“It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
– J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, 1999

“Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.”
– Aldous Huxley

“Incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout,
Down came the rain and washed poor Incy out,
Out came the sun shine and dried up all the rain,
And Incy Wincy spider climbed up the spout again.”
– Kids Nursery Rhyme

So as we were growing up, we all heard about this determined little spider, first name Incy, last name Wincy. Incy wanted to get to the top of the water spout, because that’s where he believed his freedom was. The rain came and washed him out to the bottom of the spout, but that didn’t stop Incy for long. As soon as the sun came out, he shook the water off his head, and continued his journey back up the water spout.

What are you aiming for this week? If the rain pours down hard and knocks you off your path, what will be the ray of sunshine that helps you get back on track again? Keep looking out for that ray of sunshine – it may come to you in any shape or form.

If you would like to see the animation and hear this nursery rhyme, check out
http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-songs-incy-wincy.htm – good old Incy Wincy is one determined little spider!

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.”
– George Santayana

With everything constantly changing all around us, why do we get so caught up with trying to keep them the same? What are we holding on to? What are we holding close? What are we reluctant to let go of?

Just like with the ferris wheel, which could constantly pull you up and down, up and down, take a moment to get to the centre of the wheel, so that you can take a keen interest and observe the ups and downs without getting caught up in them.

Read more about being in the state of equanimity at http://www.twelvefacets.com/2006/07/17/facet-3-liberation-from-the-cycle-of-birth-and-death/

“You know what, there will be half the audience who absolutely hated it and half the audience who loved it. I think it was the right thing to do.”
– Simon Cowell, on the hit US TV show American Idol

We spend much of our time taking the safe path through life, avoiding any risk, and worrying about what others will think. We shy away from taking bold action, because we think that others won’t like us for it. Sometimes we take on one more commitment than we ought to, just to appear to look good in someone else’s eyes. Here our sense of self-worth is determined by the momentary good opinion of someone else – how pathetic to live life that way!

Did you know that when you appear to do something great, credit doesn’t really go to you? Did you know that when you appear to do something disastrous, blame doesn’t really come to you?

Your actions, whether through thought, speech, or physical expression, will naturally emit vibrations that act as a catalyst to form specific situations in your world. Whether it’s crashing into the car in front of you, or building that fabulous new school for underprivileged kids, your actions are just the instigating force for something that was going to happen anyway.

So for any action you take in life, remember to learn as much about the situation as you can, and then deliver your work from a place of good intention, leaving it at that, without getting caught up by the consequences.

After all, you’re never really responsible for something great that happens in the world around you, so why take credit for it? From a place of friendship, appreciation, compassion and equanimity, use that great situation to do more inspired work.

Also, you’re never really responsible for something disastrous that happens in the world around you, so why take the blame for it? Instead, use forgiveness, contentment, humility and straightforwardness, to embrace that situation for what it is, and continue along the path of more inspired work.

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The Archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the Archer’s hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.”

– The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran

—

So from the perspective of the arrow, you will constantly be bent in all directions and faced with all sorts of challenges due to karmic influences. Your past actions could appear to be causing you struggle in the present moment, or you could take it as an opportunity to move your soul forward, towards the light.

As a son or a daughter, you will feel that your parents are constantly pushing you to do things that you don’t really want to do. Whether you’re 10 years old and dad might say “tidy up the living room!”, or whether you’re 40 years old, in the middle of trying to complete an important deadline, and mum might say “take me grocery shopping!”. Fact is, it’s their job to consistently, test you, try you, guide you and train you to take care of the next generation and the world around you just a little bit better.

As a parent, your role is to help your child fly further. With your greatest strength, you help launch them into the world of chaos, and give them the lessons that enable them to handle the world calmly. This means that it’s your job to be incredibly stable. Start your day off each morning in preparation for a balanced state of mind. Only through this balanced state will you be able to help your child travel the furthest.

What if the child mentioned here was actually your thought? What would all this mean to you then?

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
– Lao-tzu

“You are total. You are full. You have all that you need. Do not underestimate yourself.”
– Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Art of Living

“A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals the secret of some hidden treasure.”
– Buddha

“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same.”
– Nelson Mandela