Tuesday Tune

I'm really feeling this song and it's message right now!  It is slow and soft and (I think) reassuring.

"When the night comes, and you lay your weary head to rest, no more trials, no tests, when the night comes... you don't have to be afraid, of any choice you made... when the night comes, don't be afraid... you're only dreaming..." 

Freedom

I love this so much:

"There is a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you take nothing personally."  [Don Miguel Ruiz]

This has always been a struggle for me because I find it natural to absorb how people treat me and how it makes me feel (good or bad) and it can be both so damaging and fulfilling.  I don't believe either is very healthy - ideally I'd like to be able to filter people's unpleasantness and separate it from myself.  Rationally, this makes sense to me, but emotionally it is a different story.  I find myself getting (and staying) so upset over the way I am sometimes treated because in my mind I cannot reconcile the person's behavior towards me.  It is a vicious cycle - why do I waste my time worrying?  I am my own being, independent of how others are feeling or acting, and I can go on with my day without being altered by comments.  Easier said than done and an article awhile ago on Tiny Buddha really hit home for me and validated my concerns.

The article, When We Hurt People Because We're Hurting, touched my heart with these words:  

"...Most of us have felt pain burning like a hot coal in our hands, and felt desperate to unload it, somehow, somewhere... None of us deserve misdirected rage from a family member, coworker, or stranger... We all have a responsibility to learn healthy ways to cope..."

 Most of the time I am emotionally stable (it didn't happen overnight) but I realize my self worth and value in a way that helps me deal with the everyday - sometimes things can wear on us and it is then that I find myself slipping away a little from the place I know I belong.  I appreciated this article so much in a time when I needed to hear those words.  Thank you, Tiny Buddha!

Friends, do you ever feel this way?  How do you stop internalizing things you know you shouldn't? 

Photos taken by me, November 2011, in Ranakpur, India.

The Homely Place

Nat over at The Homely Place designs lovely colorful and inspired prints and now offers her pretty images on mugs and tea towels.  How perfect for my kitchen!  She has started a People Fund account which is a place to feature your creative projects and raise funds.  Cheers to you, Nat!  I think it's a great place to support artists!  Please visit her shop and see her pretty designs - I can't wait to have one of her tea towels in my kitchen!  You can read more about her venture here on her blog.  (By the way, how great is her video?)

Thanks, Nat!

Tuesday Tune (and a CELEBRATION)!

TAX.  SEASON.  IS.  OVER.  And that means I can get back to my normal life, my normal routine, and I can do it all while being AWAKE and not in some zombie haze.  So without further ado, here is one of my favorite songs of all time because 1) it is in my favorite movie of all time and 2) whenever I hear it all I want to do is jump up and dance!

So even if you don't know what it's like to work a tax season, please join me in my celebration (just close your eyes and pretend you're six years old on Christmas morning and also you're 18, just finished your finals and you have the whole summer vacation ahead of you and you'll know what I feel like)!

Happy Birthday, Blog!

I can't believe another year has gone by but yesterday was my blog's second  birthday!  The reason why I started this blog in the first place was to have an outlet for myself... and it's been one of the best ways to relieve stress, express myself, and cultivate inspiration.  Not to mention, I've met some sweet fellow bloggers!  Happy Birthday, blog!

Yesterday morning J and I ran in a 10k run to benefit our city's zoo.  I love our zoo and we were so happy to be able to support them (and stay healthy)!  Race participants had free zoo admission post race so I snapped this picture of one of our favorites, the flamingos!  And I also saw the new otter exhibit - they are too cute.

In other news, tax deadline is tomorrow and it definitely can't come soon enough as my anxiety and sensitivity is at an all time high and my hair is literally frazzled!  I've tried not to rant but I can't wait to take a break from the office... and it's inhabitants...!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday!  Alas, I am holed up at the office (7 more working days of tax season...) but I celebrated over the weekend by getting my nails done, enjoying a delicious Indian dinner with friends (which is exactly what I did last year!) and then dancing the night away.  I was so lucky to have my best friend in town for a second year in a row (I'm so spoiled now) and it really made everything extra special.  

 Tonight J and I are going to a nice dinner and then I hope to stay awake long enough to relax at home!  These looooooong, looooooong work weeks + workouts + sleepless nights have officially caught up to me and you can tell by my blog.  I hope to be back soon, friends.  I don't like that work consumes my life and leaves me with little energy to do much else.

And since it's Tuesday... how about one of my favorite songs for my birthday:


"...Oh, it doesn't mean much... it doesn't mean anything at all... and sweet surrender, is all that I have to give..."

Tuesday Tune

Four weeks from today J and I will be on Waikiki beach.  Well, my mind is already there... my body needs to hop a flight in a month to catch up with it!  I may not return - I would make an excellent beach bum (believe me, I've tried it once before and it was a total success).  Let's daydream of the islands...


"...I got to let you know that you were my heart, yeah, so I'm making it clear before you're out that door..."


"...'cause I love to lay here lazy, we could close the curtains, pretend like there's no world outside..." 




"...and I don't know much, but I feel it every time we touch... it's the fire in your eyes..."