It has been about a year since I started seriously working on this book and it has been a wonderful adventure. Throughout these twelve months I have discovered many things about myself, and why I decided to write this book for teens and young adults. I guess, deep inside I'm still closely connected to my inner child, or perhaps it's because my own children remind me of what it's like to grow up dreaming about the future and how important is to have some idea of where your path lies.
My life experience has shown me that most people are a complex mosaic of influences from many sources; our parents' teachings, our siblings, our friends, our environment, our religion or lack of it, etc. These experiences in life are like opportunities; the good ones take us to higher levels in our personal growth. However, it is important to know and to remember who we are. How was our original essence at the time of our birth? Regardless of what our religious or spiritual affiliation is, nobody can argue with the fact that our being is composed of a soul inhabiting a body. The soul is eternal, while the body is temporary. It is our soul that has that everlasting information that our being needs in order to find its path in this lifetime.
But how do we listen to our spirit? You may ask. We are an evolving human race, and the challenges that teens experience today are way different than their parents and grandparents have ever experienced. The demands are more intense and the world has become interconnected and more competitive. So, more than ever, teens need a way to hear their voice and to avoid getting lost in a sea of information and distractions. Trying to listen to your own voice nowadays is like trying to communicate through a tin can telephone.
I wrote this book because a wanted to share a little bit of wisdom that was given to me by a very special group of people. As I learned and practiced the meditation tools that I had been taught, I not only recovered my inner voice, but I realized how great it would be if our younger generations could have access to this information, so they wouldn't have to struggle as so many adults do today. These techniques are as old as humanity itself, however they are very relevant and useful in today's world.
As I started utilizing theses tools my whole world changed. I realized that part of my struggle was because I hadn't learned to ground myself when it was required. I also didn't know how to protect my personal space. When people threw their criticism at me, ideas or beliefs; I was as permeable as can be. Imagine how much more difficult it is for youngsters to protect themselves from outside influences. It's a jungle out there, and they have no protection!
In addition, as I became more grounded and connected with my self and the planet, I realized that most of these tools I will present to you in the following weeks are out there in nature. If only we made the effort to reconnect with our planet once in a while and listen to what mother Earth has to say. Nature is the wisest teacher we have; let's listen to her. For this purpose, one of the things I created in “Sam and The Giant Tree” was this fictional natural landscape in which Sam is the main protagonist and at the same time, the center of this landscape. I wanted to remind my audience that the truth is out there in nature; you just have to reconnect with it.
So, let me guide you through a journey of self-discovery with this blog. In the following weeks I will show what this book is about and what you can learn from it.