Habit

We're all creatures of habit. 

Repeat an action enough times and it becomes habitual — an unconscious behavior.

Here's a worthwhile habit to work on developing: 

Each day, "catch" at least one person doing something good…and praise them. 

Over time, you'll acquire a natural tendency to focus on the good stuff! ~Eric Harvey

在生命中，再无聊的时间，也是限量版

在生命中，再无聊的时间，也是限量版

It's the how, not what

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it."

Lena Horne (1917-2010); Singer, actress, civil rights activist

Next act

Think of the poorest person you have ever seen and ask if your next act
will be of any use to him.

   
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

Thich Nhat Hanh’s letter to friends in Japan

Thich Nhat Hanh's letter to friends in Japan 

Plum Village March 13th, 2011 

Dear friends in Japan, 

As we contemplate the great number of people who have died in this tragedy, we may feel very strongly that we ourselves, in some part or manner, also have died. 

The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humankind. And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one part of the body happens to the whole body. 

An event such as this reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives. It helps us remember that what's most important is to love each other, to be there for each other, and to treasure each moment we have that we are alive. This is the best that we can do for those who have died: we can live in such a way that they can feel they are continuing to live in us, more mindfully, more profoundly, more beautifully, tasting evey minute of live available to us, for them. 

Here in France and at our practice centers all over the world, our brothers and sisters will continue to chant for you, sending you the energy of peace, healing and protection. We are praying for you with our heart, our breathe and our daily actions with more compassion, more understanding and mutual interactions in beauty. Thich Nhat Hanh

Compassionate is not enough, you must act

"It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act. There are two aspects to action. One is to overcome the distortions and afflictions of your mind, that is in terms of calming and eventually dispelling anger and so forth. This is action born from compassion.  The other is more social, more public. When there is something that needs to be done in the world to rectify wrongs, if one is really concerned with benefiting others, it is not enough simply to be compassionate. There is no direct benefit in that. With compassion one must be engaged, involved."
--The Dalai Lama

Faith

Subject: Faith

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling. And even more beautiful, is knowing that you are the reason behind it. If you appreciate this message, please share. You may touch someones heart today and forever. Enjoy your week with a heart of gratitude... "Faith is not about everything turning out OK; Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out."