For many of us, just moving from day to day, month to month or year to year creates a similar anxiety or a subtle excitement. It doesn't matter whether we move in time or we move in space, there is one constant -- change.
It seems a contradiction to say that the only permanent thing we encounter in our daily lives is change, but change is what it's all about.
The process of growing from a child into a teenager and then into an adult is one that's constantly filled with change. There is an urge written deep within us, in our very genes and spirit, to grow and change and become the best we can.
Sometimes the urge is buried under tons of daily woes or in the joys of the moment, but it is there, nevertheless. Many of us fear change because we are fearful of the unknown.
My old friend, Deepak Chopra, once told me that it is not the unknown we should be afraid of, but, instead, the known. The unknown is what will become the known as we pour our hearts and minds into it. I go a step further and say we should not fear either the known or the unknown.
Whatever appears to be happening to us now, whatever the future seems to hold for us, we must remember that we have the power to change everything in our lives by a simple stroke of genius -- changing the way we look at things and, more important, changing the way we feel about things.
Reality is actually the interpretation of a point of view. If we do not like what seems to be our lot in life, we have but to change the way we look at our life and we'll change outcomes. I do not know why or how this happens. It might even be a mystical law. But this I know, throughout the centuries, the sages of all cultures have said, "Change your mind and you change your world."
For all of us, the arrival of a new year is just around the corner. It is a good time to review the events of the past year without dwelling on them. It is a better time to look forward into the newness of that which is to come and resolve to do the best you can with what you have.
The laws of the Universe may seem complex, but I have the feeling that is because we tend to want to analyze those laws and figure why they work. I believe it is much better to use those laws for our benefit and the good of all people.
This is a thought and belief world. Whatever we think, if we believe it strongly enough, it will become part and parcel of our lives. Some of you may say to me, "That's all well and good, John, but it's not easy to change your thoughts and your beliefs."
I agree wholeheartedly. It is not easy, but it's simple. Realize that you are NOT your thoughts. You only THINK your thoughts. They are yours and if they are yours, you can do with them whatever you want. Many times we let our thoughts scare us. It's as if our thoughts think US instead of the other way around.
And as to your beliefs, all you have to do is examine them and ask yourself why you believe what you believe. You may be amazed to find that your beliefs have held you captive all these years. Perhaps those beliefs were necessary at one time, but you may have outgrown them. Examine what you believe about money, health or relationships and ask yourself why you believe that.
Change your beliefs about the world and circumstances and you'll change your thoughts about life and how it works. If you suffer from lack, start changing your belief about money into one of abundance and affluence.
If you are experiencing illness, look at your beliefs about health and change them into wellness and well-being. And if you have poor, or non-existent relationships, change your beliefs into those of feeling loved and worthy of all good things.
Life is a process of change. Change is what brings us progress. Welcome change and the unknown. Let every day be the start of a new adventure. Go into the new week, the new year with a new you. Remember that you are a beautiful child of the Universe and the Universe will take good care of you if you believe, trust and expect.
Often when travellers or students visit countries within Central and South America with the intention of learning Spanish, they will often immerse themselves in the language and local culture by living with a local family whilst taking lessons at a Spanish school. This is what is known as a ?homestay?.
?Homestays? can be very beneficial for students. They give the student the opportunity to interact and communicate with native Spanish speaking people in a completely natural environment. It provides a continuous forum in which to practice speaking Spanish and to practice listening to it. Not only this but it gives the student great insight into local culture and ways of life.
From my own experiences I would highly recommend ?homestays?. I stayed with a local family in Antigua, Guatemala for two weeks whilst studying at a local school. I had my own room and was made to feel like one of the family for my entire stay. One of the best things for me was that nobody in the family could speak a word of English. I was forced into speaking Spanish all the time. Back then my level of Spanish wasn't great but I still managed to communicate well enough.
Being forced into a situation where you have to communicate in only Spanish can act as a stimulus to the entire learning process. The desire to be understood encourages learning!
The family I stayed with were very accommodating and were more than happy to converse with me and include me in the normal family activities of the normal day. I would sit down with the family at breakfast, lunch and dinner and would often sit around the table in the evening talking or simply watching TV.
One of the benefits of combining Spanish classes with a ?homestay? is that you can practice or test out the things you might have learnt during that day with the family you are staying with. I would deliberately try to include new words, or specific bits of Spanish grammar into conversations I was having with the family. Often they would correct me or suggest other ways of saying what I was trying to get across to them.
Living with a native Spanish speaking family gives the student great exposure to the Spanish language as it is spoken in that particular region of the world. I have said many times before in previous articles that the more listening practice that the student can get the better. The act of listening intently for long periods of time can actually be quite gruelling but the more you do it, the easier it will become. Your brain will slowly but surely become accustomed to hearing and interpreting Spanish sounds. I talk much more about listening techniques in a later lesson.
Being in a family environment also gives the student exposure that is completely natural. Conversations that are had around the breakfast table for example are those that any family might have and are therefore completely relevant. The conversations you might have in any one typical day could probably fill an entire textbook of made up role-play exercises. The day will be crammed with continual practice and the best thing is that it wont even feel like studying!
The size of the family you decide to live with will also dictate to some extent the types of conversations you might have. It is a good idea to immerse yourself in a larger family unit if possible and one that has children. The more people you can talk to the better. I remember one afternoon sitting down with the 9 year old daughter of the family I stayed with watching ?Scooby Doo? on the TV in Spanish. I had a lengthy conversation as best as I could with her about cartoons and which ones were my favourites and why. It isn't often you would get to talk about something like that!
Because my ?homestay? family included me in pretty much everything they did they also invited me on a night out. It was the mother's birthday and we celebrated it by first having a traditional meal at home and then going to some bars and finally a club. It was a great experience and a lot of fun. Although I didn't really think about it at the time it was another example of a completely natural situation where I could practice speaking Spanish.
After the two weeks were up I really felt that I had bonded with my family and I know I my Spanish benefited from it enormously. I felt more confident when speaking to people from then on and the combination of lessons and family living really helped to improve my overall level of Spanish. It really was a great adventure and an entirely worthy experience in every way. If you are looking for a complete cultural immersion experience then I would highly recommend a ?homestay?.
In this article I have said how important it is to practice listening to spoken Spanish. The more listening you do the better. Joining a ?homestay? program is certainly one way in which you can achieve this. In my next article I discuss in more detail different listening techniques and how you can benefit from them.
Both John Harricharan & Spanishexperto are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
John Harricharan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Religion and Web Development. Lecturer, entrepreneur and MBA business consultant, John Harricharan is the author of the award-winning book, "When You Can Walk on Water, Take the Boat."