Miguel

I met him last year at a big celebration. The magnetic personality of this man still keeps me enchanted for some inexplicable reason. We only spent 5 hours or so together but it felt like we never were apart. The moment I entered the room I saw nobody but him. Miguel is a man of a big heart, he gives you so much love and adoration you maybe saw in the movies and always wondered if it could be real. His undivided attention makes you wonder if it is for real or you are just daydreaming. I miss this guy so much… Last night I couldn’t sleep remembering his big smile and generous hugs to all people around us. Miguel never spoke a word that anyone could understand. Being fully bilingual, he does not speak much, he does not need to. This toothless six-year-old captivated my heart for forever: I don’t usually work with elementary kids but that Friday was an exception. I took a one day assignment to sub for a special education teacher and it turned out to be a celebration of Latino culture at that particular school. All grades went to a big pavilion to see some music and dance, we did some crafts later and finally there was a banquet with lots of food outside. It was so surreal all day long, Miguel and I were there to enjoy the vibe and celebrate life that can be so unpredictably beautiful.

I never came back to that school because you can’t enter the same river twice. I want to let the magic last forever, at least in my fantasies.

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Design your life

What makes up your day? Mine consists of so many little things that I can hardly keep all of them in mind. Sometimes it’s hard to tell which one is a game changer. Think about

• Food and exercise
• People you deal with
• Music, books and movies
• Social networks
• Living conditions

To make your life better you need to grab the bull by the horns and be responsible for your own happiness. Give up your fears and start living the dream!

1. Buy / make decent food, plan a week in advance
2. Walk / run 30-40 minutes a day, do other fitness activities if you like
3. Minimize time with irritating people, maximize positive exposure
4. Be selective with the books / movies you enjoy, pick the inspirational ones
5. Hide / unfollow negative posts / people online. Time yourself while in cyberspace
6. Make your home comfy: clean, fix and declutter as much as you can
7. Love what you get, get what you love

The process of designing your life can take longer than you think. I started 2-3 years ago, some changes are obvious and some are still in progress, I wish it could be done overnight but it’s a process.

Good morning!

How to make your day better? Start with a winner morning. I am pretty sure you have heard this before. Well, summer is here which is honestly a perfect timing for kicking off a new habit. Here is a few things I plan to do myself cause you never know… It might actually work 🙂

1. Mind your head before minding your feet. It’s Buddhist advice which makes you look in the mirror, comb your hair, smile at yourself and put your thoughts together before you run somewhere doing something.
2. Meditate / pray or just sit quietly practicing Zazen for 20-30 minutes. Stay away from watching TV or checking your social media accounts at this point.
3. Drink water before you have coffee or anything else. Play some music if you like.
4. Have breakfast outside or inside. If you are not hungry in the morning, try to eat half of your meal the previous night saving the other half for the next day. Light dinner will help you sleep better and be hungry  the next morning.
5. Keep your diary. Look back on what went well on a previous day, what could be done better next time, note lessons learned, plan and prioritize.

If you can do at least three of those every morning you will feel like a champion. Add sports/yoga activities if you like. Be good to yourself, life is too short to skip the best part of your day. Good morning!