existence

The Power of Change

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I have met people who do not like change.  They simply don’t like things around them to be different, whether change is for the better or not.  There is risk in change – the unknown.  For some people, this is scary; simply put, they prefer the known to the unknown.  The known comforts them.

I welcome change, whether good or bad, if there is such a thing as bad change.  I believe that when we see our circumstances to be changing for the worst, it is just a matter of perception.  Change always bring something new and different.  With this, it brings the opportunity for new challenges, growth, and new lessons.  It brings the chance – requested or unrequested – of creating something new of the experience or change.  In a way, change is creation.  Change is always forward, even when it is perceived as a step backwards.

Some people may disagree with me on this.  For example, if you were to lose everything you own, you would perceive this as a negative change in your life.  However, this could be the best opportunity for you to start anew, to create a second life, an exciting opportunity.  Yes, no one thinks of being in that situation, and I don’t know of anyone that would consciously welcome it; however, many people in today’s economy have gone thru similar change.  The perception of this change is what will make them powerless or powerful individuals.  This is the power of change.

Designing Your Life Map

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I have to admit that I love lists.  Yeah, I make all kinds of lists.  Therefore, to me, goal setting comes natural, it’s been like that for long.  I find that most things that I put in writing somehow get done, or play it that way – even when I think I have forgotten about them.  One thing that I have indulged on recently, is creating a life map.  This is not with the purpose of tracking or carving each step on stone, but more as a fun way to visualize the things that I would like to carry out and showcase my interests at a particular stage of life.  We all know that interests change and it is important to allow these changes.

Your life map can be an inspirational tool and it can include pictures or take the shape of an actual map that you create – this is the fun part.  It can also follow a timeline or a series of steps – just as a treasure map would.  I find it makes goal setting more interesting and helps you focus as you look at it everyday and see the big picture plastered in front of you.  It is the inspiration to do what you have to do everyday – what you know you have to do – even when people around you may not understand it as you do.

Next time you sit down to check or write some goals , try this method and see how you like it.

Turning Point

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It took some time to master the courage to follow my dream of writing – and going through many jobs as well.  There are three things that I love – Writing, Real Estate, and Art – of this I am sure.  Writing is me, Real Estate is pure beauty, and Art is an outlet.

When I decided to write, my goal was to write my first novel.  I am happy to say that I did that and I started my second novel.  During that time, I got distracted doing other assignments – all related to my love of writing –  however, this has taken me away from my dream of becoming a novelist and it has taken all my time, leaving me with little time to write my next novel.

It dawned on me that  I had deviated from my dream and that I was at a turning point – I realized that I had to turn back.  Many times, we set sail on the right path to later discover that we have deviated from it doing something similar to what we were set out to do in the beginning.  Once more, we find ourselves mustering the courage to turn back, and setting up the sails to a different wind.

Roses by Magic

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Sitting at my computer for long hours is a bit tiring, so I try to walk around the house, for short breaks or to get some  coffee.  Today, I glanced outside thru the screen door that leads to the backyard.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the rose-bush full of dark red roses – a magical blanket of red.  When did it happen?  As if by magic, the rose-bush that was just sticks a few weeks ago, turned into a marvel of nature.  Although I was not paying attention, the change did not happen from one day to the next – it took some time; slowly the lush leaves appeared, and later, the breathtaking roses.

This gave me some insight.  I thought, sometimes, we worry so much when we are following our call, specially when we don’t see results right away.  We tend to shrivel, to dry, and forget that the growth happens slowly; and just as those roses one day appeared in all their splendor, so it will happen if we continue our path and let growth and bloom happen naturally.

On Being Your Own Cheerleader

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Many times, people find themselves in a sea of uncertainty about their dreams and goals.  Many times, the uncertainty comes from outside sources – from the naysayers that have managed to bury the seed of doubt in the dreamer’s heart.  If you are a dreamer that is working hard towards the goal, it is up to you to toughen up and grow some roses in your heart – their thorns will suffocate the weed that is trying to grow from the seed that naysayers planted there.

Many times, you will have to be your own cheerleader, maybe even the only one.  When others fail you, you can always count on you.  But when you feel as if you have failed yourself, it is because you have let many weeds grow in the garden of your heart.  Start weeding out and you will find again your dream.

Technology – Big Brother or Big Sister?

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Much has been said about Big Brother, surveillance, and the intrusion of others in our private lives.  However, must of us embrace technology, and the latest fun and new gadgets in the market.  We play with them, we love them, get mad at them when they don’t work properly or when we don’t know how to use them, can’t live with them, can’t live without them …

From chips in cell phones that can track our every move, to surveillance cameras in the streets, to chips that can store our likes and dislikes and cater to our whims by sending just the right advertising piece, … we are being watched, like it or not.  However, it is not the feeling of distrust that Big Brother suggests, but more like the Big Sister that protect us, likes us, and to whom we look up to.  We embrace her, we play with her, we love her, and we get mad at her sometimes, but soon we forget.  Technology has become our Big Sister.

Me Who, What, Huh?

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I guess it happens in your early forties, but suddenly, you find yourself questioning everything around you – the universe, society, career, friendships … and how you have lived your entire life.  The only thing not being questioned is family – because you are stuck with it.  Somehow, nothing seems to make sense, or at least, have the same meaning it had.  It could be a dramatic experience for many, or an exciting period in your life.  You can analyze everything to exhaustion and become depressed, or you can just enjoy the sudden jolt of enlightenment that seems to break you in  halves.

Eventually, like everything, it will pass, and you will emerge once more.  Depending on what you made of the experience, you will emerge strong or vulnerable – but no matter what, it is still you.  I am convinced that midlife crisis happens for a reason – it is necessary to ground you once more,  just as the “terrible twos” or the “challenging teens.”  Will it happen around your sixties, eighties …?  Who knows.  Me Who, What, Huh?

Shakespeare a Day 18

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“Can honour set-to a leg?  No.  Or an arm?  No.  Or take away the grief of a wound?  No.  Honour hath no skill in surgery, then?  No.  What is honour?  A word.  What is that word honour?  Air.” – King Henry IV, Part I

It is what it is.  A matter of the soul? the spirit? of love of the country? of the human condition?

Shakespeare a Day 17

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“This above all; to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” – Hamlet

True words, as it is hard to be false to the world when we are true to ourselves.  When we experience many back stabs in the course of our lives, we might tend to become a bit skeptical about trusting people; however, this is not the way to live fully, as it denies the essence of Love.  By being true to yourself and putting out the best of you, the ball ends up on the other’s court – even when you experience deceit, you are at peace with yourself.  In this world, the good and the bad coexists, and sometimes, wolves wear sheep’s attire – the only weapon against that is the satisfaction of being true to yourself.