This morning I woke up super early to surprise Max (I really like surprising him as you may have noticed!) by picking him up at the train station. He was arriving from Paris this morning where he stayed over night. So I woke up early, surprised him, went back to sleep when I got home, and then woke up again…

ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED!! (Meaning I was grumpy just in case you have never heard this English expression )

I was complaining to Max and being all grumpy like a grumpy person. Not fun! Not attractive!

But something came to my mind suddenly. I remembered one of my favourite Buddhist passages about relationships and instantly changed my mood. When I first met Max, my friend told me to read this passage, called The Bow And Arrow, and I have kept it close to my heart to reach for whenever I need it. It says,

“It is the power of the bow that determines the flight of the arrow, the might of the dragon that controls the movement of the clouds, and the strength of the wife that guides the actions of her husband. ” -Nichiren Daishonin (WND 656)

(even though we aren’t husband and wife, it completely applies!)

If it my strength that guides the actions of my partner than I have the responsibilty to be stronger and stop complaining and be a cheerful sunflower! That is how world leaders are born!

And with that, I changed my mind.