For every moment you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness. - Anon.
The Parable of the Empty Boat.
A monk decides to meditate alone, away from his monastery. He takes his boat out to the middle of the lake, moors it there, closes his eyes, and begins his meditation. After a few hours of undisturbed silence, he suddenly feels the bump of another boat colliding with his own. With his eyes still closed, he senses anger bubbling up. By the time he opens his eyes, he is ready to scream at the boatman who dared disturb his meditation. But when looks, he sees that the boat is empty! It had probably got untethered and floated to the middle of the lake. At that moment, the monk achieves Self-Realization, and understands that the anger he so righteously feels, is within him. It merely needs the bump of an external object to provoke it out of him. From then on, whenever he comes across someone who irritates him or provokes him to anger, he reminds himself, “This person is merely an empty boat. It's not what's making me angry - the anger is already within me. If I didn't have anger, it wouldn't come out". And then chooses how to respond instead. Not reacting angrily doesn't mean you don't care about something, sometimes it means you care enough about yourself to walk away. This isn't to say you should never get angry - anger is a part of the human experience and tells you what's important to you. What I'm saying is, use your anger in positive ways. Channel it in ways that you can both, express it safely and let it fuel your power and determination to create a life and experiences that move you forward. And remember what a wise person once said - anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. I think most of us have to work on this...
Good night, my friend Just wanted to send a little peace your way as this Monday comes to a close. I hope your day brought you some small wins, and that your night brings you rest, comfort, and quiet thoughts. Here’s to a calm sleep and a brighter tomorrow. Sweet dreams!
I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and joy as I write this. Once again, I stand as a winner in the master class — and once again, it’s thanks to the unwavering love, support, and wisdom of you, my incredible Boomer friends. You’ve been my cheering squad, my sounding board, my compass — and, at times, the gentle (or not-so-gentle) push I needed to keep moving forward. You’ve reminded me that grace under pressure matters, that perseverance pays off, and that it’s okay to stumble as long as you keep going.
More than anything, you believed in me — even in moments when I struggled to believe in myself.
Thank you for standing beside me, for inspiring me, and for making this journey so meaningful. This win isn’t just mine — it’s ours.
With all my love and deepest respect, Peppa
PS: A special thank-you to my dear friend Maggie, your patience and the time you so generously gave me have meant more than words can express.
Today was celebrated in the States by various people as Columbus Day and by others as Indigenous Peoples' Day. Here in Massachusetts, a school holiday... and a cold, blustery, rainy one! Hope you had a good day! :) xox
XoXo
Andra
