Tuesday, 18 December 2012

My Christmas Tree

Jesus

Love
Family
Smiles Hope
Christmas carols
Faith Grandma sweets 
Tenderness
Belief Nativity Visiting
Warm at the fireplace Cold red nose
Friends Chestnuts Nostalgia Santa Codfish
Joy Cakes Pastries Laughs Sharing Giving Hugs
Mass Bells
Saudade Bolo Rei Hallacas Filhoses Charity Travelling
Opening gifts in the morning  Reindeer Janeiras Decoration
Shining lights Cheers December Holly
Gloves
Hot tea
Mary God Joseph 

Sunday, 21 October 2012

"Fail again, Fail better"


That was a catchy title of an art exhibition that I visited early this year far up above the article circle in Tromso, Norway!

It made me think about all of us that might have got the feeling that "half of the population is always waiting for you to fail" everyday. And in fact, society is constantly and patiently waiting on people to commit mistakes. Late for work, didn't reached the targets for the month, bad mark on the exam, etc. Judgements and punishments will follow accordingly. Of course, I am not talking exclusively on the legally binding stuff... (like fines, tickets, etc) but I also want to add on the top of that list all the social and psychological pressure and distress that one has to deal with when "accused of failing".

Society (all of us??!!) haven't got a clue of what's going on at the individual's level when he/she fails. In most of our day-to-day judgements, we (society) do not take into account the complexity of the person as an individual and the complexity of that particular circumstance. It goes to complex... and society couldn't care less about it! Stigamatizing seems easier task and somehow sounds fair... (?) All probably due to the fact that society is fundamentally success-driven.

So...

Fail again!
...dust yourself off
Fail better...
stand... and fail again and as many times you need!

In my opinion "Failing" is necessary and is the only path to success... indeed, it is said that "if you never have failed, you have never lived". In all your attempts you will learn something new, in all attempts you live...

Dealing with "failure" is one of the most important keys for a happy life (and surprisingly no one teaches you how to deal with this). I might say here that the ultimate key is to NEVER let society drive you away from your dream. Learn from every single attempt before reaching it... there is no price for when you look back onto ALL your failures and you say:
It was totally worthed!

And then start over again...

Saturday, 29 September 2012

Um Meio ou uma Desculpa

Now in portuguese!

Este texto é da autoria de um médico-psiquiatra brasileiro, Roberto Shinyashiki.

Gosto especialmente do texto pela força motivacional que transmite e por isso fica aqui a partilha!


Um Meio ou uma Desculpa

"Não conheço ninguém que conseguiu realizar seu sonho, sem sacrificar feriados e domingos pelo menos uma centena de vezes.
Da mesma forma, se você quiser construir uma relação amiga com seus filhos, terá que se dedicar a isso, superar o cansaço, arrumar tempo para ficar com eles, deixar de lado o orgulho e o comodismo.
Se quiser um casamento gratificante, terá que investir tempo, energia e sentimentos nesse objetivo.
O sucesso é construído à noite!
Durante o dia você faz o que todos fazem.
Mas, para obter um resultado diferente da maioria, você tem que ser especial.
Se fizer igual a todo mundo, obterá os mesmos resultados.
Não se compare à maioria, pois, infelizmente ela não é modelo de sucesso.
Se você quiser atingir uma meta especial, terá que estudar no horário em que os outros estão tomando chope com batatas fritas.
Terá de planejar, enquanto os outros permanecem à frente da televisão.
Terá de trabalhar enquanto os outros tomam sol à beira da piscina.
A realização de um sonho depende de dedicação, há muita gente que espera que o sonho se realize por mágica, mas toda mágica é ilusão, e a ilusão não tira ninguém de onde está, em verdade a ilusão é combustível dos perdedores pois...
Quem quer fazer alguma coisa, encontra um MEIO.
Quem não quer fazer nada, encontra uma DESCULPA."

Monday, 21 May 2012

After A While

I came accross this poem a while ago... I read it over and over again and still amazed. I have to say it's one of the most beautiful I have ever read.

Written by Veronica A. Shoffstall.


After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman,
not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn...

Saturday, 28 April 2012

Faith according to Einstein

Some of you might have come across this text already or across a video on youtube about this topic. Anyways, just want to share it with you since I totally subscribe this idea... Faith is what keeps everything moving, no matter what God you worship!


Professor : You are a Christian, aren’t you, son ?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, you believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor: Is GOD all powerful ?

Student : Yes.

Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent.)

Professor: You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Is satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor: Where does satan come from ?

Student : From … GOD …

Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student : Yes.

Professor: So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer.)

Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, who created them ?

(Student had no answer.)

Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.

Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Professor: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Professor: Yes.

Student : No, sir. There isn’t.

(The lecture theater became very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class broke out into laughter. )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.


By the way, that student was EINSTEIN


Monday, 16 April 2012

The Etiology of Love...

Smile...
a sneaky gorgeous smile back...
deep look into your eyes...
shy and quick turn away.
heart beats
stupid introductory question
???
My name,
hear your name,
tell some stories
gentle and charming laughter at that stupid joke
dare an invitation to dance...
(please, say yes)
YES
the smell of your hair...
...your perfume!
risk again to ask THE number
ok, sure!
ufffff, glad


(...unexplicable delay...)


taking long to text...
no luck again!
TEXT
jumping, going nuts, giggling
a coffee... shall we?
... another coffee
some ice cream...
a walk,
what else could we go for?
risk again,
a hug
kiss on the chick...
THE KISS

Side effects:
visible spectra now has many other wavelength colors
music is always in the air as it is spring
miserable rain = oportunity to dance soaked 
people really talk a lot... you listen = 0



Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Awesome little things

I love to contemplate and admire little details in life. There are "small and insignificant" details in our day-to-day life that no one cares about anymore and I find them so interesting and special...

Have you realised how great it is to have that smile when you go an pick up your morning coffee at the shop? How cool it is that when you want to move somewhere your brain tells your legs to go... and you actually move... instantly! How great it is that when you want to drink water, you can open the tap... and there it is! (Imagine if you have to run down to the river everytime). How awesome is that if you dial the correct number you will be able to have a clear conversation with somebody on the other side of the world? Have you ever stopped to think that some foods get transported from one side of the world to the other so that you can have a taste of it?

Isn't all that amazing? So, my question for you today is why aren't most of us amazed by all that anymore?
Is it because we take all that for granted? Or because our goal-driven society does not leave us much time for contemplation...?

I don't think there is a straight answer for that!

So, I will leave you with a suggestion... take your time and admire the world as a 3-year-old boy/girl. Children are the best example to follow as they live completely delighted with the world around them. You will find your self amazed by how cool it is to contemplate an ant walking with a massive load on its back and think about what she is gonna do with all that. Or how insteresting is to spend some time hearing a bird singing on the backyard and thinking that he never had any lessons on how to sing.

Life is simple...
Find the time to admire it... and you'll find beauty.

B