A Day At The Beach

♪ Y aunque parezcas despistado, con ese caminar pausado,
conozco la razón que hace doler tu corazón… ♪

I was finally able to take time for myself, away from the screen. I accidentally got sunburnt, but at least I got there. So I could make this compilation of my surroundings at the beach. Surprisingly, I did end up moving quite close to it and, for that, I rejoice!

PS: The song coming to mind for this occasion, though I can personally relate as well, reminds me of all the devoted healers out there, putting in the work to mend the wounds of the innocent and/or the unfairly treated. 😌

When You're Being Watched

Nothing like being watched to bring back your inhibitions. Suddenly, things you forgot or weren’t even aware you were insecure about are making you self-conscious. It makes you nervous, cripplingly so, and embarrassed, to further your detriment.

A lot of the time, however, we are being too harsh on ourselves, too nitpicky. Maybe because we know that others will be so. But even if they are, should it matter that much? Isn’t that a THEM issue rather than a YOU issue? And if that’s the case, maybe you could use more self-acceptance, coming to terms with the things you don’t like so much about yourself or even learn to appreciate them if they can be.

Confidence, not arrogance, can go a long way in immunizing you to unkind stares. Remembering that you’re the whole package and, unless there’s something seriously wrong about you, to be truly concerned about, you’re not some sort of freak of nature that’s failing so badly at being within what’s normal or, if actually odd or outstanding, failing at what can be considered worthwhile. Therefore, any cruel judgments are unmerited.

Nevertheless, we may want to put our best forth. If not for those who love us, then at least to not give the satisfaction to those who hate us of seeing us at our worst. If that’s the case, preparation and improvements could be due.

We could also benefit from tuning out. If you can trust that you will operate according to your standards, being attuned to what others might be perceiving and interpreting would be needless and counterproductive, holding you back from flowing smoothly.

Furthermore, have solid arguments in your defense. For any incoming attacks aimed at any vulnerability, or what might look like such, so you can’t be hit and thrown off. You don’t necessarily have to debate it, you don’t have to explain yourself either, but you should definitely have them for yourself so that you can remain unbothered.

Another trick is to return the humiliation. However, that’s not a very ‘zen’ thing to do. It is effective, though. If anyone’s giving you nasty stares over something of yours, give them some back over something of theirs.

Ideally, you’d have enough privacy to not have your guard up all the time, but when you’re being watched, at least this much can make it manageable.

Message In a Bottle

What if you wanted or needed to sneak in an extra message? Something that’d get the attention from only a few. Normally, it’s what we do when we whisper, gesture, or make expressions towards those who can see and hear us, leaving out the rest from the little secret.

It’s nothing new. Is it kind of rude? Yes, when you’re not in it. But then again, there are way worse things in life. And when it comes to art, multiple messages, some less obvious than others, are to be expected. The question is then: Are you paying close attention?

If you’re invested enough to be able to tell when something is off or might have an added meaning, you’re already past the door and into the circle of people who ‘get it’. Are you welcome there or not, however? That still depends. 

Let’s say you’re making art and you’d like to add hidden messages for a minority. A specific target audience, your most invested participants, and such. There are a few ways to go about it. And you can choose the ones that suit your style and/or fit the level of discretion that you’re aiming for.

- Put it in something you don’t regularly do. An extra piece that isn’t quite like the others.

- Put it in your regular pieces, but subtly highlight it by consistently adding a mark that signals that it should be read further into.

- “Casually” add background music with lyrics that speak for you.

- “Casually” add background signs that point towards or literally say it.

- Have a separate collection or via through which your work, though it may seem normal, always carries hidden messages.

Then it is a matter of giving them the time to recognize these quirks, along with your particular patterns. You can think of more ways, of course, there are plenty, but these are some of the least messy, yet still “hidden in plain sight”, sort. And you can continue to go about your day job as if you haven’t been doing anything extra and sneaky.

Later on, whether you will admit to any of this more explicitly, it is for you to decide. You shouldn’t be messing with people’s heads and hearts, causing psychological harm or worse. But if it’s all just been without ill intent or even for valid reasons, and you’ve kept yourself in check (beware of using symbols or “symbols” that should be respected and/or avoided, etc.), you can have a clear conscience.

Virgo's Season

♍ VIRGO

As we enter the season of Virgo, it is believed that the universe will be affecting us with energies that will cause us to examine our lives and focus on improvement. We will be more in tune with our analytical minds, and abilities to solve and perfect will be enhanced. If you are receptive to them, you might be imbued with clarity and precision. If you are resistant to them, you might be conflicted with overthinking and self-criticism. If you are completely blocked out, you might not notice them at all. And if you don't pay enough attention, you might miss opportunities to refine your goals.

Motivational Quote: "Small steps make the biggest difference."

For context and more of relevance, please read about The Zodiac.

The Glow Up

You are beautiful when you glow. When you don’t too, but this is a different kind.

The term glow up is often casually used to refer to surface levels of improvements, making your appearance more appealing, typically based on the current or surrounding beauty standards. And while that’s fine, there can also be a lot more to it. You could be glowing from the inside out.

When this is the case, it’s not only a physical beauty, but a spiritual one as well. You feel good inside, you’re centered and balanced, and you are at peace and ease. And that comes through. May even be somewhat contagious, helping induce a similar state in others when they’re in proximity. Call it pleasant vibes or aura.  

It is thorough work, though. Suppressing, denying and ignoring won’t do. If there is something bothering you, it must be addressed. Exposed and acknowledged. Maybe you can’t fix everything fully, but at least enough to outshine any foul moods and states that these issues may be causing in you.

You must tend to your body, yes, but also to your mind, to your heart, and to your spirit. Tend to the physiological but also to the psychological. And that might be your biggest flex - to be so thoroughly taken care of that there is nothing to envy in others or resent them for. You are feeling great about yourself and what else is there to worry about when you’re in optimal shape?

Unfortunately, though, some of the worst people you’ll meet will be drawn to you when you’re at your best. And if you’re not careful, if you don’t fiercely protect yourself, your energy and your whole being, along with your lifestyle, they could drain and destroy you to the point where you’ll become unrecognizable. These are people who feed off you and/or who just despise that you vibrate so high and have so much of what they lack. Some of them may not even seem like it, they may look like they have it even better than you. But if they operate with malice and disregard for your wellbeing, chances are that they do not.

You may be accused of being “stuck up” because you are confident and secure in yourself, enough to not get too close or invested in what damages you, and likely many others who also cared genuinely about you, so arduously worked towards. Let them and keep your head high.

Retrieving Your Spark

You let yourself go and you wish to get back to yourself? That can be done. It might not be an overnight job, but you’ll get there after taking the required steps.

If, for whatever reason(s), you find yourself somewhere you’d rather not be, grab a pen and a notebook (tangible, to give yourself off-screen and grounding time, and/or virtual, as the convenience of the extra features available can go a long way) and start taking notes. It’ll help you identify, outline, and break apart what is happening and what has to be done to remedy it.

It may be that you’re disconnected from yourself, from what really makes you come alive, what fulfills you and takes you closer to your self-actualization. And it may be that you’ve overlooked the importance of tending to the little, yet essential, self-care tasks that keep you in shape, running smoothly and safely, which eventually hinders all. Maybe you pushed yourself too far, too.

You can take your notes however it is best for you. But one approach to it would be the following:

- Note everything that is currently wrong or off.

- Note what of that is within your reach to fix.

- Note what is messing them up and what could sort them out.

- Note your priorities, which issues you will tackle first and which afterwards.

- Note your timeframe (though remind yourself that you can be flexible) for having them settled.

Depending on how much there is to work on, it could be anything from a week to years. However, don’t let that discourage you. The mere act of getting yourself on track to make progress is already rewarding. Wouldn’t choose to just give up on yourself, would you?

Some of us had it especially tough because we had to undo years and years of harmful treatment and conditioning, breaking cycles and habits, examining beliefs. And we would have to get to know ourselves because we didn’t get a chance to before (or are called to do so more thoroughly). In order to have a shot at becoming and being our own glowing selves. Hence, retrieving your spark might not be so readily on sight and instead get tricky, to say the least. However, once you learn and know how to bring it about, it gets easier to do for other instances in which you later lose it. Then you might, as well, be able to steadily maintain it.

The Glow Down

It is true, it shows on the outside what is going on in the inside. If you’re in circumstances, situations, or relationships that are more stressful than they are relieving, it will be reflected. Not only psychologically, but also physically.

Your skin might dry out, you might get acne, your hair could fall out, or it may thin and gray, you could start putting on weight, inflammation here and there, along with dark circles around your eyes, or even a pale “dead” look. Along all that, you might not even find it in yourself to take as much care of yourself as you otherwise would.

And while many of these consequences are reversible, they can still take a lot to get rid of once they’ve begun. What’s worse, though, is that some can be permanent. You can literally age faster when put under severe stress. And that’s without touching the very real damage that it can cause to your brain.

So you may call it vanity or what you will, but this is part of why hanging and sticking around people and places that strain you isn’t recommendable. You don’t get a badge of honor for enduring detrimental treatment or labor. What you get is your suffering reflected on you.

Sure, we can’t always be chasing absolute bliss, pushing away and shutting out everything and everyone who isn’t that for us. But we can seek to reduce and counter those moments that take a toll on us. Setting clear boundaries and making room for nourishing activities, having no reluctance to ignore and dismiss any guilt-tripping that could come our way about it.

Some people are martyrs and expect you to be too. And some people are abusers and expect you to allow abuse. Neither should have a say on what you do and don’t do with your life. It is the people who yearn to see you doing well, and who even help you move toward this, whose opinions matter.

We don’t always realize when we’re pushing beyond what we can properly handle, probably being caught up in the frenzy of tending to whatever it is that’s consuming us. So when these things start to happen, when you’re glowing down, they can be taken as symptoms to realize that a change is required.

Leeches but Also...

You would (mistakenly) think that, with all these leeches that show up wherever there is abundance or abundance in the making, it is all that is out there. But it is not.

There are also those who come to be a part of it and give their best, who honor and support it within their abilities, to make it even grander. As though devoted to building something greater than themselves alone.

They bring encouragement, guidance, insight, relief, and even protection. BESIDES fulfilling their own roles. And so much MORE.