Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Reflexion by Mahatma Gandhi

December 17, 2013


Le preguntaron a Mahatma Gandhi cuáles son los factores que destruyen al ser humano. 
Él respondió así:
La Política sin principios, 

El Placer sin compromiso, 
La Riqueza sin trabajo, 
La Sabiduría sin carácter, 
Los Negocios sin moral, 
La Ciencia sin humanidad y 
lLa Oración sin caridad.

La vida me ha enseñado 
Que la gente es amable, si yo soy amable; 
que las personas están tristes, si estoy triste; 
que todos me quieren, si yo los quiero; 
que todos son malos, si yo los odio; 
que hay caras sonrientes, si les sonrío; 
que hay caras amargas, si estoy amargado; 
que el mundo está feliz, si yo soy feliz; 
que la gente se enoja, si yo estoy enojado;
 que las personas son agradecidas, si yo soy agradecido.
La vida es como un espejo: Si sonrío, el espejo me devuelve la sonrisa.
La actitud que tome frente a la vida, es la misma que la vida tomará ante mí.
"El que quiera ser amado, que ame".  


No compliques las cosas, es así de simple: ¿Extrañas?. ¡¡¡LLAMA!!!  ¿Quieres ver a alguien?. ¡¡¡INVITA!!!   ¿Quieres que te comprendan?  ¡¡¡EXPLICA DE NUEVO!!!   ¿Tienes duda?  ¡¡¡PREGUNTA!!  ¿No te gusta algo?  ¡¡¡DESÉCHALO!!! ¿Te gusta algo?. ¡¡¡CUÍDALO!!!  ¿Tienes metas?, ¡¡¡Cúmplelas!!!  
¡Estar VIVO no es lo mismo que vivir!.  La vida no son años, la vida es consciencia y tu eres el lugar que Dios ha elegido para vivir.  Eres su lugar preferido.

Monday, December 16, 2013

The most meaningful and valuable gift


The most meaningful and valuable gift
December 16, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman








Today I went on a stroll to unwind and to meet a friend of mine who took me out to dinner on this ‘special’ day. While we enjoyed dinner, we reminisced about having celebrated this day in 2011, 2012 and 2013 together. This is very meaningful to me as I don’t think I have ever spent this particular day with anyone else three years in a row. These special moments and the significant gifts we get, are what really add value to life. 

All of this is what keeps me alive, like the key chain I was given by one of the most loved people in my life in the 1990’s. The ‘Y’ is the initial of my name embraced by Mickey Mouse. In my mind, the Y represents me, and the Mickey Mouse speaks for that special someone clasping on to me and comforting me amid my solitude and harsh moments. 

At times when I am alone feeling lonely, forgotten and abandoned, I hold on to my key chain knowing that that dear loved someone is thinking about me and it brings warmth to my heart. 

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Is masking the real you unethical?


Is masking the real you unethical?
December 15, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman



As of lately I’ve been doing a lot of writing but not necessarily the type I want. I am taking this TESOL  (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) which requires a lot of analyzing case studies and writing a response essay. 
Today I bumped into this very interesting one that reminded me about a post a wrote on May 8, 2012, “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice,” by Deng Xiaoping's 


Essay question:
In the professional world, people often "dress for success." They wear expensive suits and ties to give the impression that they are confident and powerful. High school and college students often dress to give the impression that they are "hip" or fashionable. When is it unethical to dress in a manner that masks the real you? Explain by using an example from your own experiences.

I have lived in Guadalajara Jalisco for the past 9.5 years and teach at the American School Foundation of Jalisco.
The American School is a public system in the United States, unlike here.
ASFG is for a very exclusive upper class group in which competition is a constant factor in everyone's mind.
I have always disliked this behavior because people are always pretending to be something they are not.
The middle (the working) class is always buying more than they can afford; clothes, trips, electronics, shoes, apartments, houses, fine dining, etc. They spend more than what they make and end up in huge debt. 
‘According to 'Lingerie, iPads: Mexican kid-free couples fuel high-end boom,' 
BY ALEXANDRA ALPER AND ELINOR COMLAY
MEXICO CITY, July 14 Sun Jul 14, 2013 7:59am EDT,
Mexico is a third world country with first class taste because everyone wants to fit it. 

As for me, I did modeling work for about five or six years. Every time we got our makeup done, I had to tell the makeup artist to keep it very natural and to use a lot of makeup. The same thing with the outfits we got.
At the beginning it was very 'cool,' to experience the feeling of being praised, but as time progressed, I ended up feeling more empty and sad.
Deep down, all the girls concealed our real selves only to feel  momentarily which in the end opened a wider gap of solitude.

Every event that we attended, there were always people who looked up to us and wanted to take pictures with us led to the thought that we were superior beings when in reality we were not. We were also invited to VIP events where we didn't have to pay anything just because all the men that we were invited by, wanted to be surrounded by thin and ‘beautiful’ girls.

In the end, I opted leaving that superficial job because it didn't befit the person I've always been. I have never liked to masquerade myself. 

Now that I teach, I feel a lot more useful and self-fulfilled.
I like to go by Deng Xiaoping's principle, "It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, 
so long as it catches mice."

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Life


December 14


Hoe does one know is she has forgiven? you tend to feel sorrow over the circumstances instead of rage, you tend to feel sorry for the person rather than angry with him. You tend to have nothing left to say about it all.
Clarissa Pinkola Estes

He who is overly attached to his family members, experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy.
Chanakya

I like living. I have sometimes been wildly despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing. 
Agatha Christie

Sorrow is a fruit. God does not make it grow on limbs too weak to bear it. 
Victor Hugo

Only by joy and sorrow does a person know anything about themselves and their destiny. They learn what to do and what to avoid.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Is overweight normal?


Is overweight normal?
December 10, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman



What’s a normal weight for a thirty something 5 foot 2 inch woman? 
According to wikianswers.com

A 5 foot 2 woman should weight between 120 to 130 pounds.

Though some people describe me as small, I would categorize myself on the borderline of small and medium, which means that my ideal weight would be between 108-132 pounds.

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm


5'2"
Small frame: 108-121
Medium frame: 118-132
Large frame: 128-143


At this precise moment as I type, I took a brief time out to weigh myself and the number on the scale gave me this number: 113 pounds (51.2559 kilos).

Up until a couple of weeks ago, my perfect weight was precisely 108 pounds, unlike now that I dreaded looking at that ‘magical’ number due to the inconsistency and lack of motivation that have struck me very aggressively lately.  As much as I reach down to find the “why,” deep down in my pocket, it must have gone stray because I cannot find it. Plus! A lot of mindless, compulsive, impulsive, emotional, unnecessary and excessive eating have reigned my every day.

I used to consider myself a health and fitness enthusiast but I’ve rearranged the sequence of the wording: I am a fitness enthusiast because I love working out BUT, I ONLY claim to be a health advocate. There’s a difference between advocating something and actually putting it into practice.

Very contrastingly, 113 pounds means an insignificant number to the majority of the population worldwide. Here I am suffering due to my health down fall this  year (it was the worst year every!), there was a substantial change in my body all around so I have to go back to basics fitness wise. On the contrary, to other people’s eyes, I am still ‘weak,’ ‘puny,’ ‘feeble,’, ‘skinny,’ NOT thin, ‘little’, ‘frail,’ ‘small,’ or I look like a niña, (a young girl), I was told this last comment as recently as yesterday. This one is hard to believe!

Someone was once insolent enough to imply that I should eat more because I was on the borderline of anorexia or bulimia. Since I’ve been here, there hasn’t been a single person who’s considered me normal.
I am bedazzled by others’ reactions and comments everywhere I go as I don’t fully comprehend why people have slowly accepted overweight as ‘normal.’ 
Through my readings the other day, I came across a woman, a health and fitness enthusiast who is amazingly fit after her third birth. She was being horribly scrutinized by all these hate comments.Those haters don’t know this woman, true she’s married, and her husband seems VERY supportive, she’s fortunate enough to be running some of her family’s business so time is not a constraint as it is for others, she has incredible genetics and a lot of other points in her favor. 

On the other hand, she’s got what 90 or 95% of the population lacks: INCREDIBLE SELF-CONTROL and DISCIPLINE, cooks smart, she doesn’t eat junk, never misses her workouts, she fuels up her engine with a clean and transparent diet, and on top of that, she’s helping thousands of people through her passion. Health and fitness.

This woman rebutalled very smartly and politely even after being called very offensive names by a massive group of people. Before she apologized to all those she had ‘offended,’ she argumented that society accepts women as ‘normal,’ with 20, 30 pounds over their indicated weight. Yet they are making her, a fit woman be ashamed of herself?

The overweight and obesity rate has gone sky high now that when a ‘normal’ looking person is seen, they are contemplated as ‘abnormal.’ Unfortunately, for all those who are full of excuses, there will always be a culprit other than “I.” dissimilar to me and other fitness enthusiasts; overweight and obesity are NOT normal...

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Death


December 8, 2013


“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.” 

“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things.” 

“A girl calls and asks, "Does it hurt very much to die?"
"Well, sweetheart," I tell her, "yes, but it hurts a lot more to keep living.” 

“Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.” 


“I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens.” 


“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” 

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” 

“If you gave someone your heart and they died, did they take it with them? Did you spend the rest of forever with a hole inside you that couldn't be filled?” 

“That was the thing. You never got used to it, the idea of someone being gone. Just when you think it's reconciled, accepted, someone points it out to you, and it just hits you all over again, that shocking.” 

Saturday, December 7, 2013

It almost seems unreal


It almost seems unreal
December 7, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman
unscathed by bitterness

I was saddened to learn about Nelson Mandela’s death on December 5th because he was one of the most influential men in the world. His death has with no doubt touched and impacted the whole globe and left us all mourning forever. 
Another death that came to remind me that we don’t own our life, and that humans are only passing through this world temporarily, was that of the late Paul Walker, actor of The Fast and the Furious movies. 
Michelle Rodriguez posted this warm dedication to him,
"What happens when kindness begins to depart the planet one by one? Is there enough time to learn, evolve, do something, in-between the extinction of kindness and our stint of a lifetime ... mortality makes me realize life is not just accumulated moments and memories, some people touch your soul and make you see unconditional love in all its innocence. In my eyes, Those kind people, are the most powerful forces on the planet ;) You can't run away from feeling Empathy or a sense of mystery in Life can you?"
When mortality comes to mind, it makes me draw back and realize that tomorrow is too late for anything. In the wake of grandma Mary Lou’s passing on January 26, 2012, I learned that one of the most challenging missions in life is changing ourselves. Making mistakes is part of our growth, yet many times we take our loved ones for grated. We get hurt by one another and we let pride subdue us. We let our brain dominate our emotions because our heart has been very badly wounded and we can’t let that happen again. 
For me, the act of forgiveness is a miracle come to life, real and eternal love, when two people can overcome all of life’s obstacles hand in hand conquering the world just like grandma Mary Lou and grandpa Hal did since they committed to their vows until death parted them. Before, I used to hold a grudge on everyone about the littlest issues until I I first learned about the act of acquitting offenses through those two dearly loved beings. Last year I was taught another lesson about the act of dissolution  through another dearly loved and close person in my life.
Thirteen years of marriage, two children, all the support and the life she devoted to her husband were not enough to avoid being betrayed and wounded. Little did she know that she’d be entrapped in a profound catch-22 and it would take her a long time to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Every single time I heard her sobbing during our phone conversations, I got choked up because our bond is so strong that I really felt it. Yet all those times I had to bite my tongue to avoid telling her to put an end to that relationship. 
She instead sought for God, therapy and decided to fight for them by changing and fixing particular things she had forgotten because she loved him. Her reasoning was, “I love him and tomorrow if one of us were to die, it it will be too late. Life is too short to be resenting others. Why do human beings always choose the fastest way when we are hurt? I am not perfect and I have hurt him too so I am taking 50% of the blame and I choose to stick with him.”
When I close my eyes and think about all that wise advice, I still get emotional, because it almost seems unreal that their hearts are unscathed by bitterness after all that pain. When I hear Hal sobbing on the phone, the emptiness in his voice echoes through my ear but he is not sour to have lost my dear grandmother. 
These two people have touched my soul very deeply and have taught me about unconditional love, the unequivocal love of God which I’ve never had through a human being because I’ve never been given a second chance...


Thursday, December 5, 2013

What I REALLY Want...

What I REALLY Want...
December 5, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman

I am eleven days from my birthday and I can't help being struck by the thought of what I really want, or  the question of, "What am I going to do with my life?"
I can write out an endless list of material and emotional requests. The matter of whether or not they will be granted, is unbeknownst to me, perhaps the answer lies within.
With all this in mind I read an article earlier today on http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/ titled, 'Obamacare, Dante, and what women really want.'

The last paragraph is the one that clarified all my doubts and the one I really resonated with:

"We want love. And no human love will do. We want God. No other kind of “insurance” will do. And no advertisement that promises security or pleasure, or pretends to understand our deepest desires, will ever come close to the message of the Gospel."


Friday, November 29, 2013

Trust in God


November 29, 2013





In everything that you do, do your best and leave the rest to God.
Everything is written by HIM. He is ALL knowing.
When you have faith, no wind can blow you off your track,
no storm can sink your ship without HIS permission.
Keep on sailing and faith. God willing, everything will be alright.

Do not worry. Be still.
God is never blind to your tears,
never deaf to your prayers,
and He is never silent to  your pain.
All things are possible with Him.


Count your gains instead of your losses,
Count your joys instead of your woes,
Count your friends instead of your foes,
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your health instead of your wealth.
Count on God instead of yourself.


The adventure of life is to learn.
The purpose of life is to grow.
The nature of life is to change.
The challenge of life is to overcome.
The essence of life is to care.
The opportunity of life is to serve.
The secret of life is to dare.
The spice of life is to befriend.
The  beauty of life is to give


Without dreams we reach nothing.
Without love we feel nothing.
Without God we are nothing.


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Writing is nothing more than a guided dream

Writing is nothing more
than a guided dream
November 26, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman


In 2009 it was only a meager:10
In 2010 that figure increased to: 38
In 2011 my cypher went up to: 59
In 2012 my count became more significant: 111
In 2013 my digit has almost tripled that of 2011: 150

I am not talking about the number of partners I’ve been in a relationship with, (although I am very close to my first number). 10, 38, 59, 111, 150, symbolize something more purposeful to me. They are the number of articles in which I’ve released all of it: A blend of happiness, hope, contentment, radiance, joy, victory, self-fulfillment, anger, frustration, sadness emptiness, solitude, abandonment.

What’s my number?
My number as of yesterday was: 368, and as of tonight when I wrap this post up, it will be 369. That number is my guided dream, Like Jorge Luis Borges once said,“Writing is nothing more than a guided dream.” 

That guided dream is...

The curiosity and love for writing that developed ever since I was a little girl...

The love for writing that was nurtured each year that went by when I fed my dairy with the meaningful happenings of my naive and innocent childhood and adolescence...

The impulse and desire that led me to look for voluntary writing opportunities later in my late twenties...

The readiness and courage which led me to pursue professional writing possibilities...

The whim to give life to one of my dreams and victories (my ABC’s): Writing.

The notion to take the less travelled road amidst the not so rosy moments...

The vision that will lead my passion to reveal my purpose...

The desire to get distracted from reality without harming myself or others...

The craze and attainment to always challenge myself...

The fantasy to make it a necessity...

The inclination to keep creating more...

The pride I embrace for having been invited to give writing workshops for Advanced composition to non native speakers of English such as 'What a Writer Needs...'

The marvel I get for being considered to write for “101 Way to Make Yourself more Marketable,” by Self-Growth, an online magazine...

The satisfaction I feel for having been invited to write a company’s biography...

The unbelief that hits me when I got an invitation to give medical writing workshops to doctors and medical residents at one of the most important local hospitals...

The astoundment I am impacted with every time I look through my writer’s bibles: ‘What a Writer Needs,’ By Ralph Fletcher, ‘Writing with Style,’ By Sue Young, ‘Rules for Writers,’ By Diana Hacker, and ‘Proofreading Handbook,’ Second Edition, McGraw Hill, By Laura Anderson...

The illusion I am filled with every time I am referred to a young doctor, lawyer or college student, as a “writing expert,” to help them improve their writing...

The leaps of exuberance I get from my U. S. client who I work with as a Chief editor, when they tell me that they are very happy with my work...

The pleasure I experience when I can turn down an offer because I feel needed and useful...

And last but not least, the bliss I am permeated with because ‘La Importancia de La Escritura,’ is a reality now...

I won’t let the cat out of the bag until after it happens this Thursday November 28, 2013...

Monday, November 25, 2013

Writing defines who you are


Writing defines who you are
November 25, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman


Last Wednesday during class N. T. S., one of my students and I discussed how important writing is. Nicolas is a very focused young man who is always very enthused about expanding his knowledge, improving his writing, maximizing his athletic abilities, attaining more spiritual consciousness, and is very curious about life in general. 

As a Junior in High School he’s starting to get antsy about deciding his major and looking into the most suitable university/ies and not waste time. Our assignment last week was to look into the most common types of college essays and  how to approach them. 

  1. The Personal Statement
  2. Your Favorite Activity
  3. Why Do You Want to Spend the next four years at one particular college/what makes you a good candidate and what do you have to bring to this college
  4. Intellectual Curiosity

“This is very hard,” he implied. “Why does writing matter?” 
It is very simple, writing defines who you are. Let’s contemplate at the most important factors that are highly regarded in a professional setting nowadays:

  1. Writing
  2. Volunteer work
  3. Hobbies (reading, writing, family spirituality)
  4. Sports

These are all tied together and sooner or later, they will reveal the real “YOU.” All these blended into one will shape the adult you are to become one day and how you handle and react to life. 

Why?

High writing skills are demanded in many professions and it emphasizes your education level. Meticulosity is mirrored in your writing and whether or not you care about being thorough with everything else. 
Helping others shows that you are concerned about your community, your society and that you are willing to dedicate some of your valuable time to others.
Not long ago, I read a career search website and according to one article, many employers are starting to ask candidates for their facebook profile because they want to see what kind of lifestyle they have. If they see someone’s pictures where the individual is always drinking, smoking, etc. that may mean that he/she is very selfish and perhaps irresponsible. As opposed to someone who lists and shows their hobbies as charity work, spending time with family, spirituality, sports, ect. 

In the same way, people who have an atrocious driving record, a poor credit history, someone who is in high debt, all these may more likely be factors that indicate irresponsibility. 

Therefore, we have to live by very simple principles and let that doctrine define who we are...

That’s why I love writing and when I can’t get inspired, I seek for it because I know that it is lying deep down somewhere. 



“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.” - Harper Lee, "To Kill a Mockingbird."



Sunday, November 24, 2013

The origin of Roman


The origin of “Roman”
April 23rd, 2013





Many years ago, when I went to Las Vegas, I decided to investigate the history of my last name. According to the coat of arms found there and then and according to other sources, Roman is of Spanish origin.

Just today and now that we can rely on the amazing www, I thought of doing a little more delving and this is the most complete search I came up with:




Roman Name Meaning Catalan, French, English, German (also Romann), Polish, Hungarian (Román), Romanian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian: from the Latin personal name Romanus, which originally meant ‘Roman’. This name was borne by several saints, including a 7th-century bishop of Rouen.English, French, and Catalan: regional or ethnic name for someone from Rome or from Italy in general, or a nickname for someone who had some connection with Rome, as for example having been there on a pilgrimage. Compare Romero.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
1,442,644 Historical Documents and Family Trees with Roman on Ancestry.com
152,181 Census and Voter Lists
25,804 Immigration Records
105,303 Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
1,124,583 Member Family Trees
34,773 Military Records

Friday, November 22, 2013

Words of wisdom



Words of wisdom
November 22nd, 2013


I don't know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself. It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes- it is inevitable. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, 'Well, if I'd known better I'd have done better,' that's all. So you say to people who you think you may have injured, 'I'm sorry,' and then you say to yourself, 'I'm sorry.' If we all hold on to the mistake, we can't see our own glory in the mirror because we have the mistake between our faces and the mirror; we can't see what we're capable of being. You can ask forgiveness of others, but in the end the real forgiveness is in one's own self. I think that young men and women are so caught by the way they see themselves. Now mind you. When a larger society sees them as unattractive, as threats, as too black or too white or too poor or too fat or too thin or too sexual or too asexual, that's rough. But you can overcome that. The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself. If we don't have that we never grow, we never learn, and sure as hell we should never teach.

http://www.MyDailyOasis.com/Words-of-Wisdom.html

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The meaning behind the alphabet


The meaning behind the alphabet
November 21st, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman


Earlier today I was skimming through a book titled, Define your personality through your writing style. I have not gotten to that part yet but I according to this RM Ediciones writing, each lower case letter symbolizes a key factor.

a = affective life (emotional life).
b = budget administration and its reserves.
c = selfishness.
d = intellectual, spiritual and psychic life.
e = social contacts.
f =  the synthesis of professional, intellectual, affective and emotional life.
g = sex.
h = the relationship between idealism and everyday life. Disturbances.
i = accuracy (preciseness).
j = privacy.
k = the level of adaptation. Manual dexterity.
l = imagination, projects, relatives mandates (instructions) who influence each activity.
ll = the relationship between private and public life.
m = the family and social self.
n = hidden problems.
ñ = social behavior.
o = affective and social life in relation to money.
p = work.
q = sexual life overall.
r = the channeling of energy, professional awareness, the projection of will in achieving objectives and technical skills.
s = money and moral awareness, the breadth and narrowness of consciousness.
t = will.
u = the sense of reality.
v = the impulse of giving, the level of sacrifice, dedication, admiration and devotion towards something.
w = the complement of the meaning of “v”.
x = affective (emotional) maturity
y = personal balance and professionalism
z = the realization (accomplishment) of the sexual act




Sunday, November 17, 2013

Change must start from within


Change starts from within
There’s always a concealed purpose
November 17, 2013



Edgar Flores, is a young actor born in Tegucigalpa Honduras who starred in Sin Nombre, a film produced by Cary Joji Fukunaga,  as Willy, AKA: El Casper a gang member of el Mara Salvatrucha in Chiapas Mexico. 

El Casper and a teenage girl named Sayra (Paulina Gaytán), meet one day when their gang member Lil Mago, takes El Casper and Smiley (Krystian Ferrer), to La Bombilla, along the train tracks to rob undocumented immigrants who are awaiting to hop on the trains heading towards the United States. 

When Lil Mago comes across Sayra, he attempts to rape her until his life is put to an end abruptly by Edgar Flores whose heart is tainted with tears of blood after Lil Mago tries to rape his girlfriend and kills her. 

In appreciation to his act, Sayra approaches and befriends El Casper against her father’s will. One day when he’s finally accepted by Sayra’s father and uncle who are trying to immigrate to the United States along with Sayra, he decides to get off the train unexpectedly. What Casper didn’t take notice of, was that Sayra would follow him and shortly after, they would embark on their journey to the United States together.

All along as much as El Casper wanted to conceal his fear, he was in dismay for his life and Sayra’s. He was caught amidst angst, solitude and despair because his life was worthless. At the same time he wanted to break free from the deep and dark hole he got himself into, and seek for a better life in the United States. 

This particular character serves as a reminder that as disappointing, painful,  pointless and unfair as life may be at times, as bleak as our future may appear sometimes, and before we want to change our world, our country, our community, our surroundings and our  people, change must start within. 

Kindness is a good way to show our world that we are ready for a positive change. 
As someone who started doing charity work from a very early age on (since I was 16 years old), I am under the belief that those who have the least give the most, and through the bond of giving is when and where we really experience change and dismiss concentrating about “I,” our needs and “suffering.” All of a sudden all those pounding and torturing thoughts about our past misfortunes dissipate and are soon replaced by a warm reasoning of the feeling of giving a lending hand. That humanitarian act fabricates a unification that will reveal our purpose.  

The consolidation of our world feeling and sharing the pain caused by the endless tragedies that have been occurring all around the world makes our bond stronger. We need to come together in moments like hurricane Raymond  in Guerrero that happened earlier in October travelling very fiercely and strongly at about 170 kilometers destroying hundreds of homes and terminating many lives.

It is through people’s solitude and need and our own where we find the rope thrown to us to avoid sinking any further and drowning...

One of my dreams is to one day be wealthy enough to open my own charity foundation and invite others to ingrain and implement my ABC's: Spirituality, family, work and business ethics, health and fitness, charity work, reading and playing with words, or travel everywhere there is a natural tragedy and help and give those in need, without expecting anything in return because I have learned that the happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just give and make the best of everything...  


Thursday, November 14, 2013

A young athlete with a bright future


A young athlete with a bright future
November 14, 2013
By: Gina Yoryet Roman


I started working with Nicolas Thralls Sanchez sometime in September through one of my referrals. From the get-go I noticed that he is unlike many youngsters his age. One of the aspects I enjoy more about working with him, is that he takes the initiative, as opposed to waiting for me to indicate an assignment. His interest in all the classwork, homework and other hobbies and responsibilities is very plausible, he questions, he reviews, studies and  tells me “I need to improve my grammar, I love writing, I keep a journal about my daily happenings, I need to expand my vocabulary, I signed up for the Spartan Race, I need to train harder but I just hurt my ankle.” He’s very enthused and focused about life in general despite his short life span, he analyzes every scenario very thoroughly to avoid losing track. 

One day he told me that he never wants to be like his friends when they meet a girl. The first time they take her out to the movies and/or dinner, the next thing is, they’re dating. “I don’t want to be like them, how can you know someone who you have gone out with only once?” I like to think more before making a decision. Having been brought up in a bilingual, multicultural, and bi-literate scenario makes him more intellectual.  

Sometimes it is a bit hard to click with others but out interest in sports, reading, writing and being multicultural, are what makes a difference. Not all the young people his age are full of stamina towards positive aspects. He looks at the whole picture, analyzes and plans short and long term...



Name: Nicolas Thralls Sanchez 
DOB: May 18, 1996
Age: 17 years old
Weight: 79 kilos (174.165 pounds)
Height: 1.86 meters (6 feet, 10236 inches)
Sports practiced/played: 
I run 5 and 10k’s, I am on the swim team in my High School, I also do weight-boarding as a hobby.  
How long have you played each sport:
about 3 years, I used to compete, now I only do it as a hobby.
Swimming for 7 years, I started when I was ten years old.
Running: I’ve been doing it for the last two years.
What is weight board, is it well known all over the world, in Mexico, the U. S.?: It is a world wide sport, it has become very popular in Mexico in the last few years. It became very popular in Florida, which is the capital of weight boarding. Weight boarding is water skiing on a board in which you can be pulled by a boat on a lake or in the ocean, or through a belt pulley in order to be able to ski on the water surface.
Fitness level: 
Weight boarding: I used to compete so I would say I was at an advanced level until I came down with an injury on my clavicle and that’s when I had to take a break, I have never gone back to it again. That’s when my interest towards running developed. Not long ago I competed in the Kardias 10k in Mexico City. Kardias is a run for  a cause in which you raise funds for young people who need a heart surgery. I was able to raise over $18,000.00 pesos for those young people. 
That’s one of the things I have enjoyed and  liked the most about this, it not only does good for you but to others as well. On top of that is living a healthy lifestyle, and help others do the same thing.
How many times a week do you train: 
I swim 4,000 meters a week, I alternate days.
Running, I run 5k a week, I generally train at the gym lifting weights and doing cardio routines which help me to build endurance.
Best places to run: 
Bosque Colomos. It is very close to my house and it provides a very healthy environment and beautifully surrounded by tress that provide shade, and clean air where I can find other runners.
What are your biggest challenges: 
Finding time, when I wake up in the mornings and I am too lazy to get up. That’s when the real challenge comes, the point is to overcome that and hop out of bed and do things the way you want to. You do it for yourself, not to have a nice body or to get applauded by others.
What is your purpose for doing exercise: 
My purpose is to be healthy.
How and when did you get started doing/playing sports: 
I grew up in a very healthy environment. Both my parents have always liked to run. Since I was a little boy, I used to go watch him during his races. My mother was a national swim competitor for many years. Having a healthy diet and working out were always ingrown in my family surroundings.
What is your daily routine:
It is not  that tough daily, when I have to train for an upcoming raise, I increase my training time. I do cardio three times a week, resistance and strength building/weight lifting.
What do you think that Mexico is now number one in overweight and obesity: 
I am truly sorry about this. Honestly, Mexico is an amazing and beautiful country that has all the potential for us to do anything we want. It is time to promote and encourage sports more, specially young people need to start adopting this habit. 
What advice would you give to amateur and veteran athletes:
Take the first step, the first step is the most difficult. Once you are through that barrier, that obstacle that doesn’t allow you to move forward, it becomes very easy. The first step is what makes you develop a love for movement.






Nicolas at a race

Nicolas weight boarding