my musing for today:
For quite some time I've been acutely aware of my sixth sense. Because of my gender it could be referred to as woman's intuition and I guess I'm okay with that too. My experiences with it so far have ranged from having an impending sense of doom to specifically not liking a situation when I encounter it for no apparent reason.
The first time I can really remember this happening was at volleyball camp between my junior and senior year of high school. I'm good at volleyball. Not professional level, but I was good and certainly one of the best on my team. The last few days at camp, I couldn't even bump the ball. My coach took me out of the rotation and we were both dumbfounded at what was wrong with me. After I returned home from camp, I found out my family hadn't wanted to spoil my time at camp by telling me that my beloved grandfather had died that on the day I started playing terribly.
The next time I clearly had a bad feeling about a person. It was within a group of friends and at the time, I only tried to get the person closest to me away from that person, but he didn't buy my 'having a feeling.' I felt forced to ignore the feeling since we were all in a a group of friends. Big mistake. Bad people can't hide their true colors forever, so when I was proven right the situation was just terrible for everyone involved, but especially me.
It's happened on smaller scales as well. I can also get the feeling but have it go away. Today, I sat I my desk shifting uncomfortably with the impending sense of doom feeling when a friend texted me to see how work was going. I was honest and within the span of our conversation, the reason behind the feeling revealed itself. The reason is more like another potentially bad situation, but it's too soon to tell if it will end in the worse way possible. We'll see.
Sorry to be so cryptic in this post and not reveal all the juicy details of these stories. My policy has always been that those who need know the details, will. This musing is more about my strong intuition and how I've learned to recognize it as a defense mechanism. That's why it is my blessing and my curse.
20 February 2013
18 February 2013
die doing what you love or live doing the mundane?
my musing for today:
I felt a moment of swelling emotions as I read this article today on MSN about a young couple who died during their journey to cycle around the world. They were both struck and killed by a truck while biking through Thailand. The tragic circumstances of this situation isn't what got to me; the reactions of their loved ones did. They were quoted as saying things along the lines of 'they died doing what they loved' and 'they didn't just talk about doing this, they did it.' Is it morbid to think that I love this attitude and would hope to have that said about me?
I feel like if it were my family - passionate and crazy as they are - they would probably be inclined to be upset that I had put myself in danger in the first place, essentially robbing them of my presence in their lives (sounds selfish of them I know, but they do love me so). These people left behind though immediately recognized that although this couple was in their early 30's and still had their whole lives ahead of them, they lived and died passionately in pursuit of their dream. How could they be upset with that?
This leads me to the title of this post. Someone in the comments actually said they'd rather be alive and pushing paperwork at some desk than to die, even if it was doing something they love. As soon as read this, I involuntarily leaned back a bit and shook my head as my brain was processing this information and vehemently rejecting it.
Maybe it sounds selfish of me and would be interpreted by my family as such (like I mused). However, I often check myself to make sure I'm really living and not merely existing. I want to be pursuing dreams and having amazing experiences that enrich my life. If I died in pursuit of this (knock on wood), then I'd hope to be remembered that way.
R.I.P. to these young and passionate people. You are being remembered for the incredible life you lead and not for your untimely demise.
I felt a moment of swelling emotions as I read this article today on MSN about a young couple who died during their journey to cycle around the world. They were both struck and killed by a truck while biking through Thailand. The tragic circumstances of this situation isn't what got to me; the reactions of their loved ones did. They were quoted as saying things along the lines of 'they died doing what they loved' and 'they didn't just talk about doing this, they did it.' Is it morbid to think that I love this attitude and would hope to have that said about me?
I feel like if it were my family - passionate and crazy as they are - they would probably be inclined to be upset that I had put myself in danger in the first place, essentially robbing them of my presence in their lives (sounds selfish of them I know, but they do love me so). These people left behind though immediately recognized that although this couple was in their early 30's and still had their whole lives ahead of them, they lived and died passionately in pursuit of their dream. How could they be upset with that?
This leads me to the title of this post. Someone in the comments actually said they'd rather be alive and pushing paperwork at some desk than to die, even if it was doing something they love. As soon as read this, I involuntarily leaned back a bit and shook my head as my brain was processing this information and vehemently rejecting it.
Maybe it sounds selfish of me and would be interpreted by my family as such (like I mused). However, I often check myself to make sure I'm really living and not merely existing. I want to be pursuing dreams and having amazing experiences that enrich my life. If I died in pursuit of this (knock on wood), then I'd hope to be remembered that way.
R.I.P. to these young and passionate people. You are being remembered for the incredible life you lead and not for your untimely demise.
a serendipitous occurence
my musing for today:
I was discussing future plans with a friend today and revealed how serendipitous the timing of my return home in August will be. I mean, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but so far I've received news of three other friends moving back to Miami around the same time that I am. Three friends who have been living their separate lives in separate places, all of whom I am close with and will definitely be seeing much of if they're in town.
How does that just happen?!
I know I'll be dealing with the stress and emotions involved with reverse culture shock, so although I like to call this serendipitous, I know it's a little help from above to help me fill the voids that will be missing from my life.
It's funny.. usually with these kind of things, I can only see their purpose looking back; It's strange to think I'm connecting the dots looking forward. Strange and comforting.
I was discussing future plans with a friend today and revealed how serendipitous the timing of my return home in August will be. I mean, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but so far I've received news of three other friends moving back to Miami around the same time that I am. Three friends who have been living their separate lives in separate places, all of whom I am close with and will definitely be seeing much of if they're in town.
How does that just happen?!
I know I'll be dealing with the stress and emotions involved with reverse culture shock, so although I like to call this serendipitous, I know it's a little help from above to help me fill the voids that will be missing from my life.
It's funny.. usually with these kind of things, I can only see their purpose looking back; It's strange to think I'm connecting the dots looking forward. Strange and comforting.
28 January 2013
life of π
*spoiler alert* There are spoilers in here. You've been warned. And don't say you're the type who doesn't mind spoilers - this book/movie is too good for that.
I went to go see Life of Pi last weekend and I can honestly say that a movie hasn't captured my attention and stirred my soul like that in a very long time (and yes I did go see Les Mis - ugh). I was in great company too which only enhanced my experience. Because honestly, when you're the only two people laughing at the perfect irony in a line like, "but Columbus was sailing for India!," you just appreciate it all a little more. That and laughing at Richard Parker whenever he'd revert to being a big 'ole pussycat was priceless.
These days it seems all movies are either remakes or based on a bestselling book. I'd heard of the book, but my friend and I didn't actually know if this was a true story or not. It's not. And that makes the story even better because at the end you are truly able to choose which story to believe. I wasn't blown away by the twist that he had masked a gruesome story with one of a spiritual journey. Instead, the spiritual journey was so compelling that it was almost unimportant to learn of what really transpired. But that scene where he is describing what really happened is so powerful that it makes me glad I hadn't read the book first.
First, I'll say something about the non-spiritual elements of the movie. The life they depicted of India in the 1970s, together with the setting of Pondicherry made India such a more alluring place than what one hears about India these days - just beautiful. As a novice, I found the acting to be perfect. I was so glad that they were an unknown cast as it could have been distracting to see any familiar faces on screen. On top of these elements, the music did more than just fit the movie, it complemented it and raised it to that level of enchantment. It's not surprising that Mychael Danna won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score (we have yet to see what other awards this film will win).
The story and the way it was told were incredible of course, but the two biggest things I took away from the movie were more at the bookends of the film. First, earlier on, we see how young Pi is incredibly sincere in his search for God, something highly unusual for a boy his age. As a result, he becomes a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. - that's a lot of theology on your plate young man. An important scene is when Pi and his father have a discussion at the dinner table about it. Pi has just finished praying when his father tells him that he doesn't mind if his son opposes his own beliefs (being that science is more real than God), but as long as Pi has applied reason, he can live with it.
For quite some time now, I've been seeing the truths that religions and faiths other than my own have. While I was growing up, I was taught that Christianity is the only way and while not outright stated, it was implied that everything about other religions was wrong. Subconsciously I held this belief to be true. I do believe in only one God, but to think that other religions hold no truth of their own is ignorant and insulting to one's own intelligence. No one sat me down to tell me this. I learned it from my own observation much like Pi. He was not persuaded by words, but by knowledge. After learning about the life of Christ, young Pi says, 'I like this Son of God' and bam, he was a Christian. I am still surrounded by minds that can't comprehend the virtues in other religions and would call it heresy to abide by any of them while calling myself a Christian, but deep down I know who I am in Christ. Ironic anyway is that many of the 'foreign' religious principles I abide by and believe to be true translate into Christianity, but are just thought of in different terms. Things like the belief in karma or the principle of meditation; divinity in nature and many forms of prayer.
"Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat wearing Muslims." - Pi, Life of Pi
No one but God can know the heart of a believer. If someone is following three religions because they aren't really sure which is true, you'll see the manifestation in their lives. If they follow three religions because they see the value in each, you'll see it then too. Most apparently are those who you only hear about as being religious but don't act it out in any way. God doesn't judge by your works but by your faith. If you need to boast about your works, then it is time reevaluate your faith. Since a person't faith is such a personal aspect about them, seeing Pi's spiritual awakening and the faith he carried with him was touching.
The second thing I that really moved me is something adult Pi says after recounting his story to the writer. In speaking of Richard Parker he says, "I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once. That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart." Harsh reality. Richard Parker is no longer the guru on his spiritual journey, but the animal that he is - cold, harsh, and uncaring. It leads adult Pi to say something I already knew to be painfully true since it's something I've had to learn on my own like he did.
It is important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said, but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse... All of life is an act of letting go, but what hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.'
In my spiritual journey, a Jain nun once taught me that when those who are spiteful and angry do not give you the chance to end things properly, writing a letter to unburden your mind and heart of things unsaid is an option. The letter doesn't have to be sent. Simply the act of writing out what you need to say it cathartic enough. I've written two and sent both. I prefer speaking in person, but in my cases this has been the only way to end things as properly as possible.
This is a movie that everyone needs to see. It takes you out of your comfort zone, dazzles your senses, and intrigues the mind. I feel that when someone sees this movie will greatly affect what kind of impact the movie has on them, so whether you're in a place to enjoy a giant cat doing giant cat things or feeling inclined towards enlightenment, watch it.
I went to go see Life of Pi last weekend and I can honestly say that a movie hasn't captured my attention and stirred my soul like that in a very long time (and yes I did go see Les Mis - ugh). I was in great company too which only enhanced my experience. Because honestly, when you're the only two people laughing at the perfect irony in a line like, "but Columbus was sailing for India!," you just appreciate it all a little more. That and laughing at Richard Parker whenever he'd revert to being a big 'ole pussycat was priceless.
First, I'll say something about the non-spiritual elements of the movie. The life they depicted of India in the 1970s, together with the setting of Pondicherry made India such a more alluring place than what one hears about India these days - just beautiful. As a novice, I found the acting to be perfect. I was so glad that they were an unknown cast as it could have been distracting to see any familiar faces on screen. On top of these elements, the music did more than just fit the movie, it complemented it and raised it to that level of enchantment. It's not surprising that Mychael Danna won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score (we have yet to see what other awards this film will win).
The story and the way it was told were incredible of course, but the two biggest things I took away from the movie were more at the bookends of the film. First, earlier on, we see how young Pi is incredibly sincere in his search for God, something highly unusual for a boy his age. As a result, he becomes a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. - that's a lot of theology on your plate young man. An important scene is when Pi and his father have a discussion at the dinner table about it. Pi has just finished praying when his father tells him that he doesn't mind if his son opposes his own beliefs (being that science is more real than God), but as long as Pi has applied reason, he can live with it.
For quite some time now, I've been seeing the truths that religions and faiths other than my own have. While I was growing up, I was taught that Christianity is the only way and while not outright stated, it was implied that everything about other religions was wrong. Subconsciously I held this belief to be true. I do believe in only one God, but to think that other religions hold no truth of their own is ignorant and insulting to one's own intelligence. No one sat me down to tell me this. I learned it from my own observation much like Pi. He was not persuaded by words, but by knowledge. After learning about the life of Christ, young Pi says, 'I like this Son of God' and bam, he was a Christian. I am still surrounded by minds that can't comprehend the virtues in other religions and would call it heresy to abide by any of them while calling myself a Christian, but deep down I know who I am in Christ. Ironic anyway is that many of the 'foreign' religious principles I abide by and believe to be true translate into Christianity, but are just thought of in different terms. Things like the belief in karma or the principle of meditation; divinity in nature and many forms of prayer.
"Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat wearing Muslims." - Pi, Life of Pi
No one but God can know the heart of a believer. If someone is following three religions because they aren't really sure which is true, you'll see the manifestation in their lives. If they follow three religions because they see the value in each, you'll see it then too. Most apparently are those who you only hear about as being religious but don't act it out in any way. God doesn't judge by your works but by your faith. If you need to boast about your works, then it is time reevaluate your faith. Since a person't faith is such a personal aspect about them, seeing Pi's spiritual awakening and the faith he carried with him was touching.
The second thing I that really moved me is something adult Pi says after recounting his story to the writer. In speaking of Richard Parker he says, "I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once. That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart." Harsh reality. Richard Parker is no longer the guru on his spiritual journey, but the animal that he is - cold, harsh, and uncaring. It leads adult Pi to say something I already knew to be painfully true since it's something I've had to learn on my own like he did.
It is important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said, but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse... All of life is an act of letting go, but what hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.'
In my spiritual journey, a Jain nun once taught me that when those who are spiteful and angry do not give you the chance to end things properly, writing a letter to unburden your mind and heart of things unsaid is an option. The letter doesn't have to be sent. Simply the act of writing out what you need to say it cathartic enough. I've written two and sent both. I prefer speaking in person, but in my cases this has been the only way to end things as properly as possible.
This is a movie that everyone needs to see. It takes you out of your comfort zone, dazzles your senses, and intrigues the mind. I feel that when someone sees this movie will greatly affect what kind of impact the movie has on them, so whether you're in a place to enjoy a giant cat doing giant cat things or feeling inclined towards enlightenment, watch it.
06 January 2013
The 30 Day 'End of the World' Challenge: Whoops!
Haha! Well, I missed doing this and spent the end of the world flying across it to warmer climates. But knowing that some of you were expecting it, I decided to finish anyway.
The 30 Day 'End of the World' Challenge:
Day 1 - Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.
I am taken. We have a great relationship, not perfect, but it's what most would hope for.
Day 2 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years.
In 10 years, I'd like to be blissfully married with at least one child. I hope by then I will have found my calling, so that I can be happily and fully engaged in leaving whatever my legacy on earth will be.
Day 3 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Ideally, they would be that if they don't harm or affect others negatively, then go as wild as you like. Unfortunately, people are stupid. Because of this, those who are found guilty of harming or affecting others with their use of either of these should be fined, jailed, or flayed depending on the degree of harm.
Day 4 - Your views on religion.
Organized religion is a tool of man whether for good or evil. One should have faith and a personal relationship with their Creator and rejoice in the fellowship of those like-minded in their beliefs. Your personal beliefs should not impose on anyone else and if you succeed in converting someone to your faith as a result of your actions and not your theology, you're doing it right.
Day 5 - A time you thought about ending your own life.
N/A
Day 6 - Describe something you're passionate about.
Photography! I get really excited to when my surrounding inspire me photograph them. I've even started to day dream about my trips in terms of how the photos will turn out. When I share them, I really try to tell a story through them. From the feedback, I think I'm doing a good job so far.
Day 7 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.
I'm a fire tiger, Sagittarius and it definitely fits me. I don't believe horoscopes but it's fun to see what your personality type and quirks are based on these things and I do find them to fit.
Day 8 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.
Sitting at the top of Mt. Fuji. I felt like it validated some of the most important life decisions I had made up until that point.
Day 9 - Do you think people have the wrong impression of you?
All the time.
Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.
Puppy love no longer counts, so in that case what I'll say is that despite our bumpy start, it's proven to be a love of a lifetime. The first kiss? It was magical and ordained as a spectacle for the gods.
Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.
Blink 182 - Rock Show
Kid Cudi - Day and Night (Crookers Remix)
Tool - Schism
Frou Frou - Let Go
Kanye West - Good Life
Death Cab for Cutie - Sleep Spent
Aurora - Ordinary World
Minus the Bear - Intro
Nujabes - Next View
Ayla - Angelfalls
Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.
Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.
Europe! From my one and only visit, I can tell that I would do well there. I don't think anyone can see all there is to see in Europe even if you lived there all your life, but I'll give it a go.
Day 14 - Your earliest memory.
Eating a french fry.
Day 15 - If you could turn back time, is there anything you'd do differently?
Yes. High School for starters.
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music.
It's fun.
Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year.
Lows - missing out on important events back home.
Highs - accomplishing all and more of my travel goals.
Day 18 - Your beliefs.
Love all, trust few, do wrong to none.
Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents.
A thing of my juvenile past.
Day 20 - How important you think education is.
Important, but not as important as experience.
Day 21 - One of your favorite shows.
So so many. One of my new favorites is Downton Abbey. It's magnificent.
Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?
Well, I've been living abroad and have changed dramatically in 2 years as a result of being completely independent for the first time in my life. Only those who have lived apart from everything they hold dear and familiar can know the subtle ways this changes someone, but in summary, I've matured quite a bit. It's been invaluable.
Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous who you find attractive.
I can't be bothered to do that so I'll just name them:
Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it’s about.
What Dreams May Come. It's about the lengths one goes for true love.
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why.
Me. I constantly surprise myself.
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you.
Confident, funny, and kind.
Day 27 - A problem that you have had.
Connecting.
Day 28 - Something that you miss.
Those days and nights at FIU when anything could happen.
Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days.
Read, write, plan, publish.
Day 30 - Your highs and lows of this month
-The month is young so I'll consider from this day last month till this one-
Lows - thinking honesty really was the best policy
Highs - hitting another JETset goal and going to Singapore!
The 30 Day 'End of the World' Challenge:
Day 1 - Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.
I am taken. We have a great relationship, not perfect, but it's what most would hope for.
Day 2 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years.
In 10 years, I'd like to be blissfully married with at least one child. I hope by then I will have found my calling, so that I can be happily and fully engaged in leaving whatever my legacy on earth will be.
Day 3 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Ideally, they would be that if they don't harm or affect others negatively, then go as wild as you like. Unfortunately, people are stupid. Because of this, those who are found guilty of harming or affecting others with their use of either of these should be fined, jailed, or flayed depending on the degree of harm.
Day 4 - Your views on religion.
Organized religion is a tool of man whether for good or evil. One should have faith and a personal relationship with their Creator and rejoice in the fellowship of those like-minded in their beliefs. Your personal beliefs should not impose on anyone else and if you succeed in converting someone to your faith as a result of your actions and not your theology, you're doing it right.
Day 5 - A time you thought about ending your own life.
N/A
Day 6 - Describe something you're passionate about.
Photography! I get really excited to when my surrounding inspire me photograph them. I've even started to day dream about my trips in terms of how the photos will turn out. When I share them, I really try to tell a story through them. From the feedback, I think I'm doing a good job so far.
Day 7 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.
I'm a fire tiger, Sagittarius and it definitely fits me. I don't believe horoscopes but it's fun to see what your personality type and quirks are based on these things and I do find them to fit.
Day 8 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.
Sitting at the top of Mt. Fuji. I felt like it validated some of the most important life decisions I had made up until that point.
Day 9 - Do you think people have the wrong impression of you?
All the time.
Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.
Puppy love no longer counts, so in that case what I'll say is that despite our bumpy start, it's proven to be a love of a lifetime. The first kiss? It was magical and ordained as a spectacle for the gods.
Day 11 - Put your ipod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.
Blink 182 - Rock Show
Kid Cudi - Day and Night (Crookers Remix)
Tool - Schism
Frou Frou - Let Go
Kanye West - Good Life
Death Cab for Cutie - Sleep Spent
Aurora - Ordinary World
Minus the Bear - Intro
Nujabes - Next View
Ayla - Angelfalls
Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.
- Woke up.
- Went back to bed.
- Woke up.
- Laid in bed on my iPhone for an hour.
- Layered up to come to work.
- Sat at my desk at work all day catching up on varied interests.
- Drove home and huddled around the heater for warmth.
- Debated whether the kitchen is too cold and whether just have crackers for dinner...again.
- Watch all my favorite YouTubers and TV shows. Or play on the Wii. Or read on my iPad.
- Pass out at 11:00pm.
Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.
Europe! From my one and only visit, I can tell that I would do well there. I don't think anyone can see all there is to see in Europe even if you lived there all your life, but I'll give it a go.
Day 14 - Your earliest memory.
Eating a french fry.
Day 15 - If you could turn back time, is there anything you'd do differently?
Yes. High School for starters.
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music.
It's fun.
Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year.
Lows - missing out on important events back home.
Highs - accomplishing all and more of my travel goals.
Day 18 - Your beliefs.
Love all, trust few, do wrong to none.
Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents.
A thing of my juvenile past.
Day 20 - How important you think education is.
Important, but not as important as experience.
Day 21 - One of your favorite shows.
So so many. One of my new favorites is Downton Abbey. It's magnificent.
Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?
Well, I've been living abroad and have changed dramatically in 2 years as a result of being completely independent for the first time in my life. Only those who have lived apart from everything they hold dear and familiar can know the subtle ways this changes someone, but in summary, I've matured quite a bit. It's been invaluable.
Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous who you find attractive.
I can't be bothered to do that so I'll just name them:
- Robert Pattinson (when he's not Edward Cullen)
- Alexander Skarsgard (especially when he's Eric Northman)
- Brad Pitt (especially around the Fight Club era)
- Vin Diesel (all day long)
- David Beckham (especially when modeling)
Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it’s about.
What Dreams May Come. It's about the lengths one goes for true love.
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why.
Me. I constantly surprise myself.
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you.
Confident, funny, and kind.
Day 27 - A problem that you have had.
Connecting.
Day 28 - Something that you miss.
Those days and nights at FIU when anything could happen.
Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days.
Read, write, plan, publish.
Day 30 - Your highs and lows of this month
-The month is young so I'll consider from this day last month till this one-
Lows - thinking honesty really was the best policy
Highs - hitting another JETset goal and going to Singapore!
27 November 2012
alas..the end of the world is nigh!
Despite what I said in a recent post about day-by-day challenges, I have been summoned by none another than the aspiring globetrotter to join one so I must heed the call (plus it has an amusing title).
The 30 Day 'End of the World' Challenge:
Day 1 - Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.
Day 2 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years.
Day 3 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 4 - Your views on religion.
Day 5 - A time you thought about ending your own life.
Day 6 - Describe something you're passionate about.
Day 7 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.
Day 8 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.
Day 9 - Do you think people have the wrong impression of you?
Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.
Day 11 - Put your iPod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.
Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.
Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.
Day 14 - Your earliest memory.
Day 15 - If you could turn back time, is there anything you'd do differently?
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music.
Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year.
Day 18 - Your beliefs.
Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents.
Day 20 - How important you think education is.
Day 21 - One of your favorite shows.
Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?
Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous who you find attractive.
Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it’s about.
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why.
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you.
Day 27 - A problem that you have had.
Day 28 - Something that you miss.
Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days.
Day 30 - Your highs and lows of this month
The 30 Day 'End of the World' Challenge:
Day 1 - Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.
Day 2 - Where you’d like to be in 10 years.
Day 3 - Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 4 - Your views on religion.
Day 5 - A time you thought about ending your own life.
Day 6 - Describe something you're passionate about.
Day 7 - Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.
Day 8 - A moment you felt the most satisfied with your life.
Day 9 - Do you think people have the wrong impression of you?
Day 10 - Discuss your first love and first kiss.
Day 11 - Put your iPod on shuffle and write 10 songs that pop up.
Day 12 - Bullet your whole day.
Day 13 - Somewhere you’d like to move or visit.
Day 14 - Your earliest memory.
Day 15 - If you could turn back time, is there anything you'd do differently?
Day 16 - Your views on mainstream music.
Day 17 - Your highs and lows of this past year.
Day 18 - Your beliefs.
Day 19 - Disrespecting your parents.
Day 20 - How important you think education is.
Day 21 - One of your favorite shows.
Day 22 - How have you changed in the past 2 years?
Day 23 - Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous who you find attractive.
Day 24 - Your favorite movie and what it’s about.
Day 25 - Someone who fascinates you and why.
Day 26 - What kind of person attracts you.
Day 27 - A problem that you have had.
Day 28 - Something that you miss.
Day 29 - Goals for the next 30 days.
Day 30 - Your highs and lows of this month
03 November 2012
another challenge!
[Update] I started Lolita and had to put it down. I decided that I couldn't waste my time on a the thoughts of a pedophile. I picked up 'Shanghai Baby,' as a replacement for it's similarly controversial status and scandalous theme. I will post a review soon!
Wait! It's not what you think! I just said in a recent post that I let this blog get too hung up with different list challenges, but this isn't one of those day by day challenges. Instead it's a great challenge to read 30 influential and reputable books before you turn 30. I currently have a good amount of time before that happens, so I figured I'd get started. I've heard of 95% of these books, read only 5% (at the time of this post), and am looking forward to reading about 50% of them.
I say 'looking forward to' based on the title and description of the books and of course from what I know about them already. I hope to be pleasantly surprised by many and learn a lot in the process. For me this is about being a part of the 'ongoing conversation' with my own input and not being reliant on what others say because I haven't taken the time to read these books for myself. Regardless of what I think of the books or the content, I know I will be better off for reading them and bettering myself in the process.
Just looking at the list, I'll say that I'm most intimidated by 'War and Peace' because that thing is brick, not a book. I'm most looking forward to the bonus book, 'Honeymoon with my Brother' because I can just imagine me and my brother doing that journey together (but hopefully NOT after getting dumped by my fiance or losing my job though!). I've seen the movie versions of several of these, so I anticipate being blown away by the differences and extra content. I've made assumptions about several others of these and hope that I'm proven wrong. I'm least looking forward to 'Crime and Punishment' because the description just doesn't interest me. I could go on, but stuff like this is to just means that I'll be jumping around in the list and not going in the order it's written.
I found this list via this great blog I follow, so all credit goes to them. :)
Wait! It's not what you think! I just said in a recent post that I let this blog get too hung up with different list challenges, but this isn't one of those day by day challenges. Instead it's a great challenge to read 30 influential and reputable books before you turn 30. I currently have a good amount of time before that happens, so I figured I'd get started. I've heard of 95% of these books, read only 5% (at the time of this post), and am looking forward to reading about 50% of them.
I say 'looking forward to' based on the title and description of the books and of course from what I know about them already. I hope to be pleasantly surprised by many and learn a lot in the process. For me this is about being a part of the 'ongoing conversation' with my own input and not being reliant on what others say because I haven't taken the time to read these books for myself. Regardless of what I think of the books or the content, I know I will be better off for reading them and bettering myself in the process.
Just looking at the list, I'll say that I'm most intimidated by 'War and Peace' because that thing is brick, not a book. I'm most looking forward to the bonus book, 'Honeymoon with my Brother' because I can just imagine me and my brother doing that journey together (but hopefully NOT after getting dumped by my fiance or losing my job though!). I've seen the movie versions of several of these, so I anticipate being blown away by the differences and extra content. I've made assumptions about several others of these and hope that I'm proven wrong. I'm least looking forward to 'Crime and Punishment' because the description just doesn't interest me. I could go on, but stuff like this is to just means that I'll be jumping around in the list and not going in the order it's written.
I found this list via this great blog I follow, so all credit goes to them. :)
- Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse – A powerful story about the importance of life experiences as they relate to approaching an understanding of reality and attaining enlightenment.
- 1984 by George Orwell – 1984 still holds chief significance nearly 60 years after it was written in 1949. It is widely acclaimed for its haunting vision of an all-knowing government which uses pervasive, 24/7 surveillance tactics to manipulate all citizens of the populace.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – The story surveys the controversial issues of race and economic class in the 1930’s Deep South via a court case of a black man charged with the rape and abuse of a young white girl. It’s a moving tale that delivers a profound message about fighting for justice and against prejudice.
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – A nightmarish vision of insane youth culture that depicts heart wrenching insight into the life of a disturbed adolescent. This novel will blow you away… leaving you breathless, livid, thrilled, and concerned.
- For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway – A short, powerful contemplation on death, ideology and the incredible brutality of war.
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – This masterpiece is so enormous even Tolstoy said it couldn’t be described as a standard novel. The storyline takes place in Russian society during the Napoleonic Era, following the characters of Andrei, Pierre and Natasha… and the tragic and unanticipated way in which their lives interconnect.
- The Rights of Man by Tom Paine – Written during the era of the French Revolution, this book was one of the first to introduce the concept of human rights from the standpoint of democracy.
- The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau – A famous quote from the book states that “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” This accurately summarizes the book’s prime position on the importance of individual human rights within society.
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez – This novel does not have a plot in the conventional sense, but instead uses various narratives to portray a clear message about the general importance of remembering our cultural history.
- The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin – Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
- The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton – A collection of thoughts, meditations and reflections that give insight into what life is like to live simply and purely, dedicated to a greater power than ourselves.
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham – Arguably one of the best children’s books ever written; this short novel will help you appreciate the simple pleasures in life. It’s most notable for its playful mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie.
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu – One of the oldest books on military strategy in the world. It’s easily the most successful written work on the mechanics of general strategy and business tactics.
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – One of the greatest fictional stories ever told, and by far one of the most popular and influential written works in 20th-century literature. Once you pick up the first book, you’ll read them all.
- David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”
- Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot – Probably the wisest poetic prose of modern times. It was written during World War II, and is still entirely relevant today… here’s an excerpt: “The dove descending breaks the air/With flame of incandescent terror/Of which the tongues declare/The only discharge from sin and error/The only hope, or the despair/Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre–/To be redeemed from fire by fire./Who then devised this torment?/Love/Love is the unfamiliar Name/Behind the hands that wave/The intolerable shirt of flame/Which human power cannot remove./We only live, only suspire/Consumed by either fire or fire.”
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller – This book coined the self-titled term “catch-22” that is widely used in modern-day dialogue. As for the story, its message is clear: What’s commonly held to be good, may be bad… what is sensible, is nonsense. Its one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century. Read it.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Set in the Jazz Age of the roaring 20’s, this book unravels a cautionary tale of the American dream. Specifically, the reader learns that a few good friends are far more important that a zillion acquaintances, and the drive created from the desire to have something is more valuable than actually having it.
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – This novel firmly stands as an icon for accurately representing the ups and downs of teen angst, defiance and rebellion. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of the unpredictable teenage mindset.
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – A smooth-flowing, captivating novel of a young man living in poverty who criminally succumbs to the desire for money, and the hefty phychological impact this has on him and the people closest to him.
- The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli – This book does a great job at describing situations of power and statesmanship. From political and corporate power struggles to attaining advancement, influence and authority over others, Machiavelli’s observations apply.
- Walden by Henry David Thoreau – Thoreau spent two years, two months and two days writing this book in a secluded cabin near the banks of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. This is a story about being truly free from the pressures of society. The book can speak for itself: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
- The Republic by Plato – A gripping and enduring work of philosophy on how life should be lived, justice should be served, and leaders should lead. It also gives the reader a fundamental understanding of western political theory.
Lolita – This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption… and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful.- Getting Things Done by David Allen – The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said.
- How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – This is the granddaddy of all self-improvement books. It is a comprehensive, easy to read guide for winning people over to your way of thinking in both business and personal relationships.
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding – A powerful and alarming look at the possibilities for savagery in a lawless environment, where compassionate human reasoning is replaced by anarchistic, animal instinct.
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – Steinbeck’s deeply touching tale about the survival of displaced families desperately searching for work in a nation stuck by depression will never cease to be relevant.
- The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov – This anticommunist masterpiece is a multifaceted novel about the clash between good and evil. It dives head first into the topics of greed, corruption and deception as they relate to human nature.
- BONUS: How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and you’ll be a master chef by the time you’re 30.
- BONUS: Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner – Franz Wisner had it all… a great job and a beautiful fiancée. Life was good. But then his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back… around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery.
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