tibetan singing bowls are bronze bowls that are struck with a mallet to produce a sound, in a method not unlike running your finger around a wine glass to produce a sound. they are traditionally used in tibetan buddhism and related religions and as meditation tools. i am not a buddhist or anything, i just happen to think these singing bowls are really neat. some tibetan guy i met in boston introduced me to them. he gave me a back massage with it and showed me how to play one and use it to clear your head.
there are lots of sizes of singing bowls, but the 2 i have are about 10 inches in diameter. the first thing you want to do is hold it in the palm of your hand. be careful not to let anything touch the sides of the bowl or else it won't reverberate properly. use your dominant hand to hold the mallet. for a beginner, i would suggest first hitting the bowl on the side with the mallet and then running the mallet around the edge. or, once you are good enough, just run the mallet along the edge with first striking it and it will start to play. go clockwise or counterclockwise. it doesn't matter, just circle all the way around the bowl. you can go faster or slower depending on how loud you want it to play. keep your wrist loose.
to meditate with it, just close your eyes and bring it close to your head. take it from one side of your head to the other. get somebody else, if you want, to do this for you so you don't know what is coming next. the sound is crazy and it just pierces your skull (in a pleasant way) and you can focus only on the sound.
the tibetan man who introduced me to this said that he thought of the vibrations from the bowl into your body's cells as ripples in a pond. he said that it ripples through and puts everything into a state of clarity and harmony. i don't know if this is scientifically accurate, but i really like the idea.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
How to Doodle
I'm not saying I'm a master doodler. I just happen to doodle A LOT. And I'm pretty sure many people can vouch for me. It's not a very difficult talent to pick up. Anybody can do it. It just so happens some people may have a (*cough) better touch at it than others. There isn't much to say about how to doodle. First of all, doodling is not the same as drawing. No, drawing consists of having a specific idea and motive in mind whereas doodling is a random act of making pencil strokes on paper when you're bored or need to create the appearance that you're keeping busy. So the first step to doodling is always having a pen or pencil plus a sheet of paper handy. It helps to have a favorite pen or pencil. The paper can be that essay for English, your physics lab sheet, your APUSH take home test, etc. (*NOTE: NEVER and I repeat NEVER on Ms. Dewees' homework... you can't spare the paper for that class). Keep these tools handy at all times. When you have a sudden urge to do anything but listen to your teacher scribble, squiggle, or scrawl over the paper until something that looks identifiable is made. Then before your teacher has knowledge look up and give them an innocent smile. Overtime the margins on all your papers will be filled up with pictures of your favorite TV characters, your name in fancy font, and anything but homework and notes.
How to build trail in a wet area (short version)
I fiercely resent that Lauren Gilbert took my knot tying. I tie so many knots, it's crazy. But so be it.
I will briefly outline how to construct a trail in a wet environment.
1) Plan out the trail.
This stage is vitally important. Trails, if they're in a forested area, should be clearly blazed or tagged using uniform paint blazes on both sides of trees periodically (close enough that standing at one blaze, one should be able to see another) or pieces of colored surveyors' tape. If the area is not forested, surveyors' flags should be used, and they should be placed either on the uphill or the downhill side of the trail. The trail should follow natural contours, avoid sensitive vegetation, maintain a sensible distance from water and cliffs, and be generally well planned. Mistakes during this stage are costly and frustrating.
2) Cut the trail.
In a grass/tundra/prairie environment, sod-like squares of land should be cut out along the trail. The trail should be a uniform width, conforming to the standards of the park, forest, or preserve in which it is located. Pulaskis will prove useful for this stage. If in a densely forested area, some trees may need to be cut down. A corridor must also be cleared, once again dependent upon specifications by the managing agency. Sod squares should not be discarded.
3) Muck.
All organic mud should be removed from the trail (which, if it is in a wet area, will be considerable). Shovels, hoes, and rakes will come in handy here. Organic mud should be disposed of out of site.
4) Crush-fill.
Fist sized rocks, preferable locally quarried (using picks, rock bars, and double jacks or single jacks with appropriate eye protection) should fill up the trail, which has been mucked. Periodic spaces, depending on the level of wetness in the area, should be left for downhill drains (perhaps 10 to 15 feet).
5) Cut uphill drains.
Along the uphill side of the trail, a trench-- six to eight inches wide, generally, though some specs will be more stringent--should be cut in the same manner as the trail. This drain should be mucked and crush-filled as well. Ideally, sod squares should be tabbed-- cut on only three sides-- so that after crush-filling, the squares can cover the drains to speed up recovery of the land.
6) Cut downhill drains.
Periodically, downhill drains-- constructed exactly like uphill drains, except perpendicular to the trail, should be cut.
7) Gravel.
The entire trail should be covered in fine gravel or dirt.
Note: this method is incredibly labor intensive and should only be used in very high volume, very wet areas-- permafrost and swamp especially-- but some of the individual methods are applicable more broadly (i.e. downhill drains; crush-fill).
I will briefly outline how to construct a trail in a wet environment.
1) Plan out the trail.
This stage is vitally important. Trails, if they're in a forested area, should be clearly blazed or tagged using uniform paint blazes on both sides of trees periodically (close enough that standing at one blaze, one should be able to see another) or pieces of colored surveyors' tape. If the area is not forested, surveyors' flags should be used, and they should be placed either on the uphill or the downhill side of the trail. The trail should follow natural contours, avoid sensitive vegetation, maintain a sensible distance from water and cliffs, and be generally well planned. Mistakes during this stage are costly and frustrating.
2) Cut the trail.
In a grass/tundra/prairie environment, sod-like squares of land should be cut out along the trail. The trail should be a uniform width, conforming to the standards of the park, forest, or preserve in which it is located. Pulaskis will prove useful for this stage. If in a densely forested area, some trees may need to be cut down. A corridor must also be cleared, once again dependent upon specifications by the managing agency. Sod squares should not be discarded.
3) Muck.
All organic mud should be removed from the trail (which, if it is in a wet area, will be considerable). Shovels, hoes, and rakes will come in handy here. Organic mud should be disposed of out of site.
4) Crush-fill.
Fist sized rocks, preferable locally quarried (using picks, rock bars, and double jacks or single jacks with appropriate eye protection) should fill up the trail, which has been mucked. Periodic spaces, depending on the level of wetness in the area, should be left for downhill drains (perhaps 10 to 15 feet).
5) Cut uphill drains.
Along the uphill side of the trail, a trench-- six to eight inches wide, generally, though some specs will be more stringent--should be cut in the same manner as the trail. This drain should be mucked and crush-filled as well. Ideally, sod squares should be tabbed-- cut on only three sides-- so that after crush-filling, the squares can cover the drains to speed up recovery of the land.
6) Cut downhill drains.
Periodically, downhill drains-- constructed exactly like uphill drains, except perpendicular to the trail, should be cut.
7) Gravel.
The entire trail should be covered in fine gravel or dirt.
Note: this method is incredibly labor intensive and should only be used in very high volume, very wet areas-- permafrost and swamp especially-- but some of the individual methods are applicable more broadly (i.e. downhill drains; crush-fill).
How To Tie Spectacularly Awesome Knots
My level of expertise on this subject should never be disputed. I am the greatest knot tie-er ever – just ask Leo. Here’s how one can begin the arduous journey towards achieving the level of knot tying skill that I have painstakingly come to.
1. Acquiring a good rope is best done first. You can find a wide variety of rope of varying lengths and colors at your local outdoors store. If you don’t really want to invest into a solid life-long knot-tying rope, any old cord will do.
2. Download the app from the app store called “What Knot To Do In The Great Outdoors”. This app provides thorough instructions on how to tie cool AND useful knots. (It also provides comical puns for your personal enjoyment!)
3. Continue practicing the knots, making sure to that you are following each step exactly.
4. Once you have memorized and mastered your “basic” knots, you are now ready to move onto more difficult knots. These can prove to be a challenge, but if you continue pursuing this skill, you will achieve your lofty goal.
5. For more challenging knots and knots that can be used for not only outdoor explorations but also sailing, fishing, and general household knots, just go to http://www.animatedknots.com/.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Music
Years ago, my family and I returned from a concert where a phenomenal violinist had played. My dad asked me if I would ever want to play an instrument and I said sure, maybe. The next thing I knew, my parents had bought me a violin and I was taking lessons. Throughout my elementary, middle, and high school years, I've played a variety of instruments; violin, flute drums, ukulele, guitar and piano are just to name a few. I guess you could say I'm slightly obsessed with music.
Now the steps to learning how to play music? Well I don't really know where to begin. Most people would tell you to learn how to read music, but oddly enough I can't really read music. I grew up listening to music, then picking it out on the piano or figuring out chords on the guitar and ukulele. I learned violin by Suzuki, a method of learning a song and memorizing it while you were playing it; therefore, I never really learned how to read music. Instead, I see numbers. (I can't really explain it since it only applies to certain instruments.) So, my steps for you? Listen to music a lot. Not Dubstep or Lil Wayne, but music that features beautiful instruments where you can hear chords come together and start to hear tri-tones. (That's a whole other level, though.) Develop a passion for music where you are motivated to learn about music and how it's all put together. Then learn to play slowly, whatever instrument you want. Make sure before you try to go on to tricky music to make sure you can play in tune and hear the melody coming together. That's when you start getting picky with dynamics and such. From there, take it wherever you want and don't let anyone tear you down. Advice and help is always needed, but not if it's telling you to quit.
I love music, and that's what keeps me going, learning, and pushing forward.
Now the steps to learning how to play music? Well I don't really know where to begin. Most people would tell you to learn how to read music, but oddly enough I can't really read music. I grew up listening to music, then picking it out on the piano or figuring out chords on the guitar and ukulele. I learned violin by Suzuki, a method of learning a song and memorizing it while you were playing it; therefore, I never really learned how to read music. Instead, I see numbers. (I can't really explain it since it only applies to certain instruments.) So, my steps for you? Listen to music a lot. Not Dubstep or Lil Wayne, but music that features beautiful instruments where you can hear chords come together and start to hear tri-tones. (That's a whole other level, though.) Develop a passion for music where you are motivated to learn about music and how it's all put together. Then learn to play slowly, whatever instrument you want. Make sure before you try to go on to tricky music to make sure you can play in tune and hear the melody coming together. That's when you start getting picky with dynamics and such. From there, take it wherever you want and don't let anyone tear you down. Advice and help is always needed, but not if it's telling you to quit.
I love music, and that's what keeps me going, learning, and pushing forward.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Assignment 19: How to...
Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?
--Benjamin Franklin
--Benjamin Franklin
Ben makes a good point. For this week, put your gifts and skills on display by developing a "how-to."Choose something that you have a level of expertise in and explain step by step how it is done.
No repeats though! If two people are both really talented at making ice and one beats the other to the post on "How to make ice..." then, second person - you need to reflect upon your other talents.
So, stop standing in the shade and astound us!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Advice
If you ask a woodsman to explain the meaning of life, he falls back on what he knows, relates it all back to a parable of the woods or somesuch. Much in the same way if you ask a Clay about life changing advice, he'll tumble back into that well worn rut and splurge about Jack Kerouac and what Clay professes to be his infinite wisdom. "The more ups and downs the more joy I feel- the greater the fear, the greater the happiness I feel". It's an ode to think about everyday. It helps one to remember, even when times are bad, that all of your collective experience shapes who you are. The sad times make the happy times all the happier and the Highs would be un-knowable without equal lows. Excess in both directions can help to increase your capacity for receiving both.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Operation Pail Agenda
I personally think that arranging a list of things that you promise yourself you will do do before you reach your inevitable and most likely untimely demise is a bit frivolous and unnecessarily farsighted. In fact the very nature of a bucket list-planning things out that you want to do but have never been impulsive enough to-kills the very impulsive nature inside yourself you should instead be trying to nurture if you ever wish to do the insane things you claim. However, I am all about making grandiose and highfalutin' plans for the future and i have several things that I someday hope to scratch of of some sort of list, whether it be physical, metaphysical, or bucketful.
I hope to someday sometime build a house, preferably of rough-hewn, self-cut timber, and then proceed to live in that house. I would like to see some sort of end to mankind, some retribution for our transgressions against mother earth, Something to really make all of us who consume so much sorry. If'n this does happen, some catastrophic melting of the ice caps or a massive economic crisis left in the wake of dried up oil wells, I wish to commandeer one of the many, many rotting, decommissioned battleships of the United States Navy which proliferate in our countries many ill-guarded naval graveyards. Also if I could build a bi-plane, A family friend of mine did that once, incredible guy.
I want to have a son. And I want to raise him right. I want him to have the childhood of rolling around in verdant pastures and wrestling with other boys in creek beds and stealing candied fruit from the cellar on cool spring nights. I want to give my child everything I ever wanted, want him to grow up untainted by the world, a wholesome and magnificent youth. The truth is that a daughter would be swell too, but i'd just be so damn scared of not being enough for her that maybe i couldn't do it, or couldn't do it well.
I want to work as a logger, not the chainsaw wielding truck drivers of today, but a real logger. I want to have every job I could think of. I want to live all of the lives that I cant have, I want to someday be a women's rights activist in the 1870's, and then a Ukrainian intellectual trying to bring his people a sense of liberty they have never felt before.
My bucket list is not wanting to skydive, or drink and entire case of incredibly expensive brandy, though I'm sure it wouldn't be too painful. I'm not afraid of not having done enough insane and daring acts when I die, I think trying to flavor a dull life is wrong, and what all too many list-makers are seeking to do. I just want to have a steady stream of stable wholesome experience, a life Simple enough, but full enough to sustain me after I do die. To make my life and death worth something.
I hope to someday sometime build a house, preferably of rough-hewn, self-cut timber, and then proceed to live in that house. I would like to see some sort of end to mankind, some retribution for our transgressions against mother earth, Something to really make all of us who consume so much sorry. If'n this does happen, some catastrophic melting of the ice caps or a massive economic crisis left in the wake of dried up oil wells, I wish to commandeer one of the many, many rotting, decommissioned battleships of the United States Navy which proliferate in our countries many ill-guarded naval graveyards. Also if I could build a bi-plane, A family friend of mine did that once, incredible guy.
I want to have a son. And I want to raise him right. I want him to have the childhood of rolling around in verdant pastures and wrestling with other boys in creek beds and stealing candied fruit from the cellar on cool spring nights. I want to give my child everything I ever wanted, want him to grow up untainted by the world, a wholesome and magnificent youth. The truth is that a daughter would be swell too, but i'd just be so damn scared of not being enough for her that maybe i couldn't do it, or couldn't do it well.
I want to work as a logger, not the chainsaw wielding truck drivers of today, but a real logger. I want to have every job I could think of. I want to live all of the lives that I cant have, I want to someday be a women's rights activist in the 1870's, and then a Ukrainian intellectual trying to bring his people a sense of liberty they have never felt before.
My bucket list is not wanting to skydive, or drink and entire case of incredibly expensive brandy, though I'm sure it wouldn't be too painful. I'm not afraid of not having done enough insane and daring acts when I die, I think trying to flavor a dull life is wrong, and what all too many list-makers are seeking to do. I just want to have a steady stream of stable wholesome experience, a life Simple enough, but full enough to sustain me after I do die. To make my life and death worth something.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Stop Surviving. Start Living.
"Stop Surviving. Start Living." -Brian Moore
It's easy to survive, to move day to day. It's hard to live. When this was said to me, I can honestly say I was not living. Of course, at the time, I had no idea, but when Brian gave me this enlightening advice I realized just how much I had been missing by merely surviving.
To many, the difference may seem infinitesimal - survival is life, is it not? And life is survival. But after that moment, I understood that the two could never possibly be the same. Survival is what we default to. We eat. We sleep. We breathe. We drink. Survival is the essence of our very being; but life? Life is so much more. Life is a choice. Life is filled with emotion: love, hate, happiness, sadness, relief, pain. We dance.We cry. We seize the day. Survival is black and white; life is an array of color.
Filled with this universal truth, it became easy to see that the "life" I had been leading could not be that noun; it wasn't life, it was survival. Since then I would like to think that I continuously and with out abandon pursued living a life, not surviving one. I finally found something greater in life; more meaning. That wonderfully simple, yet incredibly complex, tidbit of advice that Brian Moore had given me has affected me infinitely. It has proved a challenge everyday, but one that I gladly wake up to each morning.
So I ask you, when are you going to stop surviving and finally start living?
It's easy to survive, to move day to day. It's hard to live. When this was said to me, I can honestly say I was not living. Of course, at the time, I had no idea, but when Brian gave me this enlightening advice I realized just how much I had been missing by merely surviving.
To many, the difference may seem infinitesimal - survival is life, is it not? And life is survival. But after that moment, I understood that the two could never possibly be the same. Survival is what we default to. We eat. We sleep. We breathe. We drink. Survival is the essence of our very being; but life? Life is so much more. Life is a choice. Life is filled with emotion: love, hate, happiness, sadness, relief, pain. We dance.We cry. We seize the day. Survival is black and white; life is an array of color.
Filled with this universal truth, it became easy to see that the "life" I had been leading could not be that noun; it wasn't life, it was survival. Since then I would like to think that I continuously and with out abandon pursued living a life, not surviving one. I finally found something greater in life; more meaning. That wonderfully simple, yet incredibly complex, tidbit of advice that Brian Moore had given me has affected me infinitely. It has proved a challenge everyday, but one that I gladly wake up to each morning.
So I ask you, when are you going to stop surviving and finally start living?
Kicking large 5-gallon buckets
My bucket list is extremely long because I plan on actually living a life even in my later years.
But! I do have my priorities.
For high school, I must pass all my classes
For college, I must have a large party involving multiple (il)legal activities happening at once
For life, I must have a beautiful ranch in Wyoming with a beautiful wife and beautiful kids running around and yep
But! I do have my priorities.
For high school, I must pass all my classes
For college, I must have a large party involving multiple (il)legal activities happening at once
For life, I must have a beautiful ranch in Wyoming with a beautiful wife and beautiful kids running around and yep
Sunday, February 3, 2013
"Do or do not; there is no try."
Every proud sic-fi nerd, such as myself, can proudly say that he has heard these sage words at least once in his geeky exploits. For those who are curious as to the source of this quote, these words were spoken by Yoda himself in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back on the distant planet of Dagobah, where Luke Skywalker ventures in search of a wise mentor who will guide him in the ways of the Force. Though Yoda is nothing of the "wise mentor" Luke envisions (he is rather disappointed upon first meeting Yoda who, with his jovial antics and mirthful merriment, does not quite seem to fit this image), he soon proves to Luke one of the many valuable lessons in life. After a brutal Jedi training routine, Luke is surprised to find that his fighter—his only means of transport—has sunk into one of the numerous swampy lagoons characteristic of Dagobah's ecosystem. He attempts to life the fighter using the Force, but after only partially trying to do so, he quits, dismissing the task as "impossible" and that he "tried." Yoda then retorts with the statement which I have decided to write this entire blog about: "Do or do not; there is no try." Discouraged, Luke resolves to wallow in self-pity; Yoda, on the contrary, is not so quick to give up all hope. In his usual resolved but potent style, Yoda lifts the fighter out of the swampy mire using the Force and places it next to Luke.
Every proud sic-fi nerd, such as myself, can proudly say that he has heard these sage words at least once in his geeky exploits. For those who are curious as to the source of this quote, these words were spoken by Yoda himself in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back on the distant planet of Dagobah, where Luke Skywalker ventures in search of a wise mentor who will guide him in the ways of the Force. Though Yoda is nothing of the "wise mentor" Luke envisions (he is rather disappointed upon first meeting Yoda who, with his jovial antics and mirthful merriment, does not quite seem to fit this image), he soon proves to Luke one of the many valuable lessons in life. After a brutal Jedi training routine, Luke is surprised to find that his fighter—his only means of transport—has sunk into one of the numerous swampy lagoons characteristic of Dagobah's ecosystem. He attempts to life the fighter using the Force, but after only partially trying to do so, he quits, dismissing the task as "impossible" and that he "tried." Yoda then retorts with the statement which I have decided to write this entire blog about: "Do or do not; there is no try." Discouraged, Luke resolves to wallow in self-pity; Yoda, on the contrary, is not so quick to give up all hope. In his usual resolved but potent style, Yoda lifts the fighter out of the swampy mire using the Force and places it next to Luke.
Not sure this is advice
My father has been the most influential person in my life. By far, hands down, no doubt. One thing he said to me seemed to stick out more than anything though. "live your life to it's fullest, do anything you want to do as long as you accept the consequences. If you want to have sex, by all means go right ahead, it's great, but make absolutely sure that you accept all possible outcomes." and that's what I've been living my life by. And will always remember that one piece of advice. To live my life to the fullest but always accept the consequences of my actions.
Pushing Forward
In all honesty, I hate advice. But in hind-sight, advice is key when you aren't thinking straight. I'm not an open person unless I'm close with someone; therefore, this post will be extremely vague.
Pushing forward--that's the advice that remains in the back of my brain from day in to day out. Whether I've had a really hard, long day or I'm just in a pissed off mood, pushing forward is always the advice I get. I have a few extremely close friends and when I go to them for help, they give me advice and try to cheer me up. And no matter how much I try to bury that advice under excuses, I can't help but keep in mind the one last thing they've said: "just keep pushing forward."
It may seem stupid, but it actually makes sense. There's no need to rush into things and try to figure out the world's problems in a matter of minutes or hours, but pushing forward and taking it one step at a time is what really helps me and puts everything into perspective.
The effect on me is quite clear: I'm still here right? Because I keep pushing forward.
Colossians 3:2
As a religious kinda guy, I tend to seek most of my advice
and wisdom from The Bible. While everyone seems to have a favorite verse or
two, I have one I stumbled upon two summers ago on a trip with my youth group.
The verse comes from the book Colossians, and states “Set your eyes on the
things of Heaven rather than the things on Earth” As soon as I saw the verse I
knew it was something I could and needed to live by. I felt, and still feel,
that the short and simple verse somehow covered everything that I see as right
in life. I was so inspired by the verse, and so dedicated to living by it, that
I actually put in in a plastic bag and posted it in my shower, so each day I remember
what this life is always about. Another major item of wisdom I took from this
verse was not to worry. If I were to truly set my mind on the right things, how
could I possibly worry about petty things on Earth that may seem like a huge
deal to me then, but in the grand scheme of things are virtually meaningless.
Not only did this verse inspire my life, it saved me from what may have been a
lifetime of foolish angst .
Best Advice
The best advice I have ever heard is dodge, duck, dip, dive or dodge. This inspirational quote from the movie dodgeball has not only imroved my dodgeball skills and gotten me recognized on the ocho, but has also gottn me through so many tough times in life. It's taught me to dodge pain and suffering in my life, dive out of harms way, duck out of trouble, and never dip cuase it ruins your gums. Every time I hear those 5 words it helps me get through all the tough times and teaches me to just keep rolling. This quote has changed the way i live daily life, I now can avoid all troubles in my life with this inspirational, inspiring, stirring, rousing, moving, encouraging, and motivating quote.
Let's Not Read This and Say We Did
I dont know with entry I hate the least so I posting both:
*I am not a religious person, I'm not even confident a greater being exists, but I think my most important piece of 'advice' is "Love your neighbor as yourself." Call it my evolutionary altruism in hyper-drive, but I believe that all people are worthy of respect and should be treated accordingly. and because I can never decide, I also like "Do not judge, lest ye be judged." Nothing annoys me more than when people pass judgement on others based on choices they have made. Imma do my shit and you do yours.
*I am assuming that a piece of advice is intended to give some sort of insight to ones life and allow one to use it to lead a more satisfactory existence. The problem with a piece of advice is that it may only apply in very specific situations. For this reason I chose to use Katherine Hepburn's life as a continual piece of advice/inspiration for my everyday living. The fact that I will never meet her is of no importance. She lived on this earth just as I am living on this earth and I believe that her outlook on life can serve as a roadmap for mine. You would be hard pressed to find a stronger woman, who gave less of a damn than Katherine Hepburn. In a time when woman were to wear dresses and skirts, to be feminine, Katherine Hepburn wore pants because they were more comfortable. Her love life was her business, often involving married men, she didn't care that it went against societal conventions. She was also wildly independent. She also had a strong sense of morality that defied simple religion and was based her own understanding of the world: She believed that parenting should be a full time job, a job that she did not have the time to commit to, so she never had children.Her strength and zest for life are things that I hope to emulate in my life, similar to how one would choose to incorporate a piece of advice into his or her life.
I swallow the souls of people like pieces of advice. reverting back to their personalities and attitudes in times of need; Katherine Hepburn is who I refer back to most often.
Too many what ifs
To be honest I have way more advice than I receive mainly because I am stubborn and don't listen to other people or don't ask for help. When I do ask for advice it is either from my close friends, or my mom. I stress out about pretty much everything, but that is the perfectionist in me. The best piece of advice I have ever gotten was, If it's not okay, it's not the end. I've been told this quite a few times and it always seems to clam me back down, take a step back, and think to myself its going to be okay. I get caught up in the moment and often forget that time can change a situation drastically. Any one really close to me knows I stress a lot. I do the whole what if thing and forget to breathe and relax. My best friend found that somewhere, I think, and she tells me that a lot and it calms me down. Another piece of advice that has stuck with me, well I don't know if it is as much advice as much as it is a form of good luck. Before I go on stage, Diana always tells us to give them hell. We haven't really been able to figure out why but it works.
don't dye your hair black!
i am pretty sure i generally do not follow advice given to me. i don't really pay attention to it much, as i just do what i do most of the time. i prefer to figure things out for myself. some of the best advice i have ever received, though, was from my mom last summer. i, on a whim, decided to dye my hair black. my mom told me not to, to start off with something not so dark, like a darkish brown or something. but of course i did not listen, but not because i am some stupid rebellious teenager going against my parents' wishes. i can just be too rash and idealistic at times. i very much regret having dyed my hair black. it was supposed to wash out because it wasn't labelled permanent, but that turned out to be a lie. so now i am living with the consequences of this. so her advice was really good but i just didn't listen. to all you folks out there: never dye your hair black.
i have also had some good advice from my dad. he has told me on multiple occasions that to really understand one topic, you have to understand the ones around it. basically this means be well rounded. and i surprisingly do abide. this does not mean that i see value in u.s. history or rhetorical analysis, because that will never, ever happen. but it does mean that i do have an appreciation for the arts and social sciences. math is in art and music. the evolution of thoughts and ideas through the centuries is fascinating. the philosophical beliefs of other cultures have surprising connections to the world of science.
i have also had some good advice from my dad. he has told me on multiple occasions that to really understand one topic, you have to understand the ones around it. basically this means be well rounded. and i surprisingly do abide. this does not mean that i see value in u.s. history or rhetorical analysis, because that will never, ever happen. but it does mean that i do have an appreciation for the arts and social sciences. math is in art and music. the evolution of thoughts and ideas through the centuries is fascinating. the philosophical beliefs of other cultures have surprising connections to the world of science.
Out the Window
We, as a family, travel a fair amount. Whenever we're somewhere else, my parents have insisted that I look out the window, down side streets, into stores, and so on. It's not just that they want me involved in the area--reading a map or a brochure, for instance, is discouraged-- but rather that they want me to maximize the benefit of our trips. Since they began telling me to look out more, I've been pretty intentional about looking. I have developed a tendency to look intently, regularly, and closely at my surroundings.
When Winburn Middle School (once a warrior, always a warrior) took our class trip to Chicago, we visited Shedd Aquarium. I distinctly remember my good bud Kyle deleting photos off his camera during a dolphin show so he could take more and missing the grand finale because he was looking at pictures of dolphins. Not doing that is a life goal of mine.
When Winburn Middle School (once a warrior, always a warrior) took our class trip to Chicago, we visited Shedd Aquarium. I distinctly remember my good bud Kyle deleting photos off his camera during a dolphin show so he could take more and missing the grand finale because he was looking at pictures of dolphins. Not doing that is a life goal of mine.
what is this even i dont know
I’m surrounded by good advice that sounds good but never actually gets implemented. From self-help books that encourage me to prioritize and the Wu-Tang Clan telling me to protect my neck, it’s difficult to sort out which pieces of advice are in the most dire need of implementation in my life. Moreover, advice that sounds good in theory often falls short in practice: the encouragement to “keep my head up” is muddled in daily life as I don’t know where the principle begins and ends (do I keep my head up even when I’m depressed? Can I not be honest about my vulnerability, even though revealing my weaknesses may be the starting point of amending them?). A pithy phrase encouraging me to not care what other people think is not enough to reverse the painful feeling of being threatened that I sometimes experience when surrounded by people I am not familiar with. I’d argue that advice like this is dangerous more than it is helpful. Recommendations to follow broad and high-reaching advice like “keep your head up” or “don’t care what other people think” are useful only to people with mild infections of low self-esteem or feelings of social isolation. These goals are far too lofty and broad for the people who need real help and seek advice that will arm them with the tools to deal with their daily struggles. The inability to follow the above high-standard creeds can lead to more frustration, increased stress, and a deeper feeling of insufficiency within the individual needing useful advice.
The following are, in my opinion, more practical and applicable pieces of advice that can be applied in a variety of situations and guide the advice-receiver to a reachable goal. They are recommendations that have been given to me and benefited me, which, given the small percentage of counsel that I am receptive to, is perhaps a miracle.
1) Write down your goals and outline the steps necessary to achieve them.
2) Be realistic. Don’t tell yourself things that you know aren’t true. Sometimes reality is ugly and you have to acknowledge that before you can deal with the situation at hand and progress. On the flip side, sometimes we overestimate how ugly things really are.
3) At the same time, stop catastrophizing everything. Stop turning one bad incident into a projection about yourself and your entire life. Stop making every little thing a big deal. Stop assigning more importance to things than they deserve.
4) Recognize what is outside of your control and let it go.
5) An extension of #4. You will never reach a state where everything goes your way. You don’t have 100% control. You are never going to get every little thing that you want. Don’t cry when things don’t end up the way you wanted or expected. See #7. This does not, however, invalidate #9.
6) Don’t tie your happiness with how outside conditions are going. They aren't designed to please you. Accept that bad things sometimes happen, that the immediate situation is ugly but impermanent, and keep your happiness.
7) Don’t cloud reality with expectations. Expectations lead to sorrow when they don’t turn out how you anticipated. Thus, get rid of them.
8) Don’t associate your identity with physical possessions.
9) Don’t be helpless or hopeless. Things can change. You can direct your life toward the direction you want. You can achieve your goals. If you want something, work for it. Your life is defined by you.
10) Think every day about how big the universe is and how minuscule your problems are in comparison.
11) Forgive yourself.
12) Don’t be afraid to be honest about your problems and ask for help.
13) The American standard for success is bull. You’re successful when you reach your own goals and feel confident. Screw being beautiful and rich.
14) It’s okay to be introverted. Really.
15) Stay on yuh grindd, ya 'nahh mean.
Since the assignment is to pick one, I guess I’m violating it by saying that 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, and 12 have been the most important to me lately. My self-worth is inherent and there is still hope for my future. I can be happy without everything going my way. At the same time, I need help and I need to stop pretending that I don’t. I can’t do everything. That’s kind of hard for me to grasp at the moment. But I'm getting there. I don't know what else to say so I'm gonna end this horribly embarrassing post here.
Honda or Lexus?
As a teenage girl, I have been given an over-adequate amount of advice on self-respect. "How can you expect others to respect you if you can't even respect yourself" "Boys only want one thing" "Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free" the list goes on. The one piece of advice that impacted me on the topic was actually given by one of my friends. It's quite funny because some people may not think of her as the wisest, most philosophical person, but she gave me great advice. Freshman year, she told me, "Girls are like cars, the more miles you've got, the less value you have." At first, I kind of laughed when she said this, but soon it started to make sense. She's right. I think most people would rather have a new or lightly used Honda with the latest technology than a old, beat up Lexus with 180,000 miles on it. I know some people might think this is superficial of me to post this as the "most impacting advice I've ever received", but I think what my friend said is important for all girls to understand (Sorry guys, no one really cares about you). It does matter to have self-respect and understand that miles can add up. I'm not telling you to never drive your car in your life so you can keep its value, I'm saying you should decide if it's worth it, and that's what my friend was trying to tell me.
advice
The best advice that I have been given includes two things: that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going, and to keep calm and be happy.
1. The first one is important because there are so many times where I think that I just have to give up, whether it is through a hard time or a hard workout. If you just gave up whenever something got hard, you would never get stronger or accomplish anything. In this age, people have a problem with this, like if one thing goes wrong in a marriage, they make ways around it and avoid fixing the problem by just getting a divorce. Sometimes I have thoughts like "I can't do this; I'm going to die; I can't do this anymore," but you just have to stick out the pain in order to succeed in the future. When I have given up before, the sense of ongoing guilt and regret is far worse than a few minutes of pain.
2. We are always busy and going and not taking a moment of breath. Sometimes I have to remind myself to just take a deep breath and be happy, which I consider one of the main points of life. Do stuff that will better other people and yourself, but you have to be happy while doing so. I'll try to avoid going onto a rant to one of my biggest pet peevs, but if something if giving you no joy or happiness, you should probably consider why you are spending your time doing so. If you aren't happy, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND STOP COMPLAINING. :)
1. The first one is important because there are so many times where I think that I just have to give up, whether it is through a hard time or a hard workout. If you just gave up whenever something got hard, you would never get stronger or accomplish anything. In this age, people have a problem with this, like if one thing goes wrong in a marriage, they make ways around it and avoid fixing the problem by just getting a divorce. Sometimes I have thoughts like "I can't do this; I'm going to die; I can't do this anymore," but you just have to stick out the pain in order to succeed in the future. When I have given up before, the sense of ongoing guilt and regret is far worse than a few minutes of pain.
2. We are always busy and going and not taking a moment of breath. Sometimes I have to remind myself to just take a deep breath and be happy, which I consider one of the main points of life. Do stuff that will better other people and yourself, but you have to be happy while doing so. I'll try to avoid going onto a rant to one of my biggest pet peevs, but if something if giving you no joy or happiness, you should probably consider why you are spending your time doing so. If you aren't happy, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND STOP COMPLAINING. :)
Advice
The most important advice (and most repeated) I've been given is to not compare myself to others. So far I haven't been able to conquer this task but it's always one that has stuck to me. I have self-esteem issues that bring me down a lot. Whenever I get criticized or reprimanded I feel my heart sink and feel like an utter failure in life. It's usually just downhill from there. Then I look at my friends and family around me and see all the people that love them and all their accomplishments and I feel myself comparing myself to them. I always ask "what am I doing wrong that isn't making my life as successful or as happy as theirs?" I'm hoping someday this advice will just hit me one day and I can be like "Yay! I don't care that that person is so much more talented and popular than me!" (It could happen). But until then I'll just try harder and harder to prove myself a success.
In all seriousness
I don't really like to listen to other people's advice because I, more often than not, like to make up my own advice, consider it superior, and call it a day. However, the most memorable piece of advice I have heard from someone (but I'd rather credit myself) is to not take everything so seriously. It's pretty simple, but also pretty effective. I often forget that the things I build up in my head are actually not that big of a deal in real life. One wrong word won't change someone's opinion of me, one wrong answer won't determine a failed future, and one huge mustard stain on my shirt won't be remember by tomorrow. If I keep worrying about those little insignificant things, I'll be wasting precious time that could have been used for something productive. It's alright if I fall down, it's alright if someone else falls down. I just have to smile, pick myself up, and move on. Life is so much easier when you don't take everyone so seriously.
Keep yo head up
soundtrack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfXwmDGJAB8
The most valuable advice i've ever gotten and probably the most difficult to follow is to keep my head up. Sometimes I dig my self into a trench of self-pity or anxiety. It pulls me apart and I feel like there's nothing that I can do to get out. Tupac was right when he said "Things are gonna get brighter". Feeling down is a huge waste of time, and it's so much more impressive to have a persistently positive attitude. There is nothing cool about being depressed, but staying above all that shit when things are falling apart takes a hell of a person. Like Lil B said "Look at everyone like they are a baby, and they're that important too".
The most valuable advice i've ever gotten and probably the most difficult to follow is to keep my head up. Sometimes I dig my self into a trench of self-pity or anxiety. It pulls me apart and I feel like there's nothing that I can do to get out. Tupac was right when he said "Things are gonna get brighter". Feeling down is a huge waste of time, and it's so much more impressive to have a persistently positive attitude. There is nothing cool about being depressed, but staying above all that shit when things are falling apart takes a hell of a person. Like Lil B said "Look at everyone like they are a baby, and they're that important too".
Bucket List
Soundtrack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSEnO-XM2iw
Before I die I want to be respected. But I want it to not matter to me, because i will be so confident in myself that I don't care how other people feel. I want to produce somthing amazing (musically) and I want to be happy. More specifically, I would like to travel all over the place. Hit the opium dens in china, hostels in Russia, mountains of Nepal, and jungles of Brazil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSEnO-XM2iw
Before I die I want to be respected. But I want it to not matter to me, because i will be so confident in myself that I don't care how other people feel. I want to produce somthing amazing (musically) and I want to be happy. More specifically, I would like to travel all over the place. Hit the opium dens in china, hostels in Russia, mountains of Nepal, and jungles of Brazil.
Let It Thrive
I sat here for a while trying to figure out an answer to this question. I combed through the most influential, wise, and helpful individuals in my life, trying to come up with some brilliant piece of wisdom they'd shared with me that guys me every day. And I found that there really wasn't one. There was nothing I could think of that my dad or my grandma or my best friend or a Nicolas Cage character had told me so many years ago that I have plastered up on my wall because it's just such a great principle to live by.
So I struggled with this question for a while, until I resolved on two rules that let me come up with an answer: One, that the piece of advice did not have to be from a single source; and Two, that the piece of advice did not have to be some sort of Grand Unifying Principle, but simply a comforting shard of wisdom that I can come back to every now and then when I really need it.
And so this is what I resolved on as the best, most enduring advice I've ever received: Your passion and your job don't ever have to be the same thing.
This seems rather striking at first, I know, and perhaps even a little bit cynical. It sounds as though by repeating this mantra you resign yourself to the dreary reality of working at a job you hate so that you can simply get through your life.
But those dreary realities are not characterized just by a lack of interest in one's job. More profoundly, they are characterized by a lack of passionate interest in anything. And this is not the sort of life I am resigning myself to.
The unfortunate reality is that the national or global economy does not really have a job available for everyone's most profound interest. We would like to assert otherwise, but the reality of the world - grim though it may be - is that the economy is not defined by you but by others, and if others can't find a use for your interest, it's not going to make you money. And that's okay.
Earlier in the year we read an essay entitled "Tools" in which the author described the profound connection to his father and other ancestors that he felt through his carpentry tools. It occurs to me now that never in this entire piece does the author imply that his father was a carpenter by profession. That essay isn't available to me now, but as I remember it the father's occupation is never even mentioned. And yet we understand deeply that this father was a happy man, a great example to his son, a truly amazing father. I can't presume entirely what his personal passion might have been, but I can guess what it might have been - either carpentry, or his role as a father. Neither made him money. And yet never did this situation seem to drain on him.
The true freedom of this principle is that you don't have to let your interests and passions be dictated by a marketplace. Oftentimes we find parents and friends discouraging teenagers from pursuing their interests in the arts - music, dance, painting, etc. - because "they don't make money." If a teen expresses a wish to become a teacher we tell them they'd be better off as a prostitute because a hooker makes twice the money. But there is a place in one's life for a passion and a job, as two separate entities. The key to happiness isn't that your job has to be your passion - it's that it doesn't kill it.
So I struggled with this question for a while, until I resolved on two rules that let me come up with an answer: One, that the piece of advice did not have to be from a single source; and Two, that the piece of advice did not have to be some sort of Grand Unifying Principle, but simply a comforting shard of wisdom that I can come back to every now and then when I really need it.
And so this is what I resolved on as the best, most enduring advice I've ever received: Your passion and your job don't ever have to be the same thing.
This seems rather striking at first, I know, and perhaps even a little bit cynical. It sounds as though by repeating this mantra you resign yourself to the dreary reality of working at a job you hate so that you can simply get through your life.
But those dreary realities are not characterized just by a lack of interest in one's job. More profoundly, they are characterized by a lack of passionate interest in anything. And this is not the sort of life I am resigning myself to.
The unfortunate reality is that the national or global economy does not really have a job available for everyone's most profound interest. We would like to assert otherwise, but the reality of the world - grim though it may be - is that the economy is not defined by you but by others, and if others can't find a use for your interest, it's not going to make you money. And that's okay.
Earlier in the year we read an essay entitled "Tools" in which the author described the profound connection to his father and other ancestors that he felt through his carpentry tools. It occurs to me now that never in this entire piece does the author imply that his father was a carpenter by profession. That essay isn't available to me now, but as I remember it the father's occupation is never even mentioned. And yet we understand deeply that this father was a happy man, a great example to his son, a truly amazing father. I can't presume entirely what his personal passion might have been, but I can guess what it might have been - either carpentry, or his role as a father. Neither made him money. And yet never did this situation seem to drain on him.
The true freedom of this principle is that you don't have to let your interests and passions be dictated by a marketplace. Oftentimes we find parents and friends discouraging teenagers from pursuing their interests in the arts - music, dance, painting, etc. - because "they don't make money." If a teen expresses a wish to become a teacher we tell them they'd be better off as a prostitute because a hooker makes twice the money. But there is a place in one's life for a passion and a job, as two separate entities. The key to happiness isn't that your job has to be your passion - it's that it doesn't kill it.
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