Can you accept yourself?

"TO ME, BEAUTY IS ABOUT BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN. IT'S ABOUT KNOWING AND ACCEPTING WHO YOU ARE"

Ellen Degeneres (The Ellen Show)

When I finished watching the short video "Comfortable", I felt like crying. I know, it may sound ridiculous! But, apart from the fact that I'm a (too) sensitive person, it awakened in me a range of emotions and thoughts that usually come to my mind -but that I never face.

For me, it was enlightening to see the way different people react to the question "If you could change one part of your body, what would it be?"... and actually, I felt quite identified with them. But then, when we start listening to the testimonies of the kids, we realise that many of us -including me- at some point of our lives, lost that simplicity which characterises childhood. They are happy just the way they are!

Seriously, I cannot recall when was the last time I felt really satisfied with my physical appearance... I guess it was at seven. Then, someone called me "giraffe" and I started thinking something was wrong; though it was just a silly nickname. I grew up and I started wearing make up, and trying to look like my Barbie doll, which was supposed to be "beautiful". Even yesterday, I was looking at some pictures that girls upload in Facebook; considering all the things I should change to look that way (I need to have a sun-tan, stop eating certain things, exercise more, and so forth). And now that I came across with this video, I started reflecting about the misconception of "beauty" that I've held so far, and how important it is to put it under judgement.

It's not easy to live in a society which imposes us beauty patterns that are so hard to satisfy. "You must have a slim body... a pretty face... you must dress this way..." are the messages implied in most of the ads we see. Fictional models bomb us in the Media, and we -at least I- keep on comparing myself to those standards that we seem obliged to fit.

But it's never too late. Indeed, you cannot go back to your childhood. But you can start today, right now, to value all the beautiful things that you have, and to accept those sides you don't like that much as part of "being yourself". You can discover that your appearance might last a few decades, but your inner beauty will last forever!

Look at yourself in the mirror... That's who you are! A wonderful, UNIQUE human being... a treasure! Never forget that.

"IF YOU have good thoughts they will SHINE OUT OF YOUR FACE like sunbeams and YOU WILL ALWAYS look beautiful!"

Roald Dahl

Our teenagers' models

Yes, we all had our idols when we were teenagers, Singers, actors, TV characters, sportsmen... You might remember listening to the Backstreet Boys, the Spice girls, Britney Spears (when she wore sportive clothes), Hanson, N'Sync or Madonna, among the most popular ones.

Now, let's have a look at some of the young idols at the present times... We've got, for example, Miley Cirus, who used to be an innocent Disney girl in the series "Hanna Montana". Well, something changed. Really changed. There's nothing left of that naïve girl, and we've met a provocative and rebellious singer instead, who appears naked in her videoclips and consumes drugs in her shows. It´s true, we can do whatever we want as long as it doesn't damage others... But what about giving that public example to millions of children and teenagers all over the world?

Here we have another popular singer who has plenty of teenage followers: Lady Gaga. She's become famous for bizarre live shows and lyrics, as well as hideous outfits, like one made of real meat. Do you think this sets a healthy example to imitate?

And we cannot fail to mention a young boy who has won many female hearts: Justin Bieber. Several scandals have marked his career as a singer, including being arrested for driving drunk and not completing a show because of being too drugged. Here, in Argentina, he kicked a national flag off stage and he also mistaken the name of our country.

All in all, it's high time we talked to our sisters, daughters and young students... we have to reflect upon the kind of models that we see on TV and discuss about the values they teach though their behaviour. 

Money

"Money can buy a house, but not a home.

Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.

Money can buy a clock, but not time.

Money can buy a book, but not knowledge.

Money can buy food, but not an appetite.

Money can buy you friends but not Love.

Money can buy position, but not respect.

Money can buy insurance, but not safety.

Money can buy blood, but not life."(anonimous)

Today, earning money is a priority for most of people. This quote shows that money might provide access to material things, however, the intangible things which truly fill our soul, can not be bought. Love, respect, a good relationship with our loved ones; those are things that each of us has to build and maintain. 

The capitalist system blinded world powers which guided by mere ambition trample poor people, setting a social gap almost impossible to shrink. The riches are in the hands of a few wealthy people, while others live in absolutely precarious conditions. 

Most of Modern Organizations or corporations pursue solely economic goals at the expense of environmental, social, or ethical concerns. What's more, the capitalist industry, through its advertising apparatus, generate in the individual the need to buy more stuff, selling the illusion that those material things will fill the void in his life and replace, for example, the lack of time devoted to his family. 
Money is necessary, that is undeniable. It can bring comfort, pleasure and luxury, but the truth is that it does not guarantee true happiness, that happiness which fills our heart and makes us feel plenty. Let's take a moment to reflect upon how much importance do we pay to money in our lives and if that makes us forget the fundamental things. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery expressed, "What is essential is invisible to the eye."

Life's like this

These days have been extremely sad for all of us classmates of the English Teacher Training. Events that exceed our understanding have happened, showing us how fragile life is. However, as I always say, you win some or learn some... We lost a wonderful human being, Vanina, but we may learn many things from this tragedy:

• Friendship is a powerful feeling that surpasses this earthly life.
• When we leave this world, nothing material goes with us: that's why we must detach from material things and strengthen spiritual bonds with our beloved ones.
• In our lives' hustle and bustle, we place too much importance on our  problems and occupations and frequently we ignore or neglect the most essential things: our family, our couple, our friends.
• We must never lose the oportunity of saying "I love you", "I miss you", "You're important for me", "Forgive me"...
• The present is a gift and each moment is unique: we have to stop postponing. The moment to do what you need to do, what you want to do, is NOW.
• You never know how strong we are until being strong is the only choice we have. Not only does suffering makes us stronger, but it also shows us who we can truly rely on.
• We have to value our lives, taking care of both body and mind and always priorizing health over the rest of the things.
• We keep complaining of silly and insignificant things and we forget we're alive!

Even though it's so hard to accept it, everything happens for some reason. So now, we have to support each other and don't give up. Vanina is now near God, in some beautiful place and from there, she takes care of her family and friends. And we'll always cherish her memories in our hearts.

"Life is short: forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile"

Women :)

When God created the woman he was working late on the 6th day. An angel came by and said: “Why do you spend so much time on that one?”

And the Lord answered: “Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her ?"

“She must be washable, but not made of plastic, have more than 200 moving parts which all must be replaceable and she must function on all kinds of food, she must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, give a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken hearth and she must do all this with only two hands”.

The angel was impressed.

“Just two hands....impossible! And this is the standard model?! Too much work for one day....wait until tomorrow and then complete her“.

“I will not”, said the Lord. “I am so close to complete this creation, which will be the favourite of my heart. She cures herself when sick and she can work 18 hours a day”.

The angel came nearer and touched the woman. “But you have made her so soft, Lord” “She is soft", said the Lord, “But I have also made her strong. You can’t imagine what she can endure and overcome.“

“Can she think?" the angel asked. 

The Lord answered: “Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate."

The angel touched the woman's cheek... “Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her.” 

“She is not leaking....it’s a tear” the Lord corrected the angel.

“What’s it for?" asked the angel.

And the Lord said: 

“Tears are her way of expressing grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride.”

This made a big impression on the angel; “Lord, you are genius. You thought of everything. The woman is indeed marvellous!"

Woman has strengths that amazes man. 

She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens. 

She holds happiness, love and opinions. 

She smiles when feeling like screaming. 

She sings when she feels like crying, cries when she is happy and laughs when she is afraid. 

She fights for what she believes in.

Stands up against injustice.

She doesn’t take a “no” for an answer, when she can see a better solution.

She takes her friend to the doctor if she is afraid.

Her love is unconditional.

Her heart is broken when a close friend dies.

But she finds the strength to get on with life.

She knows that a kiss and a hug can heal a broken heart. 

There is only one thing wrong with her: We forget what she is worth.

And how worthy we are! Sometimes we aren't aware of the value we have! Sometimes we do not realize we're a treasure. The media wing have turned women into objects, which are bought and sold, and often we contribute to promote this stereotype. Every woman is a wonder, a being that may seem weak, but is a fighter, who carries a great inner strength. Moreover, she has been chosen to nest inside the wonderful mystery of life.

Throughout history, women have been despised, subjugated, dominated and underestimated. Her rights have been violated just because of being considered inferior to men. After a great struggle, women could make their voices be heard and achieved recognition in many environments. But even today, many women are not respected. That's our mission, girls, to stand up for our rights, to let the world know how important we are!

You win some or learn some!

"I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some!"(Jason Mraz)

In life, there are things that you lust for with all your heart, and maybe you don't get those things out of life. But those occasions can always teach you something! Everything happens because of something, and you may not understand the reason immediately, but then you find out why it happened.

Now close your eyes and look back on your past. You've become who you are because of your life experiences, and whenever you made a decision, it resulted in a victory or a learning instance. If you obtained what you were looking forward, that made you happy... and suffering made you stronger! 

Fear to defeat only paralises you. That's why you have to give it a try! And something possitive can result from a negative experience.

You must never give up on the chance that you might win some at some point; giving up also means leading a mediocre life.

The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a GIFT. For that reason we must be the protagonists of our lifes! Don't waste your time complicating things and filling your head with worries and anxieties. Think that some events may appear illogical for us in the moment they happen, but then, everything makes sense...

Braveheart

This little boy is Luca Senatore, a 9-year-old boy whose brave struggle against cancer has been known all over the world. On May 14th, in Buenos Aires, began the treatment against the Hodgkin's lymphoma which affected Luca. His parents had a wonderful idea: they released a campaign which consisted on a quite simple task: writing posters saying "Fuerza Luca" in order to encourage him during the tough process of chemotherapy.

In our country and in Spain, India and Italy, footballers, politicians, artists, friends, family, they all joined the initiative. All united for one cause: cheer Luca up through social networks.
More than 18 thousand solidarity greetings were posted on the Facebook page "Fuerza Luca", created by the family. 
A Boca Juniors fan, Luca was also greeted by players and even Carlos Bianchi himself.  The idea even reached the ears of one of the greatest idols of football: Lionel Messi. The crack of Barcelona sent a photo via Instagram to give the boy his support at the difficult time he had to live. 

Marcelo Senatore, Luca's dad affirmed that whenever his child saws one of the messages left on the Facebook page "a smile drew on his face". Thank God, today Luca is recovering and he has the chance to go back to his normal life.

We are so accustomed to hearing terrible news that our sensitivity might be anesthetized. However, when we find out about cases like this, we can realise that values such as affection, loyalty, patience, courage, will not ground down into the dust. It is not everything lost! We can all contribute, we can all help, with a simple kind action, and that will make us more human.

I'm a nomophobic

 Yes, I have to admit it. I cannot be without my mobile phone, it is like one part of me is missing! Why??

Raise your hand who is capable of leaving his mobile at home and not having a strong desire to come back for it... Who is out of battery one afternoon and does not have the feeling of being untraceable...
If you cannot raise your hand, then, you are one of the thousands of people who suffer Nomophobia. The term derives from the combination "no-mobile-phone phobia" and it consists on the fear of being without your mobile phone, which experts affirm has become the disease of the century.

Obviously, the dependence of the mobile is of particular concern among young people. Having this irrational fear of not carrying the cell phone with one, might be a consequence of the fact that young people are increasingly bored with the usual leisure activities.

According to experts, the fear of being without one's phone can nowadays be diagnosed as a disorder for a large part of the population, and most of people are not aware.

6 signals to detect mobile addiction (1)

• Change in attitude: when I talk on the phone, I act differently to when I'm face to face, for example, I do not feel so shy. 
• No separation from the mobile: The mobile is always, all the time with me, during lunch, at school, in the cinema, etc. Also, when I am with friends or family I am all attentive to the mobile. 
• Changing sleep patterns: sometimes I wake up at night and, besides going to the bathroom, I look to see if a message or call has entered.
• Nervousness when the phone is not available: I feel nervous or anxious when the phone is not near me or is turned off because I have no battery. 

If you feel identified with most of these behaviours, you should start worrying.

Some suggestions: 
Change radually your relationship with the mobile: Try using it only at certain times of day, turn it off when is not needed, or occasionally leave without taking it with you. All progressively, so that it does not produce cause anxiety and nervousness. 
Ask yourself what image you have of your mobile: Your phone cannot replace a face to face talk or the contemplation of a real landscape... it should be a tool to help you and not a device to control your life. Only if your belief about the mobile is correct, you can be free and start enjoying the people and things around you.

(1)http://www.larazon.es/detalle_hemeroteca/noticias/LA_RAZON_436328/6785-nomofobia-la-enfermedad-que-quizas-padece-y-no-lo-sabe#.VBzhBpR5P3R

Beautiful or... dead?

Hard, but true. Think about your charming Barbie doll and those fictional curves which defined the model of a beautiful body. Watch the ads on TV, what kind of stereotypes do they show? Could you oultline the parameters of female beauty in the 21st century? Here I give you some hints:

Children are bombed with thousands of images all the time, and they absorb this model of beauty that the industry creates and disseminates. The negative consequences are innumerable: later on, the struggle for a perfect body derives in a series of eating disorders, lack of self-esteem, illnesses, plastic surgeries and the list goes on.

Thus, it is our time to act. We must raise awareness that female beauty does not consist on the 90-60-90 standard. Beauty is much more than that: it involves armony, feminity, and -above all- health. And in nowaday's society, the pressure exerted by media to have a "perfect" body, interferes with health.

Photoshop distorts the reality and imposes a deceiving ideal that we can never reach.

Every women is a treasure. Her weight or the age that she appears to be do not make the difference! 

Time devours beauty and youth, and the only thing left in what is inside your heart! And real beauty cannot be bought.

Life is a precious gift, and each of us were created unique. Do not let TV make you think differently.

MAN

My 13-14 year-old-students were given the assignment to bring to class material related to the topic we're dealing with: ENVIRONMENT. They came up with pictures, news, and so forth, but this video of a plump, apparently harmless man took my breath away... Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGMYdalClU

When it finished, we were all shocked and wordless. The video poses a series of increasingly serious issues, ranging from the animal abuse to the ever escalating exploitation of resources.

Steve Cutts, its author, uses a bizarre combination of music and characters to display and criticise something that is really happening (no matter we want to admit it or not).

Firstly, we can observe how the "MAN" (evidently embodying the whole humanity) runs into different animals that become fur-lined coats, shoes and junk food. Along his path, he continues hunting and fishing. Other evils such as pollution and deforestation are denounced. Later, we get in contact with the process of urbanization and experiments with animals. At the end, the planet has become an accumulation of waste, and when aliens arrive in our world, all they see is a dim picture and guess what? They do the same thing the "Man" did with a bug (in the beginning). Outrageous? I don't think so. For me, pretty realistic.

Who's to blame? Factories? Capitalist empires? Or you, me, us?

Think about it.

We believe we're the kings -and queens- of the world, thus, anything is allowed; we've got the "right" to kill, abuse, manipulate everything, just because we've been given the power.

Does this mean that there's no way out and our planet is going to an imminent and unavoidable destruction? 

No. I would say it MUST be a Wakeup call.

My students made a list of very simple things that each of us can do to help our planet. Just to mention some of them:

-Reduce the amount of water you use (don't let taps and hoses open, take shorter showers)

-Re-utilize bags and bottles

-Plant trees and respect green spaces

-Walk instead of using the car or a bus

-Don't throw papers in the street

-Turn of the lights and appliances you're not using, take advantage of daylight

-TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABOUT THIS

So, is it possible to bet on ecology and put the brake on the current environmental decadence?