Living with Congruence

Several things come into perspective when we start considering the value of Living with Congruence in more and more aspect of our life. Now, I perfectly understand if this is not your call and I sincerely hope it's because you already passed this subject and approved the class. But for those who are still in the game, striving for Excellence. Those who are still hanging in there, feeling like they are not quite over this  subject in many areas of their life. Those who are actively fighting to overcome some of their weakness in order to fill up their selves with sound values or just achieve one more virtue in order to feel more grounded in their character. This article is for you. I mean,  this article is for any body who is willing to reflect about the message. I am confident when I say there are a huge number of people out there who can find this message as the glue to what they are seeking  in order to rescue their integrity and build up their image so they can smile in front of the mirror, their family, friends, employers, customers and/or community.
If you are lost on the content of this article, but you are here reading, curious, or intrigue but at the same time asking your self  questions like if Congruence is a new health condition or where do you buy it? I have to tell you my friend,  you have an angel guiding you to a path of transformation that can start right now if you want... Its always your choice!
My basic foundation to write about "Living with Congruence"  is my own life experience. Who know me, know I am in deed immersed in my purpose of Giving with  Excellence and in order to be able to help a more diverse group of people in reaching their goals I have gone thru a long way in a process of personal growth and development from within. So at this time of my life I am deeply grateful and happy of calling myself a Facilitator of Learning Experience because now more than never before I truly believe this is what I do, not matter what is my literal position at any time. This is exactly what have serve me for years because this is what I do, as a human being who is passionate about being proactive about progress, learning, development, prosperity, sharing, communication, family life, quality and/or personal excellence. So I have seen many benefits on becoming more congruent in more and more aspects of my life and since I love it, its proven, and it will enrich any body's life, its time to share it.
To know some of the benefits you will find by becoming more congruent in any particular aspect of life,  please walk through this HUMAN BEHAVIOR'S MAP...next

 

One Healthy Habit at a Time #1

If I can exercise it, YOU CAN DO IT!
A couple of years ago, I wrote several articles addressing  some of my concerns while trying  to improve my health, and enjoy life again. There was a time of  deep need for considerations, keeping track of all the symptom, and try to compare with medical information and other  resources available about Fibromyalgia.
A chronic disease like this, is just a  health condition that give us the opportunity to review our life style and consider some changes and adjustments that include detailed observation to our diet, and our life.
During those years of observation, trying to figure out what was affecting my health so bad, i found out that carbohydrates and sugar, plus some other products needs to be reduced from my diet...so the path of changing some habits in my kitchen started in 2009.
Healthy eating is not an easy task, but I found out that it is a great way to start seeing results. Of course we need great disposition, awareness, time, preparation (with good information), organization, will power (to make the adjustment on the selection of the ingredients and  moderation with quantity) . I even learned to watch the number of meals and snacks a day. So, now I am prepared for those occasions, when I don't have the time or the energy to prepare a healthy meal.
The best thing I have found during these years, of learning about living a healthy life,  trying, failing to do what I need to do, and starting again, is that organization and preparation does help. Either that you decide to prepare food in advance, or plan your menu ahead of time and purchase the products that help you to make healthy choices, you will win a tremendous battle, because you will be ready to substitute products, keeping good quality on what you have available to choose. So, be prepared for those too busy days, get your protein shake, fruits, vegetables and nutrition bars handy at home, office, lunch bag and in your handbag. They are the best help we can get when we are working on adopting new habits, we need to keep going, and still take care of ourselves. Try it for a month, and let me know how you feel about it.

Healthy eating habits, require a discipline that I didn't have, but I understood that it make a difference in my life, so I have being willing to learn how to do it, one step at a time, day by day, even when its not always too easy. The bottom line is that I want to ENJOY LIFE again, but not as a random "one good day", I have been working instead, on building strengths on my new experience of joy and wellness for the rest of my life.

Considering that for the majority of us life start changing during the middle age, its great to see young adult already aware of the importance of taking care of their body with good nutrition and exercise. I wish I have had their determination and self-discipline on my 20's or 30's. Don't get me wrong, I was still energetic, fitted and beautiful, but with no clue about the consequences of having such bad nutrition habits. I was so irresponsible on that aspect, that I wasn't taking good care of my most important asset, my health. So, of course I was used to eat a lot of carbs, red meet, and spend long hours of work without eating breakfast and some time passing lunch time. What a life style, does this ring a bell to you? ...But wait,  to make it worst, I have had to add a lot of coffee during my normal days.
In my culture, in the Venezuela that I remember, every office  you visit, as a vendor, will have somebody that will offer you a cup of coffee as their welcoming protocol, and of course, I was always open for a tasteful cup of coffee. Now, consider that as a sales person for industrial products, I needed to visit several departments in the same company. So,  having an average of visits from 6 to 8 customers per day give me and average of at least 10 cup of coffee daily. I wonder why I was always so active and always on the go.
It's my hope that this article get on time to people that need to reflect on their daily routines, those that can make a change before getting sick.  If you are that person, I pray that you start thinking in yourself with clear understanding of the importance of your health, so that you make assertive decisions, which would lead you to preventive actions.
Wishing you a wonderful health!




My next article about Health and Wellness will bring an insight about the importance of  BEING PERSISTENT.





* One Simple Step that can make a difference in your search for a healthier lifestyle. For those busy days, instead of not eating anything or getting fat food, THINK SMART, BE PREPARED with  Complete Nutrition Bars;
great source of protein and fiber, non dairy, gluten free, low glycemic, omega3's, and 100% vegan.
#One Healthy Habit = MR101

Cooling or Heating. It depends on what is needed.

Almost every body knows  the best temperature they need to feel comfortable in every season. We can be in fall,  or summer, and we would know exactly what to do to address our needs of cooling or heating an area.  That is really an easy task to learn without too much effort. Isn't it?
If you are like me and live in Florida, you must be enjoying the weather at this time of the year.
We are all different, but at the same time we won't never be alone in our preferences, so there are many people that enjoy the heat, while others can't stand it.
On these days, when we have the Heater or the Air Conditioner system that allow us to take control of temperature every where,  we shall admit that we have it much more easier than our parents, or grandparents if we want to see even farther. It is as easy as to find the thermostat and push a button to lower or rise the temperature,  wait a little, and enjoy.
Now days, is even better with some of those new technologies that give us the benefit of auto adjusting, like NEST Thermostat, which program itself, so we don't have to do it manually.
It sounds very good to me, and of course it makes me think about how far and fast can we get to have brilliant ideas to manufacture new products that make our life apparently easier every day,  sell millions of them around the world, but we still can't find the ways to resolve the problems of wars, poverty, divorces, races, discrimination, bully...


As Marthin Luther King Jr. said "
We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learn the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit".
Shall we do the exercise of at least ask the question Why is that we haven't been able to bring alternatives solutions for all the issues that keep us in fight, or at a defensive stage or against one another?
I guess many people won't ever bother to think about those things, they will find it silly to spend their time on that. For others, it might be  too much of "trouble" to even try.  All of those circumstances take a lot of energy, to put them in perspective because  they need more than educated brains, committed  hearts.
We live in a society that promote better how to live aware of the importance of  our credit, than the importance of  our values. But, we can't understand the reason why many people in different ages takes their lives or take wrong path to try to resolve their issues about temporary situations. Some time  people involved in those circumstances are so affected and afraid to even find out if their mission is to inspire and set people on fire, or they need to bring in water to help them to get cool off.
The truth is we are always in a test and is our duty to find out the balance on how we can make a positive impact, by making a difference in peoples life depending on what is needed.
Can you be a positive influence to bring up unity, cooperation, trust, brotherhood, peace, inspiration, justice, solidarity in your team, family group and/or community? Would you do it sometimes, or the majority of the time?

Personal Growth and Wellness. Winners Seminar I Session Overview

"Diplomacy, the art of letting some one have it your way"

 

For many years I have this message on my desk - "DIPLOMACY - The art of letting someone have it your way"

          -Daniele Vare (Italian Diplomat)

I bought this paper weight in a gift shop in 2004 because of what that message represented to me at that time. I liked it that much, that I got two instead of one, thinking on giving one as a gift to someone special for me. But, after so many years, both of them are still in my home office. Many times the message has intrigued  me to the point of wondering what the writer meant with those words. Would  my understanding of the message be on the same directions as Daniele Vare? It looks like he never explained it, and today, I am using his quote with my own perspective. I only hope that this point of view can complement and frame his thoughts in a way that the reference makes  him feel honored.

There are two ways to get to know people. One is by observing them, and the other is by listening to them. The first one, observing people, allow  us to learn about their actions, routines, styles, mannerism, reactions, motivations and others graphic or visual signs and expression they share. While the second, Listening to them, is a way we have to get to know their feelings, thoughts, concerns, knowledge, focus, perspective, plus their visions of life. Perhaps real listening  is not easy for every body, it is the way to find answers about people and their circumstances.

I truly believe that we learn  to be great listeners and observers with practice, and that is the way we can bring better solutions to situations and people's needs. Observing and listening are manifested when  we put sincere interest in our search for healthier solutions. In fact, many times we start understanding that many of the situations we face in our life are consequences  of our lack of attention of what is evolving in our society. We can even see it now, when the battle to remove God's words, from our message in any inter-relationship considered as "professional practice" is on, and many people is following that call in order to be "proper" in their circle.

There are times when too much of diplomacy is not good for anybody. In this particular case, I think our politeness  its corroding the values and truth that are expressed in The Declaration of Independence of this country and that shall send us a sign of alarm to be more aware of  the direction of our actions and decisions. If we live in a global world, and want to participate in social change, then we shall learn to respect everybody believe without limiting their right to speak with words of wisdom. That would be fair.

Maybe more questions needs to be raised and embraced in a personal level in order to understand the kind of changes that we are facilitating.

• Are my actions in pro of  bringing up progress in my life, and the life of many others?
• Are my  ideas of solutions based on love, education, and development?
• Are the  structures and organizations where I am  inserting my print out, receiving the benefit of my personal growth and strength or the consequence of my weakness?
• Its my vision of prosperity and progress a platform that offer opportunities  for better education and quality of life to every one.

Considering that people will always dispute for attention, recognition, interest and approval for having the truth or being right, Its great to be open and confident to share your knowledge, skills and dreams, knowing that you are not holding any good for others, you are not turning off any lights, instead you are cooperating with a bigger mission, uplifting the knowledge and awareness in many people around you. That is what I will call an awesome way to let someone have it your way.  
In order to find the best results in the development of any thing we need to be open to learn from others, to release our fears or concepts, to deliver a new message or to confront others.

Growing with your people.

In this days when there are many people searching for jobs, the HR department of your company most be having a lot of fun. Don't you think?
I have always thought that managers and people in leadership have a huge responsibility in picking up the right people for their companies. I would say that is better to work with people of high standards since change, quality and improvement is already in their blood, but that is if you are really ready for them, looking forward to find the perfect fit in the best interest of the company. Of course those characteristic are  not always seen  on a resume, but you might get a better idea from what you perceive in people during an interview.
On this days, we can imagine the  level of unemployment is helping this process of recruiting, making it an easier task because there are a lot of well educated, and experienced people out there applying for the same job. But then, the question is,  if people that are recruiting are prepared  to recognize and appreciate the value in the character, experience, talent and personality of those that are applying for the job or they get afraid and instead of looking at the prospect as an asset for the business, they see them as a career competitor.
Other important aspect on this process of recruiting is the evaluation of our real offer vs. public advertisement. Professionalism and Ethic have  nothing to do with fashion or expensive locations and respect is one of the most important value in our professional life. We shall treat people with the same respect we hope that others treat us. If you are in a process of recruiting don't try to sugar cover the job description with information that does not match the real task, description, and requirement, because the people you are calling are overqualified for that job. It is not fair and its not ethic either. Month ago I had an experience like this with a company that is located in a gorgeous area in Winter Park, Florida. Too bad that such a beautiful office is used for such a bad practice.
Some times, in this new era of technology and new ways of doing things its very difficult to find the balance or the best approach according to our task or goal.  If you are recruiting, that can be challenging on time management, selecting people for interview by looking at their resume, and if you are searching for a job it is also challenging because there are many misleading information of "job opportunities" out there. There are companies that are offering jobs opportunities that are a joke and they don't realize the damage they do to their company's name.
We can  always find a way to work effectively with people that know about  high standard and are eager to walk the extra mile to work in bringing great results while being efficient. Do your best to find the right person to your company and be open to grow with them!

Mastering the Art of Cooperation...





Get involved , Bring up your Inputs.

Cooperation is a real value, a social process, a principle that has been used by countries in war or in process of bringing peace. Cooperation is a skill that we need to learn if we want to be a part of a team at home, at work, or in the community. In a way, is a benefit that we give to others in order to contribute with a project of building and strengthen relationships, communities services  and organizations, or just helping a friend in need. It's the benefit we receive  in special occasions from friends, family, and in many times and occasions from people we have never seen before. When we see how cooperation is fostered,we understand that with our attitude we either encourage a cooperative attitude in our environment or we discourage it. But, at the same time we need to be sincere with ourselves on not using cooperative attitude to manipulate others. Nor when we are the givers, neither when we are the recipient. Cooperation in its best expression is natural in people who cares about others, about the society, about education, about children and families... this is the kind of cooperation I am writing about here.

Since the beginning of all times I would say we have the natural need to recognize, acknowledge, and appreciate people's help and every one has their own way to express gratitude.  But, if we are in charge of a force of contributors, we need to find a way to preserve the energy of peace and harmony between those, that with care and commitment, support our mission, even when there might be times when they are dealing with some misunderstanding between them. So, as a leader we have to be able to see when a problem is just bringing an opportunity to work together with our group and see if there is a need to introduce some new communication skills. If we do it right, everybody win, and the group stay together because we have done the work to overcome the friction that normally keep us stuck in the problem.
 
I have seen great work and jobs well done where people work in cooperation for one purpose, one goal and one mission, but I have to say it take courage to work as a team at the beginning, because it is normally a learning experience where humbleness , fairness and transparency is not always present. So the commitment of people starts to decrease when we get distracted by personal differences and affected by others behaviors, instead of keeping the focus on the goal, and the best way to accomplish it with excellence. I have not seen yet any real successful project where every one does their own thing without contribution in form of planning, organizing, coordinating, administrating, or just working together.

Are you a Cooperative person?

Lets consider some particular points that can help us to address this question from different perspective.

• How many times during your journey, you realize on the effect of your attitude, or the importance of your commitment  for the success or wellness of  others? Can you see the importance of your positions when you are working with other people?
• How many days in a week  you need other people's information, process, results, disposition, or maybe support in order to accomplish your project goals? Its the feedback that you are receiving good, great, ok, or excellent? How did you do it? How was their answers to you?
• In which ways have you fail to cooperate in difficult circumstances?
• Do you feel you have put people down when you were part of a team or when you were the leader of a group? What did you do? How did you do it? To whom you did that? Were you fair with every one?
• Would you consider yourself a leader that promote Teamwork and Cooperation? How are you promoting cooperation?
• How have you cooperate with your own personal and professional development? How do you do with family goals?

Cooperation is a real Value.
All this questions are meant to lead us to see if there is any kind of circumstances in our life,  where we would like to improve our responses in a cooperative and more assertive way. Any behavior pattern can be modified with awareness, love, knowledge and a lot of practice of self control. If you are still here, please take a piece of paper and write Your Name on the top-centered of the page, and then make two columns;

1. Column I. I am very cooperative with...(Please add 7 names of the people you normally cooperate with, and 7 names of the kind of help you are always willing to give). Remember this is your homework, nobody will see it, only you will evaluate it.
2. Column II. I don't want to cooperate with (Write 7 Names of people that have ask you for help and you have turn your back to them. You have either neglect them, avoid to answer them, refused to support them. Write your seven best reasons to avoid cooperation  in each moment).

Work on it...and come back soon.
__________________________________________________________

Be Grateful for all the people in your life.



The more light I receive, the more beauty I can express from within.

Most beautiful people in our life are genuine people.

We enjoy looking at them in their ways, and being with them, is always a pleasure, that also help us to learn how to admire their nature and their efforts to grow and keep going.

One of the most relevant characteristic in them is that they know they are not perfect, they are not always successful, and they are not always feeling great. They also recognized their talent and their skills , but they are so humble...

When they need to move from what ever might be holding their progress, you know they will do it. They will find how to go on the direction they want to lead their life. They have also felt the need to Step Up and take a higher route many times. They are normal people.

From what I have learned, these people embrace correction and change because they are open to their own transformation. 
These are  also people that strive for excellence!
This is the people that we can count on, when we have questions and need suggestions to move forward in a right direction. We know they are honest and sincere in their opinions. We normally trust them!
 We all have some of those people in our life. Don't we?

Take a moment to thanks each one of them if they have help you to see farther, deeper, and closer to your own life and circumstances. Being grateful is also a virtue that is important to nurture and also to learn how to express without falling into over doing it.
 Life is a gift, that bring us beautiful opportunities every day. Being able to recognize that the blessings of my life come from the experience of living in the present, loving people and learning from wonderful human beings is one of my best way to express gratitude!

The Spiritual Respond.

Understanding that this world is  getting very demanding on our emotional and intelectual capacities, bring us to be more aware about some other needs in our human dimension.

We can start by realizing that the need to become more knowledge able about  some qualities  we want to develop in life is coming to us, helping us,  to also grow in a spiritual dimension. When we are aware of the great opportunity we have to grow even in difficult circumstances, we tent to respond with certitude willing to bring out the best of us and others.
While we do this, we are getting strong in our Belief and of course in character, just as we read on Ephesians 6:10-11

Understanding that we can't control people's responds, but we can control our own answers, we will come to the point of recognizing the power of praying and asking for spiritual help when we are in special need. Do not be afraid, pushing ourselves to the extend of giving our highest perform wont never put us in the wrong spot. It's always a matter of preserving our relationship with God.


Find more insight about this subject in a couple of days.

The FIESTA Spirit...Showing your Positive Attitude!

You have being invited to a wonderful party, the date is comming and all your friénds are sharing their thoughts and comments about all The preparation for this magnificent event. You are all in the spirit of FIESTA. What a great feeling!

Who doesn't like Fiestas?
O well, some time people are not up for a party, but we can always enjoy  life with a Fiesta Spirit. For me, the essence of any get together It's enriched with our attitude, who does want to miss the fun with real cheerful people? Some time we call them optimist, positive, friendly, lovely, nice, genuine.However  you want to describe them is ok, but what you or I  really receive or give is the energy from  love and goodness irradiating from our thoughts, the feeling of appreciation, and the faith for the best to come.

Can we extend the Fiesta Spirit when we are sick?    When work is getting hectic, or slow? When just ending a relationship? When leaving your country for better opportunities? When fighting the burocracry in a govertment organization?  When working in pro of ideas that will help to shape better humans beings in this  world?
Can we try to extend it to our daily life, (Ok I heard you-that can be to much for some people) lets  have the exceptions of  few days...but can we work to make it our normal attitude?...how good Would that be?

Relationship Matters.

Its hard to think about relationship without going into the most meaningful experiences in our life. The idea of this article came up as a kind of appreciation for the relationships  we can embrace in life.  So I can't go further without highlighting the richness and beauty of growing up in a very active, strong and bicultural family. I truly appreciate the experience of been frequently exposed to be surrounded by different culture and people. The thing is that today more than ever, I do acknowledge with gratitude the great diversity of people I have encounter in my life. Most of them have bring me the opportunity to learn and grow in this direction. Too bad I were no aware of this for many years. Thanks God, today I can understand better the benefits of the wonderful opportunities I have had.!

The believe that we come to this life with a purpose which is normally achieved by  connecting us with other people is stronger that ever. I would love to know your experience and thoughts about this, but its possible you agree better to do the exercise of appreciation by your own. So try to think about how its your life better because of the experience you have had building relationship. Are you overwhelm with your relationship or you are enjoying your relationship with your families, friends, and associates.

What is the key that help you to build the trust needed in any relationship?
What is the given gift in you for the rest of the world? Have you found  it out?
We help people to grow as well they help us to grow. We get together like crossing a line at the same time because we have to, for some unknown reasons; maybe its not a coincidence your are reading this article today. Maybe you are the reason I wrote this article. I can say I am glad you are here! Burt the bottom line is, how do you feel now?
We are all learners and  no matter how good, brilliant, rich, poor, happy, sad or successful we think we are, life will keep showing  us what we need to learn until we are ready to receive it and accept it, because we are part of an universe that is bigger and better than us.

This direct me to the center of this article "Relationship Matters" because we alone are nothing. We need to build our relationship with God to have the courage to stand up when we need to. We also build our strength throughout actions of  love, care and support to our family and friends, and caring for them its the way we learn how to build healthy communities too. Friends and families are our first significant relationship, they give us the opportunity to put in practice our personal attribute, sentiment and skills in something that give us life instead of taking it from us.

Relationship matters because we all have memory, and with that memory there are feelings and emotions, even though sometime we  choose to live in denial. It's important to educate and recognize those feelings and emotions, and understand that sometime they are the ones that get us into trouble and there we have a good reason to recognize them. That's the only way we can start resolving any possible problem in the way we manage relationship.

I have met people in my life that are the most beautiful relationship keepers,  I have also being around the most straight, sincere and even pragmatic people that are so happy with themselves that they don't need to have their life tide to too many friends because they are best at their own with their family and few associates. Some people are easier than other to keep a good relationship with, but the fact that we are referring to relationship in this topic, shall call our attention to the importance of why are this people in our life, and why are we in theirs...we all have to figure it out.
If the cycle of the connection with anyone in your life is open, you shall try to keep it open in peace. If the relationship  is not good, then close it in peace. The key here is that, to achieve that ,we have to make sure that we have acted  with love and justice...For the best of Human Ecology.



Giving, Loving & Caring

I believe We are all call to transcend our human limitations in this beautiful experience of Life. We can only honor that opportunity with commitment. tenacity and the noble desire to excel. 

It's HEART WORK, nothing else!


Master in Hospitality

There are things in life that are definitely precious. In my perspective hospitality is one of them. I always related the happiest times of my life with people who embrace "moments" in such a rich, joyful and natural way, that you could be doing nothing, but enjoying their presence.

If we think about people in our life, and try to remember special occasions when we were pleased with what  we found, even in times when our expectations were not too high, we will come up with a reference of exceptional human beings.

Think about all the tourist destinations, hotels and restaurants where you feel comfortable, you're glad to pay for the service they offer,  and you're always ready to go back. Personally, one of the best experiences I have had traveling was in Cancun, Mexico (1997). My husband had to travel for a business convention, and I used the opportunity to take a week long vacation. In the weeks before the trip I was so excited to enjoy my days in such an amazing place, I really didn't plan everything ahead of time, and the only thing we had set was the arrival and returning date, the hotel, and a few shows planned for the people in the convention. But as soon as we arrived we were amazed by the high level of hospitality, and the abundance of information available to us. During my stay, the people I came in contact with  in Cancun, for any reason, represented to me the resemblance of what we all should strive to be for each other. That trip was such a great learning experience for me that years later when I created and developed my Customer Service Seminar, mainly base on my professional experiences for almost 12 years, I also added many insights from what experienced from the service I received in in this trip to Cancun.

Other places where outstanding hospitality can be found and its of great importance is in the healthcare industry. How beneficial would it be if all hospitals and medical offices had the training of some of these places, where we have experienced the sense of  LOVE and UNDERSTANDING involved in an attitude of sincere caring and empathy for their patients.

My next thought will bring you close to one of my deepest reflections about the Science of Happiness.
*A master in Hospitality make you feel LOVED, WELCOME and APPRECIATED!
 

#Wellness shall be fun!

Article 1.
The dynamic of our life is some time so stressful, that we believe we are fine because we are doing every thing we think we need to do.

The mistake we normally face is that when we are in such a hurry, we fail to realize how many hours of work we pretend to keep up without an appropriate routine of exercise, rest, good hydration and a healthy eating habits. Some times is hard to understand that the exercise we are missing to do and the diet we don't want to keep on, plus a good sleeping habit are key for our health today and our wellness tomorrow.

One of the problems in our days, is that in our society we are getting used to abuse our body system with to much fast food, to much work, and worries, then feel bad, go to the doctor, find out that stress is killing us, get  a recipe for a miracle medicine, feel better and jump again into the crazy routine, until the symptoms call our attention again....because we know that it will, but we rather to not think about it until the symptom show up.

In the best scenario, Let say that you might be able to redesign your schedule to add more space and focus on the main idea that suggest that "health is Life" as Univision News section promote. So my question is, what would you try to change first?

Lets think about it and come up with a realistic and fun plan that embrace "One Healthier Habits at a time".

Come back soon for more about Health and wellness!

Bring Joy to the World!

The Will Power in times of need.

Life is Good, but we need to make it better!

When you have good health, you enjoy having enough will power to work in pro of the different responsibilities  and challenges you face in life. Of course, that also depend on the personality of every one, because there is a lot of people out there, with good and even wonderful health, but no will power. That's not the target I will focus on during this brain storm article.

The idea here, is to reflect and find alternatives that can be helpful for any one that is actively looking for answers about the subject matter. This article is  giving me the opportunity to reflect about how my health is affecting my will power and vise verse. So, let see what I have as starting points. Who knows it might bring you to an AHA moment too...

• For many years I though I could always do what ever I wanted to do.  
• For almost 41 years, I didn't  need to focus in the connection between  Will Power and Health.
• In the last 6 years I have come to realize that yes I can do many things, only if...
• In the last two years I have observed the synergistic connection between Will power and health.

The most important point for me, at this moment, is what I have being able to acknowledge about the relationship between my health condition and my will power levels to keep my commitments. You might not agree with me, but I even think this is a very good point to work on this time of Lent and a marvelous reason to jump into two areas of difficulties for me. Areas where I  have to admit I keep failing;

1. The Nutrition I need/  How can I make it my life style?
2. Exercises I can do./ How can I follow the plan, manage my energy and stop before its too much.

I will bring more insight about this subject soon, but please keep in mind that the article its not meant to bring suggestions, its more a kind of exercises or brain storm. Hope it can bring light to you or somebody you know, It might be able to let someone know that she or he is not alone in the battle for getting healthier and enjoy life!

Awareness...the reflector of our conciousness and principles.

Our society have come to a point where the demand to us, as active citizens, looks very difficult to be followed. Many of us are truly trying to  keep everything in the order we would love to have, just for the benefit of being able to participate in everyday activities without the concern of leaving important task undue. Some times, it is hard  to keep up the faith, and good work that look to accomplish many different goals. Not to mention how difficult it can be when our "resources" are limited, or our consciousness its weak and has not being well formed to be a good citizen.

The big problem I see here in US, as well as in Venezuela, is that there is a kind of acedia or lack of care for the future that we are cultivating and this pattern come from years of inertia, corruption, and poor leadership. Thanks to those that stand up for their belief, working, voting, facing the reality of their everyday life with purpose and knowing what they are doing when confronting what they are not willing to give up, its that we still have some hope.

The symptoms of the problem are obvious when  our actions reveal lack of awareness about the importance of taking care of our individuals responsibilities as adults in good ways and this include the responsibility we have as contributors of wellness and progress in our communities. But who cares, right?

•  If we see into some government ideologies and manipulation's techniques, it looks like some of them really like and sponsor irresponsible behaviors . That's why we get shock  when we hear them say;  "We will fix everything for you, you will be able to do all (wrong) things (or just do nothing), you have your rights (just keep us on the top), and we will make possible the pursuit of happiness (what ever it means) for you  ". Ref.Venezuelan's Government.
• As parents sometimes we don't even notice some kind of wrong doing patterns  in our children, while they are growing. So, we can't correct them. Also, if our children are repeating the same we do, and we haven't take the time to change that, how can we recognize the bad habit and correct them in our children?
• As friends, we see many people struggle to fix their life issues by their own, until the point of getting frustrated and start taking short cuts that bring them and their families into so many problem, but... the normal thought is..."we can't say anything because its their life/no needs for the trouble".

It might be true that there is a high number of people that  expect a  good life to be "light". But I believe  that the power of those that carry on the values of living a life that bring them peace, happiness, and clear passion for the abundance and plenitude of  embracing  justice, faith, righteousness, and love in order to understand better and respond better all the demands of our times its higher. Its not about them being perfect, but about them spreading good conscience and us willing to hear and receive.

A life in "Light" version, could be the life that does not require maturity, responsibility, discipline, commitment, hard work, education, consistency, sacrifices, love, faith, hope, piety, compassion or even justice. We don't need that in this times. We have never needed before. We don't need governments that raise up the worst of people, we need people that really participate by free will in the light and power of government that come to embrace moral laws that serve the economic, social, political and cultural conditions in our countries. Their work shall be focus on the best interest of a project that moves people into the different and selected circles of learning, growing, and progressing in their personal life, or as members of the society according with where they are and what they need to accomplish for good.

Hopefully each one of us will look inside to accept and understand that we might need help in certain times of our life, but its vital to recognize how important it is the fact of cultivating our belief to form our conscious and see the importance of our actions.  Our social problems didn't come because of the people in government, families, church or schools alone, but because of each one of us, in every where. We were the ones following thoughts, doctrines, ideologies, statements, or people without discernment.

Awareness is a practical subject..to which we have to say yes, after discerning!

Family's Dialogues. The importance of talking and listening to others.

Looking at our families we have a record of diversity about communication. Every family have their own code of dialog. Some families are very strong, genuine and open to have good communications that encourage healthy relationship, some others are very superficial, others get very defensive when its time to address, admit or receive any criticism. Many families don't even practice any kind of dialog between then, until somebody die, while others manage to have a lot of dialog & fun but not really strong communication. The question is how can we manage assertively so many kind of communication conflicts in our own family life without loosing it?

Even thou, it might be easier to focus on what other people do, I truly believe that when you want to improve the whole atmosphere of your home, your best place to start is in you, looking at the ways you communicate with your family. Starting by being aware of  how difficult or accessible you get with every other member in your family, give you a sense of responsability too. So, take it as a  privilege, be the first one, and start now. Just think about how easy it is to have a good conversation with each one of your family members. See the differences between your communication with one person and the other. See if you can do the exercise of listing the subjects where you agree and the subjects where you disagree.

Hurry back - for more on the subject of  "The importance of talking and really listening to others"...take your time.



 

Opportunities to Grow. Time, one of the most precious gift.

In many occasions in our path, we find ourselves with the time we always wanted to have. But we still don't see it as the great opportunity  to do the things that we always wanted to do. We just don't realize that there, (...) it is "The Opportunity". We are so used to be busy and with so many responsibilities that we don't realize about the great GIFT  we receive in times that we consider of misfortune. Have you being in a situation like this? Did you realized what was going on immediately, or you just stayed all concerned, wondering for a while on what shall you do.

If we only think about how many people have started their best life after a very difficult circumstance, every move would be different. The more I live, the more I understand that God have a purpose in everything that happen in our life, but nothing happen if we don't see the signs or if we don't pay good attention to details.

Some people are faster than others to respond to their life's situations. Many people need a lot of time to reflect, evaluate alternatives and make a decision. I guess each group are alright in their own way, this is something else to be thankful too. Isn't it the way History is created?. Thanks God for that diversity, every day we have a role to play. The people of our times, and those who have leave their legacy,  are also important part of our life. Each one of them, in different times, situations, and attitudes, give us the opportunity to go and see them at their space of time, mind set and responses in life. So their stories is like an special base of data, where we can go just for references. Then, its when we will have our time to reflect, understand and hopefully to learn. In the mid time, we are in the game today, so we are here trying to figure it out, trying to embrace the most positive attitude and the best decision we can make every day.

Life its like a big play, where we all have a vital part in the show. Some time our part is to be PRESENT - ACTIVE, while some other times, our role is to be PRESENT-PASIVE. Either one it's very important. On the other side of the spectacle, there are the spectators, who are also playing their part with the opportunity to judge every action as positive or negative (I will say, be careful while you are there). This role seens to be in second place of importance in the event, but if we think right its really a very important part and its so indeed, that even the actors shall learn how to play considering their double role as actors and spectators, because is this capacity of overlooking the complete scene and feel the feedback, in your own shoes, what  helps them to become better players.

So, we come to realize that the gift of time its really a gift from God, perfect for each one of us, in its proper time. There will always be a perfect place, in time, for you. There will always be an organization, a business or a circumstance where your passion, talent, spirit and influence is much in need. The Initiators, the fire-starters, the organizers, the coordinators, the mediators, closers, the presenters, the team makers, ...each of every one will come into a place if it is their time to accomplish their mission there. The only thing we shall be aware of, when our times to act come, is to discern on what to do and how to do it. We can either be an slave of Satan that comes to destroy and stop all good seed that is growing and prospering or we come as an extension of the love of God who work to create "the help" that its needed to build and edify what its good until its permanent valuable.

In every occasion we have the opportunity to decide if we really want to grow on insight and understanding. One of the most helpful ways to grow its to confront ourselves and recognize our imperfections, start working with them until we get to change them. Another experience that bring us to a process of learning and growing is the recognition of our virtues, skills and talent. If you have it, you will use then more and the more you extend your gifts, more confident and skillful  you will be. So, if you want to take the highest route of any opportunity to grow, use the skill you have to make hard questions, but in this case we have to do it to our self. Questions like...

* What kind of  Initiator, mediator, administrator, manager, coordinator, team player or sponsor are you?
* What are the kind of detonators you need in order to recognize if your attitude is positive or negative?
* Are you passionate about being a doer at the front line or passionate about the beauty of the mission you have chosen?
* Do you NEED to be considered a Life Savior, or you are more into doing what its right to do, and what you can do?
* Is the life you are living today, a reflection of the progress you have made?

As a facilitator of learning experiences I try to go further, just looking for the deepest reflection with some questions. But if this questions doesn't apply to you, please use your own questions or even try to be in contemplation for a while. Keep praying to God on your needs. I am sure you can find the best way  to the answers and if you can't find it right away, pray to the holy spirit to show you the answers you need today in order to learn and grow from what ever experience you are having in your life. It's all good for you, and you will see yourself moving toward the next level every time, just don't give up.


I wish you the best!

If there is a need for UNITY in our society. How can we Help?

A complementary thought on the subject of Team Work Calls for our Time posted few days ago.


Some of the great things that  happen to us, its that every day we count on the opportunity to obtain better knowledge, as well as improving our behavior, attitudes and performance. This means that we  also have the opportunity to make better decisions, and can recognize that we are not perfect, but we are growing in virtues. We are not always right, even if we can pretend to be,  but the point is that our consciousness shall be pushing us to be as transparent as we can be under the umbrella of our dignity and the good promise.We grow because we want to accept the opportunity to grow, we change because we believe we can do it, we work for it and we don't easily give up.Our project of healing, spiritual renewal, personal or professional development needs an every day "YES", with real commitment to move on in life. Some days will be better than others, but we keep walking.

The same opportunity to evaluate attitudes, techniques, achievements, knowledge, and or behavior is given to every organization, or group of people working together for THE SAME purpose, and the results and answers  will come from them, the people...If they get to work as a real team.

The greatest answer would be in those that understand how important it is to manage a system that allow the best integration instead of separation, division or the battle for positions.

We can remember that in 1970 American executives began to put in practice what they thought was the key factor for the exceptional quality in Japanese factories.They delivered the information they got and "quality circles" started spreading in many factories. Sadly, those circles, didn't give any result to solve the problems that American factories had, not because of the workers. American workers are as good as their counterparts at identifying and solving problems and at making suggestions. But in Japan, quality circles is not only a fashion name, better than that, they were part of a management system of continual improvement that also involved management listening to the suggestions and acting on them. In the United States, quality circles were on their own; management might listen or might not, but the tradition was that managers manage and workers work. The system didn't allow managers to listen to workers. So, there was no way quality circles could succeed.

42 YEARS LATER...Some of us are still trying to figure it out and I have to say, it is worthy...Continue trying until you become a pro TEAM PLAYER...You will enjoy it!
                    ________________________________________________________

"Quality comes from a management system designed to get more from the processes through cooperation than the processes can produce on their own or through competition".
                                 -Thinking about Quality. By Lloyd Dobyns and Clare  Crawford.

"To successfully respond to the myriad of changes that shake the world, transformation into a new style of management is required. The route to take is what I call profound knowledge—knowledge for leadership of transformation."
                                                                          -W. Edwards Deming

Team Work Calls for our Time.

Our personal life get enrich when we are open to cooperate with other people's gifts, skills and talents.
Our homes and families need US to learn how to be Team Players.
Our Churches are calling US to Work Together. Leading the way will be always a challenge.
Our Schools need US in Heart, Mind, and body, all together, on the mission of reviewing the teaching principles and values of today’s education.
Our Community need US with the right attitudes to get involved and help to accomplish all what its need to be done in our time and our cities.
Our Government needs to know that WE are ONE solid society. We move or remove them.We accept or confront them. We either obey them or show them the way.

The Time is now, the Place its always here, (where you are)... the needs exist and are waiting for US to develop a system that can bring good answers to satisfy those real needs of our times and places.  We have enough to start planting good seeds for future generation, with Love, Hope and Faith. 

Its time to go in what ever place  or direction you want to start...find your call to act.