Monday Reflections | Rise Before the Sun

Sunrise's solitude elicits reflection. It is when the atmosphere's 

plush clouds are dense, that the most inconceivable thoughts 

float through the fusion of rosy [hopeful] hues.

Before the week ahead begins, reflect on the sacred hour, when ideas flow freely and when life feels at dawn. As humans, we are at bliss when we have the opportunity to change the course of direction each day. Sacred moments between the Earth and you. 

The first Monday after the vernal equinox that blooms with petals of anticipation to 

welcome rejuvenating experiences. 

Today is a new day and today I will choose to radiate with possibilities. 

De | From,        

             Nicole Annette                     

Pi Day Celebration

Yes, that’s right. At last, the once in a century opportunity occurs during my lifetime. Writing this is quite exciting, because it is truly rare. Seriously. As an avid learner of math, I am quite enthused to have experienced this pivotal moment of celebrating pi day. Although I must admit, why should I be celebrating a mathematic symbol that represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter when it was a barrier for me in trigonometry solving the applied mathematical problems? Well, truly the Greek letter has been used to solve numerous situations such as probability and in finding area of a disk, and so forth. Therefore, I do believe it needs to be celebrated. 

                                                                                             π

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006…

Here is my day of celebrating pi moment with nothing better than...food. 

Talk about a true celebration with too much “pi”. We measured the circumference of each “pie” to make it true. 

                                                                 Happy Pi Day! To be continued next century…

                                                 P.S. If you noticed the time I posted this, and thought it was a coincidence

I intentionally posted this on pi moment. Gotcha! 

On Being Zen

On Being Zen

There comes moments in life when despite trying to control the situations that occur, it seems to be out of your control. Cultivating inner peace and remaining happy can have a better impact. There is a place of balance that brings fulfillment to our lives. Within a few minutes, you too can achieve the state of peace, happiness and wellness. Simplicity is key on reaching this enlightening moment with your individuality. Therefore, when achieving the zen state it is important to refrain from outside factors such as depending on others to make you feel at ease or applications and music. In practice, you should be the soul source of your inner peace and balance. 

1. Herbal Tea

“You are what you eat” as people say ;) . Well, when it comes to being zen, your nutrition affects your mood and wellness. Show your body some love with herbal teas. They have an immense power over your inner feelings with its soothing, relaxing and detoxicating feelings. It is a combination of hydrotherapy and aromatherapy to renew yourself. There is something very mindful and delicate on preparing herbal teas…the scent, touch of dried herbs and flowers on your cold fingers and the warm brewing air the fills the room. It is an incredible experience to be able to customize your herbal tea to your liking and blend ratios of herbs. Do this until you find the right homemade mixture for you. (My favorite by far is chamomile and jasmine flowers with a zest of lemon and a delightful spoon of honey.) 

2. Stay Inspired 

Go out into the nature. Humans, I believe, embody a biological instinct to be connected to the fresh roots Earth provides. The moist soil, cleansing wind and sound of trees swaying with each other brings a new frame of thought. Be inspired by the natural world to want to, just like nature, become an enlightening immensity of beauty and life. Identify yourself with the roots beneath your feet. Concentrate on what keeps you going to fulfill your life’s journey because it is at the end the journey that counts. Feel at last the stability to keep on being inspired and in turn inspire others as well. To me the whispering, sensuous, inviting waves of the sea bring me to wander under the gleaming sunlight rays trying to shine through the gloomy, dense clouds. This wander, of course, embraces my inspirations to mindfulness and life. 

3. Align With Your Spirituality 

No matter what religious beliefs or standards you believe in, there are certain principles of spirituality that can bring fulfillment to your soul. Transcend the thoughts that keep you alive and moving. Be at a harmonious state with your body, soul and thoughts. Take a moment to reflect on your character, virtues and goals that may at times be stressful to reach, but never impossible. In the state of being zen, demonstrate your soul and open to many possibilities from thoughts to actions. Consider what is important to your life, soul and mind. Eliminate the less essential from your journey and focus on growing and embodying your soul.

4. Cultivate Positive Thoughts

Empower yourself to know that you are greater than any obstacle set out. Recognize when to quit thinking about the negative forces and instead know there are solutions. Often times, as individuals, we compare too much, criticize ourselves more than embrace, and blame others to feel better when really this causes angst and worry. A few flaws we see within ourselves needs to end. Be at a true state with yourself. Spend less time comparing yourself to others, criticizing others and yourself, and victimizing yourself because this is belittling your soul, overtaking your thoughts and your precious time.  

5. Give Yourself Time

Funny how it always seems time is a major factor in 99.9% of life. We have so little time on Earth that it sometimes seems like a timer has been set the moment we first breathe on this enormous universe of ours and it is up to us to cease every moment. Do not forget to embrace the present. This is the time. Bring your conscious mind to ease, for time is what it needs. If you must, change your routine in life to inhibit such thoughts. Again, simplicity is key.  

Best of luck.

From | De,

      NicoleAnnette 

As I Recall

You know those coming-of-age movies where the protagonist is the stereotypical shy teenager who meets someone that shows them their world. Well, last night I felt as if I were in the scene where the distinct person and the adolescent take a spontaneous adventure driving at night in the pouring rain or doing something out of there routine life…Last night, I decided to surprise my lovely sister to a French café because sometimes you just need spontaneous moments to feel alive.

Not too far away, about thirty-five minutes away from my home, is this antique foreign appeal Crêpes De Paris my sister had been talking about. Taking a drive there, she was enthused to find out we were heading to the café. We decided to order the Royal crepe topped with bananas, strawberries, chantilly cream, nutella and powdered sugar. Inside the café, a French film was playing, but we decided to head out into the twinkling lights and passerby’s to wait for our orders. There’s a deep bond between sisters, the immensity of understanding and similarities are there. Endless conversations.

Bon Appétit !

What a long, sleepless week does

to you as a student. :P.

And there we were, talking about our current fonds, aspirations and fears hoping that one day, we too could twinkle like the stars that floated above our heads. Though there was no music playing, I decided to take out my phone and play Bebel Gilberto Radio on Pandora. How eternal and delightful! Not dramatizing this, but truly it was as if a scene from a movie. And I enjoyed this moment because it was real. So alive in our conversation, drinking mineralized water, taking bites of sweet crêpes with the nutella gooing out among the soft-spoken melodies of  Ms.Gilberto’s bossa nova songs.  

Yay for newfound love 

for white pants.

                         

                                                      

Beautiful night

                       

The evening ended on the rooftop view above the small shops and city. There we were, sitting on the wooden bench in front of the colorful mural, submerging ourselves to live in the now. Very placid and thought provoking. Moments like these are what I cherish the most. Not because of the extravagance, but how our surroundings allow us to be lost in time, dwelling into nothing but our thoughts, perception and individuality. It is quite distinct to be able to, for a while, perceive yourself and another person as the only ones there. It may be the amorous affection between two individuals that ignites the souls for an adventure.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cue "Cigarette Daydreams" by Cage the Elephant

"You were only seventeen...".

                                          From | De,

                                       Nicole Annette

The Day Never Ends

It is never too late to begin again.

Time is only a concept humans created. There’s no time limit, no perfect timing, it is never too late or too early. The only thing that is real is this moment, right now. And right now, you can be whoever you want to be. Live a life you are proud of. If you find yourself not embracing your happiness, find the courage to change it even if that means you may have to start all over again. It does not matter, time is a mere concept. 

If you want to be your own CEO, then be it, start your own business. It is good to be cautious but too much worrisome can lead you to pass by life, not living the very moment that is present. You do not have to wait for the right time to accomplish your goals. Start now. Time is now, if not when? Although the sun may go down, the day never truly ends. A day brings new opportunities to begin what has been echoing in your cloud of thoughts. Live each day with the aspirations, inspirations and joy to do what it is your heart wants. With this Monday message, I leave you to take the courage, as I will too, to do what it is you want and love at this moment in your life. Best of luck.

                               From | De,

                             Nicole Annette

Noche Buena // La Veille De Noël [A Very Late Post]

Merry Christmas Eve [transitioned into Christmas] !

May all your loved ones houses be filled with joy, gratitude & love.

Whether religiously affiliated or not, cherish these moments for what they are.

From my family to yours, bonne nuit papa noël :)

[of course papa noël here represents your celebration]

From | De,

Nicole Annette

When In Doubt

After such a hectic and quite negative experience at school, I believe the best way to treat the negativity is to have some time to relax, ignore the flaws and find yourself.

Just these past couple of weeks, I have been bearing a pain so deep, I was loosing myself. I knew I was not the same person I was this summer, but I had no idea how low and long I could continue feeling like this. Melancholic days seemed to outnumber my joyful ones. However, these issues gradually faded as I opened up to my sister asking for advice and seeking comfort in none other than my best friend's arms. As an older sister, she was able to give me great and comforting advice assuring me to pick myself up and be the strong women I am. 

As I look back, her words and gestures were heartwarming and wise. My weekend after coming home from an emotionally exhausted soul was one where I slowly recovered and am still working on. The fact that there was a break between the stresses in my life and in finding myself, gave me an opportunity to overcome my challenges and stand back up. Remember, that no matter how dark a day may be, no day is darker that the sun can not shine through. 

No matter how small or big your problem seems to be, know that there is a solution to it all. Loneliness is what I felt, no matter how many people were surrounding me, my soul was lonely. In my modest statement, I do feel lonely at times, but the joy that comes from overcoming barriers and seeking positivity along with the happiness that is encountered makes the journey worth while. This is life. There may not always be a positive moment but the happiness extracted from our cultivating thoughts, passions and affections are exciting. 

From | De,

Nicole Annette