The banana tree

Banana Tree under Stormy Weather on Lantau (T3) by @Maggiehongkong

I start my inspiration board for connecting here with few words most of the time. Today I got “plowing”, I got “digging” . Also “seeds” and “weathering”.

Writing, holding a pen, surrounding myself with notes, paper, notebooks, and any metaphorical whiteboard is simply in my DNA. There is permanent influx of ideas, of dreams, of snippets, of dialogues from present or past, there is something I hold dear to me.I feel the deepest need to record these most of the time. This has been a given for most of my years, except the fact that I might have not acted on it on purpose some of the time.

As we learn from wiser mentors along the way, nothing is wasted. There is something that will persist, that will make it to the surface, that will bubble and burst, or that might take us inward even more and leave a sediment with us or in others. No wonder I love the Turkish coffee so much, this anticipation of the sediment, the possibility of seeing a message hidden in its drawings and reflections that your energy might transpire and in the end making sense of an upside down perspective. The way we drink coffee back at home in Romania was in fact not much different. Only the coffee powder was a lot different and the size of the cups. A lot of stories to tell our of Romanian coffee cup for sure. The best in all of that is not about the dreams that might tell, it is about the trigger of imagination that stirs everything up in my mind and heart. Once I lift a cup up, the story telling might begin. It is of course a path of up and downs as no reading has been ever the same as this simple act connects two minds, two hearts, two energies in mysterious ways.

Holding a pen, reaching out to a piece of paper, saying thanks to a Moleskine notebook occasionally - as my pen and writing simply flows on one of those, finding a thrilling experience with every notebook I find and I start, is a way for me to fill up my fountain of youth. It has this major impact of taking me back to the memory of this little girl who had no fear. Who would just go for things. Who would say yes and try it. Would I fail was never a problem back then in my mind? It was almost a given. I just remember signing to take part in a marathon competition as I would simply be up for challenges. Did I train, no. Did anyone tried to understand if I am fit or not, no. These were all school activities, kids will put their names on lists and off we went. Sometimes the event were simply spontaneous and our teachers simply wanted to have the school represented. I do love sports. I was even passionate about all sports. I have learned pretty quickly live, during the competition, that marathoning, long distance running is out of question for me. I dropped out of the competition as fast as I signed up for it. Oh dear. I never asked myself “why”. I simple accepted it and moved on. This is not the type of a failure that makes one stronger. This is experimental learning. Try.See by yourself. Resonates or does not resonate. Move on.

I always find mesmerising how some old drawers of memories pop up during this very simple act of writing. The way for me to be on this platform is actually to write live, simply at the prompt of few words that are brewing in my being for the past week or more so. These words have a form, they have a weight, and they come up to light just now. I have a lot written down on notebooks, and yet should I attempt to transfer something here, I receive a big response of “no,can’t do”. Try. See by yourself .Resonates or does not resonate .Move on. Keep typing in this vere case.

The banana tree and a pocket of sunshine that I had to catch right away. The stormy weather makes everything so precious. Every second matters. I could have edited the AC part out. I know and thank you for your understanding. Let us move forward.

On 14th November 2024, on my way back home, on a ferry and then climbing up the hill that takes me home I have been listening to this podcast “Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen”. The episode that marked my day and hopefully the years to follow is called “Doing Beautiful Things” and invites Richard Christiansen the founder of Flamingo Estate to talk about his life philosophy and his new book “The Guide to Becoming Alive”.

The Guide to Becoming Alive, Richard Christiansen

Please treat yourselves for your birthday, for Christmas, for your special name day, for your best friends day and order this book. The cover is this bright green, the pages and quality of matt paper and everything inside of course it is a delight to the eyes, a delight to all sense. You can start to hear even and to smell only by the power of your imagination. That is pure joy right there. Warning ,the hardcover edition comes in a coffee table format, around 500 pages and might not make it as your travel book yet, but I am sure that you would be tempted to get instantly the Kindle edition too.

Hardcover edition purchased November 2024.Kindle edition purchased June 2025. This are my records.

I remember so well how that interview made me feel. EXULTED. Yes, capital letters.

Translating the word as well makes even more sense to me now: feel of show triumphant elation or jubilation. Says Oxford. Similar to says later : “jump for joy”, “be on could nine”, “be in seventh heaven”, “glory”, “celebrate “, “triumph” ,”savour”. These feelings were rolling as this giant snowball effect and I am sure they have charged up my batteries to climb both the hill and survive the next fifty stairs up to my sanctuary. Yes to all, this is exactly how I felt on 14th of November. The way to go up the hill, find my biggest podcast motivator to relish all the joy there is!

This list of words just became my mantra! Make it yours too.

See what you can dig once you keep plowing deep inside you.

One way to connect with my books is first to contemplate on them. Listening to this incredible manifesto of the founder to create beautiful things and holding this book, this magic guide indeed in my hands meant totally different things.

I dive into this kinds of books by opening randomly a page. There is a blueprint in me somewhere that I cannot start with the first page. I start with the last, I study the fine prints, who are the creators, I smell the paper, the beauty and then I just open into the book. I let myself enter this world from an open backdoor, from an open window and take a peak at that is inside. I cannot remember what is the first chapter I have read then. I do keep practicing the same way occasionally especially when I sit on my yoga matt or after a meditation. I use this chapters as an oracle card almost. I let the pages tell me what message shall I take away and make is an inspiring moment, right there and then.

Long story coming to a conclusion for you to take away today is the chapter two, page 117.

I mean. As a huge banana aficionado, respect and exultation are the words here! Joy, laughter, no kidding, this is the writer of my dreams ! Few of the initial reactions. Quite practically linked to a pranayama breathing session that leaves me wanting more and brings me so much energy.

If you can read also the small letters in the corner, the author got me from the get-go.

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” Aristotle.

Don’t you find the same thrill, don’t you just walk on cloud nine, don’t you just move into seventh heaven even for today, when you find the same things that you love and pleased that there is another person just articulating this with the very words you were dreaming of? EXULTED. Again and again and again.

When you read and connect with people from the other corner of the world that are filling up the space with a deep desire for creating beautiful things? I get goosebumps every single time. The way we are connected in time and space and we find all these sisters and brothers from the universe moving in parallel lines, breathing in and out with a vision of possibilities and perpetuum creation.

I would offer you few teasers here but really not that much. This book has to be bought in all versions and kept close to your hearts. All that I can firmly say.

I would love you to find your could nine from whatever inspires and zing your being today. Take this moment after reading this article and contemplate - where does this zest for life lingers in you? Bring it up and alive.

Let me sweeten the deal and also drop in couple of favourite quotes for my pure delight, no doubt. I must learn this chapter by heart and live by committing to this manifesto.

If I know one thing (which i might not), it’s that the secret to growth lives in the simple act of commitment. There are no right or wrong decisions -there are just decisions. And whichever path you the is the right one. A flower moves toward the sun, without thinking or examining the process that pulls her forth.

It seems humans are the only living things who have to put work and intention behind their own growth. We agonize over our self-improvement, when, in reality, all we have to do is move.There is healing in movement, however small. Choose something and follows where it takes you. Cook a meal for someone, or take a job packing vegetables boxes. […] (A path, after all, is forger only by walking. […]It’s possible we can only find what we are capable of once put to the task in front of us.With limits comes limitlessness.

The recipe to also take away “Put a Banana in a paper bag with an Avocado ,and the Avocado will ripen in a day”.

I say no more. Invest in yourself, your wellbeing and take in all the beauty and empower yourself nevertheless with all that Richard Christiansen creates.

One more for the road:

“Purpose is committing with something and letting it take you somewhere meaningful. Your life’s work is to find the place where joy meets the people who are hungry for it.”

Lovely lovely hearts and friends and readers. I realized that 14th of November must have been meaningful too as is very close to my mum’s birthday. And November overall is a big big month for our fam. So I would love to close with these pearls of wisdom from a phone call this week with my mum.

This is the best period of your life.You will see. Have patience. You know, I did really well. Of course I also worked very hard. But it was really the best period.

She was referring to a passage of time in her life when she chose to do what she loved, with no compromise, with a deep faith that she knew what she is brilliant at. Just by doing it! Never agonizing or overthinking. Her first words in the morning while setting the run down for the day are “And now I have found the things to do! “

Couple of hours ago sitting at my desk to connect with you, I had the imagine of a sunrise in my sight for this post. Once I looked out of the window, I saw with eyes literally wide open the very Banana Tree just down my window. What can I say.

We manifest by seeing. We manifest by opening our eyes.By choosing our view.

Go and “Find your Banana!”

Thank you so much for being here.