Happiness - Smile

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Synchronicity 4

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Someone I know was recently unfairly dismissed from her job. Naturally, she was upset, but I immediately knew that she will get another role more suited to her aspirations. I don't know why, but I just knew.

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A month before she lost her job, she decided to study Chinese. So it seems timely, as now she is freer to pursue that.

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Last week, she got a new role to teach in a local university. Unsual, because she does not have a PhD nor the experience of teaching in a university, but she got the position. She has always wanted to teach in a university.

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Yesterday, she found out that she was selected against the better qualified candidates because she came prepared with a programme and also that she has a background in the Chinese language. She will be teaching (art) aesthetics, and the department prefer someone who can also compare aesthetics from the perception of cultures distant from Europe.

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So listen to yourself. What are the keywords in your thoughts recently? We all have a voice within. A voice some call the "Holy Spirit". Then go with the Flow.

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Winter

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It has been snowing. Trees that have shed their leaves earlier are less burdened by the snow. Pine trees, which are evergreen, do not shed their leaves and therefore catch more snow. Many of them got too heavy their branches snapped and fell.

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Then, it occurred to me that likewise, if I were to shed my attachments, I will have less emotional pains when adversity snow down on me. Perhaps, we humans too should have our personal 'autumns' when we shed our attachments, such that our emotional burdens will be manageable and that we won't snap and fall!

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It is the Law of Cycles.

It says:

The world of nature exists within a larger pattern of cycles, such as day and night and the passing of the seasons. The seasons do not push one another. Neither do clouds race the wind across the sky. All things happen in good time. Everything has a time to rise, and a time to fall. Whatever rises, falls and whatever falls shall rise again. That is the principle of cycles.

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Patience 2 - The reward

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Yesterday, someone I know got what he wanted after putting up with waiting for it for one year. He has shown patience and understanding of the delays amid acute difficulties and the impending financial turmoils.

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As for the other party who had screamed, shouted and threatened with police reports and legal injunctions, they got nothing but a bad name. It's normal, most people avoid storms, but love gentle breezes.

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Patience

[Writing in progress... be patient! :) ]

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I have hurried to post this here before I lose my patience. Also, it is so that I can still capture my feelings about the subject accurately and understand what still keeps me (and my patience) going. :)
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What is 'patience'?
If I still think of when 'something' is going to happen everyday, am I still patient?

Hmmm... I am not obsessive, so I guess I still am.
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An impatient person is one that runs 'out of character' and loses his peace. He is the sort that would dig out the germinating seeds just because he cannot see the green shoots coming out from the ground. An impatient person lacks the trust that the seeds will grow on their own. And of course, having dug out the seeds, the seeds die.
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We have all seen impatient people at some point in our life. For instance, the wife who could not take it any more and left her eternally optimistic entrepreneur husband struggling with his fledging business. Or the impatient business partner who throw insults at his associates because of the prevailing frustrations without offering any better solutions to the problems. Some have even led to law suits over problems that neither party have a fair solution to.
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Conversely, I also have heard of the wife who has been patient and understanding and accepted her husband back, after he has strayed in the marriage. Her motivation for her patience is love.

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Most people are impatient because they have limited themselves to what they can 'see' and their lacking in their 'trust' in the bigger scheme of things.

There are many processes that we cannot see with our naked eye or five senses and we therefore have to based on 'trust' if we want to get anywhere. 'Trust' is easier when we understand more about what is around us. More importantly, 'trust' also means understanding that we are not alone to make things happen.

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For instance, all my achievements, will not be possible without the help of others. Along the process, many of my friends have come forward to offer me encouragement, help and even money to make things happen. They all seemed to trust me totally. This is perhaps because I, in turn, have total trust in what I do and that they will work. I 'trust' because I know everything I can conceive and believe will work. It may take many steps of refinements to work, but they will. And unless I continue to emit this energy, and attract the same to me, success will not come to me.

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So I shouldn't be surprised that 'patience' is considered a virtue by the major religions of the world. (I was surprised, when I first read the Wikipedia about the subject.)
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The Wikipedia defines 'Patience' as:
The state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

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Patience is often described as a core virtue in religion or spiritual practices.

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In the Jewish Bible, Christian Bible and the Koran, Job endures near-apocalyptic calamities without losing his patience or reproaching Divine Providence.

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In Judaism, Patience in God, it is said, will aid believers in finding the strength to be delivered from the evils that are inherent in the physical life.

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In Christianity, increasing patience is viewed as the work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian who has accepted the gift of salvation (salvation = self elevation). The Proverbs note that "through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone" (Proverbs 25:14-16, NIV);

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Through patience, a Muslim believes that an individual can grow closer to God and thus attain true peace. The Muslim faith believes that without a good spirit while enduring, the struggle will not bear its full reward, thus, patiently persevering, striving and going forward, despite the difficulty, is the pinnacle of behavior during challenging times.

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In Buddhism, patience is one of the "perfections" that a bodhisattva trains in and practices to realize perfect enlightenment. Patience is recognized within Hinduism in the Bhagavad Gita. In both Hinduism and Buddhism there is a particular emphasis on meditation, aspects of which lead to a natural state of mindfulness that is conducive to patient, effective and well-organised thought.

Comedy - Patience

Do you get angry with 'stupid people'?
I do. But less so nowadays. I used to be really really angry with 'stupid' people. Why don't they use their brains? or commonsense...etc?
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Well, there are many reasons for that, which we won't analyse exhaustively here.
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Take a look at the following videos of the infamous Ali G on Youtube.
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Here's the same person, Sasha Baron Cohen, explaining what he did as Ali G, the character he played, which is a rapper wannabe from Buckshire, UK, mocking important people and what they do.


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So, take life seriously, but not too seriously. Life is a game. Enjoy it!
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Oh, by the way, the actor himself is a graduate from Cambridge University and not stupid at all!

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Comedy - Religion

Warning: This posting contains opinions that may be considered unacceptable by some people. If you are easily offended by unconventional views about religion and spiritualism, then DO NOT READ FURTHER THAN HERE. If you do, then do it at your own risk! If you do not agree with the views expressed below, it does not mean that you have not 'arrived', rather it just mean that you 'do not agree'. Meanwhile, try to be open. There are lots to discover about ourselves when we are open. Do feel free to leave comments. BELIEVING IS NOT NECESSARY!

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More Warnings!!!

Foul Language is used in both the videos.

Religion - by the late comedian George Carlin
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Take away the foul language and the baseball bat, and what he said makes a lot of sense. What do you think?.
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The Ten Commandments
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If there is a "Ten Commandments", I would rather have it as "Ten Commitments". "Commandments" come from a purported supreme being imposing it on us based on Fear.

"Commitments" come from within.

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Technology 7 - Solar Powered Car

I have found three Youtube videos about solar powered cars worthy of watching. They don't use any fossil fuel and don't emit any carbon-dioxide. There is also no need to stop the car to refuel as it constantly does so on the move.
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This one is most impressive. He constructed the whole car from scratch!
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This one is a little more odd ball, but with the right investors, it can be a fun car to watch.
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This one, a golf cart fitted with solar panels, is already commercially available for US$7,000.
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All three cars are small cars, since bigger cars will need more power. Current solar cell efficiency is only 10%. Prototypes are now at 42% efficiency. When they come to production, we may see bigger solar cars on the road.

Technology 6 - Air Car

A car that runs on compressed air and emits cold air. No pollutants. Takes three minutes to charge up, costing about $3 and will last 200 kms on the road. It is at prototype stage at the moment and will sell around end of 2009 for less than $20,000.
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It will still need electricity to compress the air, but that can be more easily controlled compared to combustion engines.
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Wikipedia Reference, click here

Autumn Colours 3

How do you feel when you see this pix?

(You can click on it to enlarge.)

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I feel peaceful. Several of my friends who saw this pix told me it is beautiful and likewise they feel tranquil and peaceful after looking at it.

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A few days ago, a friend asked me, via instant messenger, how I am. I decided to depict it with this pix and sent it to her. I told her I felt like in the pix. Then, to my surprise...

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She: So sad!

Me: Why?

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She: The leaves are dry and the trees are dying. So sad!

Me: The trees shed leaves to be efficient during winter and the leaves fall and enrich the ground. How can it be sad?

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She: 'Sad' means SAD. Why so defensive? It's a feeling you have.

Me: *puzzled* I don't think I am sad and the pix is very beautiful.

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She: Admit it and take a deep look at your subconscious. It will help.

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At that point, I decided to leave the conversation.

We only feel what we are inside and what we see is a reflection of ourselves. So, we have the same pix, but two diametrically opposite emotions resulted.

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Note: I shot this photograph during one of my daily walks in the woods behind where I stay. I love the colours of autumn.

Obama

Normally political speeches are not included here, as this is not a political blog. However, Obama's speech is an exception because it is inspiring.

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Obama is the unlikeliest candidate to be nominated, let alone to win the US Presidential Elections. He won in a country where the majority are Caucasians and the political establishment still dominated by the Caucasian race. Black Slavary was abolished only in 1865, and up till the 60s, Afro-Americans were only allowed to ride at the back of buses. He also come from a humble beginning, where his father left him when he is born.

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His victory shows that with determination and a worthwhile belief, success is possible.

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I am inspired that at last there is courage for another major change in America, and perhaps changes to global affairs. I think he has succeeded because he has included everyone in his Campaign, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual preference and physical abilities. He even spoke specifically about those who have voted for the Republican and that he too will be their President; and that he will listen to everyone especially when there are disagreements.

Let's hope this is a turning for America and also for the world to emulate.

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And as for Vic's schoolmates who have been taunting him because he is from an ethnic minority, they should do some self-reflection. How much Love we have is demonstrated by how much we include, not exclude. The students who taunt Vic are excluding Vic, and without being conscious of it, are somehow ultimately motivated by Fear. By embracing all, Obama won the US Presidential race. Those who taunted Vic ought to re-member that. "Re-member" to return to be "One".

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