THE SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

borrowed this from a friend ;)

Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:

1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
2. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
3. A loss of interest in judging other people.
4. A loss of interest in judging self.
5. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
6. A loss of interest in conflict.
7. A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
8. Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
9. Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
10. Frequent attacks of smiling.
11. An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
12. An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

~Are you able to let go of everything? If you can spend one day being able to have all these symptoms, you can accomplished a lot. Not judging yourself or others, being fully in the moment, and not acting based on fear are traits that can only be accomplished through repetitive pre-meditation. Through stillness truths are unveiled. Once practiced, youll be amazed how much your view of the world changes.

The Candles Keep Burning

Even though I've known you for a fairly short time, I've really grown to appreciate your friendship. Salma, I want to dedicate this post for your birthday. Reading your "Temptation Has Kaleidoscope Eyes" paper today reminded me how much you have grown over the past year.

This is the birthday poem used in your own story we read today. So here it goes back to you:


"Someone who favors the freehand strokes of prose,
And finds it easier to string together metaphors
Without being confined
To the left wall of a page,
Usually doesn’t spend the time
Shaping her intangible thoughts
Into tangible words that rhyme.

But a poem is a much more thoughtful and lasting way
Of telling a friend Happy Birthday.
It might not keep your neck warm,
Or put music in your pocket,
But I promise it is easy to tuck inside and lock it
In a place where only a poem
Can spread you out like a stretch of ocean;
And rising from beneath
Is a heartthrob for every league of emotion
Until all you see are hundreds of chests heaving,
Creating the movement of the surface.
It is a rhythmic pulsing you can’t ignore
As it rises and falls,
Rises and falls,
Then ebbs across a sandcastle shore.

I hope you spend the next year of your life
Drowning in moments of genius,
Speed-skating across the black ice
That hazards the sidewalks of life
Where you hop scotch through notes of music
To create a masterpiece of movement
With every strum of your guitar.

Take the time to smile at every gray-haired couple
Slowly making their way down an antique street;
Wondering how many birthdays it took them
Before they truly realized
That candles never glow
Any less brighter for you
Than they did the year before.

Somewhere between
The stars spackled in the sky
And the starfish clinging to the ocean floor,
I have ice cream sandwiched you
Right in the middle.
And little by little
You’ll come to realize
A birthday isn’t a birthday
Without some poetic rhythm
To jump start that birthday boy [well for you, maybe girl ;) ] smile. "




Happy Birthday Salma! =)

Dealing Cards

Sometimes we face challenges so difficult in life that we are clueless what to do. Its so hard to do the right thing, when we are faced with situations that make us numb and unemotional. It becomes hard to even "be", because that state of being is so meaningless.

Recently I had to deal with something that was really draining for me. I have been facing this problem for many years, but I think I came to the pinnacle of that issue yesterday. For the first time in my life I realized this problem was impenetrable. Ive never faced a predicament in my life in which I could not change or work harder to make it better. The fact that I couldnt do anything about it, made me feel like a dead vegetable. I've been cornered into something that is relentlessly draining every ounce of me.
I hope God gives me the strength and the mental capacity to deal, because I have never felt so hopeless in my life. I'm usually a very positive and energetic person, but if Im not able to cope with this some way or another- I dont think Im going to continue being the same person in the long term. Maybe writing these blogs will help me filter out.

Mr. President

Yesterday the 44th president of the United States was elected into office.
Barack Hussein Obama not only stands as a bridge between generation x and the baby boomers, but he is the first black president to be elected.
Now I have to admit I was excited to hear him speak just because I knew he had been working on his speech for quite some time.. but i didnt care too much about the hype of the inauguration. One of my friends had invited me to go to DC, but I rejected because I didn't feel like spending the whole day in the rush and pushing through people just to hear a speech. Well the night before, my father made me feel guilty for rejecting my friends offer. He told me it would a good
experience - not only in history but to be there and feel everyone elses energy. he encourage me to go so at 11pm i call my friend up and make the plans.

5:45 am - I wake up, pack some snacks, drinks, etc and head off to meet my friends
( i wore 2 layers of pants, and 3 layers of sweaters knowing it would be freezing)
7:30 am - head off to silver spring metro
8:10 - am get to the metro station. it take 30 min just to get a card. once we actually got on a train they told us that 3 of the stops were blocked off bc of the surplus of people in the area. so after much planning we figured out a way to come up the National Mall from the south instead of the west. A few others followed our plan. We were the last group of people allowed to get off that stop. Many people were rejected and had to go home. Luckily one of my friend's sisters knew dc really well that was the only way we were able to get around. (The metro station was chaos, but the metro itself was not too crowded at this point)




10:00 am - We reach the crowd. according to the news there was approx 1.5 million people there. The ground outside was covered in trash like no other. people were sitting on the floor in the middle of the walk way. Despite the diverse crowd shown on tv, i would estimate that at least 50-60% of the people there were African American. I really didnt see as many Caucasians as i expected. I mean it was obvious why there were so many African Americans there but i still expected a different crowd. There were so many grown men crying around me.. i didnt know what to do.
I know this is an emotional moment in history and its a big deal bc less than 100 years ago African Americans couldn't even sign up to go to college. that I acknowledge, and I think it is amazing that we have come past that point.
but the amount of energy people really put on him i dont understand. I mean Obama isnt the messiah.. thats what people really make him out to be.
Yes, Obama is a clever man, great politician (he knows how to play his cards) and an inspirational speaker. I do have faith that he can make some change, and yes, his energy does inspire people. Thats great. But he isnt a superhero.
Before Obama came on stage, there was great silence. That silence, my friends, was very powerful. Imagine 1.5 million people: everyone standing, everyone eager, everyone is such great pain bc of the blistering cold, yet they were all so still and patient. That silence was golden. What other events can you get that many people to stand up in silence. it was out of the respect they had for him which really says a lot (whether u support him or not)

11:30ish they started the program. i couldnt see the stage from my eye, but i was much closer than a lot of other people. Some famous people there were jay z, beyonce, Oprah, Steven Spielberg, Aretha Franklin.. as well as ex presidents Carter, Clinton and i think someone else. (lol i cant remember). apparently i was on tv at least once (but i think more than that).. bc we were in the corner section where all the tv cameras were. Channel 9 was literally behind me the entire time. One of my friends didnt want to be on tv so he kept turning his head.. but 2 hours later his cousin from California called and told him that he saw him. lol what luck

the prayer was started with the line "Israel the most blessed country" (dont quote me on those words, BUT what they said was very similar to that) so much for separation of religion and state?

12:00ish Obama takes oath as president (after a few performances). the guy reading it to him said one of the lines wrong, so obama pauses for a bit. funny moment.. but its bound to happen. the whole world is watching you... imagine how nervous he must have been

***On a side note: I didnt like how people were booing George Bush. At first I contributed to the chants, but then it hit me that it really was not right or appropriate. I mean I personally am not a fan of the man at all.. but come on its his last day in office. even if he has done some of the worse things.. how would you feel up there? he still has feelings.. he is still a person too. as another fellow human being, people should have shown him some respect. ***


Obama makes his speech. If you want to read the speech here is the link.
The man can really speak.. I mean whether you get him or not, he def has a convincing tone.

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers"
I thought it was interesting how he addressed Muslims second after Christians.. which is something that would have NEVER have happened before. I wonder what type of response Americans are showing to that.
I loved the fact that he addresses non-believers as well. It shows that he is accepting and inclusive. Yes we are a diverse nation and you cant ignore that. you might not agree with another person's faith or lack of faith but it doesnt mean that they dont exist and that you shouldn't acknowledge them. (This is a whole other blog in its self)

12:30 right after his speech we left the national mall bc we knew if we stayed we would be stuck in chaos. im not going to even get into how cold it was. i cant believe i havnt even mentioned a word of it in my blog yet. basically my whole experience going was horrible bc of the weather. i swear i thought i was getting hypothermia. the numbness in my toes had increased to my knees. it was so bad that i couldnt really walk or stand. i wasnt even listening to obama's speech i was in such pain. seriously kudos to the survivors who stayed the whole time.
*** I just found out 46 people were hospitalized bc of hypothermia. more were taken with the ambulance..( i think the news said up to like 70 something)**
Of courses there were hundreds and thousands of people walking the streets of dc. it felt like i was in another protest again. it took us forever to get into the metro.
2:45 we finally get to downtown silver spring. i grabbed some chipotle while everyone else got moby dick :)
our ride back on the metro for the second time was really funny. i felt like i was in iran again. the trains were so packed that you couldnt move without touching someones body. some people had their faces on the glass. we thought it was safety harzad.
4:00 we grab some coffee and head out. i get to columbia around 5ish.
the overall experience was great and im happy i got to go, but i wouldnt do it again. the pain i experienced to be the cold wasnt worth it for a second time.
i was soo tired bc we had spent the entire day walking. once i was dropped off at the mall around 5pm (bc thats where we all met in the morning).. i decided to go the shopping since i was there anyway. i have no idea what was going through my head.. but i was there until 8:30pm. what did i do there? nothing. i just walked around some more.

The Way of Love

Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Unconditional love for humanity and the creation is completely different than the type of romantic love we think of. Understanding and feeling that kind of compassion can be one of the most rewarding feelings in our lives. Take the time to express that type of love for someone you usually wouldn't do anything for.

Remember love doesnt have expectations or requests. It just gives. And the more pure your love is, the more you will have to give. You will never run out of it.

Some Info About Blogging

What is a blog? The line begins to blur..

Wikipedia defines blogs as:

A Blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

The Blogosphere is the collective community of all blogs. Since all blogs are on the Internet by definition, they may be seen as interconnected and socially networked. Discussions "in the Blogosphere" have been used by the media as a gauge of public opinion on various issues.

According to the Technorati 2008 State of the Blogosphere, of the 133 million blogs the site tracks only 7.4 million have been updated in the last 120 days. (For those that don't feel like doing the math, that's 125.6 million abandoned or at least unloved blogs.)

------------------ Visual History of 11 Successful Blogs: Ever wondered what engadget or boingboing looked like in the early days? Check this link: A visual history of 11 successful blogs. by Pingdom (Interesting: They all started out somewhat clean and are now cluttered with ads etc.) __please dont be like these guys!

Nerdy, ey?

Scorpios

You have no idea how much time people put towards looking at horoscopes. How accurate are they? -_-
I was having a convo about it with one of my friends so I decided to look mine up.
Some of the traits are true but def some of them are not.

Some fun facts about my kind:

Traditional
Scorpio Traits
Determined and forceful
Emotional and intuitive
Powerful and passionate
Exciting and magnetic

Scorpios

are the most intense, profound, powerful characters in the zodiac. Even when they appear self-controlled and calm there is a seething intensity of emotional energy under the placid exterior. They are like the volcano not far under the surface of a calm sea, it may burst into eruption at any moment. But those of us who are particularly perceptive will be aware of the harnessed aggression, the immense forcefulness, magnetic intensity, and often strangely hypnotic personality under the tranquil, but watchful composure of Scorpio. In conventional social gatherings they are pleasant to be with, thoughtful in conversation, dignified, and reserved, yet affable and courteous; they sometimes possess penetrating eyes which make their shyer companions feel naked and defenseless before them.

In their everyday behavior they give the appearance of being withdrawn from the center of activity, yet those who know them will recognize the watchfulness that is part of their character. They need great self-discipline, because they are able to recognize the qualities in themselves that make them different from other humans, and to know their utterly conventional natures can be used for great good, or great evil. Their tenacity and willpower are immense, their depth of character and passionate conviction overwhelming, yet they are deeply sensitive and easily moved by their emotions.

-- I have to say this one is pretty accurate, except being secretive & seeing everything as b&w (im all about the gray)... almost everything else is true

Scorpio is the eighth Sign of the Zodiac, and you shouldn't take that lightly. You shouldn't take Scorpios lightly, either. Those born under this Sign are dead serious in their mission to learn about others. There's no fluff or chatter for Scorpios, either: these folks will zero in on the essential questions, gleaning the secrets that lie within. Scorpios concern themselves with beginnings and endings, and are unafraid of either; they also travel in a world which is black and white and has little use for gray. The curiosity of Scorpios is immeasurable, which may be why they are such adept investigators. These folks love to probe and know how to get to the bottom of things. The fact that they have a keen sense of intuition certainly helps.

It's the Scorpion which symbolizes Scorpios, and it's no accident. Much like the Scorpion would rather kill itself than be killed, those born under this Sign are the ones who are in ultimate control of their destiny. It is life on the Scorpion's terms, too, since these folks promote their agenda (they are quite the executives) and see to it that things go forward. Others may find this overbearing (it can be) and even self-destructive, but that's the beauty of the Scorpion: these folks have tremendous regenerative powers, much like the literal Scorpion can lose its tail and promptly grow a new one. Fearless Scorpions rarely lose, per se, they just keep on going, since they are stubborn and determined to succeed (this Scorpio trait is in keeping with the Fixed Quality assigned to this Sign). Scorpios work as hard as they do so they can someday sit back and feel satisfied with themselves. These folks are intense, passionate and filled with desire. They're also complex and secretive, so don't expect to get much out of them, lest they become suspicious and exit stage left. It's best not to bet against Scorpios, either, since these folks are surprisingly resourceful.

LIKES
• Truth
• Hidden Causes
• Being involved
• Work That is Meaningful
• Being Persuasive

DISLIKES
• Being Given Only Surface data
• Taken Advantage of
• Demeaning Jobs
• Shallow Relationships
• Flattery and Flattering