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…

Poverty in rich lands

It is impossible to miss the message in Queen’s least watched video (if not, one of the least…): Heaven for everyone. It states: This could be heaven for everyone...

No book can explain why at this time in History, with so much and so many available resources, why do we have poverty?

No matter how many countries seem to fight this sickness in the human spirit, it looks like more poor people emerge all the time. The worse is that many of these people come from very rich countries.

We may take the example of Ethiopia: it was reported very recently the plans for UNICEF to help more than 2 million malnourished children. And yet, in 2015 Ethiopia was been considered an economic miracle.

Experts argue their reasons, but Gandhi in his wisdom has stated once: The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need but not for every man's greed.

Ok, maybe greed is not the only thing, but it will certainly explain people who live in countries that are rich in resources, and still experience poverty in their lives.

The reason: poverty is more than lack of money – it is a lack imagination and creativity, reducing a human into a mere survivor.

When that is removed, at least in the level of the mind, a human rises and he or she can experience the wealth that is within and that will express itself in the form of physical wealth eventually.

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.

Is God part of your life?

Sometime ago, there was an intense campaign to declare that God was dead; the message was There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

However, I would like to propose the opposite to this message: God does exist, so stop worrying and enjoy your life. Well, almost the opposite…

It happens that many people feel themselves persecuted by God or religions that use His name to do whatever they have to do. The image of a judging God is very strong in the collective mind of millions, maybe billions of people.

However, that image coexists with the idea of a Creator – a very loving and merciful Creator, whose love was able to shape the universe.

And maybe – just maybe – it is more a question of which idea tunes with you.

For me, God is personal. I’ve left Him when I was 14 as I realized He would not change my life. A few years later, I’ve met Him again and I have been receiving so much from Him since then, my life is totally new.

If you are interested, my suggestion is for you to ask yourself: What do I really want God for and how do I visualize my relationship with Him? In this way, you may start to feel God is more than words or ideas; He is real, as real as you and me.

A great time to be spiritual

Crisis and chaos: that is the present configuration of our world.

Ah, you don’t believe… But it is true. There is at least one crisis in your country right now. Maybe it is ecological or political, ethical or social; it may be incipient, mature or old… No, it is not normal, at least in the past – let’s say, 16^th century – it was quite uncommon and if you look at history records you will see years and years passing by without any mention of a big problem, for a long time and at many places.

Ok, but what is a crisis? A simple definition is an unexpected change that creates a bad sensation in most of the affected people. By unexpected I mean a change people were not ready to face. Probably older times were more predictable and easy to deal.

It is also certain there is chaos at least at a country in your continent. It may be in the form of confusion or a social situation that goes beyond the capacity of that place. Maybe it is a country with so much corruption, which structure is fallen apart.

How to deal with crisis and chaos? Yes, there are many techniques, but as these situations become more and more common why not taking in consideration a very different possibility?

Spirituality may be the solution a few people dare to suggest. It won’t solve crisis or chaos, but it will contribute with a different approach towards life. At one hand, it will minimize their effect on the person. On the other hand, it will help to keep a clear mind and a very sharp intellect, so that a solution is found.

So, whenever you realize you should deal with that crisis and you should be careful about chaos, go and sit in meditation… that is the best and perhaps the only way to tap into one’s own spirituality.

When you do that, you will feel circumstances don’t affect as much as they used to, and you start to affect situations, becoming a real change agent.

The power of love

It seems a whole generation was expecting the power of love to prevail over… well, over all the other types of powers: law, society, morality, etc.

Arriving at the 21^st century, this sounds old, outdated and weak. And yet, it seems we need love more than ever.

Question is: what is the power of love at times of Internet? Is it only free sex, being permitted to do whatever one wants and smile all the time?

The power of love is that energy that enables you to take one step more. It is that strength you find when you think all is over.

That is what creates bonds between people, nations, races and species. It is a universal vitality that prevails and permeates all layers of our society.

And it is there, just inside you! Use it and enjoy the wonderful effect of making other people hopeful again, energetic again and alive. Again.

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.