Teach me how to let go

I keep a notebook, where I write ideas about blogging and while there were a lot of these ideas written down, I had no power to write in the past year or so, the muse did not visit me and I was stuck in the peculiar, the everyday, the little things, the wrong emotions.

As far as I remember, it all started in the summer of 2012 - the starting point of a series of events that were unexpectedly horrific and to a certain extent distressing. Slowly but steadily I could not enjoy anything, as I was too preoccupied with being worried. The more worried I was, the more things were going wrong. I even reached the point where I could predict how people would hurt me. People kept on failing me in both professional and personal life and I was so easily manipulated by their emotions. For example, when my friend X was happy we could enjoy a nice conversation and I was happy too. Then, my friend X would become rude to me out of the sudden and I would get hurt and become sad. I could not believe why people need to behave in such ways…what’s the whole point of living an inauthentic life after all? Trying to be an optimist in the greatest pessimistic period of my life, I was thinking of my “Hall of Fame” people, i.e. my boyfriend, my best friends and family, and that’s how I kept going.  Quotes did help too. Winston Churchill once said “If you go through Hell, keep going”. And so did I. 

One day, I was talking to my best friend, Nina, and I told her “Nina, what I really desire is to become this calm and serene person who will be so kind and give so much love to everybody, without being hurt by deleterious and harmful behaviours - just keep being in a positive state of calmness.”

And that was my first step to a better, more informed me. While until then, I could not believe how people could have behaved in the past, that was the time when I accepted that the past year was quite ugly. Worse than what others may have experienced, but also better than many others too. And then, I was grateful. I was grateful for all the good people in my life, my good health, my inner strength… I was grateful for so many and so much!

Of course things did not become suddenly amazing nor am I at the moment the calmest person on earth. The same people kept on behaving in the same way, and while I knew that I needed to change my attitude in order to become the person I aspired to be, I did not know how. I thought to stop talking to them. Yet, I couldn’t. With some people you have to keep a relationship, be that professional reasons, be that social pressure. Then I thought not to care about them. But that’s not who I am. The authentic me always cares, always gives.

The citizen of the box

I have come to realise that sometimes we can become tourists of the city, in which we live. Going only to “recommended” places, following specific routes, talking to a few handful of people are daily routines that save us precious time. Time, which we so skilfully manage to spend meeting deadlines, fulfilling responsibilities and setting up future goals. These necessary evils do not allow us the luxury of experimentation- the luxury of getting to know the area, in which we work, drive, commute...live. 

There is no time for  that.
We, then, inhabit but not live. We inhabit in a well-ventilated sunny and stable box, constructed by the "have to's" and "should do's".  Undoubtedly there are some people, who have a yearn for travelling. And they do travel. They visit other cities, other countries, even other continents...

An old story has it that a banker went on holidays with his family in a beautiful island. Everyday while he was enjoying the sun by the sea, he could see a fisherman returning from his work. One day he asked the fisherman why he never stayed longer in the sea to catch more fishes."What for?" replied the fisherman. Then, the banker eloquently explained that the fisherman could sell the additional fishes and soon enough he could buy a second boat. Slowly he could build a fleet and a successful business. With careful planning his company could even be listed in the New York Stock Exchange, and in about 25 years from now he could sell it and come back in that island to retire and fish for leisure. The fisherman gave a pat at the banker's back and before he walked away he said: "That's what I already have".

Take off your masks, now!

Hello, hello! :)

First of all, I would like to say that now everybody can comment on the posts! A friend of mine informed me that he couldn't comment, so I made the necessary changes to the settings! DONE! 

Now,what I would like to talk about today is authenticity. This is a very special term for me. It comes from the greek work αυθεντικός (authentikos), which means original. According to wikipedia, the word refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions.

Unfortunately, today most of us are "obliged" by society to wear different masks..everyday! In the office, with the friends, with the significant other, with acquaintances, with strangers... But like this, it is highly possible that we get used to be a different person and that we forget what we really are, how we really want to behave, how we really would like the others to remember us. . . 

I made all these thoughts by this picture I saw today on the web. This quote is so true.

Everybody can recollect of persons who try to hide so obviously their true selves. This does not leave a good impression for sure. We feel that these individuals are fake. But why they act like this? Don't they like themselves? Do they think society will not accept them as they really are? I don't know... I would like your input in that!

However, what I do believe is that Earth has 7 billion people!! I am sure someone will be like me and will not find me odd (well, at least not completely! :P). On the same time, I feel that by being ME and just myself, I can contribute my originality to this world...my ideas, my creativity, my dreams! And by saying me, I mean YOU, I mean US, the human species. 

Everybody is so different, but at the same time so similar! Why not use these synergies to create something good? Why should we hide behind masks that society imposes? 

Can you recollect of a person who is trully original? How do you feel when you are around such people? I feel great! =) I feel like I "invest" my time and not just spend it talking with a fake person for fake situations... For me, it's a bless to have such people around you! =) And that's how I would like to be perceived by others, as a person that deserves their time!

What about you? 

Have you made your choice?