February is said to be heart month. Valentine’s day is the 14th. Will you remember to say Thank you! will you tell someone how much you appreciate them… as a friend, a family member, even a passing stranger? On the radio I heard an old time radio program.. where the husband forgot to get his wife a valentine and of course the whole show was about how he redeemed himself. It was a comedy, never-the-less… it is a shame that we have to put aside one day a year to tell a loved one/friend that we care and appreciate them.
WE are blessed in life with friends, people around us who care, maybe not in the way you would like them to care, but they do care…
Open up opportunities by being proactive
Opportunities don’t just come knocking on the door. Use your enthusiasm and energy to bring good fortune your way.
With the lunar new year not far off… I let my thoughts drift to another place and time… in my youth, I dreamed of being able to wander the grounds of a monastery high in the mountains. I knew I would feel at home .. looking out into the distance… hearing the soft chanting of the monks… the sweet smell of incense and sandalwood wafting through the air. I never made it to China but my Mom and sister did… . no their interests were not mine… but they did get to explore and bring home memories of a land that was very different from the world we knew. My time abroad was spent in Japan.. smiles with a soft stirring in my heart as I recall the cherry blossoms… and the rice fields as i wandered and took in life in Japan. I loved it there, but I missed hearing English and French, oui, je suis Canadianne …
We can’t always do all the things we want to… but we can explore and take in the world around us, every day there is something new to discover. We need only look around, and reach out, be open to try something new, something different, try something you have never done before. It’s a thought, think about it.
Once upon a time .. we used an expression, “arm chair traveler” have you heard it? do you know it’s meaning? Now I am an “internet buff” I use different platforms to explore my interests. In person, travel to far distant places is no longer a possibility for me, I’m just not interested in airports, long lines, customs, politics.. I simply want to enjoy life and the pleasures available to me. I am thankful for the experiences I have had, and the many wonderful people I’ve met along the way…. now I make no apologies for making time for ME… my interests, my joy at being able to explore places via the creative efforts of others.. I am learning and appreciating the talent and skills of creative minds that impact my world in a positive way.
I discovered I like being happy. I like sharing that happiness… and if it isn’t what others want who are in my space.. I move on. simply said. life is to be enjoyed.
Always express yourself for the happiness of others as well as yourself.
The happiness of those around you can lead to your own happiness. Cultivate a heart to always wish for the happiness of others.
Even if there is snow, the little critters still have to eat.
Even if someone totally disagrees with you or does things differently, you may learn something from them. Avoid getting trapped in the mindset, “this is the way it has to be,” and free your mind to consider other possibilities.
Wow… when was the last time you heard someone say that to you!
Are you a person who shares your thoughts when they are positive.. or do you blurt out resentments and unhappy responses easily but find saying, “thank you” or smiling in response to something , something you don’t do often. I was privy to a conversation the other day, not because I was listening in, but because people were chatting around where I was seated, and I was just part of the “moment”… I’d say that almost 3/4 of the conversation by all parties was that of complaints and observations on all that is negative in the world. Parties knew each other socially and it was a total dump on life. I wanted to ask, “has nothing happened recently that made you happy” but… in a” funny ” way, I think they enjoyed being able to gripe and express all the negatives that they perceived around them.
Life is what we make it. ahhh.,.. yes… there I go again… I like being happy… I go out of my way to do and find things to do and people to share time with me that I enjoy. Life is too short to squander time on things /people that upset or leave me feeling “unsettled”.
PL Precept # 5 One’s self is lost by being emotional
PL Precept # 4 Being annoyed limits your expressions.
I like my days to flow, like a babbling brook that meanders slowly and playful over the rocks and pebbles in its path as it journeys along to its destination.
I’m off to have breakfast with the mystery of crows that await my arrival, and then to the Blue Jay Cafe to see if the little rabbit is still waiting for treats. I also got some yummy suet for the nuthatch to enjoy, I’ll butter the bark with it… she shares with the Downy and Hairy that get in line for the treat when it is applied.
Cold you say! Here is a brave young man testing the cold.. He took a soaking wet towel and swung it in the air …in a few minutes.. hello… frozen towel… the last picture, his big success, was putting a banana out in the cold, leaving it out overnight till it froze… then using the frozen banana, he hammered that nail you see into the board. Who says we don’t know how to have fun in cold weather.!!!
Good morning everyone, yes we had a cold snap, a very cold one.. but temperatures have been more reasonable the last few days and the sun has been brilliant high above, bathing the world in wonderful sunshine.
Here we are the 3rd day of February, the heart month, Feb. 14th is Valentine’s day … Feb. 17, is the Chinese lunar new year… (Horse) … AND… you will find Mardi Gras celebrations happening mid month as well….Lots to do, hope you are able to get out, in Ottawa, Winterlude is happening, ice sculptures, skating on the canal, beavertails, exhibits, snow slides, snow shoeing, X-country skiing… performances, live entertainment, tobogganing… just too many activities to list.. Guaranteed winter fun,
Instead of worrying, do something about it
It doesn’t help to over-think situations such as, “what if this happens?” or, “Things might end up that way”. Instead be proactive and change how you see and do things in each situation.
PL2019.3
Oyashikiri
beavertails, are sweet offerings, pastries, snack. a Canadian treat that originated in the Ontario, Ottawa Valley in 1978. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeaverTails
Today is the first day of February, and being the first, it is a day of service /celebration at the church, On the first of every month, we celebrate -Day of Peace – Through this ceremony we pray for World Peace and dedicate ourselves to live as peaceful human beings in our own worlds which include, home, school, work and communityl
Harmony brings us Peace
Let’s strive to always maintain good relationships at home, at work and in the community we live in.
TAOIST Life is Art (Perfect Liberty precept #1)
contact info.- via blogs
--- there are two energies, Yin and Yang = ONE
---to have balance we must live each moment
of our lives.. with Makoto (sincerity)
The only constant in life is change. I am grounded in the reality of Living.
This is true, in all worlds. RL or virtual. I am me and only me.