Main concepts

Three concepts are essential to this campaign:

Choice: directly connected with the idea of ‘freedom’, choice is the basis of this campaign; that believes no change is possible without a conscious personal participation. Without choice, no kindness or presence will happen. Without it, people won’t embrace their responsibility regarding a better now or a better World; they can not accept their acts have consequences (either positive or negative) and therefore can’t provoke change in the present.

Kindness: The concept encloses ideals of respect, empathy, service and non-violence; translated into different concrete actions. It is voluntary; therefore, it differs from citizenship or obligation. It is also altruistic; not expecting (although it doesn’t exclude the possibility happening) advantages or recognition. It is applied with the sole objective to create a better now for oneself and the others.

Presence: Related to ideals of integrity, honesty, acceptance and joy; refers to an ability to be whole where one is. It is not related to specific activities but to a state of mind, where there is attention and perception; to a state of heart where one is happy and satisfied; and to a sensorial state of consciousness and vibration with the moment. Living the now and fully ceasing it.

The basis for making kindness and presence concrete is personal choice. Their application can happen in different manners (simple or complex actions) and levels (personal, societal and environmental). These are but a few examples to clarify how a person could enrol to the campaign, by changing his/her perception, behaviour or discourse. More examples and explanation about the concepts will be provided on the blog posts.

Simple actions of kindness:

- Personal (oneself). To ignore and change inner diminishing voices; to respect oneself doing what’s in accordance to own values and heart, instead of just to please someone else or the society.

- Societal (the others). To treat the waitress in a café with a smile and patience despite anything; open and hold doors; breaks paradigms; do what needs to be done to help.

- Environmental (the World). To take care of an abandoned pet; support free range; plant a tree; reduce wastage.

Complex subjects related to kindness:

Gender empowerment and equality, personal development, blood donation, human rights, volunteering, recycling, and diversity; among others.

Simple actions of presence:

- Personal. To get to know ourselves and our values, being honest with and about ourselves and living with integrity. To enjoy a dish tasting every bit, every flavour, texture, temperature instead of swallowing it. To read a book and feel the texture of its cover, the fingers turning the pages, the story creating life in the mind and taking the heart with it.

- Societal. To sit with friends without rush enjoying their company; listening to what they are saying, and to what they are not saying behind tired eyes or smiles. To do your work with attention and diligence; understanding that it is part of a chain reaction that impacts on others lives and tasks.

- Environmental. To notice and to follow life's rhythms; wake up with the spring, become lighter with summer, take things easy with fall, retreat to yourself in the winter. To understand the consequences ones acts for that moment and for years to come.

Complex subjects related to presence:

Slow food movement, nutrition, transformational leadership, CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility, sustainability, and responsible consumption; among others.

Results and new starts

Well, Saturday was “Day to choose not to procrastinate and do what I have to do!” And I really managed to do it, but soon I found out a few things:

- if this is your decision try not to unite: leaving all the projects from the week to this day and inviting a couple of friends to go to your place at different hours. You’ll end up exhausted, trust me!

- notice that “do what I have to do” is a wide concept that, if not properly defined beforehand, leaves a lot of space for things not to happen at all!

- Be realistic and balanced! Do not try to solve your life that particular day or at least go to bed earlier the night before!

At the end, Saturday ended at 4am on Sunday. It was an excellent day but for reasons more related to presence and its commonly demanded honesty; and to the huge ability true friendship has to help you discover and/or remember who you are.

Saturday was also important to show me that I might need to take things easier, instead of giving me huge and little defined challenges.

Well, today was a having a break day. A day to propose new challenges to the new week!

The first is to be kinder with myself and lower my expectations. Let the concepts flow and start to become part of who I am, noticing how they manifest during the week. To observe more, use less structure and writing, and deepen concepts and contents.

The second is to take responsibility for my own life, which, for me, is a way to exercise presence in a personal level. To define strategies and paths; intentions, wishes and dreams; but mostly to set stones: activities and actions to achieve my objectives. It includes the campaign and the blog that are going to go through a reflection and some changes to gain more clarity!

So, don’t go no where!

Online activism

We live in a connected world. A world where distance became reality to the size of our souls and disposition.

For example, today I received an email from a friend advertising the petition of a human right's NGO called Avaaz. The petition was about a law in Uganda, that at first wouldn't affect my life at all. But as I believe the butterfly effect and the history of the 100th monkey; I signed and shared the link on facebook.

The fact is that it wasn't difficult to support an organization the believes, as I do, in “closing the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want” . I didn't even need to risk my life as one of their campaign's coordinator does. All I needed was 2 minutes of my time to answer an e-mail at my inbox.

Chances like this reminded me of this quote I love by Edward Everett Hale: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do".

If you also want to know and contribute to the organization, go to their website and follow their campaigns at:   http://www.avaaz.org/en/about.php#howwework. And by the way, the picture above was taken from it.

Procratination, a word I adore!

I don’t know about you, but I have a problem (in fact many, but I’ll share one at a time in order not to scary you too fast): I procrastinate!

It is more or less like an escalated writer’s block with a perfect logic behind it! I sit my @$$ in front of the computer, but “since the inspiration didn’t show up in the first 30 seconds”, I feel “it’s not the right moment” and so, “I’d better watch another chapter of my favourite TV show”! When I realize the whole season is over; I haven’t done what I need or want; and I spent so much time in the computer I now have a headache.

This normally happens in two moments: when I want to start something; or when I have just finished a task. In the first case, there always seems to be “something better” to do and so, I postpone projects and ideas. In the second, it my brain shuts off satisfied as soon as a task is over, giving me a “deserved break” even if there’s still a bunch of things on my to-do-list to cover.


This is how I postpone plans, life projects, small and big changes, diets, to exercise, apologies, e-mails' answers, and in many cases, my happiness. And I'm especially creative in my procrastination, being able to spend the afternoon in a perfect imaginary party's soundtrack or playing Angry Birds in the computer. Meanwhile life goes by and doesn't come back. I repeat (in a vain attempt to convince myself): IT DOESN'T COME BACK!

However I've become more conscious about the impacts of procrastination and decided to fight it. After all, as Mark Twain said: " Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do." and he is right. And I? I don't want to be a disappointed person; on the contrary! So I follow his advice: "so throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover" And I? I'll live!

A half-full-of-champagne glass

I’m sure you already heard the expression “glass half full or half empty”! It’s normally used to identify positive and negative people in a kind of plastic, selective process memorized answer type: “Oh! Me? I’m a ‘half full glass’ type of girl; always positive about everything!”.

Argh, let’s be honest! The glass is half way and that’s it! The difference is only on how you look at it; and this is a matter of choice.

Sometimes I choose that the glass is half empty and I react accordingly. Sometimes I choose that the glass is half full and I have another reaction. And, sometimes I choose it’s a flute glass; full of champagne and that, changes the way I face my day. The fact is that if I choose even how I perceive and react about something, even more all the rest.

Deep down, to choose is to pick a road and go! Therefore, it is mine the choice to be kind; it is mine the choice to be present; it is mine the choice to enjoy; it is mine the choice to cease my now; it is mine the choice to make my now better! Etc! Etc! Etc! 

Choice is essential! Without it, it’s impossible to get hold of anything. Without choice we lose the right to responsible and accept consequences. Maybe this is interesting when results are negative (who never had a scapegoat is either an only child or a saint and throw the stone); but what about when they are positive?

Yes, I know it isn’t easy to choose! And, I confess I have been choosing badly in some moments! For example, I’ve been choosing to complain too much about my life and waiting periods, even knowing they are  temporary and a result of conscious and extremely happy choices I've made recently! I also have been choosing to procrastinate (also called lazyness, but the other way looks prettier) and to postpone good results for me. I chose to stop my Kung Fu classes for over a year, even knowing they are essential to my sanity and incredibly good for my body.

But the beauty of choice it’s in the freedom it allow us. When I’m responsible, I’m also free and I can choose again if for any reason I screwed up last time.

Today you can choose to join me! You don’t need to write a blog or do a ceremony to make your participation official; all you need is to choose to act; now!

Carpe Diem: Tempus Fugit...

"Whenever there are alternatives, be careful. Do not choose the convenient, the comfortable, the respectable, the socially acceptable, the honourable. Choose what makes your heart vibrates. Choose what you would like to do, despite all consequences." (Osho)

The quote by Osho may seem strange, polemic, according to the way you read it. But, to me, it talks about presence. This ability to be whole where you are; and to be happy, vibrating because of it. Consequences in this case are normally positive!

No life lover is happy if not complete where he/she is. Enjoying that unique moment, knowing it will go away. Carpe Diem: Tempus Fugit! Cease the day, time perishes!

Easily said, hardly done! I've travelled wanting to stay home; went to church wanting to be at that BBQ with friends; stayed late at work, wanting to see that friend I hadn't met for such a while... Not there, nor here! I chose because I thought it was convenient, comfortable, respectable, socially acceptable, honourable, "right"; and most of the time I blamed someone for the lack of honesty with myself. To be there wasn't what I really wanted. Body in a place; minda nd heart in another. I went by the moment but didn't enter in it, didn't live! What was the fun of it?

This lack of presence doesn't happen only when I get divided after a choice. Right now, while I write this text, I stopped many time to get things ready to sleep, while my mind thought about many things. As a result I had to correct the text many times. I didn't write it whole; nor enjoyed the time to get ready for a nice sleep.

On the other hand, my best memories are those in which I can go back in time and feel what I felt; being the memory so physical! The connection with someone dear in the silence after laughter; a divine revelation sat in the grass; the pleasure tiredness of a dancing  body in and unforgettable party; childhood tastes of yummy things only grannies can manage to cook; and so many other. Moments in which I was present. As when we hug someone we like so much and years later, when remembering it, we feel the heart hugging again and our lips open in a smile.

However the point of presence is not to become neurotic or with a heavy consciousness! A 100% presence is for the illuminated (maybe we'll get there eventually) only! And, to drop the work to go to the movies 'cause your heart told you so, isn't fair play! Presence should be practiced! It means to enjoy where you are without stress or pressure. Doing your work with the most passion and attention possible and than, go to the movies! It is to cease every second of the film because you don't need to be worried about your boss looking for you or about that report with a deadline in the next couple of days you haven't even started.

Presence is to enjoy a dish experiencing every bite, every flavour, texture, temperature; instead of swallowing it down. To sit in the sofa to read a book and feel the softness of the fabric against your body, your fingers going through the pages, the story getting into your mind and playing with your heart. It is to be with friends with no rush, without thinking about the dishes you'll have to wash after dinner, to listen to what they are saying behind blue eyes or smiles. It is also to follow the rhythm of life; wake up with the spring; get lighter with the summer; slow down at Fall; reflect during winter. 

Presence is part of this blog because without it is impossible to write anything with content. It is part of life because without it is impossible to live "now". 

From where do we start?

From the beginning... the first step... the first text... the decision together with the action... from anywhere! What is most important is to begin!  

This blog is an invitation I made myself to start something real to change what I believe isn't fine: NOW, RIGHT AWAY, IMMEDIATELY! I'd like to forward this invitation to you! 

It's simple! It mix things I discovered about me, to things I'd like to see happening and an idea!

Things I discovered about me

- I'm impatient; I want things to happen right now!

- I adore life; think it's a gift and that I should enjoy it to the most!

- I'm not an island; what I do impact other people and the World and vice-versa!

- I have a choice!

Things I'd like to see happening 

- a happier World!

- people becoming more conscious, whole, free and happy!
- people complaining less and doing more!

The idea

- To live a better now!

How?

Applying simple concepts to concrete actions: being kinder, making better choices, being more present, being more patient, smiling more often, acting lighter, sharing good things, questioning things that doesn't make sense etc. All to improve myself and possibly affect people and the world; so that my "right now" is better and I become happier (yes, the proposal is totally egoistic after all)!

Here is the invitation! I believe a better now starts with me; how about you?