Thought for the Day

Hindu Temple's Pinnacle 

Need change?
Flip a coin.
Heads is Option A.
Tails is Option B.
While in the air,
Before looking at the way it lands,
Listen to what you hope for.
When you look at the captured coin,
How do you feel?
Was it the answer that you wanted?
If you are disappointed, go the other direction.
If you are happy, you'll know, within that very instant,
which way is the right way to go.
The coin is not the answer, but merely a tool,
enabling us to materialize what we had hoped for all along.


                                                                              
Some writers have talked about how the physical embodiment of a sacred sanctum
is a manifestation of the human body's exterior form:
the angles, elevations, and appendages
are a reflection of a larger, interior story of the worshiping masses
as well as an individual narrative of faith.
Think of the highest point on the building as a spinner, a grand coin capturer, that determines
the left and right of things: the cosmic balance of destiny.
Spin that coin and decide your fate. 

Thought for the Day

                                      Your time is limited, 
  so don't waste it living someone else's life.  
                                                         -Steve Jobs

This woman, like many millions in India, lives on the street.  In Hyderabad, she shares the road space between lanes and calls it her abode.  

There are so many things to be thankful for--

There are so many ways that, with a little determination, we can make great change.
                                                                                             

Thought for the Day

Never ignore those intuitions. 
When you have some slight repugnance about doing something,
listen to it. -Rumi

I saw this beautiful little girl sitting by the side of a Jain pigeon sanctuary in Mumbai, at Chowpatty Beach.  This is where many of the Ganesha statues, in honor of the elephant god, are annually carried, bathed, and immersed in the sea by thousands of devotees.  The little girl stared into the bird haven for awhile, until her curiosity overtook the expectation to stay on the outside of the bird residence.  When she walked with the birds, hundreds flew away simultaneously and, when they did, she stretched out her arms like she, too, was free.

Having it All or Having Enough?

A Barrage of Signs (in three languages, no less!)

Enough?

We are taught to 'have it all' and then feel guilty when we don't.
It creates a self-perpetuating cycle of remorse for the near-impossible.
Rather than trying to be all, do all, conquer it all, and have it all--
why not be satisfied with what we have as we strive to become the person we are meant to be?

Having it all is not enough--
We have to Be Enough without having it all--
in order to feel soulful and whole.
Trying to fill the emptiness with external reward
is like using bubble gum as a binder for a monument's foundations--
no matter how much we have, it's never going to really stick.

He's got enough.

(So enough is enough).
It is time to stop saying
we need it all in order to be our all.
We are, as we are, enough.
Be proud of where you stand, unfinished.

What's Great about America

Independence Day Fireworks, Washington Monument, DC

 Happy 
     July 4th!

Living abroad is fulfilling, challenging, and often an adventure.  It also makes you appreciate America more fully because you realize that things that run smoothly and freely in the U.S. (without much of a second thought) may not be as easy, as accessible, or even available in most other parts of the world.  Having access to fresh fruits and vegetables, fair and free elections, drinkable running water, relatively clean air, great art, music, food (Americana and global fusion), movies, an open press and free speech--along with many other wonderful things that make America great--are often easy to take for granted if not faced with scenarios that counter expected American privileges, rights, and norms. 

In honor of America's U.S. Independence day, I wanted to mention what about our amazing country I miss while living outside of our nation's borders:

1. The food: fresh California salads, health conscious meals (not packed with oil), Mexican food, Trader Joe's, southern fried pickles and fish and chips (I know, the opposite of healthy), Diet Coke with splenda, organic fruits available year round (I miss this the most), fresh seafood (it's rainy season so right now we can't eat any raw veggies, seafood, or herbs), sushi, guacamole, dark chocolate and ice cream, artichokes, clean large supermarkets that smell of lemon disinfectant and fresh bread, smoothies, (and did I mention FRESH veggies/fruits/raw food?)  We've got it good with food selections in America, I promise, especially in cities with multi-cuisines.

A Delicious Family Tradition: American Flag Strawberry Cake

2. The holidays: Independence Day (fireworks), Thanksgiving (lots o' tasty sweets), Christmas (sacred or secular), Easter, MLK Day, the whole lot.  We have a holiday every month of the year, except August--and my birthday is in August--so we've pretty much got it covered.

3. The people: We have a huge variation of people from multiple ethnic, linguistic, social, and cultural backgrounds; regional variation in food stuffs and accents; pride of place; community neighborhoods and sacred centers; families of all kinds; and overall, I'd say, people are genuinely nice. 

Overlooking the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

The U.S. also has some of the most innovative, creative, and intellectually stimulating people in the world in fields that span art, thermodynamics, small business, and the academy.  Even though people do not agree on politics, religions, or the expectations of an educational system, we as a people overall get along, we talk about it, and, for the most part, we can exchange in dialogue peacefully.  We assume there will be no bloodshed between party members, that we can dissent in opinion, and we can come up with ways to make the U.S. better through community initiatives, laws, and voting.  Compared to many parts of the world, this is an amazing feat.  Seriously.

4. Americana.  We have some really cool stuff. 

Anyhow, just wanted to express a little U.S.A. cheer from across the mighty globe...
 
Celebrate Independence Day and appreciate all of the beautiful places, people, and amazing opportunities around you. 

                                                       We have a lot to be thankful for.

Thought for the Day

\

Overlooking the mountains between Mumbai and Hyderabad

 

Don't sit back and look (longingly) 

at what could have been, 

but rather, 

face the music, 

make change where you can and, when you can't--

make amends, move on, and be content 

with what lies before you.