Rock Out with This Song

In addition to my last post, here's another song that I like to rock out to. I was driving alone in the car and I cranked up the volume and sang along at the top of my lungs... I wonder how loud I really was, haha. But it made me feel better!

Weezer's Pork and Beans.



"Imma do the things that i wanna do
I ain't got a thing to prove to you
I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans
Excuse my manners if i make a scene
I ain't gonna wear the clothes that you like
I'm fine and dandy with the me inside
One look in the mirror and i'm tickled pink
I don't give a hoot about what you think

everyone likes to dance to a happy song
with a catchy chorus and beat so they can sing along
timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts
maybe if i work with him i can perfect the art"

One of My Favorite Songs

We always hit a few bumps in our lives, but it's nice when you have something that can help uplift you. A great friend of mine recommended me her favorite song, and now it's become one of my favorite songs too. It's Modest Mouse's Float On.

Here's a piece of the lyrics...

"..Alright already we'll all float on.
Alright already we'll all float on.
Alright don't worry even if things end up a bit too heavy.
We'll all float on...alright. Already we'll all float on.
Alright already we'll all float on, ok.
Don't worry we'll all float on.
Even if things get heavy, we'll all float on."



(The original youtube vid was disabled, but click here for the link if you want to see the video.)

Things We Do For Love

We all know that when people are in love, they'll do almost anything. Love is blind, as they say. Well, here's an interesting perspective on dating that I thought I'd share. I came across this New York Times article the other day about how distances and boroughs affect dating. The article is titled "When Love Is a Schlep".

It makes reference to the fact that technology brings people together - it definitely does. I'm sure all of us can attest to it! Just look at how many social networking sites there are out there now! And even this, my blog, is in some tiny way bringing us together, right? =] Okay, so back to technology... Take, for example, the use of dating sites, which are becoming more and more common and less stigmatized. I've always had reservations about dating sites, but finding the NYT article mention it in a pragmatic way has pushed me further to think that they're not so odd after all.

Sacrifices are made with love, and the long-distance relationships that the article describes are just one of the many sacrifices people make for one another, as difficult as they may be. Love is a tremendous motivation for so much of our lives. And people will literally go great distances for their loved ones.

Do you have a special someone? What sacrifices do you make? As for me, I'm waiting patiently. Who knows when that time will come for me to make my own love sacrifices, but I'll be ready!

Are You Disturbed?

I subscribed to daily e-mails that's a part of something called charityfocus.org - the site is called ijourney.org and is all about inspirational stories. Today's e-mail, "Disturb Me, Please!" by Margaret Wheatley, struck a chord in me as I read about how fruitful it is for us to learn to be excellent listeners of our disturbances.

It's a new perspective on learning that I had not quite thought of before. Wheatley states, "Noticing what disturbs me has been an incredibly useful lens into my interior, deeply held beliefs. When I'm shocked at another's position, I have the opportunity to see my own position in greater clarity."

The next time I'm in a conversation I'll think more about my disturbances in the hopes to gain further insight into my own personal beliefs.

Know What You Want Part II

The same reflection that you go through to determine what you want in your career can be similarly applied to your everyday social life and is relevant to your degree of happiness.

It's not easy to ask yourself the tough questions - Are you getting what you want? What is it that you really want - socially or emotionally? Are you truly happy? What is happiness really mean to you?

Don't be afraid to discover the truth. Yes, it can be frightening, but I think that the truth is pure wisdom. It's a point of clarity, even if it may not seem so right away, because in the end the truth always comes out. So don't bother trying to hide it or hide from it.

In asking yourself the thought-provoking questions, you're working toward evaluating your current state of mind. This is very important because our minds are intricately connected with our bodies. The way you think will determine your actions, which will affect your interactions with others. It's a ripple effect.

Therefore, have a conversation with yourself. Are you stressed out? Why? Are there areas in your life that you would like to be different? Why? Are the relationships you have built or are currently building going in a positive direction? Why?

All of the answers are there within you. You just have to do a little unearthing. As my mom always said, "If you don't ask, you shall not receive."

From Death Row to the Classroom

As a follow-up to my last post, here' a perfect example of someone who gave sincere thought to what he truly wanted to do in life and what contribution he wanted to make to society.

This man is described in the New York Times article, "Once Convicts' Last Hope, Now a Students' Advocate", as a man who worked to keep death row prisoners from execution and now teaches middle school students.

There were various forces that urged Tom Dunn to change his career, but he was able to reflect upon his past interests and morph them into a new direction.

He found that his passion is to be a supportive authority figure, as "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men" - words of Frederick Douglass that he quotes, according to the article.

To read the short article, click here.

Know What You Want

All too often people cruise through their lives and don't take the time to really consider what it is that they truly want in their lives and how they can make it a reality.

My friend asked me the other day how I go about thinking about my life and what I want to do with it in terms of my career. Here's my take on it, and if you have any input, please share!

The first step in the process for me is that I like to think about my past educational background and what I've learned and what I've enjoyed learning. Of course your undergraduate studies/or just past studies in general do not necessarily have to be relevant to your post-school career, but they are areas of study from which you can often bridge with your career interests. Pretty much everything is related in some way - even if you don't see it at first. It can be quite unexpected. For example, a math student may end up finding her way into some form of analytical writing as her career because perhaps she finds math logical and clear - analytical writing is much the same way. You have to have logical and clear arguments. It's just a thought.

(And do keep in mind that if you're not sure what your ideal career is, that's okay! You'll figure it out if you take the time to reflect...)

Once you figure out what it is that you liked studying, think about your personality traits and how that may be relevant to your studies. For me, I loved studying PR in college, and one of the things I liked about it was that it was business-related and very people-oriented. I like communicating and interacting with people, and the best part is when I can be helpful. Soon, I came to realize that Human Resources is the field of interest for me. This self-reflection might be one of the most overlooked parts of the process, and it doesn't always come fast.

It just so happened that coming to this realization that HR was what I wanted to do was a fairly streamlined process for me. A lot of networking and a good bit of luck landed me my current HR position. Yet, it's important to not feel that you need to find your way into your career right away.

As long as you're continuously working toward your goal and treating each opportunity as a stepping stone, you'll be okay. Keep track of your transferable skills - it's a big piece of the puzzle.

Crossing Paths

There are some people that you meet and find that you along with right away. You feel comfortable with them and you get the sense that you've known them forever. It's a nice feeling to have, isn't it?

For these people who have become a part of your life, have you ever wondered how near to or far from you they've been in the past? A new friend said to me today that he wondered if our paths had ever crossed. I found this to be such an interesting question. I had no answers to give on the spot of course, but it definitely got me thinking...