The Answer You are Looking for is Within the Problem

Notice any tightness in you body. Watch it for a moment..... Voila, it relaxes itself.

You wanna relax? Notice how tense you are.
You wanna be happy? Notice how miserable you are.
You wanna change? Notice what you want to hold on to.

Everything is related.

7 obstacles stopping you to start something new (aka why we don't like change)

When you have more resolve than doubts and fears, nothing can really stop you from striving.  This post is not about strengthening your resolve, but to explore the antagonist that is in the way.  Here are 7 obstacles that are stopping you from doing what you initially wanted:

The process toward equilibrium

Self-awareness is the first step to resolve internal conflict.

Conflict left unresolved leads to the body getting sick, mind filled with unrest, heart darkened.


Mutual understanding is the first step to resolve conflict between parties.

Left unresolved, people will be divided, society shattered, war breaks out.

Desire

Ever heard of your mind thinking one of these below?

"If only I have _________, then I'd be happy!"

"If only _________ hadn't happened, my life would've been perfect!"

"All I ever wanted is _________, why can't I have it?"

Utopia

Conflicts and problems are an inherent part of life.

This realization is not to be used as an excuse to escape from the conflict or problem that you're having,

But to stop you from deluding yourself that all conflicts and problems must cease in order for you to be content with life.

That simply will not happen.

Your house

When there's a water leak in your house, what do you do?

Artist of Life

A great painter doesn't avoid using darker colors.

Zen

Zen is no thought, but full of mind.

Being

Don't be sad that you're sad, thinking that it will never go away.  

Don't be happy that you're happy, thinking that it will last forever.

Look around and learn

I look at my dog and notice how content and carefree he is; he is completely living in the moment.
In comparison, I look cumbersome and unease in every possible way.

Let it go? Hold on?

People,

Stop telling people to let go.

'Letting go' is a non-action.

When people attempt to let go,

People just try to push it away.

But that's like

Pushing a dog away

While holding a bone in your hand.

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Knowing That You Don't Know

Not knowing is fine; but not knowing that you don't know (aka thinking that you know when you don't) = big problem.

“Not ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance is the death of knowledge” - Alfred North Whitehead

Is there a particular type of person that just tick you off immensely?  Someone who you just can't stand being around with; so much so that you just wanna get the hell out ASAP or you know things would get ugly.  Well, some say that in most cases, what you hate in others is what you hate about yourself.  So what do I find absolutely disturbing in others?  It's just one word really: IGNORANCE.

The foe

Is not evil,
Nor is it suffering itself.
It's the fear of them.
With fear, one attempts to escape.
With fear of that fear, one hides in denial.
It is that fear that hinders and ultimately destroys any humanity that one has.

Make no mistake; it's impossible to defeat such a foe, lying deep within your heart.
As they say: if you can't beat them, join them.
Therefore, when you catch yourself in any kind of distress,
Don't fight it, let yourself loose and allow it to penetrate you, soak yourself in it.
As you fade into the foe, the foe fades into you;
Then you'll find yourself one, complete, empty, and free...once again.

Thinking about "Positive Thinking"

I just heard someone refers the concept of positive thinking as an irrational optimism. And then I realized how much the term has been abused (or not). I don't know how the masses understand "positive thinking" nowadays. But after a bit of contemplating, I think this is what the term really means (maybe it has been said, I don't know). Anyways, in my understanding, being positive is not equivalent to being optimistic. Being positive is to love. On the flip side, being negative is to fear. Some examples below:

Thought

Where does it come from?

Could it be told with words?

If so, what is delivering those words?

Who is there to comprehend?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

But could a thousand pictures convey a thought?

Thoughts come in and out of my mind as they please.  And I (if there's such a thing) am left speechless...

First Ever Meditation Afterthought

Meditation is basically a practice where you sit still for a period of time while keeping your mind still.  After over a year of wanting to practice meditation, I finally did it earlier today.  I did attempted meditating several times before.  The first time was using the Chakra Balancing box set that I bought with CDs and a study book guiding you through meditations for different chakra.  Half way through the introduction, the author told me I cannot have any financial worries.  Apparently I was broke as hell so I couldn't continue.  When I looked for some direction for meditating, I found more kinds of meditations than I could count.  That's when I lost interest and thought "why does it have to be so damn complicated?'.  I also went to learningmeditation.com and tried several audio guided meditations but I never went very deep.  Today I just decided to meditate on my own, so I just sat on my bed and close my eyes and started focusing on my mind without any music or guide.  What I saw and felt during the 35mins after the jump.

[ISS#2] Should We Thank The Sun Or The Moon?

Another inspiring article that circulates around the internet; originally in Chinese.

[ISS#1] Today Is A Gift

An inspiring article that circulates around the internet.