❓ Which are YOUR life mottos?! ❓ ! I recorded mine during a lovely mid-year-reflection journaling workshop. Allow me to explain my mottos👇 🌈 Equanimity - the skill of remaining calm in the face of challenge, a lesson I learned through silent meditation retreats. 💡 Be LIGHT - as in feeling light and joyful, and being a guiding light for others. 🐐 GOAT goat - As a Capricorn, I tend to have determination and loyalty, so I might as well be the greatest at it! 🌟 Create magic - I use the "ingredients" I have to creatively produce the best possible result, inspired by the words of relational skills coach Matthew Hussey 💫 Even this shall pass - everything in us and around us is an incredible set of vibrating molecules, constantly arising and passing, something to remember when going through stressful times 🎈 Breathe! - Conscious breathing is a way to confirm we are centered, calm, in-tune with our body and focused ❤️ I love you - I did not grow up hearing this affirmation, so I have to remember to shower myself with self appreciation.

Our degree of vulnerability to be suddenly triggered from sensory experiences or events we perceive to be threatening to our mental, emotional and physical balance and safety, is directly proportional to the amount of traumatic and unhealed experiences we have had. This is why it is important to be aware and tuned-in to our own triggers (so that we can help ourselves mitigate them and our reactions to them) and to be aware of what might happen to others, to be able to support them. For example, a child that loses their friends to an earthquake is at greater risk of being mentally-emotionally triggered by an earthquake drill at their school just days or weeks after their loss. Similarly, a random conversation with someone about death might trigger in them unprocessed feelings about a great danger they had to their own life (or the life of someone they loved) in the past.

A metallic egg-shaped structure, made up of words/concepts and emotional expressions, realistically representing human nature, is traveling in exhibitions around the world. The artist is @alexandros_yiorkadjis and the piece is titled "Vibrational Ego Trip". As part of his background research for this piece, Alexandros took a deep dive into the human psyche and its products, starting from our physical world (Earth - our home), to biodiversity, ecological disaster, mistreatment of animals, war/violence, capitalism, technology, atomic/nuclear power, psychology, collective unconscious, religions, art, peace movements, spirituality, energy fields, meditation, metaphysics, parapsychology, death & reincarnation, extreme (ad)ventures, shamanism, indigenous practices, quantum physics and consciousness. The human mind is an incredible, complex and mysterious entity; it can be a creative gift and a destructive weapon at the same time. Alexandros' work taps very well into this dichotomy.

Life is full of small and big challenges which lead to small and big life lessons. Big life challenges, such as natural catastrophes, war, physical disabilities, serious illness, violence and global pandemics, affect millions of children and adults around the globe. Beyond those, other challenges are forcing us to demonstrate our ability to re-organize our daily routines, endure stress, collaborate with others and find meaning. When we had the first Covid19 lockdown in March 2020, I had already been dealing with the physical and social restrictions brought upon me by orthopedic surgery I had on my left heel in December 2019. Six months earlier (June 2019), I had suffered a fracture on that heel and X-rays revealed that a rare tumor-like, benign cyst had eaten away, almost entirely, my heel bone. This temporary disability was very challenging on a physical, social and emotional level. I missed out on opportunities to work, travel, socialize and exercise, while being restricted at home and in a lot of physical pain. At the same time, it pushed me to show determination in finding the best available medical treatment, creativity in dealing with my day-to-day life at home and resilience in order to gradually help my body regain its strength. The life lesson I earned from my experience was shared through the World Wisdom Map of Project Fuel [https://worldwisdommap.com/lesson/life-lesson-52], a project created to uniquely “document the life lessons and stories of people from each of the 195 countries in the world”. I encourage you to explore the life lessons shared on the World Wisdom Map. You'll find stories about resilience, patience, gratitude, realization, hope, growth, kindness, responsibility, courage, happiness, and inspiration from how others have dealt with change, negative experiences and intense emotions. It's an opportunity for you to learn about geography, emotions, values, motivations, positive outcomes, the process of discovery and the meaning of constructive relationships with others.

I believe we are a synthesis of many elements and processes, a synthesis which appears from moment to moment, depending on particular triggering conditions. Physically, we are made up of the same physical/chemical particles as the universe. If we are born with any physical limitations, those affect our path and the skills we develop. Any serious injuries we have in our life can also impact our trajectory and our perspective. The tender care and bodily safety our caregivers provide (or not) impact our self-worth. Socially, we are impacted by the systems in which we grow up - family, school, politics. Our cultural backgrounds also play a role in what we identify ourselves with and call “home”. Social, educational, economic and religious opportunities and marginalizing also affect us. The living conditions and infrastructure (or lack of) we grow up with, also play a role. Emotionally, the quality of relationships we experience impact our sense of inner peace. The narratives we have been hearing and constructing about us also impact who we become. The meaning we discover through our life’s challenging situations impacts our beliefs. Our subconscious is triggered and energetically loaded by what we categorize as suffering. Historically, we are a product of skills we cultivated (or left undeveloped) in our past lives. Our genetic makeup is impacted by previous generations and the care we received as a fetus. We are also a manifestation of our cosmic natal chart and our alignment with other characters. Our geographical locations, from growing up to traveling, expose us to issues and wisdom.