Comments on: Learning to Swim http://cheerfulmonk.com/2008/07/21/learning-to-swim/ Happiness As a Spiritual Practice Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:20:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jean http://cheerfulmonk.com/2008/07/21/learning-to-swim/comment-page-1/#comment-1231 Jean Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:07:50 +0000 http://cheerfulmonk.com/?p=519#comment-1231 Tim, I'm glad my blog helps. For me the <a href="http://cheerfulmonk.com/2007/06/05/the-secret-of-happiness/" rel="nofollow">secret of happiness</a> is to ask myself everyday: (1) What's good about my life? (2) What needs to be done? (3) How can I get this done and enjoy the process? Step #1 helps us keep things in perspective. Thank you for coming by. :) Shun Jian, I agree. When I start worrying about the future or rehashing things that happened in the past, I find it helpful either to sit down with pen and paper and write about what's going on around me at that moment or to describe it aloud. Getting a camera and taking pictures also helps, as does sketching. Any of those activities is great practice for being in the moment. A few months ago I stayed up until 3 a.m. taking pictures of my stuffed bear. It sounds crazy, but it really was <a href="http://cheerfulmonk.com/2008/05/05/slipping-into-sacred-space/" rel="nofollow"> slipping into sacred space</a>. I did read your post <a href="http://richgrad.com/enjoy-the-butterflies-dance/" rel="nofollow">Enjoy the Butterflies' Dance</a>. Thank you. Tim,
I’m glad my blog helps. For me the secret of happiness is to ask myself everyday:

(1) What’s good about my life?
(2) What needs to be done?
(3) How can I get this done and enjoy the process?

Step #1 helps us keep things in perspective.

Thank you for coming by. :)

Shun Jian,
I agree. When I start worrying about the future or rehashing things that happened in the past, I find it helpful either to sit down with pen and paper and write about what’s going on around me at that moment or to describe it aloud. Getting a camera and taking pictures also helps, as does sketching. Any of those activities is great practice for being in the moment. A few months ago I stayed up until 3 a.m. taking pictures of my stuffed bear. It sounds crazy, but it really was slipping into sacred space.

I did read your post Enjoy the Butterflies’ Dance. Thank you.

]]> By: Shun Jian http://cheerfulmonk.com/2008/07/21/learning-to-swim/comment-page-1/#comment-1229 Shun Jian Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:56:03 +0000 http://cheerfulmonk.com/?p=519#comment-1229 Great use of metaphor to get your 3 simple but effective points across. I find that the best way to combat stress is to concentrate on the here and now... to appreciate the moment.. rather than think about the past which you can't change or worry about the future which you can't be 100% certain of. I wrote a post about it not too long ago about... you may want to have a look =) http://richgrad.com/enjoy-the-butterflies-dance/ Great use of metaphor to get your 3 simple but effective points across.

I find that the best way to combat stress is to concentrate on the here and now… to appreciate the moment.. rather than think about the past which you can’t change or worry about the future which you can’t be 100% certain of.

I wrote a post about it not too long ago about… you may want to have a look =)

http://richgrad.com/enjoy-the-butterflies-dance/

]]> By: Tim http://cheerfulmonk.com/2008/07/21/learning-to-swim/comment-page-1/#comment-1228 Tim Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:27:58 +0000 http://cheerfulmonk.com/?p=519#comment-1228 I have slowly come to realize that my gratitude level is too close to zero. it is blogs such as yours that help restore what I have forgot. I love your presentation! I have slowly come to realize that my gratitude level is too close to zero. it is blogs such as yours that help restore what I have forgot. I love your presentation!

]]> By: Jean http://cheerfulmonk.com/2008/07/21/learning-to-swim/comment-page-1/#comment-1215 Jean Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:54:45 +0000 http://cheerfulmonk.com/?p=519#comment-1215 Evelyn, Glad you liked the 10 traits. I find them invaluable when I start to feel stressed. Please let me know which ones turn out to be the most useful to you. Cathy, Good for you! I like your attitude of trying to get at least a C-. You're not letting grades get in the way of learning and going for what you want. And yet you can rejoice when you do get high marks. :) Hearing about your courage has made my day. Evelyn,
Glad you liked the 10 traits. I find them invaluable when I start to feel stressed. Please let me know which ones turn out to be the most useful to you.

Cathy,
Good for you! I like your attitude of trying to get at least a C-. You’re not letting grades get in the way of learning and going for what you want. And yet you can rejoice when you do get high marks. :) Hearing about your courage has made my day.

]]> By: Cathy in NZ http://cheerfulmonk.com/2008/07/21/learning-to-swim/comment-page-1/#comment-1213 Cathy in NZ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:08:44 +0000 http://cheerfulmonk.com/?p=519#comment-1213 in the last few years a number of quite exciting changes occurred for me which have lead to an almost totally different way of life. Last year I had a few moments when I would wonder "what on earth I was doing this for....." {because I'm in my late 50s } One of the areas that had been quietly not-in-the-way but doable was a disability I have lived with all my life but when I went to University that got out in the forefront to a point where now "it's very visible....and I have to explain to people about it...." it's a hand tremor. I can touch type from the past but still my tremor messes with the keyboard or is it the keyboard messes with me! I can't write well so the University supplies me with notetakers and reader/writer. I have had to learn to 'swim' otherwise it would have 'sunk' me quite quickly, this particular disability! Over the years others have in my life have just thought that it was because I had other health issues and it part and parcel and I just left it at that unless....they made some comment! I just take each week at a time, my goal is to at least attempt all that is thrown at me in the various courses and of late to get a pass mark even if it's 'just a C-' I have managed many Bs and a couple of A- but in a recent exam in one of the sections that was an essay I managed to get 40/40 = A+ I am still feeling great...obviously my swimming and floating has paid off. must stop rabbiting on and get on with some household chores and later work out what Rudyard Kipling was writing about in The Ballad of East and West..... in the last few years a number of quite exciting changes occurred for me which have lead to an almost totally different way of life. Last year I had a few moments when I would wonder “what on earth I was doing this for…..” {because I’m in my late 50s }
One of the areas that had been quietly not-in-the-way but doable was a disability I have lived with all my life but when I went to University that got out in the forefront to a point where now “it’s very visible….and I have to explain to people about it….” it’s a hand tremor. I can touch type from the past but still my tremor messes with the keyboard or is it the keyboard messes with me! I can’t write well so the University supplies me with notetakers and reader/writer.
I have had to learn to ’swim’ otherwise it would have ’sunk’ me quite quickly, this particular disability!
Over the years others have in my life have just thought that it was because I had other health issues and it part and parcel and I just left it at that unless….they made some comment!
I just take each week at a time, my goal is to at least attempt all that is thrown at me in the various courses and of late to get a pass mark even if it’s ‘just a C-’ I have managed many Bs and a couple of A- but in a recent exam in one of the sections that was an essay I managed to get 40/40 = A+ I am still feeling great…obviously my swimming and floating has paid off.
must stop rabbiting on and get on with some household chores and later work out what Rudyard Kipling was writing about in The Ballad of East and West…..

]]> By: Evelyn Lim http://cheerfulmonk.com/2008/07/21/learning-to-swim/comment-page-1/#comment-1212 Evelyn Lim Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:52:36 +0000 http://cheerfulmonk.com/?p=519#comment-1212 I enjoyed the description of the dog and about learning to swim. Also, thanks for sharing the list of 10 traits of stress-hardy and resilient people. It's a very good reminder for all who are facing difficulties being positive. Evelyn I enjoyed the description of the dog and about learning to swim. Also, thanks for sharing the list of 10 traits of stress-hardy and resilient people. It’s a very good reminder for all who are facing difficulties being positive.

Evelyn

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