As I Began to Love Myself

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY“.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody as I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it “RESPECT“.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it “Maturity“.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment, so I could be calm. Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE“.

As I began to love myself I quit steeling my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it “SIMPLICITY“.

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism. Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF“.

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is “MODESTY“.

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT“.

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART“.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know THAT IS “LIFE“!

~Charlie Chaplin, on his 70th birthday, 16-04-1959~

Op het moment dat ik van mezelf begon te houden, begreep ik dat ik steeds weer en bij iedere gelegenheid, op het juiste moment en de juiste plaats ben. Dat alles wat gebeurt goed is. Vanaf dat moment heb ik rust. Nu weet ik dat men dat VERTROUWEN noemt.

Op het moment dat ik van mezelf begon te houden, kon ik accepteren dat emotionele pijn en lijden slechts waarschuwingen voor me zijn, dat ik niet mijn waarheid leef. Nu weet ik dat men dat AUTHENTICITEIT noemt.

Op het moment dat ik van mezelf begon te houden, ben ik ermee opgehouden naar een ander, beter leven te verlangen. Ik kon zien dat alles om me heen een uitnodiging is om te groeien. Nu weet ik dat men dat RIJPEN noemt.

Op het moment dat ik van mezelf begon te houden, ben ik er mee opgehouden mezelf van mijn vrije tijd te beroven. Ik ben opgehouden met het bedenken van geweldige projecten voor de toekomst. Nu doe ik slechts wat me vreugde en plezier brengt, waar ik van hou en wat mijn hart blij maakt. Op mijn manier en in mijn eigen tempo. Nu weet ik dat men dat EERLIJKHEID noemt.

Op het moment dat ik van mezelf begon te houden, heb ik me bevrijd van alles dat niet gezond voor me was.Van eten,mensen, dingen en situaties, van alles dat me steeds maar weer naar beneden trok, weg van mezelf. In eerste instantie noemde ik dat gezond egoïsme, nu weet ik dat het ZELFLIEFDE is.

Op het moment dat ik van mezelf begon te houden, ben ik gestopt met altijd gelijk willen hebben.
Daardoor heb ik me steeds minder geïrriteerd. Nu weet ik dat men dat NEDERIGHEID noemt.

Op het moment dat ik van mezelf begon te houden, heb ik geweigerd nog langer in het verleden te leven en me zorgen te maken om de toekomst. Nu leef ik alleen nog maar in het ogenblik, daar waar alles gebeurt. Zo leef ik op dit moment iedere dag en noem het BEWUST ZIJN.

Op het moment dat ik van mezelf begon te houden, begreep ik dat mijn denken me klein en ziek kan maken. Op het moment dat ik mijn hart liet spreken...werd mijn verstand, mijn denken, een belangrijke partner. Deze verbinding noem ik DE WIJSHEID VAN HET HART.

We hoeven niet bang te zijn ons bloot te geven. Ook hoeven we geen conflicten met onszelf en anderen te vrezen:zelfs sterren botsen weleens op elkaar en juist daardoor ontstaan er ook weer nieuwe...

Nu weet ik: DAT IS HET LEVEN....

~ Geschreven door Charlie Chaplin op zijn 70e verjaardag, 16 april 1959~


--- Dank je wel, Jacqueline, om dit te delen ---

When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You hung my first painting on the refrigerator
And I wanted to paint another.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You fed a stray cat
And I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You baked a birthday cake just for me
And I knew that little things were special things.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You said a prayer
And I believed there was a God that I could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You kissed me good-night
And I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
I saw tears come from your eyes
And I learned that sometimes things hurt—
But that it’s alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You smiled
And it made me want to look that pretty too.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You cared
And I wanted to be everything I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking—
I looked . . .
And wanted to say thanks
For all those things you did
When you thought I wasn’t looking.

~by Mary Rita Schilke Korzan~

Part of the ocean

There was once a wave in the ocean, rolling along, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the swiftness of the breeze.
It smiled at everything around it as it made its way toward the shore.

But then, it suddenly noticed that the waves in front of it, one by one, were striking against the cliff face, being savagely broken to pieces.

‘Oh God!’ it cried. ‘My end will be just like theirs. Soon I, too, will crash and disappear!’

Just then another wave passing by saw the first wave’s panic and asked:
‘Why are you so anxious? Look how beautiful the weather is, see the sun, feel the breeze…’

The first wave replied:
‘Don’t you see? See how violently those waves before us strike against the cliff, look at the terrible way they disappear. We’ll soon become nothing just like them.’

‘Oh, but you don’t understand,’ the second wave said. ‘You’re not a wave. You’re a part of the ocean.’


~Paulo Coelho~
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/

Papieren schoonheid

What comes around comes around

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried.. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.
He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan ..

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm& helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'

There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' Today I sent you this story, and I'm asking you to pass it on. Let this light shine. God works in mysterious ways and sometimes puts people in our lives for a reason.

Om even bij stil te staan

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
~ Martin Luther King ~




En faith heeft me nu dusdanig te pakken dat ik me volledig besef dat het tijd is om mijn plannen te concretiseren.
Zo kan het niet langer, en zo wil ik het niet langer!

walking with a friend

just knowing you are there
walking your own path
not far from mine
crossing each other every now and then

just knowing you are there
no more than a thought away
gives me the power and inner smile
to keep going on and on

~ 10 nov 2010 ~

Trust me...

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97

Wear Sunscreen

If I could offer you only one tip for the future,

sunscreen would be it.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists,

whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh nevermind,

you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself

and recall in a way you can’t grasp now, how much possibility lay before you

and how fabulous you really looked,

you are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts,

don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy, sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind,

the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults,

if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life,

the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22

what they wanted to do with their lives,

some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t,

Maybe you’ll divorce at 40,

Maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary

What ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either

Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can, don’t be afraid of it,

or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Brother and sister together we'll make it through

Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there

I know you've been hurtin, but I've been waitin' to be there for you

And I'll be there just helping you out whenever I can

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings, they are the best link to your past

and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get,

the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard,

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander,

you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young

prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,

Maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia,

dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off,

painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen

Brother and sister together we'll make it through

Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there

I know you've been hurtin, but I've been waitin' to be there for you

And I'll be there just helping you out whenever I can

Everybody's free oh yeah

Everybody's free oh yeah

Dealing with Negativity

There are a number of different techniques to deal with negativity. It takes time before you find the right response to suit a specific situation. The more patient you are with yourself, the better. One day you may need tears, the next day it’s a matter of patient waiting or talking to your inner self. Here are some methods of dealing with negativity to add to your repertoire:

Patient waiting. Notice your negative reaction and watch it for a moment. Be attentive to your feelings as they are, without judging or forcing them to change. This response is quiet, but it isn’t passive. You are removing the shock value of the moment, softening the feeling so that you don’t act on it impulsively or push it away. You are letting it dissipate naturally, at its own pace. You are also practicing detachment.

Talk out the problem. Any negative experience in the mind is part of yourself. It’s neither alien nor evil. Try talking to your fear or hostility. Ask to know what it means. Find out why it chose to show itself at this particular moment.

Ask the underlying energy to leave. Not all negativity wants to stick around. We are all aware of passing moods and sudden flashes of emotion that soon subside. Ask the negative energy to leave, but first give it a chance to say what it has to say.

Summon help and assistance. Your mind has countless levels. At higher levels, you possess much more control and authority than you realize. Learning to trust in aspects of your higher self that you can’t see is important. Ask for help in removing unwanted negative energy. Some people address their angels and guides; others pray to God; still others make a request to the higher self directly. Depending on your own beliefs, don’t hesitate to say that you are feeling overwhelmed and need help.

Physical responses. Turn to the wisdom of the body. Although the mind always wants to rush in and take charge, life is a cooperative venture between mind and body. As some body workers like to say, there are issues in the tissues. So let your body do what it wants in order to release the grip of a negative experience. This can be physical, or even toning, which means humming or singing at certain pitch and then letting the body carry the tone up or down.

Adapted from The Third Jesus, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2008)
Meer van Deepak Chopra kan je o.a. vinden op;
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/spirituality/soular-energy

Nog liefhebbers voor een vertaling?

Luisteren

Als ik je vraag naar mij te luisteren en
jij begint mij adviezen te geven,
dan doe je niet wat ik je vraag.

Als ik je vraag naar mij te luisteren
en je mij begint te vertellen,
waarom ik iets niet zo moet voelen
als ik voel, dan neem jij mijn gevoelens niet serieus.

Als ik je vraag naar mij te luisteren,
en jij denkt dat jij iets moet doen
om mijn probleem op te lossen,
dan laat je mij in de steek,
hoe vreemd dat ook mag lijken.

Dus alsjeblieft, luister alleen maar naar me
en probeer me te begrijpen.
En als je wilt praten,
wacht dan even en ik beloof je
dat ik op mijn beurt naar jou zal luisteren.

-- gedicht van Leo Buscaglia --