Tag Archives: You

Beauty Is Magic

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What’s your perception of beauty? How do you define it?

Is it limited to thin young women with glowing skin; fancy sports cars; and an exquisitely dressed fashionista?

To ask a tired question, what’s hot and what’s not?

I asked my new friend Paula if she wanted me to discuss anything in particular on here, and she mentioned society’s definition of beauty. In her exact words, “I am very interested in the way we as a society perceive beauty especially feminine beauty. As an artist I see beauty in just about anything and feel we have lost the richness that life has to offer.”

My response? “Now that’s some poetic expression. I can totally relate to what you’re saying and also feel we need to expand our perception of feminine beauty. It has nothing to do with our body measurements and/or sense of fashion; it has to do with our hearts and our souls and all the MAGIC we have to share with the world.”

I said that because beauty based on appearance alone is fleeting and shallow. I don’t care how skinny you are or how many designer brands you rock on a daily basis; if your inner self is ugly, your outer beauty is hard and bitchy. 

So, what’s hot and what’s not? Continue reading →

Do You Ever Feel Naked?

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Raw.

Vulnerable.

Exposed.

All your protective layers ripped away to reveal the part of you longing to burst out into the world, the part that’s fragile and easily daunted by the scope of your visions and expectations.

Do you ever feel naked – stripped down to your very essence with no place left to hide?

Do you ever reach a stage in your growth/evolution where you are lost because you don’t know how to move forward? Where you know the magic exists outside your comfort zone but fear of the unknown grips you so hard you can’t move a muscle? What do you do?

What do you do? Continue reading →

The Power of Authentic Expression

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It’s real. Honest. Raw. Exhilarating.

Authentic expression is the outflow of your core and the mindspace of your creativity.

It’s what happens when you immerse yourself in your truth and live faithful to the principles therein.

It’s when you’re bold enough to put yourself out there and really be who you are.

Some time ago, I posted a tweet that read “Be authentic; therein lies your own brand of originality. Being real is the new cool.” It made me reflect on the importance of knowing yourself and living your truth, being your own person and finding your voice.

So many times we find ourselves holding back from saying what we feel because we don’t know how the other person(s) will take it and we’re too timid or afraid to risk it.

Let me tell you a secret: you die a little more inside every time you shut yourself up.

Shooting down the voice of intuition is similar to depriving your soul of oxygen; sooner or later, something has to give. And guess what does? Your special brand of expression.

So. Make that pitch. Write that story. Paint that picture. Chase that dream. Nurture that passion. There’s nothing wrong with going after what you want and nothing right with talking yourself out of it.

There are few things more painful than waking up one day and realising you could have had it all but you let it slip through your fingers.

Authentic expression will enrich your life. It’ll give you a style all your own. You’ll be an original, not a copy; a rare specimen, not an ordinary drone; and the brightest facet of yourself, not the dimmed-down version.

But hey, don’t take my word for it. Try it out and see for yourself. :-)

via Malu’s blog

Malu also has an interesting take on authenticity. Read about it here!

Did You Know?

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You are exquisite. Precious. A timeless jewel of sparkling wit and elegance.

You are cherished. Loved. Held close to the heart and hugged tight every night.

You are beautiful. From the inside out. Beautiful soul with depth and meaning.

You are worthy. Of all you desire.

You are important. Needed. Wanted.

You are strong enough. Smart enough. Brave enough.

You are here to live life on your own terms, not anyone else’s.

You are here to live, and glow, and smile. :)

Rise

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Rise.

With a war cry mighty in power and a fighting spirit fierce with resolve.

Willing to risk it all on one shot, one chance to vault into greatness and radical fulfilment.

Knowing that now is the perfect time, the only time, really, to bounce back and claim your heritage.

Standing tall like you’re supposed to, like you were made to, as you were born to.

Armed with courage to eclipse every obstacle and withstand every fear.

Brave with the fire of purpose and the strength of determination.

Ready to seize the incredible and nail the phenomenal.

Rise, rise, and let your spirit soar wild and free.

Man is so made that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.

               La Fontaine 

                                      And if not now, when?

                                                   Talmud

Celebrating Your Essence

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Claiming your path.

Because it’s calling, enticing, scintillating.

Delighting in its pull.

Because it’s glowing, burning, lighting you up inside.

Finding your voice.

Because your truth is welling, urging, bursting to be let loose.

Living your passion.

Because anything else is settling for second-best.

Stop waiting.

Stop settling.

Step up, step out, and step into your light.

Bask in it. Shine with it. Dance in the brilliance of your star.

Inspired by Sandi Amorim‘s awesome post Starbursts, Sirens, and Siriously Shining :)

The Identity Series – 3

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How do you discover your true self? How do you ascertain that you are living in line with your own principles? I know we’re all influenced to some extent by our family and peers, but ultimately we choose who and what we want to be. So, I ask again. How do you discover your true self?

I believe that question arises because we often know exactly what we are, we just choose to deny it. Can’t really change anything unless you acknowledge it, right? So if you realise a dark or shocking side to yourself and refuse to address it, it clouds your ability to understand its origin(s) and solution(s). In other words, there’s an inner voice that whispers the deepest secrets of the soul; many of us just choose to drown it out for fear of what we’ll hear. But that only delays the inevitable, doesn’t it? Suppress something long enough and it’ll explode out of control one day. Funny thing is, such explosions never come at convenient times. Bothersome, really.

Before you retort that it’s simplistic to presume an inner voice is all you need to discover yourself, think about it. Why are some people so confident, so comfortable in their own skin? Why is it that nothing shakes their belief in themselves? They’ve invested time and effort in extracting the essence of their character from their subconscious. They’ve examined their desires and identified a common pattern, one that allows them determine the reasons for those desires and the wisdom of satisfying such wants. But most importantly, they’ve accepted their identities. No shrinking back, no suppression, and no denial; they embrace all they are and change whatever doesn’t suit them.

I’ve already said environment and upbringing are great influences on one’s identity, but they are still less powerful than your innermost desires. The soul is a mystical and awesome entity; it is also the single greatest determinant of one’s personality. This is why those who comprise the “masses” are indistinguishable from one another; they all subscribe to the same way of thinking and have no ideas or opinions of their own. Notice how products strive for mass appeal in order to interest the largest possible slice of the population? Same principle. It follows then, that identity’s meaning in today’s society is a knotty issue. Inasmuch as you want to fit in and belong somewhere, you also want to remain true to yourself. It’s about finding the balance between being your own person and remaining a part of your community at the same time. Feel me?

And that’s all for now, please come again for more in The Identity Series. 😀 Agree with or oppose anything I’ve said? Feel free to leave your comments underneath this post or send your emails to findotitihere@hotmail.com Thank you for reading and please share your thoughts. Later, people.

The Identity Series – 1

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Hey, people. It’s been a while. How’s everyone doing, good? Hope so. My apologies for being quiet since my last post *embarrassed face*. Anyway, I’m here to make amends!

So I have an idea for a series on identity, hence the title of this post. I find myself asking a lot of questions about life and where we’re headed, and it seems like identity is a defining factor of one’s fate and/or one’s actions. Does that make sense?

I just feel you must know who you are as a person before you can achieve anything truly great and memorable. Every known icon always has an incredibly strong sense of self, is fully aware of his or her true personality, and is never afraid to act based on personal convictions even if/when they clash with popular belief. Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Cher, and Marilyn Monroe are just a few examples of strong individuals who were confident enough to challenge the status quo and pursue their dreams. It is my belief that they wouldn’t be part of our history today if they lacked identity and faith in their personal abilities.

The Identity Series is an exploration of identity itself. What does it mean in today’s society? How do you protect yours when you discover it? How does it affect your goals and dreams? These are some of the questions I’ll be tackling, so feel free to join in and let me know your thoughts! 😀 Maybe I should set up an email for this blog to enable feedback and stuff, yeah? Leave me a comment if you think I should! Oh yeah, I’m also on Twitter. You can follow me @findotitihere

The longer you hesitate, the faster windows of opportunity shrink and disappear. Make your move today! Thank you for reading and please come back soon. Ciao ciao. :)

Your Life, Your Rules

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Isn’t it funny how those who try to force their views on you never want to hear what you think? It is always about them: how right they are, how wrong you are for refusing their wisdom, and how much better the world would be if everyone followed their advice. Indeed.

Doesn’t it stand to reason that the best ways are not always the loudest or most forceful ones? In a throwback to an earlier post, high volume does not necessarily indicate proper thought or correct reasoning. If I walked around with a megaphone and swore that giving me all your money was the key to solving your problems, would you believe me? I’d do it for many days, everywhere I go, nine to five even. :) Heh heh heh. But yeah, would you accept it? No? What if I had a large followership, would that do the trick?

Anyway, I don’t mean to communicate mostly through questions. This is not an examination, LOL. It just seems like some people expect one to accept their opinions sans any resistance or thinking on one’s part. I’m like, really? They obviously believe in what they have to say, so much so that they feel compelled to spread the word. OK great, no problem at all. But it irks me when that belief is used as an excuse to shove ideology down my throat whether I like it or not. I have a brain, innit? I have the right to decide, to choose what I do and how I do it.

We all live our lives according to our rules (except for the enslaved and/or oppressed), and we protect our right to do so with everything we have. That is why people from different schools of thought are susceptible to violent disagreement. It is possible for an argument to get so heated, so emotionally intense, so personal that anything can happen because the individuals involved react to threats against a basic human right. I mean, of course, the right to choose.

If another person belittles or condemns your choices, he/she indirectly challenges your decisions and your lifestyle. In other words, you are judged and found wanting. If you also think you are wrong and need to change, then you interpret such a challenge as a wake-up call to turn your life around and improve yourself.

But, what if that’s not the case? What if you’re quite happy with the way things are, thank you very much, and you don’t need anyone’s grief or hassle? That is when you take it as an affront to your person and react accordingly. You may not make a scene then and there, but you will definitely resent the intrusion on your privacy. Like how nosy can people get, right? I certainly think so. If that resentment is not speedily expressed, it festers and hardens into a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. Heaven help the poor souls around you when that happens, eh? It would not be a pretty sight.

So. Your life, your rules. Words to live by, methinks. As always, keep it positive and healthy. 😉

The Quest for Fulfilment

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It is a constant journey. We never stop searching for that special moment, that point in time when everything is simply perfect and we couldn’t ask for more. Not yet, anyway. ^_^

Seriously though, the quest for fulfilment is never-ending. The addict finds it in his next fix so he goes back for another and another and another; the scientist finds it when she proves her new theory or solves that mind-numbingly hard equation; a mother gets it as she watches her kid grow and develop; and you get it as you do … well, whatever it is that you do. My point is it’s something you need from the day you become aware of your surroundings until the day you shuffle off this mortal coil. Anyone who claims otherwise is a faker.

Why else do we try so many different things? Why are we drawn to all sorts of people and situations and experiences? You seek the perfect fit, a source of joy and contentment, the sense that you are now whole and complete. It is a continuous yearning for something more, more in an intangible way you can’t explain or quantify, more that you need before you can live and not merely exist, more that elevates each day from the regular to the extraordinary.

There is no magic formula. There isn’t a foolproof method sure to work for every single one of us. Oh, and just in case I’m wrong about that, feel free to share whatever it’s supposed to be. 😀 Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes.

Fulfilment is an intensely personal affair. You must find your own road; you cannot use another’s yardstick as your own measure for happiness. Yes there may be general guidelines applicable to every human being, but the specifics are left for you to discover on your own. I reiterate, on your own. This is why our parents must give us room to grow, why we must allow our children their freedom, and why it is a terrible thing to force your views/opinions on anyone else. You have to try, fail, and try again. Try, try until you either find your niche or carve one for yourself. The day you give up is the day you die inside and cease to live; from that point onwards, you simply exist without the spark of hope to guide you on your search. Dreary prospect, innit?

So, as you continue on your quest for fulfilment, please remember: if it is only in a bottle, a needle, or the arms of various partners, then it’s not real. It is temporary, fleeting, tantalising, and a destructive mutation of the real thing. In other words, negative/harmful substances and liaisons do not provide sustenance. They only whet your appetite for more and trick you into the mindset that you can find the perfect balance to finally fill the void within. It never works out that way. Witness those who trod that path and died as they tried.

OK, that was a bit macabre. I guess I’m just trying to say that positive and healthy methods are the best ones for lasting contentment. Travel, romance, dance, friendship, family ties, sports, music, art … these options are endless. Those are my thoughts, anyway. Stay safe, friends.