Gabe's

Your Four Seasons

2012-01-09T16:02:00.000+02:00

What you're about to read puts things in perspective when it comes to our human experience as a whole.
You see, everyone wants instant gratification these days and no one seems to realize that it takes time to get results in anything. But in life, there are cycles and when you are in these cycles you will always be in one of these four seasons in any given area of your life.

Winter
The most difficult season of them all, winter is a season that you just have to tough out, but you should always be preparing for. When you are experiencing winter in a part of your life you should always keep the good times in mind. The main thing to keep in mind about winter is that winters don’t last forever so you just got to hang in there and always thing about summer through winter.

Spring
Spring is the opportunity to plant a harvest. So its the season of opportunities.
When you plant in the spring you are not guaranteed a harvest, but it is the chance to plant one. Spring is a time for fresh starts and looking forward to what can be achieved.

Summer
Summer is the time to reflect on winter. Think of ants.
The reason ants get so much done during the summer is that all summer long they’re thinking of the coming winter. Summer is the time of the year that you have to fight for your harvest. All summer long you have to fight off the bugs and the weeds that are trying to wipe out everything that you’ve worked so hard to plant during the spring. Summer is a time to get busy to help ensure you’ll have something to harvest in the fall.

Fall (The Harvest)
Fall is the sum total of all your efforts over the spring and the summer. If you’ve been sticking with your plan of action and doing the work of summer you should have a good harvest, but there is no guarantee. The best way to guarantee a good harvest is to keep doing the work, yes persist.

The main message of the four seasons is to always be productive no matter the season you are in and to keep a positive outlook on the future.

It's Time To Say Goodbye

2011-12-27T21:45:00.001+02:00

I believe the time has come, its approaching fast and I decided to make this serious decision once and for all.
It's time to say goodbye, to let go of the past resentments and make place for the magnificent future.
It's time:
- to sing the brilliant song that my life was meant to sing.
- to experience the natural power that inhabits me, to do great work and achieve great things.
- to inspire, become the example and touch the hearts of many along the way.
- to transform adversity into victory.
- to leave this world better than I found it.
- to leave a trail of excellence behind and know that one day my name will resonate with the big ones out there.
- to speak the truth, to be the truth no matter how blunt it might be.
- to go beyond the good enough, beyond the better and go for the best.
- to sing, dance, smile and celebrate life in its simplest forms.

Yes, time to say goodbye to the old ruined victim of the past for it will not prevail. Its time to love the people around you in the simplest of forms, and respect their existence for it was in a moment of love that they were created and were given the privilege to live.

The time has come to dust ourselves up and start walking again. Towards a better future, better people and more positive transformation, taking out every challenge we face for on its other side lies our greatest selves and our expanded realities.

May this year be filled with the most magical surprises, the most magnificent stories and the very best for you and your loved ones.

World Of The People

2011-12-12T09:32:00.001+02:00

2011 saw a major shift in business from Business-to-Business equation to a Business-to-People one, and a major shift in Leadership mentality and market economy.
Markets and businesses are keeping this momentum and now starting to slowly shift towards a People-to-People equation as social platforms, social designs take over a major part of our lives and interactivity shifts from the business to personal even more. I've previously talked about the new business model HERE.

It has become obvious that the quality of a brand is determined by the number of people surrounding it, by the mass following it has and by the reactions and interactions happening with it or through it. Which makes the customers an essential part of the Brand itself (in other words customers make the brand). Therefore, it has become clear that companies need to let go of the brand as a self-centered media object, and embrace it as a dynamic collaboration between the company, community, and the people of influence.

Today, a customer doesn't just buy a product, customers are also buying the people.

“Information is inseparable from the people who are creating, consuming, and sharing it. And the web is no longer anonymous – it’s built on real people and their connections, opinions, and ideas.” - Think with Google

Today, it is vital for companies to maintain and nurture their customers and communication networks because people buy from other people, they trust other people and communicate with them not their logos or corporations. Simply put, what all the concepts, strategies and technologies come down to is simple people-to-people communication.

What Is Brand Journalism?

2011-12-02T08:26:00.001+02:00

"Any marketing pieces today should not be just an announcement - they should be a conversation"

As 2011 closes its final pages, companies project numbers, assess and set up short term and long term goals and take a look at their yearly plans, losses and gains.
This past year, a lot of companies shifted towards becoming digital, and organizations take clear steps towards digital communication, towards crowd-generated content, and empowering both their external and internal teams of influencers. It is now the time they shift towards thinking like journalists when creating stories around their brand. This is when we talk about what is being called "brand journalism".

What is Brand Journalism then, and why do we need to distinguish it from content marketing?

Brand journalism is being described as a nonfiction attempt at advertising and an editorial approach to brand building which focuses mainly on real time marketing, and having brands acting as media in real time. Brands and professionals are now thinking more like publishers.

The whole purpose is to tell a story. While content marketing emphasizes a neutral tone, this new form of communication does not lean towards your brand, nor is every piece promoting an aspect of your company directly. Instead, stories could be aboutanything considered newsworthy for an audience, in the editorial sense.
Simon Sproule, head of global marketing communications at Nissan, says, “It’s about killing press releases. We decided that if we’ve got good stories to tell, we’ll tell them ourselves.”

The goal with branded content, explains social media expert Shel Holtz, isn’t necessarily to solicit profits, but to make companies visible, because these days, if your business doesn’t have content on the world wide web, you’re essentially invisible-even if you have a company website

Last year, companies and brands started becoming media houses and we see that continuing next year maybe even going a step further to convince media people to make the switch from journalism to PR.
As a communicator your content should be focused towards noteworthiness and value while thinking of all audiences, not just journalists, and sometimes without focusing on oneself.

Therefore, keep in mind is that branded content isn’t interested in covering the news (political campaigns, crime stories, etc); instead, branded content is interested in reporting the stories relevant to that brand’s industry. Brand journalism is about starting a conversation and inviting others to take part, its all about storytelling.
Brand journalism develops credibility for your brand across a variety of channels. In a world filled with poor marketing and loud advertising, better stories are needed today more than ever.

Dying Rose

2011-11-13T15:37:00.001+02:00

Sitting in her vase, a rose slowly bows with respect to the time passing by, to the love that grows or shatters, to the reason for its being.
With every second that passes, it bows even more, respecting the time it was given on this earth, and its head filled with the magical brilliance of a powerful red force gets slowly polluted by the agony of its passing, those dark black spots of an ending life.Taken over by these black spots, she surrenders herself to the adoration of her beauty. Simple and pure.

Life in a rose is taken away from her to be given to us, humans. In adoration of our mundane, fake personas. Our masks so beautifully set to the perfect rhythm of deceit and plastic lives. Our needs, animalistic as can be, take over our sense of self and pride. They shatter the reasons for our lives, a celebration that links us back to this beautiful, innocent rose.
This rose knows why its given life, and bows in respect for what it was meant to show, so innocent and pure.
But what about us? As we present our dying rose, we hold a somewhat egotistical self, animals of wants and needs, we destroy what was given to us in shear self-love and worship to grow with what we will leave behind.

Sitting in her vase, this dying rose knows, that part of her is living again, in a heart, in a soul. And that this magic that created her in the first place is formless and pure, and it is now the time to move on.

A Dream

2011-10-17T11:54:00.000+03:00

The sun left the scene silently sleeping in the vast ocean.
And I brought the ocean side, to its rushy knees. Deep in my shallow dreams, I heard a gorgeous sound, of a sensual serene angel that sang a beautiful song to the clouds. A song for the stars to fall asleep and silent trees to dance with the winds of life as they blow away, those hurricanes of dreams coming towards me, to crash again on my soul.

The silent moon, shines brightly, quietly. It sits there in the dark with her light caressing the leaves of the fellow trees so lightly, so honestly. A sensual play of forms, from up above to down below.
A small picture of life is painted forever, for life. So honestly, by the magic of creation. The impression of something beautiful takes over, something beyond compare.

This silence isn't so bad, when the world in front of you shares its magic. When life brightly shines upon your heart. When the whole world rejoices for your being, and shares it simple secrets with you.

Its in my dreams that the moon smiled, and she resembled you. So wake me if you're out there.

Tribute To Genius

2011-10-06T08:34:00.000+03:00

I woke up to the news of the passing of a great man today. Yes, Steve Jobs. A genius who has changed the world in so many ways, a visionary, a true leader.

I'm honored to have lived in a time to see the shifts in our lifestyle based on his great ideas, and so I have to make a small tribute on my blog to a great man.

Below a few sayings from Jobs:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

“I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.”

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”

In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.”

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”

“We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them.”

Made Me Speechless

2011-09-20T08:01:00.001+03:00

This is an audition by an Emmanuel Kelly on The X Factor.This is beyond amazing. It made me speechless.

From his story, to his performance, I think he puts back everything we worry about in our lives into question. I think everyone around should have a look at a fighter with so much passion and so much drive towards what he wants to achieve that nothing can ever stand in his way.
This is a perfect example of the leadership message I try to scream out and of the magical potential of every single one of us no matter his story.

I hope you share this post around, I believe its really worth it.

Requiem For A Dream

2011-09-05T09:30:00.003+03:00

Where do I go from here? What can I do?
In what color should I see life? What perfume does it all smell like?
Like a lonely dancer on a black, empty theater I dance, to the sound of a saddened violin, crashing through the emptiness of the night. A scream, a shriek, a cry. An orchestra in front of me, silent and waiting for its cue to start a melody of a dream.

Slowly, the sounds of every note cut through the silence as a celebration of what once was, memories woven into aspirations of the future only to die their sudden death. Like every breath the violin takes after a screaming plethora of notes. Like a frustrated poet, spilling his empty words on torn pieces of wet paper only to find them gone at the very moment they come out of his heart.

How do you say goodbye to a dream? How do you scream your lungs out into this world when you've got no voice to scream. How do you put to rest the ideas of a passionate self? The thoughts that were once able to shake you from your incomplete past, empty present and unknown future?

As the notes move out of the way, as they find their own conclusion, as the rush of an epic surrender to what is takes over, I look at the crowd and I see nothing.

Maybe its just me playing all along, maybe it was just my addiction, my music.

Moment Of Silence

2011-08-29T08:36:00.000+03:00

A moment is all it took to find that glistening look in her eyes. That delicate touch on her skin.
A moment is all it took to take her from desire to craving.
A moment is all it took for him to realize he was made to give her love again.
A moment is all she needed to feel her wild womanhood all over again.

A moment was all that mattered to surrender to his touch, his sweaty palms running all over her dripping skin, with every movement, every turn.
A moment was all that mattered to take him back to his roots, a wild beast of love, adoration and admiration.
A moment changed the way she felt about him, feeling him inside her core, lifting her up taking her down and bringing her back to life again.
A moment was all she needed to feel she's on a cloud again, taken to the highest levels of bliss and expressive joy.
A moment, and her moans took the form of a melodic piece of masterfully crafted music, an orchestra of joy.
In a moment, she was about to release herself to the epic culmination of her existence. In a moment, that was all that she felt, her own majesty driven by him, taken from his very core.

A moment and her heartbeats were no longer hers, but his, and time has lost its meaning....for a moment.
This very moment, changed his life forever, her looks, her screams, her passionate surrender, her moves, her joy, her craving for his very touch made him feel like her man, her God for a moment.

In a moment, things seemed perfect, like nothing could ever change.
In a moment, that very truth redefined itself and changed him forever.
For in a moment she disappeared, like a ghost disappearing away into the night as daylight breaks.

Looking at her for a moment was all it took to remember her magic, her magnificence before that box was closed, before it all was taken away. All it took was a moment to release her back into the Earth, into the truth of her existence, a wandering saint.

All that matters now is a hope that he would someday be at peace again, for a moment.

If by Rudyard Kipling

2011-08-12T11:02:00.000+03:00

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Suddenly...

2011-08-04T09:05:00.000+03:00

There's something beautiful in the way your eyes whisper to mine, sweet tender sentences of admiration, passion and adoration.
There's music playing inside your soul that for some reason nobody else can hear. These small notes of a solo piano dancing softly through your magical self.
There's a story in your eyes, right there with this shining light of your soul, a beautiful endless tale of magnificence in the making, a formation of a truly grand self.
There's passion in your body, a quenching powerful surge of emotion, creating desire and lustful sensations in the most humble of men.
There's a radiant smile on a sensational face, guiding its spectator into the world of untouched dreams, a world of grand majesty.

There's this thought of you in the middle of all my chaos that never leaves. This addictive trip inside your tender core that sticks unto me, into my heart, and leaves its sensual marks on my skin.
And then, there's the fire that burns when we're together. The wind that blows away the rest of life, when time takes a stand to admire beauty in its lustful, purest forms. Life stops to indulge and enjoy a smile, a hug and a tender caress.
Suddenly, the world doesn't seem to care for the rest of it, suddenly everything is like notes on a piano, unique, simple and touching. Taking the listener on a ride into his own self indulgence, a story written in melodies and notes. Suddenly, everything falls into place, no matter how twisted it may seem. Like everything was happening to reside in this moment right now.

And in all this madness of life, suddenly, there's this real, beautiful you.

Sat And Wondered

2011-07-07T21:03:00.000+03:00

“I think we like to complicate things when it is really quite simple; find what it is that makes you happy and who it is that makes you happy, and you’re set. Promise.”

“The saddest people I’ve ever met in life are the ones who don’t care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there’s nothing to make it last.” ~ Nicholas Sparks

“We don’t always have a choice how we get to know one another. Sometimes, people fall into our lives cleanly—as if out of the sky, or as if there were a direct flight from Heaven to Earth—the same sudden way we lose people, who once seemed they would always be part of our lives.” ~ John Irving

“You are a perfectly acceptable human being right now, this minute. You are just as valid as any other human being, without changing a single thing about yourself. That doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to want to grow, evolve or improve yourself, or you can’t do better sometimes, it just means right now this instant, you are worthy of your own self love. Even if it is hard to love yourself sometimes (and boy, is it!), or you’re struggling with some really difficult stuff in your life, you still deserve it. So dearest you, be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and give the best version of you that you can give, but know that even in the tough times, you are still valid, worthy and deserving”

“Many films diminish us. They cheapen us, masturbate our senses, hammer us with shabby thrills, diminish the value of life. Some few films evoke the wonderment of life’s experience, and those I consider a form of prayer. Not prayer “to” anyone or anything, but prayer “about” everyone and everything. I believe prayer that makes requests is pointless. What will be, will be. But I value the kind of prayer when you stand at the edge of the sea, or beneath a tree, or smell a flower, or love someone, or do a good thing. Those prayers validate existence and snatch it away from meaningless routine.” ~ Roger Ebert on Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life

“I learned something important that night. You shouldn’t try to stop everything from happening. Sometimes you’re supposed to feel awkward. Sometimes you’re supposed to be vulnerable in front of people. Sometimes it’s necessary because it’s all part of you getting to the next part of yourself, the next day. The diary wasn’t always right.”

Holding On

2011-07-04T08:21:00.000+03:00

They sit there silently, whispering, releasing secret messages of passion into each other's glowing eyes. They speak of only the exceptional, the grand, the majestic.
Hours dissolve into the sensations of joy, laughter and the feelings of having it all perfectly in sync, they are finally home.
Peace reigns the days, meaningless hours that go by as they drift into each other, a passion so grand, so powerful that it flows directly into each other's heart without a trace, without a mark.

The peace that they have been waiting for is finally here, moments of celebration of life in silence, after the passionate blissful storm of sensations has slowly started to drift away. The peace that comes with a journey flowing like the water in a stream, so pure and fresh, so welcoming and beautiful. Nature celebrates this peace with them as it quiets down and gives way for their souls to play. Its colors shining brightly into the days, the sounds turning so tender and melodic. The orchestra of life sits back and lets things take their toll, angels playing their tunes to the world.

Music of passion and devotion plays in silence, whispers clues to a never ending journey into life, and releases itself to the sensations of living in total surrender and utter joy. Smiles draw the pictures on their lively canvas, created from life to celebrate life and to grow, together in complete divine creation of life in its purest and most magical forms.
Magic glistening in their inviting eyes, thirsty for each other, in need of a touch, of a smile, of a way to surrender. A need for life in its basic form, a need to let go to let loose and to let out. The residue of love, life and passion itself. In music, in words, in movements and in life.

I hold with me what is now left of myself with me, for I have given you a part. And I have let go of it in my celebration of you. Take it, leave, just go. But take care of it please, keep it with you and never let it go. For its the very essence of me that I gave you, for you to cherish and adore. And I'll keep the residue of your magic in my heart, on my skin and in my eyes. A part of your soul that will always stay with me, that will never let me go. So keep moving, keep going, I'm all around you. I'm with you as you go. Keep growing, keep expanding and spread your wings for me.
I'm holding on to your residue, to the memories, to the thoughts of you. I'm holding on to your glances, to your giggles, your smiles, your heart. I'm holding on to your love and to your passion. I'm holding on to your magic and your blessings. I'm holding on to you and I'm waiting.
For everything to get back together again in the near future and to reunite with your soul and taste your magic inside me. I'm holding on to you, to us, to life as I've never experienced before. And I'm waiting, for a chance to celebrate it again.
So angel, wherever you are, however form you might take, whatever thoughts you might have, I'll always be there, sitting, admiring, waiting....and I'm holding on.

The Free World

2011-06-27T09:16:00.000+03:00

Most people, most of the time, don't buy things if there's a free substitute available. Less than 1 percent of the people who listen to a certain song will actually buy the album or single. Music online for example is an all-you-can-eat buffet that only costs the price of a device to access the web and the fees you pay to your Internet provider.

As more commercial activity involves the digital (web, ebooks, music...) the temptation to spread the idea for free is actually economically easy and possible while trying the strategy that notes "giving out something for free will lead to more revenue in the long run". Nowadays, a culture of free digital consumption set itself as a standard in our everyday life and is being adopted by a huge section of consumers (mainly from teenagers to the upper middle class). Therefore the concept behind the strategy of the free bases itself on that the source of this free product will be discovered, attract attention, spread and lead to some category of people actually buying something.
For a while, one could use free to promote an idea and have leverage to turn that attention into paid sales of a similar item (I use my music mixes as a free way to promote myself as a DJ for example which I can later use to get extra revenue at a certain point and/or for a certain reason).
In our recent times, people start to feel foolish when they pay for something and the free substitute is easily available and perhaps more convenient.

Therefore, people with something to sell are going to have to invent things that can't possibly have a free substitute. Take for example Armin Van Buuren. His tracks and productions are easy to acquire and enjoy but his live shows, eccentric performances and grand productions will always be payed. A few years ago, Armin would play around 2 to 3 hours live and earn a certain revenue that is mixed between track sales and event shows. Nowadays, Armin as a brand became active on social platforms, giving the word out of events, productions and locations. That way he's giving extensive and constant free promotion to his name (his brand) and trying to earn a potential following as much as possible since these are the people who will be interested in experiencing his live shows, earning him the money. His radio shows and music have become the promotional hook, a tool to capture audiences and potential spectators to shows that have evolved from simple to an audiovisual spectacle with unexpected surprises, technology and more.

Another example is Lady Gaga. Her music is basically free, it's the concerts that cost money. Another example is playing basketball at a health club. That's free, it's membership that costs money.

Creators don't have to like it, but free culture is here and it's getting more pervasive. Armin Van Buuren's Armada label noticed that and tried fighting it at first, but today Armada makes heavy use of YouTube as a marketing channel for example. If you watch their tracks on YouTube you will notice they include plenty of branding and calls to action to bring a listener into the world of the label. The end result is massive exposure, with a huge global following, leading to sold out gigs all around the world (which are not free).

The end result we have today is a conglomeration of new media companies, evolving old-media companies, e-commerce, social voting tools, search engines, file sharing and good old word of mouth all driving how music is distributed. It’s complicated, but we’re getting closer to a model that works. Musicians and record labels, like us bloggers, are relying more and more on multiple streams of income, and the highest value product they have, is the face-to-face time they offer. In the case of music, that’s concert time, and especially at the very top end of most popular artists, the big cash is made from ticket sales to concerts.

Free has always been part of the equation. The bestselling book of all time, The Bible, has no copyright and has been shared freely for thousands of years. Musicians gladly show up to play for virtually free on the Tonight Show or Saturday Night Live for example (while taking into consideration the promotion & audiences watching). The line for using free as a discovery tool is shifting, and the best way to monetize is for the idea to be coupled with something that could never be free. Paying for content will ensure that more of it gets payed.

Consumers should be willing to pay for great content and I believe they are. They are now trained that a big portion of the market is now free. But creators, marketers and strategists should find ways to "package" these products so that they're worth paying for again.

You Forgot Your Perfume

2011-06-20T09:02:00.000+03:00

One of those weird moments usually tend to happen every now and again. You think like you're prepared to what is about to happen, played several scenarios in your head. Thought things through before, but just like that and out of the blue, you get what might simply be considered the surprise of your recent life.

It takes you on a magical journey into herself, and on a road of magical self discovery, diving deep inside your own core.

You know, I've never really shared so much in so little time but something in you just flows like the water stream coming out from its source, dancing with the bright rays of the summer sun. And as those rays dance they pulsate into the unseen world of beautiful sensations, uplifting emotions and pounding beats of the heart. There's magic in the smiles you shoot at people around you, like the most enjoyable knifes thrown by a circus artist at his turning, blindfolded muse. The risk is just enormous but the passion and dedication, the subtle care and unlimited loving madness is too powerful for a mistake to happen.

I can still feel you around, although its been a while since you're gone. I can still remember those looks, those eyes trying to take in every single detail of the night and store them, hidden in your memory away from the judgements of people who can never understand.
I can sense your hand gliding around my neck as the day goes on, those tender fingers dancing on my skin speaking to every nerve possible, creating unforgettable pulses of sensations that I cannot but store inside me and long for in the days, weeks and months to come.
I can still smell you, your scent, your skin. You've left your marks on me, those small clues that belong to you and that only you can give away screaming to everyone that I've been possessed that you made me yours.
You've cast your amazing spell, through this smell of you and you left.
But you forgot your perfume, right there on my skin.

Secrets In The Eyes

2011-06-16T13:16:00.000+03:00

Her eyes speak secret stories in total silence. They're like a book, an endless series of tales to be told to those special people who can listen. Admiration fills me as I dive into an endless tale of woven mysteries and unspoken secrets. Filled with fascination, an incurable drug, her passion slowly reveals herself as we're there trying not to spill too much and drown in tears of deceptions and mysterious feelings carefully covered over time.

I can see her needs speaking to me, closure, and end to something so grand and shattering. A cry so innocent and loud yet totally silent and covered with smiles. And what a giver, in total surrender to the "what is" on her walk to the "what could be". Pieces of herself are scattered around the globe, inside the lives of so many people who seem to mean so many things in so many ways.

Never ending conversations flow so freely, so purely, so genuinely but those eyes they keep on speaking they keep on screaming with every move, every subject, every sip of the drink.

What a surprise, another unexpected gift that shows itself at the perfect moment. What a book written in memories that I have yet to read from cover to cover...and how honored I am to have open the vault to those secrets in those glittery eyes, aiming that one day they can sing again to the pounding beats of her pulsating heart.

Scared?

2011-06-15T08:28:00.000+03:00

“The universe doesn’t care if you’re scared. I know this is not news, but you need to hear this. I’m scared, you’re scared, and we’re all scared. The difference is whether you’re going to keep moving. I really hope you will.” ~ Merlin Mann

We're wired to avoid fear, when it surfaces we run, and try to escape it. But I believe sometimes we should just stop the mental processes and really look at fear as an opportunity. I've learned that on the other side of every fear is authentic power, pure greatness.To run from fear is to run from the brilliance you were meant to be. The things that scare you are spectacular opportunities to discover more of all you are meant to be. Therefore fear, when actually executed no matter the situation, leads to confidence, promotes growth and makes you better.

So today, at work or at home, if something comes up that causes you to feel like running, resisting or avoiding, embrace the opportunity and show up. Because what you resist will persist and what you befriend, you'll transcend.

Blessed

2011-06-14T08:03:00.001+03:00

There are times when we tend to be so caught up in our days and lives that we miss seeing some of the most beautiful and most precious gifts we have. I, for one, am one of those people. Who get caught, trapped by the "everyday". But its been a few days since I started seeing again, and what I saw was spectacular magic, magnificence in human form.

Recently, I've been blessed with angels from all over, coming from all corners of the globe to live through and with me. I'm in deep admiration and immensely grateful that I have found brothers, sisters, friends and souls that breathe into my days some of their exceptional magic. No, pardon me if I don't mention who these people are specifically, but I'm grateful and beyond for their existence in my life and I have seen and understood what beautiful golden pieces of heart they are and how effortless it is for them to give away into the world. These are the real angels out there, so true, so fascinating.

You'll forever be engraved in the layers of my heart, you are some of the few things that will always live with me no matter where you are on the globe.

“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” ~ Dale Carnegie

“I like to see people reunited, I like to see people run to each other, I like the kissing and the crying, I like the impatience, the stories that the mouth can’t tell fast enough, the ears that aren’t big enough, the eyes that can’t take in all of the change, I like the hugging, the bringing together, the end of missing someone.” ~ Jonathan Safran Foer

“Life is like a train ride. Some people will sit next to you and talk to you. Some will just stand around…oblivious to your existence. Some will have to leave the train while you’re having a great conversation and who knows when you’ll see them again. And if you’re lucky, there’ll be those who will sit and talk to you throughout the whole journey.” ~ From a dear friend

I'm not sure I make sense in that post, I just hope that if those people I'm thinking of and not finding the words are reading this, they'll know and understand.

Exotic Sensations 2

2011-06-06T10:10:00.001+03:00

After the massive success of the first installment of Exotic Sensations comes another big release for the second year in a row. Exotic Sensations 02 takes you on a trip into the realm of sensations experienced on a night out at the beach. A treasury of down- and up-tempo jewels, crossing borders of progressive, imaginative pop and all else needed to create magic.

Exotic Sensations 02 is a musical journey rippling the electronic waters with an energetic yet gentle build-up, unfolding into a warm, mesmerizing and melodic tour de force with pumping sounds & bass lines. Its time to release yourself into the sounds & emotions bursting into the feel-good energy at every tune in this album, its time for an epic release of self into the world of

Exotic Sensations!

01. Tritonal - Poem Of Angels

02. Tucandeo Feat. Jennifer Hershman - Only We Know (Estiva Remix)
03. Mat Zo - Superman
04. Orjan Nilsen - Black Blue Beautiful (Original Mix)
05. Norin & Rad Vs. Recurve - The Gift (Original Mix)
06. Gareth Emery Feat. Emma Hewitt - I Will Be The Same (Dennis Sheperd Remix)
07. Maor Levi - Reflect (Jerome Isma-Ae & Daniel Portman Remix)
08. First State Feat. Sarah Howells - Skies On Fire (Original Mix)
09. Cerf, Mitiska & Jaren - Another World (Shogun Remix)
10. Steve Brian - Cacatua
11. Andy Moor Vs M.I.K.E. - Spirits Pulse (Original Mix)
12. Ferry Corsten - Punk (Arty's Rock-N-Rolla Mix)
13. Gareth Emery Feat. Roxanne Emery - Too Dark Tonight (John OCallaghan Remix)
14. Bryan Kearney & Snatam Kaur - Ong Namo (Neptune Project's In Search Of The Mayan's Remix)
15. Daniel Kandi - Piece Of Me (Alternative Beach Mix)
16. John O Callaghan & Betsie Larkin - Save This Moment (Gareth Emery Remix)
17. Bobina And Betsie Larkin - You Belong To Me (Original Vocal Mix)
18. Above & Beyond Feat. Richard Bedford - Sun & Moon (Club Mix)
19. Ahmed Romel - Only For You (Arctic Moon Remix)
20. Running Man & Lence - Never Look Back (Running Man Club Mix)

Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ntihzs

Look At you

2011-05-31T08:53:00.000+03:00

Look at you, all shining and radiant.

Look at those hypnotizing eyes, that can stop a clock for the end of time.

Look at this smile, breathe the excess of your tender soul out into the world.

Look at this neck, so inviting & pure. Untouched, waiting to ignite your sensual fire.

Look at those breasts ready to excite, lighting the imaginations of adolescent boys in our neighborhood and later feed the precious little future joy you will hold so tenderly close to your magical golden heart.

Look at your lines, swiftly dancing upon every move of your body, silky skin dancing to the movements that breathe life into the world, visuals painted on the canvas of the world, lines so perfect, so magnificent and true.

Look at those legs, tall and graceful holding magic made to perfection. They dive into the divine center of pleasures & excitement. The core that shatters time, breaking you free, properly elevating you into the highest levels of passionate excitement, rhythmic sensations & emotions that celebrate the creation of life. A cocoon that holds another breath for months before its tender release into this world, the indescribable gift of life.

Look at you, radiating brilliance into every room you walk to, getting those fabulous paintings on the walls around us to turn away with shame, deceived by their master creators' incomplete work. But you, oh you, you're a work of beauty, passion and art. Created at just the perfect moment, in a culmination of rushing bliss and tender passionate love. You're a jewel masterfully crafted by the invisible hands of utter majesty and unlimited abundance of beauty, guided by the two souls that loved, sang and moved to bring u into life.

Look at you, a soul in the most beautiful package there is, tender, silky and smooth. Guarded by the eyes from above, loved and wanted by the eyes all around.

And look deep into those tempting eyes of yours, into the destinations of your unlimited space, into the unseen magic you call your soul. Its golden rays passing from your insides into any being that comes to exist with you, a glimpse, that moment when your true magic is sprinkled in just a few milliseconds into another soul and unintentionally draws a smile upon his face, just like you did with me. And I'm grateful for I have been touched by you, for I have been touched by a woman.

Ever After

2011-05-23T08:19:00.000+03:00

Throughout our lives we have always been told stories that end in ever after, learned to "see each other", told to laugh when we could cry, just cry.
But I didn't know there was a different kind of lie. An escape into a bigger darkness, a lonely dance on its own on the solo sounds of a griefing piano. Madness filling the gaps between every note, these milliseconds that define the next ones.
But the stories we were told were filled with lies and deciept, or was it the real ones that actually were? For the real comes too close to the imaginary sometimes, the mirage of hopes and dreams reveals its true identity at some specific moments, and your heart sinks in its blend of never ending turmoil, ever after.
So we grow up believing our hopes and dreams can actually become true, and well, for some they do, for others, we keep dreaming. We push and go on and expand. Great, we expand. But I fear expanding so much till I become invisible to the world, something nobody will ever notice.

So I keep pieces, of dreams, hopes, fears, experiences and I hold them close.
I keep fragments of shattered dreams, of unwanted events, of dark and twisted pictures taken by the photosensitive nature of my mind, burnt inside for the years to come, or until the better (or worst) will come to be burnt over it one day.

Jackson Pollock: Yellow Islands 1952

I hold on to these pieces and I wonder how they have come to exist, showed themselves on the canvas of my life, spatters of vibrant paint screaming for you to look at them, they're haunting and noisy, they're loud and blunt. But I cannot let them go so easily for I would be losing a part of myself, my identity, the simple pleasures I experiences, these small and twisted breaths of life that will always mean the world to me, but also I would be losing my deceptions, my challenges and my darkest times and I would be empty again, for ever after.

Eating Us Away

2011-05-19T08:28:00.000+03:00

Have you ever sat and looked out at nature on a sunny spring day? Have you ever noticed how peace lurks in every corner of that image?
Have you ever walked into a forest, between the trees shadowing the sun and noticed the small intricate details of life breathing, moving and developing around you?
Have you felt the peace as you look out into the night? lights of the city painting a beautiful canvas of colors and abstract shapes on the sea? The small sudden breeze touches your skin and caresses your soul? Have you ever felt as if nature is thanking you for a touch of your face, a smile into your heart with every second you spend in admiration of its beauty, its complex yet simple magnificence? Have you ever looked from the mountains towards the lights of the city in the night? The shining, cloudless sky above filled with small glitters of stars holding you like a mother wearing its best jewels in celebration of your existence?

And have you seen Lebanon lately? Looked around at a country not sure of its own state of life? Its destructive lifestyle taking over these simple beauties we have been made to respect, enjoy and admire. Have you seen the concrete killing away the most intimate melodies of life, these small mushrooms blooming in every green corner left in a country where your normal road is a labyrinth of unexpected surprises.
Have you looked at the city on a sunny day? Noticed this dark cloud over the buildings? Like a virus holding on to its prey feeding on its own selfless destruction?
Have you ever noticed how we all talk about the problem, eating away the life and beauty around us then just sit there wondering how we're supposed to be making our next million or getting that Louis Vuitton bag?

We have risen my friends to a new level of shallow thinking, shallow living and indecency in a place where everything looked and meant something, where beauty was lurking everywhere. We took it from our own selves, sold ourselves to the "devils" all around us. From the young poor taxi driver taking his innocent daughter to a "Prince" for "a night" to the beautiful setting we used to have our kids play in on the dreaded Sunday night. We used to have these moments of peace spent on the balcony after a long day at work, looking away into the horizon, our breath taken away by a view of the sea, city and surrounding mountains. You're now trapped in your cage with walls of these other cages surrounding you. These structures filled with incomplete lives and shattered dreams. These areas so grey, slowly eating away the lively spirit in your heart. And at the same time, look around you at those deserts slowly growing with life, green spaces and nature blossoming at every possible corner. I'm not saying they shouldn't, but if a desert is being turned into a paradise, how come a once paradisaical land cannot be preserved?

How I hate this grey area we now call our country. Unsure, unknown and under developed. Built on fake promises and shattered pieces of words. Grey....faded color of sadness now surround a once vibrant piece of Earth. We're eating away the green around us for a little green paper in our pockets...but is it really worth it if its taking our lives away? I guess we did sell ourselves to those "devils".

Its eating us away, we're eating us away.

They Wonder

2011-05-16T08:53:00.000+03:00

“Right now, there are people all over the world who are just like you. They’re lonely. They’re missing somebody. They’re in love with someone they probably shouldn’t be in love with. They have secrets you wouldn’t believe. They wish and they dream and they hope, and they look out the window whenever they’re in the car or on a bus or a train and they watch the people on the streets and wonder what they’ve been through. They wonder if there are people out there like them. They’re like you, and you could tell them everything and they would understand.

And right now, they’re sitting here reading these words, and I’m writing this for you so you don’t feel alone anymore.”

“Dreams are always crushing when they don’t come true. But it’s the simple dreams that are often the most painful because they seem so personal, so reasonable, so attainable. You’re always close enough to touch, but never quite close enough to hold and it’s enough to break your heart.” ~ Nicholas Sparks

“I have noticed that if you look carefully at people’s eyes the first five seconds they look at you, the truth of their feelings will shine through for just an instant before it flickers away.” ~ The Secret Life of Bees

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Louis Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, and Albert Einstein.” ~ H. Jackson Brown

“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”

Are You Born To Push?

2011-05-09T08:44:00.001+03:00

I believe we are born to be great, to aim for excellence in all pursuits and never give up in pursuit of ideals. And I also believe that whatever is within will appear on the outside. What I mean is that the quality of your inner world is eventually reflected in the quality of your outer world.

A person who dreams pure and perfect dreams and who is impeccably honest, good, ethical and stands for what's best will soon act in alignment with those values. And those actions cannot help but drive extraordinary results. Inner always creates the outer.

On another note, Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychotherapist who survived confinement in Nazi concentration camps, writes: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude to a given set of circumstances, to choose one's way."

I believe our highest human freedom is our ability to choose how we respond to and process any event that happens to us. We can look for some good or we can become haunted by the bad. When aiming for excellence, when all our pursuits align with what we believe is for our own betterment, when we hold on to our "freedom of attitude" and push the boundaries of the mundane towards the greatness that we are born to be, then we get closer to manifesting the greatness we are born to create in our lives, and touch the people around us as we do that.

I believe we are "born to push" what do you think? How do you go about making your dreams come true?

I Wrote This For You

2011-05-04T13:05:00.000+03:00

“It’s amazing, some people, they just say these small little things, one sentence and it changes the way you feel about them in an instant. Small little words that can hurt you so much or make you fall deeply in love forever. It changes everything, nothing between you is ever really the same again, even if they don’t know it.”

There are countless stories hidden in each and every one of our souls. Chapters of our lives that shape our being, our realities. Countless experiences of the past that surface every once in a while to wake you up from your never ending dream of who you want to be and take you back to moments, milliseconds of endless ecstasy and joy.

I don't really like to dwell on the past, but there are moments when I just reflect back on a journey filled with lost jewels and countless wins. I remember moments when only a few words were necessary to flip me out into another dimension, letters carefully selected, simply sent out to be received at the perfect moment. I remember reactions that used to push me on to the better and I remember how things eventually took a turn to the darkest of places. But there were moments when my fingers were stuck together when all the paper in the world caught fire and when all the ink ran clear.
Emptiness remains from the pieces of yourself you gave away, pointless nonsense rules the desert of lost sensations. Words ran out of letters, and the language isn't perfect anymore.

But there is always another day, another light from another dimension to shine upon you again, and take you to where it all began. A trip, that will start all over again and a hope that this one may never end.

“I know you’re just a rag doll now, sewn together with memories that we might have had.I know you’re just the dream inside of a dream. And don’t worry, I know I don’t know you, anymore.”

I Wrote This For You.

The Clock’s Ticking

2011-05-03T09:59:00.003+03:00

“As you’re reading this, your life’s getting shorter. It’s ticking away. I’m not saying this to frighten you. Or even scare you. Though it may. I’m saying this to awaken you. To inspire you. To rise you out of your deep slumber. To really know you won’t live forever. To share your unique gifts. To ignite your great inner fire. To ignite your great inner strength. To ignite your great inner light. To shine. Brightly shine. To awaken your great inner beauty. To motivate. Yourself and others. To love. Yourself and others. To paint. To write. To teach. To innovate. To sing. To dance. To care. To feel. To listen. To learn. To laugh. The clock’s ticking. The world needs you. Make your move.”

Mike Litman

What do you think? Would love your thoughts, comments, ideas on this one...

[GUEST POST] My Mending Heart

2011-04-26T08:50:00.001+03:00

It was a while ago when I discovered @ritamou 's beautiful writing and started reading her blog constantly. After some time, I thought of asking her to write a guest post for this blog & share some of her beautiful words with you guys. There you have it, a beautiful piece by a beautiful person.

Check out more on her blog Here

I fell in love with a musician once. He wrote me poems and serenaded me at my porch. He loved the music in me and I loved the symphony he so romantically put me in. Every word he said cradled a rhythm and every emotion he felt was described in a melody.
One day, he was no longer inspired. He said I wasn't melodious enough and ran off to follow another beat.
In any case, he was way over the top.

I then fell for this business man. He gave me diamond rings and watches. He wrapped me a credit card in a red ribbon for my birthday. I loved his generosity and kindness. He loved my dependence and gratitude. Everything was about numbers and statistic. It was about cross marketing, brands and publicity.
One day, he felt drained dry and flew away to build an empire.
In any case, he was too materialistic.

I then met a poet. We swam together in a lake of fantasy verses and ever-longing promises. He woke me up with words on a ray of sunlight, and tucked me in under the silver moon’s thoughts. I enjoyed his lyrics and felt they were mine. Everything he ever said to me rhymed.

One day, he fell out of words to say and went to find his calling.

In any case, he was too romantic.

Then came the doctor. He followed my curves with his delicate fingers and enticed our mutual anatomy. Our bodies fit like two pieces of a puzzle. He loved to run his scalpel all over me and I loved how he continuously wanted the best for me.

One day, he felt I was disproportionate and needed too much fixing.

In any case, he was too meticulous.

That’s when I fell in love with a painter. He saw my curls in every wave and the colors of my soul in every sun ray. I was his canvas and his brushes were acquainted with my colors. He drew me in every painting. I brought diversity into perspective and he flooded me with portraits of sorts.

One day, he felt I crowded his painting with too many shades.

In any case, he was too colorful.

After having gone through so many ups and downs, I decided to fall in love with myself. I walked down the beach and read myself a book every night. I went for drinks and enjoyed the music. I tried new delicacies and indulged in sweet luxuries. And that’s when I got to know me.

Finally I met this man.

He was everything I ever wanted and all of the things I ran away from. He fell in love with my wit and sense of humor; enjoyed my randomness and quirkiness. He even liked my morning grumpiness and the way I made coffee. He opened the door for me and tackled me for the last burger. We laughed and cried and tried even harder.

One day, he felt we could no longer be apart.

In any case, I agreed.

Spilling It Away

2011-04-19T08:16:00.001+03:00

I can hear your voice inside my head
Some melody playing in my mind, twisting in my heart,
a cry....a scream actually, shattering walls that surrounded you for years.
I can see water drops falling as the world weeps with your aching heart.
Showers of celebration of human existence, of growth and expansion beyond yourself.

But you're spilling it away.

I can feel the beating of your heart with every mile of water you swim in that soothing pool,
I can feel the air coming out of your mouth and glide through my neck, delicately caressing my skin.
I can hear your laugh, your giggle and I can see your smile, fake and disrupted. A mask you've been putting for everyone to notice, a cry you've been creating, a message to deliver.

I can feel the aching pain with every decision you take, for you're choosing opposites to make yourself suffer. I'm not sure you know that yet, I don't really care.

What I'm sure of is that you're letting go of your essence, spilling it away. You've decided to break free but you're only a prisoner of your shattered pieces of dreams, hurting inside your skin, slowly killing you, sucking the very life out of your soul.

Hurting may probably be your greatest teacher, but what will I do with that? What will my soul sing when your melodies go silent? When those violin strings become so mute, eaten by the silence of this world that only surrounds you? What will my heartbeat sound like when the crescendo of your sounds suddenly go silent, when nothingness only remains?

It doesn't really matter what the world around you wants, it doesn't really matter what everyone might say. But someone would have only been the light you've searching for, a beam of guidance and support. I think you're scared, afraid and in need of an escape. You've always loved the concrete, like the vast ocean. Something you could point to and know what it is. But sometimes, its those things you cannot touch that you need to hold on to the most.

Stop right there, you're spilling it away!

Women Are Not Liars

2011-04-12T08:53:00.000+03:00

"Keeping your word is a masculine trait, in men or women. A person with a feminine essence may not keep her word, yet it is not exactly lying. In the feminine reality, words and facts take a second place to emotions and the shifting moods of relationship.

On the other hand, the masculine means what it says. A man's word is his honor. The feminine says what it feels. A woman's word is her true expression in the moment."

The sounds you hear from your woman are sounds of the motion of her "feeling energy". Of course, there are times when she speaks in the masculine style of meaning exactly what she says, but more often, and almost always in emotional moments, what she says is the sound of her feelings. In an emotional moment, what she says she is going to do is actually an expression of what she feels like doing in the moment. Her feelings, and therefore her actions, could change in five minutes, every five minutes.

Whenever you are surprised by your woman's actions, you are forgetting that she has a feminine essence. What your woman says is like a cloud passing in the sky. Your woman's words are expressions of the physics of her feelings, your relationship, and the nuances of the present situation, seen and unseen. Moments later these factors will change (just like a cloud's physical states) and so will your woman's expressions.

Example

You might ask her to go out to the movies with you. At first she might reply negatively and not wanting to go. Then you hug her, cuddle her and say, "Let's go to the movies!" and she agrees.
In this case, she is not talking about her desire to go to the movies, she is reflecting the feeling of your relationship in the present moment.

If after she said she didn't want to go to the movies, you sat down, watched TV through the night, you would be missing the point. She is not really saying she doesn't want to go to the
movies, even though that is what she's literally saying.

This is not lying. For a man, or for anyone speaking in the masculine style, to say something that is not true is lying. But, for the feminine, truth, compared to the flow of feelings, is a thin concept. The "truth" of the feminine is whatever she is really feeling.

As a masculine force, instead of arguing about what she said or didn't say, establish love in the intimacy first.

Basically, don't believe the literal content of what your woman says unless love is flowing deeply and fully in the moment when she says it. Remember that a woman's feelings may be more sensitive to an unseen realm of nature than are yours. Try to differentiate between your woman's shifting moods and her sensitive wisdom.

Women are not liars, although they often seem that way to men. This is why a man must ultimately be responsible for making his own decisions, based on the deepest truth.

Hear what your woman has to say and feel her depth carefully. Enjoy her subtle sensitivity and changing emotional weather patterns. You can proceed with or modify your actions in full gear, knowing you are always making the best choice available to you, considering her depth of wisdom and her fluctuations of mood and expression.

Towards A Healthy News Diet

2011-04-11T12:30:00.000+03:00

I have recently come across something I thought needs to be shared around. For some reason, this idea kept coming back every time I thought of cool stuff to share. So without further delay, I'll be sharing with you all a small pdf document entitled: Avoid News: Towards a Healthy News Diet by Rolf Dobelli.

The Prologue states:

"This article is the antidote to news. It is long, and you probably won’t be able to skim it. Thanks to heavy news consumption, many people have lost the reading habit and struggle to absorb more than four pages straight. This article will show you how to get out of this trap – if you are not already too deeply in it. "

In the pdf you Dobelli entitles the several sections as follows:

- News is to the mind what sugar is to the body
- News misleads us systematically
- News is irrelevant
- News limits understanding
- News is toxic to your body
- News massively increases cognitive errors
- News inhibits thinking
- News changes the structure of your brain
- News is costly
- News sunders the relationship between reputation and achievement
- News is produced by journalists
- Reported facts are sometimes wrong, forecasts always
- News is manipulative
- News makes us passive
- News gives us the illusion of caring
- News kills creativity
- What to do instead
- Good News

Disclaimer
"The above statements reflect the most truthful viewpoint I can achieve at the time of this writing. I reserve the right to revise my views at any time. I might even indulge in the freedom of contradicting myself. I have done so in the past and will most certainly do so in the future. The only reason I would change my views (a switch which would undoubtedly be noticed by the “consistency police” (usually journalists with good high-school degrees) is because the new version is closer to the truth, not ever because I would gain any personal advantage."

Please note that I do follow the news, and find some material in this article interesting while others, well, not. In all cases I'm sharing this just to shed some light on what's out there regarding news in general and it doesn't in any way depict or describe what I really think about news as a general subject.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE

Shot Of Inspiration

2011-04-08T11:18:00.000+03:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles)

Finding Way Home

2011-04-04T12:12:00.001+03:00

Dark and twisted, the branches of an endless forest surround her. Edges caress her soul, tickle her, fear breathes her inside herself...hell may have broken loose with every diamond tear.

With all her might she shrieks and screams, for a savior to help her out of her endless struggle.
Alone in the dark labyrinth of endless challenges she walks trying to figure her way out, torn to pieces her lovely pinkish dress, her pure face covered with mud & dirt mixed with the a delicate blend of her soul's essence dripping out with every step. Challenges, uneven roads, weird & twisted sounds terrify her as her 6 year old body makes its way through rocks, stones, bushes and endless trees.

She has but herself to count on, she has her will and power to pull her through, to give her a boost. But she has no idea where she is and how will she come out. But inside her a glimpse of faith. A little innocent light coming out from her heart. A beckon that automatically makes a decision and ignites inside her soul showing her essence's reflection to the world. It magnifies the light's power and shines around guiding her into a better path, to finding her way home. A faith so pure, so grand and majestic. She can see herself moving towards some kind of end, some kind of shore.

Although she has no idea where she lands will only be the beginning....

Combining The Contrasts

2011-03-30T13:17:00.001+03:00

Today, I thought of sharing a showcase gallery of images at Cruzine magazine which is really special. The collection of photographs represent a fascinating combination of contrasts.

Uncommonly thinking and talented photographers are in the constant search of genuine and unique moments worthy of capturing with a camera, or they seek for the angles to show us the ordinary things in an alternative way. Here, within the scope of this showcase, they successfully managed to artfully combine contrasting colors, as white and black, or red and the shades of gray; shapes, as circles and squares; and textures, for example, smooth and wavy, or with folds and holes.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL THE PICS

Pressing The Snooze Button?

2011-03-28T08:56:00.000+03:00

So you want to be the leader of your life?
I'm guessing its a yes, and so I ask you to consider this:

Do the things you don’t feel like doing. Easier said than done I know because we’ve all trained ourselves to do only what we feel like doing.

Let's consider this simple morning routine as an example. The alarm goes off and you instantly press the snooze button. Silence returns and you consider your options. It feels awfully early to be getting out of bed and walking across the cold floor in your bare feet although today might be the day you take that new job, or finish that monthly exercise routine, or finally submit your paper (enter major personal event here).

Let's take the exercise example: You think about that calendar on the wall where you marked the dates after each run, and it suddenly strikes you as ridiculous, a cheesy strategy to trick yourself into following through on a commitment. You know that it’s important to stick to your goals, but there’s nothing inspiring at all about getting up in the morning. It sucks. One day off won’t matter that much. You close your eyes and feel the sleep sensations come over you.
A few minutes later the alarm sounds, and you hit the snooze again. You’re not feeling up for the exercise. Your knee was bothering you yesterday, so it’s probably better not to push it too hard. You fall asleep again.
After some time, its too late to jog so when that alarm goes off again, you hit snooze and drift off again.

No single invention has so perfectly captured the perverse power of the mind to defeat its own best intentions as the snooze button. Every grand resolution, every promise you’ve ever made to yourself, every good intention can be instantly wiped away with a simple press of a button. The snooze button is the perfect symbol of human resistance and image of anyone who feels stuck—stuck in a dead-end job, stuck in a holding pattern, stuck in a stale relationship, stuck with a flabby body, stuck with a bunch of cool ideas that you never find the time to execute … just plain stuck.

Everyone already has a snooze button pre-installed inside them. It’s always there if you want to use it. And boy do we use that button!! We come up with every imaginable excuse to delay, avoid and stay stuck right where we are.

The fastest way to become a leader is to start acting like one.

Try this for a while: Set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than you normally wake up. Tomorrow morning, as soon as the alarm sounds, open your eyes, throw off the covers, sit up, put your feet on the floor and stand up. Your day starts now. No pillow over the head, no snooze. If you lie in bed more than 10 seconds before standing up, you fail the test. If you can do this exercise successfully for five days straight, you’ll see a significant shift in your ability to push yourself and your life forward.

Leaders don’t hit the snooze button in life.

Message To Mother

2011-03-20T18:05:00.001+02:00

Dear Mother,
I know I may not always be the best I am with you, but deep down an invisible link will always keep us together. You've sacrificed the greatest you could ever sacrifice, give and share with me & the family and for this I will always be thankful. You are one of the most loving and beautiful people in my life. Thank you for bearing so much, for giving so much and for believing so much in me. Thank you for every second you spent by my bed when I was sick or feeling down, thank you for the laughters we always share, for the songs we always sing, the life you bring to everyone around. Thank you for being exceptional!

But I also need to send another letter. To "you". I can only imagine how hard it might be to lose a mother for breast cancer, and to handle the support of a brother all by yourself. I can only imagine the stress and tension of taking care of the house, of your daily lives, your studies, friends and everyone around you. For this, and more, "you" are exceptional yourself. You're gonna make one hell of a mother, I just feel it and know it. Dear "you", what a beautiful person you are, what a joy to see you smile, and what an honor it is to know that you are making it no matter what or who you lose around you, that life will always pass inside your veins and soul. That you will not let anything stop you from achieveing the life you were born to live. You might not say it, but it shows in your shining eyes, your simple smile and your diamond jewels that drip down your beautiful cheecks every once in a while. I'm honored to have a person like you in my family.

My last message goes not to a mother but to a son who lost one at a very delicate and early age.

I might be one of the few people who actually will always understand you how you trully are. I might be one of the few who will always understand the craziest of reactions you might do. What you did this year brought tears to my eyes, thank you for showing a layer I have never seen from you. Thank you for showing how much a "mother" means to you. How much you crave her tender touch, her smiles, her care. I have always understood the empty part of you, and the gap she left inside you when she slept away for eternity. It shows, and the care you try to give does also the same. It is in small gestures like these that I feel proud to know you and to have you in my life.
Thank you for the subtle signals, for the gesture you did, I got the message.

To every mother out there, you will always mean the world to a few people who will make you their world. Happy mother's day you exceptional gifts of life!

2011-03-19T15:48:00.002+02:00

“Count the cards
strewn and abandoned
like desperate thoughts that flash
by faster than the lines on the road
on yet another 34.5 miles to work.

Count the smoke strands
curling and abandoned
as they drift upwards
into seas
of a never ending story
told in bars and living rooms
held by calloused fingers.

Count the circles
incomplete and abandoned
left by sleepless nights and early
mornings of good bad and too bitter coffee
within arms reach around
the cheaply varnished table.

Count the days
of life spent wasting away
doing the same routine
just so you can keep going.

Count the childhood dreams
whimsically smiled at and left behind
in crayons, glue sticks and notes
folded just so.

Then count the smiles
on faces of new dreams
new futures
new faces
and know that everyday you give
is given to them”

Ryan Avery

Smoking Facts and Tobacco Statistics

2011-03-16T08:53:00.000+02:00

Tobacco offers us a life of slavery, a host of chronic, debilitating illnesses and ultimately death. And think about it: We pay big bucks for those "benefits." Sad, but true.

If you're a smoker wishing you could quit, make your mind up to dig your heels in and do the work necessary to get this monkey off your back now. You'll never regret it.

Smokers tell themselves lies that allow them to smoke with some level of comfort. They say they have time to quit...that cancer doesn't run in their family...that they can quit any time they want to...that the bad things happen to other people. And because smoking is typically a slow killer, those lies support the framework of their wall of denial for years and years.

Eventually though, most smokers find that the wall begins to crumble, and bit by bit, smoking becomes a fearful, anxious activity. This is when most smokers start seriously thinking about how they might find a way to quit smoking for good.

A crucial step in the recovery process from nicotine addiction involves breaking through that wall of denial to put smoking in the proper light.

If you're thinking that it's time to quit smoking, or have just quit and need some motivation to keep going, use the smoking facts below to fuel the fire in your belly that will help you beat your smoking habit, once and for all.

1) There are 1.1 billion smokers in the world today, and if current trends continue, that number is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2025.

2) China is home to 300 million smokers who consume approximately 1.7 trillion cigarettes a year, or 3 million cigarettes a minute.

3) Worldwide, approximately 10 million cigarettes are purchased a minute, 15 billion are sold each day, and upwards of 5 trillion are produced and used on an annual basis.

4) A typical manufactured cigarette contains approximately 8 or 9 milligrams of nicotine, while the nicotine content of a cigar is 100 to 200 milligrams, with some as high as 400 milligrams.

5) There is enough nicotine in four or five cigarettes to kill an average adult if ingested whole. Most smokers take in only one or two milligrams of nicotine per cigarette however, with the remainder being burned off.

6) Ambergris, otherwise known as whale vomit is one of the hundreds of possible additives used in manufactured cigarettes.

7) Benzene is a known cause of acute myeloid leukemia, and cigarette smoke is a major source of benzene exposure. Among U.S. smokers, 90 percent of benzene exposures come from cigarettes.

8) Radioactive lead and polonium are both present in low levels in cigarette smoke.

9) Hydrogen cyanide, one of the toxic byproducts present in cigarette smoke, was used as a genocidal chemical agent during World War II.

10) Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemical compounds, 11 of which are known to be Group 1 carcinogens.

11) The smoke from a smoldering cigarette often contains higher concentrations of the toxins found in cigarette smoke than exhaled smoke does.

12) Kids are still picking up smoking at the alarming rate of 3,000 a day in the U.S., and 80,000 to 100,000 a day worldwide.

13) Worldwide, one in five teens age 13 to 15 smoke cigarettes.

14) Approximately one quarter of the youth alive in the Western Pacific Region (East Asia and the Pacific) today will die from tobacco use.

15) Half of all long-term smokers will die a tobacco-related death.

16) Every eight seconds, a human life is lost to tobacco use somewhere in the world. That translates to approximately 5 million deaths annually.

17) Tobacco use is expected to claim one billion lives this century unless serious anti-smoking efforts are made on a global level.

Sources:

WHO/WPRO - Smoking Statistics 28 May 2002. World Health Organization.

Cigarette Litter - How Many? Clean Virginia Waterways - Longwood University.

Cigarette Litter - Biodegradable? Clean Virginia Waterways - Longwood University.

The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General 2004. Dept. of Health and Human Resources - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nicotine - IDLH Documentation 16 August 1996. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Radioactive Cigarettes 02 April 1980. Tobacco Documents Online.

The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon Generals 04 Jan 2007. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services.

The New Model

2011-03-14T09:12:00.002+02:00

When I think about Twitter these days I have come to understand that I'm dealing with people who create ideas, it has become so clear to me how every single one of us out there (Twitter made that so clear to me) every one of us can create and spread an idea which in fact has a lot behind it. I want to argue that we live through at a key moment of a change in the way ideas are created, spread and implemented.
Things started with the idea of THE FACTORY. Having a factory would create change and eventually change the world around you. Then we went to the TV idea. If you could get on TV enough times, and buy enough advertising space, you could win a whole lot (from recognition, to exposure and money...)

But these two previous ways have become obsolete. A new model of leadership in business and life has set itself as a new lifestyle and social dynamic develops. This new form of leadership is based on the fact that we make change by leading and not by using money, or power to lever a system.

The Factory Cycle:
Henry Ford comes up with a really cool idea which enables him to hire men who used to get paid 50 cents a day and pay them five dollars a day. This way, he has a useful factory which eventually lets him build a lot of cars, pave a lot of new roads (including opening more job opportunities). He created a lot of change and changed the image of a whole country.
The essence of this is: Cheaper labor Vs. faster machines.
The problem? Running out of both.

The Television/Advertising Cycle:
From the previous cycle develops another by taking an idea, pushing it on the world. This way, there's a better mousetrap, a smarter hook. In this system, if the person can just get enough money to tell enough people, he would sell enough. And you can build an entire industry on that.
This model requires you to act like the king and that you are in charge. And you're going to tell people what to do next. This method, mass marketing, requires average ideas, because you're going to the masses, and plenty of ads. As spammers we tried to hypnotize everyone into buying our idea but unfortunately it doesn't work so well anymore.

The New Model
Today, there's a new model and it's about leading and connecting people and ideas and people wanted this ever since...well...forever. Today, thanks to the explosion of mass media and social platforms, groups of interconnected, "linked and informed" people are all over the globe.
The internet created what experts are calling "silos of interest" people who are connected according to their interests. From religious online forums to media people connected via Twitter, the point is today you can search for your interest online, find the people like you, connect and go somewhere with that.
And it turns out that it's these silos, these groups, not money, not factories, that can change our world, that can change politics, that can align large numbers of people. This is not because you force them to do something against their will but because they wanted to connect.

So, the idea you create, the product you create, the movement you create isn't for everyone. It's not a mass thing. That's not what this is about it's about finding the true believers. The Beatles did not invent teenagers, they just decided to lead them. Most leadership is about finding a group that's disconnected but already has a yearning for something and giving it to them.
A leader is someone who will abide by the status quo, who will look at a certain situation and decide that he will not abide by it, and will not be a follower. Leaders challenge the status quo, they build a culture. They have curiosity about people and society and they're asking questions.

Every state you're in is a certain answer to a "question" you asked wether directly or indirectly.
What questions are you asking? Where do you want to lead?

Where Does Your Focus Go?

2011-03-09T11:41:00.000+02:00

What you're about to read was sent to my newsletter list. If you're not on the list and like to receive these exclusive emails (95% of which I don't share on my blog) please subscribe using the form on the right.

Have you ever thought of what you focus on the most during the day? Its quite interesting when you think about it.
I got you a cool experiment we can do RIGHT NOW and it only takes a sec.

ARE YOU UP TO IT? Its so easy...here we go:

Wherever you are at this moment just look around you, I want you to count (in your head) the number of blue objects you can see, any shade of blue.
Go ahead, try it, you'll understand what I'm saying in just a sec.

Now, assuming you did look around and counted the number of blue objects you saw, I got a simple question for you:
How many yellow objects did you see?

Not sure huh?
The principle here is simple. Whatever you focus on becomes more "evident" for you. Just like when you're aiming to buy a certain brand of car, its like at some point everybody in the world owns the same one!!

Now think of it, when you focus on a problem, or whatever challenge you're facing. With every minute of focus, this problem feeds on you and gains power, all your energy is directed towards making it a reality!

I ask you to focus on the things you want happening, make them happen inside your mind and let that thought feed on you, inside you and become a reality. Let it be the blue objects you just focused on. Its really that simple!

May the joy be with you!

Patrick Overton - When We Walk to the Edge

2011-03-07T12:06:00.000+02:00

When we walk to the edge
of all the light we have
and take the step into the
darkness of the unknown,
we must believe that
one of two things will happen...
There will be something
solid for us to stand on
or we will be taught to fly.
Patrick Overton

Strategic Fail

2011-03-02T09:19:00.001+02:00

photo credit:http://beirutdriveby.blogspot.com/

I think its time I expressed a bit of what I think about the above picture and advertisement in general since I've been really getting sick lately from the amount of visual pollution and strategic fail in the ads on our "beat down" "hole filled" "car destroyer" roads.

You see, what I'm about to express is my own view of things and should be taken literally but since I'm expressing my thoughts here, I'd like to use just a pinch of common sense. I'd like to start with the common notion regarding home furnishing in general. I believe young people, usually young adults hoping to start a life of their own, look for the best furniture deals and look for modern, and savvy designs, trends and material that suits their needs. These people usually have a modern car, a trendy, up-to-date lifestyle, are risk takers well...you get the idea. On another note, old people are usually the ones who will not risk losing their jobs, trying to live the best life they can with what they have, knowing their children have needs to be met, and try to put their children's needs and wants first.

Let's now get back to the above picture. Home City, in this advertisement is aiming at the exact opposite of what is supposed to be targeting, its main possible client, and are going beyond the logical niche to show us an old man, in an old car carrying cheap luggage in a "Souk-El-Ahad" kind of way. So what I'm getting from this (and I believe I'm not alone) is that Home City is a cheap place for old people selling cheap furniture which you are to carry out on your own to wherever. And to be honest I don't think Home City as a store wants that image to start with! I can't really think that they accept having a negative image of themselves thrown out on the streets!

In the end, I'd like to ask: If its a festival, where's the festive attitude? the festive glam? the visual that attracts and creates interest? How can this appeal to the young generation of adults who are now looking for a new place, or just bought a new place and want to seek the tredy, colorful and fresh vibe in their furniture?

N.B. The above is my own opinion with no personal offense to Home City. I belive the store deserves a much better strategic communication and art direction that suits and benefits them.

It Exists!

2011-02-28T10:15:00.000+02:00

“Do not let your fire go out, Replace an irreplaceble spark in the hopeless swamps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonley frustrations for the life you deserve but never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won, it exsits, it is real, its possible, and it is yours.” ~ Ayn Rand

Success Clues

2011-02-22T10:02:00.000+02:00

There are patterns of success and patterns of failure. Which means, people who are successful are not just lucky, happy people or fulfilled individuals are not just born with a magic formula, there are certain things they do that make them happy.
Some go on in their lives and think that someday things will change and they will wake up feeling great, go do great work and their lives will change.

Well there's a saying that states: The road to someday leads to a town called nowhere.

First thing to understand is that there's a difference in people's lives beginning with the difference in their standards of living. To create change, we need to raise our standards, which means turning the shoulds into musts. Wether its a diet you should take-up, or a phone call you should make or an appointment you should take or whatever, we only start taking action and do them when these become musts.

In a large number of examples regarding this, we focus on the process and what we will be going through rather than the outcome we are aiming to get in the end. People who succeed focus on what they will get in the end of the process versus people who don't usually focus on what they will have to do and the process itself.
Another thing to look at here is reason. If you ask me, people should become "unreasonable". Take for example the Salmon Brothers, a previously known investment house in New York (founded in 1910). They met with prospective clients not once a month or once a day but THREE times a day!
That is unreasonable, but it works.

Most people are reasonable, that's why they do reasonably well.

Take as well Mother Theresa. A nun who had no background, no money and no political contact. She was able to help people who are dying in more than a hundred nations around the globe. And when she passed away, virtually every major leader out there would come to her funeral, and this by itself would seem ridiculous. But Mother Theresa was an unreasonable woman, with an unreasonable amount of love for people that no one else would love.

Get unreasonable in everything as much as possible, when you get reasonable you'll have to lower your standards and drop down to mass expectations, what everybody thinks and expects from you. Again, you'll have an average life. Only one thing creates an extraordinary life, an extraordinary mindset.

As You Sow, So You Shall Reap

2011-02-15T08:53:00.000+02:00

"The Most Important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people." - Theodore Roosevelt

"You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself." - Harry Firestone

In our day and age, economies and businesses are shifting to become more direct and personal. A new principle of making business, and interacting with people happens to form itself and is unfortunately forgotten in this fast-moving and technology-driven world we find ourselves living and doing business in. The basic idea can be summed up in one simple line: The deeper your relationships, the stronger your leadership.

Remember the main business of business is to connect and add value to people. An enterprise is nothing more than a human venture that brings people together around a great idea that inspires them to express their fullest talents and contribute to those they serve. This is the ultimate version of a perfect enterprise, at least a winning one.
With all the technology, disruption, competition, and transition in the business world today, a lot have forgotten that the whole game is about relationships and human connections. It is important to note that the stronger the bonds between you, your teammates and your customers, the stronger and better the results! A MAJOR point to stress is that business is about being helpful, its pretty much that simple. If you look around at the biggest companies, take Apple or Google as an example, they keep it simple, stressing on the fundamentals rather than make things complicated. They work on engaging employees and help them realize their own potential which in turn leads to their own staggering results. This also lets their own customers achieve their highest aspirations.

As you awaken the inner genius inside yourself, and deliver more value, people, as a result, will start giving back to you and your profits inevitably expand and grow. All this sense of purpose, all this good will blow your mind. They say money follows contribution. So the more value you create, the more success you will enjoy.

Technology, globalization and the massive change going on in societies around the world have created a new business universe.And those who resist changing and fearfully hang on to tradition will vanish. The time has come to treat people exceptionally well if you're serious about reaching your highest potential in the business world today. If you want to win, you need to help others win by building a high-performance culture, where everyone understands how excellent they can be.

Dedicate each day to expressing your absolute best and making a difference in other people's lives. It takes a lot of effort and patience but the exceptional rewards you'll begin to see will make it all worthwhile.

"As you sow, so you shall reap."

Is it just me?

2011-02-06T23:50:00.000+02:00

With every drop of rain on my window, it sounds pulsating through the endless time, so slow as I wait for your sudden appearance into my life again.
Time seems so endless as I wait for a sudden appearance, the brightest of lights as you smile back to me. Your soft hands touching my face, your delicate breath caressing my skin. The beating of my heart slow down with every second that passes us by, distances away.
I can picture you now, waiting for my arrival. Your back towards me, as I slowly make my way to your thighs, my hands slowly sliding unto them, a hug born in total silence, taking its place as your heart rises and sings a breathtaking "acapella" to mine. I can picture the moment your heart skips a beat, can you feel it happening? The look on your beautiful angelic face, your eyes, your smile. The light shining so brightly from your heart, igniting the fire inside my soul.

I suddenly wake up from this moment by a shreik of thunder in the skies above, rain drops crash unto the thin glass, separating me from nature's furious rage. Maybe its life itself, wanting us back in one place at one point in time, maybe the world just wants two of its creations in utter celebration of its complexity. Or maybe, its just me.

Maybe its my heart, telling my head to wander and join you at some place I long for deep inside. These things so pure and simple are rarely as pure and simple as they may seem to be. Maybe what I need is to bathe in your spectacular soul, to breathe your spirit into me as I touch your delicate, inviting lips. Maybe, its my heart telling me I should scream for you to hear my call. Maybe I need to run away, and let you go. Maybe its the conclusion this story has always needed. Although, I know it might have just been a moment to you, but it changed every single one that followed for me.
Or is it just me?

Left Unsaid

2011-02-02T12:46:00.002+02:00

Short Film by Rob Chiu "Left Unsaid" from ojla on Vimeo.

Silent Transitions

2011-02-02T12:04:00.000+02:00

Silent Transitions is a personal project inspired by two verses from Scripture – 2 Samuel 22vs20 and Psalm 46vs10.

Hurricane

2011-01-31T08:40:00.000+02:00

This song has been playing over and over in my head for the past weekend. It seems its the perfect soundtrack for this period of time (for many to say the least). As part of #musicmonday I thought I'd share it. Hope it speaks to you.

The 11 Human Regrets

2011-01-20T09:05:00.000+02:00

What you're about to read is a little something I wrote as a wake-up call to myself and others. I like to write things down, its the best way to keep things in mind. So below is a list that might help you push yourself, take "the bull buy the horns" as they say (somehow), it all supposedly sets in the final hours of your life, our life. I hope this helps set you on the path you deserve, a path of greatness.

Here they are, the 11 human regrets:

1. You reach your last day with the brilliant song that your life was meant to sing, still silent within you.
2. You reach your last day without ever having experienced the natural power that inhabits you to do great work and achieve great things.
3. You reach your last day realizing that you never inspired anyone else by the example that you set.
4. You reach your last day full of pain at the realization that you never took any bold risks and so you never recieved any bright rewards.
5. You reach your last day understanding that you missed the opportunityto catch a glimpse of mastery because you bought into the lie that you had to be resigned to mediocrity.
6. You reach your last day and feel heartbroken that you never learned the skill of transforming adversity into victory and lead into gold.
7. You reach your last day regretting that you forgot that work is about being radically helpful to others rather than being helpful only to yourself.
8. You reach your last day with the awareness that you ended up living the life that society trained you to want versus leading the life you truly wanted to have.
9. You reach your last day and awaken to the fact that you never realized your absolute best nor touched the special genius that you were built to become.
10. You reach your last day and discover you could have been a leader and left this world so much better than you found it. But you refused to accept that mission because you were just too scared. And so you failed and wasted a life.
11. You reach your last day feeling disappointed that you didn't leave something behind, a trail of excellence that will live on for years past your life. That your life, was another set of moments thrown away in a second. And that all you did was take, think of yourself when you had the chance to give yourself to the world and enrich our legacy.

Maybe you've been playing victim all this time, blaming everything around for the mess that you're in or maybe you're not in any mess but feel you deserve much better than your present condition. Throughout the years, I came to realize each of us alone creates the lives we get to live. Its through decisions and actions that we end up with our situations.

I ask you to stop making excuses (I know from myself its a bit hard at first, but hey, you'll get the hang of it). Assume total responsibility for the concequences of your actions and step into your best.

May the joy be with you!

Worry Or Reflection?

2011-01-17T15:12:00.000+02:00

There you have it. People around the Middle East are changing, situations are shifting. Well, its all a big mess when you look at it, obviously, if you're in the eye of the storm.
This made me think about the subtle distinction between worry and reflection.

So many thought leaders and coaches out there advice and talk about avoiding the past. They talk about living in the "Present" "In The Moment", "In The Now". Honestly, I get what they're saying. But isn't there something good about going back and delighting in the delicious moments of the journey we've arrived from?

Which brings me to worry vs. reflection. It all depends on your intention. If it is to dwell on bad things and to worry over things you cannot change and to rehash painful times, then I suggest it's an unhealthy act. But, if your intention, in going back in time, is to reflect on the lessons certain events have taught you and to grow in wisdom and to savor the precious memories that you were blessed enough to experience well then I think it's good.

I guess what I'm inviting you to consider is that it's a waste of time to fret and regret over things you've done that cannot be changed. But that it's a fantastic use of time to bask in the good times, feel gratitude for them and use your past to serve your future rise.

A Message For Life

2011-01-10T16:25:00.000+02:00

“Go now and live. Experience. Dream. Risk. Close your eyes and jump. Enjoy the freefall. Choose exhilaration over comfort. Choose magic over predictability. Choose potential over safety. Wake up to the magic of everyday life. Make friends with your intuition. Trust your gut. Discover the beauty of uncertainty. Know yourself fully before you make promises to another. Make millions of mistakes so that you will know how to choose what you really need. Know when to hold on and when to let go. Love hard and often and without reservation. Seek knowledge. Open yourself to possibility. Keep your heart open, your head high and your spirit free. Embrace your darkness along with your light. Be wrong every once in a while, and don’t be afraid to admit it. Awaken to the brilliance in ordinary moments. Tell the truth about yourself no matter what the cost. Own your reality without apology. See goodness in the world. Be bold. Be fierce. Be grateful. Be wild, crazy, and gloriously free. Be you. Go now, and live.” ~Jeanette Leblanc

On The Ship

2011-01-07T13:47:00.000+02:00

Among hundreds of students we meet in school or the ones we meet at the workplace, we finally become close and attain a level of friendship with very few people. So like love, friendship also goes through our internal filter and as we choose our lovers unconsciously, even our friends are chosen unconsciously as we intuitively understand who could be our true friends. Apart from the fact that there is this unconscious and intuitive filter which we exercise when we choose our friends or lovers, we also do get consciously attracted to people with whom we develop long lasting relationships and friendships. The theory here is that we choose friends who may look, talk or think like we do and usually there is this mental rapport from the very beginning. Just as love could happen at first sight, friendship could also begin with 'like' at first sight.
The Random Friendship

This "liking" could have several gradations and in some cases you would simply like to remain as contact as is the case in social networking. You simply follow a person on twitter or add someone as friend on Facebook because there is this basic or unconscious liking or at least a realization that there could be some gain from the virtual relationship. However this is the first superficial layer of friendship just as you would smile at or share a piece of news with a complete stranger without ever keeping in touch or meeting again. This sort of friendship is the 'random friendship' variety.
For example, you give a speech at a conference and some people ask you questions and you answer them, to you these are your listeners but in this basic interaction there is a sense of rapport and almost an initial level of friendship. These, your listeners who choose to communicate with you are your random friends and they fulfil your interaction and communication needs.

The Distal Friendship

This is the next stage in which there is some unconscious or conscious expectation from the friendship and there may be a conscious sexual or emotional attraction. This sort of friendship is with people you regularly communicate with and you are also most likely interested in their activities. Distal friends are people you may or may not meet but are people with whom you want to maintain a long term and meaningful relationship and in most cases you have some knowledge of what goes on in their social or personal lives. You simply know that you want to remain in touch with such friends and they are more than just contacts. These friends fulfill our power and recognition needs as with such friends we are assured that there are people in the world who care about us and are interested in our lives, dreams and achievements.

Friendship of Close Proximal Variety

The third stage and type of friendship is the friendship between family members, close school friends, close workmates and friendship between spouses and lovers. In this sort of friendship there could be many expectations and there is sometimes an intuitive emotional connection. The initial reason for friendship could be physical attraction as in spouses or simply emotional connection as with family members or there could be a shared life and shared physical activity as in case of school or work friends. The close or proximal friends would know most details of your life and this sort of friendship entails expectations of sharing which may or may not be realistically possible. For example if sons and daughters leave home to work or study abroad, the parents who are still close friends would expect that their children would talk to them every week and this may not always be feasible. These close or proximal friends or stage of friendship fulfills our basic security, love and safety needs.

Some individuals have more random friends than others and are thus of outgoing extroverted personality. These individuals are generally more curious about the world, have leadership are more open and communicative, they are also possibly very creative. However their primary needs are for social interaction and communication.

Like poets and artists, some are completely introverted who like to work on their own and lean heavily on their close network of friends and family members. Such individuals may have limited social contacts and very few random contacts and may not enjoy leadership positions. In some cases their introversion or aloofness would overshadow any leadership skills they do have. Such individuals could be very creative as well. In this case close friendship which fulfills love, safety and security needs are the primary needs of such individuals and such individuals are more into emotion and security, or home and family oriented rather than communication or recognition oriented.

There is always another type having more distal friends or social contacts with whom they are neither too close nor are they completely aloof. Such individuals have a wide range of social contacts with expectations but few random contacts and they are of mixed extroverted-introverted personality pattern.
Meaning, on a scale of 10, their extroversion would be a 5 to 7. The primary need for such individuals is power or recognition. Of course this could have varied possibilities as with public or social figures and personalities such as writers, actors or politicians, there will naturally be more random contacts, yet as natural preference some public personalities will prefer social recognition as opposed to social communication. This preference is the basis of their social personality and would define the kind of friendship they choose to have.

2011-01-05T10:54:00.000+02:00

“Most people fail at whatever they attempt because of an undecided heart. Should I? Should I not? Go forward? Go back? Success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape. A committed heart does not wait for conditions to be exactly right. Why? Because conditions are never exactly right.” ~ Andy Andrews

3 Ideas for 2011

2011-01-03T09:22:00.000+02:00

You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don’t think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.”

“Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. When people ask me what really changed my life eight years ago, I tell them that absolutely the most important thing was changing what I demanded of myself. I wrote down all the things I would no longer accept in my life, all the things I would no longer tolerate, and all the things that I aspired to becoming.”

“You’re in the midst of a war: a battle between the limits of a crowd seeking the surrender of your dreams, and the power of your true vision to create and contribute. It is a fight between those who will tell you what you cannot do, and that part of you that knows — and has always known — that we are more than our environment; and that a dream, backed by an unrelenting will to attain it, is truly a reality with an imminent arrival.”

Daily Practice

2010-12-14T09:14:00.000+02:00

Imagine Tiger woods relaxing his extraordinary commitment to never-ending refinement and improvement of his golf game? Or Lance Armstrong stopping his daily practice and still hoping to win the Tour de France...
The idea might sound ridiculous, and yet, how many of us-on the playing field of business and life - are devoted to daily practice? I believe, only a few.

The idea seems so obvious yet so very few actually get it: how can you get better if you don't practice?
To get to world-class greatness, we need to work at it, daily, relentlessly and passionately.
I believe success doesn't just occur - it's created.

It all comes down to the 1% Win. A few little improvements each day - created through your daily practice - amount to staggering results over time. But just hoping you'll get to great as a leader (and human being) is nothing more than magical thinking - a waste of time. Like hoping you'll be a better skier or golfer or pianist without working at getting better. Goals without actions, consistent over time, will lead nowhere.

Athletes get better through practicing their sport. Leaders get better by cultivating their craft. By elevating their skills and deepening their impact. They consciously step toward extraordinary until they eventually get there.

And I wait...

2010-12-09T09:10:00.000+02:00

In complete silence, peaceful and calm, I sit here wondering. I take you into my mind, for a beautiful dance, to the melodies of a lonely heart. The music stops, the lights go down. I sit there, and I wait.

I wake up in a dream, dancing with your heart, lifting you, holding you. Screaming for your hand on my face. In a swift, and a fast drift, I take you in, and blow you out. Your hair, soft movements of silk and shine. It passes through my fingers and mind. You disappear, in a moment, and I wait.
As I turn I see your eyes, shining brightly into mine, from a distance I see you run, to jump inside my lonely heart.
I breathe you out, I smell your scent, I look at you. Catching a glimpse of your beautiful soul, you smile, I smile and I wait.

That night, passion flows like running water from a stream. We talk, we moan, we kiss, we dance. To a delicate, intricate music of two souls, passion guiding our hearts through the endless hours. Kisses, scents and sounds draw the landscape of divine creation. Wet, rhythmic, and strong seasoning the night, losing ourselves in each other. A concluding moment of fire.

The fire burns inside me, eating me up inside, piece by piece I degrade, I die...and I wait.

The music, powerful and strong, lifts us up, holds us strong. We turn, we twist again in this delusion, utter confusion. I slip, away I go, I slide into an unknown.

I leave you there I continue my search. I think I'll stand there, in nothingness and sighs. Dreaming of something, or someone for I,

dream of dying in the arms that I long for, dream of and require. In your soul, in pleasure, in your heart that I acquire.
Sitting there, I write a story in my mind. Of possession, of devotion and unlimited bliss. For a unity with a part of me I cannot but miss. I sit here wondering, when will you be locked in my arms forever?

A simple smile draws itself on my face. A sigh, I am here...and I wait.

Common Mistakes in Human Thoughts

2010-12-07T12:17:00.000+02:00

Confirmation Bias

It is the tendency to look for or interpret information in a way that confirms beliefs. Individuals reinforce their ideas and attitudes by selectively collecting evidence or retrieving biased memories. This allows inaccurate information to be held as true.

Availability Heuristic

It is calculating things based on vivid memories. The problem is individuals tend to remember unusual events more than everyday, commonplace events. For example, airplane crashes receive lots of national media coverage while fatal car crashes do not. However, more people are afraid of flying than driving a car, even though statistically airplane travel is safer. Media coverage feeds into this bias; because rare or unusual events such as medical errors, animal attacks and natural disasters are highly publicized, people perceive these events as having a higher probability of happening.

Illusion of Control

This is the tendency to believe someone can control or at least influence outcomes that they clearly have no influence on. This bias can influence gambling behavior and belief in the paranormal.

Planning Fallacy

The Planning fallacy is the tendency to underestimate the time needed to complete tasks. The planning fallacy actually stems from another error, The Optimism Bias, which is the tendency for individuals to be overly positive about the outcome of planned actions. People are more susceptible to the planning fallacy when the task is something they have never done before. The reason for this is because we estimate based on past experiences. For example, if I asked you how long it takes you to grocery shop, you will consider how long it has taken you in the past, and you will have a reasonable answer. If I ask you how long it will take you to do something you have never done before, like climbing Mount Everest, you have no experience to reference, and because of your inherent optimism, you will guesstimate less time than you really need.

Interesting Fact: “Realistic pessimism” is a phenomenon where depressed or overly pessimistic people more accurately predict task completion estimations.

Restraint Bias

The Restraint Bias is the tendency to overestimate one’s ability to show restraint in the face of temptation, or the “perceived ability to have control over an impulse,” generally relating to hunger, drug and sexual impulses. The truth is people do not have control over visceral impulses; you can ignore hunger, but you cannot wish it away. You might find the saying: “the only way to get rid of temptation is to give into it” amusing, however, it is true. If you want to get rid of you hunger, you have to eat. For example, most addicts’ say that they can “quit anytime they want to,” but this is rarely the case in real life.

Just-World Phenomenon

The Just-World Phenomenon is when witnesses of an injustice, in order to rationalize it, will search for things that the victim did to deserve it. This eases their anxiety and allows them to feel safe; if they avoid that behavior, injustice will not happen to them. This peace of mind comes at the expense of blaming the innocent victim.

Interesting Fact: On the other end of the spectrum, The Mean World Theory is a phenomenon where, due to violent television and media, viewers perceive the world as more dangerous than it really is, prompting excessive fear and protective measures.

Endowment Effect

This is the idea that people will require more to give up an object than they would pay to acquire it. It is based on the hypothesis that people place a high value on their property. Example: If I buy a coffee mug today for one dollar, and tomorrow demand two dollars for it, I have no rationality for asking for the higher price. This happens frequently when people sell their cars and ask more than the book value of the vehicle, and nobody wants to pay the price.

Interesting Fact: this bias is linked to two theories; “loss aversion” says that people prefer to avoid losses rather than obtain gains, and “status quo” bias says that people hate change and will avoid it unless the incentive to change is significant.

Self-Serving Bias

This occurs when an individual attributes positive outcomes to internal factors and negative outcomes to external factors. A good example of this is grades, when I get a good grade on a test; I attribute it to my intelligence, or good study habits. When I get a bad grade, I attribute it to a bad professor, or poorly written exam. This is very common as people regularly take credit for successes but refuse to accept responsibility for failures.

Interesting Fact: when considering the outcomes of others, we attribute causes exactly the opposite as we do to ourselves. When we learn that the person who sits next to us failed the exam, we attribute it to an internal cause: that person is stupid or lazy. Likewise, if they aced the exam, they got lucky, or the professor likes them more.

Cryptomnesia

A form of misattribution where a memory is mistaken for imagination. It is actually a memory bias where a person (inaccurately) recalls producing an idea or thought. It should be noted that there is no scientific proof to validate Cryptomnesia.

Bias Blind Spot

The tendency not to acknowledge one’s own thought biases. In a research study conducted by Emily Pronin of Princeton University, participants were described different cognitive biases such as the Halo Effect and Self-Serving Bias. When asked how biased the participants themselves were, they rated themselves as less biased than the average person.

Interesting Fact: Amazingly, there is actually a bias to explain this bias (imagine that!). The Better-Than-Average Bias is the tendency for people to inaccurately rate themselves as better than the average person on socially desirable skills or positive traits. Coincidentally, they also rate themselves as lower than average on undesirable traits.

The Four Things A Woman Needs

2010-11-26T08:24:00.000+02:00

Following my last 2 posts about men, women, sex and social programming, (read PART 1 & PART 2 here) I decided to end this series of posts with this. The four things any woman needs on a general, basic level.

1. She needs to feel appreciated for the unique individual that she is. She needs to feel special, unlike any other woman.

2. She needs to feel that deep intimate emotional connection. She needs to have that emotional intimacy with her man.

3. She needs to feel like a woman. She needs to feel beautiful, sexy, and feminine. She needs to enjoy all those things that comes with being a woman.

4. She needs hot passionate sex. She needs to be seduced, enticed, teased, and satisfied, over and over again. She needs to experience new things, in new ways, including fantasies and roles. It makes her feel alive.

In order for all those things to become true for her, she needs a man she can respect. If she has respect for him, she will see him as more than a one-night fling. She will see him as an investment. You already know that in order to seduce a woman, you have to have rapport, attraction, comfort, etc. But if you want to see her again, you got to have good old fashion RESPECT.

Men, Women, Sex and Social Programing (PART 2)

2010-11-24T10:20:00.000+02:00

The Man's Mindset
Read Part 1 HERE

Now for the juicy part: Sensual Power

Being sensually powerful means to understand and appreciate the sexual potential in a woman, and having the passion to bring it out in her, to bring it all to life enabling her to discover her own sense of personal and sensual power. It is about sharing, two people celebrating being human beings. She is the feminine compliment to your masculinity and vice versa. It is not about outcome, it is about complimenting and enhancing each other.

All interaction is sexual at the very core, while you respect that she wants to be treated like a lady. Because you command respect, she takes what you say seriously acting on what you say. Thus what you command becomes real for her, which means she becomes responsive to you. She knows that you can make her think powerful thoughts and feel powerful emotions and knows that you can realize her sexual potential. Thus you are a sexual threat (in a good way). You are capable of eliciting and validating her emotions and building a powerful emotional connection with her. You create intimacy that is so close and so rewarding that you establish a powerful sexual connection that transcends anything she has ever experienced.

All of us were born sexual creatures. Everything about us is such that we may mature and procreate. And we are such that it is all pleasurable and fulfilling. But for some of us, somewhere along the line, something went very wrong. Shame, guilt, self consciousness, or self doubt set in, and anything about sexuality became something very uncomfortable.

But the reality is that most women will sleep with a man, but will not decide if they love him for maybe six months. That's reality. Most women are much more sexual than men and require that they be treated with respect for the lady that they are. Comfort, safety and respect will be the needed for her to be able to sleep with him.
As for love, most women are completely turned off by men who fall in love with her in the first few dates, or even weeks. For her, it cheapens the concept of love. Most women understand that it takes really getting to know someone before falling in love which can take quite a bit of time.

Women are far more sexual then men

Movies, television shows, stories, what other people told us, what our parents told us, all that “social programming” told us that we have to talk women into having sex. It almost made it seem as if sex for a woman was a chore she performed as a reward.

Women actually WANT to have sex! Not as a reward to “a nice guy,” but simply because women love sex. Women have elaborate intricate fantasies beyond anything men can imagine. It is largely mental and emotional, and about being “taken” and “ravaged.” But it does NOT mean that women want to be raped. Certainly NOT! But in the context of consent, mental stimulation, emotional rapport, and trust, women love to be taken and ravaged like the sluts that they love to be. Now that does NOT mean that women want to be sluts. But in the correct context, with her trusted lover, women love to become ruthlessly expressive sexual creatures.

In many cases, women are far hornier than men. So why did all that social programming want us to believe that women didn’t like sex that much? It appears that there are a number of reasons for this.
Social programming protects women from men who only want to use women for sex. If social programming trains people to believe that women must first be in love to have sex, or must first be in a committed relationship, then women always have a defense against men who view them as objects. If parents teach their children that sex is only for love and marriage, then maybe their children won’t go out and have sex and get pregnant. Interestingly, the social programming does parallel the reality of being a woman to some degree.

Most women are sexually submissive and do not initiate sex. Instead, they respond to their man when he initiates. And most women prefer it that way, they're excited by the fact that their man is excited by her. It makes her feel feminine and beautiful. Unfortunately though, women are also victims to social programming. Social programming is interpreted to mean that any woman who loves sex must be a slut. Even though women love sex, they’d never admit it to a stranger. It would make them appear as a slut inviting advances from men who objectify women.

The advantage of all this social programming is that since it is against social norms for a woman to love sex, it makes it even more exciting WHEN a woman demonstrates that. Anything that is taboo is even MORE exciting because it IS taboo. To further complicate things, men have been raised to be proper polite gentlemen, and we have been taught that to suggest sex to a woman would insult her because it would insinuate that she is a slut.
That piece of social programming hinders men and puts them in a predicament. A man wants to be sexual with the woman he is interested in, but he can’t suggest it because it would insult her. The woman certainly can’t suggest it because that would define her as a slut. And besides, women are sexually submissive, they prefer that the man initiate.
So what are people to do?
You’re the man who’s going to leverage her emotional soul to connect with her, her romantic heart to entice her, her innate sensuality to excite her, and her downright horniness to satiate her, and then do it the next day, and the next, until she is delirious with pleasure, ecstatic about being a woman, totally loving life, and wildly crazy about you!

For her to feel sexy with you, she must feel like a woman. That means that you must be a MAN. You must be comfortable with yourself. That means lack of self doubt. That means complete self assuredness. Be comfortable with her. Be comfortable with that fact that she is a highly sexual being.
Treat her like a lady, while you have confidence that the natural woman in her will come to life. Be chivalrous, gentlemanly, manly, protective. Play the MAN’s role. When comfort has been established, admire her beauty. When intimacy has been established, show her that she excites you. And, always, always abide by the “It just happened” clause.

She should always be able to later justify it by saying “It just happened.”

Men, Women, Sex and Social Programing (PART 1)

2010-11-22T01:54:00.001+02:00

Too many men are busy running around trying to get as many women to sleep with them as possible, thinking that it will prove something to them (although I can’t figure out what that might be) anyways, it won’t, and such men end up still having the same underlying problems. They need to fix their problems before they involve real people (well yeah people sleep with other people not toys or plastic mannequins).

Too many men entirely base their self worth on how many women say yes. Just a note: THAT puts all the power in the women since there is nothing personally powerful about that, she’s saying yes, not you.
Too many men see women as an obstacle to get around to get to the sex. Such men are just masturbating inside an object. So many men place power in a woman based solely on the woman’s looks. He does not even consider who she is as a person (sad is an understatement).

What men are seeking so relentlessly is nothing that comes from outside of them, it's something they already have. A man, a real one at least, has only himself to rely on. And what better for a man to work on than himself? But in the end it call comes down to believing they deserve it. People don’t necessarily get what they want. People don’t necessarily get what they need. Instead, people get what they honestly and truly believe that they deserve. In other words, people get what they expect to get. The key to having what you want is being the person for whom getting what you want is a mere byproduct of the reality you create simply by the way you live life. It builds a foundation of belief that is very real and a relationship with reality that is very empowering.

Get Real.
Men need to separate and differentiate a woman from her looks. All women are human beings, they just have female body parts. Appreciate the beauty of a woman, but don’t give her undue credit just for her looks. Men, base your opinion on who she is as a person.
You like being with a woman, but you don’t “need” her. Do not base your self worth upon how many women agree to sleep with you, that’s just low and sick. Men need to base their self worth on what they think of themselves. Get self validated.

Be A Man. Live a life of integrity. Assume responsibility for your own thoughts and actions and always, respect. Command respect. Demand respect. Treat others with respect. Associate only with those who treat you with respect. Be assertive when need be. It all begins with self-respect.

*Part 2 is all about women and sexuality.

Dear Lover

2010-11-17T11:43:00.001+02:00

Dear lover,
When I look into your eyes, I feel your heart's yearning. Nothing is more beautiful to me than your love. Its like I want to drink your love and dive into your heart. But I want to feel you let down your guard in trust, just a little bit, so I can feel your heart's invitation, to feel you surrender through my soul. Please, open so I may claim your heart. When you feel deep into your heart, you feel love. Most deeply, you are love shining as light, and so you want to be truly seen.

This light flows as energy, and so you want to offer yourself completely. Your heart wants to give and receive love fully, your heart's deepest desire. Feel your entire body yearning to live open and to give yourself totally as love, to be seen as the "love" that you are longing to be taken open, surrendered blissfully, so that every moment of your life is ablaze as the light of this passion inside you, an offering of your heart's devotion, and adoration.

In an effort to create safety and self-reliance in your life and relationships, you may have
built walls around yourself and accumulated tension in your body. Although sometimes
these walls of protection are useful, they can, over time, act like shells of fear that block
your true radiance. Blocking the love you want to offer and the love your heart longs to recieve deeply. Instead of depending on someone, and protecting yourself with walls of disappointments, you can learn to open your body as if it were a big heart, filled with love's radiant force.

This openhearted radiance will be the gift to the world your pathway into your deepest desire.

Whether you are alone or in relationship, your spiritual and sexual bliss require a daily
section of whole-body pleasure and deep heart offering, or else your joy will shrivel like an un-watered plant.

Inspired by writings & books by John Wellwood and David Deida

Friendships, Learning, and Loving [GUEST POST]

2010-11-10T09:35:00.000+02:00

Halloween has come, and gone. I couldn’t help but wonder, with all the funky costumes of mystical creatures believed to have super powers, what my ultimate superpower would be. I put much thought to it, as I am huge on imagination and things unknown.

I looked at the different possiblities I had. From flame throwing to turning things into ice, the possibilities were unlimited. However, I sat back and thought... if I could gain any supernatural power, it would have to be the ability to be invisible. Yes invisibility, not because I could do a lot of things where nobody can see me, but because I can sit back without being detected and truly know the people around me and what really goes on behind the “curtains” of frienships. It’s not so much because I care about what others think about me, as I find myself to be very confident and people’s opinions don’t affect me, but still... it is good to know.

Throughout my life, I have come across many people. Most of them have affected me in their own way, but I recently came to the relization that many of them have had a negative affect on me. It’s really quite funny, I realized, a bit too late may I add, that friendships aren’t what they always seem to be, nor are they bound by a rope that makes the two individuals be completely “mukhliseen” to eachother forever. Things change, and by human nature, we are expected to cope with them.

I had a group of friends, whom I had thought would never hurt me or turn against me. Like most people, I gave the friendships my all, from financial help to emotional support... I was always there. You needed it, I had it. But times changed, and I slowly realized I was just someone that made all things accesible to people who “needed” it, but when I needed something (which was usually just someone to talk to) I found that I stood alone. It hurt me, but not as much as it angered me. I gave friendships my all, and to some degree I guess I expected it back. I never got it back.

Time passed, and my friendships changed. I began to search for people who searched for the same things I searched for. I looked for people who shared the same values, and had ambitions and dreams. Most importantly, I looked for people who I can relate to, both in my life, and in personality of course. I found them, usually, in people I least expected it. For example, during my days I have met many Lebanese people who I treated like family, like my blood. I did not get the same treatment back. Being in, what we Lebanese call ,“The Ghorbeh”, I stuck to the Lebanese population. I had the mentality, that if we are outside of our country together, we should stick together...help each other. But soon enough I learned that wasnt the case. I ventured out of my Lebanese bubble, and became good friends with someone. Through time, I found that this individual knew a lot about the Middle East, about Arab culture, and through conversation much about the “Arab-Israeli” issue. I was curious... so one day he told me that he was a Jew. A Hungarian Jew to be exact. But it struck me, this man who our country sees as an “enemy” treated me with more respect than those of my own kind...and through him I learned what friendship was supposed to be... unconditional, true, and sincere.

It is quite funny, our country demonizes his people, his culture, and their existence,yet through him I realized that a friendship isn’t about what you can gain, instead it is about what you can give... something my fellow Lebanese here did not understand. The most intriguing part of all of this, I was reminded of the people I left behind in Lebanon, the dear friends that were there through everything, and for everything. The ones who knew I was sad or hurt through a simple sigh, the same ones that knew my day was great by the gestures of my hand. It was awesome. I am now more aware of what a friendship is, what makes a friendship, and what ingredients go into a healthy and strong friendship. From my experiences I realized that God gives and takes. He gave me “friends” that I thought were true, took them from me, and gave me a lesson about life. A lesson about friendships. Imagine one that was born as my “enemy” was actually the one that displayed the beauty of a friendship.

It taught me that, no matter who the person is, what they believe in, or who represents them, they can not be judged by the mere color of their skin, where they go to pray, or how they dress... I mean if that wasn’t the lesson God wanted me to learn, he wouldn’t have showed me the betrayal in my own kind, and the honesty of someone completely opposite of me. Right?

Friendship is beautiful, it is pure, it is support, unconditional, honest, and remarkable on so many levels. It’s based on the person, and not a group. It is based on things that tie two individuals together, and on things you agree or even disagree on. Look around you, and think about it... are the friendships you have so unconditional as the one I was shown? Many will say no. Many might even say yes. I don’t know. But what I do know is that through my invisibility, I sat back, listened in, and understood life and friendships. And guess what? It was worth it. I am now surrounded by the most remarkable people, I know how to differentiate between a friendship and a “masla7a”, and I can expect to get what I give (not that you necessarily need anything in return).

So this is to true friendships, to true people, and to being invisible. Don’t be scared to find the goodness in people you least expect it, don’t be scared to admit you need something real, something true, and something beautiful. May everyone reading this realize what friendship is, and take precious care of it. It truly is valuable.

By Ali Seifeddine

Ever since I got to meet him through Twitter, Ali has been such an inspiration, a bundle of wisdom and a great friend. I'd like to thank him so much for taking the time to write something so beautiful and true and for sharing it via my blog.

A person worth following and reading on a regular basis, I'm sure you'll learn something new with every one of his posts:

Follow him on Twitter: @BloggerSeif

Ali's Blog: http://seifandbeirut.com/

This One's for You

2010-11-09T08:08:00.000+02:00

It was about time that I wrote this small letter of thanks and gratitude.
You see, no matter who you are, there will come a time when you just feel the need to spread your wings, to grow beyond yourself. That time was not so long ago. It was by total mistake that I have found a website, a blog to be precise, where there were interesting posts of Lebanon and the Lebanese but which was posted by a total "stranger" who turned out to become nothing close than that. I got hooked to this blog of her stories of Lebanon, her small comments and started noticing how she connected to a group of people who shared and interacted in a somewhat nice way.
This total randomness fed a part of me that wanted to grow and branch out, that wanted to share and interact with people of another caliber...and it was then, that I felt I had touched something quite interesting. But it was only after I started following Dani (@meinlebanon) on Twitter that the snowball effect took place.
I'm not going to go into how it all happened from there, I'm sure most of you will understand how it all catapulted from there. From Danielle, I got to meet some of the most amazing people I've ever got the priviledge to connect and interact with. People of a magnificent caliber, with hearts of gold! My God it got me both surprised and quite happy! From a follow to another I found myself surrounded by a small (huge actually) family of my daily (hourly migh be better) connections. And it was about time that I thank you guys, yes every single one of you, for showing me how magical and magnificent some of the people are in this world. By meeting you, by reading your posts, looking at your pics, enjoying your comments, trying to help you out, that I have felt so much, grown so much and gave so much back. Some of you, well most of you, are my everyday fuel, small gifts of joy in a world missing its essence going about living empty lives of pure and utter nothingness, pain, regret and sorrow. I cannot get enough of your ideas, your emotions, your celebrations, our tweetups (even when I'm not there), the jokes, the good morning messages, and the simple smiles. There's so much complexity and beauty in everyone that I'm overwhelmed with your spirits, the greatness with which you shine, each in his/her own unique way.

This is a letter of gratitude for every single one of you for blessing me, my life my daily rouine with your presence, your support, your words, your laughter...everything! There's so much I can say but it all dissolves in the truths you bring to everyday, the fruits you share of the magnificence you live. It has trully been amazing ever since Danielle triggered my interrest with her interesting take on our daily routine, and I can only wonder how much passion for this life she has, leaving her safe zone, her family, her home to live such an adventure.
It makes me proud to know people like you, and I hope that everyday I can give back to you a little bit of inspiration, laughter, and some of the pure me (no matter what that is hehe).

Thank you for being part of my everyday life!

But in the end there are a few people who have made this time so very special that I just have to mention and thank. And please if you're reading this, do follow them and read their posts...trust me you'll be oh so glad you did:

(posted in no specific order, descriptions are understatements to these people's real truth)

- Danielle (@meinlebanon): Thank you again....you're truly one of a kind [http://thisisbeirut.wordpress.com/]

- Ali (@BloggerSeif): There are no words to fully describe you (I've mentioned you as cupid, Franky and a true brother) you're one of a kind, a true friend with a heart of gold. [http://seifandbeirut.com/]

- Michelle (Machmouchette) (@mich1mich): A bundle of blessings, positive energy and uplifting joy. A wonderful heart with so much to give, such a special gift to know. [http://michcafe.blogspot.com/]

- Ibrahim (Eby) (@ebyking): The reason I got so passionate about branding and identity. A master (king) of people skills, filled with wit and professionalism not seen much in our days. [http://ilahoud.wordpress.com/]
- Sareen (@Sareen_ak): I can't wait for her cartoons every week (usually the first to comment as well). A delicate and fun character [http://inkontheside.com]

- Emilie (@Emiliehasouty): she's one of the few who render me speechless with her complex yet simple yet mature yet deeply layered posts. Absolutely amazing soul! [http://emiliehasrouty.blogspot.com/]

- Imad (@TrellaLB): The least I can say in Arabic "fashit khele2", wit, smarts and the perfect comment at the perfect time, always keeping me up to date with the latest political "films" (in some way) with his tweets [http://trella.org]

- Abir (@abzzyy): Although we might have not been talking quite regularly, I adore her wit, straight to the point attitude, her comments, and of course beautiful pictures! [http://abzyy.com/]

- Krikorian (@KrikorianM): Another photographer to keep on your list, amazing shots indeed and a great person indeed! [http://krikorian.wordpress.com/]

- Darine (@sdarine): The first time we met will always be memorable, jumping and laughing....hehe what can I say...amazing? smart? kind? all of the above and more? [http://theidentitychef.com/]

- Naeema (@Naeema): The sunshine of the twitter timeline, she sparks positive vibes, an amazing heart & soul with so much care, joy and passion to give! A spectacular being! [www.naeemazarif.com]

More amazing people with golden hearts to follow:

- Elena or Lou (@ElenaKassab) [simply amazing, a heart full of magic]

- Jenny (@Jennhaddad) [a sister, a friend, your support system, nice beauty on feet]

- Chantale (@chantalej) [my neighbor, physically when I'm at work and I'm guessing emotionally with her link to Jenny. Such a fun person to be around]
- Nadim (@Nadiml) [ebn el king...the prince around here]
- George (@ZAMGEO) [a true friend, a caring gentleman to say the least]
- Rasha (@RashaRteil) [honestly, a total and beautiful surprise, such a pleasure to know you]
- Marie (@MarieNakhle) [I got to admit, give me ideas of where to go with her tweets, a romantic, smart person]

- Liliane (@FunkyOzzi) [the leader with a sense of purpose & fun around the timeline and the tweetups]
- Doja (@DiAyDi) [ A beautiful young soul going for her dreams, looking for the best. A delicate, pure & honest heart]

- Octavia (@octavianasr) [Finally met her, a smile that lights up a room with the brains of wisdom & passion, an amazing leader to follow]

I'm so sorry if I missed anyone of the list, you are all magnificent and all dear to my heart but adding you all here with all details will make this an unreadable post. I hope everyone understands.

All the best wishes in the world!

The Purpose Of Relationships And Human Needs

2010-11-03T08:59:00.000+02:00

Have you ever asked yourself what the real purpose of a relationship is? Any relationship?
It is so common in life we say we want things but forget what we want them for. What happens with most of us is that we don’t know what we’re after! And so we get disappointed when we don’t get what we don’t know we want!

So to get clear here, some people say the purpose of all relationships is to communicate, others say to learn, to share to know, to understand, to experience things. And all those answers are accurate but the real purpose of a relationship, that feeds out of all the things I just mentioned is one simple thing: The purpose of a relationship is to magnify the human experience.
Let’s think about it: how does it feel when you experience something on your own (it can be phenomenal) but why do you want to share it?
Because in the sharing there is magnification, you get to experience it again. When that other person gets excited, it gets you even more excited, or when he/she gets sad it gets you even more sad. When there’s this emotion that’s shared there’s this power and synergy something BIG occurs, things get magnified!

Relationships are about sharing, and the quality of your relationship is in direct relation to the amount of yourself that you are able to share with someone. In other words the person feels, hears, experiences the other. So if you’re in a relationship and you’re not able to share…guess what…you’re not in a relationship. When we’re relating together, and moving in a direction, like in a ship, we’re moving the ship together experiencing all the elements of the spirit together. The power is in the unity and relatedness.

So if you want the most out of your life, if you want an extraordinary life, the edge comes in extraordinary emotion, extraordinary psychology and that comes in your capacity to share with quality people at a deep level on an ongoing basis that expands the ability to enjoy your life.
The REAL SECRET to relationships is this: A relationship is a place you go to GIVE.
Not a place you go to get. When you measure how much you give and you get in return, you have a transaction, not a relationship. A relationship is about unlimited sharing, unlimited giving and when you share at that level you magnify all that’s good. When we make a conscious decision that our relationships are relly about magnifying the good in the person we love and it’s a place we’re going to give then we’re going to receive ten fold, it’s the rule of life.

This doesn’t happen because we get hooked by the things that happened in our past, and we get trapped by them. You see, everybody has the same needs no matter who or where: for certainty, variety, uncertainty (surprise), challenge, to feel significant, important, unique, special, to feel like we’re needed everybody has those needs. Every one of those needs must be met by all human beings, but we don’t all pursue these needs the same way. Some people want to be significant by achieving so their focus is fully drawn onto their job. So connection becomes a secondary thing they eventually get to, but these people end up unhappy at a later stage. Some think everything is about relationships and that one single love relationship which when it gets into trouble they feel they have no life anymore.

Just know that relationships are about meeting each other’s needs. If you can help your partner feel certain that by being in a relationship with you they are going to feel comfort, joy, love; if you can help them experience more variety, cool surprises, learning, growing, challenge and stimulation; if you can help your partner feel totally special, unique and you mean it, when you value them and you see the unique qualities they have then you will be in a relationship that is LEGENDARY.

I wish you the absolute best!
May the joy be with you.

A Moment In Paradise

2010-10-31T23:44:00.001+02:00

Hand in hand, they walk on the white sandy beach. She looks into his eyes as she hold his hand with a tight grip, not wanting to let go. With a smile she caresses his soul as he reciprocates, looking deep into hers. The wind plays with her hair, and flicks through his white semi transparent shirt. Playing with each other, small caresses, laughs and giggles they guide each other through the sand and stones to their sanctuary in paradise. A beautiful wooden cottage set in the middle of the ocean, a wooden trail leads to a breathtaking end, surrounded fully by the shining blue sea and heavenly setting, paradise is only an understatement.
As they make their way to the cottage, part of the Tahitian Bora Bora Intercontinental Resort, they are greeted by two hostesses who guide them through into the room and giving them all the info they need. But as our couple went in, they were so engulfed in each other, they didn't even listen to anyone else.

Sami and Roula sit on the bed, facing each other. On one side they notice a welcoming exotic drink awaits them, on the other side a beautiful window with an ocean view that takes your breath away. The sea is so blue, so clear they could notice some fish in the waters. But all of that was mere detail. Sami couldn't take his eyes off of his radiant new wife. A lady of magnificent beauty. Her eyes take you into her heart, those blazing hazel frontiers to her soul. He smiles as he looks deep into them, she replies with a subtle and very low voice "I love you". Its like she has fired him up with those simple letters, his face lights up as he comes closer and his hand caresses her brown silky brunette hair, softly and gently holding her delicate sweet face. Her eyes brighten up, lightning up his heart, passion exchanging kisses through their senses, guiding their emotions into an unimaginable bliss.
He slowly takes off her white shirt, as his lips softly draw the contour of her beautiful sun-kissed face.
her hands hold his head softly, guiding him on this journey of exploration. Her delicate, soft skin, curves beautifully drawn, a living painting with an extraordinary sensuality that Sami could not find any words to describe. As the night sets in, the caresses continue, the kisses painting two bare, delicate creatures. For Sami, Roula is a gift from heaven tailor made to perfection. Her breasts of unimaginable beauty call for his skin, her lips, full and eager for his, her body slowly shivering in anticipation awaiting the magestic conclusion. For Roula, there are no words to describe how she feels when he's holding her so dearly in his firm arms. The beautifully drawn chin, his hypnotic eyes, his body sculpted with divine God-like mastery, the packs, the feet, the firm skin, everything just fits.

It is soon enough that the basic animal in Sami is let loose, to ravish and uplift Roula into a world where time has no value, no limit, no expression. A moment when everything fades away and the bodies build up with divine sensations. Two souls unite through the envelopes of those bodies, touching, sweating, moving in rhythmic beats of pure ecstasy. It is in that moment that his inner beauty and his body unite in celebration of her inner and outer existence as well. As the night passes, moment after moment, their moans of pleasure, expression of joy, their divine celebration continues creating melodies for a song only they can comprehend. He transforms her body with his touch to vibrant mass of energy. Her breasts scream for more of his skin, her inner core drips with thirst for his ravishing love. His mouth cannot get enough of her taste.

Slowly, the sun begins to rise and casts his rays upon the dissolved couple, sleeping peacefully as they surrendered to each other in a somewhat endless journey of peace. As the sun spreads its rays, a few make their way into the room, touching their bare bodies. Some light shines into Sami's eyes, and he opens them slowly with a little confusion. He peacefully sits on the bed, looking around the room, not understanding much of the location.
"Where am I?" he asks himself. As his eyes slowly open to give him a better view, he notices the Cirque Du Soleil poster hanging on the wall in front of him, a mirror and some clothes on the ground, underwear and a little mess right next to his bed. He's lying naked...."so that was just a dream?"
With a little disappointment, he makes his way to the bathroom, but only to get the unexpected surprise: something was written on his mirror using red lipstick, it said: "Nice to meet you, thanks for last night".
As he makes up the message, he looks to the ground, and silently smiles.

Making Excuses?

2010-10-25T22:05:00.001+03:00

This post was an email previously sent via my newsletter. Interested in joining? check the top right corner of this page.

It's very human to fight for your excuses. "I can't be better than I am at work." "I don't have the time to exercise." "I can't do this dream or that dream because it's too hard/scary/impractical."
The more you fight for your excuses, the more they'll own you. Let them go. And step into your power.

Leaders don't make excuses. They create results. And no great life was ever built on a foundation of excuses. So stop making them. Most of them are self-created delusions. Designed to help you avoid doing the things you are afraid to do. Yes, beneath every excuse lives a fear. A fear of changing. A fear of the unknown. A fear of failure. A fear of success.

Today can be the day you burn the bridges that lead to your excuses. Today can be the day you step up to the possibilities that lay just off the beaten path of your life. Today can be the day you lead in your life and access your greatness.

2010-10-21T12:08:00.000+03:00

A look
A smile
A wink. Stop.
A heart
A soul
A breath. Stop.
A smile
A walk
A dance. Stop
A cuddle
An Embrace
A hug. Stop
A melody
A heartbeat
A feeling. Stop
A delicate smile
A lip bite
A sensual touch. Now Seriously Stop.

Sometimes, just a few seconds deliver so much in them that your time, your heart, your breath, your life....everything just stops. Or you just want it to.

Clarity & Purpose (By Anthony Robbins)

2010-10-20T13:01:00.000+03:00

"Life will pay whatever price you ask for it" - Anthony Robbins

Dare to ask for your dream car, your dream woman (or man), your dream lifestyle. Dare to take risk, be different and act on your beliefs. Dare to grow beyond anybody's expectations and dare to celebrate fully the life you live! It takes an action plan of clarity and purpose to achieve massive results.

I dare you to have a look at the below video, amazing stuff in there.

Tik Tok

2010-10-18T09:15:00.001+03:00

"Well arranged time is the surest mark of a well arranged mind" - Sir Isaac Pitman

By the time most people figure out what they really want and how to attain what they want in life, its usually too late. The wisest people around, a good example are the monks in the Himalayan mountains understand this concept perfectly. They live and have developed the concept of "time consciousness".
The concept revolves around the idea that those who use their time wisely from an early age are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives. Those who never get exposed to the concept of "time mastery" will never live their enormous full potential. Wherever we live, and whoever we are, we all have only 24 hours. The only thing that separates those who live exceptional lives from the "oh so regular" is the way these people use their time.

You see, busy productive people are so efficient with their time, they set time to be productive at work, and always have time to play and have fun. Being an excellent time manager doesn't mean that you become a workoholic. As I just mentioned, it allows more time to do the things you love, and that are the most meaningful to you.
Some of my best moments so far have been created through the perfect management of my time.Therefore, being busy is no excuse to do what you really want to do. The real question is what are you busy about?

I'll end this short idea with this: 80% of the results you achieve in your life come from 20% of the activities that accupy your time.
Do you think 20 years from now, all the time you spent sitting in a smoke-filled cafe, gossiping on the phone or watching TV will count for anything?

I'm sure you agree there are a number of activities that will count for everything.
Design the life you want, direct all your time to those activities that count.

A Story In Silence

2010-10-14T08:24:00.000+03:00

There are specific times when I just feel the need to breathe away from the chaos of everyday life, away from the mess of a "Lebanese lifestyle", to let go, return into myself and refuel my well with everything that makes me who I really am.

There are nights when everybody is calm, the world around is sound asleep, quiet reigns everywhere, the perfect opportunity of peace. Its in these moments that my soul takes a small ride, away from me, into the core of the world to discover its changes and come back renewed. I let go of all my "walls" to give it freedom to chose, to enjoy and breathe in the same breath that created us, this massive bundle of gifts we sometimes forget to be grateful for.
At these moments of silence, these moments of peace, I write a story that will spread for years. I touch the essence of who I am and through it design the life I want to live. Its inside these magical moments that I write a grateful letter to my creator, a thank you note to my lovely connections from around the world. It is in these moments of peace that I cannot feel anything but love for life, love for being here, gratitude and genuine joy!

And in a minute, I lay down in my bed, after making my way through my home, looking at my peaceful family figures, each wondering through their own stories of the night....those magical memories they might never remember. That's a gift, that nobody can understand. A mystery of life itself. But its pure, as the delicate morning mist dripping from a sensual flower on a winter day. Life? its so simple, so beautiful and so complex at the same time. And it is in these peaceful moments that it all opens up to u. The melody of your creator, the song you sing into the world. It plays so loud in these quiet moments, that only the angels would listen. And at my and your surprise, that same angel, who heard you sing will come to you, singing your melody back to you.

One of These Angels

2010-10-04T10:33:00.000+03:00

I think its about time I share this personal story, my special connection with one of the most amazing people I have ever known!
Ever since I was a little boy, I was fascinated by her enthusiasm, love for life, passion and care.
Meet, Claude. One of the dearest and closest people to my heart. An aunt like no other, I've always known her to be "sick" crippled by the dreadful MS in her feet, she is slowly fighting an endless battle with her own body.

Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS) is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms.

Simply put, MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other. Although much is known about the mechanisms involved in the disease process, the cause remains unknown.Yes, its right THERE IS NO CURE for MS yet.

The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. CLICK HERE for more info.

From early in my life I've noticed how supportive she is to everyone, forgetting about her own self to go about and help any other person. She's the fighter, the support system and powerful surge of positive force helping, passionately uplifting and supporting everyone around!
Her laugh is contagious, her spirit fills the room.

During the years, I've seen her go from "cannot walk well" stages to "wheelchair" stage. I've seen her at her worse, on a hospital bed (knowing her body is self degrading, so problems arise) but there is one incident that will stay with me forever.
During the period when I was in a coma (back in 2006) she was there, with me, in the room every single morning. She was supporting everyone, bringing positive news, helping my mom keep calm (with all her heart). She was the strong fighter I've always known her to be, my fighter angel. She used to climb the stairs on the wheelchair, ask to be carried around to get to my bedside. She believed in me, and still does. BUT just as I got back to normal, her body let go of her, she cracked....all the stress she kept inside, all the power she showed to the world lead her to shatter. a few weeks after I got back to normal, she enters the hospital with several "issues to fix".

There will never be enough emotions, and words to describe what this means to me. But as I've always done ever since I was a little boy, I pray for you Claude, for the magnificent person you are. For you have shown the world that no matter the challenge you will make it through cos you WANT that.
I love our talks, sharing my personal beliefs, ideas, thoughts with you. I don't really know how to describe you, nor how to thank you, my fighter angel.

You are the proof that joy will be with everyone when they want it to.

To everyone reading this,

May the joy be with you.

You

2010-10-03T15:50:00.000+03:00

The most common ego identifications have to do with possessions, the work you do, social status

and recognition, knowledge and education, physical appearance, special abilities, relationships, person

and family history, belief systems, and often also political, nationalistic, racial, religious,

and other collective identifications.

None of these is you.

Eckhart Tolle

35mm Short Film by Pascal Monaco

2010-09-29T13:56:00.000+03:00

35mm is a shortfilm about cinema itself. Pascal Monaco picked 35 of his favorite movies and tried to simplifly them as far as possible. The outcome is a 2 minute journey through the history of film.
Great visual work!

35mm from Pascal Monaco on Vimeo.

2010-09-27T08:42:00.000+03:00

When you look upon another human being and feel great love toward them, or when you contemplate beauty in nature and something within you responds deeply to it, close your eyes for a moment and feel the essence of that love or that beauty within you, inseparable from who you are, your true nature. The outer form is a temporary reflection of what you are within, in your essence. That is why love and beauty can never leave you, although all outer forms will.

Eckhart Tolle

Muaḏḏin's Awakening (Amazing Title Sequence)

2010-09-23T11:38:00.000+03:00

Muaḏḏin's Awakening from Cokau
“Thrilled by main title sequence art, we tried to tackle this exercise. Shooting happened in Egypt on February 2010. All characters names are fake or nearly…”

Intimate Relationships As Transformative Path

2010-09-22T08:49:00.000+03:00

I recently discovered a few amazing authors and started reading a lot of their works. I couldn't stop myself from sharing this very special report. Its called Intimate Relationships As Transformative Path and can be a wake up call to many.

For the first time in history, the relations between intimate partners lack clear guidelines, supportive family networks, a religious context, and a compelling social meaning.
Until recently, the form and function of the male/female relationship, and marriage in particular, were carefully prescribed by family, society, and religion.

Those of us who are struggling with questions of love and commitment today are pioneers in territory that has never been consciously explored before. It is important to realize just how new this situation is, so that we do not blame ourselves for the difficulties we face in our relationships. In former times, if people wanted to explore the deeper mysteries of life, they would often enter a monastery or hermitage far away from conventional family ties. For many of us today, however, intimate relationship has become the new wilderness that brings us face to face with all our gods and demons. It is calling on us to free ourselves from old habits and blind spots, and to develop the full range of our powers, sensitivities and depths as human beings—right in the middle of everyday life.

Download Full Report Here

Virtual Friend

2010-09-21T15:53:00.001+03:00

Lyrics to the amazing song, I've never really focused on the words until now. To have a listen: Click Here

There's a deep meaning in these words, at least I think so.

Lyrics:

Autumn leaves we treat as litter
People living on a bench
Childhood friends who lost contact
Fallen soldiers in a trench

By the way are you watching?
How the world says goodbye

Autumn leaves we treat as litter
People living on a bench
Childhood friends who lost contact
Fallen soldiers in a trench

By the way are you watching?
How the world says goodbye

Plastic islands in the ocean
Violent storms drop atom bombs
Hidden women walking slowly
Desperate men sing sacred songs

By the way are you watching?
How the world says goodnight

By the way are you watching?
How the world says goodnight

City boy selling countries
Surgeons lifting second skin
Sitting by software windows
Trying to find a virtual friend

By the way are you watching?
How the world says farewell

2010-09-21T12:47:00.000+03:00

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.”

Robert Fritz

Up Against the Wall

2010-09-17T08:47:00.000+03:00

This week was a challenging one for me. Although a massive outdoor campaign was already all over the country, more material was about to sweep supermarkets and malls and it was to be done by yours trully. In fact, all of the final artworks were going to be my full responsibility (costing me a huge lot if anything was wrong or to be repeated since the client will be losing money, and I'll be giving it back to him).

Anyways, long story short, with a lot of stress and delicate work I took the challenge and worked at home or after hours on all material (several times since a laptop cannot handle MEGA files).
But finally, after several "reworks", wrong sizes, re-sizes and adaptations the 25 jobs were finally done!
And what a relief that was, but through all this I got a mega lesson in patience, leadership and personal growth.

Here's a powerful thought: great achievement often appears when our backs are up against the wall. Pressure can actually enhance your performance. Your power most fully exerts itself when the heat is on. Who you truly are only surfaces when you place yourself in a position of discomfort and you begin to feel like you're out on the skinny branch. Challenge serves beautifully to introduce you to your best - and most brilliant - self. Just like it did with me, I managed to work alone, on finalizing and preparing final files and risking big time since that was a make or break opportunity.

Take a second to think about this. Easy times don't make you (or me) better. They make us slower, more complacent and sleepy. Staying in the safety zone - and coasting through life - never made anyone bigger. I know it's very human to take the path of least resistance. And I'd agree it's pretty normal to want to avoid putting stress on yourself by challenging yourself to shine. But greatness never came to anyone "NORMAL". Think Mahatma Gandhi, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Mother Teresa, Thomas Edison definitely walked a different path.

How fully would you show up each day - at work and in life - if retreat just wasn't an option? How high would you reach, how greatly would you dare, how hard would you work and how loud would you live if you knew that failure just wasn't a possibility?

Diamonds get formed through intense pressure. And remarkable human beings get formed by living from a frame of reference that they just have to win.

To Your Greatest!

Practice Dissolving

2010-09-13T08:17:00.000+03:00

Like dissolving in the intensity of an orgasm, a man's greatest desire is to be utterly released.

Moment by moment, practice loving through your woman and the world, allowing the force of your surrender to transform every moment into an orgasm of divine dissolution. Embrace every moment of experience as a lover, and trust whatever direction love moves you. Die in the giving of your gift, so you don't even notice you have stopped holding onto yourself.

Fear is your final excuse. Don't fight it. Love through it.

There Are No Words

2010-09-09T10:03:00.000+03:00

There are no words in this world that can ever describe the beauty that I discovered only a little while ago.
I cannot stop admiring all the magnificence that is bundled up in such an irresistible package. I think I have found my drug, my angel, a heart filled with joy and passion. I think I discovered a treasure, filled with the essence of a trully magnificent creature, an angel far more complex and simple at the same time than anything you can ever see.
In an instant, a flick of a second, the treasure chest opens up. Its glory and majesty fills the room. I see angels singing carols in a celebration of unity. I see magical waves of light and sound dance together in the heart of the sky. I see all the glory in the world in front of my eyes, in the eyes of my gift. Quietly, I smile, a heartbeat skipped, a message delivered.

The best things about dreams is that they fade away with the rising sun, but this one kept on its trail to my heart. The best things about dreams is that if you stick to them long enough some might just show up one day at your doorstep.
I may have said a few words to describe how it is, but in truth, there are no words or even paragraphs to describe the beauty of a sudden gift you might get, and it turns out to be a dream becoming true.

There just are no words.

A Moment

2010-09-08T09:29:00.000+03:00

In a moment, you could build the most amazing life.
In a moment, your world can be shattered to pieces.
In a moment? Time stops.
In a moment, suddenly your situation isn't so magical anymore.
In a moment, your swept off your feet.
In a moment, your heart races with the words of a close person.
In a moment, you can't find the words.
In a moment, magnificence appears in human form.
In a moment, you decide she might be all you ever wanted.
In a moment, he might be your soulmate.

In a moment, a kid becomes a man.
In a moment, the best moments of your life play before your very eyes.
In a moment, you're daddy.
In a moment, they are one, united, by the truth that holds them together.
In a moment, a moment won't be enough.
In a moment, birds fly inside your soul.

It takes a moment for a "moment" to be carved inside your heart.
It takes a moment to change everything you've ever lived.
Its moments, simple, fast and precise that shape who you truly are.
Your life? It continues....in a moment.

Breakout, my latest mix compilation (Recorded Live)

2010-09-07T08:11:00.001+03:00

The time has come to get things rolling for another winter season. Summer, may not seem to be officially over but things are surely going this way.
The time has come to relive some of the best moments of the summer, to cherish them and lock them in our hearts. Break out from the routine, from the regular negativity of this season, break free and touch the summer spirit at any moment this fall! Breakout is a compilation of trance anthems, a collection of fresh releases and recent summer stormers that has sent the Balearic heat soaring this season.

Get ready to dive in and taste this summer’s more euphoric and driving trance and progressive stormers!

Track list:
01- Temple One,Hannah Ray - Autumn Leaves (Intro Mix)
02- Zaa feat. Aneym - Dance With Me (Nuera Remix)
03- Lange feat. Emma Hewitt - Live Forever (Steve Brian Remix)
04- Maor Levi Feat Ashley Tomberlin - Chasing Love (Airwave Remix)
05- Tiesto feat. Tegan & Sara - Feel It In My Bones (First State Remix)
06- Kyau & Albert - Painkillers (Club Mix)
07- Sunlounger feat. Inger Hansen - Breaking Waves (Nuera Remix)
08- Abraham Leoga - Insolution (Craving Remix)
09- Duderstadt - Stranded In NYC (Original Mix)
10- Shogun feat. Emma Lock- Imprisoned
11- Jonas Steur feat. Julie Thompson - Side By Side (Orjan Nilsen Remix)
12- Steve Birch feat. Emel - Staring At The Sun (Forever Amour)
13- Menno De Jong feat. Re:Locate - Solid State (Gareth Emery Remix)
14- Armin van Buuren vs Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Not Giving Up On Love (Dash Berlin 4AM Mix)
15- Myon & Shane54 feat. Labworks vs.Robert Miles - Children Of Ibiza (Gabe's Xpensive Mash)
16- Dash Berlin - Never Cry Again (Jorn van Deynhoven Remix)
17- Juventa - Just An Emotion (Original Mix)
18- Luke Terry feat. Kerry Leva - Arorpa (John O'Callaghan Remix)
19- Solarstone - Touchstone (Aly & Fila Remix)
20- John Askew - Fade To Black (Sean Tyas Remix)

Download this full set: CLICK HERE

Do Good To Feel Good

2010-09-02T08:57:00.000+03:00

Its so easy to forget this one: doing good makes you feel good. Being kind to a co-worker not only enables and elevates them - it lifts your mood. Adding outrageous value to a customer and making them feel like the VIP that they are not only makes them your goodwill ambassador (spreading word of your services like a virus) - it unlocks a wellspring of positive sensations inside of you. Going the extra mile for your loved ones not only leaves them better than you found them - it helps you feel connected to them (which promotes happiness and fulfillment).

Not only do good things happen to good people (life's got this really fair accounting system), but people who do great things get to feel great feelings. This isn't some “soft” idea (and if ideas like these are so “soft” why are they so very hard to do?; anyone can be cranky or unkind or mediocre. Being positive and kind and excellent takes a lot more discipline and power). No, this thought I'm sharing isn't “soft” at all. It's a practical, powerful insight that will lead you to real results - in your business life. In your personal life. And in your inner life.

Do good for people. Do good work. Think good thoughts. And be good to yourself. Good things will happen. Okay, I'll stop using the word “good” now...it's just that it feels so...good. Oops-did it again. Sorry. :)

2010-08-27T12:53:00.000+03:00

“After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul, and you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning and company doesn’t mean security, and you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises, and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open, with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child, and you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans. After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much. So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. And you learn that you really can endure… that you really are strong, and you really do have worth.”

~Veronica A. Shoffstall

Just A Thought

2010-08-27T12:30:00.000+03:00

Moments - Simple Memories From Life

2010-08-25T08:38:00.000+03:00

Moments from Everynone on Vimeo.

“Moments” is a simple and poetic short film directed by Everynone. No special effects here, just simple moments like those everyone keeps from life.They are what makes this one amazing journey. Simply beautiful.

Stay With Her Intensity - To A Point

2010-08-24T12:41:00.000+03:00

When a woman gets emotionally intense, a mediocre man wants to calm her down and discuss it, or leave and come back later when she is "sane." A superior man penetrates her mood with imperturbable love and unwavering consciousness. If she still refuses to live more fully in love, after a time, he lets her go.

If you are like most men, you probably aren't too fond of feminine bad moods and hysterical emotions. Basically, most men are afraid of, or disgusted by, feminine emotions. That's why we, men, try to fix them or escape from them. "I'll come back later when you can act like a reasonable human being," you might say.

One of the deepest feminine pleasures is FULL ARTICLE HERE

She Wants to Relax In The Demonstration of Your Direction

2010-08-21T17:49:00.000+03:00

A woman must be able to trust you to take charge if she relaxes her own masculine edge. This is true financially, sexually, emotionally, and spiritually. The man doesn't have to actually do all the work, but he must be able to steer the course if his woman is going to relax into her feminine without fear.

Some women want to be in charge most of the time. This desire to guide direction—handling the remote control for the TV or choosing the city in which to live—is a masculine desire, in men and women. If your woman has a more masculine sexual essence, she will prefer to be in charge of the direction of your lives most of the time.

But if your woman has a feminine sexual essence, there will be times that she would like to pleasurably relax and let go of being in charge. She would like to relax in her feminine and lets you make the decisions. If you are not able to take charge, if you don't know the direction you want to go, your woman will feel you floundering. She will have to take charge again, since you are unable. She won't be able to relax. The more relaxed she is in her feminine, the more radiant your woman will be.

You have probably noticed that your woman's radiance can change instantly. One moment she might seem dull and weary then, perhaps after you praise her or surprise her with a gift of love, suddenly she is glowing. She looks 15 years younger. The lines in her face have disappeared in seconds. If you want your woman to be able to relax into her feminine and shine her natural radiance, then you must CONTINUE READING HERE

The 10 Levels of Intimacy in Communication

2010-08-17T08:33:00.001+03:00

The digital age has certainly changed the way we communicate or share information with each other. The combination of technology and power of information brings new ways on HOW, WITH WHOM and WHY we communicate. We are connected with more people than ever before.

The 10 Levels of Intimacy in Communication is both an interesting and absurd display of the way we communicate today. The simple infographic is worthy for us to reflect on our everyday life - Do more options to communicate with each other connect us or alienate us more?

Lewis Pugh's mind-shifting Mt. Everest swim

2010-08-16T11:09:00.000+03:00

After he swam the North Pole, Lewis Pugh vowed never to take another cold-water dip. Then, he heard of Mt. Everest's Lake Imja -- a body of water at an altitude of 5,300 meters, entirely created by recent glacial melting -- and began a journey that would teach him a radical new way to approach both swimming and think about climate change.

Heartbeats

2010-08-12T12:06:00.001+03:00

A young boy secretly walks out into his garden. Looking for a surprise to enjoy. He sees her playing, a young tender being. By herself, talking to her cute little pink doll. He's intrigued, fascinated by her long silky brown hair flickering in the air. Her tender face, her low voice. Trying to hear her conversation, he hides deep in the bushes, watching this delicate creature with all his attention.
As he lays there quietly, silently with not a move of a single muscle, his attention is driven elsewhere. two beautiful butterflies pass in front of his very eyes. They seem delicate, colorful...full of life! The butterflies play together as they fly away, he looks closely, as if watching a love story in the making. The butterflies play as if they're two light beings, souls, caressing each other with sweet sensational touches, light flirting, glances and looks. Their language takes the little boy on an amazing trip into an imaginary world of pure sensational perfection. Its like listening to a piano play, the butterflies dancing together to the sounds of musical beats, heartbeats, exchanging lovely glances, a couple filled with a divine love. Its as if heartbeats are beating together to the same rhythm, two souls sharing a beautiful moment of divine pleasure.

Surprised by his imagination, he is taken out of his imaginary dream by the sunlight rays passing through the leaves and shining upon him, a message from above? maybe. But the little girl has disappeared, vanished in the beauty of this world. Maybe she'll come back to play some other day, maybe not.
As he thinks to himself, a smile is drawn upon his face. He gets it.

The Identity Chef

2010-08-11T11:19:00.001+03:00

I recently wrote a guest post concerning Ramadan greeting cards for Darine Sabbagh's blog The Identity chef a "passionate marketer & traveler, dabbling in professional translation, copywriting & amateur photography..."
Follow the chef on Twitter for some interesting updates: @sdarine

Enjoy her latest posts and updates, I know I do :)

Oh Woman!

2010-08-06T18:09:00.000+03:00

Here's a glimse of some emotional states, women around the world relate to. Its a blend of situations which I'm sure you'll relate to in some way.

On another note, its only the beginning of more fascinating pictures.

Have a look HERE

Burst The Bubble of War

2010-08-06T08:14:00.000+03:00

In this amazing installation, people who come to see this also have the chance to burst the bubbles, dissolving the whole tank unto the ground. A symbol of "bursting the bubble of war".

Music Monday (With A Twist)

2010-08-02T09:53:00.001+03:00

For everyone using Twitter, there's this well know weekly "event" hashtag called #musicmonday. Well as always I'd like to take things a little differently...
As we all know music is essential for everyone's life, some of us like yours truly is a well known musical addict and cannot have my day flowing right without the right dose of melodies and lyrics. I started wondering this music, that inspires, touches, and uplifts. This constant addiction by so many people to something so pure, so intimate to its creator made me think of creating something that has to do directly with the music each person plays from his soul.

I believe people are amazing instruments, created of a massive bundle of emotions. A bubble carefully wrapped with motherly tenderness, care and delicate joy. Notice how a lovely couple unite in the same music which attracts them together, they sing the same song, they celebrate life so beautifully!
Why not share that, why not express it and take this as a common point between people. Why not take the essence of people's being and share it widely in the form of seductive melodies in any context, and idea uniting people in life and beauty.

Why not give a new meaning to Social Networks, a new dimension to social connections, to a place where people are free to be held by their souls, coupled by emotions and connecting in one large bubble. Its a beautiful, intimate picture that is drawn in my mind....maybe I'm inspired by a talk I had last night, the music this morning, the coffee I smell on the way to work.

Or maybe its just me.

Follow my latest on Twitter: twitter.com/gabrielghali

Lessons From Green Day

2010-07-28T19:25:00.000+03:00

Everyone in the recent times have heard about Green Day (and so you know I'm a music addict). They have morphed into one of the world's most popular as well as influential rock bands, selling over 65 million records, filling stadiums in cities across the world and inspiring a whole new generation of musicians.

Below are 5 business as well as personal leadership lessons we can gather from Green Day's ascent:

1. Every dream starts off small.
Green Day started off called Sweet Children. They played to empty halls and few gave them any chance of being successful. However, their vision was larger than their doubts and they stayed the course like the best leaders always do. Amazing things happen when you stay in the game longer than anyone thinks you should. (then again, you know more about you than others right?)

2. They out-practiced their competition.
The original members of Green Day came from broken homes. Parents were not around much. So most of their free time they practiced. Often they would write songs all day and play guitar all night. Like all genius-level performers, relentless practice over an extended period of time births extraordinary performance.

3. They were well grounded.
After their breakthrough album "Dookie" sold over 14 million copies, the members of Green Day reached superstardom. However, rather than succumbing to the seductions of success, they remained grounded. They started their families and they remained true to their roots. This has allowed them a longevity that so many rock bands never achieve.

4. They understood the power of renewal.
After the success of Dookie, Green Day toured the world relentlessly. But then after that - at the peak of their success - they took a complete year off. They spent time with their families. They pursued other musical projects. And they refilled their well of inspiration. Rather than burning out, this period of time allowed them to come back stronger and to continue having fun at their craft.

5. They dared to innovate.
The albums that followed their breakthrough release actually sold many less records. However, Green Day were willing to relentlessly innovate. The album they were working on before American Idiot came out was actually a mess in the sense that their master tapes were stolen. Many bands would have given up. However Green Day saw it as an opportunity to rewrite the entire album. They came up with an idea of a rock opera and released American Idiot. This became their biggest seller and 15 years after they started, they reached a whole new level of fortune.

One last thing, I can write about Lady Gaga's amazing breakthrough, a huge lesson in branding.

Well, you just need to ask :)

Sheena Iyengar: The art of choosing

2010-07-27T20:17:00.001+03:00

Sheena Iyengar studies how we make choices -- and how we feel about the choices we make. She talks about both trivial choices (Coke v. Pepsi) and profound ones, and shares her groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes about our decisions.

A Day Of Listening

2010-07-22T09:05:00.002+03:00

Listening is, in so many ways, the social equity of the world-class cultures that evolve into world-class organizations. Listening makes people feel special (and talent leaves organizations mainly because they didn't feel special). Listening shows respect. Listening allows you to gather the data that will improve everything you do. I guess what I'm suggesting to you is that brilliant performers are brilliant listeners.
Today, just for a day, make the decision to listen masterfully. Don't interrupt. Don't rehearse your answer while the other person is speaking. And don't dare check your email or search for text messages while another human being is sharing their words. Just listen. Just hear. Just be there for that person.
Everyone has a voice. And we all crave to be heard. Just watch the great things that unfold when you do.