Entity

Where do you live? Which county, town, and city? We can all answer this question for one reason, and one reason only. Boundaries and limitations. As Humans we simply can’t stand not being labelled. We label everything, we need them. Due to this we can stand in nearly every location and give it a name or an address. But do you know who cannot do that? Animals. Animals, do not comprehend boundaries. For them, the World is their home. Perhaps, we should take a cue from them and just live, rather than theorize everything. I know that I need to do such a thing, and more than likely so do you. More importantly, is it possible to dissolve the boundaries in our minds? It is, it’s uncomftorable, and you’ll probably feel like a leaf in the wind. Should I tell you how I know this? Well….. after the Stroke happened to me, my plans and sense of direction dissolved, so I had no choice but to learn how to drift on the wind gracefully. I tried my best to overcome uncertainty, I did my best to accept the change of my “plans,” and I definitely tried to circumvent the whole ordeal. But, like a Warbler (bird) in the woods, I had to fly about not knowing anything about the places where I landed, nor for how long I’d be there. Working on my balance? That flight was a bit delayed, and I’m still working on sticking the landing. You’d be shocked at how difficult walking feels, when your brain has decided to pretend that one side of your body doesn’t exist (i.e hemiparalysis) So, rather than be angry that my balance seems to constantly threaten me with falls, I am simply grateful to be walking at all. Just like with my balance, I’m also constantly working on getting better. Not just physically, but in everything. Whilst it is mainly physical improvement I strive for, I don’t forget something equally as important, that of my mind. After all, you may not walk a straight line to your end goal, but as long as you’re steering in that direction you will not fail to reach the desired destination!

April 30, 2022

TO LOVE NY

” Somewhere between living and dreaming. there’s New York.” -unknown.

To love this bustling city full of skyscrapers whose lights mingle with the sky, turning into stars of their own is to love yourself. The city will test your strength, test your resolve, and give new meaning to manifest destiny. Rent isn’t too expensive, it’s simply the admission price you pay for a ticket to the best ride of your Life. This “town,” will present you with hurdles to access the most ordinary of activities, and then reward you with inumerable opportunities. The streets have worn down the rubber soles of my shoes like hungry children eating cake at a birthday party. It is not so much a glamorous life here, as it is a rewarding one. The apartments overflow with interesting individuals, that possess all levels of potential. However, there is no vacancy for mediocrity! If there is a diamond to be produced from a lump of coal, New York City will squeeze it out of you. If you’re open and willing you’ll climb the ladder in an upward direction. Here there aren’t streets of identical little box homes with cars in the driveway, and manicured lawns. Instead, everything is jumbled, different, and there’s a subway entrance that can take you around more than 665 miles of track. Laid end to end the Transit train tracks would stretch to Chicago. Riding a subway train opens up more opportunity to you than any car ride you could ever take around an identical block of houses! You see, there’s no special club you must join to live here. One only needs a heaping helping of ambition. If you find the prospect of getting groceries, washing laundry, or a trip to the Post Office becoming more arduous too much to bear, I’d be quick to point out that just as the mundane becomes ever more so, the same can be said of enjoyable activities. Suddenly there are oodles of openings in your chosen career field, leisurely and cultural events are within walking distance, and they happen frequently, often even for free. If you’re a person that can see openings where others only see closed doors, this place is for you. I don’t love New York for its image or even for the food, but for what it has contributed to my Life. I’ve learned that hitting the pavement, talking to everyone, and binge willing to hustle harder than everyone else, means your reward will be greater than what everyone else is getting. If you allow it to be, the city will be the stone that sharpens you. So, I’d suggest wherever you are don’t be afraid to put yourself in the uncomfortable position to be sharpened. However, it’s something that will happen a lot faster in New York City!

September 18, 2018

The Second Life is a Charm.

swing

“First, I have to thank God for giving me the gift that he did as well as a second chance for a better life.” –unknown.

I’m only 33, but I’ve lived two lifetimes. Currently I’m on my second. In the first one I was a fiercely independent twenty something living in New York City, keeping busy, and working in a promising professional career. It was the beginning of my “adult,” existence. Living in a tiny room that I rented in a nice apartment in the best city in the world. I had a 401k under my belt, and nothing but big plans for the future in front of me. But of course, as they say “ Life happens while your busy making other plans.” And in my case, that saying proved to be true. Because I unexpectedly had a massive stroke and all those big plans suddenly fell through. In my second life I’m now a fiercely independent thirty something. Living in a pretty house in the woods, trying to figure things out, and life this time around has a lot less noise in it. However, despite my first go around I’m still making plans but they’re in a different vein. Rather then building on top of what I already have, I’m in the process of rebuilding. I used to despair over the loss of my former plans, but slowly I have begun to realize that in the new plans I can do anything. It’s similar to the joy I felt in moving to a new neighborhood where nobody knew who I was. I could go to the grocery store under dressed and not run into a soul I knew. The freedom of that was rather nice. Except, this time around that new neighborhood is practically the whole world. After the stroke I was thrust into a new plane of existence. I had a past but it did not define me, in fact I could choose to omit the parts of my past I did not favor. After the stroke it was as if most people were meeting me for the first time. There were no expectations or preconceived notions. I could tell them what I wanted and in being able to choose the past I liked, that eventually also meant I could choose whatever future I wanted as well. The massive stroke cleared the game board of my life so I was now free to set it up again how I liked. This by no means has been easy. In fact it’s the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. I am just now beginning to see the freedom in what I previously thought was a death sentence. My future is still bright, and this one single event does not hold true for every area of my life. Because, although life is short there is still plenty you can do with it. Therefore, aim to live yours to the fullest.

Life is a gift, savor the unwrapping of it!
bleu

August 25, 2015

this isn’t a dress rehearsal

“Life is not a dress rehearsal, stop practicing what your going to do and just go and do it, you can transform today.” -Marilyn Grey

If your just shooting for average, your failing miserably. It’s an act of the foolish to compare oneself to others, or measure against them. It’s a ritual of mediocrity to compare with other people. you were created for something far bigger than you can imagine. The truth is that even if your doing well, there is more out there for you. A sense of dissatisfacion is a signal that your not fulfilling your purpose. It is when were doing what we were made for that fulfillment will be reached. Rather than surmise your doing well by measuring against what others are doing, why not take a different approach? What would happen if you aimed to be different or do better than everyone else instead? Also don’t shy away from proclaiming your big dreams to others, for fear of rejection or sounding silly. Fear is what limits us in many if not all ways. Don’t be afraid of what other people think, because it robs you of your potential. Even by simply proclaiming your dreams and aspirations out loud(no matter how “crazy”) you’ll see things begin to shift and your life will change. I’m fairly confident that no one in history who posessed a legendary last name settled for doing just as well as everyone else. Due to the mass practice of people comparing themselves to each other, it’s exactly why We see so few names that outshine the rest. This is a bad habit of humanity that needs to be broken. Not to mention, by escaping the comparison trap, you’ll focus more on your particular brand of potential,squelch the green monster(jealousy),and you might just find yourself in a niche of society. This would be an excellent occurrence, because then you will be like no one else. Which is the point of course, to be the one and only YOU.

GO!!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk8eJh4i8Lo&w=560&h=315%5D