Happiness?

[Hanae Mori]

* 김성근 화백의 그림 *

I have forgiven myself for mistakes made in the past.
What is past is past. So, I say goodbye to past mistakes.



I know that I am here to learn, to grow and to experience
life. So I accept that mistakes are a part of life. When
I make a mistake, I use it to learn and to adjust my aim.
Now I accept the fact that mistakes are on the road I travel.



Liking Who I Am

"When you really love yourself, when you approve of yourself
and when you accept yourself as you are, everything goes well
in life. It's as if small miracles come into your life every
day."

- Louise Hay



Each day is an opportunity to keep a promise, forego a grudge,
forgive an enemy. A chance to examine your demands on others,
to think first of someone else, to appreciate, to be kind,
to be gentle.



I have experimented with smiling at people who happen to
cross my path. To my surprise, they all answer with a smile
of their own. A smile is an extremely powerful tool for
communication. It shows your desire to communicate and it
shows your good intentions. A sincere smile is an outstretched
hand, a bridge that someone else can cross to reach you.



My Way of Being

"The only thing you have to offer another human being,
at all times, is your special way of being."

- Ram Dass



Communication can be a source of joy and beauty.
When I listen to background music, when I look at a work
of art created with care and love, when I read a novel
written with style, I am touched by the beauty of
communication. Art is a form of communication. Whether a
work of art is considered worthwhile depends on whether
it communicates something and whether it is capable of echoing
our perception of beauty.



행복은

행복은 마음에 따르는 것입니다.
모든 것을 다 소유하고 있어도 마음이 텅 비어 있다면,
빈 곳간을 지키는 것처럼 불필요하고 답답한 일입니다.

아무리 가난하고 가진 것이 없어도 마음이 가득 차 있다면
포식하지 않아도 배가 고프지 않는 것과 같습니다.

마음이 부자인 사람은 행복하지만
마음이 가난한 사람은 불행한 것입니다.



말이란

시간은 흘러가지만 한 번 입에 담은 말은 그대로 남습니다.
우리는 종종 세월이 흐른 뒤에 과거에 자신이 입에 담았던 이야기가
새로운 얼굴을 하고 자기에게 돌아오는 경우를 경험하게 됩니다.

그 말이 좋은 것이든 아니면 아주 나쁜 말이든,
말이란 세월을 타고 점점 성숙해져서
반드시 뱉어 낸 사람에게 회귀하는 본능을 가지고 있습니다.



자유란

자유가 없는 사람은
생명을 잃은 인간이라고 할 수 있습니다.

자유라는 것은 모든 구속과 억압을 반대하는 것으로 생각되지만,
사실은 스스로를 구속해야 하고
때로는 강하게 억압하면서
자신을 잘 다루어야 한다는 의미를 포함하고 있습니다.



따라서 자유로운 인간이란
어떤 구속이나 억압에서 벗어난 그 자체를 두고
이야기해서는 안 됩니다.

스스로 자기 자신을 위대한 존재로 만들어 가는
피나는 노력 속에서 외부의 관여와 간섭없이
온전한 인간의 모습으로 살아갈 수 있는 사람을 두고
우리는 자유를 이야기할 수 있어야 합니다.
이 시대의 자유인이란
바로 그런 사람을 두고 하는 말이 아닐까 생각합니다.



Learning to Love Yourself

"What does loving yourself really mean? ... It is a daily
process you can use to come to know yourself, to be indulgent
with yourself when you discover less than perfect things in
yourself and lastly, to take steps to increase the self-esteem
you need for your personal growth. Loving yourself means being
able to admit to your weaknesses, it means knowing that even
if things aren't always easy, you've always done the best you
you could. When we love ourselves and accept ourselves as we
are, we are not afraid of growing, learning and changing."

-Judy Ford

[Simwol]

Thank you very much for your good writings and good pictures! I am very impressed by what you showed me! Hope you will spend a good days and, above all, be really happy!

[soberMe]

elaine, you are like a mommy hen ,always bring good things for us..huh? what else can I say more~ THANK YOU ^^

[elaine03]

Thanks for your kind words, Simwol and soberMe. It makes me happy to know you appreciate what I wanted to share with you all. Cheers!

[choonah]

Very much enjoyed good pictures and essays! Thanks a lot...

[Ken.]

Awesome pictures, music and words! The pictures feel like "home," even though I was raised in Seoul. Thanks!