Monthly Message - October

Hello everyone,

This monthly message will be much shorter because I am living in a location where hurricane Helene hit here in Asheville, North Carolina. 

The last few days have felt like a dream, a very crazy and scary dream, and each morning I wake up and realize that what I remember actually happened.

However, I choose to have these monthly messages always as positive messages because I believe that despite whatever occurs, there’s a reason for it, and that reason will help all people involved in more ways than we can know right now.

After the hurricane went through and the winds finally died down, all of the people in this community (I think we’re around 100 people) were coming out of our houses and into the street. Most of us still shaking from the fear of watching the storm for hours on end.

We saw (and heard) how even a tornado washed through the neighborhood, taking down trees and power lines, some caving in roofs of houses, garages, and carports. 

But we had smiles on our faces, and we weren’t complaining. Jokes were even being made, and I think all of us were just feeling the gratitude of being alive.

The following days were spent with neighbors helping each other in all ways possible. None of us have had electricity, water, or cell service since the storm. If we hadn’t have come together and helped each other, we wouldn’t have been able to have survived this easily without resources. It’s been so beautiful seeing the radiant and kind hearts of people shine through the chaos.

This experience has shown me once again that we as humans are meant to live as a community; as brothers and sisters helping each other, not as individuals surviving for ourselves.

We were never meant to be alone. Living in a time where so many people are so closed off from one another in their own little houses, uncommunicative, and isolated, is a way of life that is very new to the human race. 

Humans have been around for HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of years.

And let me tell you; our ancestors did NOT survive all this time by living like we are today, but by living in communion with the earth and with each other. 

We only have a short amount of time here on this planet and we have to spend it treating our fellow human beings with love and respect no matter what.

I wish you all as always lots of love. May we always remember what is really important in life,

Ananda

P.s. a little squirrel by our house was using his tail as an umbrella :)

The Wisdom of 2 Crochet Chickens

September 1.

Last year while I was living in Florence, I visited a small thrift shop on my way back home from my Italian class.

Even if I don’t buy anything, I always enjoy stopping by thrift stores… For me, they are like little fortune houses: a mixture of things from all origins having the same trajectory of fate and ending up at the exact same place and time.

In the store was a little old lady behind the cash register who said “buongiorno“ to me, and I looked around. After a couple seconds though, I could tell that I probably wouldn’t find anything for myself there.

After a quick look around, I was about to walk back out when something bright yellow in the corner caught my attention. I walked over to it, and picked it up. 

As soon as I had it in my hands, I felt a surge of loving and warm energy pass through me, and I realised that I didn’t want to put it back down!

It was a little basket with two chickens in it, all made of crochet. I couldn’t tell what it was that made me love them so much.

“How much are these? And who made them?“ I asked the little lady behind the counter.

„Umm..,” she said a little surprised, “the basket is.. 5€, and both of the chickens together are 10€. I don’t know exactly who made it, but there’s a group of older ladies that crochet things together and then donate their work to us. We then donate the proceeds to different organisations.”

“That must be one of the cutest things ever,” I thought.

I bought them immediately.

After I paid, I proudly rode straight across Florence with these chickens on the front of my bike and a huge smile on my face.

This story sounds kind of random, but there’s a reason why I am choosing to share this for the month of September.

After having the chickens on my nightstand for over a year now and being happy literally every time I see them, the lesson that I have learned from them is quite clear:

Seeing things that make me feel love and joy makes me feel more loving and joyous.

If we surround ourselves with an environment that makes us feel joyful and gives us energy, our minds will have the space to manifest a future that brings us even more of that. Even if the things that bring us joy are as random as a crochet chicken basket.

Of course it’s not only about the physical belongings that surround us, but also all forms of input that we let into ourselves; the things we hear, see, think, and experience every day. It all has an effect on our spirit.

∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘

Here are some questions for September inspired by two crochet chickens. (Feel free to write your answers down and make a list for yourself):

• Do the objects I daily see and my environment give me energy and joy, and inspire me to become my envisioned future self? (What are the things that make me feel that joy, and what things don't?)

• Do the things I hear and am told each day inspire me, and bring my life positivity and pureness? (ex: social media, television, news, people in my life) .. What does, and what doesn't?

• At what moments of the day do I feel the least connected to myself (i.e. the most stressed)? What am I doing in those moments, and how can I change my life to have less and less of them?

By carefully watching where our heart feels joy and following that, we get closer and closer to living a life where we live more in our hearts instead of in our minds. 

I wish you all a beautiful new month of September and love you all so much, 

Ananda

🐔🌞🥰

The Secrets of the Poppy

August 1.

Hey everyone! It's Ananda. Welcome to the very first newsletter of the Monthly Messages.

Today is the start of the brand new month of August, and I have something to share with you.

In the case that you are feeling unsure of what your next steps should be to start your project, or you are feeling uninspired, I want to tell you about something that inspired me a lot this month.

I got to experience this first hand in my "garden“ outside my window (in my little balcony boxes).

↓ It's these little beauties!

When we think of poppies we usually think of the typical image of a meadow covered in red flowers that seem to last the entire summer long.

But did you know that almost every flower falls completely apart each evening? Most poppy petals fall off within 24 hours, and in some cases, last only a couple hours if a storm is present! (The duration can vary, depending on the type of poppy)

So how is it, you may ask, do poppy fields seem to have an eternal red glow if the flowers don’t last long at all? What are the secrets of the poppy?!

Here are reasons why they are so inspiring:

#1: Despite all outside conditions, the poppies will open. No matter what weather, wind, or squirrel conditions (in my case 😆) there are that could potentially destroy the flowers.

#2 They have a very unique color. Other than roses, have you noticed that there are not many native plants red in color? Through their uniqueness, they attract bees very quickly.

#3: Once the flower has opened and is bright and shining, the plant is already working on new buds that will open the next morning and the day after.

And have you ever touched the petals of a poppy? It’s one of the softest things you’ll ever feel.

If this tiny flower can wake up each morning completely brand new and shine with all its might despite ALL circumstances, so can you.

Even if it means losing the delicate petals of one of her precious flowers, living her life's purpose triumphs over all resistance to holding back.

Let’s start each day of the new month of August just like the poppy.

I love you all,

Ananda

~ and remember, everything is very, very good.