By Juanpablo Barrantes Leader’s approach (4 min read)
“Somebody has told me that the flowers didn’t stop singing your name, your name dear. Someone also told me that the ocean waves just gave you a sea foam shawl adorned with clouds and lilies. And the moon didn’t get convinced, so it descended to look into your heart. And by looking inside your heart, the moon just noticed a full-bright sun, even more beautiful than my Blessing. To be with you, to kiss you, to walk by the hand with you. My darling, to look at you and to whisper I love you into your ear, I really mean it, what a Blessing.” —Taken from the Spanish lyrics of the song: ‘Mi Bendición’; Juan Luis Guerra— In this beautiful poem made a bachata song I reflect about how determinant in my life it’s been to be appreciative. I think too many people around me don’t get into reason that appreciation is the key that opens up inner contentment. It’s a matter of being grateful and living in peace with myself; being aware that fullness is a decision-making process: it’s my choice to live in a good mood, joyful everyday and enjoying life’s gifts. Optimistically but also realistically conscious about my skills and being patient to reach what I strive for. Sure it’s not a whim or a passing desire, but rather my full conviction of a personal purpose. Each time I appreciate something in my life, I recognize that there’s a Holy presence deep inside of me. This inner God is reflected within my spirit whenever I show self-acceptance and self-respect. This inner God is also reflected in everything I see and even in what I can’t see, in everything I attract and even in what’s unknown to me. Then, going back to the poem made a bachata song, my Blessing means to me like a good-wishing from life and from God. What parent doesn’t wish the best to his son or her daughter? Each time we show appreciation, we’re saying life, we’re sayin God: thanks for wishing goodness to me! Each Blessing has a mirror effect, good vibes are plenty reflected in those who display an appreciation mindset. For this reason, be very cautious whenever you fall in the trap of being mean to others, because such evil thoughts or prejudices might eventually become into hatred. Cursing everyone and everything around you will bring up pretty much the same hatred to you. It’s a nature’s law of life, some people call it Karma, and it works in both ways, for good and for evil. You do have too many things to appreciate every moment of your life!, just recognize this reality: everything has been given to you, but you really don’t own anything because everything is borrowed to you, even your own life and the life of your beloved ones, anything that brings joy to you and even anything that brings sorrow to you. Each and every moment in your life is part of a whole presence and you’re just a whisper in time and space. Any choice you make influences your fate, so your fate influences the fate of those around you, then life gives back to you the effect of those choices gradually or suddenly, but eventually in time. Let me finish this inspiration with the thoughts of a wise man who interiorized almost by perfection on the art of appreciation, no matter any circumstance he lived whatsoever: “You are not depressed, instead you’re distracted. You’re distracted from life that’s fully within yourself, you have a heart, you have a brain, you have a soul and even a spirit; then how can you feel yourself poor and disgraced? God put a human being on your charge, and it’s precisely you! So it’s your sacred duty to make yourself free and joyful...” —Facundo Cabral. www.jpbarrantes1973.wixsite.com/leadersapproach