Power of randomness!

Yesterday I was feeling quite random, using my energy to have fun and make the time fly faster.
I've been in a very talkative mood, enjoying random conversations about Rakija from Serbia and my experience with that one disgusting drink. It's so interesting to tell people who like this drink how I tried to make it taste better by mixing it with coca cola because I just couldn't drink it normally.
But what was said yesterday that you learn to appreciate this drink. For Serbs ( and other nationalities ) Rakija is part of their culture, their heritage, it's their drink. So I think I will try at least one more time to learn to appreciate it and then also part of the serbian culture :)

Yesterday evening I was sitting down with my flatmates, not wanting to sleep as I had some feelings of excitement - not sure why. We also had interesting discussions that went from topic to topic, sex to kisses to love to relationships.
for me, I found it very interesting to see the impact culture and religion have on these topics, as we all come from a different background.

And yet again, this concept of soul mate popped up in the conversations.
It reminded me of a quote I read in the Wizz Air magazine on my way to Poland. "to believe that there is only one person right for you when there are 6 billion people in the world, is sad" - not sure the name of the person who said this, but doctor Gilmore rings some bells. :s

And I agree, as I have mentioned here before.
I also know that I could not end up with just anyone, not EVERYone is right for each other but there can be many people that fit together.
Does this make any sense to you?
It does to me ;)
I'm getting more and more clear on what this "right" person means to me - now it's just to be open and see who comes along that fits my "criteria" :)

Its very cool and needed to take the time to be random and just go with the flow.
The discussions and the emotions from other people can surprise you and be more personal, deeper and more relevant then "normal" discussions.
But then again - What is normal these days?

-with love-

Challenge your reflection - reflect on your challenge!

There are words that I keep on wondering about and what they actually mean?
Challenges is one of those words I have been thinking about for the past days.

- How do people define challenges?
- How do people behave in order for them to tackle challenges?
- How can we make sure to take some learning from each challenge?
- What is it that makes people strive to take on challenges rather then take the easy way out?
- Does the word challenge automatically mean stepping outside your comfort zone?

The reason I'm wondering about this word is that I keep feeling like there are constant challenges out there, waiting for me to tackle them, to take them head on but I'm not sure if I should!
What's in it for me?
What do I gain?

Recently I told a loved one that "sometimes life is hard, people come and go and not always the way we would like them to. Challenging times always bring some learning, you might not see it now but in the long run it's there. You just have to set your mind to find the learning."

Was I right telling this person this?
Is there always some learning?
and to repeat the previous question I made - how can we make sure to find the learning?

Reflection, someone would say.
Reflect on your experience and find the lessons, learning, the emotions and so on.
I completely agree.
I take my time, sit down and think things through.. what did this experience bring me that I can take from to be a better person.
But is the skill of reflection something that everyone has?
Can we take it for granted that everyone know how to "search" for the learning by reflecting?
If not, how does one gain this skill?

I'm just wondering!
- with love -

From zero to hero - in Poland!

As I sit at my desk at the office my mind is still processing the experience I had in Poland.
And to start of I wanted to share a song that reminds me only of AIESEC in Poland and the cool, random guys in the MC!



I was told to be prepared for a tough delegates that demand professional conference and where the first impression means everything, and AIESEC in Poland being one of the strongest AIESEC countries I automatically became a little nervous.
As I headed for the airport I was feeling excited and wondering if I would make this first impression I needed, both for Facis and delegates, and if I was ready for this journey I was about to embark on!

I want to share some of the points that made me smile and overall experience but details will only be given in person as it would take to long to write!

when I arrived at the airport I had interesting experience that made me smile.
I was flying with a low cost airline so the airport I went to was extremely small and there was no order in the check in line and the boarding line. So as orderly I am, I was stuck in middle of this crowed and I just followed the flow. that really put a smile on my face as this is something I'm completely not used to!

When the plane landed people started clapping and I started laughing. Why were they clapping? happy to be alive? happy to be home? supporting the pilot? I found this extremely interesting and again, my travel to Poland had put a smile on my face!

I took the train straight to this lovely little town called Czestochowa ( yes, try to pronounce it )where the conference I was chairing would be held. When the train came to the destination I hear 3 guys singing and doing push ups when they come out of the train. They were just finishing their army term and were celebrating. This was very cool to see and another fun event that made me smile. So far the trip to Poland was good.

As I met the Faci team for SMS ( Spring Management Seminar ) I didnt feel nervous any longer. This team was super cool, they were well prepared and they had fun. So I had fun as well.
Working with this team of 16 people was a pleasure, I bonded with many of them and they all made my smile, laugh and enjoy this great experience. I want to thank them as I dont think this challenge would have been as pleasurable as it was with out them!

I was pleasantly surprised with the openness and randomness of Polish people. They dont take them too seriously and for me, that was a perfect atmosphere as I dont like to take myself too seriously either.
They were so open to come and talk to me, ask me questions, ask for my ideas and share theirs. It was so amazing to talk to these super cool individuals about everything on their minds and share my experience.

I got great feedback from people, they liked my smiles, my randomness and openness and my spirit.
For me, that's priceless as it confirms to me that I'm a person that people respond well to and I am likable. I'm happy to hear that!

Meeting people from previous conferences, hearing how they are doing, what they are doing in life and reconnecting was also something that for me was great!

Global Village on saturday was an experience I do not regret having, although the next day I was not feeling so positive ;)
Seeing how proud people are of their LCs and their cities was really nice. And made me really want to explore more of Poland!

I had quite many goals for me personally, what I wanted to get out of this experience.
I managed to reach all but one!
For me thats very good.

I still think I need to process the experience more in order to really get everything out of it so I will do that.
This was in short, my experience in Poland, as a chair of their national conference!
- Super cool ( with an indian accent )

- with love -

Water Bankruptcy - closer then we think?

Yesterday I watched this video and it really made me think.

I come from a country where we live quite well ( used to at least ) and thoughts about lack of water doesn't cross anyone's mind.
It wasn't until I joined AIESEC that I really started hearing about sustainability and what we NEED to do in order to prevent things like water "bankruptcy" to happen.
Even in Iceland, water is not everlasting if we keep continuing to waste it. But we do have a lot of it though.

When I lived in southern France I was told to take fast showers to save water.. so I did, and I still do.
I close the tab when I'm brushing my teeth as well as when I do the dishes.
What more can I do as an individual?

Looking at this video gave me few ideas but it also showed that if my generation and the generations to come dont start thinking about this.. We will end up with water bankruptcy.
I'm not willing to let that happen.

"I am convinced that, under present conditions and considering the way water is being currently
managed, we will run out of water long before we run out of fuel.”
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of the Board, Nestlé, Switzerland ( taken from the website of world economic forum )

So what can an individual do?
What should we focus on?
How can we contribute to a sustainable society?

Just few other things that have been going through my mind these passed days and I wanted to share!

- with sustainable love-

I would do anything for love.........

....... or would I?

Yesterday, as I looked up at the sky on my way home from the movies there are no stars to be seen.
I walk with a smile on my face, it's been a good day.

The movie I just saw is Slumdog Millionaire - a movie that happens in India where luck, love and fight for survival were the main themes for me.
- You create your own luck?
- Love concurs all?
- You have to fight for the good things in life - easy life comes with a price?

these questions were on my mind when I walked home yesterday night.

Slumdog Millionaire is a heartbreaking movie about a young man who's life has never been easy after a tragic death of a family member. despite the hard life this young man never gives up hope for life and more important - Love!
A search for a better life means a search for the girl he's in love with.
Now, I dont wanna spoil anyone's ending of the movie so my thoughts of conclusion are following.
- Does Love make life worth living?
- Does love concur all in the end if we believe it strongly enough?
- Where is the line between love and obsession of a person?

Love is important to my as I have repeatedly written here.
I believe in love and I believe in hope.
But I struggle with few concepts that love is supposed to include, like "soul mate" and "love at first sight".
Why?

Here we have a story about a guy who knows he loves this girl that it was their destiny to be together - they were soulmates.
and then, if I compare this to another movie I saw earlier this month He's just not that into you, the search for love was fight, a game of hope and trust but never did the people so desperately looking for love mentioned soul mate. You had to fight to get to know the person in order to love one.

oh man.. as I keep thinking about soul mates, falling in love, and fighting for love.. there are so many questions I wanna ask, and so many thing I'm not sure how I would react to.
- Would I, if I fell in love and lost him, search the world to find him back - knowing we're meant to be together?
- Knowing how hard it is to find a person you can trust, am I willing to put myself out there and I'm a ready to fight for love?
- Is faith in love strong enough to make it happen?
- and what does it mean to fight for love? What am I supposed to do?

Both of these movies didnt give me any answers, only more questions I will think about. But then again, answers were not the reasons I went to see them in the first place.
I did, however, learn something from both, different as they are. :)

-with love-

Choices to make - paths to take!

As I promised in my post yesterday, I'm back to my smiling self.
But it wasn't easy.
Yesterday was an extremely tiring day, physically as well as emotionally.
When I came home from Evry after delivering a training in effective communication I slept until my alarm went of this morning.
That hasn't happen for 2 weeks now - a good night sleep!

I managed to get back to my smiling self with help of great people that I care about - and they care about me!
I also decided to take the advise of a very wise friend - Nat King Cole - And just smile :)



with the support of my friends and family, it's now time for me to take a decision.
I need to take life in my own hands and decide not to be sad anymore, not to feel used anymore and not to be in a situation that makes me wanna scream.

Another smart friend of mine wrote on his blog something that I am relating to in this time of my life. - we only have one go at life. We only realize that we have made the wrong choice in life after we have made the choice.
But I do feel that even though we realize after the choice has been made the effect of it's choosing - that we can still make another choice to try to minimize the effect it will have in our lives or even chance the path completely.
Life is full of choices and we have no way knowing which choice will lead us to where we want to be - but we have to try anyway to get there. Or at least I will try!

Now, life is throwing at me some choices and I do have to make a decision. I will only find out after if it was indeed the right one for me to make!
But I'm willing to take that risk and go on with my life :)
-with love-

Sharing of feelings and frustrations

This morning I have been questioning me and the reasons I'm fighting in this role.
I'm questioning my motives to stay, my thoughts of wanting to quit and the value of my work as well as questioning other people's behavior towards me when I'm feeling this stressed out.

This morning I have felt inferior, tiny and unappreciated.
And I wonder if it's because the people that I'm trying to communicate with dont see the reason for me to be stressed, for being angry and for wanting to change some things.
Am I overreacting?
is that giving them reason to make me feel so small?
Am I making more from the situation then actually is there?
Why would I question myself if everything is as I feel, as I see it and as bad as I say?

I'm guilty because I'm not motivated to do my work because I feel like I should stick it out.
But then, family and friends - whose who care about me - tell me to leave. It's not shameful to leave when you are treated like dirt, it's not my fault, that I have done everything I can.
Again, I question that - Have I done everything I can?
Did I absolutely try?

In my heart I feel the answer is yes.
I have looked the other way when areas of my life were so challenging that I wouldnt sleep at night.
I have done the best I can communicating and being transparent in my role.
I have informed individuals about the situation and offered my help to make things better - even if it's not my role to do so.
I have smiled, laughed, cried, screamed and still I'm sitting at the chair and questioning am I doing something wrong?
Why do I feel as it's my fault?

Today I feel like this is it!
Today I want to walk out and never come back.
Today I will try to smile and make this day go by knowing the people I work with do not care ( as far as I can feel )
and today will be another day at the office with no motivation and feeling waist of time.

Just a random sharing of my feelings - today they are lower then usual.
Tomorrow I will back to my smiling self!
- with love and hope for better days to come -