10 Ways to Become Your Most Badass Self

Here is another great article pubished via MindBodyGreen.com by Stefani Beckerman. Read the entire article here:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6952/10-Ways-to-Become-Your-Most-Badass-Self.html

1. Figure out who you are.

Peel back the layers and let yourself be seen. Love who you are and let that be so powerful that you don’t seek any validation from others. Part of this process is to stop judging people and situations; it will unconsciously help you drop your guard. Behind the body, behind the spiral of thoughts from your overactive mind, deep inside where you feel your breath, that’s where your find yourself.

2. Go slow and steady.

Go with the flow. Observe your surroundings, ask the right questions to yourself and others, and then just listen.

3. Trust your path.

First, commit to yourself. Know that your process is perfect for you. There is no one right way. Cultivate an unshakeable trust in your instincts and belief in yourself. Maintain the faith that an energy greater than you realize has your back.

4. Be fearless.

Fear blocks success. It’s the language of the ego that leads you directly away from where you want to go. Tear down the walls that fear built inside you which clog your passageways to reach The Spiritus. Let what scares you surface, and then pass through.

5. Tell your truth.

Your truth is what is. Who you are, what body you’ve been given, what gifts you have. Forget about imperfections, we all have them, embrace what is yours. Your truth is also what you need in this moment, what you feel, what you see. Let it out, it’s the only way to accept yourself and let people in.

6. Move and sweat.

Acceptance, forgiveness, letting go. These are the goals. We try to control our life and it creates tension. Hold the space for what you want to accomplish, drop expectations of the order it’s supposed to happen, and welcome how it IS happening. Don’t hold onto anything negative. Exercise and making food choices that keep your mind, body, and soul feeling good is a key way to master these principles.

7. Look with love.

Love everyone, every stage, and every thing happening because it’s all part of your process that’s taking you where you want to go. If you’re in a funk, just think of it as a higher education. Learn something from it. We live this life, and we’re lucky to have it. Savor it and be grateful for it by using an optimistic lens.

8. Practice patience.

If you continue to return to the S-link and vibrate on that level, you will accomplish many versions of all your dreams. Patience is about holding onto the unshakeable knowingness that you will get there, even if you don’t know where you’re going. No doubts.

9. Remain in the moment.

We’re constantly in transition. Every moment is fleeting; instead of clinging to it, move seamlessly into the next. Intend to be present in everything you’re doing, every conversation you’re having. Don’t let the mind overwhelm you with things to stress about. Meditation and yoga help a lot.

10. Gratitude.

Keep it flowing. Love, care, compassion, and gratitude – read some studies – it’s the heart’s proven optimal state, and operating from this place is how you attract more of that beautiful state.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6952/10-Ways-to-Become-Your-Most-Badass-Self.html

5 Things to Do When You’re in an “Emotional Fog” « Mark’s Blog

Oftentimes, I feel like I am in an emotional fog. My feelings and emotions are in a constant battle. My mind is not clear and my body completes the picture. I am not myself though I pretend to act like nothing is going on. I must push forward, his too shall pass, I say to myself. In the meantime, I enjoyed Mark Merrill’s post with tips on how to deal with the emotional fog.

Take time to read, learn and share.

 

Pull over.

You may want to stop what you are doing and pull over if you are able for a few hours or maybe even get away for several days so you can clear your mind.

Patience.

Sometimes, you just have to be patient and wait until the fog clears. You can’t try to control everything.

Ponder.

Spend time reflecting upon your life.  Instead of asking yourself “Why is this happening to me?” Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Or, “What should I do as a result of this?”

Pray.

God allows the fog in your life and God can take it away. Sure, pray that the fog will clear. But also pray that He will be pleased with how you handle yourself when you’re in the fog.

Persevere.

Life is not easy. You will struggle. You will experience pain. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. The fog will lift. Blue skies will prevail again.

 

Full article here:

5 Things to Do When You’re in an “Emotional Fog” « Mark’s Blog.

The Chronicles of Ian Karlo: lessons learned from a three year old

En Español abajo!

Our son, Ian Karlo is turning three today. He is such a happy little rascal  and growing up to be a big boy.  I have been lucky to be around him more than I did with Karymar during her first years due to my job. The time spent together has taught me some valuable lessons that I intent to apply in my daily life.

Ian’s typical day starts waking up in such a happy mood.  We  seldom realize when he is up until we hear him talking in his room. We open the door and there he is, beaming at us with his big noble smile. Nothing seems to bother him. He is happy and ready to play.  Lesson#1: every day is a new day of fun and play. Enjoy life, like a child does.

However, breakfast is everyday morning battle. Ian Karlo doesn’t want his cereal, he demands his milk.  He can be as swift as any martial artist evading the spoon but when it comes to his milk he is as docile as a teddy bear. We had to be very patient around breakfast time with him. Over time, we have come to many ways to persuade him to eat other foods with songs, dancing and down right negotiating.  Lesson#2: be flexible but be persistent.

Our little man has a growing curiosity about how things work, particularly anything that turns or rotates. He loves to watch how a ceiling fan rotates. In fact, any fan will get his immediate attention. He flips his stroller up side down to spin its wheels.  Toy car tires are his specialty; he just loves to remove the tires rendering the toy partly disabled. He then comes to show me that his car is broken and demands that I repair it. He accepts no replacements nor cares less about any rational explanation about why they toy is broken. He only stops nagging once the toy car was back in one piece.  He is growing up to be a man demanding only results, albeit childish ones. Lesson#3: be curious about life and demand only results (real ones).

My big boy loves motorcycles. Any motorcycle on the road is Papi’s motorcycle but his big thing is cars, cars, and more cars.  I am talking particularly about Cars, the movie.  The little man wakes up every morning and aside from calling out to “el abanico” (the fan) , he calls out for his “ipap” (iPad). He knows how to work the iPad better than we do, switching from Cars movie to another and even selecting an app he likes. This goes on and on all day. He has a huge collection of cars, motorcycles and trucks. He doesn’t go anywhere without a handful of cars and his “ipap”. Fact: children handle technology better than most adults. It’s like second nature to them.

 

We celebrated his birthday with his favorite theme “Cars”

and I prepared a little slideshow to enjoy and remember. We love you Ian Karlo, happy birthday!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Nuestro hijo, Ian Karlo cumple tres años hoy. Él es un niño feliz y travieso. He tenido la suerte de estar cerca de él más de lo que pude estar con Karymar durante sus primeros años debido a mi trabajo. El tiempo que pasamos juntos me ha enseñado algunas lecciones valiosas que tengo intención de aplicar en mi vida diaria.

Un dia típico para Ian Karlo comienza al despertar de buen humor. Rara la vez que nos damos cuenta cuando el esta despierto hasta que lo oímos hablar en su cuarto. Abrimos la puerta y ahí está él, sonriendo a nosotros con una gran sonrisa noble. Nada parece molestarle. Él es feliz y esta listo para jugar. Lección # 1: cada día es un nuevo día de diversión y juego. Disfruta de la vida, como un  lo hace un niño.

Sin embargo el desayuno es la batalla de todos los días. Ian Karlo no quiere que su cereal, el exige su leche. Él puede ser tan rápido como cualquier artista marcial evadiendo la cuchara, pero cuando se trata de su leche es tan dócil como un oso de peluche. Tuvimos que tener mucha paciencia a la hora del desayuno con él. Con el tiempo, hemos llegado a muchas maneras de persuadirle a comer otros alimentos con canciones, bailes y directamente a la negociación. Lección # 2: se flexible, pero se persistente.

Nuestro hombrecito tiene una curiosidad acerca de cómo funcionan las cosas, especialmente todo lo que gira o rota. Le encanta ver cómo un abanico de techo gira. De hecho, cualquier abanico tiene su atención inmediata. Él vira su coche de bebe al revés para hacer girar sus ruedas. Las gomas de sus carritos de juguete son su especialidad. Simplemente le encanta quitarle las gomas dejando el juguete parcialmente inservible. Luego viene donde mí para enseñarme su carrito de juguete roto y me pide que lo arregle. Él no acepta sustitutos ni se preocupa menos de una explicación racional de por qué el juguete se rompio. Él sólo para de insistir una vez que su carrito de juguete esta reparado en su totalidad. Mi niño está creciendo para ser un hombre que exige sólo los resultados, aunque sean infantiles. Lección # 3: siente curiosidad por la vida y demanda resultados (los de verdad).

Mi niño grande ama las motoras. Cualquier motora en la carretera es la motora de Papi, pero lo de el es carros, carros y mas carros. Me refiero en particular acerca de Cars, la película. El bandido se despierta cada mañana y aparte de señalar el abanico , pide por su “ipap” (iPad). Él sabe cómo funciona el iPad mejor que nosotros, cambiando la película Cars por otra de Cars e incluso seleccionar una aplicación que le gusta. Esto sigue y sigue durante todo el día. Él tiene una gran colección de carritos, motoras y camiones. Él no va a ninguna parte sin sus carritos ni su “ipap”. Hecho: Los niños saben  manejar mejor  la tecnologia que la mayoría de adultos. Es como una accion instintiva para ellos.

Celebramos su compleaños con el tema de “Cars” y prepare una presentacion para disfrutar y recordar. Te amammos Ian Karlo, feliz cumpleaños!