Genevieve's Quotes: Festivals
"Happy Thanksgiving. There is nothing more important than giving thanks for everything that one has. Gratitude is the most powerful emotion one can express that draws the equivalent reaction from the Universe. Only when one is grateful for what s/he has that s/he deserves more.
Look around you. I know people who whine about how terrible their lives are; about how they cannot have a bigger house, a bigger car, more money or better branded clothing etc.
However, did you know that you ought to be thankful for the house that you already have to live in because many others don't even have a roof over their heads? Did you know that to actually even drive a car makes you a privileged person because many people in some other parts of the world still walk or use the bicycle as their only mode of transport? Can you not be thankful that at least you are clothed instead of pining for 'branded' clothes (which after all, are only meant to protect your body from harsh weather) because there are still many people who only wished they had a cloth to cover their bodies too?
Be thankful. That's what thanksgiving is all about. Thanksgiving should not only be celebrated once a year. Instead, everyone should be celebrating thanksgiving every single day. There are so many things to be grateful for. Be grateful that you have water to drink, food to eat, books to study, health to live, legs to walk, hands to work with, eyes to see, ears to hear and so on. There is so much to thank for in life. You need not only feel grateful for the goodness that you possess but also feel grateful that you get to witness other people's happiness. Feel grateful whenever you see another smile. Feel grateful to know that the other person is healthy etc. This practice opens up your heart.
When you start feeling grateful for all the things that you now have and everything that surrounds you, you will perceive life from a very different angle. Everything begins to blossom as you focus not on the 'lack', but on the fullness of life. Your heart shall overflow with joy and love, which are verily the reasons why you are here on Earth."
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Deepavali (or Diwali) isn't about greeting cards or the meals that one has had to commemorate the day. The true Deepavali only begins when the light within shines forth, revealing the true glory of the Self. Deepavali is known as the festival of light. The Indians in India usually light plenty of candles along the pathway on this day. Just like the flame of the candle, one's faith should always be unshakeable and point 'upwards'. No matter how you turn the candle, the flame still points upwards. Only when you can allow the light within you to shine forth to help light your way can you help others illuminate theirs as well. Hope everyone had a blessed Deepavali, spent in deep contemplation of the Divine.
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Only a thief will know another thief. Similarly, only a liar will see lies everywhere.
In this world today, people can accuse you of many things, but if you know who you are and stand strong, words can never hurt you. All that others say do not determine who you are, but all that you say about yourself do. Baseless accusations without proper evidence are caused by weak and idle minds, who seek pleasure by preying on other people's agony.
Ignorant are those who limit their lives to other people's whims and fancies. To allow other people's rumours and words to affect you is downright foolish! The people who choose to doubt the things you say have already created a wall that surrounds them. Nothing you say will ever satisfy the 'doubting Thomas' within because they have made up their minds that they will not listen!
Those who seek to find the fault in others (instead of their own) will forever be on the lookout for any tiny trace of 'fault' in another person so that they can pounce on it and use it to satisfy their ignorant minds that leave their egoes elated that they have made this 'wonderful discovery'. They can then wrap themselves around this belief that the person has committed a mistake without first investigating if the claim is true or not. Why then waste your time? It is easy to wake someone who is sleeping, but difficult to wake those who pretend to sleep. Human beings sentence each other every single day without conducting thorough investigation first about the claims they have heard. That is why rumours exist!
Before you accuse anyone of anything, be very sure to get your facts right. The best is always to confront the person-in-question in a professional way. Concluding facts on your own without proper evidence will only lead to misunderstandings and hard feelings. There is such a thing called miscommunication. Hearing rumours from others about someone else need not be true. If you choose to believe in such rumours, it brings you down to that level and tells a lot, not about that person, but yourself! Human beings are gifted with something called Viveka (discrimination), a quality symbolised by Lord Ganesh (Vinayagar). Use it wisely to discern the truth from the lies. Unless you are a sadist, what joy do you have painting an ugly picture of another in your mind without first confirming if the picture you have painted is reflective of the actual situation? You have then created your own dreamland that you live in. Are you not living in a lie then if the story you left lingering in your head (for days, weeks, months or maybe even years!) is not even true in the first place?
Before you accuse others of stealing, ask yourself if you have stolen before?! Before you accuse others of being lazy, ask yourself if you are lazy too?! Before you criticise others that they are disorganised, honestly ask yourself if you are also disorganised?! Before you accuse others of lying, look within and honestly ask yourself if you have never lied before?!
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Do not ever be a hypocrite in life. If you want others to respect you, respect others first. If you want others to trust you, learn to trust others first. If you want others to be loyal to you, learn to be loyal to others first! So, never sentence another person to an image that you have concocted in your own head. If you do so, it does not make it become a truth. It will only become a truth exclusively in your own mind. If you believe the rumours or lies that others spread (whether intentionally or unintentionally) without first investigating the truth behind them, it is because you are already so adamant that you want to see what you want to see. Although these people may have a pair of perfectly working eyes, these type of people are more blind than those who are actually visually impaired.
Ask yourself today if you have clarity of sight or are you spiritually blind? When you wear a pair of clear glasses, you will see clearly. If you put on red glasses, all you will see is red. When you put on blue glasses, all you will see is blue. When one drowns himself/herself in self-pity, all s/he will see is the situations that will help him/her indulge in MORE self-pity. When one feels insecured within, s/he will only see threats everywhere! When you have concocted so many lies in your life, you will find nothing but lies everywhere, all the time. If you have lied to your parents time after time when you were younger, you are likely to distrust your children in the future too. This is life. It is a cycle of life. All that happen in life does not reflect other people's minds, but paint a story of your own.
Live the life that you want regardless of what others say. You are who you are. No one's words can ever change the course of your Dharma unless you give them the power to. Even if the whole world turns its back against you, do not crumble. When you tread on the path of Dharma, regardless of what others say, you are sure to be victorious in all your endeavours.
Finally, have a blessed Ganesh Chaturthi this year. Symbolised as the remover of all obstacles, Ganesh (representing Viveka and wisdom) should be incorporated in our everyday lives. Only with spiritual discernment and wisdom can you bypass all obstacles that lie in your path. Just as Ganesh did not allow his writing of the Mahabarata to stop when his feather pen broke, and so he broke his tusk to continue his task, man should also not let anything that comes by his way to stop him from fulfilling his Dharma. The resolution you have made, though may have been forgotten by others, will never be forgotten by the Self. Just like an elephant never forgets, Spirit never forgets. All that you have ever thought, said or done, will create a ripple effect (however small it may be) that will re-arrange your life and others. Everything has a boomerang effect. All that you do (mentally, verbally, physically or spiritually) will eventually return to you.
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