Today's theme is still Royal Blood's self-titled album, plus Ravi Shankar's Chants of India. It's been a while since I've listened to Chants of India - a very beautifully put together album. I loved it the moment I heard it. & I think it really got embedded in my subconscious, & activated a huge, hidden part of my desire for spirituality, because slowly but surely each individual chant has been popping up unexpectedly, at various & random points of my life. Mind-fuck.
Who really knows how much higher we can ascend in this physical body? I really like the philosophical query, 'what if someone asked you how the number nine smells like?' or '...what colour the number nine is?'. Seriously. Who knows what the universe holds!
Life is comprised of:
Things we know we know.
Things we know we don't know.
Things we don't know we know.
Things we don't know we don't know!
Sound legit?
The possibilities are endless! Can you really blame me for being so excited? Bahahahahah..!
I'll continue writing in point form, to make things easier. & I'll definitely revisit most of them at some point next year. I have a habit of repeating myself a lot. But only because I come up with new insights or point of view on the topic. *slap on the wrist avoided!*
What did I learn this year? Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Love. It's the most important thing of all. I don't give a rat's ass what you say. This has been proven to me time & again, & even when I tried to go against this universal law, I got fucked over even more! & this covers a whole range of other sub-topics - self-love, love for others, unconditional love, etc etc.
2. Let go or be dragged. No matter how hard it is. It is always better to let go of things that aren't doing you any good. By holding on, I only got more shit in return than anything. & by letting go, I got so much more than I could even imagine. Let go of past hurts, people, events. Learn from them, but do not burden your future self with them. Let go of ego. Let go of expectations as well. The universe will provide. Have faith.
3. When you want something, the whole universe conspires in your favour. - Paulo Coelho -
Truth! Even when things were in the sewer, I was being led to far better things. Things that at that time I never even knew I wanted!
4. An attitude of gratitude is the highest yoga. Truly, there is so much to be thankful for in this world. You complain about your stubby legs? There are people who wish they had legs. It is easy to take for granted things like having clean water, food on the table, a roof over our head. These simple things in life are the things that someone, somewhere out there would literally kill to have. Be thankful. Give thanks, & more blessings will come.
5. There is no short cut to health. If you want to heal yourself from something that's ailing you, or to strengthen your body, you'd better damn well be prepared to put in the work. That's not to say 'no pain, no gain'...no! Sthiram sukham asanam - is the posture steady & comfortable? Why be a masochist? Do your best & slowly but surely you will improve. Expecting to be healed through just medication & no work is just a half-assed excuse as to why you can't get better.
6. Life is what you make out of it. If someone dies for his/her country, it was their choice. If someone is working 24/7, chasing dreams of a professional career, that's their choice. What makes you happy? How would you like to spend your life? Let the world say you are crazy, then you are free to do what you want to. Life is too, too short to waste time thinking about what other people are thinking about you.
7. The importance of The Sisterhood. Before this I have always held back in my relationships with other females. But somehow, this year I've learned to be more open & receptive to the women in my life. I have definitely been missing out on something for most of my life!
8. Expression, not repression. Society has conditioned us to practice having a stiff upper lip. Don't cry, crying is a sign of weakness. Don't laugh, life's no laughing matter. Don't this, don't that. What use is human emotion if we are not allowed to freely express ourselves? Energy never diminishes, it only changes form. Therefore, would energy that goes unexpressed, fester in our bodies & eventually turn into something else?
9. Last but not least. It is so, so very important to find your tribe. Yes, riding solo is of course commendable, & gives you strength & courage that no one can take away from you. But how many of us are at that level? I met a lovely girl in New Zealand who wisely said that it is so much easier to march forward as a tribe, compared to going it alone. That being said, you reading this...yes, you!...if you're feeling alone, just know that you are definitely not. I believe there's a tribe out there for everyone. You just have to find them. Chin up, chest out, march on!
10. Awareness is truly a gift. & I am sooo obsessed with this lengthy quote by Osho, in his book Beyond Enlightenment:
Awareness Is The Seed Of Godliness In You.
Risk everything for awareness, but never risk awareness for anything. This is the commitment of a sannyasin: that he is ready to lose his life but not his awareness; he has found a value which is higher than life. There is no other value which is higher than awareness. Awareness is the seed of godliness in you. When it comes to its full growth, you have come to the fulfillment of your destiny. As your awareness goes deeper, your actions may not be efficient but they will have a new quality, the quality of grace, which is far more valuable. No machine can have the quality of grace. Your actions, your words will have a beauty of their own.
The way a man of awareness lives, each moment is filled with tremendous grace & beauty. It is reflected in his actions, even in the smallest actions - just in the gesture of his hand or just the way he looks; in the depth of his eyes or the authority of his words or the music of his silence. His very presence is a celebration.
Isn't it beautiful? Yes, never, ever, give up awareness for anything or anyone. It is far too precious a gift.
Well, that's me for now.
Happy New Year, peeps. I'll be ushering in the new year as usual - sleeping. Bahahahahah! Which reminds me, I'd better close the windows, lest the fireworks wake me from my slumber. Bah humbug. Yeah, yeah, I hear ya...I'm the Grinch of New Year's Eve. So what. Hahahahah!
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