To learn, it is not that easy…

 

I remember when I was at school and Brazil was entering the "car age." Almost everyone was buying a car as they were relatively affordable, easy to drive, and even when you changed to a different model, learning to drive it wasn't a big challenge.

Today, we live in what could be called the learning age. The expectation seems similar: learning should be cheap and easy. Cheap... in many ways it is, at least for the average person. Although, if we look behind the scenes, the investment made by companies and governments is enormous. Perhaps one day those costs will come knocking at our door…

But the "easy" part? I'm not so sure.

Take one of the most common devices in our lives: the smartphone. Every model - even within the same brand - is different. Every time we replace one, we have to learn... again.

Or maybe we don't. That is probably the option most people choose. The changes in menus, layouts and features can be overwhelming, so we simply keep using the new phone as if it were the old one. We ignore most of what has changed because, for everyday life, what we already know is usually enough.

There is always a learning curve. It remains relatively gentle if we are happy staying within our comfort zone and using things as we always have.

But if we really want to take advantage of the new possibilities, the learning curve becomes much steeper.

And we are only talking about smartphones. The same is happening in medicine, education, technology, communication and almost every profession. Knowledge is expanding faster than our capacity to absorb it.

It is a paradox - a kind of K-Curve. Learning has never been more accessible, yet meaningful learning has rarely been more demanding.

So, what can we do?

• Understand the purpose of your learning. If you are buying a new phone, spend a little time discovering the features that will genuinely improve your daily life. Perhaps it has an excellent speech-to-text function or a tool that saves you hours every week. Learn what serves you, not everything it can do.
• Focus on what you really need to know. When you have to learn anything, compare different ways of doing it and choose the simplest, fastest and most practical path.
• Learn with discernment. A great course or an inspiring lecture can transform the way we think - and as a business consultant, I strongly believe in lifelong learning. Still, before committing your time, ask yourself three questions:
• Will this change the way I think about or approach my work?
• Will it give me practical tools to improve?
• Am I truly going to use what I learn?
• The first two questions help you evaluate the quality of the learning. The third helps you evaluate its usefulness. If the answer to that last question is a clear "no," perhaps this is not the right time.
• Finally, remember that you do not need to learn everything. Even doctors do not master every disease or treatment before they begin practicing; they continue learning by applying knowledge in real situations. The same is true for almost every field: you need a specific feature on your phone, you can learn it then; you want to build better relationships, you can work on them with the help of a coach. Knowledge grows through use, not merely through accumulation.

Perhaps the greatest skill of our time is not learning more, but learning better. In a world overflowing with information and knowledge, wisdom lies in choosing what deserves our attention, what deserves our time and what deserves a place in our lives.

An attitude of motivation

 

For some of us, motivation comes in tangible forms: gifts, money, words of encouragement. For others, it is something far more subtle: an attitude, a way of standing in life. I recently heard a beautiful story.

A young man chose to go against his family’s expectations. Instead of taking a traditional job, he set out on a journey of exploration. Eventually he became homeless, not because he was idle, but because he was writing. His greatest opposition came from his own father. Yet one day, after receiving the most prestigious award in his country for his work, he brought the prize to that silent man who had never understood him. Without saying a word, the father accepted it. In that quiet gesture, the son felt the warmth of recognition, perhaps the deepest motivation he had ever received. One of his next books, he said, would be about that man who never encouraged him… and yet motivated him in his own way.

When we talk about motivation as an attitude, we are not asking how others inspire us, but how we sustain a motivated stage even in the face of resistance.

This attitude rests on three understandings:

1. We are following our purpose, our truth. No matter what unfolds externally, this is the path we feel called to walk.

2. We may be working on something beyond others’ perception. It is natural that others cannot fully understand our choices and therefore we cannot rely on their motivation or get bothered by their opposition.

3. We don’t expect immediate results. A motivational attitude is built for a marathon, not a 100-meter sprint. The fuel comes from inner energy, positivity and resilience rather than external conditions.

And yet, there are three risks we must remain aware of:

1. We may misread our purpose. Especially when we encounter opposition, it helps to check in with someone we trust; there is always the chance of being wrong.

2. Others’ lack of understanding may come from our own communication gaps. A friend, a mentor or a coach can help us clarify our message and reduce unnecessary resistance.

3. Long-term results require patience. Fatigue can creep in. One way to navigate this is to transform the tiredness into a plan by breaking the journey into short, sequential aims that keep the process alive and dynamic.

A motivational attitude does not guarantee perfection, but it does carry us toward a certain kind of success, the one built from within.

 

This is a post in a series about motivation - starting from within.

 

Your Purpose Drives You…

 

Once upon a time, there was a young man. He used to go to the river and collect berries to sell in the market. In fact, he didn’t just collect the berries - he also made sure the water was clean. He watered the plants (his city was in a dry area) and kept everything in good condition. Then he would go and sell those products - that was how he earned his living.

 

Just like this young man in our tale, we all produce something that others “buy.” It could be berries, vegetables, sandwiches, projects, profits for companies, or even a beautiful family.
Production is one of the main functions we all have - in fact, everything in life produces something.
But there is also something more…

 

Unknown to this young man, the water he spread around helped a family of animals in the area. They, in turn, helped pollinate the plants, making the land even more beautiful and productive.

 

Besides production, we have another duty on this earth - some call it a mission, others our dharma, or simply our purpose.
Purpose is our real function - it’s the reason others will miss us when we are gone; it’s the reason our Mother Earth smiles when she thinks of us.

Others may sell berries or vegetables, but not the way we do - not with that big smile.

Many people can prepare better sandwiches, but not with our awareness, that special flavor of sustainability.
Countless professionals can deliver greater profits, but not with our long-term perspective.
And our families - they thrive because of all the water of love we’ve poured into them.
A particular kind of love, unique to each of us.

But there is one problem - it’s invisible.

 

When this young man was no longer young, he passed the task on to his son, who was not as diligent. The boy liked to play more than work, so he simply gathered the needed berries and rushed back to sell them in the market. Unknown to them, a small tragedy began to unfold. After a year or two, there were fewer berries, the land grew arid like the city, and their livelihood was in danger.

 

Purpose often becomes visible only when things start going wrong - and by then, it may be too late to reflect.
If people were more aware of their higher purpose, they would be more careful with every action.
They would treasure their smiles while selling, stay conscious in their work instead of chasing blind productivity, value their long-term vision, and never stop watering others with love.

Yet it happens - we forget our purpose.
Sometimes because we never truly knew it.
And in those moments, we must trace our steps back to the beginning.
Or…

 

The boy, being clever, soon realized what was wrong. He remembered how his father had taught him - not through words, but by taking him to watch. Then, something happened: a spark. An energy he had never felt before.
The river was nearly dry, but water still flowed. With a bucket in hand, he began watering the plants again - every single day. Two years later, the river was flowing fully, and the land was greener than ever.

 

When we are connected to our purpose, our actions align with it. Even small acts - a smile, a project, a family gesture - gain new meaning.
The beauty of this kind of motivation is that it never expires.

Stay in touch with your purpose and you will feel its energy moving through you - quiet, steady, and always there.

 

One day, the boy became a man. And one day, he brought his own sons to the river. Beside it stood a prosperous shop, full of life. When he taught his children, he was careful to show them the whole picture - not only how to fetch berries, but how to keep the river flowing.

 

Your purpose makes your life flow.

A purpose for leaders of the self

 

What is your purpose?

If you are a very educated person, you will ask back: what???

Purpose is an inner guidance that makes the individual to do certain things and not others. As humans, we have a few of these, but purpose is the one with the most impact.

There are of course many different types of purpose, but I am talking here about a higher purpose, something that is not conditioned by a period of time and it serves as part of the inner compass.

Every time someone is REALLY following their purpose, naturally there will be satisfaction in life, all will be successful and the person will feel accomplishment at every step of the process.

However, if the person is not following that in terms of actions and behavior, or even attitude, then satisfaction will come only when there is visible profit, not everything will be successful and the person won’t feel accomplishment all the time.

Lastly, if the person is GOING AGAINST their purpose… Well, there will be dissatisfaction most of the time, even when there is success it will look like a failure and there will be the feeling this is not fulfilling my purpose in life.

Let’s work on a simple example: a new job.

If the job is aligned to the purpose – I feel my purpose is being fulfilled here – there will be enthusiasm while working, tasks will be fruitful and the person will feel they are progressing by working there.

If the job is NOT aligned to the purpose – I should be doing something else, I should be working somewhere else or in another thing – then there will be enthusiasm from time to time, but most of the time, the person will just do their job; the person will fulfill their role in the tasks, but there will be a lack of belonging and so they may be done in an automatic way, and they will be probably looking for another job right now!

If the job is AGAINST the purpose – What am I doing here? – there will be lack of enthusiasm and maybe an attitude of rebellion against it; this person perhaps will affect other people and the work climate, and finally they will feel stuck there and they may try to do their worse at their position.

So, what is your purpose? As it will impact your whole life, it is better you know it and you live it.

Define your direction, and move… Your destination is just ahead!

If you are lost, you look at a compass… Our modern times replaced it with asking around for directions, checking a map in the cell phone, or a GPS system, but the idea behind is the same.

Inside the individual, the same thing takes place, as everyone gets lost many times in their lives… For that, we also need a (spiritual) GPS to help us to find our own selves, but there is no such a machine yet!

Many of the modern problems come from being lost in relation to what the person should really be. By find themselves, the individual is able to live a full life and contribute completely to others.

There are three ways this can be done, and they are quite easy to implement:

• Live a life of aims and goals. Yes, go, fix a goal, and fulfill it, at least in relation to relevant aspects such as tasks at your work, your self-progress, family relationships, health, etc.
• Look at that imaginary place you would like to reach and compare it with the present you are living. Do the calculations of which changes you need to implement in your life so that you can really be what you are. This will motivate and generate a powerful dynamic for your life.
• The last possibility is to create your full personal compass by fixing a North (your final destination), understanding your South (your values), balancing your East (a spiritual source) and West (a pragmatical view). Finally, let’s not forget the point in the middle, a life purpose, which will balance everything.

In this way, you will experience focus and a life full of certainty, even during periods of deep uncertainty.

Finding your higher purpose

If you are a very conscious person, you have your purpose in life very clear. By the way, I am sure you are such a person and your purpose is totally clear!

But, as we have too many things to do (and the pile is increasing), it is possible we forget a very important purpose since each activity or group of activities has its own.

For instance, I work as a coach and business consultant. My purpose is very clear: I want people feel empowered in an organizational environment. It is a nice and practical one, present in my mind at each one of my interventions, lectures, workshops and all that I do.

However, I also like to cook; because I am not a good cook, I have to set a purpose to each of my interventions. There was a Christmas that I felt people were not so enthusiastic, so I decided to cook a shepherd pie, a VEGETARIAN shepherd pie. It was hard work, but at the end people were literally blossoming. By the way, it was delicious.

So, what is my purpose? To help people in organizations or to give them enthusiasm? Both? Neither?

Then comes what is called a higher purpose: it is the reason of life beyond profession or lifestyle. It is a subtle energy that guide us like a compass.

Noticing the two purposes I’ve mentioned, both coincide in at least one point: I want people to feel better than they are. And that is part of my higher purpose.

Why do we need a higher purpose? Let’s understand what happens when there is clarity in relation to a higher purpose: there will be clarity on the path, objectives and even the small purposes, set for actions. Besides, it will boost self-esteem and it will help during uncertainty.

If you still don’t have a clear higher purpose, it is time to do your homework.

Finding a good job

Jobs, gigs, an employment…

For some, it is some sort of slavery… for others, it is a way of realizing the true potential.

What is it for you?

OK, there are some places or careers that shouldn’t exist, either because they are very underpaid or useless. But there is a way to make those meaningful.

There are other jobs that make you feel the best in the world… they can be made even more meaningful.

First, align your job with your VALUES, those qualities you don’t write into your curriculum, but they are what will link whatever you do with what you are. It does not mean you have to leave it, but reflect upon how to include them into your activities.

Second, what is your PURPOSE in life? If you are working, but that is not making your purpose clearer or greater, then you won’t find full satisfaction. If that is the case, it is time to rethink your work position, career or attitude; there is something wrong. Don’t leave it, just think, reflect and act.

The last thing is your FUTURE VISION: can you see how this present position contributes for you in terms of fulfilling your aim and goals? Part of the reason work is unfulfilling is the fact that you don’t realize how it fits in the picture of your life… Think of it, there is always something you can learn or assimilate even from a very bad job.

You do this and whatever you work will be good for you and for others.

A purpose for leaders of the self

What is your purpose?

If you are a very educated person, you will ask back: what???

Purpose is an inner guidance that makes the individual to do certain things and not others. As humans, we have a few of these, but purpose is the one with the most impact.

There are of course many different types of purpose, but I am talking here about a higher purpose, something that is not conditioned by a period of time and it serves as part of the inner compass.

Every time someone is REALLY following their purpose, naturally there will be satisfaction in life, all will be successful and the person will feel accomplishment at every step of the process.

However, if the person is not following that in terms of actions and behavior, or even attitude, then satisfaction will come only when there is visible profit, not everything will be successful and the person won’t feel accomplishment all the time.

Lastly, if the person is GOING AGAINST their purpose… Well, there will be dissatisfaction most of the time, even when there is success it will look like a failure and there will be the feeling this is not fulfilling my purpose in life.

Let’s work on a simple example: a new job.

If the job is aligned to the purpose – I feel my purpose is being fulfilled here – there will be enthusiasm while working, tasks will be fruitful and the person will feel they are progressing by working there.

If the job is NOT aligned to the purpose – I should be doing something else, I should be working somewhere else or in another thing – then there will be enthusiasm from time to time, but most of the time, the person will just do their job; the person will fulfill their role in the tasks, but there will be a lack of belonging and so they may be done in an automatic way, and they will be probably looking for another job right now!

If the job is AGAINST the purpose – What am I doing here? – there will be lack of enthusiasm and maybe an attitude of rebellion against it; this person perhaps will affect other people and the work climate, and finally they will feel stuck there and they may try to do their worse at their position.

So, what is your purpose? As it will impact your whole life, it is better you know it and you live it.

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.

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…

Change at a high speed

Changes are present every time and everywhere. It is part of life and it is part of our own identity as we know we will be changing and our society system is based on that, supporting different stages of our lives.

However in the last few decades, that change has been accelerated and that system has failed, which explains very successful people at a young age and people who were supposed to be retired, still working.

Changes are happening in a fast speed and there are many theories about it. Regardless, they are happening and it is time we prepare ourselves for that. By facing a fast-paced change unprepared, we are destroying our health and compromising our own reality. Stress, a high rate of divorces, loneliness, mental disturbances… all of that is a way of coping with this type of change.

I was very touched by one case that happened in Colombia, where the main bank CEO decided to resign due to a letter he received from his daughter where she claimed her father back and this news showed the extent changes are affecting our lives.

However, there are many things you can do to keep pace with change, as much as possible anyway. If you feel overwhelmed by an omnipotent and omnipresent change, try these:

• Make sure the things you value are not lost in change. You can’t avoid traditions and structures to disappear under the fire of change, but you can prevent whatever you receive from them to get lost. For instance, maybe you used to have dinner every night with your family or go to your temple of devotion all Sundays; if change is too fast you can’t do even that, but you may create other slots of your time and keep them no matter what: a family meeting on Sunday night and a good daily routine of prayer or meditation would help you to recharge your life, keeping intact the experiences you value.
• Whatever you do should be aligned to your values. So, understand your values and check if your actions match those. If not, think of a way to do it. Values are important and they will help you dealing with changes without pain. Look for something else to do that is aligned to your values and change it, or develop values that are aligned to what you are doing.
• Is your present position, profession or career fulfilling your purpose in life? Do you even know your purpose in life? There is a very easy way to know if you are accomplishing your purpose, even though you don’t know it, and that is your level of satisfaction. Not talking here about joy or enjoyment; if you eat a nice food, you would enjoy it, but after a while you would be hungry again, but if you are satisfied with something, that sensation does not leave you and you don’t get tired of it either. Reflect on your present life and look for a way to satisfy your purpose.
• You have a future, a subtle edifice you have been building all these years. Right now you are doing it! However, due to change fast rhythm, you sacrifice that to have something unrelated in the present moment. Find in your present situation opportunities to attain that future vision and invest time and energy on those.

Values: satisfaction from within

Values are not only nice words… they are effective means to accomplish success.

Every action comes into reality due to a value or another. Its role is narrowing the how’s in relation to the action’s purpose. For instance, if your purpose is to help other people, then your values will help you to define how to do it – by becoming a nun, a good parent or a visionary entrepreneur.

If your values tended in such a way that being a nun would make you act and help more people than being an entrepreneur, but you made the wrong choice and you are working everyday until ten pm, your life will lack in satisfaction and the sense of accomplishment. If you made a good choice and still working until 10 pm, you will feel happy everyday with the sense you are doing what you always wanted to do.

By following your values, your actions are full of meaning and they come directly from within – it is not something artificial, done just because of the present fashion or someone else’s wishes.

It means you need to pay more attention to your personal values and understand them very well.

• Differentiate what you really are from what you would like to be. In every culture, there are some values people assume everyone has and so, they don’t work on them. Be careful about it and very honest with yourself; if you don’t have a value or at least you don’t use it very often, it is important to accept it and work on that, developing it at a satisfactory point.
• How to develop a value? After identifying the value to be developed, or adopted, there are basically two ways for a person to do it. First, find a role model who helps you to understand what that value means in life – if I am honest, how does that look in a couple relationship? Second, to go on a spiritual path and by reflecting, contemplating and meditating, naturally improving the presence of a value in your life – by meditating, I feel more secure within, so honesty is easy, my words and actions express what I really am to other people, including my partner.
• Being a value keeper. Values are very fragile in the present environment where there are too many options and ways to perform an action. It is important to keep reflecting or meditating. Also, become a role model yourself, showing others how to tap into that value and make it part of your life.

By valuing your values, you are changing your own life.

Focus... action!

In a fast-paced society as the one we are living, people seldom gives time for reflection. We normally just react and that makes us tired... so we look for means of relaxing and we don't have enough energy to think, reflect and act, which means we just start reacting again.

This has created a big trend where tourism and entertainment can be considered one of the biggest industries. An example: let's say you are going for shopping - compare the time shopping with the time you spend watching a movie.

It is a strange society, right? We have displaced food as our first value and we have embraced industrial elements, things we could easily live without; now we are going even beyond, preferring what is not even real...

Well, solution does not lie in new policies, a change in the laws or even new inventions. The real solution is to prevent that big tiredness for life that takes place and makes us confusing love we see in a movie with the real love we can feel only in reality.

Focus. It will help people to get less tired and more effective in whatever they do. If you just get tired, in the normal way, that can be solved by a change of environment or a good sound sleep, then it is easier to start thinking and reflecting, before going into reaction. As a consequence, your actions' quality will be better and even if you fall on the reaction pattern again, it will be in relation to a very good quality action.

Focus on what you really want and need. Focus on your reality, your mission and vision of life and you will feel it as a wonderful experience, as an entertainment in itself.

It is not only your productivity that will increase enormously, your joy will also increase and you will enjoy life in a way you probably thought it was only possible watching some good episode on television.

Focus. Reflect. Act. Relax. And focus again...

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.

Seeing beyond the crisis

One of the faculties of a leader is their capability to see beyond any negative situation.

In the case of a small situation, such as an employee's resignation or the loss of a big client, a leader is capable of finding a solution very quick. With their training, whatever she or he has learnt and their experience, leaders are able to solve problems and move on.

But when the situation is big, that is, when it turns into a crisis, responses are not so fast. In fact, the key for solving any crisis is patience and perseverance; patience, as crisis has its own development and we do have to wait until the right moment comes, and perseverance for the leader's insistence and courage to change circumstances. To solve a crisis you need time...

A crisis blinds people, making them incapable to see beyond the present moment. The leader is probably the only one who can still see the future of the organization.

However, it is not that difficult... Even though in terms of position you are not a leader, it is good and healthy to keep that vision in the background whilst you do whatever you have to do to deal with the present crisis.

• First thing is to remind the self of the meaning of working. When you remember its significance, it is easier to remember the future implications of any action and, although remaining in the present, visualizing the possible future.
• Change hope into reality. Once someone told me hope is only for weak people. That is not true; hope is good, it is healthy and it can keep you fighting for your life, if that is the case. The issue is some people use hope as an excuse for not acting. Do you have any hope amidst the crisis? Do something! Anything, even a small one will impact your life.
• Motivate yourself. When there is a crisis, it seems as dementors are everywhere, taking dreams out of your own breath. And, really, nobody will motivate you... It is the moment to look for motivation. Read. Listen to music. Watch something. Do things that make you believe you can overcome this, and you will do it.
• Support each other. Crisis sends people into conflict. I have seen as families can be broken because money is not there. Learn how to support each other, love each other even more and if you have to leave other people for some reason, keep in touch.
• DO SOMETHING... for others! Crisis can generate a kind of laziness in the soul. Yes, with crisis you lose your job or you are under pressure, too busy to do anything else, but it is one of the valuable things you can do is to help others. Being a volunteer keeps your mind clean and you can see a much brighter future as an effect of your work.

Four main factors in life

Life is a long, very long quest. But, one day, the quest is over and you will find the reason for your life here.

Finding does not mean it is over, but at least you have an idea on what to do. From that point, you will have to go deeper and deeper, broader and broader, higher and higher.

I personally feel it is very important to understand four of the main factors that move life: Passion, Vocation, Charity and Career. According to Brian Bacon, those will take you to the experience of balance in life.

• Passion - when you love something and know how to do it well, there is passion in the way you do, move, talk and think about whatever it is. Passion is the fire that allows you to tap your energy and go beyond the limitations at the time of doing something.
• Vocation - when what you love matches the needs of the world, that is the point for your own call. We live in a time when people work because they must not because they like. Sometimes it is important to talk to yourself and check what is your real vocation, and follow that call in your life; if Passion is fire, Vocation is the pipe that focus Passion.
• Charity - as a human, you need to give something without reward. That can be called altruism, and according to each one's values it will show in a different way. Charity comes when your talents and skills, those the world would pay for it, meet the needs of that world. When that happens, it is not that you are doing something for free, rather than that you are fulfilling your own destiny and purpose in life.
• Career - as a human, you need to give something and receive its reward. It is important to receive the fruit of the seeds you have sown, because no human is completely altruist. The right recipe for a good and successful career is based on understanding what you do well and match that with what the world will pay for.

Just remember balance comes from all those four. If you are a very charitable person, but your career is a failure, or you are satisfying your passion but avoiding your call, then you won't experience integral success.

Think about this very deeply.

We will finish this topic on our next post.