I am a bookworm. I always have been and by the looks of it, I always will be.
I have enjoyed reading all kinds of fiction books, with a particular love for genres such as romance and adventure. However, over the past 6 months, my taste in books has changed quite drastically.
As I have mentioned in my previous blog about ‘Spirituality and the Arts’, my views about life have changed a lot. I have become more of a spiritual thinker. However, at the beginning of last year, although I was going around claiming that I was becoming spiritual, I came to realise that I did not actually understand what it meant. Therefore, I put my ignorance to the side and starting engaging in spiritual texts more and more – all of which have brought me to write this blog.
Reading books about spiritual thinking, awakening and mindfulness can be quite intense and deep. To fully understand the meaning behind each text, I could not merely read it and take it at face value. I had to analyse, interpret and question it. Only then would I have been able to apply it to my own life and gain the courage to make changes: changes which should not only be beneficial to me, but also to those around me.
A few months into my true discovery of what spiritual thinking and living was all about, a friend of mine gifted me ‘The Pocket Book of Mindfulness’ for my birthday last September. When she gave it to me, she said that she hoped each quote made me think deeper about spirituality and life. Therefore, this blog post is going to do exactly that by looking at my three favourite quotes.
‘Most of us take for granted that time flies, meaning that it passes too quickly. But in the mindful state, time doesn’t really pass at all. There is only a single instant of time that keeps renewing itself over and over with infinite variety.’ (Deepak Chopra)
Time never fails to baffle me. Being the ardent Doctor Who fan that I am, time is a concept which I have always tried to decipher but failed miserably. We, as human beings, have tried to define time in numerous ways: numbers, equations, dimensions. I have truthfully tried my best to understand it, but it does just go beyond me. Nonetheless, if there is one thing I am certain of, it is the here and now. This exact moment is the one which counts.
We are living in a world which is so driven by the future. For example, as a student, I am forced to think in a way that is all about passing exams and getting through university. Yes of course this is crucial – I mean how else would I get my degree?! At the same time however, it becomes easy to forget to enjoy that journey. Yes university has been stressful so far and I can guarantee that it will be stressful if I have the current mind-set that I do. I have realised that every time I begin to stress about the burden of exams, I need to take a moment to breathe and look at what I am studying at this point in time. Take it in and appreciate how fortunate I am to be studying the content that I am. This way, I will love studying and revising that much more. This love and passion for my education is what will get me through my last two years of university (hopefully!): all of which begins now.
So what is the Time? It is the Now.
‘The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.’ (Louise Hay)
If your thoughts are positive, your life is positive. If your thoughts are negative, your life is negative. It is that simple.
I have come across and heard of many individuals whose whole lives are unfortunately defined by jealousy, anger and lies. I have experienced all these traits which have made my life extremely difficult. That moment, I recognised these negative traits of mine and started making changes. It was after these changes that I began to notice how my mind started to fill with nothing less than positivity.
I realised that the positive energy I was putting into my life was exactly what life was giving back to me – happiness in every single shape and form. I did still face many difficulties, and even now, I am facing several difficulties – but it is all in the mind. Positive thinking will hardly ever cloud your judgement; if anything, it will make you think clearer and deal with difficulties in a manner which will ultimately benefit everyone.
‘In a true you-and-I relationship we are present mindfully, non-intrusively, we are present with things in nature. We do not tell a birch tree it should be more like an elm. We face it with no agenda, only an appreciation…’ (David Richo)
Expectations can be the cause of many problems. This, I believe, is particularly the case in relationships – whatever kind it may be: familial, friendships, romantic or work-place.
The most beautiful thing about every individual is the fact that they are different. I have come to cherish the fact that I am different, I am unique, I am me. I will never let anyone’s expectations change the person I have grown to become. Therefore, when I look at someone I appreciate them for their individuality. If it does not fit with my way of thinking, then fine. I keep my distance. Never do I want to be a person who robs another of that element which makes them the person they are.
I feel that expectations arise from our nature to compare ourselves and our relationships to those around us. The moment you start comparing an individual to another, you are indirectly telling them that they are not good enough and that is worst thing anyone could do to another.
Love an individual for who they are and not who you want them to be. That is the purest and truest forms of love.
Our minds are unbelievably powerful. The moment we learn to unlock this element of us, we learn to appreciate every little aspect of life. We lead happier, stress-free lives and we radiate that same energy to everyone around us and we start attracting individuals who radiate that same energy as us. Therefore, those around us become that much more important to us and we value their presence in our lives so much more.
Be Mindful. Be Happy. Be you.
An Infinite Journey 