I would like to say goodbye to Guatemala. Goodby to so much joy. One of the few countries that we didn’t do justice to in the short time we spent there. But our trip is coming to an end and we don’t have much energy left for things that won’t get us back to Europe.
Nevertheless, I can say one thing: it was one of the countries that welcomed and hosted us in the friendliest way. This kind of honest friendliness feels so wonderful. Giving joy makes us happy and boosts our mental health.
A smile gives us and our counterpart joy.
It costs nothing – on the contrary, we get so much out of it that we can generously go through the world with our sincere smile, give it to other people and, in the best case, touch their souls – just as we let it touch ours when we feel that this one brief encounter, the intense look in the eyes, the exchange of two smiles was sincere and came from the depths of both our hearts.
And that’s how I feel in Guatemala. We are richly limited by this sincere smile. Every day, several times, simply along the way.
Joy is not something given!
The talent to go through life joyfully and cheerfully, giving joy to others, is a human characteristic. We can train this capacity for joy. If we are aware of when we feel joy, these moments can be incorporated into our day like little rays of light.
What does joy do to us?
Joy allows us to breathe more deeply and freely, relaxes us, gives us peace, strength and health. It rubs off on our environment and fellow human beings. When we meet someone with a smile, it can trigger a reaction like a reverberation or a kind of echo of someone else’s joy. Of course, we have to let it happen.
It is always there, in me and in you. Sometimes small, silent and hidden, but it is up to me and everyone to bring it out again.
People in Guatemala have a lot of this “joy”
The people in Guatemala have it, this joy in their lives, and I can tell you that they certainly have more reasons to be unhappy than we do in Europe.
But something, or rather a sum of things, simply makes them happier than other people.
One of the reasons is certainly in this saying (even if I don’t like it, but well…): “Happy people are not those who have the most, but those who are most grateful for what they have.”
Guatemala is often at the top of the global ranking of countries with inequality and violence. More than 50 percent of the population lives in poverty and around 13 people are murdered every day.
Nevertheless, some international surveys report that the people here are among the happiest in the world. That’s crazy.
Terrible Germany
I’m now hearing more and more often from our circle of friends and family: it’s better to stay away, it’s terrible here (Germany and Europe).
Well, that is certainly ONE view of the situation. But we will come back. Of course we will. And whether I focus on the “terrible” or continue to go through life with joy is up to me. I will at least try not to let my life be filled with resentment, hatred or the like.
We have learned a lot about our planet, about different cultures and countries, but above all we have also learned a lot about ourselves. I hope this will help me to keep on smiling.
Resilience
If you want to learn more, it’s about this quality, which is called “resilience”, here some hints:
Self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, acceptance, solution orientation, network orientation, future orientation
These 7 pillars are essential for personal strength.
– Self-awareness, helps us to recognize our feelings and needs.
– Self-regulation, enables us to control our emotions.
– Optimism promotes positive thought patterns.
– Acceptance teaches us to accept realities
– Solution orientation promotes proactivity instead of reactivity.
– Future orientation, encourages us to set goals and pursue them.
– Network orientation, the importance of social support.
And we have to come back for the latter. One of the reasons why we are so looking forward to seeing you all.
And so I leave Guatemala with a smile. Thank you for this experience.
Could have been a sad and angry day being on the beach. But even in this, there is some kind of beauty and maybe showing things this way helps to get more awareness. Who knows?!
More about the beaches in Guatemala you’ll find in my previous post.