Everyone you meet has something to teach you

Some will bring out the best in you, some the worst.

I truly, honestly believe that everyone you meet has something to teach you. 

Just take a minute and think of the most amazing people you have met so far and how they helped or influenced you in becoming who you are now. Those people who complete your character, who make you want to do and be more. Who challenge you and make you ask questions. Who make you feel alive.

Now think of those who disappointed you terribly, maybe even more than once. Who made you doubt yourself, think you are not "good" enough. Who made you feel frustrated. And yet you survived. And from now on, pehaps you will know better. Or perhaps not. But at least you will know that in the end, you will get over it.

We need both the good and the bad experiences to get to know who we are, what we need, where we belong and with whom.

Some people are so good. At pretending.

Therefore,

Life is like a puzzle

Of all strategies, knowing when to quit may be the best.

No matter how ambitious we are, how hard we work, how much we try or how strong we feel about something or someone, we cannot change the "natural" course of things. 

Sometimes we need no know when to quit and focus our efforts and energy on something that is actually worth it. It may not be the obvious choice, it may not happen immediately and it may take us completely by surprise...but we will know it when it's right. 

It's similar to the missing piece of a puzzle: you know there is something out there that needs to make the picture complete. So you try hard to make other pieces fit in and in the end they never do. Then you try to change yourself and still nothing. 

But what if instead of trying harder, we just accept that there are things we cannot change, battles we cannot win and pieces that do not fit in our lives. Forcing things never leads to anything long-lasting.

Matters of the heart.

We "think" with our heart. It's what makes us human.

Human beings are meant to be rational. We think, we analyze, we have principles which shape our behaviour. We have superior studies, speak several languages and live in multicultural environments. And despite this, sometimes we behave in such irrational ways that even ourselves cannot really understand why. 

The good news is that the answer might be rational after all, according to the Institute of HeartMath. It is known that the heart is constantly responding to "orders" sent by the brain in the form of neural signals. What is surprising is that the heart sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. And the brain "communicates" back to the heart in many important ways. 

For example, when we experience negative feelings, the heart rhythm patterns become more erratic. These erratic patterns are sent to the emotional centers in the brain, which are recognized as negative or stressful feelings. These signals create the actual feelings we experience and as a consequence, they block our ability to think clearly. So we actually think with our heart. It's what makes us human.

The perfect time is now

The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. 

The second best time is now.

The sooner we come to realize it, the better. Why wait to do all the things we would absolutely love to do ? Or say exactly what we feel and think but just don't have the courage to ? There is no perfect time, perfect place or perfect moment. With the exception of now.

First impression

It may be the right or wrong one, but you never get a second chance to it.

There is an entire list of "firsts" in our lives which we will never forget for sure: first day of school, first exam, first date, first kiss, first job interview...so on and so forth. And I am pretty sure most of us try (at least a bit or even without acknowledging it) to make a first good impression. Either by appearance or attitude, or even both.

A first impression is a matter of seconds and it can either seal or break the deal. In business it is often considered to be a firm hand shake, eye contact, smart clothes, appropriate body language and attitude. In social life it may be a nice smile, good perfume, friendly gestures, pretty eyes and the list can go on. Many of these criteria are highly artificial but probably they have a "deeper" meaning (I for one would like to know why the first thing I pay attention to is shoes ??!!). Despite this, instinct rarely fails, so the first feeling might just be the right one.

But besides appearance, what comes out of your mouth is also highly influential. Especially when you are in a "try to impress" situation. So how should we handle all this ? I think the secret is very obvious: just be yourself - or the better version of yourself and everything will go naturally. After all, it will never end up "meant to be" if you are perceived to be someone you are not.

Here's a funny video about dating deal breakers. Miau miau :))

F*** Me....I'm Famous

Or what is the meaning of being "successful" these days:

There is no need for further comments. We create these trends in music, movies and literature. It is always easier to go with the majority and with what's "in", than stand for what you believe in with the risk of being perceived as weird.