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. 

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 :) )

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. 

Kindness/ Bondad

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

You shouldn’t just limit your kindness to the people you know, or people that seem nice to you. Kindness, like love (or which in truth is an expression of love) should be unconditional, given freely and with joy.

Everyone, with not a single exception, is having a hard time. We all have our problems, we all have worries, and bad things going on in our lives at at least once in a lifetime. And we should not deprive others from kindness just because they don’t seem kind/nice to us.

I’m just saying this, because it’s something that happens so frequently. If you see someone (unknown) smiling to you, you smile back. But the tendency to smile back quickly fades when you encounter sad/angry/negative looking people. and you even tend to reflect their negativity. Whilst they are exactly the ones who most need kindness.

An act of kindness doesn’t have to be something big. Any type of kindness is worth something, is of help, is an expression of love towards your fellow humans. And when you one day might be in need of a little kindness, you might be repaid for your own effort you made in being kind to others in other times.

Being kind shouldn’t been seen as an offer. It should be seen as a correct way of interacting with others. Patience, love, respect, compassion, that is how we should treat or fellow humans.

So, if you see someone having a hard time, don’t reflect their negativity and make them feel even worse. Rise above your (possible) initial repulsion towards negativity, and be compassionate. Be kindhearted, and give a gift of kindness. Your smiles, words, acts are small things, but they still might mean a world of difference to the one who is suffering at that moment.

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”
Dalai Lama  

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”  

“ No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. “ 

"Nunca dejes que alguien viene hacia ti sin irse sintiéndose mejor y mas feliz  Se la expresión viva de la bondad de Dios; bondad en tu rostro, bondad en tus ojos, bondad en tu sonrisa" Madre Teresa

Se amable, porque todos los quien conoces están luchando una dura batalla.

No deberías limitar tu bondad para la gente quien conoces, o personas quien te parecen amables. La bondad, como el amor (o que en realidad es una expresión de amor) debe ser incondicional, dado libremente y con alegría.

Todos, sin excepción, están teniendo momentos difíciles. Todos tenemos nuestros problemas, todos tenemos preocupaciones, y cosas malos que sucede en nuestras vidas. Y no debemos privar a otros humanos de la bondad sólo porque quizás no nos parecen amables /agradables.

Sólo digo esto, porque es algo que sucede con frecuencia. Si ves a alguien (desconocido) sonriéndote, tu seguramente que le devolverás la sonrisa. Pero la tendencia a devolverle la sonrisa se desvanece rápidamente cuando te encuentras con alguien triste /enfadado /negativo. E incluso tiendes a reflejar su negatividad. Mientras que son exactamente ellos quien más necesitan la bondad, compasión y simpatía.

Un acto de bondad no tiene por qué ser algo grande. Cualquier tipo de bondad es digna de algo, es de ayuda, es una expresión de amor hacia tus prójimos. Y cuando algún día tu podrías estar en necesidad de un poco de amabilidad, puede que serás recompensado por el esfuerzo que hiciste en ser amable con los demás en otros momentos.

Ser amable no se debe considerar como un sacrificio. Debe ser visto como la forma correcta de interactuar con otros. La paciencia, el amor, el respeto, la compasión, eso es como debemos tratar a nuestros prójimos.

Por lo tanto, si ves a alguien teniendo un momento difícil, no le reflejas su negatividad y hagas que ese persona se sientan aún peor. Elévate por encima de tu (posible) repulsión inicial hacia la negatividad y se compasivos. Se bondadoso, y da un regalo de bondad. Tus sonrisas, palabras, actos son cosas pequeñas, pero aún así puede significar una gran diferencia para la persona que está sufriendo en ese momento.

“Este es mi simple religión. No hay necesidad de templos, no hay necesidad para una filosofía complicada. Nuestro propio cerebro, nuestro propio corazón es nuestro templo, y la filosofía es la bondad.”
Dalai Lama
  

“Llevar a cabo un acto de bondad al azar, sin esperar recompensa, con la certeza de que un día alguien podría hacer lo mismo para usted.”
  

“Ningún acto de bondad, por pequeño que sea, es desperdiciado.”

Not save, but love/ no salvar, pero amar

“You cannot save people. You can only love them.”

Maybe this is a good phrase for me. For a long time I suffered a lot when I saw people being unhappy, feeling lost, or simply not able to find happiness in their lives. I suffered even more when I myself learnt how to be happy. I still suffer due to those things. So many times I have thought long and hard about how I could help everyone, how I could be most useful.

I remember that when I was young I had a time when I really wanted to go to Africa to help the poor children. Sometimes that image still passes by, or some other in which I can help people to be happy, peaceful and in harmony with themselves and their surroundings.

But in the end everyone has got his/her own responsibility. I can’t force people to let me help them. If they don’t want help, I can’t oblige them to accept mine. I might think that the best way to happiness is gratitude, love and respect, but others might be convinced I’m wrong.

So… to my great sadness, I cannot save nor help all the people I so much desire to help. But there is something that I can do. I have grown as person. I’m still growing, day after day, but until now I haven’t been unhappy with the result. What I can do is love. Maybe to you it sounds pointless, useless, foolish. Think whatever you like. I have experienced the power of love in many ways, and it’s better than anything else in the world to make you a better person. It’s the most powerful and pure thing there is.

Thus, what I can do for others is to love them. I can remind them that I am here for them, respectful, patient, loving, without prejudices, without conditions. And hopefully in that way, during my entire life I can bring at least some smiles onto people’s faces, love into their souls, and hope into their hearts.

So I will. I will love each being with all my soul, always wishing them the best, and being the best possible person. I want to live my life in such way that I can inspire people, and thus bring a little more light into the world.

My kindest and most loving greetings to you all.

 

"No puedes salvar a la gente. Sólo puedes amarles. "

Tal vez esto es una buena frase para mí. Durante mucho tiempo he sufrido mucho cuando vi a la gente estando infeliz, sintiéndose perdidos, o simplemente incapaz de encontrar la felicidad en sus vidas. Sufrí mucho más cuando yo mismo aprendí cómo ser feliz. Todavía sufro por esas cosas. Muchas veces he pensado profundamente sobre cómo podría ayudar a todos, cómo podría ser de máximo utilidad.

Recuerdo que cuando yo era joven tuve una época en que yo realmente quería ir a África para ayudar a los niños pobres. A veces, esa imagen aún pasa por mi cabeza, o alguna otra en la que puedo ayudar a la gente a ser feliz, pacífica y en armonía consigo mismo y su entorno.

Pero al final, todo el mundo tiene su propia responsabilidad. No puedo obligar a la gente a dejarme ayudarlos. Si no quieren ayuda, no puedo obligarlos a aceptar la mía. Yo podría pensar que el mejor camino a la felicidad es la gratitud, el amor y el respeto, pero otros pueden estar convencidos de que estoy equivocado.

Así que... para mi gran tristeza, no puedo salvar ni ayudar a todas las personas a las que tanto deseo ayudar. Pero hay algo que yo sí que puedo hacer. He crecido como persona. Todavía estoy creciendo, día tras día, pero hasta ahora he estado muy contenta con el resultado. Lo que puedo hacer es amar. Tal vez eso te parece algo sin sentido, inútil, absurdo. Piense lo que quieres. He experimentado el poder del amor de muchas maneras, y es mejor que cualquier otra cosa en el mundo para hacerte una persona mejor. Es la cosa más poderosa y pura que existe.

Por lo tanto, lo que puedo hacer por los demás es amarles. Puedo recordarles que estoy aquí por ellos, respetuosamente, pacientemente, con amor, sin prejuicios, sin condiciones. Y espero que de esta manera, durante toda mi vida pueda traer por lo menos algunas sonrisas en los rostros de la gente, amor en sus almas, y esperanza en sus corazones.

Así lo haré. Amaré a cada ser con toda mi alma, siempre deseándoles lo mejor, y ser la mejor persona posible. Quiero vivir mi vida de tal manera que pueda inspirar a la gente, y así traer un poco más luz en este mundo.

Mis saludos más amables y bondadosos a todos.

Believing/ Creer

All of us have questions about things like the meaning of life, what comes after death, if destiny exists and so on. Since mankind has gained the capacity to be self-conscious and think about things questions like these, and millions more, have raced through our minds.

Nevertheless, barely any of these questions have been answered satisfactorily. You’d think, with the great human mind and all the accomplishments of the human race we would be able to come up with some good answers. But no.. Many have tried, and one result has been the creation of religions. I will not say too much about religions, only that I think the principles may have been good and honest, focused on inner happiness, but during the passing of the eras it has been misused too much for power and wealth. But, in all honesty I can say that the principles of many seem good.

Nowadays less and less people are strongly religious. People are no longer satisfied by the vague explanations provided by religions about life questions.

So we are atheists. We say that we don’t believe, that we don’t belong to a religion. But still we feel the great need for those answers which have puzzled mankind since its birth to be answered.  And as no one seems able to give us the answers, at times we feel lost. We try to find the answers somewhere, and the result is that nowadays more and more people become spiritual. They don’t believe in a rigid religion, but rather in that there is something so much bigger out there then we can ever imagine. That we have a soul and that there is a life after this one, and endless more.

Everyone has the liberty to believe anything he/she wants. But I would like to say the following; No one can give you the answers to life. Only you can find them deep in your soul, where they appear when you have learnt to shut out the constant noise of the mind. If you are able to do that, if you are able to find your inner wisdom, then you have opened a new world for yourself. A world where you are so much stronger, so much more independent and at the same time so much more full of love and respect and joy.

Once you have found something to believe in that gives you strength and joy and love, then you see the world differently. Then you decide to help others, to be respectful and loving towards all living creatures, to live life with gratitude forever in your heart. Not because you have to, but because it gives you so much good in return.

Of course, this is what I believe. I might be totally mistaken, and even that doesn’t matter! Because I believe in something that gives me inner strength, love and pure joy. I can’t see how this would ever have a negative consequence, when all it does is make me such a happier and better person.

So; it doesn’t matter what you believe. What’s important is that it fills your being with happiness and love and that you’re able to express it to your surroundings. What’s important is being happy and in total peace with yourself.

I wish you the best, dear reader, and thank you for reading.

Levantémonos y  seamos todos agradecidos, porque si no hemos aprendido mucho hoy, por lo menos hemos aprendido algo, y si no hemos aprendido algo, por lo menos no nos hemos puesto enfermos, y si nos hemos puesto enfermo, por lo menos no hemos muerto; así que, seamos todos agradecidos.

Todos tenemos preguntas sobre cosas como el significado de la vida, que viene después de la muerte, si existe el destino y etc. Desde que el ser humano ha ganado la capacidad de ser autoconsciente y pensar sobre las cosas preguntas como estas, y millones mas, han pasado por nuestras mentes.

No obstante, casi ninguno de esas preguntas ha sido contestado satisfactoriamente. Pensarías con la gran mente humana y todos los éxitos del ser humano seriamos capaces de venir con unas buenas respuestas. Pero no. Muchos han intentado, y un resultado ha sido la creación de religiones. No diré demasiado sobre ello, solo que creo que los principios pueden haber sido buenos y honestos, enfocado en alegría y paz interior, pero que con el paso del tiempo ha sido mal usado demasiado para poder y riqueza. Pero, en toda honestidad, puedo decir que los principios me parecen buenos.

Hoy en día menos y menos personas son religiosas. La gente ya no esta satisfecho con las respuestas poco claras dados por las religiones sobre las preguntas de la vida,

Así que somos ateístas. Decimos que no creemos, que no pertenecemos a una religión. Pero aun así sentimos la gran necesidad para que las preguntas que nuestros ancestros también tenían sean respondidas. Y como que parece que nadie nos puede dar la respuesta, a veces nos sentimos perdidos. Intentamos encontrar las respuestas por algún sitio, y el resultado es que hoy en día cada vez más gente se hace espirituales. Ya no creen en una religión rígida, sino en que hay algo tanto más grande que ni podemos imaginar. Que tenemos un alma y que hay vida después de esta, y infinitas mas.

Todos tenemos la libertad de creer en lo que queremos. Pero quiero decir lo siguiente: Nadie te puede dar las respuestas a la vida. Solo tú puedes encontrarlo, profundamente en tu alma, donde aparecen cuando has aprendido a callar el ruido constante de la mente. Si eres capaz de hacer eso, si eres capaz de encontrar sabiduría interior, entonces has abierto un mundo totalmente nuevo para ti. Un mundo donde estarás tanto más fuerte, tanto más independiente y a la vez mas lleno de amor y respeto y alegría.

Una vez que has encontrado algo en la cual creer que te da tanto fuerza y amor y alegría, entonces veras el mundo de manera diferente.  Entonces decidirás ayudar a otros, ser respetuoso y cariñoso hacia todos los seres vivos, de vivir la vida con eterna gratitud en tu corazón. No porque tienes que hacer eso, pero porque te da tantas cosas buenas en cambio.

Claro, esto es lo que yo creo. Puede ser que estoy totalmente equivocada, e incluso eso no importa! Porque creo en algo que me da fuerza interior, amor y alegría. No veo como eso podría en algún momento tener repercusiones sobre mi vida, cuando todo lo que hace es hacer de mi una persona tanto más feliz y mejor.

Así que, no importa en qué crees. Lo importante es que te llena tu ser con felicidad y amor y que seas capaz de expresarlo también hacia tu entorno. Lo importante es sentirse feliz y en paz completo con uno mismo.

Te deseo lo mejor, querido lector, y gracias por leer. 

Thoughts about war/ pensamientos sobre guerra

I, among others in this world, am a pacifist. I believe that war will never be beneficial, nor will anyone come out of war totally unharmed.

Of course, I have never been in war, and I’m very grateful about that. So maybe I shouldn’t give an opinion about something that I have not experienced myself.

But nevertheless I do want to write about it. And to be honest I must say; there have been wars for a just cause. Like the latest; the Arab spring, in countries where there are dictators and the people are demanding justice, democracy and peace. I can understand the reason why a war starts. But can I justify it? Being the person I am; no. I believe that violence never results in anything good. I believe that, despite the need sometimes in this world to wage war, it should be avoided my all means.

Unfortunately, the way people think and do in this world often leads to war. Compassion, understanding, respect and love are far to be found in many hearts of the humans. Rather we let ourselves be led by greed, anger, revenge and hate. This really saddens me. But besides that totally not important fact, we must all consider the fact that war and violence always brings with it more sadness and suffering.

Just imagine, try to please, a world where everyone would be compassionate, respectful and loving. Where there would be no war and no violence. Now, compare it to the real world, where there is still war and suffering everywhere.  Which world would you prefer to live in? Would you really still like to live in the world we have nowadays, or would you chose for a better world for all? Because, just so you know, you, and me, and everyone else can make a difference. Together we could actually make a better world. This is not a mere dream or illusion; it’s really possible. I don’t know what you are thinking, but my thoughts are like “what are we still waiting for!!!”

Now, just to give you more stuff to think about, three quotes from his Holiness the Dalai Lama

It is vital that young people, the guardians of our future, develop a strong awareness of the futility of violence and war. They can learn from the examples of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., that non-violence is the best way to ensure peace in the long term. Because the twentieth century was a century of violence, let us make the twenty-first a century of dialogue.

Peace has a great deal to do with warm-heartedness and respect for the lives of others, avoiding doing them harm and regarding their lives as being as precious as our own. If, on that basis, we can also be of help to others, so much the better

Nonviolence means dialogue; it means using language to communicate. And dialogue means compromise, listening to others’ views, and respecting others’ rights, in a spirit of reconciliation. Nobody will be 100 percent a winner, and nobody will be 100 percent a loser. That is the practical way. In fact, that is the only way.

En la practica de la tolerancia, tu enemigo sera tu mejor  maestro.     

Yo, entre otros en este mundo, soy una pacifista. Creo que la guerra nunca será beneficiosa, ni que nadie sale de la guerra totalmente ileso.

Por supuesto, nunca he estado en la guerra, y yo estoy muy agradecido por eso. Así que tal vez no debería dar una opinión sobre algo que yo no he experimentado.

Pero sin embargo, quiero escribir sobre esto. Y para ser honesto, debo decir, que si que ha habido guerras por una causa justa. Al igual que una de las últimas; la primavera árabe, en los países donde hay dictaduras y las personas están exigiendo justicia, democracia y paz. Puedo entender la razón por la cual se inicia una guerra. Pero puedo justificarlo? Siendo la persona quien soy, no. Creo que la violencia nunca llega a algo bueno. Creo que, a pesar de la necesidad a veces en este mundo para hacer la guerra, se debe evitar hacer guerra a todo coste.

Por desgracia, la forma de pensar y hacer en este mundo que a menudo conduce a la guerra. La compasión, la comprensión, el respeto y el amor a veces no se encuentran en el corazón de muchos de los seres humanos. Más bien nos dejamos llevar por la codicia, la ira, la venganza y el odio. Esto realmente me entristece. Pero además de ese hecho tan poco importante, todos debemos considerar el hecho de que la guerra y la violencia siempre trae consigo más tristeza y sufrimiento.

Imagínate, trátalo por favor,  a un mundo donde todos serían compasivos, respetuosos y con amor en sus corazones. Donde no habría guerra ni violencia. Ahora bien, compáralo con el mundo real, donde todavía hay guerra y sufrimiento en todas partes. ¿En qué mundo prefieres vivir? ¿De verdad aún te gustaría vivir en el mundo que tenemos hoy en día, o si erigirías para un mundo mejor para todos? Porque, para que lo sepas, tú y yo, y todos los demás podemos hacer la diferencia. Juntos realmente podemos hacer un mundo mejor. Esto no es un mero sueño o una ilusión, sino que es posible. No sé lo que estarás pensando, pero mis pensamientos son "A qué estamos esperando!?!"

Ahora, para darte mas cosas sobre la cual pensar, aquí unos frases de su Santidad el Dalai Lama

Es de vital importancia que los jóvenes, quien son los guardianes de nuestro futuro, desarrollan una fuerte conciencia de la inutilidad de la violencia y la guerra. Ellos pueden aprender de los ejemplos de Mahatma Gandhi y Martin Luther King, Jr., que la no violencia es la mejor manera de asegurar la paz en el largo plazo. Debido a que el siglo XX fue un siglo de violencia, hagamos el siglo XXI sea un siglo de diálogo.

La paz tiene mucho que ver con la actitud indulgente y el respeto a las vidas de los demás, evitando que les hiciese daño y considerando sus vidas como algo tan valioso como el nuestro. Si, sobre esa base, también puede ser de ayuda a los demás, tanto mejor.

La no violencia significa diálogo, significa usar el lenguaje para comunicarse. Y el diálogo significa compromiso, escuchando al punto de vista de los demás, y respetando los derechos de otros, en un espíritu de reconciliación. Nadie será 100 por ciento a un ganador, y nadie va a ser del 100 por ciento un perdedor. Esa es la manera práctica. De hecho, esa es la única manera. 

Mountain photos :D fotos de montaña!

Serra de Ferrer

Hurrah! 2 out of 5 exams I’ve done so now I can relax and write a bit! :D I don’t think I’ll feel this euphoria very long, considering the amount I have to study still, but well: at least today and tomorrow I’ll take some well deserved rest :)

Ok, but now: the theme I wanted to talk about! I knowwww I have already written about mountains and so before here in my blog, but the thing is… that I just absolutely love the mountains in the region where I live! I mean: not everybody has got mountains of over 1 km in sight from their garden! And there is also another reason why I just HAVE to write about mountains again: the last time was in December, and since then I have done a reasonable amount of mountain hiking, and thus; making pictures!

So, I’ll stop writing now, and I’ll just let you enjoy some of my favorite photos of mountains in my region

Barranc de l'infern

Yupi!!! Tengo 2 de los 5 exámenes hechos así que ahora me puedo relajar y escribir un poco! :D  no creo que voy a sentir esta euforia durante mucho tiempo, teniendo en cuenta la gran cantidad que tengo que estudiar todavía, pero bueno: por lo menos hoy y mañana voy a tomar un merecido descanso :)

Ok, pero ahora: el tema sobre la cual quería hablar! Sé que ya he escrito sobre las montañas y tal veces anteriores aquí en mi blog, pero la cosa es... me encanta las montañas de la región donde vivo! Quiero decir: no todas las personas tienen vistas a montañas de más de 1 kilometro desde su jardín!. Y también hay otra razón por la cual tengo que escribir sobre las montañas de nuevo: la última vez fue en diciembre, y desde entonces he hecho una cantidad razonable de excursiones por la montaña, y por lo tanto, he hecho muchos fotos!

Por lo tanto, voy a dejar de escribir ahora, y yo te dejaré disfrutar de algunas de mis fotos favoritas de las montañas de esta región.

Bernia

cala llebeig

Bernia (me on the mountain bike)

Pla de Petracos

Pas dels bandolers

Castell d'Aixa

Barranc de l'infern

Bernia- cara sur

Barranc de l'infern

Barranc de l'infern

Embalse de Guadalest

I will... / voy a..

The following text is a text I wrote some time ago. I wanted to write about globalization, but somehow I went off theme. It isn’t very coherent, nor did I express what I wanted to say about globalization. Maybe that’s because in my mind so many things are interconnected; globalization, environmental problems, human dissatisfaction with life… nevertheless, I would like to put this text here. Thank you.

Globality. What does it really mean? Maybe thanks to globality life of many people has already changed for better quite a lot. I’m only 20, so I haven’t seen much change yet regarding that in my life. But to me, globality hasn’t done all the good it was expected to do. To me, it doesn’t immediately guarantee happiness, safety, love, health, prosperity… we’re now a global species, in a globalized society, but nevertheless still miles apart even from ourselves, not to mention others.

How globally connected are we really? Religiously, politically, economically. Only slightly, and it’s mainly the economy which connects the world. Because there are too many differences between people in terms of culture and beliefs. And how globally connected are we as individual humans, as who we truly are? Barely (here putting emphasis on Who we Truly Are). Maybe globalization has helped us to achieve prosperity in a certain measure, but I can’t help thinking about the thousands of millions of people who still don’t see the beauty in life, who don’t receive love, who have to battle each day for their and their families survival… we, as a species, are still too far away from happiness, love and peace. Things that seem to me as the utmost, fundamental right of humanity. Things I will dedicate myself to give, to everyone, always, as much as they deserve. I myself have received the gifts of peace, love and happiness, and now, now it is time to pass it on to others.

I will give love, for everyone deserves it
I will listen, for man needs a listening and patient ear
I will be patient, respectful, a friend, a companion.
I will embrace others and do my very best to see people as who they truly are
I will help, for help is always welcome and no one should be alone
I will be grateful, for live has granted me many beautiful gifts.
I will try to be true of mind and soul, and always let my inner self guide me through life.
I will be a little stone in the river. Little, but nonetheless I will change for better many things.

Not until my work is done will I leave. Whilst there are still souls to awaken, people to cheer up, love to give, ones in need of a helping hand, I will be here.

English: everything that can be changed will be changed until there is no more time to change anything. wake up, respect, value, care for, help, love and be happy.

El siguiente texto es un texto que escribí hace tiempo.  Quería escribir sobre la globalización, pero de alguna manera me despiste del tema. El texto no es muy coherente, ni expresa lo que quería expresar sobre la globalización. Tal vez es porque en mi mente tantas cosas están interconectadas; la globalización, los problemas ambientales, la insatisfacción humana con la vida... sin embargo, me gustaría poner este texto aquí. Gracias.

La globalidad. ¿Qué significa eso realmente? Tal vez gracias a la globalidad la vida de muchas personas ya ha cambiado para bien en muchos casos. Sólo tengo 20, así que no he visto mucho cambio hasta ahora en mi vida. Pero para mí, la globalidad parece que no ha hecho todo el bien que se esperaba que hiciera. Para mí, no garantiza la felicidad inmediata, la seguridad, el amor, la salud, la prosperidad... ahora somos una especie a nivel mundial, en una sociedad globalizada, pero sin embargo a kilómetros de distancia incluso de nosotros mismos, para no mencionar otros.

¿Cómo de conectado globalmente realmente somos? Religiosamente, políticamente, económicamente?  Sólo un poco, y es sobre todo la economía la que conecta el mundo. Debido a que hay demasiadas diferencias entre las personas en términos de cultura y creencias. ¿Y cómo de conectados estamos como seres humanos individuales, como quiénes somos en realidad? Apenas (en este caso quiero poner énfasis en Quien Somos de Verdad). Tal vez la globalización nos ha ayudado a alcanzar la prosperidad en cierta medida, pero no puedo dejar de pensar en los miles de millones de personas que todavía no ven la belleza de la vida, que no reciben amor, que tienen que luchar día tras día por su supervivencia y la de su familia... nosotros, como especie, son todavía demasiado lejos de la felicidad, el amor y la paz.  Cosas que me parecen como el mayor y más fundamental derecho de la humanidad. Cosas a las cuales me dedicaré a dar, a todos, siempre, tanto como se merecen. Yo mismo he recibido los regalos de la paz, el amor y la felicidad, y ahora, ahora es el momento de dárselo a otras personas.

Voy a dar amor, porque todo el mundo se lo merece
Voy a escuchar, porque las personas necesitan un oído atento y paciente
Seré paciente, respetuoso, una amiga, una compañera.
Abrazare a las personas y hare mi mejor esfuerzo para ver a la gente como quien realmente son
Voy a ayudar, porque toda la ayuda es bienvenida y nadie debería estar solo
Voy a estar agradecido por la vida, porque me ha dado muchos regalos hermosos.
Voy a tratar de ser sincera de mente y alma, y ​​siempre dejare a mi yo interior guiarme por la vida.
Voy a ser una pequeña piedra en el río. Pequeña, pero sin embargo cambiara parea mejor muchas cosas 

No hasta que mi trabajo se ha acabado me iré. Mientras que todavía hay almas para despertar, personas para alegrar, amor para dar, gente en necesidad de ayuda, voy a estar aquí.

Friendship / amistad

There is this thing that I find very odd. Well, maybe I’m a little odd too and considering the fact that most of my time I spend thinking about almost everything possible might contribute to my perception that that thing I want to talk about is odd.

Today I want to talk about friendship. About what I consider is truly friendship but that most people don’t even seem to know what that is and are content with “friendship”.

I mean. If you are friends with people, tell me: would you be there by their side? Would you support them with the things they do? Would you show them unconditional respect, love and loyalty? Would you try to cheer them up when they are down, and tell them things that makes their life happier?

Or would you ignore them in times when they most need a person by their side? Would you refuse to help them when they are in need of help? Would you talk behind their back about the secrets they believed were safe with you? Would you deliberately humiliate, depreciate and shame them? Would you take advantage of them?

I’m sure that now you will say: “of course I’m like the description in the first paragraph with examples!”  And “I would neeeever do such things!” and “oh, but I know people who are exactly like the description in the 2º paragraph”

Hmmm. Well. Sure. You know, humans tend to forget the bad things they themselves did, and only remember (and even exaggerate!) the bad things other people did to them. Individual humans tend to be much less strict for themselves then for others. Because individually about ourselves we say: “oh, but I had this and this excuse” whilst when we talk about others it’s often that we say “this and that person did that certain thing because he/she is lazy/bad/takes advantage of everyone etc”.

Honestly! That not very fair, right? But that’s just what humans do.

I confess that I am not perfect, and that in the past I have also made mistakes. Like everyone else has, undoubtly. But I can also say that now, now that I’m learning about fundamental things like love, happiness and inner peace, I am a good friend. At least, I try my very best at it :)

And by being who I am now, it disables me to understand how anyone could ever want to hurt someone they call friend. I can’t understand that people lie by saying someone is their friend but in the meantime all their actions indicate otherwise.  I can’t understand how anyone could deliberately hurt someone and call him/herself a friend of this hurt person.

To me, friendship is a relationship. Of course it is! People tend to relate relationship immediately with romantic relationship, but I just refer to a relation there is between people. (hope I didn’t confuse you!) And to me, in whatever honest relationship, it seems natural to be there, to help the friend grow as a person, to help the friend reach its full potential, to experience life, to see, to learn. Friendship is there to benefit both thanks to social human interaction. To me, friendship is not just something you can “buy” and throw it away when it doesn’t benefit you anymore. Which happens only too often….

Or do I see it all wrong? Should I care less about my friends? I have friends, and to be honest quite a lot, who are people who will always be important to me. To me friends are extremely important, and I couldn’t live without them. Thanks to then I have learnt, laughed, cried. I have talked, and listened. I have helped, and I have received help.  I have grown as a human being, and I have become me.

Maybe to most people it seems like I care too much about my friends. Well, what can I say? At least I don’t hurt and humiliate my friends. At least I don’t spread their most intimate secrets around. At least I don’t ignore them when they are no longer of use to me.

No. what I do is being there for them. What I do is helping them, telling them how to cope with life, how to be happy. Or just simply to have a great time going out, laughing, talking! And I do all of this unconditionally. Do you know why? Because when I was the one who needed help, they were by my side. Unconditionally.

Maybe that has been one of the greatest life lessons to me.

Thank you. thank you with all my heart, my dearest friends.

Hoy quiero hablar sobre la amistad. Acerca de lo que yo considero que es realmente amistad, pero que la mayoría de la gente ni siquiera parece saber y se conforman con "amistad".

Lo que quiero decir es que, si eres amigo/a de alguien, dime: ¿estarías allí a su lado? ¿Le apoyarías con las cosas que hace? Le muestras respeto, amor y lealtad incondicional? ¿Tratarías de animarle cuando tiene un mal día y le dirías cosas que hace su vida más feliz?

¿O le ignorarías en los momentos cuando más necesita a una persona a su lado? ¿Negarías a ayudarle cuando necesita de ayuda? ¿Hablarías detrás de su espalda sobre los secretos que creía que estaban a salvo contigo? ¿Le humillarías, despreciarías y avergonzarías deliberadamente? ¿Te aprovecharías de él/ella?

Estoy seguro de que ahora vas a decir: "por supuesto que soy como la descripción en el primer párrafo con ejemplos!" Y "yo nuuuunca haría esas cosas!" Y "oh, pero conozco a personas que son exactamente como las descripción en el 2º párrafo”

Hmmm. Bueno. Claro. ¿Sabes qué?, los humanos tendemos a olvidar las cosas malas que ellos mismos hacen, y sólo recuerden (e incluso exageran!) las cosas malas que otras personas hacen a ellos. Los seres humanos individuales tienden a ser mucho menos estricto para sí mismos, que para los demás. Individualmente decimos sobre nosotros mismos: "Oh, pero yo tenía esto y esta excusa", mientras que cuando hablamos sobre los demás a menudo lo que decimos es "esta y esa persona hizo esa determinada cosa porque él / ella es perezoso / malo / se aprovecha de todo el mundo etc”.

Honestamente! Eso no es muy justo, ¿verdad? Pero eso es lo que hacen los seres humanos.

Confieso que no soy perfecta, y que en el pasado también he cometido errores. Al igual que todos, indudablemente. Pero también puedo decir que ahora, ahora que estoy aprendiendo sobre las cosas fundamentales como el amor, la felicidad y la paz interior, soy una buena amiga. Por lo menos, intento lo mejor posible :).

Y por ser quien soy ahora, me resulta imposible entender cómo alguien podría querer hacer daño a alguien a quien llama amigo. No puedo entender que la gente miente al decir que alguien es su amigo, pero mientras tanto todas sus acciones indican lo contrario. No puedo entender cómo alguien podría deliberadamente hacer daño a alguien y llamarse amigo de esta persona herida.

Para mí, la amistad es una relación. Por supuesto que lo es! Las personas tienden a relacionar ese término inmediatamente con una relación romántica, pero “relación” simplemente se refiere a una relación que hay entre la gente. (Espero que no te he confundido!) Y para mí, en cualquier relación honesta, me parece natural estar allí para esa persona, para ayudar al amigo a crecer como persona, para ayudar al amigo alcanzar su máximo potencial, para experimentar la vida, para ver , para aprender. La amistad es para beneficiar a ambos, gracias a la interacción social humana. Para mí, la amistad no es sólo algo que se puede "comprar" y tirar a la basura cuando ya no es beneficioso. Algo que por desgracia sucede con demasiada frecuencia ....

¿O es que yo lo veo todo mal? ¿Debería importarme menos mis amigos? Tengo amigos, y para ser honesto tengo bastantes, y ellos son personas quien siempre serán importantes para mí. Para mí los amigos son muy importantes, y yo no podría vivir sin ellos. Gracias a ellos, he aprendido, reído, llorado. He hablado y  escuchado. Me han ayudado, y he recibido ayuda. He crecido como ser humano, y me he convertido en mí.

Tal vez para la mayoría de la gente parece que me preocupo demasiado por mis amigos. Bueno, ¿qué te puedo decir? Por lo menos no hago daño y humillo a mis amigos. Por lo menos yo no divulgo sus secretos más íntimos por ahí. Por lo menos yo no los ignoro, cuando ya no son de utilidad para mí.

No. Lo que hago es estar ahí para ellos. Lo que hago es ayudarles, diciéndoles cómo enfrentar la vida, cómo ser feliz. O simplemente para pasar un buen rato saliendo, riendo o hablando! Y hago todo esto sin condiciones. ¿Sabes por qué? Porque cuando yo era la quien necesitaba ayuda, ellos estaban a mi lado. Incondicionalmente.

Tal vez eso ha sido una de las lecciones más grandes de la vida para mí.

Gracias. Gracias con todo mi corazón, mis queridos amigos.