DID YOU KNOW?

Minds Can’t Break Free🌱🌱🌱
Stop thinking about what you’ve done wrong recently. Stop thinking about how you can’t exercise or improve your skills because you’re too undisciplined. Stop thinking that you should be in a better position than you currently are. Stop believing that you’re stuck — there’s a wide open lane to your left and you just have to decide to take it.

Problem: a passive mind can’t think beyond what it has already experienced.

A passive mind won’t consider new and exciting possibilities. A passive mind won’t think about breaking its own limiting rules. A passive mind can’t grow and become greater, it can only wallow through and regurgitate its own past. That’s because passive minds don’t create new things, they merely observe and comment.

Nobody is immune to having a passive mind, and nobody is sentenced to carry it their whole lives. We all have the ability to overcome this life-sapping way of thinking.

Monks and a Woman - a Zen Lesson: A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if they could help her cross to the other side.

The two monks glanced at one another because they had taken vows not to touch a woman.

Then, without a word, the older monk picked up the woman, carried her across the river, placed her gently on the other side, and carried on his
journey.

The younger monk couldn’t believe what had just happened. After rejoining his companion, he was speechless, and an hour passed without a word between them.

Two more hours passed, then three, finally the younger monk could contain himself any longer, and blurted out “As monks, we are not permitted a woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?”

The older monk looked at him and replied, “Brother, I set her down on the other side of the river, why are you still carrying her?”

—

This simple Zen story has a beautiful message about living in the present moment. How often do we carry around past hurts, holding onto resentments when the only person we are really hurting is ourselves.

We all go through times in life when other people say things or behave in a way that is hurtful towards us. We can chose to ruminate over past actions or events, but it will ultimately weigh us down and sap our energy.

Instead we can choose to let go of what doesn’t serve us anymore and concentrate on the present moment. Until we can find a level of peace and happiness in the present circumstances of our lives, we will never be content, because ‘now’ is all we will ever have.

#DidYouKnow?
🇬🇧 The "Share a Coke" ad campaign—where Coca-Cola's name was switched out for people's first names—increased the soda's U.S. sales by over 2%.

your own mind, and you will be as wise as the sages.

When you take charge of your mind, you take charge of your life. When you understand your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and desires, you can direct them to any end you choose. Wisdom comes from taking the time to study yourself, to know why you are the person you are. Taking charge of your mind is a thoughtful, reflective, solitary process. Only you can come to understand the complex inner workings of your own mind, and you must be willing to spend the time and effort that gaining such insight requires.

A Dream That Crossed All The Way To Europe From Venezuela
By Valeria, from Venezuela

I was born and raised in Venezuela. When I entered my twenties, the situation in my country started to get worse and worse. I had a great job in a multinational company and yet I could not afford a pair of pants. I have had guns pointed at my head to rob my cellphone and the number of my friends murdered or kidnapped was growing longer.

I decided this was no future for me and that I needed to seek out a better quality of life. So, with no money in my pockets, I decided I was going to get a Master's degree in Spain and that I would pay for it by finding a job. So, six months ago I departed for this adventure, leaving behind my job, family, friends and my three year old relationship.

I got here feeling depressed. Everyone told me that with the unemployment rate in Spain there was no way for me to get a job in the near future. They also told me that my long distance relationship would not last and that it was going to be really hard for me to be happy.

So, one day, my sister told me to watch “The Secret” movie, that it worked for her and some friends and that it was going to change my perspective. I did as she said. The next day I started to do meditation and feeling gratitude. I also started to be deeply and honestly thankful for every interview and opportunity I had.

After a month and a half of arriving in Spain, I got a job with the same salary I had visualized! It also came with a permanent contract and it is in the same field that I am doing my Master's in. A month ago, my long distance boyfriend was able to visit me and he decided to come and live with me in the next months. In addition, I have so many friends and people that have helped me, that I feel like I could never be happier.

I still have many other goals to accomplish, but I never stop being grateful for everything I have been able to achieve, just because I am believing I deserve big things.

#Motivation

#DidYouKnow?
🇬🇧 A woman named Joyce Diane became famous in the 1950s for becoming the first woman to win the game show "The $64,000 Question," despite the fact that the show's producer did not want her to win and deliberately gave her questions perceived to be beyond her ability, which she answered correctly anyway.