I was in Turkey, paying for some groceries, my Turkish was way too rudimentary, and the cashier didn’t seem to speak other languages. When I did not understand something she said, she repeated the exact same thing, only louder. I still had no idea what she was saying. There was absolutely no problem – I […]
You Are Rich
There is a kind of wealth that is more important than any material possession, and it is hidden inside you. It can easily turn into money, but, most amazingly, it can also get you anything money can’t buy. A rich life is not a financial transaction, but a sea of possibilities. And, although money would […]
The Practical Use of Happiness
Many of us have been brought up with the idea that life is constant suffering, that happiness is not possible, and, if it seems to happen, it’s somehow wrong. Sometimes life just seems to confirm that view over and over again with all the misery around us. But that’s just a paradigm that reduces happiness […]
Somewhere to Go
As long as there’s ground, you have lots of places to walk to. As long as there’s water, you have lots of places to sail to. As long as there’s air, you have lots of places to fly to. Whenever you feel a particular place is out of reach for you, whenever you feel there’s […]
Just Love
Literature, music, online forums, and (offline 🙂 ) coffeehouses are full of definitions and interpretations of love. People want to know what love is, what makes them love some people and not others, how long love lasts, what causes it, how the barrier between friendship and love is crossed, and so on. Some people and […]
Meaningless
We have the natural tendency to search for the meaning of things – the meaning of life, our own meaning, the meaning of other people’s behavior, etc. -, and, most of the times, these meanings seem to slip through the cracks of our understanding. If you’re on a quest to find your meaning, you don’t […]
Adding Steps
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (Laozi) Take this blog for example. It was nothing at first, but with every word it becomes something. The only reason why it has not remained nothing is that I created an account on Blogger, wrote the first word, and kept writing. Soon, it […]
Cherish the People in Your Life
I sometimes think of how it would be if one of my dearest people died. I don’t think it’s gloomy, but a strong reminder of how much I love and appreciate them. They won’t leave my life empty, because I will always carry them in me – in my gestures, in my words, in my […]
The Main Problem With Plans
Misunderstanding the concept of planning is often the main problem with plans. Whenever you make a plan that eventually doesn’t work, and you blame the plan, or you blame yourself for making that plan, or you dismiss planning altogether, you are acting from a position of helplessness. And helplessness never… helps. It is solely your […]
Powerful Voices Grow in Silence
Speak! Assert yourself! Let your voice be heard! So you talk. And talk. And talk… In a world of constant murmur, in a sea of noise, why would you want to talk more? Why add to what is already a surplus? Some think that speaking is the trademark of those who matter in society. Whoever […]