What's in a Name?

I'll admit it. I tend to call people names. A lot. And I know I have to stop. I realized today that calling people names doesn't do anything. It really doesn't. So what's in a name? Why do we call people things that we ourselves wouldn't want to be called? I'm finished. I'm not going to do it anymore. And if I do, it will be out of habit. But this is a habit that I am going to try very hard to break. The greatest thing that we can ever do, the most powerful thing that we can ever do is to forgive. When we snap back at someone who is making us upset, we are just kindling the fire. Then a wild fire can arise and we will end up being the one getting hurt. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I don't like being called names, I don't like when people snap at me for no reason, so why do it myself. Approach a situation with love, empathy and understanding; the outcome will be better. If we can look at everyone in this world with compassion, compassion will come back to us.
Namaste

You Are the Observer of Your Mind

This may be a difficult concept to grasp, but it is something that I have discovered through meditations. You are not your thoughts, nor are you the thinker of those thoughts. In reality, you are the observer of your thoughts, the observer of your mind. I was sitting in meditation today when the thought came to me. Because when meditating, we observe our thoughts and then we let them pass. In our daily lives, we get so caught up with the things that people say and do to us. But in reality, those things are not affecting us at all. We are actually detached from our thoughts. My teacher told a group of us that "I think, therefore I am" is actually wrong. Our thoughts don't really make up who we are. We are only observers of those thoughts. This is a difficult concept to grasp. I'm even having a hard time with it. But this is what I have discovered thus far.
Namaste

Quotes by Famous People

I have this neat book called "The Book of Positive Quotations" Compiled and Arranged by John Cook. I love flipping through it and reading all the different quotes by such different people. I thought I would write a few on this blog to share with you.

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing is at someone else; you're the one who gets burned."
~ Buddha

"All of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today."
~ Dale Carnegie

"Yesterday is a cancelled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have-so spend it wisely."
~ Kay Lyons

"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got."
~ Janis Joplin

"Don't take anyone else's definition of success as your own. (This is easier said than done.)"
~ Jacqueline Briskin



Namaste

Learn For Yourself, From Yourself

Has anybody ever told you that they just want to give up on life? That nothing makes them happy anymore, that it's hard to even get up in the morning. Do you find that you are that person? So many people go through life waiting for something to make them happy. They sit and wait for a better future, a better tomorrow. That's not the way that life is supposed to be lived, so when I say that there is no future, in a sense it's true. Yes, there is a future ahead of us, but we have no idea what it holds. The only thing that we KNOW, is the present moment. The only time we have is NOW. People get so hooked on the future and on the past. People remember what happy moments they had, and it makes them sad because they are clinging to their memories. Happiness is a choice, it is something that we cannot be waiting around for. It's something that we need to work at. We are the only ones who can make ourselves happy. It's our feelings that make us who we are. It's the way we feel about a person, place or thing, that makes us feel happy, angry, sad, resentful, etc. We have to power and opportunity to change our perspectives, to change our feelings. Yes, things happen that are out of our control. We get upset because we don't have control over everything in our lives. We don't have control over the way people act towards us, the way the weather is, the outcome of a situation. But what we do have is a choice in our perspective, a control in our reactions to the situations at hand. If someone blows you off, stands you up, cuts you off in the middle of the road, you have at least two choices. You can choose to become upset, swear, bang your fist, and cry, or you can shrug your shoulders, and let it go. The same goes for happiness. We don't always need a reason to be happy. So many times, people wait for something to come along to make their lives better (money is a prime example), but we need to realize that happiness is within us. Attachment to objects, people and places makes us tired, anxious, and upset if we cannot have what we want. So please, take time to breathe, be grateful for the fresh air in your lungs, the friends that you have and the food on your plate. Happiness comes from within. Find that place.
Namaste