Different and the Same

It is so fun when I hear, almost word for word, the exact same message in different scenarios / parts / aspects of my life.

Last weekend I was in a class where were were told to not just rely on what we can do easily, but acknowledge the gaps in our dancing and focus on those parts; to see where we are weak and challenge ourselves to grow.

Tonight, in yoga, Todd told the class to not rely on the easy parts of a pose, but to challenge ourselves to really reach the full expression. That the places we are the weakest are the places we have the most room for growth.

Boom.

Not an unfamiliar or new concept. It is not like I haven't heard this before or am totally amazeballs over this truth. Just a little reflection and bookmark on when this concept placed itself very loudly in my path this year. There are areas in my life that I rely on as my strengths, and there are weakness that I like to ignore. Maybe it is time to challenge those areas and work towards some new growth.

In the meantime, as I figure out what the hell that means, here is a pretty song:

Mirrors

I have never been big on celebrity crushes. They are stupid and pointless.

However, I think I could have Justin Timberlake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Every day of the week.

I make a good point, right?

Overview, The Film

'Astronaut' was never on my list of possible career choices. I did not memorize constellations, or dream of overcoming gravity inside a massive shuttle. There was a great deal of star gazing, cloud watching, and daydreaming of being able to fly, though, which should have culminated into a lifetime of being or working with space. Not so much.

The neatest thing about this video is that it ties together the philosophy of community and the reality of just how enormous the world is compared to us--and how tiny it is in the universe. It provides perspective on why we need to work with a communal mindset and treat our planet with respect.

I am so grateful for the people who have dedicated their lives to exploring beyond the earth's surface. Holy balls, it is impressive. I am also grateful that they give me a tangible / visible answer to a deep-seated desire to dedicate my life to helping others. It scratches on the surface of "why".

It encourages me to connect less virtually and care more in reality. It has given me a little bump of perspective to remember that we are all in this together and to act accordingly.

Now, to go find the book which has received either 1 or 5 starts on Amazon. Awesome.

Taper Jean Girl

Kings of Leon Pandora Radio. Can't stop listening.



The longer I live the more I realize that timing is a total b*tch. The weird chemical reactions that we interpret as feelings follow no law or reason. At all. Ever. Forming a connection cannot be predicted, forced, or falsified; the heart does whatever it wants--whenever it wants. There is no such thing as 'should' or 'should not' in the world of emotion.

In other news I am still an INFJ. Figures...

Follow Your Heart - City and Colour

Timing

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer. ~ R M Rilke

"In Letters To AYoung Poet"

Chapters

This could not have popped up on my feed at a better time. Seriously. Don't ever say the universe doesn't have a plan. Or at least a sense of humor. Thanks, this is EXACTLY what I am flipping around in my head and heart these days.

Because my options in life are nearly endless, I have narrowed them down to:
1. Stay and love. Settle down. Work towards a concrete future. I am done with casual. This love hasn't gone anywhere despite time, distance, and distractions.
2. Leave and love. Move to another part of the world where nothing can remind or connect me to my last chapter.

I think the most frightening thing about both of these decisions is that they are pretty much out of my hands. I cannot control either of them. Sure, I can make efforts in either direction, but I am not the final say. So, what to do? Live forward. Love openly. Breath deeply. Trust that it will sort itself out as it always does. In the meantime, I am going to keep my theme song cranked...because if my experiences have taught me anything it is that, yes, anything really could happen...

Twenty Four

I choreographed a modern dance for my sister when I was in college. She was going through some life changes that were...well...life changing. I used this song to represent that every day can bring about a shift so great we have no idea how to handle it--but that is ok. (Also, she told me the news very close to my birthday which is on the 24th)

Despite being in a very different place in the religious sense, Switchfoot still strikes a chord during this tumultuous time.

Scared? A little.
Nervous? A lot.
Determined? Very much so.

I'm not coping out.