A New Year, a new “me”

2020 will attract a lot of attention; just wait to see how many people will talk about the year of perfect vision!

I have already spent many and many years and I don't know how many new years seemed to be the definitive ones, when I would finally achieve that dream, that change or that transformation. So I should lose hope on 2020, right?

No, not really. I think that every year has brought me closer to my dream - and in some of these years, I saw a few dreams come true. I know that I changed a lot as a person and even, in some areas of my life I have transformed.

The magic of the New Year does exist. It renews not only vague hopes or elusive dreams, but it gives me the possibility to reset my life, even if it is partial. And in this 2020, I want to use this beautiful number of interesting, though simple, symmetry, to stimulate me to reflect.

For me, and I hope for you too, this year I will have a great opportunity to renew myself and really be different. I will have 20 opportunities to be a new me.

In the physical, it will be an opportunity to opt for a healthier diet and, when I do physical exercises, change the way I perceive myself. I can change the way I dress or look for a house somewhere else and go to live there. I will travel a lot: I will travel every weekend or I will intend to travel to places that I had never thought of going before. Perhaps, it is time to study and work in another career.

What opportunities await you in the physical plan in this New Year?

There is another level that opens up many probabilities, related to your mind and emotions. Because this year I have the enormous possibility of cultivating another way of thinking and sustaining a positive attitude, despite the situations. Instead of worrying, I will deal with creative thoughts and fill my being with constructive emotions. It is time to use the power of my mind to its fullest extent, so I can turn my ideas that are so valuable into something physical.

What is your window of improvement in your mental and emotional capacity in this New Year?

It is in the spiritual that I have more hope of success, because it will be a year to meditate more, much more. I will work in my inner world, making it more stable and I will establish myself as a leader of the self. It will be the year not to react to situations, but to reflect and then do something. Everything is summed up to BE before HAVING or DOING. Finally, seek to experience the natural goodness of others and empower myself, at every step.

How much will you dedicate this year to the development of your spirituality?

What, Christmas again?

Since my childhood, I have noticed Christmas was not as exciting for adults as it was for me, a child. In fact, it seemed some people like my mother were even afraid of it, after all, around Christmas was the day she worked more than the whole year; she was a saleswoman.

Now, as an adult… what can I say?

I do love the time and period, the lights on the streets and a general distinct vibe in the air, but I think we have turned Christmas into a shopping experience, instead of a life changing event, which could be…

Because of the story of Christmas, you may see others under a different light. Just think there is a guiding star for every human being and your job is just helping them to see it. That is real Christmas!

And Christmas smiles emerge from the heart, not from some desire or just the need of pleasing another person. It is a real smile… something we should enjoy the whole year.

During Christmas, people are easy to reach, easy to talk and they are more open to listen to you, or just talk to you. It is the perfect moment you have been looking for a long time, when you at last get that I forgive you.

So, don’t let yourself down this Christmas, just refocus and pay more attention to the real spirit of this celebration.

A Big Hug for you, Merry Christmas!

A magic lamp!

It's like Aladdin's, but brighter. This lamp is called mind.

To activate this lamp, just rub it, that is, use your mind with a purpose instead of just letting it wander around... Let the hand of your best intentions touch your mind, making the best of it emerge.

In this magic lamp that we all have, there are unlimited treasures; really, you can achieve everything, not only for yourself but for people who are connected to you. When there is a clear purpose and focus, everything is possible.

But check your intentions while using your mind. One tip: the more selfless you are, the more powerful the outcome will be.

Like every lamp, there is a hidden genius waiting to be released, which is the force that your mind will use to bring about what you need and want to achieve. Actually, your magic lamp is so broad that it contains THREE GENIUS. The first and most important is that of a determined thought.

Sit peacefully and focus your mind on what you need, touching it gently with pure intentions. Now, let your mind generate the thoughts that can make the impossible become possible.

And do not be diverted! A determined thought is the match that transforms a candle into light... Think, speak and act.

The second genius is very special and important, helping you to overcome the obstacles of the path, because it will MOTIVATE you all the time. It's about constructive emotions.

One of the key reasons why we do not achieve what we have in mind are obstacles and adversities in general, which take away our desire, and frustrate and discourage us.

Therefore, fill yourself with positivism by talking with optimistic people, watching news that helps you increase hope, and discussing topics related to love, peace and happiness... The more you feed your constructive emotions, the more easily you will overcome obstacles.

The last genius is related to a process of introspection and reflection necessary to process what is happening. They are the feelings that exist on a deeper level than the emotions.

From time to time, stop along the way, look in the mirror of your own existence and recognize what exists within you, the feelings that come before emotions and even thoughts.

They come from your beliefs and serve to turn into memorable the incredible effort that your lamp will make: change your reality.

From disempowerment to empowerment

I have been working on the topic of empowerment for many years, since I realized the importance of power in life: that’s what we have that comes from within and helps us to defeat obstacles, to reinvent ourselves and to attain success.

However, I have noticed that there has been a decrement in the awareness of power; I would dare to say we are reaching very high levels of global disempowerment. How to turn this around? I would like to explore three of the present paradigms that show disempowerment and how to change that:

• Aloneness and short-term relationships. People are either choosing to live by themselves or they have relationships that last very little time, creating a unique situation for the family-based societies, governments, the economy and many other levels.
• The deep dissatisfaction, from citizens to government officers. In the past, this was a common trace of a dictatorial government, but nowadays even very well consolidated democracies are facing this, which may be considered a worldwide movement.
• The fake media. Instead of a media that covers matters and subjects into their depth, the social network has opened the doors to all kind of information and news are often short and inaccurate, generating the chance for fake news and deepfakes.

Why does this indicate the growing disempowerment and how to reverse this trend?

First of all, the main reason people are alone is not that they don’t need others because they are so satisfied and fulfilled; reality is there is not enough strength to try and live with other people, by accommodating to others’ way of living. One way of solving it is to invest time in developing more assertiveness and dialogue techniques, which will help in creating new bridges between people.

That dissatisfaction also reaches the social level, which used to happen in non-democratic countries and people of democratic countries used to point and say well, that’s the result of dictatorship. By happening in a democracy, it shows people’s disempowerment as the big irony is that people are marching and protesting against people they themselves have put in that position... The empowerment in terms of citizenship comes from developing better criteria to use at time of election and to know more about the government and social structure, so learning ways of promoting change in a more effective way.

Last but not the least, information has always had a deep impact in our mindset and good powerful information helps us to feel more empowered. Let’s add to that truthful; if the news is not real, the effect tends to be the opposite, particularly when facts come out and the person realizes they believed in something false, losing self-confidence. On one hand, control the news that come to you and don’t believe in them just like that; on the other hand, prioritize more in relation to which information is relevant to you, and focus on that, leaving other pieces of data aside.

I am here, what about you?

A typical scene nowadays, anywhere in our very modern world: a group of friends sitting together, all of them looking into their own cell phones, apparently ignoring the rest of people around them, even though they are very good friends.

We live in a world of people who are not present. A few are working at one place different than the place they are sitting or standing; others, are looking for fun somewhere else and in many cases, they don’t even know where their actions are taking them to. Many others are trying to evade and escape the present reality.

But, I am here. Even though I am so busy, I am still here…

Maybe I can’t be present all the time, but I chose and decide to make that special effort to be where I am and to be what I really am, along with others.

Would you like to try? Try to disconnect yourself for a while from the whole world and be present at the small space you occupy. Try to look into the eyes of others and appreciate the nature around you or the wonderful city you where you live.

That will generate an alignment, enabling your mind to perform better and helping you to make better decisions. That will improve your life in general, and I am sure it will help others to appreciate you even more…

To express yourself in an emotional level

It shouldn’t be difficult as we are essentially emotional creatures, but the reality is that when we have to communicate, the emotional level or ingredient is often a big challenge.

There are several reasons you could find for that, such as the complexity of human emotions or the fact they are hugely controlled by the social environment.

Even though it is not fully confirmed, when you don’t express them, your emotions accumulate until one day, you explode, so your anger towards your boss makes you lose your job when at last you tell him or her what you are really thinking. Another option is that you will live your life bitter, always thinking of the many possibilities of expression…

But if you express yourself improperly, then that emotion won’t have the effect was intended. For instance, if your anger with your boss is expressed with your life partner, well, your boss won’t know about it, so no changes will happen and emotions will keep on accumulating, besides your partner will resent the treatment.

However, if you take some time off. If you just relax a bit, and reflect another bit… Maybe you can calm your mind in a way, so that your emotions get clearer and, because you are very calm, you may find the right moment and the right way to express them. You may find a way to sit down and have a real conversation with your boss, expressing your emotions in a way that sounds constructive and inviting a change in your relationship.

So, make a list of those emotions you haven’t been able to express, just relax and reflect, and you will find a way of doing it.

An anchor that may ease the weight of the clock

It is impossible to really understand the pressure of time in the present society we live, as it is very different than before.

How was it before like? In fact, many of us forgot the fact there was a clear routine separating job and home, and that is an essential ingredient of a good time management: getting ready, leaving for work, working – eventually, talking with friends or relatives – leaving the workplace, arriving at home, doing more things there and going to sleep – sometimes, working a bit…

Nowadays: before going to work, a person is often responding emails or messages (several sources just as WhatsApp, SMS or Telegram). In fact, there is not a clear line division between work and life outside work.

Besides deadlines and terms been much clearer then, two important principles of time management are to have a free time period slotted into your schedule and what we could call an anchor, which is something that will happen no matter what, like dinner with the family.

These principles had many uses, one of them was to relieve some pressure of time as the person knew he would have  to work hard for a certain amount, but later, there will be free time; or at such a such an hour, they will have to be somewhere else.

Nowadays, with a fluid sense of time, things get very confusing and much discipline is necessary along with self-control to keep the anchors, the almost legendary dinner with the family which, when it would happen, will be accompanied by lots of cell phone checking and talks related to work.

This means time is the same as before, but pressure is bigger on everyone’s mind. The clock seems to be heavier now and years look shorter. Soon, retirement is coming…

What to do? Going backwards or revert a trend is a difficult, but to re-establish those two principles is not as complicated as it sounds. Maybe an easy way is to merge both principles…

1. Just check what you will do as free time or time for the self – to run, reading a book or meditating. Be a dreamer, but balance that with the reality of your resources and interest.
2. Now, think of when you are going to do it. Be neither too ambitious in terms of time, nor too shy.
3. Lastly, convert those into important anchors in your weekly or monthly schedule. Be as accurate as possible (day, time), but keep your schedule flexible, don’t schedule it too tightly.

Ah, don’t forget to organize yourself for that:

• De-clutter your schedule of other things and not only for that time – try it for the whole afternoon and evening…
• Tell others about it. If you are shy about what you are going to do or you don’t want others to join you in that, just tell them you will be busy during that time.
• It is good to plan things drop by drop… Keep balance.

Always remember that to manage time is not only a way to be more productive, but also to enjoy more personal time.

Shifting from having to being

In 1976, an interesting book[1] by psychologist Erich Fromm touched the subject, trying to stimulate readers to understand the consequences of focusing on having instead of being.

The surge and growth of materialism has stimulated intense rebellions and a new way of seeing the world. Not new in the sense that never has happened before; it is new in terms of occurrence as nowadays people are questioning what they are doing and why they are doing it.

And the consequences are clear when we see or hear about climate change or the effects of greed in humanity.

But the desire of having makes us keep on increasing and accumulating possessions. What is the solution? More protests? More laws?

Maybe, reflecting and refocusing could be a shift point in our civilization. For instance, instead of valuing people who attained things like big cars or jewelry, let's value people who ARE.

We could start from ourselves and value more the experience of being well, happy and peaceful, instead of valuing having the last cell phone in the market.

We could start by being an example to others and inspiring them to focus their energy in being instead of just having.

Then, one day we will be able to give more importance to what we really are…

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[1] To have or to be? 1976, by Harper and Row.

How to learn things?

An old and in a certain way very influential tale talks about two monks, and I make a few updates to the story here.

The younger one, the pupil, asks the older and wiser man, the master, how he can learn to be like him, in a fast way. Younger and eager to learn… A very good combination.

The wiser man did not respond, instead he put a cup in front of his young disciple and start to fill it with tea. After a while, the cup was full, but the older man did not stop; concerned that maybe his master has lost his marbles, the younger disciple warned him about the fact that the cup was already full. The master however did not stop until the jar was empty.

After an awkward silence, the master smiled and observed three things, which he expressed in a voice that was like a whisper:

1. Those who want to learn need to first of all increase their own capacity; otherwise they won’t be able to absorb all the teachings.
2. The teacher won’t stop teaching just because the learner can’t imbibe it, which may cause some exhaustion in both sides.
3. After learning, the learner has to use the lessons. My dear young man, why aren’t you drinking your tea?

Follow these three points and you will be able to learn things very well. I would like to describe them, by using examples of my own.

The first thing you need to learn something is to increase your capacity. To learn a new language, I try to listen to it first, even though I don’t understand it. That will help my ears to get accustomed to strange and even weird sounds, it will soften my perception of the language and it will help in the long run. That is how I learned English…

But it may be a very tiring process. I remember that as I did not have resources, I was bound to use very cheap methodologies and not so effective, which means my efforts were double: first, to learn it as well as possible, and second to discern whether whatever was being taught was right. Eventually, I just got used to commit mistakes and being corrected, an interesting method…

By the way, I am not talking about the teaching side here, so wait for the post on that.

The last thing was of course the use of the language I was learning. I started by type-writing texts in English that were translated into Portuguese in a tape; by using the text itself and the audio, I started to associate meanings and gradually I could create a good vocabulary.

Later, I went travelling where I could practice the language.

Nowadays, I speak three different languages, and I can understand a bit of a few others, including Hindi. I do hope this method also works for you.

So, prepare your cup, the tea of knowledge is ready!

Methods to face change

Any situation you want to change, you have created it somehow, maybe by literally generating it or just by applying it to your life. For that, you needed a certain type of attitude or mentality, and the ironic thing is that with the same mindset you want to “uncreate” it.

That is what makes changes difficult, because it is more a question of changing the self than changing something outside, which takes time and lots of energy.

But there are changes and changes. Let’s do it simple and categorize them:

• Small. It implicates you have to change something that is easy, it is not complex and it does not require much of energy or any type of investment.
• Simple. A bit more than small, it is still easy and not complex, but you have to invest something like learning skills or a trip somewhere.
• Big. It is difficult and complex, you will have to invest something to work on it.
• Huge. It is very difficult, very complex and a lot has to be invested so that it happens.

A small change seems, well, small. So it should be easy, right? Not necessarily; the problem of small changes is that you don’t give them much importance, as it is often hidden in the theater of your life. For you to be able to solve them, you need the trick of giving them importance, because when you highlight them, you start to face them and find a solution.

Simple changes are probably the easiest ones, as they are bigger than the small changes so they are easier to be noticed, but not too big to be difficult. A good example is to adapt to a new boss; you may either adapt to his or her style or, if you don’t agree, you always have opportunities at other companies. Plan it and implement what is planned.

Big and huge changes are the fight, flight or freeze type. For instance, when economy dynamic changes and your golden job becomes a tinned job, what to do? First of all, reflect on the change and avoid the 3F’s impulse or instinct. If that change is for a short time – and please, consult experts to reach that conclusion and don’t get biased by an ideology – the fight option will be good as far as you have the energy to change the situation by doing it. Otherwise, no energy means patience can be a good teacher and the freeze choice, of just waiting and see will be the best. However, if the change will stay for long time, the flight option is probably the best; look for a new job, RIGHT NOW!

In other words:

• Check the category of the change.
• Apply the best tactic for it, which is...
• To give importance, highlighting it, facing it and finding a solution, in the case of small changes.
• If the change is simple, it is planning and implementation.
• For big and huge changes, it is better to reflect and then decide upon what you have decided.

First world, is that hard?

I was born in Brazil, I have lived in Chile for two years and I am in Colombia for the past 26 years. I also travel a lot and I have stayed long times abroad, particularly in India, but also in England and the U.S.

And I realize that if someone lives in a first-world or third-world country is difficult to understand I don’t live in either of them… I am living in the middle, and since I was a child.

Particularly during the dictatorial military period in Brazil, I didn’t like the idea of belonging to the third world, the reality of the time; it was around then that the term developing countries[1] got popularized and Brazil was quickly classified like that.

Initially it just sound like a polite way to say the same – and it still has that ring in it – but along the years, what I have seen is that by developing in a proper and integral way, a country can reach the first world. That is a firm belief I have that any country could be a first world country, and so giving their population a better life. This is why I am posting this.

I lived in Chile just after Pinochet has left, so it was still underdeveloped. By seeing its growth and the fact that now it is part of the first world club[2]… I don’t want to get into the debate (is it or not?), but I have seen sure signs even when I was living there that may be useful for other countries:

• A respect for taxes. I was really surprised when I bought something in the streets and I got a boleta (invoice), as street business is often informal. Later, I would have a glimpse of this that comes from a good use of tax-payers’ money and a nice system. For instance, a common way of taxes evasion is to enter the country with a product in the bag. Once, I went from Buenos Aires to Santiago with a friend who had several books in her bag; at the time of customs, she went straight to the agent and showed the books and the invoice. As books don’t pay tax, he just looked at it and he allowed us to go. Even when there is the need of paying, it is quite easy and fair. Quick summary: by educating people to value paying taxes and by using them in a proper way, a country develops.
• Training. There is a system that motivates companies to do training as the value can be discounted in their taxes declaration. As I was a trainer myself, that came very handy and I do miss a system like that, living in Colombia. By giving opportunities for others to be trained and learned different skills, a country develops.
• Awareness of opportunity. Chile is the land of opportunity and if a foreigner goes there and dedicates himself or herself, it is possible to climb very high; although I can’t say if it is like that for nationals, it looked as it is. Although it is a relatively small country in terms of population, this gives a big advantage in relation to neighbor countries. By changing the perception instead of lacking to an opportunity, a country has a better chance for development.
• Work, work and work. Chileans work very hard and it has been helping the country at the time of climbing the ladder of first world. But it is not only hard working, as I would include Colombians in that category too; Chileans are often very much success-driven, which creates a nice dynamic in the country in general. Stimulate work, but direct it towards attaining success.
• Little corruption. That is the most impressive part of living in Chile… Little to say about that, really, just check corruption indexes[3], and it comes just after Uruguay in the whole Latin America.  It really stimulates the economy to know people won’t use their power for personal advantage. And maybe that is why people do pay taxes. Very simple: educate people to not get tempted by corruption and the country will develop even more.

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[1] More about this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_country

[2] Check this updated webpage: https://www.investopedia.com/updates/top-developing-countries/

[3] Transparency is an organization that watches on this. Check their report: https://www.transparency.org/cpi2018?gclid=Cj0KCQjwoebsBRCHARIsAC3JP0LljKEMfPQThn-eICRMPMfw1Ktqf-053RPAQsFHqbEIwQ194VfJZCwaAn1sEALw_wcB

The real reason why you work and why it is magical

My first job was THE WORSE! I was clearly unprepared for the labor market, so I had to get whatever was available. I never mentioned it in my curriculum and I just did it to earn some money. Don’t ask!

But along the years, I’ve noticed that even the most magical and interesting jobs, well, they were not that good, demanding too much from me or making me go through long times of boredom.

It was much later that I started to understand my work as a way to fulfill my own purpose in life. In fact, it provides me with invaluable tools and helps me to refine my own self.

In fact, my realization was that you can choose the way you see your work and it is not much as the work in itself, but the attitude and awareness whilst working. It enabled me to work with a smile for some very interesting project or the worse initiative.

Try this: don’t see WHAT you do, instead focus on HOW you do it… Go deep within, check your thoughts, feelings and emotions; think about the real reason you are there working.

Although sometimes it will give you money, other times just learning, but if you have the right focus, MAGIC will happen and that work will give you a very deep satisfaction.

What are you waiting for? Go and work!

This is a series of posts on MAGIC… I hope you have enjoyed them all.

When being healthy is being a magician

For many years, one disease or another made me company. Being sick, especially as a child, meant that I was deprived of the joy and lightness typical of that time, of the many friends and too many games... It affected even my school performance - Physical Education is a subject - and it marked me a lot.

For several reasons, I decided to enter a military school, more specifically the Air Force. Although I had to study hard for the examination, in parallel to a normal school, I managed to pass with a good number. During the preparation time, the most important thing for me was the work on my physical body, since my fear was not passing the physical tests.

I’ve passed. Suddenly I was living with more than 200 boys in a huge dormitory. While in an environment like this my illness should grow, but it was quite the opposite. The contact with nature, exercises and marches did their job on me and I was only in the hospital once in three years of study.

This was the beginning of a fundamental change, because health is not only important; being healthy is MAGICAL.

The departure of the Air Force coincided with the beginning of the practice of meditation, which involved changing my diet and schedules. For decades, I have been able to observe how health was influenced by my mind and spiritual endeavor, a dimension different from that of the Air Force.

Today, despite continuing to have health problems, I experience magic in relation to being productive and maintaining normal relationships with other people. Even when the body's energy seems to be depleting, the soul gives it one last push...

This is a series of posts on MAGIC…

PS I suggest you go to my channel, I have a playlist dedicated to good health. #GoodHealth

The magic in meditation

Less than 40 years ago, I was going through a crisis. Although in hindsight it was quite a typical teenager crisis, for me it was the end of the world.

Then I got in touch with meditation and I have learned a very beautiful technique, raja yoga, imparted by the BrahmaKumaris in my city, Sao Paulo, Brazil. And it was magical…

No matter how much people talk about benefits of meditation, I feel it does not cover the reality because of its impact on my life. Just a few things that happened to me:

• When I started to meditate I clarified my goals in life. In this way, I could manage my existence as a leader of myself.
• My health started to improve in all levels.
• My relationships… I was able to get rid of expectation and start the journey of acceptance.
• I was also able to leave my shyness and start a professional career that was worthwhile.

In relation to meditation, magic is not so much in transforming stone into water, but to shape the stone in such a way that is capable to hold the water.

This is a series of posts on MAGIC…

P.S. Check also this video in my channel - https://youtu.be/ijD9atWiM6M

The magic behind relationships

Have you had any problem with another person recently? No… OK, you may go.

Otherwise, let’s understand relationships in a different way.

You see, we are all complete people, we have all capacities, powers, values, potentials for everything, but we rely heavily on the environment to develop it. I give you my own example: I am sure I could be a champion in swimming, but my family has never motivated me to do that; instead, they made me do judo, which was nice but it was not my call.

And that is a very important factor within the concept of environment: family. Relationships in general influence us more than we would imagine because they make us developing some qualities that wouldn’t happen otherwise. Or they may prevent us to do that.

In this way, to keep your relationship healthy means that you have more chances to develop the best qualities, talents, values and power, and so you can face situations with better results.

That is the magic behind relationships! So, next time you look at your spouse, child or boss, look at them as wizards and witches that are helping you to be a better version of yourself.

This is a series of posts on MAGIC…

BEING is so magical...

There are 4 main verbs in relation to spirituality: TO BE, TO BE (I will explain…), TO HAVE and TO DO. The idea is all your states - profession, family situation, socioeconomic position - come from who you really are, and everything you have and do is aligned with that.

So the most important verb is TO BE. Do you know how to conjugate it?

• I am... Who are you really? If you identify with your profession, age, gender, whether you are a mother or single, that means your identity will fluctuate when you retire and cannot practice, or when you change your age, even if you have a gender identity crisis or worse, when your children leave your house or get married. Reply “who are you really?” and that is the beginning of a fundamental change.
• I am, my state, is what I am... In many languages, TO BE splits in two: to be works with the essence of the person - the former example - and to be works in relation to a person’s state, which means my job, roles and responsibilities come from my internal qualities and values, from my unique perception of the world. There is no state without me really being.
• I have what is aligned with who I am... All my possessions, physical or subtle, are directly related to me; through my clothes, the way I handle the cell phone or even my sense of having in relation to my relationships, they must be directly aligned with my values, qualities and my spirituality.
• I do what I am… I only do what is related to me, my values ​​and principles, everything that corresponds to the being that I am. It is my call in practice, the best of who I am placed in action.

When I conjugate accurately the 4 verbs, huge changes will happen in life and I will experience the true magic of simply BEING.

This is a series of posts on MAGIC…

It is about time we turn to magic

Not long ago, I was part of a team organizing a big event here in Bogota and a suggested topic was The Magic of living aware. I was surprised because at least one person was against particularly one word: magic.

Yes, there has been a long time negative publicity in relation to that word, which evokes in many people’s minds images of goats’ heads or black candles, but magic is something present everyday: you are feeling sad and just after someone smiles at you, all that sadness flies away; you are jobless and out of the blue, an opportunity comes; your marriage is in serious danger and all of a sudden your spouse is gentle and caring again.

There are more:

• If you don’t find this time of magic in your life, go to Humans of New York and you will be able to find it in someone’s life who has overcome the unbearable or who was a hero for a few hours.
• A Syrian refugee going to Europe, in his very long journey, arrives at a country that has not been very welcoming for immigrants. He was part of a small group of illegal immigrants and they were found by a policeman who, in his broken English, checked if they were immigrants. When they confirmed, he asked them to get on his car. After a short trip, they reached his home and – magic! – they were given a space to stay for a while, food and some comfort in their hard journey.

But a magic scene in life is not like a miracle, there is always a reason behind: the person who smiled at you is someone you love but maybe you forgot, and you have been searching for job for a long time when the call comes in; not to mention the fact you have been working on yourself and trying to be more understanding in relation to your partner and the policeman in the Syrian’s young man’s story was in the war and he knows its horrors…

But still, it is magical since you can’t demand someone to smile, that your job search has results, your partner changes their mind or the horror of the war left whether scars or open hearts.

So, I think it is time we trust more on the power we all have to turn the impossible into possible. I would like to invite you for the next weeks to merge yourself into that magic stored inside your mind…

For this week, please, remember some magic moments that happened with you and share with all of us…

This is a series of posts on MAGIC…

The eyes of a leader

In the year 86, I have met one of the greatest leaders I have ever known. Much before I heard of all theories and examples of female leadership, before I even thought about studying the topic of leadership, she was already performing it, and very successfully.

I then ask myself: what went wrong with leadership? News and social perception indicates a big lack of leadership in the world, and I guess Dadi’s method could be used to recover a bit of that.

Dadi Prakashmani was the leader of Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual university originally from India, to which I am part for almost 40 years. Her smile and energy used to motivate anyone just by seeing her and probably that is the first thing all leaders should take into account: smile…

But I would like to focus on her eyes, from which you would experience: you are the most important person in the world and I am your friend.

Her eyes used to see others’ specialties, even when they were wrong; of course she would notice others’ errors and correct them, but the feeling was that it was like a mother: I love you no matter what, but I must correct you because I want you to be the best.

Last things I could see in her eyes that could be helpful for any leader:

• There used to be a deep calmness that could calm us very deeply, more than anything we have experienced.
• At the same time, there was such a power; it was as if she was telling: you are going to win, don’t worry about that.

What do you see in your own eyes, leader?

From beyond sound, into sound

Are the levels of stress increasing?

Probably so, and I guess you have been feeling stressed for one reason or another; it is quite possible you have more than one reason to be stressed and you experience it many times in a single day. Or hour.

There are many ways to control it or even to heal the sensation, but there is a very simple, cheap and wonderful method linked to meditation: Silence.

Yes, silence… not the silence that comes because you cannot speak or the quietness that is there simply because you don’t have anybody around. Purposeful silence is a wonderful relief for stress, and if you give it a chance, can help you in healing.

A silence with a purpose comes because you are complete at the moment, as you have done all you could. Therefore, it means rest and recharging at the same time.

So, whenever you have to get into an activity that you know will stress you, just go deep into your own silence first. If it is a very difficult conversation or finishing a project you don’t have any idea how to do, just go into silence first.

Maybe you have gone through that very stressful situation, so it is time to go into silence and recover, replenish and empower yourself.

You may meditate or just walk in a park, the important thing is to be totally quiet and let your mind to process; by doing so, fantastic responses and experiences will come up…

Techniques that help with productivity: delegation and empowerment

One way to improve your own productivity is to distribute responsibilities and actions around, and this can be done using two techniques. They can be done in different moments or in a sequence, starting with the first one and moving to the second one, according to the time, process maturity or simply as an experiment.

The first one is DELEGATION. You know, when a parent sends their kid to the grocery store; the kid is not really responsible yet for the transaction and any mistake he commits it is the parent’s responsibility. Delegation is a very powerful educational tool and it helps to develop a sense of responsibility with the load, particularly the emotional one. But to delegate specially to an adult, it is important:

• To have it clear the responsibility is still yours and any error committed by the person is YOURS, so are you ready for that?
• To never blame the person for a mistake, even though you have explained about it 100 times… Sometimes it takes 101 times to make it perfect.
• You have to do a constant follow-up and check-up of the process; you cannot leave it like that. Meetings are an excellent method for it.
• To sustain the person not only as a professional, if that is the case, but also as an individual. Talk with them, listen to them and encourage them.

DELEGATION is often used in a boss-employee, parent-child or teacher-student situation, that is, when it is very clear the other person is not capable for any reason to take over a responsibility. But, what happens when they are expert?

EMPOWERMENT is a technique used to basically create new leaders or at least new bosses. It is when the child is big already and they take over the responsibility of doing the monthly shopping for the house. In this case, empowerment comes as a natural and organic successor for delegation.

But if we are talking about workplace situations or a group of friends, or even within the family but in a different context, empowerment shouldn’t be used lightly. I know many people from a newer generation feel they are expert in some aspects, but experience is not something you can get from a college or by reading something; it comes with time.

This technique implies that the responsibility will be transferred to that empowered person, and so the leader has to have a very good leadership capacity to understand when to empower and we will talk about empowerment later. In terms of productivity, either of them will help you by doing more things in a much better way.

I hope this helps you to be more productive! This was the last one on this series…

https://lookingformorethanjob.blogspot.com/2019/06/tips-of-productivity.html

To meditate is very productive

Many people nowadays talk about the benefits of meditation in terms of productivity and several companies are investing in creating spaces for this practice. But much before all of that, I was already meditating…

To meditate gives me three important things that I think closely are related to productivity:

• Concentration. I will be clear and confess that my concentration power if very poor… but meditation helps in terms of increasing it. When I meditate, I develop a powerful habit of thinking of one thing only, or very few ones, which is useful when I am working or any other situation that implies productivity.
• Detachment. It is not a Zen attitude, it is something fundamental to have a good work life and yet, keep the balance with the rest of your life. But, if you like philosophy, it is said in the Gita: All the time your hands are doing, your mind should be on God.
• Power. If you go beyond the relaxation that meditation provides and the sense of abstract, you will find that to meditate is an excellent recharger. The reason is that connects you with some more powerful source, giving you power just like when you think of someone you admire, you feel stronger.

Now, you may ask which type of meditation is the best. I do raja yoga, and I love it, but I am aware people are different and it is important you do the type of meditation with which you get more benefit.

I hope this helps you to be more productive! Check my post on productivity too.

https://lookingformorethanjob.blogspot.com/2019/06/tips-of-productivity.html

For a better productivity, you need to study

For me it is not only about being productive, it is about life… After all, if you are really productive, you will be able to live even better.

I am constantly paying attention to new articles and studies on productivity, prioritization and anything that helps me to have my job done in the most productive way and to live my life in a better way.

So study and research are integral part of improving productivity as better methods keep emerging and by going deeply into the subject, it is possible to conciliate the various areas of a person’s life.

If you can, get enrolled to a course, but if not, just browse videos, articles and books on the subject. Ah, very important: APPLY whatever you read that touches you. I am sure you don’t need any more theory in the shelf of your head, right?

I hope this helps you to be more productive! Check my post on productivity too.

https://lookingformorethanjob.blogspot.com/2019/06/tips-of-productivity.html

The art of prioritization

To prioritize is totally linked to the idea of making decisions. That means when I am prioritizing I am helping myself to make better decisions, but also when I prioritize tasks, I am training my own capacity to make decisions.

The first thing you need is CLEAR CRITERIA. Why would I do this task first? Why to postpone this task? How do I know which task should be before this one?

I have 3 criteria for prioritization and that is something I change from time to time – before, I had only 2. It helps me to canalize my energy in a better way and, I must say that this system has been for a while now and it came from a very old method: try and try and try… It is possible these criteria tune with you, but you have to create your own criteria, according to your life style, personality, time availability, etc.

My main criterion reflects what will generate impact in my life. I make a conscious effort to understand the tasks from a perspective of its impact: How will this affect my present professional option? What will be the effect of this on my health? In which way will this help me with the present change I am going through? By asking questions, you can understand which tasks should be performed before and which ones after.

As a balance, my second criterion is related to the easiness of the task. I have noticed in myself and others that as the easier the task, there will be more enthusiasm for it. How many hours will I spend doing this? How much of this task I can perform by myself? What is the level of weariness I will feel after finishing the task? Sometimes, I have to split the task into small subtasks, so this criterion is very important for me and it helps me to avoid distraction: the more difficult the task is, the more I try to avoid it.

My last criterion is new for me and I am still working with it. The idea behind it is that every task should contribute something important for me or for others, and I give more marks for those tasks that contribute to others. What is the reasoning behind it? As an IT guy (retired), I realized I give lots of attention to small details like ordering my folders, so this type of tasks has been put as a very low mark as it only contributes to my personal state of mind…

But my IT skills are very useful, so prioritization for me it very easy, but complex enough to create interest: I sum up all the criteria and order it in a spreadsheet by total, impact, contribution and easiness. Then, I start working on it, fulfilling every task.

I hope this helps you to be more productive! Check my post on productivity too.

https://lookingformorethanjob.blogspot.com/2019/06/tips-of-productivity.html

A few IT tips…

I have worked in the IT area for many years and I still flex my tech muscles from time to time. Even though I want to help people to have some tech detox, it hurts that many people really suffers with the present technology.

So, I would like to give you a few tips that may be helpful and I hope are easy to implement:

• Read manuals. Yes, read them… take your time to do it and do it. If your product does not come with a manual, look for it in a searcher like Google, for instance, Samsung Z4 Manual. Another way is to Read articles or watch videos that help you to handle the product; search How to and indicate what you want to do. And what you are going to use will be something permanent or it is key for your productivity, I strongly recommend a course.
• Chose passwords that are easy to remember, but that are difficult for others to guess. For instance, you can choose your pet’s birthday, but the date in a way that only you will be able to understand (12Nov2010 can be turned into BeforeThanksGiving). If you are a foreigner of a different language than the place you live or work, choose something in that language, and if you are visual, mix numbers and letters: M1x#s&L3tt3rs (Mix Numbers And Letters).
• NEVER save your bank or other sensitive information. Yes, every time I check my bank balance or want to do an operation, I type all over again… This is very important, since there is a big crisis in information technological security.
• If a website is not working, just wait a bit… If an app is not responding, just wait a bit. ¿Computer is too slow? Just wait a bit… Many problems get solved if you just wait a bit.
• DON’T CHANGE YOUR EQUIPMENT EVERY YEAR. Even though most people will tell you that if you learn to use a cell phone and you change it, it is very easy to adapt, that is simply not true. There is a learning curve and in many cases, it is increasing. I myself try to stick at least to the same brand of cell phones.

Hope these are useful and if you need more clarification, I may help you with that.

Problems and our inner dialogue: the need for reflection

How do you work? How do you improve your productivity? What is the way of dealing with children? Why to forgive others? 

There are many questions in people’s minds, creating lots of internal noise as we try to navigate the troubled waters of present society, making things even worse. Before, it was much simpler as you can see by these possible answers…

I work as I was told to.My productivity is fine, thank you very much, and I will stay at this company until my retirement no matter what.I speak, my children obey.Forgive others??? Are you mad? They should be killed. I just need my family.

Those were the simpler times and although many people would cringe when hearing some of this, it was like that in our civilization for millennia.

Now, in these very complex times, we may just sit down and cry over past times, or learn new ways…

I do my best in my work, learning as much as possible. I fail and I win, that is how it works. Sometimes it is boring, but I have to live. Will they fire me? I endeavor to improve my productivity. Or not… it all depends if I like my job or not, if my boss is nice to me or not, the money... If it is OK, I will make my best. My children… sometimes I hit the target and I am able to satisfy them. Other times… not so lucky. Wow, it hurt. It really hurt. What that person did… but I need them in my life. What would I do without friends or family? Maybe I can just ignore them and keep some distance. Forgiveness? That’s too divine for me.

That is a present possible inner dialogue.

Now, let’s put some silence in between… Let’s put some reflection between the question and that inner dialogue and see what happens.

Of course, first we need to understand reflection very well. It can be in the form of journaling, meditating or just talking with a good friend, but it means I take the situation as if it is my own reflection – I put aside too much judgement and I accept who I am, what the situation is, and I develop it internally, talking with myself and reaching to some conclusions; not final conclusions, but at least my hair is combed; that is, the situation is clearer in my mind.

By putting some silence, the inner dialogue could go like this, at least at the beginning:

How do you work?…SilenceLet me think deeply in relation to my work. If I don’t like it, why am I still doing it? No, I like it, it is just that there are times I don’t like it. What can I do to make those times more pleasant? To change my boss or even to change my job is not possible or at least it is not instantaneous. Maybe a better attitude is on my reach, so by changing the way I think, I am sure the results in my work will change too… How do you improve your productivity?…SilenceI understand productivity as gaining more by doing less. Often I just focus on one of the sides of that equation (doing less), but let me think it in a different way: What am I attaining by doing this work? There has to be something and this is why I am here. By understand it I can refocus my actions, thoughts and energy towards that. If I work thinking of my achievements, I am sure I can produce much more and much better… What is the way of dealing with children?…SilenceI like the saying that parents are the bows, but children are the arrows. I am just taking care of them and by doing that, I am creating a strong bond, but one day, they will be on the air. The difficulty lies in that they have issues and I am aware I am not really qualified to deal with them. What can I do? Well, I can be a good parent, I am a good human being and I can at least provide them with a space and time, so that they can solve those issues. I can be present… Why to forgive others?…SilenceIf someone does something bad to me, it hurts, and many people have hurt me. If I am honest, I have hurt many people too and I would love to be forgiven by most of them at least. I would love them to look at me with no hatred, with some understanding of my mistakes and situation and hopefully a few of them would even extend their arms and embrace me again. If it is so good for me, I just wonder how good will it be for them if my eyes don’t show any hatred, I am able understand them and look at them in a different way, I can even hold a few of them…

Try this and see the results yourself.