Life embodies friendship, compassion, happiness, sorrow, love and pleasure
Each man has inside him a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated, but it takes courage for a man to listen to his own inner goodness and act on it. Do we dare to be ourselves? This is the question that counts.
“I am convinced that human nature is basically gentle, not aggressive. And every one of us has a responsibility to act as if all our thoughts, words, and deeds matter. For, really, they do. Our lives have both purpose and meaning.”
and:
“Compassion is what makes our lives meaningful. It is the source of all lasting happiness and joy. And it is the foundation of a good heart, the heart of one who acts out of a desire to help others. Through kindness, through affection, through honesty, through truth and justice toward all others we ensure our own benefit. This is not a matter for complicated theorizing. It is a matter of common sense.
It is an indictment of our times and of our values that we spend more time on debating the behaviour of so called celebrities on a contrived TV show than on things that really matter.
ReplyDeleteCreate the intention to be more compassionate today and every day from now on.
ReplyDeleteOnce you set an intention to be compassionate, you will be able to come up with lots of ideas to do so each day. For example:-
Enjoy quality time with family and show them more understanding.
Thank friend and stop judging him / her.
Be in gratitude for what you have.
Stop beating yourself up! Remember, compassion begins at home.
Organise fund raising party for your favourite cause.
Donate all your unwanted stuff to your local charity shop.
Arrange party at home for friends to show your appreciation of them.
Enjoy bringing more compassion today into your life. Just by having read these words, you have already started.
Can you imagine how the world would be a better place if we all began to live a life of compassion, understanding and acceptance?
Love Yourself First Before Loving Anyone Else
ReplyDeleteIf I asked you who was the most important person in your life, what would you say?
Would it be your partner, your parents, your children, your boss or even your god?
From today onwards, I invite you to accept that in your lifetime, the most important relationship you will have with is yourself.
And the most important person in your life is YOU.
I recently read somewhere that it would make your life so much easier if only you could accept that everyone else is after what’s in it for them. Yes, even the dearest and closest people in your life.
Now this is not to advocate being totally selfish and a nasty person. But knowing that everyone is thinking about themselves first, also gives you permission to focus on what you want and your dreams.
Learn to Love Unconditionally
ReplyDeleteHave you ever experienced unconditional love?
Do you even believe in unconditional love?
This is a question that has often perplexed me. If love is love, then at what point does it cease to be unconditional and becomes conditional?
Maybe we are just selfish beings and pretend to “love” others only if there is something in it for us.
Or maybe love is such an ingrained thing in us that it’s always there and there is no differentiation between unconditional and conditional love.
Have you ever experienced unconditional love?
ReplyDeleteDo you even believe in unconditional love?
This is a question that has often perplexed me. If love is love, then at what point does it cease to be unconditional and becomes conditional?
Please share your answers below.
Here’s the Daily Exercise for Today:-
The first part of today’s exercise is for you to remember a time in your life when you truly felt unconditional love for someone. In your mind’s eye, put yourself back in this situation and remember just how wonderful it felt.
The second part of today’s exercise is a challenge for you to start sending out positive, loving vibrations to every one you meet. Actively do this with intention and certainty. And especially towards those people against whom previously you had harboured negative thoughts.
Finally, review all the key relationships in your life and reflect on where you have been withholding your love. Just decide to make your love unconditional – and do whatever it takes to raise each relationship to a new level.
Maybe we are just selfish beings and pretend to “love” others only if there is something in it for us.
Or maybe love is such an ingrained thing in us that it’s always there and there is no differentiation between unconditional and conditional love.
This is Day 16 of our “28 day Relationships Adventure” in February. You can read the previous 15 articles by following the links at the bottom of this post.
Today I want to challenge all of you to bring more unconditional love into your lives.
I experienced unconditional love for the first time many years ago during a visit to Nirvana School in South India. This was a life changing experience and led to so many changes in my life and also wonderful experiences.
Earlier today I was reminded of what’s possible with unconditional love, when I had lunch at home with a friend and her two year old son. It was fascinating to watch how mother and son interacted – I might as well have not been there as most of the time they seemed in a world of their own.
No matter what the little boy did or asked for, his mother was infinitely patient in responding and not once did she resort to a raised voice or stern telling off. She responded gently every time and this seemed to work wonders with the little boy responding delightfully – he seemed a very happy and joyous child.
Yet so often in the past I have seen parents really lose it, get impatient and scold their child when he or she shows any signs of “misbehaving”.
I am not saying that these parents are not as good at parenting as my friend; it’s just that it makes sense to respond in a gentle way and treat the child with love. After all, like us adults, all a child wants is some attention, appreciation and love.
Not having any children myself, I cannot know what sort of parent I would make but I hope I would be a loving type:-)
I once wrote an article about my father’s unconditional love for me and a reader responded that I was so lucky to have had that as not many parents are as loving. That was a shock and an eye-opener for me as I had always assumed everyone had loving parents.
ReplyDeleteYes, granted some parents may be sterner than others or they may not be the most expressive about their love, but at the end of the day they must surely love their children.
It also works the other way around. It’s been known that even the most abused children refuse to testify against their parents because of their bond and perhaps their unconditional love.
The point is that I am guessing that all parents must love their children unconditionally, no matter what. Conversely we are able to love our parents unconditionally.
And surely that is the kind of barometer for how love can be unconditional?
Which brings me to the point of this article.
What if you could bring unconditional love to all your relationships?
Just imagine how all your relationships would be transformed! The question is can you learn to love unconditionally and if so how?
And the simple answer is – yes, you can.
You just simply choose to love someone!
The moment you choose to love someone and have no expectations in return, your relationship is transformed. You are then able to let go of all your past prejudices, grievances, misgivings etc and you come from a new space.
You can then apply this principle to ALL your relationships.
Indeed, you can even send out unconditional love to all the random strangers you meet every day in the course of your daily life.
Stand back and watch with amazement as your whole world is transformed!
And those around you will also subconsciously get your new vibration of love:-)
Now over to you – I would especially like to hear from those of you who have children.
How do you experience unconditional love in your life? And how do you love others unconditionally?
I once wrote an article about my father’s unconditional love for me and a reader responded that I was so lucky to have had that as not many parents are as loving. That was a shock and an eye-opener for me as I had always assumed everyone had loving parents.
ReplyDeleteYes, granted some parents may be sterner than others or they may not be the most expressive about their love, but at the end of the day they must surely love their children.
It also works the other way around. It’s been known that even the most abused children refuse to testify against their parents because of their bond and perhaps their unconditional love.
The point is that I am guessing that all parents must love their children unconditionally, no matter what. Conversely we are able to love our parents unconditionally.
And surely that is the kind of barometer for how love can be unconditional?
Which brings me to the point of this article.
What if you could bring unconditional love to all your relationships?
Just imagine how all your relationships would be transformed! The question is can you learn to love unconditionally and if so how?
And the simple answer is – yes, you can.
You just simply choose to love someone!
The moment you choose to love someone and have no expectations in return, your relationship is transformed. You are then able to let go of all your past prejudices, grievances, misgivings etc and you come from a new space.
You can then apply this principle to ALL your relationships.
Indeed, you can even send out unconditional love to all the random strangers you meet every day in the course of your daily life.
Stand back and watch with amazement as your whole world is transformed!
And those around you will also subconsciously get your new vibration of love:-)
Now over to you – I would especially like to hear from those of you who have children.
How do you experience unconditional love in your life? And how do you love others unconditionally?
Why the Human Touch is Key
ReplyDeleteAre you increasingly socialising and networking with other people online?!
With the growth in popularity of social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, people are spending more and more time communicating with each other on line.
We are all now so interconnected and with the advances of social media, we are only a few keystrokes away from anyone else in the world.
At the same time, people are finding that it is now more vital than ever to have strong connections. Networking electronically is said to be the way forward, as the world becomes ever smaller.
The recent political developments in Tunisia and Egypt were greatly fuelled by the use of rapid messaging via Twitter which ultimately led to the incumbent regimes being overthrown.
Social media tools are here to stay, whether you like it or not.
However, where does this leave face to face human contact?
Ultimately, the depth of the connection you make with people is what ultimately bonds you to them. And what better place to do this than when you meet people face to face for the first time?
This is Day 18 of our “28 Day Relationships Adventure (DRA)” in February. You can read the previous 17 articles by following the links at the bottom of this post.
Today I want to look at how you further develop your network of offline connections.
Are you comfortable meeting strangers for business and social purposes? Just how can you convert strangers into useful contacts and friends who will support you with life and business goals?
“Networking” has been a buzzword for a while and people are realising that in the changing world, they have to get out there and actually meet other people.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the growing band of online social networks!
There are lots of so called networking events happening every day, whereby you get a chance to meet other guests and delegates. But how can you make the best use of these opportunities?
To start with, change your attitude. Drop the ‘what’s in it for me attitude’. Do not go around the entire room collecting and handing out business cards.
I was at an event a few months ago where one lady simply went around the room giving out her card without making any attempt to connect with anyone. That is not what networking is about.
Networking offline is simply about developing good long-term relationships:-
1. Develop a good close network of say 20 people.
They in turn will have around 20 close contacts of their own, which they will be happy to share with you. So you immediately have introductory access to 400 people.
It is vital to develop this close network in the first place. This will take time and will require sustained effort on your part to maintain it.
2. Look at ways to contribute
Once you have developed a close network, look at ways of giving. Remember that it is always givers gain. People to whom you give will want to give to you. It is as simple as that.
Continue to develop your network by adding value. Perhaps your contacts might like to hear about a new money saving service, or a new book that you found interesting and so on.
3. Always look to expand your network.
Look to meet and interact with at least one new person every day. Engage with strangers and truly listen to them. Everyone has something to contribute. You have umpteen opportunities to meet people – work, social events, shops, parties, gym and so on.
Remember that you have two ears and one mouth – use them in that proportion as you listen to any acquaintance.
4. Cultivate the relationship
Before trying to do any business with your network, build the relationship first. Really get to know the other person and understand his needs and desires.
The human touch is key.
This last point is possibly the most important one – seeing the other person as a fellow human being and connecting as people will have a deep effect on your future dealings with each other.
Also remember that the human touch is key even within your online network. So as you connect with others on Facebook or Twitter, connect at a deeper level and see how you can help others.
Ultimately, it all comes down to seeing every human interaction, online and offline, as yet another opportunity for contributing in the best way you can
Here’s the Daily Exercise for Today:-
Look through your list of contacts – and find someone whom you can help out today in some way.
Then do this everyday from today onwards – and please share in the comments section your own tips for helping those in your network.