Kids Today

What's the difference between now and then?

Globe

Advantages:

1) great medical advances;

2) better and longer life expectancy;

3) more opportunities at various life stages to see the world.

Disadvantages:

1) more sceptical, or even wary, of strangers, perhaps even hostile towards them too;

2) suffer from decision paralysis given greater number of opportunities in life nowadays;

3) higher expectations leading to greater risk of disappointment and disillusionment of life.

Last Live Performance

Which recent live performance enthralled and entertained me enough for me to remember?

Sri Sathya Sai Baba died. Beloved Baba’s heart stopped beating at 7.28 am IT on Sunday, 24 April 2011 morning.

My little niece, all of 6 years, doing Bollywood for us in the living room. She managed to keep a lovely straight face while she struggled to remember the moves on her own… there were moments when her sweet features were contorted out of shape through sheer concentration though! Timeframe? 3 weeks, or so, ago.

Trying not to fret, but. . .

I’m still not in a state to fall asleep and it’s quarter to three in the morning. I’m burning some Midnight Iris oil and doing some breathing exercises. I just hope I don’t turn into someone who only needs 4 hour’s sleep each night – I love sleep too much. I have stopped taking the sedative pill in the evenings, as advised, and this is what happens: I can’t seem to come down and relax enough to bring about sleep. Mania? Not quite. Forgot to bring my laptop, so engaging in social media for as long as my mobile phone’s battery allows. Also listening to Radio 4′s soap opera. Some days I feel as if I’m filled with words and expression that I’d burst if I didn’t have anywhere to put them. Love blogs. x

What is life?

“Life is like a wild tiger. 
You can either lie down and
let it lay its paw on your head –
or sit on its back and ride it.”

RIDE THE WILD TIGER

What is pain?

“Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.”

KAHLIL GIBRAN
The Prophet

What is life?

“What we are today
comes from our thoughts of yesterday,
and our present thoughts
build our life of tomorrow:

Our life is the creation of our mind.”

THE BUDDHA

Joe Hisaishi’s Princess Mononoke

Uploaded by PickingSaffron on 26 Jun 2008

Share Your World—week 24

“I’m right-handed’”
picture source: redbubble.com – hands of love

1. Are you left or right handed?
   Right handed, but left legged i.e. when it comes to agility, my left leg wins, but loses on strength.
2. What is one thing you love about being an adult?
   Life experience – cannot beat it for living a fuller and more grateful life.
3. What do I need to unlearn?
   I need to unlearn: sleeping late and waking up late is ok.  To bed before midnight is still one of the best and ‘easiest’ (mental) health advises ever.
4. What is success for me?
   When you can say you love being alive and am living a gracious, appreciative life that gives back as well as takes to fuel itself.  When you can look around you and recognise those that you care for and who care for you too.  It is underestimated how much love and support can enable a fuller life.  Success is having the ability to say, “I love being alive and am living the way I enjoy living.”

Share Your World—week 25

“I prefer my food mixed together”
picture source: Ever New Recipes.com

1. What’s my favourite holiday and why?
   Bali – a week of being looked after with a chauffeur who ferried us around the island’s hotspots, warm just-right weather and delicious food with great photo opportunities.  OK, no real ‘stories’ to tell, but sometimes having peace is the most fortunate situation of all… and that’s just what it was: a holiday of peace.
2. Do you prefer your food separated or mixed together?
   My mother is particularly good with combining ingredients for that just-right hint of flavour that goes beyond just the first few mouthfuls.  I love it when she mixes flavours together, so I have to say I’m a fan of ‘mixed together’.
3. Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say?
   I try to use a framework of things to say rather than necessarily rehearsing exact words to say.  Sometimes I might prepare phrases to use, especially when dealing with professional/work phone calls, or just calls that are a little tricky when it comes to phrasing things for the correct tone of voice.
4. When you are with your friends. Do your interactions include much touching—for example, hugging, kissing, rough housing, rubbing backs? Would you like to have more of this?
   Not a lot.  Maybe once or twice during the conversation there’ll be touching e.g. squeezing of arms, but nothing too overtly affectionate.  I think not overdoing things allows it to be saved for specific use and therefore carry greater value when used.  But that’s just my opinion… I wouldn’t want affection to be under-valued through over-use.

Share Your World–week 26

“Enjoying Joe Hisaishi”
picture source: World of anime music

1. What made you smile today?
   Listening to Joe Hisaishi as part of my piano playing homework.
2. Have any hidden talents?
   Well, I love making greeting cards… but I only make them when I have time and only for those close to me, which makes for a relatively rare event.  Hidden?  Not on purpose.
3. Are you usually late, early, or right on time?
   Usually right on time, but I’m moving towards being early nowadays.
4. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
   I guess the least a person could do is exist and being alive is steps above that.  I know someone with MND (motor neurone disease) which renders all muscles in the body useless and he is still very much alive.  His personality still shines through despite having to use the aid of a ventilator to speak.  Truly living?  Being able to use all of yourself (all the five senses, all your abilities) to sense the world and live accordingly.  To be able to stimulate yourself emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually – to do all that you would like, but cannot when dead.