Category: self-improvement

knowledge, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Success, Wellness

Do You Believe That Hope Is The Last Thing To Be Lost?

dianangelika0607

17/12/20

Today’s post title is an idiom which people use in my country, Colombia which in Spanish language is: “La esperanza es lo último que se pierde” and its meaning is like a consolation when somebody faces a difficult and distressing situation.

The idiom’s origin has relation with this myth: According to Hesiod, when Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus, the king of the gods, took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Prometheus’ brother Epimetheus. Pandora opened a jar left in her care containing sickness, death and many other unspecified evils which were then released into the world. Though she hastened to close the container, only one thing was left behind – usually translated as Hope, though it could also have the pessimistic meaning of “deceptive expectation”.

From this story has grown the idiom “to open a Pandora’s box”, meaning to do or start something that will cause many unforeseen problems.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora%27s_box) Also, there is another meaning with this story which is: Hope is the last thing to be lost.

Do you believe that hope is the last thing to be lost? Many times, people can have pessimist and negative thoughts which are the result of different situations. People try to have an accomplishment or reach dreams or goals and they can find some obstacles to achieve them. When this happens is when people need to have resources to face those barriers and these elements can be own as skills and experiences and also, we can have external resources like social networks, financial, physical and cultural resources.

For example, in this time all the world is struggling to fight against Covid- 19. As a result of this pandemic a lot of people have died or we have had to face other types of losses (financial, labor or in relationships) but in recent days the outlook has been different in regard to this problem because fortunately some countries started to vaccinate some population. Obviously, the process is really slow but months ago we had no vaccines and at present the vaccination campaign started. Therefore, the situation generates hope and after a long time of continuous struggle, studies and tests there is a light at the end of the tunnel or in other words “every cloud has a silver lining”, hasn’t it?

The learning is to find solutions, take actions and don’t get carried away by emotions but make the most out of ideas and knowledge. Perhaps all of this in theory is easy to read but when somebody has many problems, frustrations, trials and tribulations it’s complex to apply it.

My suggestion is to find all the resources that you have, using communication and if necessary, seek help but never live with a sorrow, an anguish or a pain alone, asking for help won´t make you weaker and remember after the storm comes the calm or as Martin Luther King said “We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope”.

Do you agree or disagree? Leave your comments below.

DARR.

Community, covid 19, Cultures, Hobbies, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Success

Tis The Season

dianangelika0607

27/11/20

It’s November and we’re close to the end of the year. This year has been something special with a lot of challenges, changes and learnings.

I was thinking that time flies and I remember the celebrations when I was child and I was with my cousins surrounding the Christmas tree and waiting for the gifts at midnight. Also, it was a pleasure to see the fireworks and to play with the sparkles and other pyrotechnic games. Enjoying the Christmas carols and eating buñuelos and natilla, traditional Colombian food during this season. It’s really remarkable how those celebrations strengthen family ties and show the value of having special people close to us. However, the circumstances can change and at the present with pandemic time those gatherings and encounters face to face are difficult. In my case, I have a family far away from me and I have to think that our Christmas will be virtual and it’s strange, isn’t it? This period of time is teaching us to be creative, resilient and with a tough mental capacity to face those situations. There are people who don’t care about this reality but to others it is important to be close to their beloveds due to their traditions or culture. Nonetheless, sometimes it is complicated to have what we want for example: the last iPhone, the beautiful dress from the store or the trip to that stunning beach, there are cases where we need to wait.

Sometimes I believe this is a period of reflection and some people say that is a message from nature or the environment, where we need to change our selfish, violent and give a damn attitude. I know there are people who don’t care about anything and they have the most incredible and odd behaviors. From time to time I watch the news and I believe that I’ve seen everything when suddenly I watch another incredible headline with weird histories and I say to myself “That’s why this is happening to us”. I know! Human behavior is really complex but our environment and reality can help to trigger mental diseases. By the way, I invite you to read my post called Mental Health in Pandemic time that has relation to this topic: https://dianix.news.blog/2020/10/31/mental-health-in-pandemic-time/?

Anyway, Christmas is a time of peace, love and reflection. This year we need to make the most out of it, 2020 has been a year which invites us to reflect a lot. It’s possible that some projects and goals that we had this year will need to wait but I’m sure that we developed other skills and achieved new targets.

I believe that everything has an explanation and if this is not the case then it has a lesson and this year is a period of teachings, adaptation, reinvent and meditation for sure.

Finally, I want to dedicate this post to the special people who I know: my dad, husband, relatives, friends and global citizens. I wish you the best today and always. Take care of yourself in this last season.   

DARR.

Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Success, Wellness

Is It Possible That Dreams Come True?

dianangelika0607

05/11/20

Starting a new project isn’t easy and mostly because that implies commitment and discipline. Many people are afraid to leave the comfort zone and change their mindset, the daily routines and activities.

The new project can be personal, labor, academic or in another sphere. That is the case to start a new diet, a career, a new book, a physical training or on the other hand, there are projects more ambitious like to create entrepreneurship, a business or a company. In fact, today I watched an inspiring video about the beginning of a Colombian courier company called “Servientrega” whose owner started his project cultivating coriander and raising rabbits on a farm. Nowadays his company is a multinational which its key to success are: Vision, Strategic Alliances, Marketing, Understand Customers and Determination.

This is just one case about successful people but there are other visionaries who started with a dream or a brief idea like the creators of: Amazon, Tesla, Apple, Facebook or Microsoft to mention some of them.

I have always admired people who start a big project without having financial, human, physical or other resources but they have the desire and the idea to create something that can generate impact on humanity. The most important thing is their passion, confidence and belief about their dream.

Taking the decision to start is the most difficult, sometimes there are pretexts, excuses or people tend to procrastinate. From my experience it is like swimming. Before jumping into the pool, you touch the water with your toes and test if it’s cold and finally you take the risk to jump inside it. And so, to start something new, no matter what, requires on the one hand commitment and on the other hand taking risks, the water can be cold initially but after some time the temperature changes and you could swim without problem.

The key is believing in yourself, taking advantage of your skills, keeping your dream firm, having discipline and determination and don’t be afraid to ask for help from other people when necessary. 

DARR.

self-improvement

Learning To Say Goodbye

dianangelika0607

10/10/20

Talking about mourning it’s not easy due to it being a complex topic and each person has different experiences and resources to face the problem.

In my case, ten months ago, I had the experience of losing my mother, who was everything to me. For that reason, I want to share this reality with you. I’m aware that this experience is really personal, however I know that people learn through others and therefore I want to tell about this difficult moment and at the same time this works as therapy for me.

My mourning started when I knew about my mom’s diagnosis. She had started having stomach pain frequently and after some tests the doctors realized that her problem was pancreatic cancer. I knew that her problem was very serious but at the same time I had confidence in the science and the medical team that was treating her. I was very optimistic until the last moment. Also, I thought that hope is the last thing that to lose.

The process of my mom started in May 2019; she had a whipple procedure in June. It was a complex and risky surgery but my mom faced it like a warrior. After that she had chemotherapy. On the first cycles my mom showed improvement but afterwards the indicators started to change and her health too. My mom struggled until the last day and it was a big lesson for me. Now, I admire her more because she showed me her straight, courage and bravery.

In my process of mourning or grief I’ve felt different emotions like a roller coaster.

The pain in the first days and months was really unbearable. At the same time, I felt guilty and had a bittersweet flavor because I believed that I hadn’t done enough. I was overwhelmed because I experienced different emotions such as rage, surprise, loneliness, melancholia and deep sadness in a short time and I wondered why?

Something that has helped me a lot is to talk and express my emotions and my husband has helped me in this phase, he listens to me and gives me advices. He says that sometimes he doesn’t have the best words to say to me but I believe that the simple fact of feeling that someone listens to you is a gain. At the same time, I found support and help from many people which give me strength and energy to face the situation.

I think if people don’t communicate, preferring to stay alone and locked in their spaces this behavior can be unhealthy. Although it depends on each person and their mindset and personal resources.

On the other hand, the memory and essence of my mom help me to stay with my goals and activities. And I believe that my dad has similar resources. He lived with my mother 38 years and now he’s a widower. I admire my dad because he’s very resourceful and takes advantage of the support networks. He lives alone because I’m living in another country and I’m an only child but I’ve seen that he’s very resilient. It’s natural that my dad feeds on my mom’s memories like photos, letters, songs or her paintings, because she was a talented painter.

But also, he reads books of self-improvement, listens to music, watches TV, surfs the internet and keeps in touch with other people like family and friends through WhatsApp or other Apps. I talk with him twice every day and it’s a way to keep our bond.

With time I’ve learned that there isn’t a recipe to cure pain and it’s just the time and the memories of your beloved which help you to face their loss. My dad and I are in the process yet and isn’t easy. I just talked to him and he told me that he had planned to hang out with a relative and I’m glad because he has the best attitude to face life and at the same time has his mind busy.

I know that life gives us difficult trials and at some point, you could have a loss, maybe someone passes away, or a breakdown of the relationship or perhaps losing your job. The most important thing is to use your own resources and if it’s necessary to find help, everybody face trials differently but remember that “The darkest hour is just before the down”.

Finally, I want to share with you an article about The Five Stages of Grieve. That theory was created by the psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. This is not the absolute truth because there are different theories and studies about grief and mourning but can be an interesting resource like many others.

https://www.verywellmind.com/five-stages-of-grief-4175361

This writing is in memory of my mom Amparo Ruíz Martínez.

DARR.

Community, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Wellness

Its Cool To Be Kind

dianangelika0607

13/08/2020

This week I listened to a podcast which heading was “Its cool to be kind”. The essence of that podcast is there are people who enjoy to help others without receiving anything in return.

In this world where there are a lot of social differences and those generate poverty and needs in some communities and social groups and at the same time foundations, organizations or merely persons who want to help that vulnerable population.

When I lived in Colombia I worked at University where the slogan is “Education available to everyone”. That means to offer education to all people no matter race, gender, age, ethnic group or beliefs, the most important thing is to have good quality education for a low price. It’s important to clarify that Colombian education isn´t free as in other countries.

My experience there was really gratifying because it was to help ­­­people, with my profession and at the same time I learned with them. Students taught me about goodness and humility.

Doing humanitarian labor feeds the spirit and the reward is to see happy people. Here in Canada I’m done volunteering and it’s fulfilling too. In Colombia there is the following proverb: Today for you tomorrow for me. That means if you help someone sometime, it’s possible that at the time you need help you can find a kind person who helps you too. It’s like the movie Pay it Forward where the principal idea is “a charitable program based on the networking of good deeds. The main character calls his plan, which means the recipient of a favor does a favor for three others rather than paying the favor back”.

Definitely they are people with big feelings and with the vocation to help others, that reminds me of the concept of philanthropy which “…is an idea, event, or action that is done to better humanity and usually involves some sacrifice as opposed to being done for a profit motive. Acts of philanthropy include donating money to a charity, volunteering at a local shelter, or raising money to donate to cancer research”.

On the podcast there’s a story about a guy who travels around the world and hopes the generosity of people will keep him going. He says “Giving is better than receiving”. This is a link that shows part of his journeys in his program telling “The kindness Diaries”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN51oWwwbqg.

In summary, I hope you have enjoyed this writing about generosity, fulfilling and kindness. I want to conclude with this quote of Princess Diana “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”

DARR.

information, knowledge, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Wellness

Capacity Of Reinventing During Pandemic Time

dianangelika0607

29/06/20

At present our life has been changing drastically with the presence of Covid 19 and certainly that virus has generated devastating consequences like human casualties, unemployment, financial problems, changes in emotional, social and familiar life. However, in pandemic time, people have had to reinvent and change their life habits. For example, virtual work has increased. Some platforms like Zoom, Skype, Google Duo, Meet or Hangouts provide the best choices to have meetings, besides to see our relatives who are far away.

On the other hand, families are together all day because job, school, restaurant, gym and entertainment are in the same place. That situation has its cons and pros due to people need their spaces to do their activities separately. For that reason, some couple relationships have had problems as a result of those changes.

Some companies and productive sectors have grown their businesses due to the pandemic such as Amazon, Netflix, Virtual Schools and Universities, Supermarkets, Pharmacies and Home delivery services. On the opposite side, businesses in tourism, transportation and entertainment have been totally affected. 

Finally, mental and emotional problems are a consequence of this event. Is totally understandable if people are unemployed or their life is reduced to living into four walls, doing and seeing the same day after day they are going to feel depression or sadness. At this point is very important the resilience and the capacity of reinventing.

Certainly, our life has been changed with this eventuality, some of our projects and goals have had to wait. In my case the process to get the permanent residence is on hold. Sometimes I feel frustrated, other times disappointed, but I know that someday this chaos and historic moment of our life will just be in our memories.

DARR.

Cultures, information, knowledge, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Travel, Wellness

Taking Decisions

dianangelika0607

22/06/2020

Today I want to tell you about my experience living in a different country, due to nowadays I live in Canada but I’m from Colombia.

The determination to change of life wasn’t easy because I was starting again in a new place, far away from my family, friends, culture and customs. When my husband and I communicated our decision some friends and close people told me they wanted to change their lives too and they wanted to search for a better quality of life. However, some of them were afraid to get out of their comfort zones and it was understable considering that they had a stability in their jobs, social life, education and finances but at the same time they told me about their frustrations, emotions and needs in their lives.

My case was similar in the sense that I had my life in Colombia but I wanted a change and better life. However, to be an immigrant is not easy and if you don’t speak the language fluently, for example, in Canada it is important to speak English and French (Depends on the province). If you aspire to a good job you should speak good English (In my case it is English language because I’m living in Toronto). It’s true that Canadians are friendly and kind with newcomers but certainly there is a lot of competition in the labor market and for that it is important to have certain skills or abilities.

On the other hand, Toronto is a multicultural city and for me has been a nice experience to know about the variety in gastronomy, cultures, religions and other forms of life. Nevertheless, in this pandemic time the possibility to continue knowing about Toronto is limited and for that reason we have to wait.

Living in another country makes you feel alone, the emotions and feelings change but it’s important to have a social network, in our case we are introverted people but there are several ways to meet other persons like events at parks, libraries, workshops or conferences about different topics.

In summary, moving to another country is not easy but not impossible either, the success depends on each person and its behavior. Fortunately, there are opportunities and the most important is to take advantage of them. 

DARR.

information, knowledge, languages, self-improvement

Real Life English

dianangelika0607

08/06/2020

My principal target now is to be able to understand the English language. My experience with the language haven’t been easy because before beginning with Real Life I studied at an English school where I learnt some topics and grammar tools, which were useful for me when I got out to the real world but I realized that I needed more since when the people talk to me many times I didn’t understand and I thought “ Holly cow those people are talking very fast and I don’t understand anything” I felt so frustrate and sometimes I thought to give up the dream to learn English. However, I chose another way and with the situation of the Covid 19 I started to learn English for myself. I took advantage that I like watching tv and a good resource to learn English for me is watching tv series. I started to watch Friends. I love that series due to being so real and very funny. First, I watched it with subtitles and now I don’t use them. Another series that I recommend is Modern Family which is very funny too. The plot is about three families with different problems and cases that imitate real life. There is a character who is a Colombian lady and I feel identified with her because her Latin accent is very remarkable and funny also her pronunciation is really hilarious. Other series that I’m watching are Fullest House, The Witcher, The Crown and 13 reasons Why. I tried to watch Suits but I didn’t catch their vocabulary because it’s a series about some lawyers and there is a lot of vocabulary about business, law and other stuff that was complex for me. It’s a really interesting series but I felt that the series develops at a very fast pace, however when I improve my English, I’ll come back to watch it.

Another way that I think it’s really good to learn English is on YouTube where I found the channel Learn English With Tv. That channel from my point of view is amazing, creative, original and helps me to learn a lot of vocabulary. I’m a visual person and the method to see a scene and doing their analysis is very practical for me, also the series, movies and songs are really great. 

Listening to music and following the lyrics of a song is another way to learn English, sometimes it’s difficult since there are fast rhymes but if you like the music is an enjoyable activity.

Anyway, there are other ways to learn English like podcasts, reading books, participating in Meetups, watching or listening to news, going to libraries, participating in conversation clubs, definitely the best way to learn is by playing and enjoying it. For me to start this course is a big challenge but it´s an opportunity too. I agree that if you want something the attitude is very important to reach a target. I know that sometimes it´s difficult and you feel down, of course the method is very important, since my experience staying in a classroom all morning learning vocabulary and grammar in not enough and schools still use that methodology, I decided to change the traditional education  and use other ways like to be immerse in the native community. The most important is practice, take risks, have a good attitude and hit a hurdle. In my country we say “jump into the water” or in other words to take the correct pill.

DARR.