Spring is in full bloom but some of us have not stopped to smell the roses or even visually take in the lush green that grows around us. Last week as I left a late morning meeting and ran to a lunch appointment it hit me ‘I have zero balance in my life’ when I’m not working, I’m thinking about work and otherwise I’m talking about it with friends and colleagues. You can always tell I’m going “there” because I’ll interrupt the flow of any conversation with “So, I’ve been kicking this idea around in my head __________”.

I’ve tried to find out how other entrepreneurial/working Latinas manage to keep balance in their life but the answer most of the time is “what balance?” So here we are, busy but unwilling to let go. Are we too controlling? Obsessive? Maybe we’re just having too much fun doing what we’re doing. But who are we kidding? It’s probably a mix of all three. I’m working on inserting "breathing time" into my life and here are three things that worked for me recently.

1) I walked away from it all -- for at least 30 minutes! I turned off my phone and didn't’ give in to the impulse of checking for incoming calls/text messages. Nope, I picked up a magazine and kicked up my heels at the park and lost myself in an article about a woman who walks out her front door, sees an antique trunk in the trash, opens it and finds a five year diary written by a woman from when she was 14 to 19. She tracks down the diary's owner who is now 80 and writes a story about her life.

2) I make an “out-of-the-blue” call to an old acquaintance. It’s like a mini, low-risk, no cost adventure to begin a conversation with “Hi, it’s Paula, remember me?” I put this in practice last week and ended up sharing some great laughs with an old contact who claimed we’ve known each other since the Paleozoic age. Wow, that made me feel not-so-young but also realized it’s been 4+ years. These walks down memory lane are also great ways to dust the cob webs off a rolodex that spans over a decade.

3) When I have time to kill between meetings I walk into an art gallery, antique store or jewelry store. Every one of those pieces on display were created by someone with as much passion for what they do as I have. It’s a great way to draw inspiration from someone else’s vision or get my creative juices flowing, specially when I'm having writers block.

Now, I step out of the oasis of peace with new energy ready to tackle the next deal/issue/opportunity with clarity, perspective and plenty of inner calm.

That I thank you! Yes, gracias to all those exitosas Mujeres readers who visit us from all over the globe.

Our readers in Mexico and Puerto Rico near 100. Mujeres gets between 1 and 10 readers from the following countries: Canada, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Portugal, Venezuela, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, UK, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, and Australia.

Visitors from new countries are being added to the list almost daily! I began this site as a forum to showcase the stories of mujeres who are defining what success means to each and every one. I hope many more voices will share their stories and inspire us to achieve our own success.

Muchos abrazos,

Paula

Blog de Paula

El hogar de la familia inmigrante, en el que han nacido más de 30 millones niños según el censo de 2000 tiene una dinámica propia, distinta al hogar de una familia en Colombia, México u otro pais. Muchas veces, los padres con dominio limitado del idioma inglés y un conocimiento remóto de la cultura entran en conflicto con la “americanización” de sus hijos ya que esta trae consigo valores muy distintos a los inculcados en sus tierras natales.

El deseo de que sus hijos se asimilen y se supéren a veces es contradictorio con el deseo de mantenerlos cerca de hogar, el idoma, y las tradiciones latinas. Muchas veces los hijos de imigrantes llevan un conflicto interno y un sentimiento de no pertenecer de lleno ni aquí ni allá.

El entrar a un país de idioma y cultura distinta trae consigo un ciclo de aculturamiento que a veces afecta más a los hijos que a los padres. Al no haber sido expuestos al país de origen, ésta primera generación de Americanos aprende hacerca con su cultura a traves de sus padres: el idioma, las comidas y las constumbres. Es decir, sus conocimientos llegan a ser de segunda mano.

Un buen ejemplo mi colega Adriana quien llegó a Estados Unidos en 1990 de Colombia con su esposo e hija recién nacida. Al cabo de 17 años Ana, su hija, se había asimilado de lleno la cultura americana y ahora como estudiante de Universidad chocaba con Adriana quíen sentía que Ana era demasiado independiente y se enajenaba de sus raíces Colombianas. Como muchos jovenes, Ana prefiere hablar en inglés, ver programas de televisión en inglés y desde luego, escuchar música en inglés. Ella siente que su madre la sofoca con su tradicionalismo mientras ella teme perderla a una cultura a veces conflictiva con sus valores.

Mientras que el punto medio es difícil de encontrar, es importante entender el ambiente en que se desarrolla la nueva generación para estar mejor preparados en apoyar la superación de obstaculos que enfrentan. Estos jovenes están expuestos a un torrente de información a través del internet, los medios de comunicación y por su círculo social. Todo esto tiene una gran influencia sobre sus actitudes y desarrollo. Muchos padres inmigrantes se sienten ajenos al mundo en el que viven sus hijos.

Pero reprocharle y evitarle a esta generación el tener sus propias vivencias puede cuartear la relación padre-hijo. A manera de sobrepasar las diferencias, es importante entablar un diálogo y entender el mundo en el que viven y las presiones que enfrentan día con día. Los tópicos más importantes a cubrir son los mismos que nuestros padres enfrentaron con nosotros.

Mientras que conciliar puntos de vista distintos es un reto, representa también una oportunidad de criar a nuestros hijos con una fuerte identidad arraigada en dos culturas. A la larga, ésto les servirá para tener acceso a oportunidades en un mundo donde la globalización es ya un hecho y el multiculturalismo una gran ventaja.

I spent the first part of the week in sunny Miami where work took over my entire schedule, not one single toe was dipped into the cool blue swimming pool that I could only glance at from my room. Though short, the trip was productive; on Monday I had a chance to meet with Cuban author Antonio Orlando Rodriguez whose novel Chiquita recently won the Premio Alfaguara de Novela 2008.

The interview was confirmed on Monday morning and I rushed to meet him at noon with only an hour to prepare a quick Q&A. The thing about the editorial business is, you take the opportunities that come and I did not want to miss meeting this great author. However, the three hour lead time made it impossible for me to have read the book by the time we met. This was not a major problem because I did know of the existence of the diminutive heroin Espiridiona Cenda who grew to a physical height of just over two feet, but her stature and legend were much taller than that. During our chat Antonio’s love and admiration for Chiquita was clear, I knew before even holding the book in my hand that he had weaved the characters into the texture of the story with the artisanship of one who loves his craft. My full interview will be posted tomorrow.

I also met Weyleen Ma, a visionary woman who began her Image Consulting business over ten years ago and is today one of the most sought after consultants in Miami. She said the incredible recent growth in the industry is due to many companies wanting to return to a more traditional approach to dressing. It’s true, many workplaces went too far with the casual look and while some industries like fashion and advertising can get away with it I just don’t want the guy preparing my taxes to wear a Hawaiian shirt that looks like it came form Magnum PI’s garage sale (Did I just date myself with that example?).

What can I say, I love Miami, the Latin flavor, the natural beauty the Cuban food and even the bad drivers because I happen to be one myself so I blend right in. ¡Hasta la proxima!

"I love your newsletter ... "    - Raymond A., Miami

This week marks the launch of our newest addition, Mujeres Weekly. The newsletter was a natural extension of the website as a way of bringing exclusive topics, tips and updates to our growing number of readers. While for me, this means taking on a new task (Because as any startup entrepreneur knows, it’s a one man, excuse me, one woman operation) managing these projects is one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had.

I have already received fantastic feedback and hope to bring new and exciting topics in future issues. If you are not yet a subscriber just click on that red button to the right, yup the one with our logo. If you are an entrepreneur, have a story to share about career, living or finances just shoot me an email at mcaminoalexito@gmail.com. I’m always looking to feature women that can inspire and mentor.

Photo: The beautiful faces on the image strip above are Maria, Miriam, Susan and Sarah photographed for Mujeres by Luis Sierra Monteverde.