Your own best Self::

I should start this post, and all my posts, out by saying that no one is perfect. That is the beauty of the human spirit. I write a lot about "how we should be" and "how to be a good person." I am not always a good person, I am not perfect. But at least I can admit that and I am always trying to learn and improve. No one can ever be perfect, so we should all just try to be good, honest people to each other and ourselves. [This is just a little disclaimer as I don't want people thinking that I think I am better than anyone else out there! Cuz I ain't! We're all just different, and we're all just superheroes dressed in regular clothes.]

I have a habit of writing on my walls with permanent marker. Something I don't think my father is too happy about, but nonetheless he can appreciate the message. That and he's dealt with my "off-beat flow" for some time now... I figure writing straight on the walls is the most permanent way I can express myself. It is my brain's thought process in the raw.

Every time I walk out of my bedroom I look at the words I've written: "Be a good person, today."
Be a good person, TODAY. This is all we have to worry about.
Where ever you go, there you are.
And if you are striving to be a good person in that moment, you are living an honest life.

One should always strive to be their own best self.
We are human. Leave room for error, false judgment and occasional let down.
Leave room for hurt feelings and misunderstandings.
But always know WHAT and WHO you want to be.
Always Question.
Praise yourself with self respect and hold yourself to high standards. This shows confidence and faith in your inner being. This shows your unconditional love for thy self.
Ask yourself constantly how you can do better, do good.

Are you the man or woman you would be proud of?

Often times we find a path to our own best self, through something or someone, and we fear it.
It is a step up. A rise to another level, almost as if you are being called upon (by yourself, of course) to take that step.
It is easy to shy away from being a better self. It is not the easiest path and some will not allow themselves to go forward on it. For whatever reason; guilt, fear, laziness, some cannot take that leap.
Out of fear, many people choose to avoid the path, ignoring the challenge. They are left weakened by a state of mind that can trap and dissolution.
And for a time, this path works, because it is easy. Floating.

But the call to take the path to your own best self will rise within you again. You can ignore it. You can drown it out or run the other way, but it will always find you through other circumstances, people and challenges.
One must give up the contented to move to the extraordinary. One must make the change and take the leap!

Who gives a fuck, it's scary as hell but it's the only way to LIVE THIS LIFE BEAUTIFULLY.
We must change the way we think in order to strive for something better.

We must be the deciders of our own fate.
We must always think on how we can be our OWN BEST SELF.

More Love.
More graditude.
More joy.

Your heart doesn't lie. It will tell you what you need to know, you just have to decide if you are going to listen to it.

In striving to be "good," everything becomes so simple. So real.
No one can be their own best self all the time. Leave room for this in your life and lives of others. Trying is the key.

We will stumble and fall.
We will lose our way and feel confused.
We will need to ask for help and for forgiveness along the way. And we must trust that the people who love us will give us such things.

This continuing journey will not be easy, but it will be best.
To strive for goodness, fairness... To search for righteousness.
To be our own best self and constantly question what that is.

Our own best self is no one elses.

Follow your own beating Heart::

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become.
Everything else is secondary.”

One Way Ticket to Disneyland

There was a day in my life that was perfect. Or rather, looking back on it I can now say, was perfect. To be honest, most days I remember are this way, even now.

I was a young child, living carefree in this world beside my brother, mother and father. We were living in California at the time, somewhere around some beach (the details don't really matter when you're seven and all you care about is how many hours are in the day to play). My dad and I were flying a kite and he was trying to take an "artsy" photo looking up the string I held in my hands. Everything was good. Life was good.

This is the day that the family joke "A one way ticket to Disneyland" came into play as my brother and I were eating Twix bars. For some reason, (and again the details are hazy) from that day on, the Twix bar became that one way ticket to Disneyland. The Happiest Place on Earth that I have had the pleasure of visiting 25 times in my life.

I guess the story doesn't really matter. It is what I am trying to get at that does.

It is what you get in this world. It is those times. It is that joy, that eternal joy. That is what we get and we must hold on to that and appreciate it. It is in these moments that our lives are defined as perfect. Perfectly imperfect really, but it is the beauty of our moments that make up our lives.

In that one day, things could have gone differently. Something could have been better or gone more smoothly. But it is not these things we remember. Because all in all, none of that matters. It is the joy, the perfectness of that day that we remember. The little things are the details that "could have been better," but who wants to sweat the small stuff in life?

Things will not always be perfect, nor go according to the plan we have mapped out. Things will always be imperfect by nature, really. But that is what life is and that is why it is so beautiful. You can wish for someone or something to be different, but in the end, they are themselves and doing their best and we shall love them (or it) for the way that they are. Love is imperfect and always will be. It will guide us through these moments in life, these perfect days.

The beauty is in the imperfection that make all of our days a perfect miracle in this life. What life throws at you is meant to happen. It may not make sense at the time but it is perfect in plan. Taking even the hard times into consideration, if we do not remember each day as perfect, what do we have?

Crazy Little Thing Called Love::

It's funny. Tonight I had the idea of picking up the computer to write about a subject that I think we can all relate to. A subject that each and every one of us has a connection with. An emotion that can be so powerfully good or so awesomely bad.

Tonight I was going to write about love.

We have all given love, and we have all received love. We have been blessed to share this special feeling with the people we choose to surround ourselves with. But then I thought; Can love really be described? Can something that tugs at the very shoestrings of your soul be written about on paper?

I started wandering around Facebook and on other blogs that I follow and came across one from a very lovely lady who I have only had the pleasure of being around a few times. But to me, she is love because I can see it and feel it through her energy and her writing.

I grew up in a neighborhood full of boys. Now this is not to say I didn't grow up "girly." In fact, sometimes I think I am too sensitive for my own good and I let my feelings get ahead of my rationality. But give it time and I always seem to pull myself back down to the ground where I find myself standing on two feet looking out at this beautiful existence with nothing but love to give. Now, I do contribute (a lot of) my amount of loving energy to my childhood, my parents and my "brothers." Thank you Eric, mostly, for always being my big brother. And the others? Well, you know who you are and I am pretty sure you have a good idea of how you've positively influenced me. But out of these brothers of mine, I have always admired James for his determination, his "cool" and his capacity to just be his inspiring self. And I think that is why he met and married a very loving woman.

It's funny that I would sit down to write about love and sift through the blog updates in my feed to find a recent blog post of Stacey Kirkham. She writes about it so well, I will just quote her:

"as i ponder love and its meaning, i often find myself questioning if love is even the right word for the emotion i feel. is it possible to more than love someone? these thoughts led me to the dictionary...

love
[luhv]
–noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection.
3. sexual passion or desire.
4. affectionate concern for the well-being of another

why is "love" so hard to define? for me, love goes beyond affection, attachment, desire and concern...it reaches my soul and oozes from my pores. my love is intended for benefits not for profits, it is meant for others. my love is infinite and not temporal, it is patient. my love is merciful and not judgmental, it is unconditional." (Thank you Stacey).

Love is Truth. Love is the reason we are here. Without it, a person has nothing. With it, a person feels as though anything is possible. And believe this, with love, anything IS possible. It is good when it's here, but sometimes I think it gets overlooked or taken for granted. It is devastating when it is gone. The pain of losing love or a loved one seems almost too much to bear. Love leads people to do irrational things, funny things, inspiring things. It can also be pushed out of people's reach for no explanation at all.

The word "Love" may not be able to describe the emotion that a person has, but hell, the people that make the rules say that everything in this world needs to be named for the purpose of description and comprehension. So what is this I feel? It is so good. It is so big. It is so simple. It is what it is, my friends.

I often contemplate on how to share that love with more people. How to share that love with the world! I have felt the love of the world before and I know what it feels like to know you've touched the lives of people you may not even know. Love is all-encompassing, invigorating and True. More positive thought=more love=a better existence.

So, without further ado, thank you to all of the people who have ever given me love. I have learned from each and every one of you. And thank you to specific people who taught me what real love is.

I think this is the first time I have written a blog post and haven't really taken it anywhere. I have no concrete opinion, I have no easy line to suggest people follow. I don't even really know if this post has a point! But I guess that just means that love is ultimately something that the heart does not debate, it does not tell you one way or the other how to love. I guess you just... DO.

So true, so True::

Nothing big... Just two quotes I love to love::

"The fastest way to break the vicious cycle and love fearlessly is to give up the idea of doing it perfectly - embrace uncertainty and imperfection."

"Attitude can be summed up in one word- choice. Choosing to change your attitude may seem like a small change, but it can't happen unless we recognize it's all up to us. If we don't decide what kind of a day we're going to have, who does?"

What is Happiness?

Wow friends... It's been a while! Can't believe it's been since February! Does that mean that nothing has really been post worthy or that I've been slacking on good updates? Ha, maybe a little of both but I am back to writing evermore.

I have learned a lot in the past few months. A lot about life. A lot about love. And a lot about appreciation, perspective and genuine compassion.

Appreciation:: People are always extending some helpful hand or words, a listening ear, or a comforting hug. And I think we tend to take this for granted, especially coming from the people closest to us. Never forget to appreciate these gestures.

Perspective:: Things in life may seem hard but there are always harder things. Some people may have it better or worse or just different but we all must remember that everyone goes through things where they could use a comforting hug. Keeping perspective of people's situations and the world around you is essential in your happiness and the happiness of the world.

Compassion:: Loving will never stop. Compassion will never leave this world. I encourage everyone to contemplate on the love in their lives and then extend it a little more. To someone who may need it but who you may not really know or understand. Everything comes full circle and this world flows a little easier when people are giving and true to their good nature. Learn to love fully or the heart will be wasted. The problem with this is that it tends to hurt more. But we must think, the suffering is worth the end result; fully experiencing.

Happiness:: I have found that when the pen is flowing, with words or drawings, my mind feels free of the world's suffering. The creative energy takes over and everything falls into place. When my pen is moving I cease to feel sorry for myself, to think badly about others, to over analyze and pick apart situations. Everything becomes clear. Everything becomes happy. It's almost as if I see the world, my world and my surroundings just as simply as they should be and it all makes sense.

Music, live music in particular, seems to have a similar effect. I went to a show last night of which I have waited years to see this artist live. I chose to go alone. When I told this to a friend before the concert, she could hardly believe that I would be doing such a thing by myself. I just thought it was another something I wanted to do and the fear or self-conciousness of being alone is not going to stop me from doing, seeing or experiencing anything. So I went. And I listened to the opening band, of which I bought a CD! I have never done that! But as I was listening, I felt the loosening up of everything inside. All of the negativity and the stress and the sorrow of anything that has ever happened. It slowly went away as my legs started to shake to the beat. I found myself in a room with 200 strangers with a smile on my face and the happiest honest feeling I have felt for some time. Something was coming alive. As John Butler came out on stage I couldn't help but jump up and down with excitement. And as the first chord of the first song was played I felt my heart lift into another world.

Not everyone gets this from music or writing. And not everyone will understand this. But I do know that everyone has something in their own lives that takes them to this place. That something that makes them this happy. Almost blissful, I guess. You know what it is, or maybe you don't and you're striving to find it. But I do know that it is out there. And it will make you feel good.

Writing again is hugely gratifying for me. It is something that gets pushed out of the way for work, love and other obligations. This is completely my fault and something no one else can do or not do for me. And it is something, for me, that should not be let go of. I have the complete set of my past journals and have been meaning to look back through them for a while now. They provide inspiration and advice into situations where I feel I have lost my way or need a boost. For those of you who know my "little black books," you know what I am talking about. The constant drawing with my four colors of pens, my note taking and quote writing, my silly little aspirations, hopes and dreams, and my heart and soul through tough times. Sometimes when we are going through something rough, we forget that we've probably felt a similar way before. It may not be as "bad" or "hard," etc. but we've all had to pick ourselves up and continue toward the ever changing dream of being our BEST SELVES.

For me, my best self is a culmination of everything in those little black journals. It is who I truly am, who I want to be and the things I admire about this world. Oh the miracles of this world! Let us never loose sight of that! Embracing the miracle of life is, essentially, what happens when I find myself unable to stop my fingers from typing, or unable to hold still to the sound of live music. You feel it in your bones and there is nothing more invigorating than understanding all of the happiness of the world just by doing or hearing something you love.

Love. It's what makes the world go 'round. God's love keeps the trees green. The heart's love is what feeds the mouths of the hungry and lets the weak rest in the care of good hands. Love and compassion for plants, animals and peoples alike is the love of the world.

Excuse me! I am starting to digress. Although, I once talked to my best friend about digression and if it was a bad or a good thing. I don't believe there is anything wrong with an "ADD" brain at all! It shows excitement. The digressive path allows you to think and feel and share so deeply all of your thoughts and loves. In my opinion, it lets the ideas loose so that they are there to be picked up and talked about or saved for another day. Digression is FEELING. It is loving. It is excitement for everything good in this world. And wanting to share that world with others.

So... Back to writing. I have said for a long time that I want to write a book. Or something along those lines. Not a novel but more of a book of inspiration. A book of Truth. A book of following one's path, being the best true self one can be. Being lost in this world and loving it and not going at it alone! The problem is; I just haven't done it. My excuse is; I just don't know how to start it. So, I am going to try because writing and inspiring and taking life's experiences and throwing them at other people is what makes me a happy person.

If I am happiest writing, I am a writer.
If I am happiest drawing, I am an artist.
If I am happiest singing, I am the best damn singer there ever was.

This is the Truth in life. This is how you find your happiness. Don't get all worked up into what you're supposed to be. Listen to the Truth and be what you WANT to be. Because I guarantee you, YOU ARE ALREADY IT. It is in there somewhere, it is our job to carry it out.

One of my favorite quotes is, "You were put here for a reason, Find what that reason is and do it." (Unknown)
To me this is simple. It is a given. To find what that is and do it is ultimately going feed the soul and make us more happy people.

And what is the point of all of it? We don't know need to search for the answer to this question. We get one shot, we better make sure we're happy enough to enjoy it. The point of LIFE is HAPPINESS. Love is happiness. Truth is happiness.

So I vow to write more, read more, draft a book, and stay true to the things and people I love and believe in.
And I love you all.

On saying YES:

The idea of Yes.

Yes is Yes. Yes is not No. Yes is not Maybe. Yes is why not?

Developing the idea of Yes is something that has come from my travel experiences, my mishaps and good fortunes along a crazy winding road through many countries and random experiences. Yes will get you far, Yes will take you to the things you never dreamed you'd be a part of. Yes will test you in many, many ways.

Say yes to experience. Any and all. And no, of course I don't mean EVERYTHING and ANYTHING because some things out there will get you in serious trouble or danger. BUT you must know what I mean when I say live your live with a Yes mentality. So many people get stuck in the comfort zone. The idea of things excite them but they never take action. Many experiences will be forfeited to the idea of comfort. "I could be doing that but I really need my space, my alone time" or "That would be really cool but I can't because [insert some dumb/semi-valid excuse here]" So why, we ask ourselves, do we forego experience to have a comfortable evening at home alone or a good night's sleep fpr just another day at the office?

YES to experience! You will get to know people and things on an entirely different level. Commit yourself to the things that you've always wanted to but haven't had the balls to say yes to.

For the first time I feel like my thoughts are very jumbled over this idea. Maybe because it is so simple, at least in my head, and nothing more needs to be said.

You will always say you WANT to do something, until you say YES to it. You've always wanted to travel? Why not now? You've always wanted to go to that show on a Monday night but haven't because of work on Tuesday? Why not this Monday? What have you got to lose besides a few hours of sleep? Nothing a little caffeine can't kick. That trip you've been envious of your best friend for... Why not make it your own or plan your own 'next great adventure'?

THERE IS A WHOLE WORLD OF EXPERIENCE OUT THERE. AND THOUSANDS OF THINGS TO SAY YES TO! Commit yourself to these things. Think responsibly about what you've always wanted to say Yes to, and then do it. There is no waiting around because we all know that that means it will never actually happen.

And once you've said yes to certain things, the expanse of our world and experience in it will only grow and continue to grow. People from all over have so much to teach you, say Yes to these lessons. Learning someone else's culture, someone else's way will only open your eyes to a world so beautiful and deserving of your attention.

Say Yes to all experience and you will find yourself growing spiritually and mentally more so than ever before. We need more Yes people in this world, narrow-mindedness and conservatism toward the unknown experience will always be there, the nay-sayers, the can't-do's, will always be creeping in one ear. But there is no right or wrong way to live life! No one tells you how it's got to be done! Say Yes to finding your own way.

That is all. Simply Yes.