Your eternal destiny – weekend motivation quote #happiness

Posted on October 8, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

Your eternal destiny is not cosmic retirement; it is to be part of a tremendously creative project, under unimaginably splendid leadership, on an inconceivably vast scale, with ever-increasing cycles of fruitfulness and enjoyment – that is the prophetic vision which ‘eye has not seen and ear has not heard.’

— Dallas Willard

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Minimalism: one sure way to happiness @theminimalists

Posted on October 6, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

I followed The Minimalists for a while. I minimised my wardrobe (inspired by Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs too). I am streamlining how I buy and what I buy. I live lighter overall and as I embark on a radical saving experiment, I hope to scrutinise every purchase we make as a family because I realised that the more we buy, the less freedom we have – less time with loved ones or for myself, more work and for longer, less options to do work that matters. And it’s better for the planet too if we consume mindfully.

I am striving to be minimalist in my spiritual world and relationships – I quit Facebook, I deactivated most notifications on my phone, I save the time and energy that I used to spend on social media. I noticed my little one, bombarded by ads and product videos on Youtube, was becoming consumption obsessed, so I uninstalled Youtube on his iPad. We play together more now.

I hope this film inspires you equally, helps you refocus, shed stuff and bring more lightness of being into your life. On Amazon, Google Play and iTunes, from £9.99.

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Overthinking and letting go – how to manage your thoughts #happiness

Posted on October 1, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

The NPR’s Invisibilia podcast on thoughts called The Secret History of Thoughts was truly eye opening and life changing for me. I highly recommend to listen to it if you tend to overthink or obsess or if your inner voice (mind) is out of control. Why don’t we get to learn this stuff early on in our lives? Sharing with you here if you are reading this on an iPhone or here if you are on desktop or another OS.

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Everyone can learn to be happier #happiness #buddhism

Posted on September 24, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

I am ready to move to the next level in learning to meditate and self discovery and I believe I can achieve this by learning more about Buddhism. I am not interested in theory per se, I am after practical knowledge that can help me be happier.

I’d love to do a silent 3 day retreat ideally or take a course on Dharma, but I do not have the money or the time to be honest. I can’t complain. This day and age as long as you have Internet connection, not having money is an excuse. And time can be found if one really wants to. Make time, as they say.

I looked online and found 2 interesting (and free) programmes on Coursera and edX respectively. Thought I’d share the links!

Buddhism and Modern Psychology from Princeton University on Coursera

Buddhism Through Its Scriptures from Harvard University on edX

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That one thing you are not sure of doing – do it now #happiness

Posted on September 3, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

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Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it #fear #art #create #write

Posted on August 27, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

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Undoing is as important and difficult as doing #happiness

Posted on August 13, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

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Sometimes undoing is as important and difficult as doing and takes as much time. Sometimes people who seem to lead average lives are actually working to transform themselves from within. Sometimes learning what you are not is as important as learning what you are.

Self development may be subtle and within, like an underground current. Don’t give yourself hard time that your actions are not external, do not bear visible fruit. Do not think you should instead focus on something more ‘tangible’. You are doing important and difficult work and it will manifest itself one day, like water against rock. Keep going.

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Have more or need less?

Posted on July 31, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

Buddha had nothing when he died. By modern standards he was destitute and homeless. Yet he died not being afraid of death (and isn’t it the life’s biggest achievement?). He died in peace. He made a huge difference in many lives and his name would outlive him by centuries. Minimalism, subtracting rather than adding (in any area of life, not just material wealth, eg thoughts, emotions, wants) is often a great way to purify oneself and focus on what’s important.

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The secret of being happy

Posted on July 16, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

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When your negativity alarm goes off, keep your energy safe in the happiness bubble

Posted on July 10, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

 

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Jack Black studied and coached extraordinary, very successful people for a long time. In the process, he narrowed down their success to 5 characteristics, one of them being an unshakable positive mental attitude. Jack then shared a simple, yet very effective technique, inspired by a famous golfer Seve Ballestero, that will help you maintain your positivity throughout the day no matter who you are dealing with.

It’s great when you have no choice but to deal with negative people (family dinner, upset boss, etc) who you know won’t be open to benefitting from your positive energy and will drain it instead. The moment your negativity alarm goes off, imagine that you are in a bubble. Be creative – your bubble can be anything, mine is a scifi metal contraption that snap shuts in sections. Retreat into your bubble and your positive energy is safe.

Check out Jack’s Mindstore programme here, some modules are free. As he puts it, it only works.

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Be who you are #happiness #love

Posted on July 2, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

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4 ways to improve close relationships #happiness #love

Posted on June 25, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

From Dr. Elaine Aron, psychologist and author of the international bestsellers The Highly Sensitive Person and The Highly Sensitive Person in Love. I recently contributed on Kickstarter to her new documentary because I am an HSP and I liked her first documentary.

  1. Do novel things together
  2. Celebrate successes
  3. Express gratitude
  4. Socialise with other couples

 

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Unsure what to do in life? Move towards your fears

Posted on June 17, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

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So many years spent pondering the direction, the why, and here such a simple advice, in a couple of lines. Eureka moment indeed. Golden words. Now what is it you are most afraid of right now?

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Video blogging as a self-introspection and self-discovery tool

Posted on June 11, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

Grace and Frankie on Netflix is a hilarious, but also very smart show. It’s there that I’ve seen Frankie use video blogging to self analyse and get to the bottom of things. It’s used privately, a bit like writing in the diary, just that you are talking into your phone camera. It works the same way – helps structure thoughts, clarify or reveal what you were unaware of. I tried it, it did not work for me, but a version of it – audio recording, did work magnificently. Actually it worked so well I have not touched it since. So if you are lost, confused or in need of self introspection, here is a tool to try. With Frankie showing how 🙂

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Alain de Botton’s The Course of Love is the encyclopaedia of real love #happiness

Posted on May 23, 2016 by nomadoftheuniverse

I’ve recently been to the book launch event – Alain de Botton, one of my favourite opinion leaders, a modern philosopher with a melancholic outlook on life snippets of which he shares on his Twitter account, wrote a new book titled ‘The course of love’. I had to be there.

The book is about love and specifically marriage, about ‘happily ever after’. De Botton bravely probes unspoken sore points and dissects the elephant in the room. His study is akin to the encyclopaedia of love: choice of a partner, children, sex, waning desire, fear of mortality, monogamy, infidelity – nothing evades his studying eye.

Some ideas were new to me and I’ve followed him on Twitter for years. To anyone new to de Botton, the book will be a revelation. It’s extremely quotable. I emailed my husband a photograph or two of the book pages that particularly touched the nerve (on sulking and why we hurt emotionally our nearest and dearest). The main achievement of the book for me though is leaving one with the liberating feeling that they are not alone – with the final page of the book turned, and a cheeky tear wiped, you drop the burden of the big questions, you breathe out and you think, jeez, I am not the only one in this mess.  Continue reading →

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