Reinaldo's Blog

Much greater than words or beliefs, this has to descend from feelings.

The best way to have a good attitude is to trigger the feeling of gratitude. Now, there’s no need to start thinking of how grateful you are for your house, career, etc.

The best way to feel gratitude (at least in my experience) is to find music that absolutely impacts on you in a positive way. The kind of songs that make you say loudly in your head “MAN, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL”!

Well, there are many different triggers for feeling gratitude.

It’s drawing these few moments (sometimes minutes) when we feel inspired and our minds are at ease. Guilt, anger, envy, sadness, all disappear and we unconsciously give thanks for being here to appreciate this beauty.

When you feel peace in your mind and you are grateful for things such as music, then it’s pretty easy to have healthy attitude.

I’ll admit it. I like oldies from the 60s and 70s (and I’m not talking about led zepplin or Jimi Hendrix either, I’m talking outright pop). Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong generation.

Nowadays pop music gives us about 3-5 good songs in the year. Good track, decent vocals, catchy tune. But where’s the content? (more…)

Believe it or not, it’s not listening to music or going to the movies (it probably used to be).

My favourite pass-time is enjoying good company but most importantly, good conversation. You can hold good conversations anywhere. On a plane, while walking through a National Park, at a cafe or while driving.

A good espresso coffee (one of my favourite consumables) isn’t much without a conversation and of course, company.

Other pastimes:

• Shaving (traditional wet-shaving with a double edge razor blade, none of this gillette 5 blade crap)
• Taking photos (SLR, point and shoot, doesn’t matter. You can improve the photo later on picasa. Yes, because photoshop is too hard)
• Making BBQ (only on the weber, preferably wood charcoal but briquettes are ok too, no gas burner though)
• Preparing coffee (about as relaxing/therapeutic as shaving)
• drawing (charcoal, graphite pencil. I don’t use other materials)
• writing
• and on occasion, smoking a cigar.

Photo by the sea, edited on picasa

Picture from: http://www.nutrigrain.com.au/iron-man-series.aspx

While growing up, I changed my childhood dreams a fair bit.

Primary School Dreams

The earliest dream I can recall is wanting to be an iron man tri-athelete. I loved the beach and I was getting far with my swimming lessons at the time.

I then found a passion in books. It seemed logical that I would want to become a writer, like my favourite authors Roal Dahl and Paul Jennings. After being told that I wouldn’t make much money from being a writer, I soon lost enthusiasm for that dream.

It would be a few years before I would create another destiny for myself. I was in year 6, I was elected the school captain for my primary school. It was the year Pauline Hanson made headlines over her controversial views and statements. I had given a speech in class condemning her views and the racism she was promoting. I had finally decided that I wanted to be the prime minister of Australia. It was the same year that I discovered that John Christopher Watson – Australia’s and the world’s first Labour Prime Minister (1904) – was born in Valparaiso, Chile just like me. (more…)