Today there
is a great need to rediscover values and emotions that most of us would
consider lost. They are not. They just lie dormant. It is maybe this
realisation that sparked in me the will to rethink them. This led to this
compendium of feelings, one for each day of the month. At this difficult time
for many, should we all not try to refocus our priorities in order to feel a
little less unhappy and empty?
Author: Helena Sacadura Cabral was born in Lisbon in December
7, 1934. She is an economist, journalist and Portuguese writer. She was the
first woman to join the Bank of Portugal. Since 2005, she has published over 10
books. She is divorced and mother of two boys.
One of her sons is the politician Paulo Portas.
My thoughts: I bought this beautiful book in the bookstore of El
Corte Inglés in Lisbon a couple of years ago. As I was running early on my way
to see a movie, I went downstairs to the book department to pass the time. To
be honest, it was the cover that attracted my attention: tiny and girly. I read
a few lines and I found it wise, inspiring and genuine. “Life and Soul” is a
great little book that invites reflection, it banishes the superfluous noise
that invades our everyday lives.
I choose
this daily maxim at random: “The worst
betrayal is to our principles, because it is committed by us, against us” Think
of what you owe to yourself in the defence of your dreams and be faithful to
the principles you have chosen. I strongly think we should not use masks; we
should love and accept ourselves even when we fail. Happiness can only come
from authenticity.