Sunday, October 8, 2017

GORGEOUS SUNSET -- A HEAVENLY MASTERPIECE




Found this on the internet. Gorgeous sunset, isn't it? I fell in love with it instantly ......and why I just had to have it here on my blog. A heavenly masterpiece! 💓😍

A big thanks to whoever took this picture.





Saturday, October 7, 2017

RELIGION - SPIRITUALITY - DIVERSITY - CHANGE





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Was in the midst of a very nice book when the phone rang. It was Delilah (not her real name, of course) who has this uncanny knack of calling me just at the precise moment when I’m just about settled on something perfect for a lazy afternoon such as today.

‘Hi, EleAnor!’ boomed her voice on the phone… pronouncing it as ‘elyanor’.

‘Ok, if you don’t start learning how to say it correctly I’ll put down the phone in 2 counts…. 1….’

‘Aww c’mon … kiddingggggg…’ and she laughed so loud my eardrums hurt!

She loves poking fun at my frustration with my high school teacher in Tacloban back then… who just couldn’t–simply wouldn’t–never did pronounce my name right!

‘Ma’m, it’s Eleanor with a silent a.’ -- I’d stress ofttimes with a wee bit of annoyance but with respect she definitely deserved. She was terrific at her job. Still, she never gets my name right!

To which she’d reply ‘Sit down, Elyanor.’ (Bisaya gyud, pastilan!) Gaaahhh I'd breathe between my teeth. To this my seatmate (yeah, Delilah) would giggle. So much for that.

‘Ok, so what brings this call? It better be good. I’ve got a good book which I’d like to finish.’

Delilah replied….. ‘You remember Carla?’ (A new friend we both met.)
‘Yes. Why?’ I replied.
‘Well, she’s having this rift with Jenny.’ (Another friend.)
‘Over what?’ I asked with piqued interest pushing my book aside.
‘It looks like a tiny difference which now seems to have been blown out of proportion.’ Delilah replied now being serious.
‘Over what nga?’ I wanted to know.

To make a long story short, the subject was about being …religious or spiritual. These two friends were bashing each other for being one or the other. Well, that’s as much as I’m going to tell you about my friends. I will say this much though that my friends patched up things in a manner which didn’t harm the friendship in a way (fortunately) but let’s just say that they simply agreed to disagree. Which, I think, is a smart way to deal or handle issues which may be difficult to resolve.

The issue though was something that isn’t nor can be simply confined between or among friends alone, I must say. Because it happens just as much in ordinary lives everywhere among many and diverse people.


I may have read up a few things about those two words….. And to roughly quote
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Religious ----- imbued with or exhibiting religion; pious; devout; godly

Spiritual ------ relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things

There are some pretty clear ways in which religion and spirituality differ. --Religion: This is a specific set of organized beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group. --Spirituality: This is more of an individual practice.

Those who speak of spirituality outside of religion often define themselves as spiritual but not religious and generally believe in the existence of different "spiritual paths," emphasizing the importance of finding one's own individual path to spirituality.

Many people use spirituality to refer to their interior life of faith and religion.

A religious person may be spiritual, but a spiritual person is not necessarily religious.

Unquote.
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But it really doesn’t matter on which side of the fence you are. To my mind, both are equally worthy and acceptable. Each with its use or uses. If one or the other makes you a better person, that’s fine.

To impose one's beliefs on others or try to change them can cause much division. Because they rightfully have theirs. Judging people for what they do or do not do with their beliefs is rather shortsighted, don't you think? Speaking up when you feel like you should is fine. You have your voice. But try to temper it with kindness. Hurting people for whatever reason, good or bad, is no excuse to act mean. Express your opinion go ahead but that is all there is to it. Don't go further thinking that they should listen to you because you think and believe that yours is right. If change should come they should want it or cause it themselves. The decision to change is an internal thing. Comes from within, not without.

People are as diverse as the North and South poles. With differences as the color of their skin or the size of their eyes…. the different languages they speak…. the diversity of habits and comfort zones.... the different sets of preferences, likes and dislikes, loves and hates, or how they were raised or educated. Each as flawed as the other and each with their respective beliefs and influences, too. People live by their respective histories as laid down by the Divine. That's the journey set out for us to travel.

So religious or spiritual is not the issue -- shouldn't be ..... unless we shortsightedly make it so triggered by the ego and pride.



Tuesday, October 3, 2017

IT'S OCTOBER!


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OCTOBER --- Have a good one, folks! Fill it with wonderful memories to last a lifetime.
 








EVERY JOURNEY NEEDS A FIRST STEP

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Good morning, world!  
 
I'm doing a repost today. Because somebody needs to see this. This piece was done way back but I'm bringing it back to life for the things I want to say to a fine young lady.
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Here it is.
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First, a great quote.....


"Wellness isn't about deprivation and it's not about perfection. It is about pointing yourself in the direction of growth, training yourself to get comfortable with your highest potential, and then taking small steps to support that shift. It's about showing up for yourself, day by day, and then one day finding that you've undergone a transformation." ------- Kathy Freston

Unquote.


I guess that speaks out not only for those in pursuit of health but it works just as well with the other pursuits which fill up our plates in life. It always begins with that tiny-little-small-bit of .. 'the first step'. That first step begins the journey, the project, the writing, the story, the relationship, the dream, the adventure, the memories ..... and on the other end of the spectrum the misery, the frustration, the disappointment, the failure, and more. It's what we do or do not do for the first step.

In our journey the aim should always be towards our highest potential. Oh yes, it's wired into our system from birth. Big thanks to a very wise God. So the quicker we begin to understand that the quicker become our growth towards our better selves.

Do not belittle nor limit yourself with the idea that only the rich, highly educated, and famous are privileged with talent or brilliance. It's not their monopoly. We have our portions, too; maybe in greater measure where it matters.

Our highest potential is in doing what we do best in our everyday lives. Neither do we need an audience to do that. All we need is the desire and passion to be the best that we can be in whatever our God-given talents lead us. It's what we do with our lives with the highest care and attention which truly matters to God's eyes and heart. That, incidentally, is also by God's design.

Blessings, everyone! Remember to pay kindness forward.


Sunday, October 1, 2017

ALSO LEARN TO UNLEARN




Good morning, folks 'Hope your weekend is coming along just fine. Here's an interesting poster shared from a friend's fb page. I'd like to share it with you, too.

---- Just my tiny thought on that poster. 😊

Life, as many say it is, is one big university of learning. There are many things we should be learning undoubtedly. We did with the past... we do with the present.... and we should with the future. So it never stops whatever your age, whoever you are, no matter the feathers in your cap.

But we should also learn to ---- unlearn. 


Meaning we should try to shed off those layers in our person which do not or no longer serve us a good purpose. Or maybe through the years have shown us nothing. Negativity is one of those. When those habits of negativity stand as a wall or seem to block efforts for further improvement or that of moving on with life, then those should be peeled off and thrown to the bin. Say goodbye to it. The sooner the better. Perhaps not without pain or inconvenience but... worth the effort we would be putting into it. We'll be far off better without it than with it. Comfort zones are a comfortable place to be... yes. But no learning is ever done there. Neither can true happiness thrive in it.

When done, then finally and easily we can and to quote Shakespeare ---  listen well, think well, earn, forgive, feel, try, love, and live! And try be truly happy!

Learning is a life journey taken one day at a time. And if perchance we fail to grasp the lesson or lessons the first time, life will send it back to us repeatedly until we finally get it! 😊

Oh yes... I'm still learning. See you in class!