“Dedicating ourselves to different activities helps us keep a better emotional balance.”

LIMITLESS

Judo has offered me a chance to discover myself. In Japanese, the word “judo” means “the gentle way.” Judo has had an enormous impact on my life precisely for this reason: it gave me a path. (In regards to the gentleness, I can say that I didn’t assimilate it in quite the same way; due some lack of talent, I cannot find the time entry in various techniques!) Despite its great significance, I cannot focus exclusively in judo – writing here on this blog is just one of many activities that I dedicate myself to. But, by devoting myself to other activities, can my concentration for competitions be impaired?

When I was younger, and with some arrogance perhaps, I repeatedly told my mother: “I was not born to live in the ghetto.” I said that not because I didn’t like to live there or because I was ashamed of it, but because naturally I believed in a larger project. My mother always understood this, so she unreservedly supported me in all the activities I was involved in. (This happened even in football, where I have two very talented left feet). It was judo that catapulted me to that other reality; it deeply transformed me. I became a more communicative and a less aggressive person. Before being judoka, it was normal for my mother to be repeatedly contacted about my aggression; I remember once in 5th grade I landed a mighty punch on a colleague’s face because of a trivial misunderstanding and I was called to the school’s Governing Council – it was my good grades that prevented my expulsion. Events like this were a regular occurrence; but after I became a judoka and had learned the value of self-control, I never got involved in physical conflicts ever again!

RESILIENCE – A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Judo has given me an unique opportunity to see the world and get in touch with fascinating cultures. And yet, why do I still feel this need to develop myself in other areas? In 2013, I realized that thinking solely about the competitions was not a positive thing for me. After injuring my shoulder during the Junior European Championships, I was away from other competitive events for ten months. At that time, I had decided to only practice two activities: train and compete. (You can imagine what happened, no?) Suddenly, everything seemed to make no sense. I was a compass without north. All parts of my life lost compatibility! A (good) disaster…

With this event, I understood the need to not focus exclusively on judo. Resilience – the ability to positively face adversity – is directly related to this. Psychologists tell us that the most resilient people are those who are engaged in various activities. Why? Because it allows them a better management of their frustrations; for example, if the last job interview didn’t go well, we can always balance and keep ourselves positive because our personal project is occurring just the way we had planned it! So, here is my advice: do not be afraid to take risks in other areas for fear of getting lost because they can be a significant source of emotional balance.

“Within the inconsistency of our personalities, we find the beauty of human nature.”

THE DREAM
I can’t believe it: the blog has launched! When I start to think about it, it feels like a sort of morning drowsiness during which, for brief moments, I cannot distinguish reality from alienation. Then, I rub my eyes to sharpen attention; I am awake, the blog is real, and this is the second post. (Such a great feeling of satisfaction!) In the first article, I explained how the idea for this blog came about and the process towards its creation. Did you like it? (Honestly: I hope so, I hope that you could feel how intense and meaningful this project will be). I shared in this text that I want to get closer to you; so, nothing better than to start by introducing myself. Here I will attempt to answer the question that was highlighted  in the latest interviews: Who is Célio?

WHO AM I?
I cannot answer this question. It’s as if you asked me how many grains there are on a pile of sand. (I only know that there will be millions!) Speaking of calculations, I must confess that maths was not a talent of mine. Not even the enthusiasm of my teacher Dulce Morais, with those big sparkling eyes, won me over. I wish this had happened: having all that abstract and numerical love passed on to me. But it did not happen; studying functions has always been a painful process. But I don’t want to define myself by what I am not; it is something easy and dangerous because it keeps us away from the greater challenge: the one about the understanding of ourselves. I have qualities and flaws. I don’t know in what terms to balance them… I can say without compromising myself; I am attracted to rationalization and emotion. Two variables of a marriage that is not always happy; therefore, I am contradictory. This contradiction is reflected on the way I dress, the way I talk, the music I listen to… One day, I choose an elegant outfit; the other, I am rediscovering the reckless rebel with a headscarf. At some point, I’m expansive… After a few moments, I am passionately absorbed into an inward spiral: I become less accessible. Often, it seems I live in turmoil, angry; when after all, I’m trying to understand my ambiguity. I am often misunderstood; I’m inconsistent, but I do not know how to be any other way. My friends accept me and do not question me; my multiple personalities make them laugh. (I appreciate those moments because I feel a great sense of bonding!)

THE BEAUTY OF THE UNKNOWN
I think we all are like that late afternoon sky, when the last rays of sunshine and the shadows combine, gaining a mystical quality. After a certain point, we become understandable. (And, thank goodness, our essence is not governed by natural laws, nor does it allow itself to be deciphered by mathematical formulas!) That’s where the beauty and the charm of Psychology lie: our personal and unique experiences frame and transform us. We are the product of everything we have ever experienced since that moment we let out our first cry. We are unfinished art: like clockwork, every second a fresh brush stroke is added to a single canvas – of various tones: hot and cold, happy and sad. (Does everything in life have this dynamic?) I have (and love) my painting; you also have yours. (Do you love it?) Our multiple personalities are the result of all contexts we find ourselves in. (Think about all the environments we inhabit: from your home to the place where you work… Do you behave in the same way in all these contexts? When you look at your painting, what do you see? Do you like its texture? The alternation between the good and the bad moments? Whatever the answer is, I’d like you to be able to think about the following: we are all perfect in our imperfection – humanly beautiful. Our beauty passes through the plural nature of our personalities. I can see the beauty of my inconsistency. What about you? Can you see yours?

THE BEGINNING
Three years ago Days of Light and Fights was just a bunch of irregular shapes in my head. Initially, I wished to create a blog to generate work opportunities as a model. However, I understood that simply talking about clothes, shoes and buttons would not totally satisfy me. So I decided to take it slowly; I wanted to project something more than just my image, something deeper. While exploring the trails of creativity, I shared some ideas with Bruno Reis. He was the first person I confided to about this project. He supported me and suggested a name: Days of Light and Fights. It was an electrifying moment! Not only by the convenience of its designation but mostly because its reference sounded auspicious. We all have our personal struggles – “fights”. After that, some of those aspirations are converted into light as a result of our effort and dedication. Days of Light and Fights. When its elder, Bruno, prophesied these words, they echoed as musical notes. The name of the project reflects one of my early lessons: inexorably, success comes together through hours of work and frustration. Thank you, Bruno, dear friend, for your companionship.

THE DEVELOPMENT
As the fog dissipated, the distorted lines of Days of Light and Fights gained some clarity. So, in this blog I intend to share the life lessons I have learned during my sports career, hoping to transmit the message my mom whispered over and over again, with the same cadence as day comes after night: “You can be whatever you want to be!” It is an almost universal law, simple, but when it is assimilated, it allows us to unlock our human potential. Thank you, Carla Rocha – the woman who refined the eloquence of my speech and who taught me, through her example, that vulnerability is a demonstration of inner power. On top of all this, I also want this blog to be a place where I can share my universe of preferences. Increasingly, I’ve felt a need to share something more than just my experience as a judoka, maybe because athletes are known only to dedicate themselves to their physical shape – I want to fight that stereotype; we also dedicate ourselves to developing our intellectual dimension. So, this blog is a tool of mental and physical expression that I will use to get closer to the people who have been following my work – you. Thank you, Luis Sustelo, Rui Rocha and Rita Lima for making me think about all my inconsistencies and contradictions. Because this is who I am: contradictory. To be honest, I guess we all are. Coherence is synonymous with perfection: is there anybody out there who is perfect?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I also want to thank to Fabio Caetano, Marta F. Cardoso, and Rafic Daud. Thank you for your affection, advice and, most important of all, for believing in this project and its values. Thank you to my friends Ana Monteiro, Sílvia Saiote, and Telma Monteiro because every single day you allow me to be a better version of my previous self. Thank you to the people who have been following my page on Facebook because, through your parental care, you help me walk on this path. Essentially, thank you to my (big) family, friends and my dear mom – Maria de Lourdes. (This blog is a little tribute to the “Big Woman” you are!) Thank you Sir. Eusébio da Silva Ferreira for your substance, for your example and your love to the jersey – which is also mine: Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Thank you to all those people out there who are role models to me and who inspire me in wide distinct ways. I am unconditionally grateful to you.

CREDITS

Photography: Luís Sustelo

Photography assistant: Rita Lima

Make-Up: Ani Toledo (Da Vinci Pincéis)

Athlete/Model: Célio Dias