The following interview was conducted on February 9, 2001 by Marianna (of Athens, Greece).
Question - What do you think ? The more we learn, makes us get closer to
God or away from him?
A: It depends on what you mean by "learning". Learning what? Under normal
circumstances, as we age we tend to turn our focus of attention to the deeper
meanings of life, and discover that God is definitely the nucleus of our
existence, therefore the wisdom to get closer to Him is undoubtedly in order.
This is in reference to that kind of "learning".
Q: - Is it a prerequisite in our life to get closer to God?
A: "One's soul evolution has an automatic pilot toward that
direction,..so the "prerequisite" depends on what stage one's soul is at. You
will however sooner or later in your soul's "travels', end up in God's back
yard. (Something to look forward to I think)".
Q: - Whatever is said to be "magic" in this life time is it considered
dangerous as well?
A: It depends on the nature and definition of "magic". In normal terms
"magic" if encapsulated within the spiritual realm is not considered
"dangerous", but a supernatural act. Perhaps Satanic or "witchcraft magic" may
be labeled as "dangerous".
Q: - Do you believe that the moment somebody is aware of his
talent...that it ceases to exist?
A: "No. "Talent" is God's gift to your entity upon your entrance in your
present lifetime, and it never ceases to exist, unless you totally ignore it or
suppress it for reasons of personal choice.
Q: - How.. out of thousands of impressions and ideas you choose the
"theme" of your paintings?
A: The "theme" is actually the end result of the "thousands of
impressions and ideas," and therefore the product of inspiration.
Q: - Do you believe that only through Art we can
reach eternity?
A: - As an artist I'm tempted to say yes ...but seriously though, I think
the answer is No. "Eternity" is a build in factor in the sojourn of our soul.
You do not "plan" eternity, it is designed for you by "The One".
Q: - Do you think that most of us do what we can do, what we want to door
what we should do?
A: - I believe that we were given a choice to do what we want to do, and
according to this choice, we learn what our soul requires to learn in each
lifetime to benefit it's "upgrade"...meaning we keep coming back over and over,
until we make it right!
Q: - There is a general sense that people constantly learn what are
taught to..Is this true..or each one of us learns separately through his own
paradigm and experience only?
A: - Both parts of your question are true in a sense...if also viewed as
statements at the same time. The first part applies to the primary stages of the
anatomy of our ego, and the second part, the inclination toward the maturing
part of the ego, when our paradigm had already been well established.
Q: - Is success and recognition a dangerous state? and if it is why?
A: "Success and recognition" depend on which scale is being used for them
to be measured on. If they are measured on the "materialistic level" scale
alone, i.e. "I have a good job,..I make a lot of money,..I drive a Ferrari, and
I own this and that".. they are quite unimportant to your soul's growth,...
although they may tend to make your physical life more "comfortable". The
supreme test is to measure "success" on the scale of your inner world. I
wouldn't worry about the "recognition" part. That will be taken care of
automatically by your Maker.
Q - What made you want to leave Cyprus and go to the United States? Were
you aware of the reasons at that time?
A: - "Hmm...I suppose the desire to evolve myself within the cultural
confines of a more evolved nation than Cyprus was at the time,..and yes I was
aware of the reasons. One of them was the fact that...if I wanted to make
something of myself, this was the place. Another reason was because I wanted to
become rich and famous,..and little did I know that I'd miss the boat on both
attempts! (grin).
Q: - How can an adult reserve the "child" inside him alive?
A: "The child" inside of us is always present. The test is to acknowledge
it and nurture it, so as to enable us to deal with the negative pitfalls of
adulthood. Unless our childhood had painful experiences, It is always a pleasure
to have it resurface occasionally and relive it's moments. I know in my case it
is!. I had an unforgettable childhood with loving parents, and good friends.
Q: - What does a person lose or gain from the moment he has become an
adult? Is there something that can destroy talent?.. If we consider it a "fire"
what could put it out?
A: - The first part of your question: A person (in most cases) "loses"
parental dependency the moment he becomes an adult,..and he/she eventually gains
wisdom through experiences along his Path. (Again in most cases). The second
part of the question... Why would anyone want to "put out the fire" of his
talent?
Q: - They say that we make our own destiny. Do you believe that?
A: - That's an easy one. The answer is a resounding Yes.
Q: - Is there in fact what is called "talent" and what does it mean to
you?
A: - Every one of us is given a certain "talent" as a gift whenever we
come into a new incarnation. "What my talent means to me" is: A. having
gratitude for "The One" that gave it to me, and B. The hope to have the wisdom
to use it constructively."
Q: - What is more important in our life? Choices or destiny influence?
A: - Our "choices" lead us to our "destiny". Our "destiny" is nothing but
the total sum of our choices."
Q: - Is there something you have seen or heard that you think it was the
most important impact in your lifetime, and if so what?
A: "Seen"?... I've seen the awesome power of the energy of God everywhere
I look....The magnificence of His Presence...His creative art work of a
Sunrise...a Sunset...the splendor of His "palette and brush,"... and the
abundance of His LOVE in all things!. "Heard"?...I've heard the first cry of my
children and my baby grand daughter Alexa-Rae!... I've heard the inspirational
energy of "quality music". A "Ludwig Van Beethoven...a..Frederic Chopin...the
traditional and contemporary sounds of American jazz,..the soft "bouzouki" of
Greek music, and the Spiritual compositions of "Yianni"!. I've... heard the
fulfilling "silence" when in a meditative state of awareness. All of the above
had the greatest influence in my lifetime. I may add that I am glad you have
"interviewed" me. You had given me an opportunity to get in touch with my inner
self!" - Thank you.
ON DEATH: "Revelation from someone who had
experienced clinical death and survived to talk about it." Death is not the
final curtain; it's merely an intermission between "acts". the most significant
discovery I made after my "death" was that "I" - the "real" me - was not my
body. For those of you who on the surface acknowledge a similar belief, be sure
you are not in a subtle way still living your life as though you are your body.
Unless you daily and constantly remind yourself who you really are, the vague
recognition that "you" are eternal and your body only temporary, will not
demonstrate your "immortality" in your day to day "here and now" life. When your
body grows old, tired, decrepit, or diseased and "dies", "you" do not die with
it. "You" never become old, tired, decrepit or diseased. "You" never "die". When
you move out of your body in so called "death"- "you" will be free from the
limitations and confinement of your temporary residence, and be ready for the
next phase of your eternal life. If, while playing your current role, you probe
into the "mysteries" of the "big picture" and became further "enlightened", your
next "part" will be a larger one.
ON PATIENCE: In a single day we can be faced with countless irritations:
someone tailgates you on your way to work; someone cuts in front of you while
you're waiting in line at the post office; co-workers chat and laugh loudly in
the next cubicle while you're conducting a business phone call; you're going out
with friends tonight, but they show up an hour late, or you're eating dinner
when you're suddenly interrupted by a telemarketer...you went to bed for the
night, you're dosing off, when suddenly the phone rings and..."it's the wrong
number"... I'm sure you can think of many other examples. So, what do we do when
we encounter an endless stream of minor irritants? Well, we can choose to become
upset or we can choose to follow the example of oysters. They use an irritating
grain of sand to create a glittering pearl. We can use our irritating
experiences to create pearls of forgiveness, pearls of compassion, and pearls of
understanding. Learning to accept minor irritations prepares us to endure major
ones. Those who lack patience find minor irritations or suffering unbearable.
However, those who have mastered patience find great suffering tolerable.
Patience has great impact on our happiness, for how can those who are upset and
constantly complain be happy? Those who are always angry withdraw from the
world; they curse the world. But those who are patient are peacemakers who
embrace the world, bless it, and thank it for the opportunity to create
"pearls". How can we expect to have others accept our weaknesses unless we are
willing to accept theirs? Patience, then, is about respect for others. It is
when we interact with others that we come to understand ourselves. For when we
act with patience and understanding, that's what we become. And when we act with
impatience and anger, that's what we are. How can we commit to a relationship
unless we have patience? Patience binds, heals, and supports relationships.
Impatience is divisive. It severs friendships, dissolves marriages, breaks up
families, and breaks hearts. So, patience is also about maturity. Patient
people do not throw away pets and possessions or relationships and
responsibilities simply because things aren't working out as originally
expected. Patient people bring out the best in them. Impatient people bring out
the beast in them. You say you're not as patient as you would like to be? Not to
worry, just be patient, for patience comes to those who wait. Aren't all things
difficult before they become easy? My final words on patience are taken from the
eighteenth-century French naturalist, Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon (1707-1788),
"The ability to accept delay. Or disappointment. To smile at setbacks and
respond with a pleasant, understanding spirit. To remain calm while others
around are uneasy. This is Godly patience. Never think that God's delays are
God's denials. Hold on; Hold fast; Hold out. Patience is genius".
ON LISTENING TO MUSIC: Certain kinds of music induce feelings of
tranquility, others spur us to creative action. Some people do their best work
while listening to Mozart, others require the passion of Revel, still others
appreciate the tranquility of new-age music like that by "Crosswynd". If you
take the time to experiment, to examine and mostly, to listen, then you will be
able to use music to capitalize on your own strengths and abilities, and to be
the Creator that you were meant to be.
ON PURPOSE: The purpose of life, is to lead a life of purpose and its
meaning is to give life meaning....is it not? But what is meant by purpose and
meaning? They simply mean the "big picture," vision, chief aim, or core values
that all other goals are subordinate to. For example, our PURPOSE might be to
leave the world a better place than the way we found it, or to make everyone we
meet happier. Either of these purposes would be noble and achievable. How can we
help create a better world or make others happier? Wouldn't you agree that one
way is by refusing to steal, criticize, intimidate, gossip, judge, or argue?
Another way would be to treat others with kindness, generosity, honesty, and
respect. Our goal should be not merely to be good, but to be good for something.
To have value that we offer to the world. Our PURPOSE is the path we follow;
it's a broad paintbrush that colors all areas of our life. When all personal
goals (career, family, etc.) are aligned with our PURPOSE, we will be authentic
beings with integrity. Despite the importance of PURPOSE, many of us are still
floundering, drifting in an unknown direction. Why's that? One reason is fear.
We're afraid to state our target because we may miss it. To avoid failure, we
avoid having a purpose. But that strategy makes as much sense as an ostrich
"hiding" from its enemies by burying its head in the sand. If we don't stand for
something, we may fall for anything. What is the purpose of living if we don't
have something to live for?
ON LOVE: Love your family, your job, your country, and everyone you meet
without any strings attached. As Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevski wrote, "Love all
that has been created by God, both the whole and every grain of sand. Love every
leaf and every ray of light. Love the beasts and the birds, love the plants,
love every separate fragment. If you love each fragment, you will understand the
mystery of the whole resting in God." The only Russian author greater than
Dostoevski, Leo Tolstoy, wrote, "Love is life. All, everything that I
understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists,
only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die
means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal
source." Buddha's simple message was, "Love the whole world as a mother loves
her only child." For centuries, mystics have sought to experience God by
depriving their bodies of food, sleep, and comfort and by spending countless
hours in contemplation or deep meditation. They were successful in their quests,
but it isn't necessary to go to such extremes. For all one needs to do to
experience God, is to experience God's work, which is unconditional love. When
we open our heart to love, we open our heart to God. When we experience
unconditional love, we experience God.