While going through an old issue of the Amsterdam Enjoy magazine I came across the mesmerizing surreal paintings of the Russian artist Boris Indrikov. What further captivated me was a part of his interview that was also on the pages of the magazine:

“My painting process goes like this- first I use a random texture on canvas using a special technology. After this I read the canvas looking for shapes and patterns. These images will be the foundation of the future painting. This is similar to the meditation process. But instead of sitting with my eyes closed in the lotus position, anywhere on a top of a mountain, I am in front of the canvas. I scan the surface of the material for natural changes that occur on the canvas surface and transform them into a harmony of lines. The outcome of this is almost unknown, an adventure that is intriguing and exciting.”

Apart from being a fascinating art-making process I found this to be a great metaphor to getting the best out of life.

• Life is a canvas that consists of seemingly “random” patterns that a great Artist made for us.
• These random patterns form the beautiful paintings that are our lives.
• It is up to us to transform the random patterns into to a harmonious structure, but its exact nature is always unknown.
• We enable this transformation by exercising the greatest power that we have – the power of Love.
• The key is not to lose hope even though we can`t imagine the final outcome – it is the adventure and the process that is intriguing.

The beauty of art and life lies in trusting and enjoying the process without being attached to the final outcome. And of course this is one of those things that are easier said than done. That is what makes inspiring reminders such as the paintings of Boris Indrikov so important.

The inspiration for today is an illuminating quote by Oprah Winfrey 🙂

My inspiration for today comes in the form of a beautiful short video showing the power of inspiration and its ability to add color to our lives. Enjoy it and stay inspired!

One of my favorite Bulgarian traditional holidays – the 1st of March is approaching (more about the tradition here). It is is the time when we give Martenitsas and wishes for health and happiness. 

This tradition is so dear to me as it brings me back to my childhood and the times spent with my grandparents. It also reminds me how small gifts given with love (like Martenitsas”) can be much more meaningful than expensive gifts made because there is an occasion and something needs to be bought.

This year I am planning to make Martenitsas on my own and give them to the people who I love together with a piece of my heart.  Just like my grandma would have done.

It has been scientifically proven that music has stress reducing properties and can have incredibly relaxing effects on our minds and bodies. Especially when it is soothing and calm. This is the type of music is exactly my discovery of today –  the name is of the artist is Shatam Kaur and she performs new age Indian devotional music. 

For more musical inspiration have a look here.

“The Happiness Hypothesis” by Jonathan Haidt is a synthesis of wisdom from different cultures and times. It analyzes ten ideas that have been validated throughout centuries and integrates insights from recent scientific research to come up with a comprehensive set of valuable lessons that can be applied in our every day life.

Something that I read in the book today and that gave me food for thought and inspiration is:

“The world we live in is not really one made of rocks, trees and physical objects; it is a world of perceptions, opportunities, status symbols, saints and sinners. All of these are human creations, which although real in their own way are not real in the way the trees and rocks are real. These human creations exist only because you believe in them, like the fairies in Peter Pan”.

The world as we see it shaped by not only what physically surrounds us, but also how we perceive it, feel about it and respond to it.  And that’s where the main challenge lies. We can choose to follow our often judgmental and biased minds. Or to work towards achieving more peace and harmony. By choosing the second option you’ll embark on a journey. A journey to yourself.

Today my inspiration is in the form of a beautiful quote from the “Fourty rules of love”.

“Quit worrying about hell or dreaming about heaven as they are both present inside this very moment. Every time we love we ascend to heaven. Every time we envy or fight someone, we tumble straight into the fires of hell. Why worry so much about the aftermath, an imaginary future, when this very moment is the only time we can truly and fully experience the presence and absence of God in our lives?”

My Ayurvedic doctor once told me that in Sanskrit the words “sadness” and “poison” have the same root. And this is so true – negative emotions such as anger, fear and sadness bring a level of discomfort and unease that can even result in disease (have you thought that “disease” means “a lack of ease”) while positive ones, the greatest of which is Love-  lead to a marvelous feeling of ease and lightness that can indeed be compared to being in Heaven?

I bet there is no need to ask on which side we want to be.

Change is all around us. The world is constantly moving and evolving and every moment is unique.

We also change. Our bodies change. Our thoughts change. We learn, grow and develop and sometimes our “newer” versions have little to do with the previous ones.

I came across a story in “My Grandfathers’ blessings” about the grandfather of the author in his youth and his reaction to a certain situation- being arrogant, angry and with little self-control. Years later the same man evolved into a respected rabbi, a leader of a community and a role model.

We are never perfect. We all have our lessons to learn. But most importantly- we all have the capacity to change. So let’s don`t be too harsh on ourselves when we realize we have our flaws. Everyone has them.

Instead of being critical, let’s focus our energy on first accepting and loving ourselves and then making steady steps into the direction where we want us to grow. What would you say?

You can check out the 7-day affirmation challenge of the lovely Emmely Jacobs here.

The quote that “found me” today is by the Dalai Lama:

Our prime purpose in life

is to help others.

And if we can’t help them

at least don’t hurt them

The images that immediately came to my mind when I read this were the people bathing the elephants in the animal rehabilitation center in India.

Helping others in any form soothes the heart and makes us feel connected, useful and contributing to something bigger than us. Wouldn’t it be a great thing to practice it more often and give a helping hand? 🙂 

Today I came across a very witty text written by an unknown author:

Talent and looks are

God Given.

Be thankful.

Fame and money are

Men created.

Be Grateful.

Attitude and Ego are

self-created.

Be mindful.

There is a fine balance between being grateful and appreciative of what you have and at the same time staying mindful, centered, and grounded.

There are also moments when upon comparing ourselves with others we are not doing so great. Yet again– staying mindful, centered and grounded is key.

At any given moment when we compare ourselves to others, we`ll always stumble upon someone who is healthier, or better looking, or makes more money or just seems happier.

But essentially – we all came and we`ll all go to the same place (as mysterious as this place is).  Both times alone and empty handed. I believe that we all have our unique journeys with different lessons to learn and different gifts to enjoy and appreciate – some are given the gift of attractive looks, others- the gift of health, and some others- the gift of wealth. Our task is to learn our lessons and evolve.  I really don’t think attitude and ego are going to help in this, but will only slow us down.