Hoarding space

Decided to set up a Holiday tradition for the first time this year, as I am spending these holidays alone, my family being far far away. Instead of the traditional shopping for myself, for others, friends and family, I am not going to buy anything this year. Well…almost.

I know that minimalism was a very popular thing in 2016 and maybe I am getting to it kind of late. There are a lot of projects for downsizing, de-cluttering etc, maybe for me it was a bit overwhelming. But I was asked if I am a minimalist few times this year, so I decided to embrace it 🙂

Searching for the different approaches minimalists have, I found one that talks about hoarding space; meaning hoarding space as substitute of hoarding stuff. I loved this one! I don’t own a lot of things, but I have a few plants around my home. As they grow (I do take good care of them), they need more space. I like to reflect on people as I think of plants. In our most basic need, we are very much alike, needing water, food, sunshine and…space!

So this is my new year resolution, oh, and also my holiday resolution. Instead of buying gifts (aka stuff) I am going to spend my money on experiences. But, for every purchase of a concert ticket, vacation deal, workshop, class, tour, I will give 10-20% of the value to a charity.

I did one of these and it felt great already!

Deconstructing life purpose

Every year, around this time of the year, magazines and forums are filled with life questions: What is your purpose in life? How to find your purpose? Why some people have everything in life?

All these themes have very common guideline of how to find your purpose: get outside of your bubble, live simple, help others, etc.

However, this generalization does not really help. If it did, these questions and principles would be the same for everyone, for every day,not necessary to be repeated only at the end of every year. I have to admit to be guilty of going through the same questions and clicking on these articles. I am still searching if maybe this year some will say something different. But it usually does not.

Few years ago, when I was in a really soul-searching place, trying to figure out life purpose, I started to build some of the habits that are usually suggested: meditate, do yoga, wake up early, read more, live simply, help others, journal. All of these things, I feel, make me a better version of myself. Yet, they don’t actually give you your life purpose.

The only way to figure out your purpose in life is to actually figure out yourself first! Just saying you want to help others does not help you that much. How can you help others? What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? I know I can cook, but it is not something I enjoy doing every day, so I’m not a chef!

The time goes by, year after year, your vision of life and purpose changes, you want to adjust to the environment and the culture you live in; to the surrounding, to the new people that come in your life, to the old experiences that shape your view.

My main driver in life is the fact that life is short. I miss friends and family who left, I miss old acquaintances, teachers, places… and I know that whatever I do right now is what my life purpose is. However I act RIGHT NOW is how people are going to remember me by.

This day is your life in miniature. If your whole life is based on this single day, wouldn’t you want this day to represent the best version of yourself? Of course people should improve themselves to be better than yesterday, and I do (finding that I want to be a better communicator, I try to improve my vocabulary), which is also a part of becoming the best version of yourself.

So I deconstruct my “life purpose” to a DAY purpose. My to-day purpose is a representation of my life purpose. I want to be someone who helps others, who leaves their ego in the back seat and drives others with encouragement to be the best version of themselves!

My purpose today is to help others: save lives, give good advice, give a smile, listen to someones story when they want to share it with you.

 

Undocumented, Unafraid, Unapologetic…Depressed

Support and understand DREAMers

Coffee with Kenia

For my 11 million undocumented brothers and sisters who have or continue their battle with depression while undocumented.

As she walked towards the car I could tell something was wrong. I asked her how her day was and tears quickly formed around her beautiful brown eyes. “I think I’m depressed,” she said. She was ashamed. She was tired of explaining why she couldn’t drive at night. “My friends don’t understand that not having a drivers license limits me. If I get pulled over I would be at risk. I’m tired.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2015 youth high-risk behavior survey released in June, Latina teens have the highest rate of suicide attempts among all adolescent groups in the U.S. 15 percent of Latina teens in the U.S. have attempted suicide. Compared to 9.8 percent and 10.2 percent for white and black female teens. About 26 percent of Latina…

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Let’s put cancer behind us!

Research advances knowledge and that’s the path to obliterating cancer. For that reason, I’m going ALL IN to accelerate research at Fred Hutch.

Sadly, half of all men and one third of all women in the U.S. will get cancer in their lifetime.

We need that to stop.

More than 300 labs and projects are working hard to save the lives of people all over the world by conducting innovative, high-impact cancer research. I’m committed to supporting these labs so they can continue saving lives and can do so faster. Please join me in this fight.

It’s time for us to put cancer in its place. Behind us.

Ride with me, donate to my ride, and tell others about Obliteride.

http://getinvolved.fhcrc.org/site/TR/Obliteride/Obliteride?px=1634164&pg=personal&fr_id=1510

Let’s put cancer behind us!

Research advances knowledge and that’s the path to obliterating cancer. For that reason, I’m going ALL IN to accelerate research at Fred Hutch.

Sadly, half of all men and one third of all women in the U.S. will get cancer in their lifetime.

We need that to stop.

More than 300 labs and projects are working hard to save the lives of people all over the world by conducting innovative, high-impact cancer research. I’m committed to supporting these labs so they can continue saving lives and can do so faster. Please join me in this fight.

It’s time for us to put cancer in its place. Behind us.

Ride with me, donate to my ride, and tell others about Obliteride.

http://getinvolved.fhcrc.org/site/TR/Obliteride/Obliteride?px=1634164&pg=personal&fr_id=1510

A pause in time

Reaching the goal

Making it work

Living in the clouds

They have been slowly coming down

 

Clouds turned to fog

Could not find a way

Everything seemed different

 

Start walking

Keep moving forward

It was just a pause

 

Serbia needs help!

Help Serbia! Help Bosnia! You can do so much!

Great morning ideas from Robin Sharma

Great morning ideas from Robin Sharma

Inspire yourself to achieve great things! You can do that this morning, so that this day, you will get BIG things done. I love listening to Robin Sharma, especially in the morning, to fuel up my motivation for that day. He is very contagious with his idea of making the world a better place and serving as a motivator and coach for so many people.

This is a part of my daily rituals, what’s yours?

Today, I’m grateful

Grateful for the health, love, happiness and joy I experience every day. I’m grateful for the well-being of my family and friends. I’m thankful for all the success and happiness coming my way and all the bad times I’m leaving behind. 

Most of all, I’m grateful for the ability to learn and let go.