Peaceful Birds in the Sunset

"Nature herself makes the wise man rich."

- Cicero -

Mighty Waves

"You're alive. Do something. The directive in life, the moral imperative was so uncomplicated. It could be expressed in single words, not complete sentences. It sounded like this: Look. Listen. Choose. Act!"

- Barbara Hall -

Peaceful Evening

"It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." 

- Aesop -

Peaceful Sunset

"Life is a thing that mutates without warning, not always in enviable ways. All part of the improbable adventure of being alive, of being a brainy biped with giant dreams on a crazy blue planet."

- Diane Ackerman -

Relaxation

"Life is full of surprises and serendipity. Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every step, you may miss those wonderful twists and turns. Just find your next adventure - do it well, enjoy it - and then, not now, think about what comes next."

- Condoleeza Rice -

Inspiration!

Change!

Endless of Waves and Sunsets!

"Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me."

- Carol Brunett -

“I just want things to stay the way they are/were, - forever!”. This sentence might sound familiar to you? It sure does to me, I hear people say it all the time. I used to say it myself; until I understood that nothing can stay the way it is forever. Because everything is constantly changing!

It is the way it always has been and always will be. I guess that it’s the only “thing” that will stay the same way forever - that everything is always changing!

So, what do we do about change? We either think that the change is terrible, or good. We feel frustrated and scared, or at peace and in trust with the change. Everyone has a choice! If we try to refuse any change, I am sure that sooner or later we have to accept it.

"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better." 

- King Whitney Jr. -

Change can be so many things. We have small changes and large changes. Some of them makes things better and some of them worse. You can accept or deny change, it will happen in any case. Throughout our whole life we all change! The person I was a year ago, has changed. The person I was only yesterday has also changed, because each day I learn something new, from changes and life itself. Each day I calibrate my inner compass and find a new path to walk on.

Mount Everest NB! Pic from the web...

Some changes are easy to accept and live with, others are harder to face. Like break ups, accidents, illness or death. 

If life throws you off a cliff, what do you do? 

One option is to refuse the change, fold your arms around your body for comfort, feel sorry for yourself and be passive. Then you fall hard to the ground! BANG! Paaaain...

"They always say time changes things, but you acutally have to change them yourself." 

- A. Warhol -

Another, and “better” option, is to use whatever you have; arms, legs, parachutes or wings, and you try to fly like crazy! It might break the fall a bit, even if you can’t fly… When you’ve smashed brutally into the ground, what do you do then? 

You can lay there, feel sorry for yourself and refuse to accept the change. How will that help you? It won’t! You might feel safe where you are laying, but you might lose another opportunity to live. 

The other option is to get up again… Do a damage control and mend the broken pieces. 

Then you start walking again, slowly but surely, even if it hurts like hell. If you are really brave, you can even start to climb, because then you reach the next peak quicker! It will be more risky to climb straight up, but if you take the chance you can reach the goal faster.  You risk falling down again... 

On the other side, why hurry? One can take the safe route, go slower and less steap, in the end we will all reach the peak! It is up to each and everyone what pace one wants to move in; there are no right or wrong speed. We all have to find our own way to the peak. The landscape will be changing the whole way, - as will we! Enjoy the view on the way up.

Mount Everest  NB! Pic from the web...

Life is constantly changing and so are all human beings. 

Enjoy the changes and the journey of life! 

Even if it might hurt on the way...

Good luck with handling the changes life brings you!

Be brave, patient and stay positive! 

Everything happens for a reason and will turn out alright, 

- in the end...

"We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance."

- H. Ford -

Every Spring Brings New Flowers!

Nick Vujicic - an Inspiration!

Nick as a child. NB! Pic from the web...

Please let yourself GET INSPIRED by this amazing young man!

Play the movie clip:

YouTube Clip : No arms, No legs, No worries!

Something More - Music Video

Nick swimming! NB! Pic from the web...

"You are perfect just the way you are!" 

- Nick Vujicic -

My comment:

Working on it...

Some Short Song Lists

Cloudy day in Strand

For Cloudy Days

1. Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell

2. Tears And Rain - James Blunt

3. You Found Me - Fray

4. Storms Of Africa - Enya

5. 

Sunset Falsebay

Makes Clouds Vanish:

1. Three Little Birds - Bob Marley

2. Everything is Gonna Be Alright - Sweetbox

3. Det Loser Sej - Timbuktu (Swedish)

4. Over The Rainbow - Many great artists sing it well

5. The Show Must Go On - Queen

Snowy road

The Hard Path:

1. Always Look On The Bright Sides of Life - Monty Python

2. What a Little Moonlight Can Do - Billie Holliday

3. Soul Shine - Beth Hart

4. Wonderful World - James Morrison

5. I'm Still Standing - Elton John

Loving couple in Strand

Being in Love

1. Annie's Song - John Denver

2. The Story - Brandi Carlile

3. I Won't Let You Go - James Morrison

4. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

5. I Was Made For Loving You - Maria Mena

Birds in Hondeklipbaai

Before Breaking Up

1. Never Easy - Kurt Nilsen

2. I Can't Make You Love Me - Tank

3. Call Me - Shine Down

4. Om Du Lamnade Mig Nu - Lars Winnerback/Miss Li

5. Oceans - Evanescence

Pain and Beauty

After a Break Up

1. Goodbye My Lover - James Blunt

2. Apologize - Timbaland/One Republic

3. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind - Nana Mouskouri

4. Wonderful World - James Morrison

5. Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart - Alicia Keys

Age and Demolition

Changes

1. Changes - Ozzy Osbourne

2. The Change - Evanscence

3. Fix You - Coldplay

4. The Show Must Go On - Queen

5. I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash

Struggle of life

Hard Life

1. Broken Strings - James Morrison/Nelly Furtado

2. My Immortal - Evanescence

3. It's A Hard Life - Queen

4. Bring Me To Life - Evanscence

5. 

Light and Hope

For Hope

1. Imagine - Beatles

2. Song For The Lonely - Cher

3. Only Time - Enya

4. Happy - Leona Lewis

5. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz

Life!

Wisewords

1. The Balance - The Moody Blues

2. Sit Down Young Stranger - Gordon Lightfoot

3. Sun Screen - Baz Luhrman

4. Simple Man - Shinedown

5. Universal Soldier - Buffy Sainte-Marie

Green fields of...

Jolly Irish Music

1. The Blood of Cu'Chulainn - Leaping Lulu

2. Love You Till The End - The Pogues 

3. Whiskey In The Jar - The Dubliners

4. Craic With Jack - Leaping Lulu

5. The Lads Of Laois - O'Malley's Folk Music

Beach Party in Strand

For Happiness & Fun

1. All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar

2. You Can't Touch This - MC Hammer

3. Single Ladies - Beyonce

4. Danza Kuduro - Don Omar/Lucenzo

5. Stayin Alive - Bee Gees

Sexy Deep Voices

1. I'm Your Man - Leonard Cohen

2. Just Breath - Pearl Jam

3. Swimming In Your Ocean - Crash Test Dummies

4. Majesty - Madrugada

5.

NB! I might add more lists or songs...

Kahlil Gibran on Love

Endless of love!

"When love beckons to you, follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams

as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. 

Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your hearts, 

and in that knowledge become a fragment to Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, 

and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."

And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires;

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips."

- Kahlil Gibran -

Risk loving!

My comment:

Working on it!

Happy

- Leona Lewis -

Little Ingrid just wanna be happy

Someone once told me that you have to choose

What you win or lose; you can't have everything

Don't you take chances, you might feel the pain

Don't you love in vain 'cause love won't set you free

I could stand by the side and watch this life pass me by

So unhappy, but safe as could be

So what if it hurts me?

So what if I break down?

So what if this world just throws me off the edge

My feet run out of ground?

I gotta find my place, I wanna hear my sound

Don't care about all the pain in front of me

'Cause I'm just trying to be happy, ya

Just wanna be happy, ya

Holding on tightly, just can't let it go

Just trying to play my role, slowly disappear, oh

But all these days, they feel like they're the same

Just different faces, different names, get me out of here

But I can't stand by your side, oh no

And watch this life pass by, pass me by

So what if it hurts me?

So what if I break down?

So what if this world just throws me off the edge

My feet run out of ground?

I gotta find my place, I wanna hear my sound

Don't care about all the pain in front of me

'Cause I'm just trying to be happy, oh, happy, oh

So any turns that I can't see

Like I'm a stranger on this road

But don't say victim, don't say anything

So what if it hurts me?

So what if I break down?

So what if this world just throws me off the edge

My feet run out of ground?

I gotta find my place, I wanna hear my sound

Don't care about all the pain in front of me

I just wanna be happy, oh, yeah, happy, oh, happy

I just wanna be, oh, I just wanna be happy

Oh, happy!

Ingrid just wanna be happy

My comment:

Have you ever feared your own happiness?

Have you ever feared love?

Have you ever heard that you can't have everything?

STOP!

Don't think like that!

Take chances

Risk something!

Live every moment to the fullest

If you get hurt or break down...

TRY AGAIN!

NEVER GIVE UP!

The birds do not learn to fly without any pain

They try again, and again, and again

Before they know it, they master the art of flying!

Magical...

Just like the babies when learning how to walk

They fall

They hurt

They get up again!

And keep on trying untill they manage...

TAKE CHANCES!

Search for your own true happiness...

Find your own sound

Trust!

Trust yourself...

Trust others...

Trust that the universe will support your happiness

Trust that the universe will support your love

Trust...

Risk loving someone deeply...

I BELIEVE IN HAPPY ENDINGS!

Just wanna be happy!

Simple Song

- Shines - 

Well, this is just a simple song

To say what you've done

I told you about all those fears

And away they did run

You sure must be strong

When you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun

When I was just nine-years-old

I swear that I dreamt

Your face on a football field

And a kiss that I kept

Under my vest

Apart from everything, but the heart in my chest

I know that things can really get rough

When you go it alone

Don't go thinking you gotta be tough

And play like a stone

Could be there's nothing else in our lives so critical 

As this little home

My life in an upturned boat

Marooned on a cliff

You brought me a great big flood

And you gave me a lift

Girl, what a gift

You tell me with your tongue

And your breath was in my lungs

And we floar through the rift

I know that things can really get rough 

When you go it alone

Don't go thinking you gotta be tough 

And play like a stone

Could be there's nothing else in our lives so critical

As this little home

Well, this would be a simple song

To say what you've done

I told you about all those fears

And away they did run

You sure must be strong

When you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun

Remember walking a mile to your house

A glow in the dark

I made a fumbling play for your heart

And the act struck a spark

You wore a charm on the chain that I stole

Especial for you

Love's such a delicate thing that we do

With nothing to prove

Which I never knew

My comment:

I don't know how it happened, but one day totally out of the blue, this song appeared in one of my spotify-lists. I guess that someone wanted me to hear the song, for some reason... I'd never heard of the band or the song before, but I was hooked at once!

 Both the tune and lyrics are really nice and it simply makes me feel happy and strong! It is a nice love story about a special friendship. The author seems to understand some important points about life. We don't have to "carry" our entire "load" alone, it gets lighter when shared... I really like this part; "Love's such a delicate thing that we do. With nothing to prove. Which I never knew". Love has truly nothing to prove! 

 The music video is quite funny, but serious at the same time. It might seem like that story doesn't fit with the lyrics very well, but they are connected... For some people this song and music video can me an eye opener.