Text by Carmo
«Porto, Cidade das Profissões, March 17th 2014
After spending all my life needing coffee to get over mornings I found last Monday a much better method: one Edite to start the day!
The theme was "To Create Worlds" and to tell you the truth when I did the registration I didn’t know where or what I should expect. But the truth is that something inside me made *plim* and there I was with four lemons. And how well spent were those lemons!
We started the session presenting ourselves: one kiss here, one kiss there; "Hi, I’m Maria", "I’m Francisca"; "Hum… I know you from somewhere"… Nice shoes!"; "I haven’t seen you for so long!" (Since we were only women, this took longer than necessary). From the “I” we moved to the “we” in a blink!
Afterwards, the expectations: what were we expecting in trade for lemons? An epiphany? A cosmic confirmation? Or just two ice cubes for a lemonade?
Being this a participated conference we debated together several questions.
And then, in an hands-on attitude we've created worlds. How? Here is a sort of guide for world domination:
We started up by "deconstructing"! Questioning what we take for granted. How many times do we repeat litanies, concepts or prejudices without even thinking about their real meaning and how many times are we conditioned by those notions? Let’s shake our heads, mix it all up and put our ideas in order. Done? Great! Now just remember to do it once a while, just to refresh!
Now it is time to get inspired! We just need to be alert, the inspiration can be in every corner… Thus, let’s listen to inspirational people at breakfast, lunch and dinner time! Let’s get to know what is done in the world to change our own! This way we will have the courage to create our own world, right? But to create our own world demands bursting the bubble, getting out and finding projects around us that make us fall in love and in which we may collaborate and participate! Don’t be fooled, the secret is not the soul of the business; it is by sharing that we win!
Our world will never be “ours” if we don’t get to know ourselves. It is important to be conscious of ourselves, stop to reflect. Doing it by writing, meditating, walking or cooking, every day we should exercise our reflection power. Get to know yourself!
And what happens when the world around us changes its course? What should we do when we are confronted with injustice? What can we do, so small? Well, we can educate ourselves, get to know others' perspectives and debate. There is always something we can do, even if it is something small! To act allows us to create little changes that, when put together, might generate global changes.
In the end of the session we, the worlds’ creators, were full of Edite’s energy! After the resolutions taken, reflections done and validated options, we said goodbye, determined not to let our days pass by one after the other, without noticing them.
Our lives could stay the same, but we are not going to let them!»
After spending all my life needing coffee to get over mornings I found last Monday a much better method: one Edite to start the day!
The theme was "To Create Worlds" and to tell you the truth when I did the registration I didn’t know where or what I should expect. But the truth is that something inside me made *plim* and there I was with four lemons. And how well spent were those lemons!
We started the session presenting ourselves: one kiss here, one kiss there; "Hi, I’m Maria", "I’m Francisca"; "Hum… I know you from somewhere"… Nice shoes!"; "I haven’t seen you for so long!" (Since we were only women, this took longer than necessary). From the “I” we moved to the “we” in a blink!
Afterwards, the expectations: what were we expecting in trade for lemons? An epiphany? A cosmic confirmation? Or just two ice cubes for a lemonade?
Being this a participated conference we debated together several questions.
And then, in an hands-on attitude we've created worlds. How? Here is a sort of guide for world domination:
We started up by "deconstructing"! Questioning what we take for granted. How many times do we repeat litanies, concepts or prejudices without even thinking about their real meaning and how many times are we conditioned by those notions? Let’s shake our heads, mix it all up and put our ideas in order. Done? Great! Now just remember to do it once a while, just to refresh!
Now it is time to get inspired! We just need to be alert, the inspiration can be in every corner… Thus, let’s listen to inspirational people at breakfast, lunch and dinner time! Let’s get to know what is done in the world to change our own! This way we will have the courage to create our own world, right? But to create our own world demands bursting the bubble, getting out and finding projects around us that make us fall in love and in which we may collaborate and participate! Don’t be fooled, the secret is not the soul of the business; it is by sharing that we win!
Our world will never be “ours” if we don’t get to know ourselves. It is important to be conscious of ourselves, stop to reflect. Doing it by writing, meditating, walking or cooking, every day we should exercise our reflection power. Get to know yourself!
And what happens when the world around us changes its course? What should we do when we are confronted with injustice? What can we do, so small? Well, we can educate ourselves, get to know others' perspectives and debate. There is always something we can do, even if it is something small! To act allows us to create little changes that, when put together, might generate global changes.
In the end of the session we, the worlds’ creators, were full of Edite’s energy! After the resolutions taken, reflections done and validated options, we said goodbye, determined not to let our days pass by one after the other, without noticing them.
Our lives could stay the same, but we are not going to let them!»
What do the participants take from the conference:
"I loved the debate and sharing of experiences, personal histories, group’s reflections. It was my first experience in Cidade das Profissões and I am very grateful for the learnings that they have available for the public.
I take a lot of clues to know how to live better and I am going to make an effort to be a better person always, with a little help from the others and from the world!
Congratulations."
"Feeling that everything is in our hands. Stop, think and feel should be an everyday exercise for a more rational and possible life.
Examples of strength, possibilities and life.
The motivation to focus on simple and concrete things.
… The idea of always thinking big."
"Reflect on what I am willing to do to get what I want, never forgetting the passion and the meaning."
"Being available to absorb what surrounds us.
Even the most insignificant thing can be a source of inspiration.
To be open to what surrounds you, to savor.
Do what makes you happy.
To help and to share."
"I really liked it, it was really the pill of energy I was looking for and needing. I haven’t quite figure out what I am going to do professionally (it was in fact a very ambitious goal, Thinking Big J ), but I know now that my way of living is Living Slow, and it is ok. I also realized that perhaps don’t need to receive enthusiasm from others, what I really need is to organize ideas."
"In two hours it was possible to take a lot of information and new learnings.
The trainer transmits a lot of positive energy.
Friendships – I liked the group a lot. Very participated."
"(…) I’m leaving willing to create and to do!"
"I’m leaving here more motivated and determined to follow the path of entrepreneurism, since being “who I am” has a lot of advantages."
"I loved the debate and sharing of experiences, personal histories, group’s reflections. It was my first experience in Cidade das Profissões and I am very grateful for the learnings that they have available for the public.
I take a lot of clues to know how to live better and I am going to make an effort to be a better person always, with a little help from the others and from the world!
Congratulations."
"Feeling that everything is in our hands. Stop, think and feel should be an everyday exercise for a more rational and possible life.
Examples of strength, possibilities and life.
The motivation to focus on simple and concrete things.
… The idea of always thinking big."
"Reflect on what I am willing to do to get what I want, never forgetting the passion and the meaning."
"Being available to absorb what surrounds us.
Even the most insignificant thing can be a source of inspiration.
To be open to what surrounds you, to savor.
Do what makes you happy.
To help and to share."
"I really liked it, it was really the pill of energy I was looking for and needing. I haven’t quite figure out what I am going to do professionally (it was in fact a very ambitious goal, Thinking Big J ), but I know now that my way of living is Living Slow, and it is ok. I also realized that perhaps don’t need to receive enthusiasm from others, what I really need is to organize ideas."
"In two hours it was possible to take a lot of information and new learnings.
The trainer transmits a lot of positive energy.
Friendships – I liked the group a lot. Very participated."
"(…) I’m leaving willing to create and to do!"
"I’m leaving here more motivated and determined to follow the path of entrepreneurism, since being “who I am” has a lot of advantages."
Photos by Ávany França
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