Category: Wellness

covid 19, knowledge, Mental- Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, self-improvement, Wellness

Every Ending Has A New Beginning.

dianangelika0607

01/01/21

The past year was a tough year and humanity lived an exceptional period with challenges, obstacles and barriers. Watching on the news all dramatic cases, statistics growing and many human and financial losses without doubt was a hopeless year. I saw different behaviors and the ways how people faced the pandemic situation and I noticed people who followed the rules and indications and on the other hand disobedient and skeptical people. Now, we have the results of all of that where there are more people dying, UCI collapsing and businesses going bankrupt leaving a huge social and economic imbalance.

It’s incredible to acknowledge that everything is real and actually it’s happening and isn’t a fiction movie. However, there are people who believe that all started in a laboratory and it’s a conspiracy. There are a diversity of theories and ways which try to explain all of this but the reality is that we have a massive issue of public health.

I don’t know why people don’t get aware yet, many underestimate this virus and its consequences, I know we just lived Christmas time which it’s a period where people have gatherings with their love ones or they just travel and change of environment after a long year with a lot of labor, academic and personal responsibilities and the best way it’s to get away from the routine of everyday life. However, our reality is different and we need to wait, I know each person has their personal issues and priorities but do you believe that is the best time to travel or have massive gatherings? I’ve watched on the news many people enjoying this period in public places but I believe it’s somehow to throw everything overboard and our effort that we had during 2020 and contribute to the increase in the number of new cases.

For example, Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips has resigned from his position in cabinet after returning home from a personal trip to the Caribbean during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Premier Doug Ford released a statement Thursday, just hours after Phillips arrived back in Canada, saying he had accepted the minister’s resignation.

“At a time when the people of Ontario have sacrificed so much, today’s resignation is a demonstration that our government takes seriously our obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Ford said (https://globalnews.ca/news/7548706/coronavirus-rod-phillips-returns-canada/)

Why do people go against rules and guidelines? This case is one example of many, I’m really disappointed and upset by all of this. How many more victims? Until when?

Today is the first day of the year and we start this 2021 with expectations and goals for sure, but at the same time with the challenge to face all the remaining problems of 2020. I just wish you happiness, wellness and hope during 2021 and especially good health. I’m completely sure that every ending has a new beginning.

Happy New Year guys!

DARR.

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, knowledge, Wellness

Little Candles Day

dianangelika0607

07/12/20

Today is December 7th and in my country, Colombia we celebrate the Day of the Little Candles. Colombia is a country with many religious celebrations and today is in honor of the Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Conception.

The celebration of the Night of the Little Candles dates to December 7, 1854, when Pope Pius IX defined as dogma the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, published in his Apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus. In anticipation of this decision, people lit candles and paper lanterns to show their support and belief in this idea.

In Colombia, as in many places all over the world, this announcement was observed by lighting candles. The Catholic Church of Colombia kept the celebration alive and made an annual tradition of lighting candles the night of December 7. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Little_Candles)

This day is the official start of the Christmas season in my country. It’s an important celebration because families do gatherings and go outside on the streets and turn on lanterns and candles. Many of them cook delicious and traditional plates like buñuelos, natilla, hojuelas, rice pudding or cookies with wine. It’s amazing to see all houses with candles and feeling the vibe of the Christmas season.

However, this year is something special and some celebrations will be virtual or different due to the pandemic time, in my case is my first Christmas without my mom because she passed away in last December and it’s really tough. I remember she always asked me before this date: What are we doing today? What are we going to cook? She always enjoyed these celebrations and she was like a star because her personality had light and she was the center of my family and I suppose that today she will be present like the sparkle of one of those candles.

So, this a year of reflection as I mentioned in my previous writing and the celebrations will be different for sure but the most important thing is to have the best thoughts and energy for our love ones. Wishing to all my friends and relatives a beautiful Day of the Little Candles, enjoy this time but with responsibility and taking care of yourself, I know we will have better times and remember that the darkest hour is just before the dawn.   

DARR.

Community, information, Mental- Health, Self-Help, Success, Wellness

The Value Of A Promise

dianangelika0607

19/11/20

I was thinking about how it’s important to keep our promises with ourselves and with other people.  It’s very important to have discipline, perseverance and dedication. For example, if I want to start a new project like studying a career, starting a diet or losing weight, reading a book or doing exercise, you need to focus on that goal and work hard on it. However, to have the mindset and dedicate yourself to that goal it’s not always easy. There are some factors around the environment which can be distractors or obstacles in that process as some traits or habits in our personality. Some of them can be procrastination, sloth, lack of time and money as well as the excuses: “Tomorrow I’ll start”, “I don’t have time” “I have a ton of work” “I’m busy with my husband/kids” etc. At the same time unfulfilled promises toward the family, friends, couples, colleagues, etc., such as: “I’ll call you tomorrow” “You’re the love of my life” “I’m going to buy you that” “See you tomorrow” etc.

From my point of view, generating false expectations isn’t right but nowadays the informality in our communications is typical where in a communication on WhatsApp, Telegram or another Social Media we leave incomplete conversations or we don’t say goodbye and we just assume something and that can be an agent to misunderstand a message. The same way can happen with an unfulfilled promise. There’s an assumption and each person interprets something according to their experiences, thoughts and beliefs.

In the construction of relationships there is an interchange of knowledge and behavior, at the same time the personality plays an important role. Our behavior can affect other people, our pledges too and for that reason it’s very important to be tactful with our words and expressions. If I promise something it´s better to keep it because we don’t know if the other person is waiting with expectations, emotion or anxiety. For example, telling a child that you are going to give him/her something, that promise must be fulfilled because there is nothing sadder than breaking a child’s heart with lies and false commitments.

Adults are more resilient; however, we can’t play with people’s emotions. My mom said that the words have power and I can’t agree more with that. We need to be careful with our words and our actions because we don’t know what’s inside each individual. We need to be respectful, kind and empathetic with others. At the same time, take care for ourself and search for happiness, achieve our goals and create new ones. Each promise has a value and can be meaningful to people.    

Finally, I would like to finish with this quote: “Keep your word. When you say you will do something and don’t do it, you teach others (including yourself) that you cannot be trusted”. Do you agree with that?

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.

Community, covid 19, information, knowledge, Mental- Health, Self-Help, Wellness

Mental Health In Pandemic Time

dianangelika0607

31/10/20

People are surrounded by an amount of emotions due to the fact that we are emotional and rational human beings. Each individual has their own identity which is like a stamp and those character traits facilitate the construction of interpersonal relationships.

However, from my perspective there are people whom their emotions overflow and many times show the worst side of humanity. For example, nowadays we’re in pandemic time and I’ve seen on the news and social media people attacking others because they ask them to wear face masks or using other measures of social distance and some of those people answering with hits, spits or swearing, being aggression and violence a reaction of them.

On the other hand, the isolation has changed our lifestyle and many people are working, studying and eating at home. Also, other people have faced the illness of a beloved or perhaps a loss represented in unemployment, death and instability. Therefore, there are some studies that show that the number of mental illnesses has increased due to Covid 19. “Studies indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with distress, anxiety, fear of contagion, depression and insomnia in the general population and among healthcare professionals. Social isolation, anxiety, fear of contagion, uncertainty, chronic stress and economic difficulties may lead to the development or exacerbation of depressive, anxiety, substance use and other psychiatric disorders in vulnerable populations including individuals with pre-existing psychiatric disorders and people who reside in high COVID-19 prevalence areas. Stress-related psychiatric conditions including mood and substance use disorders are associated with suicidal behavior” (https://academic.oup.com)

At the same time the statistics of suicides has increased too as well as the number of crimes and violence which makes the issue of COVID 19 not the only one we have to face.

Another problem is that the number of homeless in certain countries has grown quickly, such is the case of California in the U.S.; searching for some causes of that situation: job loss, drugs or alcohol use, divorce or separation, argument with a family member, domestic violence, eviction, mental health or release from jail.    

So, our environment can be hostile and it triggers a series of socially maladaptive behaviors. Then, how can people be facing all of those changes? People need actions to assume a new adaptation and reorganize their routines. Also, it’s very important to have emotional intelligence and impulse control. This is a complex time where people should have healthy behaviors. Sometimes it’s preferable to avoid negative news and information in social media that tends to show tabloid news. My advice is reading a nice book, doing meditation or exercise. A friend told me that there is an interesting activity like virtual marathons where people who stay at home run a treadmill connected on line in competition with other runners. Besides, taking advantage of social networks for interacting with family, friends or participating in webinars, meetings or virtual courses. Creating something new or perhaps developing a new habit or abilities. I’ve seen interesting entrepreneurships in this time. Besides, speaking with someone and if required searching for professional help.

I confess that I have reached my breaking point and sometimes I’ve felt frustrated and tired of all this situation and mostly because I couldn’t go to my country to visit my dad and loved ones but I think that it’s a trial period and it’s our decision to show our better face.

Humans are moved by emotions and our trial is to try to use the positives and left to one side the negatives one. From my experience I feel renovated when I cry or scream because it works as catharsis but on the other hand I try to search other ways to face this hard situation with the best attitude, I say to myself it’s just a period and is temporary, after that I take a deep breath and I go my way. 

Success is in reinvention and resilience, being assertive and socially responsible.

Finally I want to share some tips from The World Health Organization about Mental Health as complement to this post: https://www.who.int

DARR.

Art, Hobbies, information, Personal Development, Wellness

Art As A Way Of Expressing Feelings

dianangelika0607

24/10/20

Art has always been present in my life. Despite I’m not artist I’ve admired art in their different expressions like paintings, music, poetry, literature or photography. My mom was a painter and therefore I remember some painter stuff surrounded me when I was child: brushes, painter’s palettes, canvas, oils, frames, easels, pastels or charcoals and especially the smell of paint fills in the environment whereas my mom was painting. Also, I remember that she went to painting classes and I accompanied her and I saw her passion to do strokes on the canvas, measuring perspective before starting her work. Perspective is “the representation of three-dimensional objects or spaces in two dimensional artworks. Artists use perspective techniques to create a realistic impression of Depth” (Google Search). At the same time depending on the painting, she would be trying to create the effect of shadows or reflections or the effect of the person’s look. My mom always told me that to draw a human figure was really complex and was a challenge for her. Everything needed a specific techniques and knowledge.                                                        

My mom was really passionate about Art History and she had a teacher who had a vast knowledge about different art styles depending on the epoch. A remarkable period for us was The Renaissance with its maximum exponents like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. The way that they drew and sculp people and their expressions was quite impressive as well as the perfection of a look, a smile or a muscle, such is the case of The David by Michelangelo or The Gioconda by Leonardo Da Vinci. The David is a sculpture that was made with marble and is the result of 4 years of intense work “Is the perfection of the most famous sculpture in Florence and, perhaps, in all the world”. (https://www.michelangelo.org/david.jsp)

Source: https://www.boredpanda.com/michelangelo-david-close-up-photos/

Also, we admired Baroque painters. One time we went to the movies to watch the biography of Diego Velazquez and I’ve been astounded by his work on Las Meninas “Is regarded as a dialogue between artist and viewer, with its double mirror imagery and sketchy brushwork that brings every figure and object in the room to life”. (https://www.phaidon.com).

Source: https://www.etsy.com

A terrific activity for my mom was go to the movies with my dad and watch the cycle of art movies in Cine Colombia. Some painters who they watched were Pablo Picasso, Claude Monnet or Leonardo Da Vinci.

Anyway, my mom left me the pleasure of admiring works of art. My favorite artist is Gustav Klimt, I love the colors and subtlety of his paintings. The Kiss, Mother and Child and Water Serpents blow my mind. I’ve realized that I enjoy the paintings that have multicolored and mostly if they are animals’ images such in modern art.

Definitely going to an art gallery and appreciate a painting is a pleasure for me, to understand the meaning or the history behind of artwork is a challenge but at the same time is like to time travel.

Source: http://www.gustavklimt.net/mother-and-child/

Source: https://es.aliexpress.com

All in all, my mom did a lot of paintings whose protagonists were horses, flowers, country houses and landscapes, probably those are a projection of her likes about nature. She had their paintings like a hobby and a way to be entertained, she didn’t have a business mindset and never did an exposition. However, without having it as a purpose she had customers and sold some of her works sometimes by chance. Leaving part of her in each of her works.
However, it’s a shame that my mom did not get more out of her talent but that’s why I want to take advantage of these social networks to show her legacy.

Therefore, I want to share a link from my Facebook Group, where you can appreciate some of my mom’s works. I hope you enjoy them!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.395790624929627&type=3

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.

Hobbies, knowledge, Personal Development, Wellness

Was Any Point In The Past Better?

dianangelika0607

28/07/2020

Every week I like to do my writing. Today I was thinking about the topic and I had a flashback about my childhood.

When I was a child, I never used a computer, a smart phone, Alexa or Playstation. In my time I played backyard games like Statues, Cops and robbers, Hide and seek, Tag and Hopscotch. And my gadgets were Spinning top, Yo-Yo, Cup and Ball and Marbles. I liked playing sports like basketball and soccer where people admired basketball players like Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson and 90’s soccer players like Maradona, Baggio, Zidane or Ronaldo.

At that time, I loved listening to music and enjoyed singing and dancing. The 80s and the 90s music was really incredible because it was the period of Pop, Rock and Latin Music like Salsa and Merengue. Artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna and groups like Guns and Roses, Nirvana or U2 were risen to stardom.

On the other hand, TV Series like Magnum P.I, MacGyver, Manimal or Mission Impossible were my favorites and ThunderCats, She-Ra and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were cartoons that I enjoyed very much.

All of those events and memories were very special and significant for me. Good times are always in our memory and they make us travel through time. Moments with friends, family and beloveds are unforgettable and are invaluable.

However, at present kids are growing up with technology and gadgets in their lives, no matter their age. According to an article which I read in the web, technology “allows for creativity and freedom of expression… aids in socialization and relationship building…allows for independence and empowerment… improves problem solving perseverance…helps instill and entrepreneurial spirit…enhances learning and technology jobs are (and will be) in high demand”.

From my point of view each period is different and children take advantage of their environment. I was surrounded by some stimulus that helped me to learn and to know about the world and when I remember all of those things that I did when I was child, I conclude first of all that time passes really fast and secondly it is very important to enjoy life. There is a phrase that says “Any time in the past was better”. That is possible but the most important is “Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary”. (N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society).

The way of learning and socializing can change, but some aspects remain. The important thing is that parents and teachers encourage children. No matter the time, the circumstances, the resources or the environment, I think being curious, being restless and doing research moves us through the knowledge and into success.

Finally I want to share a link about an article that I saw on the web, which shows Benefits of Technology  and The Right Kind of Screen Time for children: https://www.idtech.com/blog/benefits-of-technology-for-children

See you later!

DARR

Hobbies, information, knowledge, Mental- Health, Wellness

The Power Of Music

dianangelika0607

13/07/2020

Music is an important component in my life. I love how music can generate emotions and feelings with a melody or just with the lyric of a song.

Ever since I was a little girl my dad used to put headphones in my ears and I liked to sing with him and we recorded our music in cassettes. By the way, the next data is for those guys who are very young, before listening to music in CDS, MP3 or Ipads existed on the cassettes. When I wanted to listen to the song, in that period it didn’t exist Youtube, Spotify or Apple music, then I had to listen to the radio station and if it sounded like the song that I liked, I had to run very quickly and record it in a cassette. Nowadays all of this is history and if you just write the name of a song in Youtube or other apps you can hear it as many times as you want.

Another experience that I had when I was at school, I was part of the choir and we made some performances at other schools and events, that was a fabulous experience for me. At the same time, I had a subject of music and I had the opportunity to learn to play the flute and the marimba. My biggest frustration so far is didn’t learn to play other instruments like the piano, the cello and the guitar but, you know, it’s never too late to learn and to reach goals.

Anyway, music is present every day of my life. When I start my morning and I’m cooking my breakfast, the first thing that I do is turn on my TV and listen to music on YouTube. I feel motivated, with energy and a good vibe with music.

Finally, one of my hobbies is to listen to music for sure. One plan that I did and I loved was walking on the streets of Havana (Cuba) and to listen to the groups of Cuban Son, playing with their instruments like guitars, flutes, maracas, bongo drums and congas. Another plan that I did last year was to listen to the orchestra that played the soundtrack of the Tv Series Game of Thrones on live concert. That was amazing!

The last activity but not less important is to listen to Colombian music, we have different genres and artists, fortunately my country has an enormous variety and it inspires us day to day.

In summary, music is life, health and helps us by making our lives better and Happy like the name of the song by Pharrell Williams.

DARR.