Happy New Year!

May 2015 be a wonderful and magical year for you!!

Υπάρχει τρόπος

Αν έχει σβήσει το φως στη ζωή σας, τότε υπάρχει τρόπος να το ανάψετε ξανά!
Δώστε του εαυτού σας το πιο πολύτιμο δώρο για το 2015!
Το δώρο της ζωής, το δώρο της αγάπης!
Υπάρχει τρόπος! 
αννη

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!!! 

Colour

Η ζωή σας μπορεί να είναι όσο χρωματιστή, όσο εσείς διαλέξετε! 

Αλλά για να μπορείτε να διαλέξετε τη πολυχρωμία, 

είναι καλά να δώσετε του εαυτού σας το χρόνο να μάθει πρώτα!

αννη 

Your life can be as colourful as you choose it to be! 

But in order to be able to see colour in your life, 

it will be good if you give yourself the time to learn how to do it!

annie

Kατάθλιψη

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΗ
Κ. Αννη
Σας γραφω εδω για να με συμβουλεψετε
Εδω και ενα χρονο περιπου εχω χασει ολη μου την ενεργεια και νιωθω συνεχεια κουρασμενη. Ειμαι μονο 29 χρονων αλλα νιωθω 80!
Δεν εχω ορεξη για τιποτε, ουτε να βγω, ουτε να ειμαι με κοσμο. Η μητερα μου λεει οτι εχω καταθλιψη και να παω σε γιατρο να μου δωσει χαπια. Εγω δεν θελω να παρω χαπια.
Τι με συμβουλευετε εσεις
ΚΑ

ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΗ
ΚΑ μου σε ευχαριστώ για την ερώτηση σου.
Η κατάθλιψη είναι απλά μια στάση ζωής, μια επιλογή, μια κραυγή για βοήθεια! Όταν δεν μας έχουν μάθει τρόπους να αντιμετωπίζουμε καταστάσεις στη ζωή μας, τότε λειτουργούμε με ένα αρνητικό τρόπο και το αποτέλεσμα είναι τα συμπτώματα που αναφέρεις εσύ πιο πάνω.
Το να μπορεί να αντιμετωπίσει κάποιος διάφορες καταστάσεις στη ζωή του χωρίς να καταρρέει, είναι το τι ονομάζεται Συναισθηματική Ευφυΐα.
Όσο πιο ψηλό δείκτη Συναισθηματικής Ευφυΐας έχουμε, τόσο καλύτερα μπορούμε να να αντιμετωπίζουμε καταστάσεις στη ζωή μας. Αντίθετα με το IQ, η Συναισθηματική Ευφυΐα μπορεί να βελτιωθεί σημαντικά και να αυξηθεί ο δείκτης.
Για να γίνει αυτό το άτομο είναι καλά να αφιερώσει χρόνο, πρώτα να μάθει πως και μετά να αρχίσει να τα εφαρμόζει στη καθημερινότητα του. Και μετά βλέπουμε τα θαύματα!!
Είσαι πολύ μικρή για να επιλέξεις να ζήσεις τη ζωή σου με τον παλιό τρόπο!. Δώσε του εαυτού σου την ευκαιρία να μάθεις καινούργιους τρόπους αντιμετώπισης της ζωής!
Το αξίζεις!
Θα είναι η καλύτερη επένδυση που θα κάνεις ποτέ στη ζωή σου!
άννη

Yπάρχει τρόπος

Αν η ζωή σας έχει γίνει βαρετή και άχαρη!
Αν νιώθετε μελαγχολία και μοναξιά!
Αν ζείτε μέσα στη ρουτίνα και το άγχος!
Και θέλετε να τα αλλάξετε όλα αυτά!
Τότε υπάρχει τρόπος!
Φτάνει να θέλετε να αλλάξετε και να αφιερώσετε χρόνο για την αλλαγή!
Η ζωή είναι σύντομη για να την περάσετε άσχημα!
άννη

10 Remarkable Origins of Common Christmas Traditions

10 Remarkable Origins of Common Christmas Traditions

It’s the Christmas season again, and before we get sick of the eggnog, fruitcake, and Christmas music played ad nauseum, we get to enjoy it for a couple weeks. But have you ever wondered where some of our weird Christmas traditions come from? I mean, we tell our kids that a fat man is coming into our house at night; we bring in trees, to shed all over the carpet; and we kiss under plants – all in the holiday spirit. How are all of these even related to Jesus, whose birthday we’re supposed to be celebrating!

Well, sit back, pull in some eggnog and gingerbread, and take a ride on the 10-entry sleigh!


1
Santa



Most people know that Santa’s origins lie in Saint Nicholas, that generous Saint who gave presents to needy children. However, many other figures evolved into the conglomerate we call Santa Claus.

For one, the Dutch Sinterklaas, who himself has basis with Saint Nick, was the main inspiration for Santa Claus. He is nearly identical to Santa: he wears red and white, knows if you’re naughty or nice, and has elf helpers referred to as Zwarte Piet. However, the legend takes on a much darker legend when one hears that the Zwarte Piet’s duties also include punishing naughty children with “jute bags and willow canes”. He also differs from Santa in the facts that he wears a bishop’s hat and comes on a steam boat from Spain, rather than the North Pole.

Another large influence into Santa’s design is the British Father Christmas, a figure developed in the 17th century as the embodiment of holiday joy and mirth. Odin also exists as a potential pagan inspiration for Santa Claus; he lead a hunting party with other gods on Yule, a German holiday at roughly the same time as Christmas; he rode Sleipnir, a legendary horse with 8 legs; like Santa, he has 8 reindeer; and he would fill children’s’ boots with candy.

The modern Santa Claus has been in American folklore since the late 18th century. His name comes from an Americanization of Sinterklaas, and somewhere along the way, he lost his bishop’s hat. One could write an entire list on the origins of individual components of Santa’s story – suffice to say that they all have interesting origins, and I would suggest further reading.






2
Mistletoe



Mistletoe is a parasitic plant which perches on a tree branch and absorbs nutrients from the trunk – hardly one of the most romantic forms of life. But it has been inspiring people to go at it for generations. Mistletoe has a large mythological background across many cultures.

The Greeks believed that Aeneas, the famous ancestor of the Romans carried a sprig of mistletoe in the form of the legendary golden bough. In Norse mythology tradition, mistletoe was the only thing able to kill the god Baldur, since it had not sworn an oath to leave him alone. Amongst other pre-Christian cultures, mistletoe was believed to carry the male essence, and by extension, romance, fertility, and vitality.

Its use as decoration stems from the fact that it was believed to protect homes from fire and lightning. It was commonly hung at Christmas time only to remain there all year until being replaced by another sprig next Christmas. The process by which mistletoe became associated with kissing is currently unknown, but it was first recorded in 16th century England as a very popular practice. 

3
Boxing Day




Boxing Day is, as opposed to the rest of this list, an instance where a secular holiday grew out of a religious one. In most English speaking countries, Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas in which people receive gifts from their bosses or employers.

The exact etymology of the term "boxing day" is unclear. There are several competing theories, none of which is definitive.[3] The European tradition, which has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions, has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown. It is believed to be in reference to the Alms Box placed in places of worship to collect donations to the poor. Also, it may come from a custom in the late Roman/early Christian era, wherein metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen,[4] which in the Western Churchfalls on the same day as Boxing Day.

In Britain, it was a custom for tradespeople to collect "Christmas boxes" of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.[5] This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary entry for 19 December 1663.[6] This custom is linked to an older English tradition: since they would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts and bonuses, and maybe sometimes leftover food. (from Wikipedia)


4
Caroling



Christmas carols grew out of the first Christmas hymns, which developed in 4th century Rome. While these Latin hymns were sung in church for generations, the first true carols developed in France, Germany, and Italy in the 13th century. These carols, written in the vernacular language of the area they were composed, were enthusiastically sung at community events and festivals. They were not composed specifically as Christmas carols, but rather as conglomerate holiday songs that were sung at many separate festivals and celebrations.

Later on, the songs would become associated primarily with Christmas and sung in numerous churches. Carols in Protestant churches were much more numerous, since the Protestant movement encouraged the arts, especially music. The modern practice of going door-to-door carolling likely has something to do with the root word for carol, “carole” or “carula” which both mean a circular dance. The practice may have developed out of the public ceremonies that created the first carols.


5
Christmas Tree








The modern Christmas tree differs greatly from its roots; today, we decorate an everlasting, artificial construct with bright lights and dazzling ornaments, while traditionally, the tree was of course, real and more importantly, decorated with edibles such as apples and nuts. The tradition, as with that of the wreath, started with the elements symbolized by evergreens in pre-Christian winter festivals: immortality and fortitude.

The evergreen was also known to have represented the same values to a variety of cultures, including the Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. The worship of trees was also very common in European druidism and paganism. In Christian tradition, trees were often put up in December to serve the dual purpose of warding off the devil and allowing a perch for whatever birds still remained. Evergreen trees decorated with apples and wafers were also used in Christmas Eve plays during the Middle Ages, to represent the tree from which Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. As for decoration, the first evidence for decorated Christmas trees comes from German craftsman guilds during the Renaissance. After the Protestant Reformation, trees enjoyed a surge of popularity among Protestant households as counterparts to the Catholic nativity scene.


6
Wreaths



Since classical antiquity, the wreath has been used as a symbol of power and strength. In Rome and Greece, kings and emperors often wore laurel wreathes as crowns – a practice they themselves borrowed from the Etruscans, who predated them. The Greeks and the Romans connected the laurel wreath to their sun god, Apollo, and considered the crown to embody his values.

Harvest wreathes – the predecessors to our modern decorations – were used in rituals for good harvests, and predate even written history. Ancient European animists often used evergreen in their wreathes, to symbolize strength and fortitude, as an evergreen will live through even the harshest of winters. As for the connection to Christianity, since wreathes symbolized tenacity and everlasting life, they were often used in funerals of important people, specifically in the burials of saints and martyrs.


7
Stockings



Many people know of Saint Nicholas being the basis of Santa Claus, but the practice of stocking-stuffing can be traced back to his charitable donations in the 4th century. Nicholas believed that childhood should be savoured and enjoyed – but in a time where boys and girls younger than 10 had to work to support their families, this wasn’t always possible.

He therefore gave what he could in homemade food, clothes, and furniture. The bishop even gave out oranges, which would have been very rare and expensive in Lycia, where he lived. The problem became where to leave these gifts so that the children would find them. According to legends, he then saw girls’ stockings hanging above the fireplace, and ol’ Saint Nick (to paraphrase) thought “Why not?”. From then on, children would hang stockings up hoping that Saint Nicholas would visit them that night.

Beyond St. Nick, the practice can be traced back to Scandinavian countries that still held their Pagan beliefs. Children would leave their shoes full of carrots, straw, or other similar foods for Odin’s mythic horse, Sleipnir. When Sleipnir ate the food, Odin would leave candy or other treats in their place.


8
X-mas



While some rather ignorant groups in the Americas believe that the abbreviation “x-mas” is an attempt by the “dirty liberals” to “keep the Christ out of Christmas”, the true origins have a strong basis in Christianity. In the abbreviation, the X stands for the Greek letter Chi, the first letter of the Greek word for Christ. Jesus’ name has also been abbreviated as XP, a combination of the first and second letters of the Greek word for Christ. From XP comes the labarum, a holy symbol in Orthodox Christianity that represents Jesus.

The labarum (Greek: λάβαρον) was a vexillum (military standard) that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧, a christogram formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" (Greek: ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, or Χριστός) — Chi (χ) and Rho (ρ).[1] It was first used by the Roman emperor Constantine I. Since the vexillum consisted of a flag suspended from the crossbar of a cross, it was ideally suited to symbolize the crucifixion of Christ. (from Wikipedia)

The term X-mas has been used since the 16th century, though it gained prominent usage in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the modern world, X has been taken to be used as an abbreviation for any word with Christ or the “krys” sound in it, even in words which have no etymological connection. Chrysanthemum, for example, is sometime shortened to “xant” on florist’s signs, and crystal has sometimes been abbreviated as “xtal”.


9
Gift Giving



It is sometimes said that the tradition of gift-giving started with the 3 wise men, who visited Jesus and gave him gifts of myrrh, frankincense, and gold.

If you want to start a Christmas tradition, I suppose the first Christmas would be a good date to start. As with many other entries on this list though, the true origin of gift-giving lies in Pagan beliefs.

During Saturnalia, children would often be given gifts of wax dolls – an act with a rather macabre history itself; the dolls were used to represent human sacrifices that Rome had given to Saturn in the past as payment for good harvests. Branches of certain trees and other plant matter were also common gifts during Saturnalia, and were used to represent bounty and good harvests.


10
Christmas



Christmas, as most of us know, is the Christian tradition of honouring the birth of Christ – though it is not celebrated solely as such in our modern society. To us, Christmas represents a time of joy, gift-giving, and family. Christmas as we know it evolved out of the Roman tradition of Saturnalia, a festival honouring their god of agriculture, Saturn, on the winter solstice.

Due to the already rampant celebration taking place on the date and the revering of light and the sun, it was a natural development to celebrate the birth of Christ on the same date. Many Roman writers give references to the date of December 25th and Christianity between the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and it is believed that the holiday was widely celebrated by Christians by the turn of the 4th century. Though Christmas is celebrated as the birth of Jesus Christ, we don’t know the exact date, or even the year of his birth.

Be free!

Το παρελθον σου, τα πιστευω σου, τα συναισθηματα σου, οι συμπεριφορες σου, ολα αυτα σε βαραινουν!
Τωρα μπορεις να τα αφησεις και να απελευθερωθεις απ' ολα αυτα τα βαρη και να προχωρησεις μπροστα χωρις αχρειαστες 'αποσκευες'!
Υπαρχει τροπος! Δωσε του εαυτου σου το χρονο να το μαθεις! 
αννη

Your past, your beliefs, your emotions, your behaviours, all weigh you down!
You can now release and let go of all of these weights and move forward 'baggage free'!
There is a way! Give yourself the time to learn it! 
annie

Kατ' εικόνα και καθ' ομοίωσιν

Στο κείμενο της δημιουργίας αναφέρεται η φράση 

«Ποιήσωμεν άνθρωπον κατ' εικόνα ημετέραν και καθ' ομοίωσιν» (Γεν. 1,26). 

Αυτό σημαίνει ότι για τη δημιουργία του άνθρωπου ο/η Θεός έδειξε ιδιαίτερη φροντίδα και ενδιαφέρον. Σκέφτηκε να τον κάνει όμοιο με τον εαυτό Του/Της. Ο/Η Θεός δηλαδή, του/της έδωσε ορισμένα χαρίσματα που δεν είχαν τα άλλα δημιουργήματα.
Οπότε εχεις την ικανοτητα να δημιουργεις!
Τι κόσμο θέλεις να βλέπεις γύρω σου?
Θα βλέπεις τον κόσμο που δημιουργείς μεσα απο την αντίληψη σου!
αννη

THE MAGIC BANK ACCOUNT

THE MAGIC BANK ACCOUNT
THE AUTHOR IS NOT KNOWN. 
IT WAS FOUND IN THE BILLFOLD OF COACH PAUL BEAR BRYANT, ALABAMA, AFTER HE DIED IN 1982

Imagine that you had won the following *PRIZE* in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 in your private account for your use.
However, this prize has rules:

The set of rules:
1. Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.
2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
3. You may only spend it.

4. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400 for that day.
5. The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say,“Game Over!". It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.
What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love and care for. Even for people you don't know,
because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right?
You would try to spend every penny, and use it all, because you knew it would be replenished in the morning, right?

ACTUALLY, This GAME is REAL ...
Shocked ??? YES!
Each of us is already a winner of this *PRIZE*. We just can't seem to see it.

The PRIZE is *TIME*


1. Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds
as a gift of life.

. And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is Not credited to us.
3. What we haven't used up that day is forever lost.
4. Yesterday is forever gone.
5. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time WITHOUT WARNING...
SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?
Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars. Think about it and remember to enjoy every second of your life,
because time races by so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply and enjoy life!

Here's wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day. Start “spending”....

"DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT GROWING OLD…!"
SOME PEOPLE DON'T GET THE PRIVILEGE!

I Believe!

We are what we tell ourselves on a daily basis!

So stick this somewhere where you can see it daily and repeat these statements as many times a day as you can!

The more you repeat, the faster you will have results!

Enjoy doing it!

Balance giving and receiving

QUESTION
Logo tou epaggelmatos mou niotho oti polles fores diskoleuomai na po oxi kai afino tous allous na vasizontai pano mou. kamia fora fortonomai provlimata apo ton kako xeirismo mou na arnitho. katanoo oti einai diko mou thema kai tha ithela na veltiotho gia vazo ta oria ston eauto mou.euxiristo - MA

ANSWER
Thank you for your question MA
I meet so many people that are faced with your condition, who cannot say No! And I meet an equal number of people who are faced with exactly the opposite condition, which is to always say No and refuse to offer their help.
Both conditions are destructive to the person that chooses to act in this way and as an extent destructive to their environment.
The ideal would be to be able to balance the giving with the receiving with the same grace and ease!
To achieve this one has to start letting go of any past programming and beliefs. And this takes time, commitment, knowledge, patience and practice!
Give yourself the best gift, which is learning how to live your life with the minimum amount of friction! If you don't give yourself the time to learn, then you will continue to experience the condition your described above!
Be loving to YOU!
annie 

St Francis of Assisi

St Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is discord, harmony;

Where there is error, truth;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Chinese Proverb

Loneliness vs Being Alone

QUESTION
What is the difference between loneliness and being alone?
Thanks for your answer - MK

ANSWER
Thank you for your question MK
Loneliness is a state of mind, an internal state of negativity and you carry it with your wherever you are and with whoever you are with! You might be in a room with 100 people and still feel lonely!
Being alone is always a temporary state, which you have full control over, since you can choose to stop being alone and meet up with someone!
Loneliness is a state that destroys your joy and life, since it makes you feel unwanted, not good enough, worthless, unlovable and unhappy!
But it is your choice, an internal choice to view the world as a hostile place to live in!
Giving yourself alone time on the other hand is a prerequisite for growth! It will give you time to read your books, do your meditation, etc for personal development and growth.
Loneliness is a feeling, which stems from your negative thoughts!
Being alone is a choice and it is an action!
Have a good day! 
annie

https://www.facebook.com/groups/630355250357017/978137098912162/?notif_t=like

Life is like a journey on a train

Life is like a journey on a train...
with its stations...
with changes of routes...
and with accidents !
We board this train when we are born and our parents are the ones who get our ticket.
We believe they will always travel on this train with us.
However, at some station our parents will get off the train, leaving us alone on this journey.
As time goes by, other passengers will board the train, many of whom will be significant - our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of our life.
Many will get off during the journey and leave a permanent vacuum in our lives.
Many will go so unnoticed that we won't even know when they vacated their seats and got off the train !
This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, good-byes, and farewells.
A good journey is helping, loving, having a good relationship with all co passengers...
and making sure that we give our best to make their journey comfortable.
The mystery of this fabulous journey is ;
We do not know at which station we ourselves are going to get off.
So, we must live in the best way - adjust, forget, forgive, and offer the best of what we have.
It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to leave our seat... we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.
Thank you for being one of the passengers on my train
Have a very pleasant journey of life.........!

Day 5 of Gratitude

Day 5 of Gratitude

1. I am grateful for being blessed with eyes that can see the beauty around me!
2. I am grateful for having the ability to hear all the beautiful sounds surrounding me!
3. I am grateful for being alive and for making a difference in people's lives!
Photo: Lara Bay, Paphos, Cyprus

Day 4 of Gratitude

Day 4 of Gratitude!
1. I am grateful for the creator who has created all of this beauty just for us! 
2. I am grateful for experiencing and receiving love! 
3. I am grateful for giving love! 

Day 3 of Gratitude

Day 3 of Gratitude 

1. I am grateful for being able to travel to many exciting places both within my own country and abroad! :)

2. I am grateful for my loving four-legged friends that enrich my life daily! :)

3. I am grateful for all the past. present and future challenges in my life! :)

Day 2 of Gratitude

Day 2 of Gratitude
1. Morning coffee bliss!
2. I am grateful for the wonderful nature that surrounds me right now!
3. I am grateful for the morning swim!

Day 1 of Gratitude

Day 1 of Gratitude

1. I am grateful for having this body, the vehicle that allows me to help others! 

2. I am grateful for choosing Cyprus as my birthplace! 

3. I am grateful for all my loving friends! 

 

Life

You were born to greatness! 
Do you know that? 
Do you believe that?
You were born to shine and create your own unique stamp in the world!
Instead, you are taught the opposite and you go on teaching it to your own children!
Learn how to bring your beautiful, unique and shining self to the surface and make a difference in the world!
annie

Meditation

Tension is who you think you should be!

Relaxation is who you are!

-Chinese proverb

Benedictus

One of my favourite pieces of music with very appropriate images from the Universe! Enjoy!!! 

Benedictus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibwxzxER_pY&list=PLcxGmT6XX8FCX4j9dWvP9haXLOgHiGSGV

Love

So many times, so many people mistake the need for another person for Love!This is dependency, not love!Freedom, in every sense, is Love 

Nature

Nature is the best and strongest medicine anyone can take, without any negative side effects!!

Actually the only side effects you will have are positive!

Limitations

When you put limitations on your imagination, then you exclude magic from happening in your life!

Allow yourself to dream, to imagine, to fantasize!

And be open to the magic!

annie 

Love & Magic

This applies to yourself! 

Remind yourself of all of your magic! 

annie