In search of a language

"She is in search of a language that is tactile, palatial, and self-immolating — a language that will correspond to her latent desire to disintegrate and expand. To become the room."

- Jackie Wang (A stain on silence)

Ik ben

Wij mensen zijn op een bepaalde manier 'dom' geworden. Alleen al door dieren te observeren, te imiteren en te leren begrijpen gaat er een wereld van wijsheid voor ons open. De wijsheid van eenvoudig leven, de maalstroom van gedachten doorbreken en simpelweg ervaren.

De wijsheid van 'zijn' in plaats van 'doen' en 'denken'. We belanden dan in een wereld waar het leven wordt beleefd in plaats van besproken. Het wordt stil. Wie geluk heeft, ervaart zijn eigen wezen, dat wat er achter de duizend en één gedachten en emoties ligt waarmee het hoofd gewoonlijk volgepropt zit.

- Jane Goodall

Moments

In magic - and in life - there is only the present moment. The NOW. You can't measure time the way you measure distance between two points. "Time" does not pass. We human beings have enormous difficulty focusing on the present; we're always thinking about what we did, about how we could have done it better, about the consequences of our actions, and why we didn't act as we should have. Or else we think about the future, about what we're going to do tomorrow, what precautions we should take, what dangers await us around the next corner, how to avoid what we don't want and how to get what we have always dreamed of.

Past and future exist only in our memory. The present moment though, is outside of time. It's eternity. In India, they use the word 'karma', for lack of any better term. But it's a concept that's rarely given a proper explanation.

It isn't what you did in the past that will affect the present. It's what you do in the present that will redeem the past and thereby... change the future.

- From Aleph, by Paulo Coelho

Things I've learned

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

- Maya Angelou



'Je moet lomp durven zijn'

"Ze ziet er vrouwelijk uit, zachtaardig en is bovendien heel vriendelijk en bescheiden. Desondanks kan Saraï Pannekoek (25, vierdejaars Voeding en Diëtetiek) iemands arm breken of hem wurgen. ‘Je moet bij vechtsporten durven uitdelen. En durven incasseren. Toch is Braziliaans Jiu Jitsu vooral een leuk, technisch spelletje op de mat. Het is net als bij schaken een kwestie van strategie, tactiek en techniek."

Klik HIER voor de BRASA-link en HIER voor de centerfold.




Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough - and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."  - Melody Beattie

Remember. Nothing happens by accident, everything happens for a reason. And, when you least expect it, the universe gives you something more to be grateful for!

My life is always really blessed and I am very grateful for it. While being grateful, I start to actively look for the lesson and the benefit that each situation is bringing to me. With grateful eyes, I learn to see blessings - where others only see a problem. With a grateful heart, I smile, and count my blessings. Every day.

This is for all the amazing people I have in my life at the moment. Thank you for all the inspiring conversations and the support these past few weeks. Everything happens for a reason, gems. Thanks heaps for being around.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
- W.A. Ward

Today, I feel utterly blessed for all that I am.

Obrigado universo!

S.R.P.

Letting go...

I'd like to begin with the words of my favorite novelist, Paulo Coelho. I don't think anyone could say it more clearly than him.

"When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive."

To let go isn't to forget, not to think about, or ignore. It doesn't leave feelings of anger, jealousy, or regret. Letting go isn't about winning or losing. It's not about pride and it's not about how you appear. To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means I can't do it for someone else. To let go is not to cut myself off, it's the realization that I can't control another. It's not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences. To let go it not to try to change or blame another, it's to make the most of myself. It's not to care for, but to care about. Not to fix, but to be supportive. To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be an human being. To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies. It's not to criticize, or regulate anyone, but to try to become what I dream I can do.  Letting go isn't blocking memories or thinking sad thoughts, and it doesn't leave emptiness, hurt, or sadness. It's not about giving in or giving up. Letting go isn't about loss and it's not about defeat. To let go is to fear less, and to love more...

To let go is to cherish the memories, to overcome and move on. It's having an open mind and confidence in the future. Letting go is learning, experiencing, and growing. To let go is to be thankful for the experiences that made you laugh, made you cry, and made you grow. Letting go is having the courage to accept change, and the strength to keep moving. To let go is to open a door, and to clear a path and set yourself free. Letting go is growing up. It is realizing that the heart can sometimes be the most potent remedy.

So, today is a new day. Let us celebrate life today.

Smile.

S.R.P