Life & Death, Yin & Yang, & Reviews & Re-Visions…and Teaching?

I watched this video clip about Haiti, the cholera infecting as many as some 200 people a day! and the aftermath of the earthquake that killed thousands of people.

How weird is it to think of those thousands of people left in the devastation, trying to rebuild their lives, while burdened by the loss of their homes, members of their families, and their possessions.

There are lots of places suffering after natural disasters, all over the globe, including in the U.S. And then we have the economic depression and superficiality and difficulty making ends meet with the burden of debt so pervasive in America.

And I sat this evening, too melancholy for words, for a while. Alone. Lost.

I can relate somewhat to these people, having lost two family members entirely too close together this year. But then there are some people who lost everyone, or everything, or both! I do not have to worry about cholera, but the aftermath of my grief is massive. I had some life changes just before the first death, and now have recently had many more changes, and I am left clinging to what?

I do not know. I know possessions are not important. So I’m going through a phase of both letting go of and getting rid of things, but also trying to fend off a desperate clinging to items that have emotional significance for me, and an increasingly obsessed effort to live a healthy, organic lifestyle (so as to prevent cancer).

But. I cannot know what will come. There is a lot of uncertainty for me. I have had many more luxuries than say, most affected in Haiti or Japan, but comparisons do little to really help in the long run. I don’t wish I had been forced to face one of these horrible natural disasters, but, I do find it hard to be in my grief, and balancing “moving forward” with so many people completely unaware of the depths of sorrow and distraught-ness inside me (strangers), and those who do know me mostly expecting I will “move on” as they have, or many just think it would be the normal time to. I don’t know. I feel lost a lot. But, after a good cry, I know that I need to move on to something else. And maybe that something will include helping others in grief. Who knows.

I know I need to be gentle with myself and forgiving instead of critical. I have sympathy and empathy for those living in Haiti and elsewhere, struggling every day. I have a different set of burdens. Mine are better and worse, in different ways, and would certainly be different if I were another person (like another one of my family members).

I don’t know what else to say, so I’ll end this post with an interesting thought a friend of mine who lost her husband (and is a mother to three kids) said recently. Everyone was wishing her a happy birthday, and she wanted to be authentic about her situation. So she posted that lately she had been thinking maybe God/life wants her to appreciate the ups as much as the downs. To enjoy, so to speak, the sadness and the happiness. As we are often reminded, you can only experience fuller joy by experiencing the lack or opposite of such a feeling. And maybe we’re not just supposed to live for joy. Although, I would definitely like to see more of it in my life, and, I guess if I alter the way I look at it, I do.

Everything’s cuter if you say it twice. Is it though? Well, we’re all just humans.

I want you to think about that. Think about yourself- how great you are, how weird you are, how terrible a person you can (or occasionally perceive yourself) to be (in a still decent way hopefully), how insecure you are, how wonderful and vibrant you are and/or can be?!

We’re all humans. And we all view the world so differently. And most of us just desperately want to be loved, esteemed, reassured, and mostly snoogled. Everyone loves a good snoog.

Go out there and hug your fellow people, or, if that sounds outlandish, at least make the effort to actually give a stranger a compliment you thought in your head. Or do a random act of kindness. Do it! It’s awesome.

CHARITY – it’s where it’s at.

And if you don’t really get what I’m talking about, I am talking about you, UBUNTU.

For further information, appreciate.

Because I bet most of you, like myself, need to be nicer to yourself and easier on yourself. Most, I say.

I knew I was bound to get sick sooner or later, what with the stress and the ridiculous schedule I was keeping! In fact, it had been a LONG time since I’d been sick. I do highly believe in the power of positive thinking (more than just that, but yes I strongly believe research and stories about how your thoughts deeply influence your health). And part of me almost was allowing myself to get sick, so I’d have an excuse to not go out, which, of course, is the opposite of what I end up wanting to do- I want to go out. I want to hang out!

Now that it’s definitely here and at a stage where I’m trying to shift it towards the upshift (aka GO AWAY phase), it is harder than I thought. Wait, didn’t I just say something about thinking?!

Well, I’m having trouble thinking. I reflected that I do indeed need to slow down, chill out, and appropriate my time better. So I’ll do that. I also almost missed today’s blog, and then had a vision of me sometime soon remembering I have to write a blog and just writing “This is my blog for the day” or rambling on endlessly like I sort of am right now.

While it’s far too early in the year to abandon my goal, I am open to the option of shifting it around so I add a minimum of 365 blog entries to my blog this year. And if they are higher-quality, all the better. So maybe one day I could knock out 12 blogs (it is not unfeasible, as I have some flexibility in my schedule right now).

I have oodles of things to talk about. For now, remember to find positive mantras to repeat in your head.

I AM HEALTHY. MY CELLS ARE JOINING FORCES AND FIGHTING DISEASE.

Or something like that

but i didn’t. started the post before 12, that’s all that matters right?! it’s only me who’s caring at this point, anyway.

so the meteor shower went alright. interestingly enough, as soon as i decided to bundle up and go outside (after stepping out and back in because it was WAY too cold), i immediately saw one big shooting star, followed quickly enough by another that i hadn’t even settled in to my blankets and stuff.

and then after that, it took a while. so i like to think it was a sign from my two beloved ones who recently passed on. i don’t know. i mean, it’s sort of a stretch, but, it’s also not. i was surprised by how few (in comparison and in frequency) i saw over the next hour (as compared to that first 20 seconds)…maybe i should have called it a day after that. ha.

i am fighting off a cold, which, i have done a good job of until recently. i didn’t get sick last year, which is surprising given the huge amount of stress(ors) i went through. i do think a lot of sickness has to do with preventable stuff, and some of it is indeed your thinking. more on that as this year progresses. the power of thought as a catalyst for change!

and then, the most exciting part of today, was my reading i got over the phone with an intuitive. but. that was so exciting, it needs a whole post. a well-thought out, well-written post. one with direction. which is what i’m getting toward. i am pretty excited about this.

then it was business as usual (admittedly, a lot of mismanagement of time bordering on time wasting), and now, i’m about to watch a great netflix video. and probably eat a ton of crap, in a cycle of feeling bad/sad, eating sugar and junk, and then feeling worse, and so on and so forth. it’s emotional eating at its finest. but, whatever. i’m also moving in the direction of working out more.

and maybe giving up sugar?!

signing off, another discombobulated post,
love,
-amandoo

(p.s. i intend to soon be posting more and putting more into each post, and instead of putting these posts under the category of lettin’ loose i can have more diversity. or my “daily” post will be under lettin’ loose and the other posts will be in my new, exciting categories to come!)

a) meteor showers are always so late at night, but maybe that’s because i live on the east coast of america? (and they probably ALL aren’t). but, there is one tonight, best seen around 3 a.m., which, i will probably be up for anyway…but i should have posted about this earlier

b) it’s good that i’m posting about this, and not something about my personal life, as i have been and wanted to, but instead i’ll focus on the majesty of stars

c) so maybe i’m late for announcing this to all my devoted blog readers, but, follow this link for the dates of all the meteor showers in 2012!

d) i may or may not figure out what direction to go with my posting…whateva, one of my real-life resolutions is to be nice to myself. that said, it would help get more interest raised if i could focus.

d.2)
A little more info on the Quadrantids

e) in conclusion: if you can’t see the meteor shower tonight (like i was upset about not being able to see the latest lunar eclipse- check out space.com’s cool photos), you can learn more about watching it from this good mashable’s quadrantids followings and stuff! (actual grainy video is from nasa)

f) if i had a sweet camera and complete darkness, i’d take pics and/or vids for you, but, i kind of have a cold, so it’ll be hard enough risking braving the cold!

and p.s. g) here’s one more cool site with a map laying out what the constellations look like and where to look for meteors. a good help out…thanks travis brown from spacedex.com! (see below for pic, check out site in the future!)

The title of this post refers to a line from Step Brothers after they make bunk beds and ponder all the wonderful things they could do. Actually, why don’t you just take a gander:

(If you haven’t seen the whole movie, you should, and if you have, re-watch it- it is sooo full of gems!)

I title this post, the 2nd of the year, as such, because I was overwhelmed today with the amount of activities (things) I could do, and even possibilities for this blogging idea. I am always interested in a ton of things (think reading several books at once, getting into a whole slew of different hobbies/crafts/sports/networking/even jobs!), and often leave them unfinished. If I resolve to blog every day, well, I guess I most likely could, but, I’m not gonna beat myself up. Instead, I will focus.

-Decide what to focus on in this blog
-The blog each day could be for my other sites (have a few others, educationally related and such)
-Develop a habit of blogging (Zen Habits does a good job discussing why it’s better to opt for choosing “habits” over making resolutions)
-Optimize my time and utilities and make something of this and my other sites…combining all the stuff I have laying around as well as bookmarked online

Well, that could lead to a LOT of activities. I have some usual resolutions, but, I am being easy on myself. Focus on just one thing. Will that thing be blogging? Possibly.

I’m also going to be nicer to myself, while pushing myself appropriately. Know my limits, and push myself toward them, but don’t beat myself up…instead, be very encouraging and reinforcing.

So I did some dishes, cleaned, worked a little, and took care of a few other daily-living-activities…wasn’t too exciting, but I’m blogging about it, and that’s exciting to be upholding my resolution.

Not really. I’m more excited about what’s to keep coming. But it is necessary to do the dishes, as they say. And, tonight I’ll work out (bonus) and take out the trash! YOU KNOW IT!

Write a blog every day, what?!

Happy New Year!

I know personally this year HAS to be better than last year, f’real.

And I will blog about it!

As Facebook now rolls out the “Timeline” to all its users, there are sure to be more than the usual fair share of complaints. And rightfully so. They have made it so it is easy for someone you just became friends with to navigate their way back to your partying college years, or your awkward haircut in middle school time (possibly for some younger teenage users). You can access past info by clicking on the year you’d like to see on the right side. And, you get the chance to decide what is public or private (and a whole other slew of option that are becoming increasingly complex (groups/acquaintances/etc…), before you “publish” your “Timeline” profile.

But a lot of people are not going to want to spend the time going back through and looking at everything. A lot of people are going to complain about that privacy issue, and more importantly, they are going to complain about the changes. And this “Timeline” change is not just a minor layout change, it is a huge difference in the way you view a person’s page. I personally like it, though it did take some getting used to. There are a lot of options you have, and I do think it will be better for people going forward to have control over what they post- what is featured or hidden, and who it is shared with.

If people spend a little time learning about it, I think many will find it preferable to the older version. And if you don’t like it? Too bad, it’s FACEBOOK, people! It’s not your life, and it is bound to change again as soon as you are used to the new style. For people who think Facebook is life? They’re most likely used to the changes and probably won’t even care that they’ve shared everything about their breakfast and many other meals, intimate clothing and relationship choices, their alcohol of choice and methods of consuming, and so much more.

The title of my post is misleading. If I were keeping up with this great blog, I would give you a few tips on How to Navigate Facebook Timeline. Instead, my best advice for anything in life is, if you can’t figure it out- GOOGLE IT! Next, after having made an effort at research, ask a friend. If that fails and you are completely lost, hire someone (like me) to help you.

I was going to take screenshots and make a great tutorial, but that’s been done. So instead here I will help aid your google search process to save time. You’re welcome!

Here is the Timeline Overview from Facebook.

Mashable made a great overview with easy-to-follow instructions! It’s called How to Install Timeline with One Click. They make it sound so simple!

This was released today, as millions of people become so scared and confused to see their beloved Facebook change entirely. Facebook Timeline – 8 Things to Know This article does have some really good tips! I even learned a thing or two, and I’ve had Timeline for months!

Here is a youtube tutorial to help you with Timeline. It’s from Facebook. They make it seem so epic. Makes me want to vomit.

Keep in mind, Timeline does not go public until 12/22/2011. So you have until then to try to figure out what the @#%$ is going on. I published mine before I really even realized what was happening, and, whatever! I never post anything too ridiculously personal and definitely not incriminating, so, I don’t mind.

Hope you enjoyed my tips for helping you navigate Facebook’s new Timeline – as always google on!

This man is AMAZING. Now he will go to be in heaven, and I have another guardian angel to look over me, inspire me, and help me get famous and save the world jk

pretty much my worst fears have come true in my life. a few months ago i was complaining alldistraughtly, WHAT THE @#$% WILL I DO, HOW WILL I LIVE, IF TWO OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS DIE IN THE SAME YEAR?! as my dear father is days from death (possibly hours…hard to tell!), much has changed in these past few weeks.

i am quite surprised at how things have changed so much. certainly after my dad passes, i will grieve. i will undoubtedly have times of great depression as well. and the ‘why/how/what/huh….’ will surely come and go too.

but i have had such powerful peaceful positive feelings lately. i can hardly fathom the power of the joy, gratitude, peace, love, and preciousness that has come into my life and the lives of those around me. my father is so much like an angel right now, so innocent and so deeply grateful.

maybe i’ll post a video to show you how amazing this tender man was, days before dying of (painful) cancer, describing a “game” with great elation. i think he is talking about life.

i am surprised that i find myself also grateful, comforted, and calmed…there is a huge clarity to me about what is really important.

LOVE

family and friends bring that, from the Greater Being, God is love, and loves us through other people. wow. all i can say is wow. yes, there is deep pain in me, and profound sadness…but i also feel so many overpowering positive things. so much so that i can surely shout:

“i’m an optimist in the prime of my life!” = optimisprime