Very often the simplest things mean the most. This is what made my day today- the green all around me, the smell of fresh grass and the sun rays gently caressing my skin.

Those moments when summer envelopes you and everything “serious” automatically goes out of the priority list. 

In those moments a very special type of joy takes us over. The joy of being 🙂 

While reading the “Miracle Morning” this morning (:)) I came across the following quote:

“The Now matters the most in your life because what you are doing now determines that person that you will become and that will always determine the quality and direction in your life.”

I am sure this sounds very logical and you would agree with it. But how often are we actually putting it in practice? 

Sometimes we all need a push and an inspiration to get on track. And my aim for today is to inspire you with this picture of a boy learning how to skateboard for the first time. I met him and his dad a few days ago when I was taking part in the Urban Photo Race in Amsterdam and was amazed by his enthusiasm, dedication and energy. Like a little ginger tornado he was was going on and on, showing me his newly learnt tricks and trying to do them better and better!

Today is the day! Get out there and make active steps to reach your goals. Sign up for a language course for that language you dream to speak; look around for new jobs if you are not happy with the current one; push yourself to make it to the gym..It’s all in your hands only 🙂 Go for it!

Let’s start the new week with a gem of a story called “Kafka and the Doll, The Pervasiveness of Loss”:

“Franz Kafka, the story goes, encountered a little girl in the park where he went walking daily. She was crying. She had lost her doll and was desolate.
Kafka offered to help her look for the doll and arranged to meet her the next day at the same spot.
 Unable to find the doll he composed a letter from the doll and read it to her when they met.
‘Please do not mourn me, I have gone on a trip to see the world. I will write you of my adventures.’ This was the beginning of many letters. When he and the little girl met he read her from these carefully composed letters the imagined adventures of the beloved doll. The little girl was comforted.
When the meetings came to an end Kafka presented her with a doll. She obviously looked different from the original doll. An attached letter explained ‘My travels have changed me.’
Many years later, the now grown girl found a letter stuffed into an unnoticed crevice in the cherished replacement doll.
In summary it said
“Every thing that you love, you will eventually lose, but in the end, love will return in a different form.”

It is the love that we carry in our hearts that truly matters, not so much the outlet of it. The love that nourishes our hearts and spirits, through which we grow and evolve into the best version of ourselves.

Have an amazing week ahead and spread the love 🙂

I am a deep believer that the best present that you can give to the people who you love is your time. Time to listen, time to bond, time to share. Creating something for them goes to a different level- for me it is like taking a piece of your heart, infusing it with your love and ispiration and giving it a life of its own. A part of you that always stays with them. That is why today I’m feeling satisfied from deep within as one of my best friends will soon receive a piece of my heart 🙂

Let`s start the week with an inspiring fable from the Hindu mythology:

“Bharadvaja was a devout scholar who studied the Vedas (ancient Hindu philosophical and spiritual texts). He spent his entire lifetime learning and pondering the Vedas. Then he died.
Bharadvaja was reborn and he continued his reading, memorizing and writing of the Vedas. His whole life, yet again, was dedicated to studying these ancient texts.
Bharadvaja died and was reborn a third time. He once again pursued his learning of the Vedas with deep intensity. He withdrew from his community to study day and night and became known as a secluded sage devoted to learning. During this time, his desire to stop the cycle of birth, death and rebirth began to grow.
Near the end of Bharadvaja’s third life, Shiva paid him a visit. At first, Bharadvaja was excited as he thought his zealous studies had finally paid off and Shiva would release him from the cycle of death and rebirth.
The excitement waned as Shiva asked what exactly Bharadvaja thought he was doing with his lifetimes. Bharadvaja replied that every lifetime had been completely devoted to getting closer to the teachings. Shiva slowly shook his head, reached out the window and scooped up a pile of dirt which he placed in front of his student, saying, “This handful of dirt represents what you learned in one lifetime.”
Shiva swept up another handful of dirt and placed it with the first. “This,” Shiva said, “is what you learned during your second lifetime.”
Shiva reached his arm out the window a third time and placed a pile of dirt in front of Bharadvaja. He said, “this third mound of dirt illustrates the knowledge you accumulated during this lifetime.” Shiva then motioned to the Himalayas beyond the window, “Do you see those mountains? That represents the information contained in the Vedas, Bharadvaja. It would take thousands of lifetimes to master all that is contained within them. You certainly have gained more knowledge than anyone else, but you have chosen to live alone, to share your knowledge with no one and have yet to experience and give life to the true meaning of the Vedas. It is through sharing and teaching that you’ll awaken to life and overcome death.” Shiva then left his pupil and Bharadvaja died.
During his fourth lifetime, Bharadvaja not only studied the Vedas, but he became a compassionate educator. He imparted the wisdom and many students revered him as a beloved teacher. Upon his deathbed, people came from all over to honor their teacher. Shiva also came to tell him that he’d learned the lesson and that if Bharadvaja chose, he too could be freed from the death-rebirth cycle. Bharadvaja thanked Shiva but recognized that it was through sharing and teaching that he felt most alive and he chose to be reborn again and became one of the greatest sages ever known.”
From an early age we are thought that knowledge is power that gives us advantage over others. Sharing the knowledge is therefore not in our interest. The same applies to the office- we are all want to be seen in expert in our fields and oversharing could work against us. The story of Bharadwaja is an important reminder for all of us to first find what brings us joy and second and more importantly – to share the joy with the others, for theirs and our own good. Because the joy that is shared, gets multiplied 🙂

Wouldn’t life be much lighter if we would adopt the approach of Nelson Mandela? 🙂

We often feel the need to share the opinions that we’ve formed  based on our knowledge and experience. But just sharing them without consideration for the other person and their situation doesn’t always work. We’ve experienced it many times – there are always the ones who not neceserily know the best,  but are the loudest to share. Even though you’ve experienced something first hand and they just read about it somewhere- they are just so convinced that there is no point to have a discussion. In these situations it is difficult to connect , as the other side seems to be only interested in hearing their voice and does not seem to care about others’ views.  But then, how often do you genuinely care about what they have to say? Almost never, right? 

Sometimes in our eagerness to share we can be the “loud” ones.  And in these times listening might work better than speaking. Because we all want to connect. Connecting with care and consideration is the key to  getting it right 🙂