“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

photo by Victoria G. Molinar

Time is an odd construct that we humans created. Too often, we allow it to constrict us and create anxiety. We tell ourselves that there is not enough time to do the things we enjoy or learn something new.

I struggle with time management myself, but I’m trying my best to help a positive shift in my life happen…well, it’s happening already. It’s happening because I let go of the things I couldn’t control and started investing my heart and passion into things that make a positive difference. We all move at our own pace, and while we shouldn’t push ourselves too much, it’s important that we MAKE time to do things that are good for not only ourselves, but the world around us as well.

Life is way, WAY too short to say you don’t have time to do things that are beneficial to you and those around you.

One good way to make time for these things is by evaluating the way you spend your time. Literally sit down and evaluate how you spend your day. Write it all down. Did you waste time arguing about things that don’t really matter? Did you spend a little more time than needed watching TV? I don’t ask these questions to sound self-righteous, because I’m definitely guilty of wasting some time, but it’s always good to stand back and reflect. It is then that we realize, “Ah, I could have spent less time doing ________ and spent that time doing ____________ instead.”

It’s amazing to simply be alive! Use that precious time to learn a new instrument or take up some yoga or dance classes. Watching TV is one way to unwind, but I don’t feel that its benefits compare to acquiring a new talent or doing things that are amazing for your body and soul. As a film buff, I don’t necessarily feel that time in front of the screen is wasted, I’m simply saying that it shouldn’t take away from time to do other things as well; things that well benefit you in the long run.

If it's not one thing, it's another: 

Another issue we run into is money. Of course! We don’t have the TIME or MONEY to do things and TIME is MONEY. Money: another odd thing that we humans came up with.

But here is the thing: there are so many ways that we can work with time and money so that we aren’t owned by them. There are so many free things offered that if we only knew, we would take up in a heartbeat. And while some things aren’t free, there is a way to get them by compromising.

 Example: let’s say you want to incorporate yoga or a new dance style into your life, but you don’t have the time or money. Sit down and evaluate how your time is being spent. If you literally have no time to do something that is SO invigorating and beneficial to your body and soul such as yoga or dancing, perhaps it’s time to eliminate the things that you don’t necessarily need. That time and money spent at the bar can be spent on a dance class. I’ve heard people tell me that don’t have time or money for a $5 dollar dance class after they spent $10 on a drink at a night club and $5 to get in.

Again, this isn’t to come off self-righteous. I like to occasionally drink and hang out at some nightclubs, but if I’m low on money and have to choose between drinking and a yoga workshop, give me the yoga! My body will appreciate that much more and so will my spirit.

Another step to making more time for these amazing things that are great for you is to surround yourself with people that make positive habits. If you’re always hanging around dancers and meditators, chances are you will at some point incorporate dance and meditation into your life!

I’m so grateful for the people I surround myself with. From my family to my friends, my heart couldn’t feel any more full of love. They’ve helped me make these positive changes I’ve aspired to make for so long, but I just didn’t tap into that progressive energy until I surrounded myself with positive affirmations. It’s so important to give and receive optimistic notions.

My awakening:

When I first graduated from college, I felt a bit lost. I had established a great group of friends and had constant interaction, but when I moved back home, I felt inadequate for not having a conventional nine-to-five job right away. I went from seeing hundreds of people on a nearly daily basis to seeing whoever was at home or whoever happened to drop by. Without a car, I felt so limited and isolated. I knew I wasn’t doing enough, but I let that make me feel defeated instead of challenged.

Then one day, I decided to stop beating myself up about what I didn’t do and what I could have done and started JUST DOING THINGS. I stopped crying over my losses and started smiling about all of the things around me. I couldn’t believe how many amazing things were happening in my city, and these things can only happen with the action of amazing people.

In a matter of months, I’ve made so many great friends who have inspired me to go for what I want. They also showed me that even the smallest of actions make a difference. We can change the world, and we can’t let ourselves feel limited because we’re afraid of coming off as cliché or because we don’t feel adequate enough. We have this amazing opportunity to do beautiful things. We just need to get up and do it!

It hasn’t been very long, and I have already taken some classes on belly dancing, mediation and yoga. I make fresh juice and cook whenever I can. I’m taking another acting class because skills always need sharpening. I still have goals that I’m working on reaching, but I won’t stop having goals until I’m dead. And I won’t allow myself to become chronophobic. I can’t control time, but I have the power to decide what I do with it. 

My time isn’t always spent the way I wish it could be, and so I stop and reflect. Then I do what I can.

A positive opportunity offered tomorrow:

So to my El Paso and surrounding area friends who feel that they don’t make enough time to do some beautiful, healthy, beneficial things: I invite you to an event that I think is PERFECT for introducing some positive changes into your life. 

(And if you can’t make it, know that there will always be more opportunities to go to events like these! It’s just a matter of connecting with the people who are involved in these things. Sign up for newsletters, e-mail the people who run the events and so on! Just don’t give up!)

This all-day event is called the Life Force Consciousness Festival and will happen at the San Carlos building on 501 Texas Ave. There will be classes on yoga, mediation, spiritual healing, color and aromatherapy and more. There will also be live music and dance (fire dancing, belly dancing, even martial arts).

Best of all, the cost is by donation. I highly encourage those who attend to donate what they can; even it’s by brining food (this festival is also a potluck).  These amazing people are donating their time to teach us some awesome things and one way we can say thank you is by our donations. But the people who run this festival don’t want people to not attend because they’re low on cash. Bring what you can and enjoy and take in this positive experience! The best “thank you” is to be thankful. And happy.

Here’s a video recap of some of the night performances at the last LFC fest:

The festival was put together and thought out by some amazing people, including Robert Leal and Anthony Rodriguez, who teach yoga at The Root Yoga Studio (located in the same building) and Adam Marshall, whose spearheaded an amazing monthly music festival called La Parada at the same building. But this is only to name a few of the people involved.  There’s even an instructor coming down from Santa Fe who will teach yoga for back care and “Kripalu yoga groove”.

I really encourage those interested in this event to check out the festival website for more details on the classes and who will be teaching them.

“At the last event, I met a guy who said he showed up not feeling so great, but after the workshops, he was so happy,” Anthony told me. “He told me how bad he needed that and he didn’t even know he needed it. These events bring together such amazing people!”

Here is the schedule:

Outdoors:

12 pm- Collective Meditation w/ Rubí Orozco
12:45pm- Dada Maheshvarananda
1:30 pm- Life Force Energy with Eric Wright
2pm- El Paso Permaculture Group Workshop
3pm- Discover the healing power of essential oils demo w/ Adan Baca
4pm- Barbara Anndrea Arriaga Solo Performance (Austin, TX)
5pm- Belly Dance Performance by Jackie
6pm- Seli & the Soul Project
7pm- Bernaude (Disco Funk From outer Space Dj set)
7:45 pm- La Flamilia Fire Dance Performance
8:30 pm- Kalachandjis Kirtan (Dallas TX)
10pm and on: if it's not too cold, bring out your drums and fire toys!!

*Tai Chi Demo with Mr. Tang
* Color Therapy with Karla Nabil (all day)

The Root Yoga Studio (inside the San Carlos building):
1pm- Yoga for Back Care with Lisa Gulotta (Santa Fe, NM)
2:30- Breath Work Meditation with Robert Leal
4:30- Healing Bath with Claudia Paola
5:30- Kripalu Yoga Groove with Lisa Gulotta
7pm- Mantra Meditation & Bhakti Yoga with Caitanya Chandra Das

501 Restaurant (inside the San Carlos building) should be open for more workshops & speakers.

Live Art by:

GFX
Luis House from Notorious Tattoos
Shrek
Tury from Sun City Tattoos
Carlos from Monsterland Tattoos

So PLEASE come if you can!  I guarantee you will leave feeling at least a little better than before.