Wednesday Wisdom - 12 October

Image taken from quotesgram.com

My dear O.,

Today I am posting a quote that was first introduced to me when I was an exchange student in Belgium. One of our lecturers was a professor that taught us about the global aspects of nowadays business. He was very old, but still filled with energy and enthusiasm. He also told us a lot about Singapore and its rapid development during the last decades, thus igniting my curiosity and desire to visit this part of the world. In those first moments in Belgium, when I had a lot of hardships (stolen property, accomodation problems, etc.) this quote kept my spirit and reminded me that everything we encounter is, after all, experience. And we do not have to be afraid to live our life just because we may experience something bad. So, be brave, my dear and live your life to the fullest!

With all my love and respect,

R.

Wednesday Wisdom – 5 October

My dear,

As each week goes by and autumn shows all of its colours and moods, some people usually get sad because of the departure of the long and sunny weather. While I thrive better during warm days, I notice that cold ones are the time to reminisce about precious moments and also – time to make plans for the future. Because that excitement keeps us motivated and strong when nature brings us the whirlwind of its constantly changing weather. And even if the weather gets worse, we shouldn’t feel discouraged. We must continue with our ventures, aim to succeed, even if success means just to wake up every day, smiling and enjoying the life we have. Because for some people waking up means climbing a mountain. And many others can’t enjoy the privileges we are lucky to have.

Today I am posting this picture that I found on the BBC Sport site during the Summer Olympics. The main theme of the article (you can read it, it is very well-written) may at fist look different from the point I want to show now, but if you look at it as a whole, you will see that success has a different meaning to every person. Whether it is dealing with bad weather changes like a pro, or just waking up and facing reality – every person on this planet has their own battle for success. Because, at the end we only see the smiling bright face of a person that hides their own bad mood or wasted nerves or a person that has decided to stand up and show strength and confidence, despite the fact that they hate being the center of attention. Every time it is different, but each time you have this iceberg illusion – people see only the results.

I don’t want to make it sound like a depressing thing. We should look at this picture as a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles in this world and also – as a motivation that will keep us determined during bad times.

So, my dear, don’t feel subdued by the way other people look at you or by the way they pursue their dreams. Sometimes you have to act carefully and slowly, and try not to be overwhelmed by the super ambitious, result-oriented people who often forget to treasure their personal connections. Be strong and believe in yourself.

With all my care,

R.

Wednesday Wisdom – 28 September

When we were travelling back from Varna to Ruse after our three-day visit to the seaside, you saw my so-called present diary.  In my life, the only time I have ever had a diary, was when I was about 6^th grade and I decided to use a notebook that was given to me as a present long ago and that had a small padlock to keep away the “intruders” who wanted to open the doors of my own privacy. A childish thing made just for sale purposes, but still that little pink notebook was something that was eventually my diary for a while. I am sure you had such thing, probably given to you as a present from your parents or a childhood friend. And you (almost) never used it or got bored easily after writing the cliché “Dear diary…” several times. 

Although I lost trace of this little pink book, I kept writing.  On different pieces of paper, in old notebooks or special pocket books, I kept writing. Not to my diary, not about how my day had gone. I wrote abstract things about life, about melancholy or joy, sadness, anger and hope, trying to analyze every little thread of those feelings, trying to see them from the person who I was inside or from the point of view of another person. Never saying it was about me actually. The people (on the paper) that felt all those things and lived through all those moments were never mentioned to be me and I really enjoyed that little privacy I had. The same feeling you have when you wrap yourself in a blanket and you feel safe because you are in your blanket, in your room, in your house, i.e. super-protected. I guess I have always been a little introverted, but let’s not put so many labels and go to the main point of this post.

The notebook you saw is actually the second one that I received from my colleague, the secretary (a corporate product so to speak – for our clients, alongside other made for advertisement stuff). It is outdated and for many useless, but for me and for people who like to write things about work – priceless. I write many things in it, including my schedule, thoughts and quotes and work related things. So, considering that we didn’t have so much time in the train back from Varna, I decided to share some of the wisdom I used to write in that notebook. In moments of despair and tiredness at work I sometimes read them and they keep me motivated. I hope that you will enjoy them and understand all of the things I wanted to explain to you in the train that afternoon.

Starting this section today and after all the things I wrote above, let me introduce you to a thought by Kurt Vonnegut that I found really inspiring and motivating me to keep writing these letters in any possible way, just as the two of us decided it in the beginning:

Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia. 

The butterfly which we found in the train and released together afterwards