Month: April 2017

Solitude opens a door that separates two worlds: the life we lead today and the life we yearn for so deeply inside our hearts. What we have to do is embark on the search for our authentic selves, and we will see the results begin to blossom in our lives. There are ways to regenerate, and once we realize how important solitude is to our experience, we will start to experience inner harmony. Once we learn to respect and cherish our need for solitude, opportunities will arrive in which we can learn to nourish our imagination and nurture our souls.

We must begin slowly and take comfort in knowing that even stolen moments of solitude can add up to a lifetime of serenity. When we feel drained, we must return to the places where we feel recharged. These places could take the form of a book, a movie or a stroll in the park.

We should be patient and shouldn’t expect too much too soon, especially when arranging our schedules means dealing with family emergencies or expectations of what we’re supposed to do and when. We must be patient.

And during those days when we don’t have a moment for ourselves, we should remember that even if life is complicated, it is within our power to make it simple.

Love,

Carmen Monica

Today, I found a photograph of myself when I was about ten. I traveled back in time and saw myself at that age at home, at school, and at the playground. In my mind, I walked through the rooms in my childhood home. I remembered my friends. I wonder what happened to them. I remembered that my favorite color was red, but I always wore blue.

I encourage you to do the same exercise. Try to recall yourself at ten because it was probably the last time you trusted your instincts. At age ten you didn’t listen to the opinions of your mother, sister, or your friends because you had your own. Try to connect with the child you once were. That child is all grown up now, but it will always remind you how beautiful, accomplished and extraordinary you really are.

Our fears are our demons. They stalk us during the day and give us the sweat at night. It is the fear of the unknown, of failing, of starting something new and not finishing. It is also the fear of succeeding, the fear facing the changes that future will bring. Old dreams are resurrecting, and new desires are replacing old flames. It sometimes happens that instead of clarity, we feel confused. But in moments like this, it is comforting to know that there is nothing to fear because, in the end, we will arrive back where we started and will know in our hearts that we finally belong there.

If we don’t have to fight demons, our story is not worth telling.

Love,

Carmen Monica

One of my favorite things to do is reading novels that celebrate life. They reveal not only passionate love affairs but delectable descriptions of food and furnishings that capture my imagination even more than the plots. Achieving authentic harmony through my surroundings occurs as the order is gradually restored to my life and my home. But even if I haven’t yet found the time to empty closets and drawers of clutter, or sort through my belongings and decided what is beautiful, useful, or sentimental, I’m not discouraged. An important inner work is taking place that will soon become visible.

As a writer, I think discovering the authentic decorating style is similar to the inventive stages of writing a book. A book may look dull, but like a home, it lives, breathes, and expresses my personality. When I’m creating a visual memoir through my surroundings, I can’t stop. I’m always revealing a new aspect of my personality as I discover it. I edit, weed out what I outgrow, make subtle and significant decorating changes as the chapters of my life allow for or demand the rewrites.

Whether you’re writing a book or creating a home, you need to bring a sense of passion to your work. Let your passion be your muse and let her guide you to trust your instincts. Aspire to live surrounded only by those things that you passionately love. With passion, every room in your home and every chapter in your book can tell the story about the extraordinary person who, so gracefully, put them together.

Love,

Carmen Monica

Miracles do happen.  All you have to do is believe that everything you need it will be given to you. The universe has a funny way of returning what you ask for. So, it is best to be cautious when you make a wish because you may get it and realize that it wasn’t what you wanted.

I never stop believing that if I work hard enough, if I put my heart into things, everything will fall into place. One day, I met a woman with dreams in her eyes and hopes in her heart, who set herself to win the world with her kindness, talent, joy, positive attitude about things and events. She thought that if she spread her love over her peers, she would make a difference. She didn’t want recognition, she didn’t seek awards. All she desired was bringing harmony among people. Day after day after day, she sensed the ice wall she had built around herself melting, and she allowed all types of characters inside her life. Some brought a positive influence in her life, but some terrified her. She stopped one day and asked herself what she should do. She asked herself how it happened that people enjoyed hurting each other rather than helping each other. Why did they treat themselves poorly? She felt to her knees and asked God what to do. A voice told her that all she had to do is believe that things will get better.

And she started to think that one-day things would improve. She discovered the joy of meeting new people, chatting with old friends, and most importantly, she rediscovered herself. She realized she couldn’t change the past, but she learned from it. The woman concentrated on what the future had to bring. She realized that everything taught her something. Soon, she acquired new skills and made new friends. The woman, who thought that she would bring a contribution to changing the world, changed her approach toward things. She had learned that the higher she climbed on the ladder, the more compromises she would have to make. She remembered God’s promise that all she had to do was believe.

One day, after many, many unsuccessful tries, something wonderful happened. She connected with an old friend who told this: “Let it go for my sake if not yours. Look onward and upward. Your future is bright and awaits you. Do what makes you happy. Don’t try to fulfill someone else’s dreams. Whatever may be good for someone, it may not be right for you.”

Miracles happen. They appear in the shape of a friend, they come in a dream, they are everywhere if we open our eyes to see them. If you open your heart to the beauty surrounding you and follow the song of your own heart, you will arrive at the right destination.

Love,

Carmen Monica

Today I will talk about gratitude. Every time we are feeling grateful we are in fact giving love. Whatever we give is what we receive. If we give thanks to a person or feel grateful for a vacation, or a sunset, we give love to those things. By practicing gratitude, we built a way of receiving back more joy, more health, more amazing experiences, more opportunities, and more incredible experiences.

If we are grateful for the things we have, no matter how small they may be, we’ll receive more of those things. If we are grateful for the money we have, however little, we will receive more money. If we are thankful for a relationship, even if it’s not perfect, the relationship will get better. If we are grateful for the jobs we have, even if they are not the dream jobs, we will receive better opportunities in our work.

Gratitude starts with saying —thank you— and feel it with all your heart. The more we start to say thank you, the more we feel it. If we use gratitude a little, our lives will change a little. If we use gratitude a lot, our lives will change in ways we can hardly imagine. Gratitude eliminates all the negative things. No matter what negative situations we may find ourselves in, we can always find something to be grateful for.

Henry David Thoreau said that if we are “quiet and ready enough, we will find compensation in every disappointment.”

Love,

Carmen Monica