As for me, life’s a game… Isn’t it?

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine commented that she had found some good writings that she wanted to share with me because she found some of my own words within those lines.  Thanks for that, Vane Cobis.

We had eye contact a couple years ago.  But just a few months of sharing ideas and good talks, maybe two or three months only.  We speak of things deeper than the weather, the beers we should drink or the usual foolish stuff spoke in social meetings.  It’s incredible how, in just a short time you can feel very comfortable talking with someone, trusting and recognizing the trust the other one has in you by the topics shared and the way they’re shared.

After Googling (said action of looking for something in Google) I was able to find that one of the posts that Vane shared with me was written/said by Dr. Camilo Cruz, who uses a game metaphor (in sports terms) to compare a game with life.  What he says goes like this:

Now, if life is a game---  This are the rules:

1. Today is not a training day.  Today is the championship final game.  We have to live each and every day fully, not like if it was a warm up practice, one more training or a meaningless game.  This very day, this 24 hours ahead of you are the very final game of the whole championship and you have to play it giving 100% of you.  And when you go to sleep, you have to be decided to wake up the next morning and do exactly the same.
2. In the game of life there are no observers, everyone is a player.  You just can’t watch the game of life from the stands, the only way to experiment it is jumping into the playground.  Is just not enough to participate, you have to be totally committed.  And there’s a huge difference between participation and commitment.
3. In the game of life there are no mistakes, only lessons to learn.  Every fall, failure and obstacles bring a lesson attached and these lessons will be in front on you from time to time until you decide to learn.
4. The analysis excess produces paralysis.  Action is the key.  Successful people learn how to play by playing.  To begin is more than half the way.

I think this metaphor is simple, fair and direct to the point.  Enjoy your day and give out the best you have every time you do something.

Words of Wisdom:

Life is like drawing without an eraser

Do not press the pencil too much!

Taken (in Spanish) from http://escapespot.blogspot.com/

 

• NOTE: International Day of the Women

As an extra, I’d like to congratulate every woman, specially those wonderful ladies that have been around me during my life and have been part of the facts, moments and experiences that guided me to be who I am now.  My mom, always paying attention and worried about me.  My sisters who I am getting to know better now after a lot of time separated.  My two beautiful Rs, they taught me about a family.  All of the other women of my family and friends, those who have heard me when I needed someone to listen and those who have told me their secrets.  Congratulations to you all, and may the world be a better place for you everyday.  May happiness fill your lives and that respect be always present alongside with love from and for you.

Finally, for those very special women that are no more with me.  Aunt Marta, Aunt Fiorella, Aitita (Gorka’s grandma), Granma Flor, Grandaunt Estela, Granma Ana and some others.  I know that God got your hands and leads you through light and love.  Enjoy viewing downwards and realizing how much we remember you all and the depths of your footprints in our lives.

(In Spanish, this article was published the International Day of Women)

Four Words That Make Life Worthwhile

Over  the years, as I’ve sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life’s  challenges, I’ve come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile.

First,  life is worthwhile if you LEARN. What you don’t know will hurt you. You have to  have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from  your own experiences—negative or positive.

We  learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive  negative. We also learn from other people’s experiences, both positive and  negative. I’ve always said that it is too bad failures don’t give seminars.  Obviously, we don’t want to pay them, so they aren’t usually touring around  giving seminars. But that information would be very valuable. We would learn  how someone who had it all, messed it up. Learning from other people’s  experiences and mistakes is valuable information because we can learn what not  to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.

We  learn by what we see, so pay attention. We learn by what we hear, so be a good  listener. Now, I do suggest that you should be a selective listener. Don’t just  let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read, so learn  from every source. Learn from lectures. Learn from songs. Learn from sermons. Learn  from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning.

Second,  life is worthwhile if you TRY. You can’t just learn. Now you have to try  something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference. Try to make some  progress. Try to learn a new skill. Try to learn a new sport. It doesn’t mean  you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do if you just  try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?

Third,  life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If  you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project, see it through.  Sometimes calamity comes; then it is worth wrapping it up and that’s the end. But  just don’t end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this  one, if you signed up, see it through.

 

And  lastly, life is worthwhile if you CARE. If you care at all, you will get some  results. If you care enough, you can get incredible results. Care enough to  make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a  new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest  producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.

Four  powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make  in your life today by putting these words to work?

 Author: Jim Rohn

Children… Just wonderful!

Just a few days ago, my best friends went to my place because two of them wanted to change the MP3 Player on their car and as I’m demi-jack-of-all-trades they asked me to do it…  Well, actually I volunteered to do it so they didn’t have to pay for that - relatively easy - job.

The thing is that, my nephew – son of two of them, just as the car – was in the visiting party and well, as a normal 4-years-old kid that elevates his head only some inches above the floor, he sometimes get a little jumpy and bad tempered.

At some point he wanted to do something and received a negative for answer.  So, the kid went to an exterior window and stayed under the frame and below a protective fence that it has.  When I walked over there to pick him up and hold him in my arms, he got hurt by the fence.  My bad.

He started to cry, I guess it was part because of the pain and part because of the negative to do what he wanted to do.  The point is that I tried to comfort him and make him feel better, but as there’s no better thing than our parents to comfort us when something like this happens, I walked back to the car to continue the task I was performing.

Sooner than later, between hugs and tickles in the arms of her mom, his father told the boy that he wanted a kiss or he was going to eat him.  As it was supposed to happen, the kid started hiding between the arms of his mom.  But suddenly he got down and started running across the garden yelling: mom! save me! he’s going to eat me!

That picture made me feel a lot better, it meant that the pain was gone and the we had entered the playgrounds once more.  You know, is just that feeling that let’s you know that everything’s going to be alright.  Is that thing that only children can do within all of their innocence.

A little time later, just minutes, hearing the playful sounds of father and son running and having a good time together chasing and hiding behind mom (even if she thinks she’s not playing), everything was in the background as my concentration was focused in the car’s middle dashboard.  Suddenly, a yell brought me back to the place and attracted my full attention to the boy.  Unca! Unca! Help me!

When I heard that---  Well, something was really shaken inside me.  I truly love that ‘dwarf’, but just knowing that even in a game he looked for me asking for help and protection was just marvelous.  Is not just to feel loved by the little guy.  Is more than that, in his need there’s no malice, no second intentions, no hidden interests---  There’s only the fact that he called someone that he believes will protect him from any harm that may come in his way and well…  Yes, I will always try to help and protect him.  Certainly, after that a whole lot of points of view opened for me.

Words of Wisdom:

Every adult needs a kid to teach to,
that’s the way that grown ups learn

Unknown (until someone says otherwise)

Problems… A matter of points of view

Over here one more time, my dear writing, thinking and reading companions. This time we gather to talk about something that seems to be always present in our lives, but that most of the time are incredibly simple if we find the bright side of the matter.

Some times we can feel stalked, overwhelmed and even cornered by problems.  It seems in some cases that there’s no way out of some situations when the reality is that what we think is a problem is just the exit from a course of action that could have led us to disaster.

Let’s see it this way.  One day we meet someone.  We date.  We share time and end trusting that person.  We let this individual get into our lives and hearts.  All of a sudden, something happens, whatever the reasons and this person disappears emotionally (and physically in most cases); we start to feel sad.  We’re down. We’re feel sick.  We even get depressed.  And why all of this?  Because we’re not seeing the whole paint.  We’re focused in the middle oh our own space and we ignore what is around us.  Is like trying to drink a glass of water from the bottom.  That way we will never find the top and the place to drink from.

In other occasions we’re walking towards a goal and out of nowhere obstacles start popping out in our way, delaying and even stalling us, changing our planned ETA (estimated time of arrival).  But later, tends to happen that looking back and analyzing those facts, we realize that the obligated wait time led us to met people that today is very important in our lives and that we would have never crossed if those obstacle haven’t had delayed us.

In general terms, it’s true that we will never get in front of an obstacle without the tools to walk over it (no matter is we have them or have to learn something new).  So, when we’re facing a problem, obstacle or whatever you may call it, don’t desperate and don’t hesitate, do not let frustration put you down and make you feel you can’t do it.  All we have to do is discover the best way to get over it, some times you’ll have to flank it, some times you’ll have to jump it, maybe push it, break it, put it aside, step over it, lift it, dissolve or disintegrate it.    Who knows what more?

The main point is that if we look into the situation and try to find a lot of points of view (POV), our chances to solve the problem ahead of us are better.

Points of view is all we need in order to know what to do.  In most cases.  Let’s see in every direction and from every direction, then and just then, let’s select our path. It should be the better one.

Words of Wisdom:

¿What is a cultivated spirit? One that can see things from many different points of view

Henry F. Amiel

A Father Prayer

Thanks to the tricky and infinite paths followed by the eyeballs of my friends, one of them, very well known for his knowledge, said to have even know themes a lot less than popular for the masses and loved by lovely and good friend (in the good fashion of the word), Ozono, found this spectacular prayer that deserves no less than to be quoted; of course, referencing the place where I found it, my friend’s blog (in Spanish) Fragmentos de una Orestíada. The prayer, according to Ozono’s research belongs to General MacArthur and goes like this:

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee ?and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

Then, I, his father, will dare to whisper, have not lived in vain.

General Douglas MacArthur

Keeping this in mind and with a hand over your heart, it’s not possible to ignore such words and even more to not admire the one who spoke them.  The only thing left to say is Amen!

Poems - Instants

If I could live my life one more time,
the next one I’d try to make more mistakes.
I wouldn’t try to be so perfect, I’d be more relaxed.
I’d be more a fool than I’ve been,
as a matter of fact, I’d take a few thing seriously.

I’d be less hygienic.
I’d take more risks,
I’d travel more,
I’d contemplate more sunsets,
I’d climb more mountains, swim more rivers.
I’d go to more places where I’ve never been,
I’d eat more ice cream and less beans,
I’d have more real problems and less mental ones.

I was one of those persons who lived in a secure
and  profitable way every minute of their lives;
of course I got happy moments.
But If I could go back I’d try
to have good times only.

In case you haven’t noticed yet, that’s all about life,
only moments; don’t miss your ‘now’

I was one of those who never
left home without a thermometer,
a hot water bag,
an umbrella and a parachute;
if I could live again, I’d travel lighter.

If I could live again
I’d start walking barefooted when spring comes
and I’d be doing it until the autumn.

I’d take more trips in the carousel,
I’d see more sunrises,
I’d play with more kids,
all if I had a life in front of me

But you know, I am 85 years old…
And I know that I’m dying.

 

Jorge Luis Borges

The right moment

Some times I find myself thinking in some what if that were left behind in my past.  Yes, some times I ask myself what if I would have taken another path--- and I certainly find some interesting possibilities.  Nowadays, I have the intention of taking advantage of whatever opportunity I may find in my way.

So, at those moments, we use detours and excuses like this is not the time, I’m not so sure about it, is too much to risk---  This is just ourselves paying too much attention to fear.  And fear, when is heard over our own wishes, makes us fearful and restrained beings.

The fact that you got vital signs does not mean that you are living.  To live is a lot more than breath and see days go by.  From my point of view, life is all about dreaming, and walking the path that leads to fulfilling those dreams---  Always trying to enjoy the path, of course.

If you knew that your time in this world is limited, and that’s obvious already (50, 70, 80, 100 years), if you knew you have just about a week to live---  What would you do? Would you sleep each and every day until you die? Would you look for a greater good and go around defying death to gather charity funds?  Would you walk around kissing and cherishing every attractive specimen of the opposite (or the same) sex that crosses your way?  Would you walk naked in the middle of the street?  Would you become a Ghost Buster?  Would you fight a crocodile bare-handed? Would you play Golf?Would you go to a TV channel to make a reality of your life and death in 7 days to be famous? Would you become a hired assassin?  Would you become just an assassin or a vigilante? Would you steal a supercar and go speeding above 200mph to know how it feels? Would you practice extreme sports? Would you give motivational chats? Would you go to Bora Bora?

Then, I just have one more thing to tell you.  You ask when is the right moment? Well, RIGHT NOW! You’re alive, aren’t you? Go ahead, act! You don’t need a lot of things, just a dream and the desire to making it true.  So, the right time to make things happen and starting making your dreams true is nothing more and nothing less than NOW!

Focus.  Make a plan. Work. Go for it!

The next part of this post will be plçublished as soon as I can translate it.  It is a poem written by Jorge Luis Borges.  A poem, called Instants.  If you got the patience, in a few days it will be here.  If you do not, then you can google it and you will sure find some translations in a variety of places.

Words of Wisdom:

In case you don’t know it yet, that’s what life is all about, only moments; do not miss the ‘right now’

Jorge Luis Borges (Instants)