Lotz of thoughts

The last few days the concept of showing appreciation plays a lot in my thoughts: its various manifestations and forms, what are the different things and personality characteristics that people appreciate, and if there are any links to a desire for self-improvement when been appreciated. I am busy observing different approaches and I make an effort to vocalize my appreciation more often nowadays to observe the reactions of the receivers. So, while I was doing my own small-scale research, and in a class of almost thirty individuals (professionals and more mature in life – not typical students) from all over the African continent, I realised there is an important determinant without which (in most cases), a person can neither appreciate life and its beauties, nor be comfortable enough to express his appreciation: that is the moving forward concept, as I call it. (Thank you to this amazing group I work with the last ten days! – People with beautiful qualities). Let me explain now wh...

This was the first weekend after almost a month that I managed to relax and enjoy my family. Deadlines and work did not allow me to have a meal with them without my mind being at work, obligations (both work and social), and planning. Last night, the four of us went out for dinner to a favorite restaurant, the kids were in a good mood and so did the parents (there is a statistically significant correlation – causality – between the two!!!). While the Big boy sits nicely and enjoys his fish and chips (Miracle! Miracle! He ate fish!), a very cute older lady signaled with her hand towards him as if she was begging for food. Normally, I get irritated with people trying to “tease” kids they don’t know in public, but her positive aura made me sit back and observe my son’s reaction. And he amazed me once more! He looked around and he took a bunch of fries and gave it to the lady! Proud mama I was!! The lady was equally amazed and praised him for the politeness. She told us she has seve...

In a world where I am not sure if and where I belong and a world that makes me cry more often recently, I am struggling to find positive thoughts to express myself… So today’s thoughts shared hopefully will help me be optimistic and cheerful again, maybe you too. It has always been there; the belonging issue…especially the first couple of years in another country. My one foot was there and the other one was here. And trust me the two countries are very far from each other so the position was always very uncomfortable. Now, ten years down the line, things are better in my everyday life. I know where I belong. I don’t belong in geographical place; I ‘belong’ where my men are. But every now and then, a political incident, a statement in the press, a voting result and I am again hanging there not knowing where to go, where I am welcome and where not. Surely it is not only me. In current times, globalisation has been a constant presence in our lives. Look around you: surely someone...

It seems everyone is writing about that. It appears at least once in everyone’s resolution. The last week it seems as if we all made a pact and we all promised with our pinkies to “get toxic people out of our lives”. Only the last week, I read more than five different blogs in two different languages giving advice on what to do if you have toxic people in your life. And there are as many approaches as you can imagine. From “throw them out NOW” to “take your lessons” to “change them with your positivity”. All of them especially confusing when it comes to practice. But even before we start thinking of the plan of action with them (us?)... The question is “who is a toxic person? How do I identify them? And eventually, if someone is a toxic person for me, is he/she a toxic person to everyone?”. It is the person that behaves badly, that gossips with bad intentions, that wants to keep people below, that is not happy with the others’ successes, that is jealous, that creates dr...

The last week or so, my thoughts have been revolving around the most important question, the one without an answer: “am I a good enough mother for my boys?”. If you are a mother, don’t try to convince anyone that you have not asked yourself the million (billion plus) dollar question. At some point in your kids’ life, or maybe your kids’ day (or during the last hour), you – we- doubted ourselves. THE question comes in all forms for different reasons and at different times for all mums, mamas, mothers, mummies. The stay-at-home mum for not contributing financially, the working mum for not spending enough time with the kids, the breastfeeding mum because she is always tired when the other kids need her, the bottle-feeding mum because she does not breastfeed, the militant-mother for being too strict, the hippy mama for being too lenient, the stressed mum for reaching limits quickly, the relaxed mum for maybe not caring enough, the divorced mum because she left daddy, the unhappy mum ...

It is this time of the year again. The beginning of the new year that brings with it wishes and hopes for a better future, a more prosperous one, an exciting one with opportunities for success and happiness. But while we all dream of the memories to be made and promise to ourselves to be our most perfect version, exactly at the same time, we make snapshots of our present, we take photos, we try to capture the present as if it the most precious thing in our lives. And isn’t it? Efforts to capture the present seems to be almost essential part of the humans as a social beings. And of course, I will not (and I cannot) offer history lessons… Just during our recent trip to Italy, we visited Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last supper, an impressive piece of art, considering the time it was painted and technique used. Surely, it does not capture the present times of the painter; it, however, captures the beliefs and faith of his time. I heard there that the artist that did the restorations of ...

The decision to start a blog was not a difficult one. I have been writing to my kids (even when they were merely an idea in my head), to my husband (yes admittedly less often nowadays), to my friends (in difficult times especially), and of course, to myself (to put my thoughts in order, to diffuse my anger, to express my sadness)…well of course, I write for a living (I have to explain all the numbers and symbols to “normal” people). So with a glass of wine (or coffee? Always one of the two in my hands..) I said to my Prince (not the late singer… may he rest in peace)… to my partner-in-life and the father of my boys… “I think I want to start a blog”… “nice, why not? it’s the new in thing…everybody does it” (now is that good or bad? I thought)… Anyway, so the decision was not difficult…do I have something to lose? Not really… And if I don’t like it? Also fine, I just stop it…And if I want to write more or less often? Also, fine, there is no commitment, I thought… By the wa...