It’s time to reflect upon her story and relate it to the principles that guide you.
In the “Comment Box”, first, write about the listening strategies you used to understand this amazing Latin novelist’s anecdote. Then, tell us more about your own beliefs in your daily life.
- What are your beliefs?
- Why are they important?
- Where do those principles come from? Family history? A lesson you learned?
Isabel Allende’s story give us one momoment of reflection about the fact we don’t know what is really important for us, How distante we are of our true needs because we are looking for materials things wich we not really needed instead of to look for our true “ME”.
I think that the modern time has been changing the relationsships strongly, it increasing the competition among people in detriment of the sentiments, emotions and pleasure.
What is more important for a person? it be rich, powerful or simply happy and loved?
The families function had changed in the last century, it becaming acessory now a days, that’s why the social values are focused in money instead of the human sentiments.
I had learned along all my life to cultivate honor, honesty, loyalty, fraternity, but, now, I face a society that despises all those values and it exalts the smartness, the professional success, the wealth and the power.
We would have forgotten who are, our human nature?
I would say that we forgotten to look for what truly complete us because simply we dont’t stop sometimes only to look to us and understand us and unfortunatelly, sometimes we only understood about some subject when the reality is imposed in our lives.
Dear Celso,
I guess you’re right. Sometimes we learn about ourselves and the ones around us the hard way. Losing a daughter, like it happened to Isabel Allende, has certainly a devastating impact in a mother’s life. I can’t even think about it.
The values you mentioned you should cherish of honesty, loyalty and fraternity are certainly the ones I value, too, and try to teach my sons and try to be a good role model for them.
The degrading society we see sometimes is due to care and love, and as an educator, I see that it really starts at home. Kids need to be nourished with attention, care, education. If we can’t be there for them and participate in their lives, how can we expect for a bright future?
I guess that’s exactly why I’m an educator. I can’t change the whole world, but I can affect a few lives in a positive way hoping that this act will be multiplied to others.
What do you do to make the world around you a better one?
The speech of Isabel Allende is to hard to understand because, in my opinion, she talks about the capacity of love even if you is not loving anymore.
When she lost her daughter, I think that she realize that paula could be with her only in her essence, only in his lessons about life. It’s very hard to lost someone you love more than life as mothers love her childs. You nedde find in yours memories how survive.
IA found in paula’s life that to give is more important – to her – than recieve. But to believe that you can be happy in this conditions you nedd to be very strong, very self centrated.
I’m sorry if my English is very bad. It’ hard to write because I don’t study ou speak or anything since 89. I’ll try to be better.
Dear Vânia,
Don’t worry about your English. We’re all here to learn!
As for your comment on the listening, I totally agree with you that Allende must have gotten strength to move on by sticking to her memories with her daughter and learning from her daughter’s own life. Just like you mentioned, a life of giving more than receiving.
What guides your life?
First of all, it’s an amazing story. It makes us think about what we are doing with our lives. Congratulations for the choice, I have seen this site (This I believe) just few days before I enrolled the online course.
My listening strategies – Well, they’re simple. I usually listen twice and if it’s possible three times in order to understand the whole text. First, I focus on the context; I try to understand the main idea of the text, what the text is talking about. Second, I try to find out the details, the complements so that I can take my conclusions. When it’s possible I listen for the third time to certify my comprehension. That’s what I did with this text and it worked it!!!
My believes – Some of them I’ve learned with my family, especially with my mom, others I’ve been learning with my own experiences… One of them is similar to Isabel’s (you only have what you give). Mine is “if you do good things you’ll receive good things, otherwise, if you do bad things you’ll receive bad things”. Treat others the same way you’d like to be treated. I think this is the most important one, I’ve known it with my mom. Another one, this I’ve learned on my own… If something is wrong in your life don’t murmur, JUST MOVE, try hard to change this situation, it doesn’t matter if you’ll achieve your purpose but try, try any times must be necessary. For to finish, I’ve just learned this one reading Paulo Freire, one of the most important educator in the world. It’s amazing and it fits very well for us, eternal students. We must educate ourselves in order to be better human beings. That’s the reason we should always learn things, things which can makes us better people than we are. If you stop learning you stop living!!!
Dear Diana,
I loved your comment! Excellent post.
Your listening strategy is a very effective one. First, getting the big picture, then going for the details. Every time you listen, you’ll be able to spot some nuances you didn’t get the first time you listened to. In a face-to-face situation, the importance of this strategy is that you’ll understand the context. You don’t need to understand every single word somebody is telling you to know what is being said.
Paulo Freire has a point, doesn’t he? We shouldn’t keep whining, complaining about life. We are in charge of our own lives and we should keep learning. It’s lifelong. Learning it is certainly about becoming a better human being.That’s why I’m a teacher. It keeps me young and I’m always eager to learn something new and be a better person for my family, friends, and students!
What you learned with your mom and throughout your life will impact on how you raise your kid. I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful boy with such an attentive and caring human being as a mom!
Can you give me an example of a lesson you learned the hard way?
I liked the Isabella Allende’s speech because it reflects an analisys of her reality with with logic. She thinks some though like that: “oh, now my daughter is dead, but what she was and is really for me?”, and that makes she concludes that her daugther was special as a person and not just as a “child” because she given rather than received or taken for her own.
Once, I saw in a movie one dialogue between two characters:
“-Do you why people get married?
-No,not really.
-Because they expect causes memories in the partner, have a witness of their passage on here.
I guess that dialogue is similiar of the Isabella Allende’s conception of life, of what we are and what we’ve been really making here? I really don’t have a principle or belief formed about that existence’s question, but I prefer the conception of character’s dialogue.
About the comprehension of this listening, I had a really difficulty, but I always have, however, I think that listen 3 times and like Diana said, which time you focus in one point – details, context, expressions – I root for a progress for me and us all.Bye.
Dear Eduardo,
What is life except for our history together with the ones we love, our family and friends? Isn’t it full of real moments that become memories so quickly?
I agree with you that our life is meaningless if you don’t have somebody to share it with, be it friends, family, your partner. Everyone that passes by our lives have a special meaning for our own existence.
As for the listening, it will get better as you keep practicing. Do you take notes when you listen to the audio? Next time, try to take notes the first time, then the second you add the details you didn’t get. After that, go for vocabulary check.
Don’t forget to add your new words to our class glossary.
Keep up the good work.
The listening strategies I used to understand were: First, I listened and after I listened twice while I was reading the text, then I understood the main idea of the text. I felt difficult to understand it only listening. After I read, I checked the new words.
Isabel Allende’s story is a reflection point for us because she talks about the true values of life. Sometimes only a sad happening takes us to change.
My beliefs are above all the love and the gladly . If these ingredients are in our life, were are growing always. The love for neighbour and the love for God. The true values are learned since early, mainly at the family. But, each human being is able to learn them, then each human is able to change.
Dear Maria do Carmo,
As you keep practicing your listening skills, you’ll see that your comprehension will get better. The secret? Practice, practice, practice! If you check our “news” forum, you’ll see I added more listening practice for you all to “train” your ears. Have fun!
I agree with you that our beliefs and values are shaped from our very early stage in life, since we’re very little. Our parents, family, school are the ones who shows us the way, model. On the other hand, I’m a believer, meaning that I believe in the power of change. So, even for the ones who had a tough life, terrible childhood, they can change the tracks of their lives through the willingness and belief that life can be different and better.
Have you ever changed that path of your own life?
Dear all,
well, I decided to try taking notes about the main ideas in the listening and I go back some times to listening again some parts that I couldn´t understand. I listened the whole story twice and I believe that I was able to understand the most part of the words and the main idea.
About my beliefs I want to say that firstly I strongly believe in God. I believe in the power of love and I believe that the only way to the world keep existing is in peace. I believe in that each person is capable of go over the difficults of life and achieve his goals. I believe that the only way to honestly win is working very hard, day-by-day. And I believe, seeing eye to eye on Isabel Allende´s beliefs, that the most important things of our lives aren’t what we have, but what we use to give and share.
Great, Marcelo, that you took notes! Next time, you can have some fun trying to picture the listening by doodling. Just like when we’re talking on the phone? See what you come up with.
Peace is key for a healthy existence, isn’t it? Peace with ourselves, world peace, a peaceful living with the loved ones…
The concept you pointed out of everybody being able to overcome difficulties is certainly an important one. If we don’t believe that each one of us is capable of becoming a better person and changing, we would be very pessimistic. In my case, as an educator, I truly believe in the power of change, something that Diana and others also mentioned. Besides, what is the beauty of having without sharing?
Now, how do you think we could go for a more peaceful world?
Well Carla, I think it´s a very rough work, but we need to start by ourselves. All of us must realize that when we gain too much, someone will lost. There isn’t magic. We live in a world of limited resources and if we don´t think more about sharing, the consequences will be violent. In a pratical way, we can join with groups that are dedicated to help poor people and we can find ways to help poor children to be at school. Moreover, we need to learn to take care of our environment because the lack of water and other natural resources can be the reason of catastrophic future wars.
About your comment, I didn´t completely understand what do you mean with the suggetion of trying to picture de listening. How is it work? What´s the purpose of doing this?
Marcelo,
You mentioned there’s no magic and that we need to do our part to reach a peaceful state. What’s your share?
As for the listening strategy, it’s just one creative way to listen to something. I do all kinds of activities with my students. One of them is to ask them to draw what they hear in a sequence. The same idea here. The objective is the same as note taking, but instead of visualizing the words, you’ll see the images and relate them to what you heard. You know when you are on the phone with someone and you just doodle while the person is speaking? It can be not related to what the person said, but you can match a certain drawing or word to what the person said at the moment you were doodling, and it is meaningful to you! That’s the idea. Just for fun and to try out different ways of dealing with a listening task. Got the idea?
The story by Isabel Allende’s Listening Activity is very good for everybody think, because for me is very important to give much more than to receive, this action gives importants feelings. Money is good, but isn’t everything. My father in law, give some money every month for one place that helps poor children, but, what they likes more is when the people to go there for to play, to talk, give attencions, because they are very sad. When I had gone there, I cry a lot, because was very sad to see a lot of childrens in that situation, for me, was very important.
If each person wold be something for help the person, the world wold be best.
I put the wrong form(what they like)!
Dear Thaiz,
Yes. Volunteer work is one way to give more to others. In Brazil, some people do it, but I guess it’s becoming a bigger thing now. In the past, I don’t think it was really part of our culture. Here, in the US, it’s quite the opposite. I feel it’s more like “forced” worked, not really volunteer because it is culturally expected that you do it! In my case, I like to volunteer to help at my kids’ school, but not all the time. There are some parents who are always there. I admire their generosity, but also I think we have other personal matters to take care of. And, sometimes, if you don’t volunteer you’re frowned upon. That’s why I say sometimes it is kind of “forced”. Many times you feel bad if you don’t do it. I’m working on that, not feeling guilty…I can give part of my time, but still have my own life and personal things. It’s just a matter of balance!
Do you work as a volunteer somewhere? Do you think volunteer work is the way to help people?
I think is fascinating the history of Isabel Allende. She discusses about values that have really importante in our life. This is for us to rethink our values.
I worked as a volunteer in a program for people with leprosy. Also, I worked in a blind people institute.
Curentely I am helping cats in the streets.I try to get a home for some kittens that I find in the streets or I intend to help in the castration of cats to avoid that more nestlings are abandoned.I think they have life and need to survive like other animal, includ the human.
I think the goverment is responsable to help people, but we are too. We need to do our part in this construction for a better world.
Dear Mirella,
I can see you’re giving your contribution to the world. Your own world, as you work with health, is about giving and sharing. That’s what generosity is all about.
About the issue you mentioned of rethinking our values, I’d say that we need to reevaluate them all the time. As a mother, I’m always trying to review my concepts. Am I doing any good by behaving this way? Am I being too strict or too lenient? The same happens to my life with my husband, my professional life, my teaching. I’m all for changes that may positively affect the ones you love and care for.
As for the cats, do you do that by yourself or is there an organization in Brasilia for that?
Carla
In fact, my share is smaller than the ideal, but I contribute to a group called SOS Cidadania by the donation of a small amount of money monthly. I use to help the people on the streets whom ask me for some food or a medicine (as you know, unfortunately this is very common in Brazil). But what I’ve been seeing is that so many people are becoming very selfish and forgoting about the others human beings. The fact is that we (and I´m including myself in this) need to do more, we need to share our abilities and talents in favor to the others as often we can do. I see that you are doing it in this course. I believe that this kind of course takes much more time from de teacher than a regular one because each student is doing an activity in a differente time and the teacher needs to be aware full time to give attention to everybody. So, when you face a challenge like this you are contributing for the improvement of our Educational system in order to provide a more democratic access to the knowlegde and, I believe that is the best way to change the world.
see ya.
Dear Marcelo,
I have to agree with you. Each one of us need to give more, and I include myself just like you. I think you’re doing your share already with the SOS Cidadania and by helping the homeless.
Thanks for your kind comments in relation to my job.
You said:
"I see that you are doing it in this course. I believe that this kind of course takes much more time from de teacher than a regular one because each student is doing an activity in a differente time and the teacher needs to be aware full time to give attention to everybody. So, when you face a challenge like this you are contributing for the improvement of our Educational system in order to provide a more democratic access to the knowlegde and, I believe that is the best way to change the world."As I mentioned in my introduction, I’m a dreamer, and I want to do some good. My little contribution is in education, and yes, each one of us try to do a little part to share knowledge, to guide students to find their own learning paths in the hope that they can be in charge of their own destinies and will share what they’ve learned with others. It takes time, but you can’t imagine how rewarding it is!
Carla
Hello erveryone,
What a moving story. I really loved listening to it. I think Isabel Allende’s story tells us how often we live our lives focused on things that really don’t matter. Many times we forget what is really essential: the power of giving and sharing. It is true, we don’t take anything from this life when we die. Her story reminds me of sermon once heard about ressurection. In his address the priest was saying that a dead person ressurects everytime we remember the joy we had of knowing and living with that person, when we are grateful for having known and loved that same person. It was one of the most beautiful sermons I have ever heard.
What are my beliefs? I believe in justice, especially because we live ina an unkind, cruel world. I believe in justice for all living creatures, not human only, because I think it is very selfish to think of the good for our own kind.How about plants and animals and all. I also belive in being kind and promoting positive feelings.
These beliefs are important to me because they were crafted through painful and enjoyable experiences that I have been through all my life and are part of my personal history and even if I could I would better not ignore them. Besides that, I think they help me in my efforts of trying to be a better person. I know I am not perfect and beliefs are a sort of compass to guide us to become better human beings.
I think my beliefs come from my childhood. I was a farm boy and grew up talking to frogs and other animals, swimming in the rivers and enjoying nature and trying to protect every tiny creature when I could. I also come from a big family (I have four siblings), so I have always had to deal with differences and diversity and saw the importance of respecting others. Besides that, there were other experiences that shaped the person I am today.
Thanks a lot Carla for sharing such an inspiring story.
José Antônio
Dear José,
Thanks for sharing so much about your beliefs. Isn’t blogging amazing? I know you, or at least I thought I did, but then, here we reveal so much about ourselves. If it weren’t for this space, I’d never know you’re a farm boy! I loved your description of talking to frogs and swimming in the river. I have fond memories of my childhood at my grandpa’s farm. Until now, I love to go to my uncle’s farm because it’s peaceful and because of the great time around the table my uncle provides us! Everything fresh, colorful and tasty.
You’re right. We are who we are due to family history and our own personal experiences. They really shape us. As I’ve been answering everybody here, I started to consider the values and beliefs that guide me and how they were constructed based on my life experience. Interesting to think about it.
Hope to see you around with these wonderful contributions.
Carla
I don’t a voluteer, beacuse now a days, I don’t have any time, but sometimes, when is possiblie I like to go with my father in law, because Him, every weekend help children, he is a volunteer.
I think that is very important is volunteer, because some people don’t have a way, and need help!
True, Thaiz, everyone needs a helping hand. Ones certainly more than others. So, the fact that you go to your father-in-law’s house when he’s helping is your way of contributing.
I need to correct:(volunterr)and (his).
Isabel Allende’s is really great. In his video she learn us how to overcome bad time in our life. Because of it, I don’t have any doubt about the power of love. If you really believe in God and in yourself, you will always be a winner. Some loss are part of it.
Élcio,
True. The first step to succeed in any endeavor in life is to believe in yourself. However, I think most of the people do not trust in themselves. Don’t you think? I wonder why people are so insecure…
I’d love to know what you think about it.
carla
Dear Carla,
About cats, I do this by myself, but i contribute with financial resources (a little money) for an organization in in Rio called miação. http://forum.miacao.org/
They have a community in orkut with the same name.
Good weekend !
Dear Mirella,
You are truly a generous soul! I’m sure one of my bosses would love to know what you do, for at Thomas (Main Branch), she’s the one who rescues lost cats and cares for them. Although I think cats are cute, I can’t get close to them. I’m very allergic to them and when I play around with them my eyes get all puffed. Horrible!
Thanks for sharing. I’ll check Orkut.
Enjoy your weekend.
Carla
Beautiful story! I was already fan of Isabel Allende and now I’ve become even more. Also there are a lot of other interesting stories in the same site.
About the listening strategies, I think I’ve used almost the same as my classmates used. I listened to the text three times. In the first one, I tried to get a general idea about what she was saying. After, I tried to listen to the podcast more thoroughly, paying attention to words that I couldn’t understand before, and then I heard it a third time looking at the script. I didn’t take notes because I’m the laziest person in the world when we’re talking about this. =p
About the story… Well, I think it was quite good because it shows the importance of reflecting about our beliefs. We are generally so worried about our everyday life and sometimes we forget stopping to think about it. I must confess that it isn’t different with me and I haven’t done this kind of reflection for a long time. My principles came from my family and from the few things I’ve experienced in my eighteen springs =p. To mention one, maybe the most important, I’d say that I try not to do to the others what I don’t want them to do with me. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone tried to do that.
See ya!
Dear João Augusto,
The same thing happened to me. I had been a huge fan of Isabel Allende’s, but after listening to her story, I’d say I admire her even more. Her homepage is worth looking at. I spent some time looking at here family photos and reading her notes. She makes it a very personal experience.
Your belief of not doing to the others what you wouldn’t like to be done to you is certainly an important one, and as a mother, I keep repeating that to my little kids.
As for the listening strategy, you don’t need to take notes if this is something that doesn’t work for you. You need to focus on what the ones that adapt to your own learning style. I always take notes because I’m a visual learner, but this doesn’t mean it works for everybody. My husband, for example, doesn’t write a thing, but what he listens he can retrieve it later on.
Carla
I love Isabel Allende’s stories. Allende projects a woman´s point of view with confidence and control. In my opinion one of the most important novelists to emerge from Latin American in the past decade. I just finished another by Isabel Allende ” Daugthter of Fortune” and I loved it. By the way, with about my listening strategies, first of all, I used to listening at least two times before read the text. In addition, I take notes.
I think that our beliefs define who we are and help us make it through difficult times. First of all, be honest with yourself is very important. Another thing is have integrity. Having integrity means to live your life with honesty, to honor your word and your beliefs, and to take responsibility for all of your actions. I think If you are not living with integrity, your goals become hard to reach, you attract people that make you feel bad and you lose your trust in yourself. Finally, I think these principles come from of live experience, besides family history.
See ya.
Dear Raquel,
You have a point about integrity. If you live by the principles that guide your life having integrity as the pillar of your actions, then you’ll be surrounded by people who care, who are true friends. Probably, you’ll have a happier life because you’ll always be true to your values.
In the listening, did you learn new words that you could add to our class glossary?
Carla
Carla,
I am very happy in knowing that more people help cats. I hope to know this person that you told.
Good sunday
Besides believing in God, i believe in importance of family in growing up their children. I’m talking about giving love in a specific way: as mothers and fathers.
I believe the adult’s personality has a strict relation with love and attention received during the childhood.
Probably, it is the reason for the huge demand I have myself when the matter is my daughters! Sometimes, it tired me out because I’m so exigent with myself. But.. I belief in donation when we are mothers and fathers!
And this, I learned with my mother. She knew how to love us. And, until today, although she isn’t here anymore, I can give my love to her and I can fell receiving her love too!
Dear Cláudia,
I completely agree with you! Most of who we are today is directly related to how we were raised, brought up by our parents. I’m also demanding with my kids, and sometimes I really ask myself if I’m not asking too much of them, but I realize we need to educated them to be better human beings, to have a decent life guided by basic principles of respect, love, integrity, justice. It’s not an easy job, but we shouldn’t give up on educating our kids.
Carla
Carla, hello!
Isabel Allend’s story is fantastic! Despite, this terrible situation she was able to think and to reflect about many things, include her life and her beliefs.
I belive,nowadays the things have happened very fast.The time always seems short because people want to do many things: study, travel, work, married and etc…
Suddedly, something different and expected happen in our life and we have stop.At this moment, coul be a good or a bad experience.It makes us think about what we are doing with our lives.
Isabel Allend is a strong person we realized that, when she said ” the pain of losing my child was cleaning experience. I had to throw overboard all excess baggage and keep only what is essential”.
In my opinion, It could be always this way.When you realize it and you decide change your beliefs, the live could be easier.When you like to give much more than to receive and be happy when you love all the people.It’s not easier position,but is a good choise.
You can’t change the world,but you should try change yourself.It’s a good adivice! I always think about, but is too hard change.I know and everybody knows too.
Carla I would like to write more and more about beliefs, but with my poor English is difficult.Sorry!I hope to improve my English soon.Tanks for your patient.
My teacher Patrícia asked me to tell you hello! Today in our class ( 3B) we talked about our listening course.
Tomorrow I’m going to Panamá.I hope that I have time for study my English. I’m nervous because this meeting will be in English, but I belive in my poor English!
Have a nice sunday and see you monday, ok? kind regards,
Mônica Gill
Mônica,
It’s true. It is hard to face change, but it’s an important process in everyone’s life. The passage you chose to quote is one of my favorite when Isabel talks about keeping only the essential. That’s what we should aim at. Just the essential to be happy, fulfilled, surrounded by the ones we love.
You’re doing great! Don’t be so self-conscious about your English. We are all here to learn.
I’m sure Panamá will be your great chance for some extra practice, and you’ll do just fine.
Let us know how your trip goes.
Carla
Hi, Carla!
About the listening strategies I used to understand Allende’s anecdote, I tried to:
• review mentally what I already know about the subject
(the author, her books and biography);
• be other-directed; focus on the person communicating;
• be aware: non-verbally acknowledge points in the speech;
• restate;
• summarize; and
• interpret.
About my own beliefs, I may say:
“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.” – William Blake
I also had an opportunity to reflect upon my journey and the principles that hold me together from my family history. They had a huge impact on my professional choices, but I did not follow them in the way they had proposed me. Perhaps my personality is like this: I also only keep only what is essential for the moment being shared.
I learnt from my parents divorce that love does not mean to hurt the people for whom you care. It means, we are not obliged to suffer for everybody else on this earth: even for us ourselves. Sometimes we need to erase our past life, and restart a new one to go on living. In order to release the pain of all our excessive baggage, we must give much more than to receive.
The first thing we need to give is forgiveness. I have learnt with my parents that to accept another is to meet him or her now, as the person she really is. We can choose the wrong way to make things happened….
One year before my father died, he asked me for forgiveness. I thought in that time: what should I do with the time we did not spend together? Then I learned that people can change their point of view / their lives even being too late, and this is not my business, nor a burden to me…
It is simply their decision, agreeing or not, I had to respect it. Since then I try not to live the past nor the future events, just focusing on the present time. A divorce might have being my parents’ decision, but I am not the divorced one.
My father is still my father, and my mother, with her past memories, is still my mother. But I grew apart from ther personal choices. I made my own choice: life is so precious, we do not have to spend it arguing, regreting nor grieving.
Sometimes I remember what a very poor neighbour of mine said me: “I used to say to my children that the most important thing in life is studying. Now I know that it is not as important as to believe in God.”
(None of her children wanted to go to the university. Then she has to meet them now, as the person they really are. In fact, studying was important to her, who never had the chance to.)
Have a nice Sunday!
Dear Thaís,
I’d never be able to put into words how your reflections touched me personally…I’m also from a family of divorced parents. I also learned many things the hard way. You’re right when you say that we need to start from scratch and not be grounded in the past. Some may say that nowadays, I’m selfish. No, I’m not. But I learned to keep the essential, not to get involved in problems that are not mine, in suffering what is not my pain. Very similar to your own experience. Of course, we are who we are partly because of our family history, but also because of our choices of trying to do something better for our lives, not replicating what we saw in the past. So, my little contribution is with my family, my kids, my husband.
Thanks for getting so deep into this subject. It made me reflect and with reflection there’s always micro-changes that add up for us to be better human beings.
Carla
Well, the basic strategy I used to understand what she was saying was paying a lot of attention to it. I think focusing on the speaker’s speech is the best way to understand it. About what she said, I agree with her in the point that “loving is better than being loved”, but I disagree with her when she says “I don’t really care if my husband, son, etc really love me”, because I DO care if the people I love love me too, since being loved is a need for me (and for almost every single person). This principle of her is part of this great principle she says she has: giving is essential. In this point I also agree with her, as I believe giving/sharing the good things you possess/know brings a very nice feeling of “I’m doing something of good”, or “I’m helping someone grow in someway”. The main principle of mine I use to guide my life is not lying or cheating on someone. I believe truth, for worse it can be, is always the best way to solve problems or an error you may have committed. And I definitely can’t stand lies. If somebody lies to me, you can be a hundred percent sure this person will regret having lied in no time. I think Isabel’s posture towards having lost her daughter, I mean, what she makes to remember of her and everything is very beautiful, since she’s making something good anyway: loving and giving.
Guilherme,
You have a point in saying that deep inside we do care if people love us. We all have this urge to be accepted. When we are young, how many things we do to belong to a group? We certainly do great things, but sometimes silly ones. Look around you. Isn’t it true? Isn’t there always the one who wants to show how cool he is? They just want attention and the feeling of being part of a group.
I think Isabel Allende wants to make her point that nowadays, no matter what the others feel towards her, she wants to give, to share.
Just like you, I can’t stand lies, and I try to teach my kids the importance of being true to the others and to themselves.
Have you ever had problems with someone lying to you?
Carla
Hi Carla !!!
The listening strategies that I used to understand were to listen twice with attention and read the text after.
It isnt’t easy understand all things, but I think that only with pratice it will be possible. It’s necessary to train our ears to listen in English.
I agree with Isabel Allende when she says “Paula taught me a lesson that is now my mantra: You only have what you give. It’s by spending yourself that you become rich. …..
… Now I like to give much more than to receive. I am happier when I love than when I am loved.”
I believe in this mantra, because I felt this in some situations in my life and I never had thougth about this point of view. It’s very interesting. She made me to reflect some things.
I thought very rich the reply of other students. This kind of course is very interesting !!! It’s a opportunity to know other people and dialog with them.
I thought very intelligent the comment of Élcio Gomes “In his video she learn us how to overcome bad time in our life. Because of it, I don’t have any doubt about the power of love. If you really believe in God and in yourself, you will always be a winner. Some loss are part of it.”
The Isabel Allende says us that we can win the problems in our life, with love, faith and God all things are possible. The Elcio remembered other point very important, that it’s necessary to believe in ourself too.
Have a nice week !!!
Kisses
I need to correct: ourselves !!!
Valéria,
True! If we have faith we can overcome our problems in one way or the other! We need to trust that there’s always a way out. Above all, we need to believe in ourselves, as many of you mentioned.
Can you tell me about any turning point in your life?
Carla
Hi everybody,
I liked the history very much! It is a history for thinking…
Well, i believe that is possible to be happy giving more than receiving, but in our real lives i think it’s impossible to do this all the time.
We are living in a selfish world… It’s necessary to be rational and protect yourself all the time… It’s hard, it’s cruel, but it’s truth.
Despite that we know what is really important for us, we need to be different if we wish to survive. Only when we are in our homes, with our familly, friends, people we trust, we are trully ourselves.
Give, share, is important, but it is not everything.
In my life i try to do things with justice and love.
If everyone acts with justice and love, the world will be better.
If everyone were sincere too.
The modern time has been changing the relationships strongly, but with sincere, justice and love it’s possible to be better, to be happy and make your part to change the world.
I learned with my mother that sincere and justice is the way to live in peace, in harmony. And to do all with love and things you love is the way to be happy.
About my listening strategies…
I listened the interview 3 times, i took notes and i readed the text out loud.
That’s all!
Bye, Lu.
Luciana,
Unfortunately, you’re right. In modern times, there are situations in which we cannot really expose ourselves and we tend to keep the best of us just for the ones who are close. However, I’ve learned to believe in others, even not knowing them personally. I’m part of an online group of educators, the Webheads, and most of us don’t know each other face-to-face, but you wouldn’t believe how much we share, we talk about ourselves and our families. With them, I started to believe again that yes, we can trust others that are distant from your closed circle of friends and family. This year, I had the chance of meeting lots of them during a Conference in Seattle, and it seemed that we’ve always known each other. They taught me the power of sharing just for the sake of building this powerful collective knowledge that could spread out throughout the world! It seems crazy, but it’s just the beauty of the online possibilities.
I agree with you that by being fair and sincere, we can make this world a better and happier place to live.
I’m also impressed by the quality of everybody’s comments! Such deep thoughts to reflect upon…
Thanks for everybody who shared his/her views here!
Carla
hi evreybody,
- At the first, I like to say that I am very happy for enroll in this course, because I found many good friends and known with their opinion.
- My strategy for listing in first week: I listened the story 17 times and so, road the text for 5 times. It was very effective story. After that I extracted important word from text and looked for meaning in dictionary.
- So, I explain about this story to my wife and my friends and send the text and audio from my list in my Email. Cause
“…..What is the point of having experience, knowledge or talent if I don’t give it away? Of having stories if I don’t tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don’t share it? I don’t intend to be cremated with any of it! It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world and with the divine.”
- What are your beliefs? I have many things about this story in my mind, but unfortunately my writing is not good for describe its. So I prefer to write a part of a poem that shows my idea.
If you want to become whole
let yourself be partial
If you want to become straight
let yourself be crooked
If you want to become full
let yourself be empty
If you want to be reborn
let yourself die
If you want to be given everything
give everything up
The Master, by residing in the Tao
sets an example for all beings
Because he doesn’t display himself
people can see his light
Because he has nothing to prove
people can trust his words
Because he doesn’t know who he is
people recognize themselves in him
Because he has no goad in mind
everything he does succeeds
When the ancient Masters said
If you want to be given everything
give everything up
they weren’t using empty phrases
Only in being lived by the Tao can you be truly yourself
Dear Esmaeil,
Great poem! Did you write it yourself?
I like the part that says “if you want to be given everything, give up everything”. Very interesting concept of generosity, of letting of what’s not essential go.