October 28, 2011
A Celebration of Happiness
Last Wednesday, I was incredibly lucky to attend the concert presenting Coldplay's new album, "Mylo Xyloto." I don't know how to explain it; I had been to two other Coldplay concerts before this one, but this one, this one was absolutely INCREDIBLE. So much so that I would say it wasn't a concert, it was a unique experience of happiness.
With our general admission ticket, we were supposed to be in the stands, but the guards, seeing the baby bump I was carrying, recommended we go up to a seating area. It was a full house, and I wouldn't have a good time standing among so many people.
Aside: perhaps this is a good moment to tell you that I'm pregnant, YESSS, I can't imagine a happier post to announce it. WE HAVE AN HEIRESS. In three months, there will be a revolution in the Palazzo. I'll keep you updated on how I'm doing. For now, I can only tell you that being pregnant means being a magnet for those who like to give alarmist advice and that, as The Devil Wears Zara says, maternity clothes are awful. Well, actually, I have thousands of absurdly funny stories to tell you related to this new state of roundness, but not today, today is Coldplay.
The thing is, with my new VIP pass implanted in my belly, I just had to show it to every guard until they hoisted me up to a seating area where I could sit, sheltered from the rain, and with a perfect view of the stage. Thank you, dear belly, I've always hated watching concerts in the stands; with luck, you end up seeing them between two necks that are always taller and smell worse than you.
As soon as we entered, they gave us promotional wristbands with the album's name and an internal battery that, strangely enough, no matter how much you fiddled with it, didn't make the wristband light up. Strange, but we'll leave it at that... later, we would get the unexpected answer of how the surprise wristbands activated.
Once seated, we began to admire Las Ventas from the inside; I had never been there and found it very beautiful. Although, why choose an outdoor venue for a concert at the end of October with the risk of rain? The answer, again, in a few minutes.
With British punctuality, Mario Vaquerizo came out to present the documentary Coldplay recorded with Anton Corbijn, in which they talk about their sources of inspiration, musicians they admire, the causes they support, etc. And just as it ended, a countdown began on the giant screens (there's nothing that makes people more nervous than a countdown), and right at one, ALL THE WRISTBANDS CAME TO LIFE AND BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE IN DIFFERENT COLORS, OOOOoooohHHHh! The stage also lights up!!!! The music starts to kick in!!!!! and suddenly FIREWORKS GO OFF!!!! AHHHH!!! mass hysteria, mass hysteria!!!
Heavens above, and never better said, I think I have never attended a BETTER concert opening in my life, impressive, I almost had a heart attack. It was impossible to sit down; everything was SO beautiful, SO SO beautiful that the music seemed like an accompaniment, an excuse to present a spectacle of absolute happiness. Colored lights, spectacular lasers, fireworks, projections, colorful butterflies, and...beach balls! You won't believe it, but where we were sitting was the launching point for the balls to the rest of the stands, and the organizers, again understanding of my belly VIP pass, let us help them throw them to the audience. Second heart attack throwing balls as if I were Santa Claus.
So much so that I deeply thank Gwyneth for exerting her influence (I'm sure she did) so that the concert was in Madrid for the jolt of happiness they gave us. And friends, if you want to pursue a dream and become entrepreneurs, you need to get these jolts of happiness from time to time. Entrepreneurship is wonderful, but among its risks is being completely absorbed by your dream and living for nothing else, which means working even when you sleep and never disconnecting.
Be careful with that, guys! I'm telling you this as someone who is already on screen 2 of the game "Entrepreneur: The Final Dream." If you don't ensure moments of leisure, moments of laughter, moments of happiness, you'll likely end up embittering your own dream and cursing the moment you decided to stop being an employee. No, don't give up, write off the day and go surprise a non-alarmist friend or go for a walk somewhere you haven't been in a long time, to the movies, whatever you like to do. But DO IT. And if you get stuck and can't do it alone, ask for help. The help thing is a delicate subject; few people know how to give it. Usually, if they hear you in your moment of crisis, they will worry and give you advice that calms them more than you. So my recommendation for the day is that, if you don't have a happy entrepreneur in your circle who is a couple of screens ahead of you to advise you, find a coach. It's the best money you'll ever invest.
And so you can see I'm not selfish, let me introduce you to mine. Her name is Gabriela Rosales. We started working together in Madrid at the beginning of La Condesa, but a year ago, she moved to New York and left me devastated. Luckily, while setting up her "Empowerment and Enlightenment Coaching" practice in Manhattan, she had the great idea of continuing our periodic meetings, if not physically, then via Skype! How about that? Genius, right? Really, if you're paying a coach to talk to them, what does it matter if they're here or in Timbuktu?
I turn to Gabriela when I lose my way and especially when I need to remember that I did all this for my own happiness and well-being, and it must always continue that way. And I'm sure I'll turn to her even more when the heiress arrives and in the first few months I'm not entirely sure how to manage everything at once.
Dear entrepreneurs (or employees trying to be), remember this long weekend, which won't be a long weekend for us, that we all lose our minds from time to time; that's not a problem, it's normal. Take some time for your own happiness, and if you can't do it alone, ask for help... even if it's via Skype! If you want to try what it's like to have a business coach, Gabriela is currently promoting her new Skype service, so visit her website and sign up for a free session to see what it's like.
So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, much happiness and entrepreneurial spirit.
Hugs,
The Countess Xylota