Expect miracles.
In The Courage to Be Disliked, a statement/rhetorical question continues to emerge: Do we have the courage to be happy?
The philosopher in the book emphasizes that life is less about the hand we have been dealt but more about our courage, regardless of the hand.
I pray we can all find the courage to experience joy.
“The boogie man doesn’t exist. That’s why he’s such an effective example, and why you should ignore him. As soon as you look him in the eye, he vanishes.” Seth Godin
By: Gabriela Yareliz
I really enjoyed this thought by Seth Godin. It’s a reminder that when we confront that which causes us fear or anxiety, this thing will often disappear. Oftentimes, our fears are powerful in our minds, but in reality, what stands before us crumbles.
By: Gabriela Yareliz
This morning, I was reminded, as I read Greg Mckeown, that we need to have designated times and spaces to think. Technology has made it so that we are never bored and never truly focused on the art of thinking. We will stream something (TV or a podcast), open a social media app or we will call someone.
He brings up an amazing point: some of our most inspiring literature and the thoughts that have withstood the test of time were born in solitude, in focus, in hard and deep thinking.
So whether it’s developing thoughts that endure time or just designing our lives– we need to schedule time to just think, distraction free.
Think about it… how can you disconnect? Where can you sit? How many minutes can you carve out? Why is this important to you?
Schedule time to think, today.
[Thoughts inspired by Greg Mckeown’s Essentialism]
By: Gabriela Yareliz
In recent days, I have been reminded of two important principles we should always keep before us:
1. Discomfort Before Change
I was doing my morning Pilates practice, and the instructor was talking me through how to get into a position that requires a lot of balance. It was hard. It felt weird. I wasn’t exactly looking the way she looked on the screen. I was sighing, a bit exasperated, and trying to figure out how to modify the position, when she said: before moments of change and transition, it’s ok to experience moments of discomfort. I heard that and thought about how true that is. Whether it’s starting a new job, growing something or pushing ourselves beyond our current comfort zone– it’s not rare to feel the discomfort that comes along with it, but this is how we achieve what we had not done before. It is how we can be that which we were not, yesterday.
2. No Say
There is a line of philosophy (Adlerian psychology) that states that trauma has no say in who we become. It’s very opposite the Freudian philosophy often followed by counselors and people who try to justify the present with blaming something or someone in the past.
I read this quote, and agreed so strongly with it:
“We determine our own lives according to the meaning we give to those past experiences. Your life is not something that someone gives you, but something you choose yourself, and you are the one who decides how you live.” The Courage to Be Disliked
As we move forward in this new year, let us keep these two reminders before us. If we do, we will be quite unstoppable.
“It is the ability to choose which makes us human.” Madeleine L’Engle
By: Gabriela Yareliz
I was reading Essentialism this morning, and in the book, there was a powerful reminder to remember our power to choose.
“The ability to choose cannot be taken away or ever given away– it can only be forgotten.” pg. 36
It was a reminder to embrace the choices we have and to have the courage to step out of learned helplessness and embrace the free will we have. Rather than feeling “I have to”– to get to the point of saying “I choose to”.
Where in our lives do we need to exert our power to choose? Where can we choose to show up for ourselves? Have we given our power to someone else? If we aren’t choosing– someone is choosing for us.
Hoping that this morning (and in this new year) we will decide to fully embrace that which makes us human.
“The issue is not about how the world is, but about how you are.” The Courage to Be Disliked
We all see the world through our own lenses. We can witness the same event and not take the same thing from it. Ultimately, we must realize that how we see the world has a lot to do with who we are. Our worldview, how resilient we are, from where we source our hope, our values and what we believe the world should be.
We cannot control that which is outside of us, so then, we must see how we see the world and figure out what that says about who we are.
Are we in fear? Do we feel inferior and therefore try to pick apart the flaws that stick out? Are we in joy? Do we rely on external validation or are we complete? Do we believe people can change or that they deserve the opportunity?
What we must remember is that it’s about who we are. This informs what we see and how we see it.
By: Gabriela Yareliz
One of the lessons I have been learning and processing is this idea of guarding our hearts and minds. In spirituality, we often just think about this as it relates to purity, but I think that in this day and age that we live in, as we see more and more people choose evil over righteousness, it’s so easy to be affected by all of this evil that surrounds us.
The news, politics, people’s horrendous actions without consequences– it all feels so overwhelming, at times. It can create in us a lot of judgment, trigger trauma, and it can make us cynical.
“Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything,” Stephen Colbert once said.
I realize that I have, at times, allowed other’s frantic energy and pessimism sort of seep into my day-to-day. It can really affect us. And this is where this idea of guarding our hearts and minds comes in. It’s not that we ignore what is happening around us. In fact, we must approach it with compassion and empathy. But by the same measure, I loved what Gabby Bernstein said in one of her talks, which was that our greatest contribution to the world is to show up with light and positivity.
We need to take time to elevate ourselves, so we can elevate one another. We cannot just plunge each other deeper into the despair and hopelessness the world offers.
I truly agree. It’s not selfish to guard your heart, mind and energy. It’s actually the only way you can be a force for good and change in the world.
One of my good friends, Martha, says we can’t crash the ambulance. If we want to elevate, be a light and reflect God to the world, then that will require us to deeply and intentionally invest in hope and positivity.
May we stay focused on Him who can keep us in perfect peace. Only He can guard our hearts and minds. This surrender to God’s guidance is the greatest contribution we can give our neighbors, our children, our partners– the world.
Happy New Year!
By: Gabriela Yareliz
I was reminded by Bailey, a sweet blogger at This Illustrious Life, in this decade and year– what are we leaving behind? She said maybe it’s anxiety, insecurities, maybe even negativity. I want to take that one step further.
I recognize that while it may be easy to get nostalgic over the last decade, the last decade also can remind some of us of a lot of pain or things that feel like failures. Maybe this last decade was one where a relationship unraveled. Maybe there was divorce or you witness or battled a true spiritual battle. I don’t know. Maybe you were estranged from someone you love. Maybe the decade was filled with a lot of loneliness and mistakes. We all lived it differently.
No matter what happened in this past decade or year, I also want us to reflect on what we are leaving behind. That may include people, jobs, energy that did not serve us.
This new year is calling us into something new. I personally believe that God is constantly calling us into something new, and when we are aligned with Him, He gives it to us as fast as we are able to receive it.
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19
What are you leaving behind? What will God redeem in your life, in this new chapter?
He is able, and He will.
He makes all things new.
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5
By: Gabriela Yareliz
I thought it would be fun to briefly take a short walk through this past decade to highlight some memories that helped make me, me.
I started this blog at the Marston Science Library at the University of Florida. I was probably wearing corduroy pants and a shirt someone passed down to me. I graduated high school in 2009, at the top of my class. It was an incredible decade, filled with so much. I found my love, tried learning three more languages, obtained two degrees and a diploma, lived as an independent woman for 4/5 of the decade, and learned so much about myself and life along the way.
Below are some memories and also things you may have heard about here, years ago, depending on how long you have been following along. In this past decade, this blog has been read by more than 120,000 readers from around the world. I am so grateful for your trust, your time and your support. Thank you for letting me be a part of your decade.
Before we get to the memories, I figured we would do a review of each year’s top post(s), and following that, there are some little photos, and then my songs of the decade that bring all the feels.
Let’s do this!
2009
I started this blog at the end of the year, so my top post was The Things that Don’t Change at Christmas Time, a gem detailing regifting the Origin of Species copy we got for free on campus and Puerto Rican traditions.
2010
Jeux d’enfants was my top post. That movie is one that really f’s with your head. Leave it to my favorite people, the French. “Cap ou pas cap?” Oh my gosh. I haven’t thought of this in YEARS. This was back in the days when love, in my head, was still very much a game we had to win against fate.
This also began my Marion Cotillard hair phase. In 2010, people were also very into the “About Me” section, which I take as a compliment.
2011
Continuing on the theme of love, my top post for 2011 was Valentine’s Day. It’s a blast from the past account of what Valentine’s Day was like growing up in suburb Midwest America. Sweet as chocolates.
2012
My now private Chronicles of a Law Student got more than 300 views, and then there was the post on Providence. My love for A.R. Rahman shines through in this one.
#nostalgia
The song of the year:
My exploring NYC posts also got some love (Queens and Jackson Heights and Little Italy’s San Gennaro). I also couldn’t help posting poetry by Javed Akhtar.
2013
My post on Love Without Limits and Nick Vujicic scored the most attention.
2014
My thoughts on Ravi Zacharias’ Cultural Relativism and the Emasculation of Truth garnered the most attention, that year. I was thinking deep, and so many of those thoughts are still relevant today.
2015
So many people found my Letter for a Confused, Frustrated, Sad Soul. This post has brought the most people to my page. Thank you Google and SEO.
I also wrote this character analysis on the protagonist of Yash Chopra’s last film.
2016
My repost of T.B. Laberge and this Autumn Thoughts (a set of quotes) were the most popular of the year. I was very into quotes.
2017
Short thoughts on Schopenhauer made people smile. I was also holding onto Tony Evans’ Faith in a Dead Situation message.
2018
Quotes from my namesake Gabriela Mistral were the most popular.
2019
A post I wrote on A Walk to Remember in 2015 was the most popular this year. Looks like we were all looking for a sign pointing toward our miracle.
Here are some of the things I did this decade, in no particular order (captions have the details):
And here we are. There are too many adventures and things to post. I focused mostly on older stuff and people– you know, a blast from the past.
It was an era of all of us being convinced we were gonna be together forever with all the wrong people (we thought they were right, but boy were they wrong….), stupid crushes, hard work, books, cricket fields, Florida star-lit nights, boba tea, NYC walks, true love, laughter and so much hope.
Not featured, but so important is the fact that I met my love in the latter third of this decade. (Not posting photos to protect that privacy). These years were filled with a lot of laughs, magic, love and incredible friendships. God has certainly blessed.
Seeing all of this reminded me of how much magic was there, even in the most mundane moments, and how much can come to us when we live life with an open heart that is ready to receive joy.
Despite hardships and pain that are not featured in this photo scroll session (wouldn’t that be a fun album), there was still so much goodness. I smile at the fact that I lived every year of this decade with incredible resilience, discipline and joy in the simple. No matter what happened, I found joy in that moment. I used to wonder how I could live out that verse that says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” I realized that I know what that means because it is the only thing that has carried me through.
I am praying I can continue cultivating the joy I have experienced. These past few years (not exactly featured here) have held so many changes but also so many triumphs and profound, life-changing joys. Also, so many new friends. I am fully convinced that the best is yet to come. I can’t wait to continue walking it together.
Lastly, music is something that can take us back. The best music that does this is the music that took us forward, in the moment we found it. Here are the songs that make my heart flutter.
SONGS OF THE DECADE:
Dear past decade,
In you, I was a latina high school graduate. I was a cricket reporter. I watched so many Bollywood movies I could understand them without subtitles. I followed every Cannes Film Festival. I graduated with a degree in journalism. I went to La Rochelle, France. Got over a man I thought I was going to marry. Stayed focused. Had my first kiss. Moved to NYC. Went to law school. Learned to love Manhattan (and walked all of it). Interned. Got a JD. Got a job. Rejected some pretty awful love prospects. Fell in love. Wrote two book manuscripts. Started saving money. Started investing money. Learned so much about my body and became my own endocrinologist. Started Modern Witnesses (my own version of apologetics). Went on so many adventures. Went apple picking several times. Saw two childhood friends get married. Saw my mom get remarried. Learned to stand up for myself. Spent time with a young girl whose life I really want to influence for good. Decided I can do anything.
Thank you for everything and everyone you brought my way.
Despite all of these changes– that girl is still me.
Bring it 2020– and everything beyond.
“The Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, into human nature, descended into His own universe, and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away there is nothing specifically Christian left.” The Grand Miracle, God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis
I was watching “The Holiday”, which has quickly become one of my favorite seasonal films, along with classics like “Christmas with the Kranks” (N-reeky, anyone?). I love the theme of the wind in The Holiday, which one sees in the background, during the scenes with Iris in LA. It comes in and out of focus. The Santa Ana winds mean anything can happen.
And then, there is the zany Amanda, which I completely identify with. I always cry with her.
It’s a film that reminds us of the beauty of life, the power of human connection, and the beautiful inconvenience of love– how it appears out of nowhere and changes our world. How it gives us that which we did not know we needed.
I was reading the Christmas story from the book of Luke. Luke’s world was so shaken by who Christ is that he felt compelled to research and write a whole book about who Christ was and this experience (Luke 1:3). Not many of us are moved by much of anything to feel so compelled to write an entire book about it and risk our lives while doing it. It takes a specific type of passion and certainty.
The Christmas story is filled with a much more profound illustration of the themes in some of our favorite Christmas films. It’s a story about how truly anything can happen. Miracles shape our lives, every day. It’s a story that reminds us that healing and restoration are here. That love is inconvenient but God picked up the tab. That Love came down, despite the inconvenience, and it rescued us. It gave us everything we didn’t know we needed.
I can’t imagine how shaken Mary and Joseph must have been when this was happening in real time. Or how shocked the shepherds in the fields were when they heard the “good news for all people.” Or how intrigued the wise men of the East were when they saw the star. I can’t imagine how the disciples minds were racing when they heard Jesus declare who He was or their anguish when they later saw Him crucified. Sometimes, we just treat these texts like stories– but they were real. These people were shaken. The world was shaken. And tonight, we remember an incarnation that changed history. It changed our world. And as a Christian, it changes how I see my past, my present and my future. Everything.
I am so grateful for the people who were shaken to their core. I am grateful for a God who isn’t afraid of inconvenience. I am honored to serve a God who loved me enough that He decided to infiltrate my world. There is no greater love than this.
The equivalent to the Santa Ana winds probably blew that night of His birth, as the angels sang to the shepherds in the fields. A promise had been fulfilled. A miracle performed. Anything can happen. It happened then, and it serves as a reminder that miracles happen now.
Merry Christmas.
xx
GY
