It’s been a couple of weeks since you last read something from me. I can come up with many reasons why :  I am busy with a writing course. I have a lot of work to do in and around my house. I work 5 nights a week. If  I think a couple more minutes I might be able to come up with more reasons, or should I say excuses….

You know that with every post I write lately I have the feeling that I am doing the same thing over and over again. Even though the posts have different topics I strongly feel like I am repeating myself.  In short that’s my problem and why I feel stuck. My intention with this blog was to write about how to simplify life, keep things light and entertain readers with stories that would either be motivating or just nice to read.

In the last few weeks I have been starting with new posts, but never finished them because I felt it wasn’t what I really wanted to post. So I am thinking and thinking about how to find my way out of what seems to be a one way alley.

I am thinking about some changes and how to sort of reinvent myself. It will happen, I am sure of that. I don’t have a clue how long it may take, but I promise it won’t be too long

It feels good to write this down, I see it as a start of more interesting writings to come. I like to write posts like ‘A life like yours’  ‘Here comes the Sun’  to name just 2 of the ones I like.

I am looking forward to talk to you real soon again, and if you have tips that can help me in the process of getting back on track I am looking forward to hear from you.

Photo Credit : Travelure

Everything is subject to change, it always has and always will be. As a matter of fact, that also  includes  you and me…  Previously I would’ve  put a quote right here. But guess what… I won’t … because I want to improve and become a better writer, YES … I am part of the flux!

Once we realize that we are all a form of energy that is continuously changing, it will open up opportunities. For all of us, because we are unique human beings with unique qualities that we can use to improve our lives. If we use our qualities in the right way, over time it will develop and become more valuable.

For me my search for what would be my so called ‘unique quality’ would prove to be the most exhaustive and toughest part of my process of change. I have been trying many different things in my life, and when I look back I did all those jobs with a reason of it’s own. My latest ‘try’ was internet marketing, and even though I wanted it to succeed, mainly because of the possible ‘financial’ gain it wasn’t the right  thing for me.

All that searching… while the solution was actually right in front of me. I like to write, and always have liked to do so. At some point a couple of years ago I decided to listen to my intuition. Beside writing this weblog, I take writing courses in order to improve my writing skills. Because I am already on my way for awhile now, I start to see that I do make progress. Of course I still have to learn, but the development is there. The greatest part of it is that while I work on this I almost automatically get insights in which genre I like to write and because of the writing courses I can actively working on my strong and my weak points.

Sometimes I wonder where I could have been right now if I had used more of my energy for writing instead of for those other ‘jobs’. I am also happy with my past job experiences since it also taught me a lot of lessons of life.

Now, knowing what I want and in which direction I have to point my energy I am feeling better everyday. Because I know I am not putting my energy to waste, and things continue to get better.

You can do the same. You can take the time to ‘listen’ to yourself, find out what is or can be the ‘thing’ or passion in  your life. From that moment on you can just give it a try. It will always be a win-win situation, I mean it’s better to try and fail instead of never trying and never knowing if something works out for you or not.  Don’t look at it as if it’s a long and maybe impossible journey.

Once you start even with small steps you will get fulfillment from it, which in turn gives you the energy and power to go on. From then things may go faster and in ways you probably cannot imagine right now. Sometimes it may even give your life a favorable twist you would not have thought to be possible before.  I am looking forward to your comments and talking to you again.

Photo Credit : Amunivers

No… this is not some kind of silly love story   Far from it, as you may have read in some of my previous posts I am always trying to find ways to improve the way we do things and live our every day life. Why? well that’s simple, to get a more fulfilling and enjoyable life.

The other day I was watching an interview with Susan Boyle. It was really great to see her rise from the auditions of Britain’s got talent to the successful star she is today. Despite her achievements she still appears to be the same Susan she was before her major breakthrough. It turned out that she had already been singing and doing auditions for the past 23 years or so. She believed in her own abilities, and knew somehow she would get her chance to shine someday. I believe that her persistence was fed by her passion for singing. Because singing is her passion and she loves it so much. She did it with all her heart, literally “putting her heart into it.”

The headline suggests to use your heart, but it’s not just that simple. There is more to it. It’s also about not sacrificing or maybe I should say compromising yourself. Be true to yourself at all times and under all conditions.

“Put your heart, mind and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” ~Swami Sivananda

Stop slaving yourself for people that don’t care about you. It also means to be wholehearted and do things well. We all know it may take only a little bit longer if we do things right. If we just don’t make it look like what we do is only a routine, but give it some extra effort. Working with good spirits also makes us feel good about our job or achievement once we are finished.

Sometimes we also have to look beyond our own personality. Nowadays we are often very self centered. But if we take interest in others and show some concern and love, it can be possible that we evoke a similar kind of spirit in others. It may not work every time, but one day we may achieve the full circle and we made life  a little bit better then it used to be.  I am looking forward to speak to you soon again.

Photo Credit : Lightning Teeth

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

To accept yourself for who you are can be a big issue, and for some quiet a challenge to achieve. I have been stretching myself to great lengths in order  to get accepted  and understood by certain people, but overlooked to accept myself first. I believe accepting yourself works  like the very same principle that says that to love someone you have to love yourself first. I mean it’s quiet clear, how can you love someone else if you don’t love yourself first!

I realized that life is much easier and more comfortable when I stop explaining myself if I feel people misunderstand me. I mean does it matter why I do what I do… whenever? I think it doesn’t because society tends to be very self centered. Most people, not all I have been speaking to for the last year or so only care about their own well being. So instead of spending time on things that are not so essential to yourself  it’s better to realize where you stand and move on.

Life is to short to waste on  matters that are obsolete to us. Time we can use much better for things that DO matter to us. Things that make us feel good instead of miserable.

As we know standing still is going backward,  Our direction and aim should be “forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether any shall note it… Be satisfied with success in even the smallest matter, and think that even such a result is no trifle. “~Marcus Aurelius

I am looking forward to speak to you soon again.

Photo Credit: evinoryan88

“Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.” ~Swami Sivananda

Life goes fast, maybe a bit too fast at times. It’s probably a sign of the times and it must be the way life goes. We want things to happen and be done increasingly faster every day. If we don’t slow ourselves down every now and then, we may at some point get a bit overwhelmed by life. It’s possible life becomes fast enough to pass you by, leaving you behind flabbergasted and wondering what happened to you.

There are literally dozens of examples of how this reveals itself. The bottom line here is that it is o.k. to stop and make time every day to important things in our life. For example spending quality time with your family, or enjoying the good dinner together etc. we all have our own examples that match our  lives. Because life goes so fast we sometimes tend to forget or overlook what’s really important to us.

A good way to calm yourself down a bit and get some peace is by applying the force of meditation. There are many ways to meditate and via the internet you can find a lot of meditation music or practices to help you get started.  It’s really interesting and rewarding to experience that after some practice you can reach other conscious levels like the Alpha, Beta and Theta levels. Each of these levels has it’s own use and an explanation of each type of level may be interesting enough for a post of it’s own.

After you finish meditating you may really feel rejuvenated. If you meditate well you give your brain a chance to take a rest. Sometimes after meditating you may also feel refreshed like when you wake up in the morning after a good night of sleep.

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”~ Buddha

For me personally it really works, it’s like I am capable of doing more and it makes me feel sharper and more balanced in my every day life.  I am looking forward to talk to you again.

Photo Credit : h.koppdelaney & alicepopkorn

As I grow older, and hopefully become…. wiser   I believe the most important thing I am gaining now is  ‘Understanding’…  I mean  a greater understanding of this thing called life.  

‘Electric word life  It means forever and that’s a mighty long time’

Well… I digress, let’s go back and stick to the story.

As time goes by pieces of the ‘great puzzle of life’ seem to automatically fall in place answering the how and why of things, and that’s interesting. But in a way it is also a bit sad, because it keeps me wondering why these ‘pieces didn’t appear a couple of years earlier.

Sigh… this must be the way life goes and things are meant to be. Otherwise we could be questioning why we exist in the first place. However… that’s another story that may be the subject of another post.

Insights often come to mind when you look back on your life. Once you get a view on the path which  defined your walk of life, it becomes clear that the journey of life has been a long and winding road for some of us. I know, because I am one of those persons!

Some time ago I was talking to a friend about time-lines, and I told her that I felt it sometimes took such a long time to achieve certain things or goals in life. I never forget her reply, because it completely changed my attitude and point of view when it comes to things I want to achieve or goals I set for myself. She simply stated that things used to go slow and take a long time, but from now on it would go easier and faster. She made it clear that it was clearly a matter of having the right mindset!  There’s a great quote from Henry Ford that says : “if you think you can do it, or you think you can’t, you are right “. This is the same principle, with a different method. If you think it takes long, it will. But if you think it can be done quick, it can be done also.

The connection of this principle to the insights of life, is simply a matter of doing something at the right time. For example twenty years ago I could’ve taken certain action, but didn’t because of whatever reason or excuse that justified my decision back then to not take action. Now twenty years later I take the action that I could’ve taken so long ago, the reason why I do things now and didn’t do back then is probably because of insight. It proves that the principle always stay the same, it’s just me who changed!

I am curious about how you think and feel about this, and would like to hear from you. I am looking forward to talk to you again.

Photo Credit: papillon666

First of all I would like to wish all the readers of this blog a Sparkling & Prosperous New Year.

Looking back on the past year I realize one thing… I want change! Normally we assume change is meant to  make things better, but change can be manifested in many forms. It can be a good change, or a change for the worse!  There is many things in our lives we can change, some alterations that are made can be temporarily, but some may be irreversible. Therefore it’s good to know the consequence of a change before it’s made.

Anyway….

The other day I was thinking about vows, and about making vows, but I instantly realized that vows didn’t bring me any further. It only gave me bad feelings when I broke them.

The changes I want to make are not that dramatic. I want to just do some things different. It’s like fine tuning my own actions in order to get better results. In a way that I know I have more control, and thus create more certainty that I am on the right track. I have tried many things, but if for example I make a goal sheet and I only look at that sheet the next time I think and start to update it, I know something is not right. I know I have to do things different! The goal sheet was there but it had no function. I have to do something instead that aligns with things I do in my every day life.

I know that if I change and do things different, I will certainly get different results. My goals stay the same, but my methods of achieving will change just a little bit.

Photo Credit: flightlessxbird

On my daily strolls across the digital boulevards I see an increase of people stating they are ’‘Living The Life’‘. First of all that’s great for them, but it’s also interesting. It’s interesting because if everyone would have some sort of a purpose in life, everyone could be living the life!

I say it like this because on a daily basis we all meet people from all walks of life, and the majority of them are definitely not living the life. Many work 40 or more hours per week to make a living or simply to survive. That said, that’s all they do and sometimes all they will ever do! Oftentimes they are also doing their jobs with a healthy dislike. Think about it… their misery already starts when they go out the door on the way to work. All the time thinking about another day ahead of them to do things they don’t like. The sad part and salt on the wound is that they wil be spending a big part of their total life doing things they don’t like!

A couple of weeks ago I spoke to a woman that had to work long hours every week in healthcare for the elderly. She stated that she don’t like what she does, but said she had no choice because first she needed the money and second she didn’t have the appropriate education to go out and do what she really likes.

I asked her what kind of job  she would really want to do. She said that she really wanted to work as a sales representative in a ladies clothing boutique. I told her that if she really wanted to do this and would do what it would take to accomplish this, it wouldn’t have to be something that would be impossible to do.  She said that she thought it be impossible to do this, and it’s not good to dream and stand with both legs on the ground etc… Well at some point I rested my case because it was clear I couldn’t change her mindset. Only she could do that!

‘This is only one example, but it’s clear that if someone is not prepared to change the mindset nothing will ever change. Because of this always be stuck in the same sort of trap, unhappy, denying themselves a better and more fulfilling lifestyle. If the desire is visualized maybe 50% of the job is already done.

The other day I read an interesting quote by Henry Ford, he said: ’If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.’ It says  life is full of opportunities, we just have to be willing to grab them. To be Living the Life or not is basically our own choice and in our own hands.

Photo Credit:  Jef Aerosol

A friend is, as it were, a second self. ~ Cicero

You know… It’s not that often that you meet someone that you want to be a friend of or that you can call a friend. I was fortunate enough to have met a new friend just a couple of months ago. I remember that it all began  with a  simple follow on twitter.

It’s funny to realize that nowadays we have  all sorts of media to communicate with, and we use it  as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. It is also amazing that because of this, one can make friends from around the world even though you have never met in person.

Anyway, I  digress…

In a relative short period of time I learned a lot from my  friend. I looked up against him and noticed traits in him that I would have liked to have myself. Now that I write this I realize that what I saw was someone with all the characteristics and qualities of a natural LEADER…

So what happened is that I wanted to be like him, and I thought I could do this by doing certain things more or less the same as he did. Kind a like the way they teach you in marketing businesses. I quickly learned though that many things can be copied, but leadership in a certain field is definitely not one of them. I mean for a part it can be learned by skill, but another part is that a stronger leader has natural leadership traits combined with skills! It is natural!

After some talk ‘n thinking my eyes are opened now. I was already going in the right direction, and didn’t need to wander off my path to find the greener grass elsewhere. I will be persistent and keep going with discipline. The positive feedback I get all the time is a good reference that I am doing things right.

When I say that I just be myself it may sound simple, but it doesn’t take much to  imagine that for some this so called simple thing  can be a real challenge.

Woohoo,  I digress again…

At first I had to write it down, but now my  game plan is forming itself. I no longer have to jot it down because it is always with me now in the form of my mindset. I can recommend everyone that is in need of directions to ask a friend or find a mentor whom can help you point out or lead the way. It is really strong.

To my friend I like to say ‘Thank You’. It may seem insignificant and a natural thing to do, but your motivational talks and examples have helped me incredibly.

Photo Credit : Springstone

It must be a week or so that I have this Beatles-song on my mind. Because of that the connection to writing this post was an easy one. I mean, when you think of it, the sun is always associated with positive things. If you have been following this blog you know that most of my posts are more or less  about the good sides of life, the ‘celebration of life’.

Almost every morning for the past three years I have been picking up tarot cards. In a reading I do for myself I ask what the day holds in store for me and I pick up 2 cards. When I first saw someone do a card-reading I was having doubts and I was very skeptical. Now after 3+years I have to say how surprisingly accurate a reading can be.

Early this morning at 2 a.m. just before I went to work, just like every other day I picked up 2 cards. First I picked up the ace of swords and after that I picked up the sun. I don’t know, but when I pick up a card like the sun I know something positive is going to happen. I can say this because of experiences of the past.

As I was driving through the countryside this morning a hare ran into my car and got killed. I’m not sure but I think that this may have been representing the ace of swords.

This afternoon I went out for my weekly jogging work-out. I started jogging about a month ago, but until now it was hard. I could only walk a couple of hundred meters before I got out of breath. Until today I had short 20 minute exercises in which I would switch between running and walking.

I had some advice from someone in my village who is a more advanced jogger, and so as I started running I kept my pace in check. After a couple of hundred meters my body started to protest and wanted a break. But I didn’t stop and kept going. The result is that I ran 40 minutes nonstop. When I came home I felt a certain pride that I had been able to do this. Now I am very excited that I proved myself I had the persistence to do this, and I want more.

Now you might be thinking ‘big deal’ millions of people around the world are jogging or running. To me however it is another milestone in my life, because around 5 years ago I was a heavy smoking couch potato. I quit smoking for some years now, and changed to a more healthy diet. I start to feel better every week, I can not imagine to be a smoker again and I am also getting in better shape.

If I can do this everyone can do this. All it requires is a little bit of discipline and persistence. This is just one example I wanted to share with you. But actually it can be replaced with anything you want to do in your life. You just have to do it, be disciplined and persistent. Then one day you will see that the sun is going to shine for you also. In fact your sun may shine so bright that you have to wear shades