Pools of Sadness April 16, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Life Balance, Life Lessons, Mindfulness, Poetry.Tags: Bombs, Boston Marathon, Explosion, Peace, Poetry, Sorrow
35 comments
Life is filled with pools
of sadness ~ those we love and
lose, we miss and mourn
Senseless killings make
no sense ~ logic stalls when faced
with insanity
The human race will
never win a marathon
against crazed madmen
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.
~ Jimi Hendrix
Aah . . . that’s better!
Cultivate A Peaceful Mind February 17, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Meditation, Mindfulness.Tags: Compassion, Gratitude, Happiness, Laughter, Meditation, Peace
41 comments
Cultivate a peaceful mind.
Visualize yourself filled with joy, light, and love.
Find things to laugh and smile about.
You cannot transform negative situations into positive ones if you see them as negative and react to them with negative emotions.
To attract positives to you . . . you must vibrate at a positive level.
You must feel yourself filled with light, love, and laughter.
It doesn’t matter WHAT you think about . . . what matters is how you FEEL as you think it.
You attract positives when you feel positive vibrations swirling through you.
Meditate.
Be at peace.
Don’t worry.
Be happy.
Aah . . . that’s better!
You, Yourself January 4, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, Meditation, Mindfulness.Tags: Buddha, Happines, Life Balance, Meditation, Mindfulness, Peace
56 comments
You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. ~ Buddha
Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly. ~ St. Francis de Sales
Allow peace to surface. Circulate happiness, curiosity, creativity. Share what you’ve learned. Live on the razor’s edge of the now ~ awake, aware, alert, present. Reclaim your passion. Savor the silence. Let go of stale thinking. Choose your response.
Be here now.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Life is an Echo November 9, 2012
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Nature, Poetry.Tags: inspiration, Nature, Peace, Quotes, Weekly Photo Challenge
44 comments
Life is an echo . . . what you send out comes back. ~ Chinese Proverb
To a mind that is still, the whole Universe surrenders. ~ Chang Tsu
One today is worth two tomorrows. ~ Ben Franklin
Some things have to be believed to be seen. ~ Ralph Hodgson
Aah . . . that’s better!
The Power of Positive People October 14, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Life Lessons, Mindfulness, People, Simplify Your Life.Tags: Eeyore, Inner Peace, Les Brown, Peace, Positive Energy, Tigger
39 comments
If we want to move from where we are to where we want to be, we need to clear out the weeds and underbrush and surround ourselves with people who value our curiosity and wonder and open-minded attitude toward life.
Peace grows within. You are the garden. Nurture yourself.
If we want to maximize joy and inner peace, it helps to mingle with people who value and support joy and inner peace . . . rather than detracting from it with their constant negativity.
Well, it wasn’t much of a tail anyway.
Eeyores are energy drains, dragging us down with constant pessimism.
When Negative Nellies are hanging onto our kite tails (or our coat-tails), we never get the lift we need to soar into the future at maximum velocity.
Hang on! The future is next.
We benefit the world when we plug into the power of positive people:
Quotes to Ponder:
* Living life without passion is like trying to go hot air ballooning with an empty balloon.
* Those who can, do. Those who can’t, try to tell us why we can’t do it either.
* If we limit our choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, we disconnect ourselves from what we truly want; all that’s left is compromise. ~ Robert Fritz
Aah . . . that’s better!
Birds of a feather flock together . . . is your flock dragging you down? If so, maybe it’s time to cut them loose! Give yourself a chance to soar unfettered.
Related posts: 10 Ways to Attract Positive Energy * Tigger or Eeyore? * Only If . . . Je Voudrais Voler * Self-Fulfilling Prophesies * Silence the Inner Critic * Dream The Impossible Dream * When It’s OK to Walk Away (Huffington Post)
Aah . . . That’s Better! August 4, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Lessons, Mindfulness, Spirit & Ego.Tags: Gratitude, Happiness, Inner Peace, Mindfulness, Peace, Thought
38 comments
Transforming our outlook, our way of thinking, is not easy. Changing the habits of a lifetime takes time.
But we can change.
With practice, our minds become calmer and clearer, and our lives follow suit:
* We notice self-defeating thoughts as they arise and nip them in the bud.
* We observe what’s going on without getting swept up in the melodrama.
* We mindfully choose how to respond if someone “presses our buttons.”
We still face disappointments, but the negative emotions which surface tend to be superficial and short-lived. As soon as we notice we are angry, jealous, worried, or fearful of a future that has not yet arrived, we remember to ask that simple question:
Will this thought bring me happiness?
Doing so shifts the focus from what we are denying ourselves (i.e., the “luxury” of being upset over some minor incident or infraction) to what we are giving ourselves (peace of mind and serenity).
We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. ~ Carlos Castaneda
As we develop greater awareness, focus, and control, our thoughts become calmer and we gain clarity, regardless of the daily dramas (and drama queens) around us.
Aah . . . that’s better.
No rules. Just write!
Related posts: Changing Your Bracelet (Reflections from a Cloudy Mirror) * The Art of Happiness * The Serenity Principle * Attack of the Killer ANTs * Watch Your Thoughts * When Ego Wins . . . You Lose * Changing Habits (WP)
Peace Lies Within July 18, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Life Lessons, Mindfulness.Tags: Art of Happiness, Gratitude, Happiness, Peace, Perspective
45 comments
As discussed in The Art of Happiness, lasting happiness and peace of mind are not tied to external events.
It is not what is happening around us, but in us, that matters.
Happiness is attained most easily when we change how we view the world around us.
And it starts with a simple question, “Will this thought bring me happiness?”
Since our feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and contentment often depend on what we use as a frame of reference, we can increase our satisfaction in any situation by comparing ourselves to those who are less fortunate, or by reflecting on the myriad of blessings in our own lives.
A few years ago an attack of severe abdominal pain of unknown etiology landed me in the hospital.
Awaiting exploratory surgery to ascertain the cause of the symptoms, I started feeling sorry for myself.
I wanted to be at home and pain free.
I did not want to be in the hospital, lying in bed, doubled up with abdominal pain, awaiting surgery.
Of course, the pity parties we throw for ourselves seldom do us any good.
The thoughts swirling through my mind were adding to my suffering, not alleviating it.
Then, the Universe gave me a nudge and reminded me that I had a choice ~ I could continue to compare myself to people who were pain-free, thus increasing my suffering, or I could compare myself to young children who were in the hospital, suffering from debilitating pain, who could not understand why their parents and doctors didn’t stop the pain.
I chose the latter comparison and felt better. Immediately. Nothing had to change but my perspective on the situation.
By reminding myself of those who were less fortunate, and filling my heart with compassion for them, my calm, peaceful center returned and with it came happiness.
After all, I was situated in a warm bed in a hospital filled with caring medical practitioners ~ I hadn’t just fallen off a cliff in the middle of the wilderness somewhere.
Nothing about my situation had to change before I could change how to view the situation in which I found myself.
I merely had to let go of my attachment to something I desired, which was (for the moment, at least) out of reach, and embrace more fully what I already had ~ caring doctors who were concerned for my physical well-being.
Sometimes just the slightest shift in perspective works wonders.
No rules. Just write!
How about you? Have you ever improved your mood merely by changing your frame of reference?
Related posts: The “It Could Be Worse” Game * 25 Simple Ways To Enjoy Life
Will This Thought Bring Me Happiness? July 13, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Lessons, Mindfulness, Spirit & Ego.Tags: Happiness, Inner Peace, Peace, The Art of Happiness, Thought
32 comments
Hardship in life is inevitable, but much of our suffering is self-created.
We perpetuate pain, and keep it alive, by replaying our hurts over and over again.
We are overly sensitive and overreact to minor annoyances in order to feed our anger, jealousy, or fear.
Feeding negative mental states (anger, jealousy, rage, envy, greed, hatred) is destructive and robs us of inner peace and tranquility.
When we choose to react negatively to situations which could be viewed more positively, we are increasing our suffering by destroying our peace of mind.
We can minimize our suffering, and increase our happiness, by replacing our negative thought patterns with a more positive perspective on things ~ for example, by viewing the world with a greater degree of kindness, tolerance, contentment, forgiveness, and compassion.
The process is simple:
(1) We must “tune in” and become aware of our thoughts.
(2) If we are dwelling on negative thoughts, we must ask a simple question, Will this thought bring me happiness?
(3) If the answer is “no,” we must “change the channel” and focus on more positive thoughts.
Lasting happiness, or peace of mind, is not tied to external events. It is not what is happening around you, but what is happening within you, that matters.
Asking the question, will this thought bring me happiness, whenever we are facing a choice about how to view a situation, provides necessary clarity.
It shifts the focus from what we are denying ourselves (i.e., the “luxury” of being upset over some minor incident or infraction) to what we are giving ourselves (peace of mind and serenity).
Quote: Hardship is inevitable; misery is optional.
No rules. Just write!
Related posts: The Art of Happiness * Cultivating Happiness . . . not Hedonism * Dalai Lama: Inner Peace & Happiness
Desiderata . . . Desired Things July 7, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Lessons, Mindfulness, Poetry.Tags: Desiderata, Happiness, Max Ehrmann, Peace, Poetry
20 comments
Desiderata, a prose poem by Max Ehrmann (1872-1945), a lawyer by trade, a poet by choice, hung on the wall of my bedroom in high school, my dorm room in college, and my home office in law school (and since).
Filled with Ehrmann’s observations about life (and the human condition), his words served as a constant reminder to me:
* to be at peace with uncertainty
* to be gentle with myself and others
* to pause and notice beauty and joy
* to go placidly amid the noise and haste
* to access peace in silence
Eventually, after making many moves with us, the yellow felt banner displaying his words and wisdom disintegrated and had to be discarded.
Not long ago, I printed out a fresh, clean copy of his words to display on my office wall:
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
No rules. Just write!
What about you? Does Desiderata speak to you? Are inner peace and acceptance Desired Things in your life?
Quote: We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. ~ Carlos Castaneda
Related posts: 25 Simple Ways To Enjoy The Journey * Be At Peace With Yourself (Mirth & Motivation) * Laugh When You Can
Best Peace Sign September 2, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Mindfulness, Nature, People.Tags: Mindfulness, Nature, Peace
6 comments
Did you hear the one about the Dog, the Cat, and the Rat?
You have now!
Greg Pike says he’s studied animal psychology for years. What has he observed?
They get along better than humans.
Related information: Best Peace Sign * Dog~Cat~Rat Man Busted For Crack
