I Love Quotes - Nature

There is nothing more beautiful than a rainbow
but it takes both rain and sunshine to make one.
If life is to be rounded and many coloured,
like a rainbow, both joy and sorrow must come to it.
                                                                ~ Unknown



Mother Nature has shown it's fury in the last few months - Earthquakes, Tsunami, Hurricanes.

So I thought I would select a nature quote today.

The quote I have chosen for this Monday also reminds us that the bad times eventually transition into good times.

The Rainbow of our Life is the sum total of good times and bad times.

When the bad times come, know that the good times will follow. And when the good times come, savour every moment and enjoy those moments to the fullest.

Have an awesome day and wish you all good times.

Question of the day - Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?

Thinking up a question of the day is pretty tough so why break your head when someone else has already done that on your behalf.

Found some neat questions at 20 Questions for every Spiritual Seeker and will try and answer some of them each week in my Question of the day series. 

Here are some definitions to set the scene to answer the question.

Poverty - defined as a state of being extremely poor

Poor - defined as lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable in society

Suffering - defined as the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship

So.... 

Why is there poverty in the world? (my views)

Based on the above definition of poverty, it exists because materialism has taken over the human race. "Status" in today's world is judged by the amount of money you make, the things you acquire and the lifestyle that you live. Human nature to keep for oneself has created a gap between those that have and those that have not. The ability to buy what one wants at any price has created a chasm between those that can afford that and those that can't.

But in taking a spiritual view, perhaps it exists because for the soul to understand and delight in the state of being rich, there must be it's opposite of poor. Duality exists everywhere  light and darkness, day and night, north and south, ebb and flow, yin and yang, even in Spirit in the form of Gods and Goddesses. To understand one, the other must exist. 

And perhaps it is those that we call poor who are actually the rich. I believe that Earth is a school for soul growth and a difficult one. To arrive on earth in a state of poverty and endure its harshness requires a richness of spirit and a greatly evolved soul (my belief).

And why is there suffering? (my views)

Suffering I believe is a state of mind. One suffers when one deems that one is (as per the definition) in pain, distress or hardship. Therefore, all may suffer or all may be free from suffering. 

I think we individually determine if we suffer. Example, in comparison to some of the richest (as in wealth) people in the world I should be suffering, but in reality I may actually suffer less than them because I am content with my current state of being whereas they may not be with theirs even though they may be infinitely wealthier than me.

And perhaps pain, distress and hardship are the accelerated pathways to soul growth.

I would be interested to read your views.

Friday Fives - Alarming

"Alarming" questions.

1.  What was your most memorable alarm-clock failure?
     Never had a "memorable" alarm-clock failure but some months ago I set the alarm clock to
     6.30pm instead of 6.30am.  I woke up at 8.00am and missed my usual bus.


2.  What item recently in the news do you find most alarming?
     NZ Super Fund may be investing in companies that manufacture cluster bombs.


3.  Of car alarms, burglar alarms, and smoke alarms, which do you consider most effective or useful?
     Definitely smoke alarms. They save lives.


4.  If the shoplifting alarm is tripped as you exit a store, what do you do?
     Stop and clear it with the shop assistant. Some alarms are very sensitive.


5.  If you owned some kind of personality alarm to warn you upon first meeting someone
     of likely trouble in the relationship, what five qualities would you set it to detect?
     Dishonesty,  Drama queen / king,  Selfishness,  Greedy,  Self centred,  Uncaring
     (i had to do 6 couldn't pick only 5)



Friday Fives is taken from Friday5.org

Thursday Thoughts - Choice

On some nights, he has nowhere to sleep, on others he suffers from insomnia.
"That's just how it is," thinks the warrior. "I was the one who chose to walk this path".
                                                                   ~ The Warrior of the Light, Paulo Coelho


This is a very apt quote for me to analyse, digest and then accept today.

Sometimes people take advantage of the help and empathy you offer and betray your trust.

Today was a day for that and I was angry. And then as I searched for a Thursday Thought, I came across the above quote.

I had the choice to not extend the help, empathise or trust but I did. I realise now that although helping someone appears to be the "good" thing to do, sometimes not helping is the good thing to do. Empathise, but not constantly and be careful when you trust someone.

I brought this on myself with the choices I made. Something to remember for the future.

3 words that inspire

Just do it
I am one of those who analyse things to death before stepping and taking action.

Then having analysed and decided I should do it, I start to analyse how to do it.

So this is a reminder for me to Just do it.

Sometimes in life, we just have to take a chance on something.

Gut feel is probably the right feel, so when your gut tells you to move forward, Just do it.

This is a nice follow up from my "Carpe Diem, Sieze the Day" post.

I Love Quotes - Invictus

I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul
~ William Ernest Henley, Invictus

This is one of my favourite quotes. I always call on this when I'm going through a tough time.

Last week was a tough week and I was tested on many fronts. This quote came to mind.

While I believe that fate or destiny is predetermined and therefore we cannot escape it, we can make choices on our way to that destiny.

Our attitude to a situation will determine how we tackle it.

Here is the whole poem - it also inspired Nelson Mandela to keep going while he was imprisoned.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever Gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Invictus - may you all be undefeated, unconquerable

Snapshot of my week - Take my breath away

click on pic to enlarge

What an awesome start to the week.

Three days of snow that changed the city completely. Of course my city is not geared for snow so it pretty much created havoc - couldn't get to work, schools closed, no transport where I live, lights flickering, flaky internet etc. But tons of fun!

And the views - absolutely spectacular and breathtaking.  I have never seen my city look so beautiful.

Always knew it was the best place on earth but now that's pretty much confirmed.

The kid in me came out too and had to build a snowman. So much fun but my hands froze.

And then the snow melted and the icy winds from the Antarctic took over - that was not fun.

Two jackets and I was still cold. The temperature here is so deceptive. It is hugely colder than the temperature suggests when the icy cold Southerlies from the Antarctic sweep the city.

Might have to add thermals to the wardrobe and a proper pair of snow boots if snow is going to be an annual event from now on. Oh how exciting.

check out my snowy pics on my Photos are Fun blog  

Frosty the snowman   Snow Snow Snow - Unbelievable

This quote by Maya Angelou sums it up nicely for me

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Hope you all had a week that took your breath away and may we all have them again and again. 

This one will be etched in my memory forever.

Question of the day - What is a friend?

Not an easy one to answer so the best way
(I thought) was to pull out my favourite friendship quotes.

Here they are ...




What is a friend?

A friend is an angel who picks you up when your wings forget to fly
~Unknown


I value a friend who, for me, finds time on his calendar,
But I cherish the friend who, for me, does not consult his calendar
~Robert Brault


It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is
Someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down
~ Oprah Winfrey


A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out
~ Grace Pulpit


The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word,
And walk away feeling that was the best conversation you've had
~Unknown


It is the friends you can call up at 4.00am that matter
~ Marlene Dietrich


and my favourite of all


A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails
~ Donna Roberts


Thank God for my many friends who fit the above.

Wish you all many true friends.

Friday Fives - Evidence

Interesting questions this week.


1.  What could serve as physical evidence that you sometimes lose focus?
     a glazed look in my eyes and a dreamy faraway look!

2.  What could serve as physical evidence that you are loved?
     a smile, a hug, and a kiss all rolled into one. :)

3.  What could serve as physical evidence that you're from wherever you're from?
     a photograph of wherever I'm from with me in it. 

4.  What could serve as physical evidence that you went anywhere this past week?
     a bus ticket.

5.  What could serve as physical evidence that you recently caved into temptation?
     a sales docket for all those things I bought this week that I really didn't need to buy.




Friday Fives is taken from Friday5.org

Haiku Wednesday - snow

  I had to have a snow haiku this week as we've had 3 unusual and
  spectacular snow filled days
 

3 words that inspire

Life is Beautiful

The last 3 days we had the most unusual snowfall in my city.

The whole place looks so awesome - a winter wonderland and picture postcard scenery.

I even made a tiny little snowman and walked about in the snow in childlike awe.

One of my favourite quotes is :

    Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take 
    But by the moments that take our breath away

The last 3 days have been just that.

Life is beautiful when we find that moment that takes our breath away and when we can enjoy it like a kid again.

Check out my Frosty the Snowman  and my Snowy pics

And have an awesome day.

I Love Quotes - Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Snow

Advice is like snow - the softer it falls
the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper
in sinks into the mind
                             Samuel Taylor Coleridge


Thought I should dedicate today's quote to snow as it has been snowing since yesterday.

Everything is white and so beautiful.

In the last 23 years that I have lived here it has never snowed like this. It's so exciting.

Check out my snowy pics on my blog  Photos are Fun - Snow Snow Snow Unbelievable

Enjoy your Monday.

Snapshot of my week - Tough to Zen

I am mentally drained this week. I had to remind myself constantly to be persistent and flexible.

It's been a week that really tested my ability to stay Zen.

I had to use a variety of techniques to do that.

Most effective this week:

• change the scenery
• karate
• breathe
• ho'oponopono
• new way of dealing with situations
• using circumstances to my advantage

Check out my posts  From Chaos to Zen  and Karate - what it means to me for a description of the techniques above.  

I guess we need some difficult days with "mental drain" to appreciate being in a state of "Zen". 

Hope your week was infinitely better than mine.

Question of the day - Do fairy tales have hidden lessons?

Here are my thoughts on this question.

My blogs featured on HerFuture "Blogs we Dig"

I am so stoked.

3 of my blog posts have been featured on HerFuture Blogs we Dig.

Last updated:  29 September 2011.

     
 


   Adversity is a catalyst

 


   Blessings in Disguise










 

Being Thankful - Rekindling the inner spirit

Friday Fives - Lifelong Learning

Thought I'd switch over to something new this Friday and found this meme which I thought may be fun.

So giving it a try. 

Friday Fives is taken from Friday5.org

1. What's something you recently learned how to do on a computer?

     adding the "You might also like" widget on my blog.

2.  What's something you recently learned in the kitchen?

     turn down the heat for the next batch of pizzas otherwise they burn to a crisp!

3.  What's something you recently learned about the town where you live?

     the first ever New Zealand Chocolate festival started today at the Inter Continental Hotel.

4.  What's something you recently learned from television?

      approximately every 18 months a total solar eclipse occurs somewhere and lasts upto a maximum

      of 8 minutes. (National Geographic channel)

5.  What's something you recently learned the hard way?

      trusting everyone is not a good idea. 

Share your Friday Fives too.

Links:  Chocolate Festival   Friday5.org

3 words that inspire

Carpe diem, Sieze the day

How many times have you walked away from someone or something and then regretted it?

I've done that many times and then kicked myself for lost opportunities.

This post is a reminder for me to "seize the day" - take the opportunities, big or small, that come my way.

Haiku Wednesday

This week's Haiku is dedicated to Spiritual practice

I Love Quotes - Mother Teresa - Smile your way to Love

Let us always meet each other with a smile, 
for the smile is the beginning of love
                                                                 ~Mother Teresa
                                                               

This is such a beautiful quote.

Note to self ... well worth remembering and doing.

And check out these Top ten reasons to smile

Sending a virtual smile your way.  Have an awesome, smiley day.

Snapshot of my week - Pink and other things

I am finally all colour coordinated.

Maybe a little too pink but I love pink and I can see my friend Fi nodding. Pink is her favourite colour too.

Christmas 2009 I got a pink woolly scarf from my kids and found a pair of pink gloves to match.

Last year I bought myself a pink jacket (thanks to Fi) and then the only thing missing was a pink woolly hat.

My mum is a great knitter and had promised to make me one. She finally finished it on Friday.

Scarf - Gloves - Jacket - Hat. I'm all set for next week.



It's Rugby every week - watched the All Blacks (NZ Rugby team) thrash the Wallabies (Aussie Rugby team) for the Bledisloe Cup in Auckland last night. Not that I understand Rugby completely but I enjoy watching the game.

Eden Park looks pretty snazzy and all set for the Rugby World Cup starting 9 September 2011. Can't wait.

More babies in the family. I'm now a grand aunt again (though I don't feel old at all).

This week's theme on my "Photos are Fun" blog has been Italy.  And looking through my photos, I wish I was there again. Italy is such a beautiful country. Check out my photos of  Florence

Hope you had a fun week too or a pink one (lol).

Question of the day - What is love?

I love this question even though it is probably one of the hardest ones to answer.




And the best way I can answer this is through some poems that I love as they say it best

And I think this one defines it perfectly for me (see link below to the blog post)

      Love is when you truly delight in someone exactly as they are, and for no other reason.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks.


Link to post When it comes to love ...

List It - My Dream Adventures

  Set an intention and watch it come true
  And what a better way than to share it on my blog.




I love to travel. And I'm very grateful and thankful that I've visited a lot of places in the world.
But rather than list all the places I would like to see (too long a list), I thought I would write about the adventures I would like to have or experience.

1  A Biblical tour of Israel.

2  A Mediterranean Luxury Cruise - Spain, Southern France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt

3  Hot Air Ballooning in various places - Queenstown New Zealand,  Kruger National Park South Africa,
                                                              Grand Canyon USA, Sacred Valley Peru,

4  The Pyramids of the world - Egypt, Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan Mexico,  Machu Pichu Peru

5  A scenic flight across the Himalayas Mt Everest  Nepal

6  Spiritual Indonesia - Borobudur, Bali, Mt Agung.

7  India - Palace on Wheels - New Delhi,  Jaipur,  Sawai Madhopur and Chittorgadh,  Udaipur,
                                            Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi

8  See the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights)  and/or the Aurora Australis (the Southern Lights)

9  Canadian Rocky Mountaineer (train journey) and Alaskan Cruise

10  Quinghai - Tibet train (Beijing to Lhasa)

11. Trek to the Valley of the Flowers and the Nanda Devi National Park, India

12. Mohenjo Daro and Harappa, Pakistan

Thursday Thoughts - Blessings in Disguise

Many years ago when I was in school, someone tore strips off me for something I was supposed to have done.

A close friend of hers apparently told a story about me which she believed because of course it was her friend who had told it.

She never gave me a chance to tell my side of the story and I was too timid to fight back and frankly I was also quite taken aback with her behaviour.

It hurt me deeply as I had a great admiration and respect for this person. I also believe that I lost a position of responsibility because of that incident. Needless to say I never respected her again and it took many many years to forgive her.

But years later as a manager I found myself in a situation with two of my staff. My mind went zooming back to that day in school.

That incident reminded me that there are always two sides to a story and as a manager it was my duty and it was only fair to hear them both.

The details of the situation are not important. But I will say that all 3 of us dealt with it in a respectful and sensible way.

It is possible that if my incident in school had not occurred, I may have dealt with the situation differently and perhaps not as effectively.

Sometimes incidents in our life are sent to us because they are meant to teach us and prepare us for situations in our life that are yet to come.

These are our blessings in disguise. Painful at that time but necessary to make us better human beings in the future.