Three lives in three countries: Spain, Senegal and Chile. Look back at my chronicles of crazy adventure, introspection, love and confusion. It's just the journey of a young Californian gal who's getting a taste of the world, but it's also so much more...

Sunday, February 18, 2007

When Inspiration Stikes! (And some ideas on Holidays and Culture)

Often inspiration strikes at the most unexpected moment. You´re bumbling on along in the normal little life you lead when BAM! You realize your potential! You realize your power, your being, your essense, yourself! It´s an incredible experience, and it feels better than you can ever imagine.

Friday night: Me. Bawling over my seemingly stressfull and entangled existence.

Saturday morning: I feel as fresh and new as someone reborn.

And how? Let me tell you. I watched this movie called "The Secret." If you want to realize how easily attainable happness is, give this a chance. Look up www.thesecret.tv. The concepts in this movie are something that I would not have been able to accept three years ago or even three weeks or three days ago. It is the concept that your thoughts have power in and of themselves. Think about this: your thoughts have power. You create your reality through your thoughts. If you focus on the negative, the law of attraction states that that is exactly what you will attract: negativity. But, if you focus on the positive, if you focus on how beautiful that rose is, how much you love your mother´s smile, then the spilt-coffee day and the enraging arguement with your mom will all fall away and be replaced by contentedness. It is such a foreign thought that your mind might automatically reject it, but then you know that maybe now is not the time for you to receive this information. Maybe you´ll stumble upon this epiphany later in life, and everything will click. The pieces of the puzzle will all come together, and you will know that your true work, the fun work, has just begun. You are begining to change your mind, break out of old unhealthy habits, and embrace what you know is true. It´s frightening, but it´s also exhilirating! I trully hope that you will watch this documentary "The Secret" because regardless of how plausible these ideas sound now, they will be made clear by this intruging film. If nothing else, it has cool special effects! I hope it changes your life!

All right! Next order of business! Last night I went to a celebration called Carnival, which is something akin to Halloween. Walking through the downtown plaza late at night, I see children dressed as Little Red Riding Hoods, TinkerBells, and goblins, alongside multitudes of men dressed as women and women dressed as anything imaginable! My favorite part being, of course, the excess of crossdressing men - and even one in a mini skirt and glitter pushing his kid in a stroller! On TV last week there were continuous programs showing the Drag Queen competitions from Barcelona and around the country where men strut and dance in all sorts of sequiny garments - garments that are often incredibly revealing but fabulously extravagant! (Imagine 3ft platform shoes and ploomed head-dresses as tall as the men themselves!) We strolled through the crowds -crowds that would multiply as the hour got later- and smiled at little Zorros and Princesses spraying Silly String or Shaving cream at each other! All in all, Carnival consists of dressing up, parades, shows, dancing in the streets, and a jolly good time. Later at night there is general drinking and fiestas for those who enjoy that sort f thing. Carnival is one of the most important celebrations here in Alicante, and most of Spain, alongside Christmas, Mother´s Day, Father´s Day, Semana Santa (Saints´week), Dia de los Reyes (Day of the Kings, celebrated in January), and the day their Constituton was signed. And no, we did not celebrate Valentines Day (*sigh*) and they don´t pay much attention to Easter or any other holiday´s we are accustomed to.

But as a culture, they are more relaxed! They love having a good time and don´t strain over the little things. Some examples, they leave out folding chairs in some major walkways for the elderly to rest upon; they don´t care if they are stollen and nobody bothers steals them! Some people don´t pay much attention to clocks! Just have an idea of what time you want to meet the person and get there within a half hour of that time and you´re on time!

Anything you want me to elaborate on, feel free to ask! Your curiosity gives me more material to write about, and it gets me thinking, too!

In case you´re wondering, I intend to blog once or twice a week, and usually on the weekends. I know, MJ, that you´re sitting at your computer night and day just waiting for my fabulous updates! *grins* Just kidding! I love you MJ!

And remember: Carpe Diem. Live in the moment!

Love,

Jocelyn

PS More pictures later!

8 comments:

  1. Well, first of all, yes you are correct. I do sit here day and night just wishing and hoping that there will be an update from Jocey. Good things are always worth waiting for . . .

    Thoroughly enjoyed this thought provoking entry. sounds like you are learning some of the bigger truths in life, and I am happy to hear that you are applying them to your own life. Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. Now, certainly life can throw us some unexpected curves, but how we respond to those curves will make all the difference in the world. My world. Your world. Our world.

    I am going to try and find the film that you referenced. I will let you know what I think.

    Must admit that a little bit me of me was momentarily sad when I read about your Friday night. Whatever it was, I am glad you woke up on Saturday with a new perspective. If you weren't half a world away, Emily Jo and I would drive over and take you to Starbucks or Jamba Juice! We would have a wild photo shoot and all the cares of the world would just vanish! :)

    Well, my dear Jocey, as always, I have enjoyed your update. Thank you for taking the time to share. You are a blessing.

    MJ

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  2. Carpe Diem ~ Have you seen "Dead Poet's Society"? Seize the Day

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  3. Hola Jocelyn,

    ¡Digo hola y la esperanza que usted tiene un gran día! Yo siempre gozo la lectura acerca de sus viajes. Gracias para tomar el tiempo de compartir.

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  4. MJ, you are brilliant! You know that too. I´m elated that you are seeking out that film and I know it will inspire you. I think we can have a jamba juice and a photo shoot half a world apart! (half a world together!) Just imagine...

    :-)

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  5. I have seen Dead Poet´s Society (brilliant that!) y Maria Jose, soy tan feliz que estas leyendo! Porfavor, ¡enseñame mas de España!

    ¡Mucho amor!

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  6. Oh man, Spain looks amazing! Still gonna have to go with England being better though. Have fun and come back soon(even though its still)!

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  7. The video is on the way! Should be delivered next week . . .

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  8. OK - I FINALLY took the time to sit down and watch the video . . .

    Hmmm . . I find it interesting how people are always trying to find a new way to label "God." For this particular movie, it is "a cosmic force." If you really listen to what they are saying, everythig they say can be found in the Word of God!

    Philippians4:8-9:
    "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or recceived or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

    Proverbs 13:21:
    "Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous."

    If people would only apply simple Biblical truths to their life, they would not be searching the emptiness of "Cosmos in the Universe" trying to find answers.

    There are some unifying themes between the Bible and what the makers of the film are promoting, things that ARE good!
    ~ focus on positive things
    ~ allow yourself to set goals and reach for your dreams
    ~Take charge of your thought life and think on things that are good

    But somehow I think the film is missing something when they think that prosperity is the answers to everyones happiness. They are also missing it when they state that your thoughts "cause" things to happen to you. I absolutely do not believe that people "think and cause" auto accidents to happen. They are accidents, and they happen. But not allowing ourselves to be defeated by unpleasant events in our life, again goes back to thinking on things that are good, etc.

    OK - I have rambled on enough. I will close with this:
    If anyone is so defeated in life that they are looking to this film for the answer, I would challenge them to open God's Word, for within those pages you will find greater answers than anyone could ever present in a film.

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