September 29 + 30.

Quotes.




We come to love 
not by finding the perfect person, 
but by learning 
to see an imperfect person 
perfectly. 
Sam Keen; "To Love and Be Loved"

The other week we enjoyed putting together some crafty chocolatey gifts for our friends. Beyond the deliciousness, we shared a core lesson for life:

"It is not that I, by giving, lose. But by giving I also obtain. By taking, you join in my gain."

September 28.

Quote of the Day

---

Sorry to say, I'm out of quotes.
Or, there's a blank in my quotes.

Apparently, this time last year, I was lazy, forgot, or really had to take a break from gathering quotes, and the result is... *drumroll, please* Today we're learning the importance of silence.

Shhhhh.

September 27.

Quote of the Day

Examine what is said, not him who speaks. 
Arab Proverb

They say one of the most critical skills in life is no other than the skill to think critically. We as humans compartmentalize; it is how we make sense of things, manage the insane amount of information that we're bombarded with, and decide about an endless number of issues we're faced with throughout our lives. It's easy to let this compartmentalization - the thoughtless use of initial associations - take over, and let our thoughts and actions just follow suit.
STOP!
We're better than the kid who hates all adults because mom refused to give him candy for dinner. We're better than the old lady who won't sit next to an African American boy on the subway because she grew up in an era marked by misconceptions and open segregation. We're also better than the minds that decided to represent a nation - all the multitude included in it - with a single word. We're better than the "savages" our minds often try to make us into by searching for quick fixes, low fences, and easy ways out of thinking through problems, putting effort into our thoughts, words, and actions, and looking beyond first impressions, others' "truths" and the norm.

We're better than what we give ourselves credit for, so why not embrace that.

September 26.

Quote of the Day

As time goes on, you'll understand. 
What lasts, lasts; what doesn't, doesn't. 
Time solves most things, 
and what time can't solve, 
you have to solve yourself. 
Haruki Murakami
http://sorakeem.tumblr.com/

Not sure if my reaction to this is "duh!" or not, but it still sounds beautiful.

September 25.

Quote of the Day

Two halves don't make a whole when it comes to a healthy relationship;
it takes two wholes. 
Patricia Fry

Build yourself and your dreams before making them all about the other.
To be what another person will need you to be in a lasting relationship, you must endure the hurdle of becoming - and appreciating - who you are and what you are about.

Taking the time to get to know yourself, to learn to work on and love yourself - that's not selfish - it's caring.

September 24.

Quote of the Day

There is a time for silence. 
A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves in their own destiny. 
And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over. 
Gloria Naylor

It's important to realize, that apart from the importance of being there, it's important to let the other be.
At a certain time, guidance, words of wisdom and advice, and life lessons must be put aside for life - lived life, learned life - and that's something I can't go through for you, or really even with you.
But I can be there, in the sidelines, always a breath and a word away, so that when you did it, and survived, and learned, and grew - and maybe even more so if it shattered you to pieces - I can hold you while you gather yourself, and we can piece the puzzle together..until you must go at it on your own again.

September 23.

Quote of the Day

We were together; 
I forget the rest. 
Walt Whitman

September 21. + 22.

Quotes of the Days

I stand in awe of my body. 
H.D.Thoreau

Standing in awe and being aware of the existing potential for improvement are not exclusive categories.
Loving myself and working toward a better me go hand-in-hand.

But I love your feet
only because they walked upon the earth and upon the wing and upon the waters, 
until they found me. 
Pablo Neruda

And I love your feet
because they hold mine so perfectly when we dance
to the music our minds share -
our song.

September 20.

Quote of the Day

To feel much for others and little for ourselves;
to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, 
constitute the perfection of human nature.
Adam Smith, 
The theory of moral sentiment (1759)

September 19.

Quote of the Day

Imperfection is beauty, 
madness is genius, 
and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.
Marilyn Monroe

image from:
www.sodahead.com

September 18.

Quote of the Day

When you say 'yes' to others, 
make sure you are not saying 'no' to yourself. 
Paulo Coelho

In other words,
be brave.
In other words,
consider you.
In other words,
embrace necessary selfishness.
In other words,
prioritize yourself.
Love yourself.

Take pride in yourself -
and listen to what you have to say.

September 17.

Quote of the Day

We would often be ashamed of our most beautiful actions, if everyone saw the motives that produced them. 
Francois de la Rochefoucault

September 16.

Quote of the Day

Today's quote is originally in Finnish, but let's see if I can make a decent translation.

Susta tuntuu ulkopuoliselta, mutta älä välitä, ei se tuu jatkuu koko elämää. Sul voi olla vaikee olla, mutta älä luovuta. Sä oot nytkin jonkun unelma. 
Tuntematon


You feel like an outsider, but don't worry, it won't last a lifetime. You may have it difficult right now, but don't give up. Even now, you're someone's dream. 
Unknown

This quote will always remind me of a dear friend, one that I saw grow so much throughout the time we've been in each other's lives. Not giving up is hard to do when life seems to deal you a very tough hand, but I got to witness strength, I learned endurance, I shared in a persistent fight for survival. And the results are magnificent.

September 14 + 15.

Two days, two quotes.

Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be. 
D.J. Broostin

Where liberty is, there is my country. 
Benjamis Franklin

What does it mean to be free, to feel free, to feel able to not only be set free but to be able to let go?

September 13

Quote of the Day.

He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how. 
Nietzche, qtd. by Victor Frankl

In relationships and in life's other hurdles, 'tis true.

September 12

Quote of the Day

I said to my soul: Be still and wait, so the darkness shall be the light and the stillness the dancing. 
T.S. Eliot

Good night.

9.11

Quote of the Day

I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. 
Unknown

Quote of the Day.

A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when you're lost. 
Unknown

There is a few things I love about my best friend more than the fact that she doesn't always just listen. She also doesn't always just hand out her opinions. What she does is start sentences with "Well, knowing that you value x and y..." or "To be honest with yourself, so and so..." And while this often doesn't push me to one side or the other when making up my mind or instantly fly me over obstacles, it keeps me on my mind. It reminds me to consider the things that I value, the things that make me me, that facts and beliefs and qualities that I put first, but sometimes forget in the midst of the madness and hurdles.
And with these wise words - thank GOD - come words like "You're still you; I love you" when I've messed up, disappointed myself (or her) beyond belief, and worry that my actions or decisions might come between us.

Last - really? is this possible? - Hibernation Update.

September 6-9
Quotes of the Days. (is it revealing of my character that now all I can think of is gazing into the distance a la Days of Our Lives?)

Everyone is much more simply human than otherwise. 
E. Sullivan

Like me, not being able to stick to regular blogging, and beating myself up for not completing a task that I alone set for myself and no one will scrutinize me for not sticking to.

How to be happy: Stop comparing yourself to others.
Unknown



Do not feel lonely; the entire universe is inside you.
Unknown, from bridezillamustdie.tumblr.com

This is one of the most beautiful quotes I've posted so far.

There are people so poor that the only thing they have is money. 
Unknown

Yet another Hibernation Update.

I've stepped into quotes for September. This must be a good thing.

September 1
Quote of the Day

For the longest time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. 
Souza

It's difficult; living life like there's no tomorrow. Because you always hope there is.

September 2

When I get sad, I stop being sad and get awesome instead. 
HIMYM

Bam! Let's do it.

September 3

Our vision begins with our desires. 
Audre Lorde

I've taken a small step toward combining two dreams that I always thought I'd have to pick between. And it feels good. Not glorious, like I was going to write first, because I'm uncertain, I worry, I seem to have a lack of confidence, but good. It feels like I'm going in the right direction, it feels like I can stop second guessing myself now.

September 4

Time will pass, and seasons will come and go. 
Ray Bean

...and yet it's not all so serious. Life goes on, and - really - everyday is wonderful in its own way. Today, home-made pizza, chocolate from home, and a few episodes of Breaking Bad with my love completed a day that can also be said to have been productive enough. Not amazingly productive, but productive enough.

September 5

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. 
MLK Jr. 

Like wanting to take a break.

Hibernation update #5.

Well, hello, these are dragging out!

Anyway.
Quotes of days past - "facts of life"-series.

Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. 
Muhammad Ali, August 29

True friends stab you in the front. 
Oscar Wilde, August 30

And something to strive for in the month of September. Or October. And beyond, as I'm going through this year of thesis-writing, work-searching, and self-defining steps...

Equanimity: mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. 
 August 31

Hibernation update #4.

Here's a little advice from last month's quotes:

"Be gentle with your parents." Marion Winik, August 25

"You can have it all; you just can't have it all at once." Oprah Winfrey, August 26

"Poor and content is rich, and rich enough." William Shakespeare, August 27

Now about this...I had written "Bored and content.." and was reading it and re-reading it..and wondering what in the world could Mr. S have meant...until google saved my tired brain.

And, perhaps, the one most thought-provoking to me:

"We will not have peace by afterthought."
Unknown, August 28

Hibernation Update #3

Quote of the Day.

For some reason I had missed a quote on August 24th.Regardless, to be consistent (if anything about this blog can be viewed as consistent anymore..), I wanted to share a quote for that slot with you.

I just thought it was so romantic - the idea that you don't need to be loved in return in order to love something or someone. Love can come from you. I doesn't have to be reciprocal.
Ryan Gosling

End of hibernation update #2

September 3
Quote(s) of the Day.

So, I've been supposedly too busy to keep up with writing quotes. I also a lot of times feel supposedly too busy or too tired or too something else to work on things ahead. Tough habit to beat, but maybe the fact that "conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing" (William Feathe, August 19) and considering that "we either make ourselves miserable [by procrastinating to the point of massive stress] or we make ourselves strong [by beating a habit and moving forward in this business called success]; the amount of work is the same" (Carlos Castaneda, August 20) will help me work on it. Early assignment turn-ins and well-slept nights before finals, here I come!

Looking at my last years calendar to write these quotes makes me realize over and over again that it's been a full - successful - year since I moved to NYC. And while I don't know if it's turned me into someone different, I do walk faster than before and have the pull to go out more often. "New York City does different things to different people, even creatures" (Ernesto Quinonez, August 21), and maybe for me it's created a balance between some of my polar opposite features: it's parks and water and wind bring out the nature-awe in me almost daily, it's insane amounts of people warm my sociable soul and feed my curious people-loving mind (crazy people watching opportunities, anyone?!). The fast-paced, night-life filled streets exhilarate yet exhaust me, and I run to the quietness of the rooftop and the calming skyline for a few breaths. New York City satisfies me; I don't need to yearn for excitement nor do I miss greenery and peace.

Putting on a different gear, finally - FINALLY - I'm feeling a bit at peace with regard to my thesis. Stressing, dissatisfaction, uncertainty, a few totally brain-blocks and a nearly complete topic-overhaul later, I's doing good! (Not that I've written a single page yet, but at least I'm in the right mood to get this painful-regardless-of-how-amazing-a-topic project done!) I'm moving ahead - slowly, after starting some aspects of this research from scratch - with faith in the words of Maya Angelou: "You can only become truly accomplished at something you love" (August 22). I believe staying true to my passion and not going where the fence is the lowest will serve me well.
Food for thought: "If you're going to be passionate about something, be passionate about learning. If you're going to fight for something, fight for those in need. If you're going to question something, question authority. If you're going to lose something, lose your inhibitions. If you're going to gain something, gain respect and confidence. And if you're going to hate something, hate the false idea that you're not capable of your dreams." D. Golsturg, August 23

Happy (short) week everyone!

September 2
Hibernation has ended.

"Let us celebrate with wine and sweet words" (Plautus; August 11), say I, as the blog rises from the ashes!  Not only has this break served as a break from Quotes of the Day, but it has freed time for thought, time for myself, deliberately weighing pros and cons, truths and expectations of life.
With my relationship having gone through some not-so-easy times in the recent and not-so-recent history, it's good to have stepped into a (shared!!) space of understanding, openness, and honest-to-god dedication. Truly appreciating the fact that "Happiness is a journey not a destination" (Souza, August 12) and that it is crucial in a relationship to not forget to put time and effort into the love and the other, to really "Take care of each other" (Robert Louis Stevenson, August 13), is a lesson I've been paying close attention to in the past weeks. Prioritizing the other, not above yourself or below, but in a shared-1st-place type of way, must - (must!) - happen.
As I'm sitting here in my nightie, still rubbing the sleep off my eyes and trying to truly wake up my mind and body, I'm wondering if I'm dull or if all that I'm now writing is less than worthy, as - apparently - "Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" (Oscar Wilde, August 14). One way or the other, it's a miracle in itself that out of all the possible moments, I choose Sunday breakfast to re-invigorate the Quotations-blog.
"Never be afraid to sit awhile and think" (Lorraine Hansberry, August 15), they say, and I concur with the utmost conviction. A month of time-to-think-and-clear-my-head richer, I can truly say that just taking a step away from whatever it is that you're dealing with - a situation, a life decision, a person, yourself - is often a deceptively simple and incredibly effective way to move forward. Taking a break can work as a sort of refresh-button.

Now, there are two things I think of when reading Doug Larson's (August 16) quote "For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work." Firstly, this is the perfect excuse for why it took me an eternity to get this blog up-to-date! Second..with more work and engagements on my plate this year than ever before, I hope I can manage to play magician, and uncover some of this hidden time. Wish me luck!
School-related, again, it's interesting to think of our accomplishments - whatever they may be - as lasting, and hopefully mattering, beyond our short-ish lifespan. "Whoever teaches his son teaches not alone his son, but also his son's son, and so on to the end of generations" (Hebrew proverb, August 17) is true. Whether it's shaping the worldview and customs of a child at home, educating the youth in school, or working on people's perceptions via the arts, design, or scientific discoveries and inventions, in one way or another, my work, my efforts, my ideas and beliefs live on. What are the implications of that to how I present all of these to whoever or whatever I come in contact with?

























Maybe I'm burdening my merely-awakened brain a little too much for now, so let me leave this (first of a few) update with this: "If a word be worth one shekel, silence is worth two" (Hebrew proverb, August 18).

A deep breath in, an exhale out.
Hello world.