How to live a truly wonderful life

If It Is Not Too Dark

Go for a walk, if it is not too dark.

Get some fresh air, try to smile.

Say something kind

To a safe-looking stranger, if one happens by.

Always exercise your heart's knowing.

You might as well attempt something real

Along this path:

Take your spouse or lover into your arms

The way you did when you first met.

Let tenderness pour from your eyes

The way the Sun gazes warmly on the earth.

Play a game with some children.

Extend yourself to a friend.

Sing a few ribald songs to your pets and plants -

Why not let them get drunk and wild!

Let's toast

Every rung we've climbed on Evolution's ladder.

Whisper, "I love you! I love you!"

To the whole mad world.

Let's stop reading about God -

We will never understand Him.

Jump to your feet, wave your fists,

Threaten and warn the whole Universe

That your heart can no longer live

Without real love!

~ Hafiz ~

(I Heard God Laughing - Renderings of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky)

Celebrating myself everyday of 2014

2014 was The Most Incredible Year of my life thus far!

I know I am using past tense but this is how sure I am of my incredible journey.

This year is a milestone birthday for me.

I am prepaving the most sumptuous  year ever.

Each and everyday I am celebrating myself and the world in which I live and move and have my being in.

Life is so very good!

Pausing to ponder...

Pausing to ponder a few different viewpoints on the topics of judgement and

forgiveness.
I highlighted the ones that resonated the most.

The following was copied with permission from The Amendment.

Judgmental: Failing to hide an impression or opinion
Judgmental: Giving away self-esteem
Judgmental: Failure to appreciate everyone, always
Judgmental: Looking outward, never inward
Judgmental: Short sighted evaluation with unilateral criteria
Judgmental: Substandard
Judgmental: Righteous for good reason
Judgmental: Righteous for bad reason
Judgmental: Placing others’ low self opinion above yourself
Judgmental: Admission that you disapprove
Judgmental: Offering disapproval not requested 
Judgmental: Enforcing standards where necessary
Judgmental: Enforcing blind, uneven standards
 
Forgiveness: Forgetting what happened
Forgiveness: Understanding really why it happened
Forgiveness: Accepting that revenge will not undo what happened
Forgiveness: Preventing not returning
Forgiveness: Progress
Forgiveness: Learning and appreciating one’s OWN lesson, beyond the hurt
Forgiveness: Appreciating the lesson for & from the other side
Forgiveness: Strengthening your protection from repeats
Forgiveness: Abandonment of retribution
Forgiveness: The greater context
Forgiveness: Giving oneself permission to be happy 
Forgiveness: Acceptance of contrition
Choose your views...