The end… or the beginning

 

Once, I left work as usual and went to catch the bus home. I used to work in a very nice and pleasant place, but something surprised me: there was a crowd at the bus stop. On the ground, a person's body, covered with a white sheet.

It seemed bizarre. If it were today, I would undoubtedly think it was some influencer filming something or, perhaps, a soap opera. But, as fate would have it, the bus was late that day, and for more than 30 minutes I stood there observing the scene.

Death, the end of a person who finished their life in a public space, in a time without cell phones to call someone…

Life, the energy of the people surrounding them; anyone observing from a distance - even myself - would think it was some kind of party. And it made me think about how we look at death, so ugly and frightening, so much fear… Yet, death is the end of a life fully lived. Perhaps the person didn't have time to go to college or retire, maybe they couldn't say goodbye or return what the neighbor had lent them. But it was their complete experience.

We will all leave in the middle of something… we will all leave something unfinished. But all of us, absolutely all of us, will leave when our life's journey ends.

That will be the extent of our contribution to others, our city, our country, the world.

That will be the point of personal enrichment from having been in contact with so many people, from having lived in such places.

 

Death is simply a process of conclusion. It is the awarding of a certificate, the diploma we receive for having lived. Death is, in a way, the celebration of a life.

Therefore, celebrate your life, and when you depart, you will feel that it was worthwhile.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

 

When I was a child, I often wondered why bad things seem to happen to people who are good. Over the years, I have been fortunate to meet many genuinely kind and decent individuals. And yet, unfortunately, I have also seen how fate has been unkind to some of them.

It is never easy to accept that someone who helps others, builds healthy families or work environments, and contributes positively to the community has to go through tragedy or deep loss. It feels unfair. Almost contradictory.

From my experience, this question can be looked at from three different perspectives.

First, it may simply be a matter of human perception. In reality, difficult events do not “choose” good or bad people. They just happen. Being a good person does not guarantee a life free of problems, just as being a bad person does not automatically attract only suffering.

Second, I have noticed that some good people are sometimes too good for their own good. They trust too easily, accept what others say without questioning, open their doors assuming everyone thinks and feels the same way, or step into risky situations relying only on prayer, without enough awareness or protection. This does not explain everything, of course, but it does offer part of the answer.

Third, there is the law of karma. What happens to us is not limited to this single lifetime. Someone may have created many positive karmic accounts in this life, but what about previous ones? Karma moves across births. A good present life does not necessarily mean the past was the same. In that sense, today’s goodness may be planting the seeds for a brighter future - even if challenges still appear now.

There is one important point to be added: altruism and selflessness. I have lived in community for almost forty years, and the spirit of service has deeply shaped my life. The inner feeling it creates is powerful and difficult to describe. Yet I am also aware that serving others does not guarantee that problems will never come.

In the spiritual classes I read daily, there is a beautiful idea: we should feel free from obstacles, knowing that obstacles will still come. This means that when service is truly altruistic, there is an inner sense of protection - like finding shelter during a hurricane. The storm may continue outside, but inside there is stability.

And if we look at history, with a few exceptions, many good people who went through difficult times eventually ended up well - at least in their hearts. This is visible in their legacy, their influence and even in the lives of those who came after them.

In other words, bad things may happen to good people, but at least their qualities become their shelter in the worst moments.

Heaven or hell? It all starts in your mind

OK, let’s imagine this scenario:

You got up very late.

You forgot to iron your clothes, so you have to get an old one.

You are about to leave home, when you remember today is a very important day!

You go back and when you iron the shirt, it burns a bit.

You burn your finger when you complain about the burning in the shirt.

You have probably burnt the carpet too!

Now you are TOO LATE.

You go out, looking for a taxi; no luck!

You try your favorite app for a ride, but no luck again!

You have to get into a transport somehow, when a car comes nearby you and splash your recently ironed-burnt shirt with water from the street…

 

Well, you are probably anxious just by reading this… This is like living in hell, or a quite hellish moment.

These are the small tragedies we tend to go through, things that are really not catastrophic, but they can give some headache or even a heart problem.

Now, what about a change of perception? Instead of living in hell, you are living in heaven…

You got up very late. The first thing you do is to meditate and express your gratitude.

You forgot to iron your clothes, so you have to get an old one. That was the first thought; in fact, you are so capable and full of energy, that you go and iron it right now; and here the narrative changes…

You are about to leave home, when you remember today is a very important day! Again, you meditate before leaving and you feel more than grateful.

You go back and when you iron the shirt, it burns a bit. Well, you have ironed it already, with no accidents; you are already on your way to work.

You burn your finger when you complain about the burning in the shirt. That does not happen! You are almost there…

You have probably burnt the carpet too! You are watching others while you go to work, you feel so good.

Now you are TOO LATE. You are going to arrive on time, that’s great.

You go out, looking for a taxi; no luck! You saved money with a taxi…

You try your favorite app for a ride, but no luck again! You also saved money with that ride app…

You have to get into a transport somehow, when a car comes nearby you and splash your recently ironed-burnt shirt with water from the street… You arrive safe and on time.

 

As you can see, by changing your perception, by thanking and being a reflective person instead of a reactive one, you are able to change the narrative of your life.

And the small tragedies become small moments of wonder.

Embracing a tough reality

How is reality for you? In fact, you have – and me too – two realities.

The first one is the REAL ONE, made by atoms and molecules, bodies, things and nature. The second one takes place in our mind and it is as real as the other one, but just for us; it is possible another person will perceive the same reality in a different way.

Let’s think of an exercise. Check an object that you know very well. Now, close your eyes and pick it up – memories will come related to the object. Some of those will be just images or sensations to the touch, but a few will be the moment you received it, who gave it to you, how do you feel when it is near and others that have nothing to do with the physical reality of that object.

In fact, by using this same concept in relation to the situations you see, you hear and you feel, there is something great about it: you may not change the reality as it is, but you can change the perception…

Back to the object: maybe it has been a symbol of love from another person. However, one day, your best friend needs it and you give it away; now, it becomes a symbol of YOUR love towards others. That is one of the most powerful keys to change perception, donation.

So, if your perception of reality is negative, donate something to others, in relation to that. A few examples:

Job situation is BAD! I can’t get work! So, I decide to volunteer and give others the best of myself.

Divorce is knocking at my door… I decide to talk with the person, but I will keep in my mind their special version, the reasons for which we got together.

I am suffering with bullies… I know it is going to pass; now, what I need is to talk with the people who love me, so that I am surrounded by that love and the bullying effect decreases.

So, don’t bother too much with the circumstances; work on your perception and they will change, at least for you.

Learning the art of thinking

You are thinking right now. Maybe you haven’t realized, but you are. All the time, even when you are asleep.

Thinking is something everyone does, but the ART of thinking is not.

Art means the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance. But it is also…

Art is to perceive reality in a different way, so it becomes a gate towards a new dimension, a definition that breaks the meaning and opens to something beyond.

The reason is that the art of thinking is to think in a creative way and observe reality in such a way that changes the way it affects the person. For instance:

• I am so sick that I can’t even get up. By being EMPATHIC, I can turn those thoughts into a possibility of healing… I am sick and I can’t get up. It is fine, but can I do anything? Maybe I can train my thoughts to be more positive, I can meditate more or I can learn a new language while I am in this position.
• What should I do? My boss is horrible and my job is horrible… My life is horrible… By applying CREATIVITY, the art of thinking can change it into… I am not happy with my job, so let me learn something different; I am sure I can find an alternative. In fact, this is a wonderful chance for me for change, let me embrace it.
• My life… what will happen? I don’t know where to go, I feel I am just moving with the waves. In this case, the art of thinking means REFLECTION, a deep reflection. My life… what will happen? It is an adventure and everything I have lived up to now, it certainly contributes to whatever I will face in the future. And how much have I lived! Life has given me so many treasures!

Think with art, in a different way, and the world will be different to you.

Is this new age or just passing moments?

From time to time, there is news circulating around that the world is changing, things are improving and it is much better. And then, things change… back… or worse.

What is going on really? Is there any fate related to our civilization that we must get worse instead of improving?

First of all, we have improved in many different aspects… on a physical level. The mere fact we wash our hands and how much that impacts our health is amazing. And what about all the benefits that come with the Internet…

The problem is in terms of perception: maybe we are better, but internally we are not adapting to welcome the changes in the world. Maybe we are living a new age, but internally we are still in living in the old age.

And there are two paths we may follow if we want to live this new age that is just there, ahead of us:

1. We can adapt externally and hope for the best, focusing on new generations; maybe they will be able to take full advantage of this new era.
2. We should reflect more and check what is to be done internally, so that we don’t miss the new possibilities and at the same time, we feel satisfied internally.

What is the path you are going to follow? Are you going to wait for the next generation to eat the fruit of all the advancement of our civilization, or are it is going to be you who will eat that and then share to others? Make a decision and quick, as the world keeps on changing.

Health does not start with the doctor

One of the big changes in our civilization that very few would foresee is the importance given to health and health care nowadays. In fact, in 2014, it is calculated every American citizen spent about US$ 9,500 and the general expenses for the country was up to three trillions dollars.

However, the roots of health are in more soft grounds than what we see today. The Greeks gave high importance to dreams in the healing process and Indians have their healing medicine – the Ayurveda – registered in old scriptures.

There has been an emergence of those types of medicine because it is time we give our ancestors some credit. Yes, they didn’t have the science behind, but here and there we hear about people getting healed without the use of allopathic medicine. We are still in the process of recovering that wisdom and a general advice for people is to follow their doctor, but to look for complementary treatment in other branches at the same time.

But, even that maybe won’t heal the person. I have seen two people I know and I watched their personal fight against cancer. Although they had different ages and different types of cancer, the initial effects were quite similar for both of them, and they even decided to follow similar procedures. With all of that, still just one survived and she is around to tell her tale.

Because there are things we don’t control and sometimes, our body is one of these things. Health starts from within, from a different perception of the world around you and how that world will affect your of will be affected by you.

That perception will give you the necessary guidelines you need to follow a healthy lifestyle and promote your health before a sickness emerges. That same insight will help you to accept that sometimes your body won’t be able to survive the time you wanted and you just have to rethink your aims and objectives in life, and keep living as worse than dying is to live with its fear.

Do you know where your heart is?

What really makes you get up every morning? Is it that job you hate? Or the boring school? Boring neighbors then?

As humans we need motivation all the time, so much that the most interesting thing can make you feel empty and thirsty for other experiences if you don't feel like doing it.

But it is not possible to have motivation coming from outside all the time. In fact, most of my life I felt as I was demotivated to do something by other people or situations. So, it is time to find motivation inside...

Yes, within there is something that help you to move on or keep you doing something that others feel is useless. Some people would call that your purpose in life, your mission. Other people will make reference as my guts or they will think it is their intuition. We can also call it your heart, because it is what makes you move around and feel alive.

By identifying where your heart is, that is, your inner motivation source, you will have many advantages in your life starting with enjoying every moment, no matter what is happening or what you are doing. After all, some things will give you pleasure, others attainment, some will give you a lesson and there will be situations when you will have all those at the same time.

How to do that?

• Past. Think about those things, situations or people that made you feel special, appreciated, very loved or honored. Now, reflect on your inner self; remember how did you feel or which thoughts were in your mind that time. It is quite possible they were similar even though situations were different, and if that is the case, you have found your heart!
• Present. If you wouldn't need money, what would be your job? That will give you a very important clue about your inner motivation. Try and use it in practice by being a volunteer and check your motivation behind. After being certain, just apply that in your day-to-day life.
• Future. How do you see yourself in the future? Visualize it. Check your relationships with others and your inner state (blissful? happy?). That shows you what you really want in life and it can act as a powerful motivation source too, working as a ruler against which you compare how you feel when you do what you are doing with your ideal inner mind state.

Remember one thing: when your motivation is inside you, you will enjoy everything that happens in life, no matter what it is. So it is worthwhile to find it out and to live by it.

Signs of Paradigm Shift I

I heard the word PARADIGM about 20 years ago. It touched me as it was explained, clarified and its examples. Barker's video and book on paradigm made up my mind and I was a believer!

Later I developed more sense on the stuff and, although I appreciate his work and his innovative way of explaining it, I really started to see things a little different here. And paradigm became part of me, so I stopped working on that.

You know, paradigm as a word came out of fashion one day, but as it is part of me, I can relate to that all the time.

And it is a wonder when you know and you can see how paradigm is shifting everywhere...

Not talking about the big elephants in the room, as China (and India, did you notice it?) takes over from a fallen USA and Europe, or how Brazil is becoming the third in the row.

I am talking about day-to-day circumstances and situations, happening all over the planet.

Do you notice it?