Tag Archives: future

Sustainability is the Future

Welcome to the 15th Edition of the Lighthouse, wishing to all a joyful and cozy November, filled with coffee, whipped cream & good company around!

This week we are featuring a mix of good new music, 3 good news for the week (maintaining the spirit of 3 good news a week keep the doctor away!), an inspirational quote & some photos!

Enjoy & keep shining! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

sustainable definition: able to be maintained at a certain rate or level/able to be upheld or defended

Let us maintain a steady emotional & physical health and well-being, and let us protect and defend our planet earth, by being responsible producers and consumers! (let’s not waste food!!)

3 good news:

TV shows, books, philosophical pills

Musical essentials of the week

Good faces, Photos!

food, chefs, port of Djibouti, school meals programme….Djibouti, this, and more!

Quien no arriesga, no gana – dixit in Djibouti on 2 November, International day to end impunity for crimes against journalists UNESCO day

Big hugs, and good week to you!

Gaia

PS. ❤️

The Road, Connected to You

This week Katy Perry, teenage favorite American pop singer- songwriter, released a new song, in partnership – as a duet – with Thomas Rhett, titled “Where we started” .

The song retraces the long & intricated road that finally – and luckily – leads two lovers on the same path, thus enabling them to share moments & memories together.

The lovers are apart, and they are singing solo – yearning for that long-awaited encounter. They are broken-hearted, but they are not giving up. They question how far they will go, and…considering the trend & looking back at the past, the future looks bright & full of hope.

The song goes along the lines “Look at the road & think about where we started “

The song concludes with an encouraging note of getting together & Time testing the strength of the lovers’ affection & loyalty.

The final verse goes “And how far we’re gonna go, And all the things we’re gonna see
If you wonder ’bout our future
Think about our history

Definitely a feel-good song for long-distance lovers, or longing for connection. Worth-listening & re-sharing.

Appreciative always of the Charismatic Optimism of Katy Perry songs, instilling rhythmical lyrics that beat down loneliness & create a sense of powerful possibilities & practical dreams coming to reality.

In the age of post-covid2019, climate change, droughts, famine & wars, a healthy song reshapes sweet hearts willing to listen, and to believe again.

Metaphorically speaking, I find in the length of swimming pools, watery lines and roads of opportunities, if swimming in a discipline manner, and passionately trusting the sounds of the waves and the arms going straight, swimming in the opposite direction of the pool.

@GaiaParadiso, tweeting from West Africa 🇧🇫🌍

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Cinema Paradiso: She looks to the Future, and Smiles

This can be the title of the cover image of this blog post, representing myself in a outdoor café in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, with my best friend Bahia, a gorgeous, smart & fun young woman from Somalia /Switzerland.

The power of dreaming is a strong tool to keep patiently working towards what we imagine can be possible.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” Eleanor Roosevelt, UN diplomat and partner of 32nd United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said once.

2 years in Bangladesh strengthened my soul & my emotions towards People, learning to let go, walk around, focus on the Good, again – learning to let go, Be kind, sleep a lot, nap even more, manage your feelings by leaning towards a peaceful but firm approach towards life & work decisions, think that everything will be all right at the end, be cool about life, laugh, drink lots of water, drink coffee as a placebo effect to get the focus and go, listen to people but do not get too attached and empathetic, again, learn to rest and let go-flow of consciousness writing –

E’ melhor ser alegre do que ser tristeBebel Gilberto

The Vision is that of a woman in love and satisfied with her life … everyday is a work in progress – got to deal with constant questions, re-evaluations, self-assessments, life purposes, love meanderings, trust in love intentions of future people coming along…

I am writing in the middle of the Bangla rainy season, where brishti (rain) & batash (wind) are always constant, where the desire of being cozy remains, and where work flows in a permanent way. The sound of the rain gives me peace & willingness to share. As I am focusing on my strange life these days, and praying God/Allah for what happens next in the Cinema Paradiso saga, the health & well-being of the people I serve and for my colleagues & friends’ present & future happiness, I hope I am on the Caminho do Bem – in the Path of the Good/ Acredite, não duvide – Believe, do not doubt.

She created a strong & learning Team, willing to rise and thrive, Together. She allocated resources correctly for the fair and equal distribution of roles, responsibilities and learning opportunities. She understood that Sharing is better than keeping, and that Caring builds a huge sense of trust, an immense satisfactory feeling and the willingness to keep growing together, and to see People Rise Up & Glow Up.

from left: the Brishti Queen (brishti is rain), the Batash Queen (batash is wind) and the Megh Queen (megh is clouds) – 30 May 2022 Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

She learned to be grateful to what she has done and achieved, and proud of the young woman she has become – full of flowers & butterflies around her.

What will be a BIG DREAM is the conception, creation & planning of THE FIRST United Nations FILM SHOW in Cox’s Bazar, where all the UN communications officers will put in place a series of Bangla and English movies about refugees, directed to schools students in Cox’s Bazar, to sensitize them about social cohesion, harmony, understanding needed between the Bangladeshi host community (2 million 650 people live in Cox’s Bazar) & the Rohingya refugees coming from Myanmar – after World Refugee day (20 June – the shows will be free, open to the public, from 22 to 24 June 2022 in the Cox’s Bazar Cultural center of Laboni Beach). The humanitarian response is entering its fifth year, therefore a local national action is needed to ensure sustainability and localization of the complex, sensitive and protracted humanitarian response. Due to shortage of fundings, the humanitarian community will not stay for longer, therefore the empowerment of local stakeholders is key to ensure the dignity, safety and voluntary repatriation of more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in current 34 refugee camps, 28,000 of which have been relocated to the island of Bhasan Char.

When she gets impatient about the upcoming “what’s next”, she has grown to believe to take more care of her hair – it takes time & beauty, therefore, she slows down and takes her time, as she would comb her hair, massage the head skin, apply shampoo, conditioner, aloe vera cream, massage again, listen to a good “girly” song (Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus..) relax and think that’s the best life we could ever have…and that we are doing enough….

Sharing a songs playlist that summarizes the state of mind and mind-forward thinking:

She is like the wind

Crazy for this girl

Here comes the rain again

Coming around again

Let go

and…a chill-out set of long-listening albums…

Acid Jazz Lounge the complete anthology 1968- 2020

Best of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s golden hits mastermix

70’s Soul – Al Green, Commodores, Smokey Robinson, Tower of Power, and more

Embrace June 2022!!

Hope, Future & Dreams – Stars in Your Eyes – Lessons on Time, Resilience & Happiness

I believe in Life. and in Music, of course, because it makes you travel along time & space. I think this is a Test of Time, Resilience & Revision of our Lifestyles.

We are all living strange & sad times, where we need to recognize that Health is more important than anything else in the world (coupled with Love & Empathy, of course!), & we need to make sure we take care of one another, physically & mentally. I think day-by-day can be tough, & there are so many life stories to tell: nurses & doctors on the frontline in the hospitals taking care of patients, elderly people alone, pregnant women, single mothers with babies, families apart, lovers in different places, displaced people and refugees in camps where physical distancing is hard…so, we must make sure we are THERE for one another.

Photo credit/ Buddha Doodles https://buddhadoodles.com/

I was reading today a quote on positive attitude, because I think that All with Be Well. We need to repeat this little phrase to ourselves everyday. In the meantime, continue talking to our friends & families, and think about the wonderful Future ahead of us!

Our ability to love the world & plan & dream about the future has been greatly put at test these days. So, I think that younger generations need to take care of older generations, and younger generations need to keep feeding & kindly nurturing the Future with Big Dreams of Doing Good, Spreading Love, Empathy & Compassion, and Changing the World as a most United Humanity, where fear does not have to exist, because we are there for one another.

The virus made us apart, showed that fear and suffering exist, made us see that we can be greater together, helping one another and sharing messages of love, organizing concerts from home and many other things that humans can do.

However, it also showed us that we must embrace Nature more, and respect it. Otherwise the Air comes against us, and it comes in a huge aggressive wave. ( I think that the Ocean for instance is our best friend, but we must respect it, not polluting it with plastics or our trash, otherwise she gets angry & she splashes us – and she targets no one in particular, but all of us in general!)

Napoli, the Mediterranean sea Photo credit. Pinterest

and a nice inspiration quote from Marcus Aurelius

Featured image: The Path towards the Future – the Sea Photo Credit: Pinterest, here

A Far-sighted gaze

Living for a Purpose or finding the Purpose in Living?

This dilemma has always been part of the universal questions of Human Beings presently, past and probably futur-ly living in the immensity of the Universe.

As a pondering riddle of words or a jigsaw waiting to be solved, I found my answer based on a recent dream, probably the collection of awakened experiences and mind processing of the same ones. 

I found my answer in my father, a revolutionary man in his thoughts & actions. Caring and affectionate, but, in a way, always distant, neutral and impartial, unbiased in his judgement and analysis of the world happenings, thinking of other people and not merely himself and his family, with a far-sighted gaze towards the future of ourselves and the future generations.

I believe that Purpose is the Passion that comes naturally from the very inside of us, and that we use to leave a good legacy in the world. I found my natural instinct channeled towards Information and Analysis of Impact of events based on in-depth analysis of current situation. Leave the emotions and the biased-information behind ( mostly driven by past experiences, our culture and our education) and clear the mind to understand the context and the reasons of happenings.

We then make use of our Passion to open eyes and doors to immense opportunities and possibilities, by digging inside our inclinations and think in a future, long-term or forward-looking way. Think of the telescope for stargazing, the concept is the same. We look at the stars and we analyze their present state, position and movement. We admire and analyze at the same time. We cannot just stay there and appreciate, because the power of our minds exactly stands in for critical thinking and for transforming stillness into movement.  

This is when Purpose transforms into Living. It is all looped together, like a strong rope that ties everything, in an interconnected way. Living implies two elements: 1. living in the present, and enjoying/making use of your passions to fill fulfilled & satisfied (your life, feeding your soul & centered on you) & 2. making an impact for the sustainability of the planet and for future generations ( our children and the children of our children, and all communities and populations) to live in a comfortable way, thriving and not merely surviving (other-centered, living for others, giving and serving others based on your position in the world- where your star is located and how much you can & your are willing to do). My dad used to tell me that whenever you love yourself, you are thriving and you are satisfied, you can give to others in a more fulfilling way. There is no rush in life and we must analyze current situations to understand when our stars align, so that we create the right conditions for happenings to take place (based on our preparation towards them and choices- forward-looking). 

To conclude, think also of a library and a CD/music collection at home. It takes time to build, but it allows then to be enjoyed and to let people in to enjoy. It creates conditions and situations, where the full enjoyment of learning -given by books and music- can be widespread, and where we, mere human beings connected to the universe through a variety and sometimes unexplainable set of stars alignment, become teachers or models for others to show and continue the legacy. As stars, we are born, we shine and then we fade, to let others enjoy what we have built. We need to be, therefore, always looking at the shiny stars and think that, in a near future, our far-sighted gaze will allow us to see the bigger picture of the set of actions we undertake everyday. For the betterment of our societies and the enlightenment of other people, with us and after us.

Tip:

Watch the BBC documentary: The Great Pyramid: Gateway to the Stars (February 1994)

planets_pyramids_cropped

Orion correlation theory- astronomical alignment in Egyptian Pyramids

How to Love

Love is about observing, smoothly interacting, and seeing one another. When it is not there, you feel it, in a geographical and terrestrial sense. I feel that the human senses are very much like antennas of satellites, they capture everything and they can follow each and every step: Better if the steps of life are made of two steps, the you & me you see in the movies.

You try different experiences, you give your life and devote it to something (work, work , work, work), and then life gives you something else (the other day I learned with a beloved that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade- like a lemon tree).

You do not believe in love anymore, and than you discover it, it becomes a whole ONE intercultural-understanding LOVE of all times, you “inner smile” again, and, life is full again (and a little bit Love fools also).

But Love is larger than life, and it offers you something you cannot refuse.

Wanna be a superstar, wanna be wonder woman, wanna kiss, have kids and travel the world. Want to make big decisions for humanity, want to see children growing.

The show must go on. Relax, Travel, Deconnect, Imagine other possible worlds, and then Focus on what you are doing, why you are doing, what were your inner desire,wishes and dreams, and what you want to become. This is the hardest, most complex song of all times. If I was a songwriter, that would be the title of my song, what you want to become and why. What Love and Unity can teach you, your desire of ONE Peaceful World, where there is no jealousy, no envy, no wars, no fatigue, no regrets, no fears, no fights, no harsh feelings. Just Dreams, Happiness, Willingness to Learn, to Give Back, to Help one another, to Rise again and Inspire each other. In a circle of ending fears, where there are only Dialogue, Communication, and Energy to keep explaining, learning, and growing. Desire to Educate and Be Educated, to give hands together and follow the path of Life, with a sense that nothing is ever going to end, but everything will teach you something that will always come back to you, to teach others, and to Love More.

With a friend I am unraveling 3 wishes, hard ones to get. About Passion, the Planet Earth as Nature, and People ( Healthy, Willing to Give and Learn).

In this year I experienced 3 people, 3 wise men (women in my case) who have accompanied me, smiled and me and loved me. Now, with them in my soul, heart and body, my path can take a different road, the road that the poet Frost took ( the most difficult one, but the one that must be taken, and that can make all the difference). For it, study is required, God needs to instill more Hope, more Energy, and more willingness to start again. The first woman opened arms and heart to me when I arrived in Dakar, the second one guided me through the whole year, teaching me how to work, how to take initiatives and how to develop my self-confidence, the third one left but I think God wishes I follow her to continue what we started, to see more, to learn more and to discover Life & Love mysterious ways.

I see Stars in the Sky, and I am giving my wishes to the shooting stars.

When Love is True, It will always Stay. Like the Trees, with stable and strong roots. Trees & Stars, a fabulous combination of stability & dreams, earth & air, reality & imagination.

shooting-stars-in-the-tree

 

This has been a pilot blog where i wished to tell you my feelings, impressions and writings through a musical blog. In each link, you can find a song. Since i was a child i used to associate people with songs, and i used to sing a lot, also in class in elementary school. I hope you like it. Singing, most of the times, can tell you much more than continuing to talk and, sometimes, saying nothing at all. Lyrics of the songs are harmonious and beautiful instead, and the message is passed and received, in a peaceful, powerful and universal way. 🙂

I also wish to add a small playlist of songs that got stuck in my head this week:

On Love, Peace, and something else– U2

What a fool believes– Neri per caso featuring Mario Biondi

Ocean Drive– Duke Drummond

Bologna é una regola– Luca Carboni

Four to the floor– Starsailor

Happy Day– Sister Act 2

photo of the blog- Vanilla Sky by Monet