Freedom Writers.

Freedom Writers

Have you seen this movie?

Watched it tonight. An overwhelmingly powerful true story about teaching and racial issues and education and books and believing in yourself and hope and making a difference and telling your story.

I {heart} this movie.

So What Do I Bring.

Just let go of your fears and just go for what you want!

I carry enjoyment.
I carry excitement.
I carry noise.
I carry intimacy.
I carry arousal.
I carry a flow in conversation.
I carry an ear.
I carry nurturance.
I carry beauty.
I carry me.

Life As I Know It.

{BeWhoYouWishToBe}
I am happy.
I am strong.
I am silly.
I am creative.
I am free.
I am not afraid.

Keeping It Real.

I'd like to think of myself as a designer enjoying a craft, an art: of
paper
computer
yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Of life.
Telling everyday stories.
Sharing my life.
Capturing moments.
Creating art.

My life will never be the same.

Simplicity.

The life of voluntary simplicity is a life lived consciously, a decision to live in harmony with life, to show reverence for life, to sustain life. It is a life of creativity and celebration, a life of community and participatory democracy, and a life in touch with nature and the universal life force. It is a life that has soul, it is a life that allows the individual's soul to awaken.

Just Live.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of chldren; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

Be Happy.

Laugh.
Cry.
Dance.
Dream.
Reflect.
Imagine.
Hope.
Believe.
Love.
Live.
Truly Live.

It Fits Me.

Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed.
I was there.
I was hungry.
I was defeated.
I was happy.
I was sad.
I was in love.
I was afraid.
I was hopeful.
I had an idea and I had a good purpose and that’s why I made works of art.

–Felix Gonzalez-Torres

Dating.

How to ride the rollercoaster
Dating is a process a lot of us really can live without. It's an emotional rollercoaster that can drive you to drink four year-old bottles of Mike's Hard Lemonade from the back of your refrigerator.

Here's my list of the top ups and downs of dating -- and how to feel better about them:

1. Stop the mental post-date recap abuse. You went out with somebody with whom you thought you had a connection, and it turns out you didn't. So now you're going to mentally torture yourself for the next four days trying to figure out what you said wrong. You'll even torture all your friends asking them what you could have done differently.
The post-date recap is a form of mental torture. You will never know what that other person is thinking unless they call you. If they don't call, it really does mean that he or she is just not that into you (which is about the only good advice from that ridiculously stupid book).

2. I texted them the next morning and said, "I had a great time last night," and they never texted back. So what? You had a great time last night. So did they. They just woke up, and their post-date recap was different from yours. They probably had a good time, but when they thought about it, the chemistry and the "it" factor wasn't there. It's not about you. At least you were honest. So you did all you can do.

3. Stop giving your power away to one person. If a two-hour date can cause you to give away all your power and confidence, then you need to learn to embrace yourself and love yourself more. This is just one person you went out with for two hours. They don't know what an amazing person you are. The only thing they know is the person they sat across from at the table. Whether they choose to hang with you again isn't the issue. The issue is that one person does not determine your worthiness. You've got to toughen your skin. Rejection is what dating is all about; you can't take it personally. If I go out with someone and I have a great time but they never want to see me again, I'm still a great person the next day.

Today.

Dawna Markova : I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit.

The Path.

Jimmy Carter : Peace is more then just the absence of war. People everywhere seek an inner peace that comes from the human rights to voice their views, choose their leaders, feed their families and raise healthy children.

Hurt Feelings.

Conflict, confrontation, arguments!
Fights happen when we feel threatened about something that is important to us. Otherwise with the painfulness of conflict, we would be willing to let go of the issue. Some of our values, attitudes or possessions are challenged making us feel that our basic self esteem is threatened. We take a defensive stand and come out swinging. Unfortunately few of us know how to fight in a productive way. We have learned rules for fighting from those people who did not know how to express themselves in constructive ways--our parents. When we are challenged, we often revert back to our little child self, hurt and angry. We simply perpetuate poor communication habits because we do not know how to do anything different.
Express what is going on to the best of your ability. Talk feelings. Tell the person how you feel about what is going on. Feeling first, solutions later. Get your point across in a constructive way by owning how you feel about the topic. In my classroom, we use the formula sentence, When you _____, I feel ____ . This simple statement allows you to take responsibility for your own feelings and behavior without blaming the other person.