The past couple of days have been an absolute goldmine of realizations.
The first one is simple. My life is so much better now that Mariano lives with me full-time.
He makes my life better in ways I didn't expect. I remember to eat. I remember to drink enough water. My protein intake is finally on point. We walk a lot. These are all things I probably wouldn't do consistently if it wasn't for him.
Somehow, taking care of him forces me to take better care of myself.
The amount of energy packed into such a tiny dog is honestly mind-blowing. Keeping up with him almost requires high-performance maintenance on my own body.
Right now, as I'm writing this, I'm sitting on a set of stairs outside in the middle of the night while Mariano is happily running around the yard of a nearby cultural center. It's quiet, safe, cozy, and we're once again reaching our daily goal of 10,000 steps.
Life is simply better.
I've also figured out what works for him. Three long walks a day are enough, so I've set alarms on my phone for 9 a.m., 5 p.m., and 11 p.m. The funniest part is that he actually knows the routine now. He patiently waits until the alarm goes off, and then all hell breaks loose because he knows it's time for another adventure.
I'm incredibly grateful for him.
The second realization has been a little more philosophical.
I've come to understand that some people operate from such a low emotional baseline that I simply can't have them in my life anymore.
Whether you believe in David R. Hawkins' Map of Consciousness or not, I see now how people function.
If you've spent years living through fear, grief, shame, anger, and resentment, and suddenly life throws you a curve ball that heal your inner wounds, everything changes.
When that happens, interacting with people who are still driven by jealousy, constant fear, manipulation, or bitterness are impossible to be around.
It's not about believing you're "better" than anyone else. It's about realizing that your way of living no longer align.
Finding people who genuinely match your healed energy is very difficult.
Recently I made a new friend, and we found ourselves comparing notes about growing up in narcissistic families.
We talked about how narcissistic parents often pit siblings against each other, creating endless competition instead of connection. That is what breaks people mentally. That cycle can continue for generations unless someone consciously decides to break it.
Healing isn't automatic. It takes work. A lot of it.
And if you don't do that work, life can become an endless repetition of the same painful patterns.
I know because I've been there.
Life eventually gave me a wake-up call, and I'm incredibly grateful for it.
Ironically, having lived through those darker chapters also allows me to understand people who are still there. If I had always had an easy life, I probably wouldn't have the same empathy.
But empathy doesn't mean I have to stay around toxic people.
One of my biggest lessons has been learning that I don't need to heal anyone.
If someone consistently shows signs of being manipulative, emotionally unstable, or toxic, I don't have to fix them. I can simply let them continue their own journey without making it my responsibility.
Everyone has their own path.
I genuinely hope those who are stuck in those painful patterns eventually discover that life doesn't have to be lived that way. Maybe they simply don't know anything else.
Living from a healthier emotional place doesn't mean you're happy every minute of every day. It doesn't mean you'll never feel sadness, anger, or fear again.
It simply means those emotions no longer run your life.
Also:
Money has very little to do with emotional maturity.
Being wealthy doesn't automatically make someone kind, peaceful, or emotionally healthy. Likewise, being compassionate and emotionally balanced doesn't guarantee financial success.
Our society often rewards ambition, competitiveness, and relentless self-interest far more than virtues like kindness, honesty, or humility.
That's unfortunate, but it's also reality.
So I've stopped assuming there's any connection between someone's bank account and their character.
Anyway...
These are my midnight thoughts from Torremolinos.
Life isn't perfect.
But tonight, sitting outside with a very happy little dog while the city quietly sleeps around us, it feels pretty good.
