Effects of a Modern Life: Exhaustion

 

I do feel people are too tired… Don’t you think so?

Perhaps the problem is related to health and so the person should go to a doctor and check upon this. Or, maybe the problem is not the lack of rest, but the kind of rest we choose.

While trying to relax, I see friends endlessly scrolling on their phones, watching one episode after another, jumping from one video to the next, trying to “disconnect” from their source of stress and to feel good. And yet… they are exhausted.

It’s a strange paradox of modern life. We have more entertainment than any generation before us. More comfort, more technology, more “free time” and more possibilities to make our lives easier. And still, many of us wake up tired, go to bed exhausted and live drained of energy.

We are confusing distraction with restoration, boredom with silence, doing nothing with slowing down, and this is why, we keep feeding the mind with noise.

Another invisible factor is the pressure to always be “on”. We have reached a level in terms of society that many people feel obliged to be productive or available, 24/7. We jump every time a notification beeps, vibrates or screams…

Relaxation is competing with that sense of success we have created and cultivated along many years. We HAVE TO BE BUSY, we HAVE TO WORK LONG HOURS, we HAVE TO SEND OUR CHILDREN TO THE BEST COLLEGES, and so on… Look, this is not bad, but partial success does not work well. Imagine you have a fruit, a whole fruit, but you eat just half of it and you miss the best part. Success is not only achievements and attainments, it is also that incredible sensation of victory, an elated stage in our minds and an eternal smile…

The third thing that is making us more and more tired is virtual-based relationships. I do remember at the end of every year, I used to call EVERYONE in my cell phone; now, with more than 1,000 numbers in my phone, I would have to start wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” from January!

And let’s not talk about the endless number of photos and videos, audios and things that, in the past, meant there was a meaningful relationship, and now it just occupies space in the cell phone memory. A virtual-based relationship makes us tired instead of enriching each other.

Real rest is not an escape. It means stillness and it is conscious, rather than just trying to forget. It is not travelling, but deepening. It is not scrolling eternally in your phone, looking for something; instead, take whatever is there in front of you and make it a beautiful entertainment moment.

It may be uncomfortable at first as it requires us to face silence and be alone with our thoughts. Real rest comes from a powerful reflection on what we have been avoiding and stopping us to escape from our reality.

Yes, meditation and a change of lifestyle will help. Definitely, power naps and a sound sleep will work wonders.

My suggestion here is that you start from your awareness, letting go other ways of resting that ends to make us even more tired and embracing new possibilities. You will see the results I am sure of that.

Overcoming the effect situations of high-impact

 

Two scenes come to my mind. The first one was when I was still a child and I broke my arm while practicing judo; my master at the time did not handle the situation well and I was not treated as I should have been. When I finally went to a doctor, many days later, I was told that it was too late and that I would forever have trouble doing certain movements.

Another scene was in my late teens; I was just coming to Brahma Kumaris, this wonderful spiritual path that I have been following for almost 40 years. A teacher was giving a class and she was a psychologist, so she shared a concept unknown to me until that point, related to the impact of situations with a high emotional impact. I experienced such clarity that many of my problems up to that moment (and in the future as well) started to make sense and it became easier for me to find solutions.

I mention these two scenes because they exemplify a lot of what a trauma is: the encounter of a person with a high-impact situation. There are several examples:

• Physical, as in the case of my arm.
• When you lose the job on which you depend so much, a financial trauma.
• Relational, in the case of the death of someone or the dissolution of a family.
• Emotional, which can come from an experience of abandonment.

However, the question here is how to overcome these high impact situations as they cannot be avoided (most of the time). But there is nothing that really prevents us from handling their effect.

From my previous narrative, I would suggest two things:

• The first thing to consider is to get help from someone who can really cooperate in the work of relief and healing.
• Second, reflect and understand the effect of this on life, particularly habits that can emerge and affect life negatively.

By doing this, you can initially alleviate the impact of the situation, process what happened and, consequently, begin a healing path, transforming the trauma into a learning experience.

The fine balance for your success…

 

There is a special secret for those who believe we all have an inner compass: the East and the West.

Success – real success – comes when there is a balance of excellence in all areas of life: personal, working, health, spirituality, etc. This is why real success is often out of reach…

A few examples: you probably know people, whose health is amazing, but their relationship with others is horrible, and there are those whose career is ascending constantly, despite the fact they feel down in a personal level.

With this special secret, any person can reach for that balance: at every activity, use the light of your spirituality (the East) and the road of your life experiences (the West).

Before doing anything, particularly if it is impacting or relevant, practice spirituality by meditating or a praying. Also, check if the present capacity matches the need of those actions; if it doesn’t, maybe training is in order.

During activities, keep the spiritual light on; something written can serve as a reminder and from time to time, read it. Jump into the action, by being effective and highly productive.

After those actions, sit down and practice spirituality again. Gratitude may be expressed or just a reflection on what took place. Learning the lessons and planning changes will help improving performance next time.

The power of imagination: did you see the yellow cat?

A little girl was just walking on the street; all of a sudden, she stopped and started to look across. She was staring to a point on the wall.

Her father asked her: “What do you see, honey?” The mother looked a little exasperated, since her child was used to see things that were not there.

Smiling, she looked at her parents and said: “I am looking at the yellow cat!”

The mother laughed, that kind of cruel laughter when someone says something stupid. Even her innocent child could perceive it…

“It is there, mom, it is there!”

 

Scenes like this one were very common in the past, but not so much nowadays. Today, the father would join the mother in explaining there is no yellow cat…

We are underestimating the power of imagination, the wonderful door that opens in our mind to see what is not there.

Imagination is around us. EVERYWHERE!

At least its fruit: buildings and bridges, machines and an incredible software that enables you to read this, no matter where you live, and much, much more…

All of these things, many of them we take for granted, they were just like the yellow cat in the past.

They didn’t exist.

 

Many years later, the girl is now a woman, who cultivates her dreams and projects very well. She has been relatively successful and very happy with her life.

Particularly today, when an old dream will become a reality…

 

Imagination changes into dreams later in life, when we start to understand our role in this universe, in our society and community. Those dreams can be, in the hands of imagination, incredible engines to make us to move on the road of existence.

There are two powerful tools that convert imagination into a dream:

• Reflection. By reflecting, the individual realizes what is going on and they are able to land the imaginative scenario taking place inside their head in the living reality.
• Visualization. It is basically imagination, but with a focus and it comes often as a result of a few questions a person asks the self: How is this going to happen? When is this going to happen? What should I do to make it happen?

 

She still remembers the scene of her childhood: one parent’s support and another parent’s… sniggering… But she is not a child anymore.

She is a woman who is standing in front to that wall, in which she saw the yellow cat. She is not cross the street, she is exactly on that spot and she is surrounded by her team, which will make her dream coming true.

The yellow cat is going to be alive!

 

Someone said that if we want to live what we dream, we need to stop sleeping, that is, we must change our imagination into reality.

By reflecting or visualizing, you were able to have a vision of what we want; now we must build it, and…

… Of course, it is more complicated, but there are 3 basic things:

1. Willpower. That is the push that will turn our dreams into a living reality.
2. Resources. It is the fuel for that transformation.
3. Capacity. We will need knowledge of many things, talents and skills.

And then, at last, imagination will walk on the streets…

 

They just finished their job and here it is: The Yellow Cat.

A restaurant that will change people’s lives. She has more dreams about the restaurant, but right now she is just mesmerized by what she sees.

A huge yellow cat licking the window of her restaurant, just under its name!

 

Final remarks:

• Remember that failure and defeat are lessons, they will increase your capacity.
• It is always possible that your dreams don’t come true; learn from them and help others to make their dreams come true.
• Surround yourself with positivity, but embrace others’ critique.
• Meditation is a perfect way to improve your visualization tool.
• Dialogue is key and emotional intelligence will be very helpful.
• Nobody can make their dreams come true by themselves…
• When you get success, share it with others by helping them somehow.

If you do envy someone, what to do?

I don’t like the topic of envy or jealousy, but it happens to all of us. I would like to explore envy in the context of personal success, and what to do to rectify or to prevent its negative effects.

 

All of us want to be successful. It is natural and it doesn’t matter our way of life, just like nature, we will look for success. However, there are different types of success, as you know, and I would like to talk about 3 categories which can create some negative feelings within the self.

One type of success is quite superficial: a person reaches a goal and objective. Most of the times, success means going BEYOND those aims. However, it may not be possible and yet, the neighbor/cousin/former boss got that!! It can create a feeling of disappointment or disheartenment. The solution is to go back to school, that is, to understand what is the lesson to be learnt, learn and move on.

Another type of success is to get it through other people. It happens to parents, children, siblings and even bosses: others are successful and the person feels they are successful. It is a very special and pure sensation, something close to selflessness and it enables the individual to move forward. The only problem is the sense of an empty nest, particularly when the effect of that success by proxy fades off. Create a good life along with others’ success and there will be a personal feeling of achievement.

The last category of success may be called a holistic success, which means to be successful in all ways possible: spiritually, in terms of work and family, as a personal fulfillment and more. It is the sense of success of having done a wonderful job in life and nothing else remains to be done, it is pure satisfaction. There is nothing lacking in that type of success, but it is possible others are not so satisfied. I have seen people renouncing their dreams because of others’ feelings. The solution is to talk more with others and share some of the success with those people, reassuring them about their importance.

How to REALLY get success?

Success is a slippery thing, but it is attainable and there are plenty of people out there to help you getting it.

Here are four things that will definitely make you reach a high point in your life, a definition of success:

• Preparation. Many years ago, I listened to this question, which has helped me for many years: if everything you have gone through has been a training, what have you trained for? Success is the fruit, it is the result of all we have done and by recognizing what we really have done, we would understand the depth of our own success. Yes, right now, you and I are preparing ourselves for a big event in our lives, the moment in which success turns into reality.
• Perseverance. Many things I am doing right now are not successful, but I don’t consider them as failure; for me, they are part of a process and there is always some benefit for me and others. Success is like a fruit, but it has to be taken care until it is ready for ripening; most of the things a normal person does are normal and success is the final result, the extraordinary fruit that comes from a very regular ordinary seed. Instead of giving up after failing, to get success try take one more step or change the way you do things.
• Strategy and tactics. We often realize the need to change something when there is no force and no energy to do it. Then they come; by thinking in a strategic way, like a chess player, an individual can foresee future threats and empower themselves to face them, or future opportunities for which they need training. A good strategist will be humble enough to accept their mistakes and weaknesses, while keeping a good self-esteem, by acknowledging their strengthens and powers. But, be careful, because too much strategy can take you into a state of paralysis. Implement the decisions, by design tactics and methods. The victory is just ahead!
• Keep swimming. A very wise yogi told a group of us that to get success, just keep moving ahead. Don’t stop, just walk forward… It seems a little simplistic, but many times, that is the best tactic. Success will come to those who never stop trying. Try, do it, don’t stop, just keep swimming in the ocean of possibilities the world is.

A sweet defeat

Very few learn this when they are children: defeat and failure are normal.

Yes, we all want to be victorious and successful, but in reality, things are not in that way and there will be more situations of defeat than victory, for many people.

The fear of defeat and failure in our society is easy to explain, but in human terms, defeat and failure offer a very interesting opportunity to grow. In fact, success sometimes block growth – just check in the recent past companies like Pan Am and Blockbuster: their growth, their enormous growth, took them to a point that they became stable and slowly, they have descended.

Some companies were creative like IBM and AT&T and they could prevent most of the fall, but this seems the fate of successful companies. Maybe it is the successful people’s fate too.

Recently, in a nostalgic powerful moment, one of the greatest singers from the 80’s and 90’s performed one of her big hits, along another younger singer and the result was a piece of magic in a very dark world… A moment of hope, a motivation to take action and something beautiful.

Her life, some say, was almost destroyed by success… I am happy she was able to stop her own descent… but many couldn’t.

Failure is something else. Many years ago, still a high school student, I read about a book which name drew my attention. I asked the teacher who responded simply that the book was not successful…

Many years later, after a short stay living in Santiago, Chile, I saw a banner on the street announcing the launching of that same book! Come on!

It took me a few months or years, not sure, until I was able to be with one of the greatest contemporary Brazilian writers who told me that book journey: it was a total failure, then a different publisher bought its rights, it published again several years after the first publishing and it became probably the most read Brazilian book in History. It sold worldwide more than 60 million copies in almost 70 languages.

Don’t be mad at me for not revealing names (why do you have access to Google?), but my intension is that I would like you to think about yourself…

Maybe, you had a huge failure sometime ago, but life has turned around and that failure turned into success.

Or you were not able to sustain your professional success and things are not as they used to be. Even though you are not having as much success as before, your mind is light, your relationships are much better, you feel so well! It is success, in a different way.

Perhaps you compare yourself with others and you notice how much they have gained, and you, so little… Take into account all you have, even your brilliant mind and the potential that was not revealed yet. And embrace the successful person you are.

Of course, there will be failures that won’t become a success… What lesson have you learned? Which changes should you implement in your life after that defeat? How that failure can turn into motivation for you or others?

I tell you, defeat and failure, they are very sweet…  It is just a question of perception.

You are someone’s hero and the secret for your success is…

Someone out there is looking at you, they are taking their steps by following you and they quote whatever they hear from you. They may be a relative or friend, perhaps they work with you or they live nearby; you are a hero for them.

What about refining the hero you already are? There are of course lots of trainings you can do, but here is a short list of things you can work, so that your heroism inspires many people to be heroes themselves:

• Egoless. This is a stage of the mind and awareness, but in practice it means to not take credit, share credit with others and be reflexive in relation to whatever happened, accepting errors.
• Knowledge. A leader is the one who is full of knowledge in such an extent that knowledge turns into wisdom… That is the point in which a leader becomes a hero!
• Humility. This is the key for success, it is that point when there is so much self-esteem that the person can acknowledge how others are better than them without loosing the fact they are a hero.

The ultimate failure

Failure scares people. That’s the reason many people decide to not even try, so they don’t get defeated, particularly in the present society we live.

After all, we live in the society of the SUPERSUCCESSFUL!

Yes, everyone shows their success, their attainments and achievements. Many years ago, there was a video that went viral about life according to Facebook, showing a man who was passing through troubled times and decided to cheat a little bit, only showing the best parts of his (pretended) life. My best scene is when he takes a selfie after running many kilometers, which was false as he took the car to go there… All went crumbling down after his wife cheated on him and he started to share his real mental state, and he lost all his friends…

That means failure is dangerous, it means I will be left alone, because nobody likes a loser! Let’s dive deeply into failure:

• First, there is real failure, that is, a failure that can’t be hidden away, because you did lose your job or you were not able to get that in which you invested so much money to work. a beautiful feature of us humans is that we can keep trying and trying again, just like that song from Shakira, Try Everything.
• Second, there is failure, but after a while, turns into success! My case is probably exceptional; I was always a good student at high school, but my last year there was a year of doubts and an inner struggle of sort, so I lost my position. A colleague, by the end of that year, came to me bragging as he was able to secure a good number, MY NUMBER, so, he was better than me. It was military school and the tradition was that we would close our presence in high school by going to a military camp, EXCEPT those who got into the first 10 positions. In other words, I was going and my colleague would not go. My failure however changed, because the rules changed; although I couldn’t get a position according to the old rules, under the new rules, I did get a number amidst the 10 first numbers! And I was so happy!!! Many times in life, waiting turns failure into success, just wait.
• Then, there is the possibility to look at failure with a different attitude. For instance, it was not failure, it was learning… Failure is often a powerful motivator for improvement and there are certain very valuable values, like humility, that can be assimilated in an easy way by failing.

In other words, embrace failure and change it into something that will take you into success.

Profit and loss in the business of life

Profit and loss are part of business life and a good businessman or businesswoman know how to manage them. Now, if we consider for the sake of reflection that life itself is a business, let’s ask ourselves: what is going on with THAT business?

First, your PROFIT means all that you think, speak or do that gives something valuable to your life. REFLECTION makes you understand the real value of everything, small or big. That means it is not only the big charitable acts; for instance, when you smile at someone and make their lives better, the value of your own life increases.

But LOSSES also give you something valuable because when there is a loss what remains is what you really are… In fact, the main subproduct of a failure is the recognition of the real self. So, whenever you stumble in life, focus on the self: your own peace, the love that is inside, all your virtues and inner powers.

Then, check that your profit is big and your losses are being seen with the right perspective. You will feel you are the best in the business of life.

Understanding the self, others and life – a key for success

The first stage for success is to reach a point when the person really knows himself, in all its levels and dimensions: what he likes and what he does not, strengths and weaknesses, potentials, virtues, inner powers, capacity, etc.

However, it is not enough. Know thyself is essential, but it is equally important to know others and life in general.

Well, if you still feel don’t know yourself, then take your time to do it by exploring and talking with yourself, without any judgment or preconception.

Then, do the same for others: explore, talk and don’t judge. By knowing others you will be able to create lasting bonds and make the best of your lives on this planet, because you’ve probably have noticed our species, communities and societies are based on relationship more than anything.

Then, do the same for the rest of this blue jewel in the black ocean of space: explore reality going beyond any assumption; relate to nature in all ways possible, and don’t judge. This will guarantee your path in this world will be firm, but without hurting anything on the way.

And then success comes, as natural as a river flowing downstream... It comes from your dedication to understand reality and improve yourself, as improvement comes with real honest observation.

Success comes because it has been always around, you only needed to realize it.

Is there any future in my horizon?

Images can be inspiring… A picture I have taken shown a foggy road and although you could see the beginning and a few meters further, nothing was waiting for you ahead.

At these times, that is future for us.

For some unknown reason, humanity has been obsessed in learning about their future; so many things were created for that. And then the uncertainty paradigm has become predominant, so there is no horoscope that can really tell you the future now, and no consultant or coach can really guide you in these very foggy times.

You are on your own…

But…

There is another wonderful possibility: you can create your own future. Step by step, action by action, thought by thought. That is, you are your own leader.

Taking into account that, here are a few suggestions:

• To be in uncertain times does not mean to not plan your future. Just be deeper and think in terms of a future vision instead of only objectives & aims.
• Be prepared to adapt, but don’t lose focus or important things related to life such as values and relationship.
• Make your present a real present for yourself and the people who live and work with you. Whatever you do now, its fruits will become your future at some point.
• Develop your resilience in such a way that you will face obstacles from a high energy.
• When you fail for some reason, just turn the failure into a step towards your success. Learn, change and implement the lessons onto your life.

More than a birthday

More than a birthday, January 12^th reminds me of the commitment to live, something that does not come from an obligation, but rather from a deep gratitude.

After all, there are not many people who reach 55 years of age having worked on their inner spiritual life for 37 years, that is, more than two thirds of my life. If we add, it is as if I have lived 92 years, fully and fruitfully, taking advantage of the well of wisdom that I found in my way.

I have been to a special university that taught me not to prioritize the physical, material and obvious; I learned to give more importance to the unseen, that which is subtle and profound. Thus I seek to implement these teachings and live every day, every minute and every step I take, knowing that there will always be success even in when I stumble.

And I take many steps, walking through a city, a country and a planet that welcomed me. I take many steps, so many that I physically moved away from the city and country where I was born; although not quite, because it is still there in the form of marks in my heart, in my ear so accustomed to that language that is like music and the people that impacted me, educated me and made me progress, sometimes as gently as a hummingbird that shows the way to the traveler, or as strong as the elephant that gives you no options.

It is for these and many more reasons that I would like to invite you now to celebrate my birthday. First of all, I want a gift from you ... I want your positive thoughts and feelings; I want you to forgive me for any mistake I made and give me other opportunities.

I also want to give you a gift ... I want you to think about your commitment to live for a moment and what this implies ... I would like you to experience gratitude in your heart, even if there is not much to be appreciated in appearances.

And I give you the key to success: look in your heart for inspiration, talk with your head about those wonderful ideas, talk with the soul you are about changing your journey in life and living these ideas. If it's okay for you, have a long dialogue with the Supreme Being about what you observe.

From this position and with this energy, transform those thoughts, which are as soft as butterflies into a building as strong and lasting as a temple.

A big hug, from my heart...

Video: https://youtu.be/abY8ceVuIgc

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?

There is achievement at every step taken - Reason 13

There is no waste in a leader’s life, as he or she takes a step if it is likely to bring some type of benefit.  This is not fuelled by any selfish desire of course, because the concept of leader itself implies service.

If that step takes the leader closer to success, she or he uses that opportunity to help others to reach their own attainments in life.  The leader shares methods and ways that inspire and encourage.  Those other people go on to share the same with others, and so on: a ripple effect.

If that step takes the leader closer to failure … well, that is also good.  Fiasco is a very good teacher and by being a leader, that situation can convert into a rung on the ladder of success.  After all, the only common thing between everyone who has been successful is the experience of failure at some point along the way!

It is good to be a leader who knows how to take something useful every time from every situation, having also the chance to help others in that process.

(Excerpt from the book 82 Reasons to be a Leader)

Self-control, an important ingredient of success

I consider success as a right. If we look around, especially in nature, it is easy to see how successful all species are or try to be. For nature, even failure turns into success – a corpse becomes food, a drought makes room for other species to live in an otherwise very humid area.

For that, in nature, there are laws governing and making everything to happen. There is nothing illegal out there; no matter how strange it looks for us, if we don’t understand it is our fault. Any problem happens and Mother Nature adapts and all goes back to the normal flow.

Self-control acts similarly, helping the person to get rid of rubbish, either in mind or awareness, creating space for learning, which eventually will conduct the person into change and it is an extremely important part of claiming the right to be successful.

After all, there is no success without failure – the only aspect all successful people have in common. With self-control, that failure, problem or crisis turns into an incredible possibility of empowerment.

How to do it? Not repressing, but sensing the path to follow as there is always a North, a situation or a point where your potentials will be fully developed. Not forcing or pushing, but keeping South in mind, the source of your life, represented by your values and principles. Not cursing or weeping, but meditating on the East where the light you have chosen to enter in your life is; and don’t ever regret, but keep the West where logic and intuition coexist.

In this way you will reach your North in time…

Migration and the mirror of our society

The present big wave of migrants in all continents should not be a novelty… It has been growing and taking the present shape for a long time.

Its reasons are not clear, because there are many and they are very complex. The solutions are also not clear; as in any system, many times a solution can become cause of another reason…

By seeing these people leaving and fleeing their places to go somewhere else, I cannot stop thinking this is the real mirror of human civilization.

So, although we measure our success as how close we are to send someone to Mars or how wonderful is a new car model, these people scream in the ears of our conscience that there is something wrong going on. Very wrong.

What can I do about it? As an individual, I start checking myself and looking for those reasons – those same reasons that make people leave their places. They are as human as I am and if they are scared by something or have been suffering from something, it is possible that is also within me…

Perhaps I am not hungry, but the way I eat may become a problem for Earth at some point. I don’t think I am afraid of people killing me because of the way I dress, behave, speak or think; but discrimination is hovering over my head and I must learn how to deal with others without hurting anyone.

In this way, I eat a little less, a little better, or I am able to smile for a person I wouldn’t smile before. It is a small contribution, but for me is a big step to clean our shared mirror.

Coordinating others

There is a big range of possibilities when you talk about a person in a position of being a chief: chief, boss, manager, supervisor, overseer, etc.

But a few publications and articles talk about the fine art of being a coordinator. You see, I have been that for much of my life.

Its concept does not fit into the boss’ idea, neither as a manager, and yet, bosses and managers have a lot to learn from being a coordinator.

It implicates many aspects that may be useful while managing others:

• A coordinator does not own the task and yet he or she is fully committed. That gives them an advantage as they can work with passion, but without attachment to procedures and results.
• The main people in the team are the rest of the team. The coordinator is like the empty space in a bicycle wheel – very important, but that is not why you buy a wheel...
• Coordinators will stimulate creativity, innovation and disruption, and they will use those moments to accelerate any process.
• Rules and regulations will be talked and will be uphold, but people will always come first. If a person breaks them, a coordinator will talk and together they will find a solution.
• Coordinators are measure for more than a task success: her or his people’s satisfaction will be equally important.
• The relation between a coordinator and the stakeholders is one of respect and humility.

Patience, an underrated key for success

Very few stories show how patience is important in reaching aims.

In Chris Gardner’s story, shown in the movie The Pursuitof Happyness, however, patience is shown as a very strong quality that pushed the man onto his limits, until he was able to break it and come out of a very tough situation.

Maybe people think of patience as a person who waits in a queue, with no hurry and no ambitions in life, instead of a very troubled man who did not even have a proper place to live whilst struggling to take care of his son.

But that is patience: a quality or virtue that allows us to wait for results, giving us the needed energy to live, or survive, until they come. And for a patient person, one day those results come…

So, check your patience as your ability of having a goal, investing in that goal and waiting to reach for it.

Always moving forward...

No matter how many or what kind of obstacles, we have to keep moving forward.

Not because someone is pushing us or we are told to do. Not because it is a natural instinct or it is a cultural feature.

We are moving forward because we understand.

Understanding is the basis of growth anywhere you look at. It is more than knowledge as it implies its application too. When we understand, then we move forward with a reason in life.

A human with an aim is unstoppable. A human without an aim... well, good luck for that!

My main concern is however how we are moving forward. In the past, we as civilization used to give emphasis to aspects more related to ethics than to the form, shape and image, as we are probably doing now. That creates an inner pressure that comes from the struggle between the ethos and the pathos, which is under the easy influence of environment.

Success is a good measure for that. It is natural, it comes when time comes and it always comes. But, in the present we want our moving forward to be measured by our own success.

And yes, there is a task's success - that is natural, it is what we aim for. But success as a whole thing, as that for which we are all looking forward to experience does not come from a task, a job or a book. It comes from a whole life, and a whole life is made by small steps, always moving forward.

By wanting success now we are breaking a subtle law of nature and we start to be under the influence of external circumstances. Irony is that by wanting success early, we miss it when it really comes as it finds us tired of so many struggles.

So, let's all move forward, but let's move from inside, from a deep perspective and in a way that is worthwhile.