Love and sorrow are part of the mortal journey. Both exquisite, both dear teachers of the soul; and I will forever be their student.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Taken from LifeHack
Mentally strong people have healthy habits. They manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life. Check out these things that mentally strong people don’t do so that you too can become more mentally strong.
1. They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves
Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their role in life and understand that life isn’t always easy or fair.
2. They Don’t Give Away Their Power
They don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. They don’t say things like, “My boss makes me feel bad,” because they understand that they are in control over their own emotions and they have a choice in how they respond.
3. They Don’t Shy Away from Change
Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. Instead, they welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible. They understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt.
4. They Don’t Waste Energy on Things They Can’t Control
You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over lost luggage or traffic jams. Instead, they focus on what they can control in their lives. They recognize that sometimes, the only thing they can control is their attitude.
5. They Don’t Worry About Pleasing Everyone
Mentally strong people recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. They’re not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary. They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn’t make them happy.
6. They Don’t Fear Taking Calculated Risks
They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong people spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action.
7. They Don’t Dwell on the Past
Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future.
8. They Don’t Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over
Mentally strong people accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.
9. They Don’t Resent Other People’s Success
Mentally strong people can appreciate and celebrate other people’s success in life. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success.
10. They Don’t Give Up
ter the First Failure Mentally strong people don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right.
11. They Don’t Fear Alone Time
Mentally strong people can tolerate being alone and they don’t fear silence. They aren’t afraid to be alone with their thoughts and they can use downtime to be productive. They enjoy their own company and aren’t dependent on others for companionship and entertainment all the time but instead can be happy alone.
12. They Don’t Feel the World Owes Them Anything
Mentally strong people don’t feel entitled to things in life. They weren’t born with a mentality that others would take care of them or that the world must give them something. Instead, they look for opportunities based on their own merits.
13. They Don’t Expect Immediate Results
Whether they are working on improving their health or getting a new business off the ground, mentally strong people don’t expect immediate results. Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time.
Mentally strong people have healthy habits. They manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life. Check out these things that mentally strong people don’t do so that you too can become more mentally strong.
1. They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves
Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their role in life and understand that life isn’t always easy or fair.
2. They Don’t Give Away Their Power
They don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. They don’t say things like, “My boss makes me feel bad,” because they understand that they are in control over their own emotions and they have a choice in how they respond.
3. They Don’t Shy Away from Change
Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. Instead, they welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible. They understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt.
4. They Don’t Waste Energy on Things They Can’t Control
You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over lost luggage or traffic jams. Instead, they focus on what they can control in their lives. They recognize that sometimes, the only thing they can control is their attitude.
5. They Don’t Worry About Pleasing Everyone
Mentally strong people recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. They’re not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary. They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn’t make them happy.
6. They Don’t Fear Taking Calculated Risks
They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong people spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action.
7. They Don’t Dwell on the Past
Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future.
8. They Don’t Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over
Mentally strong people accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.
9. They Don’t Resent Other People’s Success
Mentally strong people can appreciate and celebrate other people’s success in life. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success.
10. They Don’t Give Up
ter the First Failure Mentally strong people don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right.
11. They Don’t Fear Alone Time
Mentally strong people can tolerate being alone and they don’t fear silence. They aren’t afraid to be alone with their thoughts and they can use downtime to be productive. They enjoy their own company and aren’t dependent on others for companionship and entertainment all the time but instead can be happy alone.
12. They Don’t Feel the World Owes Them Anything
Mentally strong people don’t feel entitled to things in life. They weren’t born with a mentality that others would take care of them or that the world must give them something. Instead, they look for opportunities based on their own merits.
13. They Don’t Expect Immediate Results
Whether they are working on improving their health or getting a new business off the ground, mentally strong people don’t expect immediate results. Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Photographer Puts Two Strangers Together For Intimate Photographs, And The Results Are Surprising
Photographer Richard Renaldi takes random people he meets on the street of New York City and asks them to pose in pictures together as if they were family members, friends or lovers.
The subjects are only asked to look like they are showing a brief amount of affection, but the facial expressions and body language within the photos make it seem like these strangers not only know each other, but also share some sort of genuine bond.
This unorthodox recipe for truly magical moments speaks volumes about both art and humanity.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
A lot of acquaintance who suffer my similar predicament confided in me that they can't stand browsing their Facebook accounts.
Knowing that their ex-classmates and friends/ acquaintances are busy living a productive and fun life just adds salt to their pain.
I can understand the feeling but I very quickly, almost instantaneously recognise that feeling as jealousy.
And it's wrong.
It's normal as we're all human, but it's also wrong.
I remember sharing this pain with my counsellor years ago.
She asked, "How does that make you feel?" - the standard counsellor response.
I answered, "They worked hard, obviously they deserve to be where they are. I guess this pain in internally inflicted, that's why it hurts even more."
"What I'm trying to say is, I blame myself and yet, I know I've done nothing wrong.
Why didn't I fight harder? Why did I allow myself to be victimised?
The guilt is killing me inside."
Back to present.
Why this post?
I was browsing my Facebook.
I saw photos of my ex-classmate who was very close in proximity with the instructor whom I'm currently having a crush on.
What a small world.
The photos were taken on the same year I was on my 3rd relapse.
13 years ago, we were doing the exact same thing.
Now, look how different things have turned out for us.
On a different note, I bought a slice of birthday cake for LC.
She was really surprised that I remembered.
I'm glad I did.
=)
On a different note, I bought a slice of birthday cake for LC.
She was really surprised that I remembered.
I'm glad I did.
=)
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
By Jonathan Lareau
1. Nothing is permanent.
Yet we are programmed for the opposite. We want life to feel safe and secure, and permanence gives us the illusion that it is. The reality is that nothing is permanent, and the only thing we know we can count on is change. The more we push for permanence in life, against the current, the more disappointed we become when we find it is not achievable to the extent we think it should be. But if we can accept the fluidity of life, everything changes.
2. Time heals.
Why is it that life can look hopeful one day, and so very dark the next? Very little of my actual situation has changed from one day to the next. But my perception of it can change minute by minute based on how I am feeling in that moment—tired or rested, peaceful or angry, whole or damaged. I am learning not to overreact in the moment, or make important decisions when I am feeling down.
3. Practice gratitude.
In the midst of turbulence, I have a strong tendency to dwell on the negative. And then everything looks dark and it snowballs. But there are always things to be grateful for in life—my friends, my health, my relationships, my next meal.
I often think back to my time in Mozambique and remember the crippling poverty that most people live with there every day. And yet they are, by and large, a happy people. We can make a huge difference in our state of mind by focusing more on what we do have, how lucky we are, and counting our blessings.
4. Be gentle with yourself. I am my own worst critic, focusing on my perceived failings and inadequacies. All this does, I have found, is reinforce the bad. And by reinforcing it, that is the reality I create for myself. So I am slowly learning to cut myself some slack, and perhaps even like who I am. What a concept! There is a direct correlation between how we treat ourselves, and how we are with others out in the world. This is how we can learn to love.
5. Be here, now. I have a lifelong tendency to look back or forward—anything but being present. Guilt and shame looks back, worry and anxiety look ahead. In either case, it is wasted energy. If I feel that I need to do something to set things right, then I should simply do it, then let it go and not allow these feelings to linger. For me, engaging in activities that force me to stay present helps: skiing, surfing, singing.
6. Give up control.
We can plan all we want, but there are much bigger forces at work out there. And the bigger plan for us may not coincide with what we think should happen or the planned timetable we have in our head. I will have faith that the universe wants to help me. My job is to see it, step out of the way, and let it work its magic.
7. Be yourself.
I have been a people pleaser for most of my life. There all kinds of expectations out there about what I should do, how I should do it, who I should be, and how I should fit in. And it is impossible for me to keep up, to satisfy everyone else. Far easier for me to finally learn just to be me, and to be comfortable with who that is. We can provide ourselves with a great deal of peace by learning to be ourselves and letting the chips fall where they may.
8. Eat. Sleep. Exercise.
This may seem basic, but when my life is in turmoil, I find that these can be the first to go out the window. I skip meals, or eat badly. My sleep suffers and when I am not rested, my whole perspective changes for the worse. That’s usually when I make bad decisions. I feel lethargic and tend to want to skip exercise. But these three are all connected, and they are some of the few things we actually can control to some degree. And when we force ourselves to practice good self-care, we feel better, stronger, and life seems brighter.
9. Don’t fight the pain.
It’s taken me a long time to learn this one. And I have a history of doing or using anything I can to not feel the pain. I know this doesn’t work because when I mask the pain, it never leaves. It just gets stronger, and comes out in other ways. Pain needs to be acknowledged. And by letting ourselves feel it, it loses its grip, and passes through us much more quickly. I have certainly not mastered any of these, but underpinning it all is a sense of heightened awareness about the feelings I have, and I’m beginning to recognize where these feelings come from. This is the first step in learning, accepting, and rolling with the changes that life offers up.
1. Nothing is permanent.
Yet we are programmed for the opposite. We want life to feel safe and secure, and permanence gives us the illusion that it is. The reality is that nothing is permanent, and the only thing we know we can count on is change. The more we push for permanence in life, against the current, the more disappointed we become when we find it is not achievable to the extent we think it should be. But if we can accept the fluidity of life, everything changes.
2. Time heals.
Why is it that life can look hopeful one day, and so very dark the next? Very little of my actual situation has changed from one day to the next. But my perception of it can change minute by minute based on how I am feeling in that moment—tired or rested, peaceful or angry, whole or damaged. I am learning not to overreact in the moment, or make important decisions when I am feeling down.
3. Practice gratitude.
In the midst of turbulence, I have a strong tendency to dwell on the negative. And then everything looks dark and it snowballs. But there are always things to be grateful for in life—my friends, my health, my relationships, my next meal.
I often think back to my time in Mozambique and remember the crippling poverty that most people live with there every day. And yet they are, by and large, a happy people. We can make a huge difference in our state of mind by focusing more on what we do have, how lucky we are, and counting our blessings.
4. Be gentle with yourself. I am my own worst critic, focusing on my perceived failings and inadequacies. All this does, I have found, is reinforce the bad. And by reinforcing it, that is the reality I create for myself. So I am slowly learning to cut myself some slack, and perhaps even like who I am. What a concept! There is a direct correlation between how we treat ourselves, and how we are with others out in the world. This is how we can learn to love.
5. Be here, now. I have a lifelong tendency to look back or forward—anything but being present. Guilt and shame looks back, worry and anxiety look ahead. In either case, it is wasted energy. If I feel that I need to do something to set things right, then I should simply do it, then let it go and not allow these feelings to linger. For me, engaging in activities that force me to stay present helps: skiing, surfing, singing.
6. Give up control.
We can plan all we want, but there are much bigger forces at work out there. And the bigger plan for us may not coincide with what we think should happen or the planned timetable we have in our head. I will have faith that the universe wants to help me. My job is to see it, step out of the way, and let it work its magic.
7. Be yourself.
I have been a people pleaser for most of my life. There all kinds of expectations out there about what I should do, how I should do it, who I should be, and how I should fit in. And it is impossible for me to keep up, to satisfy everyone else. Far easier for me to finally learn just to be me, and to be comfortable with who that is. We can provide ourselves with a great deal of peace by learning to be ourselves and letting the chips fall where they may.
8. Eat. Sleep. Exercise.
This may seem basic, but when my life is in turmoil, I find that these can be the first to go out the window. I skip meals, or eat badly. My sleep suffers and when I am not rested, my whole perspective changes for the worse. That’s usually when I make bad decisions. I feel lethargic and tend to want to skip exercise. But these three are all connected, and they are some of the few things we actually can control to some degree. And when we force ourselves to practice good self-care, we feel better, stronger, and life seems brighter.
9. Don’t fight the pain.
It’s taken me a long time to learn this one. And I have a history of doing or using anything I can to not feel the pain. I know this doesn’t work because when I mask the pain, it never leaves. It just gets stronger, and comes out in other ways. Pain needs to be acknowledged. And by letting ourselves feel it, it loses its grip, and passes through us much more quickly. I have certainly not mastered any of these, but underpinning it all is a sense of heightened awareness about the feelings I have, and I’m beginning to recognize where these feelings come from. This is the first step in learning, accepting, and rolling with the changes that life offers up.
Taken from http://www.viralnova.com/rooftop-photos/
To get the perfect shots, Tom Ryaboi even dresses in attire that is normal for the building. He’ll sneak through office buildings dressed in suits, or through construction sites dressed as a worker.
Monday, November 11, 2013
“You sleep happy. This kind of experience, money can’t buy,”
The 26-year-old professional hairstylist, a volunteer with the Pertiwi soup kitchen, bantered with several homeless people as they queued up for a free haircut on a hot, sticky night at Kota Raya.
So why does she do this?
Quite simply, Azmina wants the homeless to “look good” despite living on the streets.
“I treat them like my clients, not as homeless people,” Azmina told The Malay Mail Online recently, as she put her clippers to work underneath fluorescent lights.
“The human touch is very important… when I touch their hair, I feel comfortable. So, they feel comfortable too,” she said, as she talked about an old man who used to fall asleep whenever she cut his hair.
Azmina has been cutting hair for the homeless for a year, after she spent two years doing other volunteer duties like monitoring the drinks station at the Pertiwi mobile soup kitchen that goes to Chow Kit, Kota Raya and Masjid India four times a week.
“You sleep happy. This kind of experience, money can’t buy,” she said.
She said that her mother used to tell her to use gloves when cutting hair for the homeless, to which she would say:
“What if I cut your hair with gloves? How would you feel?”
The young woman pointed out that contrary to popular belief, the homeless were generally very clean. “There is no smell or lice, except that it’s greasy if they don’t wash their hair for weeks,” said Azmina.
As most of her clients are men, Azmina’s 25-year-old male cousin, who wished only to be known as Ali, acts as her “bodyguard.”
“They don’t need the haircut sometimes; they just want the human touch,” said Ali, as he swept up excess hair from the floor.
After their haircut, Azmina’s clients walk away looking visibly better than when they were queuing up. It is true that a good haircut can make you feel better about yourself. -
See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/with-her-bare-hands-a-hairstylist-serves-the-homeless-of-kl#sthash.4E5YbCO8.lHTF0jZV.dpuf
Sunday, November 10, 2013
When I stare at myself in the mirror at the gym, I ask myself,
"Who would have guessed this young lady struggles with dark thoughts and anxiety?"
I've been making effort to smile more and introducing myself to the regulars at gym.
**counting with fingers, I have 6 names.
I'm just trying to live.
That's all.
Btw, I think I might have a crush on a certain instructor there.
Hmm... I wonder if this might be hazardous for my already messed up mind.
What if I imagine things?
Oh no... maybe I've already started to...
"Who would have guessed this young lady struggles with dark thoughts and anxiety?"
At gym, I'm this bubbly energetic friendly lady.
I'm not faking it. I'm just 'fighting' the negative feeling that is killing me inside, it's the only defense I have.
It's a coping mechanism - to make my life less miserable.
**counting with fingers, I have 6 names.
I'm just trying to live.
That's all.
Btw, I think I might have a crush on a certain instructor there.
Hmm... I wonder if this might be hazardous for my already messed up mind.
What if I imagine things?
Oh no... maybe I've already started to...
Friday, November 08, 2013
1. Saying “thank you” when someone does something little-but-kind throughout your day. When someone holds a door, helps you grab something, or lets you go first, they didn’t have to do that, and making sure to thank them will make them want to do it more.
2. Doing those little-but-kind things yourself throughout the day. When you’re at that weird moment of “Do I or don’t I hold open this door for the person who is a little bit behind me,” do it.
3. Smiling at children who are smiling or looking at you. Kids are perfect, in that they think most people are generally good and nice, so don’t shatter that image by frowning or looking away from them.
4. Listening to music for the mood you want to be in, instead of the mood you actually are in. If you want to cheer yourself up, don’t sulk with Death Cab albums from your high school “artist” phase — put on some Disney soundtracks!
5. Giving someone at least one honest compliment per day, about something other than their weight if possible. (Even if someone lost weight, it’s much better to say “You look great!” rather than comment directly on the pounds, because that often comes with a lot of baggage.)
6. Putting more fruits and vegetables on your plate, and eating those first before treating yourself to the less-healthy things. Making the choice to eat better is often very simple, and only involves being more smart about what you put in front of you.
7. Answering your text messages right away (even if they stress you out), because you know how you feel when someone leaves you hanging. Also, you have a tendency to say “I’ll get to this later” and then forget about it completely, and that’s just rude.
8. Putting your alarm across the room so that you have to get up and go turn it off and can’t accidentally hit “off” in your sleep and never actually wake up.
9. Saying “hi” to your neighbors when you see them, and maybe even asking how their day was because, come on, you basically live together.
10. Preparing breakfasts, snacks, or lunches to take with you throughout the week. There’s only one way to avoid paying a lot of money to eat terribly at the last minute, and that’s by planning ahead.
11. Not obsessing over the stupid/embarrassing thing you said two years ago to keep you from sleeping or make you freak out in the shower. (My technique with this one is to actually say the thing out loud, laugh at myself, and force myself to think about something else.)
12. Calling, texting, emailing, or in some way acknowledging your parents and find out what they’re up to today/let them know that you love them.
13. Freezing grapes, because that shit is delicious.
14. Writing down a list — ideally on a dry erase board or something, where you can see it every day — of the things you need to do. And actually going through this list, one by one, and checking them off. I promise, it feels almost better than sex to see the whole thing crossed out.
15. Telling a friend you love them, or you’re thinking about them, or you hope they’re doing well.
16. Pointing out at least one thing in the mirror that you actually like about yourself, and that you’re excited to see.
17. Reminding yourself that the body you have is more than just an object for people to observe, it’s also an amazing thing that allows you to run, jump, hug, eat, and exist in this world.
18. Finding at least one thing on the internet to get excited or happy about, instead of just surrounding yourself with negative information, things and people to criticize, or hate-reads that you use to feel righteously angry.
19. Stretching. Especially in the morning.
20. Taking at least a few minutes out of your day to think about things that you are happy about, things you can improve, and this you want to do differently tomorrow. Allow the feeling of gratitude to fill you up and motivate you to carry the good things over and leave the pointlessly negative things behind.
21. Realizing that you are not perfect, that no one else is, and that it should never be your goal. The more you compare yourself to people you think are happier or more successful, the more you turn them into characters and not human beings. Every single person you pass on the street is real and has their own story, and their own flaws. Remembering that they’re struggling, too is the quickest way to make yourself a better person.
Taken from thought catalog
2. Doing those little-but-kind things yourself throughout the day. When you’re at that weird moment of “Do I or don’t I hold open this door for the person who is a little bit behind me,” do it.
3. Smiling at children who are smiling or looking at you. Kids are perfect, in that they think most people are generally good and nice, so don’t shatter that image by frowning or looking away from them.
4. Listening to music for the mood you want to be in, instead of the mood you actually are in. If you want to cheer yourself up, don’t sulk with Death Cab albums from your high school “artist” phase — put on some Disney soundtracks!
5. Giving someone at least one honest compliment per day, about something other than their weight if possible. (Even if someone lost weight, it’s much better to say “You look great!” rather than comment directly on the pounds, because that often comes with a lot of baggage.)
6. Putting more fruits and vegetables on your plate, and eating those first before treating yourself to the less-healthy things. Making the choice to eat better is often very simple, and only involves being more smart about what you put in front of you.
7. Answering your text messages right away (even if they stress you out), because you know how you feel when someone leaves you hanging. Also, you have a tendency to say “I’ll get to this later” and then forget about it completely, and that’s just rude.
8. Putting your alarm across the room so that you have to get up and go turn it off and can’t accidentally hit “off” in your sleep and never actually wake up.
9. Saying “hi” to your neighbors when you see them, and maybe even asking how their day was because, come on, you basically live together.
10. Preparing breakfasts, snacks, or lunches to take with you throughout the week. There’s only one way to avoid paying a lot of money to eat terribly at the last minute, and that’s by planning ahead.
11. Not obsessing over the stupid/embarrassing thing you said two years ago to keep you from sleeping or make you freak out in the shower. (My technique with this one is to actually say the thing out loud, laugh at myself, and force myself to think about something else.)
12. Calling, texting, emailing, or in some way acknowledging your parents and find out what they’re up to today/let them know that you love them.
13. Freezing grapes, because that shit is delicious.
14. Writing down a list — ideally on a dry erase board or something, where you can see it every day — of the things you need to do. And actually going through this list, one by one, and checking them off. I promise, it feels almost better than sex to see the whole thing crossed out.
15. Telling a friend you love them, or you’re thinking about them, or you hope they’re doing well.
16. Pointing out at least one thing in the mirror that you actually like about yourself, and that you’re excited to see.
17. Reminding yourself that the body you have is more than just an object for people to observe, it’s also an amazing thing that allows you to run, jump, hug, eat, and exist in this world.
18. Finding at least one thing on the internet to get excited or happy about, instead of just surrounding yourself with negative information, things and people to criticize, or hate-reads that you use to feel righteously angry.
19. Stretching. Especially in the morning.
20. Taking at least a few minutes out of your day to think about things that you are happy about, things you can improve, and this you want to do differently tomorrow. Allow the feeling of gratitude to fill you up and motivate you to carry the good things over and leave the pointlessly negative things behind.
21. Realizing that you are not perfect, that no one else is, and that it should never be your goal. The more you compare yourself to people you think are happier or more successful, the more you turn them into characters and not human beings. Every single person you pass on the street is real and has their own story, and their own flaws. Remembering that they’re struggling, too is the quickest way to make yourself a better person.
Taken from thought catalog
Thursday, November 07, 2013
Brazilian soccer fans throws garbage onto a dumpster were a poverty-stricken girl who was rummaging for food outside of a stadium after a soccer match in Brazil.
"There's a woman eating something inside a dumpster because she's poor, while people are going to watch an expensive football match.
I've seen that scene many times in my life in Brazil. THAT'S the problem."
And: "I think this should be a high-priority problem instead of spending a lot of money with stadiums, hotels and other expenses that no one will use them after the World Cup."
Quoted by the photographer, Edimar Soares.
Facing a double mastectomy with grace takes courage.
Facing one with courage and joy is extraordinary.
But that’s exactly what Deborah Cohan did yesterday right before she went into surgery to have her breasts removed. Cohan, an Ob/Gyn and mom of two, held a dance party with her medical team in the operating room of Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco.
This inspiring 6-minute-long video of the fete, posted on YouTube, shows Cohan busting some serious moves as she wiggles and twerks to Beyonce’s hit “Get Me Bodied.” Cohan requested that friends and family make videos of themselves dancing to Bey too so that she could watch them during her recovery.
“I have visions of a healing video montage,” she wrote. “Nothing brings me greater joy than catalyzing others to dance, move, be in their bodies. Are you with me people?” They were.
Taken from www.huffingtonpost.com
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
I am one of the officers in this picture. My friend found it in your book and pointed it out to me.
The victim under the sheet was a woman in her late fifties.
She was Miss Austria in her early 20's and a contestant in the Miss World pageant.
At the time of her death she was destitute and alone, but still carried her passport with a photo of her at the peak of her beauty.
She was stunning.
On October 22nd of last year, wandering the halls of the building she had chosen for her last act, she had looked for an open window at the record company that produces Maroon Five.
Asked to leave, she found one a floor above in a hallway, took sleeping pills, sat on the ledge in the sunlight for about ten minutes, then leaned forward.
Anyway, thanks for the photo. It is one of those souvenirs of one's life that come to be valuable because it has unexpectedly captured a moment of you doing your life's work, genuine and unrehearsed.
"I wish that when I was young, I'd have absorbed more of the world. And less of my world."
Taken from Humans of New York
The victim under the sheet was a woman in her late fifties.
She was Miss Austria in her early 20's and a contestant in the Miss World pageant.
At the time of her death she was destitute and alone, but still carried her passport with a photo of her at the peak of her beauty.
She was stunning.
On October 22nd of last year, wandering the halls of the building she had chosen for her last act, she had looked for an open window at the record company that produces Maroon Five.
Asked to leave, she found one a floor above in a hallway, took sleeping pills, sat on the ledge in the sunlight for about ten minutes, then leaned forward.
Taken from Humans of New York
Monday, November 04, 2013
I dine out alone a lot.
I like the company of strangers.
They feed my imagination and I get distracted from my own dark thoughts.
This afternoon, a young family of three shared a table with me. (it's a common practice to share tables in budget eat-outs)
It's such a blessing to witness such a harmonious family dining together.
The couple is still very much in love - yes, I shamelessly eavesdropped in their conversations and I noticed how they shared their food.
And they adored their lovely toddler daughter.
The daughter had a nice set of Hello Kitty eating utensils, which is very fitting to her eating needs.
Such a lovely family.
I like the company of strangers.
They feed my imagination and I get distracted from my own dark thoughts.
This afternoon, a young family of three shared a table with me. (it's a common practice to share tables in budget eat-outs)
It's such a blessing to witness such a harmonious family dining together.
The couple is still very much in love - yes, I shamelessly eavesdropped in their conversations and I noticed how they shared their food.
And they adored their lovely toddler daughter.
The daughter had a nice set of Hello Kitty eating utensils, which is very fitting to her eating needs.
Such a lovely family.
Part of Terry Fox’s 1979 letter to Adidas asking for 26 pairs of running shoes
Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope kicked off 33 years ago today in Newfoundland.
In an earnest, Fox described his training and belief in miracles in a letter to Adidas requesting sponsorship.
"The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles.
I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying that this will initiate the definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles.
I have to.
Yours Sincerely, Terry Fox "
In an earnest, Fox described his training and belief in miracles in a letter to Adidas requesting sponsorship.
"The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles.
I’m not a dreamer, and I’m not saying that this will initiate the definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles.
I have to.
Yours Sincerely, Terry Fox "
Friday, November 01, 2013
 |
| Psychological Recovery by Peter Caputi |
Pg 154 – while it may be too early to claim unequivocally
that everyone can recover from serious mental illness, there is not way of
determining that any individual can not
recover. The hope and the opportunity to live beyond mental illness must be
there for everyone. Recovery should be the expectation.
Pg32 – the struggle can enrich us or it can make us bitter. As
I talk with others thus afflicted, it is my gut feeling that this struggle has
not embittered most of us nor defeated us, but has made us more compassionate, sensitive
and courageous. We have also learned some valuable lessons along the way.
Pg 100 – If we didn’t accept our journey as a difficult one,
we’d spend all our time and energy damning he journey, having nothing left to
take on and overcome and heal the illness that makes that same journey so momentarily
painful and challenging.(Watson)
Pg 34 - But a role is empty and valueless unless you fill it
with your meaning and your purpose. Our task is not to become normal. You have
the wonderfully terrifying task of becoming who you are called to be.
Pg 95 – This is the paradox of recovery: in accepting what
we cannot do or be, we begin to discover who we can be and what we can do.(Deegan)
Pg 81- it feels like I haven’t lost touch with me
altogether. That I am still wandering around in there an that I just have a
little more work to do to find me, but you know maybe if I get up and go and
search I’m there somewhere. And little by little I will find me again.
(Young&Ensing)
Pg 85 – One must give serious thought to what he/she wants
out of life and define what recovery means for him/herself – and pursue it. Once
the person has an increased sense of agency and a sense of direction for their
life, they are ready to take more concrete steps towards getting their life
back on track.
Pg 93 – I managed to
hold down many part-time and full time jobs. I knew I wasn’t functioning at my
best but i pushed throught the depression and anxiety and proved to myself that
I could be effective even when I was less than 100%. This was an important step
and it was risky. (Weingarten)
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