Elena Usanova

As a kid, I wanted to become an artiste (that’s what the name of the profession used to be back in the day), as the time went by, this ambition grew stronger and stronger and eventually evolved into a dream called “actress”. There was a point when I even got a lead part in some comedy. Came out quite nice, but a one-role actress is almost like a one-song singer. You’ve got to rather concentrate on one thing, but do it really well. Otherwise all the talents God blessed you with will be spread thin and your efforts will go to waste anyway.

I enjoy working with my own hands.

When I get old, that’s, probably, when I’ll finally be an actress (smiles)… or a highly successful retired old lady who loves travelling. The way I imagine myself after retirement, I am actively exploring the world.

The last place on earth that I’ve fallen in love with was Riviera Maya, Mexico. The sea of an incredible colour, as if it has been photoshop edited, beaches everywhere, and jungle, and iguanas… And it was the way I felt inside that made me realize that this is the country I want to keep coming back to again and again.

When you decide to settle down, it has to be where your roots are, your friends, and everything else that gives you serenity of mind; and as for comforting luxuries, you can always go visit other countries for that.

A friend is a person who is close to your heart, so close that when you’re with them, it feels as if you were completely exposed, your true self. A friend is someone who knows you well and doesn’t care about your issues and imperfections. He accepts them, by definition, and forgives you for who you are.

There are all sorts of different substances around us. People who are impure therefore attract impure substances, like envy and illnesses.

There must be some kind of a spiritual world beyond, otherwise there would be no intuition.

I love people. I enjoy interacting with them. Every person has something they can share with you, something that might be useful to you. Everything happens for a reason, so whoever crosses your path, even if you don’t like this person, is there for a purpose and has some message for you. You can never just throw it away, because any person can happen to be a clue you might need in your future life.

There’s one way of putting this — listen to yourself and be honest. That’s such a nice and easy thing to do!

Whatever one has to go through happens to him because he is capable of coping with it. All the punishments are either lessons to be learnt, or the results of previous karma.

Depression is just another name for exhaustion. It starts with those spiritual substances telling you: “Look what you’ve done to yourself! Now sit down and think about it.” If a person doesn’t think, he falls sick. Now all he can do is lie down and think. But what ends the depression is some confession one makes to himself and a promise that follows it.

Love is the way we feel, harmony, completeness, selflessness, non-greediness, non-egoism. It’s within us and it affects everything around us.

True love is when you wish this person, wherever he is, whoever he is with, all the very best, and just want him to be happy. When you’re not afraid to lose what doesn’t belong to you, but just love and let this feeling fill you. That’s really cool, but it takes a lot of work.

The one who lives in harmony with his inner world is a truly integral person.

I’ve always been a rebel and played by my own rules, I wasn’t afraid to argue with teachers. I believed that school was a punishment and was convinced that the world I belong to is different and lies beyond its walls.

I used to be very naughty, used to fight with boys. I was once even given a letter for the parents, saying: “Dear parents, could you, please, come to school to meet the parents of the three boys who were beaten up by your daughter at the school canteen.” I don’t remember that though (smiles). I remember how when I was at kindergarten, I got so cross with the teacher, that when the time came to go for a walk outside, I just left. I was only five, but I walked three kilometres to get home, and I made it!

Men hate to be rectified.

When you’re irritated by something, what you should do is take a look at yourself in a mirror. Then you’ll realize that the source of the irritation lies in you.

Everybody’s talking about “the end of times” that will come in 2012, which is the reason why a lot of people have this idea stuck in their minds, consciously or subconsciously. You realize that future is inevitable. So why fear it and cause panic? The way I see it, we should live here and now. We don’t even know what’s going to happen to us in a minute’s time! When this “end of times” comes, then we’ll bother about dealing with it. Let’s solve problems as they emerge (smiles).

The man of the future is the one who can understand things before they even happen.