"Follow your passion, follow your heart, and the things you need will come."

By Elizabeth Taylor. 

Really

I need to stop being so damn emotional about everything.

My Wishes for 2012

• A Beautiful Love Story  - my beautiful love story
• Have the time of my life
• Have a really good relationship with my Parents, Siblings, Grace and Rose, relatives, people, etc....
•  

Before I fall

Such an awesome book about Death. 

Memorable Passages 

"If you're ever wishing for things to go back to the way they were. You just have to look up."

"It amazes me how easy it is for things to change, how easy it is to start off down the same road you always take and wind up somewhere new. Just one false step, one pause, one detour, and you end up with new friends or a bad reputation or a boyfriend or a breakup. It’s never occurred to me before; I’ve never been able to see it. And it makes me feel, weirdly, like maybe all of these different possibilities exist at the same time, like each moment we live has a thousand other moments layered underneath it that look different."

Lulay

I miss Lulay most days. Every time I think about her, tears well up and fills me with melancholy and happiness at the same time. I know that she's in my heart and will always be there. I miss her a lot.

Endings.

Dearest Sweetie,
 
Read this anytime you thought that you won't meet anyone....He didn’t like you and it's still hard to hear. And yes he broke your heart in a million little pieces but your worth better. Those early morning hookups, the random calls, the broken promises were nothing, yeah they were fun and that was it. Don’t ignore the fact that sometimes the memories will come by...move on. Wallowing does no good, and the memory is important. So yes, keep those lovely memories with you, because it is very unlikely your future husband will love Vanessa Paradis, Frank Sinatra as much as you do. And if he does, because he will be the best man for you and make you extremely satisfied and happy, look back with a smile at those times. Because you loved them. And they killed you but they were great. Sitting together watching tv, flirting with him. There were good times and you were friends but that is it. And he broke your heart but it will only make you love someone even more, because he won’t do that to you.

Gretchen, you’re beautiful and worth it. Mov. Love you.

Wisdom from Audrey

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe in Pink. I believe that HAPPY GIRLS are the PRETTIEST GIRLS. I believe that tomorrow is another day. I believe in MIRACLES. - Audrey Hepburn :)

Enthusiasm is the electricity of life. How do you get it? You act enthusiastic until you make it a habit. ~Gordon Parks

Everyday. I choose happiness.

So so many—all the '30s romances. Carole Lombard, Jean Harlow, '40 film noirs, Ida Lupino, '60s with The Graduate, Anne Bancroft, Bonnie and Clyde…Faye Dunaway….Brigitte Bardot, Monica Vitti—all the beautiful and wonderful female actresses....there are too many to list. As for music, ALL old jazz: Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Bix Beiderbecke, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller….all the greats. The Beatles, Stones, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Tim Buckley, Mozart, Chopin, Bach…see, this list is way too long."

“ Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life, and a secret life. Gabriel Marquez

Persistence. I can do this.

So true...

" There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right and pray for the people who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy."

Never get into fights with ugly people, they have nothing to lose.

Audacity...a page from Steve Job's life.

Imagine the impossible, possible. 
Persuade with showmanship. 
Make people believe.

Plans from the Lord...

‎"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake. To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know. His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below."

Enough said.

Inspirational Qoutes - you can do this!

1. “Ask yourself this question: ‘Will this matter a year from now?’” – Richard Carlson, writing in Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
2. “The roughest road often leads to the top.” - Christina Aguilera
3. “Don’t waste a minute not being happy. If one window closes, run to the next window- or break down a door.” – Brooke Shields
4. “Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou
5. “Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need.” – Voltaire

Cinderella....one of my fave fairy tales.

Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life!

Only This Moment is Life

‘Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis
on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without
rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment.
Only this moment is life.’ ~Thich Nhat Hanh

‘Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.’ ~Thich Nhat Hahn

Disco

Life is like a disco, no matter how the music changes you just keep on dancing. 
Jump the Broom Movie. 

You can always make it.

"I just want to be wonderful."  

"I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't." 

 

"Everyone's a star and deserves the right to twinkle." 

 

"A smart woman kisses but doesn't love, leaves before she is left and forgets before she is forgotten"

— Marilyn Monroe

Life is what you make it...

"This life is what you make it. Not matter what, you're going to mess up sometimes, it's a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you're going to mess it up. Girls will be your friends - they'll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything - they're your true best friends. Don't let go of them. Also remember, sisters make the best friends in the world. As for lovers, well, they'll come and go too. And babe, I hate to say it, most of them - actually pretty much all of them are going to break your heart, but you can't give up becuase if you give up, you'll never find your soul mate. You'll never find that half who makes you whole and that goes for everything. Just because you fail once, doesn't mean you're gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don't, then who will, sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about."
— Marilyn Monroe

10 Most Divine Things in Life

1. Opening and biting into Chocolate
2. Spending time with my family 
3. Having breakfast with my Mom and Sister
4. Sitting by the stairs of my Mom's house looking at Sampaloc Lake and the mountains 
5. Falling asleep after an amazing night
6. Reading a fabulous book
7. Having a shampoo and blow-dry
8. Early mornings and waking up happy
9. Riding an airplane heading off somewhere...again and again...
10. Silence

Everyday

I should take photos of my outfits everyday.

"This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men." -- Captain J. A. Hadfield

Don't mind....

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

- Dr. Seuss

Ask for the moon...

Go further than you planned. Ask for the moon: you will be surprised how often you get it. -Paulo Coelho

Entreprenuers

“Entrepreneurs are those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.” Niccolo Machiavelli

Appreciation

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.   He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.   The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.   The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".   The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.   The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.   The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.   The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.   The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.   The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.   This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.   After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.   That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.   Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.   The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: "Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"   The youth answered," I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'   The Director asked,"please tell me your feelings."   The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.   The director said, "This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.   Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.   A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?   You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.  

Be bold! I firmly believe that anything is possible. I say 'Believe in yourself. You can do it.'

Richard Branson

Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so. If you assume there is no hope, you guarantee there will be no hope. ~Norm Chomsky

Exciting End to July...my grateful list

• Food
• Shopping
• My faith 
• Papa, Mama, Tonie, Abbott, Grace and Rose
• Joacqui and Nino
• Crazy Relatives
• Jakarta and the service it provides
• Music
• Chocolates
• My legs
• Wine
• Confidence
•  Hope
• Water
• Good friends
• Sunshine

The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams - 

wisdom of Oprah Winfrey

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.” – Einstein.

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."
— Audrey Hepburn

miss my lulay

miss my grandma.


i know you'll always be with me lulay.

Orson Welle's Mom's Wish for his Birthday

Never stand in the shadows. You are made for the lights. 

Now you must blow out your candles. 

But you must always remember, 

the cake, the light itself is nothing. The flame, the lights that is where your future lies. 

You must have a dream. A great dream worthy of you. 

It's beautiful and this will be my wish for my birthday every year. 

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring" ~ Marilyn Monroe

Break-ups

“Every relationship you have, you’re learning and growing and taking something from that. So for me, it’s never been too dramatic of a thing when something ends.”

Blake Lively

June...lovely things I'm grateful for this month and everyday...

• love
• My Family 
• My Bags and the exciting things that will happen to it
• Books
• Lunches
• Lunches with friends
• Smiling
• Early mornings
• Taking things easy and light and slow
• Appreciating life and what it's offering me everyday
• Korea
• Traveling
• This Korean guy that made me cry over his story and his voice
• Inspirational Videos
• New York
• Chocolates
• Funny people

Nella Fantasia...

In my fantasy I see a fair world,
Where everyone lives in peace and honesty.
I dream of a place to live that is always free,
Like a cloud that floats,
Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.

In my fantasy I see a bright world.
Where each night there is less darkness.
I dream of spirits that are always free,
Like the cloud that floats.

In my fantasy exists a warm wind,
That breathes into the city, like a friend.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like the cloud that floats,
Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.

The most sensible--or, depending on what you thought of The A-Team movie--most alarming response came from Kyle Buchanan. Writing at New York magazine's Daily Intel blog, he argued the clip was definitive evidence that Cooper--whose other notable roles include playing the bad guy in Wedding Crashers and Jim Carrey's best friend in Yes Man--is our Cary Grant.

"Over the last few months, Cooper has proven his versatility (in Limitless, which was a bona fide sleeper hit that he carried on his shoulders), his smarts (he's writing the script to Hyperion, a sci-fi novel optioned by Graham King), his humility (he's said that as much as he wants to direct Hyperion, he doubts anyone would let him, and he launched a self-effacing bid for the role of Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby through the New York Times), and his charm. He's been a great talk-show guest no matter which language he was speaking, and for his current Esquire cover story, he even prepared a stuffed-squid dinner for the journalist interviewing him. It almost seems too over-the-top — can a male movie star really be so charming and guileless? But why not say oui? After all, George Clooney can't do it all by himself."

"Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. -- G.K. Chesterton"
— Neil Gaiman (Coraline)

"I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind." 

Neil Gaiman

I love this.

"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe."
— Neil Gaiman (A Game of You)

When you make a mistake, don't look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind, and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power." - Phyllis Bottome

Rewrite your major goals every day,in the present tense, exactly as if they already existed. 

Brian Tracy

You're looking for obstacles...look for Magic. Magic. Always.

I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay. 

Madonna

Oprah's places I could be in right now article...

http://www.oprah.com/world/Places-We-Would-Rather-Be-Right-Now/12

Countries of the World to EXPLORE....

Afghanistan - Kabul - maybe not anytime son
Albania - Tirane
Algeria - Algiers
Andorra - Andorra la Vella
Angola - Luanda
Antigua and Barbados - Saint John's
Argentina - Buenos Aires
Armenia - Yerevan
Australia - Canberra
Austria - Vienna
Azerbaijan - Baku
The Bahamas - Nassau - I've visited
Bahrain - Manama
Bangladesh - Dhaka
Barbados - Bridgetown
Belarus - Minsk
Belgium - Brussels
Belize - Belmopan
Benin - Porto-Novo
Bhutan - Thimphu
Bolivia - La Paz (administrative); Sucre (judicial)
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo
Botswana - Gaborone
Brazil - Brasilia
Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan
Bulgaria - Sofia
Burkina Faso - Ouagadougou
Burundi - Bujumbura
Cambodia - Phnom Penh
Cameroon - Yaounde
Canada - Ottawa
Cape Verde - Praia
Central African Republic - Bangui
Chad - N'Djamena
Chile - Santiago
China - Beijing
Colombia - Bogota
Comoros - Moroni
Congo, Republic of the - Brazzaville
Congo, Democratic Republic of the - Kinshasa
Costa Rica - San Jose
Cote d'Ivoire - Yamoussoukro (official); Abidjan (de facto)
Croatia - Zagreb
Cuba - Havana
Cyprus - Nicosia
Czech Republic - Prague
Denmark - Copenhagen
Djibouti - Djibouti
Dominica - Roseau
Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo
East Timor (Timor-Leste) - Dili
Ecuador - Quito
Egypt - Cairo
El Salvador - San Salvador
Equatorial Guinea - Malabo
Eritrea - Asmara
Estonia - Tallinn
Ethiopia - Addis Ababa
Fiji - Suva
Finland - Helsinki
France - Paris
Gabon - Libreville
The Gambia - Banjul
Georgia - Tbilisi
Germany - Berlin
Ghana - Accra
Greece - Athens
Grenada - Saint George's
Guatemala - Guatemala City
Guinea - Conakry
Guinea-Bissau - Bissau
Guyana - Georgetown
Haiti - Port-au-Prince
Honduras - Tegucigalpa
Hungary - Budapest
Iceland - Reykjavik
India - New Delhi
Indonesia - Jakarta - I've been
Iran - Tehran
Iraq - Baghdad
Ireland - Dublin
Israel - Jerusalem*
Italy - Rome
Jamaica - Kingston
Japan - Tokyo
Jordan - Amman
Kazakhstan - Astana
Kenya - Nairobi
Kiribati - Tarawa Atoll
Korea, North - Pyongyang
Korea, South - Seoul
Kosovo - Pristina
Kuwait - Kuwait City
Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek
Laos - Vientiane
Latvia - Riga
Lebanon - Beirut
Lesotho - Maseru
Liberia - Monrovia
Libya - Tripoli
Liechtenstein - Vaduz
Lithuania - Vilnius
Luxembourg - Luxembourg
Macedonia - Skopje
Madagascar - Antananarivo
Malawi - Lilongwe
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur - I've been
Maldives - Male
Mali - Bamako
Malta - Valletta
Marshall Islands - Majuro
Mauritania - Nouakchott
Mauritius - Port Louis
Mexico - Mexico City
Micronesia, Federated States of - Palikir
Moldova - Chisinau
Monaco - Monaco
Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar
Montenegro - Podgorica
Morocco - Rabat
Mozambique - Maputo
Myanmar (Burma) - Rangoon (Yangon); Naypyidaw or Nay Pyi Taw (administrative)
Namibia - Windhoek
Nauru - no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
Nepal - Kathmandu
Netherlands - Amsterdam; The Hague (seat of government)
New Zealand - Wellington
Nicaragua - Managua
Niger - Niamey
Nigeria - Abuja
Norway - Oslo
Oman - Muscat
Pakistan - Islamabad
Palau - Melekeok
Panama - Panama City
Papua New Guinea - Port Moresby
Paraguay - Asuncion
Peru - Lima
Philippines - Manila - YES
Poland - Warsaw
Portugal - Lisbon
Qatar - Doha
Romania - Bucharest
Russia - Moscow
Rwanda - Kigali
Saint Kitts and Nevis - Basseterre
Saint Lucia - Castries
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Kingstown
Samoa - Apia
San Marino - San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe - Sao Tome
Saudi Arabia - Riyadh
Senegal - Dakar
Serbia - Belgrade
Seychelles - Victoria
Sierra Leone - Freetown
Singapore - Singapore - I've been
Slovakia - Bratislava
Slovenia - Ljubljana
Solomon Islands - Honiara
Somalia - Mogadishu
South Africa - Pretoria (administrative); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judiciary)
Spain - Madrid
Sri Lanka - Colombo; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative)
Sudan - Khartoum
Suriname - Paramaribo
Swaziland - Mbabane
Sweden - Stockholm
Switzerland - Bern
Syria - Damascus
Taiwan - Taipei
Tajikistan - Dushanbe
Tanzania - Dar es Salaam; Dodoma (legislative)
Thailand - Bangkok - Yes
Togo - Lome
Tonga - Nuku'alofa
Trinidad and Tobago - Port-of-Spain
Tunisia - Tunis
Turkey - Ankara
Turkmenistan - Ashgabat
Tuvalu - Vaiaku village, Funafuti province
Uganda - Kampala
Ukraine - Kyiv
United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi
United Kingdom - London
United States of America - Washington D.C.
Uruguay - Montevideo
Uzbekistan - Tashkent
Vanuatu - Port-Vila
Vatican City (Holy See) - Vatican City
Venezuela - Caracas
Vietnam - Hanoi
Yemen - Sanaa
Zambia - Lusaka
Zimbabwe - Harare

"I think you have every right to cherry-pick when it comes to moving your spirit and finding peace in God. You take whatever works from wherever you can find it, and you keep moving toward the light."
— Elizabeth Gilbert

25 things to do in the Philippines - Philippine Daily Inquirer

… before fantasizing about exploring other countries
1. Go white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro.

2. Visit Batanes.

3. See Mt. Mayon up close.

4. Swim with the whale sharks in Donsol.

5. Climb Mt. Pulag and be awed by its sea of clouds.

6. Dive, swim and explore Palawan’s underground river.

7. Hike and let the view of Mt. Pinatubo crater take your breath away.

8. Party in your bikini in Boracay.

9. Surf’s up! Choose your wave—La Union, Zambales or Real, Quezon.

10. Missed out on the pristine beauty of Boracay 15 years ago? Visit Malapascua, Cebu.

11. Dive and see the rich marine life of Anilao, Batangas.

12. Travel back in time—go to Vigan.

13. Let Bohol wow you with its many offerings—the Chocolate Hills, the tarsier, the Loboc River Cruise, old churches and the beach.

14. Go high! Drive to the Mountain Province of Sagada. Check out the caves, the hanging coffins and enjoy the laidback lifestyle.

15. Grab a Viaje del Sol map, visit Ugu Binyan’s pottery studio, eat at Kusina Salud and unwind at Casa San Pablo.

16. Spend an entire week up north. Take a road trip from Manila to Vigan, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Aparri and Isabela!

17. Try wakeboarding in Camsur.

18. Check out Malate, Old Manila and all their secret spots.

19. There are many reasons to love Davao. Kublai’s artworks, its proximity to the beach, the tasty pastil and juicy suha. And did I mention that it’s a smoke-free city?

20. Spend a weekend roughing it in Anawangin and Capones in Zambales.

21. Check out our colorful fiestas and document them with your camera. Ati-atihan, Dinagyang, Masskara, Sinulog, Higantes, Panagbenga and more.

22. Pick your own strawberries at the Strawberry Fields in La Trinidad, Benguet.

23. Go to Pampanga for sisig.

24. If it’s too hot in Manila, grab a few friends and take a quick trip to Tagaytay.

25. Enjoy a food trip in Iloilo. You’ll never go hungry in this city.

20 things I'm grateful for this February

1. Breathing
2. My new job
3. Angels
4. Love
5. Excitement
6. Hope
7. Mama
8. Papa
9. Siblings
10. Lakes
11. Real Friendships
12. Prayers
13. Faith 
14. Togetherness
15. Confidence
16. My little, funny niece
17. Wedding dresses 
18.  Books
19. Beaches
20. Stars

Remember this always...

Always remember that God only makes happy endings, if it's not happy, then it's not yet the end. If you're in struggle, take courage for it's not done yet. Trust and wait and strengthen your faith and pray.

A 21-Day Negativity Fast: Inspiration from a Truly Blessed Man

By Caroline Myss
Original Content  |  March 10, 2010

 
        As a minister, Willie has his method of counteracting negative thinking carefully charted: meditation, referencing scripture and prayer. Not everyone is a minister, obviously, so for those of you interested in conducting a 21-day negativity fast, here are some suggestions as to how to maintain that fast when confronted with ordinary and extraordinary inner and exterior negativity:

Practical Wisdom

• Don’t strive for perfection and don't think in terms of 21 days. It's one day at a time.

• Keep your fast to yourself. Don't talk about it to others.

• Keep five favorite inspirational pieces at the ready that genuinely shift you into an altered inner state. These may be prayers, poems, a lovely selection from literature, lyrics from a song, a particularly meaningful letter, even words written to yourself—or a combination of the above. Refer to one (or more) when you feel yourself slipping into a negative place.

• Use breathing techniques for centering.

• Walk away from stressful situations or conversations that are unnecessary to your life. Do not expose yourself to any unessential stress.

• Do mini-meditations and mantras to regroup.

• Do not share with others what is troubling you, as you are feeding the negative beast within. Instead, practice detachment. More often than not, what troubles others in your world has nothing to do with you. It's your own insecurities that make you think that the bad or sad moods of others are somehow connected to you. Remind yourself of that fact. Stay detached and do not interfere with the difficulties of others. Do not invite negativity into your life.

• Consciously look for what is good, beautiful, positive and loving in your life. Remind yourself to choose love, if only in the form of seeing the positive in something or someone.

• Practice gratitude for big and small things, for friends and family, for home and food—for the blessing of your life.

• Have no expectations of any outcomes or rewards for your efforts. If you are going to do this fast, do it because it just makes so much sense.

Finally, remind yourself that on Day 22, if your life shows no signs of improvement from being loving and positive, you can always go back to being negative. Good luck.

Let go of the past and go for the future. 

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you imagined. 

“Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” 

~Attributed to Howard Thurman

Imperfection is beauty. 

Madness is genius. 

And its better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. -Marilyn Monroe

My Leading Men

Greg Kinnear.

 

Enrique Marciano. In that movie, Marry Me should've been the guy she choose.

 

Melvil Poupaud. Broken English...one of my fave movies of all time.

 

Guilaume Canet. Smiling Eyes and the accent.

Ryan Gosling. Wow. He is uber hot.

I love him. Bradley Cooper.

 

Cary Grant. The epitome of a man.

Tony Curtis. There's something about him...the way he stares.

Frank Sinatra. Can sing me to sleep and wake me up with his coolness.

Gary Cooper. Ultimate cool guy.

Rock Hudson. Pajama party complete with pillow fight.

Jack Lemmon. Makes me smile.

 Gregory Peck. Swoon...again.

Andrew McCarthy. Pretty in Pink

 Lambert Wilson. Sahara...an oasis. 

 William Holden. Swoon.

Montgomery Clift. Wow.

My Fave Audrey Outfit

How to Steal A Million

Life is an echo; all comes back, the good, the bad, the false, & the true. So, give the world the best you have & the best will come back to you.

Flowers

Inspiring ideas for the homes I will build (of course with the help of architects, an interior designer, a landscape artist, contractor, etc)...2011/2012 are the years that I will start to do all these.

"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just." 
---Abraham Lincoln

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee…such a nice story

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again……….

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as when one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
 

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!

Live out your imagination, not your history. 
Stephen Covey