I’m not a big fan of Piers Morgan’s interview show on CNN, but it’s rare to find a link to a video of a full interview with his holiness the Dalai Lama. He’s a joy to listen to in these, great sense of humor and always very thoughtful and wise, enjoy ~ Rev Kane
How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours ~ Wayne Dyer
One of the things I’ve come to understand in my life is that the universe requires balance. This is also talked about in terms of karma, or more commonly what comes around goes around. The frustration most people have with this process is that it seems that sometimes the wheel of karma turns way too slow for people who do things we don’t approve of in life. However I believe that this balance always occurs and yes, I have seen it take decades, but trust me my friends, it comes to pass.
I have not always been the most patient of folks, it is something I have certainly worked on over the last few years and I’m getting better. So today, the universe decided to check on my progress, I’m scheduled on a flight overseas that was supposed to leave at 6:30, once I arrived at the airport it quickly changed to 11:30, this turned a 16 hour travel day into a 21 hour travel and of course all on three hours of sleep.
This became a practice what you preach moment for Reverend Kane. So after the shock and utter disbelief started to subside I settled in. I got a snack, paid for by my American Airlines $12 snack voucher, (apparently my time is worth $2.40/hr to the airline), found an outlet, plugged-in, made some calls and am used the time to catch up with you my friends and others.
I didn’t get upset or frustrated, I verified everything I could and although my travel plans were delayed I wasn’t going to get stuck anywhere because of missed travel connections or services. I had a great book to read and I certainly had plenty of time for a nice dinner at the airport.
As we have talked about often, we determine our own level of happiness. I could have sat there in the airport like several others I’ve witnessed, angry, frustrated, railing at people who had no fault or control of the situation, but instead I chose to roll with it, even enjoy it as much as possible, it makes for a better day and quite frankly, I think it will help me live longer. So Happy Mothers day to you that applies to, thank you to all the rest of you who may not be parents but are just as valuable and who also help us raise our children. Here’s hoping your day has progressed more predictably than mine and as always, have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane
Holiday Happiness: Overcoming Worry
Happy Christmas? Thoughts on the Holiday Season
Holiday Happiness: Family, Friends & Environment
A positive attitude from you tends to produce a positive attitude toward you.
~ Deborah Day
This post comes entirely from one of my favorite places on the web, Zen Habits and it is a post describing 3 steps to having a happier day and then of course, day by day, a happier life, enjoy, and have a happy day ~ Rev Kane
A Powerful Three-Step Algorithm for Happiness
Today I’m going to share a really simple secret that can make your day instantly better. If you’re feeling down, it can make you happier, all day long.
It’s something I’ve been trying myself, with great results.
It’s three steps, and anyone can do them. This is an algorithm that can be repeated over and over, all day long. It starts with a basic assumption: that we are all human beings capable of goodness, of love, of pain, of broken hearts and passionate love. That we all have bad days, that inside our jaded exteriors is a person who just wants love.
It is based on my observation that we take other people for granted, and that we judge others and become irritated with them for almost no good reasons, and we expect everyone to make us happy or at least behave the way we want them to, and if they don’t, our day is ruined. That’s crazy. People are living their own lives, and aren’t trying to please us or act in accordance with our expectations, and once we accept that, we can be happy.
Here are the three steps. They might sound silly to some of you, but I urge you to give them a try. For just one day. Even just an hour. They are powerful, and they work.
1. Think “I love you, and I’m thankful for you” to every single person today. This sounds kinda silly perhaps, but it works. Seriously, try it. Look at each person you pass or encounter today, and think to yourself (as if you’re talking to the person you’re looking at), “I love you, and I’m thankful for you.” Try to say it with feeling. Mean it! Even to those you pass on the street, in the elevator, while you’re driving (you might only see them for a split second, from a distance).
2. Smile at that person, and look them in the eye. Many of us are used to not looking people in the eye, avoiding contact. But looking someone in the eye is acknowledging their existence and human-ness, and establishing a connection. Smiling helps pass your happiness on to others. Obviously you can’t do this if the person is far from you or driving past you, but when you can, apply this step.
3. If you feel comfortable, say it aloud to that person. Say, “I love you and I’m thankful for you.” You’ll probably only say this to people you know very well (though the bold among you might say it to strangers!). If you’re not comfortable with that, try to say it with actions instead of words. A simple hug, doing something nice, spending time with someone while treating them kindly, doing a favor without expecting a return favor, just being thoughtful. Obviously you can’t do this step with everyone you pass, but the more people you apply this step to, the better.
Try these steps, please.
Also know that I love you. And I’m grateful that you’re alive.
Fear is Killing Your Happiness
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A couple of quotes and images to help your Wednesday go a little better, have a happy day ~ Rev Kane
Appreciate the moments
I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires. ~ Kahlil Gibran
Happiness
Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. ~ Lao Tzu
Be the happy one in the crowd
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Quotes about Happiness, Gratitude & Kindness
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The Dalai Lama on motivation
The quality of everything we do: our physical actions, our verbal actions, and even our mental actions, depends on our motivation. That’s why it’s important for us to examine our motivation in our day to day life. If we cultivate respect for others and our motivation is sincere, if we develop a genuine concern for others’ well-being, then all our actions will be positive. ~ Dalai Lama
People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost. ~H. Jackson Browne
I was reminded this weekend of how incredibly thankful I should be for my life as it is at this time. Today I am one of the fortunate ones, I am well-educated, I have a good job, my health is good and all-in-all, things are good for me. Not perfect of course, I will certainly see a 10% pay cut this year, my health is not perfect, I have people I care about who are ill, friends who are dealing with the most difficult of things. Yet still, I am one of the lucky ones, my life has finally brought me to a point where my pursuits are less and less about necessity and more and more about my happiness and desires. This most certainly makes me a fortunate man.
This Saturday morning I was heading out for an all-day bicycle ride, the opportunity for that itself a measure of how lucky I am. I stopped at McDonalds for a guilty pleasure, an egg McMuffin and hash browns. As I sat down to eat my breakfast an old woman came in, pushing a small cart full of all of her possessions. She ordered a coffee and a hash brown and sorted out some balled up bills to pay with. I noticed several people adjusted their seats to not sit near her, honestly I considered the same and was ashamed for even having the thought. You see, those of us who live in cities with large homeless populations learn to not see them, develop the ability to ignore them and their suffering. Over time, I too have developed this ability, this callousness an unfortunate characteristic that I now carry.
However, for some reason my ability failed me on this morning and I really saw her. She was older, not elderly, but probably in her early 60’s and she seemed utterly alone. Worn out, several scabs on her lips, she seemed as if a strong wind could knock her over. It was a cold morning and I noticed she was wearing Crocs and no socks, it was a windy morning as well and I found myself wondering how terribly cold the hours after dawn must have been for her. She was not begging, she didn’t seemed inclined to, and uncharacteristically for me I walked over wished her a good day and placed a twenty-dollar bill on her tray. She blessed me and I left to go onto my bike ride.
I do not write this to look for any kind of accolades for what I did, it was an act of selfishness and shame. You see, I as many people do, can see a future where I could very well end up alone and it would take only a few poor turns for me to end up someday as she is now. I was in that moment ashamed that I have so much while she has so little, I was selfishly hoping that if I end up in her shoes, maybe someone who has more will be as kind to me, even if it is only on one cold morning.
Be grateful for what you have and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane
Quotes about Inspiration & Happiness
Quotes about Happiness, Gratitude & Kindness
Revisiting Some of our Best Posts, Quotes & Pictures
A friend of mine posted this on FaceBook, grab a tissue, and whether the story is true or not is irrelevant, the lesson is important. We have talked about before, to steal from the Beatles, “in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” ~Rev Kane
A NYC Taxi driver wrote:
I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. ‘Just a minute’, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
‘Would you carry my bag out to the car?’ she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. ‘It’s nothing’, I told her, ‘I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.’
‘Oh, you’re such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, ‘Could you drive through downtown?’
‘It’s not the shortest way,’ I answered quickly..
‘Oh, I don’t mind,’ she said. ‘I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. ‘I don’t have any family left,’ she continued in a soft voice, ‘The doctor says I don’t have very long.’ I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
‘What route would you like me to take?’ I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds she had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, ‘I’m tired. Let’s go now’. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
‘How much do I owe you?’ She asked, reaching into her purse.
‘Nothing,’ I said
‘You have to make a living,’ she answered.
‘There are other passengers,’ I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
‘You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life..
I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
The practice of patience guards us against losing our presence of mind. It enables us to remain undisturbed, even when the situation is really difficult. It gives us a certain amount of inner peace, which allows us some self-control, so that we can choose to respond to situations in an appropriate and compassionate manner, rather than being driven by our disturbing emotions. ~ Dalai Lama
Warm-heartedness reinforces our self-confidence – giving us not a blind confidence, but a sense of confidence based on reason. When you have that you can act transparently, with nothing to hide! Likewise, if you are honest, the community will trust you. Trust brings friendship, as a result of which you can always feel happy. Whether you look to the right or the left, you will always be able to smile. ~ Dalai Lama
Deng Ming-Dao on Caring
There are times in life when we are called upon to help others typically when people we care about are suffering and in pain. At these times we feel obligated to give of ourselves and we should, however we should never be asked to give beyond what we can, to the point of doing harm to ourselves, Deng Ming-Dao says it better.
Don’t go out looking for good deeds to do
But if one comes your way, do not refuse.
If you meet someone who is suffering,
You must help them
What good is self-cultivation and wisdom if you just keep it for yourself? Knowledge is meant to be used, and if you can use it on behalf of others, you should.
There was once a man who prayed daily to a particular god among many of the temple. Eventually, he noticed that the incense he lit drifted all over – other gods were getting the benefit from his efforts! He built a paper cone over the incense burner so that all the smoke would be directed right at the nose of his god. Unfortunately, this turned the face of his god black with soot.
Those who follow Tao believe in using sixteen attributes on behalf of others: mercy, gentleness, patience, nonattachment, control, skill, joy, spiritual love, humility, reflection, restfulness, seriousness, effort, controlled emotion, magnanimity, and concentration. Whenever you need to help another, draw upon these qualities. Notice that self-sacrifice is not included in this list. You do not need to destroy yourself to help another. Your overall obligation is to complete your own journey along your personal Tao. As long as you can offer solace to others on your same path, you have done the best you can.
The Ministry of Happiness 