"The choice must be yours . . ."

"Alice, you cannot live your life to please others. The choice must be yours, because when you step out to face that creature, you will step out alone." - The White Queen

- Alice in Wonderland

When I first saw this film, this scene stood out to me above all others. For years I put pressure on myself, believing that the pressure was from the people around me, but it wasn't. People don't make choices for you. You make the choice yourself. And if you believe that people control you, then you allow them to do so. I have put pressure on myself for too long, and I have not listened to my own heart. I have avoided those important questions : "Who are you?" and "What do you want?".

But it's time to stop avoiding this. It's time to face my own Jabberwocky and make my decision. I will take one step forward, and I will start making my own decisions. 

I need to breakaway from the nest. I need to start paying attention to my own heart, and I need to start going after my dream, instead of just talking about it. 

No one can help me make these decisions, because these decisions don't affect them. Only I can do this, because when I face my own Jabberwocky, I will face it alone. It's time to be brave, and make the decison instead of run from it. 

The road to dawn

In Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Riku is forced to deal with the darkness inside him, as Ansem demands to control him through darkness. Throughout the game, Riku is asked the same questions: "Will you go toward light? Or will you give in to the darkness?"

One of Riku's best lines in the whole game, in my opinion, is in Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance, where he is once again questioned about light and darkness. He made this decision when Diz stood at the crossroads and told Riku to choose between light and darkness. Riku came up with his own answer, and learned to accept both light and darkness. His choice is more than a choice of magic. Riku chose to accept the past and look toward the future. He has decided to use what he has in order to get to where he wants to be. His quote is a powerful statement that confirms he is in balance and he won't be pressured by darkness anymore. Riku's quote is both powerful and hopeful. His decision is brave and his alone. 

On Taking Opportunities

"Everyone is living his life for the first time. The world has hidden transforming points in life. If you make them your opportunities, then you will not have regrets about your life." - Cyrano

This is probably the best quote I have come across in a long time. Another piece of wisdom that really speaks to the heart and reveals a wisdom beyond pride and ego.  We all have those moments where things didn't go as planned. Most likely we made mistakes, got hurt or even became humiliated. 

These events, even though they are painful, teach us something important as we grow. I'd like to believe this anyway. 

Every event that has left me with regret, a broken heart or even wounded pride are the events I remember, and the events I expect in the future. But I never took time to reflect on these events, and what I learned from them. Instead I was caught up in the pain and humiliation, only thinking of how horrible these events were to me. 

But I need to remember that these events are important, and they have taught me more about life, the world and myself than I can even comprehend. 

Regret, I think, is caused by not doing what you really wanted to do in the present moment. It's not so much of a "what if?" as a "why didn't I do that?" 

I know that people say to live in the present and forget the past. You can't be worried about the future all the time either. So where do you stand in that jumble of Past, Present and Future, in order to make the most of your life? You can't always expect the best, but you can't always expect the worst either. And, in certain situations, you should not expect anything. 

Maybe these are ramblings, but finding balance within these thought processes has always been a challenge in my life, and most likely everyone else's. But there are some people who seem to have no regrets. They really do live in the moment. They don't analyze or think about what might happen. They don't worry. They just have fun!

It is these people that I envy the most. That mind set is just not a simple thing for me to achieve. Yet, I envy them. I admire them. I wish I could be them. 

I want to live my life, yet I feel like I haven't even begun. Sure, I have good memories, but I do have regrets. I have fears. I have doubts. This is normal. I'm sure. But unlike me, some people don't let these things become obstacles. Instead, they face that fear. They ignore their negative thoughts. They just go for it! Whatever it is. Maybe one day, I can be like that. 

Speaking your mind is one thing. Actually pursuing something you want is another. 

Fruits Basket 20 day challenge day 8: Favorite quote?

"Just as no matter how hard you try to keep it away, despair will attack you again and again. In the same manner, hope will return to you. And again, and again it will surely bloom" -Shishou Fruits Basket

This quote is from Kyo's darkest days. Detested and isolated his whole life by his family, Kyo is taken in by Shishou and even as he grows to trust him, Kyo has a very negative view of the world and himself. Shishou's words are rebelled at the time, when Kyo steps on a flower and says he only exhists to destroy everything, but as Kyo grows to love and appreciate Tohru, he learns the meaning of Shishou's words. Tohru accepted Kyo, and she never gave up on him even when she learned of his dark past and dim future. As Kyo discovers, if he doesn't give up in life, and learns to become someone he wants to be, he can rise above his past and look toward his future.

When I first read this quote, I had a similar attitude that Kyo had. But once I understood the words Kyo reflected on, I was encouraged to find the hope I was looking for, and continue to fight despair with it.

Of all the amazing quotes in Fruits Basket, this is the one that I remember the most, and whenever I develop a negative attitude, I remember it and move on.

Writing your own fairytale

Anxiety is a trap. It keeps you in a prison that you have created yourself. Harsh words, bad memories, worries and insults surround you as you look out the window, wondering what life really is to the people passing you by. There's only one way to find out, and it's not like you don't know this, but you're scared. You're scared that someone will break you, once you've already been broken, you're afraid to trust others and you don't think optimistically in order to avoid being let down. Welcome to Go Dok Mi's world. To me, it sounds really familiar and terrifyingly miserable. Enrique saves Go Dok Mi by helping her save herself. He helps her see that you can trust people, and that they won't abandon you or let you down every time you need help. Go Dok Mi is annoyed at first. Her daily routine is no longer the same familiar pattern, and someone is constantly knocking on her door, telling her how great the world is. She hates it. Over and over she tells him to stop, and she does all she can to push him away. She tries to stick to her routine, but she can't avoid being with people forever. She begins to get used to this interruption, and starts to expect it. Enrique gives her a list of things that she should do everyday, and he creates a board game that will determine which risk she has to take daily in order to enjoy living. Go Dok Mi accepts the gift but doesn't use it right away. After a while, she gets curious and rolls the dice. This is her first step to healing. Once Go Dok Mi starts to hang out with people and learn about Enrique, she gets scared and runs away. But by that point, she has become so used to doing things, that she can't just stay in her room all the time anymore. It takes time, but Go Dok Mi finally becomes part of the world around her. She hangs out with friends and starts to learn about her own goals and dreams by helping others. She wants to write, and loves fairy tales, so she decides that she will write a fairy tale of her own. Enrique learns this, and tells her "Live, and write your own fairy tale."
This Korean Drama is one of the most inspiring and heartfelt stories that I have seen. Each small step is painstakingly slow, but necessary. I learned something by watching this series. Small steps are not nothing. When facing anxiety and fear, the small steps are extremely important, and they need to be appreciated instead of ignored. Regret is one of the motivators to change your life. You don't want to wonder  "what if" for your entire life, and if you take a step, instead of freeze, you probably won't regret it.
You can also think, "Why didn't I learn this sooner?" "Why couldn't I know then what I know now?"
Because life is a process, and lessons are learned through mistakes. Mistakes aren't always bad, and some mistakes can turn into blessings. Like Enrique tells Go Dok Mi, "you can start a journey with anger in your heart, but that anger can change to happiness." Go Dok Mi learned to live and now she's writing her own fairytale. My goal this year is to do the same. It's time to live, and write my own fairy tale.

Rapunzel versus the Witch : Flower Boy Next Door

I think this voice rings true for people like Go Dok Mi and myself. It's interesting that Go Dok Mi admits that she shut herself away, which makes her more of the evil witch in Rapunzel than the character of Rapunzel herself. But this is something we all do sometimes. We become our own enemy, with brutal internal criticism and excuse after excuse to keep us from achieving what we really want. I think this is the beginning of regret. Once you trap yourself in a situation, you only have yourself to blame, but at the same time you are still a victim, and still feel powerless and helpless to venture into the unknown. Go Dok Mi is wise in both admitting and accepting this about her situation. After all, they say that acceptance is a step forward from the trap of bad habits. Once you admit you are doing something wrong, you are motivated to change your habit and move forward to create a better way of life. 

Flower Boy Next Door Quote

FF 30 day challenge day 24: Favorite Quote

"This is my story."

No matter how many times this quote is mentioned, it is still my favorite of the Final Fantasy quotes. Both Tidus and Yuna say this when they have to make a tough decision or when they think back on what has happened. It's a powerful statement that encourages them to do what they believe is right. Whenever they feel lost or confused, Tidus and Yuna say, "This is my story" to help them move forward, no matter what the consequences are.

Writing Prompt 47: What is your meaning of life?

42. Just kidding.

I find that a quote from Fruits Basket answers this question. Although in my opinion, living is the meaning of life. It's the great roller coaster, the ups and downs. Making mistakes, taking falls, but getting back up anyway. Appreciating what you have, and doing what you can. Believing in yourself. Growing and changing. Learning and teaching. So many elements come together during life. Change, loss, happiness, memories, moments you'll never replace. People you can't replace. Everyone has different reasons that they pursue their dreams, and they can only find that reason through the process of living.


 "We're all searching for a meaning to our lives. Everyone. We have to. Because ... no matter who you are ... I don't think anyone's born knowing the reason they're alive. It's just something you have to find as you go along. And it's different for everyone. There are as many reasons to live as there are people in the world. Maybe even more. So the reason for you being born, the reason you were put here in the world, I think it's something we have to find for ourselves. So we search within our hopes and dreams, our work, the people in our lives, in everything we do. And even if the reason you find is hazy or unclear, even if it's so tiny that you can hardly see it, the important thing is, is that you always have one. As long as I'm alive, that's what I want--to have a reason to go on. And you know, you can always find one, if you know where to look. The people in my life give me a reason for living ... I wanna live my life for the people that I care about. And someday, I hope I find someone who wants to live their life for me. So even when things are tough and it's hard to go on, it makes me want to try harder. Because, I'm not just living for me. I'm living for them, too."
~Tohru
          Fruits Basket

The Heart Chakra

I've said goodbye to a lot of people. Many have left this world. Many have never said goodbye and still exist, somewhere, living their lives. People have passed through my life, weaving strings like a tapestry of memories, good and bad. Some I came close to. Others I pushed away. Some, I never knew as much as I wanted to about them. Some people simply sat in the same classroom with me, and heard the same lecture or read the same novel. Each person I have seen, heard and become friends with has impacted my life in ways I may never know.
I took a class on grief, and wrote an essay on it, but I still don't think that grief just mysteriously disappears one day. Because people have been in your life, you think of them. Especially when you see someone who reminds you of them, hear a song you used to sing together, or be reminded of a time that you were closer to them than you are now. I guess this is the power of the heart.
In Kingdom Hearts, Leon tells Sora, "We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other." The heart and mind record people in your life and you see them in others from time to time, or you remember something about them at random. 
In Avatar the Last Airbender, Guru Pathik tells Aang, "The Heart Chakra deals with love and is blocked by grief." After Aang lays all his grief in front of him, Guru Pathik says, "You have indeed felt a great loss, but love is a form of energy, and it swirls all around us. The Air nomads love for you has not left this world. It is still inside of your heart, and is reborn as new love."
 Grief may not be the same as remembering someone, or smiling at an old joke, but there is a familiar pang of loneliness when you realize that someone is gone, or things will never be the same.
They may not even be gone physically, but they are just not the same person you once knew. People and life are constantly changing, but in many ways, they stay the same. They fall on old habits, whether good or bad, and go through transformation after transformation. And because no one lives the same life, everyone approaches life differently.
Life is a powerful thing, but I think it's okay to remember someone every once in a while. You may discover something new, just from remembering the past under a new perspective.

Yuna says this best:

“I guess everyone’s like this. We cling to our secrets, our doubts, our memories…We’re never able to put them aside. Even though they confuse us, there are some things we can only find in that confusion. I think…it’s okay to feel that way.”

—	Yuna, Final Fantasy X-2

Beautiful Quote

I found this on tumblr and had to share it.
The pictures are made by Lydia.
The original post is here: http://advenna-avis.tumblr.com/post/36299580625/the-lonliest-people-are-the-kindest-the-saddest

Quote:  "The loneliest people are the kindest
             The saddest people smile the brightest
             The most damaged people are the wisest
             All because they don't wish to see others suffer the way they do."
-Fruits Basket

Writing Prompt 41: Kindness

Prompt: Define kindness

When I saw this prompt, I immediately thought of a Fruits Basket quote that Tohru remembers from her mother.

Kyoko- "True kindness isn't something we're born with. It's something we have to work at. Not everyone has it. But I think everyone has the potential. Sometimes you just have to look really close before you can tell it's there.
Tohru (about her mother)- " . .  .she said that kindness is something that grows inside of each person's body, but it's up to us to nurture that kindness in our hearts. That's why kindness is different for every person. We’re all born with selfish desires, so we can relate to those feelings in each other. But kindness is something made individually by each person, so it’s easy to misunderstand when others are trying to be kind to you.”

I really agree with these quotes. I believe that everyone has a different version of kindness based on the experiences they have had with others. But I also think that whatever definition people give for kindness is also based on how they view themselves. 

Defining kindness is not an easy thing. I guess that's why it's a writing prompt. But this idea raises many questions. What makes a person kind? Does it really depend on how others view them? Why is someone kind, really? Are people kind once they experience pain and suffering?
I think kindness has to do with understanding. Once you know what someone is going through, or understand how they feel, it's very easy to be kind to them.

Kindness has layers.
There's the general kindness: holding a door open for someone, helping someone look for something, saying please and thank you.
There's a deeper layer of kindness: being there for a friend, helping someone in your family, doing what you can to make a loved one feel better.
But there's one more layer of kindness that goes on a more personal level: seeing someone in a situation you have been in before and helping them as best you can.
This is not always easy, and it is a rarity in many cases. Some people respond positively to kindness, and others take offense. Some people only want attention, and others are so stubborn they refuse to have anything to do with help.
I think my definition of kindness is doing what you can to help others around you.

The kindest people in the world know how unkind the world can be.

OUAT Challenge Day 17 : Favorite quote from a villain

"Love has killed more than any disease." - Rumplestiltskin

I can't really explain why I like this quote. It's deep.

OUAT Challenge Day 16 : Favorite quote from a “good” character

"Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."-
Mary Margret

I find this to be very true. You can't achieve anything if you don't believe you can. Confidence and faith in yourself are important  when it comes to goals and dreams.

Obstacles

Every obstacle is a journey, an opportunity to understand something new about yourself and others. This is something I'm slowly learning in many aspects of my life. It's not an easy thing to accept that you have a long journey ahead of you, and it's only just beginning. You may stumble over a small problem and realize there are even bigger boulders in your way up the path. But at the same time, your dream calls to you from the top of that mountain, and you know that once you get there, it will all be worth it in the end.
The most successful people take these obstacles and find a way to use them to achieve their goals. A serious problem can be turned into a song of insight for a music artist. A reoccurring dream or nightmare can inspire stories or works of art. Issues can be shared with people who have similar experiences and motivate them to get through their difficulties.
This isn't just a matter of perspective. It's a way to be resourceful, use what you already have, to get where you want to be. Stress can become motivation to continue down that path and reach that goal or dream. It starts by asking "What about this problem leads towards my dream?"
Is the obstacle teaching you endurance? Patience? Flexibility? Does the problem inspire you in some way?

I'm starting to understand that life is not a race, and if you look for it, you can find all the resources you need to create the life you want to live.

1st picture: Dream High
2nd picture: my photo

Kdrama month prompt 10: Your Favorite Line/s by a Female Third Wheel

"Star. It’s nice when you’re looking at it from afar, but when you look at it up close… it really isn’t anything special." -Rian- Dream High 2

I like this quote because it shows that Rian is wise. She finally learns that just because she is a star, it doesn't mean everything will go her way. This quote speaks for many things. Sometimes we forget that the people we admire were once like we are, still at trying to achieve the dream, and at the end of the day, they have the same hopes, dreams and cares that their fans do. Rian learns this by understanding how life works, and once she moves past her ideals, she discovers her own way to achieve a happy life.

Kdrama month prompt 9: Your Favorite Line/s by a Male Third Wheel

“Don’t bow your head to anyone. Don’t Cry. Don’t kneel for anyone. It will become a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it will be hard to fix.” - Moon Jae Shin


 This quote means a lot to me because it is very true. This is also a way that Moon Jae Shin remembers his brother and follows his brother's advice so his ideals will not be forgotten. His brother always told him not to make bad choices a habit. In this particular moment, Moon Jae Shin is telling Kim Yoon Hee not to let anyone walk all over her, and in doing so, he has expressed a deep concern for Kim Yoon Hee's struggle to win the archery tournament. This line also reveals an important aspect of Moon Jae Shin's character. Around the school, he is known as Crazy Horse, because he never showed up to classes on time or in uniform. He did whatever he pleased and stayed that way, even though he was smart enough to be the head student, he focused on what was important to him, keeping his brother's dream alive, and watching out for Kim Yoon Hee. 

Kdrama month prompt 8: Your Favorite Line/s by a Female Lead Character

“A nobleman should not blame all faults and wrongs on others. Furthermore, a farmer doesn’t blame that the ground isn’t fertile, and a musician doesn’t blame the instrument. The problem is with the owner, it doesn’t depend on the target.” – Yeon Woo- The Moon That Embraces The Sun

This is a very wise statement. It stuck with me through out the series, and reveals a lot about Yeon Woo's character. Even though Yeon Woo is faced with many challenges and has been wronged, she does not seek revenge and continues to do what she can. This is a good mind set to have in hard times. It is easier to blame someone or something when you are not satisfied, but the truth is that sometimes you are the one who needs to change, whether it is your perspective or your actions.

Kdrama month prompt 7: Your Favorite Line/s by a Male Lead Character

“You’re listening now, aren’t you? It’s so bright here, and your side is so dark that I can’t see you. Please, don’t be where I can’t see you! Come to where I can see you. Give me permission to see you.” – Tae Kyung

I love this quote because it relates to an earlier scene where Tae Kyung found out that Go Mi Nam liked him. His way of admitting his feelings was to tell Go Mi Nam that he could see her clearly and he gave her permission to like him. This may seem to be a pompous line to some people, but Go Mi Nam was struggling with her feelings for Tae Kyung and didn't believe that she should be where he could see her, because he was a star, while she was the moon. He could shine bright, but Go Mi Nam was convinced she couldn't shine on her own.
Something similar is going on in this scene. Tae Kyung is asking for permission to see her. This simple question is a very symbolic line that shows not only how much Tae Kyung has changed, but also how much he cares for her. This dialogue also fits the scene because Tae Kyung is standing on stage, in the spotlight, while Go Mi Nam is somewhere in the crowd, in the dark.

Dream Drop Distance: A review

I just finished the game Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and loved it  :)

I recommend this game for both first time players and avid fans. The story came together nicely and had a few twists and turns that kept you guessing. As for game-play, it takes some time to get used to flowmotion, but the Dream Eaters are really fun to create and battle with. I love this whole series and the conflict between light and darkness is a deep and intriguing story to explore. The depth of the quotes, the complexity of the characters and of course the symbolism of  the heart versus the mind make the story of this video game like an epic novel.

Among my favorite parts of the game are:
Fantasia world, made of music and sound
Learning more about the past story- what's really going on with Kingdom Hearts
Familiar faces
The Mark of Mastery exam, and its results
New levels for Traverse Town
Dream Eaters- similar to Pokemon and Neopets
The Soundtrack
Dropping- keeps you on your toes
The Grid
3D scenes and gameplay
The secret ending ^_^
The opening sequence- an artistic summary of the entire series up to now

To wrap it up, this game was amazing. Can't wait for the next one!


                                                           Favorite Quote: