Stuck in Reverse, What Could Be Worse

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

When you try your best, but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something, you can’t replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
Fix You – Coldplay

The start of a new decade and resolutions have or have not been made. If you have made resolutions to be the best version of you in some area of your life, this is the time where you are still going strong or you are already pretty much over it.

Instead of resolutions to lose weight, find a life partner, make a lot of money or any other goals you may have made, how about focusing on a couple of areas in your life that limit you from being your best self and working on those instead, or maybe, seeing the positive side of the thing you think limits you?

I prefer to focus on emotions and states of mind, like happiness and peace of mind instead of a specific goal. Happiness is subjective and may mean different things to different people, so think of things that you enjoy doing that bring you those emotions.

I love to travel, dance, read books and help people realize that by changing their mind, they can change their lives. If these are the things that bring joy to me and I focus on them instead of trying to fight the things that I want to change about myself, I believe happiness and peace of mind are likely to be the outcome.

Someone asked me recently, as a leader of a department who does not like conflict in general, is it not something that I should try and overcome? To be honest, I have been to trainings, read books on how to handle situations but have finally come to realize, that it is just not me.

I have goals but I am not cut-throat ambitious, and I have never asked for promotions, yet, those that moved me up, did so because they saw something that they liked and believed in me. If I was to change and not be true to myself, I wouldn’t be where I am in my career and happy and at peace too.

I have finally realized that instead of changing, to become something I am not; I am going to see the positive side of the thing that I am not and focus on enhancing that.

For every negative situation, there is a positive side and for every positive side there is an opposite side as well. What you choose to focus on, is up to you.

If travelling, dancing, reading and helping people are the things that make me happy, I need to make time for them and perhaps give up some things that are draining me.

If I can’t travel to an exotic place right now because of time restraints, I can do a short road trip somewhere closer. If I can’t go dancing every night, I can do so on the weekends and during the week put on headphones and dance at home. If I can’t finish reading a book in a day, a week or a month, I can read a page or two instead.

For the part of being able to help others change their mind to change their life, every day, I tell the Universe – thank you for all that I have, I am so lucky to have a loving, supportive family, good health, a good job, great colleagues, friends and; if there is something more out there for me to live my best life, bring it on so that I can help others live their best life too.

Ever since I began doing that, I am being drawn to people that I can help using my learnings, experiences and trainings in NLP, hypnosis and other modalities.

If there is one thing to do to get started, it is to write in a journal the things that you are grateful for now (there is always something to be grateful for) and soon you’ll realize that you get more of the things that you’re grateful for because by focusing on the positive, you are rewiring your brain and attracting more of the things you focus on.

“Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.” — Richard Bach

“Have you ever noticed when you have a problem – you are there” – Dr Hew Len.

“Everything you’re running from is in your head’ – Anonymous

“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time” – John Lennon

“The only person you’re destined to become is the person you decide to be” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Train of Life Carries Saints and Sinners

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

This train carries saints and sinners
This train carries losers and winners
This train carries whores and gamblers
This train carries lost souls
I said, this train carries broken-hearted
This train thieves and sweet souls departed
This train carries fools and kings
This train, all aboard
I said, this train dreams will not be thwarted
This train faith will be rewarded
Land of Hope and Dreams – Bruce Springsteen

I love the analogy about the train and life.

Life is like a one-way train ride with no return ticket. We all get on the train of life when we are born and along the way we get off at whichever station we choose or stay on till the end of the line.

There are sometimes accidents along the way, and we must board another train or wait for the one to be fixed and continue along the way. Although we travel with other people along the way, each person’s journey is unique.

Sometimes we meet interesting people on our journey when new people get on the train, and other times, we must bid farewell to those who are travelling with us on the journey for part of the way. We may never see them again or we may decide to stay in touch and catch up again at another station.

We can get off at any stop or choose to stay on the train and continue along with the passengers who are going in the same direction. All the people we meet on the train become part of our life whether for a moment or for part of the journey.

Every time someone new gets on the train, you judge them and they judge you, the human instinct to protect themselves from danger then when you hear their stories, the connection happens and we accept them for the ride.

There are some people that we form deep connections with along the way, as if we’ve known them all our lives even though they just got on the train. There are others you may have been travelling with for a long time and they are there to remind you where you’re headed and to protect you from yourself.

If someone who looks and dresses very different from us gets on the train, we may think we have nothing in common but when we start a conversation, we learn we do have a lot in common. We may also learn from each other, perhaps questioning our beliefs, looking at things from another perspective.

A musician going from carriage to carriage may stop by ours and play us a song on his guitar and awaken something deep in ourselves.

You may meet the love of our life, your soulmate or soul sister on the train or you may not want to share your train ride with anyone, but people will get off and on throughout the journey whether we want them to or not.

If you keep your heart open, you’ll realize all those people that crossed your path were there for a reason whether to teach you a lesson or someone who needed to learn something from you.

They are all connected to us and we carry their energy within us even when they are long gone. We can choose to remember them or push them way to the back of our memories.

Along the way, we may realize that some of the things we brought with us we no longer need and are bearing us down, so we toss them out of the train and immediately feel lighter.

We realize that we are not too different from one another. Everyone is trying to get to their destination safely, hoping to enjoy the ride along the way and, in the end we may realize, no one is right or wrong, we all see things differently because of our experiences along the journey.

On this train of life, whether we get off at the first stop or last, we always have a choice how much baggage we want to carry with us and how we want our journey to be while on the train of life.

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” – William Shakespeare

“Sinners judging sinners for sinning differently.” ― Sui Ishida

“Nothing forbids man to enjoy himself, save grim and gloomy superstition” ― Baruch Spinoza

“I saw that all the things I feared and which feared me had nothing good or bad in them save in so far as the mind was affected by them.” ― Baruch Spinoza

www.mindvasana.com

I say the heart is like an open hand

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

They say the heart is shaped just like a fist
Holding in its feelings
I say the heart is like an open hand
Holding out and healing
Oh wherever you go – don’t ya know
The world is full of mysteries
Full of magic and of wonder
There’s so much more than what we see
Can’t explain the spell I’m under
Mysterious Ways – Bryan Adams

The world is full of wonder if we open our eyes and heart to see and feel all the magic that is around us.

So many are trapped in their day to day reality of things to do, lists to cross out and plans to make for the future instead of being in the moment, the only moment that is guaranteed to us. They are busy thinking of the next thing to do or all the things that are missing in their life.

The realists, the skeptics, the ones who think they are in control of their lives are amused by the mystics, the romantics, the ones that are one with the Universe, living in the moment, dancing to the tunes that move them.

Magic is in everything you touch; in everything you feel or see… in all your senses. It’s like when you touch or even think about a book that was passed on to you from a loved one, you can feel their energy in the book.

If someone gives you a gift, they transfer their energy and love to you. This whole universe is made up of energy that we can sense and feel if we only bother to pay attention. All you need to do is feel gratitude and sense the energy in the gift as it engulfs your being.

If a loved one is no longer with us, their presence is still always with us because they live on in our memories and in our hearts. It’s the same with people that you feel a connection with, you may only have met them once, but you feel a deep connection and they don’t have to be physically close to you for them to be there with you.

I believe you can have multiple soulmates throughout your lifetime. I believe soulmates come in many forms, they can be a romantic partner, a friend, a teacher, a sibling, someone that you feel a deep connection with. You may not agree with them on everything, but they get you and you get them.

It could even be someone you meet in an elevator or grocery store every so often. You may not know their name but there is a connection. There are some people that you really want to get to know, learn everything about them, the good, the bad and the ugly and accept them just as they are.

Other times, with some people, you are happy just running into them every now and then, having a brief conversation and feeling the connection without needing to know anymore about them.

Surround yourself with people that make you feel good about yourself, who accept you as you are and bring joy to your life just by being in your life. Send out positive vibrations into the universe and feel it coming right back at you.

Life is too short to be unhappy, so focus on the good and remember that the more grateful you are for the things you have in your life, the more things you will get to be grateful for.

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration” – Nikola Tesla

“Your energy introduces you even before you speak” – The Biology of Belief, Dr. Bruce Lipton

“Can miles truly separate you from friends… If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?” – Richard Bach

“Everywhere there is a soul, connected to another soul” – Rumi

Check out www.mindvasana.com for other blogs

Mercy on the man who doubts what he’s sure of

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“So tell me who I see
When I look in your eyes
Is that you baby
Or just a brilliant disguise”
Brilliant Disguise – Bruce Springsteen

I was thinking the other day, that we each walk around in a brilliant disguise. Not one person sees you exactly the same way, so even if you think you are being your most authentic self, people see you from their own perspective.

Everyone that you meet or have ever met in your life, sees a different version of you.
Your parents, your siblings, friends, co-workers, people that cross your path for a second, a minute or a lifetime. Not one person sees you exactly the same way.

So then, the question I ask is, is there such a thing as the “real” you if there are so many different versions of you? Which one are you really?

We keep changing and growing each day, so it is impossible to remain the same person forever. I know I’m a pretty different person from the lost, impulsive younger me who made tons of mistakes growing up.

The people that knew me then would probably know a totally different version of me than someone who met me in the last couple of decades or so.

To think I wasted all those younger years worrying about what people thought of me when they really weren’t thinking of me at all! Lucky for me, the years and life experiences have made me a little wiser so it doesn’t matter what version I am to you.

The people that I meet and feel an immediate connection with, are the people that I feel like I have known forever. They like the version I am because of their perception of me.

Feelings can neither be right or wrong so stop doubting what you’re sure of and go with the flow. Be whoever you want to be because it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re happy being you.

“God have mercy on the man, Who doubts what he’s sure of.”
Brilliant Disguise, Bruce Springsteen

“Who are you today?
Will you be the sun or the pouring rain?
Who are you tomorrow?
Will you make me smile or just bring me sorrow?“
Who are You – Fifth Harmony

“Who we become and who we are
Can be the same or miles apart
All depends on our heart
Is it soft or is it hard.”
Our Heart, Steve Flemming

www.mindvasana.com

Every Breath You Take

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I’ll be watching you

Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I’ll be watching you
Every Breath You Take – The Police

This song by The Police is not on my regular playlist of songs, but my cell phone was dead, so I decided to use my husband’s phone. He has a mix of genres of music on his phone, and the song, Every Breath You Take came up and, it brought back memories to the time when I first heard this song.

When I first heard the song, I took the words as literal but when I heard it the other day, it had a different meaning. With all the reading and learning I have been doing in the past few years on how powerful our subconscious mind is and how our beliefs affect what we manifest in our life…the words to me now meant… be careful what you think, say or do, as the subconscious mind is always watching and bringing to execution literally whatever you think or believe “…every step you take, I’ll be watching you…”.

Have you noticed when you focus on something, you tend to see it everywhere? When you are thinking of buying a certain model of car, you see that model everywhere, on billboards, in traffic and on television. This is called the Reticular Activating System (RAS), it filters out unnecessary information, so the important stuff gets through.

Similarly, if you focus on the good and are grateful for all that you have, you will attract more of it. When you focus on what you don’t have, or what you have lost or how unlucky you are, your beliefs will attract more of that. The energy surrounding you becomes negative and it impacts not only you but everyone around you.

It is okay to be sad and feel the emotions that you feel but you cannot stay in that state for too long, you have to make the effort to change your negative state and turn it into a positive one if you want to attract more of the positive vibes into your life.
 
How to change attracting what you don’t want, to attracting what you do want:

  1. Focus on what is great, what are you grateful for now (this is the number one thing that will change your life for the better).
  2. Listen to music you enjoy.
  3. Do things that you enjoy doing, like, cooking, hiking, dancing.
  4. Meditate, there are lots of free guided meditations on YouTube.
  5. Walk in nature, surround yourself with plant and flowers.
  6. Learn something new or teach someone something you are good at.
  7. When you have one negative thought, change it by thinking of 3 positive ones.
  8. Read books, blogs or articles that inspire you.
  9. Stay in the present, focus on NOW because what you focus on now is creating your future.

The above are all simple things to do and, if we can help each other and ourselves stay in the present, being grateful for every moment on this earth, the more joy and happiness we will attract and experience.
Please check out www.mindvasana.com for my earlier blogs.

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” ― Albert Einstein

“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” ― Santosh Kalwar

A sound so strong, that calls my name

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“I hear the wind across the plain
A sound so strong, that calls my name
It’s wild like the river, it’s warm like the sun
Yeah it’s here, this is where I belong
Under the starry skies
Where eagles have flown
This place is paradise…”
This Is Where I Belong – Bryan Adams

Have you ever met someone and felt an immediate connection? Like you’ve known them forever or met them before in another lifetime? It happens all the time and when you get to know them better, you realize you have so much in common. This is because they are on the same frequency or vibration as you. They get you, understand you and are in harmony with you. That is why you feel those good vibes and you enjoy spending time with them.

We humans are always looking to seek out harmony in the world and, to find people that understand us and get us. If you want to attract the right people into your life, you must be your true self. If you pretend to be someone you’re not, you’ll end up attracting the wrong people.

So how do you go about finding your people and why is it important? I have friends that some may find weird, but I get them, and they get me. You can also have more than one tribe. Why put the burden of so many sentiments on one person or one group of friends?

You may have a group of friends that love to dance so you spend Friday or Saturday evenings with them, listening to a band or dancing to the music the DJ’s playing.

Then you may have another group of friends that don’t really care for dancing but they like getting together to talk about the power of the mind. They are also your peeps.

How about your book club that enjoys reading and discussing books they’ve read or those that are into sports, so you spend a day or two in your week getting together with them and playing golf, hockey, shooting baskets or playing pool?

Then there’s the one special romantic partner who may also fall into some of the other groups. They are all your people. Spend time with people that make you happy, that get you and live life to the fullest. Don’t wait for that one special person, or soulmate to fulfill you or bring you happiness.

Here are some ways you can find your soulmate(s):

  1. Make a list of things you enjoy doing. Do you enjoy dancing, hiking, reading, travelling, photography, connecting people or any of the zillions of other things in this world?
  2. Join a meetup group. There are groups for all kinds of activities and interests. There are meetup groups for those that like salsa, retro music, disco, travelling, going to comedy shows and movies, hypnosis, mindfulness, meditation, making new friends etc. etc. You could also create your own meetup group if you can’t find anything you like.
  3. Check out your local community centre for programs they offer or check their bulletin boards with people offering something that may interest you.
  4. Google the kind of workshops that interest you. There may be adult learning programs, like a cooking class, photography or yoga class available in your community, or not too far from you.
  5. Be brave and post on Facebook or other social media platforms. You may be surprised to find that there are some friends on your list that may be interested in the same things.
  6. Reach out to acquaintances that you find interesting and seem to participate in activities that you enjoy. Make the first move to reach out to them.
  7. Be the first to start a conversation and smile while waiting in line for something or whenever the opportunity arises, you never know who you may meet!

I think people are so interesting and everyone has a story, yes, even you! Stop worrying about what people think of you because they are not, they’re busy thinking about themselves!

Stop judging yourself and others and live your life doing things you enjoy now!

If you need help focusing or deciding what you want, find yourself a life coach or find a reputable hypnotist who can help you discover your true self. For more info, or if you’d like to read my older blogs, please check out my website www.mindvasana.com

“Trust the vibes you get, energy doesn’t lie.” – ― Genereux Philip

“Vibe high and the magic around you will unfold.” ― Akilnathan Logeswaran

“Tell your story. Shout it. Write it. Whisper it if you have to. But tell it. Some won’t understand it. Some will outright reject it. But many will thank you for it. And then the most magical thing will happen. One by one, voices will start whispering, ‘Me, too.’ And your tribe will gather. And you will never feel alone again.” ― L.R. Knost

No, You Can’t Always Get What You Want

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

No, you can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones

This Rolling Stones song was playing on the radio the other day and the lyrics made me think. We’ve all heard podcasts, read books, watched videos, movies or maybe attended personal growth seminars telling us we can get anything we want if we dream big enough or if we visualize the right way.

What happens when our dream don’t come true? We get discouraged. I think the one thing they forget to mention or we choose not to hear, is that sometimes you may not get what you want but you may end up getting what you need.

If you look back on your life and think of a time when you thought you couldn’t survive without the love of your life or something else. As time passed, you got through it, you met someone else who was even more perfect or, you landed somewhere living a life even bigger than the one you dreamed.

Life has a funny way of giving us just what we need to learn and grow. It’s fine to have goals and dreams and to work on them but we must be willing to be flexible and go with the flow when needed.

These are some of the things I’ve learnt in my life:

I’ve learnt that to live a happy life you first have to be grateful right now. If you’re not happy and grateful now, there’s no guarantee you’ll be happy when you achieve your goal. There will always be something bigger to chase.

You must have a positive mindset. It’s normal to have negative thoughts but if you want to start thinking positively; you must replace the negative thought with a positive one each time. When you make a conscious effort to do so, you’ll begin to attract positive things into your life. Your thoughts and beliefs also have a direct outcome on your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

It is better to be kind than to be right. Everyone lives their life from their point of view. If you look at the other person with love and compassion instead of judging them because you don’t agree with their views, there are at least two positive outcomes. Your mind is operating in a positive mindset way so you attract more of the positive vibes into your life. What you give is what you get in the end. This doesn’t mean you agree with them but you listen and seek to understand their point of view.

I have also learnt that what is meant to be will be and that everything happens for a reason. So be grateful, think positive thoughts, be kind and be happy.

If you’re struggling in your life, please find yourself a reputable hypnotist or life coach to help you escalate your journey to living your best life now.

For more information, check out my earlier blogs at www.mindvasana.com

“I’m not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours”.– The Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” – Rumi

“Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.” – Bob Marley

“One secret of life is that the reason life works at all is that not everyone in your tribe is nuts on the same day.” – Anne Lamott

“Can miles truly separate you from friends… If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?” – ― Richard Bach

And we all make our choices like a blind man feels his way

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

As they wandered
Around so confused
Some day
They’ll make their decision
But which one will they choose
And we all make our choices
Like a blind man feels his way,
And the choice I’ve made is simple:
Passion over pain.
Choices – Uriah Heep

Are you living your life on autopilot? Are you going through the motions, day-by-day waiting for a wake-up call? Do you need a drastic event so that you can stop and think about what you really want and start living? Are you living a “good enough” life or are you living a life with no regrets?

Living your best life doesn’t necessarily mean having a lot of money or fame. Success is whatever makes you happy and fulfilled. Many of us live life on autopilot life until we experience or are moved by something that happens to someone we love and then we “wake-up” and realize life is too short to be living like this.

If you are wondering why you cannot make a change or why you struggle, studies have shown that there are many characteristics that are imprinted in us from the time, even before we were born to age seven and that 95% of our decisions are made from a subconscious or unconscious mind that was formed then.

Things that come easily to you, where you don’t have to put in much effort, are a result of the programming you received when you were young. If you had loving, supporting caregivers and teachers who encouraged you and were positive role models, your subconscious was programmed to believe that the world was generally a good place and you looked and operated on that level and things came easily to you without much effort.

If a parent abandoned you when you were young, then you probably developed unconscious beliefs that people who love you would eventually leave you. Everything in your environment during that period had an effect on your beliefs which became part of your subconscious mind. The television that you watched, the people you were around and everything else you experienced during that period. These beliefs that were formed when you were young are usually the reasons you are not living your best life.

There was a time that I worried about everything. If there was anything that I wanted to do, I made sure not to get my hopes up. I wanted to be prepared if something were to go wrong so that I would not be disappointed. I unconsciously played all the negative scenarios without even realizing I was doing that. Without even knowing it and living life in fear, judging myself critically, worrying about what everyone thought, my beliefs were quite negative. I therefore attracted people and situations into my life that had even more of a negative impact on my life.

It was only many years later when I dove deeply into learning more about the power of the mind and our belief systems and on how to live my best life that I slowly changed. It led me to do a lot of reading on this topic and other related topics on the power of changing subconscious beliefs that were holding me back from living my best life. I took many training course which included hypnosis and getting certified as a Certified Hypnotist.

Have you ever told yourself, “I am so unlucky”, “I never win anything”? I did that in the past too. I was superstitious and told myself the numbers 13 and 17 were unlucky. I avoided doing things on those dates each month. Imagine living all your life in fear of those numbers.

When my daughter was born, I realized I didn’t want her to grow up living like that so I told her that those numbers were lucky for our family and any other negative superstitions had a positive effect on our family. Gradually, I started focussing on the positive and as I read and studied more about the power of the mind, I realized that it was not anyone but me who was responsible for my happiness. It was up to me to choose what I wanted and how I wanted to live so I slowly began fixing my unconscious negative beliefs.

These are the things I do regularly now which have moved me into a positive mindset:

  1. I keep a gratitude journal and write the things I am grateful for, usually 3-5 each day and throughout the day I try to bring back my focus to things I see or things that happen and, in my mind give thanks for them, whether it’s a beautiful bird that flies past or a white feather I come across or if someone does something nice. When you are grateful, you get even more things to be grateful for.
  2. I listen to a short guided meditation to start the day or imagine a golden healing light going through all the cells of my body from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, healing me physically, mentally, emotionally.
  3. I read books that are inspiring, I listen to motivational talks, and attend talks and training programs to improve myself and grow constantly.
  4. When negative thoughts cross my mind, I constantly question them and change them to positive ones. Instead of expecting the worst, I expect the best.

Since I changed my way of thinking, expecting things to go well, things somehow do go well and if sometimes they don’t, I try worry about it only then. I feel so lucky and grateful for all the happiness in my life ever since I changed the way I think.

Do you find yourself judging others? If a friend posts something on social media where they seem to be having a good time, do you feel happy to see them happy or does your mind become critical? Does it make you envious or jealous? Next time, catch yourself and ask yourself which unconscious belief is making you react this way? When you learn to accept and love people for who they are, you are in turn learning to love and accept yourself for who you truly are.

Life is too short so enjoy every moment. Live your best life now because that is all you have.

Please check out my website www.mindvasana.com for other blogs.

“Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you” – Richard Bach

“No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself” – Madonna

“My philosophy is worrying means you suffer twice” – J.K. Rowling

”If you change nothing, nothing will change” – anonymous

When you come to a fork in the road, take it

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test and don’t ask why
It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time
It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right
I hope you had the time of your life
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Green Day

What do you do when you come to a fork in the road? Do you take the path less travelled or the one already set for you and follow along?

When you have a major life decision to make or even a little one, do you weigh all the pros and cons or do you let your heart and instinct guide you?

Some people seem to know exactly what they want and go for it, while there are others that cannot decide which road to take and find they are too late for whatever it was that could have been on the other side.

It could be a house you were looking to buy and you really wanted it but waited a day too long to decide and by the time you were ready to say yes, it was gone, sold to someone who also really wanted the same house. They followed their heart and said yes, took action immediately and put in an offer and the house became their home.

There could have been a time when you decided to go on a vacation and you were looking for deals and you came across a deal so good but you waited a day too long, thinking you could get a better deal and instead, the price kept going up and you missed out on the deal. Has that ever happened to you?

How many times have you lost out on opportunities because you stopped at the fork? You weren’t sure which way to go or which route was better, so you didn’t take the turn when you came to the fork and stood where you were.

Many people play it safe and they get stuck in a job that doesn’t bring them joy anymore but there’s a sense of security. Months turn into years and before long they’ve been at the job for a decade or more.

Life is too short and everything could change in an instant in your life. The more time you spend doing things that don’t give you joy, is time wasted, which you could have spent doing things that you enjoy.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it – Yogi Berra

He who takes no chances wins nothing – Danish Proverb

Take a chance. You never know how perfect something might turn out to be – unknown

Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare – Dale Carnegie

To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself – Sren Kierkegaard

Never regret taking a chance, even if you fall on your face; It’s better to know you tried and failed than to wonder the great “what if?”. – Devin Frye

www.mindvasana.com

Illusion of Control: Isn’t it Ironic

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
A traffic jam when you’re already late
It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife…”
Alanis Morissette

Life does have a funny way of sneaking up on you when you think you have everything under control.

If you are one of those people that need to feel in control of your life and everything you do, what happens when things don’t go the way you planned?

You have an important meeting and you give yourself enough time to make it there on time. You get into your car and run into a traffic jam or the subway trains have stopped running because of an incident on the tracks.

You honk or cuss but you’re stuck, there’s nothing you can do, so you get yourself worked up and your blood pressure goes through the roof. You get to the important meeting only to find out it was the wrong day and now you’re mad at yourself.

There are many things you have no control over, like the weather, traffic, getting old, death, what people think of you, your past, pleasing everyone or a future the way you planned it.

The only thing you have control over is your attitude and how you react to a situation when things don’t go the way you think it should. You cannot control a lot of things including what other people think, say, feel or do. You can only control you.

If you are someone who needs to plan everything and expect it to go exactly the way you planned it, then you’re probably also the type of person who stresses and freaks out when things don’t go as planned.

To minimize the damage, you could try and figure out all the things that could go wrong and try and prevent them from happening and think of alternatives but there will always be some things that you cannot foresee.

It is good to remember that for anything that goes wrong or does not go the way you expected, there could be an even better unexpected outcome. You may not see it in the moment but in the grand scheme of life, this will be a minor incident.

When you look back at your life and think of a time when you thought you were going through the worst experience of your life; that you couldn’t possible take it anymore. What were some of the positive outcomes that came out of it in the end?

Perhaps, you didn’t get into a school of your choice or didn’t get that promotion, maybe you were let go from a job or your relationship didn’t work out, only to look back and realize that it was probably the best thing that happened to you because something unexpected and better came along.

For me, there was a time when I was in a terrible abusive marriage and wanted to give up on life because I was young and naïve and did not think there was anything I could do. I felt helpless and ashamed and did not feel like I could tell my family or friends so I stayed in the marriage for a few years until one day I finally decided anything was better than this and left.

That was the best decision and after a lot of other life experiences, I met my current husband, Louie, who always puts me first, above all and even though there are many things which we think so differently about, he loves and accepts me as I am and is always looking out for me. He is my biggest supporter, the one who is always there for me. We’ve been together for over 30 years, supporting each other.

When I look back now, I could never have imagined the life I have now, being free, loved, at peace and happy. My advice to anyone who is going through anything terrible is to remember that nothing lasts forever. There is always someone who can help you, trust a friend, tell someone what you are going through and know that you will get through this and come out stronger.

Life is too short to focus on the negative, hanging on to anger, regrets and pain. It is best to do what you can, do your best, prepare where you can and then let go of the outcome.

I have heard it said that if you hold on to your anger for more than 2-3 minutes, it can have a negative effect on your health, not to mention relationships that break because things were said in the heat of the moment which sometimes cannot be mended.

The faster you can change your focus from anger, fear or helplessness to a positive one, the better you will feel. Once you have done all you can to prepare, let go and go-with-the-flow. Detach yourself from the outcome and trust that the universe will ensure that whatever happens, it will be for the best.

Here are a few simple things you can do when things aren’t going the way you want it to:

  1. Take some deep breaths when you feel anxiety coming on
  2. Ask yourself whether this will matter a few years from now
  3. Express your feelings to someone you trust
  4. Write how you feel in a journal and options how to get through it
  5. Don’t beat yourself up, acknowledge your feelings and see what you can do to make the situation better
  6. Remind yourself that this is temporary, nothing lasts forever
  7. Look back at times in your life when you came through fine after a hard time
  8. Ask yourself what could be the positive outcome of this negative situation
  9. Listen to motivating podcasts or music that makes you feel better
  10. Meditate, there are lots of free meditation recordings on Youtube and free apps
  11. Go for a walk in nature, get some fresh air
  12. Workout, do yoga or dance
  13. Remember that everyone goes through good times and bad times and what matters is how you react to the situation
  14. Be grateful for lessons learnt
  15. Get a life coach to help you live your best life

For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it. Chris Pine

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation. Brian Tracy

It’s not the situation, but whether we react negative or respond positive to the situation that is important. Zig Ziglar

Wizard of a Thousand Lives

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

Why don’t we listen to the voices in our hearts
‘Cause then I know we’d find we’re not so far apart
Everybody’s got to be happy
Everyone should sing
For we know the joy of life
The peace that love can bring
The Wizard – Uriah Heep

Have you ever wondered, should I stay or should I go, whether it’s a job or a relationship or a total life change like moving to another country and starting anew? So many times in your life, you may have made that choice or that choice may have been made for you by someone else.

Perhaps you thought you were going to work with the same company until you retired but you were let go or, you thought, the marriage or relationship was going to last forever but it didn’t work out and you parted ways.

There are people that give their best years to an organization, planning to travel and live their best life when they retire, only to find that they no longer have the strength or the courage to do so.

There are some that stay in an unhappy marriage for their children or for the financial stability. The children grow up and go on to live their lives and the person is still stuck in that unhappy marriage, living a life of regrets.

Life goes by so fast and at every point in your life, you have thousands of choices, or at least two. You can continue living the way you are living, for the rest of your life or you can decide to make a change and begin living your best life now.

Once the decision is made that you want to live life on your own terms, the smart thing to do would be to plan and work toward that goal. Start learning as much as you can about the career that you want to change to, take courses, check online courses, get a life coach, volunteer and network with people in that field. Soon, you’ll find that you’re ready to make that change and you’ll be open to opportunities.

Do something that you’re passionate about so that it doesn’t feel like work. Look at the number of years you have in front of you and decide whether you want to play it safe or take a chance, doing something you enjoy.

In the end, all the material things will not matter. It will be your health, your relationships and the feeling that you get of having lived life on your own terms.

When it all ends, six feet is all that you need. You cannot take your big house, your cars or your expensive clothes with you. Your kids don’t care about the house that you have to work for to pay off, for years and years. They would rather have you present and happy in a small place, spending time with them and creating memories.

In the end, all that matters is that you are happy doing what you enjoy and living your best life on your own terms.

Please check out my website www.mindvasana.com for other blogs.

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” – Aristotle

“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” – Anne Frank

“There are two ways of being happy: We must either diminish our wants or augment our means – either may do – the result is the same and it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier.” – Benjamin Franklin

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

“No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.” – Barbara DeAngelis

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” – Jim Rohn

Good thing, bad thing, who knows

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Every inch of sky’s got a star
Every inch of skin’s got a scar
I guess that you’ve got everything now
Every inch of space in your head
Is filled up with the things that you read
I guess you’ve got everything now
And every film that you’ve ever seen
Fills the spaces up in your dreams
That reminds me
(Everything now
Everything now)”
Everything Now – Arcade Fire

We have access to everything now and yet there are days when you find it so hard to appreciate what you have. I consider myself a positive person and usually see the bright side of things but yesterday was rough.

I rarely ever feel so down but yesterday was one of those days. I was feeling sick, sneezing and coughing and so I took a day off from work. All I could think was, is this all there is to life? Same thing every day, the never ending winter, I need some sun and warm ocean air. I honestly did try talking myself out of the negative thoughts but it just wasn’t working for me yesterday.

Finally in the afternoon, I couldn’t take it anymore so I put on earphones, some loud Latin dance music and, that changed everything. You can’t help moving to the beat! In a little while, I began to feel a lot better.

It’s so easy to spiral down in misery when you go down that path. You have to find a way to get out of it in whatever way works for you. For some, it may be by working out, yoga, dancing, talking to friends, listening to motivational speakers or even watching some funny shows or movies.

The thing I know for sure is that the more you focus on the negative, the more you seem to attract it. I really needed to come out of that negative state so I told myself what I tell others…that all negative situations, experiences always seem to have a flipside. It could be a lesson learnt or a better opportunity or something that needs to change.

I am actually one of the lucky ones who has (knock on wood) a wonderful life that I am truly grateful for. I have a wonderful husband and daughter, great relationships, good health, a good job, roof over my head and the resources to go on vacations a couple of times a year and, opportunities to learn and grow. What more can I ask for?

When I was younger and didn’t know better, I felt that I didn’t have any control and played the victim. When I finally learnt that by changing my thoughts and my beliefs I could change my life, I began attracting all good things without much effort. The more grateful I was for things I already had, the more I got of those things!

Life is unpredictable and you never really know… good thing? bad thing? who knows?

Find your way to get back quickly to that happy positive state by changing your thoughts and beliefs. It is normal to feel sad and other emotions but it is not healthy to stay to long in that state.

For ways to get to a positive state, please check out some of my older blogs and feel free to share with others that need to hear the message.

For the story behind “Good thing, bad thing, who knows”, you can find it on the internet.

“Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.” – Bob Marley

“Sometimes the things we can’t change end up changing us” – anonymous
“We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.” Khalil Gibran

“Life reflects back your own thoughts back to you” – Napolean Hill

www.mindvasana.com

Looking for a place to hide my fear…

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Ever since I was a kid in school
I messed around with all the rules
Apologized, then realized
I’m not different after all…
…I was only joking my dear
Looking for a way to hide my fear”
I was only Joking – Rod Stewart

Have you ever carried around guilt and shame for weeks and months and years only to realize that you wasted your life in fear, worrying that other people were judging you when they weren’t even thinking about you? They were playing their own guilt and shame tapes in their heads.

Look back at your life and think about all the missed opportunities which were spent worrying about something that was only in your head. People have their own worries and shame, so stop assuming that their world revolves around you.

When you were young and made mistakes, you weren’t the only one. Everyone has regrets or there are things they would have done differently if they knew then what they know now. You did what you did because perhaps you were trying to fit in, or were looking for love and acceptance, trying to please others and not thinking about consequences.

Maybe your parents were fighting their own demons and didn’t know how to show you love. Maybe they didn’t give you hugs and kisses or tell you they loved you because they never experienced it themselves and didn’t know how to demonstrate it to you. So you looked for love in all the wrong places.

As you grow older you realize that you cannot change your past but you can change your present so that your future is what you want it to be.

Here are some tips that I learnt, to let go of the past, the guilt the shame and regrets:

We all make mistakes: there is not a single person on this earth who hasn’t made a mistake or two. If you are human, you’ve made mistakes in your life. You are not the only one.

We learn from our mistakes: Sometimes we make the same mistake twice or maybe even a few more times before we learn from our mistakes. You will notice that the same lesson keeps appearing in your life until you’ve learnt the lesson.

What would you tell a friend who confides in you about their guilt or shame: I know I would tell them that they did what they did because they didn’t know any better then and that I understand and love them. If they truly care about you, they will not hold it against you or bring it up but love you even more because you trusted them.

Write it down: Write a letter to the person who you wronged or wronged you. If that’s not something you want to do, write it in your journal, ask for forgiveness and then let it go.

Stop judging yourself: when you think everyone is judging you or looking at you, it’s actually because you’re judging yourself. Accept yourself and your mistakes and strive to do better. You have the power to decide any moment to let go of the guilt or shame and forgive yourself.

See the positive in the negative: there’s always two ways of looking at things. It could be the lesson that you learnt from your mistake, teaching your kids so that they don’t make the same mistake, becoming a better person as you learn to love and forgive yourself.

Close your eyes: relax and go back to your childhood or that incident and tell your younger self that they no longer need to feel shame or guilt. You understand and know why they did what they did and you forgive them.

Another way to make peace with your guilt or shame is through a hypnosis session with a reputable hypnotist who can help you let go of the past so that you can live your best life.

If you have other tips, please share it in the comments section so that you can help others.

“The past has no power over the present moment.” ―Eckhart Tolle

“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”—Oscar Wilde

“In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” —Deepak Chopra

“To heal, we must first forgive… and sometimes the person we must forgive is ourselves.” – Mila Bron

www.mindvasana.com

Leaves don’t drop they just let go

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“Cause leaves don’t drop they just let go
And make a space for seeds to grow
And every season brings a change
A tree is what a seed contains
To die and live is life’s refrain”
Leaves Don’t Drop (They Just Let Go) – Carrie Newcomer

This is the time of year to start thinking of new beginnings, a chance to wipe the slate clean.

As you get ready for the New Year, it’s a time to let go of things that are holding you back from living your best life and a time to start fresh.

What are you holding on to that you can let go of now? Are you ready to let go of fear? Fear of change, uncertainty, a job or career you’re stuck in, a relationship? Is there resentment, jealousy, hurt, that you are ready to let go of?

What kind beliefs are you ready to let go of? Are you ready to let go of thoughts and beliefs that were installed by parents, teachers, friends or siblings when you were little, things like, you’re not smart enough, good enough, lucky enough or that you’re dumb, stupid, ugly or that life is tough?

Make a list of all the things you’re ready to let go of and as you scratch each one, write down what you are ready to do, what changes you are ready to make in the New Year or even right now. What new beliefs are you going to install to replace those old limiting beliefs that are holding you back from living your best life? Life is too short to waste doing things that don’t bring you joy, peace of mind happiness. 

As you make a conscious effort to let go and begin writing down what you really want, all the changes you want to make, your unconscious/ subconscious mind will start creating new neural pathways to find resources to get you there.

As you focus on living a positive, happy life, you’ll begin to notice all the things you already have to be grateful for and you’ll attract even more things to be grateful for. Whatever you choose to focus on is what you will bring to your life.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” – J. K. Rowling

Remember it’s impossible to have a positive life with a negative mind. So every time you have a negative thought, acknowledge it and then replace it with a positive one. As you consciously try to do that, after a while you’ll automatically begin to think positive thoughts.

The past is gone, the future isn’t guaranteed, so all you have is now. By living in the present, being you, and letting go of any ego, jealousy, hatred, fear and everything else that you know is holding you back, you can begin the year with a clean slate. It’s never too late to start and you’ll never again be as young as you are now.

www.mindvasana.com

“In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” – Deepak Chopra

“You can only lose what you cling to.” – Buddha

“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.” – Ann Lander

“Your past does not equal your future.” – Anthony Robbins


I wish I knew you when I was young

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“You bury that seed
It’s everything beautiful
And that sound comes from the underground
It’s all inside you now
It’s everything beautiful
But what are you running from?”
I wish I knew you – The Revivalists

Don’t you sometimes wish you knew you when you were younger? Knew your younger self now, so you could tell them that everything’s going to turn out just the way it’s supposed to, in the end?

Every thought you had then, every action, experience and emotion you experienced, the meaning you gave it, has brought you to now, your present situation.

It is common and normal for people that have had a terrible childhood, been in bad relationships to believe that people are all bad and that you can’t trust anyone.

There are others who have been through the same things and they decide that the things they experienced are not going to control their life and they believe they deserve better and they do everything to change their situation and are an example to others on how to change their beliefs to live the life they want.

Every thought you have now, everything you do now, is also creating your future. Those emotions attached to all that you are experiencing now, is what you’re programming for your future.

When I finally realized that thoughts become things and that it was me who was responsible for how my life turned out, not anyone else, it was heartening and scary at the same time. There was no need to play the victim game or blame fate or the universe. It was up to me to make a conscious choice to be present in the moment, to turn negative thoughts into positive ones and to be grateful and happy.

Forgive yourself for mistakes you’ve made, keep the lessons, knowing that you can change your life anytime. All you need is to do is decide to change and with that you can change your beliefs in an instant so that you can begin to live life on your terms and create a future you want.

If you find it difficult to replace your negative thought patterns to positive ones through repetition, the fastest way to remove those negative patterns is to find yourself a reputable hypnotist to help uninstall all those negative patterns that were installed from the time you were born to age seven.

To learn all about how your mind works and how you can remove the programming of your subconscious mind, check out Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., Cellular Biologist (www.brucelipton.com).

You may also want to check out my older blogs at www.mindvasana.com to learn more on how the subconscious/unconscious mind is responsible for many of the choices you make.

The only person you’re destined to become is the person you decide to be – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The world is full of magic things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper – Irish poet William Butler Yeats

I’m not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours – The Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

But it starts in your feet, then it goes to your head

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‘If there’s no music up in heaven, then what’s it for?
When I hear the beat, my spirit’s on me like a live-wire
A thousand horses running wild in a city on fire
But it starts in your feet, then it goes to your head
If you can’t feel it, then the roots are dead
And if you’re the judge, then what is our crime?
Here comes the night time’
Arcade Fire

Everybody has something that makes them feel or come alive. For me, it’s music and dancing; travelling; trying new foods; spending time with positive, inspiring people; reading, learning, and a few other things.

Music and dancing are easy things that can lift my mood quickly. It helps that I’m married to someone who loves music and dancing too. We met 30 years ago in a restaurant/club called Pete & Marty’s in downtown Toronto and have been together ever since, going dancing whenever we can.

Music and dancing puts me in a trance. There are days when you feel like you have no control of things going on around you. You try to stay focused and positive and tell yourself nothing stays the same forever, these situations, people that feel negative at the moment, will all be history soon, in the grand scheme of life.

Those are the days that I need my headphones with some good loud music and trance myself out of all the negativity in my head. I have to remind myself that no one can “make” me feel one way or other.

If I stay in the present moment, not thinking of the past or the future, there’s no way I can focus on the feeling of fear, anger or hurt which either happened or I think may happen in the future. Nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning that I choose to give it.

Music helps a lot and dancing helps me change my emotion by changing my motion and by moving to the rhythm of the music. For some people jogging, working out and hiking are positive outlets that help them to stay positive and active.

For those who find themselves binge watching Netflix or binge eating, drinking, it’s okay to do that every now and then. If however, you feel guilty each time you do that, you may want to try putting on headphones and listening to music and dance or find another positive outlet.

If nothing seems to help then, find someone that you can talk to, write in a journal or get help. Life will pass you by so quickly and, 10 years from now you’ll look back and realize that you’ve wasted your life blaming your partner, your kids, your situation, your work, your life. Life owes you nothing, your only purpose in life is to be yourself and keep growing and learning to become your best self.

If not now then when?

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” – Rumi

“We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.” – Khalil Gibran

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” – Maya Angelou

www.mindvasana.com

 

I’m waking up, I feel it in my bones

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“I’m waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my systems blow”
 Imagine Dragons

There are days when you think, is this it? You wake up, you do what you do every single day and then you go to sleep. You wait for the weekend to do the things you like, sleep in, relax, spend time with family, friends, do a few fun things and before you know it, it’s back to the daily mundane routine again. Another year goes by.

Do you feel like you’re sleeping your life away or are you moving in the direction of your dreams? It’s never too late to start living the life you want. You don’t need to know what your purpose in life is. You don’t even have to aim for some big success, just dream and do things you enjoy and take small steps to get to where you want to go.

Listen to your heart and know that there’s still time to start a different career, go back to school, do what makes you happy. Find a life coach, read books, articles or talk to someone you admire and find out what they’ve done to get where they are.

If you’re still trying to “find” yourself or what career you’d like in the future, keep searching. You could make a list of your values, rank them from 1 to 5 and look for things that you enjoy doing that match your values. Start by doing what you love as a hobby or volunteer in that field and eventually you may just end up doing it as a career.

Until you decide to move in the direction of the future you want for yourself (you can always change the destination if you choose to), you’ll never get to your destination whether it’s your dream job, dream place, dream house, dream love, positive life experiences.

If you close your eyes and you see yourself in the future 10-15 years from now, what would you want to have achieved? How old will you be? See your future you. What would you like to hear your family and friends say about you if they were celebrating your accomplishments? Write it down, you’ll be surprised when you look back at how much you’ve accomplished.

Remember that your mind is very powerful. It only responds to two things, the pictures you paint in your head and the words that you speak. Be careful what you tell yourself, it is listening to you. All it takes is a second to make up your mind to change and decide how you want to live your life.

Don’t wait for life to pass you by, start by changing the way you think, being grateful for what you have and living your best life. As you drift off to sleep, when you’re in that hypnotic state, picture where you want to be, doing what you want to be doing and taking small steps to get there.
Hypnosis is great because it takes place on the unconscious level, bypassing the critical faculty.

The things that you have been trying to change on the conscious level, often only works for a short while. A qualified hypnotist can work with your unconscious (or subconscious) mind to make permanent positive changes. Find yourself a reputable hypnotist to help you break the chains that have been holding you back and live your best life.

To learn more, check out www.mindvasana.com

“I’m just trying to wake up – I’m so afraid of sleeping all my life and then dying – I want to wake up first.” – Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass

“What is a teacher? I’ll tell you: it isn’t someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Witch of Portobello

“It is never too late to be who you might have been” – George Eliot

“Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.” – Richard Bach

“No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself” – Madonna