solara silver

My daughter Serena was a bit of a genius. She was also a noble soul who could lay down a sassy, life-changing, one-liner with the precision of a skilled neurosurgeon.  When she spoke, I not only listened, I took notes, and those notes are hidden in plan sight in my books and in most everything I do.  My daughter Camille embodies a different kind of magic. Her genius is her heart and the emotional depth she brings to every single thing she does. Her love language? Gift-giving. In fact, she gifted me one of my greatest life-lessons when she was only 8-years old.  My daughters are two of my greatest teachers. Their intelligence is so obvious and beautiful that it doesn't seem like intelligence at all-- but it is-- it is pure wisdom and pure gold.  By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

Culture tells men that pain, fear, and anger can only be tempered through control and power-over tactics.  And so they learn to externalize and weaponize their confusion to prove and protect their masculinity.  Se lf-awareness and honoring grief are radical forms of love for brave and wise men. This is one of the most powerful and valuable lessons my dad taught me.    By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com  ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

The desire to understand how you think, what you know, and how you know you know , is a simple way to describe metacognition. Another way to say is this: “the awareness of your own thought processes, including its evaluation.” Relative to culture, the simplest application of metacognition is to ask yourself: “how’s that working out for you?” This kind of question ushers us into a tender investigation of our beautiful selves as the living, fluid, and creative forms we each are. As a former educator, project manager, and life-long student, I’ve always valued the process of self-inquiry, dot-connecting, and evaluating outcomes. That’s why for anyone who's analytical in nature or enjoys using their mind to solve puzzles, I encourage the use of journals and contemplations on gratitude and self-awareness.  But...there are other ways to know that don't require any analysis; only your presence, awareness and love.   Recommended journals: Grateful – 30-day self-care journal ...

All human beings have (are) a soul. Not when you die, but right now.  You're allowed to talk to your soul, ask it/yourself questions and learn how to listen. Your soul is connected to other souls, and to God-- our common Source.  You/your body is already equipped with soul senses. They are "factory equipped" (lol) and just waiting for you to activate them. I had no idea I had access to these until life/God helped me activate them one by one.  Some people believe that these senses are anti-progress and anti-American, but I don't see it that way at all. T hese behaviors actually make us stronger and fortify us from the inside-out-- they naturally evolve the goodness within each of us. There's way more, but here's my list:  Awareness Acceptance Balance Compassion Contentment Creativity Empathy Equanimity Faith Forgiveness Generosity Graciousness Gratitude Humility Humor Inclusion Integrity Kindne...

The way you see and perceive has direct implications for your state of mind and wellbeing.  If you think about it, most of us were never taught how to look, only what to look at. The good news is that with little guidance most of us can expand our seeing and perceiving. But first, let's level set.  Looking at something and blaming the conditions on others or its opposite does not equate to seeing something. Notice this. Notice when you’re projecting and regurgitating versus actually operating from the wisdom of your heart. Presence requires a deeper way of looking -- a seeing that taps into your soul senses to view things from their essential root and form.   Want to practice?  To access your beginner’s mind, you must be willing to “clear your cache and browsing data” (lol) and set your preconceptions aside. Then ask yourself: what do I need in this moment to feel safe, coherent, and loved? When we operate from open and loving queries the solution...

A brief and tender story (for adults)-- especially for anyone who has ever been confused or suppressed their own wisdom and light.   https://mayraporrata.com/b/misadventuresofana By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

My daughter Serena used to make fun of my Aquarian approach to business, specifically the promotion of our first book Lilly's Life [retired].   She often lamented "mom, you give away more books than we actually sell!"   -- and we would both laugh and agree that doing so was the most noble and honest thing we could do.  For her, having been partly raised in a culture/country that valued production and monetized every single interaction, my approach was certainly different. And yet she deeply understood that some things were so honest, abundant, and real that to monetize them would amount to insanity.  In a culture that values division, war, and "isms", kindness is wildly unprofitable. As more of us realize the value of simply being human and humane, perhaps that will change.  Download >>   Soul Friends    By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

This piece is my personal contribution to the soulful compilation: One with the Light Vaiksnoras & Porrata (2025).  The free community file is available here ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I turned 60 this year. Though I can’t fully explain it, I feel different—as if something magical has finally clicked inside my heart. While part of me still sees the world through the lens of a joyful 5-year-old, there’s another part of me I’m remembering and slowly integrating into my days. What I once judged as estranged or separate, I now tenderly embrace and accept; like a wave who knows she’s part of the ocean—rising and falling again and again, I’m beginning to see myself as a tiny part of God’s infinite mystery, universe, and grace. More and more I’m finding it difficult to escape the overwhelming joy of simply being. Every day is a new adventure. Every day is a new start to create or simply observe. It reminds me of the feeling I had every single morning when my girls were babies. Every day f...

Our lives are a bit like a road trip. All of us start out excited, but then a flat tire, a road block, a detour--- and then we get turned around and lose our way.  None  of us are immune from the drama and energetic complexity on this shared road and landscape.  All of us worry, all of us get anxious, all of us get angry and lost. Here are some of the landmarks most of us visit: The Inner Landscape  The Inner Landscape is the densest, most rugged, and  challenging part of the road and landscape. The Inner  Landscape is riddled with temporary traps, dead-ends,  and side-trips—some pleasant, some not.     Novice travelers may have to visit all the stops before  they move on to The Divine Thresholds. Some may  simply get bored and decide to move on to Thresholds  on their own. For others, just a few stops are sufficient  for them to drive away and only return when they need  to re-visit The Past or other missed sto...

Realize what? What you realize as you live your days is entirely up to you. You could realize from the belief that life is suffering—that life is unfair--- that life is punishing, and that would be what you realize—what is real for you. But, even a tiny crack or shift in your awareness upgrades your vision, therefore changing what you realize and where you look.  In fact, a ll of us are here realizing and riding our own wave...and remembering where to look.  By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

Though this was not always true for me, humor has become an important strategy and go-to for life and work.   Last year, while I was heavily steeped in caregiving for my mom, our cat, Miyu Tiramisu, decided she was going to care for me.  Her sudden affection, attention, and daily purrrsistence was so sweet. I often told her she was a human-whisperer and a zen cat.    When my girls were little we had a cat, Mila. She was a fierce tortie and very much their guardian and protector. She was also a therapy cat and broke up arguments between the girls with a swift 'skippity-pap' (lol) to the main instigator.  I have no doubt our pets are old souls and living angels.  Miyu's tenderness and insistence helped me through an overwhelming life chapter, so much so that she inspired 3 tender books.        Influencer  Miyuisms  Paws & Prayers  By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

It doesn’t matter how old you are, or how much time or lifetimes you think you wasted conforming and performing. Nothing has been wasted. Everything has served. Everything was there for you and your soul’s growth. But whenever you decide to dwell within your own inner landscape—the sacred realm of personal power and truth, you will find precious clues to the treasures and adventures God placed there for you.   You don’t have to believe me. You only have to believe in you.   By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

Though my writing often points out the mysterious and wondrous complexity of being a human being, the point of it is this: you don’t have to understand any of it to appreciate and accept yourself and embrace what you love. Love is its own language and intelligence. It transforms matter, distance, and illusion. It needs no conditions, only your allowance. By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

It’s not that far a stretch to consider that if we can be tough on ourselves, we can also be soft and treat ourselves with  tenderness and kindness.   When we shift our focus away from the muck and towards beauty, we make time to pursue our dreams, live our passions, and honor the calling of our hearts.    By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

The collision of artificial tech/forms with human ingenuity and creativity is in full display. Some call this late or end-stage capitalism—and it does feel like the death of something for sure. Mass layoffs, greed on steroids, and hazardous and extractive initiatives that prioritize technology over human beings are all symptoms of the last gasp of an economic system that’s at odds with humans, wisdom, and with life itself—literally. It appears as if something important was overlooked in all the planning and ‘winning’ frenzy and it is this: the end user, the consumer, always decides which innovations take root and which are rejected. [See Diffusion of innovations theory, Everett Rogers].  Data and intelligence are yesterday’s innovation. The future belongs to the creative, thoughtful, and kind—and at the end of the day, it is the human heart that ultimately decides.  By Mayra Porrata | comments: mayra@solarapublishing.com ©2026 Solara Publishing, LLC

When children are respected and supported by parents, this doesn’t inoculate them from life challenges or hardships, but it generally guarantees they grow up without shame—being proud of who they are. Shame is a punishing mental program that tells the thinker: “there is something wrong with you”. That’s the opposite of pride—of respecting and embracing who one is. Even if we ourselves don’t fully understand every complexity or paradox within us, embracing ourselves helps moderate our fears about being different or unlovable. In fact, the recognition of one’s diversity -- the ways you are unique and the deeper appreciation of identity (your own) is critical to your development as a human being and as a soul. June is Pride month-- a celebration of identify and human joy. Whether you like Pride month, or LQBTQ people, or parades or not is not the point. This is an opportunity for you/me/we to turn the lens inward and honor and celebrate the living spirit within each and all of us....