Anger Management Inc.

Have you ever lost your temper completely ? and feeling awful afterwards? I guess everyone has been there, done that before...right? I'm not a screamer, but yes, I throw things when I get irritated... Nobody sees it anyways? ah, right. I admit. I do this when no one is watching me. ha ha. I just wonder...why throwing things gives a chance to overcome the anger? hmm...am I dumping the feeling far away??? Interesting.

About a week ago, my employer/friend totally went bonkers. It was like a temporary insanity or some sort. Must be so hard to see things clearly when people lose their temper and drive everyone crazy. And the core of a matter is usually nothing serious. They get snap...because they are under a lot of stress or pressure throughout their daily life. You name it, trouble over a relationship, traffic jams, an event with a wrong time and a wrong place... Like it or not, we are deeply affected by those bumps in life.

How do you control your anger without disturbing others?  I find a good one! I try to shift my anger into peace whenever I push a fury button. How? Yoga. Stand in Tadasana, then move to Uttanasana, of course breathe accordingly.  I repeat this until the quiet state of mind starts to appear.  Luckily, I have a place to be alone at work, so it's perfect!  Learning to remain rational would be the best solution for " Anger Management ". I was content with what I did while he was bursting out his anger for nothing. He apologized later though.

I also notice how easy to hurt someone by words. You know, people want to defend themselves and blame someone for their unhappy condition. Throwing nasty words to others means...you create a gap between them. That doesn't help for improving the condition at all. Only by using considerate words to approach people would be a way to amend the problem.

oh, and how you can get rid of your stress? Well, you gotta figure it out by yourself. There are many ways to live without stress.  I practice yoga, accept changes in life, stay fresh each day, and know that each events are there to provide us for a new opening : An opportunity for a new possibility. Think about it, things are happening for good and bad. And we learn to be patient when everything is gone bad. Ok? Nothing is life-threatening. Where there's a will, there's a way.

If you need a guidance to live happily, go and read Joyologist Tricia Hoffman's blog, " I Am Being ".  She's good.

Let's maintaining a balance in life both good and not so good. BTW, the picture of a dancing ballerina above is a pun for this. ha ha. Hope your " Anger Management " is working properly.

That's about it. Enjoy your day wherever you are :)

Love, Peace, and Namaste...

Hana

After The Rain

It's been raining whole weekend since...Friday night. Saturday was one of those heavy duty stormy day, being drenched and miserable. Good to listen to this song, " Raindrop Keeps Falling On My Head ".

Despite the weather condition, I attended a yoga practice as usual. I needed it so badly since my yogi Steph was finally back from her trip! Yay!

Is this a trick of calming sound of raindrops? I was about to write something a while ago...then forgot.  I should've taken a scribble about it! oh, well...hopefully I'll be able to retrieve my memory sooner or later. Meanwhile, I wanna show you this amazing " onion " ( no, it's not a coconut ).  Isn't it nice?  What you are seeing here is a " life " !! A new life is just about starting its journey... or, it may be a new shoot of possibility? 

As I've said on my previous blog, spring is a time for rebirth. All the plants will soon sprout and animals and humans are going to be bouncy again. No longer lay dormant, a new life, a new energy are bursting out from each individual life form. This onion is no exception. How amazing to see the transformation!

Looking at the onion besides my bedroom window, a thought popped up in my mind : The onion's transformation is a form of a progress in its life. The progress is invisible when it begins inside of its body. And the same goes to our life, too. Although it seems there's nothing much different between today and yesterday or a week ago and a month ago, we're making a progress everyday. The progress toward our own goals, dreams, ideal worlds... We'll get to see a result of our progress sooner or later. So, keep up your good work, everyone! Can't wait to see a new shoot on your head!

Lastly...let me introduce my dad's recent progress. At age of 76, he's going on a open-heart surgery in April. He rejected it first because of a fear of possibility ending his life shorter...but then, he changed his mind. Wanting to see an ultimate good result on his health condition. He wants to dare not to be defeated by his heart problem. He wants to live more. What a beautiful word " Live", " Being alive "...! So nice to hear the news. I am totally proud of him. His surgery is risky, but I believe he'll make it. Since his surgery is scheduled around Easter, I call April 7th as my dad's resurrection day. It's a good omen, yes?   I'll keep you posted about his journey. Wish him luck, please? Thank you in advance ;)

Here's my pic with my dad and mom. 

I love you, dad. I always do. 

Hope you guys are having an awesome day!

Love & Peas...

Hana

One Of Those...

Hello there. Hope you guys are having a good time this weekend? Sí?

Yesterday, I was good and bad. I mean, I was irritated about a few of minor mishaps and forgot being in the state of happiness. I walked around the park later...then I got myself back. Listening to the voice of trees and spring fairies brought me a peaceful state of mind. I tried to shift my energy to a good one. Feel so awful, doen't it? Whenever we feel some kinda doubts or negativities or just simply getting frustrated by those minor incidents?  It's only in our mind though, you know? Those feelings are not us. Our life is wonderful, but our feeling tries to get us and let us see the grim image of life. Lucky me! I know how to kick the butt of those dark side of feelings! Yay!

Anyways, I found these awesome messages from lovely spring fairies in the Central Park. I wanna share them with you today...

But first...a week ago, the park was like this.

and now... a bunch of spring fairies worked so hard whole week....then, this transformation has happened!

Birds are singing a happy spring song.

New shoots are coming out and stretching out their bodies. 

Flower buds are becoming big and preparing for a spring recital.

ahh.... so good to feel the spring breeze after a long loooong freezing winter. This is a time for a rebirth, a time for falling in love, a time for starting out a new career, a time for _________ ( fill in the blank whatever you want to add ). Forget the yesterday's struggles. Today is a new day. I smile and ....a time for a coffee chat with my friend now!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Ciao,

Hana

Sowing A Seed Of Possibility

A messenger came to see me and gave me this quote : " So where in your life are you challenged right NOW? How could you take those exact same CIRCUMSTANCES and create an opening, A NEW POSSIBILITY, for yourself? "  It's a quote from one of a blog I read : Self-Examiner. Yeah, this is what I wanna add to my check list. I'm steering my heart to see how I can lead my life to a new possibility. 

This little messenger looks cute and sweet. How he got here? I don't know. He was there, a couple of blocks away from my apartment, but I found him right next door of my building a few hours later. hmmm.....he followed me???

His smile actually gives me a comfort. Telling me not to worry about the future. I assume he wants me to understand this : The most important thing is to enjoy every moment of life, both good and bad.  True. Being grateful for every moment will lead us to create a door to the next chapter in life. Am I right, Mr. Messenger? 

"Taking those same circumstances and create an opening", it sounds very similar to what my friend is doing with his artwork. He is currently working with his big project for his own sake. It requires lots of time and a strong will to accomplish the work. What he does is very simple, cutting paper into a same thin strip, weave those strips into a one sheet. Then he paints each tiny square with a red paint. He repeats the same process over and over till he finishes about 10 sheets or so. As he paints the square, the paint will be used up, so he adds more paint and water into a dish. There...the changes in color occurs. He just let the changes to happen. Trying to see the new possibility in his art. Some changes are not even visible...and the truth is none of those tiny squares are the same. Everything is different, everything is ok. Nothing is right, nothing is wrong. There's just a vast of possibility in abundance. I can see our life on his art.

We live up to the same routine circumstances day by day. Although it's easy to be swallowed by the momentum of passing time, I want to be aware of being in the NOW. By doing so,  I see the differences in life, then I'll be able to appreciate each moment of my life. I imagine those red squares in my mind as a trace of my life. Some are deep red, some are light pink...Creating a new possibility may be very simple. Just like what my friend does with his art work : Take the same circumstances and find a opening to a new possibility.  Try to be aware of what we do in the present. Be in the NOW, live in the NOW. You're already creating your new masterpiece...!

Time to snuggle down in my bed. Need to get up bright and early tomorrow.

Sleep well,  I see you tomorrow...

Good night, love always!

-Hana

A Tale Of Finding A Perfect Soulmate In 5 Chapters

1. She was cute and funny. Loved to explore her little world everyday with her tiny step...oh well, she was still way too young to meet up her lovely prince anyways?

2. Then she grew up a bit, found someone made her heart bounce......awww...he was her first "love at the first sight". The yellow cardigan boy was smart, kind, and sweet. She tried to be extra cute whenever she had a chance to hang out with him. Unfortunately....he had to move away. oy vey! Although she and the boy exchanged several letters for a few months or so, it didn't last well. They were just kids. Made another friends and left the past as a good memory. 

FYI, She's in the middle of the front row. A blue colored sweater dress girl. Funny hairdo ;p

3. As soon as she became a high school student, she realized her decision was totally wrong...yup, she picked a girl's private high school, not an unisex public school. ha ha. Instead of having a crush on someone in a real life, she had a crush on a musician. Nick Becks/Kajagoogoo...he was the only Prince Charming during her adolescent days. Namaste...

4. Well, after all those chaotic school days, she finally settled as a grown-up girl. Found a job, enjoyed freetime with her new pals at a gym. She thought her colleagues were all kinda nerdy, so she looked into another locations/opportunities for finding a love mate. She joined a party, ski tour, swimming tour, you name it. She did whatever she could do to meet her special someone, but to no avail. Life was harder than she thought. 

5. She got bored with an ordinary life in her hometown, Kyoto, then she started to search for something interesting...At the age of 24, she made a trip to NY in 1991. Oh, yes....she met a super cool guy...! He gave her a courage to explore a new journey. The chance meeting with him turned out to be an eye-opening event. Of course, she had a crush on him...but she was just a tourist, so she went back home and planned to go back there again. She got an intuition : There must be someone out there in NY..." he " maybe the one?!  Her heart was filled with hope and anticipation...She returned to NY in 1992, met someone new, but broke up with him about 6 months or so. She was lucky enough to reunite with the guy she met in 1991, but they remained as a best friend. Months and years passed... short and long term relationships happened and ended. She's currently still in a search of Mr. Right. Is she lonely? Maybe. Is she desperate? No. She's just a happy girl, knowing who she is, what she wants. Being grateful for a gift from life. Sitting by the window, she chatted with a seagull : Hey, do you know where my love bird is, Sunny the seagull? Need her help a bit. Go and look for the birdie for me, please?

As she looked up the sky, yes, there was hope in abundance. The sky was turning into her favorite salmon pink. " Mmm...I can feel it. Something sweet thing is happening soon...! Yay! " Her day was super. She's fine. 

Love always,

Hana

PS. To all the single beautiful girls, or boys... No need to worry. You'll meet someone funny & lovely when you see a love bird in your heart. You only need to prepare for it, I mean, for the bird to build her nest in your heart...so, smile. Everything is wonderful. 

If You Had A Magic Wand, What Would You Do?

Heyo, what's going on with you?

I found a blog about this young British chef, Jamie Oliver on  my fave positivity blog site "Superforest.org" a while ago. oh yes, I love love loooove his cooking book! If you don't know him, go to his web, and check him out! His cooking recipes are fantabulous!

BTW, do you recognize the material in the pic above? It's a one of my lovely colored yarn untwisted and a deep cerulean blue glass behind it. Loving the color so much ;)

oh, here's the link of the blog.

Make Jamie's Wish Reality

He recently gave a stunning speech on TED about how he wanna help people to fight against obesity and educate every child about food. This is his wish and the answer to his own question : "If I had a magic wand, what would I do? " His message is pretty intense and impressive. When someone talks with his/her passion, you'll feel it and it moves us to do something good. Very effective way to create a better world, yes? Here's the video if you wanna watch his superb speech.

...and now I'm thinking about my own version of answer to the question : If I had a magic wand, what would I do? Of course, my passion leads me to the answer!...but somewhat...I struggle to see what I really wanna do or what's my real passion is. I do love my work as a flower elf, then I ask myself..."This is it? Anything else??? Am I missing to see something behind it? " If I strain to see it, the mean fog immediately comes out and gives me a blurry image of my passion. I only know this simple core of the matter though : Whatever it is, I wanna feel happy. I wanna feel the same happy feeling I had while I was on a bike in the Netherlands. That bike ride trip gave me an insightful perspective of my journey. I saw my path I was on and believed the path was the right one for me. I was so sure that I would reach to the place I wanted be no matter how hard the wind blew against me. I felt joy and grateful for being ME.    Maybe, just being who I am, what I am would be my passion for life?

Well, there is another thing that I want to accomplish in my life by using the power of passion. I wanna share the happiness with my family, friends, and people I happen to encounter. I would spread love and kindness of flowers through my work, then I would be happy if I'm able to bring a smile on someone's heart. or, if I could send out the same good energy through blogging and be able to light up someone's heavy heart, that's also super sweet. hmm....funny. Writing this blog gives a way to see things clearer than before. My keyboard has a magical power? Interesting. 

It's sunny and bright here in NY today. Feeling a touch of springy air. Very nice :)

How's your magic wand? What do see when you use it? Let me know if something unthinkable comes up, ok? 

I'm off now. 

Enjoy the rest of Sunday afternoon!

Love,

Hana

Gonna Bake A Pie?

Oooops, it's already 1am. Well...I tell ya. I enjoyed watching this chick flick movie tonight! I read a blog (After The Harvest) about this movie today and became curious about it..Yes, as Heather mentioned in the blog, Keri Russel's southern drawl is superb!! Oh, boy...and those scrumptious pies....this movie makes your tummy really hungry and gives you a motivation to bake a pie. Seriously. I don't have any baking tools at home, but it really moved me to feel like going to the kitchen, then bake a pie or two! BTW, a song Keri sang in the film, " Baby Don't You Cry " is very sweet. 

The story is about this young waitress, Jenna, struggling with her life, making a wrong choice, being stuck with it kinda thing. Also, you'll see how she learns about what would love do for her. It's a mix of drama + comedy, I guess. I'll save you all the detail of the story till you watch it. If you just wanna feel happy or if you're trying to make a change in your life, then watch this. It gives you a certain positivity to kick your butt off and keep you staying on the most courageous path in your life. I think our spontaneity gives a chance to start a new day / life. I mean, too much of thinking and planning would cause us to feel anxiety. Follow your heart, start a new day, and enjoy adding more flavors to your life. 

Looove what the owner of a diner said to Jenna : Start fresh.  Neat. We are all capable of starting a new life as fresh as a " Freshman keylime pie "...

Thank you, Heather! Your blog made my day!!

Listening to " Baby Don't You Cry " as a lullaby tonight.

Good night.

Love & Pies...

Hana