The local swimming pool has been renovated recently. Before trying it out, I ran into two people. One was a glass-is-half-empty-person. He said they had only renovated the roof and the windows. The lockers and the showers were still old though. His voice was full of disappointment and disdain. The other one was a glass-is-half-full-person. He said the pool has been nicely renovated and concluded with a smile on his face saying: “I think you are going to have a really good time there.” The so glorified “being positive” is not an abstract thing. Neither is it something you only think about, when...

I remember studying the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre in high school. What surprised me most about his work was that he talked about ‘the burden of freedom’. Back then I found it silly. I thought: ‘Freedom is a good thing.’ Today, in an era filled with abundant choices and in a world filled with commercials, I think Sartre was a visionary. One may not notice it at first, but freedom means one has to make many choices. And making choices takes energy. Just think how many choices we make, before we even get to work in the morning. How cold is it outside? Should I put on the very very warm...

There used to be a lot of categories people fell into. You were either black or white, you were of this or that nation, you belonged to this or that church and you supported this or that political party. There was a certain feeling of safety attached to belonging to the same group. Today we can see that the mere belonging to the right group does not mean anything. One has to experience each individual personally in order to know, whether one can trust him or her. The only way you can trust somebody without getting to know the person first is to ask people you trust, whether the new person is...

What is true love? There have been many attempts at defining it. Is it a really passionate love? Is it love that lasts a lifetime? Or is it the compassionate love? In my opinion we cannot define TRUE love once and for all, for there is no FALSE love. Is there a thing like false love? I do not think so. Love simply IS or IS NOT. Yes, there can be more or less love or in other words it can be more or less passionate. The classic example are ‘friends’ that do not know you anymore, when you fall ill or go bankrupt for example. They can be called false friends. But their love is not false I believe....

May this year life give you a break from the first blossom to the last snowflake. Be fit and determined to reach all your goals. May destiny serve you year round delicious bowls. © Helena Smole, 2014