Do you recall returning to your childhood and all your dreams about 'who you wanted to be when you 'grow up'? I wanted to be a ballerina with a ponytail tied in a bundle and a frilly layered tulle skirt, all in pale pink, yet I never attended one ballet class! But when my mother played the piano, I used to dance, imagining I was one, leaping from one side of our living room to the other on the magic Persian rug beneath my feet.
Life must have been good; there was no care in the world.
As I grew up at school, the thought of teaching grasped my attention, but that was short-lived. An array of school kids making far too much noise. Nah. As a teenager, my pledge to become a great drama actor to my mother failed miserably; she said:
"Your father will not hear of it!"
Years later, something awoke when my mother took me to see the musical Evita on stage at a London theatre. Evita is based on the life story of Eva Perõn, who founded the Eva Perõn Charitable Foundation and the Female Peronist Party and was called the Spiritual leader of the nation of Argentina. What struck me most about this grand lady was her spirit of doing good and helping those in need as a true humanitarian.
Back then, the news kept disappointing, and you couldn't escape it without access to social media. Whenever I feel stuck, or life is not giving me the kick I need, I know it is time for a change. My future could not be more unknown now, which excites me immensely. I let go of fear long ago, and meditation helps me reach my goals. It helps me think clearly and with purpose.
I have done my share of travelling, having visited 64 countries. The number is somewhat irrelevant, but the memories from each experience have widened my views on how each culture dominates specific thoughts and beliefs and the power we possess to change all that. Although society quickly leaves us out of touch with reality in this robotic age, we must fight back by growing Love and compassion within.
What is the reality? The reality is Love.
Begin with yourself. Look at yourself in a mirror and smile. Smile more and start to think of the good in you. Spoil yourself rotten with the idea. This is a Selfie made for your eyes only. Speak to your inner child, who suffered and smile at that innocence you felt within. I recall going through this process at therapy sessions. I cried wholeheartedly every time my young self passed through the window of my thoughts. But in time, I came to peace with her and hand in hand, we became one happy woman. Think big, but remember, karma has a way of biting back. The marks will bleed, whether you believe in it or not. What you wish for will come back to you, eventually. Wish well.
Now, the world wasn't anything like the state or mess it was in when I was growing up. The future seemed bright, and the fear of wars, global warming and significant diseases was rare. People generally lived in hope. Then again, I was a child over half a century ago. The world was at peace, relatively. My world, for sure. Yet, there always has been suffering everywhere. In my 'privileged' world then, I had the chance to experience childhood as we imagine it; so free on so many levels, yet bounded by respect. The discipline of an English boarding school shaped me with tools; as harsh as they may have seemed at the time, being away from my loving family certainly helped in my character-building for the future to behold.
The only way to stay positive is to hold on to hope, as if life depended on it. The way to feel hope is through gratitude. You stop moaning when you notice the things you could be thankful for instead of what you don't have. Begin by seeing beauty in nature as you pass by a garden or a park, in a painting or a person as you look into their eyes. Awareness is the key to making changes. Refrain from fooling yourself into believing what is not.
Going back to the image Evita left in me, which flew out of my mind on the pages here after decades, I have had deep thoughts about my future. I will take a leap, not quite as a ballerina but more like a lover of humankind, to the future that awaits, with eagerness. I am selling my apartment, downsizing as the new term goes, and travelling, this time on a mission to see how I can help anyone, anywhere.
I have been travelling nonstop, on long hauls, the last... Could it be seven months? Mmm... Seven years? Oh no, fifteen years? Forever. I have learned that you can connect to people with a wholehearted smile and a simple hello. There is so much good in people, and when you learn to put down your guard and speak to everyone in the same manner, you will notice it right away. No one is above me, and no one is below me. I could be you as you could be me.
Life must have been good; there was no care in the world.
As I grew up at school, the thought of teaching grasped my attention, but that was short-lived. An array of school kids making far too much noise. Nah. As a teenager, my pledge to become a great drama actor to my mother failed miserably; she said:
"Your father will not hear of it!"
Years later, something awoke when my mother took me to see the musical Evita on stage at a London theatre. Evita is based on the life story of Eva Perõn, who founded the Eva Perõn Charitable Foundation and the Female Peronist Party and was called the Spiritual leader of the nation of Argentina. What struck me most about this grand lady was her spirit of doing good and helping those in need as a true humanitarian.
Back then, the news kept disappointing, and you couldn't escape it without access to social media. Whenever I feel stuck, or life is not giving me the kick I need, I know it is time for a change. My future could not be more unknown now, which excites me immensely. I let go of fear long ago, and meditation helps me reach my goals. It helps me think clearly and with purpose.
I have done my share of travelling, having visited 64 countries. The number is somewhat irrelevant, but the memories from each experience have widened my views on how each culture dominates specific thoughts and beliefs and the power we possess to change all that. Although society quickly leaves us out of touch with reality in this robotic age, we must fight back by growing Love and compassion within.
What is the reality? The reality is Love.
Begin with yourself. Look at yourself in a mirror and smile. Smile more and start to think of the good in you. Spoil yourself rotten with the idea. This is a Selfie made for your eyes only. Speak to your inner child, who suffered and smile at that innocence you felt within. I recall going through this process at therapy sessions. I cried wholeheartedly every time my young self passed through the window of my thoughts. But in time, I came to peace with her and hand in hand, we became one happy woman. Think big, but remember, karma has a way of biting back. The marks will bleed, whether you believe in it or not. What you wish for will come back to you, eventually. Wish well.
Now, the world wasn't anything like the state or mess it was in when I was growing up. The future seemed bright, and the fear of wars, global warming and significant diseases was rare. People generally lived in hope. Then again, I was a child over half a century ago. The world was at peace, relatively. My world, for sure. Yet, there always has been suffering everywhere. In my 'privileged' world then, I had the chance to experience childhood as we imagine it; so free on so many levels, yet bounded by respect. The discipline of an English boarding school shaped me with tools; as harsh as they may have seemed at the time, being away from my loving family certainly helped in my character-building for the future to behold.
The only way to stay positive is to hold on to hope, as if life depended on it. The way to feel hope is through gratitude. You stop moaning when you notice the things you could be thankful for instead of what you don't have. Begin by seeing beauty in nature as you pass by a garden or a park, in a painting or a person as you look into their eyes. Awareness is the key to making changes. Refrain from fooling yourself into believing what is not.
Going back to the image Evita left in me, which flew out of my mind on the pages here after decades, I have had deep thoughts about my future. I will take a leap, not quite as a ballerina but more like a lover of humankind, to the future that awaits, with eagerness. I am selling my apartment, downsizing as the new term goes, and travelling, this time on a mission to see how I can help anyone, anywhere.
I have been travelling nonstop, on long hauls, the last... Could it be seven months? Mmm... Seven years? Oh no, fifteen years? Forever. I have learned that you can connect to people with a wholehearted smile and a simple hello. There is so much good in people, and when you learn to put down your guard and speak to everyone in the same manner, you will notice it right away. No one is above me, and no one is below me. I could be you as you could be me.
So be nice.
Travellers who are open to this attitude always have the best time en route.
The poet in me awakens - Our Planet.
The light of the day is soon to diminish behind the darkness,
The sun giveth way to a moon yet to mature, in the infinity of its surroundings.
I can hear a bird from a neighbouring garden singing to its heart's delight,
While my thoughts wander mysteriously into the still of the night.
The enigma of my thoughts tonight diverts towards human cruelty,
We are shamelessly destroying our planet with obscure brutality.
Yet, little do those know how nature has its ways of defending itself,
What it's been denied, this could not have a happy ending.
Have you tried eating a pomegranate without having your top covered in red dots?!
These are random thoughts.
@halditanotes
Travellers who are open to this attitude always have the best time en route.
The poet in me awakens - Our Planet.
The light of the day is soon to diminish behind the darkness,
The sun giveth way to a moon yet to mature, in the infinity of its surroundings.
I can hear a bird from a neighbouring garden singing to its heart's delight,
While my thoughts wander mysteriously into the still of the night.
The enigma of my thoughts tonight diverts towards human cruelty,
We are shamelessly destroying our planet with obscure brutality.
Yet, little do those know how nature has its ways of defending itself,
What it's been denied, this could not have a happy ending.
Have you tried eating a pomegranate without having your top covered in red dots?!
These are random thoughts.
@halditanotes
