Rainy day, Sunny day

Isis SG

Rainy Day, Sunny Day

Long ago, there lived an old woman whose tears never ceased because her worries were never-ending. She had two daughters. The eldest had married an umbrella merchant. On days filled with sunshine, the old woman would glance upward and think, "The weather is too nice! No one is going to want to buy any umbrellas and the shop may need to be closed!" Overcome with worry, she would cry and cry. Her younger daughter had married a noodle vendor and the old woman knew that when the rains came, the noodles would not dry and there would be no noodles to sell. On rainy days, the old woman would again be consumed with worry and her tears would pour. Thus, ever grieving for one of her daughters, she lived in constant sorrow. Her well-meaning neighbors, unable to console the old woman, began to call her 'the crying woman.' One day, she crossed paths with a monk. He had heard of the crying woman and was very curious as to why she never stopped crying. The old woman explained the source of her sadness. The monk, who was very kind, smiled and said, "You won't need to worry any more because I can show you the way to find happiness." The old woman became very excited and quickly asked the monk to tell her what to do. He replied that the answer was simple. "You only need to change your perspective," he said. "On sunny days, think not of your elder daughter and her umbrellas, but of your younger daughter finding the warmth to dry her noodles. When the sunlight is brightest, she will be able to make mountains of noodles and her business will prosper. When the rains come, think not of your younger daughter and her noodles, but of the many customers who will come to your elder daughter in order to buy umbrellas. The more forceful the rain, the more she will sell." The old woman knew the monk was speaking wisdom and did as he said. After a time, her tears became smiles, and her smiles grew as the days progressed. From that day forward, she was known to all as 'the smiling woman.'

Morale of the story: A Change In Perspective will do wonder...

Freedom Fighter SG

RAINY DAY SUNNY DAY

BOOK OUT DAY!

Isis SG

The Other Side Of Light

(Shadow Emotions)...

Within each of us lives a subtle darkness. Often it is something we fear, for from it comes the emotions we perceive as negative: resentment, guilt, anger, greed, denial, and mistrust. These shadow emotions remain hidden, held apart from the self-image, and so seem to manifest themselves unexpectedly, leaving behind feelings of shame and unresolved struggle. But as the light cannot exist without the contrasting darkness, shadow emotions are part of the miracle of existence and self-awareness. Psychologist Carl Jung asserted that negative feelings are a vital part of psychological well-being and cannot be repressed without stifling creativity, joy, and wisdom. The shadow emotions exist to balance the emotions of light, but also can teach you a great deal. Repression of your darker side numbs the mind and prevents you from experiencing the full range of life's offerings because shadow emotions are an integral part of passion, excitement, and the intensity of the heart. Avoiding them simply causes emotional explosions, harsh self-criticism, confusion, and limits to what you believe you can accomplish. Each person is dual-natured, but in denying the shadow, it becomes a stranger and something to be intolerant of. Thus, it can be hard to access, but it can be found by giving it a voice and acknowledging that voice without fear in a journal or by benignly stimulating the darker emotions with thrilling novels or films. In doing so, you may find yourself better able to contemplate courses of action that had previously seemed impossible. Your shadow emotions open new doors. When you have tapped into it and no longer fear it, your ability to understand and accept the shadow emotions of others will emerge. Jung believed that we meet the shadow side when experiencing a difficult period and so many people try to avoid it. But, like a mist allowed to expand, acknowledged shadow emotions dissipate into clarity, giving way to true acceptance of ourselves and others.

Isis SG

PAY DAY!!!!

Isis SG

Power Of Peace

(Philosophy Of Gandhi)...

Power has many faces. Some forms of power are abrupt, forceful and potentially harmful. Yet, there is another kind of power that is constant, unyielding but also loving and peaceful. Mahatma Gandhi, the famed leader of the nonviolence movement in India, championed the belief that nonviolence is the law for all humanity and that it takes greater strength to use peaceful resistance to achieve your ends than to resort to brute force. According to Ghandi: "Power rightly exercised must sit light as a flower, no one should feel the weight of it." Calling himself a "practical idealist," he believed in facing injustice in the world by having the courage to love and show "ahimsa," selflessness, which he wrote brought "delight" to his life. Following Gandhi, we can learn to recognize the subtle power of nonviolence to bring a sense of peace to our lives and the lives of others. Born in India, on October 2,1869 as Mohandas Gandhi, he searched spiritually for many years, eventually earning the name Mahatama, meaning "great soul." While living in South Africa, he studied the works of many religions as well as the literary works of writers such as Tolstoy and Thoreau, which led him to forgo the pursuit of wealth for a life of self-improvement. It was also at that time that he began to experience discrimination and to react to it by organizing peaceful marches, community meetings and boycotts, which often led to his arrest. After returning to India, he created a highly successful system of nonviolent protest to win independence from the British. Using fasting, prayer and a stubborn resolve not to hate the British, his legacy has made a lasting impression on people all over the world. Gandhi believed that, "Hate is the subtlest form of violence. We cannot be really non-violent and yet have hate in us." For Gandhi, the ultimate end of non-violence was an Enlightened world, in which people would naturally care for one another, without needing to be governed. But, he also realized that this utopian vision was not yet a reality. Therefore, he believed strongly that people should have the courage to defend their visions, but when at all possible, they should do so without causing pain to anyone else. He added that by using the principles of nonviolence, the weak would grow stronger. To Gandhi, it was integral that people always speak their truth but he also believed that, "One should speak the truth in gentle language." Gandhi's remarkable legacy continues to affect huge numbers of people today. While his beliefs have profound universal applications, he also lived these ideals privately. The true essence of non-violence begins with the way we conduct our private lives and the way we feel about other human beings. As Gandhi taught, we can be powerful and loving. We can speak our personal truth in a way that spreads Enlightenmen

Isis SG

Accepting The Gesture

(Learning To Receive)...

As children, most of us are taught to give generously but seldom are we given instruction on how to graciously receive. To give of ourselves, our talent, time, and treasure, comes naturally, but being presented with a gift is often a source of embarrassment or confusion when it isn't clear how to respond or we feel unworthy. Learning to receive is as much an art as giving and it begins when we open our eyes and ears to the simple gifts we're presented each day. If you fail to express gratitude, even for gifts that seem insignificant, you're unconsciously denying the emotions of the giver, but receiving gratefully lets the giver know that he or she is valued. Many people are uncomfortable receiving and, rather than acknowledge the spirit in which the gift was given, disregard the sentiment with statements like, "You shouldn't have." It is easy to forget that receiving a present, a charitable service, or a complement with grace and sincere gratitude is often a gift in itself. Expressing gratitude means letting someone experience the joy of giving. Gifts of love, service, help, communication, or material things all possess an emotional quality and, as such, have the power to forge or strengthen bonds. In this way, receiving necessitates yielding to another, which may cause discomfort. We are told that receiving is a form of selfishness, but when giving is done freely and with positive intentions, receiving honors both the giver and the gift. It is necessary to care for oneself and to feel deserving before it becomes possible to accept gifts without discounting the spirit of giving or worrying about relative values. Appreciations needn't be long. Letting someone know that you are truly grateful for their thoughtfulness is enough. Often, a simple, heartfelt 'thank you' will suffice. Giving and receiving are both blessings and each builds its foundation on the other. As we learn to receive, so have we that much more to give. Only when you are willing to accept both openly will you truly be able to experience the magic of generosity and abundance.

Isis SG

Hi,

This thread might seem incoherent with the thread's title but in life, it is okay to be out of point sometime.. i think.. Mr. Green