Give Pleasure to Others

Give Pleasure to Others

The most exquisite pleasure is giving pleasure to others.
Jean de La Bruyère

Sometimes we’re so caught up in our own lives, in our own little (or big) problems. We go round in circles, and there doesn’t seem to be any solution. In such a situation, a good way out is to do something for another person. Just let go of your own issues for a while, and concentrate on lifting the spirit of somebody else!

So what could you do? Well, for example

• help to somebody with a difficult or boring task 
• call our old aunt, who you haven’t talked to for ages
• send a card to someone 
• ask an elderly neighbour if we can do their grocery shopping
• cook your dear one’s favourite meal
• offer tired young parents your babysitting services
• visit someone at the elderly people’s home

Not only do you feel good after giving help or pleasure to somebody else, but it also takes the focus off your own problems. And you’ll see that the best way to handle them often comes later, “just like that”!

Light, Calm, at Ease

Light, Calm, at Ease

When we take a breath, we are light, calm, at ease. 

                                                 Thich Nhat Hanh: Reconciliation

The society we live in is so complicated, and our lives tend to become just as multi-faceted. So many things to do, so many issues to think about, and such overfilled agendas. 

Sometimes we feel as if all the expectations and all the pressure (from without, or from within us) will make us explode! We can’t take it anymore, and we’re just turning round in circles. In that specific moment the only important thing is to stop. Relax your shoulders, and take a few deep breaths. Feel how you slowly become lighter and calmer. Feel how you become at ease in your body and in your mind again. 

It’s so easy to do - the hard thing is remembering it when you’re in the middle of chaos. Try to make it a habit to stop in your everyday life, then it will come more naturally when you most need it. Perhaps every time a bell rings, the church bells or a telephone? Stop and relax, breathe deeply and feel you you become light, calm, and at ease. And a smile will spread on your face as a natural reward  :-)

Back Again

AA wrote: Wow ... What a perfect fit to today, at least for me... Thank you! Lovely reminder to reflect on.

Back Again

Every day is a new beginning - take a deep breath and start again.

Anonymous

After slow and happy summer days, with a golden hue on our skin and fresh air in our hair, we most often return to our everyday (working) lives relaxed, energised and happy. It doesn’t matter if we went away on vacation or stayed at home, but there was this well deserved break in our normal rhythm that a proper vacation should be.

Returning to “normality” has a charm of its own; it’s a homecoming, but sometimes it takes a little while to settle back in again, depending on how well this normality fits us. We might have to push ourselves to fulfil our everyday routines; there might be a certain resistance. What are we resisting?

The moment we feel that indefinable resistance it’s time to take a closer look at it. Is there a big, important part of our everyday life that makes us uneasy? Like our job, our close relationships, or our home? If that is case, we have to take an honest and deep look at the reasons. We need to either find ways to change it, or - if that’s not possible - accept and embrace the situation, and let go of the resistance. Life will never be perfect. Resistance just blocks off happiness.

This imperfect life is full of things to be grateful for: we have a job, our partner has so many good sides, and we have a warm and comfortable home - and it always gives room for new beginnings. Take a deep breath and start again, with a open mind.