Your goals are easily fulfilled - Reason 73

Life is like a big and apparently endless game and, whether you want or not, as you are playing, you are looking forward to score a goal.  Many goals…

However, it is complicated and that is part of the game.  The adversary won’t allow you to do that easily; similarly, in life, we have many adversaries, which are the many circumstances that look like they are trying to prevent us to succeed, to score a goal or fulfil an objective.  Most people simply enjoy playing the game, forgetting their own goals.

A leader doesn’t follow that idea; she or he has always a strategy or tactic to overcome these obstacles and to fulfil his or her aim.  After all, when leaders score a goal, they are doing for all the people in relationship with them as they inspire them to do the same with their own lives.

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

Living your dream

The biggest challenge of a visionary like you is probably to live the dreams and transform them into action.

What do you need to do so that your dreams can be seen, heard, touched and live a footprint in the universe?

• Of course, first thing is to have a dream, which must be something that even though is unreachable today is still possible. Maybe lots of effort is needed…
• Then you have to awake, that is, to put your dream into reality, to transform the intangible thoughts into tangible actions or at least a plan…
• …Because another step is to discern a pathway for the dream to come true.
• Now you must walk the designed path, making a step by step process towards your dream.
• At the same, you need to empower yourself, after all, when a dream comes true it changes your reality and you need power to face the obstacles that come with it.
• From time to time, check where you are and correct the path if that is necessary.
• One day, you will see your dream in the reality of your life. Celebrate and help others to reach their dreams too.

This post is a humble homage to Prajapita Brahma, who is my subtle mentor and whose day I celebrate today.

How many candles?

In some cultures there is the habit of putting a number of candles corresponding to the number of years the person is celebrating and for some people it may be embarrassing as they have an age consciousness.

For me it is pretty good, as I carry my 54 years with the greatness of being such a special person and the humility of so much I have to learn yet… However, as part of my personal tradition, I have been doing a double birthday.

The reason is that on the same day I was born, I became aware spiritually, 36 years ago. Both summed up to 90 years. So, yes, I am 90 years old...

As the sum of its two digits is 9, if you ask me, that is the number of candles in my cake… But which candles?

Candle # 1 must go for GOD; without Him, I can’t even imagine how my life would be. I think candle # 2 is for GRATITUDE, for all I have had the chance to be, for the greatest opportunity of all to be born. The # 3 is for ACCEPTANCE… I took some time to accept myself as I am and to change on the basis of what I have accepted. I tell you, this procedure is working… Number 4 is CHANGE and my life is dedicated to change every day, towards my self-transformation. SPIRITUALITY was not in my map, it was not part of my paradigm and now it is my paradigm; number 5 is for this important aspect of my being.
 The candle # 6 is for LOVE, a feeling with which I have struggled for some time, but I realised it has been within me all the time. Definitely, I need a candle for DETERMINATION, which is # 7. Particularly In my darkest days, being determined was the way to come out of situations and re-create my life, again and again I was thinking # 8 should be hope, but then I remember another pillar of my personal process has been CREATIVITY. I am not sure how I became a creative person, but that is what I am, and I love it. For a deep reflection, UNDERSTANDING is my last but not least candle, # 9. I am not always looking for understanding from others, but my main effort in life is to understand what happens and get the best from it.

And you, how many candles in your next birthday cake?

A Happy birthday from me to myself…

You are the sparrow, not the snail, of your story - Reason 72

Would you rather be a sparrow than a snail?  An old song[1] used to do issue this challenge, which could be translated into: Would you rather be a hero than a victim?

OK, victim is a strong word, but reality is: most people are trapped in their own world, like snails that cannot fly.  Normal people avoid or are prevented to look into the sky, leave earth and the possibility of creating a new reality.

Leaders create their own story and they fly very high, avoiding traps and attempts of decreasing their value.  Leaders are heroes, flying sparrows in the sky of their lives.

What makes the difference is the fact a leader sees her or his reality as a set of choices and makes the best use of it.  So, instead of dragging on the earth of their decisions, in the case they went wrong, leaders reflect, open their wings and fly, not away, but into the situation, changing it and opening new possibilities.

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[1] El Condor Pasa (The Condor Passes) is a song composed by Paul Simon in 1970, based on a Peruvian folklore song .  You can watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pey29CLID3I

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

Coaching for a better new year

The change of year, even though it happens so often and in a predictable way, stimulates novelty, hope and sometimes adventure.

There is an extra energy in the mind and the will power is stronger than in other times of the year.

So, here are a few powerful questions for reflection that may help you in your self-growth:

• What are the dreams that will be brought about in this year that is starting?
• How do I visualize myself at the end of the next year? What can I do to make it happen?
• In which way can I change my life so that I experience I am starting a new chapter, or even a new book?
• How to put my hopes into practice, turning them into actions and making them part of my life?
• What is it impossible, but I will do it this year?
• How will I empower myself so that all my wishes and desires are fulfilled?
• What are the new adventure, fun and positive anxiety, which will start this year?
• How much will I embrace change and generate transformation?
• And no matter what happens, how do I keep myself being myself: authentic?

Wake up

Wake up…

I wake up with the sound of a strange voice in my ear, but I notice very quickly I am still alone.

Can you guess where? Typical me – the bottom of a well! In my defense, it was a very well hidden well…

We are – family and me – at a friend’s farm, a beautiful place quite far from the horrors of a city clogged during a time that should be for celebrations, Christmas… Did I tell you today is Christmas day?

At least, I think so… You know, yesterday I was running around after a, well, a little fight with my cousin, Michael, who thinks of himself as the next multimillionaire. His wife thinks of herself as the next celebrity… Yeah, not that easy to talk with them and he started with the old you are a failure. He is that blunt! After much yelling and moderation from dad and mum, I decided to just leave the place.

I have been to this place before, we all have been but little Cassidy, so it was with pleasure I realized there was a full area of land to explore – and I did that exactly. Brilliant idea, right?

Wake up…

Hey, I am awakened! Who is there by the way?

It was the 24^th morning and as I started to feel hungry and decided to go back to the farm for lunch and maybe another fight…

Wake up…

I AM AWAKENED!

Short story: I feel into this well. This has been by far my worse Christmas Eve, passing down here. Something is broken and I can’t stand, I don’t see how to climb it and I am sick of shouting and yelling, I even called for my cousin to help me…

Wake up…

Another day passed by, it should 26^th today, or maybe I’ve missed one day, not sure. Someone has to find me, right? I mean, dad, mum…

Wake up…

Hey, what is it that you want? I am here, alone and the only thing you say is wake up?

Why don’t you wake up?

Ooops, it responded to me!! Hallucinations… well, at least I have someone with whom to talk.

‘Why do you say I am not awakened, Mr… Voice?’

You are living in the darkness of your own life. You are not valuing what you have got…

‘I am perfectly happy with whom I am, thank you very much! Has Michael put you to this?’

If you are that happy, why is there the sadness in your heart, masqueraded by the feeling of being insulted? And that was there much before your cousin started to poke you.

In fact, deep down, I can see you agree with your cousin, after all you expected to be a space engineer by this time, have a wonderful family and a beautiful house… A house on the beach, from where you could see the waves breaking on the shore…

I can’t speak… For some reason, I don’t have a witty response.

But think about how much you have conquered! Look at your health, the way you work, the friends you have got. Why do you prefer ignoring the good things and focus on those bad things? It is time you wake up…

My vision is blurred, if it is because of being two days with no water or food – I don’t count gums as food – or just because… just because…

Yes, I have been always in the wrong side of the road. Everything I have got in life was not even enough, it was not right. It is not right. I think I’ve missed the chance with studying, with people, with myself.

‘How… how do I wake up then?’

Silence on the other side, my hallucination is probably thinking.

‘I cannot set any record straight, but I can value more the job, the place I am living, the people around me and every single thing that is present. Would be that… adequate?’

It will be a first step. First, appreciate your own success and as soon as you leave from here, just make peace with your cousin and appreciate his success too.

First, let me appreciate my own success: I value my life story, the incredible path that has taken me to this point in life and I kind of hug myself, in tears…

I am about to tell to my hallucination that he has been badly informed, as Michael left by lunch time the day before, when I hear his booming voice… It is like music for me, I never cried so much! I start to shout and soon the guys are all there. A team of paramedics (I think) helps me coming out of the well, and we just embrace as if it would last forever!

But I don’t move. I come close to the well and I feel others behind me, waiting. I feel respect from their side. I close my eyes and silently speak to that mysterious voice.

Thank you…

Leaders will write their own story, despite others’ influence on them – Reason 71

There is a tale of two brothers, who both suffered abuse from their father.  While one became a very successful businessman, the other one turned to drugs and theft.  But, irrespective of their lives’ different courses, both gave the same reason when asked about it: I became like this because of my father.

Ok, maybe the story is not veridical[1], but its background is, since people influence each other continuously; that is part of life.  However, whatever someone does, it comes from that person, not from others.

Leaders do not blame others for what happened to them because they are able to rewrite their own life, by accepting others’ influences and by being able to deal with them.

They will change other things people have taught them and adapt that into their lives, but they will refuse other aspects that are incompatible with the beautiful story they are writing.

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[1] You can read here a true story, related to this tale and the aspect of influence from people over people.   https://ifstudies.org/blog/a-tale-of-two-brothers/

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