Thousands of years ago, a young prince was born in a tiny village in what is now Nepal. On his birth, it was foretold that this young prince would either go on to become a great leader or a very wise holy man who will attain Enlightenment.
Many days after the birth of this young prince, his mother passed away and his father became very concerned about the prophesy concerning his son. Being like many parents, he did what he could to ensure that his son would follow in his footsteps and become a great king.
The father figured that if he shielded his son from the pains of human life, the son would have no desire to become a holy man. So the father used his powers to surround his son with wealth and pleasure.
At first, the son did not know any better and was taken with all that surrounded him. However, a few things happened which caused the young prince to see that there was pain and suffering in the world.
The young prince was shocked. He asked questions but no one could explain the reality of life in a manner that would satisfy him. Eventually, he became a man and married a beautiful woman. His father still was doing what he could to shower his son with more pleasure and beauty. He even built a home that had more worldly pleasures so that his son would become a great king and not a holy man.
When the prince ended up having a son of his own, he realized that if he stayed with his wife and child, he would be tied down and would not be able to find the answers to his questions about life. So in the middle of the night, he left the castle and went out into the woods.
The prince was troubled that people died and grew old. He was also troubled that there was so much suffering in the world. He wondered if it was possible to be free from that pain and suffering.
Being that he was raised in wealth, he figured that it would be best to join those who shunned the world. He thus got rid of his clothes and found a simple garment to wear. He learned to eat very little and spent time in meditation.
He did this for six years and realized that he was no where near to realizing enlightenment. So he decided to start eating again and not being so harsh. The prince realized that living in either extreme (too much or too little) is not good. The best is somewhere in the middle. His fellow monastic friends thought he had failed and criticized him harshly.
The prince then decided that he would sit under a tree and not move until he found Enlightenment. Within a short period of time, his ego was challenged by three tests and he passed all three. He thus attained Enlightenment and went on to share his teachings with others. And this is a brief summary of the story of Siddhartha Gautama who went on to become the Buddha.
It is said that when the Buddha attained Enlightenment he realized the truth of “dependent origination”. What is “dependent origination”? It is the awareness that everything in life is dependent on everything else.
If you ever ask someone what they would need to feel happy, you will most likely get a list of things. There is a perception that the feeling of happiness it is dependent on the attainment of certain items. No one ever seems to think that we are already happy without needing a thing.
So many of our frustrations in life are caused by things. If we are unhappy, we blame situations in our lives that made us unhappy. When you really think about it, no situation has that much power unless you allow it to do so.
No one is immune from having their challenges and frustrations. Anytime we become so absorbed by what is around us, we lose sight of what we truly have and how powerful we truly are.
Look at babies, they are happy. This past weekend, while at a café, a baby girl just walked up to our table and she rested her head against my arm. I have never seen that girl before but she had no inhibition. She walked where she wanted and did what she wanted. There was no worry and based on all her giggles, she was happy. Her grandfather came up to us and we all watched her be so cute.
Somewhere along the line, we become jaded and start to separate our true selves from the reality of life. Inevitably, we learn that there is danger in the world and that we need to be scared. Yes, there are “bad” people in the world but let’s face it, those “bad” people are no different than you and I. They are just speaking their truth based on how they see the world.
In certain parts of the world, if you give someone something with your left hand, it is considered to be disrespectful since the left hand is viewed as being unclean. In other parts of the world, it is not proper for a man and a woman to be seen kissing in public. In other parts of the world, it is considered wrong for adult children to live with their parents while in other parts of the world that is viewed as not being loving.
Life is a matter of perception. If you want to have a happy life, guess what? You already do, the problem is that you do not see it because you think a happy life has to look a certain way. Does happiness really mean having a certain kind of salary? Which is more priceless - a fancy home or the hug of someone whom you love?
Deep down inside, you are already perfect but you have gotten lost due to all the illusions. When people talk about the tale of Adam and Eve it is a representation of how we all lost sight of our inherent Divinity. We somehow got caught up in the illusion that all the answers were outside but they are all already inside of you. You just have covered them up with junk.
People always talk about the importance of cleaning their homes but they rarely talk about cleaning their minds and souls. The next time you look in the mirror, please realize that you are a masterpiece created by the Highest Power there is and you were created with perfection in mind. Yes, you may have to work on a few things but that is why you are here. You are not here just to accumulate money and possessions. You are here to shine your light which is expressed uniquely through you.
No man, no woman can make you feel less than that unless you allow it. So please go out into the world and spread your glory. You are needed far more than you know.
{ 54 comments }
Lovely :- ) So powerful and so true. God bless u.
Hi Uzma,
God bless you too. And thank you!
No-one truly knows what happens to us when we pass from this life – though many have their beliefs about it. One thing is pretty much certain – whatever things we accumulate will be left behind – even our physical bodies.
So what are we going to take with us?
That’s more important than what we’re going to leave behind. I personally believe we’ll take our experiences, our insights, the wisdom we accumulate .. and we only get that by doing as you say .. going out into the world and spread our glory.
.-= Ian | Quantum Learning´s last blog ..A World Where Conflicts Are Solved Peacefully =-.
Hi Ian,
That is true that when we pass away, all we do take with us is our thoughts, feelings, wisdom and actions. By spreading our glory, that means spreading the inherent Divinity that resides within each one of us. Each one of us is important. Each one of us is powerful. Each one of us does change the world we live in by our actions. Spreading our glory means spreading the inherent perfection that is within each one of us. People forget that factor. We are not small and insiginificant. There is no need for us to keep acting like we are.
Nadia, very profound thoughts expressed so well! Your articles are timely reminders for me in situations that surround me!
Recently, a friend of mine said he wanted to question God what his purpose in life was. I replied to him–God will say- look deep in yourself, it has been there all along! I think this conversation I had with my friend is along the line of your blog article.
Hope all is well with you! Have a great day!!
Hi Lotus,
Hope you are well too and thank you for always being so supportive.
The advice you gave your friend was perfect. The answers are always within. We look outside for answers but what we really find are clues that make us see that the answer was inside of us all along.
Have a great day too!
Hi Nadia,
I’ve heard a lot about how you can be happy if you just decide to be. But I’ve never truly grasped how it can be done. I still based my happiness on a lot of external factors. I’m really interested to find out how one can be happy just because he or she decides to be happy. I’ve recently bought a book Happy For No Reason by Marci Shimoff. I really hope to be able to gain some great insights from it. I find this to be a very interesting and intriguing topic.
Wish you all the happiness in the world!
Cheers~
Mark
Hi Mark,
So many thoughts came to mind as I read your comment. I do a lot of spiritual counseling (for free) on the side on this very subject. I will do my best to be concise here. Please know that if you want to talk more about this, we can do so over email or I will try to clarify it some more in a future post.
Happiness is not a decision. I used to think that it was. However, I think saying that happiness is a decision is mistruth. Here is why. By stating that happiness is a decision is makes it seem like it is like picking out an ice cream flavor. Yes, we can state that we want to be happy but actually feeling happy boils down to an awareness.
Like you, I used to base my happiness on external factors. I had my list of things that would make me happy and I went out and got every single little one of those things on my list. I was miserable. Looking back at it, it is sad that I was so miserable. I was not lacking in any way except I had no idea of who I was and what was my place in the world.
Usually we want happiness because we want to feel that we have a purpose. We want to know we are needed and that we are important. We all want a life that has some meaning. So we look for meaning outside but we already have meaning. We are all here to do our best and to be our best. To bring joy and give love. Some of us do that by being in business and others may do that by being a mother. The mission is the same even though the assignment may look different.
Happiness comes when we are at peace with who we are and that we realize that at any given moment, we already have what we need. When we look to external factors, our ego/mind are saying that we are lacking. But we are not lacking. Yes, we can be wiser and brighter but that does not mean you are imperfect or have a void. We think that we do but we are already complete.
I am merely scratching the surface of the topic in this email. So maybe it is best if I write about this in a future post. And please feel free to email me, if you want to talk more about this.
Wishing you all the happiness in the world too!
I’ve always loved this saying: “No man, no woman can make you feel less than that unless you allow it.” It’s so, so true! Thanks for enlightening me with this post.
.-= Positively Present´s last blog ..being positive under pressure =-.
Hi Dani,
I did not know that line was a saying. It is just one of my own creations or so I thought.
Hope all is awesome.
Thanks, Nadia. This was another lovely, flowing piece; you discuss profound subjects with such ease!
It seems like such a simple, sensible topic, but for many, many folk, it’s one of the hardest concepts to grasp, that we need very little to be happy, if we choose to be happy. Sometimes we find ourselves simply going through the motions, embracing the theory, trying to be grateful and happy until it gets too hard and becomes easier to go with the flow of focusing on those thoughts that make us resist being content with what we have.
I’ve never been the same since I had a tumour removed in my twenties. I went into surgery knowing that all that mattered was that I was alive and loved, and that I’d written to everyone I knew to say thank you and I’m sorry before the operation. I’ve never taken life and health for granted the same way again. My mum’s slow death and my kids’ births reinforced that a lust for life, love, learning and connection is what we come to the world with. How we love, live and learn determines the peacefulness of spirit we take with us when we go and the legacy we create.
I’m not the chirpiest, cheeriest bird in the flock – we all have different happiness defaults and setpoints – but I’m normally one of the calmest, most grounded, contented people I know, even in the midst of my own joy and buzzing creativity. As mum with young teenagers, I have no intention of going off to ‘seek’ enlightenment, but I find a little bit everyday in the lessons I learn from nature and my family.
PS @Mark… Happy for No reason is a great book – from what I know of you from comments, I think you’ll love it!
.-= janice´s last blog ..Clutter: What are You Really Holding Onto…and Why? =-.
Hi Janice,
Thank you so much for being so open with your experiences. It is amazing how health issues usually are great teachers. It is wonderful that your experience taught you so much. What a blessing.
In my response to Mark’s comment, I stated that I did not think happiness is a choice. I used to think that it was but with time, I have come to realize that saying that is a mistruth. It overly simplifies the whole concept of happiness. We can have the goal to be happy but in my mind, happiness is more of an awareness. Or rather a realization of our true nature.
So often we get so caught up with the worldly illusions that we mistake them for truth. We think happiness has to look a certain way or it means having a certain kind of salary or home or car. However, happiness is an awareness of our natural state. We are already whole and complete. We think we lack but we do not lack in any way.
As for seeking Enligtenment, there is no need to do so. You are already doing it in your own way.
Thank you for sharing this great post…I especially like your statement that says we are already living a happy life. It is so true and sometimes we just need to flip our thinking and stop comparing ourselves to others and reaching for external “things” to make us happy.
.-= Tim´s last blog ..The Magic of Making Mistakes: A Review of The Talent Code =-.
Hi Tim,
You are most welcome. It truly is matter of perception, isn’t it? The more and more I see of life, the more I am reminded of that truth.
Nadia,
I have been struggling lately with Utopia~longings and the realities of this world. I can’t choose just one favorite part of this lovely post but I will share a few:
I think too much, I think I need to play more! lol much luv, Jen
this is beautiful!
I enjoyed where you talked about the need for ‘not living in either extreme’ but seeking balance. I am trying to do this so much! Boy, it is tough! Harmony and Enthusiasm all in one loving pkg! I think because I’m such a sensitive person I absorb things so much and get overwhelmed, and think somehow that is bad, so it is as you shared that was a helpful reminder – I lose sight them of who I am, or I become less certain thinking I need to be this or that, when I need to just let go of what the world thinks and do my own happy thing
.-= Sharmila´s last blog ..Are the Flowers in the Field.,..of My Lifestyle? =-.
Hi Sharmila,
Thank you so much for calling the post beautiful and for being so open. I used to do exactly what you wrote about. I, too, am a very sensitive person and people would criticize me for it constantly. That only made me more self-conscious and more sensitive. Eventually, I realized that I did not care anymore what anyone thought. I think it is a great blessing to be sensitive.
As for Utopia, the only way it can occur, is if everyone starts living as they should. So just focus on your part and do not worry about everyone else. You are only responsible for yourself and how you choose to play your life. Just be you. Find the beauty in you and shine bright. And you can play and think too. That is what I do everyday.
Hi Nadia, thanks for sharing this beautiful retelling of Buddha’s story, the call to question what our happiness depends on, and the reminder that we are already perfect, to keep shining our light.
Revisiting Buddha’s story also reminds the importance of letting our children experience the world, and not trying to shield them from everything in it. Though of course we want the best for them, it’s equally important to let them discover the world as it is, without going overboard to insulate them too much from the realities, however painful those are.
Cheers,
Miche
.-= Miche – Serenity Hacker´s last blog ..There Is No Such Place As Stuck =-.
Hi Miche,
That is such a great point. So many parents try to control their children (with good intentions) but that is doing such a disservice. How I wish more parents saw that truth.
Hope all is awesome!
MMMMM Hmmmmmmm. Lovely Post, as we all need to remind ourselves of this often. Dreams, aspirations, wants and needs – the Buddha has great insight on balancing the extremities. I tried to carry a mantra with me this week “To be in it, and not of it”. Even the goal of detachment carries with it anxieties in my experience. If you’re a passionate, eco-minded, earth-saving activist-at-heart, even tougher to realize that everything is dependent on everything else. One can become very burdened with wanting the world to be “utopic”, “right”, and socially just. So I guess we can all just “Be the change we want to see in the world”…perhaps happiness begins with unconditional love, turned inward on yourself.
.-= Beverly´s last blog ..alignbetween: Much LUCK! RT @elephantjournal RT @waylonlewis luck I need it I’m biking cross LA ab 2meet w @planetgreen re @walkthtalkshow =-.
Hi Beverly,
Your mantra is like mine. “To be in the world and not of it”. Some days are easier than others but at least we try and that is all we can do. And being burdened with wanting the world to be “utopic” is something I carried for years too.
I was one of those people who truly had the weight of the world on my back but yet I was so immersed in my view that I really did nothing. Then I realized that the best thing I could to do was to follow Gandhi’s advice (which you also mentioned) about “being the change you want to see in the world”.
When I started to just be what I wanted, it eased the burden a bit and I was nicer to myself too. So you are on the right track with saying one element of happiness is unconditional love directed to oneself. If you ever need to compare note, feel free to contact me. We are all in this boat together.
Nadia, such a beautiful post! I know others said that before, but the light really shone through. You did a wonderful job telling the Buddha’s life story (and I have read several recently, because I need to post one to Bellaonline soon – mine will be quite a bit duller than yours, I fear!)…You know, there is so much focus on positive thinking in the context of getting what we want, of using our thoughts and our outlook to get what we want, and I love here that you took it the other direction – to seeing what we have, what is already, always there, in us and around us…XOXO
.-= Lisa (mommymystic)´s last blog ..The Anti-Dogma Dogma, in Parenting and Spirituality =-.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you so much for all the kind words. To be candid, I thought I could have done a better job with telling the life story of Buddha because there is so much to this life. It is a challenge to condense it down. So I am pleased that it is so well received. I am grateful.
For years, I thought happiness was external. Then I thought it was a choice. Eventually, I came to see that it truly is an awareness of what we innately have. I mean…we are not born lacking yet somewhere along the line, we think we are lacking and we are convinced that what we lack is outside of us. The ego mind does not want us to see it for then it would lose control. And it surely does not want to lose control. Yet inner peace can only come when that ego mind is not being fueled. If we keep remembering that at any given moment, we have what we need, then there is no need to think we are lacking in any way.
Hi Nadia!
Your telling of Buddha’s story was lovely – inspired writing from the heart! I saw something the other day – “I’m not looking for enlightenment – I just wanna find my car keys!” It struck me so funny! I’m reading “After Ecstasy, the Laundry” where Kornfield tells all these personal experience stories about people “finding” it, getting there, etc. and then he went on to say, most people are looking for something BIG, something totally blindingly Enlightened, like a major event. He says, in reality many have found it already, some by accident, and some are already enlightened and don’t even know it, others may have found “it” while on their knees after a tragedy.
Thank you so much for such a loving way to share you’ve got “it”! Love you!
.-= suzen´s last blog ..Cinderella at the USO Ball =-.
Hi Suzen,
Thank you so much for all the kind words about the Buddha story. As I replied in Lisa’s comment, I really did not think I did a great job because there is so much to the life of Buddha and so many wonderful events. It was hard to determine which points to focus on. Finally, last night, I figured that I did my best and that I should just let it go. So I am so grateful to get all this wonderful feedback. I am blessed to have such wonderful readers.
And thank you for sharing with all of us, the title and message of Kornfield’s book. The title made me laugh. That is interesting how he described enlightenment. That makes a lot of sense to me. You just never know when the “a ha” moment will occur or how.
As for me having it…how I hope that is true. From your mouth to God’s ears…if He has ears.
Love right back at you!
HI Nadia,
Your story telling is simply superb! The words literally flowed in this post. The Buddha story retold Nadia style
Its lovely how you brought positive thinking and reality together in this story.
Have i told you before…how much i love your writing…no..OK I will tell you again….I LOVE YOUR WRITING
God Bless you
Lots of love and hugs.
.-= Zeenat{Positive Provocations}´s last blog ..Strength, Courage and Wisdom =-.
Hi Zeenat,
Thank you so much.
As I have stated in my replies to other commenters, I really was concerned with how I wrote the life of Buddha. There are so many wonderful ancedotes and parts of his life that I would have love to have shared but then the post would have been so long. So I just focused on what felt right. Finally, last night, I just had to trust that I did my best and let it go.
As you can imagine, to receive all this positive feedback makes me so grateful. So thank you so much for the support.
Nadia,
Exactly what I needed to hear today! “Anytime we become so absorbed by what is around us, we lose sight of what we truly have and how powerful we are.” I’ve had a few challenges to mull over lately, and I’ve been trying to find external answers, none of which have helped much. My truth has always been internally based, and I know to follow that so I’m not sure what my hesitation is this time..think I’m was using society’s norms to navigate my own path. Thank you for a powerful reminder:) I’m so used to dimming my light to “fit in” I’ve almost forgotten how bright it truly is!
Hi Joy,
I know exactly what you mean. About a week ago, I was feeling down because my life is also not very typical. I have never done anything normally and I have had to struggle with that at times because usually everyone around me has a normal life. However, such moments are opportunities for mastery and then I ask myself would I really want a normal life and the answer always is “no”. So you are not alone and there is no need to turn down your light. The world needs all of us to shine bright so keep shining bright.
Nadia, as read your post I felt a welling up inside of my soul, almost like the sun was coming out on a beautiful morning over the ocean.
Thank you for sharing your glorious soul with us and shining your light so brightly.
Your words washed over me like a gentle summer wave and I basked in the glory.
Simply – beautiful.
~xo
.-= Lori´s last blog ..How to Not Blow Up Your Blog in Disgust After Three Months =-.
Hi Lori,
You are so kind and sweet. Thank you so much. You are simply beautiful too.
Hi Nadia,
I read your post, and then I took time to read the comments (something I normally don’t make time to do), and oh, how happy I am that I did. The additional information that was shared by everyone and you, added so much to this already beautiful post.
I love the part where you wrote, “…You are here to shine your light which is expressed uniquely through you.”. We are all unique, aren’t we? That’s what makes life so marvelous, no one else can give what we were given to pass on.
Thank you for the great reminder, Nadia.
.-= Barbara Swafford´s last blog ..Words For Sale =-.
Hi Barbara,
Thank you so much for taking the time to not only read the post but all the comments too. And yay for being unique. We each have a purpose and mission that is uniquely are own. That does not mean that one person is better than another. It just means each person has a certain talent and gift to share. We each are valuable and we each are important.
Have a beautiful day!
Hi Nadia
What a stroke of coincidence – I have never actually known the story of Buddha and just yesterday I was flipping through a book in the book store and read his story and then today I come to your blog and read it again, how neat.
Anyway – the most powerful realization for me, which I live with today is that EVERYTHING is dependent on something else. Our lives are so intertwined we do not even realize it. I feel strongly about this from the perspective of nature especially. So many times we look at certain plants, call them weeds and kill them using chemicals. We look at some insects or other animals and do the same.
As a species, we are the most destructive one that probably ever lives. We have not grasped yet that all these things around us exist in their own perfection and in fact we are dependent on many of them, whether directly or indirectly in the great web of life.
And I love too what you said about everything being within us – it really is. The more I stepped out and read, and listened and learned – the more I realize this today.
Thank you for this beautiful article Nadia!
.-= Evita´s last blog ..Choice Point 2012 =-.
Hi Evita,
Don’t you just love such coincidences?
I have been a vegetarian for about twenty-one years. When I first started, I did it because it felt right. With time, I came to see the importance of having respect of nature and all our surroundings. We are all connected. What we do to nature eventually does trickle down to us in some form. I see that so clearly now and it scares me especially with food. Food these days is not food….they are more like chemical products.
Actually, talking of food, a great example of the “web of life” (as you so beautifully called it) is at the store. Products that we buy have gone through many channels until it is in our hands. Each product we buy has been touched by so many different people before it enters our home. That is why it is so funny, on some level, to think we are independent….because we are not.
Dear Nadia,
How I love Buddha’s story! Everything is connected and everything is bound by the law of cause and effect ~ Karma.
One of my favorite Buddha quotes is “Seek happiness from within, do not seek it without.”
Awesome post!!
.-= Peggy´s last blog ..What Are You Afraid Of? =-.
Hi Peggy,
That is one of my favorite Buddha quotes too. How I would love to have a dinner with Buddha and Jesus. Imagine that conversation!
And yes, the law of karma. That is one law that I truly try to adhere to each and every day.
Hope all is awesome and thank you for all the kind words too.
Hi Nadia,
I love the story of Buddha…could listen to renditions of it all day long! I like your advice to let go of the illusions and seek happiness from within. Right now I have a small illusion left that in part, productivity defines my happiness. As I have been simplifying things around here, I’m noticing that the quality of my experience is more rich and joy-filled but I get far less done! I guess I’m still finding that natural rhythm and also, I still need to work on letting go of that to-do list. Things will get done when they are supposed to, right?
.-= Jodi at Joy Discovered´s last blog ..Knowing vs. Doing =-.
Hi Jodi,
It is so funny, my husband and I were discussing this very subject last night. I think it is natural to feel compelled to getting everything done and being productive. Our society values that and each day there are new demands and obligations to be met. I think we all feel that once our list is complete, another list appears.
I used to drive myself crazy making sure I got through my list every day. Then one day, after stressing myself so much and literally getting sick in the stomach from it, I realized that the world will not collapse if I take a day or two to respond to an email or do a certain errand. I am much better than before but I still could be better at it. So you are not alone.
As I told my husband last night, God takes His time answering prayers, we can take our time answering an email.
I appreciate this story and mindset.
I love photography for the way that it does this all for me and that i hope my images come through as being from a place of love, joy, and happiness.
I’ve had some time off from work finally. I’ve done so much thinking, and I feel I’m so close to detaching from the cubicle mindset and getting rid of the corporate hangover. My anxiety runs through the roof thinking of having to return to a life that damages me. I realize though, in the past I allowed it to damage me. perhaps if I go back slowly, I can figure out a way to not allow it to hurt me like it did before.
I am very scared actually. Although I shouldnt be. I will meditate on this thought now and gain strength. thanks again for the great post.
.-= Scott Webb´s last blog ..Hot Wordpress Themes Released Recently For Photography =-.
Hi Scott,
I am so happy to hear from you. I thought about you the other day and was wondering how things were going. It is also great to have a face to go with your name.
Yay for having time off from work! Good for you! It is interesting because I am scheduled to head back to work next week and like you, I was concerned about it. I was not looking forward to having to go back to a set structred day. However, one day this week, I realized that there are many blessings to having a job to return to considering all that is happening with the economy. That said, the thought of having to use an alarm clock does not thrill me. So you are not alone.
Just know that your days of being in the cubicle will not last forever. You are so blessed to know that you have something that you love which is photography. That is a wonderful art and I am sure that your images will reflect what you are feeling. The mere fact you are aware and desire to come from a place of love, joy and happiness is so beautiful. How I wish more people had such a desire.
You are on the right track and don’t be scared….it does not do you any good which I know you know. Just hang in there. Nothing lasts forever and I am always here if you need someone to talk to or to cheer you on. You will be okay….just have more faith in yourself. Of course, that is like the kettle calling the pot black….I need to do that too. Just remember, you are not alone in dealing with this and you have an edge, in many ways, because you know what you want. Don’t forget it.
I often quote this book ‘love without end’ because it explains everything so clearly.
And it also explains that life is very practical AND that it is the manufactured identity called ego that wants to make everything bigger and that refuses to see how big and perfect it already is.
It also shows that by saying that people often quote that in past lives they have been these amazing people and very seldom people talk about having been a criminal.
But we all want to solve the mystery of life and we have forgotten that the mystery can only be found by living daily life, observing and honestly perceiving what is so.
Somehow ordinary has been given a bad press and I too struggle sometimes with staying with both feet on the ground and seeing the miracles unfold in daily life rather than go looking for a lightening bolt.
As always, thank you and lots of love, Wilma
.-= Wilma Ham´s last blog ..Ann-Marie on jumping the gap from Knowing to Doing in order to live life differently =-.
Hi Wilma,
You are so right about how being ordinary is somehow viewed negatively. I think everyone wants to feel important and that their life has meaning. The irony is that everyone is important and everyone’s life does have meaning. We each have a mission that is uniquely are own and each life holds value. I think society equates ordinary as being dull or boring or lacking in significance. The irony is that it takes a lot to be simple.
Hope all is awesome! Lots of love right back at you!
Hi Nadia,
That happiness deep within us…something that I believe very much exists. What I’ve found interesting is that once I started writing, I found that two things happened. First, I connected much more deeply with who I am – at my core. And secondly, happiness became much more internal. So, it has become that as I’ve written, I’ve also done much self-reflection and become much more deeply aware of what matters to me. That has been so, so good. And then reading this today, Nadia, I’m so reminded of how good this has been for me, personally – to be where I’m at today.
Nadia, keep shining that beautiful light you radiate…you’ve touched my soul today.
.-= Lance´s last blog ..A World Filled With Wonder =-.
Hi Lance,
You keep shining your beautiful light too!
Isn’t it wonderful how writing can brings so many things to the surface? It is like therapy to some degree. Yes, happiness is internal and it has always been there. When we are are born, are baseline is happiness but as we grow we become jaded. It is wonderful that you are becoming more aware of what matters to you. That is awesome and I am sure that that awareness will only get deeper.
Have a beautiful day!
Lovely lovely reminder, Nadia. I continue to be amazed by the concept of dependent arising. We do not act alone and we do not do anything, ANYTHING, that does not impact another. I led a retreat a couple of weekends ago on Mindfulness and I walked them through an exercise to consider how the food they were about to eat arrived on their plate. Well, you can imagine that if you trace the process all the way back, hundreds of individual’s entire life and livelihood may have been based on getting the meal to you. Many of the participants who had never “studied” mindfulness were wowed. I was wowed all over again myself and so very thankful for what I ate that day….We are all interconnected, all our well-beings depend on one another. so your invitation to get out there live as our truest, most glorious selves is perfect. because then we all move toward living as the divine beings we are.
Truly, this is one of those articles that we should all print off and put in our dayplanners and read at least once a week to remind us and keep us on the path…. Beyond lovely….
.-= Jan´s last blog ..Say It With Kindness – Part II =-.
Hi Jan,
Thank you so much for all the kind words…I am so touched.
Food is always the best example to show dependent origination. I remember the first time it hit me that so many people are involved in getting the food that eventually gets consumed by all of us. I wanted to just cry because it totally changed my outlook on the world. So it does not surprise me that your students were wowed and like you, I still get wowed by the concept.
We truly are all connected to one another and what we do to one, we do to all of us.
Hope all is awesome.
Excellent post, as usual. You often write about accepting where and who you are, being happy in the present moment and not being so obsessed with external factors. This is a message we need now more than ever. Thanks for having such a great perspective and sharing it!
.-= lena´s last blog ..Being More; Doing Less =-.
Hi Lena,
Thank you so much for the kind words and support. I am so grateful. You are correct that those themes are emphasized so much. The reason being that people always look outside for the answers as if they need to correct who they are. The reality is that what we need to “correct” is the view we have of ourselves. We are far more than we seem and what we seek is usually already there. It is just covered with our own inner junk.
Nadia,
This is too beautiful! I especially love this part: “The next time you look in the mirror, please realize that you are a masterpiece created by the Highest Power there is and you were created with perfection in mind… You are here to shine your light which is expressed uniquely through you.
Thank you so much for this beautiful reminder! Indeed this is what we were created for, to shine the Divine Light within us for everyone, just to love the Divine Source more.. I absolutely love this post! Thank you for shining your light through your writings. I believe that’s something uniquely yours!
With Love and Light,
Cordelia
Hi Cordelia,
Thank you so much for the praise regarding my writing. I am humbled and touched.
Yes, we do need to love the Divine Source more, for it is within us. We think the Divine Source is separate from us but the reality is that that Source is the spark that lies deep within. When we are in touch with that spark, that is when we can do wonders. We are all capable of such feats….we just think we are less powerful than we truly are.
Hi Nadia .. lovely post and I was interested to read the story about Buddha and his ‘start’. Interesting how he took his time – working through everything, working it all out.
Why aren’t we happy – why don’t we wake up every morning and sing like the birds, they just do their thing, do their work, achieve their needs and wake up singing again the next day?
Why do we clean our cars, and not look after our health .. or as you say clean our houses, but not our minds?
A strong awakening theme .. thanks Nadia – Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
.-= Hilary´s last blog ..Provender Hedgerows with Autumn Colours =-.
Hi Hilary,
At our core we are happy and full of love but somewhere along the line we get sucked into the illusions and think that they are real.
And you are so right about the importance of cleaning our minds.
Hope that all is well with you and your mother.
I did not know the Budda story. So much learning to do. Whatever happened to his wife and kid?
Cleaning my home does allow me to clean my soul, getting the whole clutter out thing.
LOVE your blogging!!
.-= Jannie Funster´s last blog ..Like a bord on a wire, 12 — Funny Typos =-.
Hi Jannie,
I am happy that I could introduce to you the story of Buddha. As for the mother and kid, they eventually became followers of Buddha.
And yay for getting rid of external and internal clutter! I love your blogging too…it always makes me laugh which I love.
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