Proverbial Friday – Happiness

Do not waste all your happiness

by overlooking everything you have,

for everything you wish you had.

If you do, you will never have enough.

~ Polish Proverb

“Happiness is a quality of the soul…not a function of one’s material circumstances.”

~Aristotle

Several years ago, I created ‘Proverbial Friday’ on my blog.

I became fascinated with traditional proverbs and sayings, their metaphorical layers and the many different interpretations found within just a few, succinct words. I marveled at their ability to transcend race, religion, opinions and age.

Mostly anonymous, proverbs are a portal through time to generations past and echo a diverse range of cultures.

They speak of the experiences of many lessons learned and the wisdom from thousands of lives already lived.

They offer us knowledge; knowledge that is passed to us in much the same way relay runners might pass a baton. Once it’s handed over, it is up to us what we do with it and how we pass it on.

Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something. This week we are examining the concept of being happy.

 

Do you agree with Aristotle or the Polish proverb?

Is attitude, in itself, integral to feeling happy?

Charles Swindoll seems to think so.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of Attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.

The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our Attitudes.”

~ Charles R. Swindoll

I invite you to join in the discussion by leaving a comment.

Everyone’s opinion is important. What is yours?

Proverbial Friday – Freedom

Freedom is a need. I have a cat. People feed this cat; they pet this cat; they give the cat everything he needs. But every time the window is open just a little, he runs away.

~Dalai Lama

Freedom is a fundamental need for humans; and controversial in terms of geopolitical refugee issues. We might ask ourselves why people are running away from their homeland; why they are so terribly unhappy in camps/detention: why they don’t return home; why they want to don’t want to change their way of life/traditions or even their attitudes – part of the answer to this, is freedom. Freedom of choice.

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.

~ Unknown Proverb

How often do we lament about our own country’s regulations preventing us from actioning something we want to do? Bureaucracy sets us more and more rules and society exacts unwritten ones.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Emerging nanny states ignore the need for personal freedom and decision-making.  Machines and technology perform routine or repetitive tasks that eliminate the need for us to think, to choose, to do. They even decide for us how many steps we should take each day, the routes we drive, they eliminate the need to remember facts, as Google knows all. Is technology in a sense, preventing  physical freedom whilst giving us a kind of intellectual freedom. Many folk today are addicted to checking email, notifications and their phones, and do not allocate time to just be, to self- reflect, to enjoy the liberty of a human on this planet.

If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbours. There is no other.

~Carl Schurz (German revolutionary and American Statesman)

Picasso’s quote hints at liberty in a metaphorical sense. How do you interpret it?

“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.”

~ Pablo Picasso

Proverbial Friday

Several years ago, I created ‘Proverbial Friday’ on my blog.

I became fascinated with traditional proverbs and sayings, their metaphorical layers and the many different interpretations found within just a few, succinct words. I marveled at their ability to transcend race, religion, opinions and age.

Mostly anonymous, proverbs are a portal through time to generations past and echo a diverse range of cultures.

They speak of the experiences of many lessons learned and the wisdom from thousands of lives already lived.

They offer us knowledge; knowledge that is passed to us in much the same way relay runners might pass a baton. Once it’s handed over, it is up to us what we do with it and how we pass it on.

Join in the discussion by leaving a comment below. Everyone’s opinion is important. What is yours?

Proverbial Friday – always Something to Ponder About

Proverbial Friday

I find there to be profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and I marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader.

Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and from across cultures. They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned.

Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.

Weekly Proverb

“Man ska inte köpa grisen i säcken”

One shouldn’t buy the pig in the sack

 Swedish Proverb

Is this proverb a caution similar to suggesting that a ‘buyer beware?” A warning against buying items, sight unseen? Or could there be a deeper hidden layer of meaning?

Weekly Quotes

“If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values:

they’re just hobbies”

-Jon Stewart

and this:

Social comparison is the thief of happiness. 

You could spend a lifetime worrying about what others have,

but it wouldn’t get you anything

~ Marc and Angel

Join in the discussion by leaving a comment.

Everyone’s opinion is important. What is yours?

 

~ Amanda from Something to Ponder About

Proverbial Friday – Wise Words for Life

Weekly Proverb

You can’t heal stubbornness

~ Polish Proverb

Does this proverb reflect something about the Polish culture itself, or might it have a wider resonance in our daily lives?

We might be stubborn about matters that are important to us, because we want to be on the winning side of an argument, that is not to say that we are fixated on winning for the sake of winning, but more so that we feel reassured that others think similarly to us). If so, then this might reflect some feelings of inferiority in our inner self.

Perhaps it might also be we are concrete thinkers about right and wrong?

On the other hand, could fighting for what you believe is right, be considered by some as also being stubborn, but in a positive sense?

Weekly Quotes

There is a big empasis on working collaboratively these days, especially in the workplace. The following quote seems to confirm that approach. however, where does that leave the individual prodigy? Like the Flying fox – out on a limb?

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Shall we aim to help each other more!

Some consider a quote from Wolfgang von Goethe’s to be validation for positive criticism of a person or their ability. If you believe someone to be more capable than they outwardly demonstrate, can having another source, push you to lift your standards? Does it allow the person to see themselves from a different perspective?

I find there to be profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and I marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader.

Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and from across cultures. They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned.

Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.

Join in the discussion by leaving a comment.

Everyone’s opinion is important. What is yours?

Proverbial Friday -Wise words

I find there to be profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and I marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader. Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and from across cultures. They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.

Each Friday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a Quote that I find thought-provoking.

I hope you will too.

If you stop every time a dog barks, your road will never end.

~ Saudi Arabian Proverb

“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”

–Duke Ellington

What do you make of the sayings for this week?

General Adams appears to be advocating against arguing with those who live to argue? Do you agree?

And then the barking dog in Saudi Arabia – a word on perseverance and avoiding distraction, perhaps?

Finally, Duke Ellington had some positive encouragement for us to problem solve our way through life.

How do you handle problems in your life?

Do you have an old habitual way of addressing them, or is every reaction of yours, individualized to the event?

Are you someone who seeks advice from others when you face a difficult challenge or alternatively, someone who prefers to process problems through venting to sympathetic friends or family?

Leave a comment to join in the discussion.

Proverbial Friday

Something to ponder about

Proverbial Friday – Global Wisdom

I find there to be profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and I marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader. Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and from across cultures. They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.

Each Friday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a Quote that I find thought-provoking. 

I hope you will too.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

– Israeli Proverb

In the chilly southern hemispheric temperatures with gardens lying dormant, the following quotes seemed apt:

Time isn’t something you can turn back.

Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

– Veronica A. Shoffstall

Your problem is you’re too busy holding onto your unworthiness.

– Ram Dass, Philosopher

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart. And try to love the questions themselves. 

– Bohemian Austrian Poet and Novelist, Rainer Maria Rilke

Time – less flowers!

What do you make of this week’s words? Do you have an opinion?

Are the questions more important than the answers?

Are you really holding on to your unworthiness?

Join in the discussion by leaving a comment below.

~Amanda

After a While You Learn

There is no really more to be said. This poem says it all.

After some time you learn the difference,
The subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning,
And company doesn’t always mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts,
And presents aren’t promises.
And you begin to accept your defeats,
With your head up and your eyes ahead,
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build all your roads on today,
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans,
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn,
That even the sun burns if you get too much,
And learn that it doesn’t matter how much you do care about,
Some people simply don’t care at all.
And you accept that it doesn’t matter how good a person is,
She will hurt you once in a while,
And you need to forgive her for that.
You learn that talking can relieve emotional pain.
You discover that it takes several years to build a relationship based on confidence,
And just a few seconds to destroy it.
And that you can do something just in an instant,
And which you will regret for the rest of your life.
You learn that the true friendships,
Continue to grow even from miles away.
And that what matters isn’t what you have in your life,
But who you have in your life.
And that good friends are the family,
Which allows us to choose.
You learn that we don’t have to switch our friends,
If we understand that friends can also change.
You realize that you are your best friend,
And that you can do anything, or nothing,
And have good moments together.
You discover that the people who you most care about in your life,
Are taken from you so quickly,
So we must always leave the people who we care about with lovely words,
It may be the last time we see them.

You learn that the circumstances and the environment have influence upon us,
But we are responsible for ourselves.
You start to learn that you should not compare yourself with others,
But with the best you can be.
You discover that it takes a long time to become the person you wish to be,
And that the time is short.
You learn that it doesn’t matter where you have reached,
But where you are going to.
But if you don’t know where you are going to,
Anywhere will do.
You learn that either you control your acts,
Or they shall control you.
And that to be flexible doesn’t mean to be weak or not to have personality,
Because it doesn’t matter how delicate and fragile the situation is,
There are always two sides.

You learn that heroes are those who did what was necessary to be done,
Facing the consequences.
You learn that patience demands a lot of practice.
You discover that sometimes,
The person who you most expect to be kicked by when you fall,
Is one of the few who will help you to stand up.
You learn that maturity has more to do with the kinds of experiences you had
And what you have learned from them,
Than how many birthdays you have celebrated.
You learn that there are more from you parents inside you than you thought.
You learn that we shall never tell a child that dreams are silly,
Very few things are so humiliating,
And it would be a tragedy if she believed in it.
You learn that when you are angry,
You have the right to be angry,
But this doesn’t give you the right to be cruel.
You discover that only because someone doesn’t love you the way you would like them to,
It doesn’t mean that this person doesn’t love you the most they can,
Because there are people who love us,
But just don’t know how to show or live that.
You learn that sometimes it isn’t enough being forgiven by someone,
Sometimes you have to learn how to forgive yourself.
You learn that with the same harshness you judge,
Some day you will be condemned.
You learn that it doesn’t matter in how many pieces your heart has been broken,
The world doesn’t stop for you to fix it.

You learn that time isn’t something you can turn back,
Therefore you must plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure.
You really are strong .
And you can go so farther than you thought you could go.
And that life really has a value.
And you have value within the life.
And that our gifts are betrayers,
And make us lose
The good we could conquer,
If it wasn’t for the fear of trying.

Attributed to:

‘After a While’ (Veronica Shoffstall), ‘Comes The Dawn’ (Judith Evans), and ‘You Learn’ (Jorge Luis Borges) with minor variations on the wording. The version posted here  seems to include extra verses and the extra verses seem to come from other poems titled “I’ve Learned” either by Washington and Paul Coelho and by Maya Angelou.

Credit to https://purenourishment.wordpress.com/ for the content of this post.

Finding Happiness

Everyone wants it, and we constantly seek it, yet it can be illusive to many. It makes us smile, feel joy, and stay positive about everyday life. But is it possible to be happy all the time? Or is it enough to be satisfied or content? Is your Happiness dependent on others?

Some say happiness is not the fulfillment of what we wish for, but an appreciation of what we do already have around us!  Happiness will come when we quit complaining about troubles and are simply grateful for all the troubles we don’t have.

“Mr or Ms. Dreary moans about everything, he or she thinks people are horrible, and the world is going downhill and nothing is worth the effort. Well guess what? There is some who consider that He or She has choice and is acting out that choice.

Such a person looks at their options and decides that to be happy is much too difficult at that moment and declines to make any effort to think otherwise. He or she decides it is easier to be miserable and inadvertently drags others around him down, as well.

If someone wants to be miserable, or depressed it is their absolute right to be so. Misery is but one part of learning to manage our own independent lives.  If a person chooses to feel permanently depressed, let them also be so. Some folks will find every reason to be unable, as they feel that is more real.

If you say, ” Snap out of it. Life is great” or even, “just think positive.” They might feel or think that they just aren’t ready to agree or decide life is great.

Only with a change in their attitude, is it possible for them to see things differently and then they might be ready to snap out of it.

A change in attitude allows us to view life in a different way.

Say What?

“Consciously or unconsciously we choose our thoughts and actions, or reactions; we assign meaning to others’ words or actions.  Our own thoughts about those words or actions, impact the way we feel.  Thus accepting what is, and maintaining focus on the present moment as opposed to mentally re-hashing what has happened in the past, may cause a shift in our thoughts and therefore also in our feelings.” www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/where-science-meets-the-steps/

Stay present in the moment

Only the present moment is real, the past and the future are at this point, only illusions. Focus and be mindful on the present moment. It is here that that you live your life. Past mistakes are gone. You do not and can not live in the past, as much as you might try to think that. What is done, is done, and can’t be revisited, so why dwell on it? Look forward to what you can do and just soften in to looking to thoughts of things you are grateful for!

Chart your Gratitude

As cliched as it sounds, every morning, get up as soon as you wake and write down or think of three things, you can be thankful for. Slowly you will build the neurological pathway to positivity in your brain. For instance:

The sunshine caressing your face, the rain invigorating the plants, looking on a garden of flowers, a caring text, a smile from a co-worker, a treasured possession, the freedom of movement and of thought.

It becomes a beautiful record of all the positives in your life, for when you are feeling down.

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.” –Alphonse Karr

Look hard and you can find much to be grateful for.