A GOOD STORY...

vice director of Macao Univerity Prof. maria Antonia Espadinha and me and the the dinner.

The University of Macau invited me to give a class to the Macao Students and Beijing Exchange Students in Macao of Portuguese Studies and Culture. I talked for couple of hours about the European parliament, European Institutions and European Life. To be a Portuguese out of Country and the relations with China.
That Sounds very interesting... but is just peanuts... the following hours of the Students questions were not about all of those "interesting things", were about motivation and Inspiration. They were there speaking Portuguese with a Chinese accent, with pretty good grammar. Asking me about my private life and advises about managing life!
Like If I knew much!!! I thought
They wanted to know how it was possible to travel around the world, if I had ideas, they wanted to know how much money it was possible to take to Portugal if China gave them visas to travel, they wanted to know how to connect Portugal with china, how to build the Highways …They wanted to know How I managed my private and love life with work, they wanted to know how many hours should we work daily to have balance…they wanted to know how to fight to their career and have a personal life. They wanted to know what the balance of life is.
They wanted to know that from me.
What an Irony of life.
They wanted to know from the person that had a burnout, despairs, Thyroid disease, crazy unbalanced life, they wanted to know from the person that talk about failure not success, they wanted to know from me. That energetic person that get carried away easily.
I was stunned… First I try to give my best. To imagine what they wanted to hear. But I realized that it was my breakthrough of life, a bit of my illumination and a switch of my past, present and future life. To grab all the things inside of my experience to inspire 50 young people in front of me. Maybe for the first time of my life I just put papers down, arms down and I let them to be inspired for the stories I had to tell. To give a testimony of my life with their strong points and weak points. I was just being myself.
And I started …. I HAD A DREAM …What is your dream?
I spent the afternoon hearing dreams, discussing dreams, discussing balance and priorities; I talked loud from the bottom of my life and my heart. Truthfully. I let them to inspire me too. I let them show me also what is important in life by telling them loud what I was actually feeling. Career, Personal life, choices…
It’s not about fighting... Anything is about fighting. Or right or wrong, perfect or imperfect. it’s about accepting that we are humans. It’s about living one moment at the time, having million of dreams but not be eaten by them, it is about believing. When we believe we do not need to fight. The fun is on the path: the daily changes, the problems, the good things, the insecurities … and just accept them as they come along as part of life, obstacles for growing more and happily.People tend to ignore bad feelings or situations and try to fix them. Its not about fixing it is about learning from them to no repeat it. And believe that is possible. It is the purpose of path> Professional and personal.
For them the most doubtful thing and also important was continually how to deal with that dichotomy of Job and Home. I just told them that there are no secret formulas, and if there are just give me it now!!! They are going to fail for sure, and everyone make mistakes… everyone! The tricks is in the middle of the mistake or after, realize it and act. And to have a truly commitment for the ones we love, not to give up one them because of a confusion and tiring period, communicate and manage solutions, give in some, we cannot have it all.
I told them that there is no better time than right now, if they are thinking about that balance it’s an extraordinary thing.
We think that we can get away and start in somewhere else all the time things go wrong, or out of our expectations, because people run away from unpleasant feelings like exhaustion, indigestion, irritation, whatever… and people just give up and try again again and again … but perfection never arrives, because we are just running away. I told that living the experience of sticking with it, of not giving up everything. I told them that it is probable that they will experience very bad moments or maybe they had already. But do not run away from situations, it’s there where we start to be less superficial and more precise in work and private life...
They needed security, I felt, and I just told them that the best teacher is our own experience.
I told me to work hard, to produce a creativity activity and sport to balance the job and the house. The university and the parents. The Work and the Love. And never never never give up on their selves and the ones they love. Just because that is life and problems are life, and creative solutions are life too. And our life is daily!

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELVES THEN YOU NEVER GIVE UP TO THE ONES YOU LOVE, BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTAND THEY ARE JUST AS HUMANS AS YOU.

After the class they were there waiting for me… with all their dreams, their expectations… and I knew that I have gave something and I have received something. The ability to make mistakes, live with them, prioritize better and stick to trust I have for the things and the one I Iove. Because problems are just small things that can be diluted, trust, intimacy, and love lives forever. The courage is not giving up and be able to reformulate again and again as many times is necessary. That’s the path. Create! Because we believe. Believing comes from the heart… and life too.
After that I asked about those Institutions, Europe, China Portugal, work... Do you know what they told me? They are just part of our dreams...as today is finishing our course.
After the Dinner that the Portuguese Department invited me for, I just pick up the ferry back to Hong Kong ... I didn’t sleep much. Life has it purposes and was the last night I was in HK. I was just there with me and my thoughts and with the ability to get inspired by myself and not having shame of that. Of Feeling deeply what I cherish the most. And what I really want for my life at every perspective. I know what my impulsiveness wanted to do, I know where I wanted to be... but this is the moment. The only one I have right now. Having Patience and waiting in positive action towards which I cherish the most.