A brilliant new book by the acclaimed illustrator Matthew Johnstone and his lifelong friend James Kerr charts the A to Z of human emotions. Yesterday, they chronicled the emotions that ruin lives. Today, they present the ways to make your spirits soar.
A... IS FOR ADVENTURE: Adventure is the opposite of television.
B... IS FOR BALANCE: As humans we understand things as opposites: Yin and Yang, good and bad, up and down, day and night. Balance is the tension between opposites: rest and activity, conversation and silence, sociability and solitude, love for another and love for oneself. Every moment your life is in the balance. Weigh your options.
C... IS FOR COMPASSION: Compassion means to live with love. It means caring for the sick — and the healthy, too. It means being kind to the needy — and those who need for nothing. Compassion is an equal opportunity emotion. To make others happy, treat them with compassion. To make yourself happy, treat others with compassion.
D... IS FOR DARING: Daring is doing. It gets things done. Every great achievement begins with it. Every great person first dared to be great.What will you dare to do today?
E... IS FOR ENTHUSIASM: For enthusiasts, life is an adventure playground, a theatre, a movie-set, a laboratory, a love story, a test track, a roller-coaster, a dance, a gift, a blessing, a blast, a thrill . . . Let enthusiasm lift you higher. Wherever it takes you, it will be the right place.
F... IS FOR FRIENDSHIP: Friendship is cheaper than therapy, often deeper. Feed your friendships and they will sustain you. Love your friends and you will be loved. Watch their backs and they will watch yours. If life’s a game, your friends are your team. Choose them carefully.
G IS FOR GRATITUDE: Gratitude grows wherever it is planted. Gratitude is more than saying thank you for dinner, it’s saying thank you to life. When you give thanks, thanks gives back. So be grateful for what you have, and you’ll have everything you need. The first sign of greatness is gratitude.
H... IS FOR HOPE: There is one thing sure in life: this too will pass. No matter your situation, it is certain to change. However dire things may seem, there is always a new day, a new way. Hope helps. Like a rope, it can pull you out of a hole.
I... IS FOR IMAGINATION: Imagine what's possible, then make it happen. A cake isn't a cake until it's cooked.
J... IS FOR JOY: Happiness is found deep within. It comes from our soul — not from external things. So look inside and feel the joy. Soon those around you will feel it, too.
K... IS FOR KNOWLEDGE: Pass it on.
L... IS FOR LOVE: In life, we lose our youth, our strength, our influence, our memory, even our bladder control. In the end, all we have, and all we will be remembered for, is the love that we give; not just to one person, but to everyone we meet. Remember this — and you will be remembered. What is there to say about love that has not been said before, except I love you. Love is a four-letter word. Swear by it.
M... IS FOR MEDITATION: Meditation is a form of medication. When your soul aches, take a moment. The more you get into meditation, the more you get out of it. So be mindful - sit in stillness and silence, watch those thoughts, empty your mind - and live a full and conscious life. Because now is where it's at. Learn to listen and very soon the truth will whisper in your ear.
N... IS FOR NOW: It really is now or never. Life is fleeting. Miss the moment and it’s gone for ever. To make the most of life, make the most of every moment. Forget the past, ignore the future, be present to the present. Look around. Where are you? How do you feel? Notice your breathing. The sounds all around you. Your thoughts as they pass. What can you see that you’ve never seen before? It doesn’t matter where you’ve been. It doesn’t matter where you’re going. It only matters where you’re at.
O... IS FOR OPTIMISM: Optimism put man on the Moon and food on the table. Optimism looks for the best in every situation. The upside of every downside. The yes in every no. Cultivate it. Optimism will bring you friendship and success, health and wealth, love and laughter. It's that kind of word.
P... IS FOR PASSION: Passion has the power to transform your life — to reveal your purpose, your reason for being, your life’s work. To find out what your passion is, ask yourself: ‘What would I do if money was no object?’ Paint? Write? Teach? Dance? Open a vineyard, start a charity, even found a bank? The trick is to think big, then begin by taking small, steady steps towards your dream. Mark Twain said: ‘The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.’ What would you do if you could do anything at all? Passion makes anything possible.
Q... IS FOR QUIET
R... IS FOR RECONCILIATION: You cannot undo the past. But you can change the future. To reconnect with someone, first forgive yourself. You’re human, you mess up. Then forgive the other person. They’re human, too. If you do mess up, confess and apologise. Saying sorry goes a long way. Meaning it goes even further. Remember: the sooner you can laugh about it, the sooner you can laugh about it together.
S... IS FOR SMILE: Unleash the power of a smile. Smile at strangers. Smile at trees. Smile at misfortune. Smile at yourself in the mirror in the morning. Smile just for the sake of it. Soon fortune will smile back at you.
T... IS FOR TRUST: Trust is the bedrock of love, the mattress of marriage, the cradle of childhood, the foundation of friendship. Trust in the truth and, the truth is, you’ll be trusted.
U... IS FOR UNIVERSE: When things are looking down, look up. Sometimes realising our cosmic insignificance can put our troubles in perspective. Have faith, trust in Fate, be free. The Universe is there to support you. Climb on board.
V... IS FOR VISION: To understand what your vision is, ask the Big Questions. What am I? What are my values? What do I want to teach, to pass on? These are the beginnings of a vision. One day you will ask yourself: ‘What kind of life have I lived?’ What will your answer be?
W... IS FOR WISDOM: Knowing isn’t wisdom. Knowing yourself is.
There is more wisdom in contentment — accepting life and everything in it — than is contained in all the libraries in the world. Your soul is a book — study it carefully. Share what you’ve learned. If you go out looking for wisdom, it won’t know where to find you.
X... IS FOR A KISS: A kiss shows love and intimacy, tenderness and desire. It can say hello or goodbye, good luck or good riddance, adoration or adulation. It can say things that can otherwise never be said, communicating without sound. What will you say with a kiss today? And who will you say it to?
Y... IS FOR YOU: To live a full and satisfying life, think with your heart, be loyal to your dreams, engage your emotions, respect your relationships, defy your fears, pursue your passions, find your flow, express your energy, enjoy the moment, contribute to your community, feed your mind, your body and your soul, leave a legacy and live with love. Be happy. Be honest. Be hopeful. Be yourself.
Z... IS FOR ZEN (AGAIN): You may recognise zen from yesterday’s Alphabet of Toxic Emotions. That’s because it is where the negative and the positive meet. It’s a neutral state of being. Of silence. Peacefulness. Wakefulness. Mindfulness. Balance your being and your life will be in balance. Live right and everything will be in balance. Sit in stillness and silence. Turn your eye inward.
No comments:
Post a Comment