I counted my years…
“I counted my years and realized that I have less time to live by, than I have lived so far.
I feel like a child who won a pack of candies: at first, he ate them with pleasure but when he realized that there was little left, he began to taste them intensely.
I have no time for endless meetings where the statutes, rules, procedures and internal regulations are discussed, knowing that nothing will be done.
I no longer have the patience to stand absurd people who, despite their chronological age, have not grown up.
My time is too short: I want the essence; my spirit is in a hurry. I do not have much candy in the package anymore.
I want to live next to humans, very realistic people who know how to laugh at their mistakes and who are not inflated by their own triumphs and who take responsibility for their actions. In this way, human dignity is defended and we live in truth and honesty.
It is the essentials that make life useful.
I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch the hearts of those whom hard strokes of life have learned to grow with sweet touches of the soul.
Yes, I’m in a hurry. I’m in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.
I do not intend to waste any of the remaining desserts. I am sure they will be exquisite, much more than those eaten so far.
My goal is to reach the end satisfied and at peace with my loved ones and my conscience.
We have two lives and the second begins when you realize you only have one.”
– Poet
Christmas Winter Village
The magic of Christmas is in the air this time of the year in Bryant Park, New York City. A part of the landscape turns into a Winter Village, a sight that includes a high-end skating rink as well as a light-filled holiday market. The air is filled with Christmas cheer.
“Le Caroussel” is filled with toddlers and kids donned in warm winter clothing.
A selection of decadent hot chocolate flavors can be seen. The subtle scent of s’mores leaves a warm feeling all around you.
Holiday spirit is in the air.
A Cupcake Experience
Are you more of a morning or a night person?
Let me tell you about one of my night-person nights. But first…
***
Making cupcakes for the first time was quite a delightful and delectable experience. It was like an artist date! An artist date is a date with yourself where the only purpose is to play, be mischievous, and have fun. The event has one get in touch with one’s inner child. When one is fully immersed, it can feel positively glowing.
First came gathering the ingredients. Going inentionally to the cake section of a big grocery store for the first time was an experience in and of itself. There were so many choices on the shelves on both sides – from bake mix flavors (oreo? butterscotch?) to sprinkles (rainbow? glitter?) to whipped cream variations. The variety of adornments and ornamentation was abundant, displayed across the entirety of the aisle.
Looking into sample decorations I liked was an enjoyable experience, an artist date in and of itself.
The piping bags and tips were the main part of the process. I had ordered them and would be using these fine accessories for the first time.
***
The final part came the decorations – the essence of the experience. There were a couple of events coming up, a Thanksgiving party, another Thanksgiving party and a meeting. My second cupcake was when I made the conscious choice to play like a child, and not be attached to how it turned out. I held the piping bags and tip, filled with chocolate cream, and took a breathe. “Here goes nothing!” I thought. I let my hands just play with the pressure of the bags, letting it flow without having any designs in mind. And that’s when the magic started to appear…
The sheer beauty and uniqueness of each of these dainty visuals was uplifting and transformative. The novelty was exciting as well.
One person close to me absolutely loved them. He wouldn’t let me share it with others – he wanted them all to himself. He complimented me a few times, acknowledging me as an artist and complimenting the beauty of them. He followed up by putting on a cake baking show, a genre which I discovered I loved!
Another 13 of his friends complimented me on them as well. That’s 15 people, including myself, who loved them! Celebration and positivity certainly added to the experience.
The whole evening was full of fanciful, whimsical and creative moments. I loved every moment of it!
“You are magical during the holidays,” someone said to me.
***
I am more of a night person is my answer for today.
A Bucolic Encounter in Cabo, Mexico
I set my bag and hat down in a farm-to-table experience in Cabo, Mexico. The air felt hot amidst the backdrop of a late-afternoon sun shining across the fields of mango trees. Suddenly, I felt a solid movement under the wooden table…this baby doggie nestled by my legs under the wooden table solidly and comfortably, as if she had done so dozens of times before… Her beige fur felt short and warm…her body felt firm and robust…She wore a pair of dark, sad eyes, “tan triste y hermosa…” She had been looking for us…she had been looking for me…
I empathized with her deeply…I could feel her little heart was searching for a sense of belonging…for someone to show her love and care…but not just from anyone…I gently caressed her soft fur… In that moment, I became the possibility of her being embraced, soothed and welcomed.
For those momentary and precious three minutes, I recognized my animal soul mirror…my deep and momentary love. I was her caretaker, her nurturer, and she was my beloved…
And when the waiter came to carry her plump body away because our other guest was not as comfortable, I looked on with a sense of pastoral wistfulness and longing…I was the space for her sense my energies and to be back…
“A quantum moment is when truth’s rays seep through the cracking barrier you built against them.” – Wayne Dyer
Evening Inspiration
“Live the life you love…” In the dark of the evening, I write in my journal about the positive things that happened during the day…Included are the vastly beautiful emotions I felt…excited, happy, adorable, cute, happy-go-lucky…
My favorite time of the day has become the night time…on the gray sofa next to the big windows that are like a grand, three-dimensional painting of the city skyline, secretly filled with stars…
The solitude is sacred…insights emerge from the depths of the dark… feelings of elatedness are experienced…
The journal has become my happiness journey.
Inspiration: a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul – dictionary.com
Merry Friends
I had a Adventurer for a roommate in college, during my early twenties. We had so much fun getting into fun misadventures which we still laugh about to this very day.
I am a Peacemaker, so I would follow her lead, and was happy listening to her entertaining stories. She is quite the irreverent spirit.
If I could be any other Enneagram type, I would choose to be an Adventurer. They have the most fun!
To Have or To Be?
Until Next Time…BE Your Best
John Hanley, Jr. – The Trainer of Transformational Trainers & Coaches
Tropical Birthday
My summer breeze birthday weekend included a series of fun-filled events. Inner bubble cocktails, amazing dinner and a delicious caviar tasting… with hints of romance, friendship and deep conversations. I’m one happy go lucky girl… 
Anna: Christmas Spirit
I love Christmas…. can you tell? Why do I love Christmas? It is an opportunity to let people know that I love them and that they matter. I do a lot of charitable work during the Christmas season. Gifts for seniors, kids, families, and homeless people. I’ve also had elementary school kids make over 300 cards for low income seniors who didn’t have friends or families visit them. ♡
Deb: Have You Ever…?
I asked him if he’d ever felt like he gave it easily to others, but others couldn’t give the same to him. It was in reference to the concept of empathy. His response was an inspiring one…
“I think what everyone wants is to be understood, including and especially empathic types like us. I actively work to understand others and assume good intentions. Others are typically incapable of doing the same. So I must create my own understanding. I must understand myself.
As I understand more, I love more. As I love more, it eventually overflows. As it overflows, others witness how I love myself, which can help them understand how to love me and, by extension, themselves. As it overflows more, it manifests as creation, turning my internal love and understanding into external love and understanding. It amplifies my presence in space and time, which increases my chances of being understood by others, which then feeds back into them through the relationships we’ve created.
It’s not about what we deserve or what anyone owes us. It’s about what we won’t deny to ourselves. As long as we keep ourselves open, then we can attract what we need by creating what we need for ourselves first and foremost.
And if we don’t attract what we need, that’s okay. We’ll be okay, because we won’t deny ourselves understanding by only seeking it from unreliable sources.”
The Sparkled Life 