Happiness is All Around Us
by Cristina Bernazzani
(Robbiate Lecco, Italy)
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Drawing has been part of who I am all of my life. I started this activity as an illustrator when I was 18 years old, and when I became a single mom it provided me with an opportunity to survive...
It gave me a chance to work for many papers and I did that for several years. But one day I discovered that drawing meant much more to me than just the means to earn a living. I loved it and it made me happy. To me, it is a way to communicate without the need for words. It allows me to express myself.
About one year ago, things got very stressful. As I lost my last customer, I learned that my partner had a relationship with another woman. I realized that even though he was a good man, he was not the partner for me. And as painful as it was, I had to accept that reality... it has been hard!!
Also, my father had been ill for 6 years, and seeing him get older and weaker wasn't easy. Taking care of him gave me a different perspective and I started really thinking about what I wanted in life.
When I feel sad I go for a drive. It takes my mind away from the problem and I can think clearly afterward. I also practice Reiki, Psicodynamics, Shiatzu and Yoga... all of these wonderful disciplines bring happiness to me.
Last April I began receiving Tamara's ezine and with her help I've started EFT tapping every day. It helps me get clear about my goals, and a lot of great things have started to happen in my life.
For the first time in my life I've had the courage to admit to myself and others that I am an artist, and I feel very happy about that.
I had been sending my work to cartoonist contests for two years, and nothing had happened. Then last month, one of my paintings got an honorific mention in a respectable Italian Cartoonist Contest... I was floored!
What's incredible is that it helped me realize it happened because I decided to open my mind and heart to the opportunity all around me.
My two wonderful sons are growing up now and I want to teach them that our dreams can become a reality, and how it is important to share our work with others and especially with the people we love.
Life had its lessons for me and I've discovered the lessons get sweeter as time passes. Things are magically happening. But the most important thing is that I'm a different person.
Now I can wake up every morning with a smile, happy and grateful for my life.
It has been important for me to discover that even in sad and challenging moments, wonderful thinks still exist, and to accept that I'm responsible for what happens to me... it is all for my self-growth.
