Inspiration Book #17

10:06 PM Michael 0 Comments











The earth doesn't intend to keep its secrets, secrets. It always has something it wants to let you know.
I believe the next time a silly idea shows up, I'll keep listening closer. -Because if I would like to live an ordinary life I can take an ordinary path. It's those odd variants, motions and thoughts that materialize and help us navigate an extraordinary path to an extraordinary life. To --> Beyond Our Wildest Dreams.

White magic

5:59 PM Michael 0 Comments



Great Expectations

8:36 PM Michael 0 Comments

Infuse

12:55 AM Michael 0 Comments

“The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.” The Alchemist

Confession of a Soul Searcher

12:28 AM Michael 0 Comments

Sometimes I believe it's best to come clean and admit to yourself how your really feel. Although these feelings are inside of you and you're some degree aware of it, really being true and honest with your self and saying "this is how I am feeling" really give a moment of insight and an opportunity to move forward. I am not doing very well in psychology. In the morning I am going to email my professor in the morning. This isn't like "omgosh I got an 89 on the last exam I am failing my Asian parents are going to call me dishonorable". This is like an actual get an email from your career advisor worried about you haha. I think I've reached this unusual part of my life where I am more obviously relating "what is important" because with growing up comes much more responsibility and work to do you feel like your are going to explode, so naturally I tend to do jobs that I find pleasure and satisfaction in and shy away from things I find as tedious and unrewarding. Like school. For the first time in my life I find school more of a pain than something that I want to do well in and will do well in. I'm more aware of the fact I'm paying a lot of money to be in a course I have no desire to be enrolled in. Seriously, HOW MANY TIMES are we going to talk about Skinner's box? HOW MANY TIMES. Luckily there are only 2 more years and then no more homework forever!! Unfortunately, with that come the loan letters and big adult responsibilities. Where is the satisfaction Buddah? Life is suffering.
So Michael, this is the part of my life where I confess in utter regret, that I do not enjoy living right now. It sounds so sad to write it "out loud". But right now I do believe I don't like being awake. I think that's why I sleep so much when I have an assignment to do.. the reason why I didn't turn in my psychology project, a big fat chunk of my grade of few hours ago. And the worst, worst, worst, worst part is...I almost don't care. How disrespectful is that. It's really true I feel like. ..I almost fully don't care if I don't succeed in the class. I mean what comes if it? Do I get a better life, do I truly become a better person, will getting a better grade get whoever I want to like me to like me? Maybe not. Somewhere, some how I have to pick myself up again and want to succeed and do well because it makes me a better me. Maybe I believe, no in fact I do believe, that I'm not that great of a person right now. I realize I don't have the greatest sense of self and worth all those things I hope to grant others. I myself lack. How am I ever going to wake up? How am I ever going to stop sleeping? I don't want to disappear. The self I once new and felt like I was is leaving me. -And I have to trap the rest of me right here and go on a journey for the other parts. I'm going to be in school for a little while longer and have to make the best and the most of it. Things aren't always going to go my way but I have to make the most of it. Golly, is this ever turning into a Shakespearean sonnet. Don't they go like "life is this way, woah is me, woah is me, but hey here is a resolution for the last two lines"? haha. Anyway flowers and Michael, there's a lot of things I want to do in this life time. And still a lot of things I want to do well. Like the collection. It's getting a little crazy with the number of patterns now, but I've been learning so much deciding to "work for myself" for a little while. I really do enjoy being a designer and nothing, nothing, nothing else makes me happier and honored right now. Unfortunately these goals and dreams don't always fall in line with school. I cannot believe the amount of projects and competitions going on. It makes me so overwhelmed. I don't yet know how to properly grasp contests and school at the same time. I have a very, very, very, very, very daunting quarter ahead. And all I can really do is pray, and hope that all the parts that have left me, remolecularize and form the day dreamer that once was.

Visual Imagery, PSY 101

1:14 AM Michael 0 Comments

I posted this on blackboard a little while ago as a part of my psychology discussion. We're learning a little bit about intelligence and our ability to visualize. I think the last bit might be worth sharing :

Visual imagery is our awesome ability to envision different ideas and concepts about other thoughts, or objects or people. They are influenced by our experiences with the world. When I create visual images with my eyes closed it is like I am using my memory to refer to items and creatively make scenes. The experience of imagery is typically more general than when seeing an actual object. I can image the details, but they are much more pronounced in reality. The exterior of my house is off white with white trims. The steps are grey blue. There is a porch with a white wooden railing and a mailbox and light against the wall. I thought of describing color first. I feel like color is a general describing term perhaps because we learn colors and which colors we like so early in development. Knowledge representation is selective. It is much easier for me to envision the house in my mind than to represent this vision verbally.

Really odd but on topic, yesterday maybe subconsciously thinking about what we are studying now or solely because it stood out to me, Apollo Anton Ohno the speedskater tweeted, and I now retweet,
"
Mental imagery - use it to manifest success. Create the plan, do the work, be relentless in your pursuit & leave little chance of failure."
How crazy in line is that? It is much like the example in the text about the girls envisioning themselves working and studying to get an A and then scoring well. Really weird how we can almost shift our external reality a little bit by concentrating hard enough and internally visualizing how we want to act and behave and it can happen. It makes a lot of sense because what is stopping us from doing anything other than what we believe we can do. That's why my definition of visual imagery is our awesome ability.

Liberty for all

10:51 PM Michael 0 Comments

Surely....I'm not the only one who didn't realize that there exists OTHER versions of the statue of liberty.

I was looking for images of the Rainbow Bridge in Odaiba and kept seeing an image of the statue of liberty and I thought this has to be impossible.


But here it is. Glorious isn't she. I think this is pretty insane. Now it finally makes sense to me as to why there was a statue of liberty cameo in Digimon. I had just figured they went all around the world again on Imperialdramon's back to stop all the gates from opening. ...I close.
And it turns out there are A LOT of them, other than just in Vegas. More than 30.

The original in the Jardin du Luxembourg (Paris 1889) /  Colmar

Israel / River Seine in Paris, France  
Lovely gift I must say. She can have her picture taken all day.

ATO A/W 11-12

11:20 PM Michael 0 Comments

This Sunday is the beginning of Tokyo Fashion Week!! Check out Ato's previous Autumn/Winter 2011-12 Campaign.


Tokyo FW Website

Radical Acceptance

10:53 PM Michael 0 Comments

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that Whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

whosoever whosoever whosoever whosoever~

Influential Person #15: Apolo Anton Ohno

2:35 PM Michael 0 Comments

"I'm running, it's pouring down rain, I was tired, I was still out of shape, I was overweight, uncomfortable, didn't wait to be there, I was alone, I was asking myself questions everyday.. I stopped running, As a landmark, there was a rock, a large boulder and I sat down and I started asking myself questions: why am I running? why? why am I here and what choices do I have in my life? Is this something I should really pursue? -And I prayed, and I said if this is supposed to be my path, please give me the strength to keep running, please give me the strength to do what I need to do. "

Vocaloid

8:39 PM Michael 0 Comments



I'm a little embarrassed to admit I'm just finding out about Hatsune Miku. You have GOT to watch this rockstar's youtube vids. What a phenomenon!

The idea of a psuedo front reminds me a little of "200 Pounds Beauty". Watch it if you are in the mood for some Korean romance!
I think Crypton Future Media is brilliant!! My mother is definitely not a fan...she thinks it's idolism. what do you think?

In keeping up with the world

1:01 AM Michael 0 Comments

I don't really know why I haven't been posting lately... haha. I've kind of decided to take a rendezvous from talking too much about my life. However I'll confess that I have thought of a lot of posts, but seem to forget a lot of them when I don't write them down. Like my October resolutions including "waking up earlier" and other floating thoughts. School isn't as awesome as I would like to report. Math is really great, psychology on the other hand is pretty ridic. We have an essay due Wednes night, Thurs night, a discussion, a project, and a quiz. ...Every single week. And the week seems to continue to slip through my fingers..which is why I haven't submitted my Wednesday essay yet. Time is moving so quickly I can't believe it. On the brighter side my psy teacher seems really nice, so it is really difficult for me to properly dislike the class and I've decided not to do any more personal projects with deadlines involved.. I know that sounds really irresponsible but I find having deadlines on projects for enjoyment make the month fly by way too quickly. There's so many things I'd like to make, I haven't felt this way in a while so it's very good. And I've been in the company of Allison and bits of thread and I find myself slowly becoming honestly happier. haha We'll see, sorry I didn't mean to sound like such a bummer. I guess it's just late and I didn't do my homework. I've got to get psy motivated! Highlights of my life. I've got Listerine in my hair. It's supposed to be great for dandruff. ...awkward moment. oh, but I hope to post a very happy post very soon!! I believe good things are happening for all of us.



 and for some healthy vanity. haha. jk. well. I guess not really..




Oh dear

9:10 PM Michael 0 Comments


Other Wonders, Tibet

4:54 PM Michael 0 Comments




What does "Free Tibet" mean?
Tibet, before occupation, was a nation with an established sovereign government, currency, postal system, language, legal system, and culture.  The Chinese government claims that Tibet has always been part of China and so in 1949 China entered Tibet. Chinese occupation has resulted in the deaths of at least hundreds of thousands of Tibetans, the destruction of over 6,000 monasteries, nunneries and temples, and the imprisonment and torture of thousands of Tibetans. Tibet's fragile environment is endangered by Chinese strip-mining, nuclear waste dumping, and extensive deforestation. As a part of China's go West Campaign, they encourage Han Chinese to enter promising higher wages and other incentives. Native Tibetians, stripped of basic freedoms of speech and religion, are also evacuated from their homes, land and cattle in exchange for less than $1,500 US dollars, all of which many have not received. The homes they are to move to have very little space to farm. The development and modernization, roads, cards, buildings, in Tibet is harmful to the ancient temples and wonders inside of them. In protest, Tibetans perform terrible, terrible and unfortunately frequent displays of martydom for their country's freedom.
 Two young monks, Lobsang Kalsang and Lobsang Konchok, set themselves on fire in Ngaba county, Eastern Tibet, on 29 September 2011. Both monks are believed to be aged between 18 and 19 years old and are from Kirti monastery in Ngaba. They called for religious freedom and “long live the Dalai Lama” before they set themselves on fire.
So what can we do? We can inform other people about Tibet. :) We live in an insane time when it is so easy to share, tweet, reblog, like information and it touches interface to interface country to country. I don't believe China is a bad country, in fact it is very beautiful and a real treasure. What's the ideal solution? The Dali Lama says it best: "compassion". And while that may feel like a far solution from where we are now, if each of us can have small thoughts of compassion, maybe our physical network/internet, will reblog, tweet, share, like compassion too in the outside world.


For more awesome information about Tibet and it's situation visit
FREETIBET.ORG
NOVA's "Lost Treasures of Tibet
BetterWorld 2010 Phototstream (Beautiful festival shots) 
I actually first loved Tibet for their beautiful jewelry at the Tibet shop in Adam's Morgan. Here You can see just how colorful and ornate their culture is.

Honestly, I think my curiosity's been rekindled because much of me still feels (and there obviously is) so much to know in this life. And sometimes I feel so wrapped up and distanced from the world. I think most of all I want for myself to learn to live. To realize there are so many calls to life. I want to know what I want to do with mine. So when I was telling Ms. Allison my yearn to go to Indonesia, and she told me how she spent time in Nepal after she completed college. And without really mentioning it, she reminded me how important it is to learn to live. Even if it doesn't make sense to other people. I wanted so much, so quickly. But it's also important to let the universe give you what you need, and then we can get back to our heart's desire. I too hope you someday receive yours Tibet. Best wishes.




I've linked the photos to their original source, otherwise I linked it to the search I performed. If any of these images belong to you do let me know and I will quickly give correct credit or remove the image if you'd prefer :)  <3