Sexy Nomad's Monastic Diaries (Entry # 1): Hogwarts is that you?

To see the prologue or to have a better idea where my Monastic diary entries came from, please head to these links:

Spot the Filipino Harry Potter Look-Alike and Some Thoughts for the Coming Days

2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an

*This meditation retreat is an option the participants at the youth seminar can take on the 2nd week. There were 1,500 participants during the one-week 2012 International Youth Seminar on Life and Ch'an in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Only 200 were admitted to the Meditation Retreat  the following week, including me.*

~~~oOo~~

July 28, 2012 Saturday | On my bunk bed | Fo Guang Shan Temple in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

I sometimes feel like I'm in Hogwarts (Kung Fu Panda version) with the long monastic robes all 200 of us are wearing, the huge expanse of land which houses various Buddha temples and contemplation sites, the sound of the birds chirping all day long, the ringing of the bells and gongs every hour or so signalling the time for prayers, chanting meditation and meals. It's Hogwarts alright but without the magic and mystical creatures.

However, unlike Hogwarts, this meditation retreat that I'm attending is boring in nature. There are no classes per se nor seminars unlike last week's international youth seminar. We are not even allowed to speak to each other or to anyone. The monks had us surrender our cellphones, laptops, iPods, iPads and other gadgets. In fact, according to the manual, we are also not allowed to write. Strictly speaking, any form of communication is not allowed during this 5-day retreat! My God! I'm going to die! So I'm hiding here in my bed writing these things down on my little pink notebook before I go crazy in this 5-day  meditation retreat with a vow of silence to boot plus vegetarian meals and manual chores in between which I deposited $100 for. It's going to be refunded back to me if I last the whole week. IF I LAST THE WHOLE WEEK!

Birthday Thoughts

It's my birthday today and it hit me... I'm old! And I hope wiser too. Since February came around, I've been thinking about OLD AGE--- A LOT! It will still be decades before I hit that mark but I feel like I have to be proactive about ensuring our happy and healthy survival. After all, my husband and I don't have kids and we only have each other to count on when that time comes.  I've also been feeling like I'm no longer the fun-crazed gal I was before. I now think about RETIREMENT too. No thanks to Suze Orman, who I love by the way, but man, her financial advices are really hitting me to the core. Now I just like to make money, save money, invest when possible, and stop myself from spending for unnecessary stuff (budget travels are excluded coz that's the only "luxury" I have left in life, hahaha. Hey, it's educational and enriching too!). After all, we've already accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, stuff that we don't even get to use as often as we want to (like our surfboard, our foosball, or 4 flat screen TVs [omg!4!], our drums, guitar & keyboard [huhu], our old Wii & PSP, my tons of brand new shoes and books.... stuff that just keep on accumulating dust inside our house. Tsk, tsk. Maybe Peter is right, I'm a hoarder and it's time I face that fact. But at least I'm not like those hoarders I see on TV, I can't live like that. I'm still a sensible and neat freak hoarder if I may say so. I think our house is a testament to that.

Maybe this is just a phase but I have a feeling that I am turning into somebody more sensible, more "kuripot", and more mature (I hope!). Sure, I still crave enjoyment but it has now taken a totally different form. And when I say different form, I mean sleep. At least, this is what's happening to me as of late. In my head, I still do make plans that seem to match the energy of a twenty year old but once I'm done for the day and I retire to our bedroom, I just simply fall into blissful slumber. Before I know it, the weekend has turned into one long dreamless sleep and it's Monday once again. There goes my list of fun activities down the drain! Or maybe because I was just feeling sick since last weekend. I didn't have the flu but I had some of its symptoms like aching joints, over-fatigued body, headache, runny nose... Thank God for Vita Plus and Bioflu it was no more than that and I am starting to feel a little better.The Valentine hoopla helped I guess. ;)

So anyway, what's for my birthday? I honestly don't know. I didn't make any plans. I'll let life take me to wherever it takes me. I've been making too many plans for far too long, I think it's time to let go of the lists in the meantime and just let life surprise me, for this weekend at least. Happy birthday, me! (^_^)

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Feb. 20, 2012
P.S. Because I let life take me wherever, I ended up having one of the most memorable birthdays ever: Manila Ocean Park, The Pergola, etc. - a Happy Birthday Weekend Celebration

The 30-day Challenge

Today is the Chinese new year. We're now entering the year of the Water Dragon and more than the prediction of the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar, we should focus on the great things that 2012 has to bring. In essence, the year of the Water Dragon will bring so much blessings to those who are generous and kind, to those who are embarking on new adventures and those who  make this world a better place to live in. All of us can do our part, even if it means just changing one bad habit. After all, habits are what make the success and failure patterns  of our life. It's those little things we do everyday on a consistent basis that will dictate the direction our life is taking. 

Read more: How To Take The 30-Day Challenge (Turn A New Habit Into A Way of Life) - https://momtraneur.com/2018/05/20/how-to-take-the-30-day-challenge-turn-a-new-habit-into-a-way-of-life/

Jan. 3 Gratitude Journal

When we have gratitude in our hearts, we attract more of the things we want.  So for today, let me take this time to thank God and the universe for these three things I consider my blessings:

1. That I am able to do what's on my list for the first 3 days of the year. (I hope to be consistent for the next 362 days of the year)
2. That I was able to book cheap flights to Siargao and Cebu this summer. (I hope I can find cheap accommodations too as I will be staying there for 17 days)
3. That I have work I like and hobbies that give me joy. (Since I have been allowing myself to spend more time making my herbal jelly soaps, I am happier and surprisingly excited to continue doing my VA jobs this year.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Peace and Inner Guidance

The past year, I have not listened to my inner guidance on several occasions because of other seemingly important and urgent matters. It made me resentful, unhappy and even depressed. I hope to change all that and start living in peace and harmony within myself. This new year serves as a very good platform for personal rebirth.

According to the Para-Gram PEACE by Paramahansa Yoganada:

Change yourself and you have done your part in changing the world. Every individual must change his own life if he wants to live in a peaceful world. The world  cannot become peaceful unless and until you yourself begin to work toward peace. It is only by removing hate from our hearts that we can live a Christlike life.

But how does one remove hate within himself? Since its source usually comes from the fact that we are always doing what is expected of us rather than what we really want to do, then it just means that when we change ourselves according to the dictates of our inner voice (that voice being of God's or from something greater than all of us), then we will start achieving peace and divinity within ourselves.

This also resonates with a quote I read by Shakti Gawain:

Every time you don't follow your inner guidance you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness.

This is why we easily get tired and lethargic when we do things we feel are not meant for us to do; This is why on occasions that we do listen to our inner voice and follow our own bliss, we feel much more alive, powerful and full of unconditional love. A balance can be attained if we don't want to risk everything just yet for that one thing we want to do. We can enjoy the process and continue learning from it while slowly changing the direction of our lives to our true calling.

I now include these quotes in my daily reading to bring me peace, and to guide me in my quest for creativity. You can also use them if you want to bring to the surface your creative spirit rather than remain as a shadow of your divine artist self the coming years.

Vision Boards and Guide Folders for a Better New Year

My new vision board for 2012 and beyond.

I spent about five hours from dawn til morning creating my vision board and guide folders. Having a vision board is an amazing tool to help any person achieve his/her goals. According to Jack Canfield, author of of The Success Principles, if you have trouble seeing your goals, use pictures, images and symbols you collect to keep your conscious and subconscious mind focused on your goals. Once you have created these images, you can place them on a dream board or make a collage on a bulletin board, a refrigerator door, or somewhere where you will see them everyday. I placed mine on my office wall, right in front of my computer.

I've been using my old vision board since Oprah taught me how to do it in 1999. Everything I pasted on that old vision board has already come true.

my super old vision board (since 1999)

I made a smaller one which I posted on my 2009  Belle  de Jour planner before but that one got forgotten.

 My 2009 vision board which got neglected when I stopped using my BDJ planner

Dec. 23 Gratitude Journal

I promised myself before that I'll do this gratitude journal on my blog. Here are three things I am thankful for today:

1. Discovering the course The Artists' Way - a Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
2. My sister being home this holiday season
3. My parents staying with us until New Year

How about you? What are you thankful for today?