Tag: Life

Finding Peace in the Present Moment

In a world that constantly urges us to chase, hustle, and fix ourselves, we often forget one of life’s simplest truths: peace isn’t something we find—it’s something we allow.

There’s a quiet beauty in realizing that nothing more needs to happen for you to feel whole. Not tomorrow, not next year. It doesn’t require a perfect life, a solved problem, or a shiny future. Peace can meet you right here, in the stillness between breaths and in the quiet acceptance of this very moment. Right now, there is peace available—if you allow yourself to feel it.

The Power of Acceptance
Peace begins the moment we stop resisting what is. That doesn’t mean we give up on our dreams or settle for less than we deserve. It simply means we stop fighting the current of life and learn to flow with it.

Acceptance doesn’t mean passive resignation. It means honoring where you are, how you feel, and who you are in this moment, without judgment. From that place of clarity, we can move forward with more kindness, purpose, and ease.

Letting Go of the Illusion of Control
So much of our inner turmoil stems from trying to control things that are beyond our grasp—other people’s actions, the future, the past. But peace arrives the moment we release that tight grip and trust that, even when things don’t go according to our plans, they unfold as they should.

Life is never perfect, but it is always sacred. The chaos, the stillness, the joy, the grief—all of it belongs. And all of it can teach us something about who we are and what we value.

Embracing the Ordinary
Sometimes we think peace will come once everything is in place—when we get the promotion, meet the right person, or heal every wound. But peace is often found in the ordinary: the quiet of the early morning, the warmth of sunlight on your skin, the sound of laughter, the gentle rhythm of your breath.

You don’t need to wait for a perfect moment. This moment is enough. You are enough.

A Gentle Invitation
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or lost, pause. Breathe. Place your hand on your heart and remind yourself: I am present. I am here. I am alive.
There is nothing to prove. Nothing to fix. Nothing to chase.
You don’t need to be healed. You don’t need to have all the answers.
You are allowed to feel at peace with your life, even if it’s not perfect. Especially then. Because peace isn’t found in perfection. It’s found in presence.

Peace Lives In Presence
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to soften.
You are allowed to be at peace, right now.

And in that peace, you’ll find not only calm… but clarity, strength, and a deeper connection to the wonder of simply being alive.

The Farmer and the Horse

Recently, I had to give a reflection before a regular meeting. As I prepared for it, I came across a parable that was not only connected to what I had been thinking about but also relevant to my work as a Resident Faculty. The parable is called “The Farmer and the Horse.”

There was a farmer in a small village with a single horse who helped him earn a living for his family. The other villagers constantly told the farmer how lucky he was to have such a great horse.

“Maybe,” he would reply.

One day, the horse ran away. The villagers came to the farmer to express their sympathies.

“Your horse ran away. How unfortunate!” the villagers exclaimed.

“Maybe,” the farmer replied.

A few days later, the horse returned home with ten strong wild horses in tow.

“What good fortune. What incredible luck!” the villagers crowed.

“Maybe,” the farmer again replied.

The following week, the farmer’s son was riding on one of the wild horses in the fields, when it kicked him off and broke his leg. The villagers arrived to express their dismay.

“What dismal luck,” they said.

“Maybe,” the farmer replied.

The next month, a military officer marched into the village, recruiting able-bodied young men for the war. The farmer’s son, with his broken leg, was left behind.

The villagers were joyful. “Your son has been spared, what beautiful luck!”

The farmer simply smiled, “Maybe.”

In my work with high school teenagers, one of the most important things that I’ve learned and have tried to do is to avoid judgment. It is human nature to judge because we compare what we see or observe to our lived experiences. That’s how we make sense of the world. In our conversations, it’s difficult but essential to separate the narrative from the facts. In the story, The villagers decide at every instance whether what happened was good or bad. The farmer, however, accepts the reality as it is and allows the space for the events to unfold, to exist, to just be. As Steve Jobs said in his Stanford commencement address, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”

When a student makes a mistake or comes to us with a problem, sometimes it’s easy to think, “Oh, that’s dumb” or “Come on, there are simple solutions” or “Why didn’t you think about the consequences?” These judgments come to mind because as adults, we “know better.” But more often than not, we probably made the same mistake and had the same problem and there was probably an adult that thought the same about us when we were younger.

So, instead of making judgments about whatever situation students encounter or bring up, be empathetic and understanding, recognize their thoughts and feelings, acknowledge their emotions, and help them to the best of your ability. This applies to everyday life as well and is part of practicing mindfulness for ourselves because sometimes, we are our own harshest critics.

Embarking on another journey…

I meant to write this before I left for Chile, but I’ve just been really busy and haven’t had the time to really sit down and write anything. I’ve been here for 3 weeks now and it’s been freaking awesome! Let’s start with the first week in Santiago…this is gonna take a while since I’m doing this by memory.

The first day I arrived was pretty ugly…it was cold and rainy and foggy and cloudy when I got to the airport, and it was cold. Anyway, after an hour or so I got to the hostel…and must I say it’s one of the nicest hostels that I’ve stayed at…screw Rocking J’s. Anyway, since I arrived early there weren’t that many volunteers there yet. I took a shower and nap and later in the afternoon, more volunteers started showing up. Basically, it was greet and meet and whatnot. Drank some wine…some beer, then ate dinner and went out to this place called Dublin, an Irish Pub…go figures. Tasted my first Pisco Sour and found out that one shot of whiskey actually means two…they give you a shitload here. Anyway…some of us left earlier to go to bed because we wanted to visit el Cerro San Cristobal the next morning to attend mass and so we did.

The next day we got up pretty early, ate breakfast, and left to take the metro. Apparently, it was a holiday so after we got to the bottom of the hill, instead of having to walk up (which would taken an hour at least), we got to take the tram up for free. It reminded me of the tram that goes up to the peak in Hong Kong. So we got up, walked a little more then attended mass in the little church. After that, we took some pictures and saw the Virgen and left. Not gonna go into details. We then took the metro to Santa Lucia to visit the fort which was built about a century ago as a lookout for enemies (Spaniards). It was really sunny so we got to see the mountains. After that, we left and went back to the hostel for the 4 pm meeting thing. Met almost everyone else. Took some visa photos…and took the Spanish diagnostic test thing. Then I think we went to dinner or something…

The first day of orientation was tiring…and after the first few days it was really getting a little boring…breakfast sucked at the hostel…dinner sucked too. Anyway, the orientation consisted of a TEFL workshop, Spanish classes, and informational meetings. At the end of the week we found out our placements and host family and got the news that the strike was over (It was a strike that lasted 3 weeks and in most regions, there was no school). Anyway, we also found out the time that we had to leave for our regions. Luckily, I was in the Los Rios region so we had an extra day in Santiago. So, all of us going to Los Rios decided to take a day trip to Valparaiso. It was another cloudy day but it was still nice. We went up the Concepcion hill and another one whose name I don’t remember. Also visited the port and whatnot. It was a nice trip. After that, we went back to the hostel and got ready for our 10-hour bus ride.

The bus ride wasn’t all that bad…I slept the whole way (it was an overnight ride) and the seats were semi-cama so it was nice. We got to Valdivia around 8 or 9 I don’t remember exactly. Met the regional coordinator and some other people. Then our host families came and picked us up…I was the first to go.

My host dad came to pick me up. We talked and I had a hard time understanding because of the Chilean accent. Anyway, I’m used to it now. So, the family that I’m living with is really awesome. Mom, Dad, and 5 kids…4 daughters and a 5 year old boy. The youngest daughter goes to the school INSAT (Instituto Superior de Administracion y Turismo) which is the school I work at. The two older daughters are both getting married by next Feb. The other one studies at a local university.

The first two weeks have been really awesome. My host teacher is really really nice. The students are also nice, but since they’re high school students discipline is always an issue. It reminded me of (junior) high school in Hong Kong, except this time I’m the teacher and I’ve got the power! I have to work 24 hours a week plus some extra hours for planning with my host teacher and doing some extracurricular activities.

It’s been great also because I’ve been exposed to a lot of the cultural aspects already. There are always gatherings and such at the house. Families are really close here. Last weekend we cooked over 150 lbs of seafood…and I’m not kidding…it was cooked in some of the biggest pots that I’ve seen. They call it ‘Pulmay’, which is basically a seafood combo with chicken, potatoes, and soup. I also had cazuela, sopaipillas, and some other local yummy tasty food whose names I don’t remember. That’s about it. So, so far it’s been great.

I made a list of things I learned from Costa Rica, and I’m planning to make one for Chile also…already have a lot…just waiting for it.

Oh, and this program that I’m on is called English Opens Doors. It’s a program funded by the Ministry of Education and the government here in Chile. I recommend it.

Random thoughts at night…

May it be the moon, the stars, the darkness or that mysterious atmosphere deep in the night, thoughts and feelings always surge at this time of day, well, night. Haven’t written in a while because life has been pretty ordinary. I’ve been reading up on a lot of things that I want to learn on my own because I don’t have nor wish to spend the time or money to take classes and study. That desire isn’t strong enough. I’ve also been having doubts about wanting to travel and see the world mainly because even though I’ve been self-sufficient in teaching English and traveling, I feel like I should be looking for a long-term well-paying job to support my parents. My Dad’s work schedule has been cut in half (due to the economic recession of course) and it’s pretty much impossible for him to change jobs because his English isn’t that good. They sacrificed so much for my sister and I moving to the US. I know that we’re still pretty well off and they want me to see the world and I will. I just need to find a high-paying job that allows me to travel…right…shouldn’t be that hard…*roll eyes* *scoff*

NBA Playoffs have been sweeeeet, 8 games in 2 days. I love Family Guy, it was on earlier on Adultswim. Had a glass of milk and I’ve been eating spicy food…so damn good. The clock is ticking, I wish I was at the beach. The Fifth Element is on right now, Chris Tucker is funny…haha…ok, done rambling. Later gator.

2 weeks in

Haven’t eaten beans for 2 weeks…I miss casados…even though I’ve been eating SO WELL maaaaan. It’s great being back home, feels like I’ve never left. Siento extraño en que estoy rodeado de la gente quien habla solo ingles. Y también las programas que están en ingles pero no hay subtítulos. Y que no se atardece hasta mas tarde en la noche. Y que hace muchísimo frío! Es posible que voy a quedar aquí por 2 meses mas…y ya quiero viajar y ir a un nuevo lugar. Sip, algunos de mis mejores amigos están aquí y sip, mi familia también y la extraño, sin embargo, mi deseo de viajar y ver el mundo esta mucho mas fuerte que los demás. Bueno, cambia de tema…

…El desempleo aquí en California es muy grave. Todavía estoy buscando un trabajo a medio tiempo. La verdad es que siento malo porque mucho trabajo requiere que queda por lo menos 3 meses o mas y solo quedo 2 meses, no quiero mentir que voy a trabajar mas y después sale. Bueno, no importa…Cheers!

Letting go isn’t the end of the world…

It’s the beginning of a new life. 2 more days left until leaving Costa Rica behind for good. Bittersweet is really the only word to describe this feeling. Still don’t know what to do yet once I get home…I’ll figure it out when I get back…never the one who plans.

—> Just got back from buying some gifts downtown. It’s weird because it was probably the last time taking the Carmiol bus to downtown San Jose and walking down Avenida Central…which brought back many memories. San Jose has been my home for a long while and every time getting back to San Jose from the beach it feels like home, it’s comfortable and familiar and I know exactly where I am. Definitely immersed in the culture and everything now and like every other experience it has to end sometime. Even though I didn’t take any Spanish classes here and I’ve been teaching English almost every day, my Spanish still improved a lot. There’s only so much to learn in class. I also thought of more things that I’ve learned about Costa Rica:

34. You’re not supposed to throw toilet paper into the toilet, use the garbage bin.
35. Cover your mouth with your left hand and finger smack with the right hand while you laugh or something funny happens.
36. Ticos love checking out girls, and I don’t mean just looking top to bottom, their heads follow the girl left to right and right to left and their heads move in sync…it’s amazing really.
37. No army here.
38. Nightclub here doesn’t mean a bar/club/disco, it means a strip club.
39. Red light doesn’t mean shit here when there aren’t many cars.
40. Always support local businesses, even an extra dollar for tips means a lot here.
41. “Costa Rica Named First BioGem Country by NRDC”
42. Huge differences between the Caribbean Coast and the Pacific Coast.
43. They play soccer on basketball courts…
44. Honking is a warning to other drivers that you’re crossing an intersection so they don’t crash into you, it’s a signal, and they converse with it, especially cab drivers.
45. Pura Vida!

That’s about it really…this kinda marks the end of my journey here in Costa Rica…and so, here I am, packing up and getting ready to leave otra vez…

1:25 am, 3/9 ——-> Estoy disfrutando mis últimos momentos en Casa Luna y Costa Rica. En unas horas voy a salir para el aeropuerto, otra vez. Estoy triste y no voy a esconderlo. Este me ha pasado muchas veces y estoy acostumbrado. El fin nunca es el fin, es el comienzo de algo nuevo. Bueno ya, tengo que tomar una siesta porque estoy muy cansado de anoche.

Life is a series of rooms…

…and who we get stuck in the rooms with adds up to what our lives are (If you know where this is from you are my new best friend). It’s always the hardest to leave people behind. We hold the key to unlocking the door leading to other rooms. The door is there and ultimately we have to walk through it, can’t stay forever. Rooms can change and furniture can be rearranged, but the person living there stays the same. His or her appearance might change with time and might be deceiving but deep down inside, they’re still the same. People don’t change. They want to change. They want to believe that they can change but they don’t. Personality stays forever. It’s the decisions they make that give the illusion of change. Those decisions are what make us different.

Having said that, not sure where to go from here. The point is, my life has been very fortunate and blessed to be stuck with so many good people. Things I can take with me. Places I can revisit. It’s the people that I miss and will always miss. Live and treasure the moments of each day, especially today because it’s a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.

(Near) future plans

3/12 – Leave for home
—–> Save up for Chile: Part-time? Tutor? Spanish Classes? Self-Study?
5/30 – Chile English Open Doors
——–> 6/15 First day teaching
——–> 7/17 – 7/31 Winter Break
——–> 8/3 – Second Term
——–> 11/20 – Last day
——–> 11/28 – Leave for home

Chile —–> Travel to Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil (If possible)

12/2009 – Stay home for Christmas

1/2010 – 6 months in Spain

6/2010 – Africa World Cup (Travel Africa if possible)

Start French – 8/2010 – France? Canada? —–> 1 year (Travel Europe)

8/2011 – Done with Spanish/French – Master’s? Peace Corps? (Japanese, Italian, Portuguese) – 2 years

After Master’s/Peace Corps – Teach in Asia – 1 year (Travel Asia)

12/21/2012 – If the World doesn’t end…(And it won’t)

———-> Just some thoughts and plans…

A special entry / Una entrada especial

I figured I’d write this entry in both English and Spanish since I’m starting to have so many friends who only speak Spanish.

Tears are the blood of the soul as San Agustín said, and eyes are the windows to the soul. I don’t shed tears anymore. As I’ve said many times before, I’ll never stay and I understand that. I am and will always leave people, places, and things I’ve got to know behind. Tears will not stop that from happening. It’s interesting because some of my students asked me about my plans for the future and after I told them, the first advice that I got was that it’s pretty much impossible for me to sustain a relationship because of my constant desire to travel and move from place to place. People say it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all…I say it’s best to just not love at all. Pain and damage to the heart will never heal. It really hurts. I don’t mean to be sentimental but it is how it is. I learned to live with it. I would love more than anything in the world to leave it to fate except the thought of not having control over my life I really cannot stand. The point is, I try to move on. I try to not let my heart be involved. I tried and failed. Feelings past. It’s always hard but I’ll heal. Though it won’t be the same ever again.

————————————————————————————————-

Supuse que escribiría esta entrada en ambos ingles y español puesto que empiece tener mas amigos quien hablan solo español.

Las lágrimas son la sangre del alma como dijo San Agustín, y los ojos son el espejo del alma. Ya no derramé ningunas lágrimas. Como he dicho antes muchas veces, nunca voy a quedarme y eso me entiendo. Siempre voy a dejar atrás la gente, los lugares y las cosas que me había familiarizado. Las lágrimas no pueden evitarlo de eso. Me fascina porque unos de mis estudiantes me preguntaron sobre mis planes en el futuro y después de les conté, el primero consejo que me dijeron era que es casi imposible mantener una relación por mi deseo constante de viajar y cambiar a otros lugares. Dice que es mejor ha amado y ha sufrido un desamor que no ha amado nunca…bueno, digo que es lo mejor no ama nunca. El dolor y el daño a la corazon nunca curarán y le duele mucho. Eso es lo que sea. Aprendido vivir con eso. Me encantaría dejarlo al destino más que todo el mundo menos que no puedo creer en que no tengo control sobre mi vida. El hecho es que trato continuar con la vida. Trato de no deja mi corazón involucrada. Traté y fracasé. Sentimientos pasan. Siempre es difícil pero voy a curar. Aunque no vaya a ser lo mismo nunca.

Well…it’s 2:42 am…it’s late (or early)…I’m going to bed.

Bueno…ya es 2:42…muy tarde (o temprano)…voy a dormirme.

Out of sight, out of mind

Not really.

Too tired right now…I’ll expand on it later.

—–> 4 days later…

Solo cuando no hay aun un secundo para pensar. Algunos pueden ahuyentar todos los pensamientos pero no lo puedo. Es difícil porque me cuesta mucho tiempo dormirme, aunque sea cansado. Dice que si no lo soñarle se vuelve loco, quizás, porque todos lo que obtiene el mente subconsciencia durante el día están en el mente pero la consciencia no los trata entonces, la subconsciencia los trata cuando la consciencia está descansado en la noche. Y esos pensamientos se forman los sueños. A veces las cosas que pensó todo el día se forman los sueños también. Hay un dicho en Chino que dice “lo que piensa en el día, lo piensa en sueño”. Bueno.

Seis días…porque solo es ella. Aunque sea por un minuto.