By Raquel Cepeda 2013

In 2012, on a train journey from Sorrento to Rome, Italy, I had an epiphany. I had to take my notebook and write.

“Beauty is not a superficial thing. It’s the most sublime expression of love. As beautiful are the flowers, the infinite shapes and colors of fish, the feathers of the birds, the patterns on the wings of the butterflies. Beauty is intention, and intention is what sustains the universe in place.”

Let everything your do to yourself and to others be impregnated of that love and that beauty. Love expressed in how you care for yourself. Love poured into your work. And love expressed in your gifts to others.

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Epifanías de tren acerca de la belleza, el amor y la intención

Por Raquel Cepeda, 2013

En 2012, en un viaje de Sorrento a Roma, Italia, tuve una revelación. Tuve que tomar mi carderno y escribir.

“La belleza no es una cosa superficial. Es la expresión más sublime del amor. Como bellas son las flores, las infinitas formas y colores de los peces, el plumaje de los pájaros, los patrones en las alas de las mariposas. La belleza es intención, y la intención es lo que mantiene al universo en su lugar.”

Que todo lo que hagas por ti mismo y por otros esté impregnado de ese amor y esa belleza. Amor expresado en en cuidado hacia ti mismo. Amor derramado en tu trabajo. Y amor expresado en tus dones hacia los demás.

So, here is my take on the Kony video. You have to judge by yourself. Question perceptions vs. realities, remember that media message is a great builder of those perceptions, and that behind those images there is human people trying to portray a message, for good or for bad… That’s the reality for every commercial, for every advertisement out there.

The interesting thing is that some people behind those messages are merchants trying to make money by changing your perceptions as to what should be defined as ‘cool’, ‘high status’, ‘beautiful’ or ‘successful’ in order to get you to buy their products and make you fulfill those images. They pour all their focus and intention to drive your thoughts, to settle those images and fabricated concepts into your perception field.

And it’s all driven by the necessity of making money. Understandable, we all need to eat; but dangerous, as most people out there on the receiving end will not make the effort of questioning what’s behind those ‘suggested’ perceptions. Who would pour thousands or millions of dollars to have a commercial running on TV if they weren’t needing to sell something?

Authentically good things don’t need much advertisement.

But when someone out there pours their focus, creativity, and intention in bringing awareness to a problem and impact our surroundings for the best, or even go further and believe that they can really make a difference in this world, and uses all those perception-changing techniques in a professional, polished, organized way… I have to give them the credit, and stand up for an applause.

And reflect to myself… how can I learn from what he is doing?

A man called Jason Russell with his “Invisible Children” movement took that option, and I admire that. I have always thought that there should be nothing more important than working for peace. He found a way to make it happen and still be able to feed his family. He created an organization. He surrounded himself of very smart, creative people, and made sure that he communicated well the vision, the mission, and the importance of their work. He communicated a new reality as he dreamt it.

And I can read through his video all the intention, all the focus, all the well intentioned, deliberate thinking that went into making it.

He was found acting incoherent at a street in San Diego recently and his family alleges that it is the impact of all the booming and the criticism that the video has received. I don’t know the details of the circumstances, but as a human being I can understand that mis-happening. The video has had a massive viewing and has been criticized in every aspect and manner. However, the incident does not deter me from admiring his effort, seeing his fruits, keep thinking of how many tyrants are out there, and reflecting to myself… There is nothing more important than working for peace.

View:

Original video Kony 2012 by Jason Russell to create awareness about guerilla leader Joseph Kony who abducted kids in Uganda and immediacies and made atrocities with them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Response from the CEO of Invisible Children, Ben Keesey to the criticism to the organization: http://vimeo.com/38344284