Pero, necesitamos realizar que es muy difícil para dar el amor y recibir el amor.  Muchas veces nos olvidamos que toma tiempo para amar algo, o alguien, o nuestros mismos.

En realidad, ¿cuantas personas aman sus mismas?  ¿Cuantas personas están contentos con quienes son?  Yo sé que no es todo porque todos no estamos satisfechos con nuestros mismos.  Pero necesitamos empezar aquí.  Antés de amar otra persona, o una profesión tenemos que amar nuestros mismos.

Pero, ¿cómo podemos amar nuestros mismos?  Fácilmente.  Si entendemos nuestros mismos, y somos honestos con nuestros mismos, es muy fácil.  Lo que es difícil es cuando mentimos y fingimos sobre quienes somos.  Si no tengo mucho dinero, necesito aceptar que no soy una persona que tenga dinero.  Si yo soy inteligente, necesito realizar que soy inteligente.  Si no soy atractivo a las mujers, necesito ir a un doctor para cambiar mi cara.  Es una broma.  Otra vez, necesito saber que no soy una persona atractiva.  Nos vamos a sentir mejor si podemos ser honestos y vamos a amarnos también.

Es lo mismo con otras personas también.  Si queremos amar a alguien, tenemos que ver toda de la persona, y aceptar quienes son.  Es ridículo para finger que una persona es mas  cariñosa o abierta o atlético que ella es en realidad.  Debemos ver la persona claramente y con ojos abiertos.  Tras de eso, vamos a experimentar un amor mas fuerte que podemos imaginar.

Un ejemplo. Imagina una persona que está muy enferma. Ella tiene SIDA o algo horrible. Y, por supuesto, ella quiere terminar su vida. Tal vez, puedo decir, “Que horror! Ella va a morir en un rato. Meses, años, década, no sé. Pero es SIDA! AHHH!! Y nadie va a querer tocar a ella. Nadie va a casarse con ella. Nadie va a hacer el amor con ella. Que triste! Sin amor, sin sexo, sin tocando. No quisiera vivir tampoco!” (Es una mentira.)

La idea es sencillo. Ella aprendería cómo vivir con esta enfermedad y viviría mejor. Es fácil para dejar de vivir, pero es más difícil para aprender vivir con entusiasmo, con cariño, y con ganas. Todas las personas en el mundo sufren. Claro, hay personas que sufren más que yo, o tí, o ella. Pero, necesitamos hablar cómo aceptar sufrimiento y tolerar sufrimiento.

Todos morirán, pero no todos vivirán bien. Esto es el problema. No hablaríamos sobre eutanasia. Esto es inaceptable. Nos ocupamos del sufrimiento y cómo podemos minimizar el dolor. Todos pueden ser feliz y disfrutar sus vidas.

So here’s the rub: I want…no I will…and I’m going to create a documentary about the different educational systems around the world. The objective is simple: I’m going to compare and contrast the way different countries on different continents educate their children and then explain how this impacts their society.

For example, in the U.S. there is an insane amount of emphasis placed on testing and accountability; not so much on creativity and analytical thinking. This, in turn, does impact the society. You create people who don’t question things as freely; people who feel as though they’re constantly being “watched over” by someone; people who, at the end of the day, comply to your demands. Sit in your seat and work, or I’ll fail you. Sit in your cubicle and work, or I’ll fire you. The teacher is in charge, do what he says. The boss is in charge, do what she says. “BUY THIS PRODUCT IF YOU WANT TO BE BEAUTIFUL,” the ads say as the children obey without question or criticism.

This is far different than the philosophy of Thailand where emphasis is placed on self-discovery. The teacher is merely a guide, and the students are encouraged to find things out on their own. They stress the ability to come up with answers on their own, think for themselves, and to see the inter-connectedness of all things. Once again though, the teacher is merely a facilitator and a guide. Imagine what this does to a population of people who truly learn in this environment. It would be much more difficult to send these people to Iraq, or make them buy a plasma screen TV, or force them to sit at a desk ALL DAY and punch numbers or make telemarketing calls.

But words are one thing, images are another. Through the documentary, I would be able to SHOW these education systems along with the societies and people in which they’ve created.

Now…all I need is funding. Anyone out there have a few thousand dollars lying around? If you do, call me.

I never gave too much thought to Leonardo da Vinci until recently. He was always one of those guys like Plato and Aristotle that I’d hear about in school–how brilliant they were, what a difference they made in the world, etc.–and I always tended to ignore da Vinci. But now, after learning more about the life he lived on a daily basis, and the things he accomplished, I’m fascinated. Here are some things from the book I read about him, that I want to remember, before I give the book back. Some are simply sayings or things he did, and others are activities I want to incorporate myself.

1. Keep random notes about things in a variety of places. Don’t worry so much about keeping everything perfectly organized. If a thought comes, write it down.

2. The brain can learn seven facts per second, every second if used properly.

3. Take more time to draw and sketch certain things. Focus on details and try to recreate them.

4. At some point, make a list of 100 questions I have about myself, the world, or even simple things. Narrow that list down to the 10 most important and see what they reveal.

5. Meditate more often.

6. Ask questions constantly when I don’t understand something. Don’t be so proud that I’m afraid of not knowing a word or a person or an event.

7. Learn from others. Both those who inspire me and those who I wish never to be like. Learn from Anti-Role Models.

8. Awaken and stimulate the five senses with variety. (Taste, smell, touch, sight, hearing.)

9. Constantly work to create environments which foster peace, creativity, and that inspire.

10. Embrace change and ambiguity.

11. Mind map my past. Then do it for my present. Then, finally, for my future goals and ambitions.

12. Never forget that the body, the mind, and the soul are connected. What I eat impacts how I think. Exercise stimulates the heart, but also the mind. If my body and my mind are calm, so too will be my soul.

13. Remember: the environment and the people are connected, and we should care for each other as a result of this.

14. Keep my life balanced.

• Some final quotes:

“Amor vincit omnia.” – Latin Proverb

“Love conquers all.” (This was one of Leonardo’s favorite Latin quotes.)

“The love of anything is the fruit of our knowledge of it, and grows as our knowledge deepens.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Tell me with whom you walk, and I’ll tell you who you are.” – Spanish Proverb

There’s a certain part of me that wants to believe I’m strong enough to be unaffected by my surroundings. If the people around me are angry, negative, stressed-out, or apathetic for the most part I feel as though I can rise above this and maintain my own gravity. I can be who I am.

But there’s also the undeniable reality that I am influenced, innately, by what takes place around me. My family, my friends, my colleagues, even my students greatly impact the person I am. Yet it doesn’t end there. I’m also shaped by the music I listen to, the movies I choose to watch, and of course the books I spend time with.

My world, the way I see it and live it, is completely carved by these things. That’s why I try to select these things wisely and why I’m careful about how I spend my time. One book I’ve recently finished, which I happened to read while I was battling a case of bronchitis is How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci. I know it sounds pompous and a bit ridiculous, but I opened it haphazardly one day after a student had lent it to me, and I was immediately engaged. It talks about seeing life differently, smelling life differently, and even sets out questions we should generate for ourselves. The book details how diverse DaVinci was, and different techniques he used to keep track of his diverse thoughts. From mind-mapping, to keeping a journal on hand at all times, it was clear that no thought was wasted. One chapter that really caught my eye was about the connectedness that DaVinci saw in virtually everything and everyone. His curiosity for life intrigued me and inspired me to begin doing some of these activities as well.

Another book I just began reading is called Three Cups of Tea. It’s about a man who fails to climb one of Pakistan’s tallest mountain, K2, but in the process he discovers a village in desperate need of education for its children. He then, slowly, begins to motivate people around the world to help him in his quest to build schools in this remote region of the world. Up to this point he has helped build 53 different schools.

Through stories such as these, and reading about different people I become inspired. Sure, I can motivate myself and I can make my own decisions about the life I ultimately want to live, but I’m also wise enough to know that my perspective is also influenced by what I expose myself to. Who I am never has been, and never will be isolated from those around me. It is true that we shape the world around us, but the world most definitely shapes us too.

I took this picture two weeks ago at a music festival I went to with a group of friends in Santiago, Guatemala. Had my friends not persuaded me to go, I might not have. And, had a friend not taught me how to use my camera in this way, I might not have ever learned how to use this effect on my camera.

Perhaps, once I feel as though I’ve written enough in English, I’ll progress into Spanish.  But as of right now, I’ve been awfully negligent in my native tongue and I have the craving, once again, to write in it.

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Then, suddenly, I had this overwhelming fear that she was calling to tell me that our mom had passed away. I know this seems illogical and even neurotic, but the truth is, my mom could die at any minute as her Multiple Sclerosis continues to destroy her body. And I’m left with the realization that, if something were to happen, I would not be able to say goodbye.

This is one of the hardest aspects about living in Guatemala. Although I love almost everything about being here, the thought of my mom dying without saying goodbye to her makes me feel vulnerable and even scared.

Despite the fact that every time I’m home I spend as much time with her as possible, and I tell her I love her repeatedly, and I make sure she knows how grateful I am for everything she has done for me…

…I’m still afraid.

We need mentors. I don’t care if you’re eight years old, 18 years old, or 58 years old. We all need people whom we can look at and say, “I admire them and the way they live their lives. I look up to them, because I know they are living their lives with a purpose and with truth.”

A mentor can be someone alive or dead, they can be someone famous, or they can be your best friend. But you have to be able to recognize something in them that you genuinely know is good and true.

Martin Luther King Jr. has always been one of my mentors for the simple fact that he gave his life to serve others. He sacrificed a great deal–ultimately his life–because he believed in a cause, and it was clear that his life served a greater purpose than simply entertaining himself or accumulating wealth.

The fact of that matter is, we need more positive heroes who not only remind us of what it means to live a noble life but who also MOTIVATE US TO BECOME BETTER. Some people I look up to and admire are below:

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Jesus Christ
• Buddha (Siddhartha)
• Bill Gates
• Rosa Parks
• Bono
• Albert Einstein
• Abraham Lincoln
• Nicholas Glab
• Nelson Mandela
• And many more…

I’ll write down a word, a line, then a verse
it feels natural to me, like a woman carries a purse

This has happened tonight
in the midst of a poetic delight
a flow of words have come out right

So here’s a poem about possibility
and a bit about helping humanity,
because if we’d each discover
and uncover our own identity
I do believe
we’d experience unparalleled unity.

We simply need to illuminate our light
come together, and hold on tight

And now…the real poem…

“Even a Small Amount of Light”

Even a small amount of light
when placed just right
can have the power to ignite.

Perhaps if its placed on a piece of art
the beating of the most hollowed heart
might, ever so slowly, restart.

Or maybe if its shined into the sky
as the sun drifts boldy by
the darkness might not make each day die.

Each of us has this same light
which we can ignite
despite the blackness of the night

We simply need the willingness to begin
exposing what we possess within
believing in who we truly are once again.

Then, with all of that light from inside of us
we can capture that love trying to hide from us
stand tall and and regain some pride in us
because we’ll shine together
and take great strides for all of us.