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.

Respect

One of the most common things people do is blame others for their unhappiness. But it takes a minimum amount of self-respect to stay away from anyone who is not willing to treat you in the same way you are treating them.

Whether it’s business, family, friends or romantic partners – all long-lasting relationships are based on it. First you need to try hard to earn it, and then to maintain it. But it needs to be reciprocal. Otherwise you get used to whoever treating you like whatever.

Mad Men vs. Desperate Housewives

Fairy Tales have Sleeping Beauties and Charming Princes.

Reality has Mad Men and Desperate Housewives.

Most men claim they like strong, intelligent, independent women, who know what they want and are confident in their own skin. The problem is they don't know how to handle them or live up to their expectations. 

So there is always the "easier" option - settling for someone who would make them seem the strong, intelligent and independent ones. And we all know how long that will last until it turns into complete madness. 
So why not just admit in the first place that having an equal partner who challenges you is not a sign of weakness ?

The same goes for women: we spend too much time and energy looking for the perfect guy, the so-called "Prince Charming" who will sweep us off our feet right into a magical happy ending. But as a friend of mine was saying, we need to face reality and realise that we will have to kiss many frogs until we find the perfect one for us. 
We are no "Sleeping Beauties" so there is no point in dreaming about Fairy Tales. Otherwise we will end up desperate and alone. And after all, everyone deserves a chance...and we might end up surprised.

What is Love ?

Oslo, Norway

No...not looking for the physical, psychotherapeutical, philosophical, romantic or puristic answer. Nor for this one !

But rather for the simple and honest one:

Loved the one when it feels like a happy day...when Cupid comes out :)

Dreams vs. Reality

Dreams don't always work out. But that does not mean we should stop having them, we should just adjust them to reality.

It is never too late to start from the beginning, learn something new or add more to the knowledge you already have. Especially when you CAN. The WANT is always the tricky part.

The above message should not be taken literally. But I won't judge anyway  :-) 

Decisions, decisions

No matter if good or bad, a decision should always be something you take for yourself. Not for your family, not for your partner, not for your colleagues…not for anybody else but you. 

It may seem like a selfish way of thinking, but it saves everyone the trouble of ending up disappointed.

SKRILLEX is not overrated

It will make you dance, jump and scream - all at the same time.

It is THAT crazy.

I was not and am still not a Skrillex enthusiast, but his show was probably one of the best I have seen so far. I had no expectations whatsoever (except for crazy & loud) so I was completely surprised it turned out to be mind-blowing. 

The attention to every single detail, the lights, the special effects, the sound - everything was done to perfection. This proves two things: once you make it big you need to work even harder to keep it that way and that once in a while, people can surprise you. 

It is definitely a must see.

This part of Ease My Mind was great:

And some visuals from his show @Rock-a-Field:

I loved it !

Rock-a-Field 2014

Luxembourg's biggest music festival which lasts 3 days

Friday 27.6: OMG ! Will be Up in the Air in the City of Angels

Saturday 28.6: Keeping the Pumped up Kicks. Because Anything Could Happen.
So no more Games...only Bangarang !

Sunday 29.6: Staying Young, Wild & Free because...I can't write THIS.

And my favourite of them all:

It's a jungle out there.

But that there are just as many intoxicating smells, bright sunshine, and breath-taking forms of life in the jungle as there are poisonous plants, dangerous beasts and unpredictable traps.

 Ça fait du bien

                         : it feels good ; it makes you feel good

What are the things that "ça fait du bien" ? Usually, the simple ones.

It can simply be the taste of a refreshing drink on a Friday after work:

Watching the World Cup football game on a Saturday evening:

Feeling like flying on a Sunday morning:

Dancing the night away on your favourite music:

Watching the Nationalfeierdag fireworks at midnight:

Or having the Monday off and enjoying some "me time":

 Whatever it is, doing what makes you happy, makes you feel alive.

Je ne sais quoi

                         : an intangible quality that makes something distinctive or attractive

Je ne sais quoi what this blog is meant to be about exactly as I don't like to put labels on things. But it will be distinctive, attractive and everything related to it will stay true to myself. From music, travelling, food, politics, finance, sports, fashion...to the moon and back :)

So at this "lonely hour" when I am editing this post (1 am) please enjoy the lovely British singer Sam Smith together with a picture from my equally lovely hometown.