simple

So many of us have sometimes a hard time
to believe that this world is getting better

And yet is sooooo simple
Perform every day two random kind acts
A random kind act leaves nobody unmoved.
Really nobody.

Even in the worst scenario,
let us say that only one out of ten kind acts
would inspire someone else to be kind
at the end of a year you will have inspired more than 70 people.

In that case we need about 1/70 of the world population to work together for a year
to get the whole world inspired. Less than 1.5%
If out of every 200 people 3 manage to believe in the dream
and go out perform 2 random kind acts per day,
within a year the whole world inspired.

The most difficult is to get that critical mass of 1.5%
Let us be part of that initial 1.5%
I am sure you will enjoy.

I have put it also in a small rhyme,
titled, 'Hey, hey people of every nation':
Link: hey-hey-people-of-every-nation

A smile

Today, after my rounds, I felt quite good.
I had helped a father of one of my small patients.
He had been really very stressed.

When I started to drive home,
I remembered the happy face of the father.
That warm feeling in my heart was there.

I thought, let me try on my way home
to create a few more smiles.

I replaced my usual hurry-drive
by a relaxed non-hurry drive
and managed to give way in a nice way to several others.
They returned my gesture with a smile.

There is so much truth in the saying that was like a mantra
of our former secretary in the paediatric department:
"When we make someone smile,
our God is smiling at us"
 

7 Billion

If we manage to all serve each other,

each of us will have
more than 7 billion servants

and what will be more gratifying still

each of us will serve
more than 7 billion friends 

Poor Brits

Do the 48.2 % of Brits who have some understanding of macro-economic issues have to suffer because of the ignorant 51.8 % who have allowed themselves through their own limited intelligence to be emotionally hijacked by demagogues preaching stupid nationalistic pride?

Important decisions for the economy of a country should be made by experts, economists appointed by the government and not through a referendum.

I hope the rest of the world/nations can see the nonsense of holding emotion-driven referendums for decisions like this. This is not democracy, this sounds so much more like plain mismanagement of a country.

I hope there will be no referendum on whether or not to pay taxes :)

My argument

When I posted yesterday, " every second the world is getting better", I felt some people have difficulties in seeing the giant truth that the world is indeed getting better.

Here is my argument:
If you compare today with yesterday, chances are that today,
you encounter more problems and problematic behavior than yesterday.
Similarly if you compare today with last week or last month.

But let us compare today with two hundred years ago.
If you were born poor, that was it.
You were extremely likely to be poor the rest of your life.
Still today many people born poor have lesser chances,
but compare the chances of a child born poor today
with the chances the same child had two hundred years ago.

Similarly if you became an orphan two hundred years ago, compare it to now.
If you were disabled two hundred years ago, compare it to now.
I hope no one fails to see that today, things are better than 200 years ago.
Many people think nostalgically about the "good" old times,
but that may be likely more a reflection of forgetting hardship
and preferential remembering of good things

Still definitely, the world is far from ideal but it is tremendously better than 200 years ago.
The change did not come at once. It came gradually. Over the years people have been feeling that their times were problematic and that the world was heading in the wrong direction. It was NOT. Every second the world has been getting a bit better over the past 200 years. Increments, so small that people have failed to notice them. Combine the gradualness of he increment with the sensationalization of negative things in the news, and it is quite understandable, why many people who do not actively look for the improvements, who do not think a bit deeper, don't see it even within their life time.

Luckily a majority, if thinking back decades ago, will see that over years or decades, the world got better. If not, read a novel written in the 18th or 19th century or even 50 years ago. Even if 50% of the novels would be exaggeration, the reality then was abominable compared to reality now.

Charity, love and caring increase. They increase every day in the world.
Crimes are still present, disasters do occur. The apparent increase may just be "better" reporting and more communication channels.

If I see the level of charity and tolerance in 2016,
it is much higher than in 2006.

If see hwo doctors treat their patients now compared to ten years ago,
there is a positive difference
Medical schools have built in communication and ethics in their core curriculum
Awareness increase ever and ever.

Please do think in your own environment and try to see which direction we move.

Every second

A gift, a smile,
The world is getting better
every single second

A gesture, a hug
A kind word, a kiss
Every second, better

An extra mile, a superb effort
A beaming glance, a lovely look
A wellness wish, a simple praise

More affable, more loving
More empathy, more compassion
More kindness, more caring

Oh, yes
the world
is getting better,
every single second.

Please wake up
from news induced numbness
Be aware that the world
gets better every second

Aufie Zophy

Charity

This afternoon there was a charity event in our local foundation for disabled
It was heart warming to see how many funds had been raised and how the
recipients were happy with what they received.

The world is not bad.
The world is getting better fast.
I look forward to the day when most of us realize this.
Just realizing this, will make us enthusiastic to be a full part of this movement

Keep up the good work, my friends.
Keep being a big part of he kindness revolution
which is unfolding in front of our eyes,
but is all too often blurred by news from mass media

Smashing our TV

Today, let us smash our TV
(not meant literally)
Let us be honest and true.
How much positive things we get from watching TV?
Today another unimaginable cruelty of IS
Do we need to know this?
Publicity and attention is what IS wants.
And we gullible citizens, slaves of TV
willingly give to IS exactly what they want
encouraging them to more, because they want more,
a lot more of our attention.

Yesterday another new soap series.
Beautiful ladies and handsome men
cheating each other to the extreme.
They are so rich and wealthy
and shout and quarrel.
Is that our source of inspiration?

Tomorrow, let us walk in a beautiful park
Get totally focused on a beautiful flower
a wonderful majestic tree.
and when we get back,
let us write an incredible poem,
read a superb inspirational book.
talk to our spouse and children
and neighbours and friends
and perhaps clean up the mess
of a smashed TV :) 

Soon...

When I manage to make it silent, a strong belief enters my heart
that humankind soon will become aware of how we were made.
We were made to enjoy the sweet satisfaction of helping each other.
We were made to live a life full of purpose and significance.

Soon more and more people will realize that giant truth.
Soon we will turn our backs on cheap pleasure as our aim.
We may enjoy the cheap pleasure for what they are;
but it will not be our main aim or final pursuit.

When I look at the news, my silent belief seems to be steadfastly contradicted;
but when I look at the people at my work, at my neighbors, at my friends,
I think we are on somehow on the right track.

Soon, the poem 

Proud

Today
My son forgave his friend.
He had been very upset with him
But today he forgave him.
Just like that

I am so very proud of my son

I am sure that today
my son has learned
the unteachable beauty
of forgiveness


My son,
I am proud of you

Unteachable beauty

There is beauty in forgiveness
But no one can teach us about that beauty
We can only learn about it
by discovering it ourselves
while we forgive, while we try.

The dissolution of the feeling of hatred within our heart
The replacement of bitterness by peace and peace of mind
The giving up of lust for revenge, which brings only more misery
The acceptance of that enemy a human with shortcomings, but also talents

I am trying to describe the beauty of forgiveness
But describing it, is not possible.
It can be only experienced.

Suffering

Had recently a deep exchange of thoughts with a very good friend.
It was about suffering. and the why of it.
While the small piece of text below does not explain suffering in any way,
it is certainly a reasonable way to look at it. 

We are in the middle of the evolution towards a much better world.
If we compare the amount of suffering in the middle ages with now,
you may (or may not) agree it is getting less, fast
And we, humans have been made in such a way that we can play an active part
a creative part, a progressive part in this wonderful evolution to a better world.
We can be part of this creative process.
And what is more, we have the choice to be part of it or not.
We are able to care, and do something good.
These are the things that bring us real happiness.
If we choose to be part of this creative process
We will lead happy lifes and can help others to do so too
Others can be humans, animals or plants.
Isn't it stunning, that if we see one suffer, we can often do something to alleviate it?
And if we suffer, someone can help and do something to alleviate it?
Sometimes all we have is compassionate, comforting words, but still alleviating
If we see suffering we can curse it and be unhappy about it or...

What do you think
Please do comment

Slave of conscience?

Conscience is that inner voice that urges us to good.
Tonight I really thought for a while that I have mine let grow too big.
Apparently simple situations become very complex sometimes
if we weigh all possibilities and try to feel as if we were in the other's shoes.
It sometimes takes a lot of my time, to approach situations in the best way.
To make the best possible decisions is a large task.
Sometimes pacing up and down, asking help from God.

That conscience does not release you, until you make the right move.
In the moment of a crisis, it is as if you are its slave.
But if at the end of a crisis, you look back
and feel you have been able to make a positive difference,
than you feel it has been worth it.

At the end of a crisis, I am often unsure whether what i did was really the right thing
but I feel most of the time, that what I did was better than what I would have done
without paying much attention to conscience.

Someone 's waiting

I read this wonderful poem, Dream, by Khaled Ehtesham.
In the poem he dreamed of being on a boat in a wide sea
being in the certainty that somewhere someone was waiting for him
When he woke up he asked himself, whether really in this world,
was there someone waiting?

I enjoyed the poem very much, but then had the following reflection:

I know there are thousands of people in your town, in any town,
who are terribly lonely, thousands of people who haven't seen a smile
directed towards them in the last year, thousands of people craving
for a nice or kind word.
In our own town, in our own neighborhood, thousands of people are waiting,
waiting for us to give them a few kind words, a smile, an unexpected visit.
Behind every door we pass, on every corner corner of a street, there may be people,
opportunities to make someone happy with a simple smile,
opportunities to make a huge difference in one's life with a few kind words
opportunities to lift for a few moments what seems like an eternity of isolation

Oh, yes, every day we have so many opportunities.
Most of my days I have been just walking by these opportunities.
But on the days, I pay attention to the opportunities and I respond to them,
I feel true peace of mind and these days are the happiest days in my life.

So, yes poet, yes reader, someone is waiting for, many people.
Perhaps not that prince(ss) that is waiting in her castle for you to come by and marry,
but lots and lots of people craving for a smile, a kind word, a visit.
If we become attentive to all these things, we will live with such a peace of mind,
so free of worries and frustration that any of the princes(ses) from the castle will
surely cross our path. :)

Fairy

I love to sit outside and look up at the sky.

Quite often we can see marvelous things

But too many days, I am so absorbed in my work

or even not in my work, in whatever I am doing

that I do not make the time to enjoy the beauty.

If every day, or even many times per day,

we really make the time to look actively

for the beauty of nature around us, 

We will be stunned by the bliss 

that ornaments our world.

Sometimes during a ride in the car, 

we are so absorbed with what the radio plays

that we miss the scenes along the road.

And if you happen to live in township 

with only granite and tarmac and stones,

still we can see the beauty and kindness and love

that is never far away, in whomever we meet.

It is just sitting there in everyone's heart,

Often we need only a few kind words,

to unleash a storm of love and kindness.

I plan tomorrow to pay more attention to beauty.

Let us all do so?

Talk

I had a talk today...
I was about to write with whom and about what I talked today
when it suddenly occurred to me how miraculous it is
that we can have talk, whenever we want.

Just think about it.
Words stored in our mind
The same words stored in the other person's mind
Then a command comes from somewhere
makes me use my voice and articulate.
Lots of different sounds in fixed patterns
The sound goes into the ears of the listener
creates some current and the words are heard
and the words are understood.
The words create some emotional reaction
and in her turn the listener creates some words
in turn affecting me.

Hope you stand in as much awe as myself
for the simple fact we can talk and hear and understand.

But maybe you are still wondering what I talked about today and with whom.
Well, I wanted to write about a talk I had with a mother of an extremely small
baby who was now ready for discharge from the hospital and about all precautions we can take
to reduce the chance of infections in babies.

Since I have started, I may as well go on, taking the risk that this reflection becomes to long.
In summary, a few very important tips for parents with very young babies:
- Hand hygiene! Extremely important. Anyone coughing, will do so on their hands. Then we shake hands, touch almost everything around us and the viruses spread to so many hands even of persons not having any cough. Before touching a baby, please wash or disinfect your hands
- Not too many visitors. Even if they come do not let them touch the baby without proper hand hygiene
- Do not bring the baby to croweded place
- No passive smoke !

Logical

It is logical to be kind.
If we simply understand how our heart is working,
it is logical to be kind

Here it comes:
A driver from behind overtakes you from the wrong side.
You get upset. You do not want to let him in.
You manoeuvre your car, driving as close as possible to the car in front.
The guy overtaking accelerates a bit more and moves in, in front of the car in front of you.
You feel BAAAAAAAAAAD

A driver from behind overtakes you from the wrong side.
You want to get upset but then consider that the guy must be in a big hurry.
You slow down, let him move in. The driver greets you as a sign of thanks.
You feel GOOOOOOOOOOD

Your son talks to you in a loud way.
You get upset. You talk back louder to him.
He feels not understood and disappears in his room
You think thoughts of punishment
You feel BAAAAAAAAAAD

Your son talks to you in a loud way.
You want to get upset but then consider shouting back will not help.
You tell him kindly that this tone hurts the feelings of any loving father.
Your son cools down and says what he wanted say in a soft and lovely voice.
You feel GOOOOOOOOOOD

You meet a beggar. The beggar plays beautiful music.
It gives you some pleasure as you walk by.
You see his box to collect money and think to yourself:
Why does he not work?
You walk by and
You feel BAAAAAAAAAAD

You give that same beggar a bill of ten
You feel GOOOOOOOOOOD

Your husband did not close the closet for the umpteenth time
Does he do that to tease you?
You shout at him to come back and close the closet.
He shouts back he is in a hurry and runs off.
You feel BAAAAAAAAAAD

Instead of shouting at him, you close it yourself again.
At night you express kindly your frustration about him not closing the closet so many times.
He apologizes and the very next morning you find the closet closed.
You feel GOOOOOOOOOOD

What percentage of unkind events would make you feel good?
What percentage of kind events would make you feel bad

LOGIC = KINDNESS

Let us do the logical thing
an speed up this upcoming kindness revolution
by performing at least 3 random acts of kindness
every week, or even better one or more every day....:)

If you agree and want to spread the positive message,
feel free to share anywhere.
 

New reality

Yesterday the world was cruel
And now it is kind

The day before yesterday the world was violent
And now it is full of peace

Three days ago the world was greedy
And now it is charitable

Four days ago the world was full of lies
And now it is only truth

Five days ago the world was negative
And now it is positive

Six days ago the world was ignorant
And now it is wise

One week ago the world was just a prelude
Only now we become real

Let us start this new reality now!

A poem by Aufie Zophy
Hopefully soon we can take it out 
of the poetry realm and let it become prose

Happiness

Dear friends,

This is a very important message.
It is about happiness.
I have experienced craving for happiness.
Not just longing, not just desiring, craving.

I was in the process of studying.
I was stressed out. I was working hard from 6 am until 10 pm.
Cramming things in my head, fear of failure always somewhere in mind.
I was longing, desiring, craving for the exams to finish.
I imagined that the end of the exams and a superb mark would be heaven.
Then I would be happy.
The time came, I had passed with distinction and the next day
was among the emptiest days in my life.
I was dreaming of doing so many things that would make me happy.
Now I was free. I had passed the exams and my day felt empty.
I missed the sense of purpose. I missed the drive.
Happiness as anticipated was not mine. 
Reaching my goal, did not result in huge happiness.
More it resulted in emptiness.
I was more happy studying, having this sense of purpose

Happiness is not at the other side of exams
Happiness is not at the other side of that relationship
Happiness is not at the other side of having more

Happiness is a sense of bliss that comes from within
Happiness relies on gratitude for what we have
Happiness reside in the awareness that we have talents
In the sense of purpose that this brings along
and in the fact that with these talents and that purpose
we can make a difference for ourselves and for others.

If we cannot reach happiness here and now,
we will not reach it when the exams are finished
we will not reach it when we get that car or that house
or that relationship

We have to search really for happiness
as a sense of bliss from within.
Actually even not fully within.
Actually we are swimming in bliss
Swimming in Peace
All we have to do is to be aware of it,
grateful for it, connect to it
and get that sense of purpose going.

I want to end this with a huge cliché:
if you are not happy on the journey
you will not be happy on the destination.

Beauty and stress

No, stress is not beautiful.
Perhaps it never will be.

But even though life is often stressful
It is beautiful at the same time
We do not appreciate beauty at the peak of stress
But once the stress ebbs a bit away,
we can shift our focus back to the beauty.

Once the stress ebbs a bit away
we can shift our focus to love
to compassion, to friendship
to kindness, to warmth and light

To rainbows and wonderful trees
to the simple smile of a stranger
to the music of a voice
the touch of a soul.

life 's not easy but beautiful