Hi there! My apologies for the long delay since my last post. I can’t believe that the last time I wrote something was way before the holiday season even began.
Were you naughty or nice this year? Did Santa bring you everything your heart desired? How was your New Year? Did you make any resolutions? I feel like there is so much to catch up on, so I will tell you what I did:
Some of my all time favorite manny memories revolve around being with the kids I take care of during the holidays. It is a magical time when the kids wait with anticipation for Christmas morning. It is also a magical time for me to re-live the holidays through the kids’ eyes. Every year since I have worked with my current family, we have put up the Christmas tree together. I put the lights on, and the kids put on the ornaments as the Kenny G. holiday album plays in the background. Sometimes I become one of Santa’s elves and help wrap the presents too. This year was no exception. It was a beautiful Christmas all around.
On New Year’s Eve, my closest friends and I celebrated with one of those four course predetermined pricey meals at a chic LA restaurant. To be honest, I did not care for the food at all but the company I was with made up for it. At 11:30 pm, when the restaurant was closing and they handed us the check, we realized there would be no champagne toast at the restaurant. All nine of us booked it out of there as fast as we could to a lounge close by where we could ring in the New Year with a champagne toast. We walked as fast as we could, but one of the girls that was with us was in 5 inch heels AND just happened to be 5 months pregnant. She definitely knew how to rock those high heels too!
At 11:58pm we made it to the bar to order eight champagne drinks and one sparkling apple cider for the mom-to-be. We toasted each other and made our New Year’s wishes. I say wishes because I do not believe in New Year’s resolutions. I believe it just sets you up for failure. I never hear of anyone saying they just completed their New Year’s resolutions. So instead, I try to set goals for myself. My goals for 2012 are twofold: Find a children’s book publisher, and get in the best shape of my life. I see a triathlon in my future! I believe that 2012 is going to be even better than 2011, how could it not be, right?
Here are some motivating and inspirational words from the Dalai Lama to help kick start your new year:
1. Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.
2. If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.
3. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
4. My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
5. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
6. The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.
7. We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.
8. We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.
9. Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
10. If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.
11. If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others.
12. Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value”, is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought – so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything. It is usually said that you are your own master.
13. We must recognize that the suffering of one person or one nation is the suffering of humanity. That the happiness of one person or nation is the happiness of humanity.
14. Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.
15. As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than we found it.
16. To conquer oneself is a greater victory than to conquer thousands in a battle.
17. There is a saying in Tibetan, “Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.”
18. No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.
19. The creatures that inhabit this earth-be they human beings or animals-are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world.
20. A spoon cannot taste of the food it carries. Likewise, a foolish man cannot understand the wise man´s wisdom even if he associates with a sage.
20. In our struggle for freedom, truth is the only weapon we possess.
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