October's last ten.

Quotes for the Mind.

October 22. 

Autumn. 
The year's last, loveliest smile. 
William Cullen Bryant

October 23. 

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, 
fluttering from the autumn tree. 
Emily Bronte

I am in love with fall. 
Every year, it helps me breath easy, it makes me run a little faster, it catches my soul by surprise. 
The crisp air, the varied colors, the baring woods. Maybe it's a reminder of home, of cold winters, of the changing seasons that I could never imagine living without..

October 24. 

My soul and I aways dare 
to travel the uncharted land
of impossible dreams. 
Sri Chinmoy

A different view from the Brooklyn Bridge.
Courtesy of my love.

October 25.

True humility is an elephant-strength
that likes to walk lightly.
Sri Chinmoy

October 26. 

Even if something is left undone, 
everyone must take time to sit still 
and watch the leaves turn. 
Elizabeth Lawrence


October 27. 

image from: http://robotmonkeys.net/2009/04/30/design-quotes/

October 28. 

Vulnerability is the only authentic state. 
Stephen Russeau

October 29. 

Nature must not win the game, 
but she cannot lose. 
Carl Jung (quote at Bryant Park station)

While this was as bad as Hurricane Sandy hurt our neighborhood, much - MUCH - worse took place only a few miles away.
My prayers and thoughts are with our City and others, while restorations go on, lives get re-built, and the floodwaters wash away, giving way to a new start.

October 30. 

If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be. 
Yogi Berra

October 31. 

When nobody else celebrates you, celebrate yourself. 
Joel Osteen

take 18 of "serious passport picture"

HAPPY NOVEMBER!! [That much closer to Christmas, our 5-year anniversary, and my (possibly last) graduation!]

October 13 +.

So...we've - or I've - taken quite a break here.
I've been stormed by stress surrounding midterms, wrapping my brain around my ever-morphing thesis,  and - most recently - setting up some exciting prospects for the coming year.
But (!) ..I'm back in business, and hoping to catch up on the last 2+ weeks. Goodness: 2+ weeks.

Anyhow.
Quotes of the past days for your reading pleasure.

[+ photos from my recent trip to Toronto for your viewing pleasure.]

October 13.
People learn to lead because they care about something. 

Charlotte Bunch

I've been struggling.
Struggling with motivation for the various things going on in my life.
Struggling with seeing the goal at the end of all this as worth working so hard for.
Struggling with convincing myself that this is what I want.

It's interesting what a difference it makes when you give your heart the freedom to show you that you've gone wrong - and you listen!
I'm on my way to discovering what a detour I'm taking will look like, where it'll lead me, and how it'll - if it'll - find it's way back to the main road.

Cheers to caring enough to take a chance - and getting lucky!

October 14. 

I think it's intoxicating when somebody is so unapologetically who they are. 
Don Cheadle

And with this, he has me at hello. 

October 15. 

Sometimes when you wonder why you can't hear god's voice during your trials [or doubts], remember, the teacher is always quiet during the test. 
Unknown

Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. And exhale.
All I can really do is trust in what I know now. The test results will follow eventually - and usually - when it really matters - there's a chance for a re-take, if need be.

October 16. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; on your own intelligence rely not. 
Proverbs 3:5

How else am I to know the Lord or know what it is that I'm supposed to trust about the Lord and the Lord's infinite wisdom, if not by relying on the intelligence I was given by the Lord?
If someone could explain this concept to me, I would be that much smarter. But maybe that's not the point.

October 17. 

Little by little, one travels far.
J.R.R. Tolkien

Even the simple act of reading these words calms my soul. Little, but still. 
I feel by being honest with myself, by pushing myself to move away from what I've tried to convince myself is right toward what I've tried to convince myself is secondary...
I'm taking the first baby step. 

October 18. 

Whatever you do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it. 
Goethe

And....dive.

I am ever so excited, and equally as nervous - even a little unsure - about what my spring is shaping up to be.
Let's hope this small act of persistence breeds boldness, magic, and splendid new prospects. Best case scenario -- I've really, truly, found my niche!

October 19.

I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart. 
Van Gogh

It's exhausting, but how could I not?

October 20. 

Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made [...] They remember your beauty when you feel ugly, [...] and your purpose when you are confused. 
Alan Cohen 

October 21. 

Everything will be ok in the end. 
If it's not ok -- it's not the end. 
Unknown 

To new beginnings, alternative directions, and making a spot for yourself wherever you are.

October 12.

Quote of the Night

-You're gonna break my heart!
-Don't worry; I'll sew it back together. 
Christian + Elion

Great night!

October 11.

Quote of the Day

You go to prison as punishment; 
you don't go to prison for punishment. 
Ken Ricci

At a conference, learning new things as hours go by, and loving the fact that thoughts like this come out of the minds of influential professionals.
There's hope.

October 9 + 10.

Quote of these Days.

The purpose of [designed spaces] is to shelter and enhance man's life on earth and to fulfill his belief in the nobility of his existence. 
Eero Saarinen

Yesterday flew by in a flash.
A night later, and I'm in a new country, trying to understand - better yet, conquer (!) - a new field.
Wish me luck, and if you ever visit Toronto, try the London Fog tea latte at Second Cup.

October 7 + 8.

Quote of the Day

Strength is a matter of a made up mind. 
John Beecher

I'm fully convinced second guessing and what-iffing is one of my biggest problems. Not only does it make me unsure about just about any big decision in life, it also keeps me constantly slightly agitated, slightly unhappy, slightly disappointed of where I am or jealous of where someone else is.
I'm fully convinced that overcoming this weakness needs to be my number one goal.
Then, regardless of whether life is more or less perfect than it may be now, at least I'll be able to give it my all.

Remember, always, that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one. 
Eleanor Roosevelt

October 5 + 6.

Quote of the Days

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. 
Unknown

This is a lesson worth two days - at the least.
And, really, if you don't learn on yourself, how can you love someone else?
I'm sure some would argue the two things aren't connected, but I don't see how this could be possible.

October 4.

Quote of the Day

Another no quote day, though there is a message from last year that I can share:
To buy: groceries, tea!, calculator

I guess those kept me too busy to find a quote.
To be returned to tomorrow, with better words of wisdom, though all those three are important. :)

October 3.

Quote of the Day

The court is most merciful when the accused is most rich. 
Hebrew proverb

I'm not sure what to think of this quote, and I even wrote "not sure if I like this" next to it when I wrote it down last year. But it does make me laugh. It creates an image of children hearing this as a "boogie man"-like scaring tactic, meant to make everyone aspire for richness as much as they can. And hey, looking at the wealth and business-sense that many people with Hebrew ancestry have, perhaps this worked!

On another note, this quote is kind of fitting for my thoughts today, as I just got back from a documentary screening on the U.S. war on drugs. Looking at the disproportionate number of inner city, lower class, minority people ending up on the path of criminality and seemingly unable to escape incarceration, while their wealthier, less stereotyped criminal counterparts roam basically free....perhaps this proverb extends beyond the Hebrew thinking into current-day U.S. society. Unfortunately, if you ask me.

As for that documentary, The House I Live in, I recommend it for anyone interested in taking a look at the U.S. response to drug crime, and how it affects various parts of our society today. In theaters this Friday.
http://www.thehouseilivein.org/

October 2.

Quote of the Day

Justice and power must be brought together, 
so that whatever is just may be powerful, 
and whatever is powerful 
may be just. 
Blaise Pascal

October 1.

Quote of the Day

In the world of human experience
there is only interpretation.
Denzin, 1989

Isn't it exactly the richness of expression, language, and perception that makes humans - life - so extraordinary?
I personally love that I have to work to make myself understood and pay attention to understand.