Coaching tip: the difference between a dream and a goal is a date.

By now, almost everybody knows that in order to live the life we want, first we have to imagine it. To have dreams and longings is not only beautiful and pleasurable, it is also necessary. Dreams are the engine of the world, the force behind creation. The problem is that we often keep them in the "Dreams" file forever. 

The first step towards manifesting a dream is to make a goal of it. What is the difference? The date. Goals have a date. It does not need to be set in stone, but to have a date means that we pass the dream from the "Ideal but it's never going to happen" file to "One day it will be a reality". The easier example I can think of is a trip. One has in mind an image of a place that wants to visit. The image can be for years in our mind, our desk or our kitchen wall, until

You can rescue the chilean miners too.

What are you going to do to help the miners in Chile? I'll give you a clue: it is not about sending money. If you feel powerless or you feel it has nothing to do with you, think again. 


Thirty three miners became trapped following a shaft collapse in Copiapo (north of Chile) on August 5th. Today, three weeks later, we know they are alive, but the rescue tunnel can take up to three months to allow the rescue of the miners. For a moment, imagine yourself trapped in a copper mine, 700 meters below the surface with other 32 people, at 95F and at more than 90% humidity. Of course we could ask who's responsible, but this is not the moment for that. It is time for

Emoto's prayer for the Gulf of Mexico

I am back. I am very excited to announce that my new book, "Happiness Unveiled" will be out very soon. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I have something to share with you.

Do you believe that you can do anything to help with the disaster of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Well, I have news. YES, YOU CAN. We all can. Water reacts to our feelings and the intention directed toward it.

The following is a prayer that Dr. Masaru Emoto is sharing so we can all help healing the water. Let us all suspend our anger for the moment and let the intention for healing to take charge and lead our thoughts, our feelings and our actions.

Dr. Masaru Emoto's research reveals that water physically responds to emotions and communications. He sends this prayer.  To speak it with sincerity is powerful and humbling:

"Now let’s give energy of love and gratitude to the waters and all the living creatures in Mexico Gulf by praying like this:

To the water, whales, dolphins, pelicans, fishes, shellfishes, planktons, corals, algae and all creatures in our Gulf of Mexico

I apologize.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.

Masaru Emoto
May, 9th 2010"

So, what do we do now?

I was writing a few notes about how to be happier, more positive and more relaxed in our expectations, when I heard the news about the Haiti earthquake. The truth is that it was shocking for me. As always, the number that is affecting me less is the death toll. I pray for their souls and I hope they have the best possible transition to the other side, but that's all. What worries me are those who remain. Humans trapped in the rubble, wounded, or in a state of shock.  People that have lost their lives as they knew it: their families, homes, jobs.... Children that are left alone. Victims that will not be able to be rescued on time. People affected by it will be counted in the hundreds of thousands, and they will have serious difficulties to recover, giving the circumstances. My question is? how will this affect the rest of us? I always say that humanity is a unit, like a body. Whatever happens to a cell affects in some degree the entire organism.

The first thing a body does is to move all necessary resources to the affected area. This is what we do too. I am happy to see that many countries have sent specialized personnel and materials. By proximity and by capacity, I would love that the American response were a bit faster, but I am glad it is already on it's way. Canada, Dominican Republic, Brazil, France and Spain, among others, are also moving and bringing help. Survivors, as I read, are starting to organize themselves, and the more relevant Aid groups, like Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam or Unicef were working in the area just after the earthquake, mainly because their people were already working in the country in some developmental projects.

As for the rest of us, I can think at least about three options for us. One is to ignore the subject because it has nothing to do with our life. After all, they are poor, black and they live far away. This option is the equivalent to not taking care of a wound in a toe, because it is not a vital area. In the end, it will most likely end gangrenous, so it is not a good idea. The second option is to get obsessed with all the terrible scenes of wounded and lonely children, people that have lost everything, even their hope, in a country that as for now, can't help their own survivors nor even bury their corpses. Shout to heaven and get hooked in the atrociousness of the situation is like getting depressed for having a wound or a disease. It is not helpful and it gets in the way of a prompt recovery.

The third option is to do something about it. Some would be able to go to the area and use their knowledge, experience and skills to help. Others, will collaborate with different organizations in the logistics of it, backing the rescue teams from home. Many will help financially, as far as they can. Aid groups are making a big effort and they need our support. Most of us can help, even if is in a small amount. Finally, there is something that ALL of us, without exception can do. We can help emotionally. Those that like to pray, please do so. The more, the better. Others will prefer to meditate. Many of us will visualize a good outcome. Whatever is the path that you choose, all the love that we feel for our brothers in Haiti will be a creative helpful energy. If we consider them strong and capable of overcome the catastrophe and rebuild better lives for themselves, it will be so. If we visualize all emotional and physical help arriving in a prompt and effective way, it will be so. This is a job for all of us. This option is the equivalent of looking after ourselves in the best possible way when we are injured or sick, and we all will benefit from it.

So, which one of the three options will you choose?

Links for helping:
Doctors Without Borders:
https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=197&hbc=1&source=ADR1001E1D01
Unicef:
https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6680&6680.donation=form1
Oxfam:
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressrelease/2010-01-13/large-earthquake-haiti

Please, share this information with all your contacts. You don't need to feel powerless about this situation. You can help. What is your choice?

Beautiful pictures.

I have some pictures to share with you today, from my friend and talented photographer, LOREEN DAVIS.
Enjoy!

Welcoming cold days of cozy cocooning.

Colchester, UK (Thanks to my lovely niece, Natalie, for the pic.)

Pamplona, Spain (Thanks to my friend Veronica for the pic.)

We don't have snow in Florida (for now). However, this morning our thermometer was showing four degrees C. Truth is, every now and again,  I love it. It means that I change tank tops and flip flops for jumpers and shoes, and, even better, I have an excuse to drink hot chocolate, or to stay at home watching a movie under a cozy blanket. Little pleasures that were forgotten since living in this sunny American region.

My granddad was a farmer. He always said that snow makes the soil fertile,  the roots stronger and everything else healthier by killing bugs and bacteria. My mother loves to open all the windows in the morning for half an hour, when it is freezing, to bring the clean and crispy air into every corner of the house, so it is only normal that when I see these pictures of the snow, or when I feel the cold of the mornings, I get excited. It feels like somehow, the cold will sweep away all the bugs from our lives, making it stronger and more fertile too. It feels that it is time to do as nature does: slow down,  hibernate, develop in our cocoon. It is time for books, for family reunions, for hot tea, for board games, for baking cakes, and if you have a homeless shelter near by, it is also time to go and see if we can give a hand. It is cold for everybody, but it does not have the same meaning for all of us.