Tag Archive | learning

My laughter does not age!

Oct6

 

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Are you fearful of getting older?

Not if I’m learning my lessons as I go
Not if I’m contributing to other people’s joy
Not if I’m doing something useful!

Are you fearful of getting older?
Not if I can look at the world with wiser eyes
A more compassionate heart
A twinkle in my eyes

Are you afraid of getting older?
No, since my spirit does not age
My laughter does not get old
My smile is as young as ever!

Yes, my body may not heal as fast as before
But perhaps my spirit can heal faster
There are wrinkles here and there
But why look down on wrinkles
They are the sign of a life well-lived!

So, let’s not fear aging
Let’s celebrate a life well-lived!

Lida Berghuis
October 6th, 2014

New Beginnings…

Jul15

To new beginnings
New associations
Renewed camaraderie
Building on what has been!

Each day brings new opportunities
To leave the past behind
To strengthen bonds
To build new ones!

To family unity
To being supportive
To building together
What can’t be built alone!

To being open-minded
Seeing only the good
Revising old assumptions
Being a student in the school of life!

To rediscovering one’s culture
celebrating all that’s good
Bringing people together
No matter from what clime!

July 15th, 2014
Lida Berghuis

Happiness is contentment!

Sep1

imageHappiness is finding reasons to be happy now!
Happiness that depends on some distant goal
Some yet to be achieved milestone
Will fade as soon as the goal is reached
Because we’ll set ourselves another goal!

Happiness is in thinking of all the blessing we have now
All the things that are going right
All the things we may take for granted…
Happiness is in contentment

Goals are good
But happiness should not wait till they are achieved
Let’s give thanks for what we have today
It can be health
It can be family
It can be having coffee on a sunny day!

Happiness is having good friends
Friends who support us in times of trials
Happiness is in viewing trials as gifts
From the heavens above

Happiness is in finding meaning in life
Helping others less fortunate than us
Happiness is contentment

Lida Berghuis
September 1st 2013

Tourist

Aug4

Some people travel to see places
Old buildings, ornate churches, famous landmarks…
You get my point
And there is nothing wrong with that of course
But I travel to see people
To experience other cultures
To expose myself to other ways of thought

Don’t take me to a resort
There is not much to learn there for me
The walls, the swimming pool, the restaurants
Don’t have any lessons for me
But bring me in contact with the locals
Invite me into their lives
And that will make me extremely happy

Because I’m the tourist of cultures
Not of ruins
I learn from people
Not from buildings
Rest and relaxation
I can do close to where I live
Exploring other cultures
A reason to travel for me

Don’t bring me to hotels
Bring me to homes
Where the people are
Don’t bring me to restaurants
Bring me to kitchen tables
Where the food is prepared with love
Don’t bring me to big cities
Being me to towns
Bring me to the country side

I’m a tourist of people, not of places
I’m not looking for what’s outside
Bring me inside into people’s lives, into their homes
And into their hearts!

Lida Berghuis
August 4th, 2013

The human condition

Jan14

I learned, but I forgot
I saw, but I forgot
I knew, but I forgot

And so I pass the years
Of my life
Lessons learned are sometimes forgotten
Gems discovered, are covered by dust
What I saw clearly, is now blurred
What I thought I understood, clear as mud!

This I was told is the human condition
We don’t learn right away
We may fall many times
Before we learn to look in front of us
We may burn our hands anyway
Even though we thought we’d never do it again!

Forgetting is human
Erring is human
Learning slowly is human too!

How can I improve my memory
Remember better
Learn faster
I thought

“Slowness remembers, hurry forgets”
“Softness remembers, hardness forgets”
“Surrender remembers, fear forgets”

“It’s beautifully difficult to remember
who we are!”

“But we help each other every time
When we fill the cup of truth, drink it
And hold each other up!”

Lida Berghuis
February 20th, 2011

Quotes from “Mark Nepo”
The book of Awakening

old habits

Aug12

Sometimes I hold on to an old habit with dear life!
I don’t question it or wonder why!
And if doubt creeps into my mind
I dismiss it: ‘go away, be gone!’

Then one day, I try something new
Just by chance, or due to someone else’s view
To my surprise, the new way works
It works even better that it should!

Now, I really question my assumptions, my past rules
Why did it take me so long to try something new?
I realize that I have to be open to learning at all times
Old habits can always be replaced by the new

The old way may not be wrong but there may be better ways
I pledge to be open to change
There is no harm in trying a different way
If I don’t like it, I can always go back to my old way

Lida Berghuis
July 4th, 2011