Ambitions

One of my teachers called me ambitious this year. I was starting to think that it wasn't true, but now I feel more ambitious than ever. Not only am I applying to regular jobs, but I am entering writing contests, reading up on major writing companies and giving myself classes on query letters, outlines and summaries. So here's the honest truth. I'm ambitious when I want to be, and cowardly when I don't want to deal with things. It's a known fact that my life has wrapped around through many struggles and trails. I've also done my research and discovered that all successful people were ambitious and took great risks to get where they wanted to be. It was their way of learning who they were and what they could do to make a difference in the world. Well, I'm determined to be successful, in fact I'm hell bent on it because of all those years where I kept quiet and never let anyone know what I wanted and what I needed. As I have just graduated and I'm determined to do big things, my new strategy is "Look out world. Here I come!" I might not get there in a month, a year or even a century, but I'm coming and I'm going to achieve the goals I've set for myself, regardless of the challenges and obstacles in my way. This is a warning. I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines, and now I'm going to be out in the game.

Ties

They can be cut.
They can be torn.
Lost and raveled,
ripped and worn.
So many strings,
so little strength.
Do they have colors?
A specific length?
Is life a web
of patterns and strings?
Stories and memories
of broken things.
The past is the past.
Or so they say.
Can I cut the strings?
Watch them fall away?
The strings I choose
to keep and mend
are the bonds of family
and the support of a friends.
But where's my string?
The bond of the heart?
Where does it stop?
Where does it start?
Is it the string of a kite
at the mercy of the wind?
A ball of yarn
that can weave and bend.
Ties are everywhere
but can I truly know
the ones I can tie
and the ones to let go?

The song behind the story

Every now and then you find a story that speaks to you. Dengeki Daisy is one of those stories for me. It's truly amazing how one little detail can become an important element in a story. The song "Time after Time" by Cyndi Lauper is the element in this case. People have done some tributes to the story using this song and I found one in particular that was very nicely done ^_^ Enjoy the mood music



(Icon by 365daysafter)

Words of wisdom for the worried heart

"If you don't give up on getting there, then you're not on the wrong road. . . If you worry about it, think about it, eventually pick a road and walk down it. Then there's no way it isn't connected somehow to the place you're looking for."
Dengeki Daisy

It's funny that the first time I read this quote, I actually took it on the surface, but there is a deeper meaning behind it. There are times when you wonder if you chose the right path, especially after graduation and other huge steps in life. But in reality you will pick a path that benefits you somehow. It may not be the path you expect, and it may even give you doubts about your decision, but ultimately you made the decision to go down that particular path for a reason. This reason may not reveal itself right away. I'm beginning to learn this as I reflect the past when I made some difficult decisions. Not only does this quote talk about the benefits of making a decision. It is also talking about the importance of the decision itself. Everything that makes you who are is based on decisions you've made and the true desire to achieve a goal, whether big or small.
This may seem like common sense, but it is easier said than done. Other obstacles get in the way. Regret, self doubt, grudges, criticisms, and many other emotions can cloud your judgement and make you forget who you should really listen to in order to make your decision.
It's pointless to worry about whether or not you chose the right path or made the right decision, as long as you trust in yourself and accept the lessons you learned along the way.


(Icon by o0Yukino0o)

Two happy elements ^_^

One Republic and Disney World!!!

The Curse of Doubt

"It's not the power of the curse. It's the power you give the curse"
Penelope

I watched Penelope today, one of my favorite modern day fairy tales. This quote, close to the end of the movie, really stood out to me. During the film, Penelope constantly puts herself down and doesn't believe that her curse will ever be broken. She puts herself below others and doesn't believe in herself, until she breaks free. Once Penelope leaves everything she knows and takes control of her life, her confidence builds, and she finally has the power to overcome her own curse. She had the power to do this the entire time, but she only realized it once she believed in herself and started to pursue what she wanted in life.
It's a very valuable lesson, to discover the abilities you already have and do something about your doubts. Doubt has always been a big curse in my life, but sometimes I forget that the doubt is created by myself. Doubt is an obstacle that can be difficult to overcome when little or no self confidence is involved. The first step to conquering doubt is to realize who controls your doubt. Penelope discovers this when she steps out into the world and makes something of herself.
Another thing about doubt, it's not easy to overcome. But if Penelope had never conquered her doubt and discovered who she is, the movie would have had a lame story. I heard somewhere that you control your own story, even if you feel you have no power over it, but only you can change your story when you don't like the direction it's going in. I hope that a few people I used to know will learn this, because self doubt is not a fun element to live with for the rest of your life.
The first step is to believe that you will get there.

Dreams

Dancing whispers
Reoccurring memories
Echoes of what can be
And what will be
Make your life
Shine with your dreams

(Collage made with my photos of the Disney College Program, screenshots of Disney movies and a recent picture of Fantasmic)

Writing Prompt 28: New Year's Resolution

Prompt: In the next year I'm going to...

Work hard to achieve my goals
Never give up
Learn from my mistakes
Put the past behind me
Believe in myself more
Keep things in perspective
Accept what I can't change
Do what I can
Write, write, write
Read
Do my best to become the person I want to be.

What's really important

"Never, ever lose sight of
what is really important."
James -Tiana's father
The Princess and the Frog

When things go wrong, big or small, I always forget to remember what is important. The roof over my head, the family I care for, the friends I cherish and the good times I've had. This quote may seem small and simple, but is is a deep and enlightening thing. My dad told me that growing up is not just taking responsibility for your actions, but having perspective on the situations you get involved in. I'd like to think of it as a peer review session. Take everything with a grain of salt. Understanding the perspective of others can be challenging sometimes, but it is worth it in the long run. Letting the small things ruin the big picture is an immature act that can damage instead of heal you. I look back on all the mistakes I've made and I realized that yes, I did learn something and no, I won't make the same decisions in the future. But you can only decide how to deal with these things by having the perspective to define the small jabs and the big punches. I guess this is another way to put the past behind you. Once you remember what's truly important to you, you can put things in their place and even forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made.
The important things can replace the grudges, irritation and obstacles you face in any situation. It may not be easy to draw them out, but it is worth it to take a step back and observe the situation by remembering what's important to you. I'm beginning to understand that life is far too short to dwell on the past, and life is way too important to take for granted. It's all part of growing up and accepting who you are. Remember what's important and you can get through any tough spot in your life.

Happy Music from Dream High

This song has been stuck in my head for a while, so I thought I'd share it :)




Awesome moment in the Dream High Korean drama! A real lesson in delivering a song to someone.

Never forget who made you who you are

I watched My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic a little while ago, and a quote from Rarity stood out to me: "No matter where you go in life, never forget that you are the product of your home and your friends. And that is something always to be proud of, no matter what."
It's a good statement, especially for those who have just closed a chapter of their lives and started a new one. The real world can be intimidating, and you will face more challenging things than the assignments or projects that you have overcome. That's why you should never forget who you are, and try to become someone you're not. This includes more than just a social, but a professional reputation. When certain areas in your life are overwhelming, you must have a solid ground to stand on. That's why self confidence and knowledge is so important. It keeps you going when life becomes difficult. It gets you through tough times, overwhelming decisions and challenging obstacles on whatever road you take. I believe that if you are confident with who you are, proud of where you came from and knowledgeable about the defining aspects of your character, you can achieve your goals and be content with yourself. After my graduation yesterday, I thought about this a lot. There was a moment where the commencement speaker told us to appreciate the support we had from family and friends, because that support is what got us that far. It is very important to understand that you don't achieve goals and get through life on your own. It is the support around you that keeps you moving forward, and motivates you to get up when you're knocked down. This may seem far-fetched advice for graduates, but I understood what the speaker was talking about.
You lose yourself when you ignore the parts of your life that shape you. Even difficult memories and challenging assignments are learning experiences and all part of life. Another thing that the speaker said was, "good leaders understand that there is always something to learn". That's very true, if you think about the powerful people in the world, and the great minds of the past and present, they never stop learning. Once you believe that you don't have to learn anymore, you have set yourself up for more lessons than you can imagine. There's a certain comfort to realizing that you won't know everything. If you did, you wouldn't learn, and change from your experience. One lesson to learn is that you are who you are because of the people around you. You may not realize it, but even the smallest conversation will effect you somehow, and influence a decision, big or small in your future. Role-models, parents, siblings, friends,family, teachers, class mates, customers, all people have an important role to play in your life, so it is important to remember the people you're proud of and know the parts of your personality that were inspired by them.

(Picture by stormchylde and a gift from my friend Kim ^_^)
http://stormchylde.deviantart.com/art/Tale-as-Old-as-Time-272461139

Writing Prompt 27: Commencement Speech

Prompt: If you were chosen to give a commencement speech, what would you say to your classmates as they move ahead to their next challenges in life?

My friend Miriam told me that every graduation speech has the same pattern and mentions the same elements. Hope, Dreams, Goals and Life. It's true, graduation is about all of these things. By this point in our lives, we have reached some goal, to graduate, and now we are ready to make a more challenging goal, to get the job we want. So, the hope in a graduation speech is a motivator that encourages graduates to realize that as long as you believe you will get there you will. It's all about perseverance. You must have a motivation to hope that you will reach your goal. You must have a goal in order to reach your dreams. It's all a process of trial and error, living and learning. I've heard other commencement speeches that mentioned courage. Courage is required to achieve your dreams. The important thing that you must remember, at least from this moment in your lives is not just that you have graduated, but that you have taken your first big step into the real world. Graduation may be a rite of passage, but it is also a stepping stone toward the future you choose to build. But the most important thing to remember, as you go out in the real world is to persevere. The difference between successful people and people who choose to settle, is that they got back up when they were knocked down. If there is one thing you should remember from this experience in your life, it is to get up when you're knocked down. This is not easy, but remember, it is worth it in the long run. People admire those that never give up and keep pushing toward their goal. Those people will go where they want to go and they will achieve their dreams. I know that you've heard these words before, possibly from teachers, parents and mentors, but I encourage you to listen because they know what they're talking about. Reaching a goal and achieving a dream is not an easy thing, but you should know that. After all, you have passed one of the most difficult obstacles in a person's life, College. Congratulations and never forget that you have the ability to achieve whatever you want in life.

Writing Prompt 26: Rest and Relaxation

Prompt: How important is rest and relaxation to you?

It's kind of funny how this prompt popped up, since I haven't even thought about how important rest and relaxation really is. In fact, I decided to take a break from studying to blog, and got this prompt ha ha. Anyway time to answer it.

During crunch time of my last semester, I actually felt guilty every time I took a break, which wasn't very often or long. People had to convince me that I was doing something beneficial by relaxing, and I couldn't get any more productive work done if I continued pushing myself. I had to reach my goal, and I had to reach it as quickly as possible. I wouldn't even accept that it wasn't possible for me to continue working without rest.
Well, I got a big dose of the value of rest on one of the most difficult and challenging days of my school year. I had four giant assignments due, the first act of a script, the entire script, a handout and presentation and a ten page essay. Unfortunately the night before, I freaked out, broke down and didn't get a lot of sleep. I had never been so overwhelmed and disappointed in myself for things not going according to plan. Finally, after I had cried it all out and took a few deep breaths, my mom told me to just take the day one thing at a time. Once she told me that, I realized that you don't have to meet your goal right away. These things take time to complete and it will not always go according to plan. Once I recognized that it wasn't just my assignments, but myself that I was trying to complete in a hurry, I had to take a step back.
It's true that you can be too hard on yourself, but I was going way too far. I was mentally beating myself up not just about assignments, but my social life, my future and my growth. I was so stressed out to begin with, and I was convinced that I hadn't grown up enough to handle many things life threw at me all at once. But the true reason I couldn't handle all of these problems was because I had not given myself a break. A break from school, a break from social life, a break from criticism and a break from my own sadness and frustration.
So, I think this week, I really learned first hand the value of rest and relaxation. I expected way too much of myself and only made my disappointment worse when I didn't meet my goal. I did mange to get everything done that day, but I never would have been able to do that if I hadn't taken it one step at a time.
Rest and relaxation is extremely important, especially when you have a lot to get done. You have to recharge to make the effort you need to meet your goal. When you rest or relax, you don't stress about anything, you can put it in a drawer or even say "I'm going to step away from this for awhile." That way, when you come back to your life, project or situation, you can look at it from a distance and improve it. Relaxing doesn't only mean taking a break. It is an opportunity to exist without constant worry or pressure. Sometimes it's okay to forget that major assignment, that family problem, that social conflict and that major goal you haven't reached. Enjoying yourself and allowing yourself to just be for awhile is just as important as reaching your goal and improving who you are.