Author: Daniela Ginta

I didn’t go for my evening run for a few days. Life is very stressful at the moment and I found myself mentally and physically exhausted at the end of the day. Yet the daily run was helping me relax. Skipping it was not wise.
Wisdom comes in many shapes and forms. My two boys are quite passionate about Star Wars lately and it seems that I had to look no further for wise words. “Do… or do not. There is no try” Yoda says in episode V. That simple. It stopped me in my tracks. No excuses. Either do it or don’t. Sometimes doing it means challenging ourselves. It may go against what we feel like doing at that particular moment. While I am a big believer in listening to my body and feeling in tune to it, I also know that amidst challenging situations my mind enters a state of panic and I have to force myself to overcome that overwhelming feeling of anxiety by going against that temporary “I don’t feel like doing anything” state of mind. Hence I went for a run, I cleared my head and I realized that I can once again return to the path I thought I lost. Another way to help myself is writing down the tumultuous thoughts that seem to take over my brain and then the sky clears up. But taking the step from not doing it to doing it is one of the toughest challenges. I’m pretty sure it is like that for most people. Yet no matter what we choose to do it is crucial that we do it. So here’s a thought: become action-driven as opposed to hesitantly trying to do something. It pays off. Yoda was right.
 

I never liked skiing. There, I said it. I tried it when I was in grade four for the first time, tried another time two years later and was not impressed. The decision to stay away from it for ever seemed a logical one. I skate, climb, run, bike, so I cannot be enlisted in the couch potato category. But I did not feel the need to pursue a sport I was not good at, although one can argue that this is how challenges are born. Yesterday was the day when I put my anxiety aside, and yes, I did mumbled and grumbled all the way to the snowy slope, but did get on it, ski boots and all. And the surprise blew my mind beyond words. I can ski! And I am quite good at it too, for a beginner, I might say. Going downhill with the wind in my face and my legs doing their job in a most amazing way was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. My conviction that I can’t ski was shattered to pieces and my confidence level went through the roof.
Lesson number one: Never say never. I finally know what it means. For me at least, it goes like this: never let anyone tell me that I can’t do a certain thing. Never tell myself that I can’t do something. As long as there is at least one other person doing it, I am capable of doing it too. And if no one does it yet but I still want to go for it, I shall be inspired by the fact that I might challenge someone to shatter their limiting beliefs. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, really.
Lesson number two: Trust myself that I can do everything that I set my mind to. Yes, my mom was right. Too cheesy, you say? Sure, if you choose to look at it that way. It is true that most things will be achieved with a lot of work, but to get there, to be able to put all the work into it, I have to first believe in it and believe in myself. Cheesy or not, the whole concept is a lot harder to accomplish than it seems. The best part is that the more things one does, the higher the confidence levels. The sky is the limit.  And then again, some people take it higher. I guess there are no limits…
 

Stress is an everyday thing. It cannot be avoided. It gives us the impulse to go further, but it can stall our enthusiasm too. And we are so scared of it we leave ourselves with no decent response to stressful situations. I went through a series of stressful events recently. And my first response was, you guessed it, I freaked out! For two days I did nothing but fed my anxiety and created a vicious circle that eventually squeezed every drop of energy out of me. It felt like that anyway. One of my evening runs provided me with the key to solving the stress dilemma. It was a lesson that my youngest son, who is almost four, taught me. Or rather the memory of how he dealt with his stress.
And here is what he did. A while ago we borrowed a picture book from the library. At first it looked like another funny silly book on green extraterrestrial creatures. We read it before bedtime and then I noticed his eyes growing big with fear. The green aliens frightened him. He wanted to jump out of bed and PJs or not, take the book back to the library that very second. We planned to do so in the morning. The next thing he did though, he hid under the covers for a couple of minutes, and then emerged with a smile. Victorious smile, I might add. “Mom, they are just people like us wearing green alien costumes, aren’t they?”. I was bewildered. “Yes, of course,” I said. It was just a matter of changing his perspective on it.
Yes, it all relative. I just have to remember that most things and situations are not as scary as they look at first sight. Once anxiety is gone, we can definitely find way to solve the problem that is causing the stress. If my then three-and-a-half could find the tools to deal with stress so elegantly, then so should I. And so should you for that matter. It’s all relative. It all comes down to looking at it from a different angle. And mostly remembering that most green aliens are but regular people wearing costumes…
 

Not just today. Every day. We receive gifts every day. And we should be grateful. The reason we are not is because often times we don’t quite know where to find the gifts. It could be a hug from your child, a smile from a person you barely know or have never met, it could be a flower opening up or a cloud floating in the sky. It could be a thought or a memory. Of times past, indeed, but blossoming into wisdom or beauty today. Wake up feeling grateful for being alive, for being able to see the sky and the silver lining on clouds and for being able to feel the rain. Show your gratitude by offering to hold someone’s hand when they need it the most, or by offering someone a shoulder to cry. Laugh with children whe they dance around you and hug them when they cry. Forgive yourself and others, and be grateful for kindness.

Be grateful when people listen to what you have to share. Be grateful when they trust you enough to share their thoughts.

Be grateful for beauty, for tears and for being reminded that today is a present.

The first ever entry in my blog.

No pressure, right? There is so much to say. So much to wish for and create and hopefully inspire. I wish myself to be determined and follow the path I already painted in my mind about this website, the hopes and dreams behind it. “Dream big dreams and then make them happen”, a friend once said to me. I thought it sounded pretentious and well, more generic than I cared to accept. And yet it was one of those things that stuck with me.

I came to realize that it was neither pretentious nor generic; it was real. And it gave me a big push too. Big dreams happen to people who believe they can happen and are ready to put their time, energy, and enthusiasm on the line. Wetting my feet today is but the beginning of the trip I now feel ready for. Sails up and blue skies! With some clouds for good measure too. And while I cannot proclaim my love for clouds as they used to in the old days, I will do my best to help you see their beauty together with the beauty of the world we live in.

I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die.
For after the rain when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams with their convex gleams
Build up the blue dome of air,
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph,
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, like a ghost from the tomb,
I arise and unbuild it again.

By Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 – 1822) – The Cloud