Happiness

"If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a month, get married.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help others." - Chinese proverb

Thoughts and actions

For a little while now, I have been seriously paying attention to these two items.
"thoughts" and "action".

Here are some lines of wisdom that have stuck with me:

"Its not who you are underneath, but what you do with it that really matters" -Batman returns (who sais Hollywood couldnt inspire! :-)

"Actions speak louder than words"

"Your thoughts today, govern your actions tomorrow" (adapted from "A love worth giving"- Max Lucado)

This last one really hit a chord with me.

What if I ask myself today, what kind of actions would I like to indulge in tomorrow, and accordingly determine the kind of thoughts would evoke those actions, I think I could easily say aloud (as a very old and kind uncle said to me this morning), "I am proud of what I have done and what I am doing in my life".

Letting go once again

Letting go.. has become a major theme in my life, almost everything I read, hear or watch is urging me gently, nudging me to let go. So in light of that I thought these few lines would be apt.

Do everything with a mind that lets go.
Do not expect any praise or reward.
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.
If you let go completely, you will know complete peace and freedom.
Your struggles with the world
will have come to an end.
insight meditation - achaan chah

Failure

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."- Henry Ford

Illusions

"The greatest illusion is that we think ourselves important. It is the cause of most of the world's troubles. Being true to yourself is better than feeling important. Illusions vanish when you really know yourself." Stafford Whiteaker (from the little book of inner space)

I cant emphasize how often I "forget" these very profound words, I put on my ego in the bargain lose my patience, I think I am better than others, and lose those I love most. Is it truly possible, and is there really a way to remove ego and the notion of importance from our life and live with humble quietude?