❤
This is a collage of inspiring pictures I took in various locations around the city. I hope it brings a sense of inspiration/consolation to someone! I find all of these signs/ads/things…. deeply inspiring!
Much love & light to you; always! ~Hugs & love~ to you! ❤ 😀
xoxo Kim
“See the curtains hangin’ in the window, in the evenin’ on a Friday night.
A little light a-shinin’ through the window, lets me know everything is alright.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.”
Today is like bordering on Summer here in Philadelphia! And I love it! Often, I don’t even want to think of Summer in Winter! But today is a beautiful taste of the soothing Spring & Summer to come.
How lovely!
I have this song on my mind today! I love the images it inspires in my head.
Summer Breeze – Seals & Crofts – mobile
I see visions of green and floral beauty and sunny skies and fragrant air upon my skin! ❤ ❤
As I mentioned, my word for the one word challenge is Beauty. So today I made it a point to focus even more on the beauty of this lovely imitation of a sweet Summer day and take note of it by writing in my one word journal and writing about it here.
I’m also celebrating at work with a sweet iced coffee!
Tomorrow, I hear it’s going back to below freezing! So I’ll be sure to soak up every bit of the warmth I can today!
All last night & into the early morning (for a couple nights now), the next door neighbors were blasting music so loudly I heard and felt it vibrating through the walls as I was in bed reading then drifting off to sleep. I did not mind. I like hearing people awake in the night while I lay in my dark room in bed. I like hearing them talking, laughing, playing, music…
Some people think it’s a lot of nerve blasting music at that hour. And well I guess it is. But I was pleased to hear it as I was falling asleep. It’s not the kind of music I would ever listen to intentionally but that’s ok.
“See the paper layin’ in the sidewalk, a little music from the house next door.
So I walked on up to the doorstep, through the screen and across the floor.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.”
These lyrics remind me of it. Lol
Here are five beautiful things I encountered today.
1.) a light, misty rain
2.) this shopping bag mixed in with all the bags we use for work. “Thank you” when said or felt genuinely, are very powerful words. What a great reminder to give thanks.
3.) a sweet girl and her husband who came to my workplace for ice cream today. They were both so friendly and happy together. What a pleasant encounter! And to top it off, she was wearing lovely stiletto boots!
4.) my phone is so full of photos, e-mails, and everything else. It’s in desperate need of a cleanse but I want to save a lot of photos before I delete them so I send them to my photobucket account first. One did not go through and a red circle showed up in my e-mail box next to the e-mail that did not go through. I can’t stand when that happens. It pisses me off. My e-mail box has thousands upon thousands of e-mails, mostly junk. But I like getting so many because there’s also inspiring messages and stuff that come through. But it can be hard to find certain e-mails I’m looking for in the midst of all that. I sent one of my pictures to photobucket then deleted it out of my phone then later decided I wanted the picture back on my phone to share here. Using my phone, it’s hard sometimes to save my pictures off of photobucket after I put them on. So I decided to look back through my sent e-mails to find the photo in my inbox when I sent it but since there’s hundreds and the e-mails aren’t named, it would be hard to find. But the ugly red circle indicating that my e-mail did not go through, helped me more quickly find the other e-mail I was searching for since I know it was close to that one in my inbox. So I just scanned my inbox quickly til I saw the ugly red circle then knew the e-mail I wanted was close. Turns out the ugly red circle isn’t so ugly after all! Lol I don’t know if any of this seems to make sense but basically something I was pissed at turned out to work in my favor! Yay!! When something that seems unpleasant doesn’t naturally work out in our favor, we can get creative and look for ways to use it to our advantage!
5.) for some reason this light rainy, warm day triggered pleasant memories of college. I was severely depressed back then, somewhat often but along with my very painful memories I also have beautiful, very pleasant memories of those days. There were so many happy days as well. This day inspires a very pleasant memory of another rainy day in my first year of college. But that other day, it wasn’t Winter, it was early Fall, I think, or the end of Summer. And it wasn’t a light rain, it was a heavy thunderstorm and very dark. There is nothing significant about this day back in college. It wasn’t a holiday or anything out of the ordinary. It was my first semester ever in college. I remember I was sad and missing high school and all the people I knew in my old school but still happy to be in college and definitely happy about my experiences there. I had a Criminal Justice paper that had to be turned in that day and I waited til the last minute then my printer wouldn’t work! So I decided to go to campus hours early to work on it before class that day. I had to write it all over to print out. My dad drove me to campus that early morning while it was still dark out before going to his work. I loved the dark and rain and going to campus early. There were very few people there that early and while I sometimes felt lonely back then being physically alone, that morning, I loved my own company. I loved the feeling of novelty. I was full of hope and curiosity about college even with my sadness and longing for high school. I loved my classes already. I was so young, only eighteen years old! Every rainy day now doesn’t inspire me to recall that day in college, most do not. But for some reason today inspired that pleasant memory. I’m so thankful! Savoring our memories and truly feeling them can inspire in us whatever emotion we felt back then. If you tap into your memory of your wedding day or the day you gave birth or your first day of college or moving into a new house, whatever pleasant experience you recall….really tune in, you can feel those same emotions ripple through you even if you haven’t felt them in so long. That’s a great technique for practicing gratitude, recalling old occasions we felt gratitude and truly allowing them to surface and flow through us. It can also bring a pang of sadness, longing, nostalgia of course but that’s ok! That’s beautiful too.
😀
Thank you to every single person who reads, likes, “likes,” follows, shares…my content!! I deeply appreciate it always!! ❤ 😀
I hope you are having a beautiful day/night wherever you are and basking in all the beauty around & within whatever the weather is like. We can always bring our own sunshine & rain. ❤
Much love,
Xoxo Kim
When I was at work last night I saw a newspaper that says “50 Shades of Happy” (about coloring). It inspires me to list fifty things that elicit happiness for me.
Here goes!
1.) rainbow sprinkles! Especially on vanilla ice cream & cupcakes! Oh my! How delicious and pretty!
2.) puppy kissies!
3.) rainbows
4.) conversations and tea with friends
5.) cupcakes!
6.) tofu!
7.) a full moon
8.) creepy ghost stories!
9.) Kindle app!
10.) clear blue sky
11.) unexpected rain
12.) packages arriving in the mail
13.) hearing an old forgotten song or a new song/song I haven’t yet heard, that I love! Especially when that new song/song I haven’t heard before now, is called Kimberly!
“Kimberly baby, you make me crazy!” lol
Or Kimberley (it’s close enough!)
“You see Kimberly was special, a rare and wild soul
Nearly every man who met her, their hearts she always stole…”
“You know I got to have this kim, I cant get her off my mind
And I aint gonna stop until shes mine, mine…”
It’s a beautiful political song about wanting to save the land called Kimberley in Australia against too much Industrialization. It’s about greed and selfishness and too much division and arguing. But he writes/sings as if it’s about a girl who everyone loves and craves. It has a deep message and some parts of it can be applied to life in general. Forget the politics and message and all and we’ll just pretend it’s about me! Lol! I got nothing against cowboys though! He seems to have a little something going against them in the song! But I don’t! lol ;-D
Kimberley – John Butler – mobile
Kimberley – John Butler – desktop
And there’s quite a few more songs involving my name! Yay! One is Kimberly by Marques Houston. I discovered this gem a few years ago. It’s a sexy, risqué song:
“Come along with me cus my ride don’t stop
We can make love that the neighbours watch
Open up the blinds let the whole world see”
Lol funny!
But my favorite line is:
“…more than just physical (its more than just physical Kimber…)
Deep inside of every woman there’s a Kimberly
She’s incredible… (She’s incredible)”
14.) photography – looking at people’s photos inspires me! And I love taking pics myself! I want to be a photographer one day!
15.) my kitty with her tongue sticking out!
Lol
16.) hot tea
17.) iced coffee
18.) flowers – especially when they have little kritters on their petals
19.) warm blankets
20.) Christmas songs! How cheerful! 😀
21.) pumpkin flavored coffee in the Fall! How thrilling!
22.) helping people
23.) random acts of kindness
24.) being in a room full of people or surrounded by lots of people in some way – doesn’t matter if I know them or not or if I’m interacting with them or not- it’s so uplifting and energizing
25.) a long thrilling conversation with a stranger
26.) hugs!
27.) snails walking on me
28.) my long hair blowing in the wind
29.) taking pictures of buildings
30.) comedy movies
31.) cherry water ice!
32.) connecting with people on social media accounts
33.) seeing/hearing/reading about good things that happen for people – I’m very empathetic and soak up everyone else’s happiness & pleasure. It reminds me of that episode of “King of Queens” when that girl Kirstie is guest starring and she’s on a diet or something and won’t let herself indulge in some sweet confections and so she insists that the girl, Carrie, eats it for her so she can watch and feel the pleasure herself just using her empathy! Lol that can be me!
34.) philosophy texts
35.) walking in perfect “walking weather” – perfect to me is not too hot or too cold, not too windy, and also a light rainy mist
36.) a sky full of stars
37.) jumping on a trampoline!
38.) makeup! Especially eye makeup!
39.) the sounds of construction work outside! Yes, I love it! Lol
40.) the Earthy scent right before and after it rains, yum!
41.) the first glistening snowfall of the season
42.) reading a book at night with my dogs in bed
43.) getting new fruity body mist or body wash/hair soap/conditioner/lotion
44.) tropical scents
45.) rain droplets on flower petals & leaves
46.) watching a sunset or sunrise
47.) cool nights/windy nights
48.) uncontrollable belly laughs
49.) Buddha statues/figures/pictures
The man is seriously PEACEFUL! Day & night without exception. Totally has his shizz together.
50.) colorful socks! 😀
Nothing wrong with letting the little kid in us run wild and see wonder in everything we look at!
I am disappointed to get to fifty already! It was so easy and I can go on & on! If I ever try to list things I don’t like, it’s much harder! My mind is generally so focused on what I do like! 😀 I guess that’s how you know you have a good life, when it’s so much easier to list happy things than unhappy things! I certainly have a list of things I dislike but it wasn’t easy to create that one and not as uplifting to write/read. But things we dislike are part of us too and no sense denying it! It’s all about our focus, attitude, and reaction. I am so much happier though, reading lists of things people love than the things they can’t stand.
What is your 50 shades of happy?
😀
Much love to you! ❤
Xoxo Kim ❤
(this isn’t my photo – I dont know the source but it sure is funny!)
Recently, I realized how much I really do love Summer. The Summer season has the potential to be quite beautiful where I am. I often say it’s my least favorite season. It is. But I also say that I love all four seasons. All four are lovely and I am blessed to live in a place where we experience the diversity of all the seasons and the gifts they bring.
But often, when I think of Summer, I want to grimace. For the last couple of days it has been very beautiful summer weather. Hot but definitely not scorching. Actually, yesterday was really cool and very rainy and stormy. Today is perfect too. Not rainy. Hot but not overwhelming.
Then it hit me. This is perfect. Summer would be perfect if there were not as many heatwaves. It’s not hot weather I don’t like, it’s unbearably hot weather like 100 degrees heatwaves over and over to where even good commercial air conditioners don’t even seem to be working, that I don’t like much.
But I wouldn’t get rid of the heatwaves even if I could. Because a lot of people do like them. And it’s not all about me. And also Because I like diversity and it’s good to have all kinds of weather. Also, I love the way it feels to have cold showers and put on my pj shorts in the middle of a heatwave! Lol
So yeah, they are good for some things!
I like to have tea at work. I carry tea bags, powdered cream, and a box or cup of sugar everywhere with me. Lol
But today I forgot my tea and stuff! But I saw we have hot chocolate at work. We usually don’t get that until the Fall but we have a big box. So I had some of that since I forgot my tea. I started to feel giddy and thrilled because in my head it felt like October.
Every year when it gets cooler, we sell hot chocolate and today as I was getting ready to drink it, it felt like that Fall feeling, especially because it was kind of breezy/cool in the morning and last night. The weather was definitely not Fall-like weather but just cool summer air. But it felt like Autumn in my mind. I started dreaming of Fall and all the lovely gems it brings!
But then I stopped myself and decided to instead cherish right now and all the blessings Summer brings. It’s good to look forward to and plan for things but it’s also good to be mindful and appreciative of right now and all of the joys surrounding us. Fall will be here before we know it. This moment will never occur again. Let’s embrace it.
(me standing on the corner in the rain)
I’m often extremely happy to be right where I am, right here, right now. I’m naturally this way to a certain degree but with practice I’m much better at it now. Often, no matter what my situation is, even painful, I can still be thankful I’m right here, right now, and see the beauty around me. I almost never felt this way walking in 100 degree weather, extremely thirsty and feeling like I’m about to fall unconscious of heatstroke or dehydration. I would keep thinking “Winter! Where are you?!” or “this sucks!!!” but now I am very mindful of the gentle breeze that seems to lovingly brush against my cheeks and the vibrant green leaves hanging off the tree branches and the blue, blue sky above me, twinkling in my blue, blue eyes. And I’m so thankful for right here, right now. I just tune into the moment. It often comes naturally now but if not, I can often summon that mindful gratitude. If I had a choice I would never choose being out in 100 degree weather dying of thirst and heat but since I don’t have the choice, I cherish it. It’s fantastic to live, to love this way.
If we live too much in the future or the long ago, we miss out on the gift of the present.
(not my photo)
I love reading quotes, blogs, and books about mindfulness as reminders and ways to keep up the practice of appreciative living right now.
Here are some of my favorite quotes relating to the topic of mindfulness, Zen, or appreciative living.
“The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.” ~ Robert Pirsig
“Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points.” ~ D.T. Suzuki
“Zen is simply a voice crying, ‘Wake up! Wake up!'” ~ Maha Sthavira Sangharakshita
“The quieter you become the more you can hear.” ~ Baba Ram Dass
“If you have a glass full of liquid you can discourse forever on its qualities, discuss whether it is cold, warm, whether it is really and truly composed of H2O, or mineral water, or saki. Zazen is drinking it.” ~ Taisen Deshimaru
“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” – James Baraz
“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” – Henry Miller
“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
“If you clean the floor with love, you have given the world an invisible painting.” – Osho
“To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.” – William Blake
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
“Paradise is not a place; it’s a state of consciousness.”
I hope you are having a wonderful day/night!
Xoxo Kim
I’m a big fan of acknowledging and deeply appreciating the simple joys of living. Most of which cost no money or very little money, things we all have access to if only we look a certain way. There are different depths of mindfulness, just seeing all the way to deep appreciation and awareness. I’m definitely not against certain kinds of materialism to a certain extent! Nothing wrong with vacations and big shopping sprees and big celebrations and things! But there’s so many “little” things surrounding us right now that we can tap into at any point and be filled with warmth and gratitude. Let’s cherish them. Here’s my list! When sunlight or sunsets reflect off of cars, signs, or buildings or puddles or anything Waking up in the early morning and hearing birds chirping cheerfully Falling asleep to a heavy rainstorm The perfect cup of coffee or tea When an illness or pain ends and the feeling of the old self reappears and is stronger than ever Meeting someone and experiencing a deep “soul” connection The first glistening snowfall of the season The first flowers blossoming in the beginning of Spring Hearing an old forgotten song The beginning of Fall when the crunchy leaves cover the streets and the scents of October fill the air Late Autumn when it’s almost Winter & the holiday season and my inspiration runs deep Crickets singing on a warm Summer night Laying in bed at night reading a mystery book
my bones (hipbones, collarbone, neck bones…) and the way they delicately poke through my skin
my heartbeat ❤
Cobblestone streets Hugs Helping someone Waking up with dogs sleeping all around me in bed Walking in a light rainfall on a cool night – it’s a feeling of sweet liberation The first cool nights of the season The way my long hair feels against my lower back Receiving a sweet message by someone I know or someone I never met before then Random acts of kindness 
Any act of kindness, random or not Feeling a general sense of deep inspiration Hugging someone I just met When a headache finally ends The feeling of early morning Cool gray days
Warm and sunny afternoons surrounded by trees and green and flowers Beautiful parks 
Being surrounded by lots of people Feeling beautiful Finding an inspiring quote or song that completely resonates with me Beautiful people When I’m not wearing makeup and think I look even better than when I have my face made up! A bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds Seeing seagulls flying through the sky A starry starry night
A big, bright full moon Honeybees on bright colored flowers Warm fluffy blankets The warmth of clothes just out of a dryer The holiday season Christmas songs Feeling that there’s nowhere else I would rather be than right here right now, wherever it may be, including at work! 
Unexpected rain Talking to someone who completely understands what I’m saying Philadelphia skyscrapers 
Red dresses Anything pink Warm pj’s Walking into an air conditioned room after stepping out of 100 degree weather outside The warmth of a hot drink flowing through the whole body on a cool/cold day Philosophy text books Kindle app 
Free Kindle books! (many people think if they are free they must suck or be very short books but it’s not necessarily true! I got free ones before with 400 pages and very good ones! Give them a chance! ;-D ) The feeling of stepping out of an air conditioned room into a hot, sunny, Summer day. I love the scent of the Summer heat and the feel of the blanket of heat enveloping me the first few seconds I step into it. The sound of construction work outside off in the distance. Yes, I love this! I just love the sounds of the city. Shadows on the ground. Warm puppy kissies. The warm smell of doggy fur. Laughing til it hurts. Street lamps 
City lights Flowers 
Seeing people sitting under umbrellas outside of restaurants on Spring & Summer days sipping pretty tropical looking drinks out of delicate looking glasses. Simple, light but fun conversations with friends Girls in stilettos When I’m laying in bed and my long hair touches the floor Abandoned houses Stop signs Street signs Squirrels running up the trees or eating Realizing I like something I never used to like. Black & white photography for example, and flat shoes and cheese fries with ketchup. Waking up to rain 
Vintage looking objects and photos Stories that take place long long ago Reminiscing about pleasant things The way candy always tastes better in the cold weather Meeting/knowing someone who is overly compassionate. We can never have too much love! The fragrances of winter & fall – pumpkin, cinnamon, pine, apple, peppermint… Tropical candles lit in Spring & Summer Moneystealers 
Fall in Philadelphia Philadelphia any season 
(he was on a wall in my house – so soft & fuzzy. I rescued him after my sister found him. ) The Eastern State Penitentiary /haunted attraction SEPTA busses, trolleys, and trains Everyday objects Insects 
The way lights streams through a door to a dark room when the door is slightly open. Sometimes I leave a light off just to see it. My struggle with depression and with severe physical pain inspire me to more deeply acknowledge and appreciate and realize these simple treasures. When I’m in severe pain of any kind, beautiful things seem to jump out at me more, reminding me that I “can’t have” or “don’t deserve” them and this inspires me to notice them more when I’m not in severe pain. And I learned to seize them no matter how much pain I’m in. But we can learn to bask in and deeply appreciate the simple treasures even without the pain. I think most of us have little things we love but may not always be mindful of them or just how much we love the beauty of them. Let’s stop. And mindfully cherish those things all around us each and every day. One way I express my love and perception of the simple joys, is taking pictures and often editing them to exaggerate or magnify the small details to make them stand out. We often overlook reflections, shadows, mundane things….in person but in photos they stand out more. What simple treasures do you cherish even if you never realized just how much you love them? And how can you express your appreciation? Photography? Writing? Painting? Drawing? Let’s get creative! Let’s live with intention. 😀 Xoxo Kim
But not really!
Today is the first day of Spring!
And this is what we get!
(this pic showed up by accident but he’s cute so I’m leaving it – he’s my baby, Woody, almost eight months old!)
What a hilarious joke it seems the uni-verse has played on us! 😀
Lol it looks like Winter is milking it for all it’s worth, going to snow and be All frigid until the last second it possibly can!
I love it! I’m so so happy it will be warm soon! And life will
Blossom
all around! Green & flowers and a floral fragrance in the air!
Google flowers! @—}—-}
But I’m so happy for one last snow blizzard until Winter/the end of Fall comes again! Yay!
It’s a Winter Wonderland today and I walked in it to get my mom a coffee! It was beautiful but eventually my head was throbbing terribly because of the cold, I thought I would pass out. Or die. Lol ok, not really die but it was almost as painful as brain freeze when I eat ice cream too quickly!
The quote in my daily quote book for today, March 20th is:
“If only we’d stop trying to be happy, we’d have a pretty good time.” ~ Edith Wharton
Isn’t this so true?! How often have you heard someone say or have you said or thought yourself something like “when it’s warm/hot outside and I can go on vacation, I will be happier, when I lose 20 pounds I will be happier, this weekend I will be happy, when I have kids I will be happy, when I find true love or get married I will be happy, when I grow up/get older, graduate college, get better grades, I will be happy, when I get a job or another job I will be happy, when I have more money I will be happy, when I have a place of my own I will be happy…?”
I’m definitely not innocent of thoughts like that occasionally, thoughts like “when…..then I will be happier.” While I’m often mindful of and happy right now, there are definitely occasions I begin to think I need more or “should” have more. And then it leads to a very low feeling, negative comparisons to others, or even a full blown depression.
But the truth is, we can be happy now. Let go of the conditional happiness concept and living too much in the future. Let go and allow the beauty and joy of right Now to seep into our essence and soak it all up! Be happy now!
The external things that we think can lead to happiness or can bring us fleeting happiness will not last very long and are not necessarily as purely blissful as we think they are. Warm weather comes then leaves eventually and we’re stuck in the bitter cold, vacations end and we have to come back to reality, people can leave us, we can put weight back on after the hard work losing it, fashion trends eventually end after buying all those expensive clothes, people die of heatstroke and exhaustion in the Summer, freeze to death in Winter, suffer with horrible allergies in Spring & Fall, are used for money and have lots of financial management when they are financially rich, have the pressure of having to keep up their grades when they have a perfect gpa, even great things like kids and relationships and money, a great job,….come with consequences that aren’t always pure bliss, the thing is to practice and learn to be happy NOW or at least in general under any circumstances.
Pay attention to the gifts right before our very eyes. It’s great to have relationships with others, have kids, get a new job, shop for new clothes, experience the seasons, have money, get amazing grades in school…but we don’t need those things to have a sense of happiness or self worth. They can bring us certain joys and a certain kind of happiness and blessings we won’t have without them but we can also have joy and true happiness and blessings without them. They complement our happiness and our self, not complete us.
There are great things and drawbacks to just about every stage and phase and season of life. Let’s cherish them all and appreciate now!
Coincidentally this is what we talked about and meditated upon in class last night. Then today that is the quote for this day!
Also, I read that today brings with it a Super New Moon, a Total Solar Eclipse, and the Spring Equinox! All of which symbolize new beginnings! A perfect reminder that no matter what happened, no matter how stuck or depressed, or broken we are or have been, there is new hope and a blank slate to turn around and begin again! And we can begin right Now! ❤
Much love to you! ❤
Xoxo Kim
“Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.” ~ Native American Proverb
❤
I recently read a fictional book (book number two in a series) called “Tribal Court” by Stephen Penner, a legal thriller. I love legal thrillers! Many of the books in the series are already out so I don’t even have to wait! I already read book one and book two and am about to purchase book three (on the Kindle app).
“Tribal Court” is a fascinating book. The series takes place in Seattle and this book takes place on a reservation near Seattle. When a Native American man is murdered by another Native American person in Seattle close to their reservation, their governments sort of clash. The reservation is a sovereign community and doesn’t necessarily have to follow all of the laws of the state government. And if one of their members kills or is accused of killing another member on state ground, the person can be tried in the Native American Court, which isn’t very accustomed to things like murder in these circumstances and they aren’t completely prepared or familiar with the whole process, especially with unfamiliar state laws thrown in. The main character in the series is Seattle prosecutor, Mr. David Brunelle, who is sent to the reservation to prosecute the accused man, which he isn’t thrilled about. He’s not welcome there because he’s not a Native American person and is there to impose state ways upon their close – knit community.
He can be quite an asshole (especially to his girlfriend/sort of girlfriend, the medical examiner he often works with in court and homicide scenes) but he’s a likable character. He doesn’t try to be an asshole, he just does, selfishly, whatever he feels he has to do to get what he wants, even uses people. I like how the author conveys the character’s human side and not just his professional side.
Anyway it’s all about Native American culture, some non fiction facts and some fictional details thrown in to fit into the story. The author makes a statement at the end to explain what is and is not fact in his book.
I read the end today. Then later I looked in my “Daily book of positive quotations” for today, March 15th and coincidentally the quote is a Native American proverb:
“Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.”
This really is a great idea! There are so many great things coming to all of us, things we don’t know about and would never even imagine! So why not be thankful for them already? We don’t know what they all are, have no clue about some of them but we can still give thanks. The life we have provides us with the opportunity to experience many great things.
If we live in a state of gratitude for not only what we already have but all that is to come, it can allow us to be happier than if we aren’t mindful of all the opportunities we have to experience amazing things. It’s so uplifting to think about!
“Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.”
Developing, strengthening, or maintaining an attitude of gratitude and a conviction that we have many future blessings that haven’t yet occurred, can really shift our minds to a much happier or more joyful place even if we’re already happy/joyful. And if we’re not already happy and full of joy, that attitude can really help.
I hope you’re having a beautiful day/night!
😀
And don’t forget to count your blessings! There’s too many to count (even if we don’t always feel that way) but you can list a few!
There’s always something to be thankful for even in the worst situations. Even if you’re as low as you can possibly be, there’s something to grasp to be thankful for. Some sliver of light. ❤
Xoxo Kim
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” ~
Frances Hodgson Burnett
This quote couldn’t be more true! Everywhere we look, there is some kind of beauty. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like, what season we’re in the midst of, what mood we’re in, if we’re healthy or sick, grieving or in some other kind of pain, homeless or live in a mansion, financially rich or poor, Alone, lonely, surrounded by others,
whatever struggles we have, there is some form of beauty to soak up, cherish, and celebrate. ❤
Celebrating beauty is what I’m doing here. Here are my pictures and some of my favorite quotes!
😀
“This world, after all our science and science, is still a miracle: wonderful, inscrutable, magical and more, to whosoever will think it.” ~ Thomas Dekker
(I was waiting for a bus today in the freezing cold but it was well worth it because the scenery is so beautiful and I was surrounded by adorable little sparrows! I noticed the cute little fuzzy heads they have and the caprice of their tender wings, fluttering all around)
“Oh, the wild joys of living! the leaping from rock up to rock,
The strong rending of boughs from the fir-tree, the cool silver shock
Of the plunge in a pool’s living water.” ~
Robert Browning
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” ~
Kahlil Gibran
“To see is to forget the name of the thing one sees.” ~ Paul Valéry
Life is what we make it so let’s make it beautiful.
Live everyday and find the extraordinary in the ordinary.
“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.” ~
Mary Jean Iron
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein
“Find the good and praise it.” ~Alex Haley
“For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
”The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” ~Richard Bach
(my adorable girl, Isis Summerjo)
“I’ll be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time will open up again” ~Steve Winwood
“O, with what freshness,
what solemnity and beauty,
is each new day born;
as if to say to insensate man,
‘Behold!
thou hast one more chance!
Strive for immortal glory!'” ~
Harriet Beecher Stowe
“Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.” ~Anne De Lenclos
~Heaven is Earth~
(night in the city)
“There’s beauty up above and things we never take notice of
You wake up and suddenly you’re in love.” ~ Billy Ocean
(me!<3 <3)
“And I guess we never learn.
Go through life parched and empty,
Standin’ knee deep in a river and dyin’ of thirst.” ~ “Standing Knee Deep In A River” (Dying of Thirst)
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
Confucius
“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know that just to be alive is a grand thing.”
~Agatha Christie
“Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.”~
Henry Van Dyke
“I love this crazy, tragic,
Sometimes almost magic,
Awful, beautful life” ~Darryl Worley ♥
“I’m thankful for a pair of shoes that feel really good on my feet; I like my shoes.
I’m thankful for the birds; I feel like they’re singing just for me when I get up in the morning… Saying, ‘Good morning, John. You made it, John.’
I’m thankful for the sea breeze that feels so good right now, and the scent of jasmine when the sun starts going down.
I’m thankful…”
~Johnny Cash
“Some people have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy.” ~
Abraham Maslow
The only difference between an extraordinary life and an ordinary one is the extraordinary pleasures you find in ordinary things.
~Veronique Vienne
I hope you find the beauty in each moment no matter how low your mood is or how much pain you are experiencing or how bored or stressed or distracted you are. We can’t always be happy but we can find something in each moment to grasp and hold and see the joy in.
(I don’t eat steaks [unless they’re vegan ones] but this building is so pretty, all lit up and surrounded with people)
Let’s surrender to each fleeting moment and absorb all the beauty and love Each one
provides.
Much love to you. ❤
Xoxo Kim ❤
“It is extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is.” ~ George F. Will
I recently came across a Country song that I never heard before and I am completely blown away! I write so frequently about how one life no matter how “ordinary,” can have an amazing, positive effect on many, many other lives. And that’s exactly the message this song conveys. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful message.
❤
Most people that I come across, that I know of, can’t stand Country music. But even if you are one of those who find it very distasteful, you may still love the beautiful message of this song.
“Life’s like a chain – sometimes it breaks
We all need a hand when we fall from grace
It could be someone walking down the street
A stranger on a bus
A little kid on his way to school
Or any one of us
We all got a little superman ready to take flight
And save a life, oh save a life
Take a look around and you’ll see ordinary angels” ~ Craig Morgan
A while ago I wrote a post about “ordinary” people who inspire me, people who aren’t celebrities(celebrities can be very inspiring too but we don’t have to be to have a positive effect on someone.) or ones who are well known. They don’t necessarily have extravagant jobs and lots of money or any special skills other than compassion, caring, and the courage to reach out to others in some way. They don’t necessarily have the resources to reach people at great magnitudes the way famous people do. But they can touch at least one life each day. They help people just by being themselves. That was before I heard this song. And this song inspires me to make another list. Here is my list of “ordinary angels,” mostly strangers whose lives have touched mine in some way.
1.) The man who came to the store where I work and paid for the two people in line in back of him who he did not know and told them to get whatever they want, no matter how much it costs. Then he gave me an eighteen dollar tip, which is more than the cost of all his stuff! The people in back of him insisted that he doesn’t pay for their stuff and he said he wanted to.
“We’re all in this together” he said.
I was inspired by his message more than the big tip! We ARE all in this together. Let’s reach out to one another, encourage each other, and build each other up.
2.) The young man who gave me his seat on a bus – one day after a therapy appointment I was standing on a crowded bus holding a bag of books and this young man without asking just got up and walked to the front and told me I can have his seat and he stood the rest of the way. It helped me so much!! I am still so thankful.
3.) the two men who (literally) saved my life at a bus stop – I was (stupidly) texting on my phone while crossing the bus terminal and I walked in front of the 17 bus and almost got hit, two men who did not know me or each other, yelled and one pushed me and the other pulled me. They risked their own lives to save me, a stranger. They had no idea who I am, had no idea how I live, what my views on anything are, what I may have done in this life and they did not care. All they cared about was saving me.
4.) The homeless man who saw me trudging up the street like trying to walk through Quicksand or like trying to walk up the stairs in that Fred Krueger movie, going to class, when I was in college. I was depressed & suicidal and he had no idea what was going on in my head but he knew something unpleasant was going on. He yelled out to me, “Smile little lady, it gets better.” and he had the brightest, most beautiful smile on his face, I couldn’t help but smile, myself! 😀 His words still carry me today.
Smile little lady, it gets better. 😀
It does get better.
5.) the University professor at Temple University in back of me in line, who smiled and talked to me in her warm, soothing voice when we were waiting in line. She was almost late for her class and was in line to buy a snack and so was I. I wasn’t her student but I was almost late for a different class. She had the most beautiful smile and warmest voice. She wanted to get out of line and go to the soda box to get a drink and asked me if I would hold her place. When she came back I let her get in front of me so she wouldn’t be as late. I was depressed and suicidal again. Back then I almost always was. I found her presence to be so comforting and warm. And that encounter lifted me. And I cherish that memory. I even wrote a poem about it many years later! People inspire me to write.
6.) the man who helped me in Center City Philadelphia when I was lost. I couldn’t find my way back home, had no idea what bus to take or where to get it. I must have looked as lost as I felt. A man came out of nowhere and asked if I was lost and where I was trying to go. I told him and he told me exactly where to go and what bust to get on. I found my way back home. Love will always be my guide.
7.) the sweet girl in Center City who gave me a hug out of nowhere just because she wanted to bring joy to anyone she could. I never saw her before that day or any day after.
8.) the stranger who put his umbrella over me in the midst of a heavy rain shower. I was waiting for a bus after my therapy appointment, to come home and a man also waiting for the bus let me stand under his umbrella with him. He asked if I work around there and I said no I go to therapy appointments there. He asked what for and asked if I’m stressed. I said not necessarily “stressed” I have a chronic depressive disorder and suicidal tendencies, a genetic condition or biochemical imbalance or whatever. I waited for him to step away in shock and horror and disgust like some others have done when I told them. But instead, he asked about it and empathized, and he told me his sister also has depression and he tries to be as understanding as possible.
9.) the two women who talked to me walking up the street together – I was walking to a counseling center for an appointment and on the way there I met two women holding hands, walking up the same street with me. They had a special warmth about them, a welcoming, inviting glow, I thought they seemed like people I would like to know or talk to and then the one turned around and said hello. I said hello and the other one turned to greet me. They asked where I was going and I told them and it turned out they were patients at the same place for depression like me! But they weren’t going there then. We talked for a while and they told me they are lovers and have a mostly great relationship but get into arguments because the one girl was kind of overly jealous. And the one wanted to hang out with her ex girlfriend and the other was very uncomfortable with that situation. But they were working on their problems together. They told me their fears, their loves, their sorrow, and joy. Their happiness. I love how open and honest they were. I’m very open too but some people I wouldn’t tell stuff to directly because they don’t seem as easy to talk to but these two women were so open and receptive and what a coincidence how I met them, nowhere near the clinic but they were patients there! We knew the same people and had similar experiences! They were very easy to talk to and I told them my own story with depression.
10.) the lady who made sure no one sat in a puddle on a seat on a bus – I was sitting on a bus years ago and a lady closer to the front intentionally sat near a seat with a puddle in it so she would be able to tell every person who was about to sit in it that it’s wet! And many people kept getting ready to sit in it! She had to remain constantly alert and couldn’t even sit back all the way in her seat so that she could constantly, quickly caution people! I have seen puddles and gum on seats before and most people walk right by not thinking to even sit close just to warn people. What a very thoughtful and caring person! And so many people and their pants were saved! Doesn’t this just inspire you so deeply to be more thoughtful?!
11.) the sweet & friendly girl at an event at a Buddhist center who talked to me. We have very similar interests and she showed genuine interest in me and my opinions. She’s going to be a nurse and help lots of people! I loved talking to her. I only ever met her once but the connection was deep.
12.) the friendly Philadelphia police detective who said I did a great job and expressed gratitude for me “helping” after someone tried to steal money at work years ago. I couldn’t identify the person but the man was so thankful anyway and praised me for trying. He could have been frustrated and stressed but he was friendly and uplifting. He did more than just his job, he reached out to be positive and uplifting when he did not have to.
13.) the customer who saw me outside of work and told me I’m very friendly and that him and his girlfriend are always pleased to see me at work. They are both very sweet and kind and caring.
14.) The man who told me I have beautiful hair – some years ago I was filling out one of those silly and fun online surveys and one question was “what thing do you get the least compliments on?” mine is my hair. I love my beautiful hair but I don’t get many compliments on it by others(I’m often told that it’s super long but not always sure if it’s exactly a compliment or just an observation). My sister always did get compliments when it’s not dyed because she has bright orange hair, naturally, when it’s not dyed another color. The very next day when I was on a bus, a man who was walking out the doors told me I have very beautiful hair. It wasn’t even fixed or brushed. And recently in dunkin donuts another man came up to me while I was in line and told me I have very beautiful, long hair then he walked away and as I was walking out, he said goodbye. I love genuine compliments that are not intended to get something in return.
15.) the girl I met randomly in college. I was sitting outside on campus reading a philosophy book when this girl sat next to me like she knew me. I wanted to say hello but was too shy so I just kept on reading and she said the name of my book and the author without even being able to see it. She recognized the appearance of the book! Another philosophy phreak!
What are the chances?! 😀
She told me her name, Stephanie, she was going to law school to be a criminal defense attorney and loved philosophy like me! We had a long, intriguing discussion about all the ancient and modern philosophers, philosophy of law, logic,ethics, and about our other interests. Her boyfriend was going away for the military and she was scared for him and sad he was leaving but also proud. I was so happy to have a friend in that moment, we connected so well, so genuinely, an instant soul sister. I never saw her again but my memory uplifts me to this day.
16.) the doctor who held my hand after surgery – many years ago I had very painful emergency surgery and medical procedure on my kidney & bladder when it almost ruptured. I was very sickly and in excruciating pain. After surgery, I was scared because I opened my eyes but couldn’t see very well. I had no idea that is normal after just waking up after surgery as I have never had surgery before then or knew anything about it. All the doctors and nurses were very warm and caring. The one doctor came over and I told her I couldn’t see and she held my hand and assured me it would get better and I would recover well. She did more than just her job, she expressed compassion, genuine concern, and empathy. Now when I think back to that ordeal, I have warm memories.
17.) the little boy, five years old, who told me I’m beautiful one night at work. A young mom who comes with her little boys told me her older son has a little crush on me and was too afraid to tell me I’m pretty. And she told him every girl loves to be told she’s beautiful and I said yup that’s so true! And then the younger boy said “you are so beautiful!” I was so flattered. Especially because I did not feel the most beautiful that night! I was functioning with lack of sleep, ratty hair, no makeup…
And his compliment was so genuine. After that, I really did feel so beautiful, even with the dark circles under my eyes and all! When a child tells you you’re beautiful, you are beautiful! Lol
18.) the man driving by in a car who saw a random stranger, another man, putting up a ladder and stopped his car to say “yo buddy, you need help?” I just witnessed this; I wasn’t involved but it warmed me just the same.
19.) Michelle, Melissa, Lamont, Stephen, Patricia, Frank, Holly, Deborah, Aquanetta, Jennifer, Chris, Latrina, Kelly, Georgia, Gina, and all the others I knew when I had to stay in a hospital for a while for psychotic depression and suicidal contemplation. It wouldn’t be the same without those friends who helped me see it through. All strangers who helped each other bear the burden of mental illness. We all connected in a deep way, all of us struggling and understanding each other better than anyone else ever could. We suffered in our own separate worlds, imprisoned in our own secret hell but we were able to reach out to one another and let each other into that hell, knowing each other’s pain intimately. I never saw them again but I carry them in my heart.
20.) Mr. O, the psychiatric technician who told us of his own struggle with substance addiction and his recovery and how it inspires him everyday to help others. He told us that we all have an inner sun, to find it and let it shine through. That we can always choose how to handle things and react and work on our attitude even when it hurts. He even mentioned one of my other favorite Country songs, “The Gambler,” sung by Kenny Rogers, which is about choosing our attitude and empowering ourselves.
21.) my friend, Johnathan – he’s not a stranger. I knew him for years. He’s the most selfless person I have ever known. He gives others his last dollar always, even when he’s out of money and food for himself. He goes out of his way to help strangers, he buys food for whole families if he sees them struggling. He does (construction) work for people even if they can’t pay him. He doesn’t always know when he will get paid next but it doesn’t stop him, he will give every last dollar of his to a friend, a family member, a stranger, even an enemy. I have seen him giving money to and doing free work for people who are very unkind to him, very ungrateful, even destructively criticize him. He does this out of the goodness of his heart. He genuinely wants everyone to be happy. Everyone. He is a great dad and does whatever he can to help his kids whenever they need something, even the young adult ones. He helps animals in need if he sees them. He is extremely understanding and caring and compassionate. He’s big and strong and defends people in need. His generosity is boundless and indescribable. He just gives, gives, gives. Love, money, work, anything he has to give.
22.) the group of police officers who came to my work – I don’t charge police officers of any kind at work. They can get whatever they want for nothing. But they usually insist on paying and giving me tips. One day a group of them came and gave me a very big tip. They were very friendly and so generous. I always appreciate the friendliness and kindness more than the money itself. They had the opportunity to get whatever they wanted for nothing but they paid and gave me a generous tip. And were kind and friendly. I appreciate that and all the work they do, the risks they take with their lives and also the risk of being destructively criticized by people who do not appreciate the work they do for us and judge them all by the unjust actions of a few, the dangerous work and the boring paperwork they must endure. They risk being perceived negatively and their mistakes and flaws are magnified because of the kind of work they do. Everyone probably makes mistakes but for people of certain jobs, they stand out more. I make mistakes at work but because the job is trivial, it won’t stand out as much even though I’m no morally better. I have much appreciation & deep gratitude for all good officers/detectives/police…
23.) The employee at Dunkin Donuts who gave me a senior discount when I did not have enough money for something after I ordered it. She could have said forget about it and let me go with nothing but she was kind enough to consider me an old person for the day and let me still have my drink! 😀
24.) the interviewer who rejected me for the job I applied to – I went on a job interview in the summer. The interviewer thought that I was qualified and experienced enough to give me a chance for an interview. After the interview process of a few potential employees, she e-mailed me to tell me she selected the person she thought was most qualified (not me 😦 lol) and she warmly thanked me for my interest and encouraged me to keep applying for jobs. I was surprised and pleased that she cared and took the time out of her very busy schedule to e mail those she interviewed who were not selected, and that she encouraged me to keep trying, to not give up. I wrote back thanking her for the chance and her message and she replied with well wishes to me for the present and the future! How sweet! I never encountered employers who are that involved or caring enough to write not one but two messages to the person they rejected and encouraging them not to give up! They usually just seem to ignore us. This shows how caring she is and not just all out for herself and her department. Not that all employers who ignore people are selfish or not caring, they just have so much to do, but writing a friendly message is evidence of true compassion.
25.) the college boy who complimented me after a presentation I gave to the class on a very complex, confusing philosophy issue involving logic. In college, many years ago for one of my philosophy classes we had to write difficult papers, just like for most Phil. Classes I took. One paper I wrote, when the professor gave it back, it had A+ written on it! A is the best grade but he loved it so much he put a + on it! And not only that but he asked me to present it to the whole class! It’s to this day one of my most proudest accomplishments! It was very difficult to write, it took much thought and understanding. I don’t have social anxiety or fear of public speaking but I am very shy and this makes me forget stuff, sometimes, when I’m talking to people I don’t know well. When I would present stuff to class or professors, I would often feel like I have to get it perfect or like I will embarrass myself so it’s not always easy to talk in front of many people I don’t know well. And this is a very complex topic. So I happily agreed to present it but I was concerned I would forget how to explain it. It’s a difficult topic anyway and along with being shy and the pressure to not mess up in front of all those people, concerned me but I did very well anyway and a young man in class with me came up and told me how good I did. His compliment was everything to me and still is.
26.) the very friendly lady I met walking up the street. My mom, sister, and me were walking up the street in cold weather but my mom was hot and not wearing a coat and a very friendly lady came up and talked to us like she knew us forever even though we never saw her before. I love people like that! She was wearing a Winter coat and hat and said she wished she could be like my mom and not have to wear all that heavy clothing and she complimented my mom and she was just so sweet and friendly. It warmed me in the bitter cold. People who talk to strangers like they’re BFF’s always uplift & inspire me!
27.) the strangers who wrote a note about feeding stray cats. The bar on the corner where I live used to have a bowl of food and a small tent made for the stray cats to seek shelter in the back. Someone did not like it and put a note up asking them to stop attracting cats. But the cats were there anyway. It’s just that now they had food and shelter. Then later a person wrote on that same note responding to the first person saying the cats need to eat and a place to go. Then later another person responded suggesting to keep feeding them or take them to a shelter so they can find furever homes. All these strangers communicated to each other without seeing each other, just writing and signing their names to express compassion for homeless animals. Eventually the cats were taken to a no kill shelter by my kind neighbors, so they can finally get the furever homes & family love they deserve.
28.) the girl I met at a carnival when we were twelve years old. My mom and dad took my sister and me to a carnival but my sister was too young for the rides so I had to go on them alone but another young girl came over to me and asked me to go on them with her. We were best friends for the day.
29.) the girl in middle school who stood up for me when another girl said I had ugly hair. She told her my hair is not ugly; it’s beautiful. I still feel the compliment today.
30.) my psychology professor in college who e -mailed me to ask if everything is ok when I stopped coming to class all of a sudden. He did not take attendance but he noticed I was missing and cared. I was involuntarily hospitalized for depression and suicide contemplation at the end of that semester. I responded and told him what happened and he was extremely compassionate and told me he would make the final exam as easy as possible for me. I was so thankful and told him so. Then later he wrote back telling me to forget about the final exam that all my exams and class assignments were very good and he would just base my final grade on those. Words cannot express my gratitude for his kindness, compassion, concern, and understanding.
I still feel it now. Like a wrapped in a warm blanket.
31.) Larry the love poet – there’s a man named Larry I happen to see occasionally just walking up a street, in stores, all around. I don’t know him well, I just met him outside one day, but he always stops to talk to me. He’s a poet who is crazy for love. He writes beautiful love poems and recites them for me. He remembers all the words off the top of his head! I saw him in dunkin donuts and he got out of line to hold the door for me because my hands were full!
“When you’re in that dark place and you need that embrace
You know love is never too far away
It could be a waitress at a coffee shop you never saw before
A soldier that’s just coming home from fighting in the war
We all got a little superman ready to take flight
And save a life, oh save a life
Take a look around and you’ll see ordinary angels”
So here is my list of ordinary angels. And these are just some of them. There are many, many more.
Ordinary angels are everywhere. Loving, helpful, beautiful people, random acts of kindness… are not rare…but they are often overlooked and forgotten about in the midst of the routine busyness, stress, negativity…the mundane hassles, obligations, and stresses of everyday life that many/most of us experience at some points.
And we definitely need more love, compassion, and kindness in the world. There can never be too much. Sometimes we let fear stop us so we don’t reach out, or feelings of inadequacy, like maybe a more qualified person will come along to help that person in need so we should just go our own way, or we get too wrapped up in our own lives and situations we don’t think or care to stop to help another or we have bitter feelings against people or the world, or we’re too shy or just oblivious to all the chances and the importance to help out….but all this can be overcome so we can reach out in love.
No matter who you are, there is someone, somewhere who needs you and can benefit by your touch. Maybe someone across the world or right next door or in the very same room.
Something as simple as a friendly hello, a loving smile, or warm touch, letting someone else go first, have the last of something even if you want it, holding a door for someone not out of a feeling of obligation but genuine desire to make something easier for someone else, feeding stray cats, squirrels, or birds, who are hungry, adopting or fostering an animal, an uplifting comment or message on social media, sending an anonymous package during the holiday season to a person you know, to uplift that person, an anonymous or not anonymous letter to uplift someone you know is struggling in some way…all have the potential to brighten someone’s life. And as you see, these warm memories are everlasting. All these years later I remember all these lives and the many more who touched my life for the better. I carry them in my heart always.
I believe most people are basically good and caring but some people go above and beyond. Like these people above. They are full of love, compassion, courage, and life.
They have various jobs but they help in ordinary contexts irrespective of their jobs. They don’t need a specific paid job or volunteer job or a job at all to go the extra mile and help out in some way.
They can be financially struggling, homeless, financially rich, a doctor or celebrity, a police officer, a child, a very old person, a person with a disability of any kind…
They help & inspire because of who they are, not because of their job. Their jobs just provide opportunities for helping.
But there are opportunities all around us.
We can all be like this.
People with jobs where they always have to help people and famous or well known people can be ordinary angels too, helping people in “ordinary” contexts just like anyone else can, the whole point of the message is no matter who or what we are, or how much or very little we have, we can help someone in need or just brighten someone’s day.
“A soldier that’s just coming home from fighting in the war…”
Soldiers help people at work but they can also help in more simple, ordinary ways outside of work.
I am not the only one blessed with ordinary angels. They are everywhere. We all have the potential to be an ordinary angel. Like the song says.
“…or any one of us.”
I choose to acknowledge and list them and I encourage you to do the same. Whether it’s a public post like this one or in a journal you never show anyone.
You will have the warm memories to think about as long as you live.
Not only does it honor them even if they will never see it, it gets us in the habit of seeing them, acknowledging them, feeling immense gratitude for them. And allowing them to inspire and motivate us to pay it forward and be someone else’s ordinary angel.
Kindness has a ripple effect and love can permeate the world.
Whenever we reach out to make the world or someone’s life a little bit better, we reach out in Love.
Who are your ordinary angels?
When have you been someone else’s ordinary angel? The opportunities are infinite.
Go be someone’s Earth angel today.
All you need is your beautiful, loving heart.
“I’ve seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives.” ~Tracy Chapman
Mobile link to YouTube video for the song, “Ordinary Angels”:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X4g4VlAgS4o
Desktop link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&persist_app=1&v=X4g4VlAgS4o
Xoxo Kim 😀
“Let’s cherish every moment we have been giving; the time is passing by…” ~ Kool & the Gang
Hello, My name is Henry Bins and I have Henry Bins. Lol jk That’s an inside joke to myself. ;-D
I read a fiction book called “3:00AM” about a man named Henry Bins and he has a very rare sleep disorder which was named after him because he is one of three people in the world to have it and he was the first to be diagnosed.
He says “My name is Henry Bins and I have Henry Bins!” lol
It’s like a mixture of comedy, suspense, thriller, adventure, drama, love, mystery…I guess you can say. I love it!
The disorder causes him to sleep 23 out of 24 hours a day. It’s beyond his control. He wakes up every morning at 3:00am then just drops wherever he is at 4:00am and goes to sleep.
He had this disorder his whole life. It’s no walk in the park for him but he learned to live with it. He learned to adjust and cherish every moment he has awake.
His mom left him and his dad when he was a child and his dad brought him up and loves him unconditionally. He always wanted Henry to be as normal as possible and he made sure he was educated and well socialized. He would teach him reading and writing and he would bring children to their house at 3:00 am to play with Henry. Henry is about 36 years old in the novel, I think, and he’s as “normal” as can be.
He uses the Internet and goes out running and listens to music. But every single minute, literally, has to be planned out so he can get the most out of his life and be home safely in bed before he drops.
It’s also a murder mystery, this book. One morning just before 4:00 he was in his bedroom and he heard a woman scream like she was being murdered. Because she was being murdered.
They live near Washington D.C.
He looked out his window at her house across the street and saw Connor Sullivan, 44th president of the United States, walking out and the president looked up and saw Henry! Then Henry dropped to the floor asleep. And woke up all stiff and injured. He doesn’t drift off to sleep around 4:00am, he will literally drop and sleep with absolutely no control. He already ended up in an emergency room occasionally because of dropping to sleep and being injured when he was out places too late.
He learned to make sure he’s in bed right before 4:00am.
There’s no known cure for this (fictional) disorder.
Because of knowing his time is limited, he carefully plans to make the most of literally every single minute he’s awake. He is mindful of all the ways he can have fun, of all the beauty around him. He cherishes each and every moment he’s awake. He knows at 4:00am he will be asleep until the next day. He had a few girlfriends at different points but it never worked out because they couldn’t handle his disorder. He says the only thing worse than being or having Henry Bins is being in love with Henry Bins.
He plays video games, listens to music, runs for fun, reads books, checks out online dating websites, plays cards with his dad, has a stock business, a cat, and is generally happy. He pretty much has a full life. He sometimes wonders what it would be like if he did not have this disorder. He wonders if he would be married with kids but he knows he can’t be wasting minutes sulking or wondering “what if…???”
Henry says:
“I force myself to stay in the moment. I don’t have time for the past or the future. My life is the present. For many years I played the what if game. What if I had a normal life? Where would I be? Would I be married? Would I have kids? But then twenty or thirty minutes would be gone. Wasted. Thinking about things that I can’t change. That are unchangeable.”
See how this can apply to most of us to some extent? Who doesn’t at least once think “What if….?” We may think what if we were different or our lives were somehow different…what if we made a different choice, weren’t struggling with things beyond our control, looked different, were married or married to someone else, chose to go to school instead of certain jobs, did not have to put up with certain people, had more money…..
But all we have is now and what we currently are. It’s good to work to better ourselves but not fret or obsess over what we can’t change, what could have or should have been, or negatively compare our lives to others.
He doesn’t have much but what he does have is enough. He has one hour each day and he knows how to make the most of it.
Henry wakes up and he says, about the green numbers on his electronic clock,
“The glowing green embers also tell me it’s 3:01am.
One minute gone.”
Three minutes later after going online and checking his accounts, he says:
“3:04.
Four minutes gone.”
There is a profound revelation here.
“One minute gone.”
“Two minutes gone.”
“Three minutes gone…”
(he doesn’t count down like this throughout the entire book – that may be kind of annoying lol)
Henry, because of his disorder, only has a limited amount of time so he knows not to waste any of it at all.
Every single moment is important and worthy of being embraced.
For every minute he must decide what he wants to do that minute, what is worth it. Does he want to read, listen to a song, play a video game, masturbate(lol he decides that at this moment it isn’t worth it)…? Each minute he does something he doesn’t really care to do is a minute wasted, a minute he can never have back.
But guess what?! It’s not because of his sleep disorder that he only has a limited amount of time! This is true for all of us! His case is just more dramatic than most of ours but none of us has an unlimited supply of minutes awake!
One day, just like Henry Bins, we will drop except we won’t get back up again.
Henry was forced to realize this because of his condition. We are not usually forced by life circumstances to realize this to the depth that Henry is. Some people diagnosed with terminal illnesses or ones who have a near death experience see this much more deeply than probably the average person.
In some ways, his disorder allows him to even live more fully than a person without a disorder like this. What we may see as life hindering actually sets him free. To live more deeply, more completely, more sweetly than the rest.
He says
“…I spend a perfect minute watching a trawler sucked downstream by the sweeping black current. I used to wonder what it would look like during the light of day, how the water would look under a burning sun and puffy white clouds, but day didn’t exist in my world. Only night. Only darkness.”
I love this statement for a couple of reasons. It shows how much many people take for granted. The simple beauty we too often overlook. The beauty of day and night. It shows us how we have access to mundane things we overlook everyday that some people long to have and never do. Like daylight. Some people are always in the dark.
The next morning you wake up to the light of day, look around you and pretend you are Henry Bins finally seeing the light of day. Look with new eyes like you have never seen beauty in the sun. Isn’t it lovely?
This statement also shows acceptance. He can’t have day where he lives in his position and he just cherishes what he does have.
He knows it’s not wise to spend his moments being concerned over stuff he can’t do much about currently.
“The corpse of the woman continuously creeps into my thoughts as I run, but each time I am able to ward it off with a tight squeeze of my eyes and a gaze up at the starry sky. This is my time. Not hers.”
Sometimes we have to practice self-care and not put too much time and energy into other people’s problems and stuff we can’t change. This is especially poignant when we realize our time is limited. I think we all, or most of us, grow up with the knowledge we won’t be around forever. But knowing and realizing/feeling it are two different concepts. Once we feel it to a certain depth, we may be more motivated to change our ways to live in the present moment mindfully, with gratitude.
Since Henry’s time is especially limited, he checks his cell phone a lot for the minute. He has to so he can get back home safely and plan out how much of each thing he would like to engage in.
Since he lives near a murder scene, he is questioned by detectives.
The one detective wonders why he almost constantly checks his phone. She says,
“What’s one minute to the next at three in the morning?”
Henry is infuriated.
This detective does not know of Henry’s condition and he doesn’t care to explain it to her.
Also, he made a big mistake and he does have something to hide.
He says to the reader,
“Those minutes are my life, I nearly scream. Those minutes that you take so much for granted because you get a thousand of them each day are priceless to me. Your life is measured by title, wealth, and status. My life is measured in grains of sand, trickling from one teardrop to the other.
My nostrils flare when I’m angry and I wonder if Ray feels a small gust of wind. Taking a calm breath, I ponder telling her that I’m Henry Bins and I have Henry Bins. I don’t.”
(Ingrid Ray is the homicide detective – it’s cute because Henry and her have a little crush on each other! Lol)
At one point Henry says,
“It’s like Christmas, each minute a beautifully wrapped gift just waiting to be opened. Should I allow myself an extra minute in the shower? Could I read three more pages of my book? Run another quarter mile? Watch a YouTube video? Watch the swimming pool scene from Wild Things, twice?”
Isn’t this beautiful? Each minute of his life is a beautiful gift. Each minute itself. Every minute to him is full of wonder and possibility. If only we would all think this way quite often!
After reading this novel I noticed a change in me even without trying. I came to have an even deeper appreciation for my minutes and became even more mindful after just reading this book once. Then I began to apply the concept consciously and intentionally even more than I used to, the concept that each minute is a gift. A perfect gift. A minute is brief, fleeting. But it’s something. And every minute matters.
Have you ever wasted minutes? I sure have. Have you ever waited for a bus or train and just keep anxiously looking up the street as if it will make it appear or keep looking at your watch? Or keep thinking where in the hell is this bus or train? Or have you ever waited somewhere for someone to pick you up to go somewhere and when it’s nearing the hour the person should be coming for you, you don’t just sit and be peaceful, instead you feel like just getting it over with and like there’s no point in starting anything like reading or watching a movie or anything because you will be leaving soon, in just a matter of minutes?
But even five minutes is enough to be some kind of productive. One minute is. You can read a few pages of a book, meditate, write in a journal, a draft for a blog post… If you’re waiting for a bus I don’t think I would recommend deep meditation or maybe not reading and definitely not listening to music with earphones. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings for safety purposes. I do read and listen to music while out and about, occasionally, but I don’t recommend it to others. But you can take in the scene around you or think more productive thoughts than “when is this bus coming?!” or “let’s get this over with!!!”
Those few minutes are minutes that will be lost forever. Let us cherish them completely.
I try not to waste any minute now. The thing that really got this concept to sink in is in the beginning with the “one minute gone…two minutes gone…” That’s so true. For all of us.
I’m not Henry Bins and I don’t have Henry Bins. Lol
But just like Henry Bins, I do not have a limitless supply of minutes. I can fall asleep at 4:00am and never wake up.
It’s not likely but not impossible. I’m sure I will live to be old, old, old and hopefully indefinite life extension will be a reality and we will all live much longer. But we all have something in common with Henry Bins.
Each minute is a gift.
I was careful not to give away any big spoilers. This is a murder mystery but with a deeper message. I strongly recommend it.
I made it seem really cheesy and sappy here(I’m really into cheese and sap…) but it’s really not. The sappiness is all mine. Lol It’s a fascinating work of fiction both about a murder mystery and a very rare (fictional) disorder and how the man copes and lives with it. But it also has this deeper message.
This reminds of of a teacher I had in high school, Dr. Zhender. He always told us in every class that no amount of time is too short.
We can learn something of value in just a few short minutes. At the end of class instead of letting us talk or stand by the door, he would make us sit and watch part of a movie for the last five or ten minutes insisting that we never waste a minute.
And it reminds me of a professor I had in college for Sociology. Professor Grasmuck. She did the same exact thing. In college when we have an exam we can leave whenever we turn our paper in and when class ends early we often are allowed to leave. If it only takes us ten minutes to complete an exam, we can leave or if a lecture ends early, but never in her class. She made us sit there and told us to read or something or listen to her music. At the end of every class she made us listen to music saying it would do us good. If a student tried to walk out, she would yell “sit back down now!” as if we were children! Lol But I liked it; to me it seemed like an act of caring and I missed high school when we were under the authority of the teachers. In college that’s not how it is. Professor Grasmuck was always very sweet and friendly, very caring and passionate. I have always loved that about her, how moved she would be over the stuff she was teaching us, she really feels it. She was always deeply touched over injustices and the misfortunes of others and how they would help each other. She just did not want any time wasted in her class. She wanted us to learn and take in all the music and information we could in her class. Every minute counted. Every minute counts.
Dr. Z, Henry Bins, & Professor Grasmuck know that every minute is a gift and a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow and cherish.
This is a great lesson to us all!
😀
Xoxo Kim
A Dose of Inspiration 