2008.08.22

Happy thoughts:

1. Passing by a potted plant on my way home I heard a cricket "singing" I realized it had been years since I heard crickets...and felt an intense longing to go camping...
2. French braided my hair yesterday for the first time in probably ten years...Was having a bad hair day and decided to pin it up...(got compliments all day long!)
   
3. What else have I not done in years...miss hanging upside down on the monkey bars! Simple things like sleeping in or coming home from school early on a Friday afternoon before a long vacation.
   
4. I had a good dream.
5. My friend from Boston left a message for me last night :) I love hearing the sound of her voice, I miss her so much at work!
   
6. The low clouds in the city this morning made the air misty and cool.
7. Talking to my friend Jen about her cat ^___^
   
8. Watching Chen Ruolin's final dive for the 10m women's olympic platform diving...It was as though she was flying on a whole other plane of time and space...like watching a human being literally turn into a god for a few seconds...
9. Hanazakari no Kimitachi e Episode 7!
   

2008.08.19

Happy thoughts:

1. Baby asparagus sauteed with margarine and veggie buffalo wings :)
   These incredible meatless meat are becoming better and better! Although I'm still an organic-cruelty-free-humane-small-farm-advocate-omnivore I'm becoming more and more vegetarian. Some meatless meat are more delicious than the real thing and healthier too.
2. Miniature tiny red roses next to my computer
3. Seeing my sweetheart last night...and the smile that warms my heart and soul!
   
4. Coffee cake from Sweet Joanna's and tea for breakfast
5. Hooray for Mike Dooley! Author of Notes from the Universe.
   
6. My favorite note from The Universe which I read this morning:
   

   "Funny, most folks 'there' are waiting for a sign of sorts from folks 'here' before they make a move, take action or commit. Same 'here' "
   

   -The Universe

   What a great way to start the day! I laughed out loud when I read it because I spent most of my life figuring out what I'm "supposed to do." I kept waiting for a sign, and never thought that The Universe might be waiting for a sign from me! I felt alive.
7. I am so grateful to run into Mike Dooley's writings, and passing on as many copies as I can!
8. A happy and content little girl being carried by her mother on my way to work
9. Thinking about what a cool, nurturing, thoughtful and wonderful sister I have...
   

2008.08.15

Happy thoughts:

1. Went to the doctor for a routine check up today. My N.P. Rocks!
2. Being immune to tetanus :)
3. The assistant nurse was really nice. Her beautiful earrings reminded me of how much I miss wearing mine.
4. Having a conversation about summer vacations with a 7 year old boy on my way to work.
5. The lady sitting behind him had a really cool sweater on (wish I had told her that!)
6. Barack Obama as my president :)
7. A booming national and international economy
8. An inspiring leader
9. Imagining cars that breathe oxygen running down Main St.
10. Yummy tofu for lunch
11. And ah! The highlight of my morning, day and night...a novel from my sweetheart! :)))

Barack Obama for President!

I finally decided to do more than just vote... Barack Obama has convinced me to have more faith in the political system, faith in my country and faith in people. Thank you!



He has an amazing sense of humor!



This is a person with integrity and character who doesn't run away from the tough problems. He does what's right even when it's not easy like admitting that having a real energy policy is going to be hard but it's the right thing to do.



Hope is powerful, and it's already changing the world for the better. Our problems are big, but I have every faith in human imagination, ingenuity and compassion.

Let's get Barack Obama to the White House this November!

Happy

I started my first outline and am now going back to bed!

Oyo

Sometimes I forget that I don't live forever. I think subconsciously I actually believed I just might be the first exception...of course intellectually I know this isn't the case.

Tonight on my way home from work I thought about my cousin Oyo... He past away in 2004 from a medical malpractice...but I think a life of hardship and burden was really the cause... He was just 23, and had just graduated college...His birthday 2008.08.08, would have made him 27 years old...I wonder what kinds of dreams he had that he never got to pursue... Did he have a girlfriend? Was he in love? We lived on opposite ends of the planet, but I wished I had kept in better touch...

It's three am, couldn't sleep. I'm up and writing my first chapter because I've been putting it off for eight years...maybe longer...maybe ten years...taking my time and my life for granted, staying miserable because I was afraid.

2008.08.13

Happy thoughts:

1. The possibility of writing as a living
2. Getting a cat or kitten later this year or early next year :)
3. Harry Potter, The Half Blood Prince movie this winter
4. Going for a run later this evening
5. Tea with my sister before dinner!
   

2008.08.12

Happy thoughts:

1. Becoming a writer
2. A little boy played with his dog while his grandparents sat together on a bench watching. The puppy looked so happy!
3. Wrote myself a letter to my future self on futureme.org
4. Chatted with my best friend just now and she saved my soul again
5. My roommate played one of my favorite songs, "The Maple Leaf Rag" on our new digital piano. She's rocks!
6. I went jogging by the ocean in the evening right before sunset. There were lots of tourists out and it was beautiful...I ran further and longer today (yea!)
7. Conference call with clients went well this morning
8. Wordpress is AWESOME!
9. A person smiled at me on my way back from lunch
10. The crew at Togo's always make me smile (back for more salad/sandwich combo. Mine had extra crispy wontons and chicken today!)
11. Our summer intern is phenomenal! She really brings warmth to our office and I hope she can stay!

My sister...

...amazes me

My bestfriend...

...freed me from my fears of failure tonight over tea and tiramisu...

Some notes:

1. As of tonight I no longer believe in talent.
2. If you do what you like to do, one inevitably becomes talented.
3. It's silly to stop just because I suck at doing something on my third try because not I, and definitely not other people, not even experts can tell whether one has talent or not on the outset. The question to ask isn't whether or not I'm talented (and therefore should stop trying to play the piano, or learn Japanese, or write or draw...) but whether I am having fun doing it.
4. There are fun things you do because it's fun and it doesn't matter whether you're good or not.
5. There are fun things you do and you enjoy it more and more the better you get at it.
   

I felt so light and at peace with the world after tea and desserts...I've spent so many years worrying whether I have the talent to do what I love to do that it keeps me from doing those things. There is no way for me to know whether or not I have what it takes to succeed at what I want to do, but it doesn't matter because talent is no longer a prerequisite for desire.