Farrah Fawcett

How's this for a costume?

Desiderata

DESIDERATA

-- written by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

______________________________________

Read this.

Often.

Time Is Now

It is the beginning of the end of the beginning...

This week I started my last term at MCU. It is such a bittersweet feeling, knowing that school is almost over. I am excited to be graduated and get my career started, but it is so sad to know that I won't be seeing my amazing classmates and wonderful teachers every day anymore.

With the end drawing near, the question that none of us can escape is calling at us from every corner; "What are you going to do now?"

We even had a class that forced us to answer this question. Our final was to give a presentation stating your devotion to massage and your plans for the immediate and not-so immediate future. I didn't prepare what I was going to say, as I wanted it to come from the heart. I conveyed to the class how massage has called to me for as long as I can remember; and from the time I walked in the doors of MCU and met Janet (the admissions angel), to the first time I put my hands on a body, to now... I have known I made the right choice. I have finally found my calling, my passion for this life.
However, it has been hard for me to make an exact plan for the future of my "business" as I am still on the journey of discovering where in this universe I was to actually plant my roots.

But what IS my plan?

Well here it is: there are still many classes I want to take at MCU. Therefore, the school is keeping me here in Utah for at least another year. I am also going to inquire about becoming a TA for one of the classes, as I think it would be a blast to do so. When my lease is up in March, I am most-likely moving into a new place with my best friend Jak. That way we can both save money for our move in 2012.

Yes that's right, in spring of 2012, Jak and I are moving to Hawaii (Kauai, specifically). I have already been looking into resort jobs there, and places where I can study traditional Hawiian massage, called Lomi Lomi.


From there, the world is my oyster. I desire to travel while I am still young and unattached. There is big world out there and I feel I must see more of it before I can decide where to settle down. Otherwise, I will always be curious.

Truth: We create our own future.

The future that I am creating for myself is a very positive one, full of possibilities that I may not even yet know exist. While I have a good idea of how I want my life to turn out, it isn’t set in stone. Therefore, if something doesn’t work out exactly like I dream it to, then I won’t be terribly disappointed. I know that I have control over my life, but I also know that life has a way of throwing challenges your way when you least expect them. I find that having goals and staying positively dedicated to those goals is the answer to life’s question: “how will I go on?” As long as you have goals you are aiming for, and you are staying positively focused on those goals, no matter what gets in your way, you will overcome and succeed. This is also why I find that being adaptable is important. It is important to be able to shift gears or change lanes in the journey of life, while staying headed in the same direction. A few quotes that I like to apply are:

“Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans”

And,

“One often meets his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it.”

It is crucial to plan for the future. But it is of equal importance to remember to live in the present moment. We have no idea what could happen tomorrow, so we must enjoy every second of every day that we are on this Earth. Having goals to focus on is a way to keep you pressing forward, but hopefully it also serves as a reminder to enjoy the journey towards your destination.

I am still young. I have only begun to see what this life has to offer me. I feel that when I really get out into the world, start meeting more people and discovering new cultures, new windows and doors that I never even dreamed of will open for me.

The one thing I am absolutely dedicated to is helping others. I love massage. I love that I have discovered something I love so much that I can take with me wherever I go; and that wherever I go, I can help those around me. That is so important to me.

I’m not concerned with making a bunch of money. I’m not even overly concerned about having a retirement plan (though I will plan for that regardless). I am mainly concerned with being surrounded by the beauty of the world, and the beauty of the people that inhabit this world, and the beauty that comes from an individual helping out another individual. And most importantly, Love. Love of one person to another, love of our planet, and love of oneself.

~Namaste~

Curtner Art

This man is an amazingly dedicated artist. I saw his artwork at the recent Arts Festival we had here. He cuts words out of magazines and creates pictures with them. The coolest part is the words are related to the image he creates. Genius. Must take so much time. I love them. It's the perfect combination of words and image.
Someday I will buy many copies of his art to put up around my place.

(I have a postcard sized image of this one in my bathroom)

CHECK HIM OUT!

www.curtnerart.com

Dear ______,

May you never lie, steal, or cheat.

But if you must lie,
Lie beside me.

If you must steal,
Steal my sorrows.

And if you must cheat,
Cheat death.

Story of my Life