Look to each other for love <3

Here is a song sung by Bill Withers I love! It’s about loving each other and looking on the bright side of life! Money and other material things, competitions, success with jobs and things can bring us a certain kind of happiness but true boundless happiness is discovered through love, not just romantic love, but love as a state of being, love for others, love for life itself. All those other things can complement our happiness and joy and add to it but without love, it’s likely we would still feel empty and not very happy, no matter what else we have. Love doesn’t just have to be for a specific person or thing but also just a way of life. 

“Let’s look to each other for love
Look on the brighter side of life
And the world that we share
Can make us happy
Look to one another for love
Look on the lighter side of life
And the way that we are
Can make us happy”

Check out the song!

Look to Each Other for Love – desktop

Look to Each Other for Love – mobile

Lots n Lots of love to you!

😀

❤

xoxo Kim ❤

Beyond Beauty

devynpearle

You’re more than enough and you’re here. Try not to base your self worth on a fleeting characteristic like attractiveness. When I’m 100 I won’t give two hoots what my soul carrier looks like, I will appreciate it’s presence in any form.

I have been noticing the Beauty Beyond size campaign and having worked for Lane Bryant in the past it’s so great to see a few familiar faces from their advertisements making such a huge difference. I honestly girl crush on all of them on instagram with the rest of the world. The body types represented in this body positive force are what I’ve idealized my whole life.

Currently I’m more petite and having been a size 16 for many years I miss my curves! I hear from so many women that they need to lose 15 pounds and then they’ll look okay and most of the time…

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Protector Day – Avalokiteshvara

Look who arrived in the mail today! And today also happens to be Protector Day!! ❤

This is Avalokiteshvara. He is the embodiment of love & compassion for all living sentient beings. He is one of the most celebrated of the bodhisattvas. According to the story, he chooses not to enter the blissful state of Nirvana, so he can remain here with us on Earth and save everyone in need. He is devoted to the salvation of others and this displays his fierce compassion and the depth of his love. 

His mantra is Om mani padme hum, which is said to contain all the teachings of the Buddha. 
Saying this out loud or silently is supposed to invoke the powerful, benevolent attention of Avalokiteshvara.

I love this man who is symbolic of love & compassion for all. His compassion is so complete that nothing can break him and he can handle anything. He is a great reminder to all of us, Buddhist or not, to strengthen our compassion for others. Not just humans but anything that can feel and has interests. 

Imagine having compassion so complete, so deep, so full that nothing can seriously disturb us. 

Here is to Avalokiteshvara out of the booklet.
Praise to Avalokiteshvara:

“You whose white coloured body
Is unstained by faults,
Whose crown is adorned with 
A fully enlightened Buddha,
Who gaze upon migrators
With eyes of compassion,
To you Arya Avalokiteshvara
I prostrate.” (out of the prayer booklet)

We can offer him beautiful things such as flowers, candles, sweet fragrant things, tea, the sun & the moon….not that he needs these but it shows our devotion to universal compassion and gets our own minds in the habit of love. 

Here is the prayer booklet info.:

You don’t have to believe in someone who actually hears prayers for this to be helpful. As I said, it gets our minds in the habit of acting and thinking purely and lovingly.

These two are photos out of the booklet.

Here is the visualization:

And here is a beautiful song with the mantra said throughout:

Om mani padme hum – mobile

Om mani padme hum – desktop

It’s a great song to meditate to! And play in the background of whatever we’re doing. It’s over 23 minutes long and I listen to it very frequently. It’s soothing and inspiring. I’m listening to it right now! 

Here is my necklace with him on it.

His four arms! It’s just adorable! 

I love when they have multiple arms! 

And here is my Mala, for the mantra om mani padme hum.

Isn’t it beautiful?! 

It’s believed by Buddhists that just seeing this mantra or hearing it has very powerful effects and just seeing a Buddha statue or picture is as good as seeing the real thing!  

I just love how he came to me today on Protector Day!! How sweet!!! I ordered him a few days ago! 

Happy Protector Day!! I think this day is a fantastic reminder to use our power to help others. Most of us have power over someone and are in a “lower” position than someone else. Let’s use our power and advantages for good. To help, uplift, inspire, heal, hug, and love. Let’s lift people up, not drag them down. Lift each other in love. ❤ ❤

😀

Lots of love to you!

xoxo Kim

If love was the center of our being <3

“What if our religion was each other,
If our practice was our life,
If prayer, our words? 
What if the temple was the Earth,
If forests were our church,
If holy waters___the rivers, lakes, and oceans.
What if meditation was our relationships, if the teacher was life,
If wisdom was self-knowledge,
If love was the center of our being.” ~ Ganga White

Sweet little message about how incredible it is to let our life be our message, live our truth, practice what we believe is right, lavish love onto others and the world, be mindful of the beauty of nature. We don’t have to go to churchs, temples, or practice any certain religion to practice love, to BE love. Treat the rivers, lakes, and oceans how people think of holy water, as something sacred, something to be cherished. Practice kindness, always. Allow life to teach us all it can.

❤ ❤ 😀

Xoxo Kim 

Embracing the Light

“‘What does light talk about?’ I asked a plant that once, it said ‘I am not sure but it makes me grow.'”

(I saw this quote attributed to st. Thomas Aquinas but I’m not sure if that is accurate.) 

What a beautiful quote! I don’t know in which context it is truly meant to be or what the nature is but this is my interpretation. It reminds me that we don’t always have to know the answers to everything, we don’t have to know why or what or every detail about how something works, we can just take it for what it is, accept the beauty and blessings it bestows upon us.  Accept what is. Avoid over analyzing. 

It’s ok to wonder, research, ask questions…but it’s also ok to just accept and go with the flow, letting go of negative stress and without being hung up on little details.  

We don’t have to analyze everything and draw implications. 

I’m currently reading a novel which I already read more than half of, called “The Last of Her Kind” by Sigrid Nunez. It’s a masterpiece. So incredibly realistic, written kind of like a memoir. I cannot believe the narrator is fake. Lol I have to keep checking the book cover again to make sure it really does say “novel.” 
This just goes to show what a brilliant writer this author is! She can make up an entire person and become her. 

It’s about this lady’s life and how her best friend in college, who she had a falling out with, still has an incredible impact on her, years after their friendship ended. It takes place in the 60’s-80’s. The two girls were roommates and became best friends then a few years later they had a big argument and never talked to each other again. Then years after that the friend of the narrator was convicted of a violent criminal act. This comes as a shock to the woman telling the story and even though they had a serious falling out and haven’t spoken to one another in years, the woman still feels a sense of loyalty to and caring for her former best girl. This girl was and in some way, still is, a significant part of her. 

Anyway, a line in the book is relevant to my post here so I will share. Coincidentally, I had this post planned to write then the same night, last night, I read this line:

“Back in my chair, following an urge I felt no need to examine, I began to write what seemed to be a letter but was addressed to no one in particular.” (pp.254)

(caution & mini spoiler here: This book has a rape scene beginning on page 79, spanning two pages, ending on page 81, I don’t want someone who has experienced any kind of trauma or with any sort of post traumatic stress to read this without warning, it can be a serious trigger for some, in case you want to skip those pages if you’re planning on reading the book – spoiler…the narrator is raped while she’s alone in a park, by a stranger, when she’s about 18 years old, so you can skip the details but still know that part of her story. She’s an adult now, telling us of her days in college and leading up to now)

So, I love the message this quote and the line in the novel seem to convey. If you have an urge to do something (not dangerous), it’s ok if you don’t know why, just go for it! Pick up your pen and write, go for a run, pick up the book you feel drawn to, go to school or takes classes, try something new, resume an old hobby, whatever you feel called to do. 

If someone goes above and beyond for us, we don’t have to understand why, we can just accept and be thankful for the kindness. 

This plant doesn’t know much about light but s/he knows it gives her the gift of life.

And Light doesn’t care about being understood or getting anything in return. It just wants to nourish someone. 

How sweet! 

❤

I just love these abstract Zen-like quotes! They aren't even meant to be analyzed or understood intellectually, yet I sit here and analyze and write about my interpretations and often have so much to say. Isn't it ironic?

Lol Well, it's ok to try to understand them intellectually and also just feel them and let them be.

If you have any abstract, weird, Taoist, Zen, mysterious… quotes, you can let me know! Thank You!  😀

Much love to you!

❤

Xoxo Kim 😀

Some Zen wisdom for today {and everyday} <3

“Now that my house has burned down I have a better view of the sky.” ~ Zen saying 

Isn’t this beautiful? I can interpret this as a message of positive thinking. No matter what happens to us, there’s a brighter side even if we have to look really hard and get creative.

Also, another interpretation, clarity. When all our emotional clutter is cleared and our walls are stripped, we can see more clearly.
Let’s put away our phones and other technology for a few moments, let go of everything and feel the space around us.
There is beauty & bliss all around, within. ❤
All we have to do is open up and receive.

❤ Good day to you! 😀

Xoxo Kim 

p.s. I would never say this to someone whose house just burned down! It’s a good quote to share in general like this but I’m almost certain if your house burned down two seconds ago, you don’t want to hear/read this being directly said to you! :-O ❤

Sick Bastards & a few other things <3

This isn’t a book review to tell you how great some books are! It’s to let you know how great the books’ titles are, which if you keep reading you will see for yourself!

Here are a few things that have me in stitches today and hopefully you can find some of them amusing too! 😀

Amazon sent me a book recommendation for a book called “Sick Bastards” and that is hilarious. Matt Shaw is the author. 

I was reading some of the reviews and someone wrote “Matt Shaw is one sick bastard” and this made me laugh harder. 

It’s said to be a great book but with an exceptional amount of gore. It’s only 99 cents for now. I don’t know if I will buy the book. I’m not the biggest fan of gore although I have read gory books I love but those also have more than just gore. Maybe this one does too, I’m not sure. People said it’s a great story. I’m thinking of buying the book just for the cover because I do judge books by their covers. And it sure is worth the 99 cents!

He also has a book called “SickER Bastards” and one called “F*cked up shorts.” No, I don’t have any hesitation about writing (or saying) the word FUCK, it’s just that the book is called “F*cked…” I never quite understood why people write curse words if they’re only going to censor them. I think most of us know what they’re trying to say and the concept is the same whether they spell out the word or skip some letters.  Guess it just takes a certain kind of balls to go all the way and spell it out! 
Maybe on some social media places we can be reported for writing the words out! I hope WordPress isn’t one! ;-D

He also has books called “Snuff,” “P*o*r*n,” and “Home Video.”

Do I even want to know?

It says they are all extreme horror, sex, and violence. 

Umm, eww, no thanks. 

and btw, his book called “p.o.r.n” doesn’t really have the stars or dots in the title. I put them because the word “p.o.r.n” on blogs tends to attract p.o.r.n.o spam and p.o.r.n.o blogs begin stalking us. I have nothing against p.o.r.n but I don’t want it accidentally coming through in my comments because not everyone who reads my content may want to see it and it may be viruses too. My sister looked up some funny dr. seuss book for adults before when we were out with my friend and then her accounts were being attacked by p*o*r*n0 stuff all night! lmao! It was hilarious but she wasn’t too amused after a while!

Anyway, this Matt Shaw is starting to seem like he may actually be one sick bastard! Lol 

I LOVE the name of his books though!

My pup, Woody, a little chihuahua, helped himself to one of my dad’s crackers out of the pack and he knew he was doing something wrong and kept turning his little head real fast back and forth to make sure no one was coming to take his cracker! It was the most adorable thing! He’s a silly boy. ❤ 

This is Woody.

He has a big belly and he’s a very snuggly boy, sleeps with me every night and he’s so bad! He chews everything!  

Yes, he did that to the shade. A little thing like this can do this much damage. I have five other dogs so he gets a little help with his destruction once in a while but he’s the main culprit.

Does he look like a stoner or what!?

My mom calls him the little porker. ❤

Also, this:

Lol sorry, Republicans but this is funny! 

(not my photo)

Some years ago, I remember outside a church where election polls were being held, a dog tried going in when someone was walking him and the people working the polls were joking and said “don’t let the dog in he’s a republican…!” lol 😀

And did you think I would let the dems get off easy? Never! Heres one for them too:

I really do sleep like this!

;-D

(also not my pic)

I think political jokes are hilarious even if it’s poking fun at “my side” of an issue. Lol

And here’s a little something to piss off the atheists.

(not my picture)

(yes, this is totally me)

(but this is totally not my picture!)

(also not my picture!)

Looks like I have it in for the atheists today! 

You can go easy on the ass-kicking, atheists, I’m one of you! Lol ;-D

Here is a funny picture that is not mine:

Poor tin man, he doesn’t have a heart and now it seems he doesn’t have joints or muscles either. ❤

And here's me:

This is me a few days ago but I look like a little kid playing dress up trying to look older. Recently someone seriously asked me if I graduated high school yet! 

My mom said I look eight years old in this picture, especially with my “innocent” pose. And she thinks it’s hilarious. It’s ridiculous. Women are often known for wanting to look younger than their age. I was never one of those women. I want to look my age. People have told me it’s a compliment to have people think I look younger. But even for women who want to look younger, do you really want to look like a child?! Come on now!

Looking a few years younger is one thing, looking a few DECADES younger is quite another!  

Lol 

And here I am again! 

And one last pic of me:

What’s it with me taking pics in the closet at work? Lol who knows?! 

But at least I look a tad older here (I hope.).

Ok, I think I’m done being obnoxious for the day. Here are two sweet love songs. Universal Love songs, not romantic ones. 

Keep Loving – mobile

Keep Loving – desktop

“Whether you got a family or single parentin’-
Or your Asian, African, European or American
Whether you pray-to-God or atheist is irrelevant
Cuz what you got inside is the same as all your brethren
So keep loving,
It’ll change your heart, it’ll change your mind
And then you’ll start to change your eyes
So keep loving
Everything you touch, everyone you see
Will soon become, your family”

Love One Another – mobile

Love One Another – desktop

“Love one another
Take your brother by the hand
The world will watch in wonder
Love will make them understand
Love one another
And your love will change the world”

Much love & laughter to you, I love you no matter what your views are, Republican, Democrat, Muslim, Arab, Christian, Atheist, rich, poor, homeless, whatever ethnicity, skin color, physical appearance, weight, size, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity…let’s take the messages in these songs to heart and let’s all laugh together at our own selves and each other, in a playful way, not a mocking way. We’re all in this together. ❤ ❤

😀

Xoxo Kim 

The Most important relationship is…<3

~Be someone who makes everyone feel like someone.~ ❤

Recently, I was at the synagogue with my good friend, Mike, for the Jewish new year. I met him in college years ago and we are still good friends. His family warmly & lovingly invites me to their houses often for their holidays. 

(my friends, Jim, Charlie, Mike, and me in New York City, a few years ago one sweet Spring day <3) 😀

We attended a beautiful event at the synagogue a few weeks ago where we sat under the stars at night drinking tea and singing and connecting, and the rabbi asked us which relationships in life are most important and there were various answers. The obvious ones were of course, our relationships with friends & family. Other answers were coworkers, God, our own self, the synagogue family. I was thinking that our relationship with everyone is important. Not just our longterm relationships but even just brief encounters with others each day. I did not say this out loud but one man volunteered his answer which was extremely similar to my own. He said our most important relationship is the one we have with everyone, just in general. 

I couldn't agree more. My most important relationship is the one with whoever it is I'm currently engaging with whether that someone is a friend, a family member, someone I am close with, someone I hardly know, a customer at work, a coworker, a sales person, a bus driver, an animal/pet, an insect, a person I would rather not be around, a doctor, a boss, a person I meet walking up a street or in a park or in traffic….whoever I am right here with, right now. It's important to give that person my full, undivided attention. It's important to be mindful of what is right before me in this moment.

It's all that matters. Let's listen, truly listen when someone is talking. Let's not zone out and think about future plans or food or our phone or whatever we may want when someone is in our presence and attempting to communicate with us. Even if what the person is saying doesn't interest us, it's important to that person so we can make it important to us. This won't always be easy, mindfulness takes practice and our minds tend to stray now and then. 

Right now is our most important moments. And whoever is with us is our most important relationship at that moment. (in my opinion. I understand someone else may have a different view.)

This takes me back to 11th grade when our English teacher told us that every encounter we have with someone, no matter how brief, even someone we may never see again, is a relationship worth nurturing the best we can. He gave an example of a seemingly trivial encounter, with a bus driver.

But he explained the importance of even an encounter like that. Getting on a bus, putting money in, is part of our life and it’s good to make it a positive part. Be friendly to the bus driver. 

I did not completely realize the wisdom of what he told us back then but I felt that it is somehow important. Now I know. 

One little encounter can have a profound effect on someone. For better or worse. We have the ability to choose words, gestures, actions…that can lift someone or potentially drag someone down. Let’s choose to lift others up. 

Let’s make everyone feel like someone. 

❤ 😀

Also, this is one of the songs we sang at the synagogue. “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds. It was beautiful to hear all the people singing together. 

Turn! Turn! Turn! – mobile

Turn! Turn! Turn! – desktop

Lotsa, Lotsa love to you! 😀

Xoxo Kim ❤

Universal Love & World Peace <3

Only Love Can Bring World Peace – mobile

Only Love Can Bring World Peace – desktop

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, a Buddhist monk and meditation master, in this video above, speaks of Universal Love and the nonsense of war and nuclear weapons. 

He explains how the only way to put an end to war & violence around the world is the practice 
of Dharma, which is Buddha’s teachings, but he also explains that by Dharma, he just means love, patience, and respect of others. Buddha’s teachings are grounded in love. He mentions that he doesn’t preach this because he’s a Buddhist, although that he is. This message is not exclusive to Buddhism and not something to only be carried out by Buddhists.

Anyone irrespective of religious views can share and live this message. 

Here, Geshe-la explains that LOVE is the most powerful nuclear explosive. It can destroy enemies. Now, at first this may seem horrific as if we want to blow up our enemies! But when he says destroy “enemies,” he is not referring to persons or any living sentient being, he is referring to the concept of enemy. Let’s destroy the concept of someone being our enemy. This doesn’t mean destroying someone who is flesh & blood.

Even if other people consider us their enemy, we do not have to return those thoughts and feelings against them. 

I can be someone’s enemy without that person being mine. 

If we all think this way, there will be no more enemies in the world. Even if just some of us think this way, there will be more love in the world and less violence and hostility. Even if it’s just one small part of the world, that is incredible! We are made of energy and our energy goes out into the world around us, let’s make it loving energy. Let’s summon all the love we can and destroy the whole notion of enemy.

Oh, my! My heart just wells up with love and gratitude for this adorable little man & his beautiful message. ❤

It's ok to love our country and our culture but we are not better than anyone else, we are all equal, all one. Some countries have more advanced governments and more human rights applied and cleaner water and more food available but their citizens are no more deserving than the citizens of any other country. 

Borders and boundaries and governments and organization are all “man-made,” even though in some cases they may be necessary. We don't have to use them or the concept of them as a weapon against each other.  Even if we don’t do anything practical to help people in other parts of the world, like travel or donate money, just deepening our compassion and empathy is good. It emits positive energy into our world and inspires us to act more lovingly in general.

(this isn’t my picture, I don’t know the source)

Let's not just think of our own community members as our brothers and sisters and not just think of our selves as citizens of our own country but citizens of the whole world. That's what each of us are.

Let's forget the enemy. Not forget our enemies as the people they are but forget their role as enemy to us.

❤ ❤

All of these pictures of Venerable Kelsang are screen captures I took of parts of the video above.

And here is a lovely song about universal love:

What the World Needs Now – Dionne Warwick – mobile

What the World Needs Now – desktop

Love sweet love. ❤

“No not just for some but for everyone.” ❤

An Oldie and goodie! ❤

😀

We may not always live up to this even if we think it's a sweet message. Sometimes we may act selfishly, argue negatively, act in an unkind manner. But we can acknowledge this and try to be better and better. It's ok to fall as long as we keep getting back up. ❤

😀

Much love to you,

xoxo Kim ❤

A Beautiful Smile is Always in Style

“I saw you smile
And my mind could not erase the beauty of your face” ~ Richard Marx

Look at this! 

I’m not the political junkie I used to be and don’t write/talk much about politics anymore. I still find it interesting and it’s definitely important. Also, I’m not secretive about my views. If it comes up or whatever, I will gladly state whatever religious or political views I hold. Even knowing people may be offended. No matter what view we have, someone somewhere will be offended. Even if it’s the most loving opinion and even when it’s stated calmly.

But anyway I’m sharing this picture not for politics but the beauty of their faces so happy and laughing together. 

😀

That’s the Catholic pope in the pic with our (U.S.) president. And he looks so beautiful as well. I’m not Catholic(although my mom insists that I am). And I’m not completely politically Liberal. But this picture warms my heart. They look so genuinely happy and sharing a feeling of togetherness.  

I’m not sharing this pic because of who they are as president and pope but for the beauty of it. I love to see them smile. ❤ 😀 

So cute! 

We need more & more genuine laughter & smiles in the world and this brings beams of sunlight into the world.

Another smile for you! 😀

For a moment, let’s forget all the disagreements, hostility, politics, arguments, debates…and bask in the beauty of smiles, love, & laughter.

❤

And like I said, I don't agree with all their views but I love that this Catholic man seems so accepting and loving. He is against animosity for lgbtq people. Also, he supports forgiveness/understanding for abortion, divorce, and criminal activity. 

He is against abortion and criminal activity but he promotes love for girls who have abortions, abortion doctors, and criminals. I agree with him that they deserve love & compassion, not hostility, contempt, and cruelty even if we don't agree with their decisions. Everyone does something that someone else does not like.

They as the people they are, deserve only love, not negative judgment even if we insist on judging their actions. 

We can not like everything someone does but still love & accept the person as a whole. ❤

There's all kinds of stuff we can critiscize the two men above (and everyone!) for and that's ok. But there's also much good we can see in them. And that's even better!

😀

Smile loves!

Lots of love to you. ❤

xoxo Kim