WORDS WORDS CLICHE

keri smith's wish jar is one of my ultimate favorite blogs. when i feel uninspired and aimlessly looking for something to hold on to, i read her blog. she's an artist who has a knack for writing about things that resonates into my being. she writes about life, nature, art, mundane things and lots of LISTS. i love lists and i love her. this rebel manifesto she recently posted is a pleasant reminder about fearlessness and experimentation. it applies not only to making art but life in general. and if you know me, i love conversations like this. it's along the lines of "what doesn't kill you will make you stronger " and "this too shall pass." the reason i love quotes like this is because i'm always in constant fear of losing what's truly important in life. i end up caring too much and almost always sweating the small stuff. this constant battle with myself has me looking for in-my-face kind of inspiration. (yeah i know i'm nuts ---and uptight).

i've collected a few words from random readings online and here's what i've gathered so far...

1. let it go. aka loosen up. don't worry about the things that are not controllable. move on to the next challenge.
2. words of lulu, it's never too late to change things. if you want to dress better, then do it. dress better.
3. time wasted in pleasure is not time wasted. i forgot who said this, but oh so true. (edit:bertrand russell?)
4. stay hungry and stay foolish. i heard this from steve jobs' commencement speech in princeton. which made me cry. i know he's a genius. but the best thing i got from his speech is to work really really hard for what you want. never settling for anything less.
5. learn the fringe benefits of failure (and imagination). as j.k. rowling said, "You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default."

i know some of them are shocking, shockingly familiar. but this post is entitled cliche for a reason. it's not a cliche if it doesn't amount to some form of truth one way or another. i believe it doesn't hurt to live by these words, does it?

PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND ME

One of my life's simple pleasures is finding a special song from a good movie. It goes something like this:

"i was slicing up an avocado, when you came up behind me
with your quiet brand new sneakers, your reflection i did not see
it was the hottest day in august, and we were heading for the sea
for a second my mind started drifting, you put your arms around me."

jens lekman's your arms around me, carla bruni's quelqu'un m'a dit, julie delpy's waltz for a night, and chantal kreviazuk's feels like home to name a few.

it struck me how making love underwater is a struggle and a teeny bit stupid. but the way drew barrymore filmed it on Whip It is a suspension of disbelief at its finest. there is always something magical about ellen page. she reminds me of natalie portman by virtue of talent and wit and size. Whip It was the answer to my love of little-miss-sunshine-ish kind of movies.

STOP BITCHING

It's final. I just "complain" too much and "do" not much. The line has been crossed and I need to get my act together. How do I keep my mouth shut? I want to quote Lulu's words from her formspring (yikes I have some serious girl crush here):

"You should stop focusing on others. It's not productive. Focus on bettering yourself, and you'll feel better."

There's not much frou frou. The message is clear.

I need to make it clear to myself that I am there to work. Do good. Earn enough to pay the rent. Plan travel with people I love. Give some to my father. Take pictures. Learn. Develop a "sophisticated palate". Sleep well. Shop a little. Laugh a lot. Let us simplify things without making it simpler.

*** On a sidenote, Prince and I went to Baguio for a once in a blue moon vacation. It was sweet. We took lots of pictures. We ate a lot. We spent a lot. We could not ask for anything more... Maybe another vacation? La Luz anyone?