Life can be hard. Who didn’t experience bad feelings -to say the least- during the pandemic? We regularly need to think about how to improve ourselves, right? That’s what powerful writer Pucki Metzger is offering. Something necessary.
We had the opportunity to interview Pucki a few days ago. A pretty inspiring moment we’d like to share with our readers.
C.P.: Hi Pucki. You wrote several self-help books and we noticed you were particularly interested in the quest for happiness. What does this goal truly mean to you?
Pucki Metzger: Thank you for this question. Happiness is indeed something that is very close to my heart, something that I wish for everyone because: life is bliss! Happiness is the key to it. I strongly believe that we are here to enjoy this gift of life.
Sometimes and for some nearly all the time, life seems to be a struggle or hardship. Just as they think things can’t get any worse, something comes up that gets them down even more. I guess we all have had some occasion like this in our lifetime. And it is OK because we learn from it, we grow and lots of new wishes and desires are born from it.
Happiness, like many other things, is different for everyone. It is not something that one can really compare to someone else. For some the bank account defines their happiness, while for others it is the amount of dogs or cats they have that bring to them that deep inner joy. For others, having a roof over the head or some food already is happiness to them.
I love that we are all so unique and special, and yet we all have this inner urge, this flame burning inside us wanting to reach more or do something that provokes a deep feeling of contentment, satisfaction and hope, knowing or even longing to reach something greater, that in fact really can not be described by words as that state just is breathtaking. Reaching a state of mind that lets us glow and want to hug each one and the world is incredible. Just wanting to shout out how amazing everything is.
Unfortunately, in times like these, we are so stuck in work overload, nearly no time left for the things we love. We cope, but barely survive on what we earn and encounter a lot of people that are rude or give us even more pressure. Bills pile up and families get torn apart and then on top came Corona which effected many in a lot of different ways. It is like a big grey cloud has covered the sun and is slowly taking away the air to breathe.
I know this might seem a bit dramatic but when we observe the surrounding people there are many in grief, anger or frustration, and some even hopeless.
I have been in those loops before as well, and I know how difficult it can be to get out of the fog and into the sun and see the clear skies, but the space is open to go out into the big wide world or remain in the old safe paths.
It is a choice we get to make, and we are responsible for our life and therewith have to live with the decisions we make. It is our choice if we decide to strive for what we want and create happiness, joy, fun and satisfaction or if we settle for less.
This might sound a bit harsh, but there is always a way. Small steps that everyone can take to get there, and that is how these books came about. Wanting to share my thoughts and stories of my life, hoping others can get some inspiration, to figure out what they want and find what their bliss is. What makes them happy and integrate joy so that they can master every day, so far, that they can say every day: “Today was an amazing day!”.
If every person could find more happiness and joy and excitement about life and spread love, then we could get closer to world peace. That what we focus on can be reached, but this goes in both ways.
When we focus on suffering, we will more likely be suffering, if we focus on the hurt, the hurting remains and might even get stronger, but if we focus on love, love will expand and if we hold our attention on being happy and having fun, then this will grow to happiness and bliss.
If we look at the others you will see those that shine all the time, and they walk through life without a care, everything that comes to them, they just solve it with ease, and it seems they consist of just pure luck, and they surely are the sign that it is possible. It is not something we make up.
There are many rich people who came from nothing and grew their empire out of that. There are many people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and survived it, or others had a small idea that then became light in a form of a bulb.
It all starts with a tiny thought and then goes from there. Sure, one could say, but they are special people, and there might be a thousand of excuses why we can not do this or that… but then one can not expect that with that limiting mindset, we can achieve greatness.
Everyone has their potential and uniqueness in them and when we click or tap into that, we can shift mountains, as a very knowledgeable man once said,” Imagination is more important than knowledge!”. If we can imagine being happy, then we can be.
C.P.: One of your books is called “roller coasters and bliss”, and you also describe your own life as some sort of roller coaster. Why?
P.M.: I love roller coasters, don’t you? In the end no matter if it is the real deal, a huge structure that throws you in loopholes around and around, up or down, left and right or upside down or life itself. The bumpier the ride, the more bliss and butterflies there are. The more we are shaken, the more we see our accomplishment afterwards.
Even if someone is scared and takes the courage to go for a ride, will have grown in many ways. Besides all the other positive aspects that roller coasters behold, as well as the rides of life, stepping outside our comfort zone can free us from bondage.
One can say, up until now I have had a couple of bumpy rides. Maybe a lot more than just a couple, but I am grateful for each one of them. They really made me to this person that I am today and I got quite fond of the woman I have become, although there is still a lot of room for improvement, adventure and excitement and so much more to explore.
Growing up, we moved around allot after we lost our true home, which was a place where the heart is bound to the land and its beauty, and where one was rooted. It really tore my dads heart the most, as he was one with it for most part of his life, just like my grandparents were too. I was 10 years old at that time and since then we never kind of really settled anywhere. My dad became a fisherman, which kept him going. After a few bumps here and there, he changed his profession to whatever he could get or be.
For me, he was an extraordinary man. Filled with new ideas, wanting to build something for us to finally have a new home. That brought us to live in some strange places where he would work or try to build up his newest vision. What I admired and that taught me allot is, that every time his ideas did not work out, he kept on going and seeking for new ones.
He loved living, even though I know it was a hard life, and for both of my parents a real struggle to get 4 kids trough school and also teach them about life at the same time, the best they could. He always told me, that I should live this life fully, have fun and enjoy every moment. Making the best out of it. At the same time, he told me that I am also responsible for my life and everything that I do. No one else. If I don’t do my homework and then receive bad notes, then I have to live with that choice and those consequences, I can not blame it on others. But he was always there to help if I needed it. For that advice I am forever grateful as that is a really important message to get.
In that time there were a lot of rides that were deeply overwhelming, from loosing loved ones, like my grandparents, which also were my guardians when I was just a baby. Or being there as a witness to where one bullet ended the life of a young woman in the blink of an eye. Seeing her last heartbeat, her last breath fading out into nothingness really had an impact on me and my awareness. Those early rides where you are taught about life and death trough witnessing both, when one is only 18 years old.
Then you get those other rides in life, where illnesses catch on to you, and you barely know how to survive and no one can help you, since no one cares enough to really check closely at the state of my being. And then being lucky, that just in the nick of time you find the right person, at the right time to save this precious life of mine, extremely weak, with only 26 years reached and maybe only hours away from becoming extinct.
These rides made me strong. They showed me over and over again what is possible and how magnificent this body and life is. How can I not believe in the impossible when surviving things like these.
My very first life roller coaster ride was when I was just a baby. Putting everything in my mouth, exploring I guess until I found something in the sand that, well, was not really meant to be chewed on, called Syringa berries. The next hospital was a 2-hour drive and no one knew what I ate, so it was a bit of a disaster, looking a numb little body spitting foam like stuff everywhere.
Then the helpless doctors called up a doctor from South Africa and discussed my symptoms with him, while my body was already very weak close to lifelessness. Then he thought of the beautiful lilac trees which seeds are poisonous to smaller animals and kids. So they somehow got my system up and running and in the morning when my parents were allowed back into the room, scared to death that it was too late, they found a “happy chappy” baby sitting there with a big grin on its face, a bit smelly and stinky from the muddle night but very much lively.
So yeah, I never missed out and really had my share of roller coaster rides in life and on the big majestically coasters too. Although I miss my parents that already have parted from this life to where ever they are now, but I can just say over and over again, that life is bliss and anything is possible.
They are in my heart, as close as ever, and they live with every memory. Love will always keep us together and since love is energy and energy is everything that is, and is connected to everything, life becomes love and therewith is bliss where the circle comes together once more.
We all, at the moment we are born to receive this gift of life and with it the key to unlock all the doors till we reach our last door. No one knows when we open that last door with our key, some try it and reach it others try to reach it but just aren’t meant to go yet and some go way too soon while others become the oldest person with reaching 118 years counting. We should not waste any time and wait till one day maybe we will be happy. No, we should be happy now and stay in that feeling till we go and leave with a grin on our face with no regrets cause surely, life was awesome, wonderful, breathtaking, deliberate, interesting, adventurous and total complete everlasting bliss.
READ FULL INTERVIEW HERE ←
