Quite a Quote: Let it go

Difficult words to live by, but oh-so-true.

Bring to mind the biggest grudge you're holding.

Hold onto it for a moment; really feel it.

Then, say good-bye. Just let it go.

Don't judge yourself if it doesn't work the first, second, third time. Just feel pleased with yourself for trying.

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Quite a Quote: Self-Pity

“I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.”
- D. H. Lawrence


I think I need to meditate on this one for a while.


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Quite a Quote: Ideas

"The idea hovered & shimmered delicately, like a soap bubble, & she dared not even look at it directly in case it burst. But she was familiar with the way of ideas, & she let it shimmer, looking away, thinking about something else."

-- Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass

Quite a Quote: Sabrina

"You young people are so old-fashioned."

-Baron St. Fontanel, in Sabrina (1954)

Quite a Quote: Am I Dreaming?

It's crazy, I'm thinking, just knowing that the world is round.
And here I'm dancing on the ground.
Am I right side up or upside down?
And is this real, or am I dreaming?

-Dave Matthews Band, Crush

Can't get this out of my head or off of my mind today.

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Quite a Quote: Backbone

"Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be." -Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

I'm currently listening to this book on audiobook, & it is giving me imminent inspiration. Every word lightens my soul. I wish I could share the whole thing, but for now, here is a quote. Be strong, be your own, don't wait for what you want/need. What better day than today?

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Quite a Quote: What Others Think

[image source]

I try not to re-post other bloggers' stuff too much, but this post-it from Things We Forget rings so true with me right now. Ever since I started my job, I've put so much of my energy into trying to decipher what my co-workers, boss, & customers think of me, when I should just do my best & what I think is right. This is a great thing to keep in mind, especially with the holidays (e.g., family time, gift giving) approaches. Let's try to be our best, not the best in anyone else's mind.

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Quite a Quote: Be Yourself

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." --Oscar Wilde

More yoga class wisdom. Take it in, my friends.

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Worry Wort

For the next couple of days, I'm in Portland, Oregon visiting my little (20-year-old) sister. (We call each other Sissa.) Anyway, my sissa & I were chatting before bed last night, & she made a remark that was exactly what I needed to hear in a way that only she can. She told me that I worry too much.

I worry too much.

I'm sure we can all say that about ourselves, to some extent or other. But lately, worry has really been affecting my life: my mood, my happiness, & my productivity. Starting today, I want to concentrate on clearing my mind of unfounded stress, of problems that I just can't solve, & of responsibility for other people who can & do take care of themselves. We all deserve to cross a few worries off our list.

Also, the lovely Persis over at Miles of Style posted this quote today, & it did its job of inspiring me. I'm usually not one to re-post, at least not this quickly, but I really wanted to share.

"Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he had said, "What if I sink on the way over? What if I meet pirates? What if I never come back?' He wouldn't even have started."  -Willy Wonka, Charlie & the Great Glass Elevator

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Quite a Quote: The Dali Lama

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."  -The Dali Lama

This is just a quick post because I saw this quote & had to share. They're good words to remember in our day-to-day lives. We control our own thoughts & feelings. I'm going to try to remember this while I push through in my dissertation. I'm here because I love philosophy, & I shouldn't feel pressure & stress when I can feel excitement & curiosity & love for learning.


Hopefully I'll get a chance to post something more substantial soon. Have a lovely end of the week!


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Random Tuesday: Organized

Somehow I managed to organize Random Tuesday. Oops!

* Random Letter:
Dear Mr Thirsty,
You chose the wrong person to gulp next to in the library.
Sincerely annoyed,
Me
P.S. If I can hear you swallow through my headphones, it's time to see a doctor.

* Random Thought:
I realized I haven't been having scary nightmares as often. I occasionally have a bad dream, but it's the sort about making a stupid decision, not about being chased/kidnapped. That's good.

* Random Illustration:
(How I'm feeling today)

* Random Optimism:
At least my friend Nora is arriving in Bristol this evening. She'll be staying with me, & she's cheerful, so hopefully my spirits will lift.

* Random song:

I randomly thought of this last night in bed & couldn't fall asleep until I have found it & listened to it. Oh how I miss the 90s.

* Random quote:

"You're a gigantic parody of yourself & you don't even know it." --Tara, True Blood

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Quite a Quote: Wonder

Do you know that, in a universe so full of wonders, they have managed to invent boredom? 

-- Death, The Hogfather (2006)

Quite a Quote: Lost

"I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape." --Miles Straume, Lost

Today the final episode of Lost aired. It's the end of an era for so many viewers. I've gotten seriously attached to those characters, and I was sad to see them go. But I was left feeling pretty satisfied (though not every question was answered in my opinion), so I guess it's good-bye. I hope everyone who's been keeping up enjoyed the episode.

It does leave me thinking... now what? I don't watch much TV (telly, as they say here, heehee), but I do like to have one season going at any given time. Some choices are: The Wire, Mad Men, Community. Any other suggestions?

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Quite a Quote: Worrying

"Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere." --Van Wilder

1600 words down, 3400+ to go by the end of the weekend. (This is essay number 3.) I'm realllly trying not to worry too much about how bad it is or about getting the to word count. Instead, I'm trying to just work! This is my last essay, and I'm just mentally burnt out. The other two essays were my babies, and I cared for them and developed them as much as a could. And I continue to try to better them. But this one is like the third child: I've done this before, the excitement is a bit lost, and I feel that it will make it on its own.

Okay, I think that metaphor went a little bit too far. Essays can't take care of themselves, unfortunately. In fact, I should probably go back to writing...

I'm excited that the end of these essays are in sight. Then, I'll be working on my dissertation, which I think will be quite enjoyable. At least, for the first month or two of summer, the pressure won't be there too much. In the meantime, I'm really trying (and sometimes struggling) to enjoy and being engaged in writing these essays. After all, this is what I'm here for.

Good luck to the deadline-bound :.)

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Quite a Quote: Procrastination

Procrastination is like masturbation: At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself.

This is a common student proverb. Maybe it's a bit crude, but it's so true. Procrastination takes a lot of work, and it's very unrewarding. Sometimes it's almost easier and feels better to just do the work.

The past few weeks have been quite productive and positive for me. I've been getting work done and, for the most part, enjoying it. Which is what I'm here for, right? But today was a sham. I got practically nothing done. (However, I did have a meeting about one essay that went pretty well. So that was a plus.) When I'm unproductive, it makes me feel unhappy/anxious. And then the vicious circle starts because the anxiety prevents me from being productive. So I'm worried that this will start. But I will try not to let it. I'm trying to maintain the attitude that tomorrow WILL be a motivated, productive, and happy day.

I just got back from a meal out with friends. We ate at an Indian restaurant, and my friend Katie and I shared Tandoori Machlee (spiced, barbequed fish), Chuka Sabji Dall (spiced veggies and lentils in a sour sauce), and Mushroom Rice. It was reallllly delish! The company was good too. I have some really good friends here, and I'll miss them when we all move away at the end of the summer.

As for the rest of tonight, I've decided to give myself some R&R. I plan to get into pajamas, watch some House and/or read my book, and get an early night's sleep.

Oh, and tomorrow my housemate Michael and I are going to go running together again! I never thought I'd particularly like to run with someone else. (When Jonty comes with me, we pretty much do different workouts in the general proximity of each other.) I suggested he come with me on Sunday, mostly to try to motivate myself to go. And, a bit to my surprise, he joined me. And it was SO GOOD. We had a great chat and enjoyed the weather, and because I enjoyed it so much I didn't feel like I was counting the minutes until I could stop. AND my abs got more of a workout from talking while running. So yeah, I've convinced him that we should make this a regular thing and we have plans to go tomorrow, and I'm really excited about it.

Ooo and I ordered something lovely that I'll blog about tomorrow, because I'm going to snuggle up in bed right now. Night!

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Quite a Quote: Look on the Bright Side

This evening I made Cauliflower & Cabbage Soup for my friends Syano & Daniel. It was so delicious!!! Then, Syano & I headed down to the city centre to meet Katie for Alice in Wonderland in 3-D. Despite hearing so many criticisms of the film, I actually quite enjoyed it. While I wasn't too impressed with the story, the characters (especially the Red Queen) were fabulous, & the design & ideas that went into it were very interesting. Now, I'm going to hunker down and watch last night's episode of LOST, which I heard was a great one. Then: sleep, that thing which I am so unaccustomed to lately.

Here's a good quote for you before I go:

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

-Abraham Lincoln

I hope everyone has a positive outlook this week/weekend. Try to find the beauty, or at least the humor, in all you see.

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Quite a Quote

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got." -Dale Watson

This quote works on so many levels. I'll keep my commentary brief so you can apply it to your own life. I've already begun applying it to mine.

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Quite a Quote: Confidence

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."

--Marie Curie

Tomorrow is deadline #1. I'm having trouble keeping my concentration, but if I can keep my Internet browser closed it will be finished soon. Marie Curie is giving me the confidence that I need to get this done!

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Quite a Quote: Motivation

"Then indecision brings its own delays, and days are lost lamenting over lost days. Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute; what you can do, or dream you can do, begin it; boldness has genious, power, and magic in it. Only engage, and then the mind grows heated. Begin it and the work will be completed." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Isn't this quote incredibly motivating? A friend posted it as her Facebook status a few weeks ago, and now every time I'm having trouble getting started on something I read it. I even wrote it on a sheet of paper and stuck it on the wall in one of the Grad Center study rooms. A few of my friends have remarked on it, and yesterday I saw a girl I don't know copying it into a notebook.

It's almost 11am and I've yet to start working. I worked so hard last week and especially this past weekend, and yesterday I was pretty beat. But I found out that the deadline for one of my essays was extended, so last night I decided to walk home before dark (a big deal), make a proper meal, do some non-work things like clean and watch House, and get to bed early. I must admit I didn't get to bed as early as I hoped, but it was still really nice to have a stress-less evening. But now, despite the extension, I really need to get back to work so I can get these essays in. I'm insistent that I take as little of the extension as possible. So I've read and re-read the above quote, and hopefully now I'll start being productive!

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