The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat,
known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.
These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life
that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.
Beautiful people do not just happen.
Have a wonderful weekend my friends.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends,
You may have already seen this wedding video but even if you have; its worth seeing again, many, many times, and I doubt if you can watch all the way through without shedding a tear or two for this wonderful young man and his mum. It just goes to show there is love in our world, but we need to open our eyes to see it, to feel its power and then share it with others.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Post by Susan Jeffers Ph.D.
As many of you already know, I am a lover of the Laughing Buddha. I think you’ll agree that we all take life much too seriously! Because of my love of the Laughing Buddha, I’ve placed a number of them around our house and office as a reminder to lighten up and enjoy it all.
I have a wooden Laughing Buddha on my bedside table next to a picture of my laughing husband (who is also a Laughing Buddha!), a gorgeous pink quartz Laughing Buddha on my desk, a magnificent amber Laughing Buddha on my husband’s desk, a large stone Laughing Buddha sitting outside on our balcony…and many more. What they all seem to have in common is that they have all learned how to enjoy the feast and they certainly seem to have no worry about the future. They are always laughing!
My outdoor Laughing Buddha is the one that never ceases to amaze me. He is laughing when the rain pours down on him. He is laughing when the sun bakes down. He is laughing when we put a Santa hat on him at Christmas time. There is nothing that takes away his laughter. I know he would be laughing even if a tree fell on him and crushed him into a million pieces. I would be crying, but he would be laughing! Obviously, the Laughing Buddha has learned that, It’s all happening perfectly! The spirit that emanates from his smile is one of trust, appreciation and inner joy.
I believe the Laughing Buddha represents the inner intelligence that lives within us all. He represents the part of us that is in tune with the Grand Design. He doesn’t try to control the chaos. Instead, he listens and moves comfortably within the chaos as the world unfolds around him. He stays open to a constant flow of joyous survival versus turbulent survival. He makes us realize that we can’t get rid of the chaos, but we can get very creative with the turmoil. We are all the creators of how we want to see this world.
As a constant reminder to lighten up, I suggest you purchase a Laughing Buddha. They come in all sizes. A little one to put on your desk or next to your bed…or both…would be a good start. Understand that the Laughing Buddha does not have to be seen as a religious symbol. Buddhism is considered by many to be an inspiring philosophy…a way of seeing the world and becoming more enlightened about life. There are Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Atheists and others who embrace the teachings of Buddhism as a way of improving one’s life. So no matter what your religious belief, the Laughing Buddha can bring you great wisdom and peace of mind.
Once you acquire your Laughing Buddha, make sure you look at his joyous presence every time something is troubling you and ask yourself what your Laughing Buddha would tell you. I know you will find answers that will lift you out of your upset and elevate you to a more cosmic space. That’s what the Laughing Buddha does for me. Any time I am driving myself crazy trying to control everything around me, I look at my Laughing Buddha and laugh right along with him. I let go and lighten up. The Laughing Buddha reminds me that peace and joy lie within…not out there somewhere. And we all need reminders!
To take it one step further, you can pretend you are the Laughing Buddha. Some years ago my husband, Mark, was having difficulty with a few people in one of his projects at work and he decided that instead of letting it get him down, he would go to work as the Laughing Buddha. To him, that meant radiating a happy, loving energy no matter what was happening in the office. He created a list of his favorite happy affirmations and a few times throughout the day, he would repeat them over and over again. He would also e-mail me daily a message from himself as the Laughing Buddha.
The little game he was playing became our private joke, but the effect on his experience at work was very healing. He was actually able to deflect the negativity of the people in his project and embrace the happy nature of the Laughing Buddha. This enabled him to interact with everyone in a much more positive way. His demeanor changed so much that his assistant jokingly asked him what drugs he was taking! Mark just smiled.
We can all play the Laughing Buddha game in any area of our lives. Each time we play it, it shows us how to stay in the highest part of who we are, our Higher Self, for longer and longer periods of time. And lightening up and appreciating the beauty in our lives makes our spirits soar. Powerful stuff, so rewarding, and a lot of fun.
It is clear that appreciation of today is one of the most powerful tools for helping us embrace tomorrow. So take it all in. And once you do, you will be astounded by what you have been missing in this life, right here, right now. I keep going back to the telling words of Emily Dickinson…
As if I asked a common alms
And in my wandering hand…
A stranger pressed a kingdom
And I bewildered stand.
These beautiful words tell us that when we finally open our eyes, we stand bewildered by the riches in front of us. Life is beautiful…and funny. Open your eyes to it all…and don’t forget to laugh!
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Getting rid of your baggage and moving on with your life, a new life without regrets, limiting beliefs, shaking off any resentment, jealousy and hatred you may be holding on to from previous life experiences. Forgetting and letting go of your worries, anxieties and concerns and certainly dropping any doubts you may be holding on to regarding your abilities and your future.
Remember my friends ‘A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With The First Step’, so now is the time for you to start again, place a stake in the ground with an arrow facing forward, don’t look back and stop re-living past experiences because the past is the past and you cannot change it no matter how hard you try, how many tears you shed, the past still remains in the past, so move on, and whilst you are here standing right next to this fresh stake you just placed in the ground, don’t worry about tomorrow either because you cannot influence tomorrow, it will come, and whatever will be; will be!…
So, today is the day, today is for living, ‘Now’ is your time, so enjoy, open your eyes, open your heart and see the wonderful world around you, be grateful for what you have in your life right now, give thanks for who you are, give thanks for the love you have in your life, give thanks for the people supporting you in your life, give thanks for the abundance you have in your life and give thanks for you, honour you, for you are a child of God/goddess/source whatever you choose to believe in, but you are you and your life is what you make of it….so……………….
Live, Love, be happy, be compassionate and wear a smile on your face ‘Now’
Have a wonderful weekend my friends
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Find Yourself, Be Yourself, Honour Yourself and Love Yourself, then you can Love others and share the Joy you have found within 🙂
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Karma is a Bitch!…
Not My Words but they are words used all around the world, words spoken of things that have happened in your current lifetime or in previous lifetimes that are connected to your life and which hold you back from living a life of happiness and abundance.
Karma is a frequency a vibration sent out from you through your actions, reactions, emotions or ego, these vibrations and frequencies are mostly negative, they often come from anger, resentment, hatred, anxiety, depression, jealousy, doubt, mistrust, feelings of betrayal, lost love etc. But we may be moving on with our life never even realising that Karma is at play in our life, often doing things the same old way, acting or reacting in the same old ways, making decisions in our life based on following our old feelings and habits the way it has ‘always been’, but not ever realising that these decisions, or thoughts of doubt, feelings of sadness, jealously, not being worthy, ‘I will never have money’, ‘I will always be poor’, ‘I will never find love’, ‘Its no point me going because I will only be disappointed’, ‘ I have no talent’, ‘I am not worthy’ etc are based and controlled by Karma, and this Karma may have been put into place due to a bad experience a previous life has gone through and they at that time put out a message a Karmic message, a frequency/vibration that bounces around the universe and keeps a control of your life and the decisions and actions we take, and until you realise this Karma is in play with our life and until you get to the root of the original problem, the cause of this Karmic reaction then you will never resolve it, you will never break the chains that shackle you to this or other bad and destructive Karma’s that control your life.
I too am going through huge awakenings in my present lifetime and I am now connecting with my previous lives, connecting with unresolved Karma that was placed by my previous lives; that are still in play now and effecting my present life.
Releasing the unresolved Karma on our Earth is the most important action for the heart of humanity at this time. We are collectively being asked to resolve all of humanities miscreations through all incarnations so that the Earth may become free of this unresolved energy and ascend. In each moment of your day, you are creating and manifesting your own Karma, either in alignment with the Divine Will or solely through your personalities free will. The Karma created is either resolved Karma, energy filled with unity consciousness or it is unresolved energy filled with separation and duality.
Karma is sparked and is birthed into the Universe by you, it is not an emotion, feeling or a thought, it is a vibration of consciousness that you create from that experience, event or encounter in your life, Usually Karma is then held through your attachment to the beliefs or programs you have decided to adopt from your life’s experience. Karma is therefore the consciousness of energy that is encoded to your very DNA and perfectly aligned to the intent you held, consciously or unconsciously, at the time you manifested this energy. You must realise or remember that you are responsible for all that happens in your lifetime, you are responsible for all the energy you choose to create or filter, distort, change, transmute or transform within the energetic field you exist in in your physical body.
How you choose to manifest your will in the physical form is always accepted and honoured in the Universal Mind because it understands that like children you are learning about mastering the power you hold to co-create in the physical form.
Every manifestation you choose to create in your physical form holds an energetic force of consciousness that is encoded with your intention through your free will. These encodements are aligned with your DNA and when you send this energy out into the field around you it is first manifest in the etheric and then the physical. All manifestations of creation travel through the seven lower bodies of your being and are anchored on the Earth. Whilst you may judge these manifestations as good or bad Karma, in fact they are neither, it is simply your learning. All that you choose to manifest in the physical form through your free will is effected by the Karma-resolved or un-resolved-that you already hold within your energy body from all your incarnations. Whatever Karma you hold affects your reality in each moment of your life.
The Karma may or may not serve your highest potential, if it is resolved and balanced aligned to God then it assists you to reach your full potential, but if it is un-resolved and filled with negative intent and out of balance with God then it causes separation, sadness and non achievement of your goals and full potential.
So in short, in order to manifest abundance in your life and the achievement of your full potential then you need to find out what Karmic forces are at play with your life, what Karmic bond, contacts and agreements have been put into place by you in this lifetime and by your previous lives that are still in play now!…Delve deep into your inner self through meditations, connect with your previous selves, seek for answers that lead to to the cause that brought about the Karmic effect that is now manifested into your live and creating your reality, one you find these clues then you can seek further help and guidance from the Masters to break these old Karmic bonds , contracts and agreements thus releasing you from the chains that hold your current life back.
If you need help with understanding Karma, resolving unresolved Karma, connecting with previous lives and bringing about a change in your life please let me know, because I am here to help you and I can recommend you to other light beings and professionals that can help bring about the necessary changes you may need to make in your life.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Happiness, what does that word mean to you?
The Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of Happiness is ” The quality or condition of being happy.”
But what does that mean, whats makes us/you happy?
Well for me, being happy and happiness generally is simple, it is often the most simple things in life that make me happy e.d:-
Seeing my wife laugh
Hearing the voices of my children on the phone
My Dogs wagging their tail
The comfortable feeling after a good meal
The taste of honey on fresh brown toast
My morning coffee
Watching children play without a care in the world
Hearing the birds sing
Watching the sun rise or the sun set
Being in nature
The smell of freshly mown grass
The sound of the ocean, waves crashing on the shore
Feeling the sunshine on my face
Listening to the soft breeze through bamboo leaves
Walking alone in the countryside
Meditation and what its peace brings to my life
Meeting friends on a Friday evening for drinks and some laughs
My dogs cuddling on my lap, fast asleep and safe
My spiritual journey and what it still has in offer to me
The unconditional love of my wife
I could go on and on with this list because there are so many things in my life that i’m thankful for and of which make me happy.
How about you, what makes you happy?
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Do you love to Laugh?
We come into this world, innocent, non defined, happy and open to all influences, good or bad…..Laughing generally gets knocked out of us during our childhood until we reach adulthood with a very serious demeanour and outlook on the rest of our life….But, if you are one of the lucky ones that continues to laugh, who carries a smile on your face then good luck to you and remember to share this happiness with others because smiling and laughter are infectious….
Spread the joy mu friends…Laugh out loud and SMILE 🙂
My Dear Friends,
Today is February 14th, Valentines Day, so I thought I would send out this short message to remind you all that ‘You Are Loved’!
Valentines day is not just about a relationship from one person to another but its also about remembering that ‘You are Always Loved’ by someone, it may be a friend, a colleague, a pet or a family member, it may also be that you are loved for what you do, what joy you bring to someone’s heart through your blog, your charitable work, your artwork, you are an inspiration to someone…so please remember
You Are Loved..
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends
Here is a little Love and Happiness for your weekend, the music is by Mark Knofler and EmmyLou Harris
Namaste with Love
Mark
Here’s a wishing well, here’s a penny for
Any thought it is that makes you smile
Every diamond dream, everything that brings
Love and happiness to your life
Here’s a rabbit’s foot, take it when you go
So, you’ll always know you’re safe from harm
Wear your ruby shoes when you’re far away
So, you’ll always stay home in your heart
You will always have a lucky star
That shines because of what you are
Even in the deepest dark because your aim is true
And if I could only have one wish, darlin’ then
It would be this, love and happiness for you
Here’s a spinning wheel, use it once you’ve learned
There’s a way to turn the straw to gold
Here’s a rosary, count on every bead
With a prayer to keep the hope you hold
You will always have a lucky star
That shines because of what you are
Even in the deepest dark because your aim is true
And if I could only have one wish, darlin’ then
It would be this, love and happiness for you
And if I could only have one wish, darlin’ then
It would be this, love and happiness for you
My Dear Friends,
I know I have posted this Kirk Franklin video ‘Smile’ before but I thought I would post it again because the message is so strong, and it certainly makes me ‘SMILE’ and all I want to do is make you HAPPY 🙂
Have a great weekend full of love and smiles
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends,
For the past three days we have been at the top of Moganshan Mountain in Zhejiang Province China, meditating and enjoying the fresh mountain air in the snow and bamboo forests. Its been a joyous weekend up high in the mountains, connected with mother nature and at peace with the world, filled with happiness, smiles and laughter one in which I will remember for a lifetime:) I have attached a few photos from the weekend, hope you enjoy them.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Friendship.
What does it mean to you?
Can you be friends with your family?
Can you be friends with your spouse?
Can you really be friends with your colleagues?
How about friendships with your animals?
To me, they are all friends, my heart is open to all and I will take on many new friends as they come into my life. Some come into my life and stay, and some go, they move on with their life’s journey when it takes them on to new pastures. I too move on, some friends have been with me forever, some i have not seen for years but they are still true friends and they would be here for me in a moments need, I too would be there for them whatever the time of day, the time to get there and cost is irrelevant because I would get there as soon as i can. Friendships with family, often challenging but the love is there no matter the challenge.
Friendship is to be worked on with many or as simple as simple can be, with few words exchanged, you both go on with life knowing the other completely and loving each other unconditionally, without the need for words. Being there for your friend and listening without judgement is so special and appreciated by the other, which in turn will repay itself at a later date..no time limit needed 🙂
How often do we recognise our friends, how often do we tell them how much they are loved and appreciated? Often not enough as we take the relationship/s for granted, they are always there, we are always there but sometimes a hug, a quick call, a note of appreciation is all it takes to say…
“I love you my friend, you are so much appreciated in my life, thanks for being there for me” 🙂
So, my dear friends, thank you for being a part of my life, we may never meet face to face, but you are all true friends, your support of my blog is so appreciated and your kind words, comments and faves give me the spirit to do more, to help more people, to continue on with my spiritual journey and make my life and yours a better life, each and every day.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Mindfulness.
I’m a Mindfulness practitioner and teacher myself but although Mindfulness is a word commonly used and many people say they are Mindfulness practitioner’s, life coaches etc, may are not! Also, many people ask me what Mindfulness is and how it can be useful for them,their family, their children, their employees, their teams etc so I thought I would share this short TedX video by Susan Kaiser Greenland, her talk explains the simple meaning of Mindfulness into a new learning process “Teaching The New ABC’s, Attention, Balance and Compassion.
I do hope you like this short video and that it will bring you a greater understanding of how Mindfulness could fit into your life and the life of your family,friends and workplace.
If yo need any help, please let me know.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Those who know Love
Know its facility in all matters,
Others find it useful occasionally
While the broken-hearted bitterly laugh
And deny Love altogether.
Can you hear in their laughter
The sound of Heaven?
God is not to blame for the separation.
He has never turned his back on you.
Blame is the disease
Which blinds you of unity’s truth.
Wake up; the nightmare is over.
The light is in them
As well as in you.
The thinest of veils
Divides the two.
You are one Self.
You are not weak, but strong.
You are not limited, but unlimited.
You are not unloved, but much beloved.
You have suffered only for this,
That you may bless those who suffer still.
Take your time to contemplate the words above my dear friends and think of ways in which you can help others to see that they too are loved, share your love with them and make their day 🙂
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Just a quick message to wish you all a great weekend.
And to say
May all your dreams, hopes and wishes be carried along on the
winds of time
and goodness come back to you
for all the compassionate work you do;
and may you all be blessed with good health
happiness, peace and love.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Life is eternal and everywhere
Yet remains a quality precious,
Treasured and rare.
Receive the quality of openness and
Know clarity,
Centeredness, and know focus,
Playfulness, and know joy;
Receive the quality of humility
And know the greatness of life.
Without openness there is separation
Without centeredness, interference
Without playfulness, decay
Without humility, the endless repetition
of pain.
Humility is the highest blessing of
Life;
Through it the great serve the lowly
And the lowly serve the great.
In this way the Universe ever uplifts
Itself:
The endless nativity of light.
Namaste with love
Always
Mark
My Dear Friends,
One man kills for peace
Another man lives for it;
Yet the first man loves his dog
And beats his children,
And the other loves his children
And beats his dog.
Would you be so bold as to declare
Which man heaven loves most?
Love’s flame glows
In both victor and vanquished.
Who has won?
Who has lost?
God lives in both master and slave.
Who is beating whom?
It’s been written, “All that has happened,
Has had to happen.
All that must happen
Must happen.”
So who can stand outside the circle of
Heaven
To Direct it’s grasp?
I do hope you all have a great weekend
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
“If we cannot be happy in spite of our difficulties, what good is our spiritual practice?”
~Maha Ghosananda
Buddhist monks begin each day with a chant of gratitude for the blessings of their life. Native American elders begin each ceremony with grateful prayers to mother earth and father sky, to the four directions, to the animal, plant, and mineral brothers and sisters who share our earth and support our life. In Tibet, the monks and nuns even offer prayers of gratitude for the suffering they have been given: “Grant that I might have enough suffering to awaken in the deepest possible compassion and wisdom.”
The aim of spiritual life is to awaken a joyful freedom, a benevolent and compassionate heart in spite of everything.
Gratitude is a gracious acknowledgment of all that sustains us, a bow to our blessings, great and small, an appreciation of the moments of good fortune that sustain our life every day. We have so much to be grateful for.
Gratitude is confidence in life itself. It is not sentimental, not jealous, nor judgmental. Gratitude does not envy or compare. Gratitude receives in wonder the myriad offerings of the rain and the earth, the care that supports every single life.
As gratitude grows it gives rise to joy. We experience the courage to rejoice in our own good fortune and in the good fortune of others.
Joy is natural to an open heart. In it, we are not afraid of pleasure. We do not mistakenly believe it is disloyal to the suffering of the world to honor the happiness we have been given.
Like gratitude, joy gladdens the heart. We can be joyful for people we love, for moments of goodness, for sunlight and trees, and for the breath within our breast. And as our joy grows we finally discover a happiness without cause. Like an innocent child who does not have to do anything to be happy, we can rejoice in life itself, in being alive.
Let yourself sit quietly and at ease. Allow your body to be relaxed and open, your breath natural, your heart easy. Begin the practice of gratitude by feeling how year after year you have cared for your own life. Now let yourself begin to acknowledge all that has supported you in this care:
With gratitude I remember the people, animals, plants, insects, creatures of the sky and sea, air and water, fire and earth, all whose joyful exertion blesses my life every day.
With gratitude I remember the care and labor of a thousand generations of elders and ancestors who came before me.
I offer my gratitude for the safety and well-being I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the blessing of this earth I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the measure of health I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the family and friends I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the community I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the teachings and lessons I have been given.
I offer my gratitude for the life I have been given.
Just as we are grateful for our blessings, so we can be grateful for the blessings of others.
Continue to breathe gently. Bring to mind someone you care about, someone it is easy to rejoice for. Picture them and feel the natural joy you have for their well-being, for their happiness and success. With each breath, offer them your grateful, heartfelt wishes:
May you be joyful.
May your happiness increase.
May you not be separated from great happiness.
May your good fortune and the causes for your joy and happiness increase.
Sense the sympathetic joy and caring in each phrase. When you feel some degree of natural gratitude for the happiness of this loved one, extend this practice to another person you care about. Recite the same simple phrases that express your heart’s intention.
Then gradually open the meditation to include neutral people, difficult people, and even enemies- until you extend sympathetic joy to all beings everywhere, young and old, near and far.
This excerpt is taken from the book, “The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace“ by Jack Kornfield
My Dear friends, we certainly have so much to be thankful for, need I mention even a few? However, we do forget to give thanks and speak out our gratitude on a daily basis. It has been shown that being grateful raises our levels of happiness and joy and these raised levels of happiness attract others that are also happy; thus enabling our lives to be filled with more joy each and every day. So today, ‘Go on, give it a go’, meditate, bring people and things into your minds eye and into your heart, give thanks for everything in your life, good and bad and feel the peace and the love that this meditation brings to your heart and soul.
I did this; this morning….’A big smile on my face right now’ when I think of this process of gratitude 🙂 A simple meditation and mindful eating of my toast and honey. I gave thanks for the honey, the sweetness on my tongue, gave thanks to the Bee for collecting the honey, to the flower that attracted the bee, for the sun the rain and the soil that raised the flower in order to attract the bee, for the seedling that brought life to the flower, for the person or animal that brought that seed to that piece of soil, for the soil that gave its nutrients to the seed, for the sun that shone its warmth and helped the seeding grow, for the rain that gave the flower life, for the cloud that made the rain, for the rivers and oceans that brought about the cloud, for God for his creation of the earth and then I came on to the toast and the butter on my toast, and my mouth, my tongue for experiencing the sweet sensation of the honey, for the goodness and nutrition the honey, the toast and the butter were giving to my body, and this process of thankfulness went on, and on…Interestingly, this process of giving thanks brought about a real enlightenment to me, honestly I have never experienced mindful eating so much as I did this morning, I have experienced it many, many times before but this morning it was different, set at a really different level, I awakened to something very new, something great, something that brought peace to my heart and my soul, a total experience of joy…
Toast and Honey will never be the same again 🙂
Namaste with Love my dear friends
Always
Mark
Having a Complete Life
How can we live a complete life, an ideal life that is full of happiness joy and fulfillment? The key to this success lies in making the best use of the limited time we have. We only have decades to live, and if we then subtract all the time we spend sleeping and eating, what’s then left isn’t much.
The sacred and spiritual task is the reason we came into this world. These specific tasks are different for each person, but most of them involve being of service to something greater than oneself. People who manage to actively work on their own sacred tasks are filled with happiness and joy, because they understand the mission, and they know what to do.
Their reward is a profound sense of satisfaction.
When they look back at their experiences, the people they have helped, the friendships they have made, they cannot help but smile. They have done a hundred out of a hundred things they wanted to accomplish. Theirs is the complete life, a life of meaning.
The sacred task is your primary purpose in life. I wonder if you have already identified it? If not, look for something that leverages your talents and abilities to serve a greater purpose. It will be a calling, something you are called upon to do. Discovering what it is will be your first step to start living the complete life of your own.
Have you found yours?
Food for thought my friends, food for thought!
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Endless Light and Love 