Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Power of words


Words are powerful. Words are beautiful. In english, in french, in italian, in slovak, in japanese, in czech, in russian, in spanish... I love words - even the swear words (even though - I kinda join a friend on the fact that they are not necessary!!! and so whenever I remember those words of wisdom, I try to avoid those ugly ones)... 


Take for instance the individual words: 

* Butterfly - such a delicate creature.
* Giggle - what a liberating action!
* (A good) laugh & (a long) sleep - 2 best cures for anything!
* Fun or lighthearted pleasure - do I need to say more?
* Embrace - makes me feel all warm
* Sunny, sky, clouds, stars, moon can be described with other pretty words such as mystery, dreams, freedom, imagination.
* Rainbow - colors, plenty of colors.
* Truth
* Kiss
* School, piano, music, foreign languages - discovery, creativity...
* Friend - cherish
* Possible - everything, future
* Food - tasty - happy
* LOVE - passion

Then there are encouraging words: Be Bold. Be Fierce. Be grateful. Be wild, crazy, and gloriously free. Inspiring, motivating words: Surround yourself with the dreamers & the doers, the believers & thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don't see it yourself!

The words that make difference: Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.

For me words are associated with emotions, with memories, with happiness. The key word for me is love. I love to feel the summer rain on one's warm skin. I love the smell of the fire, the smell of the coffee, of the cinnamon, of the flowers, of freshly home baked bread, of the crispy fresh early morning... I love good music, I love my friends, I love my little cheeky niece Lili, I love the sea, the wind, the fire, I love to learn new things, I love to discover new places, I love to sleep, I love to feel free as a bird, I love to laugh, I love to hug, I love to cook, I love to love and be loved, I love to keep myself busy but I love to laze around from time to time too, I love books (à la folie!), I love good movies (even when they are difficult to digest), I love taking photographs (would like to learn how to do it better!!!), I love to feel and be helpful...

When I hear a song, a sound, when I feel the thrill of the moment, when I feel deeply and truly happy - I love madly. I love whatever made me feel that way, I love the sensation, I love life, I love to be on this planet.

Did you know that to produce a single phrase of speech, there are about 100 muscles of the chest, neck, jaw, face, tongue and lips that must collaborate? The chatty me has been getting a great work out lately!

So yes. Words have a great power. And we should be careful about the way we use them, who we use them with and what we make out of them.

And these are the thoughts I wanted to share with you. Because words do count. You can’t live a positive life with a negative attitude. Heaven on earth is a choice we must make, not a place we must find. Let every day be a dream you can touch. Let every day be a love you can feel. Let every day be a reason to live. Life is too short to be anything but positive.

Happiness

India 2008
... is the most beautiful emotion of them all. It is also the antonym of regret and the synonym of satisfaction, contentedness. What I really want to write about today are regrets but since I'm not a negative person, I prefer to "attack" the subject from a different angle.

Both happiness and regret are emotions. For those who know me - they know how emotional I can get. And if you ask them which emotion do I show the most frequently, I believe it's going to be the happier one, the enthusiastic one, the one that makes my eyes sparkle from the excitement and/or the tears of joy.

Since I came back to Paris (almost 3 weeks now), I have been catching up with my friends. Awesome times. And what do we do? We talk, we laugh, we dream, we laugh some more, we eat, we drink (they smoke, they drink), we talk some more, we hug, we start making plans for the future (or rather I make the plans and make them daydream about the possibilities that are out there!), we talk about the past. And that's how regrets came to the surface. Obviously, none of them were mine. For I have NONE.

Impossible, you say? Nothing is impossible, I say right back at you! Life without regrets is actually easier than you think. No, I do not suffer from Antisocial personality disorder. I am very capable of feeling regret and remorse. But I choose not to and instead, I choose to learn from the past, from the eventual mistakes.

Why regret something you have or have not done in the past? Why regret something you have or haven't seen in the past? Why regret at all? It's all about choices. The choices we make are the choices we believe to be the best at the time of making them. If you see what I mean! :) Now, there are also things you cannot change or influence. So why bother? Why make that unhappy face that only deepens the "grumpy" kind of wrinkle?!


Whatever the path I chose in the past, it led me to wonderful things, amazing places, exciting discoveries, great people. I have learned, I have taught, I have exchanged. Yes, some of the paths were more difficult than others but it was highly worth the effort, the momentarily frustration. And so, there is absolutely nothing to regret. Regret is gloomy, sad, dark and painful. The "should have", "would have", "could have" and all of those "ifs" - they take you nowhere.

So yes, I choose to be happy and to be positive and smile even when it rains 5 days in a row! And if you are having trouble not seeing the end of the tunnel, this is what I have to say to you: 

"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way (instead of going forwards)." It's better to look back on life and say "I can't believe I did that" rather than to look back and say "I wish I did that".


Saturday, May 11, 2013

Diet here, diet there, diet everywhere!

After winter, there is spring. After spring - if you are lucky enough to get one - there is summer. But really, the spring should be renamed into "diet" season. 

Have you noticed how people get obsessed about their diet when the spring begins? Oh yes, because spring is a promise of the summer - a step closer to the short skirts, tank tops but most importantly - bikini time!

Now, the "diet" should really be called "weight management" because we have been misusing the word "diet" all along. Diet is the sum of food consumed. So when you are "going on a diet", you are really choosing a particular way of eating (or worse, not!) particular foods. By eliminating or reducing some, by augmenting others. And that's weight management. Yes, that's every woman's spring obsession. Every woman's but mine. Because let's be honest - what a frustrating world is that!!!

Let me assure you: No, I don't have a "perfect" body. But define perfect for me please and you will see that everybody's vision of perfect is very different. And so I have learned to appreciate mine the way it is. (Don't get me wrong - I'm still a girl and so I have my "bad body" days too!) I'm 35 years old, I'm 178cm tall and I weigh 64kg. My shoe size is 39, my ring size is 50, my wrists are rather slender... If you see what I mean! ;) I love to cook and I love to eat. I eat everything because everything gives me pleasure and satisfaction. Well, maybe everything except for raw oysters. And believe me, I gave them at least 5 second chances before I gave up on them completely. I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke, I try to sleep as much as possible, I laugh and I love (you, life, this planet - you name it!). I am going to give myself a good conscience by saying that I walk (fast) a lot, I ride my bike when the weather's good, I take the stairs instead of the elevator. I do NOT believe in diets, I do not believe in miracle supplements nor do I believe the promises of the creams. But back to the satisfaction. For me it's physical, mental, spiritual, creative, it's very emotional. I eat various. I eat little bit of everything, meat and fish included. My apologies to my vegetarian and vegan friends. I eat chocolate and ice cream too because they are my drug and let's put it out there - I would be just too perfect if I didn't have a vice of my own, right?! 

There are lots of different diets out there. There is calorie count diet. Pure protein diet. Low carbohydrate. Low fat. Speed diet. Fork diet. Bio diet. ABCD diet. And many more. Oh, and there is the famous "detox" too. Let's not forget the supplements that promise a miracle in 21 days AND the magical creams that melt your fat and cellulite in only 10 nights!!!

Sincerely, I admire those who understand fully all of the terms and food groups because I get very confused about it. I am curious (as you all know) and so I read a lot, I do research, I ask, and I'm a beauty therapist on the top of it too. But I still don't get it completely. Maybe it's because I never felt I needed to follow a trend instead of my intuition. Nutrition is a passionate subject to study but Oh my, could it be any more complicated? I've been hearing a lot "go seasonal" lately. Yes. But how do I know what is of the season? How come I don't know spontaneously such a basic thing. Because for as long as I can remember, everything is available all the time! You feel like eating strawberries in the middle of winter? No problem, there is always THAT shop you can find them in. Exemples are extensive. The concept of eating in season disappeared with the food supply and transport possibilities. To eat seasonal is fundamental and important because the body needs and craves certain foods depending on  the time of year. And so when I'm confused due to the visual influence of the fruit and veggie display, I search again for the answers. There is no question - fresh is best.

As I read through some of the books that talk about healthy diets and clean foods, I am amazed by the depth of my feelings and the way the ideas seem to make perfect sense. As if I already knew what it is all about. Maybe that's what intuition is about. Food is indeed the key to lasting wellbeing. Food has definitely impact on our health. Tomatoes and cabbage can fight against the cancer. Garlic can lower blood pressure. Apple skin and onions can reduce the risk of heart attack. Food has an amazing power to heal. Remember the satisfaction I have talked about earlier on? Well, it largely depends on what you put into your body.

For many of us with busy lives and pressing schedules (believe me, I know what I'm talking about! and let me ask you - what's the RUSH all about???), what we put in are convenience foods which require the least amount of preparation and cooking. But are they healthy? I think not. And I have NEVER been a fan of convenience foods. 

It appears that this all has begun about 100 years ago or so. It is kind of scary to see how different were the diets of our ancestors from our own diets today. Before massive urbanization led us to move far away from farm-fresh, natural foods (and pushed us inevitably toward modern, processed foods) our ancestors generally ate from the land and their immediate surroundings, benefiting from fresh and mostly organic produce. 

When I was growing up, my parents had a garden. Or let's say (if I may), we had a garden. Since I labored in it too, along with my sisters. Back then, it was very uncool for us (the kids) to "waste" our precious time laboring the earth, planting plants and seeds, getting rid of the bad weeds and harvesting the fruits and veggies. Instead of going to the lake (that is) with our very cool friends, who did NOT have to labor in any garden. But there was more to it. After harvesting what the earth so generously gave us, we couldn't let it go to waste. And so instead, we would make all sorts of jams, we would make our own strawberry syrup, ketchup, we would dry the beans for colder season, we would put the peaches into a pot and save it for a fruit desert with whipped cream (yes yes, because nobody was obsessed with the non fat cream then!) during winter. We would pickle the gherkins. Oh my G, those sweet and sour home made gherkins! My mum would put all aromatic herbs into small plastic bags (that was before she became the Tupperware queen and the bad plastic turned into good plastic!) and we would have them all year through. What a bliss. I would go back in a heartbeat. Faster than an eye can blink. Those were some awesome times. Thank you mum, thank you dad.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Lost and found

As I woke up this morning, I knew I had to get this out of my chest. Now, don't get me wrong -  it hasn't been something unpleasant to keep in to choke on but I've come to the point where I feel ready to let you know. Cowardly, because I will not name you. (Full of contradictions, you say? Nah well, tough luck!) You will remain "the mysterious one" for the readers because I'm not ready to share you completely. Not just yet.

What inspired this? You visited my night. Yes, you sneaked into my dreams and did what you always do. You gave me strength, you gave me will, you gave me love. I used to dream of you and with you all the time. Now it comes in sparse intervals but Oh boy, is it worth the wait! You make me feel serene, you make me feel peaceful, you make me feel happy (ecstatically!) and you make me feel grateful. For what I've had and for what I have. You make me believe in myself. You make me trust my instincts and believe in my future plans - not that I need much convincing but that little pinch of confidence you have in me takes it to a whole new level. You are a very powerful wizard and I embrace your wizardry with great passion.

I don't know how and why it happened, nor do I know when exactly. Why does anything happen at all, right? It was for a reason, that I am sure of. Who cares what reason it was for! You came into my life little by little and I appreciated you right from the start. You were and still are surrounded by a rainbow of beautiful, vibrant colors. In most people I only see one. But you must be special, I guess. I felt at ease and I felt secure with you in my life. You woke up the joy in my heart, in my mind, in my soul and believe me - I needed it the way we need air to breath. Almost desperately. And then something beautiful happened. You allowed me to love you. And so I did. Freely, happily, deeply, madly, passionately.

As it sometimes happens in life, for yet another "who knows why" reason, we went separate ways. Too soon, too late? Too slowly or too quickly? Does it really matter now? I guess it was not a good timing. And even though it broke my heart into many little pieces, I let you spread your wings and fly away with a smile on my face.

And so yes, I lost you. But I found myself at the same time. Thank you is in order, I believe. You are beautiful (inside and out - yes, the out part matters too!), you are funny, you are intelligent and passionate. You are and always will be somebody very special to me. 

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Music


... was my first love
and it will be my last
music of the future
music of the past ...

Don't you just love the feeling when music grabs you and takes you far far away? When it makes you fly? When it makes you so very high that you want to stay on that cloud for as long as it can hold you there?

Music is beautiful, music is powerful. Music is all about the sound, the rhythm, the words but also about the timing. It is one of many things that moves us all, without exception. Whether it is classical, jazz, dance, rap, electro, funk, alternative, hip hop, r&b, rock, soul, new age, indie, world or folk.

Drums, guitar, piano, violin, harmonica, trumpet, saxophone, vocal cords are some of the obvious instruments but they are not the only ones. Anything and everything can make the air move in a very special way to create it's own special sound. A rain drop, the wind that carresses a tree and its leaves, the ocean's waves that brush the sand as they come and go, a blanket that you wrap around loved shoulders, a match that lits up a candle, the chocolate when whipped into an airy foam...

And the beat goes on...

Katarina


Dearest "little" sister.

As you can see, I'm dedicating this post to you.

Today you are celebrating your 29th birthday. Yes, I just divulged your age. But since you are not vain, you absolutely don't mind. Or do you? So yes, you just got very publicly older. But you want to know something? These are the best times. By now, you pretty much know yourself. You know what you want & don't want, what you like & don't like, where you want to (or don't want to) be.

A very new chapter of yours is about to begin. I do not know what you want or where you want to be but I do wish you only the best. Happiness, serenity, love, success and most of all the best of health. Embrace this new chapter with all the passion you have inside of your heart and make the best out of it.

Happy birthday Sus, I ❤ you and I'm proud of you.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Japan, my love

You have been kind, generous, funny, caring, exciting, full of surprises, beautiful, serene, inspiring. You made my taste buds go wild. You made my heart skip a beat on several occasions, you kept my curiosity going. You were refreshing and warm at the same time. You allowed me to meet some amazing people. You made the positive, cheerful, happy me come back into the light again.

I've got you deeply under my skin.

I LOVE YOU and I THANK YOU for absolutely everything from the bottom of my heart. Forever and ever yours.