Happy New Year 2017

                                                     We write our stories.
                                                     Some may have a happy ending.
                                                     Some may not.
                                                     But they're all our stories.

                                                     Happy New Year,
                                                                                 dear readers. ;)

"Tejer los sueños", un poema de Lourdes Vicente.

                                                                                                                                                                                    Ilustración de Gervasio Troche

Tejer los sueños.

Se puede soñar

En un abrir y cerrar de ojos

Pero los sueños

Los que merecen la pena

Se tejen con los ojos despiertos

Sin prisas

Sin pausas

Enhebrando  momentos

Anudando tropiezos

Se puede soñar

Pero no se pueden perseguir los sueños

Los sueños se tejen

Se crean

A mano

Y después

Uno

Se arropa

Con ellos                                                                                                                   Feliz Nochebuena  2016

lourdes

Yiruma. Kiss The Rain.

                               close your eyes and listen ...

Success is an iceberg.

quite illustrative, isn't it ?

Inner echoes.

The words we speak

echo

what the heart beats.

Keep blogging. Keep beating  ;)

Blue sky.

If your mind has slowly become a prison,  watch this:


It's all about how we react to our thoughts either with acceptance or with resistance.

   * acceptance : willingness to tolerate a difficult situation        https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/acceptance
   * resistance: the refusal to accept or comply with something https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/resistance

                        "It's not about creating the blue sky. It's already here." 
                                    What do you think ? Too naive? Wise?

                                               Don't get too obsessed by the clouds. 
                                               Find a little bit of calm in your life.

                                                I'm learning too.
                                              
         

Too critical ?

                                                                                                        Ilustrator. Magalie Bucher

                                    Be less critical about yourself
                                                                          and
                                                                          about others too. 
 

Positive compensation.

to watch the video click on the link below 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4_fWYkJGLxyYUpFUU1rekRBQ2hZeGg3dzFRYlhBZ3JVcHJB/view?usp=sharing 

FUGU, the blowfish (pez globo)

                                             Defense mechanisms? Positive compensation?
                                            Sometimes animals look smarter than humans.

                                                   

 ⇨   to feed your curiosity:

*The Japanese name for this fish is Fugu.

*Fugu poison is 1200 times stronger than cyanide, and there is no known antidote.

*The fish defend themselves by inflating their bodies to several times normal size and by poisoning their predators.

*Fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine. 

write you soon ;)

Violence against women.

 November 25th, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

                                                            Break the silence.

                                                        two victims: mother and child

                                               If it hurts,
                                                                 it isn't love.
                                                                 You are not alone.

Do you know Pinterest ?

                     So far I've created 16 boards  based on my interests.
                     I find lots of inspiring things on Pinterest. It's fun too.
                    This is the link to my personal profile on Pinterest.
                              https://es.pinterest.com/luvi_3/
                    Feel free to have a look, save or share anything you find useful.

                                             Bye for now.

Stick to life.

                                                             above the clouds ...

                                                              the sky is always blue

                                                                     stick to life

                                                        have a restful weekend you all    :)

Pictures to inspire creative writing.

                                   Write a title for this photograph. A very good one.

 
* "a picture is worth a thousand words" = "una imagen vale más que mil palabras"

 

Stay focused.

What are you focusing on right now ?

Visual writing prompts.

Have a look at this picture for 30 seconds. Don't say a word.
Write down five words that come to your mind when you look at it.
Then, use the five words to write two lines describing what you see in the image.
Let's share orally your personal perceptions with the other students in the class. 
                                                     Different interpretations ?
                                 
                                   

"Against the odds"

                                                 Have you ever felt like the iguana ?
                                                         Uncertain but possible.
                                                               Run. Run. Run.
                                                                     ;-)


 * against the/all  odds = contra todo pronóstico

Living in uncertainty.

We usually tend to avoid unpredictability  
as dealing with life in uncertainty might be stressful
but
uncertain times are part of our lives 
so we'd better adjust ourselves. 
We don't have all the answers so 
calm down and breath.

                                                                                             (Illustrator: Sara Herranz)

Don't get trapped in a cycle of negative thinking.
Live in the moment.
Make the best of it.
Even the longest night comes to an end.

Thursday.
                                                                                          

"As I began to love myself " By Charlie Chaplin.

                                      A matter of self-confidence and well-being.
                                      Have a lovely day. :-)

Choose wisely.

                                       Surround yourself with people who lift you up.
                                       Life is too short, do more of what makes you happy.

                                                          

Gratitude.

                                         when you love what you do
                                                    and others appreciate it
                                                                   you feel like blessed

                                                                                        thank you all

Ane Brun. Feeling Good.

Lyrics

Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by you know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom in the trees you know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me
Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And you know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good

tough times ?

                           Lessons from tough times. 
                           Keep learning. Stay positive.

Life lessons.

                                                           Be encouraging to others.

                          “Consideration for others is the basis of a good life.” - Confucius

     * willing to read other quotes by Confucius ?  click on :   
 http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/50-wise-quotes-confucius-that-will-change-your-day.html

Overthinking.

Overthinking can cause problems.

                                        Awareness is the beginning of change.
                                        Distract yourself with positive alternatives.

 

Dear teachers, this is for you.

Can a fish climb a tree ?

Thanks to my students Carla Gimeno and Josep Moreno for sending me such a nice video. 
We'll talk about it next class. ;)

' Yes, I can ! '

                            They're real superhumans !
 

Teachers: keepers of the flame.

                                        Nice metaphor, isn't it ?

 

Collecting moments.

Every day surround yourself with beautiful things 


...  and positive people.

Companionship.

                                                                                       Photographer: Gigi Napoli
 
                                              Companionship. Fellowship. Friendship.
                                              Mutual support.
                                              Put your differences aside.

Love yourself, unconditionally.

                                                                                       Illustrator: Marcos Severi


                                     Do we truly know how to love ourselves ?

                     Loving yourself has to do with: 
                              * Self-acceptance
                              * Self -awareness
                              * Kindness and respect for ourselves 
                              * Stopping your inner critic telling you 'You're not enough' 

Self love is at the core of wellbeing and our ability to enjoy life that's why it's so important.

                                       
                                        Feelings of lack are never-ending.
                                        Love yourself,
                                               unconditionally. 
                                        We are in charge of our lives.

 

                                            
 

"In Between"/ Dealing with fears.

"You're suffering from crocodile"  = "Usted padece cocodrilo"

 To think about:
* What do you think the crocodile portrays ?
      ( Shyness/ Anxiety/Others?)
* How do you think she copes with her fear ?
      (Identifying the problem ? Accepting it? Letting it go ? Others?)
* How do you personally face similar problems?


portray = representar, retratar
to cope with= hacer frente a
to face= enfrenterse a

                            Keep learning. Keep blogging. I'm back. :-)

Doubt is the key to knowledge.

                                 
                                   "To teach is to show how to doubt"  - Eduardo Galeano
                                   "Enseñar es enseñar a dudar"  - Eduardo Galeano

Adaptation.

                     In every process of adaptation  we need to be flexible,  'shapeless',
                                                                      like water.
                                                                   

 “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”          - Bruce Lee                                        

Muhammad Ali .

                                          Brainy curiosity.
             The important thing is not to stop questionning  - Albert Einstein


curious about who he was ? Click on
 https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali 

Cooking up trouble.

Guess what mum says when she appears in the park:

             ' I can't leave you alone for one minute !'

Seligman's PERMA.

Some ideas I found quite inspiring at a speech given by Simon Ward a week ago.

                                                 Have a positive start of the week you all .