4reevolution's Blog

During the last days I found myself judging others for their undependable behavior. In the same way that my ex-partner was judging my “irresponsible” decisions, I was judging others for their “lack of compromise” or “instability”. In the last couple of years I made certain turns and followed paths that some people didn’t expect and didn’t agree with, but they came from the same place of honesty and sensibility that moves others in their own directions. These directions might raise eyebrows, doubts in yourself, even hurt other people, but by any means disappointment with yourself. Feeling disappointed is the red flag, it is time to take a break, think thoroughly, make a plan with all things considered, and then gather strength to become: AUDACIOUSLY YOU! (I stole this last phrase from a wonderful woman, Coke Nakamoto, about whom I would like to talk in a different post).

It would be then insensible to judge others for following their internal forces. What I ask for myself is to be able to accept the honest decisions of those around me, even if those decisions hurt me in some manner. I can’t demand from others what their spirits are not meant to give, and I have to keep in mind that it is my ego who is getting hurt. It is not an easy process, but the moment we understand that the core of others’ decisions have to do only with themselves, our anger turn into sadness, then calmness, and eventually into gratefulness.

My wish for all of us is to continue our paths with honesty and love, and to strength our inner fires to continue shining and sharing the best of us with those beautiful “others” that cross our paths.

(Lima, June 2011)

During the last months there have been sad, happy, calm, painful, hilarious, encouraging situations. Everyone is born, grows up, and continues his life within different circumstances that influence their physical space and their minds: to be born in a developing country, in a developed country, to be blonde, to have dark skin, to be born in the bosom of a lovely family, in the bosom of a dysfunctional family, in a country under constant attacks, in a country that attacks constantly, in a machista society, in a family with two dads, surrounded by neighbors who spend all their time watching what you do, in a community that doesn’t know of your existence, to be born with a solid health, to be born with a weak one. Many circumstances are not under our control, but what is under our control is the attitude that we have towards them. For some people the circumstances are very difficult, for others are  more bearable, but they are, the fact is that they ARE. What we have to keep in mind is that we can’t compare ourselves with others; to evolve we can only compare ourselves with ourselves, because each one of us has developed according to non-controllable circumstances that shaped our lives, circumstances that we can influence but not change. A turtle won’t walk faster than a hare, but it can improve its time compared to the day before…a hare can’t use its fur as protection from the rain like a shell, but can lie on its side or back and get up with no problem.

Unless we are already dead, let’s breathe, let’s remember that we can breathe, that we are alive, that we can smile, despite our surroundings falling into pieces, despite the souls around us that hit and get irritated, who see themselves as victims blaming the hare for being faster than they are. Two facts are irrevocable: we can’t find peace by avoiding reality, and the most important one, we have to learn to find peace IN SPITE OF… When facing difficult circumstances or people, how much did I strengthen my attitude to protect myself and to deal with them, or step away if I can; how much did I learn to protect myself without losing faith in goodness, without losing control over myself, how much progress did I make in my projects in spite of? As kids we are vulnerable, as teenagers we are irreverent and daring, as adults we learn to discern and to consolidate our identities…to this point in our lives how much did we evolve in spite of…? If you are not religious, perhaps you won’t be able to explain the negative circumstances in life as tests, but I bet you won’t gain anything either by being angry thinking how unfair they are. It is just what it is, and today you can only compare yourself with yourself. If you compare a negative circumstance today with a similar one a year ago: Have I learned to channel better the anger or the pain? Am I able to feel good with myself for how I handle things? Is there anything else I can do about it?

When facing any situation, let’s remember that we are human beings and that we are imperfect, that even if I generate a negative circumstance or if I am involved in one, our hearts must be protected, be loved. Our responsibility is to do our best to rectify our mistakes or to influence the circumstances we live in, but never fall into victimization.

Good vibe to all the warrior souls, who despite the negative circumstances and falls, keep smiling, continue evolving and protect their inner fire…sooner or later they achieve their goals, in spite of…

I just wanted to share with you the link to the excerpt of an interview on practicing gratitude from the Human Media website. Personally, I try to remind myself every day to see at the positive in my life, and even to see the difficulties as opportunities…this last point is certainly the most difficult thing I have ever tried, but little by little it is becoming part of my mindset. No, again, it is not easy, but believe me I have examples where I have noticed how much better I am responding to situations that in the past would have paralyzed me. It still causes pain, fear, but there is also a sense of trust that haven’t emerged before and that allows me to navigate the rough waters keeping myself afloat rather than sinking. In any case, start today if you haven’t yet, count your blessings.

http://www.humanmedia.org/catalog/program.php?cPath=63&products_id=80

Good vibe to all.

It takes hard work to receive with an open heart, to be grateful, and to find joy in every situation, even in those that were not expected…thank you to the souls that are teaching me so much without knowing it. Wishing you all tons of laughs in the coming week.

After reading the article: “Providing the Little Things that Mean the Most” published in the New York Times in 2002 about the Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic (CMCC) in Oakland, I am not only more motivated to keep trying to get involved in the sector of integrative medicine professionally, but also shaken from a state of fear that was controlling me during the last week as my job search is not being successful. The CMCC offers free complementary and alternative healing treatments to low income women diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.

Here the link to the article: http://www.charlottemaxwell.org/docs/nytimeslo.pdf

For all of you who are healthy or have chronic conditions that are not life threatening, do your best to keep your health or improve it…our health is our engine…and please hug, kiss, caress, or laugh with a person who needs your good energy to be alive…these “little” things are the ones that mean the most.

I wanted to share with you a link to an article on the use of yoga for helping PTSD patients: http://www.yogajournal.com/health/2532

Many patients have benefitted a lot from practicing yoga. Here a woman’s powerful testimonial:

“There is no way to describe what it has done for me,” she says. More than 20 years of therapy had helped her continue to function in daily life and end self-destructive behaviors. “But I didn’t think I would find peace of mind,” she says, “and now I think I will.”

Our minds and bodies are much more interconnected than we think. We can’t focus on one part of ourselves without paying attention to the other. Holistic healing practices have a lot of potential for improving our health.

Good vibe to all

Quería compartir con ustedes un link a un artículo sobre el uso del yoga con pacientes que sufren estrés post traumático: http://www.yogajournal.com/health/2532

Varios pacientes se han beneficiado bastante con la práctica del yoga. Aquí el testimonio poderoso de una mujer:

“No hay manera de describir lo que ha hecho (el yoga) por mi” , ella dice. Más de 20 años de terapia la han ayudado a continuar funcionando en su vida diaria y finalizar conductas auto-destructivas. “Pero no pensé que podría encontrar tranquilidad mental,” ella dice, “y ahora creó que lo sí lo haré.”

Nuestras mentes y cuerpos están mucho más interconectados de lo que pensamos. No podemos enfocarnos en una parte de nosotros sin prestar atención a la otra. Las prácticas holísticas de sanación tienen mucho potencial para mejorar nuestra salud.

Buena vibra para todos