Moderation

What is moderation? Calmness of mind; equanimity; as, to bear adversity with moderation. It is also imposing due restraint as in eating with moderation.

The heart is great which shows moderation in the midst of prosperity.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains.
Democritus

(from: Brainy Quote)

I feel moderation is holding back after I know I have had enough or have done enough. It is also living within your means. It is NOT doing things in excess or extremely. It is being grateful, feeling blessed and at peace with what you have or can afford. Living in moderation is really a satisfying place. It brings bliss.  I invite you to ponder about moderation. What role can moderation have in your life?

Time

Time is a fleeting thing. It flows from the future to the present and into the past in an instant moment. Time is one of the most precious commodities, resources and gifts we have to give and to share with ourselves and others. What I find somewhat tragic is those periods of time in which I do not know where time went. It was not memorable; it was ill-spent on a trivial matter or worry. The best moments are those that make a deep impression upon our minds. I find it is those moments where my mind is totally undivided and filled with intense focus or profound emotions. 

Time has a way of being fast or slow in my mind depending on the event. It seems like some anticipated events in our life would never get here, yet as we get closer and closer to the time of the event, the time flees in a wink of an eye. I find when I have a deadline, time goes by so fast as I get closer and closer to it. Please tell me why time seems to go by so slow when I am waiting in a doctor’s office reception area or when I am in a dentist’s chair getting my teeth examined or when I am engaged in intense exercise where I need to do something for a certain amount of time.

I guess it is all a matter of perspective. When I am in a joyous frame of mind doing something I really enjoy, like painting or reading, time goes by quickly. I am so totally into the activity that I do not have the sense of time. I am not paying attention to time. That’s it. I am not attentive to the time, therefore it passes by.

Savoring the moment with our loved ones should equally be memorable. To attend to them and really focus on their presence, attentively listening is really important. It is one of the most loving gestures we can do for our loved ones, friends and family. Actually, would it not be nice to do that for people we do not know? Our world would be so much better particularly in our immediate communities, if we simply give everyone we interact with our time. Let it not be divided with thoughts and technology (mobile phones and tablets). Some of my best experiences are when I go out and run errands where I engage in meaningful conversations with other people in the store, in the check line and with store attendants. Everyone is truly a potential friend. It is within our power to make someone’s day (or the flip of that). I prefer to make someone’s day.

Marking those times in our life with being attentive to the moment makes it memorable. How do we mark it? We make it memorable by focusing on the people who are with us at that time and by focusing on what we are doing. We take notice of what we are touching, seeing, hearing, tasting and smelling; we take notice with all our senses to mark that moment in time. Time is too valuable to be allowed to fleet away without notice. It is time to notice time. 

Faith

 

Faith, what is it really? According to the dictionary faith is confidence or trust in a person, entity or thing, for example, faith in another’s ability. Faith is belief that is not based on proof.

C.S. Lewis expressed that faith is merely the virtue by which we hold to our reasoned ideas, despite our moods to the contrary.

In some scopes of thinking, faith is a conviction that something is; a determination to accomplish one’s goals; and/or a sense of joy deriving from both.

So, what is faith to me?

I perceive, comprehend and grasp the nature of faith to be a deep trust, a profound confidence and a relentless belief without the benefit of any proof.

I have faith in myself to carry out everything I plan to do to fulfill my new year goals, resolutions and intentions. I have faith in my family and friends, who will support my goals, resolutions and intentions. Faith is needed and desired to develop and nurture any relationship including and most importantly the relationship with our own selves. Faith is such a positive word and positive feeling.  As such, I humbly perceive faith to be closely related to love. Love and faith go together like milk and cookies.

Perhaps you could have one without the other but it would be a shallow experience; like having cookies without milk. Milk adds so much more to the cookie experience. Yes, I seem to have food on the brain, but that is because it makes a good illustration of love and faith; and, how the two go together.

I profoundly believe and trust my spouse. I have faith in him. I love him. Could I love my spouse without trusting him? It would only be a shallow form of love. Profound, unconditional love requires faith. Anyone who has been in more than one significant relationship knows when you do NOT have faith in your partner, your relationship is doomed.

So, along this line of thinking: if we do NOT have faith in ourselves, then our relationship with ourselves is in trouble. How can we repair that profound belief in ourselves? I propose that one great way is to KEEP those promises we make to ourselves, especially those promises that involve self-love and self-care like our new year resolutions, intentions and goals. Keep the faith and Happy New Year! 

Resolve!

RESOLVE…DETERMINATION…PERSEVERANCE…

COURAGE…FAITH…INTENTION…DREAMS…VISION…

TRANSFORMATION…GOALS…CHANGE…FOLLOW THROUGH….

How to Keep New Year Resolutions…

First of all what are resolutions? Resolutions are those decisions you make that you wish to follow through. I resolve…solve again? It is making a firm intention or a determination; it is a formal expression of opinion or intention. Let’s go with the definition that involves the word intention. When you make your intention for the year:

1. Be specific, delineate; examples: instead of saying I will be fit in 2012, define how; for example: I will add 10 more minutes of activity a day and eat more fruits and vegetables instead of white breads and pasta; instead of saying I want to write more this year or I want to write a book this year, set out a plan of writing 3 to 5 pages a day.

2. It is important to take small, baby steps and five-minute starts. For example: taking 5 minutes to plan a meal or to write a paragraph or to walk around your home to get in a little activity.

3. Visualize your end result whether it is fitting into your favorite outfit or seeing a finished product.

4. Seek help. Join a fitness club or program; get a writing coach; or find good writing prompts.

5. Get a buddy to keep you on track. A fitness witness or scribe tribe who will keep you accountable.

6. Reflect often. Look back on the progress you have made and the accomplishments through the year (graph your progress). Yes there may be moments where you slip up or do not follow through; but, the overall sense of accomplishment is there. You are making the effort.

7. Celebrate. Be sure to pat yourself on the back for each day you are moving towards your goal and intention for the year.

For me, there are so many things I wish to accomplish and I will share it all here on A Kiss of Bliss. ♥