Simplicity

A simple life has a different meaning and a different value for every person. For me, it means eliminating all but the essential, eschewing chaos for peace, and spending your time doing what’s important to you.

It means getting rid of many of the things you do so you can spend time with people you love and do the things you love. It means getting rid of the clutter so you are left with only that which gives you value.

However, getting to simplicity isn’t always a simple process. It’s a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey of two steps forward, and one backward.

The Short List
For the cynics who say that the list below is too long, there are really only two steps to simplifying:

1. Identify what’s most important to you.

2. Eliminate everything else.

The Long List

One important note: this list will be criticized for being too complicated, especially as it provides a bunch of links. Don’t stress out about all of that. Just choose one at a time, and focus on that. When you’re done with that, focus on the next thing.

1. Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.

2. Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that aren’t in line with those things ­­­

3. Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. If not, eliminate the things that aren’t, and focus on what’s important. Redesign your day.

4. Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, you’ll never get everything done, and worse yet, you’ll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest.

5. Simplify home tasks. In that vein, think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And we’ll never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help).

6. Learn to say no. This is actually one of the key habits for those trying to simplify their lives. If you can’t say no, you will take on too much.

7. Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, IM, cell phones, paper mail, Skype, Twitter, forums, and more. It can take up your whole day if you let it. Instead, put a limit on your communications: only do email at certain times of the day, for a certain number of minutes (I recommend twice a day, but do what works for you). Only do IM once a day, for a limited amount of time. Limit phone calls to certain times too. Same with any other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.

8. Limit your media consumption. This tip won’t be for everyone, so if media consumption is important to you, please skip it (as with any of the other tips). However, I believe that the media in our lives — TV, radio, Internet, magazines, etc. — can come to dominate our lives. Don’t let it. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it

9. Purge your stuff. If you can devote a weekend to purging the stuff you don’t want, it feels seriously terrific. Get boxes and trash bags for the stuff you want to donate or toss. Here’s my guide on decluttering. Here’s a post on starting small. More on purging below.

10. Get rid of the big items. There’s tons of little clutter in our lives, but if you start with the big items, you’ll simplify your life quickly and in a big way.

11. Edit your rooms. One room at a time, go around the room and eliminate the unnecessary. Act as a newspaper editor, trying to leave only the minimum, and deleting everything else.

12. Edit closets and drawers. Once you’ve gone through the main parts of your rooms, tackle the closets and drawers, one drawer or shelf at a time.

13. Simplify your wardrobe. Is your closet bursting full? Are your drawers so stuffed they can’t close (I’m talking about dresser drawers here, not underwear). Simplify your wardrobe by getting rid of anything you don’t actually wear. Try creating a minimal wardrobe by focusing on simple styles and a few solid colors that all match each other.

14. Simplify your computing life. If you have trouble with too many files and too much disorganization, consider online computing. It can simplify things greatly.

15. Declutter your digital packrattery. If you are a digital packrat, and cannot seem to control your digital clutter, there is still hope for you. Read this guide to curing yourself of this clutter.

16. Create a simplicity statement. What do you want your simple life to look like? Write it out.

17. Limit your buying habits. If you are a slave to materialism and consumerism, there are ways to escape it. I was there, and although I haven’t escaped these things entirely, I feel much freer of it all. If you can escape materialism, you can get into the habit of buying less. And that will mean less stuff, less spending, less freneticism.

18. Free up time. Find ways to free up time for the important stuff. That means eliminating the stuff you don’t like, cutting back on time wasters, and making room for what you want to do.

19. Do what you love. Once you’ve freed up some time, be sure to spend that extra time doing things you love. Go back to your list of 4-5 important things. Do those, and nothing else.

20. Spend time with people you love. Again, the list of 4-5 important things probably contains some of the people you love (if not, you may want to re-evaluate). Whether those people are a spouse, a partner, children, parents, other family, best friends, or whoever, find time to do things with them, talk to them, be intimate with them (not necessarily in sexual ways).

21. Spend time alone. See this list of ways to free up time for yourself — to spend in solitude. Alone time is good for you, although some people aren’t comfortable with it. It could take practice getting used to the quiet, and making room for your inner voice. It sounds new-agey, I know, but it’s extremely calming. And this quiet is necessary for finding out what’s important to you.

22. Eat slowly. If you cram your food down your throat, you are not only missing out on the great taste of the food, you are not eating healthy. Slow down to lose weight, improve digestion, and enjoy life more.

23. Drive slowly. Most people rush through traffic, honking and getting angry and frustrated and stressed out. And endangering themselves and others in the meantime. Driving slower is not only safer, but it is better on your fuel bill, and can be incredibly peaceful. Give it a try.

24. Be present. These two words can make a huge difference in simplifying your life. Living here and now, in the moment, keeps you aware of life, of what is going on around you and within you. It does wonders for your sanity.

25. Streamline your life. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, focus on one system at a time (your laundry system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and written. Then stick to it.

26. Create a simple mail & paperwork system. If you don’t have a system, this stuff will pile up. But a simple system will keep everything in order.

27. Create a simple system for house work. Another example of a simple system is clean-as-you-go with a burst.

28. Clear your desk. If you have a cluttered desk, it can be distracting and disorganized and stressful. A clear desk, however, is only a couple of simple habits away.

29. Establish routines. The key to keeping your life simple is to create simple routines.

30. Keep your email inbox empty. Is your email inbox overflowing with new and read messages? Do the messages just keep piling up? If so, you’re normal — but you could be more efficient and your email life could be simplified with a few simple steps.

31. Learn to live frugally. Living frugally means buying less, wanting less, and leaving less of a footprint on the earth. It’s directly related to simplicity.

32. Make your house minimalist. A minimalist house has what is necessary, and not much else. It’s also extremely peaceful (not to mention easy to clean).

33. Find other ways to be minimalist. There are tons. You can find ways to be minimalist in every area of your life.

34. Consider a smaller home. If you rid your home of stuff, you might find you don’t need so much space. I’m not saying you should live on a boat (although I know some people who happily do so), but if you can be comfortable in a smaller home, it will not only be less expensive, but easier to maintain, and greatly simplify your life.

35. Consider a smaller car. This is a big move, but if you have a large car or SUV, you may not really need something that big. It’s more expensive, uses more gas, harder to maintain, harder to park. Simplify your life with less car. You don’t need to go tiny, especially if you have a family, but try to find as small a car as can fit you or your family comfortably. Maybe not something you’re going to do today, but something to think about over the long term.

36. Learn what “enough” is. Our materialistic society today is about getting more and more, with no end in sight. Sure, you can get the latest gadget, and more clothes and shoes. More stuff. But when will you have enough? Most people don’t know, and thus they keep buying more. It’s a neverending cycle. Get off the cycle by figuring out how much is enough. And then stop when you get there.

37. Create a simple weekly dinner menu. If figuring out what’s for dinner is a nightly stressor for you or your family, consider creating a weekly menu. Decide on a week’s worth of simple dinners, set a specific dinner for each night of the week, go grocery shopping for the ingredients. Now you know what’s for dinner each night, and you have all the ingredients necessary. No need for difficult recipes — find ones that can be done in 10-15 minutes (or less).

38. Eat healthy. It might not be obvious how eating healthy relates to simplicity, but think about the opposite: if you eat fatty, greasy, salty, sugary, fried foods all the time, you are sure to have higher medical needs over the long term. We could be talking years from now, but imagine frequent doctor visits, hospitalization, going to the pharmacist, getting therapy, having surgery, taking insulin shots … you get the idea. Being unhealthy is complicated. Eating healthy simplifies all of that greatly, over the long term..

39. Exercise. This goes along the same lines as eating healthy, as it simplifies your life in the long run, but it goes even further: exercise helps burn off stress and makes you feel better. It’s great.

40. Declutter before organizing. Many people make the mistake of taking a cluttered desk or filing cabinet or closet or drawer, and trying to organize it. Unfortunately, that’s not only hard to do, it keeps things complicated. Simplify the process by getting rid of as much of the junk as possible, and then organizing. If you declutter enough, you won’t need to organize at all.

41. Have a place for everything. Age-old advice, but it’s the best advice on keeping things organized. After you declutter. Find inner simplicity. I’m not much of a spiritual person, but I have found that spending a little time with my inner self creates a peaceful simplicity rather than a chaotic confusion. This could be time praying or communing with God, or time spent meditating or journaling or getting to know yourself, or time spent in nature. However you do it, working on your inner self is worth the time.

42. Learn to decompress from stress. Every life is filled with stress — no matter how much you simplify your life, you’ll still have stress (except in the case of the ultimate simplifier, death). So after you go through stress, find ways to decompress.

43. Try living without a car. OK, this isn’t something I’ve done, but many others have. It’s something I would do if I didn’t have kids. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicating, needing not only car payments, but insurance, registration, safety inspections, maintenance, repairs, gas and more.

44. Find a creative outlet for self-expression. Whether that’s writing, poetry, painting, drawing, creating movies, designing websites, dance, skateboarding, whatever. We have a need for self-expression, and finding a way to do that makes your life much more fulfilling. Allow this to replace much of the busy-work you’re eliminating from your life.

45. Simplify your goals. Instead of having half a dozen goals or more, simplify it to one goal. Not only will this make you less stressed, it will make you more successful. You’ll be able to focus on that One Goal, and give it all of your energy. That gives you much better chances for success.

46. Single-task. Multi-tasking is more complicated, more stressful, and generally less productive. Instead, do one task at a time.

47. Simplify your filing system. Stacking a bunch of papers just doesn’t work. But a filing system doesn’t have to be complicated to be useful.

48. Develop equanimity. If every little thing that happens to you sends you into anger or stress, your life might never be simple. Learn to detach yourself, and be more at peace.

49. Reduce your consumption of advertising. Advertising makes us want things. That’s what it’s designed to do, and it works. Find ways to reduce your exposure of advertising, whether that’s in print, online, broadcast, or elsewhere. You’ll want much less.

50. Live life more deliberately. Do every task slowly, with ease, paying full attention to what you’re doing

51. Make a Most Important Tasks (MITs) list each day. Set just 3 very important things you want to accomplish each day. Don’t start with a long list of things you probably won’t get done by the end of the day. A simple list of 3 things, ones that would make you feel like you accomplished something.

52. Create morning and evening routines. A great way to simplify your life is to create routines at the start and end of your day.

53. Create a morning writing ritual. If you enjoy writing, like I do, make it a peaceful, productive ritual.

54. Learn to do nothing. Doing nothing can be an art form, and it should be a part of every life.

55. Read Walden, by Thoreau. The quintessential text on simplifying.

56. Go for quality, not quantity. Try not to have a ton of stuff in your life … instead, have just a few possessions, but ones that you really love, and that will last for a long time.

57. Read Simplify Your Life, by Elaine St. James. One of my favorite all-time authors on simplicity.

58. Fill your day with simple pleasures. Make a list of your favorite simple pleasures, and sprinkle them throughout your day. Simplify your RSS feeds. If you’ve got dozens of feeds, or more than a hundred (as I once did), you probably have a lot of stress in trying to keep up with them all. Simplify your feed reading.

59. But subscribe to Unclutterer. Probably the best blog on simplifying your stuff and routines (along with Zen Habits, of course!).

60. Create an easy-to-maintain yard. If you spend too much time on your yard, here are some good tips.

61. Carry less stuff. Are your pockets bulging. Consider carrying only the essentials.

62. Simplify your online life. If you have too much going on online, here are a few ways to simplify it all.

63. Strive to automate your income. This isn’t the easiest task, but it can (and has) been done. I’ve been working towards it myself.

64. Simplify your budget. Many people skip budgeting (which is very important) because it’s too hard or too complicated.

65. Simplify your financial life. Article from a financial planning expert here.

66. Learn to pack light. Who wants to lug a bunch of luggage around on a trip? Here’s an article on using just one carry-on.

67. Use a minimalist productivity system. The minimal Zen To Done is all you need. Everything else is icing.

68. Leave space around things in your day. Whether they’re appointments, or things you need to do, don’t stack them back-to-back. Leave a little space between things you need to do, so you will have room for contingencies, and you’ll go through your day much more relaxed.

69. Live closer to work. This might mean getting a job closer to your home, or moving to a home closer to your work. Either will do much to simplify your life.

70. Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

Sport Balls

1. The sport of choice for the urban poor is BASKETBALL 2. The sport of choice for maintenance level employees is BOWLING. 3. The sport of choice for front-line workers is FOOTBALL. 4. The sport of choice for supervisors is BASEBALL. 5. The sport of choice for middle management is TENNIS. 6. The sport of choice for corporate officers is GOLF. Conclusion: The higher you are in the corporate structure, the smaller your balls become.

Strong Woman vs. Woman of Strenght (Theme of my life)

A strong woman works out everyday to keep her body in shape…
But a woman of strength builds relationships to keep her soul in shape
A strong woman isn't afraid of anything…
But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of fear.
A strong woman won't let anyone get the better of her…
But a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone.
A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future…
But a woman of strength realises life's mistakes can also be unexpected blessings, and capitalises on them
A strong woman wears a look of confidence on her face…
But a woman of strength wears grace.
A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey…
But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

Update

The rough rocky, hilly roads are straightening up.

Health: Things are better because I am doing baba ramdev yoga- sleep, yoga and eating is the only thing that is making it better.. continuing to do that. I get some stress attacks causing intense stomach pains, but I am able to drop everything and just focus on myself, and it gets better.

School: last week I had an overload of work with school and it stressed me out, causing my health to get bad, but it is smoothening away now. I am actually getting things done efficiently. Sometimes I have the tendency to procrastinate, but I laid out a schedule to get things done early and on time, so I don’t have to worry.
Crossing Borders: finished both visual assignments, will work on two writing assignments (5-10 page) and then in leisure time, do the journal project (creative work of art scrapbook) Then throughout the semester I just have to focus on weekly quizzes which are easy to do and discussions, again simple things.
Visual Literacy: 4 projects. For each project, I have to brainstorm, do pencil sketches, then create computer roughs and finally refine for a final presentation. Project 1 is done, and now one by one will be doing other projects.
Type Forms/Type Composition: God knows what is going to happen- this now is a new dilemma on the schedule.

Work: I have a lot of research to do for business development (VARs, Distributors, System Integrators and Distributors. I have a lot of research down, just need to rank and organize each company.

Miscellaneous: All my legal errands, Boise unfinished things, etc are done. No more ppl, golds gym, Comcast and document proof errands.
Few things to do: Mail Lumina title paper, and CEN Video. I have been working on that, and now that Robert has done what I have been asking from the team for 2-3 weeks, its not frustrating and I am enjoying the time to create the video. The event is Saturday and so before Saturday that stress will be off my stomach. I am almost done with it, just few things to clean it up. After that, no more commitment to this extra stuff when I am dealing with so much already.
Have to figure out Motel thing.
I need to get back in the routine of going to class in SF downtown Monday and Wednesday evening. Since it is a choice, I tend to not attend dance and classes because I don’t want to drive in traffic. But starting tomorrow I need to commit to it.

More soon.

Crossing Borders Visual Assignment.

This semester, I have class called, Crossing Borders: Arts and Culture. Basically, we learn cross cultural art. There are 2 writing assignments, 2 visual assignments and 1 final project for the class, which is taking 15 or more terms from our terminology list and creating a book of collages- 1 term per page and expressing ourselves in realtion to that term.

Visual assignments:

1.Make a passoport of yourself using any tool to show your identity.

2. Make a map type visual using any tool to show connection, or identity consutruction or specific event/enviornment in life, etc. (Broad range of topics)

I finished both assignments and below are each.

My passport is few of many things that construct my identity.
My map is each geographical location I lived in and what was my life chapter at that place.

These images are not clear and some colors are messed.

Two mottos

A motto (from the Italian for pledge, sentence; plural mottos or mottoes) is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention. (Wiki)

I have came up with 2 life long motto's for myself.
1. Work hard, play hard.
2. If I can't eat and sleep peacefully, there is no point of all the hard work/stress, etc.

Work hard and play hard.
This is pretty obvious. Everyone needs balance in their life, and I realize that I have failed to balance at time. I worked hard, but didn't play hard enough. I worried, stressed, worked hard, and constantly let myself fall into working and not giving myself (my mind, my body) enough rest, thus neglecting my overall well being. Here is the new vow: work hard, very hard, but don't forget to rest, play, enjoy and just realx and enjoy life. Both of them will go well if I balance each out.

If I can't eat and sleep peacefully, there is no point of all the hard work/stress, etc.
Again, realted to oveall well being. I didn't eat proper food because I was worried about job, school, phd, family, friends, people, things, ideas and I didn't sleep/rest well over the same things. There is no point to life and all the hard work if I can't eat proper food, eat properly and sleep well. No point of loosing out on food and sleep after working so hard.
From now, eat good meals, eat well, and don't work on homework, or work or other stressful things and talk to people about serious things etc when eating. Just relax and enjoy food.
Same with sleeping, go to bed early, get good quality of sleep and rest without worrying before sleep, and worrying as soon as I wake up- its useless.
Eat well, get good sleep, work hard and play hard- its a secret to overall well being of an individual.

Lessons Learned

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”
“It was great, Dad.”
“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.
“Oh yeah,” said the son.
“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.
The son answered: “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
“We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
“We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
“We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless.
Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.”

Journal Project

I am suppose to make a collage journal using more than 15 words from the following list. I love these kinds of projects, and I have done them before for lesiure, not school work. I will take a journal book, decorate it (Crossing Borders {name of class}) and each page will have one word and on that page, I can write, draw, color, paste pictures, information, poems, research, basically anything related to that word. I got into a graphic design because of projects like this that I use to do on my own, where all different tools and mediums are used to present a message.



Choose at least 15 words from the list below for your Crossing Borders Terminology Project Journal for the semester. Explore the terms you choose and interpret them personally. How do they refer to YOUR life experience? Find a way to visualize your interpretations of the terms you choose. You may draw, paint, collage, montage, frottage, collect, glue, write, and, if you would like, use the computer and operate within programs like Photoshop. In the end (on the day it is due) you will need to hand in your pieces in a "book" form. The book can be handmade, a notebook, a purchased journal or a 3-ring binder, whatever you want to put your "collection" in that is some kind of a book form, a box could even operation as a "book.".


Alterity - the concept of "otherness" - this word is required to be your first word in your "journal" books. The rest of the words are your choice. You must have at least 15 words in your book. You can have more . . . but not less.
Agency - the ability to act or perform an action. This concept is tied to the idea of an empowered individual who has the freedom and ability to initiate action - specifically in post-colonial theory to "resist" the dominating culture.
Ambivalence - a continual fluctuation between wanting one thing and wanting its opposite. In colonial discourse it generally refers to the simultaneous attraction of the colonized toward the dominating culture (Western Culture) and the repulsion or "resistance" against the dominating culture.
Apartheid - Afrikaans term meaning "separation" - and generally refers to the segregation or separation of races within a culture.
Appropriation - A term used to describe the ways in which post-colonial societies take over those aspects of the imperial culture - language, forms of writing, film, theatre, even modes of thought and argument such as rationalism, logic and analysis - that may be of use to them in articulating their own social and cultural identities. Post-Colonial theory focuses on an exploration of the ways in which the dominated or colonized culture can use tools of the dominant discourse to resist its political or cultural control.
Binarism - literally a combination of two things, but this concept in colonial discourse is usually about binary opposition. That is, black/white, man/woman, birth/death - each of these oppositions refer to a binary system. There are many uses and abuses of binarism.
Cannibal - this is a specific form of resistance to the dominating culture in which the participants "devour" the dominating culture and transform it through that process into something original.
Cartography (maps and mapping) - Both literally and metaphorically, maps and mapping are dominant practices of colonial and post-colonial cutures. The very practice of Colonialization itself is most often a result of a voyage of "discovery," a bringing into being of "undiscovered" lands. The process of discovery is reinforced bythe construction of maps, whose existence is a means of textualizing the spatial reality of the "other," naming, or in almost all cases renaming spaces in a symbolic and literal act of mastery and control. In all cases the lands so colonized are literally reinscribed, written over, as the names and languages of the indigenous people of the so called "discovered" land are replaced by new names, or are corrupted into new and Europeanized forms by the cartographer and explorer.
Catalysis - the process of racial change and racial mixing in New World societies. This is an idea that opposes that of racial purity often connected with Old World cultures and societies.
Center/Margin (periphery) - the center is the position of power while those who are not in power are pushed to the "margin" or the "periphery" - there can be questions regarding the power of being in the margin. The thinker Foucault, for instance, says that being on the outside of traditional culture can offer certain freedoms that cannot be allowed within the traditional or "center" culture. There is also the idea of "de-centering" the traditional culture - this is for the marginalized other to claim the position of power at the center of discourse.
Chromatism - having to do with color. In colonial theory it refers to the act of distinguishing between people on the basis of color. This is comparable to the term "genitalism" which refers to the difference between men and women based on obvious biological distinctions. The simplification and stereotyping of Chromatism belies the complexity of cultural identity. For example, for the entire Asian cultural diversity both original and diasporic to be reduced to yellow people, or the vast complex of African cultures both original and diasporic to be reduced to black people.
Civil Rights - Rights belonging to a person by reason of U.S. citizenship including especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13 th and 14 th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and subsequent acts of Congress including the right to legal and social and economic equality.
Colonial Discourse - Thisis a term brought into currency by Edward Said who saw Foucault's notion of a discourse as valuable for describing that system within which that range of practices termed "colonial" come into being. Said's Orientalism, which examined the ways in which colonial discourse operated as an instrument of power, initiated what came to be known as colonial discourse theory. Discourse, as Foucault theorizes it, is a system of statement within which the world can be known. It is the system by which dominant groups in society constitute the field of truth by imposing specific knowledge, disciplines and values upon dominated groups. Colonial discourse tends to exclude statements about the exploitation of the resources of the colonized, the political status accruing to colonizing powers, the importance to domestic politics of the development of an empire, all of which may be compelling reasons for maintaining colonial ties.
Colonialism - A specific form of expansion that occurred over the last 400 years.
Context - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning. The circumstances in which an event occurs; a setting.
Creolization - The process of intermixing and cultural change that produced a Creole society. While the creolization processes might be argued to be going on throughout the world, the term has usually been applied to "new world" societies (particularly the Caribbean and South America) and more loosely to those post-colonial societies whose present ethnically or racially mixed populations are a product of European colonization.
Cultural Diversity/Cultural Difference - the mixing of various cultures or a reference to the variety of cultures in a given situation. As in a class at the Academy of Art College being culturally diverse, in that there are a variety of cultures represented by the students present.
Culture - A very contested word, indeed. But for now we can think of it as the behaviors, relationships, arts, beliefs, institutions and all other products of human thought and work, which are a result and expression of a particular group, community, or population.
Dependency Theory - this concept references the relationship between the dominating culture and the colonized people in which the "Third World" peoples are kept at a low level of subsistence so that they will always be "dependent" upon the dominant culture. This idea opposed the notion that these poor countries are at a low stage in their development and suggests that the dominant culture "requires" these Third World states to remain at low levels of development because "First World" culture is actually "dependent" upon Third World labor and resources for its survival.
Diaspora - literally "scattering" - this term refers to the geographic dispersion of a people from their place of origin, as in the Jewish Diaspora in which the Jewish homeland of Israel was taken from then and they were "scattered" - that is they fled to other nations. Or consider the African Diaspora in which African peoples were sold into slavery throughout the West and therefore "scattered" from their homelands.
Discourse - any kind of speaking, talk, or conversation - in the arena of social theory or in the sense of "post-colonial discourse" - it references the complex of signs and practices which organized social existence and social reproduction.
Dislocation - the occasion of displacement that occurs as a result of imperial occupation and the experiences associated with this event. The phenomenon may be a result of transportation from one country to another by slavery or imprisonment, by invasion and settlement, a consequence of willing or unwilling movement from a known to an unknown location. An example of this would be that many of you may have left "Home" to be here in a new and strange, unknown place and are experiencing a sense of "dislocation." The feeling of dislocation is tied to feelings of being lost, uncomfortable, uneasy - like finding yourself in a strange place without a MAP).
Ecological Imperialism - a term to describe the ways in which the environments of colonized societies have been physically transformed by the experience of colonial occupation. According to this thesis, imperialism not only altered the cultural, political and social structures of colonized societies, but also devastated colonial ecologies and traditional subsistence patterns.
Essentialism - The assumption that groups, categories or classes of objects have one or several defining features exclusive to all members of that category. When this term is used in feminist discourse, it refers to the potentiality of confining women to their biological identity.
Ethnicity - Used to describe or to account for human variation in terms of culture, tradition, language, social patterns and ancestry, rather than the discredited generalizations of "race" with its assumption of a humanity divided into fixed, genetically determined biological types. Ethnicity refers to the fusion of many traits that belong to the nature of any ethnic group: a composite of shared values, beliefs, norms tastes, behaviors, experiences, consciousness of kind, memories and loyalties.
Ethnography - The field of anthropological research based on direct observation of and reporting on a people's way of life. The basic methodology employed by cultural anthropologists, it consists of two stages: fieldwork, which is the term used for the process of observing and recording data; and reportage, the production of a written description and analysis of the subject under study. This discipline has been useful to colonial discourse in constructing a hierarchy of cultures.
Euro-centrism - The conscious or unconscious process by which Europe and European cultural assumptions are constructed as, or assumed to be, the normal, the natural or the universal.
Exile - An idea of a separation and distancing from either a literal homeland or from a cultural and ethnic origin. Note the difference between the terms "exile" - which implies involuntary constraint, and that of "expatriation" - which implies a voluntary act or state.
Fecundity - fertility. For more information on "the cult of fecundity" see Wendy Slatkin's "Maternity and Sexuality in the 1890's," Woman's Art Journal, vol. 1, Spring/Summer, 1980, pp 13-19.
Feminism - the active belief in equal rights and opportunities for women.
Frontier - the idea of a frontier, a boundary or a limiting zone to distinguish one space or people from another. Colonial frontiers were created as imperial discourse sought to define and invent the entities it shaped from its conquests. The boundary that limited the space so defined was a crucial feature in imaging the imperial self, and in creating and defining (othering) those others by which that "Self" could achieve definition and value.
Globalization - the process whereby individual lives and local communities a4e affected by economic and cultural forces that operate world-wide. In effect it is the process of the world becoming a single place. Globalism is the perception of the world as a function or result of the processes of globalization upon local communities.
Hegemony - initially a term referring to the dominance of one state within a confederation, it is now generally understood to mean domination by consent. Fundamentally, hegemony is the power of the ruling class to convince other classes that their interests are the interests of all. Domination is thus exerted not by force, nor even necessarily by active persuasion, but by a more subtle and inclusive power over the economy, and over state apparatuses such as education and the media, by which the ruling class's interest and thus comes to be taken for granted.
Hybridity - One of the most widely employed and most disputed terms in post-colonial theory, hybridity commonly refers to the creation of new "transcultural" forms within the contact zone produced by colonization. It is the "in-between" space that carries the burden and meaning of culture and this is what makes the notion of hybridity so important. It is the potential of hybridity to reverse the structures of domination in the colonial situation which is important thus depriving the imposed dominant culture not only of the authority that it has for so long imposed politically, but even of its own claims to authenticity.
Identity Politics - The struggle to oppose cultural domination on the basis of constructed identities that are based on racism, sexism, homophobia and a host of other "isms." The politics of group-based movements claiming to represent the interests and identity of a particular group, rather than policy issues relating to all members of the community. Identity politics can be a form of victim politics where a group identifies themselves as oppressed and seek either to end that oppression, or to use that oppression to justify their actions in other spheres.
Ideology - The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, a group, class, or culture.
Imperialism - in its most general sense, imperialism refers tot he formation of an empire, and, as such, has been an aspect of all periods of history in which one nation has extended its domination over one or several neighboring nations. The practice, theory, and the attitudes of a dominating metropolitan center ruling a distant territory.
Interstitial - A space or opening between things.
Liminality - Describes an "in-between" space. The transcultural space in which strategies for personal or communal self-hood may be elaborated, a region in which there is a continual process of movement and interchange between different states.
Marginality - being on the margin is the perception of existing on the peripheries of the dominating culture and therefore unable to access power and agency.
Metaphor - Figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote (to have meaning) in order to suggest a similarity.
Mestizo/métisse - These terms (Spanish and French in origin) semantically register the idea of a mixing of races and/or cultures. They emerged from a colonial discourse that privileged the idea of racial purity and justified racial discrimination by employing the quasi-scientific precursors of physical anthropology to create a complex and largely fictional taxonomy of racial admixtures (mulatto, quadroon, octaroon, etc.)
Mimicry - to copy. When colonial discourse encourages the colonized subject to "mimic" the colonizer, by adopting the colonizer's cultural habits, assumptions, institutions and values, the result is never a simple reproduction of those traits, rather, the result is a "blurred copy" of the colonizer that can be quite threatening. This is because mimicry is never very far from mockery, since it can appear to parody whatever it mimics.
Miscegenation - the sexual union of different races
Nativism - the desire to return to indigenous practices and cultural forms as they existed in pre-colonial society.
Négritude - A theory of the distinctiveness of African personality and culture that was developed immediately before and after the second World War. The concept of "negritude" implied that all people of Negro descent shared certain inalienable essential characteristics. What made the negritude movement distinct was its attempt to extend perceptions of the Negro as possessing a distinctive "personality" into all spheres of life, intellectual, emotional and physical.
Occident - Refers to the West -- Europe and America.
Odalisque - Female slave.
Orientalism - processes by which the "orient" was, and continues to be, constructed in European thinking.
Othering - the process by which imperial discourse creates its "others." In this discourse it is important to remember that the "other" is the excluded or "mastered" subject created by the discourse of power. Othering describes the various ways in which colonial discourse produces its subjects.
Palimpsest - a term for a parchment on which several inscriptions had been made after earlier ones had been erased. The characteristic of the palimpsest is that, despite such erasures, there are always traces of previous inscriptions that have been "overwritten." Hence the term has become valuable for suggesting the ways in which the traces of earlier "inscriptions" remain as a continual feature of the "text" of culture, giving it its particular density and character.
Place - emphasizes the importance of space and location in the process of identity formation.
Post-colonialism - anything dealing with the effects of colonialization on cultures and societies. To be compared with the Empirical perspective.
Race - the classification of human beings, into physically, biologically, and genetically distinct groups. The notion of race assumes, firstly, that humanity is divided into unchanging natural types, recognizable by physical features that are transmitted "through the blood" and permit distinctions to be made between "pure" and "mixed" races.
Racism - The prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races, discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race.
Rhizome - Botanical term for a root system that spreads across the ground as in Bamboo, rather than downward, and grows from several points rather than a single tap-root. Used to counter the binary system of thinking.
Savage/Civilized - terminology used to divide the societies with an anthropological high/low ratio. The West is taken as "Norm" and define the rest as inferior, different, deviant, subordinate, and subordinate able.
Sexism - Discriminatory or abusive behavior toward members of the opposite sex especially, but not exclusively, women.
Slave - the capture, imprisonment, and maintenance of a person for the use of forced non-voluntary labor.
Subaltern - of inferior rank. Often refers to those who are subject to the hegemonic ruling classes. Subaltern classes may include peasants, workers and other groups denied access to hegemonic power.
Surveillance - one of the most powerful strategies of imperial dominance is that of observation because it implies a viewer with an elevated vantage point.
Syncretism - A term sometimes used to avoid the problems some critics have associated with the idea of hybridity in identifying the fusion of two distinct traditions to produce a new and distinctive whole (see synergy)
Synergy - refers to the product of two or more forces that are reducible to neither. It is a way to emphasize that post-colonial cultures are the product of a number of forces variously contributing to the new and complex cultural formation.
Testimonio - a narrative (usually of novel or novella length) told in the first person by a narrator who is also the actual protagonist or witness of the events she recounts.
Third World (first, Second, Fourth) - Economic division of the world cultures. First World referring to the West (generally Europe and America), the Second World was a "cold-war" designation of Russia, the Third World refers to the economically challenged and developing nations, while the Fourth World refers to extremely poor economies.
Transculturation - Refers to the reciprocal influences of modes of representation and cultural practices of various kinds in colonies and metropoles. Used by ethnographers to describe how subordinated or marginal groups select and invent from materials transmitted to them by a dominant or metropolitan culture.
Universalism - the assumption that there are irreducible features of human life and experience that exist beyond the constitutive effects of local cultural conditions.
Worlding - a way of describing the processes by which the colonized space is brought into the "world," that is, made to exist as part of a world essentially constructed by Eurocentrism.
Xenophobia - a fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners.

Parable Of The Pencil

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. "There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."
"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand."
"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."
"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."
"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."
"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.
"The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.Now replacing the place of the pencil with you.
Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.

The Rose Within

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom... it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.
We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.
This is one of the characteristic of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life... all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the "rose" within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.

Building Your House

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you."The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!

Two Frogs

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.This story teaches two lessons:1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

The World’s Funniest Real Ads

Believe it or not, these ads actually found their way into newspapers all over the world:
Braille dictionary for sale. Must see to appreciate.
FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000.00 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last weekend. Wife knows everything.
Help wanted, singer for rock band. Must be female or male.
For sale, Hope Chest, brand new, half off, long story.
Help wanted, adult or mature teenager to baby-sit. One dollar an hour.
Lost: small brown poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family.
For sale: a quilted high chair that can be made into a table, potty chair, rocking horse, refrigerator, spring coat, size 8 and fur collar.
Four-posted bed, 101 years old. Perfect for antique lover.
Wanted: Part-time married girls for soda fountain in sandwich shop.
Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.
Christmas sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to- find person.
Wanted, man to take care of cows that does not smoke or drink.
Three-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.
Wanted. Widower with school-age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.
Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 -- $9 per hour.
Our sofa seats the whole mob and it’s made of 100% Italian leather.
Full sized mattress. 20 year warranty. Like New. Slight urine smell.
Nordic Track $300 hardly used, call Chubby.
Joining nudist colony! Must sell washer and dryer $300.
Open house body shapers toning salon free coffee and donuts
Found: dirty white dog. Looks like a rat... been out while. Better be reward.
Exercise equipment: Queen Size Mattress & Box Springs - $175.
ALZHEIMER'S CENTER PREPARES FOR AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER.
Free Yorkshire Terrier: 8 years old. Hateful little dog.
Free puppies: ½ cocker spaniel, ½ sneaky neighbor’s dog.
Free puppies: part German Shepherd, part stupid dog.
German Shepherd, 85 lbs. Neutered. Speaks German. Free.
Snow Blower for sale…only used on snowy days.
Bill’s Septic Cleaning: “We Haul American-Made Products."
Cows, calves never bred…also 1 gay bull for sale.
Nice Parachute – Never opened. Used once.
Hummels – Largest selection ever. "If it’s in stock, then we have it!"
1 man, 7 women hot tub. $850/offer.
Shakespeare’s Pizza. Free chopsticks.
Harrisburg Postal Employee Gun Club.
Tickle-Me-Elmo, still in box, comes with its own 1988 Ford Mustang, 5L, Auto, Excellent condition $6800.

In Control.

I have been on the worst emotional roller coaster for a while now. It gets better and it gets worse. Now, if I stick to my decision and stay strong about it, it will get better. First things first are the uncompleted and deadline driven errands which I have to finish, and then finish up cleaning/organizing and get into the routine for properly finishing school work, focusing on work and enjoying/relaxing and taking care of health by cooking and doing meditations/yoga.

PPL, Comcast, AAU application, Lumina Title, CEN video, loan documents, Type Forms completion, organizing, school work, Reiki center thank you card.

My sleep patterns are messed up, I need to figure out to get good sleep and be well rested to execute a hectic days and to enjoy the beauty of them.

Growing Good Corn

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors."How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked."Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself.

To do List!

To Do list ASAP!

1. PPL (sign lawyers papers and fax)
2. Comcast (call, cancel and refund form kenny)
3. AAU application- send thesis application
4. Reapply for C. Lumina title from Boise DMV
5. CEN video
6. Buy Books
7. S Corportaion and aggrement forms for loan financing
8. Type forms completion

Back to SF

I woke up this morning to catch my flight to SF thinking oh, am I going to hate today, but turns out it's not that bad. I got good sleep on the flight with help of my teddy bear. I came out and I was stressing about carrying two 50 lb bags to car, but this nice black guy carried it for me and got me a free trolly so I didn't have to manage two handbags and two 50 lbs bags all by myself with my two skinny hands.

I thought that I was going to have a hectic day at work, but I came here and everything was under control and going well, I got a chance to go home, realx a little, let the fresh and strong bay area air refresh my body and mind. I went home, relaxed for few mins, ate lunch, and unpacked everything (yeah, all the food and clothes!) and soundly drive to work. The website designer had all the work done for the new website mock ups I had created so that made my day less stressful and everything is flowing well at work. After so much crying yesterday, I feel I have the ability to start new life today and I am already feeling better. Work is not stressful, school schedule is getting figured out, errands are being completed, and I feel better about the future. Also feel I have officially moved to Bay Area, which is a nice feeling!

I can go on about how much I hate Boise, but I don't want to think about negative things.
I came up with a diary to fill N's void space, and pouring my heart out makes me feel so much lighter and better, so that is also not bothering me.


I love being here, I love people I am around and I am so excited for all the opportunites I have for better future. :)


Farewell Boise and the past and Here I come Bay Area future!
Everything is only going to get better from here.

Do your things Honey! Be strong, work hard and play hard!

Time will heal your wounds.....

Here is a story to make all this better that I posted earlier:

Helpless Love.

Once upon a time all feelings and emotions went to a coastal island for a vacation. According to their nature, each was having a good time. Suddenly, a warning of an impending storm was announced and everyone was advised to evacuate the island.The announcement caused sudden panic. All rushed to their boats. Even damaged boats were quickly repaired and commissioned for duty.Yet, Love did not wish to flee quickly. There was so much to do. But as the clouds darkened, Love realised it was time to leave. Alas, there were no boats to spare.

Love looked around with hope.Just then Prosperity passed by in a luxurious boat. Love shouted, “Prosperity, could you please take me in your boat?”“No,” replied Prosperity, “my boat is full of precious possessions, gold and silver. There is no place for you.”

A little later Vanity came by in a beautiful boat. Again Love shouted, “Could you help me, Vanity? I am stranded and need a lift. Please take me with you.”Vanity responded haughtily, “No, I cannot take you with me. My boat will get soiled with your muddy feet.”

Sorrow passed by after some time. Again, Love asked for help. But it was to no avail. “No, I cannot take you with me. I am so sad. I want to be by myself.”

When Happiness passed by a few minutes later, Love again called for help. But Happiness was so happy that it did not look around, hardly concerned about anyone.

Love was growing restless and dejected. Just then somebody called out, “Come Love, I will take you with me.” Love did not know who was being so magnanimous, but jumped on to the boat, greatly relieved that she would reach a safe place.

On getting off the boat, Love met Knowledge. Puzzled, Love inquired, “Knowledge, do you know who so generously gave me a lift just when no one else wished to help?”Knowledge smiled, “Oh, that was Time.”“

And why would Time stop to pick me and take me to safety?” Love wondered.Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and replied, “Because only Time knows your true greatness and what you are capable of. Only Love can bring peace and great happiness in this world.” “The important message is that when we are prosperous, we overlook love. When we feel important, we forget love. Even in happiness and sorrow we forget love. Only with time do we realize the importance of love. Why wait that long? Why not make love a part of your life today?”

If A Dog Were Your Teacher

If a dog were your teacherThese are some of the lessons you might learn...When loved ones come home, always run to greet themNever pass up the opportunity to go for a joyrideAllow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your faceto be pure ecstasyWhen it's in your best interestpractice obedienceLet others know when they've invaded your territoryTake naps and stretch before risingRun romp and play dailyThrive on attention and let people touch youAvoid biting, when a simple growl will doOn warm days stop to lie on your back on the grassOn hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady treeWhen you're happy dance around and wag your entire bodyNo matter how often you're scoldeddon't buy into the guilt thing and poutrun right back and make friendsDelight in the simple joy of a long walkEat with gusto and enthusiasmStop when you have had enoughBe loyalNever pretend to be something you're notIf what you want lies burieddig until you find itWhen someone is having a bad daybe silent ........sit close by....and nuzzle them gently.

It’s not the end of the world; it’s a begging of a new life.

Sometimes loosing something (job, relationship) makes it seem like it’s the end of the world. I am loosing many things right now, but for past 2 days I have been feeling that “it’s end of the world.” I am unable to focus, being very emotional, giving someone else the steering wheel of my happiness and my health, and just loosing it. I kept thinking, why?, but obviously there is no answer for that. I took a step back, and put myself in a different perspective, other than the current dilemma perspective. And this voice in my head goes, “Honey, why are you doing this to yourself, you’ve got through so many other problems, why making this difficult for you, when history shows that time has healed you. You made it through so many other issues (more or less intense) then why do you think you can’t get through this and want to make a stupid mistake. There have been 2-3 phrases that have came across my eyes from facebook postings, email messages and random readings. Time heals and it’s not the end of the world, it’s a new beginning. I was running after the end, instead of seeing this as a new beginning. There are so many things I want in life, and instead of stopping right here, I need to continue going after that. A friend always told me, “Honey, go after what you want in life, if someone interferes, let them go and continue towards what you want.” Instead of seeing this as the end, I am inspired to see this as a new chapter. It’s the attitude that makes a difference. I smiled through so many issues, why am I sitting and crying about this one? I just need to do what I usually do: smile, face it, and conquer it.
I have always had this idea of an identity that I want. Set goals for myself, and characteristics I want to have, and what I want to be known for (Previous Blog Entry: Identity). I have the resources, experiences and opportunities to get closer and closer to that, and it’s my responsibility and duty to myself to achieve it and not back out.
Goal: Make best of the opportunities that are set in front of you: job, dance, graphic design, volunteering… Don’t lose out on your dreams and aspirations because of people or things that make you an option when you make them a priority.
AAU: School starts September 3th (tonight!) 3 classes: Type Composition, Visual Literacy, Type forms for 2 weeks and Crossing Borders)
Dance with school starts next week: Chance to take dance classes for free for fall semester and teach for spring semester. (Wednesday: Yoga and Ballet) (Tuesdays: World Dance)
Adobe Expert Certification: Certification exam for graphic design
CCNA: VSS Cisco Certified Network Associate exam
MFA Excellence, MBA Excellence and so many small things I enjoy in life (hiking, friends, reading, music, art, community involvement)
All this together will make my health better and it will all depend on me and not anyone else.
Carpe Diem- Seize the day.. Enjoy every moment.

A rose.

Relationship with Self

At the core of all relationships is the most important relationship of all: the relationship to self. The more we know ourselves, give to ourselves and love ourselves, the more we can truly know and connect to others. If we can not give love, attention and caring to ourselves, how can we truly share these with others?
In order to heal our relationships with others, with god, or anything else we deem important, we need to nurture our relationship with our self. When we are filled with an abundance of self-affinity and self-esteem we see the world and others in it in a new light; one that supports us to create rewarding and fulfilling relationships.
Insights

* How would you rate the quality of your relationships to significant others (including the god of your heart) right now?
- I think I am constantly fighting with myself and others to make things better or perfect. I spoil people I love (family, friends) to an extent that they turn around and hurt me. Nothing in this world is worse than giving all you have to people you love and being blamed, abused, used, and neglected by them, whether it’s a family member, friend, or boyfriend. This impacts self-esteem and the personal mental and emotional being of an individual.

* What are the most important qualities and aspects that you enjoy in your relationships?
- Care (concern/attention), support, sharing, and enjoyment of company. This could be a long list idealized by society expectations. I on the other hand don’t believe there should be a list, care, support, love come naturally from the heart, so it’s pointless to give a list someone as if it was a grocery list and have them fulfill needs according to a checklist.

* How would you rate the quality of your relationship to yourself? What gets in the way of you having an even better relationship with yourself? What about with others?
- I think the quality of my relationship is poor. I never give myself the love, support, care and enjoyment that I give to others. It’s always other people I care about coming in the way of my relationship with myself. I already neglect myself for people I love, on top of that, they neglect me more.

Inspiration
* Tune into the pure essence of love and what that feels like. Turn up the volume and let this energy flow throughout your whole body down to a cellular level. Set your intention to release anything that gets in the way of you having this for yourself.