Awaiting

Waiting can be one of the most difficult things we have to do in our life. Just like when Jesus was born, the people today are awaiting a savior, a better day, a loved one, a healing, a call, a letter, a visit. I know that in my own life I can grow impatient when I really want something. I long to go, to see, to feel. It’s human nature I suppose.

I know today many will be happy but perhaps many others will be sad. Those who are far away from their families, those who are sick and lonely, those who doesn’t even know God exists. I hope this is a happy day for you but if it’s not, just know that you are not alone. Whatever your trials are, know that you are never out of God’s hands; he wants to be with you, console and give you the strength you need to go on. I feel alone sometimes during trials but I noticed that it’s when I’m focusing on me and my feelings forgetting to look outside myself and unto others. When I lift my eyes and concerns from me, I see the goodness around me in the people who surrounds me and share this wonderful world with me. When I’m concerned about others instead of me, I find solutions to my own situations and hope in a new day.

May the awaiting time for whatever it is your are waiting for is not too long and may you rejoice today as you are reminded of the greatest blessing of all, Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

With You in My Mind

To you, who read my words:

Writing is a gift, one I treasure each and every day, without it I would be completely lost. There are many ways to express what lies deep within our heart and soul and words to me are the most powerful of all. Looking deep I see a big castle with many, many rooms, in each one of them there is a little piece of me a facet of some kind. I go in a differernt room each time and in some of them I find you, unable to vocalize what’s in your heart so I go out and write it down for you, it’s my gift to you. Perhaps you are better expressing with actions what lies deep within your heart and that’s okay, but I want to forever leave the words sprinkled on my path so that others know what was in my heart.

I carry you around and look for ways to help you out, there is nothing I can do but to let you know I listen to your heart. If you are in darkness I want to bring you light and if you are sad I want to bring you hope and happiness. When you take the time to share with me your thoughts I pick jewels out of them and place them in my treasure box. I go there from time to time and then create the most beautiful writing pieces because they have a little of you and me. I can’t create a thing without you, because it is with you in my mind that I get inspired to go beyond the physical realm and reach across the cosmos to touch your soul and I hope I do. Thank you for reading my words…

Naked Relationships

Relationships are delicate and important for every human being. It is the way in which we connect, grow and are nurtured. We need human contact because without it we die slowly. Isolation is good for brief periods in order to go within and get to not only know ourselves but to ultimately connect to our creator. Before we can give ourselves to someone else in a relationship we must possess who we truly are. I wish I could tell you about what age this happens but it’s different for everyone. I guess it’s a personal realization that we have been fooled to believe that a state in life (single, married or in a relationship) will somehow makes us feel better about who we are and where we are going on our life journey. The truth of the matter is that we need to have a “naked relationship” with ourselves first before we can have one with anyone else. What do I mean by naked? Naked to me is bare of all the usual obstacles we put before those we interact and share our life with. No masks, no pretentions, no smoked mirrors so the other person can see who we are and freely decide to interact with us. Some of us feel scared to do something like that, it’s like going to battle without your weapons and your armor, risky. Many of us have been hurt one too many times to dare walk into a relationship without a cautious mind set, but it is that mind set that will cause us to go into another bad relationship. With every bad experience we choose one more weapon or protection to accompany us in our journey. Each attack leaves a wound, a scar, a fear. Our once soft heart becomes hard and cold even though deep inside it is as tender as it could be. Unless we find a way to peel the layers built up on it and begin again we will never be totally happy.

The beauty of a good relationship is that our soul somehow is free to merge with another without losing its individuality. It’s not to get lost in someone but to share yourself with the one you love. Before that can happen you need to be opened to the spiritual realm. I don’t believe this is something we do consciensely; we can’t decide who and how are we going to connect in our life, it just happens. We come across some incredible people in our life but unfortunately we are not going to be able to create a connection with them no matter how hard we try. I’m not sure what it is but then somehow we are able to connect to others and communicate with ease; our guard is down, our heart opened and our spirit free. I’m not sure if our disposition somehow facilitates these relationships but I believe it’s the ideal to build upon. Sometimes it takes a long time to get to this frame of mind or spiritual enlightment but I strongly suggest that you don’t get into a permanent relationship until you get it.

Destiny and Mission, one and the same?

Is destiny and mission one and the same?

There comes a time when we stop and think about what’s life all about. Are we are were we are because our destiny is already written or because our actions and decisions took us there? Is destiny and mission the same thing? I don’t believe so, but the two are closely related.

Destiny is a hot topic these days, it’s in the minds of those who are looking deeply into what their lives are made of, and I’m afraid it goes from one side of the spectrum to the opposite side. We either believe that your destiny is already written and that we can do nothing about it or you believe it’s all in our hands and we have complete control over it. I am in the middle of the road with this one.

We come to many fork roads in our life and it is in those moments in which our life takes shape and form. I remember pivotal moments in my life that defined the life I’m living right now, like everyone else I’ve not made all the right decisions but somehow managed to survive. Armed with our experiences we can then start to build toward the desire results. Is it possible to regain the direction in which we were supposed to go or do we create a whole new spectrum of what our life has become according to our actions and decisions along the way?

To me personally is not an easy question to answer but I believe we can ultimately attain the goals or accomplish the mission assigned to us even if we make the wrong decisions along the way. There are always ways to reach our destinations; just like there is not only one way to reach a physical location, there are more ways than one to reach our personal destination.

Finding Meaning

Life is full of dreams and expectations, nobody knows for sure what their meaning in life is. Most of the time I know when I’m on the right track when I feel at peace with what’s going on around and inside me.

We go through life and encounter new paths and stages, and every time we do so we need to make adjustments. What changes do we need to make in order to continue growing? What new things do we need to learn? What have we learned from past experiences or failures?

I’m constantly looking to learn at all levels; mentally, spiritually and in business. Looking for knowledge is my way to stay alive and motivated, optimistic about the future and the world. I find satisfaction in self-challenge in order to grow and then by achieving my goals.

I have no idea why I’m writing this today, perhaps because I’m evaluating what I have accomplished so far compared to where I was a year ago. I’ve learned to stay motivated and inspired. I’m glad I have a group of friends and associates to share my joy with. Most of all I’m glad to help others any way I can.

Comments: (from another blog)
Deep, Nice blog! I look for knowledge too.

Wednesday September 6, 2006 - 04:56pm (EDT)

Mary … Thanks for the post, so true, my granddaughter asked me today if I wished I was 21 again. I thought about it for a moment and though the idea of being YOUNG again, ( I am far from being ooooold 42) was tempting. However I shook my head no. Because if I was 21 again I would have to forfit all the knowledge and experince that I now have and I have worked hard for it! lol, but true. Thanks again for the post.

Wednesday September 6, 2006 - 08:30pm (EDT)

Miche… Amen. Very deep stuff and inspirational too.. you live your purpose and life really is quite sweet… You are doing the best job at be you that anybody could ever do!

Wednesday September 6, 2006 - 11:23pm (CDT)

Bleac… I walked an uncertain path many years ago, now I know what i want in life and it feels great. I too crave to learn new things, and each second to me is as precious as the one before. Hope you learn something new every day!

Thursday September 7, 2006 - 01:21pm (BST)

MaryQ I find myself sensitve to my path in life. I believe to feel life, not just live it. I highly recommend reading “Everything Happens for a Reason” by Mira Kirshenbaum. It’s an awesome book!

Thursday September 7, 2006 - 10:45am (EDT)

Source of Inspirations

(Originally posted on 2006)

I feel a little nostalgic today. Why do you ask? Because I miss my most influencial source of inspiration, my mom. Here is her picture with me on her last visit a few months ago. She turned 70 last week and what a happy day that was. She has been in and out of the hospital in the last two years but she is finally doing well.

I’ll never forget my last visit to Puerto Rico right after one of her surgeries and the misdiagnosed lymphoma that threw my whole world upside down. You see, my mom is not only my mother, she is my friend and my inspiration. I hope to be all that she is even though I know I come so short of that goal.

She is the one who put me in the path of writing and at 12 or 13 I won a literary award for a biography I did on St. Peter. She also writes but haven’t published anything yet. She is a concern citizen who writes about today’s issues and do so beautifully. I don’t know if she ever have sent any of those letters to the press but they do deserve to be read by all the young people. She sees the wrong in society and offer solutions and it’s always optimistic about the future. As a wife she is an example of holiness and service to her husband, they don’t make wives like that anymore. Now it is all about equality when there is so much beauty in our differences and a way to live a joyful life under a rainbow of characteristics that make men and women unique individuals.

I’m blessed to have this source of inspirations and I’m sure you have yours as well. Treasure them and share them with the world. Let them know how important they have been in your life.

Mom, without you I would not be who I am today. I’m a better person for knowing you and most of all for being loved by you.

Happy Birthday!

Comments:

Awesome and Inspiring! I lost my Mom almost 2 years ago… and we never got to our unfinished buisness. But that aside, she was a wonderful woman and I miss her terribly! You are doing great by her… this blog just proves it more! HUGS!

Tuesday October 3, 2006 - 11:31am (EDT)

Fut Offline They say to achieve greatness, you must first never take anything as second best. Once you only accept the best out of yourself and others, then and only then will you exceed your goals. Forget who said it and doing a quick search on some quote sites doesn’t reveal it either, but I have lived by that goal for the last 2 years one day at a time to overcome addiction. And somehow it works for me.

Tuesday October 3, 2006 - 12:07pm (EDT)

Steve… Offline IM Very well done.. It’s so inspiring to see a child honor the parent..the one who nurtured and gave life.
Thanks

Tuesday October 3, 2006 - 11:25am (CDT)

Archer Offline IM Ms. Clary, Beauty and holiness does not need to be justified; for they themselves are proof of their existance. You and your mother are perfect examples of beauty and holiness combined in one individuality as womanhood in full bloom. I totally agree with you that as wife, today’s ladies don’t make wives like your mother anymore. The example like your mother as a wife are very and scarce.
Happy Birth Day to your Mom. She is a Libra, ruled by planet Venus of Love aesthetics and beauty. And believe me, she really is perfect example.
Take Very Care of Yourself.
Regards,
Shahid.

Wednesday October 4, 2006 - 12:06am (PKT)

Inesta Offline Beautiful! both of you, of course : )

Tuesday October 3, 2006 - 07:57pm (EDT)

cosic… Offline IM This is one of the most beautiful blogs I have ever read. What a wonderful lady your mother is. And what a wonderful daughter you are to tell this story in such a sensitive and loving manner. If the photo is a recent one she looks amazing for 70! WoW! Please convey my warmest wishes to her for continued happiness in her life. How lucky you are to have each other…

[cosicave]

Wednesday October 4, 2006 - 03:40pm (BST)

GG - … Offline Thanks for all your comments, to me is an honor and priveledge to be her daughter. The picture was taken in May of this year, so that is how she looks now. I will convey your good wishes on her birthday, she will be thrilled.

Wednesday October 4, 2006 - 10:54am (EDT)

melvy… Offline IM where will we be without our moms? They were always there when everyone else has deserted us… When we were down and out, mom was there to talk it out and turn us around. Just like your mom, my mom was very supportive even when I have gone astray (of other people’s expectations) and believed in me… that I could realize the dreams of a better future. Hurray for the moms!

Thursday October 5, 2006 - 06:24am (EDT)

ƹllɇṙɏ Offline Buen trabajo! mi Mama escribia versos y me gustaban y escribi mi primer poema a los 10 por inspiracin a ella ya que le escribia cartas desde los 5. Bueno saludos a tu madre y espero que escribas sabiamente por muchos a~nos mas! Ltr

ELLERY

Friday October 6, 2006 - 05:09pm (EDT)

lex Offline IM It was a beautiful relationship between mother and daughter…My best wishes to both of you and Happy Birthday Mom!

Sunday October 8, 2006 - 05:56am (PDT)

archi… Offline IM you are blessed with a terrific mom… you owe it to her. both of you are good example of a healthy mom & daughter relationship. best wishes to your writing career! belated happy birthday Mom!

Tuesday October 10, 2006 - 11:13pm (SGT)

Kaoss Offline Wow, that is so great that you have such a relationship with your mom and that she is so inspirational to you. That is very beautiful for sure.

Saturday October 14, 2006 - 10:57pm (EDT)

Change to Grow

I read an interesting blog entry today about change. I read somewhere that in order to have what you never got, you must do what you have never done. Expecting to obtain different outcomes in our life even though we are still doing the same things is crazy. In order to change the outcome we must do something differently. David St. Lawrence explains it well on his blog entry, “Moving out of your comfort zone.” He talks about carreer change and what sometimes holds us back because we are afraid to leave our comfort zone.

Comfort zones are dangerous and hard to get out of. We tend to live life on this “trance” even though we are seeing our world is changing around us and our soul longing for meaning in this life. Doing what you love is - most of the time- the answer to our vocation in life. Many times there is a way to make money at it, but we need to work on it and find the ways how to make that happen. It’s much easier to let someone tell us what to do and to pay us what they think we are worth, than to work at finding out ourselves what it is we are supposed to do and create a decent income stream doing it.

In my book, Simplicity - Richness of Life I wrote about some of these ideas on the chapters titled What’s Holding you Back? and Dreaming Once More. It’s an exploration of my inner self as I tried to find meaning and purpose in my life and one that many have identified with.

Our talents goes to waste many times until we are forced to make some changes. With the loss of a job, death, divorce, sickness or other tragedies in life many times we are faced to make changes in our life only to find out that we were not meant to do what we have been doing for the last 15 or 20 years. Others have found their way while going through a mid-life crisis, whatever the circumstances I’m glad that God uses everything to bring us where we are supposed to be to begin with.

When you decide to make a change or are forced to it, open your heart and mind to the possibilities; it may be your time to explore the reality that something more awaits you and it might spark your zest for life again. Change is like a rollercoaster, scary and exciting at the same time. You are not quite the same after the ride…and that could be a good thing.

Comments:

Very good message. Your original quote is something I keep posted on my mirror, though it was told to me differently. “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you always got”

Friday September 29, 2006 - 10:58am (EDT)

Archer Offline IM Ms. Clary Lopez, I agree with you totally. The only constant thing in this world is change within, in terms of improvement. Changing the form of matter serves no purpose. It is the change in perception of viewing and perceiving things that leads to path of soul development and salvation. Very nice post.I wish you all the best of being more of woman. Infact your words convay the wonderful mesage that there are still genuine women on this planet with full of femininity and womanhood ruled by venus, not ruled by Mars.
Blesings to you.
Take Care.
Shahid.

Friday September 29, 2006 - 08:56pm (PKT)

Archer Offline IM I wish you all the best for the success of the book.

Friday September 29, 2006 - 08:57pm (PKT)

Archer Offline IM I live in Karachi, the southern most coastal city of a South Asian Country, Pakistan. Is there any workable way to purchase and receive your book in Karachi, Pakistan? I would definitely like to read your book with full attention. The Writrs of South (Southern hemisphere/South America/Latin America and Carribean) always catch my attention due to their outstanding ways of prolific and revelationary writing. To name, some writers of South are Mr. V.S Naipaul and Mr. Paulo Coelho are in my most hot favourite list of Writers. I think your name will be added very soon once I read your book. Kindly provide information of how can I receive your book (with your signature) in Karachi, Pakistan?
I am so glad to meet you Ms. Clary Lopez.

Friday September 29, 2006 - 09:10pm (PKT)

GG - … Offline Hello Archer,

You can order directly from the printer @ http://www.lulu.com/content/126062

I will be glad to send you a signed bookplate if you provide me with your mailing address

Friday September 29, 2006 - 12:32pm (EDT)

raj_i… Offline Hi Ms. Lopez,

Your blog is really interesting. I wish to mention my openion about change.

In fact every one fears about the change. As David Lawrence blog (you mentioned it), no one wants to come out of comfort zone. But people will adjust to the change slowly. First they resist, then they follow (may be forcibly), then they start liking it and next they dont want to change it.
But to the personal growth or organisation growth or country growth, The change is must. With different idiology and with different methods, we can achieve the goals. Even in games the teams will change their strategies in the middle of game itself to win the match.

I like this blog entry very much and I tried to communicate my feelings towards it. (My english is poor but tried my best to communicate)

Sunday October 1, 2006 - 07:34pm (IST)

GG - … Offline You did great raj, thanks for sharing

Monday October 2, 2006 - 09:47am (EDT)

Txcha… Offline IM To make changes in life sometimes it’s easier said then done. For some in a fog of life, change is overwhelming with finances, family and other circumstances. The better advice would be to take time to evaluate life, set goals of where you desire to be, list your challenges, your goals, make a strategic plan to get to a better point one step at a time, you’ll eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s discipline, focus and a desire to be better then you are now. Conquering smaller goals gives a sense of accomplishment and helps tackle the bigger goals in life. And always look forward, learning from the past, yes, but force yourself from your thoughts dwelling in the past. The more you move forward in a positive direction, the more it seems to erase the negative and dims the past. Off my soap box now…lol

Monday October 2, 2006 - 03:07pm (CDT)

Being Grateful - Excerpt from my Book

Having all the comforts that life has to offer can make us ungrateful, self-centered people who take everything for granted. I know I have fallen into this trap. Maybe you haven’t thought of all the things you take for granted, like a new day. Even your next breath is given to you because God wills it for you along with your health, your home, your car, your family, your children, food, clothing, work and much more. Taking things for granted makes us lose the appreciation we should have for the people, material possessions and abundant blessings in our lives. We miss what is of real value in our lives and , therefore, fall into unhappiness and despair. We are creatures composed of body and soul and , likewise, there are aspects of our nature that we need to attend to and develop on a regular basis. If we ignore part of our nature, it’s almost impossible for us to be able to live and grow as healthy spiritual individuals.

Being grateful is like opening the door to one aspect of our nature and allowing it to be nurtured and strengthened. Letting God be part of your daily life and thanking him for everything is a good practice. God created us in His image with a unique mission. Each mission is exclusive and needs to be brought to fruition so that we can achieve our higher purpose and give the glory back to God. Not being able to discover what that mission is in your life, might bring insecurity, unhappiness, emptiness, feelings of lack of fulfillment, and sometimes even tragedy into your life, but most of all, the important work needed for the world won’t see the light of day. That’s why it is so important for you to start by being grateful for God’s blessings and talents given to you. Develop them and, along with daily communion with him and prayer, you will be able to find out what your mission and purpose is in your life.

Excerpt from Simplicity - Richness of Life

Comments:

very nice… and I am grateful for being able to see the sun rise and fall… cause not eveyone can… so I try to share it with others, what I see… be well! HUGS!

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 08:48am (EDT)

Leigh… Offline IM this is awesome–thank you

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 07:56am (CDT)

Archer Offline IM Love piece, simply marvellous. Thank you for sharing.

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 06:05pm (PKT)

Becky~~ Offline Beautiful post, thanks for sharing it,God Bless

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 09:11am (EDT)

Tony H Offline IM Very insightful. Superbly written and rich in content. I’ve been to your author website and there’s no Order button to order the book. Should I go to Amazon or do you have some on hand (preferably author signed)?

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 06:32am (MST)

[dele… So true..we do at times take alot of things for granted..I am reminded of how blessed I truly am everytime I goto work...take care..huggs

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 06:36am (PDT)

GG - … Offline Tony, the link to Buy Now is on the side of the page, maybe you missed it. If you order from my site you can request a signed copy. Please include the request in the comment section with your order. Thanks for letting me know about the Order button, I’ll make some changes.

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 09:51am (EDT)

Roger J Offline IM Very nice words….I will need to look at this post every once in a while to remind me…Thanks for the good words…have a great day and God Bless.
Roger

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 11:28am (CDT)

ƹllɇṙɏ Offline MUY LINDO, GRACIAS!

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 01:45pm (EDT)

Tony H Offline IM Thanks Clary!

Thursday October 26, 2006 - 08:21pm (MST)

Jess Offline Awesome, Love it!

Friday October 27, 2006 - 02:46am (EDT)

Life Reflexion on 9/11

Today I’m sure is going to be a difficult day for many people, I’ll venture to say the whole nation but most of all for the immediate relatives of those lost on 9/11.

Tragedy is something that tends to unite us when we have drifted apart from each other. We live in a way in which we hardly ever take time to think about other people like we used to in the past when neighbors knew and help each other. If anything good came about this tragedy was a sense of oneness for the United States.

To me personally was a reminder that life is so short and that friendship is so valuable. I remember the story about this Christian man who worked with a handicap Jew, I’m not sure which floor they worked on but he wanted to carry him down the building. The Jew told him to save himself, they would never make it together. Then the other responded that he would remain with him there. They both called their families and said their good-byes and they face death together. That’s friendship. I doubt that the Christian man would ever made it anyway even if he tried to escape but he couldn’t live thinking that he left his friend behind.

Since I moved to the United States many things changed. I left my extended family and lifelong friends in Puerto Rico, with time a lot of my cousins have moved here but the big majority is still there. Those friendships can’t never be replaced or reproduced. I stay in touch with my best friend who is like a sister to me and every time I visit the island we get together, it’s like old times. We know each other perfectly and most of all love each other unconditionally. I can’t imagine losing her. So today I’ll pray for all those left behind who have to endure the loss of a loved one and for those who soon will lose them to accidents or sickness. Let us embrace each other and support our communities at large. Let’s do something today to help someone in need, maybe a simple call to someone you know is alone it will mean a lot to them.

Parent’s Connections

It has taken me years to understand, but I think I finally realized that as parents we are able to connect with one gender better than others. Being a parent is a very difficult task and knowing how to best accomplish the art of better communication with our kids is important. I thought that because we were parents communication had to be an equal thing between mom and dad. I’ve read some books -they all suggest different things- I’ve tried a few things but at this teenage stage of my kids’ life nothing seems to work for them or me. In talking with other parents I noticed how the dads were able to better connect to their daughters as I was able to connect better with my boys. It was a light bulb moment for me even though I did’nt react to it right away.

Now that I think of it I can tell why I’m more like my dad than my mom. I love my mom but I always longed for my dad’s love and affection. Even though during my teen years he tended to be so strict and sometimes unfair, I loved him. He was the one to protect me, be proud of me, buy me beautiful clothes and jewelry. In one word I was (and still am) his princess. I don’t remember him talking to me about boys, my future or my feelings -that was more of my mom’s job- but with his example I learned a lot about all of that.

I know that my best connection with my mom began when I had my own kids. Maybe I’ll have to wait till then to have that kind of connection with my daughter.