Happiness

What is happines? Where does it come from, and where does it go? Why do some seem to have it in such plentiful amounts, and others struggle to hold on to it, and yet others lose the connection with it for years?

I suppose most people have asked themselves, in one way or another, such questions once in a while.  And even more so nowadays, when we live in a world full of self help books that supposedly will guide you in an eye blink to happiness . A world where being happy, even if it’s just false appearance, is the norm. A world where we sadly compare our lives with that of others on social media, in search of our own happiness, and at the same time trying to feel ourselves better than the rest.

Happiness. It’s such a charged word nowadays. We might have forgotten the essence of happiness, just like we’ve forgotten the essence of love, and beauty, and all other fundamental things in life. I have decided that the word happiness is, although with a beautiful intrinsic meaning, not my word anymore.

My word is being. Being? Yes, right, being.  24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of our lives, it is expected of us to be something, and to be it in the best possible way. It is expected that we are perfect children, perfect adolescents, perfect friends, perfect partners, perfect parents. It is expected that we excel in our studies, careers and on social level. When someone is asked who he or she is, the answer will include the name, and a long list of attributes, like, I’m a mom, I’m a director here, I’m a scientist there, I’m the daughter of this person, I’m the owner of that...and so on. And ok, it’s alright to know what your place in the social world is, but, do you know who you are? What makes up your essence? Well, to me, it is your being. And by being completely you, that is, by the most simple and (at the same time) complex act of being, you can find what we call happiness.

But being completely you, that’s a damn scary thing.  We tend to change ourselves in order to blend in into society (we’re social animals after all) but somewhere down the road we lose ourselves, stop simply being the person you truly are, and start acting an apparently perfect play for the outer world.

In any case, being completely oneself is hard, and even more so in places where your physical or mental wellbeing is put into peril if you express your true self. But if you want to have a try at being happy, at being you, maybe some of the following ideas might help:

·         Recognize and appreciate the small things in life. Wasn’t that a beautiful sunset you’ve just missed because you were stuck to your smartphone? Didn’t a loved one just remind you how much he or she loves you? So often we encounter small gifts in life, but as we are so spoiled, we don’t even see them, and eternally wait for something bigger, better  and more beautiful to come, without realizing that it is all happening now.

·         Which leads us to the next idea: live in the now! Ok, how cliché.  And how true! We keep ourselves busy with thousands of tasks, thoughts, and other mess, so much that we avoid living in the moment.  I think it’s because we fear the brilliance and greatness of living in the moment, as it can be a very powerful experience. On the other side, we are so addicted to distraction (just watch how many people are inseparable from their electronic devices nowadays) and drama about the past and future, that we prefer to just ignore the now and munch on the binge diet of unhappiness.

·         Gratitude. That’s a biiiig word, and has a very high happiness factor. Being grateful for something is, in short, accepting and feeling grateful about something ordinary in our lives, in such a way that it becomes extraordinary. That something can vary from a smile from a stranger to a loving hug of your partner, from eating homemade cookies (made by mum), to doing that what you love most. It doesn’t matter what you appreciate, as long as you appreciate it! There are so much beautiful things in life, and much of it we never fully appreciate it until the moment it isn't there anymore.

In any case, lots more things can contribute to a sense of wellbeing. Being in nature, spending time on (constructive) social relationships, feeling safe and protected... We must not forget that satisfying our most basic needs also contribute to the level of happiness one experiences. Nor must we forget that happiness is essentially something you can find in your interior, and thus no matter how much temporal satisfaction you feel by obtaining material goods, the only true happiness is that which emanates from your being.  

So, after a good hour of being in my element, enjoying myself whilst writing and listening to classical music, I can say that, writing about happiness is good reminder for myself, as lately I’ve felt unable to connect with that great feeling that tells me that I am satisfying all my needs and simply being me.  To be honest, I could just go on and on writing, but as I’m not planning to write a book about happiness, I’d better stop writing ;)

Anyway, there is no foolproof road to happiness. It’s often a difficult, unclear and strange journey, and surely a journey without end, as you will never stop learning how to live life plentifully. It's a journey that will lead you to extraordinary places. Moreover, it’s a personal journey, as I think everybody has to find out for him or herself what happiness is, where it lies, and how to make it a part of yourself. 

Feeling lost whilst trying to follow my life's calling

Here I am, in the middle of my exam weeks, and I cannot concentrate. Despite loving my study (Environmental Sciences), I feel restless. I feel that I should be living now, acting now, start doing all the great things I wish for this world, right now.

But I feel so small… How can I find a way to start doing what I love most: helping other living beings (that is, ending poverty and injustice, create a sustainable and fair economy, slow down climate change and more, all of those being interconnected)? On a daily basis I see news passing by about great stuff many NGO’s are doing around the world…but how can I participate, how can I help, and how can I start learning and growing to my full potential? Somehow it is always required that you have previous work experience in that area, that you know the right person, that you live somewhere else. It is required that you have great ideas, that you inspire others, that you are valuable for others, that you’re older, younger, smarter, better, more interesting, more extroverted, more more more.

So, I feel small, lost, alone and insecure of how to achieve what I consider my life's calling. I feel disconnected from others as not many understand why my calling is so important to me. Even though one can consider that I’m still in the process of learning all I need to know for a future career, I cannot put the restlessness aside. I want to do something, anything, now. I do not want to see more years pass by, spending all my effort on studying, but forgetting to live. And for me, living includes following my calling. But I do need fuel for my dream, or one day it will extinguish and leave me behind, with a bigger loss unimaginable.

“An unfulfilled vocation drains the color from a person’s entire existence.”

“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

“Vocation is the spine of life.”

Maybe the reason that I feel so small, is because I am too ambitious and self-demanding. I want to do too much for the world, and thus overreach myself and then feel this mixture of failure, loneliness and insecurity..Maybe I should remember a wise lesson (learnt the hard way) that any mountain, no matter how high, difficult or dangerous, is to be climbed step by step, and that any other option is impossible.  

Get out of your comfort zone, and lose yourself in Nature!!

Don’t you ever have a feeling of restlessness? A feeling urging you to get out, explore, experience, live.

 I believe that for most people, if not all, it is fundamental to once in a while get out of our comfort zone, and get lost in the big beautiful world. I say comfort zone, because that’s where most of us reside the biggest part of our lives. It’s the place where all is guaranteed: food, home, money, security. It consists of the limits we ourselves create to get a feeling of comfort and being protected.

But it’s like living only half. Since when does someone fully live whilst remaining forever in the comfort zone? Since when does anyone get the feeling of being truly alive if you never dare to challenge yourself, to push your boundaries, to take the risk, and in the process, find your true self?

In the last few years I have been on different journeys, and especially the last two times have been incredibly mind-opening and boundary-pushing. It isn’t always nice nor fun to get out of your comfort zone. You encounter a lot of personal limitations, prejudices, and weird stuff you never knew you possessed. You get tired faster, as you learn so much. You get confused because you have to redefine who you are.

But the experience is worth it. You get a better idea of who you are, in good and bad times. You get the opportunity to change the things you don’t like about yourself. You feel alive. You live experiences you’ll never forget.

Don’t you just love being alive? But… are you alive, consciously, fully, completely alive? You should ask yourself that question once in a while. Because it’s only too easy to fall into a waking sleep, and miss out the most spectacular moments in live, which at the same time we normally consider so ordinary.

Personally, I cannot wait until the next time I can get out, into the wild. I cannot wait until I can again measure myself against the great mountains. To climb a mountain, is to learn to be humble, and at the same time have endless faith. Climbing a mountain is pushing boundaries, its suffering deeply at times, but knowing that, once you’re there, you enter into the world of the mystic, of the spiritual, because, dear reader, on top of the mountain the divine exists in all its glory. On the top it is where you fall in love with life, and inevitably, with the mountains.

“You don’t really conquer a mountain. You conquer yourself. You overcome sickness, and everything else – your pain, aches, fears – to reach the summit” 

“Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.”

"Each fresh peak ascended teaches something."

"I love to think of Nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through 

which God speaks to us every hour, if we only tune in"

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” 

 (and yes, all the photo's are mine :) )

The National Day of Mourning - Choosing for a Non-violence attitude.

Today is the National Day of Mourning in the Netherlands. A day for all to stand still and think about all the victims of the plane crash last Thursday, 17^th of July. A day to think about how fragile and valuable life is, and to give support to those who are now mourning their lost loved ones.

But then I watch the television, and I feel sort of uncomfortable…It’s alright to proclaim today as a National Day of Mourning, but…to me it seems as if many people, who have no relation whatsoever with the victims, let themselves be led by the enormous sadness, grief and suffering 200 Dutch families are passing through. It’s like a collective form of mass hysteria (that’s how I would call, it, although I know it’s not right). The media is constantly only broadcasting news about the plane crash, about how horrible it is, how sad, about basically everything that has anything to do with it. It makes me feel sick, because that’s just the media exploiting a tragic event. It makes me feel uncomfortable, because so many people go along with something that is indeed tragic, but - in short- none of their business.

Because all those Dutch people, oh, how they mourn collectively. How they sympathize. And that’s it. Then life goes on, as many say.

But I don’t see it that way. Instead of collective mourning, people should think deeper, profounder (however comforting this might be for some, because I know it also has its good sides). They should think about why this happened. Don’t understand me wrongly: not how. Why did this happen?.

It is sad, no, infinitely more than sad, that we live in a world where violence is still one of humans most common attitudes. Already in the 70’s, in the time of the hippies, people dreamt of a better world, worldwide peace, stopping discrimination, equal rights, etc. But nooo. We’re still going the way we were, which is, in short, letting ourselves be guided by our ego and our primitive impulses, fighting with other humans for power, territory, riches…

Don’t we ever learn from the past? Obviously not. We aren’t capable of long term thinking, and even less capable of thinking in any other time that besides our own lifespan.  The consequence of this is that we forget the horrors of violence, war, and whatever kind of human attitude that only exists to satisfy ones ego. This means that conflicts and wars will continue emerging around the world.

I’m writing this based on the events of the airplane crash MH-17 in Ukraine. A plane with almost 300 passengers on board, probably shot down by Russian separatists in Ukraine because they thought it was a Ukrainian airplane. An act of pure violence, that will affect the lives of 300 families forever, families who never had anything to do with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Because, listen well: Wars and conflicts rarely cause victims who are directly implicated, but rather almost always affect people who have nothing to do with it. This way, the wave of violence expands, because they will always want an eye for an eye (and thus, the world goes blind).

What conflict between people can be so extreme that people end up killing others? And…have they never stopped to think in the immense amount of suffering they cause because they are persuading their ego?

It’s unbelievable. But we never learn from the past. People always focus on the differences between other humans. Differences in opinion, beliefs, skin color, culture…But, aren’t there more things that unite us then things that separate us? Aren’t we all human? Aren’t we all capable of loving, compassion, empathy, understanding when we are born? Why focus so much on what separates us as humans? Instead we should accept those differences and rejoice, because those differences makes each of us unique, precious, valuable!

Be different, and make sure you do learn from the errors others commit. Make sure that you will end up seeing violence as the most harming and useless attitude a human is capable of. Violence is useless, it only causes suffering. A war never has winners, only losers. Everyone loses once they are implicated in acts of violence. Do you want to be part of the violent attitude? Or will you choose for no violence, tolerance, compassion, respect? It’s your decision, but you must know that, although you’re only one person, your actions will affect the world. You, and only you, are capable of deciding what footprint to leave behind on this world.

For me it’s clear. I say NO to violence, at all the possible levels (yes, think about that, it’s a lot harder then you’d think at first notice). I say NO to suffering. And I know that, with this life-attitude, I will make a difference in the world, no matter how little. 

Live, and have no regrets

Months ago I wrote about losing my dear animal friend. How fast time goes by. There are days, when I’m too busy keeping my head up with studying and work, when I don’t think about him. But on other days, like today, he keeps coming into my mind. How much I miss him, the simple things, like running together through the bushes, his happy barks, his intelligent sparkling eyes.

Losing a loved one, whether it’s a person or an animal, is hard. And for everyone the grieving process is different. This is something important to remember, something that is often overlooked, but has to be respected.

So what I have learnt, felt, and thought, is subjective, it’s my story. But it is about something that unites all of us; life, and death. Without death, we wouldn’t be able to rejoice life. Without death, we wouldn’t be alive. Life and death are both antagonistic and complementary, both being part of our reality. Some might not like those ideas, but to me there is a certain beauty in this, in the essence of our existence. One of the lessons learnt from losing a loved one might thus be:

Live. Live every day, and make sure that when you look behind, you have no regrets. Live and be happy, grateful, that you may share your life with others. Our loved ones might leave us one day, but every single day by their side is precious, a blessing, and a reason to be happy. Death is inevitable, and I’m not subestimating the devastation it can bring to a persons life. But I am saying that we should all live more, in the here and now, and enjoy our lives and that of others.

And even when our loved ones are gone, they can still be an inspiration for wisdom and insights. From Casper, my animal friend, I learnt after his death to never, ever, undervalue life. Don’t throw it away, don’t get lost in unimportant matters. Live. Be. Love.  Yes, he was a dog, and not all people can imagine that a dog has been so important to me, but he has inspired me. He was a living being who with all his soul lived truly and freely. He showed me, with his death, to not waste my life.

To me, losing someone you love should make you value life more, not forsake it, throw it away, ignore it. Yes, I understand mourning, I understand grief, but at some point you have to embrace all the good. All those beautiful memories together, all the love and friendship. Don’t let grief shut out all those good things.

I’m still sad. Some days more than others. But that’s part of life. Even sadness should be seen as something good, although often people think it’s bad… Being sad about losing my dear animal friend means I’m alive, it means I cared about him. It means that whatever friendship we had, it was deep, strong, beautiful. A friendship between two species, that to me was so natural that I never once questioned it.

And what happens after death? I do not know the answers to that great mystery. All I know is that flowers now emerge from his beautiful last resting place, and that his soul roams freely, ever happy, loving and full of enthusiasm.

After all, death is just the next great adventure. 

Discrimination of animals / Discriminacion de animales.

Lately I have encountered quite a lot of discrimination towards a certain dog breed; podencos

It is said that they are stupid, stubborn, useless, bad… people say this to justify the abuse, abandonment and isolation many podencos suffer.

It’s very sad. And even more: it’s without a trace of truth. Of course, an animal will mistrust you, it won’t do what you want, it will even fear you, if you abandon him, hit him, let him suffer from hunger, cold and thirst. It’s normal that it won’t be some cute lapdog then, if you isolate him from contact with other people and dogs!

But if you treat an animal with respect, love and understanding, if you know how and animal Works, knowing that it’s a living being with emotions and needs like everyone else, then you will find in this animal an unconditional friend, a living being who will love you without limits, and thousand times more loyal tan many human beings.

Let’s look at slavery: that was possible “thanks” to the idea that black people were beasts, didn’t feel, that they were wild animals, that you could treat them however you wanted because they didn’t feel anything anyway. It was justified by discrimination, ignorance and a lack of education.

Unfortunately, we still treat animals in a bad way, and we are far away from reaching a relation based on respect and wisdom. We still justify the mistreatment of animals by saying “they don’t feel, they don’t have emotions”.

And I’m fed up with these false justifications. I’m fed up with the hypocrisy, the lack of education, the ignorance of so many humans.

For me, every living being, every single one, no matter if you find it unimportant, scary, and disgusting or whatsoever, deserves love!! Every living being deserves love, respect and sympathy.

Why discriminate some, and treat others good? Why create this difference? Aren’t people able to see that on this Earth we are only temporal visitors, that we are part of nature and that we should coexist with Nature and all its beautiful creations?

One of the steps towards wisdom is this: understanding that you shouldn’t discriminate any living being. Because we are all part of the Earth. And loving all the other living beings is one of the best practices of compassion and love.

Namaste

How could anyone ever say that Podencos are stupid, ugly and unsocial?!!
¿Como alguien puede decir que los podencos son tontos, feos y asociales?!!

When I look into the eyes of an animal, I don't see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I see a soul.
Cuando miro en los ojos de un animal, no veo un animal. Veo un ser vivo. Veo un amigo. Veo una alma. 

Últimamente me he encontrado con mucha discriminación hacia una raza de perros; los podencos.

Se dice que son tontos, inútiles, cabezotas, que son malos. Dicen todo aquello para justificar el maltrato, el abandono y el aislamiento a las cuales mucha gente somete a los podencos.

Es triste. Y aun mas; es sin ninguna base de verdad. Claro, un animal va ser desconfiado, no va hacer lo que tú quieres, incluso tiene miedo hacia ti, si tu le abandonas, le pegas, le haces sufrir hambre. Es normal que entonces no sea un perrito cariñoso y social, si le aíslas socialmente de contacto con otras personas y perros!

Pero si tratas a un animal con amor, respeto y entendimiento, sabiendo cómo funciona, sabiendo que es un ser vivo con emocionas y necesidades como todos, entonces vas a encontrar en ese animal un compañero incondicional, un ser vivo que te quiere sin limitaciones, y mil veces más fiel que la mayoría de los humanos.

Miramos a la esclavitud: eso fue posible “gracias” a la superposición que los negros eran bestias, que no sentían, que eran animales salvajes, que podrías tratarles como querías porque no tenían emociones. Se justificó por la discriminación, la ignorancia y falta de educación. 

Pero con los animales aún estamos lejos de alcanzar una relación de respeto y sabiduría.  Aun justificamos el mal tratamiento de muchos animales con la frase “no sienten, no tienen emociones como nosotros”.

Y estoy harta de esas falsas justificaciones. Estoy harta de la hipocresía, la falta de educación, la ignorancia de tantas personas.

Para mí, cada ser vivo, cada uno, da igual como de poco importante lo consideras, da igual si te da miedo o asco o lo que sea, merece amor! Cada ser vivo merece respeto, amor y comprensión.

¿Por qué discriminar a unos, y a otros tratarles bien? ¿Por qué crear esa diferencia? ¿La gente no es capaz de ver que en esta Tierra nosotros solo somos visitantes temporáneos, que somos parte de la naturaleza y que hay que convivir con la Naturaleza y todas sus creaciones bellas?

Uno de los pasos hacia la sabiduría es entender eso. Es entender que no hay que discriminar, diferenciar a ningún ser vivo. Porque todos somos parte de la Tierra. Y amar a todos los otros seres vivos es una de los mejores ejercicios de compasión y amor.  

Namaste

La ciencia ha encontrado una cura para muchas cosas, pero no ha encontrado una remedia contra el mayor mal de todos: la apatía de los seres humanos. 

What I learnt from climbing a mountain/ Lo que aprendí de escalar una montaña

Until the moment when I saw this quote I had no idea how to put my recent experiences into words. But now the words flow freely once more.

How true it is. You never conquer a mountain. A mountain is unconquerable. It is a magical place with its own personality and it is subject to no one but Time. It is a place you travel to, passing through hardships and obstacles, and once you’ve survived all that you will be rewarded.

The reward may be beautiful sights, it may be new experiences. It may even be the acquisition of knowledge and insights about life itself.  

It is no wonder that in many religions the mountain is symbol of divinity. Didn’t the Greek gods live on the mountain Olympia? Didn’t Moses receive the Ten Commands on a mountain? There are infinite examples of how mountains are intimately bound to many religions, being either the place where divine events occur or where the divine beings live.

Even I perceive this magical feeling high up in the mountains. It’s hard to be an atheist in such a wild, merciless and beautiful realm. The cold, the deep blue lakes, the brave few plants who survive there, the hard rock, the clouds soaring by, the biting wind. It all surrounds you. And because of this grandness and omnipresent being of the mountain, you will feel that there is more between heaven and earth. You will feel that this mountain has personality, and that despite permitting you to be there now, it could just as easy turn your back to you and make you perish.

The knowledge I have gained on the day I climbed up to a mountain to 2600 meters was something I already knew since some time, but had never really felt the importance of it:

Climbing a mountain is the perfect metaphor for living a life. What the end goal is isn’t important. What matters is nothing more and nothing less than the journey itself, and what decisions you make during that grand adventure.

Every single step in your life you must take with mindfulness. Don’t go rushing to your final goal, because then you will miss the whole point of life’s journey and the probability that you fall and fail will increase greatly.

Love each step, care for it and observe it. Some steps might be hard, some might be easy, and there might come a moment when you consider it impossible to continue. But you have to believe in yourself, and continue, because knowledge and life experiences will be the reward. Understand that with every step you will learn something if you are open-minded enough. Understand that without all the previous steps you would not be at this point right now.

So, what am I trying to say to you, dear reader, is this; visit the mountains. High or low, many mountains can give you unforgettable experiences. Not only for their beauty and serenity, but also for their lessons.

The high mountains will teach you to be humble, but it will also make you feel more alive and connected to this beautiful Earth than ever before.  

Namaste

“No realmente conquistas a una montaña.  Conquistas a tu mismo. Superaras enfermedades y todo lo demás – tu dolor, tu sufrimiento, tus miedos – para llegar a la cima”

Hasta el momento que vi esta frase no tenía ni idea de cómo convertir mis experiencias recientes a palabras. Pero ahora las palabras han vuelto a fluir libremente.

Qué cierto es!  Nunca se puede conquistar una montaña. Una montaña es inconquistable. Es un lugar mágico, con su propia personalidad y está sujeto a nadie más que al Tiempo. Es un lugar a la cual viajas, donde pasas por dificultades y obstáculos, y una vez que lo hayas sobrevivido todo, serás recompensado.

La recompensa puede ser paisajes increíblemente preciosos, puede ser nuevas experiencias. Incluso puede ser la adquisición de conocimientos y revelaciones sobre la vida misma.

No es de extrañar que en muchas religiones la montaña sea el símbolo de la divinidad. ¿No es así que los dioses griegos vivían en la montaña Olympia? ¿No recibió Moisés los Diez Mandamientos en una montaña? Hay infinidad de ejemplos de cómo las montañas se encuentran íntimamente ligados a muchas religiones, siendo o el lugar donde se producen los acontecimientos divinos o donde viven los seres divinos.

Incluso yo percibo esa sensación mágica en lo alto de las montañas. Es difícil ser una persona ateo en un mundo tan salvaje, implacable y hermoso. El frío, los lagos de azul oscuro, las pocas plantas valientes que sobreviven allí, la piedra dura, las nubes, el viento fuerte y helado. Todo esto te rodea. Y debido a la grandeza y el ser omnipresente de la montaña, te sentirás que hay algo más entre el cielo y la tierra. Te sentirás que esta montaña tiene personalidad, y que a pesar de que te permite estar allí en ese momento, podría fácilmente convertirse en contra de ti  y hacerte perecer.

Los conocimientos que personalmente he adquirido en el día cuando subí a una montaña de 2.600 metros era algo que ya sabía desde hace tiempo, pero nunca había sentido la importancia de ello:

Escalar una montaña es la metáfora perfecta sobre el vivir una vida. Lo que es el objetivo final no tiene importancia. Lo que importa no es nada más y nada menos que el viaje en sí, y las decisiones que tomes durante esa gran aventura.

Cada paso en tu vida debes realizarlo con atención plena. No vayas con prisas hacia tu meta final, porque entonces te pierdes todo el sentido del viaje, y la probabilidad de que te caes y fallas aumentará en gran medida.

Ama cada paso, cuídalo y observarlo. Algunos pasos pueden ser difíciles, algunos podrían ser fáciles, y puede llegar un momento en el que crees que es imposible continuar. Pero tienes que creer en ti mismo, y continuar, porque los conocimientos y experiencias de vida serán la recompensa. Entiende que con cada paso se aprende algo si tienes la mente abierta. Entiende que sin todos los pasos anteriores no estarías en este mismo punto en este momento.

Por lo tanto, lo que estoy tratando de decir, querido lector, es lo siguiente: visitad las montañas. Altos o bajos, muchas montañas te pueden dar experiencias inolvidables. No sólo por su belleza y serenidad, sino también por sus lecciones.

Las altas montañas te enseñarán a ser humilde, pero también te hará sentir más vivo y conectado a nuestra hermosa Tierra que nunca antes.

Namaste

Living in the now

We are alive. There is no doubt about that. 

But are you conscious? Are you awake? Or does the world go by in a blur, without you noticing all its beauty and splendor? Are you only awake sometimes, only aware of the surrounding world once in a while?

To be truly conscious, or mindful as some call it nowadays, you must be in the NOW. It’s hard, as we humans tend to jump from thoughts about the past, to the past, and then reflect all our hopes, expectations and fears onto the future. We are busier with mentally analyzing the past and creating all sorts of possible outcomes for the future then that we are living in the present.

What I love about the word present is that it has a double meaning;

• Present, the period of time now occurring.
• Present, a gift.

The present, this right moment, is a gift. You have nothing else but this right moment. You might think, well, I have a car, a house, a family, money etc. But actually, all that wouldn't be able to exist without the present moment!

Isn't that just beautiful? I find it a beautiful idea. And it’s a powerful idea. Because once you realize that NOW is all there is, you will be filled with awe and marvel, and feel a lot more grateful and awake.

Why not try it? Feel conscious about the fact that all there is is the present moment, and that you should accept it as a gift. Expand your being, until you feel so calm, so deeply in harmony, that it becomes like a meditative state of mind. It’s a little hard at the beginning, but once you get the trick, its fun. And better even, it’s healthy. People who live in the present moment are in general happier!! Now, who doesn’t want that!? http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_killingsworth_want_to_be_happier_stay_in_the_moment.html

But, besides being in the present, there are more fun things to do! Why not try observing our surroundings? Go outside, and observe something that is insignificant for you. Something you walk past often, and never have taken the time for to see nor observe it. It could be a stone, a little feather or even just drops of water. Observe it. Describe what it looks like, where it might have come from, and just look. Does it still seem insignificant to you?

We are surrounded by beauty. Not once or twice a day. Every single moment is beautiful, alive, and joyful. If you feel down, maybe it’s because you’re letting the present slip away while your mind is too busy with the past and future.

Besides, not all people value beauty in the simple things surrounding us. In this period of human history, in which we are bombed with endless pictures and movies of the most beautiful places on earth, we forget to be humble. We forget that beauty is in life itself. We make ourselves believe that the only beauty that surrounds us is found in dazzling sunsets, perfect white beaches and picturesque landscapes.  

Beauty is found in life itself. And so is joy. Beauty and joy is found in Nature. Live in the moment, and don’t waste your years wondering in the past or worrying about the future. 

I have added a few nice quotes to this text , plus a couple of photo's, to show the beauty of the nature that surrounds us. 

Namaste

Day of Tolerance/Dia de la Tolerancia

In our globalizing world, tolerance is more essential than ever before.  It is being tested, and in the face of economic and social pressures, some seek to exploit fears and highlight differences to create hatred. Thus, dialogue must prevail over violence, understanding over indifference, knowledge of others over ignorance and prejudice. Sadly, tolerance often remains misunderstood. 

Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Tolerance is harmony in difference. Tolerance, the virtue that makes peace possible, contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace. Above all, tolerance is an act — the act of reaching out to others and seeing differences not as barriers, but as invitations for dialogue and understanding. No society can hope to flourish if it does not promote this essential virtue.  Tolerance is an essential condition for peace, democracy and sustainable development

Tolerance should not be mistaken for concession or condescension.  Genuine tolerance is about openness, curiosity and communication. It goes hand in hand with knowledge and understanding.  

Nor should tolerance be confused with indifference.  Being tolerant does not mean being passive in the face of racism, xenophobia and exclusion, or silent when minorities, refugees and other vulnerable groups face abuse.  Tolerance is an injunction to all of us to stand up and speak out in defense of all who are deprived of their fundamental rights and freedoms.

Tolerance cannot be taken for granted.  It has to be taught, nurtured and communicated.  Education, inside and outside the classroom, is essential for strengthening tolerance and for combating hatred and discrimination, by revealing similarities between people and spreading a healthy respect for differences.

In these times, we must invent new ways to strengthen the binds that bring us together. We must reach out to young women and men, as they are those whom carry the greatest burden of change.

More than ever, the work for tolerance requires a renewed engagement from every one of us.  On this International Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to tolerance, dialogue and solidarity, among ourselves, in our families and our communities, as well as in our relations with other nations and peoples of the world.

Thank you

(Based on United Nations Message for International Day for Tolerance)

"Se el cambio que tu deseas ver en este mundo"

En nuestro mundo globalizado, la tolerancia es más esencial que nunca antes en la historia. Se está poniendo a prueba, y en vista de las presiones económicas y sociales, algunos tratan de explotar los temores y diferencias que resaltan para crear odio. Por lo tanto, el diálogo debe prevalecer sobre la violencia, la comprensión sobre la indiferencia, el conocimiento de los demás sobre la ignorancia y los prejuicios. Lamentablemente, la tolerancia a menudo permanece incomprendido.

La tolerancia es el respeto, la aceptación y el aprecio de la rica diversidad de las culturas de nuestro mundo, de nuestras formas de expresión y maneras de ser humanos. La fomentan el conocimiento, la transparencia, la comunicación y la libertad de pensamiento, de conciencia y de creencias. La tolerancia es la armonía en la diferencia. La tolerancia, la virtud que hace posible la paz, contribuye a sustituir la cultura de guerra por la cultura de la paz. Por encima de todo, la tolerancia es un acto - el acto de tender la mano a los demás y ver las diferencias, no como barreras, sino como invitaciones para el diálogo y el entendimiento. Ninguna sociedad puede esperar prosperar si no promueve esta virtud esencial. La tolerancia es una condición esencial para el desarrollo de la paz, la democracia y el desarrollo sostenible

La tolerancia no debe confundirse con la concesión o condescendencia. Tampoco hay que confundir tolerancia con indiferencia. Ser tolerante no significa ser pasivo en la cara del racismo, la xenofobia y la exclusión, o permanecer en silencio cuando las minorías, los refugiados y otros grupos vulnerables se enfrentan a abusos. La tolerancia es un requerimiento para todos nosotros para levantarse y hablar en defensa de todos los que están privados de sus derechos y libertades fundamentales.

La tolerancia no puede darse por sentado. Tiene que ser enseñado, nutrido y comunicado. La educación, dentro y fuera del aula, es esencial para el fortalecimiento de la tolerancia y la lucha contra el odio y la discriminación, al revelar similitudes entre las personas y difunde un sano respeto por las diferencias.

En estos tiempos, tenemos que inventar nuevas maneras de fortalecer los lazos que nos unen. Tenemos que ayudar a las mujeres y hombres jóvenes, ya que son los que llevan la gran carga del cambio.

Más que nunca, el trabajo de la tolerancia exige un compromiso renovado por parte de cada uno de nosotros. En este Día Internacional, reafirmemos nuestro compromiso con la tolerancia, el diálogo y la solidaridad, entre nosotros, en nuestras familias y en nuestras comunidades, así como en nuestras relaciones con otras naciones y pueblos del mundo.

Gracias

(Basado en el Mensaje de las Naciones Unidas para el Día Internacional de la Tolerancia)

The need of a change of system

Last saturday morning, I have had a very interesting conservation with my family about the world welfare, the world economy, world health, the problems of food scarcity, and the actual system the world runs on.

There are a few things I would very much like to comment here, because I believe it is of great importance for people to become conscious of how things are at this moment.

Our actual system (with that I include EVERYTHING. Economy as well as politics, lifestyle etc) has come to an end. Let me explain. This system has worked a long time, and in the age it was “invented”, it was a quite good system, producing welfare, growth, and advance. Of course not perfect, but good enough. But the system is now outdated. We have come to our physical limit of this system. A limit is a mathematical concept, but applicable in every aspect of life.

For long we believed our system to be good, to provide us unlimited growth. But we have come to a big problem: we have become addicted to money, and thus the system has experienced an exponential growth, accelerating the process till its limit.

This addiction to money is what will truly lead us till the end of this system. This addiction to money has, in my eyes, done almost more harm than it has actually done well. Because, like my family commented with an example about cars: before, (beginning 20^th centaury) the car producers had as main objective making cars in such way as to please their customers. They gave more importance to making a good product. But then came the ideology of the stock market and globalization. And little by little the wishes of the shareholders became more important than the wishes of the customers. And what was the wish of the shareholders? Money, and more money, and more more more!  And the only way for the companies to fulfill this wish (which actually became more and more a demand) was to produce more, to make as much profit as possible in as little time as possible. With as consequence exploiting people and resources, and ceasing to make truly good objects. This example is not only for the car producing industry, but for all producing industries.

With this, individual companies ceased to be individual, as that wasn’t profitable, and went up into the globalized market. Gone is the true creativity, the true wish to fulfill the customer’s wishes.  And although globalization is of great use, and many profit from it, it isn’t always the right thing to do. More and more around me I hear people say, upset, about so many companies being fused together, about schools being brought together. This has as consequence the loss of identity. An identity many people liked and were proud of, but which now is lost.

I must include here, in the context of individualization and globalization, an advertisement my brother commented to me. The famous advertisement of the Volkswagen Beatle “think small”

This is a very complicated theme, dear reader, so forgive me if in this blog I present many different thoughts, and do not always seem maximally coherent. I’m trying my best. It is difficult because this, what I call system, is a system that contains all of human, and also the natural, world. It is a system so complex; it is like a knot made out of trillions of threads, and talk just about one will undoubtly lead you straight away to tens of other threads. It is a system so complex, a human mind can’t even understand all of its complexity, can’t see all the infinite links and relations. For that we now need computers. The system has become so vast, that it has gone above and beyond the human mind.

Since 2008 we know for sure that this system is failing. It is then when the economic crisis started. Although it isn’t only an economic one, but also a political, social and environmental one. It is a crisis of the human being. At the beginning of the crisis the world leaders said; we’re bringing together the greatest minds of our age, to think up a new plan. But now, 3 years later, still seemingly no one has come with a new alternative to our actual system. This is because of what I’ve just said: to change this system, it is extremely complex. Not impossible, but very near to it. What of course makes it so much harder to change is all the people who are at this moment profiting from this actual system. They don’t want to change, and unfortunately they are often those who have most power in the world. Of course I understand that people want to profit, but it seems to me that now we have to put our money addiction beside and understand that this system just can’t go on any more. It has reached its limit, it is outdated, and not profitable anymore for all.

The conclusion to which I and my family, and also others with whom I have commented this, have come is that this system has come to its end. There is a need of change. A change that will come, must come, because going on like this is simply not possible. Going on like this leads to a dead end. 

So there is the next dilemma. Because: How do we start with this change?

I’ll explain the different options with a metaphor: our actual system is a building, containing EVERYTHING. Our building was built long ago, based on the world of then, but with the passing of decades the world has gone through a great change, the building has had to be repaired and rearranged many times to keep up with the world. But now the building is old, it is presenting deep ruptures, into its very foundations. These ruptures we have seen in the real world! It is the economic crisis since 2008, the latest crisis in Europe...  so… we can’t go living on in this old, dangerous building. It’s not safe, and it’s just not possible anymore. So here are the options we have:

•            While we are still “living” in the old building, start building a new one, a better one, concentrated on sustainability, with a vision to the future and long lastingness. Totally independent of the old building, with totally new materials. And once it has completed go live in the new building.
•            Break down the actual, old building, and in an epoch of confusion and disorientation, try to build the new building.
•            Just wait, don’t do anything, and at some moment undoubtly the old building will collapse. And in its downfall, it will take many people with it. Only then we will start building a new building, obliged by the circumstances.

Now let me comment the consequences I believe these possibilities have:

•            The 1^st option seems to me the best and safest option, with its vision fixed on what must truly change and be done. This option will give us enough time to build our new building and avoid chaos, confusion, and disorientation of what we truly seek.
•            The 2^nd option I dislike, because it would mean the new building must be built quickly (as of course no one wants to be without a building), so it won’t be so well focused on what must really happen as in the 1^st option. Or maybe even first there would have to be built a provisional building, with the danger that in our laziness we keep that one
•            The 3^rd is dangerous. A worst case scenario in my eyes. And it is exactly what we are heading towards. This is the worst option, but in our actual state of mind, maybe only an obligation can be the driving force for us to start building a new building. Even though it has the same dangers as the 2^nd option; that the building will be built rapidly or provisionally

So, dear reader, what do you think of it? What is your opinion? Before I end this text, I would like to end it rightly, with a last few lines, to make you see and understand the message of this text.

I think it is time for change. Whether we are ready for it or not, the time is soon to come. In order to make this change optimal, to ensure maximum profits and minimum damage, we must act NOW! We must reunite all countries, for this is a matter that, directly and indirectly, concerns the entire world. We must reunite politicians, economists, environmentalists, philosophers, sociologists etc... All the wise ones of the world and all the knowledge of the world. We must think up a plan NOW because the signs this crisis is emitting shows us that not much time is left with this actual system. We must act now, for our own good and that of all those who come after us. I ask people, to become conscious, and to act. The time of endless debating has ended, the time to do something has begun.

I am just one small individual. I cannot give all the answers to all the surging questions about this subject. I cannot give alternatives right now to the actual system. All I can do is give a voice to what I see that is happening and to the people, and make everyone I can, conscious.