Archive | July 2015

A Varied Source

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“For sentient beings, poor and destitute, May I become a treasure ever plentiful, And lie before them closely in their reach, A varied source of all that they might need.” ~ Shantideva 

This is an amazing concept. To be “a varied source” of all that someone, anyone may need. Be a source of happiness and riches, not just material, monetary riches but rich in love and joy, generous and comforting to anyone in need. Be a source of inspiration, a source of light, be a friend and a protector, give a helping hand, a warm hug.  

There’s a blog called “Waking up with Ryan” by a man who loves to help and inspire people! Just my kind of man!

http://www.wakingupwithryan.com/

(and he’s cute too! Go check him out! ;-D)

Ryan’s everyday morning e-mails, which are about positivity, love, and inspiration, resonate with me so often. His messages each day can apply to people in general. And so often when I’m thinking about a certain topic or concept or something, his e-mail seems to be about that very issue! 

He asks:

“How do you show up for the people all around you?”

This is a fantastic question, one that is of great importance and is good to ask ourselves each day. 

The possibilities are infinite. There’s so much we can do for others whether or not the people realize we are doing anything to help them. Simple things they may not realize we did but would notice if it wasn’t done. Like doing extra work so our coworker doesn’t have to. Moving stuff out of the way if we see it in a street or the middle of a pavement where someone can trip over it or cars can crash. Feeding pigeons on a pavement. Sharing our snacks with a squirrel. Showing love to a homeless person. Even if it’s just eye contact or a sweet smile to show that person’s existence is something, is important, is valued. Saving insects when we can instead of crushing them. We too often overlook certain kinds of people and other sentient beings. Texting our mom just to say hello. Buying our friend coffee or tea. Putting things on hold to help someone else. Creating a blog/e-mail subscription system to send out inspiring messages to millions of people or just one who may see it, write positive messages to people on social media whether we know them or not, compliment a stranger, share an uplifting quote or song, let someone else have the last available seat on a bus or in a waiting room, or the last product in a store even if we need it, warmly reach out to an acquaintance who seems to be struggling even if just to say hello, when we feel like being judgmental instead of acting on that, seek to understand…

Ryan writes(in his June 23rd subscription e-mail):

“It’s too easy to lose ourselves in the day’s activities. We forget to consider the impact we have on each other.

Let’s slow down today and consider that every single interaction is an opportunity to add a little more hope to someone’s life.”

Isn’t this beautiful?

This is so profound. Think about it. Imagine if our every interaction each day, every mundane encounter, every random encounter, every planned encounter, at home, at work, out and about, driving, on a bus or train or plane, with other sentient beings is grasped as an opportunity to bring hope, love, light, and inspiration to that living being. 

Imagine if we all make the choice every single day throughout the day to lavish love onto each other and the world in every way we can. The world would change dramatically. And even if just one of us does this and the rest of the world doesn’t, the world around us will be better for those we touch. Not everyone will be interested in receiving our love and the love we send out to the world won’t always be returned to us but that’s ok! It’s not about what we get but what we give. 

Truly listen when someone wants to talk, listen to understand, not merely to respond in a mechanical, automatic way just to converse or satisfy social expectations, hold our tongue when we feel like lashing out in anger, encourage when someone needs inspiration, hug the hurt, comfort the sick, befriend the lonely, smile at those who are frowning, love the lost, guide them with your love and light, show compassion to those who seem to be lacking it, help the broken heal, be a varied source of all someone may need. 

We won’t always be able to be what everyone wants and needs and that’s ok. Maybe someone needs money you just don’t have to give, maybe someone wants to hear words you can’t bring yourself to say, needs your time when you really have somewhere else to be and can’t give it right then…

We can’t always be everything to everyone. But as long as our intentions are good, our heart is pure, our energy is loving….it’s all that matters. What we have to give, we can give. Let it be enough for now. And it’s a beautiful way to live. 

This quote attributed to Shantideva, inspires me so deeply. To be the best me I can be for whoever needs me. I won’t always succeed but I can do my best in general. 

I hope you have a varied source of all that you need but more importantly, I hope you will be that varied source to others in need. ❤

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I hope you are having a beautiful night or day wherever in the world you are. I’m sending my loving energy to you and wishing you the best. ❤ ❤ ❤ 😀

Ordinary Angels – mobile link to song

Ordinary Angels – desktop link

Xoxo Kim ❤

We’re Planting Flowers in Hell

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“She’d probably plant flowers in hell.” ~ Riderek (“summer girl”) 

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I saw this quote or lyrics recently and love it! It conveys the message that we can bring our own beauty and light even to places where there seems to be none. In dark, ugly, drab places, we can be a source of beauty and light and inspiration. It’s up to us to bring our own sunshine, our own flowers, our own stars, our own hope and love. There may not always be someone else around to provide that for us. But we can create our own, wherever we are, and send it out into the world. Whatever we want to see in the world that isn’t here, whatever we want to see more of, whatever kind of person we want to be around….let’s create and be that our own selves for others and for our selves. 

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The place where I found this quote or lyrics is  an instagram.com account. I don’t have an Instagram.com account but I can see a limited amount of content on some of the ones I come across. I find this one to be beautiful. I think he’s a writer/poet or lyricist or something.  His writing is grounded in hope and love and pain and kind of dark in a beautiful way. 

Riderek

I hope you are having a lovely day/night! And remember to plant your own flowers even in dark places. Let’s not wait for others to lavish love and light and beauty onto the world; let’s lead the way! ❤ 😀

Xoxo Kim ❤

Saturday in the park <3

 

 

 

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Here are some sweet Summer quotes and my pictures! 

“Tears of joy are like the summer rain drops pierced by sunbeams.” ~
Hosea Ballou

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“I have lived pain, and my life can tell: I only deepen the wound of the world when I neglect to give thanks the heavy perfume of wild roses in early July and the song of crickets on summer humid nights and the rivers that run and the stars that rise and the rain that falls and all the good things that a good god gives.” ~
Ann Voskamp

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My next door neighbors put out the rainbow flag & the American one to celebrate love, diversity, & equality! ❤ 😀

“Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air, and you.” ~
Langston Hughes

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“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ~
Henry James

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“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” ~
Albert Camus

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“Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon.” ~
C. Day Lewis

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“It was a splendid summer morning and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong.” ~
John Cheever

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“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” ~
Anton Chekhov

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“Oh, the summer night, Has a smile of light, And she sits on a sapphire throne.” ~
Bryan Procter

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And here’s a video to the song “Saturday in the Park” by Chicago, one of my favorite music groups which I have loved since I was a little girl! Because today is Saturday and yes it IS the 4th of July! Unfortunately I won’t be in a park tonight though but busy at work instead! It’s all good though! ;-D

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I remember years ago on Independence Day, Hall & Oates, who I also love for as long as I can remember, were at Penn’s Landing, here in the fabulous Philadelphia, and my coworker, Sarah, and me wanted so badly to go see them but we couldn’t because we were stuck at work! Lol We complained and laughed about it all night. And imagined what we would do if we were there. She wanted to get a custom made shirt that reads “Sarah Smile” because she always loved Hall & Oates and their song “Sara Smile.” When I was a young girl I used to imagine that my name was Sara and that he was singing to me! ;-D What a sweet song I can listen to over & over. I always think of Hall & Oates and that day at work on Independence Day. I’m drinking hot tea and it’s sweet and rainy here now and I love the gentle fragrance of wet leaves and soil drifting through the open windows and the sweet sounds of the cars sloshing through the streets. And the soft sound of the fans spinning and swirling. There’s a gentle and cool breeze flowing and everything is so perfect. It’s incredible what beauty we find when we just stop what we’re doing, retreat to the quiet stillness within and truly listen and feel. It’s like another world! Tonight it’s supposed to be dry & sunny while I’m at work at the store. It will probably be super busy as we sell ice cream & water ice. A lot of people outside of Philadelphia don’t know what this is! Lol water ice. I can’t believe it because I have known about it since forever and never knew people do not know what it is until I was in college and someone asked me! I found out it’s mostly a Philadelphia thing. I love watching people who never tasted it, try it! They always look so amazed!

Well here it is!

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It’s like ice cream I guess you can say but no milk or dairy and it’s like a snow cone sort of but creamy and is delicious and comes in all flavors like cherry, rainbow, root beer, mango, blueberry, apple, coconut, vanilla, chocolate, pina coolata, tropical rainbow, pineapple, and more! It can be called Italian ice. And there’s something called shaved ice.

I hope your day is beautiful as well.

And if you are a girl named Sara/Sarah, lucky you! I’m jealous!

Here’s to you, Sara/h!

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Smile! 😀 ❤

xoxo ❤ Kim