SHINING BEAUTY INTO WHAT MANY FEAR

Every beautiful human person holds great purpose, but sometimes we allow fear to take over. Sometimes we listen too much to the outward noise and forget to look deep within; in order to fully understand, that every single one of us holds great purpose and dignity.

A pregnant mother was genuinely concerned, after finding out that her unborn child appeared to have a genetic disorder. She decided to write a letter to a national Down Syndrome Organization; asking for hope and guidance. The response she received, shines much light into an uncertain situation, and a creative agency was able to bring this story to life in a very beautiful way, with the below ad titled: DEAR FUTURE MOM.

CREDITS
Client: CoorDown
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Italy
Executive Creative Director: Agostino Toscana
Creative Directors: Luca Lorenzini, Luca Pannese
Art Director: Luca Pannese
Copywriter: Luca Lorenzini
Director: Luca Lucini
Production Company: The Family Film
Agency Producer: Sabrina Sanfratello
Head of TV: Raffaella Scarpetti
Original Music: Alessandro Cristofori, Diego Perugini for Stabbiolo Music
Postproduction: XChanges Vfx
Color Grading: Band
Audio Postproduction: Top Digital; Cat Sound International
Voiceover: Pasquale Anselmo

A BEAUTIFUL LOOK INTO WHAT IS INFINITE

Not long ago; at a little Italian caffè, I met Fillipo. He quickly introduced us to his profound writings, and we could not help but to share them within this very space...

VASTNESS

~by Fillipo E.

What are we searching for, if not for vastness?
For the unending promise of infinity.
To remove ourselves from the confines of freedom and to become it.
We are the stars.
A multitude of possibility. The infinitude of imagination.
To be directed is to be limited.
A poem previously written. A concerto already performed.
Afraid of what? Of whom? Fear is not a limitation, but a road mark.
We are afraid of the void.
Of the empty canvas crying for imagery.
Of the blank page longing for language.
Of the silent instrument desiring manipulation.
Oh, how we sell ourselves short of infinity.
How we fall victim to confinement, you and I.
Feet before the cliff.
Before the vastness.

CELEBRATING A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

AN INVITATION TO HELP CELEBRATE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

If you are reading these lines, be happy and celebrate, for it is an indication that you are indeed enjoying one of the most beautiful gifts; the one to have been given life!

This weekend I had the opportunity to meet a new baby boy, born to dear friends two weeks ago. Everyone around this little one would not cease to be amazed at the beauty of new life; so filled with possibility and a capacity for love and goodness.

During each birthday, one usually receives good wishes; not only from those who were present on the the actual birth date, but even those that came into your life much after. It is a celebration worth mentioning and it would serve us to stop every single day and remember the valuable gift we have been given.

But what would you do with such a treasure?

Before I give you a few words related to this very question, allow me to share the story of a wonderful and beautiful lady that has been given the amazing gift of one hundred and four years! Her name is Edythe, and she will be celebrating her 105th birthday on January 22nd (just a few days way).

She has always been concerned with helping others and making the most out of her time on this earth. In honor of her birthday, she would like to challenge others to help out with a cause close to her heart.

I would like to invite you to join her and celebrate her amazing spirit of joy and generosity.

You may find the challenge right here!

And going back to preserving a beautiful treasure, I leave you with a few lines I wrote many years ago. I believe these words can be applied both to life and loved ones, so I hope they make an impression of beauty on each one of you:

How to Preserve a Given Treasure

Do not let the everyday debris cover the beauty

of that wonderful treasure you have been given.

Go ahead; dust it off, as dust is superfluous

and nothing but particles of matter,

regarded as the result of disintegration.

Making this treasure opaque; impenetrable by light.

On the contrary, try to polish it, to remove

the outer layers, so that its shine and beauty are everlasting.

Remember; dust is inevitable, but with a good piece of cloth,

and the willingness to make it shine; its beauty will be preserved

for years to come…

Do not let this happen to you, that when a day comes

that your treasure appears dusty and useless,

you dispose of it thinking it has lost its worth.

Someone then may unbury such wonder and polish it to perfection,

finding great enjoyment, in the midst of an ever dusty world

..............

lovely image found via Julie Blanner

CALL TO ACTION : A HAPPY LIFE

One of the lessons I learned this summer, is to take better care of myself. I tend to get busy with too many projects or over commit to help someone else in need; only to find myself stressed or with several alarms triggered by my worn out body.

Over the last couple of months I have come across many wonderful sources to help my very unbalanced lifestyle, but two very particular ones have proven truly insightful. The first one of these; a cleverly written book, The Happiness Project, by author Gretchen Rubin. I am only half way through her writings; yet, from the very first chapter I was forced to think of the ways in which I could improve my quality of life, and therefore that of others.

I know that helping people and being there for them when in need makes me deeply happy, but not when that takes me to the extreme of neglecting my own self, so I made a commitment to gain some 'catch up' time from here to the end of the year.

I had been making small changes into my overall routine; yet another providential find made my resolutions even more concrete. I ran across a recorded conference given by Matthew Kelly on the topic of Becoming the Better Version of Yourself. I began listening to it and it all came to a full circle!

Matthew Kelly describes the four areas which need to be balanced in order to be happy and the best version of ourselves. He touched on the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual, and it made me realize that some of these had been somehow neglected by my 'busy' days. I realize that although my life is great, it could be a lot better and I could have so much more to offer to others.

I have been thinking about concrete means for each of the four areas, and this morning I realized that in order for me to be encouraged through the process, I would commit to doing one thing to help myself and another to reach out.

To give you a better example, allow me to share a bit on the physical agenda:

~to myself:

• I commit to eating healthier meals and not skipping any of them
• I commit to exercising every week in order to feel less stressed and energized

~to others:

• I commit to contributing to an organization that provides meals to those in great need
• I commit to contributing to an organization that values life and the dignity of a person/body from conception to death.

I am convinced that this will have an effect on multiple lives and therefore create beauty. Please stay in touch as I plan to share more information on my new little plan for life.

Lovely image by photographer Trent Bailey via firefly events