Kubo and the Two Strings

This movie was beautiful in all aspects of the word. From the art to the story to the soundtrack, Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic tale with a heartfelt theme for all ages and generations. 

Kubo is a storyteller with one eye who knows very little of his father and the events that led to his birth. 

His mother tells him stories, but she also gives him rules: don't stay out past sundown, and always take the monkey charm with you. 

Kubo entertains the crowd at the local village with exciting and entertaining stories of Hanzo the samurai and his battle against the Moon King, but his stories never end. Each day the crowd listens to the tales eagerly as Kubo's magic origami figures perform. 

Longing to know more of his father, Kubo seeks answers. One night, in an attempt to speak with his father, he stays out past sundown. 

This one act sends Kubo on a quest of his own: his own story, to protect himself from the Moon King. 

With Monkey, Beetle and his own origami companions, Kubo writes his own story, and he learns about what truly matters.

I recommend this film to anyone and everyone, especially fans of The Little Prince. 

I give it five out of five origami birds.  

The Little Prince: A Movie review

I first read The Little Prince while I worked in the bookstore, and I fell in love with it immediately. 

The story is a beautiful allegory for life, and an imaginative, philosophical fable for children. The film could have been the entire book, but they created another story, to better relate to the audience of today. A little girl and her mother move to a new neighborhood, and they have a life plan for the little girl's life, down to the minute. Things go awry when a paper airplane flies through the little girl's window from their creative and disorganized neighbor. The little girl picks up the paper airplane, unfolds it, and reads the story of The Little Prince. From there, she begins to wonder, learn and grow beyond the tight schedule that she believes she must follow. 

As she learns the tale of the Little Prince, she discovers a new perspective that values beauty, wonder and imagination. 

The Little Prince's story is a symbolic and classic tale with many wonderful observations about life, how we live it, and what truly matters. If you haven't read the book, please do. There is a reason the book is a classic, and no matter what age you read it, the story has something for everyone. 

The animation of this film is gorgeous, and even more amazing is the fact it is stop motion animation! 

The story of the film does the original tale justice. The wonderful lessons that the aviator teaches the little girl are so important to learn at any age. 

Five stars. 

The Power of Choices

Choices, especially difficult ones often seem to be daunting and stressful. Especially when we put them in a certain perspective. Because I am going through a difficult choice, I have been doing research on what would be the best outcome, and the best decision.
But sometimes, there is no better outcome or even the correct decision. It's just a fork in the road, and you can either go left or right.
Regardless of which direction you choose, the pressure is on. Did I make the right choice? Is life choosing for me? Fear of choices and change can often seem like a huge burden, but it can also be a valuable gift.
By facing a crossroads, you are at one of the most powerful points in your life. You decide where to go, what to do, who to be. No one can make this decision for you, which is why a hard choice is a valuable challenge in your life.
It is an opportunity to create who you are. It is a moment in your life where you can discover your values, your priorities and decide what kind of person you want to be.
Often when faced with hard choices, it is tempting to take the easy way. Maybe it's the one everyone wants you to take, or the one with the most financial comfort. But when faced with hard choices, it is  important to ask: Who am I? What do I stand for? What do I want?
And it is these questions that help you write your own story. It is these questions that allow you to create your purpose and motivation for your life journey.
During hard choices, we create our own destiny. And that is scary, because all of a sudden, we are in a position where we must decide for ourselves. But this scary situation is an opportunity to discover who we truly are and create who we want to be.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: A review

"Time waits for no one."

It's a really interesting question. What would you do if you could go back in time? Matoko, a seventeen year old girl is able to leap through time and change the outcome of her future, but she only has the ability to leap for a limited time. 

At first she relives her favorite moments with her two friends Chiaki and Kosuke, trival things to others, but meaningful to her, but the more she leaps, the more things change, and one particular moment she keeps coming back to is the science classroom where a single line is written on the black board: "Time waits for no one." 

As Matoko discovers, her powers have consequences, and what she enjoys makes others suffer. She must decide what time is worth spending, and how to use this gift, but the people around Matoko have secrets of their own. Her aunt Kazuko knows about time travel, and her goal to restore a painting ties in to the events that Makoto keeps reliving: a fatal train accident, the blackboard in the science classroom and the mysterious painting her aunt is trying to restore for the future. 

This is a movie that makes you think, and the story is left up to the viewers interpretation. But the underlying theme of time creates an interesting perspective, as well as the repeated phrase "Time waits for no one." Many people have argued over how this movie really ends, and that what order the events are shown is not the actual timeline in the film, but the ambiguity of this story is what makes it special. You must decide in the end what Makoto choses to do with her time. 

I give it a solid four out of five leaps. 

(Chiaki was a mysterious character, but I believe he was supposed to be. I just wasn't a fan of him calling Makoto stupid even if it was meant to be endearing)  

On figuring things out

A few years ago, I believed that I always had to have a plan, and a set goal to get anywhere in life. 

Of course, these goals are important: they give you something to work for, and a way to find purpose in the world. But the plan is not everything. 

I thought I understood the meaning of the quote that Chong tells Sokka in Avatar the Last Aribender: "I hope you learned a little something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey." 

But I think I understand his quote better now than a few years ago.

Of course, a plan isn't a bad thing, but it can't be concrete. Life is confusing and crazy. Nothing is set in stone. It's a constant flowing current moving from one moment to the next. Things change. People change. Plans change. 

I learned this through the situations that much of my friends and family went through because of the economy. I even had a deep conversation of that never ending debate money over happiness with my best friend. 

Yes, it is important to be responsible, and it is important to make a living, but it is also important to do the things that replenish our souls. Things that we create, and that we can be proud of when we look back on our accomplishments. 

Because I think way too much, and because I'm way too hard on myself. I focused on the goal, and forgot about the path to get there. 

There will be failures. There will be places you feel like you don't belong. There will be people who don't like you, or who judge you negatively about your dreams. There will be people who say you can't do the thing you've set your heart on. People will be out there, and they will tell you that you can't, but it is up to you to listen to them or continue pursuing what you love to do. 

To be honest, I still don't have it figured out. I'm currently in South Korea teaching English, and I'm torn between going back to the USA to pursue my dream of publishing a novel, and becoming a script writer, or staying here one more year, moving to a different city and allowing myself to try again. 

It's not that I've failed, but it's difficult for me, where I am currently, and while I'm grateful that things have gotten better, I still don't feel like I belong. 

Happiness, according to every book I've rea and every movie I've seen is the key to a healthy and meaningful life. 

No, it doesn't buy you anything, pay off your student loans, or even set up your retirement fund, but it does give you the satisfaction that you did your best at the end of the day. The feeling that life offers you just a little more than you were expecting. 

Happiness is the key. 

And, to be honest, I have a few more months to decide what my next step will be, but I have been so stressed out about this that I've asked everyone around me for advice. 

Sometimes I forget. Life is not a straight path. There are forks in the road, hills to climb, giant boulders that you have to learn how to walk around or over. There are even ruts, and sticky patches of mud and tar that you have to push through at a snail's pace. 

Life in a word is unpredictable. 

But if I choose one path, it doesn't mean I can never choose the other later, or even a better path that could be waiting around the corner. 

As long as you balance your responsibility and your happiness, you will be successful. It is one of the mysterious truths of life. 

So both elements are important. Taking responsibility and finding happiness. But they're not as easy as they seem.

Because we change, what we want can change too, and those wants can leads us down different paths. But regardless of what we choose, it is very important to think of our own health and happiness. 

For me, if I can write, and if I can make a difference (even a small one) then I'll be happy. Disney is the environment I loved in the working world, and the bookstore that I worked at echoed that atmosphere. I like helping others, but I also like the ability and freedom to express myself through writing and using the imagination. 

This is more of a personal entry than a public one, but I wanted to share what I have learned from weighing the options. 

Happiness is very important. So while the months roll by, I will try to decide which path to take, but this time, unlike a lot of decisions I have made, I will focus on what makes me happy.  

A Distant Star

Rejection is easy 

A simple goodbye. 

It hurts for awhile.

You may even ask why

Acceptance is harder

The slow process of

Connection and Illusion

Deceit and Love

It's harder to trust

It's harder to care

It's harder to get close

and always be there

It's easier to run

It's easier to hide

To ignore the feelings

Trap them inside

Can Love be simple?

Can Love be true?

Does a string of fate

tie me to you?

Will I find the courage

to show my heart

to someone deserving,

caring and smart?

Admiring from a far

Like a distant star

Always dreaming

Always hopeful

Never close enough to scar

Yet the yearning 

and the aching

doesn't go away. 

I wish to find a love

who will cherish me 

and stay

through all of my 

sorrows and confusion. 

My questions and mistakes. 

Someone who won't 

hurt me

and will do 

whatever it takes. 

Who knows I am

a priceless treasure

and not an easy prize

Who cares more for 

my heart

and looks through

my eyes.

One to walk 

the world with

and stand tall 

when all is done.

As I live and learn

I wonder:

will I meet the one?

Does everything happen for a reason?

People change, places change. Life goes through this crazy cycle of good and bad, peace and chaos. We make decisons. Some have good consequences. Others have bad consequences, but do these things happen for a reason?

As a lover of stories, I like to believe they do. That every bad decision in my life leads to a better one in the future. That every struggle I go through makes me stronger. Every push and pull I deal with teaches me something about myself. But does my attitude create the reason, or does reason create my attitude?

Thoughts matter. There is no doubt about that. Our thoughts shape our world, and the way we view it. Thinking negatively only brings bad things to our attention. Thinking positively usually does the reverse. But what about balance? We're human, and we can't always think on a positive note, and in turn there are days where we're on cloud 9. Are thoughts controlled by these feelings, or are they a simple product of the moment playing through our heads? 

Today, I've already decided it will be a good day, so even if bad things happen (if I trip, or I lose a pen, or a student is out of control) I'm focused on the positive, and in turn life seems positive. But if I falter, is that a bad thing? Or is it just human? Do things happen for a reason? Or do we create the reason things happen? 

Life

So this is life. 

It's ups and downs.

Laughter and tears. 

A combination of dizziness and stability. 

That moment when you look to the stars. 

That feeling that everything will be okay. 

The chaos before the order. 

The painful yet necessary process of growth.

The blessings and curses. 

All of it, in one package, always there, beckoning. 

Some days are easy. 

Some days are hard, but they are all worth it. 

But what's most important, at the end of the day, is love. 

Love for yourself. 

Love for your family. 

Love for your friends. 

Love in the form of smiling at strangers. 

Doing something nice for them. 

Going the extra mile. 

Sometimes you take a step back. 

Sometimes you leap into the unknown. 

It all depends on your attitude, your mindset. 

Your story begins with you. 

How you choose to view the world. 

How you choose to see it. 

Whether you are foolish to be wise.

Wise to be foolish. 

Life is all around you. 

It's not always what you want. 

It's what you need. 

Who you want to be. 

Who you are. 

A note on fear

My adventure in Japan taught me a very valuable lesson. It's really important to accept who you are. Not just in the "I love this tv show and I'm going to let the world know" kinda way or even the "I create my own fashion" way. But there's something to be said in accepting your own insecurities. One of my biggest insecurities was getting lost. I was afraid I wouldn't be smart enough, resourceful enough, and I wouldn't be able to adapt in order to go where I needed to. But I decided to go on this trip, despite my fear, and now I can honestly say that I'm proud of doing so. Maybe fear can be a good thing, if you acknowlegde it. But if you don't want to be afraid, you need to face the fear and learn that it doesn't hold power over you. 

So I have faced a fear, and now I know: I can go to places on my own. I can make friends and adapt to my surroundings. I can fend for myself and get to where I want to be. 

Facing one fear leads to the ability to conquer fear altogether, and to understand that sometimes fear exists to show us who we are. 

More details on my trip here: 

http://worldbooktravel.blogspot.kr/2014/07/and-back-again-tanabata-tale.html?spref=fb

Don't Panic

So I'm kind of known for being ridiculously hard on myself, expecting myself to fit my own definition of perfect and setting insanely high standards for myself. My usual process when things go wrong is this: 

1.Panic

2. Beat myself up

Well, that process doesn't do anything great for anyone. 

First of all panicing only annoys people, mostly whoever you're panicing with, and second of all, life has a way of working itself out. No matter what the problem is, there is always a way to solve it. Sometimes the solution isn't what you expect or even believe, but the problem eventually works itself out. 

Secondly, beating yourself up is just as pointless. It's kind of like falling down a chasm and then sitting there, telling yourself that you belong in the chasm. Well, that won't exactly help you get out! You're not focusing on what's in front of you, what you have to accept and what you are able to do. 

So I guess this is my declaration. Yes I make mistakes, but I don't want to beat myself up anymore. I always give others the benefit of the doubt. I think it's time I give myself the same. 

And as my good friend Kim tells me, things happen for a reason. Maybe I'm meant to be in this situation now, so I can prepare for problems in the future. Maybe this new mindset will help me adapt to the changes I go through starting now. 

Just as the lotus flower blooms from the nastiest mud, I will bloom no matter the circumstances and do my best, because at the end of the day it's all I can do. And you know what? That's enough. 

New mindset. New adventure. 

BRING IT ON! 

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast has been on my mind lately, since it's Belle French month on tumblr, and a new film adaption has been released in France, the country of the fairy tale's origin.  I even began writing my own adaption of this story.  So I wanted to write about the original tale, and why it means so much to me. 

            There is a reason why I love the fairytale Beauty and the Beast. It is the most realistic fairy tale that I know when it comes to explaining true love. 

            There are so many messages that the story is associated with. One being that you can never judge a book by its cover, and another that to truly love something, you must set it free. 

           But for me, the story is deeper than that. The story shows that love, true love is not something to be rushed, and it is not as simple as falling in love at first sight. It is a combination of the good and bad of both souls. Whether one may seem more pure or dark than the other, neither Beauty, nor the Beast are ever anyone but who they truly are. 

           The Beast, because of his appearance, is immediately judged to be fearsome and cruel. In many ways, Beauty is also judged by her appearance, and is almost taken for granted by her looks and personality in the story. But neither of these protagonists is ideal or perfect. Both are lonely. Beauty by being sent away from her only home, and Beast by being locked away in a self made cage. 

            It is their loneliness that brings them together, but it is their love that keeps them together. Beauty is naturally loving, and her personality is even put to the test with much of the Beast's behavior. But the Beast is also loving, even though he doesn't realize this. He never wishes to harm Beauty, and he doesn't keep her prisoner there for the rest of her days. His ultimate act of love is setting Beauty free, and Beauty's ultimate act of love is returning to his side. 

             This does not make Beauty a prisoner. She chooses to go because she loves her father, and she chooses to return because she loves the Beast. It is Beauty's ability to love that defines her freedom. It is Beast's ability to love that defines his freedom. 

             They are both prisoners in society because they are both different. Beauty is different through her personality, her kindness, which rivals even her beloved father's actions. The Beast is obviously different through his appearance. Both of their differences come together and create the psychological and symbolic formula of true love. They both save each other. Beauty saves the Beast from his curse, and the Beast saves Beauty from her cruel sisters, in the original fairytale.

             True love is the art they create, even while they believe they are trapped in their lives. And that is the story of most relationships. We are told that if we are single, we are incomplete, and we all feel very different from the crowd. But once we fall in love, it is the desire to love one another that sets us free from daily routine. A relationship is more than just being attracted to someone, it is loving their faults, accepting their flaws and wanting to be there for them. This is why Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. And I believe it is the reason Disney deems it "the most beautiful love story ever told."

Here are some of my favorite book adaptions/versions: 

Beauty and the Beast by Madame Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/beautybeast/index.html

Beauty by Robin McKinley

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060241497?tag=thesurlalufairyt&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0060241497&creative=373489&camp=211189

Beastly by Alex Flinn

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060874163?tag=thesurlalufairyt&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0060874163&creative=373489&camp=211189

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

http://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Beauty-Rosamund-Hodge/dp/0062224735

Heart's Blood by Julliet Mariller

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0451462939?tag=thesurlalufairyt&link_code=as3&creativeASIN=0451462939&creative=373489&camp=211189

Similar Novels: 

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

http://www.amazon.com/Howls-Moving-Castle-Diana-Wynne/dp/0061478784

East by Edith Pattou

http://www.amazon.com/East-Edith-Pattou-ebook/dp/B007QUTKSU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393049496&sr=1-1&keywords=east+edith+pattou

Sun, Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

http://www.amazon.com/Sun-Moon-Snow-Jessica-George/dp/1599903288

Penelope by Marilyn Kaye
http://www.amazon.com/Penelope-Marilyn-Kaye/dp/031237559X

If you love this story, or have recommendations, feel free to share them here in the comments. 

The Wanderer

Step by step

I make my journey

to where . . . 

I do not know.

Through trial and error

grief and wrath

in sunshine,

ice and snow.

Each memory

a delicate moment.

Each mystery 

a climb.

Through the everyday,

the good and bad

I try

to take my time.

New victories.

New losses.

By facing fears

and shame.

I tread on the path,

the rocky road

to explore the world

and discover my own name.

Some seed I plant

will surely grow

while others 

wither and die.

Cage or desert,

hill or mountain,

all I can do is try.

Will I find

where I belong,

and the purpose 

I was made?

Learn my craft,

hone my skill

and become

master in my trade?

As I seek

more than I know,

a wandering 

I will go. 

About Time: A movie review

I wanted to see this film since I saw the trailer. It didn't look like your typical chick flick, and it seemed to be a deep story about life. I wasn't disappointed.

We follow Tim, who narrates the story and watch him make mistakes over and over again. Some of these mistakes he can fix, but others are permanently etched in time, and they are best left forgotten. Once Tim's father tells him about the family secret, the ability to go back in time, he advises Tim to use this gift for something important. Tim decides that the most important thing is to find love. But along his journey, Tim comes across other reasons to use this gift, and learns valuable lessons with each decision he makes. He grows up, and faces more complex problems, some with no solution but to walk away. With each rewind, he steps through life and sees ordinary events in a different way. 

About Time is a beautiful film about life, and those little moments we take for granted. Those worries that eat away our time and energy can get in the way of the unforgettable details . It's about moments that we wish would last forever. It's about days we don't want to live again. It's the amazing, complex and unpredictable pattern of life, and how happiness is something we make through the little things in our day. 

I recommend this profound, wonderful film to people in their twenties and on. Especially my generation, where we worry about what we haven't yet achieved. Life may not be perfect, but we can make life worth living by appreciating what we have, spending time with those we love and doing all we can. 

This film delivers a heartfelt message without being cheesy and cliche. It takes moments we all recognize in our lives and puts them in perspective. 

My favorite quote from the movie:

"We're all traveling through time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride." - Tim

                                                 About Time

Writing Prompt 58: What do you want to be remembered for?

Prompt: What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for my stories. I hope that my stories give people hope, the way Disney gives hope to me. I hope that my stories help people overcome tough obstacles in their life, and inspire them to just be who they are. Like the wonderful authors that I look up to, I hope to be able to understand the human condition, and help the people who struggle by creating role models who inspire them to explore life, face fears and find happiness. I want to be remembered as a story teller, and I want to achieve my goal of building bridges from my characters to the readers. As an artist, I want to be remembered for my art, but as a person, I want to be remembered for the little things that I did to make someone's day. Whether it was at Disney, at work or even at home, I want to be remembered as a good person who did good deeds. 

I want to inspire people, the way my role models inspire me. I want to help them find their courage when faced with fear, find hope when things get rough and to always believe in who they are. 

How about you? What do you what to be remembered for?

Writing Prompt 55: Fall

I knew I would change eventually. It is inevitable. Some look forward to the change, while others rebel against it. Either way, change will happen. First the green fades, and then a dull yellow takes its place. The yellow turns to gold. The gold turns to orange, and the orange eventually becomes red. Fall. Fall takes place, and I will fall, crumpled on the ground. 

Sure, I can worry about the change. I can be angry about it, and think that it isn't fair. My time is ending, but at least I can shine bright. I will be the best green while I can. I will try to turn the dull yellow into a sparkling gold. And that gold will become a red that is almost flaming. I will live before I fall. I will cherish the moments tied to this tree, and I will try to fall gracefully. Maybe I will land on a child's head, or be raked in a pile to create a fragile fort. I could be plastered in a collage, or flatened between the pages of a book. I could be a souvenir of a fall vacation. But until I am left to the mercy of the world, I will be the best at one thing. I will be the best version of me. 

Prompt: You are a leaf, and fall has started. Explain how you feel about this.

The Human Condition

                                    

Warning: This post is seriously philosophical and probably too detailed for its own good.

When I was in college, I decided to do research on happiness? Why? Because I was comparing myself to everyone else, and they all seemed happy, so I felt there was something wrong with me and it was time to do some research on happiness.
I started a routine whenever I went to the bookstore, and I went to the dreaded self help section to find books that just focused on being happy. It was not an easy task, and quite frankly, I was embarrassed to even be seen in that section of the bookstore.
But there I was with a pile of books, wondering what they could possibly know that I was missing. One thing is for sure. I wasn't happy.
So I begin reading. I don't remember any of the books' titles, but I did remember some of what they said.
Happiness is a choice.
I pondered that for awhile. Can someone really just choose to be happy? Is it possible? How?
Well, there are a few habits that some books told you to break. What was number one?
Comparing yourself to others.
Now this is something I'm still guilty of. I compare myself to people that are my age all the time. And I don't mean just friends or family. I compare myself to authors, actresses, producers, bloggers and even book characters.
So, according to my Happiness research, that one habit alone is a sure fire way to being completely miserable.
How can my path even compare to others? Even if I put myself on a scale with people on their career paths and compare how far I've gotten, what good does that do me?
Nothing.
Here's why. According to the books, or what I remember from them, all people are different and no one has the same life or career path. Now, there are a few techniques I can use, and ways to learn how to put myself out there as a writer, but that's not the same as comparing my life to someone else's life. Here's why. I have been through different experiences, and I don't know the same people they do. My personality is probably different, and the way I view life will never be identical to any one else.
I know that many people in my generation believe that in elementary school, the way they tell you that you are different and unique is a lie, and you don't learn that until you're actually out in the real world.
The people who say this don't really understand what it means to be different or unique.
I think they confuse the word unique with special and privileged.
I also think that the human race confuses the word happiness with contentment.
The human condition is to always strive for perfection, but there is no such thing as a perfect life, a perfect relationship or even a perfect person.
There's a quote in Sarah Dessen's book The Truth About Forever that really sums up this revelation.
"I like flaws. They make things interesting."
Without flaws, who would we be? Without challenges, obstacles, conflict and fear, what would the human race be like? Possibly robots.
I guess I'm rambling about this because most of my generation is very jaded about their situation in life, and to be honest, I slip into a rut from time to time. Apparently we were promised the world on a silver platter, and life didn't deliver.
But if the world really was handed to us, how motivated would we be to make something great?
If we never had problems, what would life be like? Would there even be a purpose to anything anymore?
Just as characters grow from struggles and fear, I believe that the purpose of life is to get past all those obstacles. To face our fears, overcome conflict and reach our goals.
So I hope that the next time I feel jaded, I'll remember this.
Another secret to happiness is knowing yourself and what you want.
If you just keep going, maybe the path will be revealed. But this path won't be smooth. It will have cracks, hills and maybe even mountains. Sometimes we want life to be easier, but if it was, would the goal be worth it?

The Mayonnaise Jar Lesson

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important to you...” he told them.

“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Please share this with other "Golf Balls"

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I found out about this from my parents, and I decided to put this on my blog, because it's really important.

On Purpose

Do you create purpose, or does purpose create you?

Many stories explain that adversity is an important element to becoming great. Many people choose their dreams and goals based on adversity, but does that adversity give them purpose? We choose things, we make decisions and we strive towards goals. But is it a goal without a purpose? Even the most basic things that you chose, do they create or add meaning to your life?
So what is purpose really? Is is meaning? Is it motivation? Is it just one of those things you don't look for because it inevitably finds you? Or is purpose something you create to define yourself, or define your dream?
Do you choose your purpose, or does your purpose choose you?

The Unlimited Choices in life

At the crossroads
there are many paths to choose.
Some to gain.
Some to loose.
Standing there
it is okay
to take a breath
and greet the day.
Enjoy the breeze.
Watch the trees.
Decide where you want to go.
Take a step towards there.
Laugh and smile.
Pause for a while.
You never know
what life has in store,
or what you lose
when you want more.

If Rapunzel never left the tower . . .

there would be no story.

I'm currently watching the Korean Drama "Flower Boy Next Door" where a girl in her twenties named Go Dok Mi lives her life in her room and rarely ventures outside. Due to a traumatic past, she never speaks to people unless she has to, and stays in her room, watching her crush from the window as much as possible. With a job that doesn't involve meeting people (freelance editing) and a simple routine to keep away from strangers, you would think that Go Dok Mi would succeed in her goal of staying away from the world.
Then Enrique, her crush's younger brother catches her staring at the apartment and won't leave her alone. He is determined to make Go Dok Mi face her fears, and encourages her to live life the way it's supposed to be . . . with other people.
I find that I can relate to this story in more ways than one. I may not sit by myself and stay in my room all day, but I do avoid others as much as possible, and I observe instead of live. But as I watched this show, I thought of something. Characters have to act. If they don't, there literally is no story. Readers don't tend to enjoy people that ponder over things and never come to a decision. In the end, a decision has to be made, and the main character must leave the familiar and face the unknown.
So if Rapunzel never left the tower . . . there would be no story.