Lotus

“The lotus is a deep symbol of the East, where they affirm that we should live in such a way that we do not allow the world to poison us… It is a symbol of transformation: mud turns into the most beautiful flower and scent that this planet knows “- Osho describes it.

Rising from the darkness to bloom in the sunlight, this flower is a symbol of spiritual fulfilment. It is a cosmic egg in the centre of which is hidden the first seed and the realization of potential.

Its flowering process is long. Seeds can germinate even after 1.200 years. The lotus, a symbol of purity and wisdom, in order to fully open towards the Sun, it is necessary to first break through the mud and muddy waters. Upon rising, it becomes flawless and shows all its splendour and beauty.

Life requires resilience and flexibility, discipline, patience and strength of spirit. Difficulties help us to reach our goal and we have to see them as opportunities. Know how to live in a dirty world, while not getting dirty. This does not mean moving away from the world, but finding a source of good and beautiful in ourselves and letting it irrigate everything we think, say, feel.

In Japan, the lotus represents morality.

In Egypt, birth from primordial waters and rebirth. The Egyptian god Nefertum is represented with a lotus on his head, a flower that is born from the original chaos.

In India, it is a symbol of prosperity, beauty and eternity.

In Buddhism, the lotus is the throne on which the Buddha resides and signifies the divine birth. It is a symbol of cosmic energy and the very nature of the Buddha. At its centre, it hides the diamond from which Nirvana originates.

In the Christian world, it is replaced by white lily, which is a symbol of fertility and purity.

In Greek mythology, the legend says that the beautiful goddess got lost in the forest and reached the place where there was a lot of mud – the lotus in which she plunged. The place was created by the gods for beings who had an unfortunate fate. The young goddess fought for thousands of years until she ascended transformed into a beautiful lotus flower that represented the triumph of perseverance over difficult situations.

An Italian legend preaches that a long time ago a curious boy jumped into a swamp full of white and pink lotuses – the guardians of the invisible kingdom of fairies. When he got there, the fairies gave him the opportunity to choose between a coffin full of treasure and a beautiful fairy. Wanting to provide for his family, he chose a coffin. But he never managed to forget the beautiful fairy that enchanted him and gave himself up to death. His punishment was that he would never meet true love because of the wrong choice. In life, one should know how to choose an essence that is in line with the happiness of our soul and separate oneself from material goods.

In psychological terms, the lotus represents endurance and the ability to turn difficulties into potentials. It is a metaphor for people who have managed to overcome their defeats, sufferings, struggles, losses, pain and turned them into serenity, self-control and endurance. These are people who put a lot of effort into everything, who have self-control and who are prone to challenges.

The lotus is a symbol of purity, enlightenment, transformation and rebirth.

Eagle

There are widely known stories about the eagle, such as the one when the eagle turns forty and about the eagle that lived among the chickens. The first one teaches us that if we want to develop in the right way, we must get rid of old traits, abandon them so that we can be born again and continue to live and prosper. The second one again warns of the danger of stagnation, stuffiness, narrow-mindedness that prevents the realization of the greatest potentials of one’s own.

The eagle is a symbol of incredible power and intelligence. It is the lord of heaven. It supervises everything from spiritual heights. Its intelligence and insight reach far, everything is more clearly from above. It is the one who in the myth of the Psyche helps the Psyche to solve one of the tasks by reaching the spring and taking water. It is the will itself – only the will can awaken the will. And in Rome, the eagle on Jupiter’s sceptre is a symbol of will. It is associated with the sun, the sublime spirit among the ancient Greeks and Persians, as well as with the god Zeus. It is thunder and lightning, the creator. It represents nobility, power and war. As an initiatic bird it flies from one world to another, it regenerates and guides souls. It has been a collective symbol of strength and power since prehistoric times. The double-headed eagle reinforces this meaning and has doubled power.

Labyrinth

What should I do? How do I solve this? Which way should I go? I feel like I’m stumbling in place. I’m wandering. I am confused. It’s like I’m in a vicious circle. It’s like I’m in a maze and I can’t find a way out.

And so we begin to circle in the dark as the Greek god Ares-Dionysos did. He was sent a weapon, an axe with two blades – a labrys to win the darkness. He begins to cut and pave the road and illuminate it. This path is called a labyrinth. The axe turns into a torch, a flame, pure light. With one end of the axe, he dispersed the outer darkness and with the other end his own darkness. As he created light and a passage to the outside, so he created light within himself and opened the passage to the inside. He managed to reach the centre of the labyrinth, to himself.

Also, the hero Theseus, with the help of the yarn given to him by Ariadne, manages to kill the Minotaur in the centre of the labyrinth.

We live in the clutter of the material world we are surrounded by as well as in our own inner trap. Myth gives us a solution. The first thing we need to use is an axe. The axe is a symbol of will. It takes willpower to start the journey. The second weapon is a thread end. The thread is a symbol of permanence and memory. He has the power of connection, of intelligence. We know which paths we have passed, which paths we have yet to pass. These are the experiences that give us guidelines and the way back – the source where everything came from, what mistakes we should not repeat and how to do it. It is important to stay connected to that thread. Ariadne, who represents the soul, the love of wisdom, is responsible for preserving the thread. She is supporting Theseus at the right time, giving him the key to getting out of this situation. A Minotaur is an immoderate matter that is blind without intelligence and direction. The exit is possible only if the Minotaur, the lower aspect of our personality, is killed. We need to destroy it before it destroys us. Dare to boldly step towards the centre of the labyrinth, where the exit is, not outside.

Recognize your own Minotaur – fears, insecurities, worries, doubts, malice and oppose them with the help of will and intelligence, while remaining connected with Ariadne, your soul that supports us on that path and freeing the hero in us Theseus to shine in the light. His path is the path of evolution. It is the ascent from the earthly to the divine man. One died in order to give birth to another more sublime man who can grow and develop, and each time he climbs one step higher.

Like the shell that keeps lasting values ​​deep inside – a pearl. What is permanent and valuable is conquered with the help of a long-term effort of transformation. The labyrinth is our inner life.

Everyone can choose many paths and get lost. But when the right path is chosen, it will lead to confronting our inner shadows, with our Minotaur and wolf in a dark, impassable forest, full of hidden dangers that we encounter in fairy tales.

When we forget about ourselves, miracles are on their way

This is a harp story. Once upon a time, there was a tree. One day, the wizard decided to transform it into a harp with this specific spell: only the greatest musicians will be able to tame its inflexible nature. Many tried in vain to elicit the melody from its string, but harsh tones of contempt came from the harp. Until one day appeared the harpist Pai Ja. He just gently stroked the harp and lightly touched the strings. He started singing about the seasons, nature, love, war … and the harp was creating wonderful music. The enthralled emperor asked him what the secret of his victory was. The musician replied: “Your Majesty, others did not succeed because they sang only about themselves. I left it the harp to choose a theme, and I really didn’t know if the harp was Pai Ja or Pai Ja was a harp.”

As in life when we commit ourselves to goals that are greater than ourselves, we have fulfilled the meaning of life. This beautiful story teaches us to forget about selfishness and to be aware of everything that surrounds us. To respect and understand everyone and allow them to be what they are. Even the most disobedient will succumb to a simple human act. We need to be flexible, forget about control, surrender and believe in life because it always has the best plan for us. When we forget about ourselves, we will become united and the one, natural flows will follow and miracles will happen. Sometimes we need to change our perspective, open our eyes, have a bigger picture, let life guide us and show us the way. Let’s loosen the learned patterns and rules. Let’s be spontaneous, playful, without prejudice. Let’s be humble, there is always something to learn. Even when we are the best among the best, there are still puzzles that we need to solve. Had this harpist who was the best started playing in usual way dominating scene like others, putting himself in the foreground, the harp would not have played. There are no ready-made recipes with predefined rules, we need to make them.

Step by step without too much planning

While I was living in Rome, I had the opportunity to be a guest on a radio show called “Bit by bit” hosted by two nice ladies Dara and Danijela. So I started thinking about what I could tell the listeners. The title of the show reminded me of an instructive story.

Remains of an initiate well were found near Syracuse. The novices had a task to go down the dark well by taking little stairs, while from the opening would appear the hands pushing them and invisible voices shouted: “You are falling!”. Imagine the fear of the disciple who did not know that there was a crucified net beneath him and that he could not be hurt in any way and how he was fighting with himself to overcome the fear and move on, trying to take another step. Winning at that moment did not mean reaching the end of the stairs – that would be the final victory. To win meant to go step by step, one step, then next, then next. One of the big mistakes we make in front of the stairs is that we observe it in its entirety and imagine the whole ascent. This is not an adequate psychological position to face the difficulty, but the ascent should be planned step by step. What is my immediate problem? This step, not the next one, or any other! If our gaze is directed too high, which often happens to many idealists and many spiritualists, it can easily happen that we stumble on the first stairs and fall into the abyss. We need to know where we want to go but step by step, slowly, and without much planning. If we know how to extend our hand, there will always be some good angel, real or in a dream, who will accept ours and help us along the way. The story was told by Jorge Livraga in one of his lectures.

About the importance of laws of nature in our lives

Today, in the age of the pandemic of the virus corona, we feel more clearly than ever the manifestation of the laws of nature and we are witnessing their effects. If nature becomes ill a man becomes ill as well. The Amazon forests that have recently burned are called the lungs of the planet, and humans are currently suffering from a virus that attacks the lungs. So it is important to think about the causes. As one writer and director puts it: “We got the yellow card from the planet.” We have estranged from nature a lot and now only connection with it can help us. We are part of nature and as beings with the capacity to think, comparing to plants, animals and minerals we have a greater responsibility. We need to expand our consciousness, to stop exploiting and polluting nature and to engage in the collective good. What’s good for the hive is good for the bee – Marcus Aurelius.

Roman civilization comprehended this very well and respected it. Temples were created in places in harmony with the mother earth, instead of using paper (which causes logging and soil erosion) to maintain hygiene, they used a sponge, vehicles used grass as a fuel whose remains were then used to grow new grass, whatever was taken from nature was returned to nature.

We are responsible for global heating, we use mountains and forests as construction material, the presence of plastic waste is increasing. Some countries are taking the initiative to protect the environment, such as switching to electric vehicles, phasing out fossil fuels, using solar and wind energy to generate electricity. It all starts and ends with us.

Bhutan is the only carbon negative country, which means that they not only neutralize but remove existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They produce 2.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, while their forests purify more than three times of that amount, ie more than 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Forests cover 70% of their state and the constitution mandates that 60% of the territory remain under green cover forever. They export most of the renewable energy they get from fast rivers, which in turn neutralizes about 6 million tons of carbon dioxide in their neighbourhood. And they predicted that by 2020, that amount would be 17 million tons. If they use half the potential of their rivers, they will reach 50 million tons, which is more CO2 than New York produces. The only ones in the world have a gross domestic happiness ratio that is more important to them than the gross domestic product. They provide free electricity to the locals in the countryside so that they do not use wood. They invest in sustainable transportation and subsidize the purchase of electric vehicles as well as LED bulbs. The government is trying to get the paper out of use. There are national programs for cleaning the state and planting trees. They connected all parts of the country with biological corridors so that animals could move freely throughout the territory. A tiger moving through the subtropical jungle at an altitude of 250 m above sea level can be seen on the cold peaks of the mountains at an altitude of almost 4.000 m. Resources are constantly provided to prevent hunting, poaching, and the necessary resources for the communities that live in those parks. Since a lot of money is needed to maintain such conditions, and which is a great burden for such a small country, a fund called “Bhutan for Life” was established to provide sufficient funds through donations for a period of 15 years so the government could work on this plan and afterwards would fully bear all the costs.

That the Earth is not omnipotent and that it can’t solve everything by self-regulation due to human external influences shows us the example of ocean algae. Carbon dioxide, one of the biggest contributors to climate warming or the greenhouse effect, is consumed by ocean algae, thus freeing the atmosphere from excess amounts of this gas and maintaining its natural balance. However, if its release into the atmosphere increases, depleted oceans are formed and the chain reaction reduces the masses of algae, which consequently do not absorb carbon dioxide and in normal conditions create clouds that repel solar radiation, but additionally release it into the air.

The consequences of human negligence are also felt by domestic animals raised in a small space in cages, and to avoid infection, they are given antibiotics. As much as 40% to 70% of total antibiotics production is allocated for livestock. Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. And the discharge of faeces causes wastewater to be increasingly difficult to clean and solid waste cannot be reused for agricultural purposes. There are also strong ethical grounds that make it more reasonable to eat larger quantities of vegetables and less meat and fish.

The drying up of the earth in the last and pre-last century caused the death of millions of people in India alone. Fertilizers are used to promote fertility, but with intensive use, the soil depletes and becomes unusable after a few years. From the Middle Ages until the twentieth century, when mass production began, people had more understanding and respect for the land and would always leave one part without crops so that the land would recover and have time to create the nutrients and minerals it provides. Experts believe that we should switch to the old methods of reviving the earth without the use of chemicals. According to the UN, if we continue to lose the soil at this rate, we will have a supply of harvests for the next 60 years.

There are disciplines that deal with the preservation of the natural environment, such as ecology and biomimicry.

Ecologists have come to the following conclusions and applied them in their inventions:

• Nature acts under the influence of sunlight.

• Nature uses only as much energy as it needs.

• Nature adapts the form to functionality.

• Nature recycles everything.

• Nature thrives through cooperation.

• Nature rests on diversity.

• Nature requires precise knowledge.

• Nature stops wastage from the start.

How intelligent nature is and how much we can learn from these conclusions. It functions with so much harmony and measure and has a clear purpose. Aren’t these the laws that could apply to the human species.

Biomimicry (bios – life, and mimicry – imitation) is finding a solution for technical problems by imitating natural processes and phenomena in the field of architecture, industrial design and engineering. Examples of such buildings are the East Gate Center in Zimbabwe, the Bird’s Nest in China…

We need to increase ecological intelligence, awareness of the impact of our actions on the environment. Even the smallest gesture counts. If we throw garbage in a suitable bag ready for recycling, if we save water while showering, washing dishes, watering the garden, buy organic products, clothes made from recycled materials, use public transport instead of our car, buy organic food and even better if we participate in the actions of clearing of living space and afforestation. Neglecting environmental awareness has consequences such as harmful effects we produce as well as endangering mental health by alienation from nature and the increasing presence of anxiety and depression. In order to prevent this, it is important to be informed and educated in that regard so that we would be aware of our actions and how they affect nature.

Nature teaches us what our rhythm of life should look like. We are part of a great system that has its own rhythm and order, and the sooner we realize that we will be able to understand that rush, accumulation of things, excessive work lead to suffering because we are not able to produce enough of what is expected of us. We have created a superficial world, which we perceive as a dangerous place. It is perfectly okay to feel negative emotions in this kind of environment because everything inside us rebels. They are just a passing cloud, and the solution will come when a commitment to the right values ​​will be possible, while also understanding and obeying natural laws.

If you are thinking about giving up your dreams

Let me tell you a story. There was this seagull. He didn’t see the purpose and meaning of his life in mere flying aimed to catch fish and eat. He wanted something more, he knew there was something more to get to know, to experience. He was passionate about flying and he wanted to acquire new skills and techniques. At first he was laughed at by his “peers” and even expelled from the company of seagulls. But afterwards when they realized that what he was doing was something great, inspiring and positive they started to join him.

Firstly we have to learn to free from all limits, restrictions imposed and predetermined by birth and other circumstances, fears, prejudices. Then we should be curious, eager to learn and be courageous to start our journey of discovery. No there isn’t all in front of our eyes, not at all, it’s just a crumb of the cake called life. If you don’t go for that adventure you won’t be able to know that there is something much, much bigger than ourselves. We are much more capable of doing magnificent things than we think we are. When we change, everything around us changes, we will see the door opening that we didn’t know they existed – as great Joseph Campbell said. Isn’t that wonderful. The more we dare, the more we gain, the life will be more generous with us. We should have higher goals to become creative, intelligent, better creatures. It isn’t easy, because if you are doing something unusual, unknown, completely different from something socially acceptable, you will be seen as enemy and maybe you will be even socially excluded as our seagull Livingston. It is not so simple to leave the things we learnt and we rule them so well that is scary to take a step into something new and unknown. It takes grit and faith to do awesome things. The only right rule is the one that leads to freedom. It is much easier to surrender to the ordinary everyday life and not to think and act automatically.

Our seagull succeeded to awake and inspire other seagulls who started to follow him. How he did it, it’s simple, he knew deep down inside that he was doing the right thing.

There is always something more that we can do and push our limits as human beings, friends, children, parents, spouses, workers, neighbours, colleagues…

Inspired by Richard Bach’s book “Seagull Jonathan Livingston”

Once Lion King was a small scared creature

Is there anybody who didn’t fall in love with little Simba, who like any other child is spontaneous, sincere, naughty, naive? Since he was born  he was protected by tender and severe father, who gave him the right guidance, and forgive him all his mischiefs, and sometimes he even risked his life, however luck follows him. Exactly one of these will cause the tragic death of his father, where little Simba was a victim of his naivety and malice of his uncle who wants to gain power at any cost. Due to guilty conscience he leaves his home and ventures into the unknown.  On that way he encounters two cheerful, foolish, good-humored friends who help him to“forget“ the past. And in their company he grows up carelessly, in every possible imaginable comfort like in cartoon song “Hakuna matata” meaning no worries…until one day all of a sudden he runs into a girlfriend from his childhood, who started  a journey in order to find help for her people, who lives in horrible conditions since the death of Simba’s father and taking the throne of his malicious uncle. She tells him that they need him to bring order in their kingdom. At first he refuses her because he would have to face the old wounds from the past. A prophet, monkey appears at the right moment and reminds him of his duty – the words of his late father. Simba feels the urge to act and he becomes unstoppable on his way to rich the kingdom and to cope with the past and to assume the role assigned to him. There are still obstacles and hesitations that threaten to get him away from his purpose. But he is awarded for his courage and decision to take the responsibility.

This story portrays the awesome Joseph Campbell’s notion of “hero’s journey”. Everyone of us deep down inside has one hero who is waiting to be awakened. Everyone is capable of being a hero in their world. Hero receives a call, goes on adventure, he changes by facing and overcoming the obstacles, gaining knowledge and finally he is reborn.

That journey is always internal. Maybe the most important and difficult task is to start a journey. First we have to recognize what holds us back why we are blocked, why we are not making any progress in becoming heroes. It is said that we can only be saved by what can destroy us. So it is good reason to start with our biggest fear. I remember the scene from Avatar movie where the main character has to choose his dragon for ride during his adventures and when he asks how to do it, it is said to him that he must feel it inside and the right dragon will try to kill him. Very powerful message. What scares us the most is the right answer for us. Initially we have to fight it promptly, strongly and decisively, and it will become our strength, it will work for us. Then adventure can start and through experiences we acquire knowledge, the whole new world opens its door to us. There still be tempting challenges, that’s just Universe checking if we master well our lessons. We will hesitate a bit, and shortly we will get the clear message which will help us to take the right decision. Step by step our hero becomes stronger, braver, more determined, makes right choices and goes straight to his destination. And he is reborn. Oh no, sorry, you thought the journey was over, not at all, there are other mountain tops yet to be conquered. And good luck!

The inspiring power of beauty

Why is beauty so important? When I say beauty I mean in its widest sense. It makes us present at the moment, just like in meditation. It enriches, it elevates us, it heals us (as eternally inspiring Jason Silva says in his video “How beauty can heal us” ).

Think about Plato and his idea of beauty. Beauty = goodness = truth = rightness. Michelangelo said that the soul reflects the body, beautiful soul radiate and emanate light and shapes wonderful things. What is inside always comes to the surface. The Sistine Chapel is a fruit of this superb soul. It will take your breath away. In another Italian gem, the Pantheon, you will feel the spirit of gods.

Simplicity and harmony are characteristics of real beauty. Universality – it is comprehensive in order to transmit a clear message. We absorb beauty with intuition, we just connect and don’t think too much.

Elegance is another form of beauty. Good manners are a form of beauty. A child, puppy, forest, sea, mountain, sun, sky with stars, aren’t these pure incarnations of beauty and love. Music that moves us deeply inside.

What do you feel when you experience these expressions of beauty with your senses? Beauty inspires us to be better. Surrounded by the beauty we feel more beautiful and it motivates us to get closer to it by imitating and doing good deeds.

How to make the right decision

Being an indecisive person myself, very often I used to have doubts if I had made the right decision. Especially today when we live in a world full of possibilities. It could be a source of treasure or we can risk being lost. It is important to build the right criteria, so we can have the landmark, it’s the place we can always go to and consult, it will be our power source in every life situation.

Then the two questions we should constantly ask ourselves are: is it eternal or temporary, is it important or unimportant?

Do I stand behind that decision? Will it make me stronger or weaker? At that point, we have to say NO to all obstacles in order to see clearly. Will it make me happy, satisfied? Will my real nature come to the surface? Will I become a better person? A person is considered to be authentic, free when is unconditioned.

Will this decision do any harm to others? We should always be aware of other people and their lives.

Are my needs satisfied?

Any unpleasant feeling – alarm deriving from our stomach, heart, mind, will be a clear sign to get out immediately from that situation without hesitating even for a second. Anything that threatens our personality is dangerous.

Faster we learn to listen to our intuition (someone said that is god talking to us, and the prayer is when we talk to god), faster and better we will become in decision making.

Be brave and make your priorities that will be your guidelines. And when we feel fear that’s the road we have to take undoubtedly because it will be the greatest lesson that we will have to learn.

Career is love made visible

Why a career is so important? It’s always how we do it, not what we do. It’s a place where we can express ourselves. Khalil Gibran said: “Work is love made visible.” A happy man is a man that can serve other people” – words of Shimon Peres. “How can I help?”. Find out what makes you different from the others and stick to that. And how to do it? It’s that what we do spontaneously, faster, better than the others, with so easiness and lot of joy and what keeps us awake late at the nights, while we do it. When you feel sweet surrender and flow. You feel relaxed and enthusiastic about it. It makes your heart and soul sing.

Why is so important to make this question? Because we have to know where to start and then go for it. It’s the way to give the most and to be the most efficient.

People are creative creatures and we should allow the creativity to find its own way to see the light of day. In that way we give a shape to our ideas, we let them go out in the world. World needs our masterpieces. We are just a medium through which is delivered what the world expects from us. Unexpressed potential causes pain. So let it go out, it will be happier.

I used to know a person who cleaned the streets and in the mornings he greeted passers-by with a huge smile. I will never forget his positive energy. He was spreading love. We express ourselves through everything we do. To serve and make others happy, that is what makes us dignified.

It is said that we can overcome our egoism and find our purpose by devoting to something that is greater than ourselves. It is also a duty, responsibility and on that road we have to ask ourselves do I do it properly, will someone suffer?

On the other hand it is fun and passion. It is known that the best ideas are born when we unstuck and take distance from hard work and bingo, while resting we discover brilliant ideas.

So, work hard, sweat, sweat, sweat, and then rest. And always do your best, no matter what.

Remember that each success is measured by what you had to give up in order to achieve it. Enjoy the ride and never measure your success by your result. Keep building your career with willingness, love and in harmony with your soul.

Education is our most powerful weapon we will ever have

Why education is so important? Because it is the most important weapon you’ll ever have and no one can’t take it away from you, even if one day you wake up without anything you had in this material world you will still have this treasure deep within yourself. One part of our genetic heritage is innate, but there is still a great part that is changeable – epigenetics deals with this, that means we can develop through education and we choose how to do it. Just imagine, you can become anything you want. Isn’t that beautiful? And guess what, if you’re not able to pay school fees, you can do it by yourself. Education serves to teach us how to make right choices, to think with our own heads, to research and make questions, to be flexible, to be dedicated while gaining knowledge and finally share knowledge.

First of all, it should teach us how to become better humans, how to respect people and the whole nature that we owe so much. Little human creatures are like tender plants that need to be watered by support of their educators. Their role might be more important than the one of their parents, they are first role models and inspiration.

When we read a book, we enter the incredible world of magic, we develop imagination, creativity, emotions that help us to understand better the world we are living in. Or when we watch films and get inspired by great personalities and we want to become more like them and we stay awake all night enchanted with their charisma. Music triggers our deepest emotions.

Pythagoras used to heal people with music, because he believed that each illness was caused by the illness of the soul. In ancient Greece, the major subjects were gymnastics, mathematics, music, philosophy… Spartans had their own particular system of education which allowed them to resist enemies for hundreds of years. Stoics and Marcus Aurelius teach us the moral qualities. Great Egyptians how to follow the rhythm of nature. Buddhism teaches us great compassion.

It would be enough to study one big civilization to get to know a lot about life and about laws of nature. It is said that through philosophy, art, science and religion we can learn the truth. And while conquering truth step by step on that path we’ll be closer to the stars and we will reveal the magic. Let’s start from ourselves, at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi is written: “Know thyself, and thou shalt know the universe and God.” And how we get to know ourselves, the answer is through experiences. Because of that we have to apply what we know and share it with others, otherwise it is forever lost.

Education is what we do with our mind, body, soul, heart. Education is what we eat. Education is how we treat people, plants, animals, nature. Education is our relationship with difficulties. Education is flexibility, the openness of our mind and overcoming prejudices. Education is a responsibility. Education is building criteria.

We are what we leave behind

Why the legacy is so important? Dalai Lama said that we become immortal through sharing knowledge. What do we want to leave to the world and future generations? Tell your story that will be someone else’s guide. If we look back, all great personalities after their death continued to live through their principles and what they did for humanity. They are alike high mountains, stable, shining like stars, guiding lights to be followed. While others, captured in their egoism will disappear forgotten, without leaving any trace. As Mr Barnum, one of the greatest showmen ever, said : “The noblest art is that of making others happy”.

Maybe we can start with asking ourselves what problem that faces humanity we can resolve? Planting a flower, tree, wondering if in our neighbourhood there is an old, sick person whom we can help, instead of throwing away food we can save it and give it to hungry ones, be more conscious and treat with care and protect the nature. As long as there is will there is hope.

Humanity needs heroes. Yes, examples of bravery, courage, moral qualities, protection, clear and right criteria. Someone who will leave a positive impact on the world. Today we live in a world of many possibilities, it’s up to us if we will be lost or we will use them in the best possible way by making the right choices. We need culture, so we will able to appreciate, recognize and cultivate real values. We come to respect past and what it teaches us. It teaches us to be more human, respectful, generous, beautiful. We need love. We should give it and spread it in big amounts. It’s motivating force. We are the ones who are responsible for our future. We need to help and support each other.

Together we are stronger

Why relationships are so important? In our nature there is an innate need for connection. Let’s start at the very beginning. We were born as a result of connection of two people. We all come from the same source and we shall finish our lives in the same way, there are no immortal human beings so far. Giordano Bruno called it Anima mundi – everything in nature is connected and it has its own cycle. The growth is possible only together with other human beings.

If we own potentials superior to others, we are obliged to lead others and we have greater responsibility. A newborn baby couldn’t make it without mum. An old person couldn’t make it without care and protection of younger close ones. A singer couldn’t make it without audience and on the other hand the audience would lack such a great component in their lives. Friends are there to talk, support and encourage each other, laugh, cry, dream. Family is the foundation of our lives. Geniuses were inspired by other geniuses. Firemen, doctors, volunteers are driven by a strong desire to help others. Teachers have the responsibility to educate young “plants” in the first place to be good people, respect others, and help them to develop as authentic personalities in order to become happy individuals. Would Alexander the Great become great if he didn’t have a proper education that philosopher Aristotle gave him? One of the most important and strongest relationships are those between teacher and disciple characterized by trust, service, dedication and research, which change them for the better. They are the most precious because they tend to create big impacts on others as fruit of their relationships. Sometimes there are examples of superb individuals who sacrificed their lives for other people, humanity. Their lives were destroyed but the principles they were committed to continue to live.

The core of every relationship is giving. Start with “What can I do for you?”, so simple and generous question. Sometimes I think that the most exalted creatures are plants, they give so much and ask for nothing.

At the end I would like to add that long studies of one of the most influential Universities – Harvard came to a conclusion that the most important factor for happiness is the relationships. It’s the quality of your relationships that matters. If you are happy I am happy, and I can’t be happy if you are not happy. This study shows that we are deeply marked by early childhood, peers, friends, colleagues…Even if there is a negative impact, it can be solved. By helping and mentoring others these bad relationships can be transformed in positive ones. In that way we feel fulfilled and we start building good relationships.

Everything begins with humanity

Why is so important to be human? I think it is the only way to live this life to the fullest. What is more important than to live your life with dignity and to give dignity to another human being.

Everything starts with us, with what we carry within us. Nothing elevates our soul more than being human. To cuddle a child, to give a present, to give a hand to an old person, to smile to a stranger, to give food to someone who is hungry or clothes to whom is cold or homeless, isn’t that wonderful. To help a friend in a need. To give a hope to a sick person. To call a family that lives far away from us and say how much we care and love them.

There are outstanding examples of great women and men who lived modestly, but this didn’t keep them from contributing to the humanity with their magnificent deeds. There is a lady living in my building , she was the one who decorated our entrance for Christmas and planted plants in our little garden. She always wears a smile on her face. It takes so little to be human.

I care for you. I love you. Thank you. I am sorry. Forgive me. I am responsible for you. How you know you are being human? You will be touched and inspired very deeply with each human step you take, and you will have your heart filled with immense joy. Just go ahead and do not stop!

My five life values

I was thinking, thinking and rethinking how to start my blog and what the opening article would be like. And bingo, I thought that the best way to introduce myself would be to write about my beliefs. I was also inspired by writer Robin Sharma in one of his coaching sessions who said to think about five values for us on the day of our death. Very powerful.

After a while I came to a conclusion that these are my core values where I would like to do my best and develop them to the maximum:

• Humanity
• Relationships
• Mission
• Education
• Career

They are all connected and interlaced with one another and derive from one another. By being human we can develop good relationships with our surroundings and complete our mission on this planet with the proper education that will lead us to the right career path. Let’s wake up this sleeping hero who lurks in each of us and wants his slice of glory.