Never too young to make a difference

This little girl is Emily James. Emily wanted to do something for other children who have cancer, and decided to donate her locks, so that they will not "be sad that they have no hair".

An inspiring story, that goes to show that one is never too young to want to make a difference. One does not need to have gone through life to have compassion and love for others. How about you?

Thank you to The Breast Cancer Site blog for sharing this story.

Embrace uncertainty

“When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for you to stand upon or you will be taught to fly.”

~ Patrick Overton

Life is full of uncertainties. Instead of being afraid of not knowing what's next, why not embrace the uncertainties with vigor? Like Forrest Gump said, "Like is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.". So why not enjoy the process? Live life with positivity and love for what comes your way, it will be more fun that way! 

Trust that everything happens for a reason, trust that life never forsakes us, trust that every experience can be a learning opportunity. 

=)

Life is what we make out of it

Life is beautiful, if you choose to see it.

Life will be beautiful, if you choose to live it.

=)

Love lifts us up where we belong!

Love triumphs over fear, always! Invite love into your life, experience the lightness in your heart, and embrace the amazing feeling! ^_^

Wisdom is...

Thank you to my friend, G for sharing this quote!

Take the path of least resistance

"The path of LEAST resistance will often take you farther from your destination than the seemingly more difficult one."

~Timber Hawkeye

When you encounter a difficult situation, why do you resist the present moment? Resistance will only bring you mental suffering. Acceptance of the fact allows you to put more energy into productive activities that can help take you out of difficult situations.

Why are you angry?

"You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished BY your anger." 

~The Buddha

When you are angry, whether at another person or a situation, you don't cause the other party as much suffering as you do to yourself. Even if the other party reacts to your anger, no one can ultimately punish you as much as yourself for how you feel.

You may also refer to an earlier post I wrote about anger.

What would you do today if you knew you were to die tomorrow?

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
~Mahatama Gandhi

If you knew you were to die tomorrow, what would you do differently from now? Would you live the day more happily, tell your loved ones how much you appreciate them, be more fearless with what you love? 

"One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching."

~Gerard Way

Live each day fully without regrets.

All that matters is this moment

All that matters is this moment. Not the past, nor the future. 
How would you choose to live today?

Listen to your heart

Sometimes we think and worry too much, when all we have to do is go with the flow and listen to our heart's desires =) 

What is your heart telling you now?

How to reach your dreams

Just sharing an article on how to reach your dreams! Where there's a will, there's a way ^_^ Don't stop believing! The sky is the limit. Or is it? ;)

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/7-things-you-should-know-reach-your-dreams.html

Be kind and smile!

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." 

~ Mother Teresa

=) 

True friends

A quote from 幾米 Jimmy Liao:

時間，帶不走真正的朋友；歲月，留不住虛幻的擁有。
時光轉換，體會到緣分善變；走過一段路，總能有一次領悟；經歷一些事，才能看清一些人。人生中，最難得是有個好朋友。
最難放的是真感情。最難忘的是入心人。最難求的是被人懂。

Translation:

Time cannot take away a true friend.

Age cannot retain the illusory.

With the passing of time, we will experience the improvement of fate.

With every path, we will learn a lesson.

Through some experiences, can we really see some people for who they are.

In this life, what is truly hard to come by is a good friend.

What is hardest to let go of is true feelings.

What is hardest to forget is someone who understands your heart.

What is hardest to wish for, is to be understood.

Dedicating this to my friend, Angel, who has been with one of my best friends for so many years. True friendship is difficult to find, but once you find it, it never really goes away. Even if you had not spoken for years, one realizes that the time apart has changed nothing when you meet again. Love you, dear. I am glad to be walking down this road with you. =)

Being happy

=)

Be yourself (Part 3)

You do not need someone to tell you how to live your life, or allow them to change the way you live it. Everyone sees the world differently. Just do what you know is kind and right. But know that there is no 'right' or 'wrong', just differences in perspective. Look inside yourself for the answers. All you seek comes from within.

Empathy

A good definition of empathy and what listening really means, by Confucius. 

"The hearing that is only in the ears is one thing. 

The hearing of the understanding is another. 

But the hearing of the spirit is not limited to 

any one faculty, to the ear, or to the mind. 

Hence it demands the emptiness of all the faculties. 

And when the faculties are empty, then the whole being listens. 

There is then a direct grasp of what is right there before 

you that can never be heard with the ear or understood with the mind."

~Confucius

Just adding a clarification after some feedback:

Faculty in this case refers to the senses and perceptions. Emptying the faculties means you remove your personal filters of what is really being said/conveyed, filters that are in place inside your mind because of your past experiences/prejudices, and which affect your perception. Without the filters in the way, you will be able to see and hear what is truly happening.

The antidote to emptiness

^_^

The path to joy

When your mind is pure and uninfluenced by the ego (in other words, no compulsive thoughts, no fear, no worries, no judgment, just gratefulness, neutrality, pure acceptance and non-resistance), joy pervades every waking moment. You don't even have to seek joy. More accurately, you cannot seek joy. How can something be found (which would indicate a source that is external) when it already exists within? You just have to learn to calm your mind and feel the inner stillness and peace. It is neither a complex nor religious concept (though it can be hard to practice constantly). Simply acknowledge each experience, emotion, thought, as they come, and release (ie. let them go with a loving awareness, without dwelling on the cause). When nothing stays and you accept the impermanence of things, how can you suffer? The only state that remains is that of peace.

=)