Modus Vivendi by Maia

Wow, it has been ages since I last wrote! Happy new year to all my readers. Today I want to share an old Indian story that talks about the eternal challenge we all have to face each day.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves that dwell inside each and everyone of us. “One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied: “The one you feed.”

Every second we have a choice. No matter what lies behind us, no matter what may appear to lay ahead of us. Choosing something that is the opposite of what we are used to, may cost a lot more energy the first time, but for each time it gets easier and easier until it’s nearly automatic. This is what we have to work on each day, every single one of us. Choosing the best alternatives every second.

I wish you a wonderful evening!

M

xxx

“Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth “You owe me.”. Look what happens with a love like that – it lights up the whole world!”

- Hafiz, sufi poet

Hello dear friends. It has been quite a long time. I hope you are doing marvelously well!

I just saw a beautiful movie called The Shift, starring, among others, the one and only Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, whom I have always found to be a great source of inspiration and wisdom in the past. It is my pleasure to report that this man is like fine wine – what he has to say becomes more and more inspirational as time passes, and he seems to be on a path in his life that brings him closer to truth and purpose day by day. I was immensely touched by this film, and it made me feel  excessively passionate and peaceful in the way that I have previously upon taking in this man’s wisdom. It touches upon the subjects that the title of this post, and the poem in the beginning, express, among other things. Also, every human being benefits from reconnecting to what’s important. My belief is that this cannot be done often enough. Therefore, this might be a beautiful wake-up-call. Every second of your life, peace, fulfillment, happiness, enlightenment, a feeling of purpose and genuine enthusiasm, is just a thought away. Which second will it be? Only you can decide.

“ lIf you want to be like me, I will help you, knowing that we are alike. If you want to be different, I will wait until you change your mind. I can teach you, but only you can choose to listen to my teaching. How else can it be, if God’s Kingdom is total freedom?”

- Jesus Christ, spiritual teacher

I wish you a peaceful thursday evening!

Lots of love,

M

xxx

I just finished this fantastic little book. A hilarious, inspiring, for not to mention; true, story that will make you think twice the next time you are faced with an opportunity. As Danny Wallace so beautifully puts it – you can take just about anything that you are proud of in your life and follow the chain of yeses back to a single yes that eventually brought you that asset.

Si a todo!

M

xxx

…I will allow myself to be happy. Don’t we all think this way at times?

Guess what: life will never stop throwing As and Bs at you. At times you will have the whole alphabet in your lap. You will always be able to make up a million reasons to be unhappy. And, there will always be a million more reasons for you to be happy! If you catch yourself at postponing your happiness; make a little list in your head:

• What are you grateful for right now? Don’t be shy, even your socks count.
• What can you appreciate in the obstacles you are currently placing between you and happiness – where is the beauty in your current As and Bs? If your phone has been stolen – is there maybe a little treasure lingering behind all the frustration – such as the precious alone time you will be granted?

Here comes the abstract part of it all – stepping in to your happy room. We all have that room within ourselves. It never closes, and it is always ecstatic to see you. It is up to you to find out what the door looks like. Turn the door knob whenever you want.

The present moment is always happy!

M

xxx

When God shuts a door, he always opens at least three windows.

I now, more than ever, deeply respect the opposite sex. Men are brilliant when it comes to giving a damn. A friend of mine gave me a real kick in the right direction yesterday when he ordered me to do the same. In any situation where worry is clouding your present; give a damn. Explanation as to why this is genius follows.

As Wayne Dyer so beautifully explains; all the things you can possibly worry about in this life can be divided in to two categories: category A, the things you have control over, and category B, the things you cannot control. If your worries can be put in to category A – stop worrying immediately and use your energy on taking action to the extent you feel is right. When it comes to category B, the matter is out of your hands, and it is therefore absolutely ridiculous to spend your precious energy on it, because it will take you nowhere. Conclusion: keep your business in order and give a damn about the rest. That gains you the double amount of energy to spend on yours.

Have a relaxing Sunday! Oh wait, I think I’ll give a damn about that today. Your Sunday = your business.
Love,
M
xxx

PS: The quote used as title is by Baz Luhrmann from the song Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen).

A wonderful night shift is over. It is 07:15 AM, and I have just parked my CityCycle* after a quiet ride with wind in my hair, down an endless hill, packed with lovely little oddities, beauty and stories of way back when. Early mornings have always been magical to me; there is something about the serene silence that is always welcoming its forthcoming disruptions, the sleeping masses that are unaware that they are about to awaken and the empty streets that will be left with a million new footprints within the next twelve hours. Sucking in the atmosphere out there during the night and early morning is like taking part in a secret that nobody else knows. Write it in to your calendar.

I would love to share something with you. A wise, elderly lady once taught me a crucial lesson. “What I see”, she said, “is dozens upon dozens of people who are lazy. In fact, not even lazy, just bored. It puzzles me that all their energy is spent on maintaining their life structures, that in addition to causing eccessive yawning, also amounts to very little on a deeper level. What if these people stopped for a minute, dared to listen to the truth that is within them and actually acted upon what made them bubble over with joy? That would change the world.”.

Have a fantastic morning and a mind-blowingly lovely Saturday!
Lots of love,
M
xxx

* The Oslo CityCycle concept is the best invention since the bicycle itself. For only 90 NOK per year, you can cycle around Oslo as much as you want. I thought I was lazy until I started CityCycling. Seeing all the beauty and quirkyness of the city from a potent and comfortable little vehicle and not a tram window, turned my world up side down. Get ready to be blown away for a rediculously low price. Discover Oslo your way!

We are officially one step closer to summer! Here goes a little something to cheer you all up even more.

Before I leave you to enjoy the rest of this beautiful first day of May, I would like to share a brilliant application with you. It is called StumbleUpon, and by plotting in your interests, which takes less than a couple of minutes, it takes you to new and fabulous web sites of your taste in milliseconds. You can chose to give each website thumbs up or thumbs down, and by doing this StumbleUpon creates results that are even more compatible with your interests. Do not bother to choose the categories that you feel you should be interested in, you will only find yourself yawning as a result. Have fun!

All the best,
M
xxx