the biceps of my soul

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 My prayer is the biceps of my soul,

pulling up my heart from its deepest depths,

lifting up my thoughts when they seem unbearable,

holding me when I stand near the edge of the cliff,

helping me to find the right words when I seem lost,

gaining strength whenever I use it.

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Awe and faith

When the majority of people in a nation lose their faith, the nation may be in trouble.

 

The loss of faith is not merely a loss of religion. It is a very well known fact that many religions are fraught with abuse and inappropriate mind control of their followers. I was in Europe when we saw the crumbling down of the number of people attending weekly church services. And I think the main reason for that crumbling was the lack of focus on awe for the sanctity of life. Preachers and leaders of religion seem so addicted to rituals, not rarely void of meaning, and on the collection of money that they seem to forget to keep the followers exited about the magnificence of creation and thus the Creator.

Standing in awe for life, is easy. A simple example: if one understands how a muscle is contracting or a neuron fires, the whole process is nothing short of miraculous. How our system is controlling the whole process through a delicate balance of maintaining just enough of a large number of substances, is so extremely amazing. It is not only the narrow normal range of potassium and sodium our blood and  inside our cells, it is also calcium, magnesium, proteins, electrical charges and so much more, that is necessary for a successful action potential (the firing of a neuron or a muscle cell) And this is just one of a huge number of examples of the extreme nature of human physiology.

The choice of no longer following certain rituals, certain leaders, preachers, should never mean that we lose our faith in our Creator and our awe for life. If it is some time ago that you stopped the routines of life, to just be amazed by a piece of beauty or complexity of nature, it may high time to incorporate on a daily basis some time to think about how fantastic the world really is.

A small walk, a small poem

This morning, in the middle of the monsoon season

The clouds were covering the sky 

but somehow the weather was dry

A small walk on the beach.The sun came peeping through a thin spot in the carpet of grayness. 

My mind wandered in the direction of that great energy that flows through stems and twigs of trees in spring, to that great energy that feeds the wild flowers growing their amazing colors at random. My heart strolled towards that lovely force that makes the sea move, that tender power that generates the winds. 

My soul woke up and became a bit vocal pushing me over the cliff in a bustling sea of gratitude and kindness, floating like an eagle.

I stopped in my steps and turned to the sea, my eyes focused on a large wave:

 

The masculine shoulders of a big wave

Sway elegantly towards the shore

Then suddenly they break out

 In a sea of white tears,

 Splashing in the sky

 Strolling forward to come

 And give a gentle massage

 To my legs and feet.

 

 

 

If you can make the time today, my friends, to make a short walk in nature, please do not let the opportunity pass. It can be so refreshing, so soothing, so wonderful. 

 

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I am sure you will enjoy some of my other online treasures as well:

 - Inspirational and motivational poems (I have written them under the pen name of Aufie Zophy)

  https://aufiezophypoems.blogspot.com/

 

- Beautiful skies seen by Hans:

https://hansvro.wixsite.com/mysite-1/skies-seen-by-hans  

 

- Beautiful flowers:

 https://hansvro.wixsite.com/flowersbyhans

 

- Two fables and a short story (my own favorite is 'Sammy and Alice')

https://shortstoriesfables.blogspot.com/ 

- Inspirational quotes:

https://quotesfromhans.blogspot.com/

 

- Very short essays about simple good things:

https://abcofvirtues.blogspot.com/

 

 Small prayers for this big world:

https://smallprayersforabigworld.blogspot.com/
 

 

 

 

 

Sand or sea?

 

 Am I merely a tiny grain of sand

 on the shore of a sea without end?

 

 But then, within that simple grain,

 there sits a most amazing brain;

 a heart filled to the brim with love;

 a soul easily connecting to what is above.

 Within this grain I find a giant peace;

 a stream of love that ‘ll never cease;

                                                       an eye for beauty and harmony;

                                                       a soul full of passion for creativity

                                                       Are we just a grain of sand or are we more?
                                                       We may well be a sea with sand on its shore?

 

(this little poem was inspired by a quote from Khalil Gibran)

Sell your cleverness...

 

Sell your cleverness; buy bewilderment- Rumi-

You know what I did today in my car? Usually I listen to some music or to an uplifting audio-book, but today I decided to do something different:

I imagined that in my car there was an ocean of peace and on every oncoming car or motorcycle I poured a bucket of peace. It was fun. I poured the peace and said out loud: here is a bucket of peace for you. In my imagination the peace flowed all over the front windows into the cars. While standing in front of a traffic light, I pulled a bucket out of the ocean of harmony too and poured it over a few drivers who had already received my buckets of peace. I kept pouring buckets of peace and harmony until I reached my workplace. When I reached, I felt so filled with peace and harmony, more than ever before. It had one of the most pleasant rides to my work and I felt good about it. :)

Sell your cleverness; buy bewilderment- Rumi-

 

Dawn is near

 When we think a positive thought
a little light is shining.
When we give a small compliment
a little light is shining.
When we share a bit of love
a little light is shining.

As we become more positive,
more friendly, more loving,
the light will get brighter,
and soon the night will be over. 

 

 

Reflection

 

I just thought about the world

I just thought about myself

I really feel this type of reflection is a true essential element of mental well-being.

 

Without regular reflection, we tend to just live on,

we tend to be swiped up and down by the waves on the ocean

a bit like an empty bottle is going up and down on the waves.

 

With regular reflection, really thinking about our day,

we tend to be able to swim steadily through the waves like dolphins

 

The waves, up and down will be definitely there in each of our lives,

but choosing to reflect on our life, on the world, on our own behaviour,

will determine the effect of the wavy ocean that makes up the circumstances

of our life.

 

Please make some time for reflection. Maybe the most valuable thing we can do,

for ourselves, for others and yes,... for the world.

 

 

 

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I am sure you will enjoy some of my other online treasures as well:

 - Inspirational and motivational poems (I have written them under the pen name of Aufie Zophy)

  https://aufiezophypoems.blogspot.com/

 

- Beautiful skies seen by Hans:

https://hansvro.wixsite.com/mysite-1/skies-seen-by-hans  

 

- Beautiful flowers:

 https://hansvro.wixsite.com/flowersbyhans

 

- Two fables and a short story (my own favorite is 'Sammy and Alice')

https://shortstoriesfables.blogspot.com/ 

- Inspirational quotes:

https://quotesfromhans.blogspot.com/

 

- Very short essays about simple good things:

https://abcofvirtues.blogspot.com/

 

 Small prayers for this big world:

https://smallprayersforabigworld.blogspot.com/
 

All we can

 I just now read a beautiful quote:

  "I cannot do all the good that the world needs but the world needs all the  good that I can do" 

Jana Stanfield

Isn't this a wonderful quote. All too often we do feel helpless to make a positive change in the world. It seems so overwhelming. But every small, tiny positive difference we make, is really worth it. Imagine that 1 billion people would make a tiny small positive difference today. what a great day it would be for our planet!

So let's stop overthinking and just go and do all the good we can :) 

 

Take off the coat

If our Creator, our Universe is showering Peace on us;

if also Beauty and Love is showered on us every moment of the day,

and we remain unaware of these amazing gifts,

 

it may be high time to take off our coat of our ego,

pray with our heart and soul, get in a grateful mood,

and allow ourselves to get drenched, soaking wet 

with so much Peace, Love and Beauty.

 

When you woke up this morning, were you aware of the peace that (most likely) surrounded you?

Were you aware of the beautiful skies that were visible, the trees and flowers that were blooming?

Were you aware that your heart is containing so much love, just planted there, to give away any time?

Were  you aware?

I am more often than not unaware of these amazing gifts, but if I manage to remove my big ego from the picture, I sometimes become suddenly aware and get fully absorbed in these superb gifts from our Creator, from the Universe. Once aware, I become grateful in my heart and forgiving, willing to accept the small imperfections that arise so often in my day. If I manage to remain focused on all the good things in my life, my days are immensely more enjoyable than if I get caught in a few ego-matters.

So let  us take off the coat of our ego, and let the beauty, love and peace engulf us and drench our being :)

 

 

 

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I am sure you will enjoy some of my other online treasures as well:

- Beautiful skies seen by Hans:

https://hansvro.wixsite.com/mysite-1/skies-seen-by-hans  

 

- Beautiful flowers:

 https://hansvro.wixsite.com/flowersbyhans

 

 - Inspirational and motivational poems (I have written them under the pen name of Aufie Zophy)

  https://aufiezophypoems.blogspot.com/

 

- Two fables and a short story (my own favorite is 'Sammy and Alice')

https://shortstoriesfables.blogspot.com/ 

- Inspirational quotes:

https://quotesfromhans.blogspot.com/

 

- Very short essays about simple good things:

https://abcofvirtues.blogspot.com/

 

 

Small prayers for this big world:

https://smallprayersforabigworld.blogspot.com/

Relax

You know, there are neurons (brain cells) in your heart too.

Our brain has billions of them, but our heart has a few ten thousands too.

You could say that your heart has a mini-brain.

Now if your mind (the one in your brain) seems in overdrive,

you can choose to focus on the mini-mind in your heart.

Just put your hand on your heart and completely get focused on it.

Then imagine a situation in nature, when you felt completely relaxed,

Think about this in your heart, while your big mind in your brain may run by itself for awhile.

If you have anxiety or too much stress, this is a wonderful exercise

 

I was inspired to write this after watching a video by Paul McKenna

He is a bright guy, worth looking up on the internet.

Building the Road

Today, I want to share a story, I heard from Dr Srikumar Rao, an international speaker and famous teacher

Imagine you are a civil engineer. You are called by your boss and he orders you to build a road from point A to point B. Between the two points are a forest, a swamp, and a mountain.

Do you get angry at the forest, the swamp and the mountain?

No you will be creative and find ways to go through them, around them, over them or under them. You take up the challenge, may increase the fees you ask, but you will work until the road is completed because that is what you were trained for.

Now, in our life, the road to point B is the road to a successful, purposeful, joyful life. The irritating, perhaps toxic people and the adverse situations you are subjected to, these are the forests and the mountains. You do not get angry at them, you just figure out how you are going to get your road built. We and we alone are responsible for our own successful, purposeful and joyful existence.

Hearing this story, it filled me with a feeling of inspiration, motivation.

I hope you feel the same :) 

 

I have put the above story in a small rhyme too:

 

 

An engineer was asked to build a big, long road.

But across the terrain of the planned highway,

There was a forest, and a wide river flowed.

Also, there was a mountain, made of heavy clay.

 

Did these obstacles disturb the engineer’s mind?

Did he curse the mountain and the river too?

No, creative solutions, he set out to find,

Because that was what he was trained to do.

Now along the path of our life's success,

There will be many obstacles to our happiness.

Will we curse all problems and get depressed

And give easily up because we are stressed?

 

Or will we work around them and use our skills

To go through, around or over any hills

To cross the rivers, to move through the thickest forest

And live a life like our Creator had intended for us?

 

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I have a translation available on my kaya jiwa, my Bahasa Malaysia blog:

 https://batin4u.blogspot.com/2024/03/bina-jalan.html

 I am sure you will enjoy some of my other online treasures as well:

- Beautiful skies seen by Hans:

https://hansvro.wixsite.com/mysite-1/skies-seen-by-hans  

 

- Beautiful flowers:

 https://hansvro.wixsite.com/flowersbyhans

 

 - Inspirational and motivational poems (I have written them under the pen name of Aufie Zophy)

  https://aufiezophypoems.blogspot.com/

 

- Two fables and a short story (my own favorite is 'Sammy and Alice')

https://shortstoriesfables.blogspot.com/ 

- Inspirational quotes:

https://quotesfromhans.blogspot.com/

 

- Very short essays about simple good things:

https://abcofvirtues.blogspot.com/

 

 

Small prayers for this big world:

https://smallprayersforabigworld.blogspot.com/