The best thing that happened to you today.

Lee82

Got a random call from a charity I donate to just to say thanks and tell me how the money helps, so I agreed to increase my donation :-)

riverflow

I got news today it is likely I will get a transfer to a new department at the hospital where I work. It will involve a cut in pay, but also it will mean less stress, and most importantly, I can make some trips to Dallas to see my parents more often (my dad's cancer has returned, so there's a bit more of an urgency regarding that). At the moment, it is hard enough to just go out of town for even a four-day weekend. As much as I do love my current position (and I feel like such a Judas to my boss), it would be good to really see my parents again (and not on a video screen).

Nothing is set in stone yet, but it looks very very good. Some "important people" really want me in this new position.

Vastmind

Thanks to @person.....I had a breakthrough today.
My parents left me as a child....we were able to reunite
years later,but today...I saw them in a way I never have
before, and I felt my heart for them in way I never have before.

Invincible_summer

There was a moth caught inside the house. I usually am creeped out by them, but this time I spontaneously cupped my hands around it and let it out the window. Felt good to not kill it, as well as having replaced fear/disgust with compassion.

@LeonBasin - Happy belated birthday!

sova

I read some of "The Four Agreements" and made new aspirations to perfect my speech, or as stated in TFA "Be impeccable with your word"

karasti

I avoided facebook the whole day and spent extra time doing some spring cleaning and playing a game with my kiddo.

Lee82

Today I kept up my healthy lifestyle with another 5k run (10 seconds quicker than Sunday), no chocolate, crisps or fizzy drinks all day and then made myself a mackerel and beetroot salad for dinner, was yummy! Six days in and all is going well.

sova

@Lee82 way to go! you are rockin it! i bet you make one delicious salad.

Jeffrey

I had mentally ill voices all day and the treat was getting out in the sunshine and we had pizza for dinner which relatively is a delicoius treat in my diet. Outdoors I raked straw out of the garden.

Captain_America

Going from ~12 hours these last few weeks at work to 35 next week.

sova

Today I found this awesome video. It is about metta and remembering our natural inclination to goodness.




Another great part of my day was accidentally typing "newbuddhist.om" instead of .com haha Ommmmmmmm

lamaramadingdong

sova- thank you for starting this thread. I think it's got some future.

karasti

I went out in the snow and uncovered my garden beds today. I had to dig for them, we still have so much snow in our yard! But I found them and clean them out and the nice weather the next few days so help thaw them out. This weekend we should see our first day above 60F since October. FINALLY!

Also my 10 year old did not make it to a majors team in Little League, and it was nice to see him overcome his tears and disappointment so quickly and come around to deciding to work really hard this year and get advice from his coaches on what to work on. It's more typical for him to wallow for many days, so it was good to see a quick turn around to a positive POV.

Jayjay

I made up with one of my best friends after fighting and not talking for about two weeks. I got to hug my friend for the first time in a while, and I held them for a while. Hugs of loving compassion(: That's what made my day

riverflow

Getting to meet @swaydam and @Vastminds for the first time and sharing at a wee sangha meetup this evening.

What is more, the earlier part of my day was rather unpleasant at work and I was initially afraid that unpleasantness would be a kind of overhang for me at the meetup, but getting to meet the both of you quickly washed it all away. Thank you both!

karasti

That's awesome @riverflow! How fun to meet people in person!

I had to add one for my day. My teenager has Asperger's. There is another little boy in our town, who is 7 years old, who has it as well. A few days ago, the boy made up a poster board just because he wanted to teach his class and school what people with Asperger's are like, and how to work with them and get to know them and such. I just thought that was so amazing to see that kind of initiative from a 7 year old!

kokoro

I'm 50 so i dragged my complaining body with my old school skateboard and went down to the local skate park and laid down some old surf moves much to the dismay of a few young guns, so nice to feel the rush and the wind on my face mixed with a tinge of fear and adrenaline.

lobster

@jeffery sorry the voices overwhelmed :bawl:
Still you posted on this thread. Inspiring.

I am just listening to the rain, watering parsley we planted two days ago.

Vastmind

Yesterday was fantastic! My unit of about 13 at work, took us secretaries/clerks out
to lunch for appreciation day. We got small gifts and balloons, and we spent
the time laughing and talking. As if I wasn't feeling loved enough....@riverflow is
right...out meet-up topped my day like a cherry on a sundae! I assure all of you,
he is just as pleasant to be around in person....he even brought his excess books
to share with anyone who wanted them. I couldn't stop hugging him, hahaha...
it was a real treat to connect! And yes, I got to hear the instrument playing in person!!!

@swaydam drove his butt off to get there...(long
distance), and it was worth it. His presence was also a treat to partake in. I look
forward to getting to know you better..
Today is a new day....but after yesterday...'My cup runneth over'...
Gratitude to the both of you for your company and time we shared.

Jeffrey

Another spring day. A pipe then 20 minutes of meditation in cool air and sunshine. I didn't have to wear a coat. Next I tore ivy up out of our 'pen' area where the dog used to habitate. I am going to tear all of the massive amounts of ivy out. There is a center of daffodils to the pen and I am not going to rototil (or whatever) there. But I am going to plant some ferns and have a low light garden. I also want a path that goes around the daffodils and perhaps a buddha alter and prayer flags flying from something or other perhaps going from the fence of the pen.

Che

I visit my 90 year old mother in her nursing home most days, but today was special. I sat down with her and 4 of her friends for coffee and cake and told them some jokes, it was really uplifting to see the joy in their faces, I'm sure I saw 5 teenagers trapped inside 90 year old bodies.

karasti

Spring has finally decided to arrive in Minnesota, and even while I was shoveling through the 3 foot snowbanks, I found sprouts of green grass and irises. Yay!

Jeffrey

@sova nice video. I've had squirrels scamper up to me. Too bad no raging elephants in my neighborhood to help out

zombiegirl

After giving my boss a very generous 2.5 month notice of my departure, she sort of freaked out and didn't respond the way that I had hoped she would. Our conversations led me to believe that I wouldn't get any time off next month to visit my family for my birthday among other disappointments that made me think she only treated me as well as she considered me useful. But today, she finally gave me my schedule and I have 5 days off instead of the 3 she said that was all she could do.

TheEccentric

I watched this, I am addicted now.



My new anthem.

Lucy_Begood

I realized I am not attached to the idea of moving to a different division at my office. It could be a good move, but I'm happy where I am. With that, I recognized that with my practice, I am letting go of attachments. :wave:

riverflow

Sad to say, the best thing that happened to me today was I clocked out from work. I've been a samsaric mess today! --not unhappy, just plain exhaustipated!

sova

today I read about Bahiya (there is a sutra about him which you can find on accesstoinsight) and it was very revelatory.

it's interesting to see sometimes glimpses of progress -- i caught myself a couple of times today where I might have gotten agitated or upset and straight up just let it go! metta practice is wonderful. compared to where I was a couple years ago, I encourage you all to practice mindfulness and mettaness diligently! Soak yourself in Dharma like walking through the fog, and one day you will be [happily] soaked. (~oldschool zen analogy)

I found out today that there is a beautiful dharma center, (the first one to be founded in the west actually) about an hour west of where I live in jersey. They have lots of great resources online, and I downloaded a series of talks and went to the park and had a great time down in the grass with some gigantic headphones and wonderful thought-food. You can check out the center's website at labsum.org (the resources section is http://www.labsum.org/resources.html )

peace and love my dharma brothers and sisters. be kindnesss

sndymorn

My son surprised us with a visit home from school. My wife was suspicious: was he failing a class or asking for money? No he just wanted to be home to study for his upcoming mid terms.

riverflow

Just got a lovely and loving email from my girlfriend...

Jeffrey

I watched a dharma talk from my teacher. I hadn't seen one in awhile and it was about the heart sutra and was quite overwhelming and I will have to be very simple in my mind for awhile so as not to freak out

Lee82

I started my yoga properly using the app I downloaded ages ago on my mac; sun salutations plus some additional stretches I added in plus 10 mins meditation at the end. Finished not so long ago and feel rather good now. I think I might try doing this at the start and end of every day for half an hour, see how I get on. For tomorrow I am looking forward to getting up, doing my half hour yoga, having breakfast and then mid-morning going for my 5k run. Feeling in a good place right now.

karasti

I took my grandmother to do her grocery shopping today, and it also happens to be prom day here. A lot of the kids routinely stop by their employers to show off their prom outfits. 2 couples stopped in while we were at the store, and my grandma was just overwhelmed with happiness and excitement at being able to see them and their lovely dresses. She told them several times how beautiful they looked. It was good to see her so happy about it.

shanyin

The weather was amazing today after a long winter which is just ending, and my mom told me she's going to give me a tomato plant for my new balcony in my new apartment I'll be living in.

Enigma

Two full hours of meditation in the sun, the first nice, snow-free day we've had all year. The only downside is a deep sunburn. This too shall pass.

sova

Sometimes, people just need a friend.

Today I stopped and said hello to a recently rendered-homeless veteran. He had just acquired a new job but his boss told him he needed work boots, not sneakers, so he was sitting outside with a pizza box with writing on it to that effect.

We sat and spoke for a while. He told me about the tribulations and exultations of being in a war-torn environment -- mostly disastrous, sometimes incredibly beautiful when people come together. As we sat a girl came up and said she saw his sign earlier, so she went to a store down the street where they sell boots and she got him a gift card. I was stunned. She handed him a small black box with a ribbon on it and explained to him where the store was. Practical and thoughtful, and a very skillful way to give to one in need.

Her name is Claire, and bumping into her was by far the best part of our [veteran's and my] day.

lobster

sova said:

Sometimes, people just need a friend.
. . .
She handed him a small black box with a ribbon on it and explained to him where the store was.
. . .

Thanks for the reminder . . .


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_act_of_kindness

riverflow

During walking meditation in the woods: a gorgeous deer bounded out of nowhere crossing our path. We all stopped in our tracks dumbstruck--you could just feel this deep awe wash over everyone in that moment. It didn't last more than a couple seconds.

karasti

One of my son's obsessions is all things radioactive. He has quite a collection of various rocks and other materials (stored safely and such, no worries there) and today my dad showed up out of the blue with a Geiger counter for him. They sat on the floor and totally geeked out over my son's collection and the Geiger counter. It was fun to watch, 2 peas in a pod, they are. And, it's sprinkling a bit! I love spring rain, cleans everything up and makes it smell rain fresh. Nature does a better job at that than Downy.

shanyin

@sova, I have that book! Some good wisdom in there.

The best thing that happened to me today, aside from the usual things my parents do for me almost on a daily basis, is that a friend I wasn't sure cared about me anymore called and we played basketball at the Elementary school where we grew up.

lobster

I made ginger tea. One family member has flu, another upset stomach. I seem to have a sore ankle. Ginger sliced, simmered for ten minutes, lemon juice and honey. Soluble aspirin for flu sufferer. Three afflictions one solution. :clap:

SillyPutty

Had the most bizarre dream that made me wake up laughing. I was literally holding onto the ground yet flying through the air. I was laughing because the feeling was so real, as if I was on a carnival-type ride (maybe like one of those anti-gravity spinner thingiemabobbers). As I was "flying," all of these mathematical equations and faces and images and sounds were rushing at me in a blue light. I was having a great time. Most bizarre experience ever.

Oh, and I went to the grocery store and found out that pumpkin seeds that are shelled are also called pepitas. I thought that was pretty cool, too.

Gui

Work.

karasti

I did some yard work today and turned over the veggie garden beds. I forgot I had left garlic in the ground and it's sprouting wonderfully. So I tended to that area and then I cleaned out the rest. Only one more month until we can plant!

Vastmind

A 24hr Wal-Mart is the best when you need a car battery at Midnight,
because you have to be at work by 6 am, hahaha.

No wait....this was the best....under the stars at night in
the driveway with Hubby and no kids around.....reminiscing about our old
cars over the years....
All I had to do was hold the flashlight....he did all the work..,
maybe that was the best part...hahaha...Thanks honey!

Enigma

Leading outdoor meditation with the Sangha - in the shade!

person

Went to lunch with a friend at a Chinese buffet close to his house that we had eaten at before. At some point he mentioned that it had changed owners several times and that it had come under new ownership a few years ago and that they had changed up the décor a bit. I then had a look around and noticed some Tibetan prayer flags and some other Tibetan looking decorations, then I noticed a couple Buddhist thangkas and a picture of HHDL up on a shelf. Turns out the Chinese buffet was owned by Tibetans! :rocker:

Jeffrey

My cat is sitting on my zafu,,, my cat is sitting on my zafu :eek: :hair:

riverflow

I had wild rice at the cafeteria. Two servings. It was so good I got three more servings. That was the best thing.

The worst thing was burping for the next four hours!

Rodrigo

I was feeling tense in the end of the day because of some problems at work. Decided to meditate for 20 minutes in the dark. During meditation, I had an insight about the source of my worries and the tension faded away. Felt like new after opening my eyes again.