Sunday, January 18, 2015

L'Uovo di Colombo

Blog n.51!!! Beginning of a New Era?

How I came to a brilliant but obvious solution.
I was inspired by Cristoforo Colombo, whose reputation is now slightly tarnished, but his problem solving technique of finding an unexpectedly simple solution to a problem that seemed impossible is still a good one.


Colombo breaks the egg by William Hogarth
You can read the "real" story of the egg at the bottom of this page. I don't have an egg issue (had 2 this morning at breakfast though!!) but a life issue. To stop (working) or not to stop? Someone may remember that in my previous blog I said that I now want to live by choice rather than by habits. True. Not always easy though!
I finally chose to continue working, but not totally. Not as before! I want to have more time to play/read/wander around. But no, I can't let go of all the work I have done and, yes, the passion for this land is still there. If only I could avoid learning about the too many horrible things that humankind is doing to destroy it...but let's keep smiling for the time being, okay?!!
And here comes the egg!
I need someone to complement me in my work! (Merriam-Webster:  something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect) Exactly!
Someone with experience, with an independent spirit like mine, who is enthusiastic about life in general.
Bang! The egg hit my mind and I called her. Deal! We have a plan and we know how to share the work.
The new Seven Directions is called (changes may occur, check the website in a month!)
SEVEN DIRECTIONS | Travel Consultant
Hand Made Travel Concepts and Programs 
Personally Crafted by Patrizia (beautiful photo!)
Turnkey programs are provided in conjunction with an established travel agency.
The big change is that I feel free, which means that I'm not compelled to accept to work with whomever calls me. I can say no!!!
I can often tell from the first hello if the person is one I want to work with or not. I learned this through all my consulting over the millennia!
Unbelievably, since the decision has been reached, the phone began ringing: Canada, Italy, France, US...yeiiii!! 
Now I need a really nice picture, any photographer with touch-up skills out there????
Note: the white background is not my idea, I don't know how to fix it and I don't think it matters. Do you??? 
L'Uovo di Colombo:
The origin of this phrase is a popular, probably false anecdote, which has the Genoese navigator Christopher Columbus as its protagonist. After his return from America in 1493, Columbus was invited by Cardinal Mendoza to a dinner in his honor. Here some Spanish gentlemen tried to downplay him, saying that the discovery of the New World would not have been so difficult and that anyone could do with proper means. Hearing this, Columbus was angry, and challenged the Spanish nobles in what seemed an easy enterprise: make an egg stand upright on the table. Each of them made several attempts, but none succeeded and they gave up, convinced it was an insoluble problem, and begged Columbus to show a solution. Columbus tapped the egg gently on the table breaking it slightly and the egg stood upright. When bystanders protested, saying that they could do the same too, Colombo said, "The difference, my friends, is that you could have done it, but I did."

 

Thursday, January 1, 2015

January 1st, 2015

I really like the first day of the year. The other two days I also like are March 21st, beginning of Spring (and my wedding!) and August 19, my birth day.
It's all about beginnings, coming alive, starting again, hoping.

So today is the day to reach out to you all to

wish you an exciting year if you want to make it so
 
and to begin writing again here after too many months of silence. It's been an interesting 8++ months, bad and good, filled with fears and happiness. Just life stuff that has been useful to bring me where I am today: happy!


When I started this blog my intention was to bring you on some of my travel adventures and discoveries. I wanted to share the emotions that this land can unexpectedly bring out. I also happen to get carried away by memories and feel the urge to write them down. 
Today you have to allow me to change somewhat because I feel I have to tell you something about where I am as Patrizia 










and not as a traveler.

Ready?
BACKGROUND
We are living in a complicated world that at times feels on the brink of explosion, or, better, implosion. This makes a lot of us feel unsettled, angry, powerless, revengeful, hopeless, lost. I did actually feel exactly that way.

On a more personal level, at the end of a very unusual time for me when I felt extremely uncomfortable both with myself and with the whole world, near and far, followed by another period where the world seemed to smile to me and tell me how much love was all around me, I had to stop and ponder.

Santa Fe offers the best atmosphere for this sort of meditating mode in which one can surrender without fear to be ridiculed or laughed at. So, I'm lucky! I recommend to consider coming here if you need to change gear!

PROCESS
Some key points I reached through my thoughts:
  • I am a very lucky person despite the many challenges I hade to live through
  • I was able to change my life by choice which opened several doors for me that I could decide to walk through or not. I did.
  • I experienced new ways of going through life and I began living by choices rather than by habits.

Despite the enormous number of negative and often horrendous things around me and us all, finally my view on the world changed from "to destroy" to "there is something...well kind of...maybe...good at the end of the tunnel".
  • But it was up to me to see the light rather than the dark side of everything, the beautiful human beings rather than the criminals and crooks. It is hard to do this, often too hard, but there is hope.

RESULTS
  • In short, I chose to be happy which represent the beginning for being a better person. If you are happy you are more available, you listen to other ideas with an open mind, you want to join other people to do things together, things you believe in and they too. Think about it and tell me if you agree.
  • I also realized that it's a question of time. If one wants to open up to the world, be available for others, learn from others, read, meet new people, be active in the community, well he or she must make sure to free up some time! And not be dead tired at the end of the day. Without time and good spirit one can't experience anything beyond the personal life routine. Hence...I had to stop working. This was a huge decision for me, a workaholic with 50+ years of 24x7, and 10-15 hours of actual working time a day.
At the same time I decided to quit smoking. Excruciating experience... and it's not over!!!

HUMAN FACTORS (indecision)
I stopped working and I didn't, I cancelled some contracts to then find new ones. This went on for a while until I felt stupid! At this point my only choice was to listen, as I always do when I'm lost, to my guts  It is amazing how quickly it kicks in to help you! Once you have a goal or an idea, your gut instinct begins to lead in the direction one needs to go in order to accomplish the task he or she has set out to complete.


EXTERNAL HELP
Don't be shy, I was telling myself, reach out to people around you, your friends, they may say a word that hits your imagination, or your heart, that prompts a reaction and BANG you see clear in front of you! I felt drawn to conversations with people I would not normally speak with. It's been a great experience.

WHERE I AM TODAY
This may sound all too easy but I can't tell you the step by step process I went through because it wouldn't be that interesting for you! I can tell you the conclusion of my search: I don't stop but I change the focus.

In a nutshell, Seven Directions will be a travel consulting company with........No, I can't continue, so sorry! I must make sure I know what exactly my business will change into and what my new adventure partners' final dreams are. I'm sure about mine!

The first day of the year is coming to an end.  I did what I planned to do including a walk on an unusually empty Canyon Road and through Patrick Smith Park breathing deep the crisp and pure air.


A good first day. I am happy.