LOVE IS ALL ABOUT YOU

ai jou | sian sit | boon ling | joyce | tuck loon | leann tang

Copyright © 2007 Clove&Clive

Photographs © Hor Tuck Loon

All rights reserved except for quotations. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,without permission in writing to the publisher.

Printed for free distribution1st printing—6000 copies (Feb 2007)

2nd printing—4000 copies (Mar 2007)This Revised Edition—5000 copies (Nov 2007)

Published byClove&Clive Sdn Bhd

F-2-02 Dataran Glomac, Jalan SS 6/5B, Pusat Bandar Kelana Jaya,47301 Petaling Jaya, SELANGOR

tel: 017 2933 699 | 03 7803 6699

email: clovenclive@gmail.comwebsite: www.clovenclive.com

Layout, design & illustrations by tuckloon

Printed by Setiakawan, Selangor

26 Expressing gratitude for lessons that come your way

27 Living your life purposefully

28 Making a difference in people’s life

29 Rejoicing in others’ happiness

30 Respecting your needs instead of wants

31 Handling yourself with gentleness

32 Trusting your own capabilities

33 Turning your perspective 180o

34 Surrendering to your highest good

35 Surprising others with random acts of kindness

36 Allowing yourself to live instead of exist

37 Letting yourself be appreciated

38 Overflowing your life with kindness

39 Silencing yourself in stillness

40 Attending to your inner call for peace

41 Giving others the benefit of doubt

42 Making time for yourself and your needs

43 Allowing the good heart to be contagious

44 Encouraging yourself to serve

45 Seeing others with compassion

46 Letting go of control

47 Believing in your goodness

48 Choosing loving and positive thoughts

49 Loving yourself unconditionally

50 Letting fear be your teacher

Dedicated to those…

… seeking Love

contentsAccepting yourself for who you are and who you are not 1

Allowing others to be themselves 2

Giving worth to yourself 3

Giving up self-pretense and simply be who you are 4

Recognizing abundance in you instead of lack 5

Receiving with joy what is entitled to you 6

Being grateful for the little blessings that come your way 7

Being thankful for everything that is already you 8

Being kind to yourself in moments of stress 9

Seeing everything with gratitude 10

Opening up to greater possibilities 11

Inspiring others with confidence 12

Sharing your innermost fear 13

Sharing what you love 14

Rewarding yourself for a job well done 15

Listening to your heart 16

Guiding others to grow at their own pace 17

Embracing negativity with forgiveness 18

Listening with the silence of the heart 19

Speaking with fullness of the heart 20

Giving yourself a measure of comfort a day 21

Sharing yourself with others 22

Letting go of past hurts and grievances 23

Forgiving yourself unconditionally 24

Letting go of guilt and regrets 25

preface

Close to a year ago, I wrote this little booklet with the support andguidance of my spiritual teacher and friends. Little did I realise

that my small act of contribution would set into greater motion myown journey into self-love and spirituality.

When I penned those words for this book, I had barely grazed thetip of the iceberg on this question we often ask ourselves, ‘How do Ilove others unconditionally, and most importantly, myself’? What I hadput forth then were tiny chunks of wisdom from books I have read,teachers I have met and friends whom I’ve listened to. They have allgiven me just another piece of the puzzle for this enigma called self-love.

Through self-awareness and awakening, I slowly came into myown space when I learnt anew on how to love myself unconditionally.

When I quit my job in the corporate world to go deeper intospirituality, I discovered that my sense of self-worth was only astangible as the value of my monthly income.

When I had a minor surgery and was house-bound for twoweeks, I found it hard to keep my mind happy and instead turned toexternal distractions like the TV or computer games.

When I made a tiny mistake, I recognized the punishing voiceinside that blamed me for ‘never doing anything right’ and wouldnot let me forget it easily.

When I gave myself a break, took a nap or just relaxed, Ipainfully observed the voice in my head that labeled me as ‘lazy’,‘selfish’ or ‘unproductive’.

I have even considered rewriting parts of this book because Ihad judged some of the verses too ‘shallow’ for such a deepsubject as self-love.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to connect with more spiritualteachers and courses this year (2007) than I had in my entire life. Orperhaps this was because I had finally opened my eyes to see, andmy heart to embrace this important lesson that I needed to learn.

Thanks to them, my journey has deepened and I am nowbeginning to love myself with gentleness and understanding.Miraculously, I found that by being loving and accepting of myselfno matter what I did, it became easier for me to love, accept andforgive others no matter what they did.

In closing, please allow me to express deep appreciation toClove&Clive and all the people who helped make this third reprintpossible by way of their contribution, support, suggestions orrequest for more copies.

When true unconditional self-love is fulfilled, then follows theact of loving others unconditionally. And what a beautiful gift thatwould be to the world.

With love & light,Ai Jou

I a c c e p t m y s e l f e x a c t l y a s I a m .

Accepting yourselffor who you areand who you are not

Accept your strengths and weaknesses.Accept your good and bad habits. Acceptyourself, warts and all. Acknowledgement andacceptance is the first step towards changingnegative behaviours. In this whole entireuniverse, we can find only one unique YOU!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect.It means that you’ve decided to look beyond theimperfections.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

1

Allowing othersto be themselves

When we allow, we give others the opportunityto be who they are, instead of who we wantthem to be. Just as we want freedom to be whowe are, similarly we should give others thefreedom to be who they are. Allowing is selfless,allowing is love.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

None of us has the power to make someone else love us.But we all have the power to give away love, to love otherpeople. And if we do so, we change the kind of person weare, and we change the kind of world we live in.

RABBI HAROLD KUSHNER

2

I w i l l i n g l y a l l o w o t h e r s t o b e

w h o t h e y a r e .

Giving worth toyourself

You were born with an abundance of talents andabilities. The world can sometimes createconditions that make you forget what they are!Tell yourself that you are beautiful, talented,unique, capable and skilful.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

When your self-worth goes up,your net worth goes up with it.

MARK VICTOR HANSEN

3

M y l i f e i s a n e x p r e s s i o n o f

m y t a l e n t s a n d a b i l i t i e s .

Poor is the man who doesnot know his own intrinsicworth and tends tomeasure everything byrelative value. A man offinancial wealth who valueshimself by his financial networth is poorer than a poorman who values himself byhis intrinsic self-worth.

SIDNEY MADWED

I a m g e n u i n e a n d a u t h e n t i c t o e v e r y o n e .

Giving up self-pretenseand simply bewho you are

Wearing a mask all the time is tiring andsuffocating. It also means you don’t trust orallow the world to know you as you are. Give upthat mask and be the radiant, beautiful & kindperson that you were born to be.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Our greatest pretenses are built up not to hide the evil andthe ugly in us, but our emptiness. The hardest thing to hideis something that is not there.

ERIC HOFFER

4

Recognizingabundance in youinstead of lack

Know that you are born with anabundance of unique inner talents,gifts and abilities. When challengescome your way, have faith that youare able to see them through withabundance as your state of mindinstead of lack.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Life in abundance comes only throughgreat love.

ELBERT HUBBARD

5

M y l i f e i s f i l l e d w i t h a b u n d a n c e .

If you have the

eyes of love,

you just seelove wherever

you go.

DON MIGUEL RUIZ

THE MASTERY OF LOVE

I j o y f u l l y r e c e i v e a n d w e l c o m e w h a t i s

e n t i t l e d t o m e .

Receiving with joywhat is entitled to you

To receive joyfully is a blessing.When you accept something with loveand joy, you are telling yourself, “I am worth it,I deserve this.” This is self-love of thehighest level.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

The minute you settle for less than you deserve,you get even less than you settled for.

MAUREEN DOWD

6

I a m t h a n k f u l f o r l i f e ’ s l i t t l e b l e s s i n g s .

Being grateful forthe little blessingsthat come your way

Be grateful for that unexpected parking spot.Smile back at the kind stranger who has helpedyou. Give thanks to the friendly waitresswho gave you excellent service.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

When love comes to you, don’t refuse it by thinking youare not worthy. You are worthy, or love couldn’t come your way.

JOHN-ROGER

7

It is through lovethat we elevateourselves. And it isthrough our love forothers that weassist others toelevate themselves.

M. SCOTT PECK, M.D.THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

I e m b r a c e m y e x p e r i e n c e s w i t h

g r a c e a n d g r a t i t u d e .

Being thankful foreverything that isalready you

You have gone through a wealth of experiencesand come a long way to be who you are today.Give thanks to all the positive experienceswhich have shaped you into who you are today.Learn from the life’s lessons and stressful timesthat have made you stronger.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way thingsare. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the wholeworld belongs to you.

LAO TZU

8

Being kind to yourselfin moments of stress

When the stresses of life set in, take a momentand do something kind for yourself. Take abubble bath and have a long soak. Put onyour favourite music CD. Take a much-needednap. Being kind to yourself will open yourheart and mind again to the doors ofpossibility and the solutions to your problem.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Our grand business in life is not to see what lies dimlyat a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.

THOMAS CARLYLE

9

I r a d i a t e l o v e a n d k i n d n e s s

t o m y s e l f a n d o t h e r s .

Seeing everythingwith gratitude

Have gratitude for your life—it is filled witheverything that you will ever need. A family,a source of income, health, friends andcompanionship. Even if you may not have thefull list above, be grateful that you are alive andhave the opportunity to create them!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage topursue them.

WALT DISNEY

10

I e x p r e s s g r a t i t u d e j o y f u l l y a n d o p e n l y .

Develop an attitude of

gratitude, and give thanks for

everything that happens to

you, knowing that every step

forward is a step toward

achieving something bigger

and better than your current

situation.

BRIAN TRACY

Opening upto greater possibilities

Free yourself from all limiting beliefs.You have great dreams, visions andboundless talents. Open yourself to greaterpossibilities by releasing all limitations andknow that you are able to achieve them.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark thingsseem to be or actually are, raise your sights and seepossibilities—always see them, for they’re alwaysthere.

DR. NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

11

I t r u s t t h e u n i v e r s e a n d a l l o w i t

t o w o r k t h r o u g h m e .

I a m a n i n s p i r a t i o n a l b e i n g .

Inspiring otherswith confidence

Give others the boost of confidencethat they need. Inspire them with yourpositive perceptions and admirationabout them. Tell them that they can doit, that you believe in them all the way.Inspiring others with confidenceenhances your own.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Express love through acknowledgment.Notice the good in those around you andfreely comment on it.

REV. MARY MANIN MORRISSEY

12

I am brave and conf ident in overcoming

my fears .

Sharing yourinnermost fear

When you share your innermost fear withothers, it is both liberating and comforting.Feel liberated that your fear is not your ownsecret anymore. Feel comforted that otherstoo have big fears that are just as irrationalor uncommon. You are not alone!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

F.E.A.R.—False Evidence Appearing Real

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

13

Do not consider tellingother people the truthabout themselvesunless you areunconditionally lovingandthey are feeling lovedenough to hear whatyou are saying.

GREG BAER, M.D.

REAL LOVE

Sharingwhat you love

Lend others your favourite book.Let someone borrow your favourite clothes.Allow somebody else to drive your car.Treat your family to your favourite food.Loving is in sharing, and sharing is loving.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Intense love does not measure, it just gives.

—MOTHER TERESA

14

I s h a r e m y s e l f c o m p l e t e l y

a n d s e l f l e s s l y .

Rewarding yourselffor a job well done

Give yourself a pat on the back for a jobwell done, and reward yourself withsomething you love—watch a nice movie,have your favourite food or take a well-deserved break. Appreciating yourselfmakes your heart and mind happy andready for the next step ahead!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

To receive honestly is the best thanks fora good thing.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

15

I r e w a r d m y s e l f g e n e r o u s l y

f o r m y g o o d w o r k .

HOW COULD ANYONE(SONGS FOR THE INNER CHILD — SHAINA NOLL)

How could anyone ever tell you

You were anything less than beautiful

How could anyone ever tell you

You were less than whole

How could anyone fail to notice

That your loving is a miracle

How deeply you’re connected to my soul.

Listeningto your heart

Listen to the whispers of your heart,above the roars of your thinking mind.Follow your heart in balance with yourmind and your life will be in wonderfulharmony and equilibrium.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

The best and most beautiful things in the worldcannot be seen, nor touched… but are felt inthe heart.

HELEN KELLER

16

A s I l i s t e n t o m y h e a r t ,

l o v e a n d a b u n d a n c e f l o w s i n t o m y l i f e .

M y i n t u i t i o n g u i d e s m e

a n d o t h e r s t h r o u g h l i f e .

Guiding others to growat their own pace

Every single individual is different. Guiding andteaching others, whether they are your children,students or colleagues is for the purpose ofencouraging growth. Allow them the freedom ofgrowing at their own pace—their knowledge willbe better absorbed and rebellion unlikely toarise.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Tell a person they are brave and you help thembecome so.

THOMAS CARLYLE

17

Embracing negativitywith forgiveness

Catch hold of your anger, hurt, blame, guilt,hatred, grief and sorrow. Put it in a big imaginarybag and tie the bag tightly. Shine the light offorgiveness and understanding on it. They willgrow lighter and lighter and one day, float away.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Don’t blame others for your failure to be fully accountablefor your own life. If others are to blame, then you havegiven them control.

BOB PERKS

18

I choose to forg ive and

be the creator o f

power fu l and lov ing

thoughts .

Forgiveness

is a

GIFT

you

give

yourself.

In the s i lence o f my hear t ,

I l i s ten lov ing ly wi thout judgement .

Listening withthe silence of the heart

Listen with no judgements. Listen withoutanswering with the voice in your head.Go beyond outer appearances and listento the message within. Listen lovingly withthe silence of your heart.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Love is the voice under all silences.

E.E. CUMMINGS

19

My words are grac ious and tender,

k ind and s incere .

Speaking withfullness of the heart

Speak the gentle truth and with fullness ofthe heart. Speech is a powerful human tooland the tongue is sharper than the sword.Use love, kindness and sincerity in yourspeech and it will return to you athousand-fold!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

The rose speaks of love silently,in a language known only to the heart.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

20

I am

compassionate

and lov ing

wi th myse l f .

Giving yourselfa measure ofcomfort a day

Give yourself a measure of comfort at the end ofevery day. Affirm within yourself the courage toface challenges. Forgive yourself for an unkinddeed, word or thought. Comfort yourself at theend of a difficult day that tomorrow will be better.You are your best friend and companion.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe,deserve your love and affection.

GAUTAMA BUDDHA

21

No matter how much we give love,

if we don’t give it to ourselves,

nobody can love us enough. If we

are in relationships with people

who don’t have self-love, no

matter how much we love them, it

will never be enough because they

are not giving it to themselves on

the inside.

LOUISE L. HAYYOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE

Sharing yourselfwith others

You are a wonderful, loving human beingwith beautiful talents and a radiant personality.Don’t hold back… share yourself with othersso that they may enjoy the real you. The results?The sweet nectar of love, joy and acceptanceflowing from you to others and back again.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

It is the nature of the ego to take, and the nature of thespirit to share.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

22

I am wi l l ing to share my authent ic se l f .

I re lease the o ld and welcome the new.

Letting go ofpast hurts andgrievances

Holding on to past hurts and grievanceseats you away slowly. Be a bigger person andforgive others for what they have done to you,whether knowingly or unknowingly. Allowingbygones to be bygones releases you from theshackles of emotional pain and grants youFREEDOM.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

“Why do you stay in prison when the door isso wide open?”

JALAL AD-DIN RUMI

23

Through forg iveness , I am hea led .

Forgivingyourselfunconditionally

The hardest person to forgive isyourself.Likewise, the hardest person to loveis yourself. Forgiving yourself opensthe door to acceptance,compassion, kindness and lovefor… y-o-u-r-s-e-l-f.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness isthe attribute of the strong.

MAHATMA GANDHI

24

We are not heldback by the lovewe didn’t receivein the past, butby the love we’renot extending inthe present.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

I w i l l ing ly le t go o f my gu i l t and regrets .

Letting go ofguilt and regrets

Make peace with yourself and the mistakesin the past which cannot be undone. Learnfrom those lessons and move on. Yourexperience has given you a newperspective and you will know how best toface it the next time.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

When you find peace within yourself, you becomethe kind of personwho can live at peace with others.

PEACE PILGRIM

25

Expressinggratitude for lessonsthat come your way

Nothing happens by chance. Reflect onevery lesson in your life and see how muchyou have learnt and grown from them.Lessons serve to make you strongerand allow you to discover new talents andlimits you never knew you had!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

We owe almost all our knowledge not to those whohave agreed but to those who have differed.

CHARLES CALEB COLTON

26

I am grate fu l for l i fe ’s lessons .

If you cannot loveyourself, you will try tofill the void of your ownlack of self-love with thelove of others. You willtend to demand fromothers what you cannotgive yourself.

GAY & KATHLYN HENDRICKS, PH.D.

CONSCIOUS LOVING

My l i fe is purposefu l and insp i r ing .

Living your lifepurposefully

Living a life of purpose creates lovingpossibilities for you to experience your fullestpotential. Trusting your heart brings joy,abundance and wisdom. Soon, two beautifulthings may happen: 1) You will inspire otherswith your purpose, or 2) You will influenceothers to live their own life’s purpose.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Put purpose in your life. Take the tools at hand andcarve your own best life.

DR. FRANK CAPRIO

27

Making a differencein people’s life

Nothing is more noble than doing somethingfor others and making a difference in theirlives. It may be as simple as taking over achore from your spouse or parents withoutbeing asked to, surprising your loved onewith flowers or even delivering gifts personallyto the old folks’ home.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Love is the selfless promotion of the growth of theother.

MILTON MAYEROFF

28

My presence makes a d i f ference to the wor ld .

It is necessary to own and honor the

child who we were in order to Love the

person we are. And the only way to do

that is to own that child’s experiences,

honor that child's feelings, and release

the emotional grief energy that we are

still carrying around.

ROBERT BURNEY

CODEPENDENCE: THE DANCE OF WOUNDED SOULS

I am happy for o thers ’ joys ,

successes and abundance.

Rejoicingin others’ happiness

Sharing and rejoicing in others’ happinessis love in one of its highest forms. Express joyand happiness in others’ success. The moreyou rejoice, the more you will find yourselfbeing blessed abundantly—for what goes outwill find its way back naturally.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrappinga present and not giving it.

WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

29

Respectingyour needsinstead of wants

Needs fulfill and nourish the heart whereaswants make you incomplete and desire formore. Ask yourself—what do I really need inorder to be happy? Is having more necessary?Respect your needs instead of wants,and you will find your self-respect increasing.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

You must be lord and master of your own actions, not aservant or a hireling.

THOMAS A KEMPIS

30

I choose to honour my needs.

I am kind, loving and gentle with myself.

Handlingyourself withgentleness

Love goes hand-in-hand with kindness andgentleness. Whenever you are tired, sad,moody or angry, handle yourself withgentleness. Be kind and gentle with youractions and speech. Pamper yourself withloving touch—a hug or a massage (even if youhave no one to hug, just give yourself one!).

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Love is an act of endless forgiveness,a tender look which becomes a habit.

PETER USTINOV

31

Whenever we hatesomeone, we are

hating some part ofourselves that we see

in that person.We don’t get worked

up about anything thatis not in ourselves.

HERMANN HESSE

I have fa i th in myse l f and my ta lents .

Trusting your owncapabilities

You are born with talents, capabilities,a thinking brain and a loving heart.Reflect—when faced with challenges in life,do you forget your wonderful capabilities ordo you make full use of them? Have faith andtrust in your own capabilities. You will soonfind every challenge lighter and every battleeasier to win.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

It is never safe to look into the future with eyes of fear.

E.H. HARRIMAN

32

I am able to view problems with

positivity and creativity.

Turning yourperspective 180o

When you come across difficult situations andobstacles, take a pause—instead of viewingthem as burdensome, turn your perspective180° around and welcome them. Whatever youresist is a calling for love within—an indicationfor self-healing. All obstacles are signposts toinner growth.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

If we perceive things not as problems but rather asopportunities for learning, we can experience a sense ofjoy and well-being when the lessons are learned.We are never presented with lessons until we are readyto learn them.

GERALD G. JAMPOLSKY

33

Surrenderingto your highest good

To surrender is ‘to allow our inner resistance tomelt’. Look deeply into your heart—find thehighest unfulfilled good in you. It may be thefear to explore or to pursue your life’s work.Disregard what others have to say. Trust anddiscover the wonders you may never havefound if you hadn’t done so.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Love is a lot like dancing—you just surrender to themusic.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

34

I a f f i rm my t rust tha t whatever happens

is for my h ighest good.

Every day, I touch the wor ld wi th

love and k indness .

Surprising others withrandom acts of kindnessLend an ear to the old folks at the homes. Express thelove you’ve always wanted to say but didn’t. Give a giftfor no apparent reason. Spend aday with the animals at PAWSor SPCA. Do somethingkind and unexpected.Just do it and seewhat unfolds!

35

FOOD FOR THE HEART

The love we give away isthe only love we keep.

ELBERT HUBBARD

Every person born inthis world represents

something new,something that never

existed before,something original

and unique.

MARTIN BUBER

My life is full of passion,

joy and creativity.

Allowing yourselfto live instead of exist

Make a list of all things you want to do in yourlifetime. Be creative with it—live your dreams,confront your fears and challenge yourself.Cross off the items on the list after you havedone it. Experiment. You will find more bouncein your step and more joy in your life!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Dance like nobody’s watching,Love like you’ve never been hurt,Sing like nobody’s listening,Live like it’s heaven on earth.

MARK TWAIN

36

Letting yourselfbe appreciated

When someone gives you a beautifulcompliment or words of appreciation,don’t reject them but accept them with graceand kindness. Don’t know how? It’s easy…just smile with gentleness and say these 2magical words: “Thank you!”

FOOD FOR THE HEART

There is more hunger for love and appreciation in thisworld than for bread.

MOTHER TERESA

37

I accept pra ise and apprec ia t ion wi th grace .

I br ing love and l ight to my l i fe and o thers .

Overflowingyour life with kindness

In every single moment and minuteof your life, be kind to yourself,

your family and all others around you,including the strangers on the street.

Kindness inspires love.Anger or control inspires fear.

How would you like to lead your life—in love or in fear?

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Kind words can be short, but their echoes are endless.

MOTHER TERESA

38

When I write the letters LOVE, these

letters put out the vibration of love.

Water can be imprinted with these

vibrations.

Beautiful words have beautiful,

clear vibrations.

DR MASARU EMOTOMESSAGES FROM WATER

Every day I pay a t tent ion

to my inner s t i l lness .

Silencing yourselfin stillness

Quiet or meditative time recharges theinner you. Choose a time of the day (ornight) to silent yourself in stillness.Observe the thoughts swarmingincessantly in your head without involvingyourself in it. Let your in-breath andout-breath calm you down. Breathedeeply to rejuvenate the body. Findpeace in silence.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking.Live in silence.

JALAL AD-DIN RUMI

39

Attending to yourinner call for peace

Make time for solitude. Seek ways to restorepeace in yourself—a slow walk in the park,meditation or spiritual readings. Be present toyour quiet mind and peaceful heart. Recognisethat feeling and bring up the same feelingin times of stress.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is hissuccess, his influence,his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of thebeautiful jewels of wisdom.

JAMES ALLEN

40

I choose

to make t ime

for

peace

and

sol i tude .

Giving othersthe benefit of doubt

Give others the benefit of the doubtin what they say and do. This resonates withtrust, faith and acceptance in others.The measure of trust you have in others reflectson the measure of trust you have in yourself.As within, so without.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

There are two worlds; the world that we can measurewith line and rule, and the world that we feel with ourhearts and imaginations.

LEIGH HUNT

41

I have fa i th

and

trust o thers

eas i ly.

Live so that you can at least get the benefit of the doubt.

KIN HUBBARD

I am lov ing and nur tur ing wi th myse l f .

Making timefor yourselfand your needs

In this fast-paced world, choose to maketime for yourself and your needs. Qualityfood, rest and sleep will do wonders for yourbody and mind. Recharging andrejuvenating will bring better quality to yourlife and take you further in your journey.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

PROVERB

42

I am a per fect channel o f love and l ight .

Allowingthe good heartto be contagious

Have love in your heart and let it spreadaround. For every goodness you receive,bestow it upon others and pass it on. Beclear and mindful to cultivate only goodactions. Let the good heart be contagious!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Smiling is infectious, You catch it like the flu. Whensomeone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

43

I am se l f less in serv ing .

Encouragingyourself to serve

Stop thinking about “Me! Me! Me!”for a moment and think of ways

that you can serve.Ask, “How may I be of service?”

Contribute to your favouritecharitable organization.

Volunteer yourself in social work.Support a worthy cause.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.

MARTIN LUTHER KING

44

The best way to find yourself

is to lose yourself in the service

of others.

MAHATMA GANDHI

Compassion comes to me natura l ly.

Seeing otherswith compassion

Remove those colour-tinted glasses of distrustand fear and see others with kindness andcompassion. Discover what a difference this willmake in the way you perceive people andsituations. When you are compassionate toothers, compassionate blessings will come toyou in many ways.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Hatreds never cease through hatred in this world;through love alone they cease. This is an eternal law.

GAUTAMA BUDDHA

45

Letting go of control

Try this: go about one day and let go fully ofyour controlling mind for everything thathappens that day—the traffic, the rain, thelatecomer, the less-than-clean dishes.Just accept everything that is, as it is,and experience the liberated mind.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things Icannot change, Courage to change the things I can,and the Wisdom to know the difference.

SERENITY PRAYER

46

I do my best and le t go o f the outcome.

To unblock thefountain of love andenter on the path of

creative, spiritualgrowth, we must let

go of our fears.

BERNIE S. SIEGEL, M.D.

LOVE, MEDICINE & MIRACLES

I ’m remember ing

the innate goodness in me.

Believing in yourgoodness

Believe that you are born good andwhole. Whatever life experiences thathave shown you otherwise are butillusions. You are full of goodness,kindness and love. You have enoughto go around for yourself and foreveryone in this world.

FOOD FOR THE HEART

There are so many men who can figure costs,and so few who can measure values.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

47

Lov ing and pos i t ive thoughts

come to me eas i ly.

Choosing loving andpositive thoughts

Be quiet and observe your thoughts for oneday: do you find more positivity or negativityin them? Make a conscious choice for lovingand positive thoughts. Your thoughts makeyou who you are!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

It is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

48

Few things in the world

are more powerful than

a positive push. A smile.

A word of optimism and

hope. A “you can do it”

when things are tough.

RICHARD M. DEVOS

I am lov ing myse l f w i thout condi t ions .

Loving yourselfunconditionally

Love yourself with no conditions and withoutlimits. Don’t wait until you have achievedsomething great before loving yourself.You are whole and complete as you are.If you can’t love yourself, how can you beginto love others?

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Becoming free is not changing yourself into someoneyou think you should be. Becoming free is falling in lovewith who you are—right now.

UNKNOWN AUTHOR

49

I am courageous

and wi l l ing

to take r isks .

Letting fearbe your teacher

Your greatest fear can be your greatestteacher—if only you would confront it.Fear shows to you that there is a part

in you that needs love.When fear enters your heart,

diffuse it with love.With love, anything is possible!

FOOD FOR THE HEART

Of all the liars in the world,sometimes the worst are your own fears.

RUDYARD KIPLING

50

CLOVE&CLIVE is a centre set up by a group of fun-loving andlike-minded friends dedicated to the journey of mindful livingand loving. We conduct meditation courses (refer next page)tailored to meet the people’s modern-day needs—stressreduction, relationship harmony, inner peace, living in themoment or simply, in a nutshell, getting to know ourselvesbetter and thus empowering our lives.

The tools and principles that we apply produce signi-ficant and effective results, a confident statement coming fromthe years of our personal journey and exploration. Our workwas grown out of creating a thriving, conscious relationshipwith oneself and others.

Besides courses, we also print free publications as ourcontribution to the community. Mama Where Are You? is thesecond in a series of free publications on love and wisdom. Ifyou would like to support our publications, by way of contri-bution or distribution, please contact us at 03-7803 6699 oremail to clovenclive@gmail.com. We welcome your authenticfeedback about our publications, and suggestions where wecan abundantly improve.

MEDITATION COURSES AVAILABLE AT CLOVE&CLIVE

1. Mindfulness – A Starting Point exploring the foundations

Duration: 7 sessions (weekly)

We are conditioned to react endlessly to external stimuli such as people wemeet, situations we are faced with. In short, external factors influence anddetermine our “mood”, “happiness” or “unhappiness”. This course enableyou to cultivate positive factors such as calmness, contentment, andconcentration, which ultimately leads to true peace and happiness.

Contact persons Freddie Lee 016 328 3366 (except 6pm–7pm)Choy Boon Ling 016-229 3699 (after 6pm)Chee Mei Ling 012-201 6681 (9am–5pm)

2. Wisdom@Work redefining meditation and its practicality in daily life

Duration: 4 sessions (weekly)

This course provides an access to the understanding of the inner workingsof the mind. It creates the possibility of distinguishing our true self from thefalse identity, which we have unconsciously created. This transformativejourney brings about a new way of being and encourages the growth ofhuman consciousness.

Contact persons Tan Hui Ning 012-365 1298 (9am–5pm)Ng Swee Leng 012-695 9188 (9am–5pm)Joyce Lim 012-212 2878 (9am–5pm)

Logon to our website at www.clovenclive.com for updates and other activities