Afghan dream

A decade ago, I saw the cover of the book for the first time. I remember thinking :
Kaki
Kaboul
Kites
Nothing about this interests me. I know there's violence and suffering and all kinds of drama, but I'm not interested right now.
Maybe I wasn't prepared or maybe I was just a darn fool, but boy did I miss out on something !
The kite runner transformed my vision of a country I only knew through war. Flooded by all the terrible images of modern day Afghanistan, I never stopped to think "What's the history of this place? How did people used to live there before all they ever knew became this horrible nightmare ?"
I would be hard pressed to find a better way of getting to know Afghanistan than through Khaled Hosseini's eyes.
I will abstain from the flood of superlatives that come to mind as I just finished the book 10 minutes ago, but what I would like to try is to describe how reading this book made me feel.
I smelled the naan oven throughout the first part of the book, like a presence of a reassuring mother.
I tasted the dried mulberries and realised that childhood, in the end, has the same taste no matter the continent.
I heard the qawwali music as a soundtrack of the simple wisdom that does not need words or dissertations.
I felt extremely privileged for the opportunity to understand a different way of thinking, of loving one another and of being at peace with the world, even when it seems that the world is not such a wonderful place.
The kite runner is the answer to our search for balance : be true to yourself and cultivate honesty in every aspect of your life.

Deeply impressed and grateful, thank you Khaled Hosseini !

Happiness Jar

People have been trying to convince me of something today : that it's impossible to be happy all the time, and that you cannot know happiness if you haven't known misery.

Call me crazy, but I think happiness is more than crazy gasping-for-air laughing (although that's not bad at all), I think you CAN be happy all the time, if your happiness is built on something more enduring than volatile emotions. I strongly believe that in every moment you can find happiness, be it in the simple joke your florist makes while handing you your tulips, or in the inner peace you cultivate in the most stressful of moments at work. Yes, I have known misery, but this does not define my perception of happiness, and I can honestly say that I do not need it in order to detect happiness.

That being said, I'm opening a series of posts to celebrate the HAPPY in my every day life. This is my version of Elizabeth Gilbert's HAPPINESS JAR :

HAPPY NEW YEAR...and Happiness Jars!Dear Ones -Those of you who've followed this page for years know that I have...
Posted by Elizabeth Gilbert on Friday, January 1, 2016

So, dear unknown ones that stumble upon my virtual happiness jar, tonight I am extremely happy to have received my amazon delivery :

I am grateful for the opportunity to meet two authors that I've been wanting to read for a long time, Khaled Hosseini and Ann Patchett, and I am very curious to discover Takashi Hiraide and Molly Wizenberg - both purchased on instinct alone.

Be proud of your happiness, if it is genuine it can only do good to the people around you.

And don't forget your inner smile.

Good night !

What's saving my life right now

I have abandoned my previous blogs a long time ago, and abandoned myself as well in the craziness of every day life thinking this is how it's all supposed to be.
Then a few weeks ago I stumbled into Modern Mrs Darcy. And even though I haven't taken the courage to leave a comment, she has been such an inspiration for reconnecting with my blogger-self that naturally I had to mention her in my very first entry.

I intend to follow the example of the wonderful community who shares favorite things that lift their spirits, so here goes :

1. Waking up at 5.30 in the morning for my wellness ritual : oil pulling, yoga, hot water with ginger and lemon, and some quiet reading before the work-day starts off. I've been doing this since January and I have to say it is a total game changer : I have a lot more energy during the day, I have healthy gums (who doesn't love that ?) and most of all I don't have that feeling of waking up and jumping straight into my work clothes for another day at the office.
   
   
   
2. Freesia season !!! Growing up freesias were always my birthday flowers, so my very special bond with these heavenly-scented beauties is still on. Something so uplifting and positive in their perfume, it makes me smile every time !
   
3. Beautiful, miraculous, extraordinary Ashwaghanda, helping with my work-related stress levels. Almost one week in, and feeling the positive effects already. My sleep is restful again, I don't jump to conclusions so fast, and I manage to take things slow without losing efficiency. Will report back for the long run effects.
   
4. Meditation : I have reconnected to my evening meditations after a few months pause and as usual, my first thought was "I was crazy to let this go !". Then my second thought kicked-in "No need to feel guilty, enjoy this moment" and so I did. For now I am following the Oprah&Deepak Chopra 21 days meditation "Expanding your Happiness", so :
   
   Welcome to my freesia-scented universe and Namaste !