The colors in my life

I love Colombia Actress Caroline Gomez’s (star of the must watch La Venganza de Analia/ Her Mother’s Killer on Netflix) response to me after I responded to her post asking “what color is your life today”.

“esooo! La alegría la encontraremos representada con el color amarillo ya que se vincula con la luz del sol y el estado positivo que experimentamos con la llegada de la primavera.” Verde: es el color de la naturaleza y la esperanza. En un tono oscuro aporta confianza y prosperidad”.

Translation courtesy of Google translates:

"This! We will find joy represented by the color yellow as it is linked to the sunlight and the positive state we experience with the arrival of spring. "Green: it is the color of nature and hope. In a dark tone, it brings confidence and prosperity”.

 

 

She had me thinking of the meaning of all the colors and how they present in my life. Here is what I came up with:

 

Pink- Unconditional Love, Harmony, Femininity

Red -Power, Stability, Passion, Fire

Orange- Emotion Expression, Creativity, Success

Yellow- Lightness, Joy, Optimism, the Sun

 Green- Prosperity, Growth, Masculinity, Nature

Blue- Communication, Honesty, Trust, the Sky

Purple- Inner Peace, Intuition, Wisdom

Black- Bold

Brown- Grounding

White-Innocent

Silver - Classy

Gold- Wealth

 

So I am asking you, how do color show up in your life? Does your mood affect the color of clothing or jewelry you chose to wear?

 

 

 

The benches outside the park

 

I posted on Instagram today that I was grateful for the benches outside the park near my apartment. Unlike Italy, Spain and France, we in New York City, were allowed outside for Sun, Fresh Air, and exercise during the heights of the COVID-19 quarantine. I am currently sharing an apartment that does not get much natural light. I am also sleeping and working in a bedroom that does not get any natural light or fresh air. Every day since I started working from home, I have had to go outside before work, during lunch and after work to expose my brain and body to Natural light, especially the Sun and to get fresh air. Even when I woke up tired from sleeping only three hours per night, or was feeling drained because of swollen lymph nodes and ear pain due to Rhinitis, I made sure I went outside. It turns out I was doing the correct thing for my brain and for my health. It turns out our Brain regulates our body, to keep up healthy by knowing what time of the day or what season it is.  Whenever I am in the apartment all day, I always feel sluggish and I’m always in a low mood but as soon as I step outside, especially on sunny days, my mood is lifted immediately.

I am grateful for the benches because without them I would not have anywhere to sit and regulate my body. I would not have a place for my outside reading.  Living in a city can be fun but their drawbacks are many but thanks to Codvid-19, I am very aware of what is the most the important thing for me, what is as beneficial for me as water, I am aware of what compromises I will not or should not make especially when choosing a home or when planning my day.

A pulled muscle or two-Ouch

 

I pulled my groin last weekend and during the nights of Wednesday and Friday last week, I experienced some muscle spasm or re-pull. OMG, I haven’t experience that level of pain in my life. Thanks to my determination (which is evident in my astrology chart) and my new method of how to focus (from the video I was watching early about improving the Brain's plasticity), I was able to get off my bed and hop-walk to the fridge for my icepack. I spent the rest of those nights and the subsequent nights sleeping, sitting up.

After reading several articles online about groin pulls and how to alleviate the pain, I felt kind of lazy and guilty because this did not happen during a workout or I was playing sports, as the articles mention but when I was getting off my roommate's island stool. After a minute or so of guilt, I then remembered that I am to start physical therapy soon for a weak Pelvis and Lower Back. The guilt disappears, and I told myself that I am not lazy and that I am only a human being with a weak Muscular Structure.

I am proof that non-sport-related muscle strain does happen, ice and heat are its friends, and don’t forget to elevate. You will have to get creative with elevating the groin.

Change, Change, make the change when you can

 

Three seminars and a Facebook live post I listened to last week all spoke about change. They all had the same underlined messages; change is constant, it can be good or bad, it can be driven by oneself or by your surroundings or those around you.

With the onsite of co-vid 19, I have been one of those that have been grounded by this great change our society is facing. But looking back, I think my grounding started long before COVID-19. Just before it started, I had decided that some things in my life must change and I was ready to start making them.  These changes that I needed to make to felt and still feel scary partly because I felt like  I am not equipped to make the change and because I felt and still feel guilty for disrupting the lives of those around me. Maybe I should thank COVID-19 for keeping me from moving forward, but then again, being stuck is unbearable, and therefore I have to make the changes.

So I have decided to do what was suggested by the presenters; I must prepare myself  mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally to face take action because I am worth it.

I am a Human Being

The protests are is strong than ever; the 8pm curfew in NYC has been lifted. The UK, Spain, France, New Zealand, and Canada are among the other Countries protesting for “Black Lives Matters”.

When this all gets resolved or settles, I pray that the spirit remains in the heart of all protesting, and those that support the cause. I pray that those who have problems with it will rethink their position but if they can’t, I want them to realize that people of color are human beings as well.

The judicial, political, and law enforcement systems are not the only ones that need reforming. Societies around the globe need reforming.

We as people need to think about our prejudices, our preferences and be brave to fight against the need to belong when what we are witnessing is not right; when what we are witnessing feels wrong in our heart and soul.

One of my favorite Biblical quotes from Jesus is “Treat others as you would like to be treated”.  Please remember, if you love your neighbors as you love yourself, you won’t harm others because in doing so you will damage your life as well.

Reaching across cultures

This week seems to have been a week for conversations centered around dealing with people across culture and diversity and inclusion issues.

From conversation with a friend about why it is important for leaders to understand the issue diversity and inclusion initiates seeks to address, to a seminar at work that stressed how understanding others interests, strength and weakness helps with leading and motivating them, to a talk on cross-cultural management from the CEO of a global company to a radio show that spoke about how important it is to accept others as they present themselves to us.

These ideas brought about from these conversation echoes my approach to dealing with others and reminded me that I should continue to strive to make them a staple to use when dealing with those that I know and don’t know.

Practicing the following tenets will help me better engage with others, build rewarding relationships and accomplished shared goals more productively:

·       Getting to know people and their cultures and customs

·       Importance of building authentic relationships

·       Having empathy

·       Being confidence to step out of your comfort zone to meet others yet staying authentic

·       Because someone looks like you do, does not mean they are the same as you.

When the younger you visits

I saw a picture of myself that I did not know excited, I was upright so it was around age one. I knew it was me because I felt connected to her innocents, I then noticed it was me when I saw that her features were similar to mine.

I feel that the innocent part of me still exists, and I must do everything to protect it. I felt like apologizing to her for all the decisions that resulted in bad experience, unnecessary fears and unwarranted hurts she has experience or will experience.

 I felt like I had to apologize to her for all the people that had/will take advantage of her and for those that failed to protect her.

 I then vowed to be strong for her, do my best to put her first and take chances that will let her live happily, fully and fulfill her true destiny.