! Mission accomplished.

(To be fair, I was incandescent at this stage. It really beggars belief that ignorance on that scale still exists).

But the traffic gods were mocking me and the stop and start (traffic) was such that they could still harass her.

That's when they crashed into me.

And I thought I was mad before!

I managed to put on my hazard lights, turn off Jimmy, unplug my seatbelt and get out the car swinging in one motion ;)

Driver Skinhead (that's when I realised there were SIX in the car) came out and said he was changing the radio station and didn't see my car. Red in the face and about to explode with frustration, I blurted out (finger pointing) "YOU WERE NOT! I SAW YOU!"

He looked at me slightly shocked and said something like "erm.. you're right, I was talking with my mate".

Redder still and using my finger I prodded him once on his chest saying "YOU WERE NOOOOOOOT!!! YOU WERE HARASSING THAT GIRL!"

and that's when the other skinheads decided to get out of the car and the ... er, gravity of the situation slooooowly sank in (as my finger retracted in slooooow motion and poop threatened to fill my pants! )

I quickly inspected Gorgeous George (no visible damage - PHEW), glared at him one more time and walked back to my car.

I then LOCKED my door, turned on Jimmy (a girl has priorities), shook my head (for effect), turned around and wrote down their licence plate (with such exaggerated gestures I could have won Charades) and then drove off.

I then rang my Mum and told her briefly what happened (just in case they decided to get even further down the road).

One idiot in the front seat kept trying to harass the same girl who was no longer parallel) but the head skinhead / driver kept his eye on my car and as soon as he could pull off, he did. I think I may actually have shook him up a bit.

In hindsight, it was slightly foolish. I don't know if anyone would have come to MY rescue if they decided to err, "handle" the situation themselves but I was so mad at their cowardice for "attacking" that poor girl, I couldn't help myself.

On a different note ... I know what I am getting for Christmas. Mum bought it yesterday. A HIGH-DEFINITION LCD TV!!!! Squeeeeeeeeeal! Of course I get absolutely nothing else and the TV (the exact model and brand I wanted) was on a massive sale (more than half price) so Mum snapped it up. I told her it was waaaaaay too extravagant but she went ahead and did it.

Anyhoo thought you'd like to hear my story about my Skinhead encounter!

I Believe ....

Birth Certificate shows that we were born.
A Death Certificate shows that we died.
Pictures show that we lived!

Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly.

I Believe...
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave
loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long
after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do
what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing
and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
but, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you -
you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...
That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in, I just did.

'The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything.'

Wisdom

For yesterday is but a dream,

And tomorrow is only a vision:

But today well lives

Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

SANSKRIT PROVERB

When you are in complete harmony with the Universe, which is all good, then you have tapped into the greatest power there is to support you. To harmonize yourself with the Universe and allow all good to flood into your life, speak good words, plant good thoughts, and generate good feelings.

Taken from The Secret Daily Calendar for 2nd September.

Today's Angel...... "Mercy"

Let It In

The Universe wants to give you so much, if you could just let it in.

To let it in, slow down.
To let it in, relax.
To let it in, unwind.
To let it in, be calm.
To let it in, let go.

You are now letting it in.



Taken from "The Secret" daily calendar for Thursday 28th August.

Joy

Unless you fill yourself up first, you have nothing to give anybody. Therefore it is imperative that you tend to You first.


Attend to your joy first.


People are responsible for their own joy. When you tend to your joy and do what makes you feel good, you are a joy to be around and you are a shining example to every child and every person in your life. When you are feeling joy you don't even have to think about giving. It's a natural overflow.


Taken from The Secret daily calendar for August 7th.