[video]
“When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vital matters, however, such as the choice of a mate or a profession, the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves. In the important decisions of personal life, we should be governed, I think, by the deep inner needs of our nature.” — Sigmund Freud as quoted in Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
“Good moods, while they last, enhance the ability to think flexiby and with more complexity, thus making it easier to find solutions to problems, whether intellectual or interpersonal. This suggests that one way to help someone think through a problem is to tell them a joke. Laughing, like elation, seems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely, noticing relationships that might have eluded them otherwise—a mental skill important not just in creativity, but in recognizing complex relationships and foreseeing the consequences of a given decision” (Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, pg. 85).
“… people who are emotionally adept-who know and manage their own feelings well, and who read and deal effectively with other people’s feelings-are at an advantage in any domain of life, whether romance and intimate relationships or picking up the unspoken rules that govern success in organizational politics. People with well-developed emotional skills are also more likely to be content and effective in their lives, mastering the habits of mind that foster their own prodictivity; people who cannot marshal some control over their emotional life fight inner battles that sabotage their ability for focused work and clear though” (Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, pg. 36).
I concur. Agreed?
“God grant me
Serenity to accept
the things I cannot change
Courage to change
the things I can and
Wisdom to know the difference”
— from a frame that was hanging in my parents’ room
We walked out onto the golf course by Tat’s house in the middle of the night, laid in the grass, and looked up at the stars. There weren’t any lights anywhere near the course at night. It was virtually a black abyss. But longer you looked the more stars you could see. We just stared up at the sky, in silence. Looking at the stars had always been a personal tradition for both of us, a time reserved for thinking, imagining, and contemplating. Sharing that time has become our tradition. Words could never capture what goes through our minds and hearts on those nights. And they didn’t need to.
You went out star gazing last night too? It was amazingly clear and I was actually in your area also! Were you at the country club cuz I was thinking about going out there too but ended up going to a park further down Bonifant. Can we share a gaze and just wonder at how tiny we really are in the whole scheme of things sometime? That would be great, thanks :D
“Sometimes not feeling is the only way you can survive.” — Secret Life of Bees
So I was watching a re-run of one of BJ Penn’s championship fight that was basically a boxing match for most of the time. Anyways one of the commentators said that BJ’s opponent was hitting better (at this one point, even though he eventually lost) cuz he was more fatigued, which actually let him relax more and get into a better rhythm; he wasn’t concentrating too hard or putting so much effort into every punch he delivered.
It’s the same way with flirting or talking to someone you like. Yeaa… think about it. As soon as you get over the inital jitters and butterflies, you relax and get into a better rhythm; you don’t concentrate too hard or put so much effort into every word or line you deliver.
But then again you can’t do the opposite and be passive or else you won’t be taken seriously. So, ultimately, the challenge of both situations is finding the right balance of exerting enough energy to make your presence and intentions known while not doing too much to seem like you’re coming on too strong or burn out too quickly.
Haha, I know. Quite a stretch of an extended metaphor, but interesting AND fun none the less :D
It’s crazy how the new hardwood floors in my room make everything so much louder. My parents tell me they can hear me talking late at night on the phone. :) gotta go on whisper mode now I guess.
I feel like making a list:
1. I love my best friends. They have become permanent peices of my heart and extensions of who I am. Everytime I see them, I feel like my whole person has just be recharged with life, like a battery. <3 “Hold me in your arms, never let me go I want to spend eternity with youuu.” (ahhh i just love them.)
2. My favorite yogurt is green tea with blueberrys, mochi & almonds.I really want to buy myself a 13 ounce cup of this one day.
3. FINALLY got my hand on a copy of ECLIPSE yesterday. (thank you cecy, geraldine & jessica) Can’t wait to start reading it!
4. Oscar came over and surprised me last night at work! Best surprise ever. <3 And today he and I went crazy with a scary movie and a randomn haircut experience. My hair is … different :] wheeeehooo. The duck goes moo.
5. This apartment stuff is so exciting. But scary. Looking at my planner … school starts in a month. A MONTH. that … is NOT a lot of time .. goodness.
6. I want to be TAN.
7. I miss lots of people. Especially Nina Bersabal, lol :P <3
Real life is right around the corner.
But I’m not afraid … because I know I have everyone I love if I ever need them.
& I’ll be there for you too, always.
Nikki Papel,
You never cease to remind me that life is good. Honestly, everytime I start to feel sorry for myself, you bring me back to reality. And I’m sure you don’t even know how much YOU do touch the people around you. It’s not all the words, because everyone can just say whatever, but it’s your actions. How you forever have a smile on your face, how you greet everyone you meet so enthusiastically, how you live your life, not looking for happiness, but with happiness. Thank you for being you.
Nikki, I miss you greatly too. We live just around the corner from each other! Please don’t hesitate to call, whether it’s for a jog or a great conversation. I love you :D
~Nina