The Yin and Yang of Life

Spring actually started!  After a few failed starts, including late starts, cold rainy days and such, mother nature let lose and look what happened!

Frost on ground on April 15t

Dr. Tae Yun Kim emphasizes that there is a time and a place for things.  In winter, do not expect new flowers to come.  In the summer, be ready for the heat!

In our personal lives, there is always the Yin and the Yang.  One of Dr. Tae Yun Kim's dearest friends, whom she had known for a very long time and whom she regarded like her own son, just recently passed away.

It was extremely suddenly - from being diagnosed with an aggressive form of liver cancer, to the day he left this earth, was only 5 weeks.

Prior to his diagnose, he didn't know at all that he had cancer.  In fact, he was barely 60 years old, was in amazingly great health and was in great condition, always working out and eating well.

Here one day, and gone the next.
So we need to celebrate every living breath as our last breath, because it very well could be our last breath.
We need to enjoy life, the happy times and the sad times, the good and the bad.  It's all part of the package called life.

This is the core of Dr. Tae Yun Kim's teachings.  No matter what, know that you are in control of your life, and enjoy every moment!  It is your precious life, live it to the fullest!

HE CAN DO, SHE CAN DO, WHY NOT ME!

Windows in life

Somehow this picture makes me feel so balanced.  I feel as if I was looking out into the world, safely in the arms of mother nature.  It reminded me of something Dr. Tae Yun Kim wrote, in her book, "Seven Steps to Inner Power."  It's about looking at yourself.

"Look clinically a your strengths and weaknesses.  You don't need to make value judgments on yourself.  When you find our strengths, decide to keep them, but do not become overly confident or egotistical.  When you find your weaknesses, determine to eliminate them, but do not fall in a mire of depression, dejection, or self-condemnation." (page 22)

For me personally, this job of looking at myself is always so much easier in the arms of nature.  How about you?

Dr. Kim has been advising me over the years, and one of the most helpful things has been, and always will be, an honest self assessment, and then working on improving myself.  Ready to give it a try?

Beauty everywhere

Spring finally made it's glorious appearance.  During spring, it's easy to see so much beauty! Whether you look up

or down

whether fancy

or more wild

Beauty is everywhere!

I love Dr. Tae Yun Kim's words on what constitutes beauty:

"Beauty, just like love, harmony, peace and unity, is infinite.  That is, beauty can manifest in an infinite number of ways, and have an infinite number of forms.  
Right now, where you sit, look around and see in how many places and in how many ways the idea of beauty is manifested.  The forms of beauty will disappear some time, but the idea of beauty will never pass away."  (The Silent Master, page 60)

No matter where you are, whether in a field or in a city - let's find beauty and treasure it!

About readiness

As I walked outside in the orchard today, I was so excited to see all these blossoms, ready to burst out.  I am always very happy to see the first hint of color, and the first of the buds burst open.
Today, I saw that not all the buds are ready at the same time.  Depending on the kind of tree, and the position of the tree, and the soil, each of them is at a different stage of readiness.

This reminded me of what Dr. Tae Yun Kim says about readiness, and might I add that nature has it figured out perfectly!  You'll see why when you read the following, taken from Dr. Kim's book "The Silent Master" on page 30:

"The first step to take in the readiness stage of self discovery is to take charge of your thinking.  Every response you make to your environment, and every action you take or don't take is propelled by a decision, choice, or response that you make in your thinking.  And the most important aspects of your thinking to take charge of are will, motivation and attitude."

Nature takes charge in subtle ways.  The buds here never argue or decide they don't want to open up and flower.  But they do respond to their environment and if it's too cold to open up, they won't!

So let's be like these beautiful buds and take charge of our lives, and respond to our environment in positive ways!

There is beauty everywhere if we only open our eyes to it

It is such an exciting time of year!  From torrential rainfall, to being snowed in, to discovering opening buds in the sunshine, we are getting it all.  

And whatever nature has to offer at any given moment - it's all beautiful.  Even a frozen raindrop can be source of great beauty and joy.  

I love what Dr. Tae Yun Kim has to say about such things.  As you know, she grew up in horrible circumstances, not only poor but also very much abused.  All she had was nature and the choice to appreciate rather than be depressed.  But you can read about that here.  

Here are her words which can always apply in your life one way or another.  

"Appreciation and gratitude are ways of acknowledging that something is present and real  When you acknowledge and appreciate beauty, you are making it real in your world.  And making beauty real in your world is another way of taking charge of your life.  Because you can see beauty everywhere, let this perception set you free from being a victim of self-imposed ugliness, gloom and depression."

(The Silent Master, page 154)

So let us celebrate every living breath as if it was our last breath!

The importance of taking pictures

Today's thoughts are a continuation of yesterday's - about living in the present moment.  Life is really a series of present moments.  And while no moment will ever come back once it's gone, we can certainly preserve that moment, with pictures and videos, and even in the olden days people tried to preserve moments through paintings and carvings or whatever means they had available.

I never really thought about this much but after re-reading one of Dr. Tae Yun Kim's books, "The First Elements," it clicked.  Let me share the quote with you:

" During a recent natural disaster, sometimes people had only a few minutes notice to get out of their home.  What do you think was one of the most common items people made sure to escape with?  Not the silver, not the jewelry, but photos!  Memories - irreplaceable pictures of moments of joy, moments of love, of victory, togetherness and so on.  How incredible that those intangible memories of moments were so highly prized.  Those people recognized that their joy could last forever, but that ordinary material possessions could go up in smoke or swept away in floods or buried in earthquakes in a few seconds time."
(The First Element page 32)

Also, moments that we think we'll always remember, can and will fade away, but with the help of pictures we'll be able to remember much more than what you see in the picture!  Ever looked through an old photo album and started to giggle, "oh I remember when aunt so and so got married...and we did.....?

Of course, nowadays the majority of pictures live in the mysterious cloud, just remember to print your most important moments and have something tangible just in case the unspeakable were to ever happen.

Happy picture taking and remembering!

Wednesday Wisdom: There is Always only Now

Today was a perfect example of what Dr. Tae Yun Kim means when she talks about "living in the now."

One moment, it was snowing thick, beautiful snowflakes and it was complete winter wonderland.  Less than an hour later, it was like this:

and a little bit later

and then I found this:

These words, by Dr. Tae Yun Kim, were "stuck in my head" when I realized what was happening and how beautiful it all was!  

"You live in a wonderful time called now.  In this moment, everything true about you is waiting to be recognized  and expressed.  Everything in the past is gone  Tomorrow will never come.  There is always only now.  You can take charge, take action, and create freedom for yourself."

( The Silent Master, page 162)

Each of these moments was beautiful in its own right, and each of these moments were "now" when it happened.  So let's celebrate each and every moment of our lives, because they are never going to come back!

Motivation Monday - thoughts on Rainbows and Nature

I do understand that we can't solve the World's problems by posting pictures of rainbows and flowers and cute animals, but they sure can make one feel better and happier!

I just love this quote from Dr. Tae Yun Kim:

"The elements of nature are free and joyous, expressing and contributing their gifts abundantly.  The sun shines faithfully and warmly no matter what happens on the planet below.  

Rivers flow through their native surroundings  bringing food for life.  And beauty is everywhere.  The clouds, winds, rainbows, butterflies, light filtered through the forest trees - all come together in a beautiful picture of harmony. 

You are a part of all this!  Freedom, beauty and originality for you is exactly the same as for nature's beings and elements.  

You are an original!  An individual, unique and special.  You have your own talents and abilities, and don't have to imitate anyone else, or want what they have.  You have your own special purpose.  You have the power to create your own freedom."  (The Silent Master, page 140)

Yes, life is good, and we have all the basic "wherewithal" to make it a great life!

HE CAN DO, SHE CAN DO, WHY NOT ME!

True love, part 2

Today, let's think more about LOVE.  There is so much to it!  Let's take a look at a verse in the Bible. Dr. Tae Yun Kim's puts it so well -  regardless whether you are religious or not, or even believe in Jesus or not - just read in the Bible and see how it makes you feel.  What do you have to lose?

And here is one of Dr. Kim's favorite quotes of the Bible, in 1 Corinthians 13, which has also become my favorite now.  Just sit back and let this sink in:

Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs.

 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 Love never fails.

How beautiful and how true!  I went outside today into the beautiful garden, and the signs of love are everywhere!  Just look at the first sign of buds opening up! 

Typically we associate roses with the concept of love, and they are indeed beautiful!

Just make sure you open your eyes to ALL the love and beauty life has to offer!  Life is beautiful, life is love, to all of those that seek it! 

True Love, Part 1

Happy Valentine's everyone!

We all love Valentine's Day one way or another, right?  Whether it's to eat all the chocolate and have some champagne, or whether you get treated to dinner at your favorite restaurant, or breakfast in bed, or.....what's not to like about Valentines?

That's all well and good and I too love all of the above.  ALL of it.
But real love is so much more than that.

Dr. Tae Yun Kim, who as you know is my Martial Arts teacher and a Great Grandmaster, wrote the following poem about love, which is my absolute favorite in the world:

"You are who I dreamed of...

And so you came to be.

And you shall be with me beyond time.

I will never leave you,

and 

My love will follow you

As you follow my Light,

Just as the tail of the bird follows the wing."

Dr. Kim also emphasizes the importance of loving oneself first - how can you love someone else, and how can you expect anyone to love you, if you can't even love yourself?  

So rather than looking into the mirror and telling ourselves how ugly, fat, old, etc etc etc we look - let's start by telling ourselves how we love ourselves, and how we appreciate whom we see in that mirror!  

So take today, and treat yourself as who you really are, the most important person in your life!   

And because Love is such a beautiful topic, I will have part 2 for you tomorrow - stay in tune! 

Don't be afraid of change!

Everyone loves rainbows, right?  They are so beautiful, so cheerful and they freely give so much joy on a rainy day!

But first - there is always rain!  When you wake up to this:

it's hard sometimes to "see the light."  No matter how much you logically know we need the rain, when your backyard transforms into a lake you probably wish it would stop!

Dr. Tae Yun Kim, very wisely, puts it this way:

"When you know there are cycles of change, you avoid accepting limited or negative conditions as permanent or final.  No mater where you are in a cycle, the seed for the new condition is there.  

Have an attitude of letting go.  You needn't hold on to positive or negative conditions as though they will last forever; rather, let the flow from yin to yang to yin lead you into harmonious, balanced, progressive change.  Never be afraid of change.  All change should lead you into greater good eventually.  That is the purpose of change, and that is the purpose of life."

(Seven Steps to Inner Power, page 50)

Wow!  With such an attitude, life becomes much less stressful and much more beautiful.  Let's do this!  

The little things that make you happy

What says spring better than the first snowdrops?  What a beautiful sight after all that bitter cold weather!
Just looking at them makes me so happy.  The simple act of snowdrops breaking through and flowering brings intense happiness to me.

They also remind me of Dr. Tae Yun Kim's powerful words:

"You, and you alone, have the power to make yourself free, because taking charge of your life is a choice  You have within you right now your creative Life Force of the universe.  All you need to do is choose to discover it!"  (The Silent Master, page 12)

These lovely messengers of nature sure know about taking charge and remind us of doing the same.  They sure set themselves free and pushed up through the dirt and discovered their life force along the way.

Let 's be like the pretty little flowers and discover our life force and become the best we can be!

The Power of True Love

Some days you just feel the love!  You wake up wanting to give the entire Universe a big hug and you smile all day.  And, as Dr. Tae Yun Kim points out, on those days you don't feel this love, and you are grumpy because you have to get up and go to work when you would rather stay in bed - try the loving approach! Remember, the key is that true love comes from within us, not to us!

Here are the words of Dr. Kim to remember, when the dog bites and the bee stings:

"When you find real Love in your life, you have a special feeling of happiness that is not dependent on anyone or anything in order to be.  That's because it comes from you, not to you from outside sources.  
It's a quiet joy, but also one that expresses great enthusiasm.  When you feel this love, you are glad to be alive, and grateful to wake up every day and live your life.  This love finds beauty everywhere, and appreciates how creative life is, knowing that possibilities exist everywhere to create more joy and more happiness and more freedom.  This Love can't be hurt or destroyed because it is pure energy.  It can be temporarily clouded over, but not destroyed.  When it is clouded over with negative emotions or painful situations, it keeps on loving until harmony is reached again. Because this love is real and true, it is powerful.  It can overcome anything untrue simply by being there, just as the sunlight burns the clouds away." (The Silent Master, page 113)

Can you feel it?  Let's give love a try!

HE CAN DO, SHE CAN DO, WHY NOT ME!

The importance of Charity Work and giving back to our communities

After blogging about choices, New Years Resolutions and all sorts of motivational stuff, why a blog post about a tiny school out in the middle of nowhere?

Well, Dr. Tae Yun Kim, when she was growing up in war-torn post war South Korea, she had to walk for miles to school, and there was a serious shortage of teachers, supplies, food and pretty much everything.  She recalls walking to school in the middle of winter with sneakers that were so much to small that her big toes were sticking out.  Dr. Kim knows what important community communication hubs these schools can be!

Now, more than 60 years later and in the USA, she still thinks about school children and she knows first hand how important it is to keep the doors of local schools open, no matter how small or large they are.
When Dr. Kim heard that the Applegate School needed computers very badly, she jumped right in and donated enough funds to purchase 10 new notebook computers!
Sometimes well meaning people suggest she stop going to small schools and focus on big universities.

Of course I do that too, she says, but these small schools are so vital to local communities.  They are not only schools for the children, but they become community centers.  We need to do everything we can to keep their doors open!
Can you imagine how delighted the children were to have such a celebrity as Dr. Kim come and give a lecture, AND give a big check?

The power is in you, it is your personal choice what you do in your life, Dr. Kim says.  So let's act on it and do good whenever and wherever we can!

Part Three: The Power in Making Choices

And here, as promised, is the last and very important part about choices.  Look at the apple flower above!  What if it had made the choice not to open up?  What if it was too lazy to become the apple it was born to be?  What if it had chosen to remain the bud in the next picture?  Here is what Dr. Tae Yun Kim concludes her page on choices:

"Sometimes we tend to feel that making choices limits our options, and that by choosing a direction, we somehow eliminate all others.  No. Quite the contrary, every time you make a choice, you open up an entire web of possibilities connected with that choice.  If you dislike the outcome, the worst thing that can happen is you make another choice, and this opens up another entirely different number of possibilities adding to all the other previous choices!  There is no limitation in choosing!"

(These quotes came from "The First Element", pages 128 - 129)

This frosty little bud will later in the year open up to become the beauty you see above

So, let's not limit ourselves.  Let's make a choice - and either stick with it, or change it to another choice!  But let's not let our environment or anything or anyone else make choices for us!

One more time, Dr. Tae Yun Kim's powerful words:

The power is in us, it is our personal choice what we do in our lives!