22 May 2013

A Pause

To whoever checks in on this little blog: goodbye for now! Too much is changing, I have to make a pause and concentrate on the essential.
It was a good challenge trying to find "food for thought" to post here, and I hope to come back in a couple of month's time...
So long, dear friends, and hope to see you then!
No, I'm not going to sleep in the grass... Not yet!

16 May 2013

Feed Your Joy Daily

What you think and how you feel now determines what you will think and how you will feel tomorrow. Don't get all caught up in problems, worries and other negative thoughts.  Concentrate on the joys in life,  however small.
The feeling of a fresh breeze on your skin while walking home from work, the kind words of a friend, a good meal shared with a nice person, the smell of a jasmine flower, smiling at a stranger in the bus - you can find a million things to bring you joy.
Take good care of yourself in order to take good care of others. Think, feel and do more of what brings you happiness. Feed your joy daily.

A nice meal- even better in lovely company

9 May 2013

Cung Cung Paah

This is a year of fulfilling dreams :-)
One old dream is being able to dance to latin American music. I've wanted to learn that ever since hanging out with some Mexicans during my student years. Much later I tried out a salsa course, but I'm a slow learner and let's say that my feeling for rhythm isn't innate...
But now I finally indulge myself in private lessons -who knows for how long I can still do that, so the time is NOW.
Horacio is teaching me, slowly and patiently, and I don't feel like a hopeless case anymore. As a good pedagogue he started with "the feeling" of this kind of dance, not with the basic steps. His way of teaching the steps is with the mantra "cung cung paah" - and that really sticks!
At home I take out my dancing shoes, put on some salsa music, feel the Cung Cung Paah and love it!

My Dancing Shoes

3 May 2013

More Happiness in the World

In connection with the upcoming changes I am reviewing my whole life. The Where?, the What?, the How?, and the Why? Why am I here, and What is my task? What effect do I want to have on the world and on people?
Even if it sounds presumptuous, I want to spread Happiness.
But it does not feel enough to spread out my happiness, even if that already has an effect on others.
I  would love to be able to inspire others to find access to their own inner happiness. To discover the core within themselves that is - happiness. The centre to which you can always connect and feel warmth, care and love; first for yourself, and then for others.
Finding ways to inspire others to access their inner Happiness feels like a major task. I am really looking forward to soon be working on it with a lot more energy and time :-)

26 Apr 2013

Take a Leap

"It's not what you do in your life that matters, it's how you do it". That has been my adage for several years, and a way to cope with unfulfilling tasks: I've put my pride in doing them as efficiently as possible, with high quality and with a smile.
But in the end that just isn't enough. At a certain point life almost got a stale taste and it became clear that I had to make a choice. Either I stay in the comfort zone, not asking too much neither from myself nor from life... Or I take a leap, and with that leap I don't just risk cold feet, but I also prove that I believe in in the possibility to discover and explore new treasures. Outside and inside.  Reinventing my life, in a certain way.
Time has come to leap. The adventure can start.

12 Apr 2013

Planting Seeds

The growth force of nature is just amazing. Put a small seed into some soil, water it now and then and just leave it for a while. Suddenly something starts to sprout, something very small and green pokes its head out. It strikes me with awe every time!
Despite the long and cold winter on my kitchen table there are already 20 quite big (it's all relative!) tomato seedlings, a handful of tiny pea plants and I'm sure coriander, runner beans and poppies will soon peep out too.
Of course I have setbacks, many seeds just don't germinate, but that's quickly forgotten when the little tomato plants start spreading their unmistakeable scent.
Few other things fill me with such deep pleasure. I just love "gardening" (even without having a garden)! It makes me feel so much part of Mother Nature - of life itself.

I love you, little baby tomato plants!

4 Apr 2013

Faith

Bravery never was one of my main characteristics. I'm an overall cautious person, like when it comes to spending money or practicing sports. Downhill skiing? I don't want to kill myself!
Unfortunately this also goes for challenging my habits or taking decisions about minor as well as about major changes in life. "You know what you have, but never what you get"..
Well, I've come to understand that this is basically a lack of faith. Things will be fine! I won't break my neck in the ski slope or ruin myself by investing in long yearned for pearl earrings. As for life changes I just have to show trust. The outcome may be completely unknown, but eventually things will turn out all right. I will survive. Not only that: needed changes will turn things for the better. I just have to show some Faith.