When I was a teenager I was fascinated by women who had a different than usual atmosphere about them.

They were the traveling kind and very feminine. They had long flowing hair and they wore earrings from far away countries that were perfect for their face shapes.

They had a foreign look about them, even though they were not foreigners.

I became one of such women.

People consider me somehow different and sometimes mysterious. They think that because I lived for more than two years in the East, mainly India, I know some important things they don’t. They think that because I do what I love in life (blogging), and am able to make a living out of it, my life is wonderful.

Yet, I don’t see any magic in my life.

When the survival things are sorted, and you do what you want in life, other things arise that you need to deal with. It’s never ending and it should be this way—it’s life.

When you sort out the seemingly very important things in life like being independent, having a loving partner and earning good money—other, even more important things present themselves.

Things like the questions of why we’re here on this earth–and other deep questions such as about the nature of this universe. These questions are much harder to answer and they’re more important than the material questions.

Magic is illusion and it only exists as long as the ignorance lasts.

We tend to create stories that aren’t real about the people who live what we perceive “more interesting” lives. When you dispel the ignorance with knowledge and experience the once perceived magic is no longer there—what remains is reality.

It’s like when I started my travels in Nepal, a Himalayan country. At first everything appeared magical there— traditional women having huge red dots on their foreheads made out of rice and red flower dust, snow-capped mountains against a bright blue sky and unusual traditional music accompanied by colorful folk dances—but after some time the magic starts wearing off and I could see things for how they really are.

It’s not depressing to witness the magic wearing off. It’s a neutral feeling and it’s a true feeling. We shouldn’t deny or escape something that’s real.

Ignorance can be bliss but I’ll always choose truth, no matter how unexciting, painful or uncomfortable it is.

I choose truth because by acknowledging it, and choosing it, I see things as they really are. This clear view empowers me to make correct choices in life.

Choices that are made upon a basis that doesn’t exist,can’t last and won’t be successful in the long run. Only choices that are based on truth have the chance of lasting a long time and bringing success.

Let’s, therefore, try to see things as they are rather than as we wish them to be.

An exotic looking woman with long hair and unusual earrings only looks exotic. In reality she’s still a human being with human issues and human needs. Let’s try to see that.

When we look truth in the eyes, no matter how uncomfortable or ugly it is, we will become empowered to make changes that last, and more importantly, changes that are in harmony with who we are.

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Assistant Ed: Laura Ashworth/Ed: Bryonie Wise