Monday, November 14, 2016

POWERFUL ADVICE FROM A DYING MAN!


POWERFUL ADVICE FROM A DYING MAN
via Reddit
“I am only 34 years old, yet I have actually already chosen my last tie. It’s the one that I will wear on my funeral a few months from now. It may not match my suit, but I think it’s perfect for the occasion.
The cancer diagnosis came too late to give me at least a tenuous hope for a long life, but I realized that the most important thing about death is to ensure that you leave this world a little better than it was before you existed with your contributions . The way I’ve lived my life so far, my existence or more precisely the loss of it, will not matter because I have lived without doing anything impactful.
Before, there were so many things that occupied my mind. When I learned how much time I had left, however, it became clear which things are really important. So, I am writing to you for a selfish reason. I want to give meaning to my life by sharing with you what I have realized:
·    Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come easily only when you love what you do.
·       It’s stupid to be afraid of others’ opinions. Fear weakens and paralyzes you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day until there is nothing left of you, but a shell of yourself. Listen to your inner voice and go with it. Some people may call you crazy, but some may even think you‘re a legend.
·        Take control of your life Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier life. Find a sport that makes you happy. Most of all, don’t procrastinate. Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn’t.
·     Appreciate the people around you Your friends and relatives will always be an infinite source of strength and love. That is why you shouldn’t take them for granted.

It is difficult for me to fully express my feelings about the importance of these simple realizations, but I hope that you will listen to someone who has experienced how valuable time is.
I’m not upset because I understand that the last days of my life have become meaningful. I only regret that I will not be able to see a lot of cool stuff that should happen soon like the creation of AI, or Elon Musk’s next awesome project. I also hope that the war in Syria and Ukraine will end soon.
We care so much about the health and integrity of our body that until death, we don’t notice that the body is nothing more than a box – a parcel for delivering our personality, thoughts, beliefs and intentions to this world. If there is nothing in this box that can change the world, then it doesn’t matter if it disappears. I believe that we all have potential, but it also takes a lot of courage to realize it.
You can float through a life created by circumstances, missing day after day, hour after hour. Or, you can fight for what you believe in and write the great story of your life. I hope you will make the right choice.
Leave a mark in this world. Have a meaningful life, whatever definition it has for you. Go towards it. The place we are leaving is a beautiful playground, where everything is possible. Yet, we are not here forever. Our life is a short spark in this beautiful little planet that flies with incredible speed to the endless darkness of the unknown universe. So, enjoy your time here with passion.
Make it interesting. Make it count!
Thank you!”

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

8 Tips to Build Tolerance in Your Life

First Shared and Copied From: http://www.chopra.com/articles/8-tips-to-build-tolerance-in-your-life?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=161108+-+CCL+Newsletter&utm_campaign=Newsletter2016118

8 Tips to Build Tolerance in Your Life

Most people have trouble being tolerant with others. As a living, breathing society, everyone is constantly learning and adapting to each other—it comes with the territory. But cultivating a spirit of tolerance can bring healing and meaning to your life in unimaginable ways.
Tolerance is your ability to deal with the disagreeable. It’s your capacity to withstand the “yuck” in your life and other people. Sometimes, someone’s disagreeable nature can simply be an annoyance, while other times, it may be much more intrusive.
The practice of tolerance, however, is more about your relationship with yourself instead of with other people. Tolerance can be thought of as emotional or mental perseverance:
·         How long are you able to deal with the disturbances that others cause you?
·         Are you able to do it with a spirit of grace and confidence?
·         Do you prefer to be indifferent, ignoring the person or situation?
·         If the behavior is unlikely to change, how do you deal with them?
These are questions that take time to consider. When you feel yourself intolerant of someone else, remember the following insights. They can help you deal with yourself and others in order to cultivate the benefits of a life filled with tolerance and stillness.
Own Your Feelings
When something bothers you about someone else, it is good to remember that it is bothering you. The other person may not even be aware of your feelings, let alone be prepared to change because of them.
Keep in mind that your feelings are your own and that you have the right to self-mastery in your life, just as the other person has sovereignty over themselves.
Look Within
Try to see past the person and situation into your own annoyance. Look within yourself to find the source of your problem:
·         Are you not receiving something that you want or need?
·         Is the focus not on you?
·         Is the other person saying or doing something that you wouldn’t allow yourself to do or say?
·         Why are you annoyed?

Check Your Ego
Often other people are simply disrupting your flow. When your stillness is disturbed, your ego may desire to retaliate. A mental or emotional line is being crossed and therefore you feel frustrated. This inner tension can be your ego showing anger at the fact that your personal attention has shifted.
When you are bothered by other people, you are no longer focused on what you were doing. This is upsetting to the ego. Remember you are not your ego, but rather its source. By recognizing ego concern for what it is, you can cultivate the ability to limit the importance of some of the things you feel.
Meditate
Meditation can help cultivate tolerance. You can learn to tolerate some things about others simply by discovering they’re just not that important. The things you take issue with don’t have to define the person or the experience.
By calming your spirit, you can learn to check yourself before reacting. Start by routinely checking in with yourself during stressful experiences or people. You will begin to react with more grace and patience and be able to offer the best version of yourself.
Remember Change Is Imminent
The universe is always changing, always happening. And as such, everything has its moment to be. You, also, can change from one moment to the next. This dynamism can be seen as a blessing when cultivating tolerance.
Be mindful of the fact that no matter how pestering an annoyance can be, it is only temporary. The majority of people in your life are only around you in certain circumstances or for a certain amount of time. Those closest to you only bother you at times, but are otherwise agreeable, or they wouldn’t be around.
Use Your Power
Put aside your raw, emotional reaction when dealing with frustrating experiences and you’ll find that the experience inherently must change. It is your attachment to the feelings behind the experience that allows it to linger.
You have the power to control how much an annoyance affects you. Even if something about a person bothers you, you can always shift your focus to more agreeable aspects of the person or experience.
Learn to allow life to bug you and then go away, without any lingering effects.
Keep Perspective
No matter how likeable you believe yourself to be, someone out there is or would be annoyed by you. With the numerous spectrums of thought and behavior among humans, it’s impossible to be accepted by all. Chances are, somebody has put up with you at some point. Ask yourself:
·         Have I ever rubbed someone else the wrong way?
·         How did they react?
Remember your own faults and that life has given you grace. Even in your worst times, someone has shown you kindness and patience. It will serve you well to pay that kind of grace forward.
Practice Patience
Practicing patience with the disagreeable aspects of people in your life will help you become more tolerant. The universe allows room for all of your decisions and behavior, while working around them and through them. Seek to mimic this tolerance in your own life. Cultivate centeredness that will be there inside you through everything and everyone. It is empowering and noble.


Feeling annoyed by your co-worker or that person who just cut you off? Don’t waste your energy. Learn how to cultivate a spirit of tolerance in your life when you join Deepak Chopra and Chopra Center master educators at our gateway meditation retreat, Weekend Within. Over this 3-day retreat, you'll receive a gentle, guided introduction to Primordial Sound Meditation, Ayurveda, and the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, while enjoying your stay at the world-renowned Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. Learn more





Wednesday, November 2, 2016

8 Little Habits That Will Instantly Make You Happier


8 Little Habits That Will Instantly Make You Happier


Ancient philosophers often counseled that the greatest journey begins with the smallest step.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” —Lao Tzu
 Make these small steps and define them as daily habits to find more happiness on your personal journey.
Early birds don’t need to get the worm; they get to work early, feel energized and complete the difficult tasks before noon. Studies show the ability to focus and be creative peaks between the hours of 8 and 10 a.m. So instead of burning the midnight oil and having to chug coffee all day just to keep your eyes open, get to bed at a reasonable hour to wake up early. At the end of the day, you’ll feel like you really accomplished something.
Curiosity hasn’t killed many cats, despite the saying. What kills is a lack of curiosity. If you’re not interested in what’s going on around you then it’s going to be hard to find motivation to meet your goals at work or home. Ask questions. Pay attention. Drop the slacker attitude and you’ll find that a true sense of wonder will appear in its place.
Respect is a two-way street. You give it and then you get it. Not only should you show others respect through common courtesy, but you should show respect to yourself by dressing modestly and neatly, paying attention to personal hygiene. A recent survey of college seniors showed that more respect was shown to those who were neatly dressed.
Stop carrying grudges. They weigh you down and take up too much mental space. Instead of daydreaming about things like laying on a beach soaking up rays, you burden yourself with thoughts of revenge against someone who probably doesn’t even remember what caused the grudge in the first place. Learn to forgive and you’ll sleep better. Then start planning that beach trip!
If it’s the right thing, do it. It’s called integrity. People who can’t make up their minds about the right and wrong of a situation wind up doing nothing. So, make up your mind, take a stand and stick to your guns. Happiness is not all about being loved by everyone all the time. It’s about being loved by a choice few because of your integrity.
Health is wealth. Take care of yourself. You might get a second chance at a lot of things, but you’ll never get a second body. If your body isn’t happy, then it will be much more difficult for your mind to stay happy, too.
7. Be confident, not arrogant.
Self-confidence is not the same as arrogance. Arrogant people often don’t listen to others and try to ramrod their way through life. Someone with self-confidence knows they are not perfect, but they also know they have at least the common sense to work out most everyday problems and challenges in a perfectly acceptable way. They accept the fact that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and go on with their lives. Arrogant people try to be perfect, and when they fail, their unhappiness can be epic.
Exercise that grin each morning and use it on someone who might need it—a co-worker, a family member, a stranger. Spread a little kindness to get a little happiness back.