Walking and moving on…

It's another year and you're still out there... walking and following...

I remember one of my favorite Brazilian songs, Tocando em frente, particularly a few verses:

Penso que cumprir a vida – I think to fulfill life

Seja simplesmente – It is just a question of

Compreender a marcha – Understanding the walk

E ir tocando em frente – And move along

Perhaps we have had fantastic and exotic dreams.

Maybe we had fabulous plans.

It may be that the route we have designed was different from the one we follow today.

And yes, a lot of whom we are today is not exactly what we envisioned.

But this is the path we are on and if we look closely, we will see something…

We will see the possibility of having new dreams and planning something new.

We will notice the landscape of our life, what a beautiful landscape that every day greets us and takes leave from us.

And the reality we are, we really are, is exactly the best of ourselves.

Keep walking…

New Year 4 – Implementation…

So, you have New Year's goals or resolutions, some objectives or a long-term vision...

Besides, you recognize that you have to develop a few qualities to fulfill all this and...

EMPOWER YOURSELF! The fundamental thing for this to take place.

And now just ... DO IT!

When it comes to implementing, the best plans end up being changed or simply do not work, so here you have some tips for their implementation; for this purpose, I will be calling New Year's goals, objectives or resolutions as a plan:

• Keep the plan in writing to guide you.
• Do it step by step, date by date. You can use tools such as a scheduler or send you an email scheduled for a specific day.
• Do it slowly and fast... That is, meditate, reflect or contemplate before each step, but do not stop.
• Before making any changes to your plan, reflect deeply, something you can do even as you talk to someone who can actually cooperate with you.
• Celebrate every victory, it doesn’t matter its size.
• Transform every defeat into a lesson and an opportunity for improvement.

New Year 3 – Self-empowerment...

You may not know, but the reason you fail to fulfill your purest and highest resolutions for this new year is that you lack power.

Power is what makes you overcome the different barriers that life usually places on us. It is therefore important that you generate a routine of self-empowerment. I share mine as an example:

• Every day I wake up to experience raja yoga meditation for almost an hour. Meditation may not be your thing, but there are several things you can do such as praying, reflecting or walking in the middle of nature, with a clear purpose.
• A short while later, I study daily; it is a spiritual class which objective is to give me elements to change my life and live it better. Instead of receiving news, usually bad, focus on receiving a knowledge that uplifts you.
• During the day, I meditate and reflect on the daily class or other similar sources of knowledge; it is important for me to maintain this state of consciousness. Looking for the continuous flow of knowledge that uplifts you is fundamental in your work, even doing breaks for your self-improvement.
• An important thing I found out and included in my routine is to serve others in some way. Volunteer service generates an enormous amount of power.
• Finally, I OBSERVE MYSELF DAILY; I see what I could change and find out what I couldn't. Self-observation, even if it is not followed up with decisions or changes, may transform reality.

New Year 2 – Qualifications…

OK, so you have your goals set and now, what? It is time to make it real!

But, before that, a particular reflection is necessary:

• What qualities do you require to fulfill your goals, qualities without which you cannot do it?
• Which qualities will help you to fulfill your goals, even though they are not mandatory?
• How are you going to develop those qualities?

Qualities maybe values, virtues or even inner powers; they will enable you to fulfill your goals. Without those qualities, you will struggle to fulfil your aims in life.

So, make a plan on how to get those qualities, by responding the three questions above and good luck!

New Year 1 – Goals...

Instead of thinking that reality will simply SHOW UP, why not taking advantage of this motivational moment of change of year to set goals?

You will become the designer of your own new year... Don't you find it interesting and... motivator?

It can be and it is very easy:

Think about what you want to achieve this year. Create a list from these thoughts, prioritizing according to your own criteria (how easy it is, its importance, etc.).

Check the list very well, joining what can be joined, avoiding paradoxes and polishing your ideas a little.

Now, answer for each item: when will I achieve this? How will I do it? What resources will I need? What changes do I need to make for this?

As the above questions can take time, the suggestion is to complete item by item.

Finally, schedule the different points that you have to work using some technological tool (such as GCal) or a normal agenda planner.

 

So, are you ready to be the architect of your existence?

Christmas 4 – generating an impact

A day, a night, there was a dream.

Standing on a hill, by looking back, there was something interesting: a dry Christmas tree... For a moment, past Christmases came to the mind with his joy and energy, with children and the elderly, with gifts and promises of gifts. A smile emerged, in this strange dream, and the thought about how all these moments would have impacted a life. There was a memory of a strange gift that appeared on a desk, which made looking at co-workers differently...

On this hill, looking around there was this cute Christmas tree. Without wanting or thinking, the tree came closer. On each branch, there was a photo and it was a person present in life, but the photos had different shades: in very light tones, beloved people; in dark tones, people with whom there were serious problems, and in gray, photos of estranged people for a long time... Under the tree, some gifts were waiting to be opened and the thought was about how this would impact life in the long run. In present times, gifts are usually disposable, temporary, but... But the love present in each one... In the dream, the love of each gift appeared like a soft cloud sparkling sweetly. Yes, this would stay forever.

Then, looking forward: a large seed was waiting on the ground. It looked like an egg and it was easy to guess that it was the future Christmas. The future years of life. It wasn't green, it wasn't that pretty; It wasn't gray or ugly either. Just this seed on the ground, which touched the heart more than the other Christmas trees, because there was the understanding future was ugly or beautiful. Future was still being created. At this very moment.

This Christmas will have a phenomenal impact on the future Christmases we will live.

Again, a smile appeared on face and soon, to wake up, to live the present Christmas and to generate the future Christmas.

And you, how much will your present life impact your future Christmas?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas 3 – celebrating with others

When it's Christmas, she likes to celebrate with the people from her office. TWO PARTIES! One with the morning shift, the other with the night shift. She loves it... but...

When it's Christmas, this sweet couple loves to be with their families. TWO FAMILIES! Hers is funny; his is serious; a very interesting balance. They really like it… but…

When it's Christmas, they cook for the whole neighborhood. There are many very old people, some families where the parents work too much and their food comes with a very special energy for everyone. This family really likes to cook for everyone... but...

When it's Christmas, the doctor and his wife, a teacher, go to remote places, bringing gifts that no one else wants. Both experience extraordinary happiness... but...

They celebrate a lot with others, but something is missing. Something in their life, so when they finish their activities…

They meditate a bit...

They pray…

Read something that lifts their spirit...

Together they watch a movie that could change their lives...

And they sleep with a sweet smile, the smile of those who REALLY celebrated Christmas.