Sunday, February 22, 2009

Life Quotes

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln


True religion is real living; living with all one's soul, with all one's goodness and righteousness.
Albert Einstein


Ethics, too, are nothing but reverence for life. This is what gives me the fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, promoting, and enhancing life, and that destroying, injuring, and limiting life are evil.
Albert Schweitzer
Civilization and Ethics, 1949

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

labels, lables and more labels...as we continue to explain...............

these days i catch myself using the term "in transition"; maybe what i am saying is "i am living", for is living not being in transition?

as life flows, changes occur - seasons, life stages, thoughts, requirements ............. we accept and move along, enjoying every moment of being with the doing

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

bound by time

binding in yoga, is a term that yoga teachers use in teaching their students to help advance their asanas...........it is generally indicative of a mind and body that is ready to expand the "edge" a little further and create a new "edge"......the posture is deepened, the hands go around the posture and meet each other in a"binding" pose........even though we are bound, the breath helps us in surrendering and being with the moment, in our asana.

in life, off the yoga mat, being "bound" has so many meanings, generally it reflects a commitment and loss of freedom, sometimes being pulled in many directions.

it is possible, or is it? to carry the practice from the yoga mat to our day to day life.............
surrendering and being one with the moment.............

Monday, February 16, 2009

compassion - intention and impact

the beautiful display of lights are possible because of the energy that lights up the display...........be the energy

Saturday, February 14, 2009

till we meet again - of course we will

During my university years a teacher wrote a comment in French which translates as: "to leave is to die a bit".................

We are fortunate that we have reunions and through life meet new people and in some way are reborn or live on.

The lunch with my old team at work re-affirmed the strength and benefits of sincere relationships. When all the layers of why we relate are removed what is left behind is the caring, the following excerpt from an email I received sums it all and is a re-affirmation "...........It was a fun time, working with you was great. Its a nice working environment when the people you're working with care about each other."

Thursday, February 12, 2009

contemplating on self - February 12

looking outside the window...........the snow has melted to reveal fresh green grass, i see two small children and a stroller being pushed by a lady......the wind is blowing through the branches of the pine tree...........as a witness i observe all this happening, i am the observer here...........i can also view this scenario from my "self" perspective and say that I am so happy that the snow has melted, I am noticing the weather and the scene outside..............??to be aware when the self takes over..........

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Walnut cake/bread - baked on February 8

since everyone enjoyed this cake and the recipe was created as i mixed the ingredients, i decided to blog it for future reference and sharing:

  1. 4 to 5 cups walnuts
  2. 1.5 cups large oat flakes (i used the slow cooking quaker oatmeal)
  3. .25 cup self raising flour
  4. 4 eggs
  5. 4 oz butter
  6. .5 cup brown cane sugar
  7. .5 cup honey
  8. .5 cup table cream
  9. 1 cup milk

Heat the oven to 350.

Crush the walnuts, (not having access to the blender or the coffee grinder i used the mortar and pestle and crushed the walnuts in many batches).

mix the butter, sugar and honey and the following, mixing each ingredient well into the batter:

  • slightly beaten eggs
  • flour and oats
  • crushed walnuts, if the batter is too thick add the cream at this point
  • finally add the milk

pour into an appropriate size baking pan, bake for 45 to 50 minutes, remove from the oven and let the cake cool on the rack. if you are serving this as dessert, you can eat it warm with some table cream.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

after the walk on February 10

puddles of water created from the melting snow are on the sidewalks, do i go through the puddle, take a leap, try and tip toe on the water or be cautious and walk around the water,............similar thought process when we are faced with the unexpected during our life......each choice will have its own consequence, each choice depends on how our brain processes the fears labelled as .......... our risk thresholds, what is at stake, how will I be perceived, what if my decision is wrong, how will i face the advisers and well wishers who will say "we told you so" and on and on............

??when life is not always lived by the cause and effect

Saturday, February 7, 2009

February 6 - after the layoffs

a small gathering of employees and ex-employees of a company were discussing their reaction and challenges they have faced or think they will face when they are out of a job. this was not a discussion on their individual financial situation, interestingly enough the focus was on the "other" stuff...... the feeling that came across, explicitly or implicitly was "liberation". the question that comes to mind is that this feeling of liberation or freedom is it because one is not "bound" to a job any more; is it because they are not in the environment that gets created before layoffs happen, or maybe it is the culture of their company or their immediate boss.............food for thought and individual contemplation. how long does this liberated feeling last, till the newness of the situation is over maybe lack of social interaction during the day, or when the finances start to pinch.

the other interesting discussion point was the challenge of not having a routine. people commented that when they are out of a job they find the need to create some sort of routine. the idea here is that when one is working with others, then the routine creates the transparency which is required, one is expected to be at their job during certain hours, meetings and calendars are booked etc. etc.....
one day you wake up in the morning and realize, there is no job or office to go to.........routine is supposed to give rhythm to ones life, babies and children need routines and as one grows through life we continue to replace the old routines with new ones.
here is a thought for each of us to answer for ourselves, use this opportunity to tune into our inner clock, compass or guidance and approach the day with an inner flow, knowing from within what needs to be done and go about the day being with their doing............ instead of being in a hurry to create a new routine, just trust oneself and our life to guide us through the day. give ourselves the opportunity to reconnect with ourselves to awaken the "human being" in us and let the "human doing" take the back seat.............

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

New beginnings

As the saying goes, one door closes and many more open............as the door closes, it takes time to process the impact of the situation. Accepting what has happened, is the first step, in order to accept one needs to acknowledge and approach the situation as an act that has happened. Surround yourself with friends and family and discuss the happening as many times as needed, acknowleding the feelings that surface. If one can let the feelings arise and evaporate like a cloud of smoke, it prevents one from sinking into the well of self pity and despair. "why me" should not be a thought that should be fed any attention or energy. One way of dis-allowing this or similar negative thoughts to flourish is to distract oneself, by focusing on things that are positive, this invokes a feeling and sense of gratitude.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

rumi in february

"when love first tasted the lips of being human, it started singing".............