Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sensational blog post

I just can't keep it inside now, I need to make noise around what I am feeling now, and what helps me to grow.
This month I educated myself around 3 strong personalities: Shakira, Alicia Keys and Leona Lewis. It may seem weird as these are just pop stars who a) work hard to make their shows a real entertainment; b) were just lucky because somebody helped them one day to become famous; c) add your version
However, when I searched for information about these powerful women I got astonished. I mean I am a fan of some singers, of some pop/rock bands but I am not the person who knows a lot about this or that artist. Why? Because if I like a song, I will like it, and I rarely pay close attention to the lyrics or bio of this singer. So, what astonished me:
Fact 1: These 3 beautiful amazing women have indescribable voice. They are hard working, they are contemporary singers, they are POWERFUL!
Fact 2: Matters they sing about are endless and vital: let it be love, let it be passion, let it be friendship. BUT! Each one of them sings it so differently which makes them similar to each other.
Fact 3: They are not just singers who go on world tours and gather thousands of fans to one concert hall. They are active philantropists, they are concerned about world issues, and they help the world. Let it be a "Keep a Child Alive" or ALAS foundation in Colombia, or concerns about the earthquale in Haiti a few days ago.

Opinion 1: They are stunning artists!


... Someone once told me that you have to choose
What you win or lose, you can’t have everything
Don’t you take chances, you might feel the pain
Don’t you love in vain; cuz Love won’t set you free

I could stand by the side
Watch this life pass me by
So unhappy, but safe as could be

So what if it hurts me
So what if I break down
So what if this world just throws me off the edge
And my feet run out of groundI gotta find my place
I wanna hear my soundDon’t care about all the pain in front of me
I’m just trying to be
HAPPY (Just wanna be Happy)

I feel so much in love. Just cannot describe it. You gotta feel it. Just feel it and live your way.
And yes, I need very much some people around.

Feel it like it's yours

Hey there!
Today I had a very very good day in January! And you know why? I myself made my day!
This week I got sick: temperature, sneeze, body This week I was balancing between a sleep/food/laughter on time. Here in AIESEC Latvia we are done with the National Conference 2010, Local Committees are on track with their activities, my lovely TMU and cool sub team GEN 2010 gradually gets its people back on board. Good signs. Another good sign was that my MC left for different purposed to Finland and Lithuania: Liza went to Tampere for her MC Finland elections ( btw, Heini, another TM girl is MCPelect!!) and Jake is at Dare conference in Lithuania ( and another TM, Zydrune is MCPelect!!! Yohoooo!) So I am staying this week by myself in our Soviet style apartment and taking different remedies to get back to healthy life style. Good sign :)
My day is going so far so good. I woke up with a thought "This day is mine. Only mine" Sounds a bit selfish, but it is true :) So, what did I do to make this day MINE?
* I cleaned the apartment and fulfilled it with my very warm feelings- when somebody needs some human warmth, this somebody looks for another somebody to have a true hug, to feel some love, to see that (s)he is alive. I thought that we (MC) forgot about the place we live in, and just wanted to make our living place a bit pleasant :)
** I cleaned my soul- I laughed at everything I have done so far in life that was meant as "The smartest thing ever". I am not the God, I am just a human being. So, I keep on laughing in life, and I am happy I am able to do this often: I do not fall in a gloomy mood even if I see a very difficult task ahead.
*** I danced a lot- last time I really went clubbing was in autumn 2009 in Riga with Lina and Juraite, and Erik. Then we had some fun in Rotterdam with TMU guys. Last weekend I "partied" a bit at NatCo. That's it. Boring. So, I changed my attitude, and danced today at home. I felt really really GOOD! Now waiting for Lina and February, and we will dance a lot somewhere in the city centre :) Feel excited!
**** I watched very very good videos about life on Earth, about life in Kazakhstan, and a few TV shows. A few of these videos made me think: I forgot that daily we face global warming. So, what today I could do to help the Earth a bit? I bought food today which does not need to stay a lot in the fridge- so I can turn off the fridge; and food that does not necessarily need to be cooked- so I do not use gas oven. I turn off all plugs that I do not use: my laptop can work on its battery for min 2 hours ( 1 hour is ~ 0.2Wt). It is just minimum I could do today in the evening. What else I can do tomorrow?
Another video made me re-look at my behaviour, or my reactions towards different events in my life. For instance, National Conference in AIESEC Latvia. One of the 'objectives' of this conference was to elect next President for the organisation in Latvia. Deadline for application was Jan 11, and on Jan 10 I decided that I would apply. Oh, do not ask me how this decision came- it's been a "boring+interesting" wave within me that faced me with a question: Why do I want to lead AIESEC in Latvia in 2010-2011? Result: I was not elected :) Yes, I am smiling to this sentence. Why? Because I feel how I have grown up, and I have a secret feeling why I can smile to this decision made by members of Latvia last weekend.
So, coming back at whom I want to see in the mirror when I think I am doing right/wrong thing: it sounds as if this sentence lacks the word WE but I ...
Feeling just happy. Even if I have no one close to me now to share these happy feelings. Happy and in love with life...

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Just because we are the people who lead the world :)

Just us, Member Committee AIESEC Latvia 2009-10
Just us, not them, not you
Just us, who live this year together in our organisation

Just us, who strive for excellence every day
Just us
Liza
Jake












Assel

Monday, January 25, 2010

I, Me and Myself

I am happy
I am in love with life
I am Me. Truly Me. Not you, not him, not her, not it. I am Me.

It's 2pm, and I am still in my bed, reading and listening to my favourite music, missing some people whom I have met recently, recapping last events in my life, and feeling happy. So many emotions simultaneously- well, it is a good sign since it shows my brain can function despite of sleepless nights and stress I was encountering every day for the last 4-6 months :) And I am still being happy.

Last weekend I had one of the most significant processes in the year 2009-10 in my organisation, in AIESEC. These are National Conference (NatCo) of AIESEC in Latvia, an intense learning experience; application processes for AIESEC International 2010-2011; upgrading myself and enriching my inner world at a good pace. And here I am to tell you what it has been.
* NatCo 2010 Momentum in AIESEC in Latvia
When I joined AIESEC in 2007 in my home Local Committee (LC) Almaty, Kazakhstan I was excited to hear and participate in all learning activities my LC was organising. Thanks to a complete devotion to an amazing work my Exectuive Board 2007-08 was doing, its members today have achieved incredible results. Lots of people went on internships to different parts of the world, many others took different leadership roles and developed themselves as well as others; but the sweetiest thing is that we are still in touch with each other. And in Jan 2008 I had my first NatCo in AIESEC Kazakhstan- the youngest country with a vast potential and great willingness to aim high. At that NatCo I was awarded as "Our Future"- I was a member of an LC Outgoing Exchanges team and a member of a National Project. I still remember what I thought that day when I received this award- why I was nominated as "Our Future"??? Unfortunately, I could not attend the Official Dinner and Awards as I was attending an Annual Report from American Chamber of Trade and Commerce (ACTC) in Kazakhstan, and I still remember how my mind was directed to 2 major moments: to the Annual Report and thinking how my school I worked for could build beneficial relationships with the ACTC, and what was happening at 1st NatCo in AIESEC Kazakhsta. At my 2nd NatCo in Kazakhstan I was awarded as the Best AIESECer in Kazakhstan due to my decision to dedicate fully myself to AIESEC, and leave my teaching field for some time. Probably, there were some other reasons, but what happened is that I left my school, and I am fully into AIESEC. And I do not regret. As I am planning to be back to teaching some other day. Now my 3rd NatCo happened in another country, in Latvia. And it was another experience. Experience that taught me a couple of things that I will implement further on. Experience that connected me with a few interesting persons. Experience that proved to me how people are silly and sometimes clever. Experience that took out from me an average amount of energy which is sad at some point as I thought I'd be completely out of inner drive. Why? Because I truly believed before that any conference is a tiny space in terms of time to give and take enormous energy.
NatCo Momentum team was very very good, especially our Chair Igors D., AIESEC Latvia Alumnus. A great THANK YOU to you, Igors- you know what for! A great THANK YOU to Lasma, AIESEC Latvia and UAE Alumnus, you know what for! Huge THANK YOU to all Alumni who could attend NatCo, and who could not! Big THANK YOU to our Live Performance, to 2 singers that transformed us, participants during the Official Dinner to the best places we could dream about, and we wished to be. Big THANK YOU to the delegates- young AIESECers in Latvia who generated ideas around key issues Latvia is in need of now. Big THANK YOU to my MC team who were there when I needed them, and who left me when it was necessary. Big THANK YOU to my family who support me in any decision- after all, decisions are mine, and only I will carry out them.

NatCo Momentum highlighted a few serious points for me
  • People have fears. People are not born with fears- they themselves gain them from the very beginning just because it is easier to live like that. A child says he can't sleep alone because he is afraid of darkness. All he needs is parents' attention, and he is afraid he is not loved by mom and dad. Darkness is just a cause to give. By the time we grow up, "darkness" modifies to lots of other reasons, and just raises the Fear level. And it is sad to notice it- sad because we, people, will find hundreds of reasons to say "No" to opportunities we are given just because we are afraid. Afraid of changes, afraid of unknown possibilities, afraid to take up new responsibilities.

  • People are lazy. Among all sins I have known or seen, lazyness is the greatest of all. I could not understand my mother when she was telling me that lazyness was born before me. I was small, and I thought I could skip these house duties because my brother could do, or because I am the youngest in my family, so no matter what I would be foregiven. Yes, it is a simple example but it is one of the ways how lazyness develops into a habit. Moreover, it is sad to note that lazyness has a great effect to influence serious decisions in life. Decisions that could benefit nations in the world, or could change one person's life tremendously.

  • People are stupid. Sorry for my language, and it does not refer to some personalities. It is a general observation. When I heard it first time a few months ago from one friend of mine, I laughed. I said, Then according to this statement you are (or should be) stupid. I could not believe to this statement. But now I do. And yes, I can say the same for myself.

  • People are weak. Weak in themselves- mentally or physically. People are weak because it is again easier to live like this and ask for help rather than try yourself to solve your problems. We can find unique examples in the world when people got out of their comfort zones, and broke the stereotypes they built themselves, and became strong. To my big disappointment, these examples are very few to the current 6bn + world population.

  • People are people. Unfortunately, we cannot refer ourselves to another civilization to strengthen our features and to get rid of our weaknesses and sins.

    This is how I feel now

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Racing&Chasing

Recently one thought crossed my mind:
Time VS Time

How much do we value time?
How much do we spend time effectively?
How much time do we waste for nothing?
How much do we live purposefully?
And do we need to live purposefully?

Seems like Jan is not a good time to value time- it fades away. It is like sand- any light or strong wind from outside, and it is gone. And you can do nothing after you realise it is gone.

However, Jan is not gone yet. I still have 9 days to improve the situations. Well, 3 days from these 9 days will be spent at the National Conference of AIESEC in Latvia where we need to work really hard to reach what we have planned as the National Board of AIESEC in Latvia in summer 2009. As well as implementing the initiatives ambitioned by Talent Management Unit 2009-10.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Butterflies in my stomach

Butterflies :)
Again I love these innocent insects :)
5 days left till National Conference 2010 of AIESEC Latvia will take place in a beautiful place here
And I am finally starting to feel it in my whole body- especially, in my stomach :) Since I am surrounded by laptop, phones, papers, links from different really cool websites, etc, etc I forget to eat on time. And here we go, my st0mach then gives me signals that it needs some oil :)
Another thing is that we have one addition to our FACIlitator team, a really creative girl who is also hungry for the AIESEC conference mood. Today's morning was very very good: we had a 1,5 hour chat with her, and I finally connected all the dots for the conference. Ah, sometimes I feel I know how this or that will look like, but then because of being busy I completely get distracted and lose the picture.
Therefore, lesson I should learn is STOP BEING BUSY!
Yes, again the same lesson. Learning is cool. It is much cooler when you apply the knowledge you gain.
And yes, the day in Riga was beautiful: winterish trees, sunshine ( I Love it so much!!!), my 1 hour walk around neighbourhood, receiving "Hi!" from one of my fans while walking :D and connection with my family.

Feel love in the air!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Simplicity

2010 has started completely different.
I have not planned or foreseen it would start like it did.
I feel a bit guilty for a few things that I have never ever done in my past regularly. It is very much important to me how I behave, and I behave really badly. I must stop it. Otherwise, I will damage myself.
Second, surroundings have changed. Yes, the same people- my teammates in AIESEC, members whom we send on internships, members whom we will soon meet in Latvia (Finally! I am so much hungry for international spirit!!!), my lovely networks in AIESEC, my old friends that get married in a row, that bring new people to this world in a row, etc, etc. Yet, new friends as Latvia Alumni or new online beneficial business friendships. Still, I feel as being under pressure at the moment due to some events happening with me and with the organisation I am in. Of course, I understand we all go through this stream of "Popularity/Attention/Love/Hate/Misunderstanding" but I am feeling so much tired now. And it is just beginning of the new exciting year.
I know the remedy from this. More focus to important things, more time for harmony and peace in my soul and life, more Life in my life!
So, these are the important things I DESPERATELY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN MY LIFE IN 2010:
  • My Personal Success: Define my religion that influences my values in life and that governs the way I work and the way I act with myself first and then with the environment.
  • Come back to your roots: I started to write a book a decade ago, and I stopped. Come back to your roots.
  • Stop being busy. Harmony, love and peace are key factors that bring me closer to my success.

Leaders say if you want to be successful, you need to have a vision. I have a vision of my 2010, I have a vision of my 2011. Remember, it is UP to YOU. Only YOU can let it HAPPEN or take things for granted.

Inspired by stress I have encountered this week

Inspired by my favourite Coldplay

Inspired by my Mum's ABBA band

Supported by inner strength

Envisioned by my past experiences and

hunger for exciting future

Supported by my FAMILY

Loved by my friends and some true people in my life

Self-driven

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Butterfly Effect

What makes you feel passionate?
What makes your eyes shine?
What makes your heart beat faster, harder and impationately?
What makes you be seductive in your current job occupation?
What is that that makes you feel alive and drives you non stop?
What is YOU?
In this post I wanna play a Snow ball or Butterly effect- I desperately wanna hear YOUR VOICE to know what makes you being UNIQUE in life and gets your eyes shine from inner/outer happiness.
Just to start with:
Personally, I shine when I see people make their first steps in any new activity/job that ultimately brings them closer to success. Success is when you can DO IT! My very lovable reminiscence of people's successes were my kids, my former students whom I taught in the University ( they were 2 years younger than me. By the way, 2 of them now got married- I got to know about this outstanding event yesterday) and whose teacher-facilitator I have been for almost 2 years in Kazakhstan International School.
I woke up today late and as usual was observing Riga people rushing to their work from our medium kitchen window. White soft snowflakes were dancing in the cold air adding more work for the street cleaners, increasing long moments of winter happiness for kids and reminding me that I have not received back any note from my former students yet. Reminding me how I miss seeing their successes in studies, how busy we were last year organising a short Greek sketch on eternal life values- love, courage and friendship; reminding that Jan 2009 was one of my most painful and memorable months in 2009 that brought me eventually to where I am. This morning gave me a great signal I might have forgotten- what passion is there for people? What type of passion exists for my friends?

To My Family/Brother

It is a video I sent to my brother in Dec 2009 to greet them on New Year celebration. Just did not want to lose it somewhere in the files or in my old but stRRRong laptop :) and to keep it as a memory for future. The "sountrack" is the best song ever for such occasions to my mind.

Place: Riga, Latvia

Filmed: Dec 25, 2009 (on Christmas that we celebrated with Latvian AIESECers in Lido - local brand that has a delicious Latvian cuisine, very good sorts of beer and other drinks, a very nice interior) Well, what else do you need when you are with friends? :)

With love to my family!

Assel

Sunday, January 3, 2010

First text message in 2010


Hurraaayyyy!
Now we can officially say, We are in 2010!
Another decade after Millenium has passed, and people tend to analyse their lives from 2000s up to today. I thought of it for a while, and definitely there were some tremendous changes in my personality, in my views on life, in my place of living as well as its standards, etc, etc, etc. It is an endless writing I could have submitted here if I would have needed it to.
However, there is an old "tradition" all folks do- New Year resolutions. The fashionable way of a human being to promise himself that he will become better, smarter, healthier, kinder, or the opposite of all these in the upcoming year. Way of life which I could never understood up to now. No, really, for me it makes no sense, whereas for others it might be a path they want to follow every year. And I have no objections towards resolutions people all around the globe make on New Year's Eve. Who knows, maybe my wishes that I write on a piece of paper, burn it and then drink it with first sips of champagne on Jan 1 can be called NY resolutions too.

Surprisingly, last year in Dec (already last year- My God!) I had no idea what I should wish for myself. Really, I was perceiving the world as the playground. The playground that I could enter and exit at any time, and anything I wanted in life I could reach. This world perception had existed for a few years, though of course I had life situations when I just did not get what I wanted. Was I disappointed? Obviously, yes. Especially, when I was a school girl, and due to different misperceptions from some of my teachers I just would not get the most desirable mark, for instance. Of course this childish example is an innocent or a silly one, but it just reminded me how persistent and inner strong I have been, and I would do anything possible and impossible to reach the stars, to get what I deserved and to strenghten my life esteem.

Though I have always considered myself as a quite strong personality, life or God really loves me. Loves me and proves me how wrong I am!!! I am just ordinary weak and simple but ambitious stubborn and mixed. So stubborn that only yesterday I finally pictured of what my 2010 should look like. "Should" meaning that I want it to be so, and I will proceed from one step to another until I say on Dec 31, 2010 "Yes! 2010 has been an awesome, rich and amazingly beautiful year! 2011 will be more exciting, more adventurous and much livelier! And 2012 is just another year that will bring me closer to realising one of my first "grounded" dreams- my own business in an Education field!"

Right now I want to fix the resources that helped me to picture my 2010.

Firstly, my current job- acting as one of the elements of an international student run organisation and leading it together with other thousands of open-minded young smart free from dogmas people is an amasing experience a person can have in his entire life! It enriches you daily, even if you do not notice it, it does ENRICH you tremendously. People! They are my passion! On Dec 30, 2009 a long awaited thought finally clicked my lazy brain- I will join those more than 8, 000 people that went on exchange in 2009, and will have my AIESEC internship in 2010. Yes, this year I will try the product that I sell in AIESEC. And I am damn happy about my decision. Thank you, thank you, thank you whoever/whatsoever helped me felt it rushing through my veins and my warm body on a cold day in Riga!
Secondly, last Dec weeks were a complete laziness in my life. I don't feel ashamed for this as that time fulfilled me; and even if I did not do anything significant, I completed an important task for myself: prolonged my sleeping hours, increased my chatting minutes with my old friends, had festive occasions like Christmas for the first time in my life, etc. Special thanks goes to my Erzhik friend- you really affected me, inspired with your lovable mood, and let me remember how love is important in life.

Thirdly and up-to-date, is the powerful women whom I love for their unique charisma, artistic view on life, and driving music they produce. These are Shakira and Alicia Keys whose I am a big fan of. I was so much overwhelmed with positive emotions yesterday and today, when I again re-discovered these great singers, dancers, song-writers and philanthropists for myself!

So, catching up last inspirations and asking myself "What am I ready to do more in 2010 that will polish me as a responsible leader, as a weak girl with her ordinary dreams, as an ambitious generation Z, as a young and free in soul world citizen, as a any person in the world who loves dreaming and flying, as a caring energetic mother in the future, and finally as a daring person who is not afraid to fail?" And I am ready with the answer:

I officially promise to myself that in 2010 I will work much harder than before, and I will complain on life less than I used to.
...Because I am a Superwoman. And I know it.

P.S. and next Christmas I want to meet at Rockfeller Plaza in NYC






Coldplay is one of the most meaningful rock groups I adore

...just because I am losing does not mean I am lost ...

Alicia Keys