First things first

The very first time I had the idea for this post was back in January, and it was supposed to be a summary of my year 2015, some kind of a yearly "loss & profit" report. It was indeed a heck of a year, with all the good and worse things that happened to me. I won't call them "bad" as today I know how much I learned thanks to those events in my life.
But the months were passing, I got busy with my new job, lost myself a bit in all this rush and hustle, and so I completely forgot to write what I wanted at the time I should have. Also, with the time passing by, I realized it would be too easy just to summarize a year, anyone can do that, right? So here I am today, sharing with you what I know now much better than on the 31st December 2014.

Priorities, most important things, deadlines, emergencies, we all have them. But it's only when our life slows down, or even stops for a while, that we realize what actually matters. It's only when within just a few months you get seriously sick, you get a "break-up" e-mail (yeah, you heard me, an e-mail!) and you lose your job, when you have impression that the whole world is against you and that you are the most unhappy person in the world - if you then look a bit around you, you will realize that you are actually very lucky. Why? Because your Family and Friends will never leave you behind and those are the people you can always count on, no matter what, those are your People. Because the medicine gets more and more advanced every day and the doctors know how to heal you and relieve your pain. Because if you were not a good fit for this job, it means there is another one, better, waiting for you. And anyway, in the end it's just a job!

Health...
People...
Self-fulfillment...
First things first...

Take good care of yourself, to make sure you will always be there for the people who need you, the people you love and who love you.
Don't rush, don't chase the things which usually don't last forever. But take your time, don't forget to be there for yourself as well. Your happiness is also important. Maybe even the most. Because... if you are not happy, then how can you make someone happy?
Enjoy the simple things: the sun when you get up and the moonlight when you go to bed, the birds singing outside your window, those kids playing and laughing in the park, that smile on your old neighbour's face when you hold the door for him.
Be proud of yourself: there's only one great person like you, and it is You.
And be generous: to yourself and to others, don't limit yourself only to the things you "should", dare to get crazy sometimes. Nobody will judge you for that!

. . .

Thank you Year 2015 for making me wiser and more humble. For the eye-opening experiences, for all those People who were there for me, and also for those I had to "filter out". Thank you. But, please, don't ever come back ;)

Should I stay or should I go...?

It's Wednesday, around 1 pm, in Paris, 15th arrondissement. One of the safiest districts of Paris. Or at least that's what I thought, until that day. 
I'm going downstairs to pick up my clothes from the laundry, as I've been doing for the last 2 years. When I get there, the washing machine I used is empty, just one pair of socks is left. The verdict: somebody stole my clothes! Ok, not a big deal in the end, it's just a bit disappointing as it has never happened to me before, in 8 years that I've lived here. Out of natural curiosity though I ask the lady who's there if she saw the person emptying my machine. She says it was a guy, with strange marks on his face. I talk to the lady for a moment, considering reporting this theft to the police, but then - why bother just for a few clothes? 
While we're talking, I see a guy on the other side of the street, with an Ikea bag, just like the one I'm using for my laundry. The lady confirms to me it's the guy she saw. I instinctively start walking towards him, he does have some scars on his face and he seems weak, as if under some "substances", so it's quite easy for me to grab my Ikea bag from his hands. I'm relieved, I got my clothes back!
And the story could have had its happy-ending here, if only the lady hadn't told him he should leave or she would call the police. She repeated that two times I think. But two times were enough. He followed us inside the laundry and suddenly took out a swiss knife out of his pocket. He threatened us for a few seconds with it and then left. It all happened really fast, but I can assure you that I saw all my life in a flashback at that moment...
I couldn't stop shaking when the guy left. I stayed in the laundry for a few more minutes, talked with the lady. We concluded with saying that soon it will be dangerous to even get out of your own apartment here...

When I got back home, I put the clothes to dry, had a good lunch, and tried to live the rest of the day normally. But I got a strange feeling nothing will be "normal" anymore, that something broke in me, that I lost my trust and faith in that city. "The city of lights" I used to be so crazy about! 
I'm at that point of my life when I can still make a choice and make a change. If not now then when?! I do not depend on anybody and nobody depends on me either... It seems like a perfect moment...

A good friend of mine recently told me: "We have the choice only when we get positive responses". I recall that phrase very often since I first heard it. And I think every day I am getting more and more convinced where I want those positive responses to come from...

Abracadabra?

Well, not exactly. My name is not Harry Potter, nor live I in a Fantasy Land, nor can I make things happen with a simple touch of a magic stick. Although sometimes I wish I could!
This was not about magic, it was about the hard work, a lot of effort, perseverance, sweat and tears. But I made it!

The verdict came this week. I went to see my nutritionist, Claire, as I've been doing regularly every 2 weeks, since May 2014. It all goes as planned: she asks me how the last 2 weeks went, if I had any particular eating "events & accidents". I am always honest with her (otherwise this whole working together wouldn't make any sense), so this time I admitted that I had a lot (too much!) chocolate (I brought some from my last trip to Poland and so I sinned). Then the crucial moment of each visit comes: I get on the super duper electronic scale. The thrill gets in when I look at the numbers going up, up, up. And then it stops. And then I feel like jumping all over the place! I'm happy, excited, shocked and proud of myself in the same time! Claire smiles to me and cogratulates. She is very happy for me as well, she truly is, as she knows what a struggle this has been sometimes for me, but she always knew how to keep me motivated in the hardest moments (Merci Claire!)
10 kilos, the first 10 kilos are lost, gone, "sayonara" to them! The first big milestone achieved! And I say it's the first one, cause I am not done yet. I won a battle but not yet the war. When we started this "fight" with Claire, I set up myself a weight goal to reach, and I am more and more convinced and confident that I can get there. Even if that means waiting another year, it's worth the wait. Slowly but surely!

I need to add though that this achievement is not only important for me because of the health and physical appearance reasons. Of course, it's great to feel good in your own body, to enjoy the view in the mirror, especially when you now manage to put on the clothes which were too tight for you for so long. It's awesome when you see friends after a while or they see your new profile photo on Facebook and they immediately say: "Waow, you lost on weight a lot! You look great!". Compliments can be so empowering!
But, there is another impact this metamorphosis is having on me, more psychological. Losing these 10 kilos means closing off a certain chapter in my life, getting rid of the "burden" gained during a long-term relationship, which is not one of my best souvenirs. Today I feel like I could move the mountains, I can start off something new, I can achieve more, I can be successful at things I would have never thought of...

A Letter to Myself

Have you ever tried writing a letter to yourself? I have. And  not only tried, but today I did it already for the second time. I know it might seem completely crazy to you, the way it sounds, but believe me - it's not, it's actually nice to read the words you wrote to your Future Self a few years back.

Yes, that's exactly what I do - I write letters to myself "from the future". I started that in 2009, when I was 25 and I wrote a letter to myself which I was supposed to open only when I get 30. And today I wrote the second one - which I will open on the day of my 35th birthday (I cannot wait!).

Now you should ask: "So what are you actually writing in those letters?" Well, first I tend to say a bit about my present life, what has happened and what is still happening in the year when I am writing it. I share my general thoughts about life, about how I see my future in 5 years (I try to write these letters every 5 years). Then I make some wishes to the "Anna from the Future", basing on what I do and feel right now. I also mention my Friends and my Family. I talk about work, travels, dreams... Wishing that the Future Anna will have realized them by the time she reads that letter.

And what happens in the moment of actually reading that letter from Anna from the Past? I smile, sometimes even laugh, I get shocked, surprised, satisfied or disappointed. But overall this is a very happy and inspiring moment, after your yet another birthday party is over. It's a bit like making a revision of your 5-year resolutions. You can see what you succeeded at, where you failed and what is still to be accomplished in your life. And those are the things you can still put in your next letter, so you have another 5 years to make it come true!

One advice though: once it's written, remember to put it in a place where it will be easy to find 5 years from now. And then... don't forget to read it when the time comes :)

"We all have an obligation to be happy" :)

One day I got a call from a Friend. She was simply checking on me, my health and my mood, asking how I keep myself occupied when staying at home. A normal chit-chat girls do from time to time.

What I forgot to mention though is that we've known each other long enough already to know our likes and dislikes, to know what makes us happy and what inspires each of us. And this time it's me who got inspired! 

My Friend recommended to me watching the movie "Hector and the Search for Happiness". But first, as a great Google fan I decided to do some research on this one. And I found out there is actually a book, a best-seller, on which this movie was based. I told myself: why not?! I have plenty of free time anyway!

I finished the book in one day. It was nice, cheerful and happy! One of the rare books which actually make me smile when I read. Awesome feeling!

On his journey, Hector "researched" and noted down a few Happiness Lessons, which I decided to note down for myself as well. They are mostly very simple truths, but the truths we usually forget when we rush every day and all the time from point A to point B...

1. Making comparisons can spoil your happiness.
2. Happiness often comes when least expected. 
3. Many people see happiness only in their future. 
4. Many people think that happiness comes from having more power or more money.
5. Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story. 
6. Happiness is a long walk in beautiful, unfamiliar mountains.
7. It's a mistake to think that happiness is the goal. 
8. Happiness is being with the people you love. 
8b. Unhappiness is being separated from the people you love. 
9. Happiness is knowing your family lacks for nothing. 
10. Happiness is doing a job you love. 
11. Happiness is having a home and a garden of your own. 
12. It's harder to be happy in a country run by bad people. 
13. Happiness is feeling useful to others. 
14. Happiness is to be loved for exactly who you are. 
15. Happiness comes when you feel truly alive. 
16. Happiness is knowing how to celebrate. 
17. Happiness is caring about the happiness of those you love. 
18. Happiness could be the freedom to love more than one woman at the same time. (lol!)
19. The sun and the sea make everybody happy. 
20. Happiness is a certain way of seeing things. 
21. Rivalry poisons happiness. 
22. Women care more than men about making others happy. 

23. Happiness means making sure that those around you are happy? 

My favorites are: 2, 8, 10, 13, 14. And which ones would You pick? 

Once you've read the book, I truly advise you to watch the movie. Both book and the movie make a great set: the book will make you smile, the movie as well, but it might also make you cry...

Enjoy your Happiness! :)

"Real Wealth is Health"

... as Robin Sharma once said. And we usually realize it only when we start losing it. When we are young we think that we are capable of anything, that we can always go beyond our limits, forcing our bodies to achieve sometimes impossible, and we easily forget that those bodies also have their limits.

I am an active, sociable, travel-lover, happy young woman. A big dreamer and dream believer. Always wanting to give and get more from life, regardless the limits this same life can have for me. And then one day, this January 2015, I had to STOP. Or I should rather say: my back said STOP to me.
I've had some back problems already in the past, but this time I got hit really hard. And I can tell you: when you spend your days being hardly able to move, almost crawling to the bathroom and eating while lying on your belly because this is the position in which it doesn't hurt that much - you can either give up or fight it. In the end it's all in your head and how you will think of it.
You will have moments of doubts. I had moments when I wished I had some magic powers to simply take out my old backbone from under my skin and replace it with a brand new. But life is not a movie and I am not a magician.
You will try to look for sympathy and comfort in motivational books, in prayer, in a chit-chat with your Mom. It will work, but next time your sciatic nerve kicks you and almost puts you down - you will easily forget these.
But remember: one day the pain will calm down, you will finally be able to walk in the apartment a bit, cook a little something for you (instead of eating ready sandwiches or salads), take the lift to the ground floor to check your mailbox. And only then you will realize how even such small daily activities can make you happy. Things that maybe you didn't pay attention to until you lost them.


"Every problem is an opportunity in disguise". Today I truly believe that. You can even turn your sickleave into "fun" holidays: watching movies, series, reading books, writing your journal, replying to e-mails you didn't have time for before. And when you have so much time to kill, you also start thinking about your life, you realize what is really important for you and what is not, you re-prioritize, you amend your New Year's resolutions, you start dreaming about doing things you've never even thought of before. And then you tell yourself: once I get myself out of this, I will do my best to become the person I promised myself to become when I was stuck in my bed for a few weeks.

What I will MOST remember from this experience though are the people around me, my Family and Friends, those living far away and those living close by, who were of great support to me during those hard times. Helpful, cheerful, loving, always there when I needed them most. It was great to know I was not alone in this.
"A friend in need is a friend indeed". I hope one day I'll be able to give back at least as much as I was given...

Today I can say that I won one battle, but this war is not over for me yet. But I'm ready to fight, as long as it will be necessary. There's simply too much at stake to give up now. It's my health... It's my life....

On the Shelves of My Life

Whenever I go to Poland, which is around 3 times a year, my Mom always makes sure my stay is not only a simple farniente, but rather a valuable and profitable experience. This time, when I went there for Easter, one of my tasks was to put all my books in boxes in order to leave some space for my Mom's books.

I didn't do it the very first day. I kept it "for the dessert", because I was expecting it to be a very sweet one... And so it was... Sweet and tearful in the same time...

There were my books from childhood, most of which I have never read, even the one I received the first day of primary school in 1990, with a special dedication for the 1-year pupil that I became that day...
When I was sealing the boxes with the storybooks for children, I was already imagining myself reading them one day to my own child...

There were all my small and big dictionaries, and the exercise books thanks to which I can speak French and English so well today. And I reminded myself... of the German course books which are lying on my shelves in Paris, absorbing dust and waiting for me to take them in my hands and carry to the next German class. I'm gonna do it! Es wird gemacht!

Finally I found the book with articles, edited and issued by my University, in which I also had my own article, signed by my own name. One of the things I am very proud of in my life, which I share in my CV. Nice experience!

Over 20 years of my life got sealed in the paper boxes, as simply as that... Over 20 years of memories and moments to cherish... Over 20 years of knowledge and wisdom...
But it's not over yet...
One day the boxes will get unsealed, the memories will pop out of them and the wisdom will have grown... To be the new beginning... For the next 20, 30, 50, 100, 1000 years...

Changes...

Recently some significant changes occurred in my life... Some good changes I hope... What is more, it's still summer here, smiling faces walking down the street, great holidays coming up very very soon, but my blog is still black, sad, not really corresponding with my mood right now. So I thought: why not changing it? And so I did! And I hope you like it :)

A bit of freshness and serenity... Just like me...

Past, Present, Future...

I've had a very lazy Sunday today. Maybe I haven't done anything concrete, but still managed to reply to some e-mails, go through all the papers and mail I have been collecting on the shelves for the last few weeks at least and... a lot of time for thinking... Thinking about the Past which keeps haunting me over and over again, not letting me breath and move forward... Which keeps me stuck in the old souvenirs, memories, events, people... I feel I am getting really fed up with it and the time has come to fight with it, to put the new ideas into action!

At work, whenever the subject of budget planning comes, I tend to say: we should look at the past in order to create the future. But when I look at my own life right now, I realize it has nothing to do with a budget and therefore in order to survive I should actually forget the past and look into the bright future! There is no other way and solution for me if I want to grow, to change, to bring back my usual passion and motivation for life...

I've just had a look at my 2010 New Year's Resolutions and realized that we are already in August and I have still so many things planned to do this year. How could I have let that happen? How could I have forgotten about it and wasted so much time??!! Game over beybe! The time has come to start looking at that list from time to time, a bit more often and cross out, step by step, those things I was dreaming of and which I wanted to happen this year. If not now, then when?

The nutritionists and diet specialists keep saying: if you want to lose on weight, don't tell yourself you will start that tomorrow. Just start now! At the moment of thinking about it! Later on it might be already too late!

So... the Time has come... and the Time is NOW !!!

...

"(...) Still, despite all this, traveling is the great true love of my life. I have always felt, ever since I was sixteen years old and first went to Russia with my saved-up babysitting money, that to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. I am loyal and constant  in my love for travel, as I have not always been loyal and constant in my other loves. I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, colicky, restless new baby - I just don't care what it puts me through. Because I adore it. Because it's mine. Because it looks exactly like me. It can barf all over me if it wants to - I just don't care. (...)"

Impatiently looking forward to my next big trip in September...

Inspiring lunch...

I’ve been always telling myself that whatever I do, wherever I go, I can always meet people from whom I can learn something, get inspiration, which would afterwards have an impact on my life or my own character... And so another event of that kind happened to me today…


It was my 5th day at new job. The passing week has been a true learning experience: meeting new people, getting to know the organization, setting up my office. I was alone in my department that day, my colleagues being on holidays or working from home. So I decided to ask the interns from the Legal department to have lunch with. Their manager joined us as well. And of course, the big part of the conversation went about the legal items, lawyer’s experiences etc. I was getting pretty bored when suddenly they changed the subject completely! The Manager told us about her theatre classes the day before, what kind of improvisation she did, what big applause she got from her class mates. Then the Intern Boy mentioned that he is a big fan of short movies (“court metrage” in French), even wrote 2 scenarios himself but didn’t have a chance to realize them, but for sure, one day, he would like to start up a company who would be producing such short movies. The Intern Girl said she is getting married this weekend.

And then I started thinking… If Lawyers can go for theatre classes, get married and produce short movies, then what can a Finance Analyst like me do with her life…? What will be my afterwork activities that I will undertake? What are the things I can do for my own personal development? Dancing classes? Sport? Foreign languages? Hmmm...

31st March... 20h20...

Violet, blue, yellow, orange, pink, blue again...

The sky...

White clouds like soft pillows on which you would love to lie down...

The most beautiful scene I have ever seen...

The sunset...

Up in the air...

Me, myself and I...

After the whole week of "afterwork activities", the thing I always appreciate the most is such a lazy Saturday, when at 5pm I can still say, with a banana-smile on my face, that I am still wearing my pyjama, I don't really care about the world outside, I'm just spending some quality time with myself, my dreams, my thoughts and my diary...

However busy the passing week might seem, I've just realized that each day actually brought some positive lessons and moments...
                                                

                                                            Monday

... One of the New Year's resolutions has been realized! together with Neli and Karim we bought tickets for our big trip to Madagascar! watch out Africa - here I come! I still cannot believe it... I think I will believe it only on 4th September when sitting in the plane somewhere up in the air...

Tuesday

... I went to the cinema to see the movie "Nine". Hmm... apart from the music and songs, it didn't make any "wow" effect on me. Sad story, depressing even.... I realized not all the movies having a big advertisement campaign are really worth seeing. But you may never know it until you see it yourself...

Wednesday
... St Patrick's Day! A good reason for an afterwork with colleagues and my crazy Ewa :) A few beers, irish music in the pub, walking in Paris and... some surprising and spontaneous moments, seconds even...

Thursday
... Another good, however a bit sad, reason to go out at Champs-Elysees: a farewell of one of my Team pals. The evening would be great, almost perfect if only... we had chosen the club better! 1 hour to leave the clothes at the wardrobe, 1,5 hours to get them back, 15 euros for entrance for which you get a few drops of (fake) champagne. Disaster!!! Well, at least the music was very good...

Friday

... My favourite sushi and watching SATC dvd's until 4.30am. Am I crazy? Maybe... But I love it! And I adore those New York girls which make me laugh and cry in the same time! And which... make me feel like going to New York some day soon... Should I plan it as the Big Trip 2011?

Saturday

... So far very lazy, still in pyjama, catching up with all the lost time recently. Looking forward to the Starbusk's coffee (Caramel Macchiato of course!) and walk on the Parisian streets with a friend. I hope the weather will not get worse in the evening...

Sunday
... Don't know yet what will happen... We will see... But who knows, maybe the best is yet to come... :)

J'aime Paris!

It was already the 2010 Valentine's Day and I was having a great party time with a few people I mostly just met that evening, all of us not real Parisians, but young people who came here some time ago to check this city out, to try our luck, to see how it was going to be...
Some of us came here for a job, some for a great love and some just because they had been always dreaming about it. But what turned out is that we all have a big thing in common: we all just love that city! And when we were asking each other "Why?" is that actually - nobody was able to give a reasonable answer. We love it just like that! Because we feel great here! And that's it!

However waking up this afternoon, I asked myself: What do I love this city for?

... for all the great friends and life-long friendships I gained here?
... for all the great moments I am passing here and never getting bored?
... for that I can go to cinema every day for a few movies and I pay only 19,80€ a month for that?
... for the charming restaurants, good bars and great clubs that you can find here at every corner?
... for the possibility of going to a concert of an artist I've been admiring and singing the songs since I was a little girl ?
... for that with my colleagues we are not only sharing the daily work problems, but we can also have a great time learning to dance brazilian forro after the working hours?
... for that when I have a hard and long day at work, I know I can come back home, hide in my room and relax in front of my favourite "Sex & The City" and with my adored sushi take-out?
... for that I can wear a green skirt, yellow shoes and pink shirt and nobody would laugh at me in the street?
... for the "Have a nice day!" from the cashdesk lady in the supermarket and the "Oh, you have changed your haircut?" from my optician?
... for the smiles and "Thank you!" from my friends who were dreaming to come to Paris and I could host them so that their dreams could finally come true?

I could continue this list for hours, enumerating all the little and huge things that make me happy here. But no matter what their number would be, no matter what their content would be, I know one thing, and I know it 100% sure: I love Paris as it is here that I found my home, it's here that I found "mon petit chez moi"...

In the end...

In the end, I'm just a finance analyst... In the end I'm just putting numbers in excel sheets, inserting formulas and waiting for the final result... And in the end, the final result is also just a number...

One simple number, but it can make some people's lives very complicated in the end... Because it may lead to their end... Their last day at work... Where they spent so many years, where they met so many good people, where they built friendships, maybe they even met their life-partner there, who knows... Where they spent so many hours trying to satisfy their supervisors, to bring results to the company, doing all their best, but still trying not to forget about themselves, their own dreams, their families...

It's the movie "Up in the Air" which inspired me tonight... When you see it, you will probably understand my feelings. But please, don't judge me on the job I'm doing right now. In the end, I'm just a finance analyst...

New Year's Resolutions

In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “The New Year is another chance for us to get it right,” so let’s make a resolution, and let’s make it right this time! (article about New Year's Resolutions)

Have you made your 2010 Resolutions my Friend? Or maybe you don't believe in this "American kind-of" stuff? Or maybe you just don't know how to start?
To be honest, I started doing it last year for real and with the 2009 coming to an end, I actually discovered that most of my 2009 Resolutions were realized - it was such a joy! And it motivated me to do the same for 2010. And so I did! I ended up with a list of 17 Resolutions. A lot you think? Too much? Too ambitious? I don't think so... Because I double-checked the list a few times, and I'm sure I want to leave the 17 points the way they are!
I would share it with you here, but as some of them are actually my little and big dreams, and I was always told not to talk about my most precious dreams before they come true not to bring the bad luck, this time I decided I will share with you the moments when those Resolutions will come true, one by one, step by step, not all at once for sure...
I will share with you just one very important thing: I called my 2010 a Year of Pleasures. And for sure I will not resign!

2010 has just come...
So...
LET'S GET IT STARTED !!!

Nothing Happens Without a Reason

Let me tell you a story...

My Mom and her boyfriend are supposed to fly from Berlin to Paris on Friday 18th December. While just being on their way to Berlin, me sitting in my office in Paris I am checking, just in case, the status of their flight: it turns out it's cancelled! Catastrophy! What are we going to do? What are they going to do??!! They will drive here, it's as simple as that!
24 hours later they arrive in Paris, after a night in a hotel somewhere in Germany, and lost but found wallet in one of the Belgian gas stations.
On Sunday 20th December we are supposed to fly to Montreal, for our so awaited Christmas holidays to join my godmother Nadine there. We are almost late for the plane from CDG because after leaving the car at my company's parking lot, the taxi driver had problems finding the address of the company.
At the airport we are put on some "waiting list" for the flight. In general our flight is late 1 hour. In Geneva (where we had a transfer to Montreal) we miss actually our flight to Montreal. But we are not alone, there are around 20 people in the same situation like us. We feel "screwed" by the airlines, especially that there is no possibility for us to fly to Montreal before 24th December :( In the end, we agree to have such flight from Paris, so we wait for our flight Geneva-Paris the same day at 18:30. Happily at 18:00 somebody decides to close the Geneva airport. We start yelling at Air France again! They finally pay us a very nice hotel and food, and we are supposed to fly back to Paris the next day. And so we did!
Thanks to this missed flight, I could spend some quality time with my Mom, show her My Paris, and prepare ourselves even better for the big trip!


But this is not the end...

Before 20th and 24th December, Nadine's good friend dies. I would say - fortunately, thanks to the missed flight, she could fully participate in the last moments of the life of her friend and bring support to the family who has just lost a beloved person... Fortunately, she didn't have guests to take care of, because we missed our flight :)

24th December... Such a magic evening... To be spent with your family... Having nice and special food and sharing precious moments with your beloved...
This year our Christmas Eve was a bit different: in the plane, somewhere over the ocean, with a glass of champagne for "aperitif", but the important thing was: we are together, and as long as we are together, in a family - it's always a Christmas Eve, no matter where we are and in what conditions...

Finally arrived on 25th December, just after midnight Quebec time, when it was already 6 am in Europe, we were more happy than ever. I don't remember being so happy, or rather relieved, in my life before... And just when I was falling asleep that night, I thought: Everything Has a Reason in Our Life...

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Very Simple Truth

My very good friends, Neli & Ada, have been trying to convince me for some time already that I should watch the "Grey's Anatomy". Neli even promised to lend me her CDs with the series. However I was not very convinced and didn't believe that this series can be actually "so special".
And then yesterday, after a hard day at work, with the team dinner cancelled and bad mood spreading all around, I came back home, took a shower, had a dinner, and checked what's on tv tonight. "Grey's..." was there. I told myself - why not trying? Let's check what is so special about that series that girls were telling about.
Already after the first chapter I realized they were right. After 3 hours spent in front of the tv I was sure this time I didn't waste my time. The stories are nice, so true, full of love, passion, but also sadness and sorrow... But the most important - each chapter is trying to share some message with the audience. I will surely remember the one I heard yesterday: "We are spending so much time focusing on planning the future and looking forward, that we usually forget to look around and see what is going on now...".

Randomly found Happiness

Yesterday I had a funny experience. Just before going to sleep, I had an idea of a random google'ing, and the word I put in was: HAPPINESS. Then one of the options google proposed me was "happiness project". Without hesitating too long I grabbed this one. And so I found out there is a blog called that way, all about happiness, whose writer is actually publishing a book in December. Wow!

In the first moment I told myself: ok, it's probably another american website giving tips and advice on how to be happier in life, a "Yes We Can" kind of. But when I went through some of the posts I actually realized that woman had a brilliant idea of making this blog and sharing with others so very simple and true thoughts about happiness in our daily life. She is sometimes saying things which we all probably know, they seem so obvious, but probably not obvious enough until we really see them written "black on white". Sentences like: "achieving small things often gives you the energy to attempt a bigger thing". Or another one: "One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself." 


Gretchen (the author) also inspired me to make my Commandments, a few thoughts, phrases, which would be my guidelines through life. Seems that she spent a few months making hers, I hope it will not take me that much time and I will be able to share them with you pretty soon. She made 12 for herself, I'm wondering how much I will have. But 10 at least I think... 


Feel like checking out her blog? Hope so!
May all of you be happy! Just as I am right now! :)

One small step for me...

... but one big step for the people in need...

I finally did it! I finally made a donation of my blood! I've been thinking of it for a long time already, somehow never finding time or real opportunity. Or maybe I was actually scared a bit as well? I don't know... But the point is that I did it today, using the occasion of the special bus coming to the company I work in - with doctors, nurses, special armchairs and sweets and drinks to get afterwards as a dose of energy, which you need a lot after giving away almost 0,5l of this precious red liquid :)
I had a chance to talk to the nurse who was taking care of me, and she said that in the Paris region (Ile-de-France) they have very big needs for the blood every day, no matter the blood group. That is why they are obliged to request it to other regions of France. At that moment I thought: "I'm so happy, and so lucky I can help - I'm in good health, willing to do that - and my attitude today can actually maybe save somebody's life".
In the consequence, or rather as a positive result, I decided to continue and donate the blood regularly. For your information, women can do it 4 times a year and guys - 6 times, after fulfilling certain conditions of course.

In the end, those few minutes spent in the nice bus, with nice people and nice atmosphere, without mentioning the good cookie and orange juice I got afterwards - it all made my day! And I could even say that I realized another point from my Life To-Do list... Another small dream came true...