Open Your Eyes and Your Mind
by Jose Antonio Carranza

This is not an old movie review of Penélope Cruz's performance in the English version of "Abre tus Ojos", but an insight that I think many of you will appreciate. As an MBA student at the Fisher College of Business, I had the opportunity to study a quarter abroad in SDA Bocconi (university) in Milan, Italy. Besides being excited about the fact that Bocconi is a very well-known and respected business school, I was looking forward to four months of traveling, artistic enrichment, great food, and yes, red wine.
I am a native of Lima, Peru and for me coming to the US to live and study marked a crucial step in my personal development. Learning a different language, adapting to a new culture, and living a different lifestyle helped me to open up my mind to new ideologies, and to appreciate diversity. Now, I had the opportunity to live in the Old Continent and once again feed my soul.
Italia has to be one of the most beautiful countries around the world with one of the richest histories. As I traveled, by train and by car, through the many different small towns and big cities, my eyes were wide open admiring the beauty of nature and the magnificent works of human kind. "The Last Supper" by Leonardo DaVinci, the "Pietà" by Michelangelo, and the "Colosseum" constructed by the Romans are simply a few of the great works of this ancient civilization. But more than just admiring the beauty with my eyes, I was able to understand and appreciate a different way of looking at life.
Through out Europe, people tend to be less money oriented and more interested in enjoying life. All of us have different dreams and goals, which give us the inner strength that pushes us to achieve success, however we define it. But all of this does not mean anything, if we do not learn how to live. My insight to all of you is to enjoy every moment while working to achieve your goals. Sometimes we get so caught up in the struggle to earn more money, get more promotions, and complete more tasks that we forget to sit back and enjoy the moment. La vita è bella (life is beautiful), don't you forget it.
So please, next time you come in contact with something different, let it be a person, a culture, or religion, don't just Open your Eyes….Open your Mind.