First Flight

Shine your light really bright today.

Quality

I begin each year with a word that I believe will set the tone and goals for the next 365 days.
2 years ago, that word was "Quality". 

I wanted to begin and live that year ensuring quality friendships, quality interactions, and quality in all the work that I do. 

Lately, that word has popped into my mind a few times over and over. How can I become a higher quality man? More than a man with goals and dreams. But a man that can handle adversity. A man that has high and healthy self-esteem. A man that cares for others. I'm consciously reaching to be a man like that. 

The other thing I've been thinking a lot about is... not everyone is going to like you. No matter how much you try to be a "good person". It is a very common theme that taught to us early on. But why is it such a surprise when you encounter a situation like that. Why does it not prickle less? I think it must be I am trying to rationalize their feelings. 

Now a little over a month ago, I met up with someone who I thought was my friend, but de-friended me from social media just days before. So I thought to myself, oh this will be interesting, and they're being nice to me because we have this person in common. But to my surprise, we enjoyed each others company and felt beyond accommodated. It was the strangest happening. The lesson there was it's hard to see the full picture of someone sometimes, that I shouldn't judge a situation pre-maturely, rather give it a chance to play as it will, and that sometimes I will never know what's really going on or why someone does something, but to live gently to both parties and to see what happens. I thought this person didn't like me for some reason and I made all kinds of rationalizations: they think I'm too gay, they think I'm too fake, they think I spend to much time on social media. But we ended up having a great time. 

Again, weird. 

But in terms of being a quality guy, I've got to be open to what's going on around. Not closed off. Sure someone may not seem to like you, but get curious about it. Maybe there are some things I could improve i'm not aware of. Maybe there's nothing wrong with me at all, and you could be more present and assisting in their life. I'm not sure where I'm going with this anymore. But keep on improving Michael. 

My dear Michael

San Francisco! California Series

Inspiration Book 34

"Breathe in. Breathe out and decide"

Intensive Avocado Mask

Sanctuary


To tell you the truth, my horoscopes have been insanely accurate lately. And really makes me wonder if I am just along for the ride. Haha, wonder if all the "control" I think I have is really no control at all. But I like to think it is - that we have some role in deciding our future and that the series of events that have created this wormhole in time is an ay-okay place to be.

I've been spending a lot of time in the water. Who knew it would be so rejuvenating and healing. It's become my favorite kind of therapy and past time. But let's face it Miguel, how fortunate are you to be living this life. Pinch yourself moment after pinch yourself moment. Surely this is a sign you are going in the right direction? An "omen" of some kind. Keep keeping your head up and stay positive, i'm sure everything will work out for the best. Keep swimming chico.

Matcha-rama

Castle

just then a blue, jolting, silver energy exploded from the starry distance below. Like a comet shooting (into) the atmosphere. -honing right into the plane ...right into my window, right into.. me-

Booming with exhilaration, a familiar energy leashed out of me. Gold and rose, my comet shot out like champagne springing out of my anima -shattering the tempered passenger window glass, enclosing and ensnaring the bright-blue-comet-dragon. 

Dancing. They were dancing! Dancing in jubilation to see you, ...you, friend. -To journey together again. Right there, we, gold rose magic and I, knew no matter where I am, or where I'm going, there I know you'll be. 
There, I know, you will fly into the plane and ride right next to me and leave our spirits outside to play. 
(Paparacchi)

"Look at the sky, we so rarely look at the sky"

World Mental Health Day

In the moment

I'm beginning to find, the moments I'm complaining can be the most telling. Self revealing? I mean, I've REALLY been trying to have a face to face with myself the last few months.
Sure, I'm usually trying to seek the opposite - pin pointing moments of "bliss" and looking for what they are telling me. "This must be my passion", "this is what I am drawn to".

But today, instead, I have come to the realization that these are the moments I need to really lean into. The things that might cause a little or a lotta angst.
TIME. I am always trying to stop time, to slow it down. I get sad when the sun sets early. Like, I wasn't given enough time today. " I wasn't given enough time". Hm.
But it's not that there's not enough time. I have as much time in a day as Oprah.
What I am needing to practice is STILLNESS. Not even slowing down - but stillness.
Being in the moment and not thinking about the next moment. Not planning some grandiose idea about the future or being worried about needing to be super productive today so that tomorrow I can reap those benefits. What i am most needing now is to be more in the moment. Fully. Treating every moment as ever significant and as it's own. Instead of being in a conversation and conjuring up what I am going to say next, I need to be fully attentive to what my partner in conversation is saying. -Actually saying. Not sitting there translating it into what I can come up with in response. Not being worried if my response will be intelligent enough. Open your ears Miguel, open your mind, open your heart, stop the race and listen. There is the answer!
Of course, "stopping the race", that's a whole other conversation.
Be still. Be at peace with the uniqueness each moment is and brings. Maybe then, time won't be such a complaint anymore. No, it definitely won't be a complaint, because each moment has its own independent value. In this small way, I can make the most out of the day and the most out of my life. Maybe this way I will truly relish a person when they are in front of me. -that I can understand how important all they are saying and doing is. That I can understand how important they are to be and how blessed I am right there - in the moment.
So Miguel, I don't want to say this is a new challenge for you, I think challenge is to harsh a word, and I'm all for being gentle atm. Maybe....a new mindfulness. Literally...to be mindful. This is the sword to conquer time. And it's also the blanket to swaddle it. Because that baby is precious.

Dream on Good

hold fast, chico <3

STIMULATE HAIR GROWTH - ROSEMARY RINSE




Can you imagine, after all those years, an upgrade. So happy to present a great go-to method to strengthening and stimulating hair growth.

XX

Therapie

Katherine sits back down in the office chair across from me.
Katherine is very kind, very wise and chooses to ask me a different question, from another direction.

"Do you think he is your soul mate?"

Gratitude


Gratitude October 1 -

Life - b/c it's a place to learn and develop yourself and the world around you. What an opportunity. What a challenge - again - what an opportunity.

Friends - b/c they are there to slap me when I need to be slapped. -And feed me when I need to be fed. I came home and there was food in the fridge that I didn't make myself.

Family - b/c they are resilient and care about each other. ps. - unfortunately we haven't been able to contact several members of our family after hurricane maria / irma and have lost everything....everything- homes, food, resources, it's actually very sad - but we are trying our best to make a way.

Being able to learn things fairly quickly - When I opened iMovie for the first time, I was so dumbfounded, but I was so determined to create a video, and soon I've discovered that I love creating movies. It is pure pleasure and really feeds my creative crevices.

15 September blog posts! - I took a glance back and saw the last time that happened was September 2010. Of course, I was so young and eager then - but what's wrong about being older and eager :P I have always noticed over time, after writing things and getting it out somewhere - on paper, on a blog - strangely wonderful things happen. Like the universe is like, 'yes, I have been waiting for you to make this concrete observation/request...here's the next step'. It's also very special reading all these letters to yourself from yourself so long ago. What a great friend you have inside.

For myself - dude you've got to be the strongest chico I've ever met, in the lowest egotistical way. I'm so happy to be on this journey with you and am so proud of your transformation inside and out.

For Elmhurst - what a beautiful neighborhood to live in with such beautiful people with beautiful families. I'm always amazed by how warm my little neighborhood is.

For having worked at Bloomingdales - honestly, there were days I was really meh-ish about working there, but man has working there developed some incredible people and aesthetic skills that have come in handy so many times lately.

For the mta - I'm kinda half saying this one hehe and saying it to welcome the future of a reliable, clean, efficient people filled subway system. Bring it to me universe!!!!

For bubble baths - boy do I love a good green tea, eucalyptus, oatmeal bubble bath.

And once more, because once wasn't enough - friends - you guys are diamonds. supernovas. universes rolled into a human body. I am so honored to have met you and to be meeting you - future friends.

xx
Your Miguel
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