E: “Imagine if our only responsibility were to get to know our true selves and be our best selves. Don’t you think the world would be a much better place, filled with passion and authenticity? Just thinking…”
B: “I think that is our only natural responsibility, because when we’re our best selves we can help and impact others. It’s society, but especially our desire for power, that distracts us.
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. – Leo Tolstoy
I tweeted that quote today. It seems like we’re on the same wave length!”
E: “It seems so :)
I’m going through a rough time trying to understand my emotions, and I realize how much time we have to dedicate to understanding.”
B: “Oh, yeah. I’ve written my way through 15 journals since age 13 and I still haven’t fully understood myself.”
E: “…What’s the secret?”
B: “The secret is in our desire to want to get to know ourselves. If the desire exists, I think we have a solid base from which to start, but there’s no shortcut for everything that comes after… It’s hours, and hours, and hours of self-analysis, of accepting and forgiving ourselves, of turning the page and trying to learn from our mistakes in order to improve a little bit each day.”
E: “Yes… I think my problem is accepting my current situation. It’s always been that! I tend to think I’m stronger than whatever I’m going through and that’s why I stop paying attention, and I pretend I’m not suffering.”
B: “That’s your mind taking over and thinking that’s the best way to take care of your heart, but at least you realize the problem. What’s worse is when you reach the point in which your heart stops talking to you because you’ve stopped listening to it completely… Which is something that already happened to you.”
E: “I know. It makes me sad.”
B: “Then that’s another thing you have to work at accepting, because it already happened and you can’t change it. And the only thing that matters today is that you realized it and that you’re interested in changing and becoming a better version of yourself.”
E: “Read this poem:
Don’t give up, you still have time
To reach up and start anew,
Accept your shadows,
Bury your fears,
Free your burdens,
Fly again.
Don’t give up, that’s what life is
Continue the journey,
Follow your dreams,
Unlock time,
Remove the rubble,
And uncover the sky.
Don’t give up, please don’t give in,
Even if the cold burns,
Even if fear bites,
Even if the sun sets,
And the wind goes silent,
There is still fire in your soul
There is still life in your dreams.
Because life is yours and yours is the desire
Because you have wanted it and because I love you
Because wine exists and love is true.
Because there are no wounds that time doesn’t heal.
Open doors,
Remove the locks,
Abandon the walls that have protected you,
Live life and accept the challenge,
Recover your laughter,
Practice a song,
Lower your guard and extend your hands
Unfold your wings
And try again,
Celebrate life and reconquer the sky.
Don’t give up, please don’t give in,
Even if the cold burns,
Even if fear bites,
Even if the sun sets,
And the wind goes silent,
There is still fire in your soul
There is still life in your dreams.
Because everyday is a new beginning,
Because this is the hour and the best moment.
Because you are not alone, because I love you.-Mario Benedetti, Don’t Give Up
It’s making me cry like a baby. I think it’d be best if I went to sleep.”
B: “‘Because you are not alone, because I love you.’
Cry; get it off your chest… You know I’m here. You’ll feel better once the tears are gone. And tomorrow will be a new day and you’ll see life through other eyes. You can even borrow mine!”
E: “Thank you, B. You’re lovely. Good night.”
B: “So are you. Good night.”
Photo: Belén Alemán / Sunset over the frozen Charles River in Boston, Massachusets, USA
belén/alemán 