27... it's a nice number! (2+7=9)

My life has been very hectic this stormy April...

many things have happened and had no time to reflect on them!

My two brother's birthdays passes very fast and my sister's ball for her Diploma arrived and it was like being pulled back to 9 years ago... when was mine!

Same professors, same place, same emotions... ahead only the unknown future!

I was moved deeply, seeing my sister and her classmates at that turning point in their lifes!

So many things have changed from that day on.... I've grown from that girl of nine years ago and achieved many successes.... not that kind you could evaluate on a piece of paper or through a career, rather that kind one will be proud of for the eternity.... do this sound like an END?

There is no end to the betterment and spiritual growth of a soul... and if I got something 'till now is that LIFE IS CHANGE, an everlasting movement in which a stop is not allowed, so either we are moving or we are sliding back... it happens!

I looked at my Grandpa... (he just turned 90.... 90 this same stormy April), that's a remarkable age to be achieved... still there are different ways of achieving it... and I'm not talking about a physical situation (so get rid of the image of me without teeth, bound and with a stick in my left hand...)

I mean that with this climbing on the mountain of AGE, come fears and we want to take less risks, we get to certain points were the view is beautiful and we wish not to go ahead, we want things to stay the same and see challanges as nightmares instead of opportunities to fulfill our dreams!

This is actually when we dismount the horse of change with the idea of getting just some rest and indeed sink in the quicksand!! woops... too late!

My idea is that if we keep the bridle of change and hold at full gallop up on the mountain of AGE, we will be excercided and flexible!

FLEXIBILITY is a feature of an open mind... which is what we need to enjoy the climbing!

If I look back I see an other me... someone I'm pleased to know each day more!

There is a list in my mind... of people to get to know... of things to be achieved and experienced, to be taste and lived!

That's why I celebrated my b-day with a kind of initiation... I went home for the week-end with the idea I'll have my first swim of the year... brought my bathing suit with me, though the weather forecast says it would be a rainy week-end... I was determined to go to swim, though we travelled with a storm all the way home and the day after the Bura was blowing strong... the 27th still was, but SUN was shining... with my family(-1) we went to the sea for a lovely pic-nic and though there were people (all wearing jackets and long jeans) walking up and down the shore no one was in...

I stepped inside and the water was freaking cold... pure melted-ice! My determination was slipping away as my parents and everyone else insisted on chaning my mind... so i sat down and gazed the trees on the shore swaying with the waves... there! I took off my flip-flop again and ran toward the sea!!

The rest is history.... 4 hours later I was travelling toward Italy with a salty taste on my skin and a happy smile on my face!!

a tribute to Cat's Eyes!

This section is dedicated to arts & artists who have influenced (or will) my perception of this beautiful world!

Would like to start with the one that came along with me all through my adolescence...

Cat Steven, today known as Yusuf Islam.

His name changed, but his essence is the same... it's that of a great artist, whose connection with the Most Greater is pure and inesplicable unless you listen to his creations.

Can't say I have a favourite album, as everyone is special and dear to me, but the one that introduced me to Cat's beautiful voice & soul is "Tea for te Tillerman"... 1971 definitely his more productive year!

Why a tribute to his eyes? I believe the eyes are the window to one's soul and you can understand if someone is on the search for God, looking into his eyes.. they shine of a sweet light... i never had the chance to look into Cat's eyes...(wish i had!!) but saw him on tv-youtube, and recognize that sparkling light.

Well, wont make it too long telling you what i know about him (no much indeed) and what his music means in my life... just wanted to thank him for the good time i had dancing, singing, humming with him... and if you want to know more, have an indipendent and free search, i'll give you a hint: click on the title or on words...

I've mentioned Cat as he is for me an example of how a man, at the top of the world (materially successful) could still live in it and "leave it all behind" for AN INDIPENDENT SEARCH OF THE TRUTH... he did it, and found the Religion of Mohammad....

I really believe that "Religion should be the cause of love and unity." --as Bahá'u'lláh says.

In the Baha'i Faith this principle ( Independent investigation of truth. ) is among the most important.. coming right after:

THE ONENESS OF GOD

THE ONENESS OF MANKIND

THE ONENESS OF RELIGION ( which is eternal, progressive and relative )

..... aha... you wont have me on this either... go and find it out for yourself!! :-)

www.bahai.org

ps: and if you need help, you know where you can find me!!

The conversation IS the relationship

“Sou maravilhosamente irresponsável no que vocês escutam, mas sou totalmente responsável do que eu digo”. ---> "I am amazingly unresponsible for what you hear, but I am totally responsible for what I say" Maturana

Talking with a friend 'bout communication's problems, he gave me the quote above to reflect on... and I totally agree with it, as it's clear to me, that what we hear depends on how we experience and understand the reality around us, while what we say depends on our capacity to express the reality we know..which doesn't mean the other will get what we are trying to convey, as:

a. we may not use the right terminology

b. we are thinking about something, saying the opposite, still our non-verbal communication expreses what we are really thinking

c. we haven't a clear idea on our mind and are talking for the pleasure of expressing ourself

d. we are talking about something we don't have a clue of.

Solutions respectively are:

a. use right words, as my brother says: "each word has its meaning, use it PROPERLY & WISELY!"

b. be honest & sincere

"We ask thee to ...be fair and just in thy speech, that perchance the splendors of the daystar of truthfulness and sincerity may shine forth, and may deliver thee from the darkness of ignorance, and illumine the world with the light of knowledge." (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 10)
c. think before open the mouth to speak (a sacred rule!!) or stay in silence (usually, the best thing to do!)

d. talk only about things one knows, be humbe and state: "I'm sorry, don't know anything about this!"

COMMUNICATION IS AN ACT OF LOVE!

To engage someone in dialogue is to recognize the person, have faith in him/her. Every step taken in the struggle to build a better relationship, every level we try tirelessly to establish a dialogue, or reestablish it if it has broken down, we are indeed demonstrating how much we care and love. We woudn't even try othrewise! When we give up or keep inside what we feel cause we think the other wont understand or that we are incapable of conveying it clearly, we are destroying the relationship (among family members, friends, governments, society...) everything will fall apart, as it's already happening!

"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention…. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words." Rachel N. Remen

I think God is the best listener!

I can tell this from my experience, He listens to us so carefully and completely that is the only One Who really answers... and His Mercy is in that, the answer He gives us is the best thing could ever suits us, not the one we think or want, 'cause indeed, we don't know what's the best for ourself, BUT GOD DOES! The problem is we are just too occupied with listening to ourself, and too often we don't even hear the reply!

Then, we should also learn to communicate with our own style... "see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor." (Baha'u'llah, The Arabic Hidden Words, 2)

I know only One, whose communication style is perfect!

That is:

• ORIGINAL ---> distinctive, new,


• CHASTE---> says exactly what it means, no double meaning, no roundabout expressions,


• & VIGOROUS ---> has power and enshrines words with an ocean of deeper meaning

This is Baha'u'llah!

"Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand."- Confucius

This is exactly what His (Baha'u'llah's) words do... if only we open our heart and mind and wish to hear!

Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much...

THEREFORE,

END OF THIS POST!

colourful & soulful

Realizing how grey my blog looks like

have decided to give it a new soul...
i love colours and coloured things
a look to my bedroom would clarify
what i mean...
i'm not taking a picture of it, cause i think
one's bedroom is very personal and i'm not
that intimate with you-people, to let you in :-P
my favourite spot in my room is the bed...
(my island... where i study, read, write, eat chocolate & buiscuits,
dance with the music on and sometime even off, make phone calls,
have chats with my brothers, my sister, my 2 cousins,
once a day with God before going to sleep,
sometimes even sleep in it)... everywhere around it there are books
(even on the floor), pictures & quotes on walls, on stiker-notes...then
many collections: sea-shell, stones, candles, angels, teddybears, trinkets etc...
i think i've got so many things in my bedroom,
i could fill with them an entire appartment!
i often think what will i do once i'll have to
leave this house and move somewhere very far...
what will i choose to bring with me, what will i leave behind?
i think i'll give my stuff to friends & relatives... as a goodbyegift.
i'm not attached to what i have, at the point that
even if i recive something precious and beautyfull
if i feel like, i'm able to give it to th person next to me
(a behaviour my mom sighly disaprove,
especially when she makes me gift, i then give to others).
Well, i don't know yet where i will go, how far and when...
but the day you'll see me arrive with something was mine,
don't refuse it... it's a part of me that wishes to stay close to you!
;-) why am i talking about moving?
simply 'cause i'm about to move... let you know when it's time...
since i was born i've changed 7 houses, 5 cities, 2 countries and
untill now just 1 continent ....
that's really nothing, as i wish to
tavel and know the world! This thought makes me feel FREE!!
I feel enthusiastic and thickled at
the idea of experiencing the untasted,
learning the unknown and meet friends i don't know yet!
The marvellous thing about this is that
we can have the same feeling
without travelling far, but looking at the world around us with such eyes!
Wish to hear what do you think about this!?

P-R-I-O-R-I-T-I-Z-E

That's my mantra in last months...

Why, er.... prioritize in one's life is essential... unless we wish to live a caotic life!
Mine has always been... caotic... I'm not what could be called an "organized person"!
Sounds very robotic and "german"... but is indeed a quality I appreciate and am striving to gain!

The most important thing for me is to Serve the Cause... it comes first... no matter what!
But there are always little voices in my mind whispering: "hey your exam is getting close.."
or "your new job's tasks are piling and the book you are reading is getting an inch of dust"... "it's a while you don't meet up with friends... when are you going to see them??" "when did you last talked with your sis & parents?? you don't spend enough time with Grandpa..." "got to tidy up the house... what about some gym??" ---> don't mean that service to the Cause is preventing me from doing such things, on the contrary, I do everything... just not in an excellent way!
... life is full of things to do... all very important and serious... so how do we choose what should be done at first?? How do we succed and pursue excellence?

There's a secret I discovered lately... and wish it to stay between you and me... (ushhh!!)
If we look at everything with the eye of Service then everything we do, finds a place and time in our life with a simple finger-snap!

Ok... I've just reinvented the wheel....
I recall the answer 'Abdu'l-Bahá gave about whether the prayer should take the form of action:

<'Yes: In the Bahá'í Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are (counted as) worship. The man who makes a piece of notepaper to the best of his ability, conscientiously, concentrating all his forces on perfecting it, is giving praise to God. Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer. A physician ministering to the sick,
gently, tenderly, free from prejudice and believing in the solidarity of the
human race, he is giving praise'. > (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p.176)

What do prayer and service have to do with tasks and things to be done??

They are the core of any activity!

"Each child must be taught a profession, art, or trade, so that
every member of the community will be enabled to earn his own livelihood.
Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 83)

So, when I feel like I'm doing nothing, or that studying a boring book is time lost, or that I haven't achieved anything big in my life... I just remind to myself that all has a profound meaning as soon as I try to accomplish it with joy and spirit of service!

May we all reach the state of the core in our daily activity!!

Practicing Math is like trying to know God!

Let's talk about Math baby!

I want to be a mathematician in my life... knowing the problem and excercize untill the solution is find!

“As long as man does not find his own faults he can never became
perfect.
Nothing is more fruitful for man than the knowledge of his own
shortcomings.
The Blessed Perfection says: I wonder at the man who does
not find his own imperfections."

When at school, I was told that mathematic is important and will always be present in my life, well.. I thought that couldn’t be.. as soon as I would have left school and stop exercize, math would just vanish... I liked it, but couldn’t really grasp its mysteries... it was like trying to know God... impossible!
But at least we are given the opportunity to try... and for sure trying to know ourself, our potentialities and develop them, we come to know a bit about God, as we are all made in His immage in our spiritual essence.

To master mathematic, one has to keep on a systematic pattern, which I couldn’t, for I’ve changed several schools and teachers; changing the studying method and being told I wasen’t good at it, I just tried to keep my head above water, but indeed there’s a key to success: stystematicity in the strugle!
How is one supposed to be good at something without putting a constant effort in it?
Moreover, when we are told not to be ment for something, we have to bare in mind that it’s all a matter of being systematic in the practice, and that we are rich in gems. I’ve heard somewhere that a genius is 99% of hard work and 1% of talent... since we are all full of talents, in different fields, we should just find out what are the gifts we own and then work hard on them!
As Baha'u'llah says:

“Regard Man as a Mine rich in gems of enestimable value. Education can alone
cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”

Of course we need a good Educator to train us... but then the fun of the effort is all our!
Limits exist in math... not in a process of learning and developing!

Wish you all a lot of exercize!

Che sara'... sara'!

"Keep your gaze centred on Him Who is the Sovereign Word of Truth: place your whole reliance upon Him, and beg of Him to destine for you what is meet and fitting. Resign your affairs into the hands of God, the Lord of creation."

Ever come to the point decisions are taking you, instead YOU take them??

Ever tried to let your will be guided from That of Other than you??

Give you a hint.... it's harder than it seems, but it's the way leading to happyness!

What will come... I'm awaiting it with open arms and a radiant countenance!

I'm not an Astronomer, I'm a Star-Catcher!

Hello world!

I'd like to start this blog with a THANK YOU and dedicate it to all the people that see in me more than I show, more than I have realized!
So, this is also for all those, that as my friends, look into someone else eyes and see the potentiality their souls still hide!
Friends are treasures, friends are gifts, angels...
my friends are pure-joy-promoter!

Talking about friendship, there's an ispiring quote I'd like to share:

"Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 15)

It urges me to smile and say hello to everyone I meet in the street, on the bus, at the market!
If someone asks me: "do you know this person?" or
"why do you greet people you don't know?"....
My reply is: "how could I pretend I haven't seen him/her??"
When we rise our gaze to look into people's eyes, when we encounter someone and say goodmorning or hi, we are doing more than noticing their presence! I SEE YOU!!
A star-gazer would be content with this, but we are creating a connection in that same moment... how deep we wish to go into it... well, it's up to us!
Still, we have an amazing opportunity, realizing an other world has just pass close to our orbit and trying to catch a gimpse of it's beauty!

What if, instead of being star-gazers, we try to become star-catchers?