Knock Knock - Time for change

'Knock knock. '

'Who's there?' 

'It's Time.' 

'Time who?'

'Time for Change.'

'Ah....'

'Open the door and take my hand'

'I'm too comfortable here. I want my life to remain the same. Even if I'm not happy with my life, I know what to expect. And knowing is better than not understanding. I'm sorry, but I don't want to open the door.'

'But not understanding is mystery, and mystery is the gift of beauty that life has given to you. Even if you do not wish to open this door, my force will eventually be too strong and knock it down completely. There will be no more barriers and I will enter your life against your will.' 

'But I'm afraid.'

'Don't be scared, child. The more you resist, the more you will be hurt. And my intention isn't to hurt you. I'm only here to help you grow, progress and guide you safely through life's mysteries and unknowings. Open the door and embrace what I have to give you, and I promise the fear and pain will go away.'

And so after eradicating the fear in his heart, left with only love and light, he opened the door. And Mother Nature's circle of perfection continued it's due course, unbroken by the egoistic human mind. 

Autumn turns to winter.

Winter turns to spring.

Birds leave their nests they worked so hard to build, only to to migrate miles away, work just as hard, and build others.

The fluctuating force of the wind changes the surface and appearance of our seas.

The rising and falling of the sea changes the shape of our land.

The face of the moon changes each day, to give us something new, fresh and beautiful to look up to every night of our lives.

It seems just about everything in Mother Nature is constantly changing, with such a force of which we have absolutely no control over.  So why is it only us, also a great part of Mother Nature, the only living thing on this planet that FEARS change. Struggling everyday against an uncontrollable force, even doing things to prevent and avoid change entering our lives completely. Well, don't we sound just borderline crazy........?

Change comes knocking on our door at various different moments of our lives. It could be in the form of something small, like the supermarket doesn't sell the product that you always buy, and so you are forced to buy another one. Or a new person comes to live with you or work with you, and changes the normal course of events throughout your usual day.

Or it could be a stronger knock, moving house, changing job, letting go of someone who you love that is starting to have a negative effect in your life.

And what do we tend to do when we hear these knocks? Ignore them of course. We think, 'if I just pretend it's not there, it will go away.'

'I'll stay living in the same town my whole life, because I know where everything is and moving will risk losing all my money, time and effort and I might be left with nothing, and then who would I be? What would I be worth?'

"I'll try to keep my body and appearance looking young, even while I'm entering elderly years, because I'm scared of looking at myself in the mirror, knowing that I'm nearing my death'

'I'll stay with the person that I've been with for so long, even if our flame of passion has well and truly burnt out and there's nothing positive left between us anymore, because I'm used to his/hers behavior and I might never find someone else who loves me and wants to be with me again. I don't want to be alone.'

I'm here to tell you that none of these thoughts are solid, or real.

Just like the seasons change the environment around us, changing YOUR environment, moving house, town or even country, revitalizes your soul with the food of magic that is needed to keep your spirits high and your mind healthy.

Just like the flowers that grow in the fields, that bloom until they reach their maximum beauty, and then begin to wilt, never losing their beauty because it still exists within their GRACE, embracing the aging process of your body with the same grace brings a glowing light of wisdom and respect to your spirit, which can be felt by your children and grandchildren and you in the end you become a source of inspiration for them. The elderly who always complain about their aches and pains and are miserable are usually ignored or harassed by the younger generation, and then it's hard for anyone to remember them as a positive person when it is their time to pass away.

And just like the ever changing positions of the stars in our endless sky, constantly exploding into birth or death, the energy of love within a long lasting relationship changes throughout our lives. From the start where the love is enriched with passion and romance, a change eventually occurs, as the passion and romance starts to die down, the love is then filled with an energy of appreciation for each other, grateful for each other's dedication to one another. And after these two people grow elderly together, the love changes again into an energy filled with pride and gratification because of everything that they have achieved in their life together, the beautiful children they have brought up onto this Earth and the grandchildren that have been brought up in the same loving way.

And if certain events happen that stopped the possibility for the love in a relationship to be exploited by one another, letting go and going separate ways does not mean  that this love has disappeared. Again it's just changed into another form that allows them to be separate but still have the strong need to care for each other, being there for each other for the rest of their lives if they ever needed each other's help.

There's a change knocking at my door right now. I'm not going to ignore it. In fact, it's sound is very familiar to me. I know exactly what to do.

I will love everything positive that I have in my life right now, but do so WITHOUT unhealthy mental attachments. And when the day arrives that Change will open the door, reach it's hand out towards me, whispering into my ear 'it's time', I will grasp it firmly, letting it pull me into the next stage of this limitless life that we all have truly been blessed with. I will bring with me all the goodness that the last chapter of life has provided me, and enter the new chapter, with joy, acceptance and enthusiasm. And I will tell stories of the past, teach others and learn from others, inspire, love and exchange all my energies with everyone I meet,  until the very day of my death.

Whether you are waiting for a change to happen in your life, or avoiding it, just have faith. When the time is perfect, you will hear the knocking on your door. And when that day comes, you will know exactly what to do. Just like I do. With no mind and all heart, go on, and live.

Destiny's Hand

We have all wondered at some point, who in our life holds the steering wheel? Is everything predestined for us, or do we have 100% complete control over every situation that we come across? And the ultimate question of them all:

What do I do next?

 Well I have recently come to a conclusion for this puzzling concept, and have decided to tell my personal story to you about how I have contently and successfully answered this question for myself, bringing peace to my life, in the hope that it helps you find the right answer for your own puzzle.

My Story

As a child, my Dad would always teach me  that somethings happened because it was a magical force called 'Fate' and that we would just have to accept it. And that when we didn't know which decision to make, we should follow the signs that Fate has put in our life to follow, leading us on to the right path.

As you can imagine, I loved this concept as a young child. Life seemed so magically exciting and unexpected, like a big adventure awaited me and I couldn't wait to get involved and explore. However as I grew and my mind became more adult, I experienced things that made me feel such suffering that of course, I started questioning the existence of Destiny or Fate. I use to ask myself, 'If it was leading me to good things, why on earth am I feeling so much pain right now?' And so I started putting my own hands on the steering wheel and I tried to take control of the direction of my life, to swerve away from anymore pain or anything else that could hurt me.  And, for a while, I thought it had worked. But I was wrong.

Recently, I went through a very particular experience, one that I have never been through before. And since its beginning,  I can honestly tell you that I've had absolutely no control over my life. The steering wheel, which I thought I had a firm grip on, had been forcefully ripped from my own hands, and was steering itself. And what kind of experience can possibly do such a thing, I hear you ask?

Taking away the ability to walk. I am fortunate that the fracture in my ankle was small, but it still resulted in 4 weeks of not being able to go anywhere or do anything that you would normally have to go or want to do. To stay put within 4 walls with only your thoughts to accompany you, after some time, a very peculiar change begins to take shape inside of you. And I only realized the true essence of this during my healing process.

All of my perceptions changed. Not only the way I perceive things, but also the way I sense things, with all six of my senses. 

Now I'm able to cook again, every mouthful of the food in which I make is full of flavour and an absolutely pleasure to eat.

Now I'm able to feel the sand between my toes, it feels so much softer.

Now I'm able to hear the sound of the sea, it makes me feel so much calmer.

Now I'm able to see the many stars in the sky, they seem so much brighter.

Now I'm able to walk from one end of the street to another on 2 feet, an unstoppable smile is always brought to me face. 

And now I'm able to feel a real genuine smile again, it sparks more intensely in my heart, making it ultimately more contagious.

In fact, everything around me feels brighter, more intense and I can feel a power on this Earth that I never knew existed before. My instincts have also become more in tune, and scarily accurate. 

It's made me suddenly become more drawn to Nature. To watch a flower in the wind, just being, just existing, can suddenly obliterate every negative thought or feeling that's inside of me.

I'm filled with this new appreciation. A revitalized energy. And all because of an experience I had in which I had NO control. No say. No interference. 

Do we all have moments in our lives of which we have no control? Even if your answer is yes, there is one experience, in which we have all been through that was completely guided for us. And that's the first 9 months of your existence, within your mothers womb. Within those 9 months, EVERYTHING is provided for you to live, to survive and to grow. Destiny's hand guides us through until the very moment of your conception. And what about afterwards? Your life on Earth has begun, why would you ever think that at that point, Destiny would loosen it's grip?

Because all of the conditioning and brainwashing that the mind goes through as we grow up in this society, over time,  results in the complete denial of Destiny's existence.

I can honestly say now with all the truth of my heart, that even after the ability of walking was taken away from me, Destiny NEVER let go of my hand. The happiness I feel with my new founded perception is not something I can fully describe in words. And as long as I follow it's guidance and look for it's signs, removing the social conditioning that has poisoned our minds, it will only lead me to a life brimming with love, light and a fulfillment in which we are ALL entitled to feel, as beings within this universe, in all it's miraculous entirety.

Now breath in and let go of the negative energy, the problems, the worries, the identities in your mind and the misconception of your hands on that steering wheel. In fact, stop thinking completely, reduce the mental noise inside your heard, and just feel. Just be here, and now. And all of a sudden you will soon start to feel the tug of Destiny's calling, pulling you towards the path made only for you. And you will know exactly what to do next........

The Ripple Effect

Try taking a pebble, dropping it into calm water and seeing what happens. The beautiful patterns that emerge hold a huge significance for everyone. A small pebble creates the first circle, which in turn creates the next and the next, until they spread throughout the pond. 

The significance is this.

This pond represents your life. The pebble represents any one thought  you have  ever thought or any action that you have ever implemented. And every circle  that is created, one after the other, after dropping this pebble, represents different occurrences that happen in your life. 

Some you can easily see how each of these occurrences connect with the initial thought or action that you thought or did. Other times these occurrences are shocking, and you have no idea where they come from. Sometimes, you realise only after some time how all the ripples connect with each other, how one made the other and the other. How that happened because that happened because that happened. But they all originated from one thought, one action, one pebble. 

Everything happened for a reason.

Now the scale of this initial thought/action/pebble is unimportant. it could be the smallest thing you could do, or the tiniest thought you might have. A smile to someone on the street. Your first thought in the morning being 'today is going to be a good day'. All these things will create a ripple after a ripple after a ripple. And once the rippling occurs nothing and no one can stop the process. Destiny is written. the circles will form. and we will have no control.

If the pebble/thought/action is positive, then in turn, only positive ripples can be formed, only positive occurrences can happen in your pond of life. If they are negative, then the continuation of negative occurrences won't stop... until you throw a positive pebble into the water. Until you have a positive thought, or a positive action which will interrupt the negative ones, and change the course of occurrences.

I've done many things for many people. Without expecting anything back, and only with love. Sometimes I feel very very drained  after having given too much of myself. And just at that moment of need, when I need energy the most, news comes to my ears.  From a life that I changed by spending time with them, advising them or even just saying a few kind words. Just because you can't see the effects immediately, does not mean they are not rippling. They will show themselves to you, at the right time.

There are people that I have met that have completely changed my life. And there are also people that have told me I've changed theirs. 

With every positive thought/action/ stone, we are changing each other. With every single positive thought or action, slowly, we are changing the entire world.

The Circle of Savior.

There are some people that implement so much good in this world, it is almost as if, without them, this Earth would be a living hell. As if they are the super heroes, saving us all from destroying everything we have.

But what we don’t realise is, that although these people seem like superheroes, actually they are only human, just like me, you and everyone else. If they are only human, then even they sometimes need encouragement, a little hint, that what they are doing for us is actually working. It’s having the effect that they’ve been working so hard to achieve, even if sometimes they can’t see it immediately.

Praise someone special today, motivate them, give them the courage and the hope, and you will be saving them. And in turn they can continue with a fresh new motivation to keep saving us.

Here is my praise to a superhero I know.

I know a man in this world

Who is a true man of his word

A promise that is said by him

Is a promise that is kept. Always

I know a man in this world

Who has saved many lives

Through only the kindness of his heart

And his impeccable perception of wrong and right.

I know a man in this world 

Who's inspiration has reached all 4 corners of the earth.

His teachings of positive thinking

Has truly made this planet a better place to live

I know a man in this world

Who's infinite joy is so contagious

It's able to make anyone cry with laughter

At any time, in any place and in any situation

I know a man in this world

Who has sacrificed everything that he has

For his morals, his beliefs

And for the people that he loves with all of his heart.

And to know this Man(for he is a true man)

Is of course a beautiful blessing

But to have him as my Father

Is the greatest gift the universe could have ever bestowed into my life.

Dad

I will express my eternal gratitude

I will make you so proud

And from the way you have worked so hard to shape my soul, making me the person I am today,

I will go forth into this world, continuing all of your teachings to others

Forever on

And forever more.

Happy Fathers Day Daddy

My Declaration of Principles

Are we making the right decisions?

Are we being our true selves? Without masks? Without the pressures of life brainwashing our thoughts, blinding us from the amazing things that already exist in our life but that we don't appreciate?

Are we following our hearts? Are we doing the right thing?  But how do we define what is right and what is wrong? Can we write it in law books and be told by a higher power to abide them? Can it be written in a religious book by a prophet that tells us to worship him and follow his rules?

So many questions with no real solid answers. There is only one thing that we can be certain about. That no matter who makes rules for who, every single human being on this planet is complicatedly and specifically unique in every sense. From the moment we are born, just from the position of the planets at that particular time can have an effect on who we become. As we grow from then on, we start to perceive things in different aspects interpreting the world in our own way. The way you are brought into the world by your parents, what they allow you to see and what they don't allow you to see.  And then we reach an age where we all your experiences start defining who you are and who you will become. All of these factors create uncountable possibilities of personalities.

So how can one set of rules, written by one person, prophet, leader or politician, show every person the right way to live or think?

Sometimes we loose ourselves. When we ask the question 'Who am I?' We don't get a response from ourselves. At this point we become scared and so devote ourselves to live by a set of rules written by someone else. And then one day Karma comes into play. Everything that you do starts to feel wrong, as it goes against your being, your true self. You start loosing the things in life that mean the most to you, and there's so much goodness that passes you by without you even noticing.

I've grown up in a multi-ethnically family with mixed religions and ideas. And there's one thing I have learnt that works for me - Learn about every religion, every order, every way of living. And take everything that feels good to you plus what you have learnt in your personal experiences and make your own rule book.

And so below I have shared with you what I call my declaration of principles. 8 set of rules that I have chosen to live by based on what I've learnt, experienced and what is in tune with my soul. They are the light in dark phases in my life, and guide me to safety, to my precious earth, when my head is in the clouds. After you have read them, I hope you can find the inspiration to write your own, to be the light creator in your life. Create your own rule book, your own religion, your own morals, and you will eventually be without restriction, without confusion, and without fear.

You will be free.

Maz's Declaration of Principles

1.  Love. every second of every day, with everything you have, by sharing, giving, caring and forgiving for everyone you encounter, in every-way possible. and don't forget to love and be yourself because without that, you will be incapable of loving others.

2. In every day, find at least one moment in time to stop thinking, look around you, and admire the beautiful world in which we live in everyday.

3. Dream big. And when you achieve those dreams, dream some more. But be true, to yourself and others. The universe can't help you achieve your dreams if you are even lying to yourself and don't know what you want.

4. Believe in miracles. Even if they are difficult to recognize because they are often not what we expect. But all the same, they are still miracles and the mystery is what makes them beautiful.

5. Dance. Even your heartbeat is a song, a song that provides the perfect rythem for your body, to move your body and fill the soul with joy. Dancing is the ultimate connection between heart, body and soul.

6. Make it your mission to bring a smile to someones face every-time you meet them. But only help those that want to be helped, and accept the rest.

7. Be crazy. Embrace and implement change as much as possible, by doing something new, going somewhere new, or even changing perspective about something. Be like the wind, and you will be strong force of nature.

8. Enjoy the ride as much as the destination, but don't forget to follow the signs life give you, open your eyes to them with as much positive thinking as possible,  otherwise the destination will never be reached.

This too will pass.....

Ying - Yang

Fear - Courage

Joy - Loneliness

Boredom  -Excitement

Love - Suffering

What is one of these concepts without the other? Can any of these exist without it's counterpart?

Without fear, courage wouldn't exist, because the very act of courage is not to stop being scared, but to face your fear. 

Without those moments of solitude, how would we have the time to collect our thoughts and appreciate the people we spend time with in our lives? How would we have a positive effect in the lives of our love ones if we didn't have the time alone to think about how to make them happy?

And when is it when we feel the most enthusiastic or excited? What brings the butterflies to your stomach? Without the state of mind of 'waiting' or 'being bored', how will we have the time to build the anticipation for enthusiasm or excitement?

And suffering? I hear some of you say, what on earth is the point in that???? Will we ever rid the world of it? Well, aslong as their is loss, there will always be suffering. But Love is sufferings faithful partner. You have to let a wave of suffering, or a loss, pass into you and through you, to realize love and wonderful happenings are right behind , waiting for you to experience pure joy again in all its glory. It's only when we suffer the most that we long for love the most, and it then comes knocking at your door.

But of course, for us, especially this day and age, this has become very difficult to comprehend. We get stuck inside the dark negative concepts and never see the light  at the end of the tunnel. But if you don't believe that the positive counter part  is only round the corner, you won't be able to see it. It will pass you by without you noticing anything. And if you had your eyes close, in your mind it would have never even existed. 

And so the puzzle that remains is, how do we learn  to open our hearts to have complete faith in the worlds balance?

4  magic words 

This too will pass.

When we are bored, alone, scared or suffering, always believe that what ever your feeling it is ONLY  a phase. A passing time. Believe that no matter what, it has to change. In fact, it WILL change. The universe is constantly changing, from the position of each beautiful star in the sky, to the countless species of birds that migrate during the winter, moving their home and their life to a different location. Whatever your feeling, there is only one true thing that is real about it - that one day, it will pass.

But the magic doesn't stop there. What about the best moments in life? Where the joy is beyond what you can comprehend? When walking or running has transformed into flying  through the clouds? Will this 4 word phrase is just as important in these happy times as well. Say these words when you are happy and you will realise the importance of those moments. And suddenly you will do everything in your power to make them even better, creating the best moments of your life, because you know, like everything else, those moments will also pass.

Put it in your journal. Write it in your diary. Enter it onto the screensaver of your mobile phone. If you can see these words and read them everyday, in ever situation, it will guarantee to make you smile to yourself and allow anything that you want in your life to become possible.

Just from this small piece of knowledge, knowing everything will pass can give you so much peace in your life, your heart and your soul.

Amore

'I love you, because all the loves in the world are like different rivers flowing into the same lake, where they meet and are transformed into a single love that becomes rain and blesses the earth.' P.Coelho

But what is love? Unfortunately we have over-complicated this question far too much, and have all been left very confused by the concept of 'being in love'.

Some people say:

' It's when you can't stop thinking about that person.'

 But don't you think that sounds more like obsession?

Others say:

'When you love someone, they should do what you tell them to do and be who you want them to be'

Doesn't that sound a little like possessiveness?

So being in love is all about being possessive and obsessive.  It just doesn't sound right. Because it's from these two concepts that other negative emotions are formed. In particular Anger, Jealousy and Hatred.

So when so when your 'in love' like above and your soul is eventually full of all this negativity, the question changes from 'What is Love' to 'Where on earth has Love gone?' And once we are tired of feeling all of these emotions, over a period of time we start to 'fall out of love' and end relationships because there's no sense in carrying on.

The Science

The important thing we have forgotten is that Love isn't actually an emotion. Emotions are created in the brain from our thoughts and the brain transmits the signals in order for certain chemicals to be released into the body that makes us feel a certain way. Anger, jealousy  hatred, envy, sadness are all negative emotions created in the brain.

But Love is not an emotion and it is not created in the brain. It is an energy, in its purest form which gives life to all positive emotions, such as hope, happiness, joy, relief, contentedness  Without the energy of Love, non of these emotions can grow and be manifested.

So if Love is an energy, then it is a fact of science that 'Falling in and out of love'  is a false concept. Because according to science, all energy can never be created or destroyed, only changed into different forms. And when we fully embrace this energy with all of our soul, it becomes one of the most powerful forces known to existence.

Love has the power to transform. To heal, to change the planet, to rid all evil and to save the world.

How do we fully manifest the energy of Love?

First we must learn how to demolish  the ever-growing layers of negative emotion. One by one, brick by brick, it can be completely eradicated. Here's how:
Clear your mind, and start the demolition:

The Demolition

Take away Anger

You'll be left with Jealousy

Rip apart Jealousy

Possessiveness will remain

Dispose of possessiveness

Only Attachment will conquer

Clear all of your attachments

A powerful realization  occurs

That all of the above derived from one source, Pure Fear. The sole reason for every mistake made by Human Kind. People are always frightened. It doesn't have to be this way. People don't have to suffer. Fight the fear and rid it completely from your life.

When all of the above has been stripped away, there remains only a void, a healthy empty space inside of you. That is the moment when you embrace loves energy and let it fill every corner of your soul. With the Love for:

- all people on this Earth

- The birds, the trees, the mountains and all of mother natures gifts

- The infinity beauty that exists within the stars

- The healing power of the sun.

- Your life and YOURSELF in moments of solitude.

- The miracles that happen everyday in this world.

- The silences in between the craziness.

Let it grow inside of you and then spread it. Pour it into others, friends, family and strangers, into your work, into your smiles and laughter, into your words until your life is fully positively brimming with it.

Love......

- Even your enemies. Because Love is without reason.

- Not only your family, but anybody that shows you kindness of any kind.  Because Love is not blood.

- Your ex-lovers, no matter how things ended with that person.  Because even the action of letting go of that person is an act of Love, Love is not attachment, it's acceptance, it's sacrifice.

- That person you only met once but immediately felt a strong connection for. Because Love IS the special connection between two people, which can be incredibly powerful and intense, and which should never be feared, only ever embraced!

- The people that life mysteriously and unexpectedly guides into your arms, no matter what phase of life you are in, or whether you think you are ready for love or not. Because Love is destiny.

How I Love

Now I know this sounds crazy, but I am always in Love. And it's not because I crave affection or fear the darkness in solitude. It's because I can feel it all around me, and I've opened my heart up to receive it completely. 

It's because I have no boundaries in my heart that, when I meet someone that I have a strong connection with for the first time, I immediately know it's Love. I do not fear the rejection, or the loss of that Love, because Love can never be lost or found - it's always there. And so I'm not scared to tell people I Love them. 

Life is too short to keep the words 'I love you' locked in our hearts. (P.Coelho) But they are also only words, so don't forget the importance of demonstrating how you feel as well. And when you demonstrate, give love, but do so without the expectation of receiving. 

Love is an act of faith, not an exchange. (P.Coelho)

Love is being. Love is living. Love is the source of everything good that exists in your life and in the universe. Embrace it. Spread it. Be it.