A Brilliant Ball of Clay

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

Everybody is Kung Fu fighting,
Your mind becomes fast as lightning
Although the future is a little bit frightening
(Little bit frightening)
It’s the book of your life that you’re writing
(Life that you’re writing)

You’re a diamond in the rough,
A brilliant ball of clay.
You could be a work of art,
If you just go all the way.
Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas

I love when I come across songs that I have not heard in years. Nostalgia hits and takes me back in time. I find myself looking for meaning in songs, as if waiting for some sort of a message.

Some songs remind us that we are all diamonds in the rough, a brilliant ball of clay that needs to be chipped away so that we can turn out to be works of art.

We were born perfect, we knew exactly what we wanted and what we had to do. We instinctively cried when we were hungry or in pain, we smiled when we were happy and loved, we were perfect just being us.

As we grew older, our parents, teachers, care-givers and society instilled in us their views of what was right and wrong, how to feel and act and slowly, we were moulded to fit in our environment.

Whatever we learnt from birth to seven years of age was forever imprinted in our subconscious.
It laid down the foundation of how we interacted with the world.

We continued with life, expecting to live on forever, wanting more and more. Then one day we realized, we have less years ahead of us than behind us. Every moment we are gifted is a moment less we have remaining. That is when we start realizing what is important to us in life.

Many of you, like me, probably have also realized that you cannot be truly happy when one area of your life is going great but you have neglected another area of your life. I have come to the realization that balance in every area of life is key to living a happy life.

When you come to that realization, you already know what you need to do. It is so simple and yet so hard to do. It is the daily routines that add up to the big things you want to achieve.

The other thing that I have realized, is that, our thoughts become things. Every thought you think, releases some type of chemical. When you think positive thoughts, when you are happy and optimistic, the brain produces serotonin which creates a feeling of well-being.

Jealousy, anger, hate and other negative thoughts and emotions, increases cortisol levels and influences our immune system in a negative way. When you come to this realization, you become more aware of your thoughts and begin to pay attention to your mind-set.

I find whatever I focus on, I get more of, so I choose to think positive thoughts. When a negative thought crosses my mind, I acknowledge that feeling and then try and see the positive in the situation as soon as I can.

Good relationships are important and once you accept that we are all different, it is easy to get along and accept others just as they are without judgement.

My plan is to live life focusing on the now, knowing, if I take care of today, I hopefully will not have to worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. We only have today.

All we have is one life to live and the sooner we realize that nothing lasts forever we can live life to the fullest in the Now.

“A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.” –  Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

“The mind is everything.  What you think you become.” – Buddha

“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” – Dennis P. Kimbro

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson

www.mindvasana.com

Together We Can Take It To The End Of The Line

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Turn around
Every now and then
I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by”
Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler

Have you, like me, ever felt that time is running faster than ever? So little time to do all the things you want to do? One thing for sure, as I get older, the less I worry about what other people think of me.

I wish I had realized when I was younger that everybody was busy thinking of themselves and not me. So much time was wasted worrying about what other people thought. I have learnt that it is impossible to please everyone because everyone is looking at the world through their own perspective.

Every single person knows a different version of you and their perceptions of you are seen through their own lens. People may judge you or criticize you and, whether they think positively or negatively of you, it really is a reflection of themselves.

So take those selfies, chase the sunsets, dance when you hear the music, move to another country if your heart so desires. Be kind and tell people when you like something about them. If you like a poem someone has posted, take a couple of minutes to write a few words of encouragement. Not saying anything is saying something.

Share your art, your poem, your music with the world. Be free and let go of your ego. Life is too short to worry about what other people think. There is no other person exactly like you who can do things like you do. Every one of us is special in our own way. Your words or art may not resonate with everyone but if it makes you happy keep creating. Do it because it makes you happy.

Everything will end one day for each one of us and maybe we will all meet on the other side of the moon. Until then, how about we all do our little bit to be kind instead of being right and live life to the fullest. It is never too late to become who you really are.

“We grow old and die because we see others grow old and die” – Adi Shankara

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

“It might have been done before, but it hasn’t been done by you!”- Elizabeth Gilbert

“But never delude yourself into believing that you require someone else’s blessing (or even their comprehension) in order to make your own creative work.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

www.mindvasana.com

Listening to the Wind of Change

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Listening to the wind of change
The world is closing in
Did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers
The future’s in the air
Can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change”
Wind of Change – Scorpions

The world seems to have gone insane for some time now. There are so many things we have no control over and there seems to be no end to it any time soon. The only thing we can be certain about is uncertainty.

You, like me, probably feel hopeless and helpless sometimes with all the fear and uncertainty in this world. You may have done what you could in your own small way; donated money, written to politicians, spread the message on social media and more, to help in some way.

We know that nothing lasts forever, and this too shall end but there will always be external challenges that will make us feel helpless and anxious. How do you protect yourself so that you can handle any stress that seems to constantly show up in life?

Things like meditation, listening to positive podcasts, reading books, working out, yoga, walking in nature, writing down your thoughts, gratitude, dancing, playing with pets and spending less time watching or reading the news, are some ways to focus on things that you have control over.

You may not be able to change the world but if you change your world and how you show up in it, it will be a lot easier for you to be happy and at peace in any situation.

When you have balance in every area of your life; your health, your relationships, your career, financial freedom and, can be of help to others, plus strive to become your best self, that is what brings happiness, peace of mind and true success.

You may not have everything now but if you strive to learn, grow and evolve to become our best self, you are making progress. The little step that you take daily is what will get you there.

So, what do the smart ones do and what do I wish I had started doing decades ago?

For work, they do what they love so that it does not feel like work. Their career feels like play. The sooner you find out what you love, the easier it will be to eventually make your living doing what you love.

They learn and grow and, instead of criticizing and judging others, they are curious and learn from everyone. They are continuously learning by reading, taking courses, listening to podcasts and any other way they can.

They take care of their health and ensure that they stay fit by making it part of their daily routine. It is so easy to look back 20 years from now and wish that you had taken better care of your health.

They learn what they can about budgeting, investing and finances. The younger you start and learn all you can on how to grow your wealth, the less you will have to worry about in the future.

They value relationships and accept everyone for who they are. They know that no one is perfect and are kind and respectful to all. They forgive when they think they have been wronged because they know that carrying hate only poisons themselves.

There are other things that many smart successful people do, like making time in their day to go within to meditate or silence their mind, write down what they are grateful for, write down their goals, celebrate their successes and learn from their mistakes.

They don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future because they know that the present moment is all there is and what they do now is what their future is going to bring.

They remember that we come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing, so they are detached to outcomes. They focus on their daily habits and try and stay positive under all circumstances because they know, without hope, there is nothing.

The positive vibes you give to others, comes back to you in many ways. What you think, say, do, reflects back in your life. The more people you touch in a positive way by being kind, thoughtful, caring and understanding, the more positive energy will be reflected back in your life.

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” — Carl Jung

“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” – Confucius

“Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.” — Wayne Dyer

“Patience is the mark of true love. If you truly love someone, you will be more patient with that person.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

“When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you’d like them to be.” — Leo Tolstoy

“Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” – Isaac Newton

www.mindvasana.com

Seeking Shelter from the Winter Blues 

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu 

“Hello, darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence”
The Sound of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel

The winter blues from time to time, gets me down and I wonder if these long dark nights will ever end. Day after day, night after night, on and on they go.

To change my state of my mind, I decided to listen to some music and write my monthly blog on the way we think and live our lives.

It is always interesting to study people and realize how different we all are and yet so similar too.

Are you a control freak? Do you plan everything exactly the way it is supposed to go and when it doesn’t, how do you react? Do you go insane and lose control, get angry?

Or are you the kind that goes with the flow? You may have a goal and a plan but if things don’t go exactly the way you expect it to, you quickly adapt and accept and go with the flow.

Do you stop yourself from doing things you might enjoy because you think people will judge you or make fun of you?

Or do you follow your heart? Do you dance because the music moves you or, play a musical instrument because you love to, even though you may not be great at it?

Are you impatient? Do people irritate you because they are not as fast or smart as you? Do your parents annoy you because they are so “slow” or they “embarrass” you by being themselves?

Or are you patient and, as you mature you understand that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, that no one is better, just different and you accept everyone as they are.

Do you live by rules and traditions passed down from generation to generation that give you no joy?

Or do you question things that no longer make sense and are brave enough to change and live by your own new rules, evolving and accepting that things have changed?

Do you judge others, feeling all superior, thinking your way is the only right way?

Or do you recognize and accept that although we have different beliefs, we are all one race, the human race?

Are you impulsive? Do you dive into things and then regret doing so? Do you get yourself into situations and then get left with the guilt and shame?

Or do you think things through and ponder the consequences before acting? If you do make a mistake, do you forgive yourself and move on?

There are always two sides to everything, and the choice is ours as to how we want to live, whether we want to control life or sail with the tide.

I have realized that we are only here for a short while and instead of being right, it is better to be kind. Life is too short to hold grudges and the negativity that we carry only poisons us.

After the Winter, Spring will come, and the cycle will continue with or without us. We don’t know whether we have a day, a month, a year, a decade or more ahead of us. Once we are gone, life will still go on so make the most of it while you can and let go of guilt, fear and hate. Live life to the fullest doing things you enjoy.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – ― Albert Einstein

“Be realistic. Plan for a miracle.” ~ Wayne Dyer

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” —Viktor Frankl

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

www.mindvasana.com/blog

Here We Go Again

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash

Here we go again…with another New Year dawning, we can only hope that there will be bright sunshiny days ahead for all of us. The last couple of years have been rough for many but after the rain, I know the sun will shine again.

No New Year’s Resolutions for me, but it is symbolic, as one year ends and another one begins, to want to start fresh, to make up for last year’s promises that were not kept, to do better next year.

If there is anything that I have learned, it is that I can set all kinds of goals, but the devil is in the details. It is the little things that I do daily that will help me achieve my goals. I am not sure when it finally clicked but instead of setting lofty goals every year, I made some really small changes in several areas of my life and focused on doing them daily without thinking of the next day.

I started with meditating for one minute because I could not focus or concentrate longer than that. I realized that starting small and taking it one day at a time worked best for me.

I decided to let go of fear and judgement and just write. If anything, I did it to remind myself how far I had come, to let go of shame, guilt and mistakes of the past and, in the process encourage others to do the same.

It has been over five years and eight months since I wrote my first blog. I admit, in the beginning it was a struggle, and the first few blogs were not that great but slowly they got better, and it felt great when people told me that it resonated with them.

It is never too late to start anything. It took me over ten years of going to school part time and working full time to get my degree in Business Management. I took a few courses every semester and eventually it was done a decade later.

All I know is that once you decide on something, you have to take the first step and not worry about the end result because you will eventually get there if you persist.

It takes only a moment to make a decision to change. In one second you can decide to stop playing the victim, blaming someone else for your sorrows, making excuses and instead take responsibility for your own life. Sometimes that is all it takes to make a bold decision to change something.

Some things that I do daily which have helped me stay sane these last couple of years are; meditate daily, write at least three things I am grateful for daily, journal my thoughts and feelings, exercise, listen to inspiring podcasts, read or listen to audio books, take online courses, listen to music, walk or, dance if it is too cold to walk outside. I also keep a list of small and large items on my bucket list and scratch them off as I complete them.

We all know what we need to do to live a healthy balanced life; eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, find ways to let go of stress, have a positive mindset and all the other good stuff. I believe that in the end everything will work out for the best, so we need to hang on to hope and trust that the Universe always has our back. In the meantime, all we can do is our share by working on the little things daily to get us to where we want to be at the end of the year.

Life is too short to worry about what other people think. Do what makes you happy and if you change your mind and want to do something else, just do it.

Wishing you all a happy, peaceful, and successful year ahead. Thank you for taking the time to read my blogs.

“People do not decide their future, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures” – F.M. Alexander

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —J.P. Morgan

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” —Brad Paisley

“Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the New Year.” —John R. Dallas Jr.

Lucky You, Lucky Me

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

I keep hanging on,
waiting for the wind to change
I watch the sun go down,
and I keep hanging on,
waiting for my lucky day
waiting, for my lucky day
Waiting for My Lucky Day – Chris Isaak

Do you consider yourself lucky or does bad luck seem to follow you everywhere?

I have been thinking about this for some time and in the last few weeks I have been coming across the word “lucky” frequently which made me think about writing about this topic.

It reminded me of a documentary that I had watched a few years ago, about a man who considered himself the unluckiest man, but I could not remember the details of the story. The next morning, I saw a post on a Facebook group detailing the exact same story. Lady luck was smiling down on me and giving me the go-ahead to write about it!

The story goes, to make him feel lucky, the unluckiest man’s friends decided to set up ways to make him feel lucky and filmed him.

They placed a hundred dollar bill on the ground so that he could find it, but he walked right past it. They made it easy for him to win in several ways, but he kept walking past without seeing the items placed strategically for him.

When his friends stopped filming and told him that they had done everything to make him feel lucky but he kept missing the signs, he responded by, “You see! That’s because I’m so unlucky!”

You will notice that when you focus on the negative and think of yourself as jinxed or unlucky, you somehow bring about more unfortunate or unlucky events in your life. At other times you miss opportunities even when they stare you in the face because you label yourself as unlucky.

When one bad or negative thing happens in your day and you say, “this is the worst day of my life, everything is going wrong”, have you noticed that you prove yourself to be right and you begin to get more of those things that seem to go wrong throughout the day?

Unless you consciously make an effort to stop those thoughts and instead focus on what is going right, you will continue to attract “bad luck”.

Many years ago, I consciously decided to be grateful for everything in my life, even those events that I would have considered bad in the past, I now think of them as lessons learnt and things to be grateful for.

When I decided to focus on all the things, I had to be grateful for, I immediately felt like I had begun to attract lady luck. Now when things don’t go the way I would like them to, I can quickly pivot and change my thoughts and let go of the fear, anger, hurt or whatever emotion I am feeling.

At times it takes a lot longer, and I need to write down my thoughts or talk to someone about it when I feel hurt and then I let go of those feelings because I know they are harmful to my body as well. Most of the time I can let go of those emotions in an instant and forgive and forget.

If you want to attract good luck in your life, first set an intention to be lucky. I repeat in my mind daily that I am lucky and good luck follows me everywhere.

When things seem like they are not going the way I want them to, I remind myself of the fable “Good Thing, Bad Thing, Who Knows.” (what you think is bad now can turn out to be something positive in the future).

Forgive yourself and others and let go of any guilt you may have of things in the past because when you hold on to guilt and shame you will find it hard to believe you deserve good luck.

Let go of things you cannot control and go with the flow. Trust that the Universe always has your back. To change my negative thoughts, I find three things I am grateful for as soon as I become aware of those negative thoughts.

With another year unfolding, start fresh by writing down your goals or your bucket list, small and big, then imagine the feeling you would feel when you accomplish each goal.

Spend time with positive people who lift you up and focus on the good. Find your tribe and keep them close.

I find that when I am grateful, I attract more things to be grateful for. Instead of focusing on all the things that are not going right at the moment, I make a conscious effort to bring my focus back on all the things I have to be thankful for.

How about starting the new year by setting an intention to be lucky or even better yet why wait, start right now. Set your intention to be lucky and let the Universe work its magic for you.

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” – Dalai Lama XIV

“You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.” – Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men

www.mindvasana.com

Cycle of Life

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“Some of their dreams came true
Some just passed away
And some of them stayed behind
Inside the Sad Café”
The Sad Cafe – Eagles

I remember listening to “The Sad Café” by the Eagles a zillion times as a teenager. It has been many years since I last heard this song and I had forgotten about it but as I was searching for a song for my blog, I came across it again and it felt like I had found a long-lost friend.

I always loved music and I remember buying vinyl or records, as they were called then, where I grew up. I remember later switching to tapes which I listened to over and over again, then spent hours trying to untangle them when they got stuck in my tape recorder.

Music has always been a part of my life, especially growing up in Shillong, where music was so much part of the culture. I always thought anyone who could play the guitar was so cool and wanted to learn how to play the guitar someday.

I few years ago I tried learning how to play the guitar from my daughter who taught herself a few songs, but I quickly realized it was not as easy as it looked, so I am even more in awe of those that make it look so easy.

Songs are like old friends to me. Some will stay in my heart forever even though I don’t listen to them all the time. Then there are songs that I love for a while and then I forget about them. They are like good friends that were there for a reason or a season then are gone.

When a certain song plays on the radio, it can take me back through memory lane to happy times or to a time when I felt like I was drowning in sorrow. Music can lift you up or bring you down if you let it.

This week a baby was born and in the same week someone dear to me passed away. The cycle of life continues, and I go on listening to music old and new, reminiscing about days gone by and creating new memories too.

Sometimes I find it hard to make sense of it all and other times it is so clear to me that to stay sane and happy I must stay in the present. I cannot change the past and I cannot control or predict the future. There is only NOW.

We are all here for a short time so let’s live life to the fullest. Let go of expectations, regrets and things you cannot control. All you have is now and how you live it is what is going to get you to your future. What you think, do or believe today is the future you create for yourself.

Create happy memories, good memories wherever you go.

Here are some songs, artists, bands that brought back memories for me as I was writing this blog. Which songs are on your list?

  • Rod Stewart – I was only Joking
  • Uriah Heep – July Morning, Wizard
  • Dire Straits
  • Moody Blues
  • Eagles
  • John Cougar Mellencamp
  • Bruce Springsteen
  • Arcade Fire
  • Coldplay
  • Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
  • Lady in Red
  • Gerry Rafferty – Right Down the Line, Baker Street
  • Smokie – Living Next Door to Alice
  • George McCrae – Rock Your Baby
  • Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb, Wish you were here
  • White Snake – Here I go again
  • Norwegian Wood
  • Creep

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” – Kahlil Gibran

“Music is good to the melancholy, bad to those who mourn, and neither good nor bad to the deaf.” – Baruch Spinoza

“Where words fail, music speaks.” – Hans Christian Anderson

“How is it that music can, without words, evoke our laughter, our fears, our highest aspirations?” – Jane Swan

“The highest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude.” – Thornton Wilder

Sometimes I Get Nervous When I See An Open Door

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought, but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door
Close your eyes
Clear your heart
Cut the cord
Are we human
Or are we dancer?”
Human – The Killers

This is the perfect time of the month and year to let go of things that no longer serve us or bring us joy.

A time to purge things we have not used in a long time or things that are cluttering up our space.

A time to let go of people that suck the energy or life out of us and instead spend time with people that lift us up and bring us joy.

Our life is meant to be in flow, not in constant struggle over things we have no control over. Like the moon that moves through different phases so do we. We can swim or flow through life gracefully or we can hold on to things and people that drain us.

Some people revere the moon and practice rituals during the Full Moon to let go of what does not serve them anymore. They believe that this is the perfect time to surrender and start fresh.

If you have been constantly feeling restless, irritable, annoyed or lost the last few weeks and your mind is playing scenarios of anger, hurt, shame, guilt or fear, why not try some visualizations or rituals to let go of those things to live a happier, peaceful life? You are the only person responsible for how you feel even though you may sometimes feel like you have no control over the situation.

Write down on a piece of paper all the things that you want to let go of, whether it is feelings or people that have caused you pain and suffering and then burn the paper in a bucket, bowl or over the toilet and flush it down. As the paper burns surrender and let go of all those emotions and feel them disappear forever.

If fire is not your thing, another thing you can do is just imagine writing down what you are feeling and putting them in a helium balloon then letting go of the string so that the balloon rises and disappears, never to be seen, along with all the unwanted thoughts and emotions disappearing into thin air.

When negative thoughts play on your mind and you do nothing about them, you will notice that you attract more of the same and the pattern will keep repeating until you have learnt the lesson. Our thoughts are powerful!

A few days back, I went for an Engrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin concert with my lovely young friend, Joni (she’s more like a niece). We had received numerous emails from Ticketmaster that they would not be accepting paper copies of the ticket or proof of vaccinations and would only accept digital copies on our phones.

We made sure we were prepared, had our phones fully charged, our tickets and proof of vaccination on our phones ready in line, waiting to get in.

Just as we were coming up to the front of the line, I thought to myself, what would happen if someone’s phone died, and they cannot access their tickets?

Thoughts are powerful my friends! Shortly after I had that thought and as I was getting ready to show my phone, it went totally grey and blank. I could not turn my phone on or off. We were stuck, with no way of getting in!!

We let the person behind us go ahead of us and moved to the side to figure out what to do. I must say we both remained pretty calm while deciding what to do next instead of panicking.

While we were planning what to do, my phone came back on as if nothing had happened and we were able to get in past the proof of vaccine line right after the person we had let go ahead of us and we waited in another line at the next door to show our tickets to get inside the arena.

Everything happens for a reason because when we showed our ticket, we were told that we had been upgraded to Level 100 from Level 300. If my phone had not stopped working, the person behind us would probably have been upgraded instead of us.

The two lessons that I took away from this incident were, be aware of your thoughts because thoughts become things – choose the good ones, and by always trusting the Universe that things will work out for the best, some way or the other, we were upgraded!

“Surrender is like a fish finding the current and going with it.” – Mark Nepo

Life is too short to spend in negativity. So I have made a conscious effort to not be where I don’t want to be.” – Hugh Dillon

“You only have control over three things in your life – the thoughts you think, the images you visualize, and the actions you take.” – Jack Canfield

“Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power.” — Shirley MacLaine

“You create your thoughts, your thoughts create your intentions and your intentions create your reality.” – Wayne Dyer

“Imagination is everything, it is the preview of life coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein

“Beware of what you set your heart upon…for it shall surely be yours.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Save Time in a Bottle

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

So if only I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save everyday ’til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you
And I’d save everyday like a treasure and then
Again and again I’d spend them with you (spend them with you)
Time in a Bottle – Jim Croce

The other day my sister and I were joking about how many weekends we possibly had remaining in life and, that got me thinking about the story of 3900 Saturdays.

If a person lives to 75 years, that is the number of Saturdays (3,900) they have in total. In this story, the man was 50 years old, so he bought 1,300 marbles, equivalent to the total number of Saturdays remaining for him and put them in a clear jar. Every Saturday he removed one marble and as he watched the marbles disappear, it became clear to him what he needed to focus on and what was important to him.

If you are 30 years old, you have around 2,340 Saturdays left. If you are 40 years old, you have 1,820 Saturdays remaining. If you are 50 years old, you have 1,300 Saturdays left and if you are 60 years old, you have 780 Saturdays left. However, if you have great genes, you probably have many more Saturdays left to enjoy.

When you look at life this way, you realize that at the end of each year you have 52 Saturdays less and the number of Saturdays remaining get fewer by the number. That is when you begin to realize that every day must be enjoyed and lived to the fullest whether it is a Monday or a Saturday.

Why wait for a Friday or Saturday night to meet up with friends or go for a movie? Do what you love when you want instead of waiting for the weekend. Pre-pandemic, many times we would go for movies during the week so that it did not feel like we had to wait for the weekend to enjoy the things we liked doing.

Some simple things you can do to make life more interesting and have something to look forward to:

  • Make a bucket list of small and big things you want to do or experience
  • Make a list of places you want to visit (whether they are short road trips or bigger vacations)
  • Join a Meetup group (many are online now) and connect with like-minded people (find your tribe)
  • Go for walks in nature after work with a friend or neighbour or listen to a podcast
  • Put on your headphones and dance if you don’t have anywhere to go
  • Set up video calls with friends and family if you can’t see them in person
  • Just have fun, enjoy life instead of accumulating material things that tie you down
  • Find a job that does not feel like work if possible
  • Let go of guilt, shame and fears. Forgive yourself. Each new day is a chance to start fresh and do better

You cannot change the past and you can only make your future better by living your best life in the present.

Spend time with people that lift you up and do things that bring you joy or you will find that the marbles will quickly begin to diminish from the glass jar of life.

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Warhol

“It’s not that we have little time, but more that we waste a good deal of it.” – Seneca

“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” – John Lennon

“It’s being here now that’s important. There’s no past and there’s no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don’t know if there is one.” – George Harrison

www.mindvasana.com

Be Water My Friend

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

I said, empty your mind.
Be formless, shapeless, like water.
Now you put water into a cup,
it becomes the cup,
you put water into a bottle,
it becomes the bottle.
You put it into a teapot,
it becomes the teapot.
Now water can flow,
or it can crash.
Be water my friend.
Bruce Lee

Water is powerful. Water can transform from liquid to solid to vapor. It has no shape or form, yet it takes on the form of whatever you put it in. Likewise, the thoughts you fill your mind with, is what shapes your life.

Water teaches us to embrace change and to go with the flow. We can drown in the depths of the deep sea of our sorrow, anger and hurt, or we can glide through life like a gentle stream.

Life is full of ups and downs and many a time we must face obstacles and challenges that we have no control over. The only thing we can control is how we react to any situation. In times like these, we can learn from water and go with the flow, let it wash off our back and keep on going.

Water is also a symbol of life and a reflection of self and of transformation. Water teaches us to be patient and persistent, to slowly chip away at obstacles and when possible, to gently go around them.

I love both the sound of the gentle flow of a stream and the sound of water as it crashes on the seashore. Dripping water can cut through rocks and mountains, or it can glide gently over them and in between the creaks. Water is versatile.

The only thing that can quench my thirst when I am thirsty, is the tasteless taste of water. The feel of water in the shower, symbolically cleanses and washes away all my worries or sorrows daily.

The sound of a downpour and rain splashing on my windowpane on a hot summer day or on a dark, windy night with lightning and thunder, soothes my spirit. The smell of the earth after heavy rains, brings me back to memories of yesteryears…I call it the smell of Shillong.

What I like about water is, it goes where it wants to go. When there is an obstacle in its way, water goes around it. Water is patient and goes with the flow. Be like water my friend.

Some people come into your life like a storm and disappear, while others with their gentle presence flow along with you like a stream through life. Like all rivers that flow into the ocean, we are all connected.

Every person we meet teaches us something we have yet to learn, and we keep meeting people that trigger us because we have yet to learn the lesson we need to learn and once we do, there are no triggers. We become calm like the sea after the storm.

Why is it that the sight of water, whether it’s a stream, a pond, a waterfall, a lake or an ocean makes everything seem like all is right in the world? Water is life. Be like water my friend.

“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans.” — Kahlil Gibran

“As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.” – Lau Tzu

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”― Ryunosuke Satoro

“No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.” – Taoist proverb

www.mindvasana.com

Picking up Good Vibrations: Gentle Wind that lifts her perfume

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Blog Post by: Lata Advani Viseu

“I-I love the colorful clothes she wears
And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair
I hear the sound of a gentle wordOn the wind that lifts her perfume through the air
I’m pickin’ up good vibrations
She’s giving me the excitations (oom bop bop)”
Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys

Have you noticed that when you are positive and happy, you seem to attract good things to you and when you are feeling down or negative, everything seems to go wrong for you?

Albert Einstein said, “Everything is Energy”.

Could it be that the frequency you are vibrating at is attracting things in that same frequency?

The notion is that all matter in the universe is made up of energy that vibrates. This includes you, me, the trees, your pet, the food that you eat and the water that you drink.

Everything is vibrating at a certain frequency and, we are connected through these vibrational waves. The beauty you see in others and in everything around you, reflects back in positive waves to you.

Generally, when you are around positive, happy people your energy feels different than when you are with someone who is always complaining, seeing the worst in people or just being negative about everything.

You cannot control what other people say or do but you can control your reaction and make a conscious effort not to get sucked into their negative energy. 

You can deflect negative energy through many ways and raise your own vibration:

Spend more time in nature and notice the beauty in flowers, trees, the ocean and the mountains.

Do more things that bring you joy and remember to be thankful for the things that bring you joy.

When someone does something nice for you, instead of looking for ways to repay immediately, enjoy the moment. “The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” – Richard Bach

Be mindful in everything you do, who you spend your time with and ensure that your surroundings bring you joy and peace.

I find meditation first thing in the morning paves the way for me to begin the day in a positive frame of mind.

Spend more time with positive people and remove yourself from toxic environments or at least protect yourself by doing things that raise your vibration.

Be generous and giving of our time, your love and your kind words. Choose to be happy and grateful now and seeyour life change for the better.

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

“Everything is energy. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.” Albert Einstein

“How you vibrate is what the universe echoes back to you in every moment.” Panache

“Every human brain is both a broadcasting and receiving station for the vibration of thought.” Napoleon Hill

www.mindvasana.com

I See Your True Colours

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Blog Post By: Lata Advani Viseu

“And I’ll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid to let it show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
Like a rainbow”
True Colors – Cyndi Lauper

One Summer there were ladybugs everywhere, the next year there were wasps everywhere and this year there are hairy caterpillars all over the place. Is it random or does it mean anything? How does the Universe decide?

Is a caterpillar a sign of change and transformation into a beautiful butterfly? Truth be told, you can choose to see signs and give them any meaning you want. I choose all things positive because the reflection I see in everything is really a reflection of what is in me.

Is it just me or does the sky seem to be a bluer shade of blue when it is sunny outside these days? I notice the leaves on the trees and it makes me wonder, how many shades of green can there be?

Was it always this way? As we were driving down the countryside today, the grass was this vibrant shade of green and the wild flowers along the side of the road looked so much brighter than usual. Even the books on my shelf seemed to pop out with all these rainbow of colours.

Was I sleepwalking through life all this time? Am I just waking up really noticing the beauty in everything around me? Walking barefoot on the grass, feeling grounded and at peace are some of the simple pleasures for me these days.

I feel lucky with all that I have and had in my life and, anything more I get is just extra icing on the cake. Although I am not really a fan of icing but you know what I mean.

After these last few years of searching and learning and growing, I know what I need to do next is share what I have learnt and help others find what they are really looking for in life. Spoiler alert, you already have all that you need and all you need to do is set an intention and let it unfold.

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
“The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” – Richard Bach
“I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.” – Anne Frank
“Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

www.mindvasana.com

You Already Know

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“Life’s a movie, let the camera roll
Fast life moving, ain’t no going slow
That’s right, baby, you already know
You already know, hope you’re ready
Ready, steady, steady, rocking”
You Already Know – Fergie

This month marks Mindvasana’s fifth anniversary and blog number sixty. Thank you to those who have been reading my monthly blogs, leaving comments and sharing it with others.

I am offering a special gift at the end of this blog to celebrate five years!

When I started to write these monthly blogs, I thought I was doing it to help people by sharing my life lessons so that I could remind my readers of things they already knew and thereby help them avoid or deal with painful life lessons.

I believe everything there is to know has been written in books, taught by wise ones and we already know all there is to know to live the life we want.

We may have forgotten some things or may not have given them much thought but we have heard it all before. Once we become aware, all we need to do is to let it unfold in our lives.

Many of us live our lives unaware and not knowing how strong we are and the Universe reminds us by teaching us, through some hard lessons in life, so that we can realize what we already know.

Life keeps knocking us down and giving us the same lessons over and over again until we learn what we need to learn so that we become aware of what was already inside of us.

Things that you never thought you were capable of overcoming, you overcame. The fears that you had to face and when you thought there was no hope, you got through them and became stronger.

I wish I had known or paid attention to many of the things in the past that I now realize were always there, if I had searched for them in the right places or listened to the messages that were always available.

I have also realized that you cannot force anyone to listen to what you know will help them, that they only begin to hear what they need to hear when they are ready.

The book that was lying on a bookshelf at home or the lyrics of a song that you hear on the radio or something you listen to regularly suddenly has a deeper meaning. As they say, the teacher appears when the student is ready.

When I started paying attention to signs and was ready to learn, teachers appeared. So maybe it was never about writing to heal millions of people, maybe it was about writing to heal myself.

Below are some tips I have shared before but reminders are always good, even if it is only for myself. You can do one or two or all of them if they resonate with you to see your life unfold and improve:

  • Start your day with sitting still for 5-10 minutes and focusing on your breath or listen to guided meditations
  • Write down in a notebook three things you are grateful for every day
  • Move your body – dance, yoga, walk or do whatever you enjoy doing
  • Write down your bucket list and scratch them off as you achieve them
  • Set aside time to day dream, imagine the things you would do if you had all the money, time and resources in the world
  • Start a scrapbook or create a vision board on Pinterest
  • Every night as you are drifting off to sleep think of all the things that went well that day, the positive comments you received, something nice you said or did for someone. Go ahead tell yourself how awesome you are.
  • In the shower, imagine the water washing away any fears, regrets, doubts
  • Take a walk in nature
  • Spend more time doing things you are passionate about
  • Believe that the Universe always has your back
  • Remind yourself that life is happening for you not to you
  • Remember you can change your beliefs at any point in time and when you change your mind you change your life
  • Whatever you focus on you attract
  • Listen to music that makes you feel good
  • Watch or listen to videos, podcasts that motivate you
  • Keep learning and growing
  • Look up the parable “Good thing, Bad thing, Who knows”

I do many on the above list every day. They are all taught in some form or another by many world-renowned coaches, authors and gurus and you already know them.

Special gift: If you comment on the blog and tell me which tip or tips you will begin using or are already using, you have a chance to win a free Mindscaping session (worth $199). Direct message me and let me know by May 31, 2021 if you are interested in a session. To learn about Mindscaping check out www.mindvasana.com and click on Mindscaping.

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – Les Brown

“Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – Les Brown

Life Is Simple and Some Days You Have To Create Your Own Sunshine

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“I was lying on the grass on Sunday morning of last week
Indulging in my self-defeat
My mind was thugged all laced and bugged all twisted wrong and beat
Uncomfortable in three feet deep”
Steal My Sunshine – Len

When things are going smoothly for me, I find that life is simple and easy to navigate.

Every now and then when I find myself feeling sad or a little down, I have discovered ways to help me get out of it without wallowing in self pity for too long.

It is okay to feel the emotions and sit with it for a while when you are feeling down. Cry if you must then look for ways to get yourself out of the negative situation.

Go for a walk to clear your head, listen to upbeat music and dance. Watch a funny show or movie, write down your feelings in your journal, do anything that you enjoy doing, or call a friend.

To help me feel better, I think of little things that I am grateful for and I remind myself that I am responsible for my own happiness. I tell myself that it is not important what happens to me but how I react to any situation. That this too shall pass because nothing lasts forever.

I find that listening to guided meditations when I first wake up, doing a little bit of yoga, and writing down my thoughts and setting my intentions for the day, help me start the day right.

I used to think that people who woke up before 6:00 am were insane! Now, I automatically wake up around 5:00 am without setting the alarm and love the time I have to relax and do all the things I want to do before starting work.

Little steps that I take every day keep me focused. It will be five years next month since I created Mindvasana.com and committed to writing a monthly blog. I have not missed a single month of writing. I will have written 60 blogs as of May 2021.

Every night before you go to sleep, think back on your day and honour the things that went well and think of the things that you are proud of so that you can begin to focus on the positive things in your life and in turn attract more of it.

Life can be so simple if we focus on the present moment. We cannot change the past and we have no control really of the future. The only thing we have is this moment which will in an instant become the past.

The more you spend time in the present feeling happy and being grateful, the more chances you will attract more of it in the future. Keep it simple.

“A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.” – Albert Einstein

“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” — Mother Teresa

“The perfected future never arrives. Life is full of seemingly endless trouble, and then life ends. Find peace in the imperfect present.” —The Stoic Emperor

Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.” —Rumi

www.mindvasana.com

Always By Your Side

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“I will take your hand, and I’ll understand
Share all your hopes and dreams
Show you what love can mean
Whenever life just gets too much for you
I’ll be on your side, to dry the tears you cry

I’ll love you forever, I promise you
We’ll be together, our whole life through
There’s nothin’ that I, I wouldn’t do
With all of my heart, I promise you”
I promise you – Michael Bolton

This past year so much has changed in my life and it has taught me some important lessons.

The greatest reminder this year has been that life is short and tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. I realize that everything can change in an instant and that nothing ever lasts forever… the good or the bad. It hit me, that every year gone by is one less year remaining in front of me.

Enjoy those days with your little ones, whether it is reading to them in bed, playing in the park or making tents in the living room or listening to them perform a song like their favourite Rockstar. They grow up so quickly and only the memories remain.

We come into this world alone with nothing and will leave with nothing. When I die none of my material possessions will be going with me so instead of accumulating things, I would rather be doing things I like, learning and experiencing new things, making a difference using the tools and skills that I have acquired.

Instead of burdening others with my expectations of them, I realize that I am responsible for my own happiness and no one owes me anything. The greatest gift I can give my loved ones is my own happiness.

I have come to learn that we each are on our own journey. What is important to me may not be important to you. That does not make one wrong and the other right, we each have our own preferences and wants and are entitled to them. All we have to do is live and let live.

I have learnt that wherever I focus my thoughts and attention that is where energy flows. I can raise my vibration by being positive and grateful for all the abundance in my life. This also raises the vibration of those around me and brings about more abundance and harmony.

Every time I react to a negative situation, I have learnt to quickly acknowledge it in my heart and replace it with things that I am grateful for as I know that our emotions affect our health and attracts more of what we focus on.

A great short meditation that you can do anytime, especially when you are experiencing something negative is to breathe in that emotion, feel it in your heart and notice it change as you breathe out love.

If you find that hard to do think of anything that you are grateful for and feel your emotions change. There is always something to be grateful for.

I have learnt that what other people say or do has nothing to do with me but how they feel about themselves. In the end being kind, compassionate and patient are more important than being intelligent or smart.

Some other things I have learnt over the years is that I can change my beliefs that no longer serve me, at any point in time and adopt a different belief that feels right to me.

Every little step I take each day to improve myself, gets me closer to what I want. Goals are important but when necessary I need to be flexible and go with the flow.

I have come to believe that when someone we love leaves the physical realm, there are always signs everywhere that they are with us when we need them. All we need to do is tune in and see the signs whether it is in a song or a message on a billboard.

On our wedding anniversary, March 16th, I was feeling a little sad and waiting for a sign from Louie and this picture which was running on our television popped up – “Always by your side”. This was the first time I had ever seen this picture amongst the thousands of pictures that we had taken on our trips.

I realize that every day is a chance to learn something new. I still must learn that it is okay to say no to things I really do not want to do because I am afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. Life is too short to live with any regrets.

I have realized even more than before that relationships are important and that in times of sorrow or pain, your family and friends are there for you and to always appreciate them and never take them for granted.

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” ―Eleanor Roosevelt

“Life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now.” ―Thich Nhat Hanh

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them―that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ―Lao Tzu

“There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.” ― Marshall McLuhan

“But one of the big lessons I have learned from my journey is you can’t please everyone, so don’t try.” ― Chris Colfer

www.mindvasana.com

She Sees The World Through Rose-Coloured Glasses

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Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

“She sees the world through rose-coloured glasses
Painted skies and graceful romances
I see a world that’s tired and scared
Of living on the edge too long
Where does she get off telling me
That love could save us all
Save us all”
Rose-Coloured Glasses – Blue Rodeo

When the world turned upside down last year, things happened that we never thought were possible in our widest dreams. How could we have imagined that the things we took for granted like travelling, eating out, shopping, hugging family and friends would all come to a stall for most?

Not so long ago, the tour guide that took us to Agra in India to see the magnificent Taj Mahal, took a picture of me with my so called ‘rose-coloured” glasses with the reflection of the beautiful Taj Mahal mirroring back, with hundreds of other tourists standing next to me. A lot has changed since then, and we have had to adjust to the new reality.

For me, once I accepted that things had changed and we were in for the long haul, it became clear to me all the things that were important to me and things that no longer mattered. I realized that so many of the material things that I possessed I could do without.

I have been on a journey for many years trying to find out how to become my best self, to learn from my mistakes and live a life that is meaningful and purposeful. I love learning and taking courses, especially on topics related to the connection between the mind, the body, and the spirit. In all the trainings and books that I have read, the common theme has been that we each create our own reality.

The stories that we tell ourselves create our reality so if we change our stories and our beliefs, we can change our life. We are programmed from a very early age by our parents, teachers, caregivers, with all their perceptions of how things should be, and we accept them to be true. We need to remember that at any point we can put on our rose-coloured glasses and decide to change a belief that no longer serves us.

There has been a lot of death and suffering in the past year and many of us have lost loved ones. We need to keep reminding ourselves that they are no longer suffering and are resting in peace now and will always be with us in spirit.

They would want us to keep moving forward, growing, and living a happy life, doing the things that bring us joy. We all have a choice on how we look at every situation in our life. We can either focus on the negative and all that is wrong, or we can put on our rose-coloured glasses and see the beauty and positive in every situation.

Life is too short to hold grudges, judge others or to focus on our losses. Do things you love and let go of things you cannot control. Accept others as they are, live and let live and remember that with every moment forward in time, you have a moment less with your loved ones. Live life to the fullest by being present in the moment.

“I really think that if you live for today, tomorrow takes care of itself.”

“Everything that’s realistic has some sort of ugliness in it. Even a flower is ugly when it wilts, a bird when it seeks its prey, the ocean when it becomes violent.”

“I guess I kind of lived in a fairy tale world… looking at everything through rose-colored glasses. I probably always will, to a certain extent.” – Sharon Tate

www.mindvasana.com/blog

The Light That You Left Me Will Everglow

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Oh they say people come
Say people go
This particular diamond was extra special
And though you might be gone
And the world may not know
Still I see you celestial
Everglow – Colplay

Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

My biggest fear came to life on January 14, 2021. That fear was of someone close to me dying. I thought if my husband, Louie were to die before me, I would not know how to go on without him.

It is strange how once you experience your biggest fear you realize you have no choice but to accept it. I will not lie; it is not easy because we had been together for almost 33 years and there are tons of memories.

Every time I hear a song that he liked I remember how much he loved music. He loved all kinds of music and it seemed like every time a song would play, he would say, “this is my favourite song.”

He loved Coldplay, Arcade Fire, 80’s music like the Pet Shop Boys, 70’s Classic Rock, Reggaeton, soft romantic songs by Roberto Carlos, Hindi Bollywood tunes and even Ghazals and he could dance to almost any type of music.

Everywhere there are memories of him to remind us of the wonderful times we had together. We lived life to the fullest and did the things we wanted in life, travelled to many beautiful places, experienced many different things, we went dancing every weekend, so I have no regrets of our life together.

I only wish we had more years together but then would any number of years ever be enough really? Each of us must go someday and once we accept that, we can focus our energies on the now, creating memories that will live on forever.

There were so many fears that I had when Louie was going through his cancer journey. I cried each time I was told by the doctors or nurses that I would need to do something which I had never done before.

I was so afraid when I had to go into the hospital to train on how to suction the tracheostomy tube (breathing tube) of thick mucus through the tube in Louie’s neck into his windpipe and learn how to clean the trach.

I was afraid I would do something wrong and kill him and I cried worrying about it but once I did it a few times, it was not as scary anymore. There were many other things that needed to be done and they all scared me to death but those are things that needed to be done and I got it done. One of the biggest lessons I learnt during this journey was that we are capable of much more than we think we are.

It is ironic that someone who loved to cook could no longer eat. His meals for almost ten months were Ensure and a few shakes as meal replacements. He loved to talk, debate and argue and could no longer speak properly. He loved to dance and was the most active person I knew and no longer had the energy.

He did everything with passion, whether it was dishes, laundry, dropping me and picking me up from work every day, running his business or accompanying me to my work events. I am glad that our daughter, Bianca has so many of his qualities, he would be proud of all that she is doing.

Through the pandemic, I was working from home for most of the year while accompanying him to his hospital appointments and after his tongue cancer surgery, he seemed to be doing so well. Even though he could not eat he would bring me an egg sandwich and fruits or French toast for breakfast when I would be in meetings online. I did not have the heart to tell him that I was trying to skip breakfast purposely.

Sometimes I would get so busy and forget to stop for lunch and he would suddenly appear with a plate of something for me to eat. Even though he was sick, he would worry about me not eating. He would cook us amazing dinners and not be able to eat with us. That made us so sad but at the same time it gave him pleasure to feed us.

We had quite a good Fall after his radiation treatment which was over in August and we all thought he was recovering but then the CT scans showed that the cancer had spread and was spreading quickly. He did everything he could to live as long as he could and even survived COVID-19 but in the end, it was his time to leave.

I believe the soul lives on forever and our loved ones become our Guardian Angels. I know that Louie will be looking down on us always and leaving us signs and want us to continue to live life to the fullest.

I believe in signs and I would ask the Universe for signs that things would be alright and that Louie would not suffer. They say if you see a feather, a cardinal and a butterfly, they are all signs that the Universe or Guardian Angel is looking out for you. I did see a feather and the next day a picture that a friend posted of a cardinal in her garden, but I kept looking for a butterfly and it seemed like I would not get my wish.

When we were in the Emergency room at the end just as Louie passed away, I looked at the door and there was this single image of a butterfly on the door telling me that everything was going to be okay and that he was no longer suffering and finally in peace.

Rest in peace my love, you are forever in our hearts and we will meet again. As the Coldplay song says, “the light that you left me will everglow”.

“It is not length of life, but depth of life.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.” – Kahlil Gibran

“Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.” –  Rumi

“Death is a word, and it is the word, the image, that creates fear.” –  Jiddu Krishnamurti

“Death is like a mirror in which the true meaning of life is reflected.” –  Sogyal Rinpoche

www.mindvasana.com/blog