Category Archives: Favorite quotes

Imprints in the heart: Collecting and relieving moments

October 8, 2014Contemplations, Discoveries, Favorite quotesvica

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process
is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
From the book
“The Gifts of Imperfection:
Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and
Embrace Who You Are”
by Brené Brown, Ph.D., L.M.S.W.

Yesterday I came from a wonderful weekend I spent in Hamburg. I attended two seminars led by Ariel and Shya Kane: “Freedom to Breathe” and “Living a Complaint Free, Drama Free Life”. Both seminars provided many unforgettable experiences.

I noticed my eagerness to share all the wonderful insights I had both during the seminars and also after with my family and friends. I did share some of my experiences, but this sharing started to look more like sharing vacation photographs. I was talking about the past. Close one but past nonetheless.

Thinking of photographs, I recall what one of my dearest friends, who happens to be my mother-in-law, once told me. Both of us and also our husbands were standing on one of the heights of German Alps. All of us were admiring the amazing view. I made some pictures and complained that I would love to take a picture of every detail, but that it was impossible.

I thought my Mom-in-law would suggest using panorama-setting on my photo camera of that time.

Instead she said,

“You can’t take pictures of everything. Enjoy them and keep them here.”

As she said this, she has put her hand on the spot, under which my heart can be found.

This occurrence often comes to mind. The latest today, when I was sorting out some of my notebooks, time planners and calendars from previous years. At least two of them have wonderful pictures and reproductions of paintings on every page. I started looking at every page, seeing if it contained a note or a quote worth keeping. As I looked through the pictures I could not enjoy them fully, because I was sorry for not being able to keep all of them. If I would, they would lie hidden in some drawers or boxes for more years until I completely discarded them, without looking at them again.

As soon as I noticed this complaint and recalled what my mother-in-law advised me, I started looking at the pictures with the only purpose to enjoy them. And suddenly the heaviness of regret disappeared and I simply let the pleasant imprints settle in my heart. From here it was easy to put the already viewed pictures away and move further.

One thought led to another and I realized that the same is with pleasant memories. If we try to keep them and hold on to them by telling about them again and again to all who want and don’t want to listen, then this will not be different than showing holiday photographs repeatedly to visiting relatives and friends. We can’t keep all the insights imprinted in our memories. Even recording them down would not enable a true reproduction of the wonderful experiences we had. But we can collect these wonderful imprints in our hearts, enjoy them and let go.

Picture: Wonderful view from the hotel room I had while in Hamburg. I don’t remember the things I thought, which prompted me to take this picture. I only remember that they were pleasant and inspiring with a tiny hint of sadness, which I could not explain. Maybe I was sad about the near end of the weekend and the seminars. Maybe I was sad of not being able to hold on to each experienced moment, to each pleasant one. I don’t know. The only thing I know now is that this sadness was sweet and soothing. I smile while writing this.

The colors of the soul

September 30, 2014Contemplations, Discoveries, Favorite quotesvica

There are times when I don’t like my thoughts. I even remember hating some of them and fretting the fact I had them.

The following quote made me fill my lungs full with air and breathe out with relief:

“Denn von den Gedanken nimmt die Seele ihre Farbe an.“ Mark Aurel

Interpretation:

„They are thoughts that give the soul its color. “ Mark Aurel

This quote and also the work by Ariel and Shya Kane and what they say about including all we done, experienced, thought and not resisting all that, helped me appreciate all the crazy, wonderful, strange, and many other thoughts I had. I understand now that all we have lived through, including thoughts, doings, our Yes’s and No’s, everything, which happened to us and with us so far, brought us to where we are today.

And I do like where I am today. And I like more and more including my thoughts, not resisting them but accepting them as part of my life. Not as something strange and extraterrestrial as I sometimes did in the past and might do in the future. I will just let myself be surprised what things can come to my mind. After all, I know now that I am capable to choose and bring to life some of the thoughts and dreams I have, and I am able to smile kindly at the other and let them be.

I will finish this post with the quote from Audrey Hepburn I rediscovered yesterday:

“Pick the day. Enjoy it – to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come… The past, I think has helped me appreciate the present – and I don’t want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future.”

Picture: A selfie I made a few weeks ago. Using Audrey Hepburn’s words she said about herself, I am saying about myself: “I’ve decided I’m not so bad after all.”

In the shadow

September 3, 2014Contemplations, Discoveries, Favorite quotesvica

I discovered the following quote this week:

“Das Glück is wie die Sonne.
Ein wenig Schatten muss sein,
wenn es dem Menschen wohl werden will.“ Otto Ludwig

Interpretation:

„Happiness is like the sun.
There must be some shadow,
so that we feel well in our skins.“ Otto Ludwig

I caught myself coming back again and again to this thought. It felt so wonderful to realize that those seeming setbacks from a line of euphoria about the glory of life are not bad at all. They are in fact necessary. In order to take a deep breath, to take a break and realize the beauty of life.

Today, I made a little experiment. My parents-in-law came to spend several days with us. Being a true extrovert, I like telling stories, drawing attention to myself. I did this a few times today. I wanted to share what I thought was interesting. But then, when I became aware of this, I “stepped back” and let everything unfold in front of me. It was so wonderful to listen to my parents-in-law and let them tell us about their vacation so far, about their way to our home, to see how they talked and played with Niklas, to remember many wonderful moments we spent on various occasions together.

Now I realize better, why I like the rain and being in the shadow. When I pictured myself on a hot day, I understood that I most enjoy the sun when I sit in the shadow, not when I stand in the glowing sun.

Let all your shadows bring you satisfaction, wonderful perspective on the happy moments and peace of mind.

Picture: taken in the park near us on a rainy day.

Let’s be kind

June 30, 2014Books I read, Contemplations, Favorite quotesvica

I’ve recently read “The Kalahari Typing School for Men” by Alexander McCall Smith. I enjoyed it very much, as much as all the previous books in the “The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series“ and other books by this author.

The following quote from “The Kalahari Typing School for Men” drew my attention and made me want to count it to my favorite quotes:

“People’s lives are delicate: you cannot interfere with them without running the risk of changing them profoundly. A chance remark, a careless involvement, may make the difference between a life of happiness and one of sorrow.” Alexander McCall Smith

This is very true. We sometimes do not think what impression our behavior and words can make on people surrounding us and their lives. We follow our agendas and often forget that these might collide with agendas and feelings of others. Being present, attentive, interested in and compassionate to everyone around us will directly lead to smiles, understanding and less conflicts between people. I’m impressed again and again by effect of a genuine smile on other people. Their faces light up and there is at least one small second of pure happiness in them.

And there is someone else we have to treat kind. Ourselves. We have all those self-judging and annihilating thoughts. We often don’t realize that we offend ourselves as much as or even more than a hurtful word from another person.

Here is my call-out to everyone who reads this, including myself:

Let’s be kind to ourselves and everyone around us.

Picture: One of the best places to get “infected” by a smile is a celebration or a big party. I’ve seen many wonderful smiles at the Sankt Hans celebrations in Aalborg last week.

Where to find the most beautiful colors

June 16, 2014Books I write, Favorite quotesvica

Spring and summer indulge us with abundance of colors of flowers. I am drawn to them by their colors and enigmatic fragrances.

One quote in German drew my attention recently:

“Blumen anschauen hat etwas Beruhigendes:

Sie kennen weder Emotionen noch Konflikte“. Sigmund Freud

And my interpretation:

„Looking at flowers brings something soothing with itself:

They know neither emotions nor conflicts.” Sigmund Freud.

Flowers had always special meaning and place in my family. My father loved wild flowers. His love to them inspired me to write the following passage in the Chapter 3 of the novel I am writing about my father:

“The most exciting thing about her clothes were the colors. Today she wore a black skirt with large red, white and yellow flower print over black nylon tights, a white blouse and a red jacket. I never saw such bright, clear colors on clothes before. I was used to faded and washed out colors, as the one on the light brown and white jacket I wore now. The only place I saw the colors on Liuda’s clothes was in nature, on flowers and butterflies. A rainbow of wild flowers bloomed in the backyard of the orphanage and I loved watching butterflies dancing their peculiar dances around each flower. And I’d think how nice it would be to be seen like that. Just for being. Such seeing was not natural to humans. Or was Liuda about to prove me wrong by turning the attention of a beautiful butterfly to such an invisible flower as me?”

Picture: Beautiful gifts from our garden. I smile when I realize my father would love them. Do you see the smiley, which spied itself into the picture?