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A brand new day! A brand new world?

27 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by A Star on the Forehead in Daily Life, Daily Message, Finding Me

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

brand new world, coronavirus quarantine, lessons learned, New Rochelle, out and about, Reopening phases

“The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose.”― Arnold Bennett

Today, May 26, 2020 is a great day.  New Rochelle, NY, where I live, and now also work, entered Phase One of the Coronavirus Pandemic Reopening.

In March, New Rochelle was the epicenter of the virus in NY state.   We have now turned a corner and began moving in the right direction. In the direction of less and less cases.  I hope that people will respect and abide by the restrictions of each phase so that we can quickly progress towards full reopening.

These is how they list the 4 reopening phases: 

  • Phase One:
  • Constructions
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail with curbside pickup
  • Wholesale Trade and Agriculture
  • Phase Two:
  • Retail
  • Real Estate
  • Phase Three:
  • Restaurants
  • Phase Three:
  • Arts and Entertainment
  • Recreation and Education

Now that there seems to be light at the end of this very long tunnel I hope we all can move together towards a better world.  After all is said and done I hope that we are able to take something away from it, a lesson, an idea, a goal, etc. 

Actually, if this quarantine hasn’t thought you anything or have not opened your eyes to anything, then stop and look again.  You don’t want to miss this chance to make life changes, to make a better future for yourself and others.

There is a reason for everything in this world. I am not sure of all the lessons here, but I know that there will be many.  There will be different lessons for different people.  For beginners we will probably value more our family and our freedom of coming and going as we please.

“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.”
― Emily Dickinson

I have yet to make an inventory of the lessons I have learned, since we are still not completely out of the woods and the learning is daily and on-going.  I will continue to be all about my family, and less about material things.  I will appreciate more my freedom, hugs and faces without masks.   I will continue moving towards a more minimalist life.  I want less things to weigh me down. 

Let’s not waste any more time.  Let’s get busy living. Don’t postpone ideas and wants.  Don’t postpone passions.  Follow your heart.  Follow your bliss!

But more than thinking only about ourselves, we need to think globally.  Planet Earth needs our protection.  Mother Nature needs all of us to be more thoughtful and less wasteful. Let’s take care of each other. Let’s be kind to our neighbors.

“Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury – to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.”― Albert Einstein

 

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While I wait for the miracles, I reflect

19 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by A Star on the Forehead in Daily Life

≈ 37 Comments

Tags

be grateful, be the change, Coronavirus crisis, do better, life lessons, live better, New Rochelle, New York City, stop and think, time for reflection

“I am realistic – I expect miracles.” ― Wayne Dyer

I always believe in finding the good in everything.  Normally that means finding some redeeming quality in an ex-boyfriend or some lessons in a failed relationship.

Now I am trying to find the good in Coronavirus. What is good about something that forces us to halt our routines, that inspire fear and panic, that kills people and let’s not forget what it will do to people’s finances and to the whole economy in general? 

Nothing, you may say.  But still we have to believe in a light at the end of the tunnel.  Even though it now seems like a never ending tunnel.  It all will get much worst before there is any relief in sight.

At times such as this I remember something I heard in a Kabbalah class.  The instructor said: “After every tragedy there is a miracle”.  He didn’t say after “some” tragedy, he said after “every” tragedy.  He added: “The bigger the tragedy, the bigger the miracle”.

I believe in that.  There are hidden miracles here too.  

“Miracles are like pimples, because once you start looking for them you find more than you ever dreamed you’d see.” ― Lemony Snicket, The Lump of Coal

Tragedies can be wake-up calls and force change.  This virus is forcing us to hit pause on our lives.  It is time for reflection and change, instead of fear and complaining.

It is time to have less arrogance and egoism and more humility and humanity.  Life is fragile.   To this virus we are all the same, all of flesh and bone, all vulnerable. We are not better than our Chinese or Italian friends.  We are united in fragility, fear and uncertainty.

We human beings don’t like changes.  If left to our own devices we would never change, so life is forcing us.  We are forced to stop and regroup.  

Is everything that we are doing out of sheer habit really necessary?  Do we need the latest gadget?  Do we need a brand new car?  Do we really need a 1K bag or pair of shoes?  Can we live with less?

“You are in prison. If you wish to get out of prison, the first thing you must do is realize that you are in prison. If you think you are free, you can’t escape.” ― G.I. Gurdjieff

Let’s tap into our inner strength.  We are fragile, but we don’t have to feel like victims.  We can tap into our inner strength for that extra support.  We are all stronger than we think. Even if you are not spiritual try to give it a chance.

I become stronger and empowered when:

  • I smile and have a positive outlook. I believe that the future will be bright. This too shall pass.
  • I pray and meditate (mostly pray).  I will, once again, give meditation a try.
  • I am grateful.  I make a mental list of all I am grateful for, big and small.
  • I help others.  I try to make someone else’s life or just a day better.
  • I embrace fear.  I analyze and dissect the situation. I take small bites of it and make it my ally.  When fear is my friend it is no longer unknown and scary, it becomes a weapon.
  • I am active.  I exercise, take a walk, I clean my apartment, I move my body. When I am doing, I am building strength.
  • I believe in something bigger than myself.  The belief I have in God, a Superior Being, the Universe, that resides within myself empowers me.  I believe that no matter what I will be okay, we will be okay, because there is a God guiding and protecting us.

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Let’s reflect on our life and goals.  It is a good time to reflect on the direction our life is going.  Some questions I am asking myself: (and answers)

  • Am I leading the life I want to lead? 
    • Not really.  Works is beyond stressful.  It is about time I take steps towards changing that.
  • When this is over will I go back to being exactly the same person, doing the same thing day in and day out?
    • I hope not.  I hope to slow down and be less robotic. I want more meaning.
  • Will I continue spending money on the same things?
    • I need to re-think my finances.  It is okay to spend money on things that will enrich my life.
  • Will I spend time with the same people?
    • I plan on reaching out to some long lost faces.  I also plan on making new friends.  There are some people that I am happily leaving behind.
  • Will I have more experiences and make more memories?
    • Absolutely!!! I am not sure what that is going to look like but I am going to make it happen.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ― Rumi

Please remember the following:

  • More gratitude, less complaining.  Perhaps we have been taking too many things for granted.  We take our health, our bodies, our family, friends, jobs, money, freedom, all for granted.  
  • More caution, less fear.  Let’s be cautious.  Be prepared and follow the guidelines, but lets not let fear paralyze us.  Let’s act in a way that we help ourselves and others.
  • Alone, not Lonely.  Even though we have to practice social distancing physically, it doesn’t mean that we cannot connect with others.  We can call, text, email, video call, etc.  No reason to feel alone and not reach out.  Try to think of the elderly or not so elderly people that you know that would love to hear your voice, or just any voice.
  • Not in control but not out of control.  We are not in control of the situation but still we can control out actions and reactions.  We don’t have to act out of control.  We can still practice kindness towards others.
  • Stock up, but don’t be greedy.  Let’s buy only what we need. Let’s be considerate of others. Can you share some of what you have? 

At the end of the day we still don’t know all that is going to happen.  This is a world crisis, not just NY, not just US.  I hope that there will be miracles flourishing all over the place. 

I read that people can now hear birds sing in Wuhan, and that canals in Venice are so clean that fishes can now be seen. I am not sure it is true, but I know that we humans are constantly altering and destroying all around us.  We pollute.  We pollute cities, streets, rivers, minds, our bodies.  It is a good time to pause, breath and do better.  We can do much better.

More kindness and grace! Be the miracle!

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” ― Maya Angelou

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Coronavirus is too close for comfort

10 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by A Star on the Forehead in Daily Life

≈ 46 Comments

Tags

cancel plans, Coronavirus, New Rochelle, quarantine, travel

“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” ― Roy T. Bennett

My city is in the news and not for a good thing.  New Rochelle has the most cases of coronavirus in NY state.   All the cases are tied to an orthodox Jewish community. An attorney that attends that synagogue first contracted and passed it around.

I am curious to know how he contracted.  It has to come from somewhere.  My co-worker attends that synagogue.  The moment he heard about it he self quarantined. 

Today governor Andrew Cuomo deployed the National Guard and created a 1-mile contained zone around the synagogue in New Rochelle.  I live 2 miles away in the downtown area.

For now, for me, is still business as usual, but should it be?  I have trips scheduled.  I am bringing my mom to the US in about one month.   Should I cancel everything?  Should I stock up food? 

What I am doing is washing my hands more often and cleaning everything in sight with alcohol wipes.

I actually ordered masks for when my mother travels here, but they say that masks don’t really do much.

I go from not caring to being worried.  I will wait and see…and wash my hands again.

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”― The Dalai Lama

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New Rochelle: The Queen City of the Sound

20 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by A Star on the Forehead in Daily Life

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Bloomberg Award, culture, diversity, growing, New Rochelle, NY, Progress, Queen City of the Sound

“Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” ― F.W. Dupee

New Rochelle, the city I live at, is growing by leaps and bounds.  The jury is still out if that is a good or bad thing.

This is part of a project initiated in 2015 to revitalize the downtown area.  The mayor just been reelected so it seems most of the population (at least of the voting population) are on board with his plans.

There will be apartment buildings, hotels, storefronts, etc.  The new buildings will provide an additional 6,000 rental units.  We are just 30 minutes from Manhattan so the idea is to attract the people that work there but don’t want to pay NY City rent prices to live there.

I hope that the infrastructure will be able to handle all this growth.  More people means more traffic, more pollution, perhaps more crime, among other issues that a larger population brings.

“The acknowledgement of a single possibility can change everything.”
― Aberjhani,

To quote Mayor Noam Bramson: “In 2019, New Rochelle is a growing city — growing faster than almost any other in New York State — with the most ambitious downtown development plan in the entire Hudson Valley, with a plan that is attracting unprecedented investment, bringing life and energy to our city’s center, from the street-front to the skyline”.

To achieve all that the mayor has promised to quickly approve any projects that are presented. And he has, click here http://www.101010nr.com/ and you can see all the buildings going up and their progress.  There are over 20 buildings.

New Rochelle is already diverse and artsy, but I am hoping for even more culture, more art exhibits, new restaurants, stores and entertainment in general.  Unfortunately just this week 2 restaurants have closed down and there are many retail spaces that have been vacant for years. I am trying to remain optimistic that all that will change with the arrival of more people.

“People who want a cure, provided they can have it without pain, are like those who favour progress, provided they can have it without change.”― Anthony de Mello 

In keeping with being more cultural, several murals have been painted around downtown.  They were the result of a SAM- Street Art for Mankind project.  They are a really cool non-profit organization.  Check it out: https://streetartmankind.org/about/

I only have pictures of the 3 murals that are right next to my building (all posted here).  If you want to see the others you can check them out here: https://streetartmankind.org/nrny/?doing_wp_cron=1576782329.6356120109558105468750


In 2018 New Rochelle was one of 9 cities nationwide to win $1 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies U.S. Mayors Challenge.  New Rochelle won with the idea of improving development projects by using virtual reality to better illustrate proposed projects to the residents.   Sao Paulo, the city where I come from in Brazil was also a winner in 2016.

To check out other winners: https://mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org/bold-ideas/

“Are you open-minded? If not, leave the door open to it.” ― Frank Sonnenberg, Soul Food: Change your Thinking, Change Your Life

Another project that the city of New Rochelle is trying out is free electric shuttles in the downtown area.  You can flag them as they pass by or there is an app and you can request them.  I haven’t tried them yet but I love the idea. https://www.newrochelleny.com/circuitnr

 

And there you have it: a glimpse of some of what is going on in my city.

By the way,  New Rochelle is nicknamed Queen City of the Sound because of its shoreline.  So sound as in ocean inlet and not noise.

“Restlessness is discontent — and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man — and I will show you a failure.”― Thomas A. Edison

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Welcome to my neighborhood!

31 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by A Star on the Forehead in Daily Life, Mosaic and other crafts

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

diversity, fleur-de-lis, Huguenot, New Rochelle, sculpture

“Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” ― Walt Whitman

My town, New Rochelle,  turned 325 years last year and this year as a final celebration 15 sculptures in the shape of a fleur-de-lis were installed around downtown.

The sculptures are all 5 feet tall and made of fiberglass.  The artists chosen to decorate each sculpture are all locals. The fleur-de-lis shape was chosen to represent our French roots.  New Rochelle was founded by the Huguenots in 1688. Our sister city is La Rochelle in the west of France.

I thought the sculptures were fun and wanted to post about them. Since I live right in the middle of downtown New Rochelle all I needed to do was walk around my neighborhood to get some pictures. I love walking around my neighborhood, it is so incredibly diverse.

The artists chose to celebrate different aspects of living and working in New Rochelle.  They celebrated the diversity, the music, the welcoming feel, the artistic and cultural vibe, the indigenous roots, the Huguenots coming to America, and one even celebrated Walter Lantz.  Walter Lantz was the creator of Woody Woodpecker and he was born in New Rochelle.

When I got home I realized I had good pictures of only 12 sculptures.  You can see the other 3, and also get more details on each sculpture by clicking on each picture on this site:  http://www.newrochelledowntown.com/events/?event=1224

Fleur-de-lis sculptures

IMG_1685 IMG_1689 IMG_1692 IMG_1695 IMG_1698 IMG_1700 IMG_1703 IMG_1707 IMG_1708 IMG_1711 IMG_1717

I love the town I live in!  Get out and find new reasons to love your town too!

“love the life you live. live the life you love.” ― Bob Marley

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