Category Archives: Purposeful Living

Quote of the Day: On Momentum

Posted in Mindful Musings by

Screen Shot 2015-03-23 at 9.52.41 PMI received another relevant “quote of the day” type thing. This time from my Runner’s World account.

Thought I’d edit it-to make it even more appropriate for the present moment…

“Experience has taught me how important it is to just keep going, focusing on [living] fast and relaxed. Eventually [pain] passes and the flow returns. It’s part of living.”

Love Allowed

Posted in Mindful Musings by

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I don’t know why some people feel so free to “dump” all their negative energy onto others.

I think it is important to take heed with others, because it’s so true that you never know what the next person is going through.

But I don’t know.

Perhaps some don’t realize what an impact energy has.

Perhaps some don’t perceive their energy as negative at all! (Which would be unfortunate).

Or perhaps some simply don’t care-“misery loves company…”

Well, when this happens I think it pays to be mindful as opposed to lowering ourselves to the same level.

Booker T. Washington said this amazing line. I quote, “I shall not let any man narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.”

I love that. I love how he put that….

Narrow and degrade my soul.

When I think of this quote, I am able to imagine how ugly I can become by reacting in a similar way to a person who has offended me.

Another one I really like is, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

I do not say that I am perfect by any means. In fact, I wouldn’t be writing this if there wasn’t a particular energy I felt was pulling me down.

But I hope to shake off that energy before the rest of my day.

Things are not all bad. We just have to force ourselves to remember. 🙂

Hope everyone has a love- and peace-filled day!

Namaste. Xx

After Death

Posted in Me Through My Photographs by

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Where is it that they go–when they are gone?

Where is it that we go?

Is it someplace within our reach?

Or some place beyond what we can fathom?

Can they feel us where they go–

Like we seem to think we feel them?

Is anyone–any life–

Ever truly gone?

Can anyone truly answer–

the question…

…Of what comes after death?

Are the answers to these questions something

We are meant to understand?

Blogging as “Community”

Posted in Mindful Musings by

A few days ago, I read a blog post that really left me thinking. It left me wondering what blogging really does mean to me.

Despite the fact that the post did resonate with me, I didn’t immediately respond to it. Instead, I have been letting the ideas soak in and I have been exploring my thoughts about them as they come… As I trek the college campus… As I am driving in my car…

Lately, I have been writing just so I can practice developing a thought; and as I’ve said before, “for the clarity of my own understanding.”

However, there was this one point on that post–about “community” in blogging. This point reminded me that community is something that is important to me, and it also made me reflect on what community means to me exactly.

Is blogging just about random likes and visitors? Or is it about starting and maintaining conversation and connection?

Perhaps, because of where I am as a blogger at the moment, the blogging community sometimes doesn’t feel “real” to me. Maybe I am thinking of “likes” on WordPress too much like “likes” on Facebook and Instagram—2 social media outlets where often times, despite the “likes” and comments you still feel disconnected to your followers. However, I guess some online communities aren’t built to be the same.

For instance–online forums… I have definitely used them to communicate on a more serious level—like providing travel tips or obtaining them for my own use.

And when I was a teenager, it was even more serious. I was part of a forum where the members maintained a conversation with each other everyday. And although we didn’t all know each other personally, each member had an online identity and reputation that was real to everyone who was a part of that forum. We could even quickly identify a stranger coming into our conversations. And sometimes, we even called each other on the phone when things got really real. But, I never wanted to admit to anyone that I had friends “online;” even if this was around the time of MySpace.

I especially didn’t want to do admit so as I got older. The fact that I had online friends at some point then became kind of a secret about my past, and it hasn’t been until recently that I have been able to openly talk about that in regular conversation.

And then—as far as less serious forums, like the travel forums… With all this stuff about keeping your identity safe over the internet-my involvement in such outlets has been diminished. However, looking back does help me to remember that I have been part of online communities in the past. So they do mean something.

There is another thing that caught my attention, though.

This week, there were a few moments when I spoke up in class for whatever reason. And I have begun to notice that—when I do raise a hand to speak in class—my heart just starts beating so intensely and I almost dread the idea of talking. And it was the same this week. I spoke up, and afterwards, I would try to type something into my computer but my hands would just shake from being so stressed and from all the adrenaline.

So then, I would just hide my hands because it would be embarrassing for someone to see that speaking up makes me so nervous. But also at that time, I had already been reflecting about the blogging, so I ended up making a connection…

I don’t shake in class every time I speak because I’m shy or anything. I just don’t reveal too much of my personal thoughts very often, so it’s uncomfortable. So then I thought–maybe that’s why I’m attracted to blogging. It’s how I can express myself—since I’m not very expressive when I’m in the presence of other people.

I know—it probably doesn’t sound so revolutionary; but when you do things the way you always do, they just seem normal and you may not pick up on things.

But I do know that I am a passionate person. I’m soulful. I’m reaaally connected to my emotions, and I’m easily affected by the energy around me. So I need expression. And I am blogging as a way to clarify thoughts that I don’t otherwise express. I also need connection. I want to feel that I am relatable, and I also want to find people with whom I can relate. And so that’s why blogging as community truly sounds meaningful to me.

So, if by chance you read this post (or any other one of my posts) and it resonates with you, please let me know. Let’s start some meaningful conversation.

Xx