Key Lessons in Life..

I never get bored reading more and more about lessons in life. I always think there are endless life lessons that we can learn. Whether it is to be applied or not in our life..it's all up to us. The most important thing is to be able to know what's good or bad in this life. To know that life can be happening in so many way but somehow our thoughts can be the main thing to direct our life...into a better life of course. So, this is an article by Arvind Devalia that I found here. It's about lessons of life derived from the famous Gandhi. His wisdom has been able to guide the life of many people. And these are 6 points of life that can be the keys to our life.

1. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

This is possibly Gandhi’s most famous phrase and tells us that before we can go and change the world, we have to change ourselves. From the being, comes the doing and ultimately the having. So we now have the message – “Do the change you wish to see in the world”.

Focus on changing yourself and being the change you wish – and soon we can begin to look at the bigger picture and solve the world’s challenges. There is this anecdotal story about how a mother came with her son to see Gandhi. She wanted Gandhi to tell her son to stop eating too much sugar as it was harmful for his health. He asked her to come back a month later by which time he himself had cut down on his own sugar intake.

The point is that before you can get anyone to take on your own teachings, you have to apply them to your own life. There are various phrases to reflect this message such as “practice what you preach” and “walk the talk”.

“Let your life be your message” – Gandhi

2. Reduce, reuse and recycle

“There is enough in the world for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed” – Gandhi

Even in Gandhi’s time there was vast disparity in the world between the rich and the poor. He could see how the world’s resources were being pilloried to satisfy the excessive demands of the West whilst most people in the rest of the world were barely surviving.

Today I would argue that the way we are all living in the West and elsewhere, there is not even enough for everyone’s needs. We must revisit how we live our lives and truly learn to reduce, reuse and recycle – the 3Rs.

The time has come when we cannot just rely on others – each one of us has to do our bit. Increasingly, more and more people and also businesses are waking up to their responsibilities to the environment, the larger community and the global implications of their activities. Start today and apply the 3Rs in your life.

3. Live a simple, minimalist life.

Gandhi lived a very simple, frugal life. He died with very few possessions and he preached simplicity and minimalism in all areas of life. He also dressed simply and even persisted with his simple Indian loin cloth when he visited England and met the King. When asked if he was under dressed for a meeting with the King, Gandhi replied that the King had enough clothes on for both of them!

Minimalism is something I am beginning to apply in my life too. To get you started, please check out this excellent “Minimalist Guide” from my blogging mentor and friend Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. Start living a simpler minimalistic life from today – and you will release a lot of time and energy to bring more of Gandhi’s teachings into the world.

4. If no one walks with you, walk alone

Believe in your cause, follow your truth and stick to your journey even if you have to walk the path on your own. Gandhi at the end of his life was said to be heart broken with the partition of India as millions were killed and displaced. Even then, he still had a message for the world – it takes just one man to make a difference.

If no one responds to your call, go forward alone.
If no one talks to you, oh luckless one,
If everyone turns away from you in fear,
Reveal your thoughts and express your ideas to yourself.
If everyone leaves you while you are travelling a dangerous road,
If no one wants to look after you,Walk on alone, on the road strewn with thorns, trampling on them with bleeding feet.
If no one shows a light, if in the dark stormy night everyone shuts their doors,
Use your rib as a torch, lit from the fire of thunder. – Rabindranath Tagore

So anything and everything you do counts and will make a difference.

5. Get your power through humility

Gandhi was a very humble, down to earth, ordinary human-being but therein lay his power and authority. His power came from being very clear about who he was, his values and his mission. So the clearer you are about who you are and what you stand for,the more power you will exert in the world, whilst remaining humble and as down to earth as you wish. Of course, by power what I mean here is not the power that corrupts but one that changes the world and makes a positive contribution.

6. Start today

“The difference between what we do, and what we are capable of doing, would solve most of the world’s problems” – Gandhi

Believe that what you do matters, and that it will make a difference. You can’t save the whole world single-handedly, and we can’t all be a Gandhi or a Mandela, but you can certainly make a difference to one person at a time. So look for ways to contribute. Ask yourself what special skill or knowledge you have that can solve a problem or make the best of a situation and that will help or support others.

And actually, maybe we can all be a Gandhi or a Mandela:-) Start small – and get started no matter what. They too started small one day at the beginning of their own life journeys. So fear not – you already have and know enough – new skills will come for sure as you progress on your journey. And whatever you choose to do, it will make a difference.

The point is that everything we do matters and makes either a positive or a negative impact on everything around us. You can start today to apply Gandhi’s message in your life, simply by focusing on this one question:-

How can I bring more love and peace into my life today?

Just know that every little bit helps and by you being more loving and peaceful, the rest of the world becomes more loving and peaceful too. After all, we all have a “Gandhi” inside of us, just waiting to emerge.

(written by Arvind Devalia - image sources: beautyineverything, allposters, weheartit)

Holiday room..

It's holiday season and my nieces are here to sleep over at my place. It's nice to see families sleeping over in our home, isn't? So, it came across my mind about a "twin-bed or more" room decor. Found these images that might inspire me someday to decor a guest room or so. Is it only me or it sounds fun to have a twin seeing beautiful rooms like these? =)

(image sources: coastalliving.com, houseofturquoise.com, houseofturquoise.com, vi.sualize.us, weheartit.com, coastalliving.com)

10 Metaphors For Love

When we're talking about metaphor, we're talking more or less about analogy or about how we can say a certain word for a replacement of another word. How do you find a metaphor for the word LOVE? I found a really good 10 metaphor of LOVE from xamuel.com. He and his girlfriend came up with some great metaphors of LOVE. I found the article really interesting. Love is like a thrill ride..agree! Love is an adventure..agree! Love is a fine wine...couldn't agree more. Read the full article below. I really thank the author who wrote this article..Enjoy =)

Metaphors For Love

Love is……

……A Thrill Ride. Sharing experiences with another person adds an element of non-control into the picture. Suddenly you’ve got a “better half” who you can never completely predict. One reason it’s so great to be together with a fellow human being is because humans are ever-changing creatures. I have no idea how my partner will change, nor does she know how I will. That makes it a kind of thrill ride. The best affairs fulfill our thirst for drama and spice: the ideal relationship of constant hugs and smiles, which some people try to portray to the outside world as in the movie Revolutionary Road, is a sham. A relationship without its ups and downs is like a flat roller coaster. But when two people share the full spectrum of emotions with each other, a roller coaster of ecstasy and soap opera, a new and higher level of intimacy is achieved.

……A Fine wine. While a typical fling might be very hot and passionate at first, it always seems to cool down. But true love should age like wine, growing in subtle intensity. Fond memories accumulate, and not just the lovey-dovey kind, but also the excited forbidden kind. This is the couple who seems drunk on each other, the married couple who still can’t keep their hands off each other.

……A Garden. Tend it and watch it blossom. Then let it nourish you and its fruits revive your soul. Lie down in the flowers in the warmth of the sun. Replant the seeds of love so that it may replenish itself and grow more full as the seasons pass. Be vigilant of weeds and uproot them early by maintaining an open and direct dialogue together. Openness is crucial in a loving relationship; the light which streams in will strengthen the garden.

……A Battlefield. I like to fight other guys over my girl. God knows, she’s cute enough there’s no end to guys hitting on her. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. My girlfriend is the jealous type, and whenever another girl so much as smiles at me, I’m sure to get a tight possessive hug .The artillery and shrapnel of the flirting world keeps a good relationship sharp and wards off complacency. A common misconception is that this conflict can be stopped by exchanging two gold rings. Nonsense: all that does is up the stakes of war!

……The Air. How easily we can take it for granted when we have it! Lose it and you’ll feel it fast. We human beings are hard-coded to need companionship and affection with a kind of lunatic urgency. It’s more important than any other thing in the confines of the world: just as a pile of gold would do you no good if you couldn’t breathe, so too do all the luxuries of life crumble to dust when the energy of love is removed. Breathe love in deeply and let it flow through every corner of your body and heart. Like the Tibetan monks meditate upon their breath, make yourself appreciate each moment together.

……An Experiment. When two hearts join, there’s no knowing what the outcome will be. And yet like a scientist devoted to truth and knowledge, lovers thrill in the act of the experiment regardless of the results. As in science, there is no “wrong result”. Quite the opposite, the most awesome results are the very ones we least expect. It is when our lover surprises us and catches us off guard that new heights of love are achieved.

……A Destroyer. A really good love affair will annihilate something about the lover’s prior self. Maybe new boundaries will be penetrated, maybe certain beliefs and views will change. The very best encounters will leave one a completely different person, obliterate the old self completely. Sometimes a dart from Cupid is exactly what we need to nudge us off the wrong path in life, to jolt us out of a rut, force us to take back control from the autopilot. In order to fall in love, one must be ready (deep down) to let go of things and put some faith in fate: to bid farewell and release the old and open one’s arms to the new.

……Life. All the important parts of life resonate lovingly, whether for a soulmate or for friends or even just for a particularly dear hobby. No man makes a meaningful impact upon the world without some kind of deeper emotional tug at his heartstrings. Lukewarm emotions just do not carry enough momentum or energy to do anything more than make some temporary noise. Of course, even besides these deeper matters, there’s the obvious direct physical connection between intimacy and the very creation of life. No-one loves like a newborn baby!

……Autumn. With passion, every part of life bursts aflame with color and light and energy and presence. Autumn is the season of dusk and twilight, just as the throes of love exist in that half-awake, half-dreaming state of magic when the rest of the world gets its volume turned way down. And when at last love smolders down and dies, its passage ushers in a season of wintry cold and gloom. And yet given the power to avoid the winter and dwell forever in Summer, life would be deprived of some of its beauty and joy: therefore we choose to open our hearts to our lovers, even knowing that it might hurt.

……An Adventure. A great road trip to new and unexplored feelings and experiences, fraught perhaps with perils and conflicts. In a story, the adventure is the whole reason for the hero’s being, it’s the whole reason for the whole story-world’s existence. So too does the Higher Emotion justify all the toil and tedium of life. In a certain sense, every adventure is a metaphor for, every story a monument to, love. It is, at the very core, what separates the novel from a lifeless narration of events, and what makes our lives worth reading.

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

-St. Augustine

(image sources: sparklling.tumblr ,weheartstyle.tumblr, absolute-sunday.tumblr, imcrazyinwonderland.tumblr)

In The Sweetness of Day

I can't help but posted this images. These are fashion editorial of Vogue Nippon 2008. The model was the famous model Coco Rocha and the photographer was Arthur Elgort. The photo shoots was called "In The Sweetness of Day". I know it's been a while since the photos were taken and published, but honestly did you see any old things about the images? I don't =) Most importantly, these images can brighten up my day. The images bring the fun side of life and also the stylish side of life..

Summer drink..

How's your summer everyone? Hope you're having an amazing one. I can imagine you relaxing alone or with families and friends doing nothing on a hot summer day=) When it comes to summer, I know we always feel thirsty and feel like always having something fresh like a juice, smoothies or soda perhaps. But this one I have here is different. Talking about food and beverages, I always love My Baking Addiction. This time it's a fresh summer dink, Raspberry Lemonade from My baking Addition. You can try this at home and serve for families and friends or maybe just you =)

Raspberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup of water
• ¾ cup raspberries; pureed and pushed through a fine mesh sieve; plus more whole berries for garnish if desired
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (this equaled close to 8 of my lemons)
• 4-6 cups cold water (this will vary depending on your taste)

Directions:

1. Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat until the sugar in completely dissolved; swirl the pan occasionally. Let cool.
2. Measure 3/4 of fresh raspberries and puree them in your blender or food processor.
3. Push the raspberry puree through a fine mesh sieve to separate the seeds from the pulp.
4. Once the simple syrup has cooled, combine the raspberry puree, simple syrup and lemon juice in a large pitcher.
5. Add 4-6 cups of cold water. The amount of water you use will depend on your taste, so add as little or as much as you want to achieve your perfect sweet/tart balance.

(images from mybakingaddiction and car-moebel.de)

Happy Feet

All about happy feet =) Just saw a penguin this morning on TV and suddenly I remember Mumble, a happy penguin from Happy Feet. This is why I'm posting these happy feet images. Those happy feet of yours can surely bring you to the happy places =)

(image sources: http://mypreciousconfessions.blogspot.com/, http://vi.sualize.us/view/6bb4a99086eb2d7e782f9fb7e68953d9/, http://kameralek.blogg.no/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmatakesphotos/3660664748/, http://thechemicalkid.tumblr.com/page/2)

Tough time..

What do you do when you're having a really tough time? Do you just stay in your room and hoping that it will all end soon or you face it and do the best you can to be tougher and challenge what's ahead of you? I think it's better to be tougher. Problems come and go in our life but when we're facing face to face with problems, we must be able to face it. Found this article on Beliefnet. It's a 10-point list about inspiring thoughts for tough time. The list was created by Noah benShea. Noah is an American poet-philosopher and also a Pulitzer Prize nominee.

10 Inspiring Thoughts for Though Time.

1. Broke Is not Broken - Being broke is not the same as being broken, losing money is not the same as being lost, and finding your balance is not something you can do on a balance sheet.
2. Having Less Doesn’t Mean You Are Less - Don’t confuse having less with being less, having more with being more, or what you have with who you are.
3. Savor Life and Slow Down - When you’re in a hurry, go slowly. The faster you go in life the sooner it is a blur
4. Prayer Creates a New Path - Prayer creates a path where there is none and turns your stumbling blocks into building blocks.
5. Courage Is not Absence of Fear - Put your faith, and not your fears, in charge. Courage isn’t the absence of fears but how you wrestle with them.
6. Embrace the Future - If you’re busy hugging the past, you can’t embrace the future. Don’t let the past kidnap your future
   
7. Change Is the Only Constant - This too shall pass. Change is the only constant. In order to take a breath, you must release your breath.
8. Make a Difference - Do what you can, but never forget that letting go is very different from giving up. Of all the things you can make in life, remember you make all the difference in your life.
9. Embrace Happiness - Tough times don’t require you to be tough on yourself. Find the courage to embrace happiness.
10. You Are Great - Things don’t have to be good for you to be great.

(image sources: allposters.com, beautyineverything.com)

When I was reading about this, I realized that it would be fun if I can list down all the things I've know for sure. But those I put down on my list of course are all based on my personal thoughts. I might probably going to do this. Maybe on the weekend I will start doing this little project. Came to think of it, there are lots of things we've known for sure but don't you think it'd be better if you know exactly the points of your thinking? Those points that you believe is true...no matter what people think. Those points do not necessarily have to be a rocket scientist thought but just a simple thoughts on life, lesson learned, love and many other thought that you have on your mind. and since it is based on your own experience, you will always truly believe on those points that you put down on your list.

The Top 20 Things Oprah Knows for Sure

1. What you put out comes back all the time, no matter what. (This is my creed.)
2. You define your own life. Don't let other people write your script.
3. Whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. Only you give it power.
4. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. (A lesson from Maya Angelou.)
5. Worrying is wasted time. Use the same energy for doing something about whatever worries you.
6. What you believe has more power than what you dream or wish or hope for. You become what you believe.
7. If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that will be enough. (From the German theologian and humanist Meister Eckhart.)
8. The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give.
9. Failure is a signpost to turn you in another direction.
10. If you make a choice that goes against what everyone else thinks, the world will not fall apart.
11. Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn't lie.
12. Love yourself and then learn to extend that love to others in every encounter.
13. Let passion drive your profession.
14. Find a way to get paid for doing what you love. Then every paycheck will be a bonus.
15. Love doesn't hurt. It feels really good.
16. Every day brings a chance to start over.
17. Being a mother is the hardest job on earth. Women everywhere must declare it so.
18. Doubt means don't. Don't move. Don't answer. Don't rush forward.
19. When you don't know what to do, get still. The answer will come.
20. "Trouble don't last always." (A line from a Negro spiritual, which calls to mind another favorite: This, too, shall pass.)

(source from Oprah.com - images from justbesplendid)

Another year..

June 14th was my boyfriend's birthday, June 17th is my turn for my birthday yay =) So, I celebrated my birthday with my boyfriend, my families and co-workers. Not a party whatsoever, it's just a lunch gathering but it was so fun=) Here are some the pictures..I got so many birthday greetings directly and also through Facebook, Twitter, Text message, Blackberry Messenger and phone calls. It was a blast. There's no other feelings that can replace the feelings knowing that friends and families still care about you and wishing you a wonderful birthday. On this day, I would like to say HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who have been sending me wishes and prayers for my birthday =) Here's to another fresh year and to another year to live!

Let's go to sleep with clearer heads

Here's a song that I just found. I heard this song the first time on Grey's Anatomy Season 5 Episode 22. It's a song by Ingrid Michaelson called "Turn To Stone". The first time I heard the song, I fell in love completely. At first I thought it's because of the scene of the episode, it was very touchy. But then when I heard more and more on the lyrics, the song become more and more beautiful. Here's a video of the song. I was about to post a video with the Grey's Anatomy background but I decided not to. I want people to hear the song without any interruption of any other visual other than the song. Enjoy the song..Hope you like it =)

Let's take a better look

Beyond a story book
And learn our souls are all we own
Before we turn to stone

Let's go to sleep with clearer heads
And hearts to big to fit our beds
And maybe we won't feel so alone
Before we turn to stone

And if you wait for someone else's hand
And you will surely fall down
And if you wait for someone else's hand
You'll fall...You'll fall

I know that I am nothing new
There's so much more than me and you
But brother how we must atone
Before we turn to stone

Brother how we must atone
Before we turn to stone...Before we turn to stone

Bad Boosters..

I found this article from the happiness-project. It's about finding your own happiness. Just when you think you're on your way toward happiness, there's always a slight chance that you're doing it wrong. I am sure that everyone has his/her own way to describe happiness but the 5 points below show the happiness booster that do more harm than good. I actually believe on point 5, about staying in your pajamas all day. I know that often we think it's fine to just stay in bed all day in our pajamas but somehow when you do exactly the opposite...you will find that there are lots of good things to do without your pajamas =) And of course you will feel more energetic. I don't know about you but everytime I'm in my pajamas, I feel like sleeping all day doing nothing haha..Well, here are the 5 happiness boosters that actually do more harm than good.

5 happiness boosters that actually do more harm than good.

Everyone has a few tricks for beating the blues – things you do when you’re feeling down to try to boost your mood. It turns out, however, that several of the most popular strategies don’t actually work very well in the long term. Beware if you are tempted to try any of the following:

1. Comforting yourself with a “treat.” Often, the things we choose as “treats” aren’t good for us. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt, loss of control, and other negative consequences just deepen the lousiness of the day. So w hen you find yourself thinking, “I’ll feel better after I have a few beers…a pint of ic e cream…a cigarette…a new pair of jeans,” ask yourself – will it R EALLY make you feel better? It might make you feel worse. In particular, beware of…

   

2. Letting yourself off the hook. I’ve found that I sometimes get a real happiness boost from giving something up, quitting something, or breaking a bad habit. For example, I feel very happy about having given up fake food. When you’re feeling down, you might be tempted to let yourself off the hook, to think, “I’ll allow mys elf to skip my run today, I need a break.” In fact, sticking to a resolution will boost your sense of self-esteem and self-control. So NOT letting yourself off the hook might do more to boost your happiness.

   

3. Turning off your phone. Studies show that extroverts and introverts alike get a mood boost from connecting with other people. Although it can be tempting to isolate yourself when you’re feeling unhappy, you’re better off making plans with friends or family.

   

4. Expressing your negative emotions. Many people believe in the “catharsis hypothesis” and think that expressing anger is healthy-minded and relieves their feelings. Not so. Studies show that expressing anger only aggravates it; as Plutarch observed, “Anger, while in its beginning, often can be ended by silence, or neglect.” I’ve certainly found this to be true; once I get going, I can whip myself into a fury. It’s better to stay calm.

   

5. Staying in your pajamas all day. One of the most helpful things I’ve learned in my happiness research is that although we think that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. As improbable as this sounds, it really works. Sometimes it can be fun to hang out in your sweats all day, but if you’re feeling lethargic, powerless, or directionless, not getting dressed is going to make you feel worse. Put on your clothes—including your shoes—so you feel prepared for whatever the day might offer. While you’re at it, make your bed.

(source from here - image sources: tumblr, tumblr, tumblr, xanga, tumblr)

Happy Birthday..

I am going to dedicate today's posting to my boyfriend - Mesza - who's having his birthday today=) Seems like it was only yesterday when the last time we celebrate the birthday. Here are some of the pictures of his birthday on 2008 and 2009. I'll be posting the '2010' cake soon=)
Time flies but we sure did great moment...

On your birthday, I wish you a life full of good luck and happiness. I wish you a life filled with LOVE from all the people surrounding you. May you always get what you've been wishing for...Now let's make a wish and blow the candles .. Happy Birthday Babe...Love YOU

(image from here and here)

Thank You note..

There is always time to say thank you even when we're having a bad moment. We have to learn to say those gratitude or say thank you from Leah Dieterich. She has done amazing works on making "a thank you note" a day. We can see that even in a bad situation, there's always a goodness hiding somewhere. Here are some of her works, you can see all the rest here.

Good Fortune..

Good fortune. I'm absolutely sure everyone wants it. A fortune that can do good to your life. Just the same as luck, it can happen to anyone, not only the lucky people but I believe that we can make our own luck. What can we do to make good fortune come to us? Below is the article about secret principles of good fortune from Good Life Zen. Have you ever heard about you, writing your own life story? I believe it's possible because you control your own life. And that also means that you can make your own good fortune..

3 Secret Principles of Good Fortune

1. Create good fortune for others

Most people think of getting and having as a key to good fortune. That’s like thinking that you are the center of the universe and you expect good things to flow towards us from all sides. In my experience that’s not what creates good fortune. The secret is to turn your thinking around and consider what others need. And then to take action.

The first principle of good fortune is to enable good fortune for others where you can.

2. Meet good fortune half way

As I said before, I tend to be fortunate. And – boy – do I work hard for that good fortune! My sense is that we need to meet good fortune half way. That is, we have to put our heart and soul into a venture, to do our utmost. That effort attracts good fortune. It’s not enough to dream big, visualize outcomes, or set goals. In the end what counts is hard work. If I look at the instances where I have not had good fortune in my life, it was in areas that I wasn’t passionate about, and didn’t really put a lot of research and hard work into.

The second principle is to meet good fortune half way

3. Be positive

Good fortune comes to those who are positive. If you’re a whinger or a whiner, you may be keeping good fortune at bay, instead of inviting it into your life. Whatever you see as ‘the story of my life’ is going to come true. So, if story about your life is that you always draw the short straw – that’s how it’s going to be in the future. If, like me, the story of you life is that you tend to be fortunate – then that’s going to shape the rest of your life.

The third principle of good fortune is to keep a positive attitude.

(source from goodlifezen - image sources: flickr, beggi)