Mentalsidewalk

Have you ever just sat there on a calm peaceful day and out of nowhere comes a gust of wind that scatters all that is around you?

That is what my 2010 has felt like, a tornado that came around the corner to ignite my senses and remind me that I am alive.  This year will be full of adventures to learn and grow from.   Let me rephrase that, this year HAS been full of adventures already.

Here I sit on my deck looking out at the water.  Staring at the water has just reminded me not to get caught up with one of the most critical errors we humans seem to fall for.

While we chase this thing called life, we lose sight of the beauty that is right in front of us.  The little things that make us take a genuine deep breath and make our hearts smile from the inside out.

I feel alive more so for the insight, that I am fortunate to posses the purest of gifts in life. The people that cross my path, family, my precious niece and nephew, true genuine friends that I can rely on, clients that go out of their way to help me grow my business and support and trust my overall vision in life, the new people in my life, in the Okanagan, that I have been fortunate to grow to love.

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I am rich with simple treasures in my life.

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What I have come to realize is that we all have our own simple treasures.  It is up to us if we have the courage to look beyond the clutter of life and honor this gift that revolves around us, the gift of simple treasures.

I ask you this – Do share – what are your simple treasures?

Fred Sarkari

I went for a walk by the water to clear my mind and start the day with clarity and awareness.  Have you ever taken the time to watch the sun glisten over a calm lake, watching every ray bounce off the water.  Walking by trees and noticing the intricate shapes and colors of the bark and their leaves.

Than I had the pleasure of talking to my niece and nephew on the phone and listening to the playfulness of their voice.

We are all gifted by the beauty of our surroundings, the question is, do we slow down enough to enjoy those moments?

My niece and nephew have taught me the meaning of love.  Risking love allows us to be thoughtful, attentive, considerate.  Risking love allows us to cherish the precious little moments in our lives and not be blinded by the clutter of our daily activities.

Without love for ourselves, people in our lives, strangers and passing moments, there can be no freedom in our lives. 

Without love, freedom is nothing more than an idea.

Take the time to be aware, grateful and cherish the precious moments in your life.

I am grateful for my family and friends, for my increasing health, the opportunities I have been given…

I ask you, what are you grateful in your life?

Fred Sarkari

This weekend a homeless person and a child asked me the same critical question about Thanksgiving.

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I sat there on the street and shared a meal with the homeless man.  This man was more cheerful and happy than most people I know with an abundance in their lives.  I was amazed to hear of all the things he was grateful for in his life.

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The question I was asked by this man and a 10 year old child:

“What is the point of Thanksgiving?”

Thanksgiving has different meaning to different people, but in the end the message is consistent to all.  Be thankful and grateful for what we have, not just for the obvious like food, but also for all the little things in our lives.  No matter what our situation or circumstance in life, there is always something / someone to be grateful for.

Thats not always as easy as it sounds as we are not only surrounded by negativity, we have also created a culture focusing on what we don’t have, should have, why others have more…and in turn, we loose sight of all the precious moments we have in our lives.

First and foremost, I am so grateful to the friends that I had the pleasure to celebrate Thanksgiving with.  I just got back from over eating some great food with some great friends.  I was asked what I was grateful for?

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Three things came to mind:

1. Niece and Nephew:  Natasha and Zal have been the greatest gift I have ever received.  They have taught me more about myself, people, love, compassion and even pain than any other person or event in my life.

2. Old And New Friends: I have the greatest lifetime friends and so fortunate to meet some new friends this year.  No matter where my journey leads me I hope that they also one day will become my old lifetime friends.

3. World Is Full Of Compassion: I truly believe that this world is full of compassion.  When you truly believe it, you will also see the unlimited amount of small compassionate acts everywhere we turn.  I am so grateful to have the awareness for it.

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?

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Having a conversation with Mike Hassard, a few days ago, he approached me with a suggestion to collect canned food for the food bank at the Nov. 5th event in Kelowna. Now there is an example of a person taking the time to see how we can give back during our busy schedules.  Please bring food for the food bank if you are coming to the event.

Some fun trivia:

Do you know the answers to the following questions about Thanksgiving:

1. When was the first celebration of Thanksgiving?
2. What are the only 2 items known for sure that were on the menu?
3. In 2007 how many turkeys were eaten in the U.S.? (hint: in millions)

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Please, take the time to be grateful for what you have in your life.  Take the time to tell your family how much you appreciate them and love them.  Appreciate others in your life, be thankful for your health, feel fortunate for the food on your table.  Most importantly take the time to give back the little moments that we have grown to take for granted.

We would love to hear the things you are grateful for and the moments you are giving back.

Fred sarkari

I was taking a break having a coffee and reading a book at Good Earth in beautiful Kelowna.

That is where I saw a sight that put a tear in my eye.

A mother telling her child about the importance of always taking the time to look pretty before you walk out of the house.

Imagine the difference in the child

if she was taught the importance of always

trusting and believing in herself

before leaving the house.

We all face those times where we doubt ourselves, our image onto others or just who we are trying to be and grow into.

Everywhere you turn you see images and opinions of what society concludes as beautiful and worthy.

Have you ever really looked at yourself in the mirror?

Looked at who you really are as a person and an individual?  Do not just take a glance, what you are wearing, your hair style, the color of your skin or your fake tan.  Truly look at YOU.  Look at the reflection in the mirror long enough till you see within yourself and than ask yourself who you see.

I know most will role their eyes at this task, but I tell you this.  The ones that come up with any reason why they are not going to do it all comes down to the one main and real reason why not?

We are scared to know who we truly are

There is no hype clothing, hair style, look, color, what you drive, where you live or your chosen profession that can put value to your soul.

Stare at yourself in the mirror and just know that you are beautiful just the way you were created.  There is no end to your beauty in your eyes and those that cross your path when you start believing in yourself.

Live YOUR life to the fullest.

Live YOUR life for YOU and not others.

Fred sarkari

We are all in the state of struggle.  Struggle to learn, to become aware, revolt, find who we are, what is our purpose?

We are at times intelligent with our words that we not only give the perception that we have all the answers but more so we start believing the lie that we do.

As soon as our state of mind comes to believe such a lie, we have at that critical moment, stopped learning and growing as a person.

Do you know what it means to be aware? To learn?

The only time we are learning is when our minds are innocently open, aware, to the moments in life that face us at that point in time.

I have been asked many times, “who is your mentor your guru in life?”

There is no one teacher or guru that we learn from.  Once we put another person in that category, we have shut our minds to the greatest teacher in life; life moments them selves.

The greatest teachers in life are the birds, plants, the smile of a persons face, the laughter of a child, the pain of a loved one, the sadness of a stranger.

If you make life your teacher than you will always be in a state of constant learning.

I ask you this, what experiences in life has given you the greatest awareness and learning?

Fred sarkari

“Should I do the right thing? No one will ever know if I didn’t.  Is it really worth it? Does anyone really care?”

These are the questions we ask ourselves everyday for the little moments that cross our path.  Unfortunately there comes a time in most peoples lives that they even stop asking them selves these questions and in turn take the path of least resistance.

Life is not about doing the easy things, it is about standing up and doing the right things.  No matter how big or small, no matter if no one will ever know.

If you have ever seen the movie Radio with Cuba Gooding Jr and Ed Harris, it teaches us the lesson of standing up to what is right even when others will resist.  In fact it is more critical to do so when others resist.  

In the movie the Coach, Ed Harris,  goes out of his way to help a student that is mentally challenged.

The coach stood up for what was right, not what was easy to do.  One part of the movie, the Principle ask him, “why do you do it?” The coach answered, “It just seems like the right thing to do.”

There are a lot of right things to do does not mean people always do it.

More reason for us to do what we know is the right thing to do.  Right thing is hardly ever the easy thing.  Unfortunately at times it feels like not many are doing the right thing when it is not easy to do so. 

Have the courage to swim against the current.  Stand up for the right things in life.  No matter how small or insignificant they seem.  

Fred Sarkari

We have all experienced those moments in our lives.  The moment that freezes all of reality in front of us, everything we thought we knew and understood about ourselves, the essence of our awareness.

When she asked me that critical question, it was like I was caught in a big lie trying to muffle my way thorough but the right words just could not be found.  I felt like a jumping bean searching from one answer to another.

This very simple question was asked to me in an in-depth conversation:  

Insightful Lady: Fred, what do you cherish in your life?

Fred: Stumbling from one word to the next searching for an answer.  Gasping for air my reply was “can you clarify what you mean, in what aspect of life?”

Insightful Lady: Within your belief system in life.  What part of your belief system do you cherish?

Fred: Thought for a bit and the answer came to me.  

What an enlightening discovery as it occurred to me that:

The foundation of your belief system in life is the driving force of your thoughts and actions.

What you will come to realize is that the very thing, your belief system, that you try to live your life  around will provide you with the answers to YOU as a person.  

• How we react and respond to our relationships.
• The depth of our relationships.
• Our ability to trust.
• Our ability to love.
• Our ability to give and receive…

I forward this very question to you: Hope you have the courage to look within yourself to answer this.

What do you cherish within your belief system?

Once you answer this hold on for the ride of your life.  

Would love to hear the first few things that came to your mind?

Fred Sarkari