Mental Shopping

Ever shopped for things to decorate your home? Furniture and other decorative items can prove a hassle to hunt for, lots of thinking and may burn a hole on your bank card.

The solution is to do some “Mental Shopping”. Much like window shopping, you now shop with a pencil and a paper. Here is the step-by-step of how I did it:

1) Pretend that money is not the objective and you can spend it all on quality items or things that you would really like to have.
2) Write the name of the item, its dimensions and its price.
3) Shop for the next item.
4) Stop only when there is nothing more to "buy".

Note: A good place to do this activity is in your local “All-Under-One-Roof” furniture shop.

When you have finished, sit down with a calculator and a cup of tea and add up the entire list. What’s the total? If you think it is too expensive, perhaps you might want to rethink about some items on your list? Sum up the list again. In a perspective, this is the amount you have to earn or save to achieve your dream home. Perhaps you can set this amount as your target in the quest to achieve comfortable living?

This target is your cost ceiling or the “maximum you will need to spend”. Next, look for areas to trim. You may wish to search for similar but cheaper items elsewhere. It would mean that you will spend more time hunting and bargaining. Factor the time and effort as part of the cost of a dream home.

Mental Shopping helps you plan for your future and see in advance the dream home you will have one day. Happy living!!

picture posted by Daniel

Creativity is a Sign of Health

A quote from Osho’s book, "Creativity - Unleashing the Forces Within" ISBN 0-312-20519-8

"Once pathology disappears, everybody becomes a creator. Let it be understood as deeply as possible: only ill people are destructive. The people who are healthy are creative. Creativity is a fragrance of real health. When a person is really healthy and whole, creativity comes naturally to him, the urge to create arises" – Osho (1931-1990)

Q: Does this mean that if you want to be creative, you have to be healthy and whole first?

Perhaps it could mean that one should take care of one’s emotional and physical well being so that creativity is at its peak. When we have total health, we will automatically be creative. Hmm… what do you think?

I wish you a healthy creative day!

How to Write Songs That Rhyme.

Have you ever heard a song that does not rhyme?

It is when the ends of each line of the words don’t match. At most times, that makes a song sound weird. And if it happens throughout the song, you might grow dislike it too.

That’s not saying that some songwriters are weak in rhyming. Perhaps they just lack the resources in finding good rhymes. If you would read on, I will tell you the way out!

I have read that there are 2 types of rhymes, Perfect Rhymes and Half Rhymes.
For example, Sing and Ring are perfect rhymes, while Song and Warm are half rhymes.

Half rhymes work (depending on how you sing it) because once the word is spoken or sung, only the vowels (A, E, I, O, U) is heard. The ending of each word is left to fade away. Try to say (or sing) these two lines:

I’ll sing you a song,
It’ll make you feel warm.

May not look right, but sounds great. Not bad for a half rhyme. So why do I sometimes choose half rhymes over perfect rhymes?

For the simple reason that you cannot be rhyming Seven and Heaven or Desire and Fire and Higher for every songs! Using too much Perfect Rhymes is dead boring! To have more variety of words to use, try Half Rhymes.

Words that end with M may rhyme with ones that end with N. B ended words may match with Ds. Words that end with Y fit with Ws. Try to think of others.

And if you are still adamant in looking out for perfect rhymes, look out for a rhyming dictionary. I have found one on-line http://www.rhymezone.com/

Rhyming takes just a little bit more of your creativity and it can be as intense and as fun as building a jigsaw puzzle. You will try again and again to fit pieces of your rhymes together until you eventually finish your song. But it's truly satisfying. A masterpiece!

I wish you my kind of success with songs. If you want some advice with songwriting, feel free to drop a line in the comment box.

Remember, songs are not poems. If you want them to sound better, make sure it rhymes! Happy writing!

Packing for a Picnic

The Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

What does one pack for a picnic?

Picnics are nice if you can wake up early enough on a weekend. But unnatural as that sounds, you will be well rewarded with all nature has to offer. Fresh air and soft grass... that's the life! Here is the checklist:

Insect repellent
Mat or Old Blanket
Old Newspaper (to put under the Mat or Blanket)
Mineral Water
Soft Drinks
Biscuits and a can of (easy opening) Tuna Chunks
Notebook and Pencil
Basket to carry it all in

Think of your time in your local park as a time to reflect and plan for future activities with your loved ones. What better time then now to jot down interesting things to do? Have a nice relaxing day!
pic posted by Daniel 

Positive Words, Brighter Smiles!

Does the world look gloomy or is that a personal view? For me, it has been a constant challenge to stop sounding negetive and dejected with life. Sure... life is not always rosy, and we have to accept that lemons do come our way now and then.

So, before I say or act in a moody fashion, I tell myself, "Just for now, just for today, can I think positively and openly? Say words that will gladden the hearts around me? Yes, I can."

The surrounding feelings will then suddenly appear lighter, softer and more pleasant.

Say positive words with its full meaning. Try it now!
Yes.
Beautiful.
Happy.
Special.
Lovely.
Truly.
Thank you.
It's good today.
See you later.

Being Flexible in Life

Were there times when you caught yourself being stubborn and unshakable, only to find out later that relationships have been strained and your reputation shattered? If you have a bad day today, it is a good thing. Perhaps you have now learnt a valuable lesson that relationships are very fragile. Sure you have your reasons, but the person who has wronged you has clearly shown you the path to Enlightenment. So instead of "putting up a stubborn fight", try to do the opposite be flexible and adaptable. You will soon mature into greatness.

The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn - Anon

In fact, the hiccups that you face gives you new insights and ideas in life:

New ideas stir from every corner. They show up disguised innocently as interruptions, contradictions and embarrasing dilemmas. Beware of total strangers and friends alike who shower you with comfortable sameness, and remain open to those who make you uneasy, for they are the true messengers of the future. - Rob Lebow

Just for Today, Just for Now.

Just for today, keep your promises and earn trust.

How to Meditate While Working
Note your primal duty for today.
Focus on what is the results you need to achieve and get it done.
Should your mind try to plan for other tasks, write it down, but go back to your primal duty for today.
In this way, you keep promises to yourself and earn self-trust.
And each day, just tell yourself, "Just for today, just for now".
May success grow in your heart.

It is a greater compliment to be trusted than to be loved. George Macdonald.

Impermanence

No Leaf was harmed during the photo shooting of this basketful. All rights reserved. Use of this picture is prohibited unless with prior permission. Drop me a line after you click comment. Thank you. 

The Meaning of Metta

Metta means loving kindness.

Metta as a meditation is a form of meditation which helps you build your concentration as you radiate loving kindness to all living beings in the universe