Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 26 °C, normal, sunny and overcast.
It is almost the end of the month, and it is very chilly and raining in the morning.
I was unable to go out early to exercise; I had to do it at home. Exercising at home is essentially the same as exercising outdoors. However, going out, walking in the fresh air, and seeing a few people early in the morning is also good for the mind.
When I get up early, at either 4 or 4:30, I sometimes feel lazy or lack enthusiasm for exercising. However, when I return after a workout, I am happy, enthusiastic, and ready to face the day ahead and all its challenges.
So, even when we don’t want to do something, even knowing it is good for us, we have to fight against ourselves to push through and overcome inertia. We must have the discipline to do something that will later yield rewards from our initial investment.
Like everything in life, we only receive what we initially put in. If we do not take action, we will not receive anything back; the law of action and return applies: if you do not take action, nothing will happen.
It is so simple and fundamental to our lives that we speak about it freely and easily, but few people understand its true value and consequences. I am fifty-seven, and only now do I really understand its real importance.
As the day had cleared up early in the morning, I forced Yasmin to go for a walk. She woke up around 10 am, and I immediately confronted her about going for a walk after breakfast. This was new to her, and she did not like the news, but she respected my decision, as she always did.
She had breakfast, changed her clothes, and walked to the end of Leme, about 4 km there and back, which I thought was a good start.
After about fifty minutes to an hour had passed since Yasmin was gone, I began to worry; Rio de Janeiro is a dangerous city.
I quickly changed my clothes, went down the street, and called her on my cellphone. She was nearby, so I met her in front of the beach. I suggested that we walk a little more, and she agreed.
I love walking with my daughter because it is a way for us to talk; she asks me questions and has doubts, and our conversations are generally enjoyable. We often hold hands, which makes her feel secure, and it’s good for us both!
We were walking in front of the Rio Copacabana Hotel, where a temporary convention centre and stadium were built from scaffolding on the beach. At first glance, we could not make out exactly what it was; people were coming and going with no queues to enter. Brazilians love queues.
We decided to join to find out that it was a complex for beach tennis with a small stadium, training courts, and a commercial area with restaurants and shops.
What caught my attention was how well the complex was planned, designed, and executed with bright colours, music, food, and a nice vibe; it was quite impressive. Many competitors were waiting to play, and many spectators and curious people like ourselves wanted to soak up the action.
This made me think about Brazil and how it is passing through one of its most difficult and serious political, economic, and social crises. If you look at the people, everybody is happy, as if everything is good.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not that I want people to suffer or to worry about their future unnecessarily, but we live in a paradox where there are super-organised events to go to and have a good time, whilst the fundamental fabric of the Brazilian society is being ripped apart and is slowly eroding away.
Has mankind not evolved beyond the Roman era, when spectacle, bread, and water were enough to control most of the population while the elite continued to enjoy life’s pleasures?
I sometimes think about this, especially in a country like Brazil; other events like the Olympics and the Fifa World Cup and their legacies that were never for the people but more for the government and the privileged.
After the event, we bought açai to take home. Yasmin had a shower and washed her hair, which is a significant event in itself. We both read a little, and I was preparing to go to bed at about 9 pm.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
