Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Tips For a Better Life

Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Sleep for 7 hours. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy. Play more games. Read more books than you did the previous year. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6. Dream more while you are awake. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. Drink plenty of water. Smile and laugh more. Don’t waste your precious energy or time on gossip. Forget issues of the past. They’ll just ruin your present happiness. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone, so don’t even try. Don’t take yourself so seriously. You don’t have to win every argument. Just agree to disagree. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don’t compare your partner with others either. What other people think of you is none of your business. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. Call your family often. Your inner most is always happy. So be happy. Each day give something good to others. Don’t over do. Keep your limits. Always at the very least, try.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Perspective

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.

His bed was next to the room’s only window

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation..

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.

Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band – he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.

She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, ‘Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.’

Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.

Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy.

‘Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present