Cristina Istrati's Blog, page 10

Let your inner universe guide you!

They say that you have only one life and that you should live it. Do you agree with this? Do you embrace this idea? You love it, you hate it? What is your stand? Would surely love to know your thoughts around it…

But, if you ask me, I say that this statement is quite true.

Why else did we come here for, if it`s not for living live in every possible way? Therefore, I agree 100% with this affirmation. Funny thing though, it`s not only about living life, for everybody can do that; it`s living your own life that matters and makes all the difference. See, you were born with some unique features and talents.

God has blessed you with these beautiful qualities and they are yours alone, no doubt about that. Among these qualities is a “queen quality” as I like to call it, a quality that rules over the rest: it is the quality called Your Inner Universe. This is where your uniqueness lies, this is where all of your creativity and originality lie and had it not been for it, then there wouldn`t have been anything that would differentiate us.

Your inner universe defines who you really are; it defines the way you think, the way you feel, your integrity, your interests & passions, and principles in life. On short, your inner universe dictates how your life is and what it should be about. We often come across people who say: He/she is crazy for doing that! If I were him/her, I would have never done that! I can`t understand how come x hangs out with z, as z is such a fastidious person! I can`t stand her! And the list goes on and on…Does this sound familiar to you?:) I know it does for me…:P I have heard many stories like these so far                                                                                                             

Anyway, getting back to our topic, the aforementioned only highlight one point: that we are different and that each and every one of us has their own way of seeing things, has their own way of reacting to life`s circumstances.

When we come across a person who thinks in a different way than we do, this means that our inner universes don`t resonate one with another, they don`t create that “match” that would easily determine both me and that person to say: Yes, I agree with you!

I agree with you! is the voice that our inner universe whispers, saying: I`m finding some kind of a resonance with this person, there`s a bridge between us and we can communicate one with another! Now I want to know more about her, what are her interest, her hopes, dreams, and interests! Oh, please, do tell me more!:)

This is how our universe reacts when it encounters another match-universe. Does this sound strange?:P I know it might, but believe, it is as true as it can be

I have been placed in situations like these for many-many times in my life! I am serious! I have met people whom I resonated with from the very first second! And I was so happy about it, too!:) I wanted to spend time with them, talk to them, finding out about their dreams and so on… Everything was so natural and it seemed like time stopped

But then again, I have also met people with whom I didn`t have this connection. We would have different opinions, different ideas, disagreements about any given topic and lots of disapproval. It isn`t quite nice when this happens, I have to admit. But it`s just life, you know? People are different and nothing will ever change that.

The good news is that we have our inner universe and we are free to share it with any person we choose to There`s nothing that can ever stop us… Yaayy!!:)

But, as a main idea, I believe that we have this inner universe for something well-purposed: it is about creating our life following what it tells us. I truly believe that this is very important. If we pay attention to what other people say and disregard what our inner universe tells us, then it means that we put on more value on what those people say! And this makes us sad, unpleased and disappointed. Why? Because we`ve just given our greatest power to them! How can there be any happiness, joy, satisfaction or fulfillment in here? It can`t be, can it…?

Therefore, I invite you to follow your inner universe, no matter what. It is your biggest and most precious treasure, a treasure that holds the truth of your entire existence. If you don`t honor that, then nobody else will, as it is your sole duty and responsibility to protect and to follow the treasure within you.

Hope you`ll like this blog post and I look forward to hearing some of your comments:)

Talk to you soon!:)

Much love,

Cristina

 

 

Follow the hints that life gives you…

Life is beautiful, no doubt. I get to see that each morning when I wake up. I would go on the balcony and stare at the blue sky, and say to myself:” May God be praised, for the beauty of this world, and for the beauty of this day! It is amazing…”

Life isn`t only a marvelous journey, but a great teacher, too. I heard this some time ago. At first, I thought it`s merely a beautiful sentence, but after a meeting I had this past Saturday, I now believe that this sentence isn`t just that- sentence- but a truth. How can this be, you may ask? Well, let me tell you…

On Saturday we had this gorgeous weather and I said to myself that I will go out and have a nice walk. I really wanted to give my soul this pleasure of going outdoors and hence, I put on some comfortable clothes and off I was. I first passed by some beautiful and old buildings, which have been built around 1930. They were really-really gorgeous! I liked them very much…:) and even after leaving them behind, I would still turn my eyes to catch a quick glance:)                                    

So, anyway, I carried on with my walk, admiring the trees, the flowers and the nice people who were enjoying their walk too, either with their pets, family or friends:)

After a while, my feet “signed” me:P that they needed some rest so I thought that it`s better to go home. As I did that, the battery on my mp3player ran out and I had no other option than to “listen” to the natural sounds around me, instead of the music I was listening to till that point.

Hence, as I was doing that, I came across a beautiful statue that represented his Majesty, King Michael of Romania. The monument was inaugurated on October 25th, 2011. I stood there for several minutes, reading the biography that was written beneath the King`s portrait. When I finished, a shy smile appeared on my face, as I had this feeling of respect and admiration for this king who had ruled Romania. I was proud, too. 

I looked again at the statute and whispered a sincere Thank you!

Then I turned and left. But I was surprised to see that somebody was calling me. No, it wasn`t the statute: D but an old lady who was sitting next to it. I approached her and sat close to her. She was nice, in spite of her age. No doubt, she was one of those ladies who enjoy traveling and have a pretty luxurious life style. We`ve started talking and to a certain point, she looks at me and says:

”You know, there`s no other word in this world that is more important than I love you. It is a magical word, I`m telling you! Ever noticed how great you feel when you say I love you? Simple as that! No strings attached, no expectation, nothing hidden, none of that! Just the beauty of the word-I love you!

I looked at her and I realized that she was right. Moreover, I never thought about this before!

But she carried on:

”Say this word as often as you can. I am old, and I know what I`m saying. Tell it to your loved ones, tell it to your friends, tell it to your pet, your flowers, tell it to everyone! You`ll feel like you are dancing with life….” she said as she looked into my eyes.

Then she smiled, got up and left, leaving me all by myself. For a moment or so, I couldn`t think or say anything. I was stunned, I`m serious! I watched her till she faded away and would ask myself what`s the reason behind all this? What`s the message? Why did that woman tell me all these things…? But then, the answer came to me and I knew to that point, that that was the lesson I was supposed to learn: the lesson of letting I love you out; to let it be expressed, to tell it to people whom I love and appreciate in my life. And not only that, to tell this word to everything around me!

I raised my eyes to the sky and smiled. Thank you and I love you! came to my mind…

I know now that that meeting wasn`t randomly placed in my path. It had a precise and meaningful purpose. What I need to do now is to act upon it:)

Hope you`ll like this Monday`s post:) Feel free to share your view about it with me:):)

I love you!:)

Cristina

 

 

One magical word- Thank you!:)

Once upon a time, in a public square, was a rabbit called Reddy. Reddy was selling carrot cake. He had a great success with his cakes! They were homemade and were so delicious!

Everybody would buy  cakes from him. In the other corner of the square was Jim, the turtle. Jim was selling cinnamon cakes but didn`t have as nearly as the success the rabbit had. So the first day passed, then the second and third…Seeing that big crowd around the rabbit, Jim waited till Reddy caught a free time and then went to him.

“Hi there, Reddy! How are you today?”

“Hey, hello Jim! I am very well, thank you. Just being a bit busy with all these people attending them with cakes” the rabbit replied kindly.” What about you? What are you up to? Is everything all right?”

“Oh yes, of course. Everything is all right. I thought that it would be nice to drop by and say “hello”, since we haven`t talked for quite a while”

“This is very nice of you, thank you Jim. Yes, it is true, we haven`t talked for a pretty long time” the rabbit agreed.”We are busy, this is also true”

“Oh, but you are busier than I am”

“But you do have your clients, Jim; can`t complain about that, can you?” the rabbit replied good-heartedly.

“I guess so but still, would want to have more. Reddy, what is your secret for having all these customers? What is it that you do?” the turtle asked.  

“What do you mean, Jim?”

“Well, you have all these people around you and they are so eager to buy your carrot cakes. What is the secret? I am curious. Do you use some kind of  magical potion?”

The rabbit laughed.

“Oh Jim, you do have a rich imagination, this is for sure, old buddy”

The turtle smiled.

“Well, it`s great to hear that at least I have imagination” he joked.

“Oh my dear friend, no secret, no magic potion. None of that” Reddy answered genuinely.

“So, what is it then, Reddy? What makes your cakes so good and special?

The rabbit thought about it.

“I wouldn`t know what to tell you for sure, my friend, but I guess it is people`s gratitude”

“People`s gratitude? But what has gratitude to do with your cakes being so good?” the turtle was intrigued.

“Oh, this is very simple Jim. Every time one customer says to me “thank you” it only pushes me to make even better cakes. Their shown gratitude means a lot to me and it drives me to give my best and not disappoint my clients. Therefore, they keep on thanking me and I keep on making better and better cakes. This is all” the rabbit replied and smiled.

Discover the secret behind Seductive Ambiguity!

Divine was having her breakfast in the kitchen while reminiscing the beautiful evening spent with Lucas. She was accompanied by Lucky who was enjoying her meal too. Divine had a really good time the night before. She was happy to be in a relationship with Lucas.  She then heard the phone ringing and went to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, Divine! Rachel here!”

“Hello, Rachel!”

“How are you? I`ve just called you to let you know I left my daily planner at your place the day that I was there. I know that you are coming to the resort today. So would it be ok for you to bring it when you come?”

“Is your planner brown-colored, Rachel?”

“Yes.”

“I`m so sorry, Rachel, it seems like Lucky has been busy with it all night long.”

“Divine!” Rachel burst out. “Without it, I`m a dead person!”

“Well, there’s no need for that as I was just teasing you” Divine laughed.

“What a relieve! Divine, stop playing like that! Honestly, I really thought that I have lost my planner for good.”

“Ok Rachel, I will bring it to you when I get to the resort. That would be in about half an hour, ok?”

“Ok. Thank you, bye Divine!”

“Bye-bye!”

She placed the phone back at its place and then returned to the kitchen, finishing up her breakfast.

When she arrived at the resort, Divine was greeted respectfully by the doorman. She replied his greeting as she stepped inside. She immediately spotted Rachel at the reception desk and went towards her.

“Well, good morning again.” Divine smiled.

“I would kick your beautiful butt instead of a good morning” said Rachel, pretending to be still upset.

“Rachel, it was only a joke. I apologize if I upset you, I promise I won`t do it again.”

“Well, all right. By the way, some flowers came for you about twenty minutes ago.” said Rachel, her gaze turned towards the red bouquet. “I have to go now; I’m required at the administration department. I`ll be back before lunch time, all right?”

“Ok, Rachel, see you then” said Divine.

“Have a beautiful day!” Rachel said as she left.

Divine took the bouquet into her hands and smelled it. Hmm, wonderful! She saw a little note tucked into the bouquet and read it:

 Someone once said that nothing and no one goes beyond the beauty and purity of the roses. Little did the person know that somewhere in this world, there is a rose even more beautiful and sweet…You, Divine.

                                                       With love, Lucas.

 This note excited Divine greatly, she felt like she wanted to scream out of joy. She was very happy. Looking over the note again, she took the phone and dialed Lucas`s number.

“Hello?” He answered.

“Hello my darling. How are you?” Divine asked nervously.

“I`m very fine, princess, I’m enjoying your call in fact. You’ve received the roses, I guess?”

“Yes, they are right here, in front of me.” said Divine. “They are very beautiful Lucas, I thank you for your gesture. I really appreciate it.”

“It`s nice to hear this.”

“May I invite you to lunch? As a small reward for your noble gesture.” Divine smiled, though she knew Lucas would not be able to see her smile.

“With utmost pleasure. Please come to my office, at Brown`s Company, and from here we could go to wherever you have in mind. Do you know where it is?”

“I think so, I will find it.”

“Ok. You go up to the thirty second floor, room 03. All right?”

“All right Lucas. See you then! Have a wonderful day!”

“Thank you, my love. Good bye!”

“Bye.” Divine replied happily. She looked at the roses one more time before going to the bathroom. She came back with a half filled vase and placed the bouquet in it. After that, she started her work duties with an incredible enthusiasm. When it was nearing lunch hour, only the presence of Rachel made her realize that it was already noon.

“Hey, Divine, how`s going?”

“Hey, I`m working on some financial calculations. My God, I didn`t even notice how fast the time passed.”

“Yes, I can imagine. You can go now and have lunch, I will replace you until you get back” said Rachel.

“Ok Rachel. I`m not going alone to lunch” said Divine, gushing to her friend.

“With whom, then? Oh, don`t tell me, Lucas?”

“Exactly. He was the one who sent me the flowers and as a small reward, I asked him out to lunch.”

“I`m so happy for you Divine. Your happiness is also my happiness.” Rachel said, excited for Divine.

“Thank you.”

“Ok, off you go now, you don`t want to make that man wait for you, do you?”

“Of course not” said Divine grabbing her bag. “I`ll be back in an hour, ok?”

“Ok, have fun and send my best wishes to Lucas.”

“All right, I will” said Divine, going towards the exit. From there, she went to her car and left for Lucas`s company. Upon arriving, Divine stepped inside and went towards the elevator. She pressed the thirty second button and waited until it brought her there. Getting out of it, Divine found Cecily at her desk.

“Hello, where can I find Mr. Brown?”

“He is in a meeting now but it will be finishing soon.” said Cecily, looking intently at Divine.

“Is everything all right?” Divine asked, perplexed by Cecily`s long look at her.

“Yes…Excuse me, please.”

“May I wait for him in his office?”

“Of course. You just have to enter through that door.” said the assistant, showing Divine the door of Lucas`s office.

Smiling, she opened the door and entered his office. She was impressed by its design but mostly so, at the order that was in it.

Very disciplined, Lucas…she thought to herself. She went towards his library and browsed through his books where she discovered some really interesting titles. She then went towards the big window and looked out at the city. Marvelous! She thought as she had noticed that she could see the resort though it was far away, it was much smaller in view, of course. She returned to the desk and sat on Lucas`s armchair but all of a sudden, her smile disappeared when she saw a portrait on the desk on her right side.

The portrait of Lucas with Evelyn. No, this couldn`t be true! She took it in her hands and looked at it, her eyes tearing without her realizing it. She turned it around and saw a little message written behind,

‘’For you Lucas, with all the love…Your wife, Evelyn.’’

At that very moment, she felt her heart had frozen in her chest, she was out of breath. This was even bigger for Divine because it came with two revelations – one was finding out that Lucas was married and the second was that she was so much alike to his wife, Evelyn.

Her balloon of happiness and joy had been pricked. She needed to leave the place immediately, she couldn`t stand it anymore. Crying, she put the portrait back onto the desk, grabbed her bag and almost went running to the door. When she opened it, she ran into Lucas, and he was puzzled by the fear on Divine`s face.

“Divine darling, what`s wrong?” He asked.

“You are a bastard!” she replied as she passed next him to get out.

“Divine, said Lucas, going after her, what`s wrong?”

“Don`t you ever look for me!” she answered furiously and left.

Still confused, Lucas returned to his office. He then noticed that the position of the portrait had changed and at that point, he understood everything.

“Damn it!” He shouted and slammed the door shut.

This wasn`t true! It couldn`t be! Did Lucas replace her with his wife all these time? No, this was too much for her, she couldn`t take it! Divine was caught in a sea of thoughts by the time she reached the resort. How could she be that blinded by love? She hated herself for not seeing through. Finally, she entered the resort, trying hard to hide her face from the rest as she didn`t want it to be obvious that she had been crying. She went straight to Rachel, who was immediately worried when she saw her friend in the state that she was.

“Divine, what`s wrong?” she asked.

“Lucas…Lucas lied to me, Rachel. He lied to me!” she replied, bursting into tears again.

“How did that happened, Divine?” Rachel asked, taking her friend into her arms.

“He’s a bastard and I don`t want to ever see him again! Never!” Divine answered, crying. “Rachel, please let me go home, will you replace me? I feel like I`m about to collapse and it`s horrible.”

“Of course honey, sure you can go home.” said Rachel, looking at her friend. “I`ll come to see you later and talk about it, all right?”

“Yes, please do come,” said Divine. “I`ll wait for you.”

“Ok, I`ll be there. Please go home now and as soon the shift is over, I`ll come, all right?”

“Ok, Rachel. Thank you.” she said, leaving.

Rachel was feeling really bad although it wasn`t her that was caught in the situation. Nonetheless, she cared a great deal about Divine and it hurt her to see her like this.

“Damn these men!” she burst furiously.

“Rachel?” Marc asked as he came closer to her.

“Yes?”

“I just saw Divine leaving the resort; she was very upset. May I know why?”

“It`s regarding the man she’s in love with; it seems that he had lied to her about something.”

“What a pity!” Marc answered. “But maybe it`s just a misunderstanding.”

“We shall see.”

“Anyway, Divine is a strong girl, she will come out of it well.”

“I surely hope so.” Rachel answered with a thoughtful expression. “I sure do hope so.”

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It is the writer who sets the limits!

I had no idea about the amazing lesson I was about to learn yesterday. It started normally, with no “special” hints of this forthcoming discovery -a Sunday just like every Sunday, but yesterday was different, and all due to a phone call I had with one of my fellow writers.

After returning from a small trip outside Bucharest, I got home and unpacked my things. But somehow, I didn`t have the mood to do that. Was it because it was Sunday?:P maybe, I don`t know:P all I knew was that I didn`t want to stay indoors. Hence, I put on my jacket and left the house. I went to Herastrau Park, which is the biggest park in Bucharest and also the closest one of my home.

So, as I was walking toward the green place:), I would think about this writer with whom I didn`t talk to for quite a while. The park was pretty crowded too, would it be proper to call him? Mm, what will he say? What if he`s busy and this is a bad moment? Yep, all these silly questions would bug me. But then, I made a decision! I said to myself: ”I will call him, and that`s it! Whatever it will be, let it be”

Thus, happy for making this choice (finally!:D) I revealed my phone and dialed up his number. After several minutes, I could hear his voice and we`ve started talking:) Of course he was happy about my call; of course he was happy that I thought about him and called him; of course that all the ridiculous questions I had earlier were just that- ridiculous questions, and pure fiction created by my mind. One shouldn`t trust their mind too much, I`m serious! It can be so wicked at times!:D

So, anyway, here I was talking to my friend and being really happy for following my intuition. He asked me how have I been, how is my writing going, what other things I`ve been doing and so on. His enthusiasm made me smile:) so I began telling me how my life had unfolded since our last talk.

While I was sharing with him my ups and downs, we`ve soon reached the writing field area:) [image error]

We`ve started talking about mankind`s greatest writers and thinkers, about books that have shaped destinies and made history; about writers who followed their passion, who followed their inner call and have created masterpieces. To that, out of blue, I find myself saying:” You know, I think that every writer gets exactly what he asks for. God doesn`t make any difference”

After finishing this line, I had a pretty funny feeling but I just let it go. My friend agreed with what I had said and was glad about it. Soon, we have ended our call and we`ve established to meet up sometime soon. After that, I left the park as it was getting quite cold and I headed home. As I was walking, the affirmation I said earlier came back to me and would play in my mind.

So…a writer gets what he asks for…? I have never thought about it before till that point, but as I was going deeper and deeper inside this sentence, I was realizing that it was true; quite true.

Indeed, it is the writer who sets the limits or standards for his writing and his books. No one will ever be able to do that for him and no one will ever be able to stop him in going as high as he wishes too. The writer asks, and God gives. He just gives whatever we`re asking for, in what measure we`re asking for.

Wow…I like that:) So, this is how world`s biggest writers created all those memorable books- they asked for it. It has nothing to do with luck or coincidence. It`s all about a writer`s wish to play a big game.

Hope you`ll like this Monday`s post:)

Drop me your comments and thoughts:) I would love to hear them out:)

Much love,

Cristina

Family means roots.

I am sure that you`ve experienced it too, at some point in your life, didn`t you?:)

Yes, it`s quite true, isn’t it? I was lucky enough for this to be reminded to me, with the occasion of my birthday (which was last Sunday )

I didn`t want to plan anything big; rather a small reunion with family and friends. This was my desire. Surprisingly, the Universe took care of arranging it accordingly and something more, too, like a special bonus…:)

So, here I was, in my house, with all my dear ones. I was enjoying it very much, and it crossed my mind the idea of how lucky I am for having such amazing people in my life. I would watch them(secretly) how every one of them was having a good time, how they laughed and joked. To that point, I felt extremely blessed and some small tears appeared in my eyes. I thought to myself: All these people…people whom I love and appreciate have come to celebrate with me my birthday…This is so incredible….

They didn`t know anything about this, of course. It was only my internal dialogue and my thoughts.

Then, my mother stepped in the room holding a big birthday cake on her hands. I was stunned! I didn`t see that coming! I mean, surely I was expecting a cake( what would a birthday be without the cake, right?:D) but when I saw how beautiful it was, and what kind of message was on top of it, I was speechless, really! I came closer and have read it, with a low voice: Happy Birthday to our daughter, sister and friend! With love…your family

They all started singing Happy Birthday and took lots of photos! To that moment, I couldn`t stop the tears coming and I simply released them. My mother came to me and she hugged me. Hey, hey, you shouldn`t be crying….This is a moment of happiness! You should be jolly… she told me. She then wiped away my tears and smiled to me. I thanked her.

I was extremely happy. To that point, I said to myself: No doubt, family is the most important thing in life…What would I be without my loved ones? How would I live with all these people who had this huge influence over me and my life? I would be nothing. I know this.

That is why I am so very grateful for having them. All the riches in the world don`t mean anything if you don`t have around you the people who gave you life, people who saw you growing  up and took care of you since your very first day on this planet. This is priceless. This can`t be compared with nothing.

Your family is your root and if you don`t have a solid and strong connection with your root, then how will you live? How will you spend your time? What will sustain you when you face your “stormy times”? It`s the same with a tree, I think. The tree can`t live and grow by itself. It needs its roots, and strong ones too. The tallest and most magnificent trees have long, deep and strong roots. It`s only natural for it to be this way.

I have learned an important lesson on Sunday. I knew all this, but only at a theoretical level. On Sunday, I`ve really experienced it; really lived it and it hit me like thunder. Family is the most important thing in life.

God, family, work. This is the normal hierarchy, if you ask me. This is what determines balance in your life. And when you have balance, only the sky is the limit for you.

Share with me your thoughts about the post:)

Sending you best wishes and lots of love…:)

Cristina

 

 

You are a gift to the world!

Yes, you. You are a gift to the world…:) and I`m really happy for meeting you here, on planet Earth. It`s really great being here, isn`t it?:) I am truly and deeply grateful for being here…It is one marvelous place…!

When I look at the birds, when I look at the forest, the animals, the people around me…I can only say to myself: ” Thank you, Lord, for creating such magnificent place for me and my brothers and sisters…Thank you!”

Ever thought about how blessed we are?:) Ever thought about you being a gift to the world? No? Then, let me tell you…

There`s someone who brings color and expansion to this Universe.

That person is you. You bring beauty, color, contrast and expansion to our planet. “But, how is this possible?” you may ask.

It is simple. It is your divine soul who does all that…:)

You see, each soul is beautiful; each soul has his own qualities and talents that he wants to bring into this world. It may be painting; it may be singing, dancing, acting, writing, sculpting…anything!  [image error]

He comes here and wants to manifest his gifts and share them with others…What a noble and generous thought, isn`t it?:)

Every soul is important as he makes a huge difference in this world…It wouldn`t be the same without it. Think about it…If we wouldn`t have had great painters like DaVinci, if we wouldn`t have great musicians like Michael Jackson, talented writers like Lev Tolstoy or leading spirits like Mahatma Ghandi, then how would it have been possible for us to know about such wonderful souls and their unique talents? Would it have been possible for us to learn from them if they wouldn`t have shared their talents?:) I don`t think so…:) and I can only say Thank you ! to them for their contribution!:)

You see, it is the same for you, for me, for the rest of the souls that are on this planet. We have to share ourselves, we have to let the world know about our voice and do what our heart tells us to! Because we are such marvelous beings and we have so many things to share!:)

When we share ourselves, we feel good! And we enjoy life!:)

When we share ourselves, our soul is happy because he`s expressing the talents he was gifted with before coming into this world…:)

This is why I am saying that you are a gift to the world. And I thank you for this. Thank you for coming here. Thank you for adding expansion to this planet. Thank you for the unique talents that you have and thank you for the unique contribution you’re making in this world. It is only you who can do this, because there`s nobody like you and there will never be. You are special and what you have to offer is special. Please, don`t hold anything back. Share yourself completely. There`s nothing for you to be afraid of. Why would you be, when all that a divine soul can express is Beauty? So, please, let your inner light shine. The world is waiting for it…

Hope you`ll like this Monday`s post..:)

Sending you best of wishes!:) and should you feel sharing your opinion about the post, please do so:) I`d be happy to hear it…:)

Much Love,

Cristina

 

 

 

 

 

The world is a big orchestra…

I am a huge fan of the Opera House. I enjoy going there and I`m doing it as often as I can:)

So, since I haven`t been there for a while, I decided to do this last Thursday:) I called up some of my friends, checked the program at the Opera and after some “yes” and “no”, I finally decided to go see the famous play of Carmen, by Prospere Merimee. Said and done. I`ve meetup with my friends at 6 pm in front of the Opera house and we went inside.

Have to tell you that every time I go there, it feels to me like I`m thrown back to the 18-th century , because the building has a very epochal air and people are dressed up so elegant and fancy…:) One can easily have the illusion of being again in those old times with this kind of “surroundings”…:) It`s one of the reasons for which I love going to the Opera…:)

So…anyway, we went to our places and sat on them. Oh, everything was so glamorous!:) The paintings on the walls, the red cotton dressed armchairs, the big chandelier hanging on the ceiling…It was delightful….!:)

The play was about to start. As people were more and more coming, I had this tendency to have a deeper look at them. I was quite enjoying watching them, seeing their smiles, their facial expressions, their gestures…They are just like characters in a novel, I thought.

Then one of my friends asked me about the tickets and I was pulled out from those thoughts. But I liked noticing those people, without their knowing, of course! There was a continuous buzz in the room, but it all went down when the lights turned off. The play started.

I was so excited!:) I had a huge smile on my face and couldn`t hide it to nobody…:) Everything in there was magical…:)

Hence, as I was looking at the scene in front of me, I smiled when some people (men and women) appeared on the stage. They were very nicely dressed, with clothes that would make even Spanish people jealous..:D I`m serious!

Men had on black & golden suits ( like the ones they use when they are in the arena, with the ox? You know what I mean, right?:) And women….women were dressed with the renown Andalusian dress…:) All kinds: red, black, pink, yellow, green, purple…! It was quite a sight to see, as they were creating this “moving rainbow” on the stage… Amazing!

I would gaze at them with great admiration and fascination…:) The way they were moving, how they were holding their heads and make each move with such precision…It was remarkable!

I don`t even want to think of the number of hours these guys are spending on the stage, while rehearsing, I said to myself. It`s all hard work, till the outcome is flawless…What a commitment, what a strong desire to be the best, what a burning dream to fulfill…I was really touched by these thoughts, by these peoples` wish to create magic on the stage, magic for every one of the guests in the room. And when they all started dancing, it took my breath away: never have I seen such grace! Never have I seen such love and enjoyment for what they were doing!

But beyond that, were the people on the stage. It was about them. I wanted to see them, not the roles they were interpreting. I wanted to see their true identity, an identity that was behind their customs and roles. I think I found it out. It was Joy. A simple and inspiring joy to fulfilling their souls` call. Nothing else mattered in that moment.

The whole stage was like a big orchestra, in which everybody knew their place, knew what to do and knew exactly what their next move should be. I thought of our world. It was exactly the same thing. These actors had their choreographer that would coordinate them and show them what they need to do. For our world, the “choreographer” would be God.

He created every one of us and placed us exactly where we need to be. Our place isn`t randomly chosen; absolutely not. We have a certain role and vocation to fulfill in this world and if we pay attention to our “choreographer”, which is God, we`ll be able to do that with utmost joy, ease and divine grace, as nobody knows better what our destinies are than the one who created this world…

Be happy & proud of who you are…:)

Would love to hear your comments about the post…:)

Much love,

Cristina

 

 

A Christmas tale…

They say every little thing in this life has a story, a certain tale that wants to be told. But who should do that? Who should tell these stories and furthermore, where do we find them…? I`m going to tell you…The stories are the things themselves.

Christmas is one of them. Christmas is a story within the story. Christmas is Magic, is Harmony. Christmas is a divine re-connection with everything there is. Christmas is Love. How is it possible for this beautiful holiday to bring all these “ingredients” along? What`s the secret? Well, let us discover its story…

Legend has it that a couple of thousands of years ago, back when Jesus Christ lived, a man was living in the town of Nazareth. This man was extremely wealthy. He had everything a man could wish for, and the castle in which he lived, was big and beautiful. He lived here, together with his wife, Mary. They loved each other very much, but unfortunately, they had no children. All those rooms in the castle, empty and cold…were making our man feeling sad. In some of them, he haven`t entered for years. He was very miserable.

Thus, years have passed and soon, Christmas, this was his name, found himself old and very disappointed with his life.

“My God Mary, he said to his wife, we got old and we did not have the chance for someone to call us Mom or Dad. Isn`t it a pity? Such a shame…”

“Oh, my dear husband, said his wife, I beg you, don`t be upset. We do not know God`s wish”, said Mary, taking her husband in her arms. “I do not know why things are happening this way in our lives; but still, I beg you, don`t doubt God, for He knows what He is doing and we as humans, have no right to judge that”, said the woman looking in her husband`s eyes.

“Yes, perhaps you are right. Perhaps indeed it`s God`s wish for us to have no children. You are right. I should obey His will and accept whatever it may be” replied Christmas.

“I think so too, Christmas. Let us embrace everything there is and hope for the best. One can never know when God`s blessings may come over him…”

“Yes, you are right Mary. Thank you, my beloved wife”, said Christmas. “If it is God`s will to have no children, then so be it. At least, I had the joy to live my life next to you. It was a very beautiful one, Mary”, said the man, looking in her eyes.

Tearing, the woman hugged him tenderly.

Some days passed further, and Christmas and his wife were doing their usual work, each of them caught up by their own things.

One morning, while preparing break-fast, Mary heard her husband coming quickly on the stairs, almost running. He rushed at once in the living-room.

“Goodness, Christmas, what is happening?” she asked, intrigued by her husband`s behavior.

“Mary, I…I…I had…” replied Christmas, but hardly catching up his breath.

“You, what? Oh, for heaven`s sake, please calm down and tell me what`s this all about” the woman said as she was confused.

“Mary, you…you don`t understand…” said Christmas taking a seat on the chair. He was still trying to calm his rhythm.

“Well, how could I?” said the woman teasing a bit. “Please, Christmas, have a cup of tea and tell me what`s happening, all right?”

“All right Mary”.

The woman put some tea and afterwards sugar in one cup then handed it to Christmas.

“Here you go”

“Thank you, dear” he said, while sipping from the warm drink.” Mary, I had a dream and I think, God has spoken to me through it” continued Christmas raising his eyes towards his wife.

“Oh, good Lord!” said the woman, covering her mouth with her hand. „Well, what do you mean by that, Christmas? Please, do tell me”.

“Mary, I had this funny dream. In it, God revealed himself to me”.

“Well, what did He say? “asked the woman, eager to find out more.

“At first, it wasn`t very clear but towards the end of the dream, everything became much more understandable for me” said the man, glancing at his wife. “A strong, shining light appeared, it was so powerful that I couldn`t even look at it” continued Christmas, remembering the dream. “I bowed my head, kneeling. Then, I heard a beautiful, serene voice. It was talking to me.

“What did it say?” asked the woman.

“It was God, Mary, and He told me: Christmas, I have a special plan for you. Your purpose on this Earth is not a random one. I want to give you a mission”.

“Good heavens!” said the woman, being really amazed.

“This is what He told me Mary!” said Christmas.

“Tell me more! What followed afterwards?”

“He said: I want you to take your wife and go to the North Pole. There is a special place waiting for you there”.

“Really?” said the woman.

“Yes. And I asked: But Lord, what am I to do there? And He said: Go there. Your biggest joy in life will wait for you. This is what the voice told me, and then it vanished”.

“That is it?”

“All of it, Mary. When I woke up I was so confused. I am still, even as we speak”.

“Oh my dear Christmas, what are we to do? I am scared!” said Mary.

“Fear not my sweet wife” replied Christmas looking at her. “We`ll do what our Lord asked us to” he continued.

In the next day, Christmas made all the plans. He gave his fortune to the poor ones and also his castle. It will soon be transformed in a shelter for the homeless.

Together with his wife, Christmas took their small luggage and left for North Pole. The journey wasn`t easy. They have encountered many obstacles, such as fearful beasts, coldness, lack of shelter, snow. Eventually, they reached the cold, icy place of the North Pole. Snow, some animals and lots of ice, was everything they could put eyes on.

“What shall we do now, Christmas? said Mary. ”I am so cold…”

“Hang in there, my sweet wife. It will be all right, I promise” said Christmas, although he himself was a bit frightened, by this new realm in which he was.

Suddenly, he saw a reindeer coming towards them. The animal came closer and closer, until he reached Christmas and his wife.

“Christmas, what is happening? asked Mary.

“I do not know my dear, I do not know” he said as he looked at  at the gracious creature.

The reindeer grabbed Christmas by his sleeve and started pulling.

“What is the matter?” said Christmas.

“It seems he wants us to follow him” said Mary. “Let us do that, Christmas”.

“All right” said he, going after the reindeer.

Soon, they reached into a forest. Animals of all kinds were coming after them, being really curios about these two humans appeared among them. They have never seen something like that before.

“Look Christmas! Oh, they are so adorable…!” said Mary caressing a little squirrel.

“I agree with you my dear. They are indeed nature`s wonder” said Christmas enchanted as well by the animals around him.

Shortly after that, they spotted a small house, very cute and cozy; a beautiful wooden cottage.

“Look Mary! A house!”  said Christmas.

“Yes, I see it! It is so lovely! replied Mary, being really happy. “Smoke comes out of the chimney too…! It must be warm inside…!”

They have reached the door.

“Shall we go in? “asked Christmas.

“What if somebody is there? It would be rude…”

“But Mary, no one is inside…!”replied Christmas looking through the window.

“Christmas, please stop that. Someone might see you!”

“Who? The animals?” joked Christmas, as he teased.

The reindeer before, came closer to them and with his mouth, he pushed the door, opening it.

“How marvelous! The reindeer opened the door for us!” said Mary, happy.

“I would say he wants us to go in” added Christmas joyfully.

They stepped inside, along with all those animals.

“Oh Christmas! It feels so good in here! It is so warm!” said Mary going toward the fire-place to warm up her hands.

“I agree with you, my dear. It surely is nice” said Christmas going near her.

”Look, there are two cups”, noticed Mary. “I think it is hot chocolate”.

“You must be right” said Christmas, approaching the cups. “You are right Mary. Indeed, it is hot chocolate! Hmm, it smells delicious!”

“But, who did all this, Christmas? Who made the fire, the chocolate…? It would seem that no human being has ever set foot in this cottage”

“We did it” a voice was heard, from the upper floor.

“Who said that?” asked Christmas.

“We” said voice was heard again.

“Who are you? Please show yourself” said Christmas.

From the top of the stairs, a small creature appeared. Christmas and Mary were looking at it in pure amazement.

“What is this, Christmas?”

“I do not know, Mary. It looks like…an elf.

“Indeed I am, sir” replied the creature cheerfully.

“By God, he spoke again!” said Mary smiling.

“Indeed I have, madam” said the elf, coming down the stairs toward them. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Liesl and I am an elf. Always happy to be at your service” he said, taking a bow.

“Oh, he is so adorable!” said Mary. “So cute!”

“Thank you, madam. We all are like this” continued the elf smiling.

“We?” asked Christmas .

“Of course, sir. I and my brothers. They always send me to do the honors. I would say it is because I am the cutest of all” said Liesl, laughing. “Boys, you can come now!” he added, cheerfully.

At first one, then two, three, four, ten, twenty elves appeared behind the furniture, under the table, behind the armchair and the shelf…They all got out, coming around Mary and Christmas.

“Good Lord…I am speechless…” said Mary.

“Me too. I have never seen so many. As a matter a fact, I am astonished to have seen only one and now, twenty?!” added Christmas stunned.

“We are the elves, sir. Santa Claus`s elves”.

“Santa Claus? replied Christmas.

“Oh yes! That would be you. We were waiting for you” said Liesl.

“Me? But…How is this possible?”

“We have been given a mission, Christmas; the mission to help you give presents to every child on this planet for the holy day of the Christmas when our Lord is born. You are Santa Claus and we are your elves. That reindeer who led you here, is Rudolf” said Liesl pointing toward it with his gaze. “This is your mission given to you by….”

“God” completed Christmas.

“Exactly”

“My goodness, this is amazing, Christmas. Almost incredible” said Mary, looking at him.

“I know; it really is” he replied, still surprised.

“Christmas, what will you do?” asked Mary.

After pondering a moment, Christmas answered:

“Mary, some time ago I said I will embrace everything God will give me. I promised that; I shall obey  God`s wish, regardless of what that may be. This is what I will do now. If this is His desire, I will accept it gladly”.

“Oh, my beloved husband…” added Mary, tearing.

“Santa, we must hurry now” said Liesl. “Christmas is close to come and we have all this work to do…!”

“You are right, Liesl. Let us do that. I am more ready than ever” replied the man.

“Hurray! We will build all these beautiful toys and presents for all the children in the world!” said happily another elf, being really glad.

The rest of them joined him, throwing their hats in the air. The room was full of happiness and cheerfully laughter.

“All right, my dearest elves. Let`s do this. We have a special task to fulfill and we will do this with most love” said Christmas, with a kind voice.

“Yes, we surely will, Santa! The children are waiting for us!” added Liesl, with excitement. “Boys, let us go in the workshop! We have some work to do!” added he smiling.

“Yes! Let`s do that!” said the rest of the elves and headed towards the upper floor, where the workshop was.

“Well, it seems that everything turned out good, isn`t it?” said Mary smiling, coming close to her husband.

“Yes, you are right, my love. Everything indeed turned out well. Oh Mary, I am so excited! I feel as my life got a new meaning than it had till now. I feel alive, I feel pleased, I feel…

“Love, harmony, joy…?” added Mary, kindly.

Christmas looked deep into her eyes.

“You know me well, my sweet wife. Indeed, I feel all these. I know now that that particular dream, wasn`t by any accident. It had a special meaning, and I am happy to see it now. God gave me no children, Mary, but He took care of that too. I can now be around them, giving them presents and seeing their happy faces. This is a miracle, Mary! Oh, thank you Lord! Thank you! May you always be praised!” said Christmas, with tears in his eyes.

Thus, ever since that night up until nowadays, every Christmas Eve, Santa Claus would come with his reindeers and share gifts to the children all over the planet. Every time he does that, his heart sings out of joy and every new Christmas Eve, puts a big smile on his face for he can do again and again that particular thing that simply fills him up with love. And his wife is next to him as well, writing or sewing “Merry Christmas!” on each of those gifts.

Christmas really loves what he does. That is why, this holiday is so special and full of harmony, love and generosity.

 

 

 

 

Ten Hints on Plotting.

Nothing should happen randomly. Every element in a story should have significance, whether for verisimilitude, symbolism, or the intended climax. Names, places, actions and events should all be purposeful. Otherwise, the book would easily pass on as: “meaningless book”. As a writer, you don`t want such thing, right? I mean, who would? Every writer wishes the best for their books and it`s only normal for it to be this way. To test the significance of an element, ask: Why this place and not another? Why this name and not another? Why this action, this speech, and not others–or none at all? The answers should be: To persuade the reader of the story’s plausibility; to convey a message about the theme of the story; to prepare the reader for the climax so that it seems both plausible and in keeping with the theme.

Plot stems from character under adversity. A mild-mannered person cannot achieve his goals by an out-of-character action like a violent assault, unless we have prepared the reader for it by revealing a glimpse of some suppressed aspect of his personality that can be plausibly released by stress. And the stress itself must also be plausible, given the circumstances of the story.

Each character has an urgent personal agenda. Too much is at stake to abandon that agenda without solid reason. We may not share the character’s urgency, but we should be able to see why he cares so much about what he’s doing. A character who acts without real motivation is by definition melodramatic, doing outrageous things for the sake of the thrill it gives the reader–not because it makes sense for the character to do so.

The plot of a story is the synthesis of the plots of its individual characters. Each character has a personal agenda, modified by conflict or concordance with the agendas of others. The villain doesn’t get everything his way, any more than the hero does; each keeps thwarting the other, who must then improvise under pressure. If the hero is moving northwest, and the villain is moving northeast, the plot carries them both more or less due north–at least until one or the other gains some advantage.

The plot “begins” long before the story. The story itself should begin at the latest possible moment before the climax, at a point when events take a decisive and irreversible turn. We may learn later, through flashbacks, exposition, or inference, about events occurring before the beginning of the story. Foreshadow all important elements. The first part of a story is a kind of prophecy; the second part fulfills the prophecy. Any important character, location, object should be foreshadowed early in the story. The deus ex machina is unacceptable; you can’t pull a rabbit out of your hat to rescue your hero. But you can’t telegraph your punch either–your readers don’t want to see what’s coming, especially if your characters seem too dumb to see it. The trick is to put the plot element into your story without making the reader excessively aware of its importance. Chance and

coincidence, in particular, require careful preparation if they are going to influence the plot.

Keep in mind the kind of story you’re telling. Any story is about the relationship of an individual to society. A comic story describes an isolated individual achieving social integration either by being accepted into an existing society or by forming his own. This integration is often symbolized by a wedding or feast. A tragic story describes an integrated individual who becomes isolated; death is simply a symbol of this isolation. The plot should keep us in some degree of suspense about what kind of story we’re reading. Even if we know it’s a comedy, the precise nature of the comic climax should come as a surprise. If we know the hero is doomed, his downfall should stem from a factor we know about but have not given sufficient weight to.

Hope this is useful for you, and that you`ll be using these tips on your next plotting “process”:)

Wishing you all the best…:)

Write with joy, write with love..:)

Cristina Istrati