Recollection of the Past - oil painting by Leonid Afremov The credit for today's post goes entirely to my wayward brain. During the leisurely moments of the holidays it -excessively frequently I might add - led me down to the lanes of my past, bringing up many memories, and not all happy ones. It was an unsettling process, one that meddled with the serenity I was intent on finding during the summer, not to mention my sanity. God only knows that all of us have moments (or even huge chunks) in our past we are not particularly proud of. How could you have been so neglectful toward your siblings? How could you have been so cruel towards your child? Why did you behave so cold and insensitively towards those you called friends and loved ones? Why did you hurt the people who loved you? Why did you betray your dreams by being lazy? How could you cheat and lie so easily?How could you go against every value you professed to champion? I could go on and on and no doubt all of you can relate to these one way or another and need no particular prompting to recall. It's as if it all happened only yesterday, isn't it? Truth be told, I'm still horrified at all these things I've done. I tried to put them in a drawer, deeply closeted in the darkest parts of my being. The problem with this practice is that it's not not only cowardly but it means also I've been so arrogant as to believe that the past can be buried peacefully. It won't. It will rise to the surface kicking and screaming till you finally decide to grant it closure. How to do that? After a lot of discussions and inner recollection, I realised I can't ignore that part of my life as if it never happened, because it did. It is some sort of comfort I suppose that it's not just me who is a flawed, frail human being, prone to mistakes or has deep, dark secrets. I tried to acknowledge that in each circumstance I had done the best I could, at least with the mindset and messed up emotions at that time. I understood I had to forgive the person I was, which for me is the hardest thing to do. I am still working on loving and sympathising with the younger versions of myself. Meditating and journalling. Crying. Laughing. I have high hopes I will get there - eventually. I must if I am ever to grow into a person I can actually be proud of. That higher version of me will be able to deal with the past more ably. Embrace it - and then let it go. On a final note, I came across a poem by Charlotte Bronte that sums it up perfectly. It made me smile. I suppose there is hope yet. Tell me, tell me smiling child
What the past is like to thee? An Autumn evening soft and mild With a wind that sighs mournfully. Tell me, what is the present hour? A green and flowery spray Where a young bird sits gathering its power To mount and fly away. And what is the future, happy one? A sea beneath a cloudless sun; A mighty, glorious, dazzling sea Stretching into infinity, Past, Present, Future - Emily Bronte
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It's been an awfully long time since I wrote here and so much has changed. I, first and foremost. Quite a journey, with lots of bumps on the road but thankfully with so many allies there to help out. Friends found, friends lost. Too many reasons why to number and for some the reason will never be known. The regret is there. The joy for having crossed paths. In no particular order.So many lessons learnt, others happy and fruitful ones. Others extremely painful but so educational. Still, I decided after the dust had settled, that I had to continue working on that one skill I love: Writing. Renaming this blog Soul Sessions is, I suppose, a hint as to where I'm headed. Soul diving, searching, you name it. It will be deep, ponderous but also joyful, light and fun. Just like life is. With that said, it is my sincere hope you will follow me on this trip. It is rather obscure times we live in. We must stand by each other with compassion and understanding. Being truthful but respectful. I hope to achieve that here. Take care of yourselves and stay healthy. With love and light, Lia "Searching Soul" - Serge Marshennikov (Russian, b. 1971), oil on canvas, 2015
Every new year brings something new to each person's life,whether that be in the form of a blessing or a setback of any kind.It is of course the wish of every single one of us that the former be more than the latter.I realised some time ago though,that setbacks too,have their significance in the grand theatre of life.They appear at that moment in your life when you need to become uncomfortable,shake off the dust of too much comfort and complacency of yourself and get busy on becoming more of who you really are.To take all that is still raw and unprocessed in you and give it shape and function.That is much like the process charcoal goes through to form the diamond.To quote Henry Kissenger, "A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure". 2017 sent a lot of blessings my way.Alas,setbacks were an inevitable part of the deal.I learnt soon enough to be grateful for both.To accept the good with grace and gratitude.To bear the"bad" with patience and the desire to unlock the lesson in each.It has been a year that finds me an entirely different person at its end.A person I am still getting to know. A person I am willing to become more of. I learnt several more lessons this year.It's a pretty long list so I'll try to keep it concise. - I am by nature more a pessimist than an optimist.I strive to be the second with some success. So, was I surprised to hear I was appointed at a public school.At a location so far from home,Crete.Nine years after the last Entry Competition the Ministry of Education had organised.What are the odds of that happening?It did.And it changed my life.Lesson learnt:Expect the unexpected.Always be ready to receive it. - The fact that a blessing or miraculous event takes place in your life,does not exempt you from the responsibilities that go hand in hand with it.By accepting it, you accept also that you will work hard to keep it.In my case,accepting a position in Crete, entailed a lot of stress till the final placement was made, a home was found and all formalities taken care of.Getting used to public school system,new colleagues,new students.Most of all getting used to taking care of things entirely on my own and being alone in a place I was not accustomed to.That of course,changed fast.And that takes me to my next point. - A lot of negativity exists in the world.Still.Don't know if or when that will be eradicated.So much blind hate and violence,so much tragedy.People are bound to be afraid and distant. Upon going to Crete I had absolutely no idea what I would face.It was a pleasant surprise to have been met with such kindness and helpfulness.It restored my faith that there are still positive people around.I have been blessed a great deal on this aspect.I have many good and special people in my life, both Greek and from abroad, whom I dearly love and am grateful they are here.I am truly blessed. - If something is broken in your life,even if you tried your best to fix it,let it go with grace and kindness.Not everything and everyone is meant to stay with you forever.As you become more of who you are supposed to be,the more you find yourself unable to fit in with past situations or people.It feels awkward and painful for sure.My experience tells me it hurts more to hold on to it, whatever or whoever it is.Just let go and be ready to receive those conditions and people that will be there to accompany you for the next parts of your life. - As your conditions in life shift, as you increasingly change in this ongoing process, new people make their apearance in your story. Quite often in the most unexpected places and even more at the most inconvenient times. Again,as per life's rules,not all are meant to stay with you.As you change,so must your circumstances and people,whether they are friends,family or loved ones.Very few qualify to stay with you till the end titles.Do not worry yourself with who they are.You will know when the time comes.Focus on becoming the best possible version of you. The rest takes care of itself. - The ability to adapt to the ongoing changes in your life are an absolute prerequisite to your making it. Adaptability is what helps you adjust in any environment, accept the adversity in your circumstances and persist in spite of it.An effective way of becoming more adaptable,apart from life's own twists, is to do more of what makes you uncomfortable.An excellent way to test and stretch your limits, gain infinitely more self-knowledge and eventually learn to adapt to all the curveballs that will be thrown your way. - Kindness goes a long way.Even if it is not alway met with kindness in return,it still is better for your soul and general well-being.Though much has been said to praise kindness,I will quote Desmond Tutu here:"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” - Practice daily gratitude.In my own experience, it is the glue that holds it all together. Gratitude and faith.Be grateful for the blessings because they make you feel loved.Be grateful for the setbacks because they teach you who you are and who you can become.Be grateful because it's the only way to invite more of the good stuff in your life. Our generation has lost a great deal of this gratitude.Our children can find no reason to be grateful, in spite of the fact they have so many reasons to be. Quite sad really.Just be grateful you are alive.For another day on this blessed planet.For more opportunities coming your way,in whatever shape they may come. So grateful for a beautiful 2017, with all its up and downs.Looking forward to an even more awesome 2018. With lots of love and light for all. Lia The title for this short post was borrowed from one of Jesse Jackson's famous quotes - he is a
Civil rights leader and two-time Democratic presidential candidate,way before Barrack Obama even thought of becoming President. He worked alongside Martin Luther King.I'd say that if a person who rose from the slums to such an elevated position says something this profound,I ought to listen.And listen hard. No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams. Jesse Jackson Our dreams and desires are the fabric of our souls-our essence if you will.The fire that burns within and urges you ever forward.The hunger and drive to become more and achieve more. And as many people there are on the planet today, there are equally numerous dreams waiting to be fulfilled. Researches have shown that 9 out of 10 people actually never live out their dreams.Many of them have already forgotten what their dreams were to begin with.The most common regret of people lying on their deathbed was that they had not honored and realised their dreams.Only when their health had been stripped away from them did they realise that.Only then,when dying, did they see how the choices they had made- or hadn't made, had led them to feeling regret instead of peace. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. What to do then? How can people,especially the young ones who are still at the beginning be encouraged to pursue their heart's longings no matter what?What did the crazy ones,the misfits, the dreamers do differently to honor their soul's desires?At the core of every successful person,every wild dream accomplished, lies belief in yourself no matter what.Perseverance and hard work all the while fighting your fear of failure and rejection.Battling doubts and the urge to just give up and settle for a life that is considered acceptable.Refusing to negotiate. The toughest opponent in every lofty endeavour is always yourself.No matter who the opponent appears to be-whether it be your parents,your peers,society-the ultimate rival is you.It takes quite a lot of grit to defy the obstacles before you and just push forward,nose to the grindstone and with the unshakeable belief you will come out victorious.The lack of strong belief in yourself and the decision to settle is what will bring about the untimely and unfortunate death of yet another dream. Dreams are the seeds of our soul and should be watered.Faithfully and with diligence.Through their realisation we constantly learn and evolve into what we are supposed to become.This duty belongs not only to the one bearing those dreams but as I see it is also a task and a burden for a child's parents or caretakers and their teachers.Our young ones find themselves in an era of abundance and stupefying technology.However many advantages there are to technology, I can't help but feel that it has the same addictive traits of a potent drug.The vast majority of our teeenagers don't dream high anymore, which is actually sad and makes for a rather bleak future. Learn from your dreams what you lack. W. H. Auden Parents and teachers are to encourage a child's dream.Not truncate it by demeaning comments like,“Girls can’t be astronauts", for example.And I do by no means mean that we should stick to traditional education.Teachers should take stronger initiative and dare to go beyond the approved curriculum.Knowledge and standardised testing is not always the first priority.Curiosity and imagination should be encouraged at all costs.Allowing students to take initiative and experiment will fuel their natural tendency to dream- and more importantly act upon those dreams.Freedom of expresssion and a cultivation of awareness of self and the world in general. All those practices when applied make for a more motivated and aware person,one that would help themselves with the realisation of their dreams and benefit humanity by their example. To be truthful,I have yet to realise all my dreams.But in writing this post I am attempting to encourage myself most of all to find words to bring forth to light that which lies unexpressed within me.Attempt to write a lyric for the song only I can understand.The song that still slumbers in my heart and which can be sung only with my voice.I wish the same for everybody.There is no greater sadness than grieving your unfulfilled dreams.Essentially grieving the person you were meant to become. As an epilogue I'll borrow some wisdom from Deepak Chopra: You are what your deepest desire is. As is your desire so is your intention. As is your intention so is your will. As is your will so is your deed. As is your deed so is your destiny. At the end of the day you define your dreams and your destiny.Will they fly high or crash and burn?It's all in your hands.Your choice. As always with love, Lia I love doing jigsaw puzzles.Never do I,however,start assembling it without looking at the picture first.I never set the pot on the stove without having decided what to cook,or without having carefully pepared the ingredients necessary for our daily meal.Neither do I ever enter the classroom without having prepared the lesson of the day thoroughly down to its minutest details and all assignments corrected.Likewise, when it comes to something truly profound,like our future, our life,it is only self-evident that one has to diligently lay out the plans,be prepared to do all the hard,nose-to-the grind work to be lucky enough to be worthy of reaping the rewards of success.After all,as it was famously quoted by the Greek philosopher,Pluto "The harder you work,the luckier you get."
May,as is well known among foreign language teachers, is the month of all language examinations, for the students of the upper-intermediate levels.None of them,without exception,got to this point by mere luck.They had been preparing for this since September,or to be more exact for the past 6,7 years.Carefully laid-out curricula,assignments, constant encouragement,bitter disappointments and sweet,small or bigger successes,led them to this point in time.To prove their knowledge and reap the rewards. It is of course no different for adults.A large majority of today's adult population are enormously disappointed with their current state of living,whether it is of their own doing or due to external factors,such as unemployment or doing a job they absolutely loathe.Needless to say,the financial situation prevalent in many countries of the world ,has, to a small or greater extent,led a large part of the population either to unemployment or choosing from a limited choice of jobs for a humiliatingly low income.One considers themselves lucky for having even that.And let's not forget the age factor.Younger people are preferred over more mature and qualified employees,just because they cost less to the management.Exploitation in every aspect is rampant all around the globe. To return to the subject at hand,one would wonder,if these people have,in actuality, any choice in the matter.Any power whatsoever to turn their life's circumstances around and transform them into a life they are more deserving of.I am no philosopher,no wise sage,no expert,no one special for that matter.I would say,putting it quite mildly,I am an optimistically realistic person. I believe,not in luck,but in bold envisioning,thorough planning and preparing for your life and working hard. Luck is just the inevitable outcome of the above.And this principle applies to all,young and old alike,the poorer or the already rich and successful. I fervently believe in the limitless power of the human heart,a human's relentless and resilient spirit.We are after all,as has been scientifically proven, pure energy.I've read somewhere that where you focus your energy on, it expands.Since our dreams are part of our energy,it follows, that if we focus on them,fiercely envisioning them,carefully planning and strategising all the steps necessary to fulfill them and be ready to work harder than we've ever worked before,all opportunities simply must present themselves to us.Not because we are"lucky" but because we followed through with our plans and diligent work.When I was a student myself,one of my teachers very wisely said to us"Preparation equals success.Luck is a mere 1% of you total success." Today,I say the same to my own students.Mahatma Gandhi put it so well when he said:"The future depends on what we do in present". Envision,plan,prepare and execute.Work hard.Hitch your wagon to a star,to quote the great Ralph Waldo Emerson.Let you dreams and ambitions drive you to aim high.Create your future today.If Abe Lincoln,former President of the United States, lived by this principle,I think it wise to follow his advice.I will go out on a limb here and say we really have nothing to lose if we try.Make it a habit to prepare for your success- daily.Eventually,you will become masters of your destiny.Just as you were meant to be. It's been eight long months since my last post.And angry as I am at myself for not keeping true to the promise I had made to myself and stick to a writing schedule,I also cannot overlook the main reason for writing-for me at least:to feel inspired by the subject I choose to write about.To truly believe in it.That was my problem in reality.I did not believe in myself anymore.I felt I had nothing to write about,nothing to contribute. So,inevitably,inspiration abandoned me...or I had become deaf to its call.I felt rather empty,without purpose,just allowing myself to be carried away in the tumultuous wave of my frenzied reality.Allowing myself to just forget my dream of becoming a writer or something that resembles it. And sometimes you are allowed to get away with it.At least for a while.Something like a time-out.But all of a sudden, somebody comes along that believes in you more than you do,sees qualities in you that you had forgotten about,somebody who is patient and storms your insecurities and frustration.Who is ready to face your self-righeous anger,your shadow-self and cast light on it. Thanks to the powers that be,this special person ,who is a very dear friend of mine,by showing up at this very moment inspired yet again creativity and passion in me.The will to write and express myself for who I am.To allow my light to just shine and do what I love. See,belief is such a powerful notion.It creates miracles where everything once seemed impossible.It sets your soul alight with possibilities and manifests dreams that were pinned down to the deepest depths of your unconscious.Befuddled by pessimism and too much comfort,I recognise now that I had become way too comfortable with my daily routine,had accepted defeat.Had compromised with the status quo of things. Such special people come into your life either,for a brief or longer period of time,to remind you of just that.That you are dying inside.Their presence ignites a spark,stirs life where there was apathy and oblivion.I am immensely thankful for this very special person.This short blog post is in fact a thank you note.Thank you for reminding me of who I am.What I dreamt of.What my goals were.To see the beauty and light in myself that had dimmed.To find in myself the belief in my dream yet again.To assume responsibility of my life. Once again, thank you.I will forever be grateful for your presence. Muhammad Ali once said:"It is lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges,and I believed in myself."So,to follow the advice of this great athlete and human,I will choose from this moment on,no matter what,to always believe.In me.In my abilities.In my dreams.In the infinity and kindness of God and his vast universe. Now I believe. With love and infinite light, Lia Negativity, stress and being too hard on ourselves and our bodies,with all its possible ramifications is a well-known subject nowadays.It's considered perfectly normal to be negative and stressed out.In fact, I 've come to believe,much to my astonishment, that a large majority of people actually take pride in the fact that they are stressed.Wearing it like a badge of honor,flashing it and relishing their rants of complaint where they narrate the many reasons to justify their state,which is taking its toll on their body and mind.Like it's some sort of perverse contest. But hey,if everyone is stressed out and negative,if I have more to complain about I'm better,right?
It would be an oversight on my part not to mention that there is,to some extent, good reason for us to feel that way.The world which we have created is feeding off negativity and fear.So,it encourages it and gives all the more reason to continue feeling negative.Too many bills and not enough money is one of the major reasons for stress,fear and uncertainty. If you don't look like a Victoria's Secret model,then your body is not up to par and thus it is subject to all possible forms of body shaming. You don't have enough money,you're not prestigious,your country might be attacked by terrorists,the world will come to an end.....there is a huge variety of potential threats,imagined or real that can be used to make us remain in this web of negativity.The mass media has become really adept at using this very handy tool to keep us that way to serve its own agenda no doubt. Oftentimes,stress and negativity can be sourced back to one's family and the conditions they had to endure.An abused child will most definitely be much more negative in its outlook.A child that was neglected will certainly feel it's never going to be enough and continue playing this role well into its adult life as well.A child that grew up in poor conditions will feel stressed out and negative about money,possibly for the rest of its life.Many are the reasons in one's life that can trigger such a hideous predisposition. I can only relate too well with both parameters of stress and negativity mentioned before.The family conditions I grew up in were far from perfect,though there were always the best of intentions.But you know what they say....the road to hell is paved with all these"good" intentions.I really wouldn't want to go too deep into my family's wretched story.Suffice it to say that as a child I witnessed fights of monstrous proportions,daily bickering over trivial as well as significant matters and endless amounts of stress and guilt.That's my life pretty much up to 25 years old.As I started becoming more independent and living as an adult,naturally all those feelings reared their very ugly heads all too often.That's when the societal pressures kicked in big time, to look a certain way,dress and behave like this or that celebrity,become rich by somebody else's standards......you name it. Till today.I'm not proud to say this.I am the one that will encourage others to feel more positive,giving them ways to do so.If I were to describe myself I would say that I am a positive person,with a bright disposition,but with a very nasty streak of negativity,stress and anger.Sometimes I feel bipolar.Thank God,I know for a fact I am not. About 5 years ago,following the aftermath of my father's death and all the guilt and grief,I decided that I needed to figure a way to shift my mentality.A way to cope with all the baggage of my life and my current circumstances.I found yoga to be soothing and uplifting.Meditation followed,which I presently do daily,at least once a day.It helps me keep my mind focused and serene,more able to see through the crap and get a hold on my life.A series of diets followed.Today,having become a vegan,which I consider one of the most important decisions I made and working out six days a week,I feel I FINALLY have a better grip on my life and where I'm headed.I do stress occasionally,I get negative from time to time(with really nasty consequences) but it's a pattern I've learnt to discern and endeavor to fight off consciously.My ambition is to fully eradicate this plague from my life completely one day.May be I will not become a Zen monk,but a happy peaceful,guiltless,stress-free life would be enough for me. Concluding,I would like to give 5 reasons why you should attempt to get rid of all the negativity and stress from your life.The Internet is awash in such lists so,doubtlessly,you're not unfamiliar with this topic.This is my list,coming from lessons my own life taught me.I would not presume to impose anything on anybody.But if something I've been through and learnt from can help somebody in the slightest,that would be tremendous.So, here goes. 1.Negativity and stress feed off you.Like parasites.That results in various allergies,weight gain,and more serious diseases,like cancer,heart attacks and others.It trashes your immune system so your body is too weak to fight off any illness.It becomes much more vulnerable and unwilling to fight for your well-being. My skin is usually the recipient of such negativity attacks,exploding in various rashes and allergies.It often becomes Itchy and intolerant to almost everything.Not something I would wish on anyone,friend or foe.Headaches,stomach aches, low blood pressure panic attacks, you name it.Been there,more times than I can count. 2.Stress has been proven to trigger obsesity.When cortisol levels rise in the body,it sets off the process of weight gain.I vividly remember that the most stressful periods in my life were also marked with a significant weight gain.Of course, I should mention that it was a blissful period of gobbling down everythhing I could get my hands on.I would justify it to myself,saying "I.'m hungry,OK?When I am sad and stressed I eat." So, my body having been granted permission,started expanding exponentially.To monstrous dimensions.One day, I looked in the mirror and was appalled and disgusted.Excuses,excuses.....I've learnt to recognise and control this pattern by now.When I feel stressed or more negative than allowed I resort to yoga,meditation or just mindful breathing.I've found that music and reading also soothe such negativitiy atacks. 3.It seriously affects your performance in your daily duties.Be it at home or at work.I've found that when I allowed myself to wallow in such bouts of stress,my home would be a battle field,much to my husband's dismay.My teaching became bland,without love or enthusiasm.It's not like me to hate teaching.But in those moments of stress,negativity and utter self-pity,I did.My students sensed it of course.Their grades dropped and I did not manage to have high passing rates in the exams.I 've always prided myself on being able to connect to my students.Never have I felt so disconnected from myself or my students and the job I love so much as in those moments.Not something to be proud of.But it's taught me that I should never let it under my skin like that again. 4.Your relationships with others suffer.Big time.Disconnect,loathing,fighting.....been there,done it.Again,I'm not proud admitting this. I've hurt people I love.My daughter...my husband.My friends.Colleagues.MY family..Seeing what it can do to me, I attempt to distance myself in moments of stress and focus on battling the reason behind my negativity rather than lashing out on anyone who is unlucky enough to be at the receiving end of my anger. Lots of relationships can be saved in this way.Not having to carry the load of guilt that ensues is a definite plus. 5.Self-hate.A lot of it.In reality,this is the final step,what it all comes down to after you've done all the above.After successfully having dealt an effective blow to yor body's immune system,gained weight and you feel ugly and old,after your energy drops to unfathomable depths and your performance and relationships start to suffer,then self-hate kicks in.Thus initiating a vicious cycle of wallowing even deeper in self pity,eating more,gaining weight,perhaps drinking or other substances.People in your life don't understand you and you get isolated.Not a very pleasant situation,is it?Been there.It's a lonely,dark place.I don't ever want to revisit it.So far,for the past six months I've been successful.And I plan to keep it that way. So,that was the big lesson today.A post that wasn't meant to be this long,but I got carried away again.Hope you will be able to find value in this somehow.Have a beautiful,positive day! Lia I am by nature a very sentimental person.To a point of fault.It has cost me dearly many times over.But it seems I just won't learn.At 43 I am as sentimental as ever and then some.You wonder why I am rambling and I don't really blame you.Many times my sentimentality has shone through but there is one I'd like to share and one that I am quite positive many will relate to. Last night, as I was about to call it a night and take to my bed,I heard my daughter's voice calling for me.She must be thirsty,I thought,so I walked over to her with a glass of cool water.She drank it thirstily.Instead of turning around to fall right back asleep though, this time she pulled me to her with her little arms and held me to her chest.Initially I felt surprise.But as I lay there,my ear pressed against her chest,listening to her heart beating in the still of the night,it felt like the most natural thing to do.We lay there for an eternity it seems,just holding each other.I could feel her rhythmic breath,the warmth of her skin.For any mother,myself included,that is heaven.The moment when you truly feel the divine being present.I felt overwhelming joy,love,love for everyone on the planet.I felt loved myself,not only by this little human I get to call my child and which I was blessed to bring to this Earth, but by God as well. Later,when she was asleep once again with that little mischievous smile on her face,and I had retired to bed myself,various thoughts started playing around in my head.So here I am,sharing them with you.Many of you will believe that I am just overreacting.I'll attempt to relate to you those thoughts,hoping you will find common ground with them. As humans, during our brief stay on the planet our actions and thought are mainly driven by one basic need:the need to be loved and accepted unconditionally.Our other quest is to seek out the Divine,God,Allah,the Tao,the Universe,Mother Nature or however else we choose to call this omnipresent force that drives all and unite with it.These are our basic needs or quests and no matter what we end up doing in our lives,this is what truly keeps us going.As I see it,the void we oftentimes feel in our hearts,in our very soul is the absence of love,the absence of feeling united with our soul,of being united with the Divine. We are taught at school that we should attend church and listen to endless sermons,not sin,read the Bible and various other rules that I have discarded a long time ago.I did try.I read the Bible.I did not find God there.I did go to Church,no matter how much it bored me and angered me by the hypocrisy of the golden-clad priests telling us to exercise self-restraint in everything,to fast and what not. If God is somewhere he is not in a building.Why should he limit Himself/Herself so?So, I read extensively.I educated myself on the principles of various religions,dogmas and heresies.There were many examples of enlightened people there.But let's face it,not all of us who came on this planet are here to become enlightened,gurus,priests,spiritual leaders.We are here to experience love,learn to give as well as to receive it. In my limited time here on this planet,I have not witnessed the Divine often.But I did feel it in some very painful moments of my life,supporting me.I felt it when my daughter was born,oh so strong.I felt it while teaching,flowing through me and inspiring me.I see it in eyes of my students.I felt it last night when my daughter hugged me,half-asleep.It was the most powerful feeling or Divinity I felt.Just a hug,we say.Is it,really?Or is it a means, a conduit for love or the Divine to flow more freely? Many will say it's the oxytocin that was released from the hug that made me feel so elevated.I can assure you, it was not.I am old enough to know the difference.I have been hugged many times.Not many times did I feel so uplifted,so full of overwhelming love,like a warm wave of air coursing through me.I can't really describe it,words don't do it justice. And somehow,I don;t think that's the point.I just wanted to convey that what we are looking for so frantically on the outside,from various enlightened people,from teachings of others,from holy places and temples,is not that far away from us.I do not mean to understimate the significance of the above nor do I wish to disregard them completely.I just meant to say that it is and has always been closer to home.Look around you.The warm smile of a neighbour.A helping gesture from a stranger.A kind word from a shop assistant.The expectancy and curiosity on a child's face.A warm,loving hug.Meditation.Whatever you are looking for is not far away.It's within you already.It's that little voice whispering,urging you on or preventing you from an action.The Divine is in you,in everything you do. For me this was a very personal experience and one I was not really sure whether I should share or not.I feeI really vulnerable putting myself out there like this.I felt the need though.To speak my mind,to tell of my feelings.I know many of you will be able to associate with my story.The power of a child's hug,the love it holds,The fact that you can feel the Divine in your everyday life,every single smile,touch,action is an expression of it.All we have to do is to let it flow freely and unhindered through us.Do go to church if you feel the need.There's nothing wrong with it.Listen to sermons and read the Bible if that feels right to you.It's your expression,your way of connecting.Just,from time to time,allow yourself to look for the small signs in your daily life.Look inside,You won't fail to see it if your heart is open and willing. I do hope my little confession will not insult anyone,as it certainly was not written with that intent.I write,inspired by every day experiences.It's no secret I adore this little tornado that came through me to beautify and rock my world.All of you who are parents will certainly nod their heads in understanding.But feeling the Divine is not a privilege for the few enlightened as they had us believe for centuries.Like I said before,it is there,in you.Around you.It is in everything.Be open and you shall receive.Simple as thatAs simple as breathing. As always, With love and light, Lia
Good afternoon to all from the lovely Parga!It's another gloriously sunny day here,the birds are chirping and nature is orgasmically busy with her day to day activities,undisturbed by us mere mortals admiring her abundant beauty.As you can see from the pictures above,this is the view from our balcony ......what a sight for an early morning coffee!It's like a meditation, without closing your eyes!A soothing of the soul without any unnecessary words or medication.It doesn't get any better than this in my humble opinion. So, like I promised the day before yesterday,I am back, with lots of things to share and pictures to give you a taste of this lovely corner of Greece.It's early afternoon and we're resting after another long day at the beach.Here I go then. On Tuesday morning like I said,we took our first tentative dip in Ionian waters.And what a dip that was!Frozen!Honestly, the water felt like ice cubes against the skin.......beautiful,clear waters,but freezing.But we kept at it, and after a couple of hours it felt slightly better.That same evening,after a much deserved lunch and nap,we set off to see one of the castles in Parga.Not the one of Ali Pasha but a Venetian one.I heard it was some sort of citadel, a fortress.Today, only some ruins remain,which,sadly, are not maintained properly.Part of it has become a cafeteria,and the rest has been surrendered to Mother Nature to do her worst.Still, despite all of the above,it's a gorgeous site, with an even more breathtaking view of the city of Parga.To top it all off, it was a night with a full moon,which made the evening and the whole scenery even more magical and otherwordly. I took some pictures to give you an idea. The breathtakingly beautiful little bay just below the castle. The narrow street leading up to the castle entrance. And some parts of the castle.As you can plainly see,parts of it survive pretty decently,but especially in the last image, it is pretty evident that Mother Nature has had the last word.Total ruin and surrender. Parga, as seen from the top of the castle.Beautiful.It shone like a precious gem in the moonlight. The spell binding light of the full moon over the crystal clear waters of the Ionian Pelagos.Enchanting.Out of this world.I felt I had been transported into a fairy tale somehow.... Yesterday ,unluckily for me,my blood pressure dropped to abysmal depths and I had to stay home to recover while the family happily set off to take a swim.I felt stinking jealous....but hey,health comes first,right?So, it was a really slow day for me,therefore I have nothing of significance to report. Today, on the other hand,I was feeling loads better,so another trip to another beach.This time it was a more secluded beach,really cosy and cute.Nothing fancy.No deckchairs,no beach bar.Just a small canteen/taverna.The waters were as clear as anywhere else.And I have to say that they were a bit warmer and thus more tolerable to swim in.My daughter just didn't want to come out.She had to though.....the water was more tolerable, but still cold enough to make her lips turn blue after a while.So with much procrastination we set off.We sat down at the taverna for a bite to eat.Pity they have nothing for vegans...I was forced to eat things I hadn't eaten in months now.But hey...when in Rome you do as the Romans,vegan or not.So, I'll be off to rest for a while and get ready for the evening expedition,wherever that may take us.But before I bid you farewell, for now,some pictures of today..... My beautiful tornado right in her element...striking poses with gusto and a big smile. I'm off to take a few zzzzzzs myself.Until the next post with the follow-up to our exploration of Parga and its surroundings,take care of yourself.
As always with love and light.Be as good to yourself as you are to others. Lia After several years of spending our holidays in the city,our little family finally made it to go on holidays.A whole week no less.We'd booked a room in the lovely village of Agia Kyriaki,near Parga,which is right by the Ionian Pelagos. We started our roadtrip yesterday morning at 8 a.m.,very excitedly.For once no one grumbled about getting up at 6 a.m.As we were driving we saw breathtaking sceneries,forests,mountains and imposing,steep cliffs.As one who has not travelled much I have to say that we have a gorgeous country .Majestic mountains and clear seas to lace them.Shitty government aside,our country's natural sceneries more than counterbalance any other flaw we as a people might possess.When we finally arrived at our little inn,we settled down for a couple of hours and then we set off exploring. It seems there is history in this area.When we open our window,on top of the mountain I can see the castle of Ali Pasha.God knows what else we'll encounter.Apart from the historical significance,there is also an extensive market with surprisingly friendly and polite. shopkeepers and a variety of products and prices.I have not actually purchased anything yet,though I do intend to. I am so looking forward to today.It'll be the day for the first swim.People I talked to,told me that the waters here are extremely cold.I will find out in a while.So, I'm off to get ready for the beach.The family is anxiously waiting.Iwill be back(!!!).......and that is no threat.I'll have lots to share with you guys and loads of pictures hopefully.Provided I can find my USB cord,that is.Always forgetful.But I'll see what I can do. Until then,have an amazing day, no matter what you are doing.My new motto is,live the moment,regard every single experience as an adventure.So, I'm taking up my own advice.Talk later. As always,with love and light, Lia Lacking original material,I found this on YouTube.Enjoy!
The vast majority of mankind nowadays is going through life in hiding.Yes,that's right.We're hiding.From the judgment of the people around us,our loved ones,our colleagues and employers but most importantly from ourselves.From very early on in life we have been shown that who we are is not acceptable.That we should conform to certain protocols and rules of behaviour.We are taught that we are too boisterous and that we should behave in a more decent,"quiet"way.Or we are too quiet.Then we should become more "alive",more outgoing.There really is no end to the list of expectations imposed upon every one of us daily on how we should behave or what we should be.So, we dutifully oblige and take on various roles-parent,emplyee,director,friend and what not.We put on our mask and perform the role the way we think others want us to be,not as a true expression of our authentic nature. It is in nature of man to move in groups-whether that is family,schoolmates,colleagues or friends.The need to belong,to be loved and accepted by others,to fit in, is therefore inherent in human nature.The lengths to which we go daily to comply to the expectations of what we should look like or behave is mind-blowing. We worship celebrities and try to look like them,hoping that will bring the much-desired acceptance.Extreme dieting,plastic surgeries,exposing ourselves to dangerous substances or enduring harrassment-everything in order to be accepted.Why then do we feel so miserable after achieving our purpose of being accepted? Why do we feel smothered by the same people we once yearned to be close to and accepted by?It's simple really.By trying to fit in, we have smothered and silenced our unique voice and expression.We have compromised our very essence. The most tragic aspect of this is that we perpetuate this gross violation of a person's soul by passing it on to our children.We teach them not to be themselves.We teach them to be quiet.To learn by heart and not judge.We teach them very often to look the other way and not speak out if they witness an injustice-even when the injustice is done to them.I know I am guilty of this myself.Too many times have I attempted to even out my daughter's boisterous,rebellious nature.Telling her not to shout.Not to speak up.Yet,isn't that smothering her essence?Isn't that stealing her gifts from her?My daughter could very well become a leaader in her field one day with such a personality.Why steal her future from her?Why should I try to fit her into a mould that is not made for her?We can't all be the same.Surely,there are more subdued,quiet people by nature and that is perfectly fine.But not all of us can be like that. As a teacher I've seen hundreds of children, all unique souls,beautiful to behold.Yet,it is abhorrent what the educational system is doing to them.Trying to impose ONE type of educational approach to thousands of students,doing unspeakable harm to those young minds.Why should there be a uniformity of personalities in this world?A mosaic is much more colourful,varied and infinitely more beautiful to the eyes.And in no way is it boring to the mind.What it takes then is an educational system that is more customised to the varying personalities we as teachers have the honour of impacting-and being impacted by,in return.To bring forth into the world a host of souls,each uniquely colourful and formidable, to impact the world with their uniqueness and varied talents. Every person on this planet has his/her own unique energetic signature .A unique soul essence.No one is the same and that is the beauty of it all. Seven billion unique souls on the earth.Each one with a unique personality and soul qualities.Each one with their own personalised mission.Every one of them deserves to be loved and accepted exactly as they are.Not shunned because of their talents or differences,but embraced and loved for them.Respected.Encouraged to hone them and show them off because that is the only way to make a difference. On an ending note,I would like to add one more little thing.It's not enough if we only extend this courtesy to others.We would be doing ourselves- and the world, a disservice if we allowed ourselves the comfort of our mask,the one that allowed us to fit in.It's about time we all stand out and shine the bright light of our uniqueness into the world.Bask in your weirdness.Glory in your flaws,for they are what make you the one-of-a-kind person you are meant to be.Go ahead then.Take off that mask.Be who you are meant to be.Let the world see you.Breathe in the love of those who accept you.Those that can't - well,so be it.Send them your love and move on.Life is too short to dwell on the negative.It is a miraculous adventure.Sparkle your light and love on everyone and everything you do and make this world a better place for everyone.Just by being YOU.You are more than ENOUGH. As always with love and light, Lia Some extra inspirational advice from a uniquely awesome woman...Gabrielle Bernstein.
This June marked my 18-year anniversary as an English teacher.I pride myself on having learnt quite a lot on what makes students tick-and what doesn't.It's fairly easy to make students like you,as long as you are willing to take the time to do so.Otherwise,my fellow-teacher, below I list some rules on how you can make your students totally hate you if you are hellbent on it. Here we go. 1.Forget your students' names.In fact,don't ask them for their names at all.Use your student list to call them if necessary.Who needs to take the trouble to learn names?Too much fuss over nothing, you think. 2.On the same note,avoid personal contact with them at all costs.You wouldn't want to become personally engaged in their interests,their hobbies or their lives for that matter.Make sure to be as detached as possible from your students.You don't get paid to show them your interest,you get paid to do your lesson and leave.No connection,no emotional mess.Who needs that after all? 3.Never come prepared for your classes.Do not go over the finer details of each day's lesson and for God's sake do not correct their homework on time.After all, you have a life.Why on Earth would you bother over a stack of essays or dictations?They can wait.And surely you can improvise should you not remember something you are meant to teach them.Or maybe give them an impromptu test.That should keep them busy. 4. During your lesson, speak in your most monotonous, bored out-of-your-mind voice.You are there, in class doing your duty,right?Why make it any more interesting or engaging for your students?They don't like you anyway,so give them some more reasons to continue doing so. 5. Never allow them to participate actively during your sessions-make sure the sound of your own precious voice is heard.And above al, make sure they don't take initiative or make an effort to become a more integral part of the lesson.Ignore their requests and continue talking and doing your thing.You've always wanted an audience that would just listen to you.Now you have it.Even if it's against their will.Even if they'll hate you for it. 6.You've got that shy student just sitting there,never raising a hand or participating in your lessons.Don't bother trying to make any effort to engage him/her in your lessons.Keep them quiet.Less effort for you.You can deal with those students who actually want to learn from you or are top of the class.Why bother to empower one more?Too much trouble.Similarly,avoid the cumbersome task of helping out your weaker or more indifferent students like the devil.Whoever said that they ought to be helped to step up their game and become all they can be?Nonsense.You don't have time for that. 7. Never teach your students anything outside the set and approved curriculum.Their interests?You couldn't care less.After all,their interests are not more important than your job.Why on earth get involved in teaching them about the matters troubling the earth or the people?Nothing is going to change if you do.They can figure it out for themselves.Besides, you are not getting paid to do that. 8.Never use that tool of pair and/or groupwork the other teachers keep talking about.They can just as well work by themselves and for themselves.Who cares if they could learn something from their classmates or worse,feel confident about themselves?Nah,too much noise and trouble.Let things be as they are. 9. Likewise, never assign any projects/presentations or book reading assignments or do oral work like debates in the classroom.Too much diversity.It would be a burden for you to prepare all that and it deviates from the curriculum.Innovation and teacher initiative are overrated. 10.Speak to your students in as demeaning way as possible.Humiliate them in front of their classmates for their failures and whatever you do,never,ever acknowledge ,praise or celebrate their successes inside or outside the classroom.Your job description said nothing about politeness.You are there to teach your subject.Keep yourself professional and standoffish. If you think the above examples were outrageous then you are not a teacher or you are still new to the occupation.In the past 18 years I have seen examples of all 10 types.I am sad to say that some of my colleagues were very much unapologetic about it.As I grew as a teacher I've come to develop my own theories of what makes a teacher likeable by his students -and which of course come in direct contrast with everything I've described above. A teacher is always,always prepared for class.No matter how seaoned we are there is always some studying involved or there is always something to add to the lesson to spice it up a bit. We never forget our students' names.It is true that for all people,even our students the sound that is dearest to us is the sound of our own name.So, why not make the effort to connect with them doing this little,very simple thing-remember their name? Connect,connect, connect.I can't stress it enough.YOur students need your attention.They need to feel you are someone they can trust on all levels,someone who will listen to them and yes, even accept them and love them just as they are.That goes especially for the less confident, shier students or the less"good" students who need your unconditional trust and constant encouragement to take that leap of faith. Whatever subject you are teaching,always make the time to bring some diversity to your sessions by teaching them something different.There is no lack of matters that are as appealing as they are necessary for them to know and be encouraged to think about.Environmental issues,humanitarian issues,poverty etc.YOu would be surprised how excited that will make them.New minds, new views.Who knows what YOU can learn from them.Organise that presentation/discussion.Encourage them to read that book, watch that video and assign that project.They will jump at the opportunity to show off their knowledge and express their opinions.And they will love you for giving them the chance to do that. Finally, our students are worthy of our respect and nothing less.Our own respect towards them will ignite their respect towards us.We get what we give.So,I don't care if you have financial issues,if you had a fight with your spouse the night before......your duty is to your students once you enter that classroom.Set the example.Leave your troubles outside the classroom.Be your best version in that room and you will see it reflected in your students.Make the effort.Take the trouble.Change your students and change the world. That was a typical Lia rant.I know it was a long post but it is a matter that is close to my heart and I feel passionate about it,We teachers hold the future quite literally in our hands.Let's make it a good one,for all our sakes. As always,with love and light, Lia May the blessing of the Divine Be an especially bright benediction Upon mothers everywhere On your blessed day - On Mother's Day! Mother's day May 2016 has dawned...may all mothers on this planet be blessed with the love of their children but also with strength and patience to guide and raise. their beloved offspring well.Motherhood is indeed a blessing that comes with much joy but also with the burden of hardships and responsiblity.Every single mother in the history of mankind knows that these moments by far outweigh the happy moments.Much responsibility comes with raising a child.But oh those happy moments......would not trade them for all the gold on the planet.The moment that precious smile appears on your child's face and you feel two little arms around your neck, you are sold.Nothing beats that.Nothing. Looking around on the Internet,I found a couple of interesting sites on the history of Mother's day.It seems that honouring Mothers is a practice almost as ancient as time itself.Ancient Greeks honored Rhea,the wife of Cronus.The Romans honored Cybele,a mother goddess.All over the globe there are days on which people choose to gift their mothers a little something as a token of their appreciation.It was not until 1872 that the idea of official celebration of Mothers day in US was first suggested by Julia Ward Howe.Originally it was to be dedicated to peace, to be celebrated on June 2nd but eventually it was officially established that the second Sunday of May would be the official day of celebration of Mother's Day. On a more personal note,I would like to point out -and I know many will agree-that mothers should be honoured and celebrated daily,not only on the designated second Sunday in May.A mother's efforts and love are never-ceasing and unending.Too much commercialisation has made this very beautiful celebration a trader's fest.Florists,card makers,gift sellers look to this day to make huge profits,which of course is totally out of sync with the general spirit of the day.So, it is everyone's business to remember our mothers daily.Honor them for everything that they have done to raise us into adults.It becomes evident to me now that I have a daughter of my own.It is a daily,bittersweet task but like every mother before me,I would not exchange it for anything in the world.And,on a more humorous note,I find myself reiterating all those"momisms"my own aunt would use when raising me.I found a few good ones.I know you'll resonate with a lot of them.
I would like to make one final statement.It is after all a very beautiful Sunday and we all have to make our mothers a tiny bit(or a lot) happier today.I believe rather firmly that all women,regardless of the fact that they have chosen not to have children,have this need to nurture,to create,to love deeply.The mother instinct is still there,it just finds outlet elsewhere.For example,they focus on their career and excel at that,like Oprah Winfrey,Jennifer Aniston,Elisabeth Gilbert or Coco Chanel.Many women decided that they would be much happier being aunts to their siblings' children or many feel strongly that there are so many orphaned children nowadays that having children feels morally wrong to them.They strongly support adoption and charity.Whatever path a woman chooses to take on this issue is strictly personal and should not be another reason to be discriminated against.Yes,motherhood is sacred,it is a privilege for every woman.But it is as sacred to choose to completely bypass this choice.No woman should be judged on whether she chooses to have children or not.It doesn't make her less of a woman or weird.It is a matter of choice and cannot be doubted or prevailed upon.It is personal and is worthy of our respect.End of story. Anyway,enough said.Enjoy your Sunday.It is a glorious day.Go out and make your mothers happy.Not just today.Not only with gifts.But daily.With your deeds.With your presence.With a smile and a hug.Those moments are diamonds in time and your mother will carry them with her forever,cherish them and take them out tenderly whenever you can't be there with her to remind her of you.All we have is moments of happiness.Create lots of them today! As always With love and light, Lia P.S.Just thought you might be interested in the links below.Lots of funny and useful information..... http://data.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/choosing-childfree http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/08/25-famous-women-on-childlessness.html http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/mothers-day-history.html Dedicated to my darling daughter,for she teaches me so many lessons daily...to my birthmother,whom I love dearly,though I can't see her as much as I'd like to .To my aunt who raised me and my brother,willingly putting her life aside to provide for us as best she could.To all mothers in the world.To those who gave us the gift of love,unconditionally,no questions asked.We are what we are because we were loved THAT MUCH.
I woke up this morning by the furious,fearsome howling of the wind outside my window.I was huddled on one side of the bed,a human shell trying not to take up too much space,in a fetal position.It struck me then.An epiphany at first and then the ideas started cascading quite literally into my head.Why was I trying to take up as little space as possible?I am generally perceived as a dynamic person and am often told as much.My body reacting to those thoughts,stretched itself quite luxuriously across the bed,enjoying the feeling of openness and freedom,relishing in the silence of the early morning hours.I realised,as the onslaught of ideas came in,that I just had to share this. Sadly,it is a phenomenon that is all around us.As a teacher I see it in my students.As a parent, I realise the power I have to either empower my child or make her a shadow of herself.As adults,we use our words and actions to belittle,humiliate and criticise more often than we use them to praise and uplift each other. It is my core belief that the space you occupy in this world,both with your physical and energetic body is precious and sacred and should not be sacrificed.Not for anyone or for any reason.It is a sacriligion and a huge disrespect to ourselves first and subsequently to the world,seeing as we are not fulfilling our full potential and service to our fellow humans and the planet. If we are to take things from the beginning,a child enters this earthly plane in its full glory and light.It is free and joyous.It claims its space unapologetically.As the child grows though,society and people start to stake claims on a child's space.The child is too loud-it must be silenced and obey rules.The child is overly active-it must learn to sit still.The child talks back-it must be punished.Everyone can remember similar instances from their own childhood.At that point in our lives it is determined whether the light,the warrior spirit in us will prevail or if it will be subdued into obedience by societal rules and regulations.Unfortunately,all too often the latter prevails.We see it in the behaviour of the adults today. Enter the school system.It is there that the greatest damage is done.The children are forced to learn heaps of knowledge that may sometimes never prove to be useful,but which they must learn, because those are the rules.They must learn to work and do their homework,because those are the rules.They must obey their teacher,whether good or bad,because those are the rules.They must not talk back or talk to their fellow-student or voice an opinion because they are considered rude and ill-behaved.They must not dare to show their creative side or become absent-minded because they surely must have some kind of disorder.I see those students,year after year becoming more shadows of themselves rather than shine their light.To avoid being considered too set in my opinions,there are exceptions to all cases.There are definitely students who simply cannot be subdued and teachers who are more than willing to help them with all their might.It is an unshakeable belief though,that creativity and variety and quality of knowledge provided are two very underrated and overlooked subjects at schools nowadays and the Ministers of Education or the teachers themselves should take take measures to change that.A very bold,daring change in the school curriculum would work miracles. As we enter adulthood,the symptoms of our upbringing and "education"are pretty evident in our daily transactions.A large percentage of adults suffer from some kind of disorder in their effort not to take up space,not to be seen or noticed or in a desperate attempt to make themselves visible to others in a rather twisted way. Employees bullied by their bosses but afraid to do anything about it,lest they lose their wage.We allow our governments to make decisions for us but not in our best interest.Physically,this is manifested with obesity and anorexia,two of the saddest examples of what damage we can do to our bodies if our perception of self is suppressed and twisted.Drugs,alcoholism and any form of addiction are either ways to hide ourselves some more or a desperate cry for help.Self-isolation,depression and any form of mental illness and self-imposed punishment are some other forms of a skewed,poor self-image,all immediate by-products of our light,our sense of self-worth being dimmed out.It is imperative that this change. It is my heartfelt belief that we are meant to take up a certain amount of space on this planet.Everyone's space is valuable and should not be violated or trodden upon.To ourselves first and subsequently to all others.It is a disservice to us and our fellow humans if we do not honour our space.No matter what our upbringing and education indoctrinated within us,as adults we bear the responsibility for what we will do with our lives.We have to realise that all walls and limitations are perceived,artificial notions which have been hammered into our subconscious by our culturespace and other people's expectations of how we should behave.These limitations are but a learned response to emotional pain,criticism,judgment or disappointment.I say OWN your power,HONOUR your space on this planet.Do not fear yourself.Do not shrink yourself to the point of becoming too small to be noticed.You are necessary and precious.Take full responsibility and ownership of your future and potential and play it all out.Play big.Think big.Do great things with your life. Open your heart and spread your light.Show your gold full out.That is the ONLY way to live life.FULL OUT.OWN IT.ENJOY IT! I'll end my post here,with this beautiful quote by Marianne Williamson,cited to heartwarmingly by a student .If only we could inspire every person,to embrace all that they are.What a world that would be... As always with love and light,
Lia It is a fact that we live in troubled times.No one can really question that.Wars raging,refugees flooding Europe to seek out a better life for themselves and their families.Their trials and tribulations are all over the media and the end to their suffering doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight.We have ravaged Mother Earth and its creatures for our own benefit-with detrimental consequences to our life,health and we face an uncertain future,especially given the climatic changes.The financial crises are rampant in Europe and elsewhere in a world where the rich seem to get richer and the poorer ones seem wallow further down in the swamp of poverty and despair.Politicians get greedier and more corrupt with every passing year. Not a pretty picture,is it?It is not.That is probably the reason people's psychology is below zero.Especially here in Greece,everyone has lost their smile.Furrowed brows and solemn,desperate faces wander the streets wondering how to make it through another day.I guess there are many other places in the world where one can see only gloom and sadness,without hope for the future.The world seems to be a pretty dark place.No light,no hope,no dreams.For what good is it to hope, to dream if one has no money,no home to dream in or nobody to believe in them? I have been told I am a hopeless dreamer by many.An optimist wearing pink-shaded glasses, always trying to find something good or hopeful.I think I have even been called nuts,unrealistic,a fool.But I prefer to be that.For I DO see light.I DO see hope.I DO believe people should dream on. I DO BELIEVE that the younger generation can be TAUGHT to make a difference in this crazy world.They told me:"Don't you see what the world is like out there?Don't you understand the problems people are faced with today?"Yes,of course I do.I am not blind.I am not unrealistic and I am certainly not a fool.I fiercely believe in the power of kindness,education and dreams. I believe in the young ones I am teaching.I SEE them for who they are.ENDLESS potential.That is where our focus should be.Not on the darkness.The light,the potential,the future. You see,I was always told to believe what my eyes could see and what my brain told me.Doing so in our times is pretty depressing.Seeing ONLY with your eyes can make you insane just by the darkness and despair out there.Whatever shimmering light there is, we just can't see it.Our eyes can't acknowledge it.That's where I beg to differ.I choose to see the light.And before someone tries to call me a hopeless fool,I'll tell you I've been in pretty dark places inside.Not prety,dreamy ones.Ugly,bottomless pits of despair where it was pitch dark.But again,I chose to crawl back up again.And I realised I just can't live like this anymore.The dark consumes you,claims you as its prisoner for life if you let it.DON'T.There is always hope.The light is there,waiting.Open your heart and see it.Feel it and bask in its glow and allow yourself to dream and plan a better future. The rant above is essentially a prelude to my main theme.Let's go back to the subject of light.It is a matter of perception and willingness to see it,accept it and let it in.One of those lights is Reshma Saujani,founder of Girls Who Code.I stumbled upon her randomly and listened to what she had to say.So much of it resonated with my philosophy on life,on teaching the next generation,that I just had to share this with you.Essentially,what she says is that girls,being half or more of the world's population are taught to be docile,kind,not taking any risks but strivingto be perfect.I have met so many girls who embodied exactly these traits that I got angry.Boys are encouraged to take risks,to dare,not be afraid of failure and persist.Girls are taught the exact opposite.Don't take risks,don't fail,be perfect.Why the double standard?That is why women today are a minority in business and government positions.These outdated indoctrinations and beliefs should be done away with.I have taught many a distressed girl,chasing after an A+,fearing her parents'reaction if she didn't.Too many are afraid to speak in class,lest they make a mistake and become ridiculed.I have done my best over the years to work with these girls,encouraging and nudging along the way.Not an easy task.But so satisfying when you see a girl budding before you and becoming braver day by day,becoming the fighter she is,embodying her light and potential. Like Reshma Saujan points out,girls should be taught bravery, to dream,to take risks,live fully,fail and get up again.Only then will we allow them to fully shine and contribute to the world,which needs it sorely,I might add.It can longer be allowed,especially nowadays,for girls to be afraid.Everyone's light and labour is needed to turn the world around.See, I told you I was a girl with a vision.Empower the young generation with the right knowledge and trust in their abilities and you have a force that is to be reckoned with.Every teacher who respects his profession and is passionate about making a positive change on his students, should start working more on their potential and active encouragement and belief in them.Especially girls will benefit from that.Education should be equal.The same goes for parents, too,of course.It all starts there. Bravery above perfection,active listening and encouragement before sterile knowledge,empowerment before standardised testing and compassion before judgment.This is my philosophy on teaching and I follow it daily.I've seen shy boys and girls blossom before my eyes,much to my enjoyment....not many other feelings can beat that kind of happiness.That is my contribution to the world.So far.I hope to do a lot more.But it is really necessary that we don't let the circumstances,no matter how dark and desperate,consume us to the point of immobilisation.Let a ray of light in.Every day a bit more.Things can get better with a little more light and hope.To my fellow educators:Love your students,get close to them,listen to what they have to say.Let them in your heart and they will let you into theirs.Make them strong, allow them to dream big,be brave and become compassionate citizens of a better future.It can work.If we just but believe it strongly enough. As always with love and light, Lia Here's the link to Reshma Saujan's amazing speech,should you need a pick-me-up or an inspiration: <iframe src="https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/reshma_saujani_teach_girls_bravery_not_perfection.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> |
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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. |