Change

Are we right now aware of the beauty of the sky?

Are we aware that someone loves us?

Are we aware right now that a bird is singing?

   Or is our mind drowning in the bad news,

   that is brought to us incessantly by the media?

 

Please go near a window and take a look. 

I think reading "news" more than once a day,

is like killing our liveliness

 

Let us take a break from news. 

Whether or not you worry about the war in Ukraine, will not change a thing.

Whether or not you worry about a variety of potential corona variants, it will not matter to the world.

Politicians will create some more destruction and in the end agree to stop the war.

The pandemic will not last forever, it never has.

We feel for the victims of war.
We feel for the hungry children in the world

We feel for the victims of covid

We feel for Yemen and Ukraine and Palestine

We may not be able to change these situations from where we live!
 

But we CAN change the world. 

HOW?

 

If in the coming hour, you take a picture of a beautiful flower,

send it to at least two people who, you feel, are in need of some beauty right now,

then you will have changed the world a tiny little bit 

If in the coming day you give a smile to at least three persons

you will change the world a tiny little bit 

Just by making tiny little changes in our own world, in our house, in our workplace

in our village, we ARE changing the world.

The more tiny changes we make, the more of these tiny changes can inspire others too. 

If we reach a certain % of people in the world, working on daily tiny positive changes,

the whole world will evolve into the next revolution, which will be a wisdom revolution,

which will be a kindness revolution

Please start today, right now. 

Take break from the news for a week or two and focus on changing the world!

Death of a parent

I thought of the death of my mother. 

 There are two things that helped me deal with it better: (1) the visit from a friend in the days following her death who explained that our loved ones automatically forgive us things we did or did-not do to/for them. I think the biggest and worst part of grief is the feeling of guilt. I am still grateful for that friend since he made the grief a bit lighter. (2) The fact of being never able to meet her again was gnawing on my inside until during a prayer I became really grateful for having had a such a wonderful mother. Quite suddenly the focus from bitterness of not having her anymore switched to a gratefulness of having had her.
 

There is actually a third thing too: (3) her almost extreme level of care and love, I experience now again and again, are living on in me. Thanks to her love and care, I have been the person I am until today. Love and care for others is what brings us most happiness and I am quite convinced that i manage to pass her love and care also on to others in my circle of influence. I know somewhere inside, that that part of her is definitely not dead and perhaps may never die :)

Turning off TV

Even if the TV keeps showing terror

Even if the TV keeps showing war

Even if the TV keeps focusing on all negativity in the world

We cannot let ourselves be consumed by what we see on TV

What we see on TV affects 0.1% of the world population or often less. 

While we feel compassion for that part of the world population,

TV will almost never show the millions of heart warming events

The billions of kind acts, the thousands of selfless sacrifices

made by billions of people.

So it is OK to feel compassion for people in the horrific images on TV

But let it not consume our own peace of mind

because there are literally billions of reasons to rejoice

for all people in the world who help, for all people who are helped

because there is so much good in the world, never shown on TV

Because there is so much beauty, so much love, so much creativity 

and yes, so much peace all over the world, that we have at any time

more reason to rejoice for our fellow human beings than to feel sorry. 

 

What can we do for peace?

Increasing the hatred in the world towards the attackers does not help.

We can make the peace within our family, within our neighborhood,

within our workspace, something all important for everyone. 

We can stop talking bad things, we do more random kind acts, 

always be ready with a helping hand. Peace will increase in the world

If we reach a critical number of people who practice peace, there will be no more place for wars.  

Try to share some good news today. 

TV is showing already far too much of the bad news. 

Journalists tend to proudly wear tiaras of tears.

It may be good if we stop being so interested in the tears,

in seeing all the calamities  of others.

It is our almost pathological keenness to see all ('sensational') suffering in the world

that gets TV to focus on that alone (not rarely presenting exaggerated truths)

Let us get more interested in the joy of kindness,

we will be able to cut out TV. 

Once less people look at all atrocities,

TV will be forced to shift its focus 

Can it be?

Can it be that life was meant to be filled with pleasure?

Can it be that life was meant for us to be rich?

Can it be that life was meant for us to be powerful?

 

We risk risk to become slaves of pleasure, chasing it, only to see it run from us.

We risk to become slaves of money, thinking that the end justifies the means

We risk to become slaves of power, clinging to imagined greatness, never satisfied

Could it be that life was meant to serve the force that brought us here. 

Simply serving life's principles of love, peace, beauty and creativity

Simply helping human beings in need, serving humanity, serving God?

 

Let us not become slaves of bodily pleasures, of money, of power.
Let us not become slaves of our desires. 

Let us find the path of that Force that put us here, and serve...

Happiness boils up from inside.

Peace

Peace starts 

Deep inside 

Right in our hearts

 

Peace, gently it blows 

The magic of silence 

It flows, it flows, it flows

 

Have you been aware

That late at night 

Peace is there. 

 

Have you been aware   

That early in the morning

Peace is there

 

Let us find peace where it is 

And send to this great big world 

A little bit of peaceful bliss 

 

Wars may rage, 

filled with hate 

We can bring to all some ease 

By sending a bit of awesome peace 

Just through becoming aware 

That there is sooo much peace to share.

 

The ant, the flower and the stone

 A little ant

saw a small flower

spouting from under a stone

The little ant 

moved some dirt

on the other side of the stone

The stone rolled over

and give more space 

to the small flower

The small flower grew

into the most beautiful rose

the little ant ever had seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Note by the author:

If pessimists happen to read the story, they may think: "Wasn't the ant crushed by the stone?"😁

The answer: admitted, it was a high risk undertaking but the ant managed to get out of the way before that happened 😀.

Highest potential

Can everyone reach their highest potential of functioning in this world?

Right now, this may be not be possible!

 

Will it become possible in the future? 

I am a believer of "yes" to that question. We do need however a critical number of people believing in unconditional love and kindness. Right now this simple truth that the highest level of happiness lies in unconditional love and kindness, does not reach the mind of so many people. Not yet.

 

Let us all think about it thoroughly today:
What is bringing REAL happiness?

Kindness without expectation of any favor return.

How can we practice more of it?

How can we make it a daily part of our life?

How can we spread it to as many others as possible?

 

Spread this piece of truth

150 years ago, people who believed that humans flying through the air would become possible, were considered illogical unrealistic dreamers. Flying has been always possible, throughout history. We just did not manage to put things together in a certain order to allow us to fly.

Now, people who believe in a society where everyone is honest, and everyone is caring and kind, seem like unrealistic dreamers who are in urgent need of a reality check.

Let me tell everyone, I am among these. Not only because it is the most logical thing to happen, but because it is slowly happening already. We are in the slow part of the exponential curve. People have become gentler, kinder and more loving, honest and caring over many years.

Why did I say it is the most logical thing to happen. Because kindness is the most authentic source of true happiness and peace of mind. In an age, when a majority of people get neurotic and stressed and in an age where media successfully instill limitless anxiety at the cues of politicians, we need peace of mind more than ever

The way to get it, is to stop listening to the mass media. To stop listening to politicians. To stop swallowing unfiltered what big corporations want to tell us. It is time to start spreading the message of kindness and love.

There are a multitude of messages and videos already available. Let us make a million more!

There are already societies focusing on how to spread kindness. Let us create many more

Let us create the true news, the giant truth that kindness works. It certainly works for making anyone happy, especially the doer. It works for peace. It works for so many things, perhaps even our health will improve if we manage to set aside all media reports and get fully focused living a life filled with kindness.

It is a revolution. Be part of it. Enjoy it. Spread the kindness, spread the news.

 

We're here to help

 While the title of this message has been like a big part of my life and a big part of my philosophy, only yesterday, I, a kind of, became fully aware that this may the main and perhaps only purpose of our life. If we help each other, we feel good. It lifts up our mind, heart and spirit. It puts in an upward spiral. 

 

 Pushing other people down, having our small mean victories, makes us feel good as well, we feel better than the other, but the good feeling lacks the completeness of the feeling we get when helping others. The good feeling after small mean victories is partial and short lasting and in the long run it puts us in a downward spiral. 

 

 We have evolved as humans, from survivors of difficult circumstances, to social beings. We have evolved from lives of struggle to lives of a certain comfort and opportunities to help each other. Every opportunity taken to help, and even graciously accepted help from others, lifts us up. It is the true (and perhaps only) purpose of our life. 

 Let us do it today. Be fully alert for any opportunity to help. Even the opportunity is surrounded by uncertainty, just help a bit, as we feel is right. Let us throw away the fear to be taken advantage of. Enjoy the peace of mind of a helpful soul, a helpful heart, a helpful intelligence.

A silent wish

Peace be with you

What a nice greeting!

Better than 'hi'

Better than the 'how are you'

 

When I pass a stranger, sometimes I wish him or her silently peace.

Not with spoken words, but with words in my mind, from my heart

 

Not sure it has any effect on them

But it surely has an effect on me

As with anything we give away,

be it a rose, be it a thought, a wish,

some fragrance sticks to the giver. 

 

Let us try tomorrow, or even today,

to wish everyone we meet 

silently in our mind, from our heart

Peace, or love, or both

Beauty or happiness, or both,... 

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Safe links to other blogs/sites that may be worth a bit of your time:

 

A look at some beautiful skies: https://hansvro.wixsite.com/mysite-1/skies-seen-by-hans 

Beautiful flowers: https://hansvro.wixsite.com/flowersbyhans

 

Inspirational poetry https://aufiezophypoems.blogspot.com/

Some beautiful inspirational quotes:  https://quotesfromhans.blogspot.com/ 

A fantastic short story: https://afishwithawish.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-fish-with-wish-whole-story.html

Simply some essays about good things: https://abcofvirtues.blogspot.com/

Small prayers for a big world: https://smallprayersforabigworld.blogspot.com/

Prayer

All we need to do is to try and tune in

 

Once me manage to make it silent within

 

Once we manage to stop all noise

 

We will hear His ever-present voice

 

 

Philosophers gone mad

Sophy is "wisdom". Philo is "love for".

So philosophy means love for wisdom.

 

While the title of this posting, may sound cruel and arrogant, it is an undeniable fact that the branch of philosophy as it has been practiced for thousands of years, by thousands of philosophers has failed to make us all a little bit wiser.

 

It was psychology after many years of focusing on psychopathology, that took up the wisdom that is dealing a bit with our daily happiness. I think people like Seligman, a psychologist who really focused so much on positive psychology or the using the mind for creating a happy life, is much more of a philosopher than Nietzsche, Camus, Descartes and a lot of others carrying the label 'famous philosophers' all together.

 

While these people who called themselves philosophers and whom we still call so, were having deep thoughts about the reasons for being, wondering whether the life is absurd or merely a virtual reality, they forgot and failed to convince the world about the most basic wisdom about human nature: the wisdom of kindness. 

 

The wisdom that the world needed over the centuries and most of all now, is exactly the wisdom of kindness. 

 

You and me and by far most of the people on earth, feel really good and experience a great level of peace of mind if we perform simple acts of kindness. If we had had over the centuries only ONE philosopher who could have brought this to the world in and effective and simple way, our world would not be in a crisis of greed that has been build up since thousands of years. 

 

I was lucky enough to have an extremely caring mother. I learned the pleasure of caring for others from her. I learned the happiness and peace of mind that lies in kindness. The days I manage to go the extra mile to create a simple smile for a friend or stranger, are the best days of my life. THIS is wisdom!

 

From my limited reading of many of the philosophers from the Western part of the world, it seems they hated wisdom more than loving it. How can you be called wise if you write books about the absurdity of life? Life becomes absurd if we allow ourselves to be imprisoned by the feelings of greed, by the absurd ideas that we need alcohol to have fun (instilled, indoctrinated by the industry selling alcoholic drinks), by the crazy money making mass media distorting reality to attract more viewers and thus more money. 

Let us take a break from the crazy stinking philosophy that tries to make life absurd. Let us turn for a while to the true wisdom of kindness and spread it throughout the circles of our own family, our own friends. That will change the world. If enough people absorb the true wisdom of kindness and spread it locally, it will soon become a global wave of true love of wisdom. 

 

Let us practice all the wisdom that carries the amazing fragrance of kindness. 

Let us ignore the stupidity of greed and the absurdity imposed on us by mass media. 

 

Here follows a simple poem, that you may enjoy:

 

 

 While taking a walk, I heard a squeak
I looked and there right at my feet
Was a tortoise who seemed very slow
Why it squeaked, I didn't know

I looked it into the eyes for awhile
And tried to please it with a smile
The tortoise looked up and said with a wail
'Just now, my friend, you stepped on my tail'

"Oh, did I? " My voice was filled with regret
I should better look where my feet, I set
I expressed how I felt sorry,
And asked it to please forgive me

'Of course, I will forgive you
Even if not asked for, I always do
Forgiveness is an integral part of me, you see
I am the wisdom tortoise, that's what they call me'

"Wow", said I, "so you must love philosophy"
'Oh no', she cried, 'that is not for me'
"But love of wisdom is what means philosophy"
'If that's so, it has disintegrated terribly'

'The wisdom that I love and adhere to
May be far too simple for you
It is all about loving and being kind
Since that is what brings us peace of mind'

'I do not bother about the reasons for being
Neither about the ghosts some of us are seeing
It is all so simple for me
Unconditional kindness is the way to be'

"Oh wisdom tortoise, what a pleasure to meet you here
Wisdom and kindness is also to me extremely dear
I believe that the next step in the evolution
Is a wisdom and kindness revolution"

The tortoise nodded and agreed with this
Kindness simply means happiness and bliss.
I thanked the tortoise and there our ways did part
To meet her again is still a wish sitting in my heart.

 

Aufie Zophy