From Me to We

One of Buddha’s legacies was the perfect definition of what true love in action means. It is not love as we have known it, the one that worries about the future, the one that imprisons, which purpose is to change our loved ones into what we want them to be. He doesn’t refers to the kind of love that we give exclusively to those around our close circle but the one we give freely to anyone and anything in our path. It has been hundreds of years since he spoke about pure love. It has taken us too long to understand his teachings. In the meantime we have been grounded in the old vision of the ME point of view; the one that focuses exclusively on the needs of our personal ego. Fortunately, the Me is changing. The Buddha has been heard!

 More and more we are witnessing a shift. We are realizing that the Me stand do not serves us anymore. On the contrary, it has only directed us to the point of individualism and alienation that has caused so many problems leading to injustice, inequity, and spiritual starvation we suffer these days. Finally, our souls have been shouting a collective intent to get out of our isolation, willing to get rid of useless patterns and willing to embrace the We consciousness that will ultimately save us as a human race. 

It has taken us too long, too many wars, and too many tears, mental, physical, and emotional stress.  It has taken a lifetime of experiences. But, at the end of the tunnel, the light is shining bright. The way I see it, we still need to work hard. Many more souls are still to join the “reclaiming our hearts nature” movement. In the meantime, in a world that has been plagued by fear, the words of ancient wise men are paving their way back to us to remind us that we all belong and because we belong, it is our duty to work together as one. Will you be the next one to join? 

“True love extends to all people and all beings. There’s no discrimination. There’s no attachment. It brings only happiness and eases suffering. It is kind and compassionate and through it life is filled with peace, joy, and contentment.” ~Buddha~

Enigma - Sunrise

Keep It Simple Stupid

Have you noticed how with the passing of the years, we have been awakening to the past and what it taught us? We have been navigating through many stages and finally here we are; going back to the times when we were happy, living as a community with less means but more life fulfillment. 

Observing the patterns, I have realized that there’s some kind of magic in living simple. I am a product of it and am currently re-discovering how in simplicity our real life purpose could be reached. What are the benefits of living simple? This is what I know:

• 1.       It gives us the tools to live with intention, committed to better not only our personal world but the world in general.

• 2.       It helps us create a safe environment for ourselves and the generations to come.

• 3.       It gives us a sense of solidarity with the world around us.

• 4.       It makes us think about our consumption habits and how they positively or negatively affect social needs.

• 5.       It creates a sense of community, helping and looking after each other.

• 6.       It raises our levels of spirituality and gets us closer to the basics.

As a teacher, I used to teach my students the KISS (Keep it simple stupid) principle as a way to learn a foreign language in a way that was simple but fun and challenging at the same time. Today, I see that this same principle applies to everything in life. We just waste too much precious time complicating our lives by always wanting more, consuming more than what we really need, asking for a lot more; in an eternal competition, most of the time against ourselves. 

Living simple is a celebration of life where we are grateful for the riches of nature’s perfect creation, the riches of community and mindful sharing with others rather than in the "poverty" of mindless materialism.  

“Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.” — Oscar Wilde

Checking Up Beliefs and Values

At five I was just starting school. My life was split in between a new found intellectual culture, new friends, and caring teachers and the memories of climbing trees, clear skies, and a growing to be wild childhood.
Sweet fifteens came quick, high school escapades, puppy loves, and a life ahead eager to be discovered.

At twenty, when most of us are trying to figure out what to do with our lives, I had already pretty much chosen mine; a mother already and a career on halt.

Thirties came as an avalanche of drastic change and decisions, new world, new dreams, the lift off of an undreamed path. This was the grounding into the world below.

Now, in my forties, when I look back at those years, I see a life of no regrets where opportunities were taken, mistakes turned into lessons, and life lived. I have touched and savored all my goals, my relationships, my good as well as the not so good moments. As life has gone by, only one thing remains unchanged, my love and respect for the family, the value of friendships as a stronghold, and my love for just being here, still living in the wild side of an amazing journey. 

What you just read is real. I consider it a drill in values. Although I am a firm promoter of staying in the present moment, reviewing our past could be helpful when a check up in values and beliefs is needed. Like everything in life, we all change. What kind of world would this be if everything and everyone would remain static? Change is always good. It adds excitement and joy. It makes us thrive, constantly reaching for a star. How have you changed over the years? Did your childhood fantasies became real? What was important to you then? What is important to you now?

In acknowledging our old beliefs and values and how they served or didn’t serve us we position ourselves at the top of the mountain from where we are able to see everything without being directly affected. From there then we can throw away what is not beneficial for us anymore and welcome the new, re-writing our story accepting, changing and taking action for our today.

Lightning it up!

Plato’s mentor was Socrates. Plato thought Socrates was the wisest person of this time and he passionately desired to learn all of Socrates’ wisdom. Legend has it that one day Socrates and Plato were walking down the beach walking the talk. At one point, Socrates said to Plato, “Walk with me into the ocean.” They turned and walked into the sea together. Student and teacher, two of the greatest philosophers of history were striding into the surf side by side.

The water started out around their ankles, and then rose up to their knees. As the water got higher Plato wondered, “What is the lesson my master is trying to teach me?” When the water was about shoulder height, Socrates abruptly grabbed Plato’s head and pushed him down under the water. As Plato was held down, he undoubtedly wondered again what this lesson was all about. After a time, when Plato ran out of air, he began to struggle to get his head above water. He punched and kicked and grabbed to get free, but Socrates was a strong man and held him down.

Finally, Plato blacked out due to lack of oxygen. Socrates pulled him ashore and resuscitated him. When Plato regained consciousness, he angrily accused Socrates of trying to drown him. Socrates explained, “If that had been my intention, I would not have pulled you ashore.”“Then why did you do that?” Plato demanded.

Socrates calmly replied, “When you desire my knowledge like you desired that breath of air, then you shall have it.”

As humans we have many needs; autonomy, integrity, interdependence nurture, spirituality. What is your present biggest desire? Are you passionate about it? How are you expressing and working towards meeting that need? Every great dream begins with a dreamer igniting the flame of passion and living through it as the air we breathe.

10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy

The Paradox of Practical Spirituality

I don’t usually speak or write about religious matters. I have learned that it is a sensitive topic for many who feel insulted or threaten so if I have to, I always state that I respect and honor all religious beliefs as well as the believers. Today, however, a memory landed in my mind and I guess it was for a reason. Young enough I came to realize the difference between being religious versus being spiritual. As a child, I witnessed many scenes of religious, devoted individuals, faithful church goers and contributors. With time, I began noticing a contradiction between the message delivered and the actions and reactions to it. They would always clash in the real world.

•“Love thy neighbor as yourself.”
•“For if you forgive men, your heavenly father will also forgive you.”
•“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you…”
•“Love bears all things, endures all things, believe all things…”

I started wondering why these people were not capable of actually living through these words. It looked like their faith was limited to the walls of the church. Once in the real world, their tongues would spill judgment, hatred, complaints and a non-stop guilt trip against each other. They would remain submissive and passive in the face of social issues affecting others. They would just be there instead of serving others through their faith. What were they truly doing to contribute, to make life better?

Spirituality is that part of us that reflects the wind, not bounded to the material world; that human feeling of the spirit serving as God’s, the Divine energy instrument. I came to the conclusion that this was the missing link, what religions were truly lacking these days. The message of love can’t be spread through fanaticism, through my beliefs are better than yours, my truth is the only truth, these people are evil, you are all going to hell precepts. How contradictory is this with the message of love each other given more than two thousand years ago?

Practical spirituality is living through and for these words. It is serving; it is feeding our souls by feeding the souls of others no matter their beliefs, gender, race, or preferences. Through practical spirituality we discover that the only way to love ourselves is to love others, and to give love we must feel it toward ourselves first. It reminds us that by forgiving we are releasing our spirits and opening doors. It centers us in the present moment, what we do every new day. It encourages us to stand up for the weak, the abused, and the neglected, and to make a human connection that would allow us to make the changes we wish to see. Isn’t this what we are all craving for? Isn’t one of our most basic needs to serve others, to make a difference and grow our spirit?

In times like this when everything around us seems like being in a chaos, let’s leave our old, non-serving beliefs behind. Instead let’s become what we have always been, spiritual beings practicing radical forgiveness, radical giving, and radical love. Only then we will be able to experience radical changes and the life we have been dreaming of.