Understanding our True self

"When we take the time to look within and understand our true selves, we lay the foundation for authentic living. This process involves peeling back the layers of our personality and beliefs, allowing us to reconnect with our core essence. By doing so, we can reveal passions, values, and talents that may have been overlooked or forgotten.

When we learn who we are, we understand our strengths and areas for improvement, and our choices and actions become more aligned. This alignment creates a harmonious flow in our daily lives, increasing our overall happiness and well-being. It allows us to find joy and satisfaction in simple moments, true connections, and a deeper sense of purpose. We start to recognize our unique gifts and how they can contribute to the world around us.

The journey to uncover who we truly are is a never-ending one — from the day we are born and our first cry to our very last breath. With this mindset of continuous learning, we remain curious and open to the wonderment of life, and our reason for being here on Earth. Spending time in self-reflection, whether through meditation, journaling, or spending time in nature, these are all simple ways to enhance your experience. And deepen your ability to listen to your heart and connect with your infinite self, your soul".

The Daily Om

Affirmations

If you feel that you are doomed to fail, not worthy of love or not good enough, read the text below on Affirmations and begin to change your life. 

Affirmations are statements chosen and spoken consciously. Once they enter our realm of consciousness, they also enter our subconscious mind where they have the power to change our lives. 

The affirmations you create should be specific, not too long, worded positively, formed in complete sentences, and spoken in the present tense as if what you are affirming is already true. It is a good idea to repeat your affirmations daily. 

You may want to tell yourself that you deserve to be happy or that you are in control of your destiny. Or, you may want to focus on a particular goal, such as attracting new friends. Rather than telling yourself you want to be well-liked, say, “I am well-liked.” Your subconscious mind will pick up on these positive messages, and you will begin to live your life as if what you are affirming already has happened. 

Soon, your reality will begin to reflect your affirmations. Write your affirmations down and say them aloud or in your mind. Allow your conviction to grow stronger each time you say your affirmations, and your negativity will be overridden by your motivation and positive thoughts.

Affirmations are a powerful tool for creating our desired reality. We consciously and subconsciously invite opportunity into our lives when we say affirmations. Trust in the power of your affirmations, and you will very quickly create what you have already stated to be true.

Adapted from The Daily Om

Happy New Year

 

Being grateful!

"Everyday is a blessing, and in each moment there are many things that we can be grateful for. The world opens up to us when we live in a space of gratitude. In essence, gratitude has a snowball effect. When we are appreciative and express that gratitude, the universe glows a bit brighter and showers us with even more blessings.

There is always something to be grateful for, even when life seems hard. When times are tough, whether we are having a bad day or stuck in what may feel like an endless rut, it can be difficult to take the time to feel grateful. Yet, that is when gratitude can be most important. 

 The sun is always shining for us when we are grateful, even if it is hidden behind clouds on a rainy day.  The universe wants to shower us with blessings. The more we appreciate life, the more life appreciates and bestows us with more goodness."

(Extracted and Modified from the Daily Om)

Becoming a better person

 

At some point in our lives, many of us find ourselves overcome with the desire to become better people. While we are all uniquely capable of navigating this world, we may nonetheless feel driven to grow, expand, and change. This innate need for personal expansion can lead us down many paths as we develop within the context of our individual lives.  

In order to do so we can take small steps, keeping our own concept of growth in mind rather than allowing others to direct the course of our journey. And we should accept that change won’t happen overnight—we may not recognize the transformations taking place within us at first.

Becoming a better person in your own eyes is a whole-life project, and thus you should focus your step-by-step efforts on multiple areas of your existence. Since you likely know innately which qualities you consider good, growing as an individual is simply a matter of making an effort to do good whenever possible. Respect should be a key element of your efforts. When you acknowledge that all people are deserving of compassion, consideration, and dignity, you are naturally more apt to treat them in the manner you yourself wish to be treated. You will intuitively become a more active listener, universally helpful, and truthful. Going the extra mile in all you do can also facilitate evolution. Approaching your everyday duties with an upbeat attitude and positive expectations can help you make the world a brighter, more cheerful place. Finally, coming to terms with your values and then abiding by them will enable you to introduce a new degree of integrity and dignity into your life.

(Extracted from The Daily Om)

You are beautiful

 

Many of us do not take the time to notice and acknowledge how beautiful we are as humans. Some of us feel that it is vain to consider our appearance too much, or we may find that when we look at ourselves, all we see are imperfections.

Sometimes we see our beauty in a shallow way, noticing how well we are conforming to social norms, but failing to see the deeper beauty that shines out from within and that will continue to shine regardless of how we measure up to society’s ideal.

To keep ourselves in touch with our own beauty, we can surround ourselves with images that reflect our beauty back to us—photos of a relative or child who has our eyes, images of teachers who embody spirit, or self-portraits that capture our essence in a way that allows us to see ourselves anew.

The best way to keep ourselves in touch with our own beauty is to keep looking deeply into our own souls and opening our eyes to the human being we see in the mirror every day.

 (Extracted from The Daily Om)

You are worthy now

 I love it!!

The bonds of sisterhood

 

Notre Dame School. Class of 1971 - 25th Anniversary

Today while doing my usual computer work, I was chatting at the same time with two of my best friends and I felt blessed for having the chance to share, to care and to feel their love and friendship. By serendipity, I bumped into this text which I think it sums up how I feel about them.

"If we envision a world where women support each other and help each other find their place in an ever-changing world, then we can become the change we want to see. Jealousy, envy, criticism, and judgment are refuges for the insecure. As we help others to become self-assured, we create a world in which all people help each other, regardless of gender. Only women can make the change in how women are seen and understood, not just by other women but by the world at large. The way we speak about each other to other women and to the men in our lives informs everyone to treat us with the respect that all women, and all people, deserve".  

Happy moments

In our country we are experiencing uncertain times, any little source of happiness is more than welcome. This is what I felt when I read the following:

"Life is full of little wonders that can make us happy. The sound of a baby's laughter, a good book, the comforting smell of a favourite old sweatshirt, and the warmth from a cup of hot tea (or coffee) are simple pleasures that can easily put smiles on our faces. These "little things" are easily accessible to us and can be sources for happiness. A key to finding them is taking the time to put those rose-coloured glasses from childhood back on so you can easily access the joy in all the "little things" life has to offer".

And it is natural to want to share this joy with others, we can even think of the little things that can make other people happy. As the text said: "There is an endless supply of little things and little moments that can make us happy. All we have to do is look for them, and they´ll  magically start to appear."

 

Kindness

 

Evaluating our relationships

 "There comes a time in all our lives when we may need to evaluate our relationships, making sure that they are having a positive effect on us, rather than dragging us down. Without realizing it, we may be spending precious time and energy engaging in friendships that let us down, rather than cultivating ones that support and nourish us along our path. Life, with its many twists, turns, and challenges, is difficult enough without us entertaining people in our inner circle who drain our energy. We can do so much more in this world when we are surrounded by people who understand what we're trying to do and who positively support our efforts to walk our path". (The Daily Om)

I read this and understood how true this is regarding the relationship we keep with our friends and acquaintances. Normally, when we think about our friends, we start by seeing if an old friend keeps on carrying negative ideas that do not let him/ her move forward and drag us along. It could also happen that we have a friend who has a habit of letting us down any time we need his/her support. I am not sure if we should just let them go or should we try to talk to them in an open conversation telling them how we feel about the state of our friendship. Perhaps it may be better if we evaluate the kind of friend we are to them and this will help all of us to become the type of friend we need and expect to have. 

Teacher´s Day

"Doors open when the time is right for us to enter a new space, metaphorically speaking, and we can have faith that walking through is the right thing to do. Sometimes we linger in the threshold because we are afraid of leaving our old life for a life we know nothing about. We may have voices inside of our heads that try to hold us back or people in our lives saying discouraging things. These voices, internal and external, are known as threshold spirits, and they express all the fears and doubts that arise at the beginning of a new life. Nevertheless, none of these voices can hold us back, and they will fall silent as soon as we cross the threshold."

(Extracted from The Daily Om)

Celebrating my parents´life

March 10th is the First Anniversary of my Mom´s passing away, I wanted to pay homage to her life and my Dad´s with a memorial service and this video as a reminder of how blessed I am for having lived surrounded for so much love. 

Congratulate yourself!

 

Ya todos nos felicitamos unos a otros con cariño y agradecimiento, pero...
TÚ, ya te felicitaste???
Ya te felicitaste por los momentos en que quisiste tirar la toalla y sacaste fuerza para salir adelante???
Ya te felicitaste por esas noches de insomnio y al día siguiente levantarte con una sonrisa???
Ya te felicitaste por luchar y lograr hacer realidad tu sueño???
Por esos días que no podías contener el llanto, pero aún así sacaste fuerza para apoyar a quien lo necesitaba???
Ya te felicitaste por guardar silencio ante una ofensa, aunque el alma te dolió profundamente???
Ya te felicitaste por los amaneceres llenos de Sol que tuviste la oportunidad de disfrutar???
Por los grandes amigos que has sabido conservar y aceptar con paz a quien se fue???
Ya te felicitaste por tus éxitos???
Por dar ánimo y amor sin esperar nada a cambio??
Te felicitaste por ser amado y respetado por alguien especial???
Ya te felicitaste por tener la satisfacción de un trabajo bien hecho???
Por el amor de tu familia y el cariño incondicional de tus amigos???
Hoy felicítate también POR SER QUIEN ERES: único e irrepetible!!!
Por tus sueños, por la pasión que pones en lo que haces, por el amor que ahora te tienes a tí mismo...
Por ser fuerte, por aprender día a día y por saber que la divinidad en la que crees (o tú mismo) te tiene deparadas las mejores cosas de este mundo...
Por la música, por el baile, por sonreír, por poder caminar, correr, saltar...
Por la magia de estar vivo!!!
Yo, hoy también  me felicito!!!

Helpers and Heroes

"Natural disasters and acts of violence bring us out of our small selves and into the world, ready to lend a hand to those in need. This experience is often life-changing for those who are willing to step into the position of helper. We feel more connected to the people we are helping, as well as more connected to humanity in general." 

Solidarity and kindness have been shown all around the world in spite of the difficult and painful times. Being witnesses of this kind of gestures motivate us to make the world better by coming to the rescue of all those in need- at least, those we can. 

Covid 19 has changed our world and it has made us respond to this more immediately than to ongoing problems like homelssness, poverty or regugees. Unfortunately, there is always someone in need in spite of our efforts and we feel we cannot help them all - which, to be honest- often makes me feel a bit discouraged. 

Yet, from what I read in the article I am adapting in this post, I feel better thinking that there are lots of people out there, everyday heroes, who devote their lives to alleviate suffering and we need to draw our attention to them so as to inspire other people to do this kind of work. 

I believe we, as teachers, should start making these heroes visible to the children and teenagers we teach to motivate them to follow their steps and to become more involved into what is going on in their communities. Reading about their sports figures and favourite actors will be something they will voluntarily do but if we teachers do not show them the acts of these everyday -and sadly unknown heroes- our students will miss the chance to imitate them.

 Adapted from The Daily Om

 

Father Albino, from one of the most Corona-virus affected communities in Lima,Peru collecting donations some of our friends provided... in spite of having suffered from the infection himself and still not fully recovered. 

Donations for Villa Maria del Triunfo

 Sharing is Caring

Early this month, some friends and I managed to collect clothes, toys and medicine for deprived communities in Villa Maria del Triunfo, a suburb in southern Lima. Father Albino- recently recovered from Covid-19 infection - came to collect the donations. 

Many thanks to all those who donated and please keep giving, our help and support is urgently needed.

Mum´s birthday

Mum would have turned 90 this November 1st, She died this March at Pre-lockdown times. 

Many relatives called me to let me know they remembered her and loved her very much. I know she is in a better place now but can´t help missing her badly. 

"Thanks Mum for preventing us from suffering all the inconvenience that the Pandemic lockdown brought about. I am glad you died in my arms and that your beloved family could say good-bye to you". 

Bad Days by Madisyn Taylor

 

Today has been hectic, not only because being unable to leave home due to the health lockdown issues gets on my nerves from time to time but also because I am worried about a friend who had to be taken to the hospital because of a possible miscarriage. 

Fortunately and as it happens when it is most needed, I came across this page and little by little my spirit is calming down. In the end, I have to be grateful for the bad days that make me bless the good days that are ahead. 

"We all have days from time to time when it feels like the world is against us or that the chaos we are experiencing will never end. One negative circumstance seems to lead to another. You may wonder, on a bad day, whether anything in your life will ever go right again. But a bad day, like any other day, can be a gift. Having a bad day can show you that it is time to slow down, change course, or lighten up. A bad day can help you glean wisdom you might otherwise have overlooked or discounted. Bad days can certainly cause you to experience uncomfortable feelings you would prefer to avoid, yet a bad day may also give you a potent means to learn about yourself.

Bad days contribute to the people we become. Though we may feel discouraged and distressed on our bad days, a bad day can teach us patience and perseverance. It is important to remember that your attitude drives your destiny and that one negative experience does not have to be the beginning of an ongoing stroke of bad luck. A bad day is memorable because it is one day among many good days -- otherwise, we wouldn't even bother to acknowledge it as a bad day. Know too, that everybody has bad days, you are not alone, the world is not against you. Tomorrow is guaranteed to be a brighter day".

Beings of light

"We are all beings of light. Put another way, we are spiritual beings having a human experience. As children, most of us know this, but other human beings who have forgotten what they really are and who cannot help us to know ourselves train us to forget. As a result, we are led to believe that magic is not real, that our invisible playmates do not really exist, and that we are limited beings with only one earthly life to live. There is enormous pressure to conform to this concept of ourselves and so we lose touch with our full potential, forgetting that we are beings of light.

At this time, many of us are reawakening to the truth of who we are, because we are living amidst such large-scale changes in the world. We need to access this light in order to not only survive but thrive as we shift into a new order of consciousness. As the changes around us proceed in rapid progression, we will want to be able to trust our own ability to sense what is happening and how we can best respond. We are no longer living in a predictable world in which we can trust external authority figures and prior ideas about reality to guide us. We need to be able to access the information that will help us navigate these uncertain waters, and the ultimate authority resides in our awareness of ourselves as beings of light.

It is through our connection to this light that we know things beyond what the visible world can tell us, and we see things beyond what the physical world reveals. In order to access this wisdom, we can simply allow ourselves to remember that we are not limited, as we have been taught. In fact, we are filled with divine grace and power that is ours for the asking. A daily practice of tuning into this vast potential, conversing with it, and offering ourselves up to it opens the door through which we can reclaim our true identity, taking ownership of the calling that the time has come to create bliss on earth."

Taken from The Daily Om

Cumpleaños de papá

El 15 de julio mi papá hubiera cumplido 100 años. Muchas gracias a los que recuerdan sus consejos, sus buenas acciones y sus bromas tan "serias". Fué un buen hombre, un gran hijo y hermano, un amigo leal y el mejor papá que hubiéramos podido tener. Ahora pasea con mamá cogidos de la mano como lo hacían aquí.

Dad was born on July 15, a hundred years ago. Thanks so much to all those who remember him, his advice, his good actions and his peculiar and "serious" jokes. He was a good man, a terrific son and brother, a loyal friend and the best Dad we could have had. He is now in a better place walking hand in hand with my Mum as they used to do here.