Billy's profileStreetwisdom Unplugged©PhotosBlogListsMore  |  Tools Help |
Streetwisdom Unplugged©Sending you Love, Peace and Joy... Streetwisdom Unplugged©
February 24 Being Present, Be Now HereBeing Present,
Be Now Here
One of life's greatest challenge is often described as "pursuit of happiness". I have heard happiness described as though it is an object that you pursue, something that you do your utmost to acquire.
As human beings, we have a tendency to behave in a stimulus-response manner if we are not mindful. We tend to respond to whatever stimulates us. If we find ourselves in happy company at a party, we may respond by participating in the fun and be joyful. If we find ourselves amongst people who are sorrowful, we may respond by subduing any urge to be joyful and remain solemn.
As stimulus-response organisms, we tend to depend on external circumstances to bring us joy. Hence, the mentality that happiness is something you need to acquire. Something you "pursue" as though it is external to you.
In my opinion, happiness is not an acquisition. It is a state of mind.
Happiness is an inside job!
In other words, lasting happiness is something you bring forth from within, otherwise it is not lasting.
When you pursue something separated from you, it is not within you, it must be somethng that seems external to you. People who rely on external factors to attain happiness will have great difficulty keepng what they acquire externally. What you acquire externally can be removed from you.
What I seek, I am without. What I Deserve, I Endure; What I Endure, I Become; What I Become, I Am; I Am Within. Happiness is its own reward. You simply bring forth from within.
How?
Happiness is a state of mind. There are many ways to accomplish this.
Be present in the Now. Be present in the Here.
Be Now Here... or you may end up being Nowhere.
“There is very little difference between "Now Here" and "Nowhere" The little difference is a space wherein lies your freedom and power The big difference is in the choice you make.” (Billy Tan)
Copyright © 2009, Billy Tan. All Rights Reserved.
February 20 Compassion Is UniversalCOMPASSION
Is
Universal
I received below series of pictures from my spacer friend Renuka who goes by the saying...
"Look back with forgiveness, ahead with hope,
above with gratitude and around with compassion." This series of photos tells the story of suffering, love and compassion that is evident even amongst less "intelligent" animal species such as birds.
The story begins with a poor bird shocked to find his partner suffering from a fatal injury. #1. Here the fatally injured bird is clearly suffering and looking for her partner.  #2. He came by and brought her food, and attended to her with love and compassion.  #3. He flies off and returns with more food but shocked to find his partner not responding. Thinking she was just too tired out... he tried to wake her.  #4. Out of desperation he cried out loud with adoring love, hoping to revive his loved one who is now motionless.
 #5. He stood beside her, saddened by her death. He cries of his loss.  #6. Finally aware she would never return to him, he stood by her lifeless body and took one last look with love and compassion before flying off.  Millions of people cried after watching these pictures in America and Europe and even in India . It is said that the photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to a newspaper in France, and all copies of that newspaper were sold out on the day these pictures were published. And some people think animals don't have compassion? This is simply just too beautiful not to share. We are thus reminded not only of compassion, but also to be thankful we have been blessed to enjoy another day of creative and joyful living. "Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." (Buddha) Be well, be safe, be happy, and be blessed.
Be compassionate. Be thankful. "Look back with forgiveness, ahead with hope, above with gratitude and around with compassion." ( Renuka Argawal )
Copyright © 2009, Billy Tan. All Rights Reserved.
MANNA 甘 露 歌
Composed & Performed by Au Yang Yao Chih.
Copyright © AYYC. All Rights Reserved.
The mountain is exquisite and the water gentle. 山 灵 水 秀
The purple colour dew presents a hazy view. 紫 雾 蒙 蒙
A clear sound peals in the morning air. 有 清 音 随 风 吹 送
Life is finite, work endless. 生 有 涯 事 无 穷
Learn to treasure the good times around. 好 时 光 须 珍 重
A drop from the willow is manna real, 杨 枝 一 滴 真 甘 露
Let it nourish our heart and soul. 把 心 灵 灌 溉 滋 润
The peals of the morning bell, 晨 锺 叮 当
The sounds of the evening gong, 暮 鼓 咚 咚
Awakens me from my fuddled dream. 敲 醒 了 迷 失 的 梦
Life is finite, work endless. 生 有 涯 事 无 穷
Learn to treasure the good times around. 好 时 光 须 珍 重
Let the earth partake of spring, 洒 得 山 河 大 地 春
Let life shine on till the end of time. 让 生 命 光 辉 永 恒
The peals of the morning bell, 晨 锺 叮 当
The sounds of the evening gong, 暮 鼓 咚 咚
Awakens me from my fuddled dream. 敲 醒 了 迷 失 的 梦
Life is finite, work endless. 生 有 涯 事 无 穷
Learn to treasure the good times around. 好 时 光 须 珍 重
Let the earth partake of spring, 洒 得 山 河 大 地 春
Let life shine on till the end of time. 让 生 命 光 辉 永 恒
January 11 Happiness Is Here And Now!A Knowing:
Happiness Is
Here And Now!
 Me and my buddies... Happyness is Here and Now!
Goodbye 2008. Hello 2009.
One thing is constant in Life – we constantly face 2 things every day of our life, almost every moment o it too. Changes and Challenges.
Of the many skills in creative living, learning to deal with change is one of the most important if we were to enjoy a life of Peace and Happiness.
Hundreds of books have been written about managing change, but few truly teach us how to deal with change in a simple way. There is no simpler way than this proven 3-step approach.
Step 1. Closure.
We need to put an end to the old before we may begin with the new – we need to make a clean break from what has ended. It’s a time of detachment and disconnection. Learn to let go before moving on.
Closure is about detaching from the past which has ended, leaving behind old baggage. If we fail to detach, we will have great difficulty beginning a new journey because of the excess baggage and the weight of this burden. Step 2. Neutralize.
We need to keep an open mind, and take on a fresh perspective in embracing the new. Learn to unlearn, and relearn. A time of reckoning with the transition from the old to the new. Its preparing for a new journey, getting ready to move on.
Neutralizing is about establishing a fresh new perspective where we create the capacity to begin anew. This is the “neutral zone” where we clear our mind of the past, and create a gap between what has ended and what is about to begin. We need this space to plant a new footing so that we can begin again happily, freely, and peacefully. Step 3. Renewal.
Welcome the new beginning, make a clean start, and stay focused on the new course. If we’re gonna sail to a new destination, who cares which ports we’ve visited in the past. Make the next steps count as we move forward, don’t worry about the footsteps we left behind. Renewal is the new journey to a new destination, the chance to begin again more intelligently. Many things happened in my personal life in 2008, some were heart wrenching and some painfully real. But I have learned to put closure on that which has passed. I carry no excess baggage into 2009. Left them all behind.
“The moving finger writes; and having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.”
(Omar al-Khayyami, 1048 - 1131)
Nothing in the world can change that which has already transpired.
Learn to let go and move on. Closure. Leave your excess baggage behind if you want to begin a new journey.
Learn to unlearn, and relearn. Neutralize. Re-establish your footing, create the capacity to receive new blessings, and you will find out soon enough there's plenty coming your way.
The best way to neutralize the past is to be thankful we are blessed with a chance to live another day, and be inspired to make it a good day. Gratitude and Inspiration. It's that simple. It's not always easy, but it is really that simple.
“Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn't learn a lot today,
at least we learned a little,
and if we didn't learn a little,
at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick,
at least we didn't die;
so, let us all be thankful.”
(Buddha)
An attitude of gratitude never fails to inspire great moments in creative living. Having an attitude of gratitude is creating the capacity to receive more of new blessings in life.
Make a fresh start, a new journey, and a new discovery.
“Your work is to discover your world
and then with all your heart
to give yourself to it.”
(Buddha)
Learn to live in the moment. Renewal. Live this moment wisely and ernestly.
All the causes and conditions, all the reasons and rationale, and all the rights and wrongs in the world that came together to bring me to this moment in my life no longer matter. It’s this moment now, and here, which is what truly matters.
Happiness Is Here And Now!
“The secret of health for both mind and body
is not to mourn for the past,
worry about the future, or anticipate troubles,
but to live in the present moment
wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)
2009 will be a great year. I intend to live it wisely and earnestly. This is neither a wish nor a plan. Not even a promise. This is a knowing.
A knowing is different from a wish or a plan or a promise. There is no certainty in wishes or plans or promises. There is, in knowing.
What I Deserve, I Endure;
What I Endure, I Become;
What I Become, I Am;
I Am Within.
This is knowing.
Live in the moment of the knowing.
Dream with no limit
Discover with no past
Dare with no fear
Decide with no regret
Do with no boundaries
Deserve with no doubt
Destiny with no end
 Happyness Is Here And Now!
August 12 Shanghai! Shanghai!Shanghai! Shanghai!
This past month has been one of the absolute most hectic business schedule I have had for many years. Let me see... in 4 straight weeks, I had conducted 2 workshops, ran 3 seminars, did 3 interactive forums, and to top it all up, made 2 business trips to Shanghai all in the nick of time! Phew! But no regrets...
Shanghai is really HOT HOT HOT, average 35 - 40 degrees Celcius daytime almost every day, and close to 30 degrees in the night time. Aiya! But no regrets... I met some wonderful people during my visits to Shanghai.
Besides all the great things Shanghai is famous for, there is always the fascination of Shanghainese cuisine... Take a look as these goodies...
And there is the world-reknown Shanghai dumplings, known locally as "Shiao Loong Pao" which means "little dumpling in a basket". Well, "little" is not so little... the dumpling is quite a mouthful, its contents, well... simply YUMMY! YUMMY!
To enjoy this delightful little treat, you first put a straw through the center, let it cool a little.
And then... you sink in... give it a good *slurp* and more *slurp* and *slurp*...
See my friends enjoy these little treats...
And here is yours truly caught in the act of great *slurping*... Night scene of Shanghai is unbelievably enchanting... no words can describe the sensation of cruising down the Yangpo River, enjoying a great buffet dinner on board, and getting totally knocked out by the absolutely enchanting Shanghai nightview. That's the famous Oriental Pearl Tower... a magnificent building of unique attraction... its architecture is one you either love and love... or love to hate. One of a kind indeed.
From the top of the Oriental Pearl, a grand and magnanimous view of the skyscrapers nearby...
Shanghai is quite a city with a fascinating and overwhelming past... but nothing beats some of the beautiful rock gardens and fine old heritage sites.
Shanghai! Shanghai!
Copyright © 2008, Billy Tan. All Rights Reserved.
June 08 The Law of ThinkingThe Law of Thinking,
Straight From
The Heart!
I have written much about our
thoughts creating our own reality.
There is a science behind our
thoughts manifesting our reality;
it is in the law of thinking
and in combining our thoughts
with our emotions to form a
thought-feeling force
so powerful that...
when you do your best
in creating the thoughts
and the feelings that
define your destiny,
with belief,
the universe
will do the rest.
Often it is the belief system that
was ingrained into us through our
upbringing that limits us by telling us
what is possible and what is not.
If we can just change that belief,
we can change our lives.
“We are never limited by
the boundaries of our abilities,
but by our unwillingness or inability
to push back those boundaries
that we perceive to limit us”
(Billy Tan) We begin by simply getting curious
about what is possible outside
the boundaries of our belief system.
“The thinking that we are has brought
us to where we have already been.
In order to go somewhere else,
we must think in a different way.”
(Albert Einstein)
Disconect from the belief system
of your upbringing, and connect with
your inner self. Your inner thoughts
and feelings of what you truly wish.
Begin with a dream of
what you really wish for.
“I am neither especially clever nor gifted.
I am only very, very curious.” (Albert Einstein)
Get curious, get creative.
Use your imagination.
Creative imagination is
the mother of great destinies. “Imagination is the preview of
life's coming attractions.” (Albert Einstein)
Imagine it,
Think it,
Feel it,
Believe it,
and Live it! “Life is not about making wishful thoughts;
Life is living out thoughtful wishes.”
(Billy Tan) Let Dr Greg Braden describe this for you...
There is a law behind thinking;
to think our way into our destiny.
Allow Louise Hay explain this law of thinking...
What you think, and what you believe,
is what will come true for you. Not only think it and believe it,
get ready to receive it.
“Everything comes to us that belongs to us,
if we create the capacity to receive it.”
(Rabindranath Tagore) Think Good Thoughts,
Get Great Feelings.
Feeling Good,
Doing Good,
Knowing Good Deeds
Bring Good Outcomes.
You just do your best,
the universe will do the rest.
Know that this is the
Eternal Law of Karma,
ancient and unbreakable.
You Become What
You Think About.
Get Ready to Receive Goodness
Straight From The Heart. Copyright © 2008, Billy Tan. All Rights Reserved.
|
All blog entries including downloadable PDF files.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Send a private message
Subscribe to RSS feed
Tell a friend
Add to My MSN
Add to your network
Sign up for alerts
|
|
