Since I was a child, I heard my dad talking about having "la valija itinerante" meaning "a traveling bag". He always talked to me about not getting attached to things and to only have the things that I could fit in a traveling bag. When I moved to the USA, I did come with JUST a traveling bag and I left all my other possessions behind. That was the first time I had to decide what I would bring with me and what would be left behind. Giving most of my possessions away was a great experience and knowing that I was following my heart made leaving everything behind so much easier.
Now, I look back, and I see I have accumulated so many possessions and once again I feel tied down and just heavy. I feel that if I wanted to go back home, I would have to leave everything behind once again and shows me how I moved from heart to possessions. Many times, we buy things to make us happy or to replace the love or passion we don't feel in our lives. We numb ourselves with things and buy into materialism and who has the bigger stick or the newest piece of technology. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPhone and my laptop, but at the same time, I notice that many times I have replaced real feelings with things. The same happens to people who eat to fill the void or emptiness in their lives. When I moved to this country, I was lonely and I filled my loneliness with things but now that I am stronger and have settled in, I remember the words my dad told me since I was little "la valija itinerante" or the traveling bag. Is it possible to live detached from material things and with only things you can fit in one traveling bag? I believe it is. I did it before and I can do it again.
Blessings )0(
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Four Days Left ... Bye Bye 2010
It's hard to believe that another year is coming to an end! What word would define 2010 for you? Do you have one word that can sum up the experiences for the whole year? For me, the word is Harmony. The reason why I chose that word is because 2010 was filled with extremely happy moments as well as extremely challenging ones. It seemed like a pendulum swinging from happy to sad to angry to content. When I look back, I can see every experience moved me forward in my path of growth and evolution. The positive highlights for this year are running a 5K, graduating from school, creating Circulo de Isis, starting translating the FOI liturgy, meeting Lady Olivia in person and becoming a Priestess Hierophant. My accomplishments for this year were quite balanced since they include body, mind and spirit. For the body, I lost 20 pounds and I am healthy and whole. In the mind realm, I graduated from college. Spirit is my passion and life and most of my work is dedicated to the Goddess and developing my Priestess path.
As I said before, this year's word is harmony, and there have been some ugly things happening ranking from getting my car broken into and my credit card stolen virtually. Some friendships that turned sour and shook my trust. It's hard to realize that some people are not meant to be part of our lives and let them go but if we don't, those relationships become unhealthy and stagnate.
Besides the word harmony, the other word that comes to mind is Roots. Yes, roots. You may be wondering why this word comes to my blog and the reason behind this situation is the fact that this year I realized for 7 years I shifted all my focus to becoming American - traditions, culture, language, everything; and in doing so, I forgot where I come from. I do look American so it is easy to blend in and since I decided to take my husband's last name - Boggs - nobody can tell where I come from, but this year has taught me that I am proud to be Latin. I am proud of my country and I am missing my language, my traditions, my blood is calling my roots. That's one of the reasons why I decided to dedicate my Priestess work to the Spanish speaking community instead of the English speaking community. When I look back, I wonder who many times I may have sacrificed who I was to blend in, to fit, to not stand out. 2011 is the year where I am proud to be who I am and if people don't like it, too bad... they may not be meant to be around or part of my life. One thing I do have clear is that I am not going to change myself to fit anybody else's expectations but myself, I want to honor myself and be true to my soul. I am done playing the game of satisfying other people's needs or structure just so I don't rock the boat. I am done with trying to fit in. I am who I am and it's time to let go of the structures other people have created and create my own. I have the power to decide, to change, to transform, to create. It's time to live my life the way I want to live it. Not based on fear or expectations but based on my heart and my passion. Can you say the same? Can you commit yourself to be true to yourself and just yourself during 2011? Can you let go of the expectations of society, family, relatives, you name it? It is time that people take charge of their lives. It is time to write a new story, one based on heart, fire and passion. Most of the rules we live by are outdated and don't fit the world we live in today. Just take time and think what you want to accomplish during 2011. This new year is just the beginning of a new road, a new path. You have the power to choose your destination but remember, be careful what you ask for because you may get it.
Blessings )0(
As I said before, this year's word is harmony, and there have been some ugly things happening ranking from getting my car broken into and my credit card stolen virtually. Some friendships that turned sour and shook my trust. It's hard to realize that some people are not meant to be part of our lives and let them go but if we don't, those relationships become unhealthy and stagnate.
Besides the word harmony, the other word that comes to mind is Roots. Yes, roots. You may be wondering why this word comes to my blog and the reason behind this situation is the fact that this year I realized for 7 years I shifted all my focus to becoming American - traditions, culture, language, everything; and in doing so, I forgot where I come from. I do look American so it is easy to blend in and since I decided to take my husband's last name - Boggs - nobody can tell where I come from, but this year has taught me that I am proud to be Latin. I am proud of my country and I am missing my language, my traditions, my blood is calling my roots. That's one of the reasons why I decided to dedicate my Priestess work to the Spanish speaking community instead of the English speaking community. When I look back, I wonder who many times I may have sacrificed who I was to blend in, to fit, to not stand out. 2011 is the year where I am proud to be who I am and if people don't like it, too bad... they may not be meant to be around or part of my life. One thing I do have clear is that I am not going to change myself to fit anybody else's expectations but myself, I want to honor myself and be true to my soul. I am done playing the game of satisfying other people's needs or structure just so I don't rock the boat. I am done with trying to fit in. I am who I am and it's time to let go of the structures other people have created and create my own. I have the power to decide, to change, to transform, to create. It's time to live my life the way I want to live it. Not based on fear or expectations but based on my heart and my passion. Can you say the same? Can you commit yourself to be true to yourself and just yourself during 2011? Can you let go of the expectations of society, family, relatives, you name it? It is time that people take charge of their lives. It is time to write a new story, one based on heart, fire and passion. Most of the rules we live by are outdated and don't fit the world we live in today. Just take time and think what you want to accomplish during 2011. This new year is just the beginning of a new road, a new path. You have the power to choose your destination but remember, be careful what you ask for because you may get it.
Blessings )0(
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Holidays, Spirit and a Full Lunar Eclipse
When I lived in Argentina, December was the month that marked the end of the year, the beginning of the summer and vacation time. Here in the States, December is about holidays, winter, and shopping. The thing that both places have in common is that during December, I spend some time looking back at what happened during the year and setting some objectives for the following year. 2010 has been a different year. It started with preparing for my first 5K and finishing school. My Priestess Work started blossoming when I discover I wanted to work with the Spanish speaking community and started translating the FOI Liturgy. I initiated a Priestess and traveled quite a lot. It was the first year I spent my birthday alone away from home on a business trip and although it felt foreign, it was ok. Looking back, I can't complain about 2010 since it was a year filled with accomplishments and challenges but everything took place in perfect harmony.
Now that we are reaching the end of 2010, we are given a unique opportunity to finish the year with a Full Lunar Eclipse in Gemini on December 21, 2010. Eclipses provide us with the energies needed to cut with the past and start again. This is the time to let go of all those things that are tying you down and decide to live the life you want to live in 2011. Krishnamurti said "There is no path to truth, it must come to you. Truth can come to you only when your mind and heart are simple, clear, and there is love in your heart, not if your heart is filled with the things of the mind." It is time to evaluate if you have been living your life for others, doing things that society wants you to do or if your life is filled with things you love and they come from the heart. Time is priceless and you don't want to waste it doing things that you don't love. Live each day like it is the last day. Do like the Egyptians who thought people thought with their hearts, not with their brains. Start listening to what your heart wants and follow what it says so you can live your life fully and more happily.
Now is the time to let go of the past, make space, and create your future. Make 2011 the year you want it to be. Manifest your destiny and don't give your power away. You always have a choice whether you are aware of it or not.
Many blessings )0(
Now that we are reaching the end of 2010, we are given a unique opportunity to finish the year with a Full Lunar Eclipse in Gemini on December 21, 2010. Eclipses provide us with the energies needed to cut with the past and start again. This is the time to let go of all those things that are tying you down and decide to live the life you want to live in 2011. Krishnamurti said "There is no path to truth, it must come to you. Truth can come to you only when your mind and heart are simple, clear, and there is love in your heart, not if your heart is filled with the things of the mind." It is time to evaluate if you have been living your life for others, doing things that society wants you to do or if your life is filled with things you love and they come from the heart. Time is priceless and you don't want to waste it doing things that you don't love. Live each day like it is the last day. Do like the Egyptians who thought people thought with their hearts, not with their brains. Start listening to what your heart wants and follow what it says so you can live your life fully and more happily.
Now is the time to let go of the past, make space, and create your future. Make 2011 the year you want it to be. Manifest your destiny and don't give your power away. You always have a choice whether you are aware of it or not.
Many blessings )0(
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Happiness in Every Bottle
As we were going to Oregon for Thanksgiving, we stopped at Raleys to get something to drink and there it was, a funky looking bottle called Neuro Bliss with the tagline "Happiness in Every Bottle" (check it out http://drinkneuro.com/). Needless is to say that after seeing this, I had to try it! Yes, a type of lemonade that promises happiness and joy... As I was drinking a bottle of Neuro Bliss, I couldn't help but think how much of our happiness depends on external factors. This was another way to placing the focus of our happiness outside ourselves. Many time, people say that they will be happy when they have a house, or a car, or a child, or the perfect job. It's like we are always waiting for some external force to bring us happiness instead of realizing that happiness comes from within and that we can choose to be happy now.
In her book, Happiness for No Reason, Marci Shimoff explains how we should avoid placing the source of our happiness in things that are outside ourselves and just focus on being happy for no reason, just choosing to be happy. Sometimes people are unhappy because they believe that they need to be a certain way or have the mandate from society or their parents to be a certain way. Not being able to achieve these standards usually leads to frustration and unhappiness and that's when we shift and start believing that we will be happier when... you can name it, always an external force that will bring us happiness.
First, we need to realize that we can choose to be happy as we can choose to be sad and it is within our power to choose how we want to feel. Second, we need to realize that some of our dreams are not actually our dreams but placed there by society, family values and traditions but we choose to be different. We are not numbers and we have a choice so don't give your power to choose away just to follow the mandates from others. Question whether what you are pursuing is really your dream or whether it is somebody else's dream. If you find out it is indeed your dream, keep going. But if you happen to see that this dream does not belong to you, you can choose to let that go and start living your dreams. Don't wait for external forces to make you happy because in doing so you may waste your life waiting for this or that to happen. Instead, choose to be happy for no reason, let your happiness come from within and enjoy following your dreams.
Blessings )0(
In her book, Happiness for No Reason, Marci Shimoff explains how we should avoid placing the source of our happiness in things that are outside ourselves and just focus on being happy for no reason, just choosing to be happy. Sometimes people are unhappy because they believe that they need to be a certain way or have the mandate from society or their parents to be a certain way. Not being able to achieve these standards usually leads to frustration and unhappiness and that's when we shift and start believing that we will be happier when... you can name it, always an external force that will bring us happiness.
First, we need to realize that we can choose to be happy as we can choose to be sad and it is within our power to choose how we want to feel. Second, we need to realize that some of our dreams are not actually our dreams but placed there by society, family values and traditions but we choose to be different. We are not numbers and we have a choice so don't give your power to choose away just to follow the mandates from others. Question whether what you are pursuing is really your dream or whether it is somebody else's dream. If you find out it is indeed your dream, keep going. But if you happen to see that this dream does not belong to you, you can choose to let that go and start living your dreams. Don't wait for external forces to make you happy because in doing so you may waste your life waiting for this or that to happen. Instead, choose to be happy for no reason, let your happiness come from within and enjoy following your dreams.
Blessings )0(
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Being Grateful
When I moved to the United States almost eight years ago, one thing that I really liked was the fact that in this country, you had one day when you give thanks for all the things you have. We usually take more time focusing on the things we don't have than giving thanks for all those good things we do have in our lives. Sometimes, we take for granted that we have good health, a roof above our heads, a car to move around, a family who loves us, friends who support us, a job, food on the table, a sense of security, and so many other things that we usually don't stop to think about and instead we realize we had them when we lose them. For example, a few weeks ago, I was really sick with strep throat and that helped me realize how I take my good health for granted, I never stop to give thanks that I can walk, that I can move around, that I can work everyday. There are so many people in the world who do not have that. The same principle applies to being able to have food every day and not having to worry about whether I am going to eat today or not.
Although it is great to have a designated day to give thanks, it is also a good practice to give thanks for all the things that we have in our lives every day. Gratitude generates good energy and usually tells the universe to bring more of those things into our lives. Many times, the things that take place in our lives are a reflection of those things that are in our minds, so if we focus on lack, we only generate more lack.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to drive through snow for the first time in my life. It was such an amazing experience! As I was driving through the border between California and Oregon, I started seeing little flakes on my windshield and I was like "is that snow?" It was such an amazing feeling to see the beauty of the mountains covered with snow for a person who has lived 2/3 of her life in a big city. I was grateful of that experience and the fact that nothing went wrong because as I was shifting lanes, I felt my car sliding and I was like ... oh no... don't let me end up hitting the side of the road like the car that they were pulling out as we were driving by.
Today is a day when I am thankful for being alive, for having another day in this beautiful earth and being able to observe beauty all around me. I am thankful for my family and friends who are always there for me. I am thankful for experiencing love in my life as well as giving love in my life. I am also grateful for those stressful moments in life when I feel everything is going wrong but they show me they are opportunities in disguise and let me experience my strength. There are so many things to be thankful for that it is hard to count them all but I know I am lucky to live where I live and be able to experience my life this way. Life is full of things to be grateful for if we take a minute and look around. Every small thing counts. You can choose to focus on the positive and let the negative fall away so it does not prevent you from living you life fully.
Blessings )0(
Although it is great to have a designated day to give thanks, it is also a good practice to give thanks for all the things that we have in our lives every day. Gratitude generates good energy and usually tells the universe to bring more of those things into our lives. Many times, the things that take place in our lives are a reflection of those things that are in our minds, so if we focus on lack, we only generate more lack.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to drive through snow for the first time in my life. It was such an amazing experience! As I was driving through the border between California and Oregon, I started seeing little flakes on my windshield and I was like "is that snow?" It was such an amazing feeling to see the beauty of the mountains covered with snow for a person who has lived 2/3 of her life in a big city. I was grateful of that experience and the fact that nothing went wrong because as I was shifting lanes, I felt my car sliding and I was like ... oh no... don't let me end up hitting the side of the road like the car that they were pulling out as we were driving by.
Today is a day when I am thankful for being alive, for having another day in this beautiful earth and being able to observe beauty all around me. I am thankful for my family and friends who are always there for me. I am thankful for experiencing love in my life as well as giving love in my life. I am also grateful for those stressful moments in life when I feel everything is going wrong but they show me they are opportunities in disguise and let me experience my strength. There are so many things to be thankful for that it is hard to count them all but I know I am lucky to live where I live and be able to experience my life this way. Life is full of things to be grateful for if we take a minute and look around. Every small thing counts. You can choose to focus on the positive and let the negative fall away so it does not prevent you from living you life fully.
Blessings )0(
Sunday, November 21, 2010
At the Crossroads
There are times when life pushes you to the extremes and you get to test your strength in those moments. Last week was one of those times for me. Work has been insane lately with too many deadlines, too little time, and a lot of stress. Everything is to be done by December 31, 2010 what makes that day feel like the end of the world because I am not sure how I can make it at this point without sacrificing my personal time off, and one thing I have learned with the years is that my personal time is very important and I don't want to sacrifice it no matter what. I need balance in my life and having to work 24/7 would not be my cup of tea anymore. There is an underlying philosophy in my team where people work till midnight, Saturdays, Sundays and sacrifice their time what usually leads to unhealthy patterns. I usually feel like the odd ball who does not fit because I value my health and my time too much and I will not sell my soul for a few bucks. On Wednesday, I found out that my co-worker who started at the same time I did was getting promoted. This was not a surprise for me since I had seen it coming but it surprised me that my boss would call me to the office to let me know. It was like she was trying to make sure that I would not blow up with the news. Luckily, I am one of those employees who is very clear on where she is and has no unrealistic expectations or a sense of entitlement. I knew I was not ready for a promotion and on top of that, I also know what a promotion means. Yes! You guessed it promotion = additional responsibilities and higher expectations to produce. I definitely don't need that at this time so for the first time in my life, I was more than ok with being passed on a promotion. I am usually a very competitive person and I don't like losing so feeling ok with this situation felt awkward to me since in the past, I would have been upset; but like I told my boss "I am very competitive but I also know who I can compete with." I can not compete with a person who has over 10 years experience in the industry because he definitely has more experience than I do. I am also at a time in my life when I feel like I am at the crossroads. There are options out there and I am evaluating them making sure that I don't jump into situations without considering all the consequences since I am not that young anymore. It is not like when I was 23 that I decided to get married and move to a foreign country without considering what I would do for a living, what I would do without my family, without my friends, with little support in a country that is very different from my home town. I did that once and although it turned out ok, it also implied lots of sacrifices and suffering to get to where I am now. I am a stronger person today thanks to that experience but I am also much more careful because I know I need to make decisions rationally if I want to avoid some of the pains that I experienced in the past.
I am also at a time in my life when my priorities are shifting. When I moved to the States, I definitely bought into the American dream - having a big house, a car, an important job that paid well, etc, etc, etc. Today, I feel that material things are second to happiness and health. I can have all the money in the world and be the most miserable person anybody would have ever known. Money does not buy happiness, money does not buy health, money does not buy love. Although I accept money is a part of our lives and it is easier to have enough, I don't think it should be the focus of my life since it would involve sacrifice and unhappiness. I know I could work 24/7 and make more money but would I be happy? I don't think so. Then if I suddenly died, what would be left for me, what would they put in my grave "She was a hard worker who sacrificed her life for a job to make more money." Instead, I would like my grave to read "She was a happy person who was fun to be around and that always shone her light and made other people's lives happier" In the end, it is up to us to decide what we want in our lives; to take ownership and live our lives the way we want to live them and not let anybody define who we are. I want to live my life from the heart and not from the head. The head is usually confused by the messages we receive from the environment about who we should be, what we should have, what we should do to be happy. Our hearts know what our souls want. It is hard to live from the heart but it is not impossible. We have the power to choose. We have the power to change the course if we don't think we are on the right track. We just need to face our fears and not let them dominate us, just choose and move on so when we look back, we know we did it our way and we lived the life we wanted to live and not the one that others expected us to live.
Blessings )0(
I am also at a time in my life when my priorities are shifting. When I moved to the States, I definitely bought into the American dream - having a big house, a car, an important job that paid well, etc, etc, etc. Today, I feel that material things are second to happiness and health. I can have all the money in the world and be the most miserable person anybody would have ever known. Money does not buy happiness, money does not buy health, money does not buy love. Although I accept money is a part of our lives and it is easier to have enough, I don't think it should be the focus of my life since it would involve sacrifice and unhappiness. I know I could work 24/7 and make more money but would I be happy? I don't think so. Then if I suddenly died, what would be left for me, what would they put in my grave "She was a hard worker who sacrificed her life for a job to make more money." Instead, I would like my grave to read "She was a happy person who was fun to be around and that always shone her light and made other people's lives happier" In the end, it is up to us to decide what we want in our lives; to take ownership and live our lives the way we want to live them and not let anybody define who we are. I want to live my life from the heart and not from the head. The head is usually confused by the messages we receive from the environment about who we should be, what we should have, what we should do to be happy. Our hearts know what our souls want. It is hard to live from the heart but it is not impossible. We have the power to choose. We have the power to change the course if we don't think we are on the right track. We just need to face our fears and not let them dominate us, just choose and move on so when we look back, we know we did it our way and we lived the life we wanted to live and not the one that others expected us to live.
Blessings )0(
Monday, November 15, 2010
Defining Ourselves
How do you define yourself? When somebody asks you who you are, what do you say? Do you express yourself as in your profession or your roles? Do you say you are a mother, a father, a son? What comes to your mind when you hear this question? When I think of this question, I can't help but think about the movie Anger Management when Jack Nicholson asks Adam Sandler to describe who he is and he starts saying he is a clerk, and Jack Nicholson says "Dave, that's your profession, what I am asking is who you are?" and then he keeps saying things connected to his hobbies and his roles and he gets to a point where he is so frustrated he says "I don't know who the f#ck I am, you tell me..."
On Saturday, I was sitting at the Union Square park in San Francisco and a very old Chinese man came to my table and asked me if he could sit down with me. He had a peculiar appearance with his colorful tie that pictured a parrot on it, his white gloves, and his cane. He took a while choosing the chair he wanted to sit on and fixing his things. Once he sat down, he took a photo album from his coat and started looking at the pictures what made me think how when we reach a certain age, all that is left is our family, our memories, how much we learned, how much we loved, and how much we shared with the world, no amount of money is going to make us stop getting old or dying so money should not be the most important thing in our lives. As he was looking at his pictures, he decided to start showing me his pictures. His English was broken but the pictures expressed how much of the Chinese culture is based on achievement. His comments were "this is my son, he is a doctor; this is my other son, he is an engineer... my grandson is a manager...." Every word that describe his family was connected with profession and roles and I could see he was so proud of what his family had accomplished. The people around me looked at me like I was out of this world since I was keeping the conversation with him but my parents taught me to respect the elderly and always be polite, we can always learn something from other people's experiences. I had a good time talking to this old man and made me realize how many times, even when I describe myself as a Priestess, I am defining myself within a role so I kept thinking what would be a definition that would describe me without taking into account the roles in my life and I came up with this "I am a powerful, beautiful, intelligent, and spiritual woman" so if you had to define yourself, what words would you use? What would you say?
Blessings )0(
On Saturday, I was sitting at the Union Square park in San Francisco and a very old Chinese man came to my table and asked me if he could sit down with me. He had a peculiar appearance with his colorful tie that pictured a parrot on it, his white gloves, and his cane. He took a while choosing the chair he wanted to sit on and fixing his things. Once he sat down, he took a photo album from his coat and started looking at the pictures what made me think how when we reach a certain age, all that is left is our family, our memories, how much we learned, how much we loved, and how much we shared with the world, no amount of money is going to make us stop getting old or dying so money should not be the most important thing in our lives. As he was looking at his pictures, he decided to start showing me his pictures. His English was broken but the pictures expressed how much of the Chinese culture is based on achievement. His comments were "this is my son, he is a doctor; this is my other son, he is an engineer... my grandson is a manager...." Every word that describe his family was connected with profession and roles and I could see he was so proud of what his family had accomplished. The people around me looked at me like I was out of this world since I was keeping the conversation with him but my parents taught me to respect the elderly and always be polite, we can always learn something from other people's experiences. I had a good time talking to this old man and made me realize how many times, even when I describe myself as a Priestess, I am defining myself within a role so I kept thinking what would be a definition that would describe me without taking into account the roles in my life and I came up with this "I am a powerful, beautiful, intelligent, and spiritual woman" so if you had to define yourself, what words would you use? What would you say?
Blessings )0(
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