........ love yourself.I know, rather a cliche,but I find it to be very true.After a really tough setback a year ago, I found it much easier to blame everyone and everything including me.Most of all me.I criticised myself,degraded myself in a variety of ways.It's unbelievable how resourceful a self-hating person can become. I did everything but attempt suicide.I neglected myself to the point where I actually became 10 kilos heavier in less than a year.I stopped working out,because I saw no point in doing so anymore.I slept extremely late.I stressed myself out to the point of depression.I spoke to myself as if I were someone I hated.Anger outbursts for no reason at all. I felt I had grown at least 10 years older.Self-hate had become my pastime, my obsession.It consumed me. The year had gone by without my realising what havoc I had wreaked on my body and soul.On the first day of my holidays,the first day I was actually free to rest, to look after myself,it hit me like a tsunami.My body heavier than it should be, mentality of a 70- year- old,I was someone who had given up on life and its joys.I hardly smiled the past year, and I have difficulty doing so even now. It took me a further week to fully comprehend the consequences.And a couple more days to say to myself:"Enough already!Pick yourself up and live.The past is the past.Life is rushing ahead and you're letting it slip through your fingers."And so I did.It's been a full week or so that I started working out, taking care of my nutrition,meditating,and I hope to eventually forgive myself.For hating who I was.For believing I was not good enough.For trying to find approval and understanding and love outside myself.I had read it, but never really grasped it.Self-love, self-forgiveness, self-respect start from within.It's an inside job.No one can value me if I don't value, love, respect myself.So, it is something I will stop doing from now on.Like Eleanor Roosevelt said:"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent".So true.Time to stop giving my power away.Time to empower myself, at last. I will need to stop giving so much of myself.It just drains you of your energy and leaves you feeling replete and alone.I must learn to set limits.It's time to heal the wounds and forgive myself for my mistakes and misplaced trust in people.I will have to put myself first and take care of my body and soul, by doing the things I love and taking some valuable time for me.Recognise my strengths and enhance them, unleash my creativity and show understanding for my weaknesses.Love and honour myself for having come this far, scarred but victorious.So ,I am most definitely back.I will not allow anyone or anything to get me to a point of self-loathing again.I have risen above the negativity and I am working towards improving myself.Maybe sometime soon I will be able to smile again-genuinely.I need to contribute and give of myself to the people I love and the people I don't know but whose lives I hope to touch in some way.There's much to be done in the world.But since we cannot change the world single-handedly, we can try to change ourselves for the better and all together we can bring about the change that needs to come. In our family lives, our education, society as a whole.So much pain and hardships have infested our beautiful blue planet.If we are to heal Mother Earth we must heal ourselves first.It's time. P.S.I will need to express my sincere gratitude to my new friend Cara for her encouragement and belief in me.Thank you Cara,may God shower you and your family with blessings! When it comes to self-love,Whitney says it so much better than me....Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all... The deepest solace lies in understanding
This ancient unseen stream A shudder before the beautiful One of my recent favorites from my beloved Nightwish......apart from respecting ourselves, we should also do the same for our planet.Just a musical reminder that we should show Mother Earth some love and feel awe once again for her wonders,wisdom and beauty.For the very core of life for us voyagers on this blue galactic gem is the soaring high of truth and light, to quote the songwriter.Hope you enjoy it! I will need to end my post here.It was rather confessional today, but it was something I needed to get out of me.Nearing depression is not pleasant and the individual has to learn to love and accept himself all over again and eventually get out of his own way in order to contribute his gifts to his loved ones and the world.Thank God it did not get to the point of no return for me.I realise now what the symptoms are and what triggers it.Knowledge is power.I will not allow anyone to get me there again, not even myself, not for any reason.Stay strong and resilient,believe in yourself and your potential.That's what I would say to myself and anyone who starts beating himself up after a hardship.Tomorrow is another day.Pick yourself up and continue with your journey.You owe it to yourself.It is a matter of dignity. With love and light to all, Lia
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Like I said yesterday, I'm very much determined to stand strong and be happy.Make a conscious choice to be happy.Try to find it in every single moment of the day,even in the darkest of times.Because happiness is elusive.You have to deliberately seek it out and savour,cherish every moment it dwells in your life.Don't force happiness to stay.It wants to soar free.Rather be grateful and choose to find it every single second of your life. Now, you might wonder what brought this on so early in the day.I just wanted to acknowledge the happiness and the good times despite everything.In moments of gloom it is simply too painful to even think of the concept of happiness.Having come out of a turbulent time in my life, I will beg to differ.It is especially in those times that one must strive, find the courage to see the goodness and the light.Not allow himself to be dragged down in the dark pits of his negative thoughts. Anyway, no more talk of that.No matter what, we choose to be happy and optimistic.That's why I would like to share some happy moments with you.We had gone to the beach and spent the whole day there, just enjoying the surroundings, the beautiful,cool sea,the vast skies above us.My little girl always has a blast.She can't get enough of it.She is so happy to be in the water it is contagious... The sun was setting,etching a golden trail on the sea......my lovely girl all too happily posed for the camera,smiling after a very long day swimming and collecting shells.She is an inexhaustible source of energy and lust for life.My inspiration.
Wow, it is hot today! Hope you are on a beach,relaxing and cooling off in the cool, blue sea.I still have classes so, no time to indulge in swimming.My time will come.Till then,I keep myself busy with lesson plans, my little angel and decluttering my house.It always amazes me how much junk we manage to accumulate over the winter....ugh!Anyway, I got patiently on with it, until I came across a pile of long forgotten photo albums......and I instantly forgot about what I was doing. Sipping my tea, I turned page after page of about five albums.My whole life before my eyes, little things, moments and faces we tend to forget as we go about our everyday routines.My baby photos, my beloved dad,my mum,my childhood and teenage years....adulthood, marriage and motherhood.As William Gibson, the American-Canadian fiction novelist and essayist once said "Time moves in one direction, memory in another".So true for me today..I found myself literally in another dimension in time and space....I would really love to share some of my memories with you all.So here goes... A really blurry photograph from First class in preliminary school.....don't remember much from those days, but I do remember Miss Kassiani was very strict...... Me and my darling dad....it felt so heartwarming to see his face again.It was summer and were going to the beach as I recall.I miss him every day since he died five years ago.I have so much still to tell him, that I never did.Like how much I truly loved him....He was my king.Still is. Here I am with my little brother,John, fighting and arguing as usually. I remember he usually won, much to my dismay.I think I was about seven and he was two.We don't fight anymore, of course, we love each other to pieces.But it did bring a smile to my face seeing this picture again...he was the cutest, most irritating little brother a sister could wish for.... In this picture I am 13 years old, on the beach,wearing my little hat and smiling rather shyly, wishing the camera would just disappear.....hell, I wished that I could disappear! Even then, I didn't like to be photographed, too self-conscious to accept what others saw.....a regular teenager.Seeing it today made me realise how thin I actually was.And to think that back then I believed I was fat and totally hated my body.... Here I am in the volleyball team.........I am the one on the right.It was the third class of Senior High School.I remember we won the volleyball championship that year....1989 it was.Amazing moments of victory.We celebrated like crazy afterwards as I recall.... I think I am about 29 or 30 here....my hair is much blonder than it is today and straightened..Usually my hair is curly and really wayward.I was a really new teacher back then, still trying to find my way in the profession.But even in those early years I had the love of my students and enjoyed teaching as passionately as I do today. And here I am, a young mother of a feisty two- year- old.As I recall, I had put on a considerable amount of weight ......20 kilos,yikes.But it was worth it,every minute of it.It took me 4 more years to lose it.Again, my little girl was and is worth all the discomfort, pain and extra weight.She still is extremely feisty and hot-tempered,but hey....it's in the genes! And ....back to the present.Here's my little bundle of love.As is obvious, she's not that little anymore.My darling sass is eight years old, she's really tall for her age and truly intelligent, with a little streak of coquettishness.....I am nuts about her, like every mother is.My treasure, my reason in life to be a better person.She is in more than one way my teacher, testing my limits and pushing me way past my comfort zone.I am grateful for her every passing day. That's the end of my trip down memory lane.I enjoyed every instant,and I hope you did as well! Wishing you a very pleasant and relaxed evening with your loved ones.Cherish the present moment.One day, this moment will be a picture, just an instant in your life's journey.Be there. With love and light for all, Lia
Well, the evening of the 5th of July was certainly eventful.It seems to me the institutions in Europe certainly had not seen that coming-a resounding NO to their propositions.Once again, the Greek people proved that they cannot and will not tolerate any more austerity measures that will degrade them to living below poverty levels and according to the whims and demands of a foreign occupier. The events that followed came rolling in at the speed of a rollercoaster.First of all, the president of the opposition party resigned.The Prime Minister immediately summoned the party leaders to an emergency meeting.A gesture that indicates his intention for the country and its leadership to remain united and which was very necessary in these critical hours. The Minister of Finance resigned after the Prime Minister's request- or should I say better after the request of the Institutions, who did not want to negotiate with him any further.He received the news with much dignity and even with an air of defiance for the European Institutions.A reaction that was to be expected from a true leader, a person with too much self-respect to cling to his political standing.A person more than willing to help from the backstage in any way he can.These are the kind of people that are needed to help our country out of this impasse, not power-hungry, self-serving, wannabe patriots. Angela Merkel and the institutions seem to have been seriously shaken after the disturbing news of the referendum results.Now the game starts again and though they are still in a more powerful and advantageous position, it looks like another round of negotiations after the NO reply is weighing heavily on their shoulders.They have already stated that the NO reply of the Greek people, though it is to be respected,will not be taken into account.They insist that Greece do as they dictate.Hopefully, the Greek government will have some propositions in its arsenal in order to negotiate with the European Institutions, who remain firm and unmoving in their demands.Hopefully, this resounding and defiant NO will carry enough positive energy to aid the negotiations and lead to a more positive future for our country. Let's keep our fingers crossed,send much positive energy to all those involved in the new round of discussions and pray for the best possible result for Greece.
With love and light, Lia The fifth of July 2015.A beautifully sunny day,which is a good omen.A historic day.One whose outcome will have repercussions yet unknown to us, but will undoubtedly be studied by students of the future.The referendum day, a day the Greeks will have to make an important choice regarding the future of their country.Already the past few days, the people in favour of Yes heavily criticed the people in favour of No.Other voices said that no one should vote because either way the country will suffer dire consequences, which is not something unknown.The government itself publicly stated it is so. Whatever each of us should decide is their own personal choice, which no one has the right to deny him.9.855.029 make up the electorate body, of which 108.371 are youngsters who have just turned 18.This is the first time for them to vote.I should hope that everyone will use their right to express their opinion on the question at hand and not allow anyone to sway their opinions in any way. So, my point -and sincere hope-is that whether one voted Yes or No, when the results are finalised and announced, the country will not be swept by a tide of accusations,negativity and darkness.Let's make a change for once in our history and remain united no matter what the outcome.If History is to judge us on the repercussions of our decisions today, let's make History and fight whatever is to come from Monday on in a spirit of unity, brotherhood and determination -as one. With love and light, Lia
It is a bright sunny day today.A typical July in Greece.If it were not for the referendum and the current political and financial problems our country is facing, we would be blissfully enjoying this beautiful day which alas, is marred by current affairs. I've posted enough of my thoughts on the matter.I wil not rehash what I have already stated nor will I take back anything. Enough said.Let's wait until Sunday and I'm sure there will be more than enough to talk about.Today's post was prompted by an event that took place in Athens last night.It's called Global Synchronised Meditatation and Prayer for Greece and was organised by both domestic and international organisations.Approximately 5.000 people took part in it from all over the world, meditating as one and praying for our country. The initiative and the intent behind this event are touching.Positivity and goodwill for one's fellow human beings are the main motives for it.Kindness is not an entirely extinct human trait it seems, and that is really encouraging. The people of the world for one other, sending love and positive energy through prayer and meditation.In case naysayers and doubters try to bash this action by saying that action and logic are needed to solve problems and not prayer or meditation, I have this to say.Group prayers and meditations have immense power and can indeed impact adverse situations and even reverse them. It is a beacon of hope for all humanity if we could pray as one to energise our reality with positive energy instead of constantly fighting one another.It's time to unite and see our fellow men not in terms of ethnicity, religion, race or their status in society but for what we all have in common.We are all human beings living on this beautiful blue planet. Let's honor and love each other, for truly,whatever separates us is of our own doing,and therefore false.We are ONE race-humans.This is the one and only truth. With love and light for all, Lia Unite our intentions, let our hearts be inseparable. Our minds are as one mind, as we, to truly know one another, become one. ~ Cara’carya The Gayatri Mantra is possibly the oldest Sanskrit prayer.It dates back 3500 years.It's beautiful and uplifting.It appeals to the Supreme Being or God for enlightenment and inspires wisdom.Truly beautiful, no matter what religion you espouse. The turmoil and dissent has been spreading rapidly as the days go by and the time to reach a decision draws nearer.It is beyond sad, even pathetic to see the media openly manipulating the people in favor of voting yes for the demands of the EU.Brainwashing the masses, coercing them more each passing day into doing as they dictate.Long silenced politicians have resurfaced.As one they coax the people into a yes vote,despite the fact that they were sworn rivals in hteir heyday.Whoever said we are still a democratic country is sadly mistaken or simply delusional.We are pawns in a huge chess game, where the only winner is the one holding the leverage-money. And to think that it was our country that spawned democracy. In the year 2015 Democracy is elusive- the banks and the lobbyists have free reign to tweak the financial conditions of each country they have chosen to victimise and thus, becoming masters of their fate. Of course, they have mighty tools at their disposal- the media.Their chosen puppets, the politicians who are going to implement their plans for them.The more fear can be spread,the tamer the masses will be, and consequently more receptive to their will. I like to believe I am a quite intelligent and logical human being.I strive to see everyone's point of view before judging-if do so at all.But the things I have witnessed since last Friday night are just grotesque.A war is being waged and we have been chosen to determine its outcome.The two rivals are in fierce battle.We must carry the responsibility for whatever will follow.At what cost though? What will the aftermath be?What price will we be called upon to pay?If we re to be brutally honest, whatever the outcome, we will be the sole recipients of the consequences, as neither a yes or a no is devoid of negative aspects.It makes me angry when I realise that.Very angry. I have no idea as yet what my choice will be.But I do know this one thing.I will never hold it against any of my fellow Greeks if they voted differently.I have no such right.In fact, I consider it a sacred duty to defend their right ot a different perspective in the most vehement of ways.Agreed, we are going through troubled times.It is about time though, that we stop turning against each other every time there is a decision to be made.It is imperative that for once in our very long history we make a difference on this account at least.We should stay united.We should disregard the media completely and forbid them unrestricted access to our brains, to our free will.It's about time we stopped bragging about our noble ancestry and start learning from our ancestors, their wisdom and even their mistakes.Maybe by making this small but so significant change will we have gained a precious,rare national trait-or virtue, if you will.Our solidarity.Our free will and independence.Those are the weapons that will make us invincible to any other threat that will come our way.Because then we'll know we have nothing to fear as long as there is unity and understanding of who we are,not who they tell us we should be.It's about time we woke up and see things as they are.It's time. As mentioned earlier today, I'm quite into meditation.It is a much needed tool for my frequent stress attacks.So here's a beautiful piece of meditation music....just thought I'd share and hope you'll enjoy it, too.Let me know if you like it! For love and light, Lia Now that we're talking about meditation, there's this amazing meditation programme by Deepak Chopra I use.It's offered free of charge and it's really helpful in keeping stress and anger at bay, raising awareness and tranquility.It's called 21-Meditation challenge.I'd recommend it to all.Here's the page on Facebook: 21 Day Oprah_Deepak Meditation Challenge.It starts on July 13th. Again, let me know what you think....all comments are welcome! It's been ages it seems since my last post.A lot has taken place in my life and let's not forget the financial upheaval in the country.Nothing seems to offer any hint of optimism ....not even the weather.We seemed to have warped back to November.God knows I love the rain but in winter.....not in July! Anyway,I'll make a definite effort to be more constant in my writing.I'll make a conscious effort to be true to my dream to write, in spite of everything.Nothing should have enough power to make us forfeit our dreams.So I'll keep going no matter what....and I hope my friends wil keep me accountable. Since I've put on weight as well, I'll see to it that something is done about it once and for all.No more of that.I need a healthy body for al the things that I aspire to do.Meditation is also in the works.An optimally functioning brain is also a big advantage. But apart from all those personal aspirations it is vital that we are mindfiul and aware of our surroundings and the facts that form our every day reality.Circumstances change rapidly what we once perceived to be a given.So, it is imperative that we wake up from our stupor and keep ourselves informed to have an all-round, objective view. We Greeks are called upon to decide on the future course of the country.Whether that was a wise call I will not discuss here, nor should that be the question.The issue is that we are called upon to make a responsible, mindful decision to determine the course of action our country should take.We may not be the elected government but we are the ones who elected the present administration.We spent decades accusing the previous administrations of making the wrong choices for us, but without our consent.It's cowardice then to say that it's not our call. Now that this chance has been given to us, we don't want it. It's time to make a change,though.We must take a stand and be accountable for it.So put all bickering and shifting of responsibility aside.What's done is done.The future is before us and awaits our decision.If we are indeed to be worthy descendants of our glorious ancestors, let's not restrict our actions to posting pompous statuses on Facebook or other media.More tangible action is needed.Be mindful, be aware, keep the sirens at bay and let's make a wise decision for our country- whatever that may mean for each individual. And to think that this was supposed to be a short post.Well, what can I say.......I can be quite a chatterbox!Have a fantastic day, no matter what!Talk soon..... Well, the song does seem appropriate......one of my very favourites! |
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August 2021
CategoriesAuthorI am a passionate English teacher.Aspiring writer and speaker.I take educational matters to heart and hope to bring about some positive change in the field of education. |