A Key-Word

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that no entirely satisfying result can be achieved without enthusiasm. It's an invitation to examine your attitude towards Life - may it be big problems or simple everyday situations. Enthusiasm could be likened to food seasoning. A dish of spaghetti will not taste the way it should if, in spite of sauce and Parmesan, it lacks salt. The same happens in life. When you start any new enterprise, willpower, determination, efficiency, self-confidence are important. Nevertheless, if you lack enthusiasm, i.e. the joy of doing what you are doing, you may not experience true fulfillment. The whole thing will be carried out, yes, but it probably won't allow you to feel the exhilaration that you expected. Like an old painting whose colors have faded, so they are not as brilliant as they originally were.

The Great Game of Life

All natural cycles are perfectly organized: think of the alternation of seasons, of the cycle of birth – life – death, of the functioning of the human bodies. The difference between the functioning of Nature and of the Mind is that the latter has a “Will”, while the rest of creation only follows the “Rule” established at the moment of its manifestation. Can this be a satisfying answer to those who wonder about the “bad” things that happen to mankind? If you accept the hypothesis that every human being is the author of the book of his (or her) own life, or the director and actor of his own play or, as it has been famously said, “the captain of his ship”, why is he unable to write a better plot, direct a happier story, govern his ship with more mastery? Well… this is possibly the greatest mystery about human life which we might never be able to understand. We have been given cards and asked to play our game. The tragedy is that most times we complain about the cards we received and forget to focus on the best way to play them in the Great Game of Life.

It's Not Impossible!

There are things that some people do that seem quite impossible. Acrobatics, stunts, lifting 500 pounds, pulling a truck, breaking a brick wall with bare hands, extreme sports... These admirable individuals are tremendously skilled, they have attained a proficiency that doesn't seem humanly reachable, they can perform incredible tasks. Yet, they do it. And they make it seem so easy. But easy it certainly is not. They work hard, are committed, make sacrifices in order to attain their goal and...they succeed. Therefore, you should never say "This can't be done". A proverb says, "What man can conceive, man can achieve"so...try to remember that - if you are motivated enough and have strong will, determination and commitment - you can reach ANY destination you dream of.

A Few Puzzling Questions

As absolutely everything is made of quantum particles, the human mind, too, has the same fundamental constitution. Therefore, thinking about the perfect functioning of the Law, a question may arise: "How come that the Mind often creates in an illogical way?". Why does your mind give origin to negative situations, harsh feelings, failures, arguments, resentments etc.? If everything works in an orderly way, how come that only the mind, that is born in the physical organ we call brain, can be so “disobedient” and create a chaos similar to the quantum soup, where nothing is predictable? All the body functions such as breathing, digestion, blood circulation etc. follow precise rules, so why does the mind, that is made of the same substance, behaves differently? Besides, how can it influence the body, often creating disease and illness?

The Universe and Us

It has been proven, and therefore accepted by official science, that all that exists is made of sub-atomic particles of energy (quanta) that behave randomly. We don’t know where, when and why they behave in a certain way because they appear, i.e. are visible, disappear, can be in different places at the same time, are inextricably connected at unimaginable distances. These characteristics sound unbelievable but scientists, although they cannot actually see such particles, can nevertheless detect the traces of their existence. According to such “illogical” features, on a sub-atomic level there seems to be total chaos. Yet the result is our Universe: a physical, visible place governed by precise laws, where everything happens according to exact, predictable rules. Similarly, but on a smaller scale - which is more relevant to us because we can experience it directly - does Nature behaves. What about "us"?

Stop Comparing

Ask yourself what kind of words usually inspire your behavior throughout the day: at home, at work, in your relationships, in your dealing with others as well as with yourself. When you learn how to know yourself a little better, you will stop comparing yourself to others; if a colleague or a friend is more brilliant or popular than you, you won’t get upset because, once you are aware of your authentic value – which has nothing to do with material success – you will be happy with any achievement, no matter how small. Endeavor to always stay alert because your day is full of opportunities. Keep your ears open so that you won’t miss anything that is 'good'. Forget your old self - the one that doesn’t often pay attention to positive solicitations - and wake up to a new, uplifting awareness of what Life truly is.

Of Seeds and Soils

How many do really ponder upon warning words or messages and change some of their behaviors? Not only part of the young generation seems to be deaf in this respect. Have adults - have you, too - truly understood the dangers of the indiscriminate acceptance of everything that is presented in luringly charming forms? If a wise word is compared to a seed thrown into the soil, what kind of soil are you? And, most of all, what kind of seed are you willing to accept? Don’t forget that all words are seeds-not only the good, positive, uplifting ones. Therefore, as there exist more or less receptive soils (= individuals), there are also more or less beneficial words. Not only spoken words are seeds. Also photos, songs, video-clips, movies, newspapers, magazines, books, commercials, fashions and fads: all the "stuff" that everybody daily sees, listens to and reads  in this modern world of ours.

Stronger Than Another

Society, the common view, advertising, the media in general, the Internet… It’s a world gaping over fascinating images that hypnotize the mind, that instigate to search, to try, to take, to abuse one’s power, or to attack in order to get what one wants. It seems that aggression and competition have become the symbols of success. The current opinion about “success” appears in fact to be, “Whoever is left behind, is a loser”. If you don’t push yourself forward to get what you believe to be rightfully yours, you fall into the pit with the losers, with those who are meaningless, who count nothing, who have no personality, no importance. The aim justifies the means, according to the famous Italian philosopher, diplomat and politician Niccolo’ Machiavelli. Why? Because what really matters is to win, to prove that one is stronger than another.

Media As Teachers

A teacher warns his or her students about the dangers of modern society: drugs, easy money, the mirage of success and fame, romantic conquests… All things that the young generation keeps hearing all the time. They see images on TV, in movies, in magazines, on the Internet. Our youngsters are mainly fed with 'strong' visions of money, extreme fun and even violence to obtain what one wants. In the end, the 'bad guy' is usually found out and punished. But…. what do you think to be the main impression that remains engraved in the still immature mind? That of a quick arrest by the police, a possible last-minute act of repentance, or rather the mental view of luxury mansions, of easily gained money, of artificial heavens, of sex… and so on?

Originals vs. Molds

Imagine yourself living in a house from which you cannot get out. And you cannot get out because you don’t realize that you are living in it. What is such imaginary house? It is  all the “molds” of all your convictions and pre-conceived ideas that lead you along the path of your daily life. You might not realize it, but the freedom you believe you have might not be real because it may be determined and guided by others. Who are these “others”? Anything and anyone that surrounds you: environment, society, the media, opinions, all you are daily compelled to see and hear – (either you want it or not). All these things contribute to shape your mind, to direct your thoughts on a certain path, to convince you to believe this or that. Try to find out what are the ‘molds’ you are trapped in. Try to see if there are specific ideas that you would never change, habits you would never give up, convictions that you believe to be truly yours. If you are totally honest with yourself, you will realize which ones are 'originals' and which ones are 'molds'.