Liz Esquirol

Plan: Don’t Get Sidetracked

It’s January 2nd, 2016. The beginning of a new year – complete with new plans, dreams, hopes, wishes and yes….even some fears. For me, it’s the fear of not following my plans and dreams. A vicious cycle, eh? I’ve found what gets in the way is…life. I get sidetracked. Pulled off the road by a seductive sign, promising a cold beverage at the end of a dirt path. It’s so very easy to lose sight of our destination – there are so many distractions.

I find the beginning of a new year quite thrilling – the promise of what’s ahead, the clean feeling of washing the past years unfulfilled pixie dust from my hands. We get to start fresh, renewed, with nothing but the days ahead to entice us.

But the truth is, life, and our living of it, gets in the way. John Lennon said it best – “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” We hear ya, John. We get so wrapped up in our day to day living that we forget the big picture…and in that forgetfulness, we wake up Rip Van Winkle style and wonder if we’ve been napping for 20 years.

So – the question is clear – how do we stay focused on what matters most to us? How do we avoid leaving the track?

Buddha Balboa

Paris in Pain

November 14, 2015

The Paris terrorist attacks yesterday are nothing short of heartbreaking. I question – why do we live in such a world where people can perpetrate such horrific acts of violence? How is this possible? Why?

Beyond the obvious answers – of radicalism and evil – we are still left questioning why would anyone do such unthinkable things as to murder innocents? What is going on? What type of sickness invades the human mind and heart?

These types of events shake us – and can, if we let them – rattle us to our core. They can break our spirits if we allow them. And that is where the difference between good and evil, if you will, comes into play. Good will prevail. There is goodness, and compassion, and love and strength in this world – and these virtues are stronger than any darkness. The light always finds its way in – no matter how hard the darkness tries to blanket it.

There are no answers right now. And ultimately, they are irrelevant. All we can do is be strong for those in pain and move forward with courage.

Buddha Balboa

There’s No Such Thing

September 13, 2015

I was sorting through paperwork today – some filing I’ve put off for a while now. I meant to do it yesterday, on Saturday afternoon, while I had some free time. But I got sidetracked, as I’m oft to do and set my sights on completion for Sunday.

I filed a number of bills and receipts away in my rolling file cart (I can tuck it away in my closet when done – out of sight, out of brain.) I had within this pile a folder I had tucked some receipts and miscellaneous paperwork….and an envelope with photos.

Buddha Balboa

Life is like a roller coaster…

The fictional character Forrest Gump said “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” And this is true. We can all identify with that sentiment because more often than not, life does treat us to unforeseen events – we don’t know what we’re gonna get.

Chocolates, yes – but I see life like a roller coaster, with dips and trips at every bend.

The roller coaster phenomenon is an either/or proposition – it’s met with either a squeal of glee or an inaudible tightened grimace. It inspires excitement as much as it instills fear. When we are children, the mere thought of a roller coaster ride is like that of being offered a candy bar – sweet and adrenaline producing. Kids have little to no fear of being tossed around like a corked bottle in an angry sea.