L1OR's Space!: Life Lessons

Eckhart Tolle on Happiness

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:47:39 GMT

The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it. Rather than being your thoughts and emotions, be the awareness behind them.

Don't seek happiness. If you seek it, you won't find it, because seeking it is the antithesis of happiness. Happiness is ever elusive, but freedom from unhappiness is attainable now, by facing what is rather than making up stories about it. Unhappiness covers up your natural state of wellbeing and inner peace, the source of true happiness.

- Eckhart Tolle

No Limits

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:36:55 GMT

"If you limit yourself to what seems possible or reasonable you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise."

- Robert Fritz

Stephen Covey Quote

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:35:09 GMT

"What we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do." - Stephen Covey

Making a difference...

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:33:44 GMT

Telling children repeatedly how wonderful they are doesn't make them feel wonderful about themselves.
Showing them how to act in ways that help the world around them does make them feel wonderful about themselves.

When you feel bad about yourself, there's nothing better to get yourself out of that mood than by helping others. By realizing how you can make a positive impact or difference to others' lives, or make a difference in some small way to the world, you realise the importance of your own life.

- Susan Jeffers

Sailing the Ocean of Life

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:24:43 GMT

Life is an ocean on which we sail.
As we sail, we encounter storms, gentle waves and calm waters.
Life is never plain sailing all the way
But after each storm, there is always calm.
And the more we sail, the greater our skills become.

Some of us are destined to sail for the pure sake of wandering,
whilst others may sail and decide to cast anchor in a suitable port(s) along the way...

A Need to be Liked...

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:11:11 GMT

If you need to be liked, loved and adored to feel good about yourself, you are giving others power over you. You are dependent on their feelings in order for you to be happy with who you are. The problem with this is, what if you're not happy being the you others want you to be?
The trick is to feel good about yourself because you meet your own standards, principles and definition of who you are/ want to be.
The trick is to feel good about yourself independently of what others think.

Attraction: Choosing someone to complete you

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:04:57 GMT

Some believe that we are attracted to someone because they have genes that are complementary to ours.
For example: If you have genes for weak lungs, you may be attracted to someone who has genes for strong lungs.
What's the reasoning behind this theory? In an evolutionary sense, finding someone to complete you genetically increases the chances of having stronger offspring with a greater chance of survival.

This theory states that we all have genetic matches and that we pick up how genetically compatible someone is to us through a type of energetic wave.

On the other hand, if you attract someone to fill your emotional (rather than genetic) gaps, when you learn to become more self-sufficient you may feel you no longer need them...

Behaviour is not necessarily a true projection of who you are

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:59:54 GMT

"We are what we repeatedly do." - Aristotle
Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits.
"Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny,"

BUT...
Your behaviour is not necessarily you. It is a temporary demonstration of how you react to certain situations and conditioning and it's all learned, and can therefore be unlearned if you so choose.

Since behaviour does not necessarily project your true inner being, changing your behaviour does not change who you are inside.

Love Hurts - but that's no reason to close your heart

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:27:06 GMT

Not everyone can return your love, but that's OK. Don't close your heart because that ensures no-one will be able to enter it again! Opening your heart allows someone to open their heart to you...

Life is like a movie...

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:24:42 GMT

If your life is like a movie, what role do you take in that movie?

Are you the actor who in spite of seeming to be in control of your actions on the stage, is in fact controlled by the director and not being your true self?
Are you the backstage helper who simply ensures things are running smoothly, but letting all the excitement pass them by as other people call the shots around them?
or Are you the director who makes sure that the plot content of the movie is fun, exciting and successful (otherwise the movie will be a flop!)

In the movie of your life, only you can decide what job you take.
You can even be the director AND the star of the show…

"One day, I decided I was tired of watching movies and seeing others go off on adventures, and decided to start living the adventure of my own life myself!" - James Blade

Things to consider:
- Set: Where is your movie set? Which country? City/ countryside/ seaside etc?
- Wardrobe
- Scenes: What kind of scenes are important to include?
- Co-actors: Who are your co-stars?
- Action: What kind of interaction will your co-stars have?
- Script: What kind of dialogue will make the movie interesting?
- Ending: What is the end result of the movie?

Living the Life that is True to Yourself

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:14:00 GMT

In today's society, we are sometimes brainwashed to think that there is a particular solution to living a "normal", "happy" and "fulfilling" life.
But the truth is, that we are all unique, all with different requirements, and we each need to find our own route to happiness and fulfillment. In order to do this, we must question some of the rules society dictates, and some of the rules we've been living by, and we need to assess whether these "rules" are really right for us. If yes, great keep at it; If no, then you can go about seeking out new ways of living your life that suit you. You can find your path, and even if in your search you mess up a little along the way, the important thing is that you are progressing towards being true to yourself and no matter what embarassments happen along the way, you'll still be alive and kicking.

The Door

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:07:32 GMT

Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.

Compete against yourself

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:36:07 GMT

I never compete against the competition. The only one I compete against is myself, because one day I will beat the competition and then who will I compete against? - Billie Akauola

Marine on Challenges of Life

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:27:10 GMT

Challenges are what make life interesting;
overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
~ Joshua J. Marine

Every day counts...

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:19:13 GMT

"What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it."
freedom and life are earned by those alone who conquer them each day anew.

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.

On taking risks....

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:28:20 GMT

Can any damage that occurs due to taking a risk possibly be any worse than the damage you're going to do to yourself for missing the chance?

What's fun all about?

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 22:01:08 GMT

Fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind. It involves being active in a refreshing and diverting manner.Some individuals view recreation as largely non-productive, even trivial.

Laughter existed in other animals eons before we humans came along. In almost every species studied, a graph of playfulness looked like an inverted U, increasing during the juvenile period and then falling off around puberty, after which time most animals don’t play much anymore. But interestingly, the amount the brain grows between birth and maturity reflects the amount of play in which each species engages.

Why did we evolve to play?
Theories include:
- To help juveniles develop the skills they will need to hunt, mate and socialise as adults. To provide practice for either sex or aggression
- To allows young animals to get in shape for adult life by improving their respiratory endurance.
- Play often involves complex assessments of playmates, ideas of reciprocity and the use of specialised signals and rules. Play creates a brain that has greater behavioural flexibility and improved potential for learning later in life.

‘‘Look at life without play, and it’s not much of a life. If you think of all the things we do that are playrelated and erase those, it’s pretty hard to keep going. Without play, there’s a sense of dullness, lassitude and pessimism, which doesn’t work well in the world we live in.’’ - Stuart Brown president of the National Institute for Play

Play is behavior that many scientists believe is hard-wired; a central part of neurological growth and development, and one that provides an important way to build complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept and cognitively flexible brains.

"The opposite of play is not work, it's depression."
Research has shown that recreation contributes to life satisfaction, quality of life, health and wellness, and that the use of recreation as a diversion may have clinical applications to individuals with chronic pain and other health impairments. Recreation is essential to the longevity of human beings, especially because it helps counteract stress.

So in conclusion: play, have fun, enjoy yourself! - whether it be in the form of pleasures of nonsense and being funny, to the excitements of real action and discovery, the thrills of mastery and victory, the exaltations of artistic performances, the consummatory pleasures of great stories, the joy of admiring something beautiful, and the pleasures of various experiences.

Source: http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Literacy/play.asp

Happiness

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:32:15 GMT

Happiness is like a butterfly:
The more you chase it
The more it will elude you
But if you turn your attention to other things,
It will come and sit softly on your shoulder...

What Life's all about...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 01:29:31 GMT

Which ride would you choose?

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:33:27 GMT

Life is like a ride in an amusement park.
You can choose to go on the rollercoaster: It has ups and downs, and with it comes fear, excitement and thrills.
or
You can choose to go on the merry-go-round. It's safer, and doesn't give you the fear that comes with roller coasters, but it only goes round and round and doesn't give the same thrills as a roller coaster does.

I know which ride I'd choose ｡◕‿◕｡

Robin S Sharma on Life

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:05:33 GMT

The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.

Robin S Sharma on Life

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:03:33 GMT

The quality of your life comes down to the quality of your contributions to life.

Robin S Sharma on Fulfilment

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:43:52 GMT

To reach ultimate fulfillment you need to nuture your mind, body and soul: The trilogy of your human endowments. Elevating one or two is not enough. All three need to be improved to reach fulfillment and an enlightened life.

Sharma's 10-step method of Radiant Living:

Solitude: Give yourself a period of solitude and peace each day to tune in to yourself and to the limitless intelligence of the Universe
Exercise: Exercise your body using effective breathing techniques: A trained body = a trained mind.
Nourish: The right foods enhance the mind, body and mood
Acquire Knowledge: Read regularly to feed the garden of the mind. Books can help you see what is already within you and that's what enlightenment is all about.
Self-Reflection: Connect with yourself. Contemplate what you learn each day and think if you are happy with how you spend your time each day.
Sleep: High quality of sleep is important and can be achieved by letting the body unwind before going to sleep by not eating just before going to bed, and doing something relaxing before sleep.
Music: Listening to music gives a spiritual boost.
The spoken word: The spoken word has great power so positive affirmations and using positive language can help change your self-image and feelings.
Actions: Too often do you wish you acted on a thought and regret not carrying it out. (eg I should have given up my seat for that elderly lady on the tube...). Allign your actions with your thoughts and principles to act in a way congruent with your true character. Acting on thoughts and principles builds habits, character and eventually your destiny.
Simplicity: Live a life of simplicity. Stop wasting time and focus on the meaningful priorities of life.

Epictetus Quote - Freedom

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:42:03 GMT

"No man is free who is not a master of himself".

By mastering your mind and self, only then can you reach your best potential without anything holding you back. The boundaries of your life are merely creations of the self.

Answers to the Search for Meaning/ Purpose - Robin S Sharma

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:38:17 GMT

The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
The meaning of life is a life of meaning.

Superiority - Robin S Sharma

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:37:00 GMT

There is nothing noble about being superior to a fellow person.
True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.

Lessons from Hardship - Robin S Sharma

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:33:53 GMT

There are no mistakes in life, only lessons. From struggle comes strength.
How can you know the joy of being at a mountain peak if you haven't visited the lowest valley?

Robin S Sharma Quote II

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:05:50 GMT

If you are full of your own ideas and are inflexible, how can any new ideas enter? Not until you empty a cup can more water be poured into it.

Robin S Sharma Quote

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:04:02 GMT

The world includes the outer world and the inner world. Sucess on the outside means nothing unless you also have success within.

Yogi Krishnan Quote

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:02:02 GMT

Everything happens for a reason. Every event has a purpose and every setback has a lesson. Failure and suffering are opportunities that are often essential for personal expansion. It brings inner growth. Embrace your past as the teacher that it is.

Viktor Frankl Quote II

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:54:49 GMT

Art and humour are two of the soul's weapons for self-preservation... Then even the most trifling things can bring joy.

Viktor Frankl Quote

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:53:16 GMT

Love is the highest goal to which man can aspire.

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups Of Coffee

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:25:24 GMT

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full..
They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life."
The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and Favorite passions --things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are  important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
     Play With your children.
     Take time to get medical checkups.
     Take your partner out to dinner.
     Play another 18.
     There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal unit.
     "Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter.
     Set your priorities.
     The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked,"
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

When things in your life seems almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

Hedgehog Dilemma

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:37:40 GMT

"The hedgehog's dilemma states that the closer two beings come to each other, the more likely they are to hurt one another; however if they remain apart, they will each feel the pain of loneliness."

One Life... Big impact

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:37:03 GMT

One person's life touches many others, so that even if at a glance it seems a person has little impact on the world, in reality, without him many people's lives would be different.

Everyone is special... :D

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:36:42 GMT

If you didn't have something special and distinctive to contribute to the world, you wouldn't have been created

Boundaries

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:12:16 GMT

Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in... So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. - Grey's Anatomy (Mededith Grey)

Following Rules...

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:10:05 GMT

I've had a lot of time to look back on my life. And the things that I remember best – those are the things I wasn't supposed to do and I did them anyway. The thing is: life is too damn short to be following these rules. - Denny Duquette (Grey's Anatomy)