For the 200th post (in 3 months!), I wanted to share this beautiful photo…
#chillmode
;)
Photo source: Positano, Italy
April 10, 2013
April 9, 2013
ROOTED IN WHAT IS REAL
The Master remains peaceful
in the midst of continuous change.
There is nothing that can disturb her,
nothing that she finds unacceptable.
She welcomes all beings,
watches as they come and go,
and stays rooted in what is real.
From The Second Book of the Tao by Stephen Mitchell
Photo source: Rice terraces (North Vietnam)
April 8, 2013
BITTER:SWEET
April 8, 2013
NO OFFENSE
If a man is crossing a river
and an empty boat
collides with his own boat,
he won’t get offended or angry,
however hot-tempered he may be.
But if the boat is manned,
he may flare up, shouting and cursing,
just because there’s a rower.
Realize that all boats are empty
as you cross the river of the world,
and nothing can possibly offend you.
-Tao wisdom
Photo source: fisherman (China)
April 8, 2013
WHAT WAS I THINKING?!
Sometimes it happens that when we look back on our past actions, we end up asking ourselves, “What was I thinking?!” We may experience regret or become upset, but the reality is that it has happened, and there is nothing we can do to change it.
Dwelling on the past really does become a form of personal torture. We judge our current situation by our past decisions and often blame ourselves because the present is not what we really wanted. But here’s the thing…wisdom comes from experience, and we could have only gained our current wisdom because of those past decisions. Now we know better…and as my Grandmother loved to say, when you know better, you do better!
So, don’t torture yourself about decisions you can no longer change! Instead, focus your energy on changing your current actions to reflect your lessons learned. As with driving, you look ahead in order to move forward, enjoy the view, and avoid potholes…you only consult your rearview mirrors to avoid dangers coming from behind when you stop or change lanes ;)
Photo source: Tour de France (1920s)
April 7, 2013
NATURE’S BEAUTY
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
Photo source: life (Arizona)
April 7, 2013
THE VALUE OF A BOOK
This photo struck me very deeply.
This Kenyan woman works as a trash picker and said that she wishes she had more time to look at the books she comes across.
She said that she even likes reading the industrial parts catalogs because it gives her something to do during the day besides picking trash.
Beautiful and tragic, images like this move me to a place beyond words.
Photo source: Kenyan woman reading while taking a break
April 7, 2013
SAGE ADVICE: FEAR OF THE FUTURE
DEAR SAGE: I love your site! Recently, I’ve been experiencing a near paralyzing fear of making the wrong decisions! I’m worried about how everything I do now will affect my future. Please help!
DEAR FUTURE-FEARER: Thank you for your support of the site! Your question is excellent…anxiety or fear of the future and analysis paralysis (as I like to call it) are more common than you might think. Indeed, in one of Lao-tzu’s epic quotes, he affirms that anxiety comes from living in the future. So let’s begin!
I must tell you, when I first read your quote, I was reminded of my time as a student at Northwestern University. I had a great Professor (his name now escapes me) in a course called Decision Analysis, who told a story I will never forget:
Being a probabilities expert naturally lent itself well to this professor becoming a card counter. Though his card counting led him to being banned from several casinos, he was playing blackjack at a Vegas casino where he was (still) allowed. Upon counting cards over the course of time, they had reached the last hand before the decks would be shuffled again…and he realized that he had a 75% chance of winning! Therefore, he made the choice to go all in and bet $50,000. If he won, he would triple his money; if he lost, he would lose everything. The cards were turned and…he lost. He told us that his drive home was one of the longest of his life and he was so angry with himself for betting everything on one hand.
But then, he stopped himself and realized that he was basing the decision on the result instead of the decision itself. He realized that if he would have won, he would have been so happy and proud of himself for taking the risk! He reflected again on his choice, given a 75% chance of winning, and realized that he made the best decision he could at the time with the information that he had. Outcome aside, he had made a great decision.
His lesson to us was that one should not judge a decision by the results (which could be good or bad), base your decision on whether you made the best decision you could at the time with the information you had.
—
So my message to you is that you must not waste all of your time and energy worrying about the outcome of your decisions. The reality is that you can never know how something will turn out until you move forward. And remember that no matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, you can always turn back!
Focus on making good decisions with the information you have right now and the future will take care of itself. So, my dear, take a deep breath, relax, smile and just do it! ;)
You are WISE..You are CAPABLE…You are filled with DIVINE INSIGHT and INTUITION! You need not have any fear for your future…instead, enjoy each present moment you have been gifted! YOU CAN DO THIS!! :)
Love and light,
