“It was an important reminder not to cast anyone out of our hearts, for in the process we are casting out ourselves. If we feel affected by someone being dismissive, critical or hurtful, it is invariably because there is a hook in us for that negativity to grab hold of, a place where it can land and trigger all our hidden feelings of unworthiness, insecurity, and self-doubt.” – Ed and Deb Shapiro

This is from an article titled “Don’t Put Anyone out of Your Heart” from Huffington Post today. It hits home so personally for me TODAY that I don’t even want to share my story, I just want to share the article. It is VERY powerful and I truly hope that all of you take the time to read the link attached to the picture below. To fully understand the meaning, you need to read the article.

Just remember, when someone seems like they are being dismissive, critical or hurtful, it’s because what they have said or done is hitting hidden feelings of your own allowing them to be intensified, causing these negative reactions and exposing insecurities, self-doubt or some other ignored emotions.

“Metta asks that we stay caring, that we keep our heart open to the situation we are struggling with and all the accompanying annoyance and anger, and hold ourselves with gentle tenderness. Then, amazing change is possible.”

“This is my voice and it’s been hard, for me. I’ve been at it for awhile and I’ve tried to sort of shrink my voice down to fit. But, I decided for this show I was just gonna just sing like myself.” – Chris Mann, “The Voice” (NBC)

I watched “The Voice” on my DVR this morning while getting ready for work and a man named Chris Mann sang a beautiful opera song. Afterwards, after he had been praised and applauded, Cee Lo Green asked him why he chose the song. The quote above was his response. For so long he tried to fit the mold of what was common, average, and he refused to do that anymore.

I think a lot of us do this. I, myself, have actually been thinking about this a lot lately. I feel that I’m very different when it comes to a lot of things, I don’t fit the “norm” in our society. And, instead of always embracing these differences and basking in what makes me me, I sometimes hold back in fear of how I will be viewed. This man inspired me this morning, really hit a cord inside and reminded me of one of my favorite Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes,  “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” I’m vowing to make this a priority in my life, to always be myself and not let the world try and make me something that I am not. I think we should all do this because we’re beautiful the way we are.

If you click this image you can watch his audition. Just awesome!

“We make all sorts of assumptions because we don’t have the courage to ask questions.” – Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements

I recently made an assumption because personal insecurities stopped me from asking questions to find out the truth. If we would stop being scared to just ask for the truth we could put an end to the drama created from making false assumptions. It takes courage to look past your insecurities like this but it pays off huge in the long run.

If you feel like something is off and want to know why, just ask? You will never know the truth if you don’t ask! Believe me, someone would much rather you approach them about something that is bothering you than be approached later by false assumptions you have made about them. Nip it in the bud from the get go and go from there.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela

I was upset to watch a video today from a news site I frequent. In the video high school students were asked some basic questions to which they didn’t know the answer. For example, “How many stars are on the US flag?”  “Who is the vice president of the US?” etc. Instead of laughing along with the students laughing at themselves, thinking the lack of knowledge was funny, I got tears in my eyes. I was so disappointed. I know that this video was of only a few of America’s high school students but I just couldn’t help but think this was a decent representation of the future leaders of our country.

Education is so important and it is what our country needs to help keep us alive and change for the better. I really hope that  America’s youth realizes how important education is in this world and it is COOL to want to learn and to continue to educate themselves. Because the way the world is headed these days, we could use some more educated folks! And, that, is my public service annoucement.

You can find the video Here.

“Maybe our favorite quotations say more about us than about the stories and the people we’re quoting.”  

– John Green

An old roommate of mine sent me this quote last night and I just love it. If you think about it, the quotes we love really tell a lot about who we are, where we have been, what we have been through, how we feel and what we strive to do or be. Sort of brilliant! I suppose I relate to every quote I share with all of you in this blog which means that each of you gets an inside into the heart of me. Saying that aloud makes me realize how vulnerable I am by writing this blog and sharing it with the world (not that the whole world reads it, but they could haha).

Well, then welcome to me! I hope that by sharing me with you, you can see yourself and others a little clearer. Hopefully someone will quote me one day, even just once. Thinking that something I am known for saying may some day define a piece of someone else gives me chills. Like they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and I would be flattered.

I have linked this awesome picture that I found below with Jessica Andrew’s, “Who I am.” This blog shares who I am…Welcome!

“When people show you who they are, believe them.” – Maya Angelou

Someone I cared about and loved very much told me, “I’m going to hurt you.” And instead of believing them I said, no you aren’t, don’t say that. I didn’t believe them, because I didn’t want to. But, ultimately they hurt me and I have no one to blame but myself. I didn’t believe when they said who they were and waited until they showed me. And, even then, I didn’t believe, and let it happen numerous times. What a HUGE Life Lesson Maya Angelou shares that is so powerful to me.

Just think about what this quote means. Trust, believe and “listen” when others are “telling” you who they really are. They know themselves better than you do. It’s actually a tough thing to do and isn’t always verbal, but when someone truly opens themselves up to you and shows you their truth, don’t ask questions, just trust, believe and honor their honesty. Trust in what you feel, see and hear to be true.

Please take time to watch the video linked below of Maya speaking with Oprah about this Life Lesson.

“The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.” – Earl Nightingale 

As many of you know, I graduated from grad school in May of 2010. But, what most of you don’t know is that I don’t have my diploma yet. Why? Because I never finished my thesis. To many this apparently seemed like an easy task, or one that I would find the time to complete if it meant a lot to me, but, believe me, it wasn’t that easy…and I’ll tell you why.

The topic of my thesis is LONG:

Tourism under Dictator & Democracy: How the Catalan Culture and Catalan Nationalism

have Affected Tourism in Catalonia, Spain throughout Changing Political Power

You may ask why someone would pick such a deep topic covering politics, foreign countries and tourism, but I will tell you why…passion! This is something I am passionate about and my heart was in this paper. Well, half way through grad school my father passed away and I pushed forward that last year just to finish and when I finished my last class I was flat out exhausted: emotionally, physically and mentally, so I put it off. I refused to write anymore of the paper until I was in a place where I felt that passion again.

Well, this past weekend it came back. I sat down for two and a half days and typed. I typed about a country, a region and a city that make me feel alive to even think about. I wrote until I had nothing left to say and I finished it! Yes, I will have edits to make, and that is fine, but I finished this paper on my time and I made sure to put all the passion in the world into it. I felt so intensely about writing a great paper about tourism in Catalonia that it directed me to its fulfillment. As Oprah says, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” Travel, culture, Spain, Barcelona and tourism excite me and its amazing the power and energy that comes from that passion. What are you passionate about? Let it drive you!

The images below are Left: The view from Parc Güell and Right: Montjuïc, about two blocks from my first apartment. Click on them to learn more about my passion!

“Truth is, I’ll never know all there is to know about you just as you will never know all there is to know about me. Humans are by nature too complicated to be understood fully. So, we can choose either to approach our fellow human beings with suspicion or to approach them with an open mind, a dash of optimism and a great deal of candor.” – Tom Hanks

Not only do I love this quote, but I LOVE Tom Hanks.  What a brilliant point he makes with this statement. I try to keep an open mind in all situations, especially when I’m encountered with meeting new people that come from a different background than myself. This is very important to me. I can’t be afraid of someone just because maybe I’m unfamiliar with their background or scared of the unknown they encompass within the mystery of any stranger. I look at strangers like “friends of the future.” I love meeting new people and being open to what they have to teach me. Why would I close myself off to learning something new based solely on fear or prejudices created by the ignorance of others.

I have a very low tolerance for close-minded people. Maybe that’s awful of me or just awful of me to admit, but it’s the truth. But then I have to remind myself that I only have control over myself and my own thoughts and I can’t let the thoughts and opinions of others get me worked up.

So, that being said, I’m going to leave today at this (re-quoting Mr. Hanks again): “…We can choose either to approach our fellow human beings with suspicion or to approach them with an open mind, a dash of optimism and a great deal of candor.” I would like option two, please. Because, he is right, we will never fully understand each other, we are just too complicated, but the least we can do is try. Put a “Come in, I’m open sign” on your brain and let it ALL in!

Speaking of Tom Hanks, every time I watch the trailer (linked below) for the new movie he is in I just lose it. I can’t wait to see “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” Who’s with me?

I’m not sure how I’m just reading this now, but I do know that I will be forever changed because of it. Please enjoy! And, thank you, to a friend for sharing this yesterday. There are no words of stories of my own that need to be added. This poem could be talked about for days and days on end, I prefer to enjoy the internal dialogue that it creates within me.

Desiderata 

By: Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

I looked up “desiderata” and it means, “Something that is needed or wanted.” Just an FYI. I have linked the image to a beautiful slideshow of images I found to the words above. 

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” – Aibileen, The Help

So I am a little behind in reading The Help but I have had to catch up on other reading. I am now about a third of the way into this brilliant novel and this one line keeps sticking out to me, “You is kind. You is smart. You is important,” that Aibileen says to little Mae Mobley. She wants to make sure that no matter what anyone else says, no matter how much her mother may neglect her that she is kind, smart and important.

I don’t think these are words that only children need to hear. I think these are words that need to be conveyed to any and everyone. I think that we tend to feel like people know this is how we see them and how we feel without saying it. I disagree with this. How great does it feel when someone pays you a compliment? When someone tells you how important you are to them? It’s funny how no matter how old we get, kind words and affirmations like these can change our whole day, make us feel like a million dollars. It’s amazing how much negative words and comments can start to be believable when you hear them. Remind someone about the positives! So instead of just thinking your friends, family, co-workers, etc know how you feel about them, how grateful you are for them and what they mean to you, TELL THEM! It will make you feel better too 😉

Now I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I found the clip with this scene and have linked it below. If you haven’t read it yet, buy it, rent it, borrow it, Kindle it, whatever. It’s humbling and a wonderful reminder of many things.