I love you. Summer is Autumn in New York.

 Today is Summer's birthday. 

As birthdays and summer go, they bring great Joy to everyone everywhere.

I had the precious joy of assembling a goodie bag of sorts, with a little help from my friends at the florist and work creating little bundles of delight.

Then the joy of discovery, after delivery of the unique combinations, that she's safely back at the big apple. Pursuing her heart's desire once again.

 

It seems like only a short while ago that I left the girl then perched atop Columbus Circle at The Mandarin Oriental overlooking Central Park in New York city. She had settled into dance school to begin her journey into music and drama at AMDA. That was six years ago. 

It must have been a fabulous journey seeing where she is now. Back to doing what she loves doing most- Musical Theatre and Dance.

There is great joy revelling in that thought today. 

Here's wishing you A Happy Birthday and Bon Voyage on yet another great adventure.

Just remember this; "Our ceiling is your floor" ~ Daughter (Venus-Sleeping at last)

And as you spread your joy, May you find Joy in everything you do.

I love you. Success #3

 The Definition of a Successful Life. Now.

Image by PineForest

There is no need to wait until a ripe old age to assess if you have lived a successful life. You can do it now.

Ultimately life as we know it, boils down to three simple questions. 

Just answer these three questions with as much clarity as possible.

1. Where do I live?

 

2.  Who am I with?

       3.  What am I doing?

 

 Today we examine the third and probably the most important question.

"What am I doing?" is the most important because we are not what we say. We are what we do.

Having a job is the least important in this equation. You are not your job. Just like you are not your possessions or your intellect. These are merely accumulations of things or impressions you have acquired during your time here. They may be yours but they're not You. 

So, what are you doing? Refers to what are you doing with this life throbbing within you. And around you.

There are two parts in this. Within and Without.

Within you deals with what is happening inside you. Are you in a state of bliss? 

Are you living a life unsullied by memory or unnecessary thoughts that hijack your attention to a faraway place in the past or a non-event in the future?

Are you constantly present in the moment now? Are you living your life as it presents itself to you right NOW? Or are are you busy planning for the future right now? Or worse, suffering a past event?

Remember, the future is actually arriving in successions of the moment now.

So how do you know if you're living in the moment now? 

This brings us to the second part- Without.

Are you paying attention to everything around you with ALL of your sense perceptions?

• Do you hear the bird song in the distant trees? 

• Can you feel the morning breeze caressing the softness of your cheeks? 

• Do you notice the brilliant & ever changing hues of the evening sky? 

• Can you detect the subtle yet intoxicating fragrances nature exudes during the seasons? 

• Have you tasted the thick air on a moonlit night?

In short, Are you noticing in great detail the place where you live?

• Do you notice if she or he is happy, or sad? 

• Or whether your significant other is in need of a sympathetic ear or a strong shoulder?

In short, Are you paying close attention to the person you are with? 

So it doesn't really matter where you are or who you are with. What really matters is;

What are you doing?

If you think about it, what we should be doing is to be fully present to whatever is presented to us in the moment now. 

When we are able to do that, then the first two questions can only be truly meaningful.

Here's to a Successful Life. Now.

I love you. Success #2

 The Definition of a Successful Life. Now.

Image by PineForest

There is no need to wait until a ripe old age to assess if you have lived a successful life. You can do it now.

Ultimately life as we know it, boils down to three simple questions. 

Just answer these three questions with as much clarity as possible.

1. Where do I live?

 

2.  Who am I with?

    

3.  What am I doing?

Today we examine the second question.

The second question deals with the person most significant in your life. 

The person you choose to be with, to spend time with or the person you love.

This person may or may not be with you all of the time. "Who are you with?" is a question that best describes having a deep and meaningful relationship with another person. 

The person you trust to be totally honest with. A soulmate perhaps. 

A person who you share unconditional love with. And more importantly a person who you can share silence and space with.

If you can be or have access to this person without having to be with him or her all the time, then you are truly successful. 

Ultimately the successful person is one who is happy being with oneself. Alone.

Who are you with?

I love you. Success #1

 The definition of a successful life. Now.

Image by PineForest

There is no need to wait until a ripe old age to assess if you have lived a successful life. You can do it now.

Ultimately life as we know it, boils down to three simple questions. 

Just answer these three questions with as much clarity as possible.

1. Where do I live?

2. Who am I with?

3. What am I doing?

These are the notes to guide you in the assessment;

Today we deal with the first.

Question 1 simply covers all aspects from where, to what sort of conditions, to how close to your dream abode are you living in.

This is the most important question because; Where I live determines where I am now. 

Right now is where life happens. The place, the conditions and how close to my dream abode all must contribute to my wellbeing, no matter how humble. Or opulent. 

It doesn't matter whether I own the place I live in. 

The key is my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

I may live in the slums yet I am happy. Likewise I may live in the swankiest neighbourhood in a palatial mansion but I may not be happy. 

This is how I benchmark my success against "Where I live?" 

- Is safety a tried and tested feature? 

We are responsible for our own safety- external & internal 

- Do my surroundings contribute to my overall peace of mind? 

Do the premises allow for physical activities, to move around to exercise. 

To be close enough to the community to not have to intrude and be intruded upon?

- Is the space within the walls conducive to my wellbeing?  

Can I conduct my personal pursuits and daily rituals in total silence and in absolute privacy? 

Can I play my music anytime. And loud? 

- Am I close to nature and space? 

Being from nature we need to connect with the source and free ourselves from time to time. 

Where do you live?