" Nothing Else Matters ... "

So close no matter how far

Couldn't be much more from the heart

Forever trusting who we are

And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way

Life is ours, we live it our way

All these words I don't just say

And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you

Every day for us something new

Open mind for a different view

And nothing else matters

~ Metallica ~ Nothing Else Matters ~

***

Never treat someone like a priority when they treat you like an option ... 

How many times have you seen this phrase and told yourself that will never be me.  Think again.  A priority is when you mark a date off in your calendar, cancel your other plans and commit.  A priority is when you presume that what is planned is going to happen.  Pretty simple.  Yet here is the catch ... you also presume that the other person(s) are treating you like a priority too.  

An option, on the other hand is much more flexible.  An option is simply the possibility of doing something, with real plans to be announced.  And they are emotionally driven – we will meet up when it feels right ... we will do what we feel like doing at that time.  Any plans are really only guidelines for what is going to be an emotionally driven activity.

The thing about taking the “option” approach is that there is low-pressure  ... and it makes you look easygoing and not to bothered by much.  By treating others like options, you prevent the logistics of the situation from interfering with the emotions of the situation.  Easy come, easy go ... easy to reschedule.

Think again.  When you treat another like an option, not caring if you reschedule, change plans or cancel, you send a message with clarity.  You are simply unavailable and they don’t matter.  They are not a priority. Period.

Those that treat you like an option are okay with disappointing you by failing to meet their commitments, plans or promises they have made.  And the treatment is selective as you see they will ensure not to disappoint others.  

If you are prone to internalizing these experiences and inclined to correlate them to your worth, you are heading towards a very slippery slope.  The biggest disappointments in our lives are often the result of misplaced expectations. 

Don’t ever forget your worth.  Spend time with those who value you, not tolerate you.  Loving and respecting others mean allowing them to be themselves.  When you stop expecting people to be a certain way, you begin to appreciate who they are, not who you want them to be.  

Every human being is a remarkable and beautiful person ... it just takes a patient set of eyes to see it ... others rarely behave they way you want them to.  Accept it.

www.walkstrong.ca

" Bad Things … "

When you came in the air went out.

And every shadow filled up with doubt.

I don't know who you think you are,

But before the night is through,

I wanna do bad things with ...

I'm the kind to sit up in his room.

Heart sick an' eyes filled up with blue.

I don't know what you've done to me,

But I know this much is true:

I wanna do bad things with ...

~ The Radiacs ~ Bad Things ~

***

I use to believe that bad things happen to good people.  That is just the way life is.  Now I believe that things just happen.  And it’s your viewpoint, your perspective that determines if it is good or bad ... because these things that “happen” can be considered as neutral ... and your reactions determines it all.

When my body was designated with cancer, I believed I was being punished for all the “bad” thing I did in this life ... and maybe even paying for from previous lifestimes.  So I believed that if I prayed hard enough, I could reverse all of that.  

But if you aren’t buying any of this ... why DO bad things happen to good people?  Well, bad things happen to EVERYONE.  

It is naive to believe that one is going to cruise through the human experience without facing evil in some of its severest forms ...

Culturally, I’ve grown up with conversations within the East Indian community such as “it is not far that so much has happened to our family recently”.  But don’t we all get what we are meant to get and what is fair?  Personally, I have come to a place where NOW I can be grateful for all my challenges as I wouldn’t have stumbled upon my strengths if not so.  

Remember, these are the times you find out what you are made of ...

And do we really need to compare ourselves to a less fortunate one to appreciate and be grateful for what is present in our lives.  Do we feel “if only” and things will then be good?  And how can we be so sure of that?  There are times in life we are smaller and other times we are bigger.

I do believe that everything that occurs in life is meant to bring us closer to our soul’s purpose, and everything we are given is a tool to help us.  Every one of us has a unique mission and sometimes we veer off course.  A terminal illness, a divorce, a death of a loved one ... moves us closer to our mission, as painful as it may seem when it occurs, are the cloaked difficulties full of lessons and messages.  

The question is are you paying attention 

because you don't need a major event to listen ...

Personally, when I now speak about this designated dis-ease, I believe it was Divine’s act to shift me out of the thinking, being and living in a different direction ... a direction that required a re-alignment with my higher self, bringing happiness, joy & contentment with no attachment to an outcome.

I do believe EVERYTHING that occurs in my life is for my higher good ... 

Although this one thought has helped me trememendously, I don’t pretend to have a wide angle view on why things happen to me, let alone to anyone else.  Yet personally shifting from a place of “why me” to “why not” allows you to surrender to the process and be open to all the miracles around us.

www.walkstrong.ca

" Lessons ... "

Sweet memories
Flashing very quickly by
Reminding me
And giving me a reason why
I know that
My goal is more than a thought
I'll be there
When I teach what I've been taught
And I've been taught...

~ Rush ~ Lessons ~

***

Instead of asking what I have learned about blogging, I ask what has blogging taught me about life.  In some cases, confirmation of what I already knew, and in others, something helpful to share with those that follow.  

Here are some thoughts ...

Inspiration happens ... you cannot wait to become inspired.  Sometimes you have to work, think and come up with ideas.  And not all of them will be stellar, some will just suck.  Just know somewhere along the journey, it will happen.

Walk the talk ... people talk a lot about what they are going to do, but actions speak louder than words.  I try not to get stuck in analysis mode as then I get stuck in my head.  We don’t know much until we do and get some real experience ... so do more, learn from your failures and try again.

Learn from those who can teach ... learning from people who have real experience has helped me improve quickly and avoid wasting time.  My favourite blogs motivate me to explore and become informed.

Focus on what is important ... when you cut out the less important stuff you mind clears up.  You become more focused, allowing light to shine.  From experience, when I let go of the negative in my life, the positive came flooding in.  Con mucho aprecio y amor!

You get what you give ... exchanging positive feelings and giving some kind of value to each other is the key.  Respect, compassion and kindness is contagious ... remember, karma is a bitch if you are.

External validation is overrated ... there are times when I have received awesome feedback via comments, email, twitter and Facebook.  So blessed, yet I realized that when there is none of that, it didn't matter because I have created inner validation of myself.  Sometimes you need to be your own hero.

Don’t worry about others opinions ... no one has walked in my shoes, only I have.  So when I blog, it is from my heart and I really try not to let other people’s judgement get in the way.  You can’t never please everyone, so focus on what you think is right and just getting approval from yourself.

" Instant Karma ... "

Well we all shine on

Like the moon and the stars and the sun

Well we all shine on

Every one, come on

Instant Karma's gonna get you

Gonna knock you off your feet

You better get yourself together darling

Join the human race

~ John Lennon ~ Instant Karma ~

***

Do you believe in Karma?  You know the concept of doing good and good will happen to you.  Some say that karma acts quickly and others that the karma you save up will determine who and even what you are in your next life ... that is if you believe in the next life.  Some even feel that the name “karma” is hippy and new age even though almost every belief system has a version of it with a different name.

Did you know that there is even a significant part of science that supports the concept of karma ... for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction .... with every effect there is a cause.  Quantum mechanics states that everything is created from something and that energy merely passes from one form to another.  So, you cannot create something out of nothing ... an good and bad things don’t just happen, they have a cause and often the cause is something we have done.

Keeping this in mind, we may find ourselves asking ... do you think I asked to have these bad things happen to me?  Well, that depends.  Some things are a part of nature like the cycle of life and death.  But maybe we should ask ourselves what are we attracting in our lives.  I believe that every thought, action and emotion we have puts out an energy into the universe and acts like a magnet to whatever we are focused on.  A very powerful concept.

But it is naive to think about wanting something and sitting back and waiting for it to happen.  Instead, it is about your frame of mind which will determine what actions you will take to change the outcome of the situation.  We all know that if you are in a defeated frame of mind you will not be in a position to take the right steps towards your ideal goal.  Remember, “we may not often see them but the roots of an idea go deep and start growing before we see the leaves”. 

So this all sounds great so whats the catch?  Well the biggest downfall of those trying to live by karma is they expect self-gain, instantly.  We give up too quickly.  In the western world, we are so blessed with unbelievable riches.  Most of us have a roof over our heads, plenty of food and modern technology at our fingertips.  Believe that keeping focused and having patience will bring rewards.  Start by being grateful for what you have ... seeds don’t sprout instantly ... and neither does karma.  

The essence of karma is taking responsibility for your own actions.  Everything has a consequence.  And the hardest part of all of this is not letting other’s bad actions effect you.  One way to combat this is to trust that karma is working for you and them in just the same way ... 

how people treat you is their karma, how you react is yours  ॐ  wayne dyer