The key of HAPPINESS in life, READ AND THINK

I am not a blogger. I don't even know if this will lead my life to anything seriously accomplishing. 

Meanwhile, I might as well enjoy posting for my own sake, as if collecting pieces of my daily life. 

As many of my mates can agree on, I have got a strong original personality which I keep with the highest care possible, as if it was a treasure of unbelievable value.

Yesterday I happened to be awaiting a friend of mine in her house, and while she was getting ready to go out, I crossed path with a book that changed my day.

Here are some passages that I'd like to share, and have a little talk on.

The key of growth is work.
We must have been hit by the phrase "you must work hard if you are willing to achieve something in your life". Ever since primary school, we were taught that WORK is something that a person has to do.

But aren't you finding this definition a little oppressive? 

Here I am to explain something. 
Working does not mean having to suffer pain, it's not a negative task of whom we are victims.

On the contrary, I wish another phrase would have been taught to me as a kid: 

WORK GIVES YOU FREEDOM. 

By working, and by that I intend exploiting your brain skills to think of a result and trying to achieve it, whatever it may be, you CAN CHANGE YUR LIFE, almost magically. 
You can adjust your surroundings according to what you are dreaming.
YOUR DREAMS CAN COME TRUE.

How do I know it?
Well, I HAVE EXPERIENCED IT ALREADY. 
It happened at work. I was in front on my computer, and I had to finish a task involving the building of a huge tank, with plenty of pipes and little objects within.
When my boss first presented the drawing to me, I was hopeless. I kept telling myself, as I had done for all my life, that I would have never done it, because I didn't have the right skills, it was difficult for me, or my stupid personality (which I disliked) would have not allowed me to carry it out.

BUT SUDDENLY, I tried.

Yes. for the first time in my life I listened to the little voice in my head (the reason I had the voice is because I became aware of the process, as if by reading this passage now, but I was unable to put in into practice).

I had always had that voice, but never had the strenght to listen to it.

I TOLD MYSELF I COULD DO IT. 

So, if I wanted to make it I had to take the task step after step, otherwise I'd be put off.
I started off little by little, and at times I had the feelings that IT WAS MUCH EASIER THAN WHAT I THOUGHT!

If you are willing to BELIEVE that you CAN DO IT, just TRY. If not now, maybe tomorrow, or the day after. any time you want!

In the end, your life is gonna change and you will find your self dragged in the process of wanting to make more and more things because IT'S LIKE HAVING A EVERLASTING CREDIT CARD, WITH WHICH YOU CAN BUY ANY DREAM YOU WANT AND HAVING IT FOR REAL!

In conclusion, by working you can shape your life and make all your dreams come true! 

If you find that even by forcing yourself to try you don't achieve anything, is because you need to think deeper on the result you are aiming at: maybe, you are achieving something else useful to get to where you want to arrive!

By this I mean, you ARE ALWAYS HITTING A TARGET IF YOU WORK. Always. just rethink of what the word "target" means.

The key of success is enthusiasm.
This concept is deeply related to the first one I analized. 

In order to succeed, you need to THINK OF IT AS SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHING. don't let your past defiances or failure dragging you down.

 IN EVERY FAILURE THERE IS A VICTORY.

The key of self-confidence is calm.
This is not an easy one, but again, it's just a matter of awareness of it and TIME.
Give time to yourself to achieve your goals. Don't be in a hurry. There is no hurry, it's a one and only walk to happiness, and we need to enjoy the path as there is no direct gateway to it.

Being calm means HAVING EVERY SITUATION UNDER CONTROL. Knowing what to do in every occasion, and therefore you are not stressed because you are sure of what the result of your action is.

This is even due to the fact that YOU KNOW YOURSELF. 

And again, this can happen only allowing life experiences to flock in.

LIFE EXPERIENCE means: 
I have a situation going on.
I have many choices about how to react or behave.
I pick one.
I find out what the result is.

IT'S LIKE AN EXERCISE. The more you do, the more results you have to analize, the more able you'll become to predict and CONTROL THE OUTCOME: there you go. you don't need to be anxioous when there is a situation in which you have different options: you are calm, and you answer peacefully, BECAUSE YOU HAVE STUDIED ON YOURSELF AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

It's completely similar to school methods.

And by calm, I mean you turned into a self-confident person.

So, try and play with yourself and react to situation in different ways and ANALIZE THE RESULTS!

The key of discoveries is silence.
The benefit of the doubt. 

If you want to discover something NEW, that will make you grow as a person and become more happy (this is what this blog is about, isn't it?), JUST DOUBT OF EVERYTHING.

It's good to be sure of something, this is true.
But at the same time, try and see the other face of the coin. 
Even while listening to other people opinions, which you are tempted to agree on, always ask yourself "WHAT IF IT'S WRONG? WHAT COULD BE THE COUTERPART TO THIS?".

There you go. 

Plenty of new discoveries and never seen before worlds are there in store for you!

The key of joy is the smile.
I am perfectly aware that the "smile" is usually the consecuence of joy, and not the other way round.
You smile because youo are happy. You are not happy because you are smiling.

But this phrase could be read as: smile at life, take it in a serene and peaceful way, and it will give you joy back.

How do I smile if i am not happy and have problems?

Well, you first need to solve your problems. So THERE IS A POSITIVE THINKING EVEN IN THIS. you might not be able to solve the problems AT THE MOMENT, but try and tell yourself that at least solving them is possible and THINK OF A WAY OF ACHIEVING IT! IT'S EASIER THAN IT SEEMS, trust me.

The key of friendship is sharing.
Sharing means spending time together and getting to know each over better.
TRYING TO SHARE EXPERIENCES helps you to live with other beings, accepting their different personalities, becomeing aware of their needs by SHARING YOUR TIME WITH THEM. Only by spending time together you can be friends. 

Share your views, your opinions. We are not made to leave aone, we were meant to live in groups, and accepting and overcoming life in groups is the gateway to happiness.

The key of serenity is forgiveness.
FORGIVE YOURSELF when you don't succeed in something you planned to do.
FORGIVE other people when they are not behaving as you imagined. 
FORGIVE YOUR DAYS if they don't  go the way they should. 
Only by FORGIVINING you can GET OVER THE PROBLEM.

If you get angry at the situation, and don't accept that SOMETIMES LIFE DON'T GO AS YOU EXPECTED, because there are many things that don't go right (it's part of nature!), you will be stuck in the problem and you will not PASS OVER! You will be lead by the situation instead of GETTING THE UPPER HAND AT IT!

The key of planning is tidiness.
This one can be helpful to remind you that a good tidy up in your mind can even help you succeed. 
If you want to plan your life and be more aware of what's happening around you, start off by keeping everything tidy: room, house, car, bag. 

It allows you to keep track of what's going on with your life, it gives your mind time to fix up things that are not clear yet to you.

SO THERE IS A LINK BETWEEN OBJECTS, EXTERNAL LIFE AND OUR OWN MIND.

So clean up and EXPERIENCE THAT INCREDIBLE FEELING OF HAVING EVERYTHING IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

The key of health is restraint.
The motivation of many excesses nowadays lies in how many problems unsolved we have with ourself.
Moderation in a synonimum of EQUILIBRIUM, BALANCE, HAPPINESS.

Even if you have BAD HABITS and can't give up on using them (food, smoking, alcohol), just don't exagerate in using them a lot. 

A little sip of whisky once in a while is ok. but after it, try and destress in other ways! 

The key of armony is discretion.
Discretion means being sensible.

RESPECT your life, and oher people's. If you don't see other's needs, because you are not used to, WELL TRY AND THINK OF THEM AS YOURSELF. imagine you are dealing with yourself when you are talking to your best friend.

Be discrete. Walk slowly into life, and you will be more ready to face everything you encounter!
The key of richness is blessing.
A gift is RICHNESS.

RICHNESS means being able to GIVE without wanting anything back.

IF YOU ARE ABLE TO GIVE SOMETHING TO OTHER PEOPLE, such as your company or your love, or even a proper gift even self-made, THIS MAKES YOU A RICH PERSON, a self sufficient one. 
YOU ARE SO RICH THAT YOU ARE EVEN ABLE TO GIVE SOMEBODY SOMETHING!

IF YOU CAN GIVE OTHER PEOPLE SOMETHING, THIS MEANS YOU ARE RICH.

The key of happiness is acceptance.
Accept that LIFE CANNOT GO AS YOU EXPECT ALL THE TIMES.
As spoiled kids, we have been taught to think in a completely wrong way: if we can desire something, we can have it by not doing anything. 
IT IS NOT HOW THING ARE.

We can have something only if we try hard, but even like this, sometimes WE CANNOT CHANGE A RESULT, SO WE NEED TO FORGIVE AND ACCEPT IT.

If we get angry at it, or at ourselves, we WILL NOT FORCE THE RESULT TO CHANGE, as when we were little our mum was convinced to buy us the present at last.

LIFE IS MADE OF ACCEPTANCE.

ACCEPT AND FORGIVE, and this is not only a religious phrase, BUT THE MOST SCIENTIFICAL ONE, KEY TO EVOLUTION.

To part with = to separate.
                      

           "She's taking her dog over to my house as well. She is never able to part with him, they are so close".

To pass over = to ignore.

"I've sent the invitation to all our professors, but as usual they passed over it".

"Same here" = an expression of agreement.

"Jenny and I have had enough of this club. We are heading out!"

"Same here. Let's go, mates".

To talk back = to answer rudely.

"My kids have luckily grown out of the behaviour of talking back".

"Oh, that comes out of the blue for me. Mine does it all the time".

To tell something apart = to find the differences.

"When we were kids, my brother and I looked totally identical. Even my mum used to find it hard to tell us apart".

To have (get, give)  the upper hand = to have the advantage.

"These days more and more women have taken the advantage of having the upper hand in business".

To be up in the air = when something is undecided.

"Don't get overexcited for the green project yet. Corridor rumors say it's still up in the air".

To be up front = to be sincere, honest.

"See that girl with the cowboy hat? She strolls fiercely with a beam on her face, that's an up front behaviour!"

To zero in on = to aim for something.

"Time is slipping out of our hands. We desperately need to zero in on our working goals".

To be eye candy = being really attractive.

"When my brothers attend my night fashion events, they always fell for every eye candy girl going by. So narrow minded".

To take five = to relax for a short period.

"Hurry up, guys. The chairman is late so let's take five before he walks in".

To set by = to reserve for future use.

"It's ok to invest the money you earn, just set by a little sum for this summer!".

To have the guts = to have enough courage to do something.

"Join us for a mountain ride! Don't think you haven't the guts to do it, I saw you jumping off that cliff last time".

To get across = to make people understand something.

"The President tried to get his message across, but only some seemed to be listening".

Miami Holiday!

When you decide to go on a trip, you often find yourself thinking it would be perfect to know already the most beautiful places to visit, how to get to them and what to do first. In other words, self planning is always exciting, but a little help might be just the thing needed!

Throughout this post, you can read through daily plans of an ideal holiday in Miami.

Free your mind and picture yourself already waking up in a hotel with see view, breathing fresh marine air, and kicking off your day with visits and discovering!

Do you feel unsure whether to spend money on a trip to Miami and would you like to know in advance if you’ll enjoy it in the end?

The answer couldn’t be easier: follow this magical holiday, just there to be discovered, and try and think of yourself in those premises. You will end up being satisfied or bored, but at least with an answer to your doubtful mind!

Let’s kick this trip off!

We are going to MIAMI!

So. You have set up your mind for an unforgettable holiday in Miami, and you could not have chosen anything better.

The city is world-wide famous for its landscapes, film location, artistic background, shopping life and luxurious dining places.

First thing: some general information about Miami.

This will certainly help you to get your luggage ready with the most important things! Nothing is worst than the feeling of having forgot some issues or not being ready to live your first Miami day in the best way.

-       Geography: Miami is located in East Coast of South Florida, in the United States of America (North America).

-       Time gap: -5 hours from the Greenwich meridian, standard oriental USA time.

-       Climate: Semitropical, with dry winter (20°C) and warm summer (30°C during July, August and September). It’s the second most humid city in the USA.

-       Monetary units: standard USA (US dollar).

-       Plug: American or Japanese one.

If you are getting there from outside the US, and you are not a US citizen, you don’t need to have a visa anymore.

Before departing, you need to download the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) and fill it in, which is a document that allows you to enter the US without a visa.

In addiction, you can travel without a visa ONLY if you have one of the following passports:

-       Electronic passport.

-       Optical reading passport.

-       Passport with digital photo.

And ONLY if you are willing to follow some rules:

-       Travel for business or leisure reasons.

-       Stay in US for a maximum of 90 days.

-       Have a return flight ticket.

If you don’t have these requirements, you’ll need to ask for a visa.

You don’t necessarily need to have dollars in advance, as nowadays at the airports there are many currency exchange offices ready to work for you.

Have a little bag handy in which you can keep your main documents or travel essential, alongside the big luggage or hand one.

Arriving at Miami International Airport

WELCOME TO MIAMI!

You finally arrived at the airport, and suddenly you are thrown into a hectic atmosphere of which you would like to know more about.

The airport is close to downtown Miami, so you find yourself right in the middle of the attractions.

The airport is divided into three terminals: north, central and south.

It offers many flights to Latin America and the Caribbean more than any other US airport.

It’s the second busiest American airport for international passengers, boasts a line-up over 100 air carriers and is the top U.S. airport for international freight.

Once you’ve landed, to get to the center of Miami you can take the Metrorail’s Orange Line. The bus stops are located on the ground floor. Passengers’ drop-off are on the east side of the airport, while pick-ups are made on the west one.

Well, now you are ready to head over to your holiday setting!

Hilarious and iconical english expressions

...original and funny IDIOMS that can make you daydream about the FANTASTIC english culture!!!

More and more people often ask me why I am so fond of english words, expressions or sayings.

Every word encloses a surprising meaning. Weirdly, different nationalities have the same ideas, but usually express them in DIFFERENT WAYS, under various names.

EVERY WORD IS A GATEWAY TO IMAGINATION. 

EACH ONE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE A PICTURE POP UP IN OUR MINDS.

EVERY WORD IS LINKED TO AN IDEA, A MEANING. 

THIS IS SO POWERFUL. 

IT MAKES US TRAVEL EVERY TIME WE READ IT!

As busy as a bee = to be really busy.

To have ITCHY FEET = to be a traveller.

To go BANANAS = to become crazy.

To bring home the bacon = to earn money.

To have bigger fish to fry = have more imprtant things to do.

That's the way the cookie crumbles! = that's how you do it.

To look like two peas in a pod = nearly identical, very similar.

Hard nut to crack = a difficult problem.

To be a bookworm = someone who reads a lot.

 Match made in HEAVENS = a very long lasting relationship.

On the rocks = a relationship with problems

Puppy love = temporary inflatuation between young people.

To be head over heels = to be very much in love with someone.

Lovey - dovey = making an excessive display of affection.

To have the hots = to be strongly attracted to someone.

A big cheese = an influential person.

A tough cookie = a very determined person.

Top banana = the chief person in a group.

Bad apple = a troublemaker.

Love rat = somebody who has an affair while in a relationship.

To cherry pick = to choose selectively from what is available.

To go catch some rays = to sunbathe