"We become what we think about." ~ Earl Nightingale

Welcome to Sacred Ruminations

I hope you'll look around & leave comments
then visit me at my new blog ...

Giraffe Journal

and/or website ... Labyrinth Journal
both self-hosted at WordPress
where I publish as myself
rather than under a
pseudonym.

I've not had much time for posting or blog visits, but if you're interested I hope you'll find time to check out my new blog, Giraffe Journal or my Labyrinth Journal website ... both self hosted at WordPress.

Thanks for your visit and have a delightful day ;--)
Hugs and blessings,


Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Simply Kind on Tuesdays - Transforming Ourselves



"Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own."
Adam Lindsay Gordon
 


As 2008 draws to a close, I find myself thinking about how I choose to use my mind and energies in 2009 and I've been listening to audiotapes ... watching videoclips ... reading & writing ... meditating as I walk, garden, visit blogs, etc.  This clip is about 20 minutes long but adds the weight of science to the idea that our attention can be shifted and minds altered through meditation, and encourages personal experimentation. 

I believe that 'change' is the one 'constant' to be counted upon, and taking charge of that change begins with ourselves.  Rather than focusing on 'fixing' others, by 'removing the log from our own eye' as we're told to do in the Bible we 'become the change we want to see in the world' as Gandhi suggested.  Therefore, I commend this video (or others at TED that seem more relevant to your circumstances) to you when time permits.


Habits of Happiness or Well-Being

Information from TED.com about ...  
Matthieu Ricard: Monk, author, photographer
Sometimes called the "happiest man in the world," Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, author and photographer.

Why you should listen to him:

After training in biochemistry at the Institute Pasteur, Matthieu Ricard left science behind to move to the Himalayas and become a Buddhist monk -- and to pursue happiness, both at a basic human level and as a subject of inquiry. Achieving happiness, he has come to believe, requires the same kind of effort and mind training that any other serious pursuit involves.

His deep and scientifically tinged reflections on happiness and Buddhism have turned into several books, including The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet. At the same time, he also makes sensitive and jaw-droppingly gorgeous photographs of his beloved Tibet and the spiritual hermitage where he lives and works on humanitarian projects.

His latest book on happiness is Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill; his latest book of photographs is Tibet: An Inner Journey.
"Matthieu Ricard, French translator and right-hand man for the Dalai Lama, has been the subject of intensive clinical tests at the University of Wisconsin, as a result of which he is frequently described as the happiest man in the world."
Robert Chalmers, The Independent



Thought for Today
" You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."   John Wooden

9 comments:

Debbie@Like a Rose said...

It is definitely the time of year when many of us find ourselves contemplating lots of things. This last year was so topsy turvy for us that I'm taking a few days off just to rethink, reorganize, and rejuvinate.

Unknown said...

He sounds like a guy to listen to. :)

Maude Lynn said...

I've read about him, but I haven't read any of his books. I'll have to check some out!

Tumblewords: said...

Thank you for the link - I hadn't heard of Matthieu Ricard but frequently check out the TED site - it's a wonderful place to learn. I'll seek more information and re-read several of the Dalai Lama's books which live here! Thanks again and Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

I have heard of him..I will have to check out the books..I always get so introspective at this time of year..

Yolanda said...

Have a wonderful New Year.

Michelle said...

I have a hard time with change. This sounds like the guy to listen too. Thanks for sharing.

Karen said...

Very inspiring...thank you, storyteller!

Quiet Paths said...

Thank you also for this link about M. Ricard. I had posted a link to TED many months ago regarding primate research. It is a wonderful place to learn. I am going to send the link to my son who is studying math and physics...