Saturday, October 27, 2012

Dare to Dream.

I strongly feel that death is actually a small concern compared to the living dead, who have not fulfilled their dream or who have not been true to themselves. Live a life for which you can be thankful. - Patch Adams
Clearing the inner clutter and freeing ourselves from past patterns that would hold us back is the beginning of liberty. But it is only a beginning. We are the ones we have been waiting for, and it is up to us to cultivate our potential for greatness and offer our gifts to the world. If we have emptied ourselves of prejudice, anger, and fear, then we can be filled with love. We can be the dreamers who make a more lovely and equitable world a reality.
'When I look into the future, it's so bright it burns my eyes.'
We are great mysteries, living in the sea of life. As the ebb and flow of tides of changes wash through us we can choose growth and expansion, or we can cling to the old ways of thinking and being. Still even if we choose to cling, life itself changes around us, and we find that trying to stop the evolution of our souls is the way of death. If we choose to seek and embrace the changes, to ride the tides and trust the powers that is both within and without, we co-create our destinies and become more than we even dreamed we would be.

The power lies in this moment, this choice. At the intersection of here and now lies the opportunity to begin a new and happier pattern by making a different choice.

'Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else'


06/21/2010

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Loving what we do.

The first thing to remember is that we must be satisfied with our work, knowing that we've done the best we could do with what we had to work with at the time. Know that, if we're worth our salt, we'll always wish we could do more, improve, become more proficient at our craft or skill.

Those who do good work of any kind always seem to be seeking that next mountain to climb, that next challenge that takes them to another creative level. It is crucial to find satisfaction in our work at this time and at this stage of our development. Be gentle and generous with ourselves. Give credit where credit is due. Do not let that inner voice of censorship overwhelm us with self-defeating criticism.
 Be thankful that a task have been completed and then move on. Let's remember that this is one step in a long process. We do not fall or stand by one project, this is not a "make or break" - this is a signpost, a landmark on a long journey. If we look at successful people, we'll see that the majority work patiently at what they do over the long term. We'll find that everyone has their ups and downs, but it's one who keep going that get somewhere. Trust the process.Loving what we do, giving ourselves permission to do something for the sheer love of it. When love is our motivation, others opinions matter less. The fire is generated from inside, from the center of our hearts.

Love is the compass that guides us across the desert stretches and through the howling wilderness. If we love what we do, we will be able to move beyond our own fears and the negative opinions and actions of others. There is no substitute for passionate and heartfelt belief.

"The best picture has not yet been painted; the greatest poem is still unsung; the mightiest novel remains to be written; the divinest music has not been conceived even by Bach. In science, probably ninety-nine percent of the knowable has not yet been discovered' - L. Steffen

06/04/2010


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

With the option of Success how come, sometimes, we choose failure?




I woke up this morning and as always even before opening my eyes, just run my plans and thoughts for the day.

I have had so far a very good year and few more closings to happen within the next month. However there is nothing on the pipeline for August and the following months, so my thoughts this morning was "I have to reach out and get my buyers buying". Well long history short , after doing the work that goes into prospecting, here I am, it is almost 9 pm and I got 3 buyers ready to start looking at houses this weekend, planning to buy by August the latest, wow! what a sense of accomplishment!...

I believe that if we have well-defined dreams and goals, then we focus on putting in the work towards them, THEY WILL HAPPEN....
"We must look for ways to be an active force in our own lives. We must take charge of our own destinies, design a life of substance and truly begin to live our dreams." Les Brown
06/03/2010

Monday, October 22, 2012

Surrendering to Resistance


How often have we tried to control and confine life, living according to old rules, ideas, and expectations? I've wasted so much time and energy on proving I was right, on resisting change, and trying to hold onto the past long after it was time to let it go. It took me a long time to become conscious that another way was possible - a more flexible and easy way to approach life. I have learned that there is a great power in living in the flow.

Sometimes we try to force things to happen. Yet our anxiety and urgency block the very flow we desire. The ego loves to control, confine, define. But freedom of the spirit moves according to a deeper wisdom.
'The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.'
Flowing with life is not merely a passive allowing. Just as a farmer prepares the soil, plants the seeds, waters and cultivates the land, and does his daily work, so we do what we can do to create the optimum conditions for what we desire. It is the life force within the seed and the seed's partnership with the elements that create the magic of growth and fruition. The farmer does not have to stand in the field, grunting and groaning, trying to make the seeds grow. He plants the seeds and trust its nature to fulfill its destiny. We too, can plant and cultivate our seeds of faith and watch them grow according to a greater wisdom than we can yet imagine.

The more we resist, the harder life is. If we are willing to be flexible and open, we'll discover a gentle strength greater than we could have imagined in our earlier power struggles. Surrender to resistance. Go with the flow. And let it lead us into a more fulfilling adventures.
'Those who don't feel this life pulling them like a river, those who don't drink dawn like a cup of spring water or take in a sunset like supper, those who don't want to change, let them sleep.' Rumi
 
05/23/2010 

Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Blaming Game.



Many times over I have heard, friends and people that I love, speak of good things, always with a 'but' at the end of their sentences: 'I had a nice day but...' 'I had a nice vacation but...' 'He's a good boyfriend but...' and it all remind me of the person I once was.

I remember a time when I, myself, used to use blame others and everything I could, in order to justify my reasons. Parents, job, family, partner, friends, children, government, economical situation, heritage, my home, my income, my car, the weather....anything would do, whatever reason I could find in order to take the focus of what the 'real' problem was.

It was a comfortable place to hide, to avoid the truth, a truth that patiently and silently waited for me to finally have the courage to face it.

As a child I never saw myself over 35 years old. Aging has never scared, for me it was a sign that I had survived the tumultuous early years....and as I age I am glad to see that some kind of crazy wisdom is making me company in my early 'old years'. Today I realize that all the blame was just a big waste of time. Blaming others and the circumstances that I've, ironically, many times put myself in, was just a waste of everyone's time.

As I look back and see things much more clear now than I did then, I see that I let fear dictate most of my actions growing up, fear to be alone, fear to be abandoned, fear to have another parent walk away without ever looking back, fear to be hungry again, fear that others could see the life me and my siblings lived and judge or take us away, fear of not having friends, fear of never being happy, fear of not being accepted by who I was...and the list goes on. Fear had created a whole 'persona' inside and I let it dominate my young years with its loud voice echoing inside.

Blaming others for what I did or for what I didn't was just a way to keep looking at external factors in order to find an explanation for my own unhappiness or frustration. Blaming others didn't change and will never change others, didn't change the fear inside, it didn't make others act or behave differently, it didn't change ME.

In few occasions, I was even successful making others feel guilty or sorry for something they did, but even then I would be 'happy' for a little while and then, like an 'addiction', I had to find something or someone else to blame...However, there was always a little voice inside that would remind me that the cause of my unhappiness was within myself, not outside.

Life has taught me, not too long ago, that I experience and live with the 'monsters' I create with my own hands. That the only way to change the outcome of my experiences is changing myself. Facing my own fears, changing the way I behave, the way I respond to things that happens to me, changing even the circle of people most close to me.

Stopping this belief that the world revolves around me, that I am that important, that everyone else on the planet has it better than I do, learning that all that happens is not, necessarily, personal and direct at me - wow, even as I write this, it sounds so farfetched that someone can think this way - Life has taught me that an honest eye to eye conversation - with myself and others - might not be the easy thing to do when we hurt but it can avoid deep scars and a life of what ifs.

Learning to silence my mind and dealing with my fears one by one, letting them finally rest, having a cold look inside myself and being my own critic, pointing fingers at my own mistakes, behaviors and thoughts, accepting responsibility for what I have done, or not done, then learning to respect other's choices, and walk away when they still have their own lessons to learn, loving and respecting myself first, standing up for my dreams and goals, understanding and forgiving myself.

Learning that forgiveness has a healing power so immense that can transform a life. To say 'I am sorry' and 'I forgive you' has helped me heal my soul and mind. It has taught me that I am capable of making a difference, if not in someone else's life, I most certainly can make a difference in my own life.

N. Cardoso 05/10/2012

Friday, October 19, 2012

The Art of Simplicity

The art of simplicity is not only about things and experiences, it's about the choices you make and how you cultivate character. The old-fashioned virtues have been neglected, but they are timeless essentials for a fulfilling life.
 
You know how complex life can get when you procrastinate so long that a neglected problem takes on a life of its own. Suddenly the leak has become a flood, the pile of paper, an avalanche inundating your desk, the little white lies turn into a complicated attempt to remember the stories you told. Sometimes the difficult choices turn out to be the simplest choices of all.

The choices and attitudes that make life simpler and easier are ones of character and integrity. One of the easiest ways to cultivate inner simplicity is to practice gratitude. By giving thanks for what we receive, we encourage the universe to shower even more of the good things of life upon us. We come to realize that we are rich in the things that count.
'Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.' - Melody Beattie
'Only one thing is more frightening than speaking the truth. And that is not speaking.' - Naomi Wolf
05/08/2010

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Walk the Talk.

Motivational author and speaker Zig Ziglar once said,
"Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be."
Think about words like commitment, honesty, accountability, respect, courage, ethics, and integrity. These are important words when it comes to your success, but these words are meaningless if you don't live by them. After all, if you constantly say one thing and do another, you will lose people's trust. And without the trust of your family, partners, friends, clients, or colleagues, success is impossible. The late Christopher Reeve once said,
"I think we all have a little voice inside that will guide us.... If we shut out all the noise and clutter from our lives and listen to that voice, it will tell us the right thing to do."

Behaving according to our beliefs can be a challenge. But when it comes to earning trust, keeping trust, and therefore maximizing your success, walking your talk is critical.
05/08/2010

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Change of address.

Hello there,

Thank you for stopping by. Please follow the link below to sign up and start following us on the new revised blog.

http://yourpoweriswithin.wordpress.com/

I look forward to see you there. Feel free to leave a note or your opinion.

See y9ou soon,

N Cardoso

Change of address

Hello,

Thank you for stopping by The Power Within. Please just follow the link below to sign in into the new address.

http://yourpoweriswithin.wordpress.com/

Please stop by and feel free to leave a note. I look forward to hear from you.

N. Cardoso
 

Life's a Classroom

I was driving to my office this morning thinking about some of the latest events that has happened, which without any doubt have pulled me down for a while there. This event has brought back feelings that I believed was never to be experienced again in this lifetime.

As always the radio was playing something that I was not paying attention to but then a song came along and got my attention. As I listened to the lyrics something just clicked. Part of the lyrics said "...life is much more than our eyes can see" and it reminded myself that there are so many great reasons to be happy, not let temporary obstacles drawn us down. The song went something like this:

"Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what our eyes are seeing
You will find your way

We all go through ups and downs in life, it becomes harder to have the downs when you have learned what the ups means, however this same knowledge on the other token should be the strength that pulls you to stand up straight, look right ahead and continue to believe on things you believed.

Bad, insensitive,, simply mean people are all around, don't ever change your values and beliefs because they show you how deceiving and unscrupulous a person can be. In moments like this, it is ok to feel down, to hurt and temporarily lose faith in humanity, step back and evaluate the situation, cry and let your wounds heal at its own time. In time we will realize that the day has come to close the book behind, recognize that these people have been deceiving themselves much more than they have deceived you and look ahead. Get closer and surround yourself with the ones you care and truly care about you, their love for you will make all be fine again.

Love is always worth and it is a powerful energy that keeps us going like the Duracell bunny....

Have a great day!

05/06/2010

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Good Morning World....I'm alive!

Welcome every morning with a smile. Take 5 minutes to enjoy your surroundings, take a deep and fresh breath, let the smell of the world run through your veins and enjoy the feel of wonder that comes with the knowledge of how miraculous is to be alive...

If you can,  stop for a couple of minutes or even seconds, close your eyes, open your arms wide and breathe slowly, picture the air getting trough your nostrils and going into your lungs, bringing the vital energy to your body, refreshing every little space of your body, now.... hold it....then slowly let it go through your mouth, until all is empty...taking out all the impurities, bitterness, sadness and leaving a clean slate for a new and great life to start.

Look on the new day as yet another special opportunity ... "Every day is a good day to examine our prime-time priorities.

Positive thoughts make you feel not only happier, but help you to live longer. What we have is a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day, we must look for ways to be an active force in our own lives, we must take charge of our own destinies, design a life of substance and truly begin to live our dreams.

This is the only life we have and we must live it the best we possibly can. Make a difference on yours and someones life today.

Have a Great Day! 09/2010

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Finding Balance

 Balance is the point where the spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of our personalities meet and concur” –Deirdre Lovell
It's funny to realize, every day, how life works. Do you know when you get a car, that you believe to be totally unique, just to realize, after you buy it,that every other person in town has the same model.Or you think about someone you haven't heard or talked to for a while, that person, just out of the blue, send you a note or make a call? Well this happens to me, a lot.
Last week it was one of those weeks, sometimes feeling something out of a 'twilight zone' episode. In almost every conversation I have had, either be with friends, family, colleagues or just complete strangers with whom I stroke a casual conversation while waiting for an appointment or at the market line...in almost every one of them we end up striking one common point, balance. We start with a light and easy chat about the week, work, weather, flowers, the coming summer - which makes most of the New Englanders excited - and then, it shifts into family and how to balance the personal, family, social and professional life in order to be able to do all the things that are important without losing touch with the things that are only ours, without losing ourselves.

How can we still be an individual with ideas, dreams and realizations at the same time as being a 'professional', 'employer', 'employee', 'mothers', 'daughters', 'husbands and wifes', 'partners', 'fathers' and 'sons'. How to be everything else that we are suppose to be and still be the person, that unique and original individual, we all wanted to become? How to create and live a well balanced and satisfying life in the meantime? How to hold the scale in the middle, without shifting too much to one side or the other?

I guess we all have a list of things we want to achieve in life....Finding Balance is the second goal in my life goal list, and I have learned that it is a lifelong process, it's a daily chore and require practice, lots of practice. It's not something you learn today, apply and let it go, counting on 'it' to have a life in its own. It's something that requires daily attention and dedication. You know, almost like educating your children...how many times did you repeat or hear your parents say 'What do you say...?' when you want to your children to learn how to say 'thank you'...balancing life is something like that...it's a everyday, every hour, every minute activity and has more to do with time management than you would like to believe.

Creating order in our daily routines works, and works well. A path is not a path with one stepping stone in the beginning and one in the end. It requires one stone after the other, going somewhere to be an actual path. Order, will allow you to make time for what's important to you. For me, making lists~ which I usually put together at night, after checking the ones I had for the day that is ending ~ works well. It does feel good to see my daily list all checked out and motivates me to keep on doing what I am doing.

My first 2 hours of the day are usually reserved to myself, no cell phone, no computer...it's a time I take to myself, to read, write, meditate, take photos, walk on the beach, enjoy my cup of coffee, do yoga or anything that I have pleasure on doing. This is what is important to me, at this time in my life.

Focus on whatever is that is important to you, work with a good schedule and add them into your to-do list. Seriously, if it's your family, shut off all the external influences and distractions (unless you are a surgeon or an attorney with a client on the death row scheduled to be executed today), really, stay with them and enjoy the time you have together. It's the quality of the moments spent together that create unforgettable memories, not the quantity.

Make those minutes, hours or days worth. It's important to stick to it. I usually say to myself: 'If this was an appointment with a client, I would not miss for the world.' If I am ready to overcome any obstacle to honor an appointment with a client who, sometimes I have yet to meet, why I would not be able to make to the 'appointment' with myself, my family, friends or to what is really important to me? Don't take me wrong, yes my clients are important, they are my livelihood but, if I don't care for myself, I will not have much to offer to then either.

Start right now - make lists, enter on your tablet, iphone, make post its...whatever works for you. Start with tackling just a couple of things on the list so you don’t get overwhelmed at first. Start with baby steps...make a little list and add one thing you want at a time. You don't have to read a whole book in one day...reading one chapter or a page a day is a great way to do. The habit makes the monk isn't that as the saying goes?

A new month starts tomorow, it's a great opportunity to start something new. So start today and enjoy!
Noemi Cardoso 04/30/2012

Friday, October 12, 2012

How would you spend today if it were the one day by which your entire life would be judged?

What would I write if I knew I only had one shot at making a difference in someone’s life?

How would I spend the next hour with my twenty three year old daughter and my twenty one year old son if I knew it was the only hour they’d remember from their teenager years when they are an adult?

How would I spend this evening with my loved ones if it were the last evening we would spend together?

How would I spend my money today if I knew that today spoke financially for the rest of my days?

Would I hold my temper? Would I stop being such a perfectionist?

Would I set a good example?

Would I not worry what the neighbors thought and just run through the sprinkler in my clothes, laughing with my children?

Would I make a perfectly delicious, tasty meal and smile at my children across the dinner table – or would I just throw a box of Tuna Helper out there?

Every single day, we’re making an impact on the people around us. The people we love. The people we merely like. The people we will never directly know. Even on ourselves – our future health, happiness, relationships, skills and finances. Every single day, we have a chance to really make all of those things shine – or we can buy a sack full of double cheeseburgers and sit in the basement all evening watching Friends reruns or texting people we wouldn't have anything to say if they were sitting next to us.

Today is really the only day that matters. You can’t make your past self do anything. You can’t make your future self do anything, either. Your only freedom of choice is right now, and thus today is your one chance to paint your masterpiece.

What are you going to do today to make it your masterpiece?'
 
October 2010

Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Obstacle in our Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Tiny Buddha 09/2010

Monday, October 8, 2012

Embrace your Vulnerabilities

Embracing vulnerability is one of the toughest challenges. Being vulnerable means accepting the unknown and uncontrollable. The protective walls of “perfection” are removed. And our authentic self is fully present. While one of the greatest challenges, embracing vulnerability is also one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.

With all the pain and challenges in life, it would seem foolhardy to encourage vulnerability. However, there are benefits to allowing yourself to be open to the unknown and accepting your inability to handle every situation by yourself.

Take a moment to think of a time that you were vulnerable.

Perhaps it was the moment when you first told someone that you loved them? Or maybe it was the last time you experienced problems with your health? Chances are you were apprehensive (or just plain scared) about the outcome. Will the person you love feel the same about you? Will your illness be treatable? While these events leave you open to harm, they can turn out to be positive experiences.

Consider the satisfaction of knowing that you are loved in return! Imagine your joy when you learn that you will recover!

If however your vulnerability leaves you wounded, there are still lessons to be learned. Emotional and physical pain can often be the impetus for positive personal change and improvement. In addition, you will likely find yourself surrounded by an unexpected and kindly support system that you may not have realized existed.

Being vulnerable requires trust and faith that, despite the outcome, you will be changed.

Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness. Letting your guard down and opening yourself up to whatever comes is a testament of true strength.

Don’t deny your vulnerability – embrace it. It is proof that you are a caring, involved, and strong individual!
I am not a person who likes to be viewed as vulnerable – I usually prefer to be a portrait of strength, stability, and independence. My experiences, however, have taught me that there are times that it is necessary and beneficial to let down my defenses and allow myself to be loved by my support system.-Jamie Saunders (Perseverance)
 
by Carolyn Rubestein 

Sunday, October 7, 2012

2 Years After Thoughts for a New Day

Once upon a time I used to go to a place that was my utmost favorite, it was 'The Place' I would go to recharge, think, talk quietly with myself, listen and usually ignore what my instincts was saying, because it was not what I wanted to hear.  

I haven't been there for 3 years - as of next week. Not because of the place itself, but because I have been afraid of the memories this place would bring back. I wasn't sure I was ready for it.

Memories of times spend with someone who is not a part of my life any longer, memories of many empty promises made by someone who I believed would be part of my life for the long haul, anyhow, all that it is now gone, and amazingly enough, it seems unimportant on the big scheme of things that came to pass. Unfortunately, for a very long while, I associate the place to a person.

Well, much water has passed under that bridge, and even tough I have not yet published everything I have written during this time, I decided to publish this. I though it was appropriate since I just published a post written a little over two years ago - Thoughts for a New Day - when I was still free-falling to the cold dark bottom, broken so badly that, I thought then, I was beyond repair. This has been a 3 long yet amazing years on the process of rebuilding myself.

When I left my home this morning, I had no plans whatsoever to go there, I got into the car with the sole intent of going for a hike and take some pictures. There was no set destination as I drove out of my driveway, just a desire to enjoy a beautiful Fall day. After going to a couple of places, taking some photos, it took me by surprise as I realized that I was there, right at the place I loved going to.

Oh my, it felt like so many years ago. The parking lot right in front of me, inviting me in and so I decided to enter. As I parked the car I realized that the time had finally came for me to overcome that "forbidden place" mentality and go for a walk.

It just took a meager couple of minutes to realize that I, and no one else, have created this taboo about the park. The joy I used to feel was still there. As I took the first steps and saw the monarch butterflies playing under the sun, I could smell the brine of the ocean which brought back to memory the reason why this place was chosen as my refuge. It reminded me that it was my favorite place, before and in spite of any of those memories were built, and it was time to remove the tainted association from it and start enjoying it again.

I walked the couple of miles, all the way to the inlet where I used to take a break, sit and picnic. It took me completely by surprise to see the transformation that had occurred.

The path that used to be a narrow one, with a rocky beach in one side and 8+ feet high dunes on the other side, was much different now. The dunes were gone ~ maybe swept away by Hurricane Irene last year ~ and like on a strange co-relation, I saw my favorite place, much like the 'me' walking there today completely transformed.

The landscape had become this flat open scenery where, I now could see far into the horizon. The little and peaceful river branch that used to be hidden by the tall dunes, was wide exposed, easy to see from the ocean side. The narrow path was now wide and open, covered with soft white sand.

As I walk down this so familiar path, this new environment made me think about the person I've become. This place and I were completely and profoundly changed. Our old appearance have drastically changed.. Yes the important things are still there, the sand-my beliefs, the river-my dreams, the ocean-my soul, yet we were forever transformed.

The open and clear horizon, even though it seem serene and peaceful now, still holds fresh signs of the path taken by the storm. I can clearly see what areas have been affected by it, what has happened and how it molded and reshaped the old land into this new scenery. The changes occurred have left its scars, and only if one knew the place before one would be able to see the change that has happened.

My little inlet, as well my own landscape, have been completely redesigned, from what looked set and secure, to a brand new, creatively beautiful and simple wide open world.

Even tough it took a strong storm, which have destroyed many things on its way, it had also created all the beauty of today, all the new life I see at this time. For sure it is different from the beauty of before, but somehow it is even more harmonious and peaceful.

The tall dunes always made me aware that an animal could come from behind it; I had always made me, walking along the path, to be aware of the possibility of an expected surprise lurking behind those tall dunes, they made impossible for me to see what the paths that were behind them.

Now, as I walked down the old and familiar path, I can just enjoy the view, the whole path of this little journey is now, open wide, right in front of me, there was no more risk of the unknown, I could see far and wide into the distant horizon.

Changes were visible, scars were all around. The piping plovers were gone, their nest and sheltered area completely destroyed. The marsh between the inlet and the ocean washed away. The soft little beach area where I used to swim, now sinks about 4.5 feet down below surrounded by sand walls that exquisitely surrounds the body of water, as to remind us of the big transformation that has taken place, at the same time it protects the new, still fragile landscape from the rushing hi-tide flooding the whole area again. The inlet opening ~ which connects the two bodies of land ~ that was, in the past impossible to cross, is now much smaller and allows me do cross from one side to the other during the low tide, just walking across.

However, like anything in nature, all the surroundings have adapted to the new design. The birds found a new nesting area, the marsh is growing fresh and filled with life on the other side of the river, the ocean water found new grounds to flood when the hi-tide comes in, also creating a brand new habitat filled with life that was not there before, and on things go as they might.

As I reached the inlet, I sat there, soaking in all the changes and beauty. the co-relation between my little paradise and my own little life was astonishing. It made me finally realize that the eye of the storm has passed and we have both survived.

My redesign took 3 years, almost to the date, to become what it is today, but like it did with my little sanctuary, it has created new curves and lines on the shore. It is again renewed, reborn, filled with life, hopes and possibilities.

Being able to sit there and see the rush of the ocean in one side, and the serene curves and water of the inlet on the other, taught me that opposites can co-exist.

I have a need for passion and at the same time I am on a quest for balance, this new scenery showed me that I can have both as long I can understand and respect its limitations, weakness and strengths. Sometimes the passion (ocean) has to come and take control the balance (river) and then some other times the river (balance) has to push the ocean (passion) away to allow life to emerge.

There is a subtle balance between the rush and openness of the ocean and the serene peace and quiet of the little inlet. I realize that changes don't have always to be a bad things and I can have both passion and balance in my life.

I figure that our new design works perfectly with the life we now live. It is filled with a unique beauty. It has interest, designs, lots of character and charm and an immense array of possibilities.

It becomes clear that everything is now okay and the only memories I have left of this place, are the memories of peace, rebirth, joy and happiness.

Looking at this exceptional change I am certain that I, like this little paradise, have changed and became a new and enhanced version of my old self. The horizon is open and clear as far as my eyes can see. The path, I now take, is open, wide and sunshine bright and clear right in front of me.

Well, the point of this post is to show that, no matter where you are, no matter how far you believe tomorrow is, how much it feels that this pain will never leave, how hard is to believe that you will stand up again, just be patient, take time to meditate, take more time to breathe, be lovingly and forgiven with yourself, let time do what it does best, allow that a new landscape brings all back to life, learn the lesson in your way and be ready for that day when you just open your eyes and discover that it is all okay and life is just a wonderful thing and it is worth to be lived at its fullest.


"When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability…To be alive is to be vulnerable." ~ Madeleine L’Engle
by N. Cardoso 10/07/2012

Thoughts for a new day.

I have lived an experience today that I thought it was completely behind me. I needed something to bring me back to my own self. I have been on this path to the center of myself for a while and still shakes me when something like this happens, it takes me off my balance. This is a fragile phase and I must hold myself with care so I can keep myself where I am and get the strengh to move forward. I am still holding to a crouch to keep my aching heart and, at this moment, any action can send me back to the beginning of the path...

I decided to go for a long and well deserved walk with the full moon illuminating my way to and back from the beach. The clear sky, mercury still close to the moon and easily seen from down here, the calm waves shining under the moon light like tiny diamonds, and the sweet ocean breeze surrounding and embracing me with its fragrance. All that harmony made me desire to be part of it and enticed me to a night swim, it felt like the sea welcomed me and hugged me with its warm water making me one with it.

Now sitting here awake at 11:00 with no sign that I will sleep at any time soon, listening to Billie Holiday singing in the background....I had to go to my readings to try to find the peace and balance in my soul that this event has disturbed...to get thought tonight and see a new tomorrow.

This is the last day of summer, my favorite time of the year and I have promised myself that this is also the last day that this issue will ever bother me again.

These are few of the thoughts I read on one of my books and they just spoke to me as I needed them.

"You have done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn into positive, effective, unstoppable determination."

"The meeting of two souls is like the contact of two substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed."

"These are my last words to you. Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact."

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as thoughh you could not hold a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."

"The stupidest mistake in life is thinking the one who hurt you the most, won't hurt you again.

Now it is the time I have been waiting for. Time to laugh, to rise, to be happy and free again.

N. Cardoso 09/22/2010