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Showing posts from 2014

Why do it?

As I was growing up I learned many things, but one thing very well. I learned that everyone has a set of unique beliefs and that many of us hold those beliefs firmly over the course of our lives. We all believe in some idea, a monotheistic, polytheistic, or atheistic religion, a set of moral rules that you have developed over the years, a core set of family values, we all have some type of rules we live by. We all have this unique foundation. I found the selection of this foundation, be it a religion or otherwise, to be something that I would spend the rest of my life deciding. It made no sense to pick a belief without thoroughly understanding who I was first and that task alone would be a hefty schedule to do within a single lifetime. I realized that many people claim the choice of this foundation is the key to finding oneself so I would definitely not neglect opening myself up to the understanding of these ideas, but identifying myself as part of an entity before fully understand

Lyrical rants

I wish I knew. ... It's the cyclic passion of a dream, Sucked dry by society's deranged attitude, The essence of a title, Miss Conception. It made no sense but it was the perfect reality, It was the lesson I sought after As a beginner and a master, Bumping up the skymiles, I couldn't go any faster. But cut the dream short, The curtains are closing, the act is over, This isn't some ecstatic fantasy, This is the crude world, its all sprinkled bitter. Don't believe what they're saying The painters had it right for a moment, But that's all it was, It was a frame, that's all we could cherish. In this lyrical endeavor I've cut away the sprinkles, I've left it raw, I've left it bitter. For there is one purpose to this litter, I want you to turn trash into cash. Take in this mash, let it age, Serve it as beer and party my dear, For dealing with stress is a mess And god forbid you taste a crazy IBU. God forbid I step

Effort and why coffee is breaking my heart.

When you wake up in the morning and go to the gym, it takes effort. It takes some kind of superhuman effort to get yourself to move out of bed if you are just getting into the habit, and then get dressed and go to the gym. It may not be for a decent amount of time until you see the benefits of going to the gym, it is an activity that takes a tremendous amount of effort. The reward is powerful, you feel healthier and generally more active, you begin to leverage your capabilities and that allows you to simply become a better person. Now think about the substances you take and the effect they have on you. For example, lets take coffee. It takes very little effort for me to drink coffee aside from ordering it, pressing a button on the work machine, or at the very most making my own shot of espresso. The effort is negligible but the effect is palpable. Your morning becomes immediately better, you feel more aware of your surroundings, the caffeine mimics the effects of adenosine so that i

On transcending dreams and achieving your potential.

There are a number of times when I am drawn to the the art of writing in order to document consistent trends in the way I think. For the past few months I have begun to contemplate the effects that those you surround yourself with and those you avoid has on your personal development. Equally if not more importantly I would like to also address the effect of sharing thoughts  with those who are kind enough to listen has on you. I am incredibly driven by progress. Accomplishing goals and meeting seemingly impossible expectations shares a similar spot in my heart to the adrenaline rush people get when they go skydiving. Lets break these ideas down. Surround yourself with greatness. It is no hidden fact of life that surrounding yourself with the people you want to become will have a tremendous effect on your personality and your ability to become more like the people you are around. There are quite a few phrases that represent this very idea. I wholeheartedly agree with the thought

On selflessness, giving, and happiness.

A close friend of mine recently shared this video with me, that brought me to tears. "Being rich is not about how much you have, but about how much you can give." There are very few things, if any, that make one feel better than helping others. Extending a helping hand and putting in the effort truly make a difference in this world. The smallest compliments and the most selfless tasks bring us closer as a race, they make us better people, they help us change the world. I am writing this because I want to remind myself of the qualities that I admire and aspire to reach. That stated, I have always felt the most comfort in expressing myself in the form of poetry because in my heart it goes beyond the literal, and transcends to embody what you are feeling with what I am thinking, enjoy. A better day A rush of emotion, It's a redesigned experience. One that makes you live, That makes you know, its worth living. I speak not of the surreal But of t

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?"

I love every phrase and mention that makes me rush to the door That makes me remember That bugs my true intention Staying indoor within the comfort zone, That was the failed attempt at living. But in her old age she absorbed the day And in my headaches, I wandered astray. She had wheeled over with courage, Realizing that every day was for living, and yet I stared into the distance, for I was merely breathing. She was witnessing a masterpiece, The Picasso that never left, Until we traded seeing for flashes, And deteriorated the masses. Some would even wonder its meaning, Wonder the worth of leaving the warmth, Of moving, of standing up and perhaps, Just maybe, of walking outside. The beating heart was defeated, It was beaten to no meaning, It no longer felt because you, You had stopped living. A keystroke away, Lay worlds to explore, Fascinated we ventured Like puppets, into its store. The very day in which you gave in, The day in which you were cons

It never stops.

Fascinated by the idea of time, I pondered at the two extremities, A third always in the move, Twelve perfect overlaps, twice, what a groove. As I looked once more, I realized its growth, For every move it made, I made one of my own. Time was my attack, I was playing the restless, I had shown the climax, And hit pause. The sudden recipe was toxic, How long before words lose sentiment, Before the purpose of these keystrokes Are a mere distraction delaying action. It's getting dark, I'm unsure I'll make it. Perhaps I'll break, But even in pieces, i'll take it. The neurons fire, This is a pathology, I've become a curious observer, A patient, and a doctor. The stars awaken, How long have they taken, Is it too late, I'm infected, Holding strong but unprotected. For every hand that's dealt, I am well invested, I'm taking my chances, But no longer well rested. A fourth left to go, Who knows what the future holds,

My Barcelona Guide

Long overdue, but having been to Barcelona a number of times, I have been wanting to write some of the secret parts of the city that I encountered, and that are worth seeing. It's worth citing that a lot of the restaurants were originally gotten from an amazing list of restaurants my doctoral advisor shared with me, and that a lot of the places I love going to were first shown to me by our program director, who knows Barcelona better than anybody I know. Additional note : Barcelona runs on a different time schedule than other countries. Dinner at 9-10pm is very common, and people start going out around midnight (to bars). Clubs start around 2am and go until about 6am, so keep that in mind as you enjoy the city. They also have afternoon naps (siestas), so in the early afternoon, a lot of things may be closed. The summer is usually pretty packed regardless because its booming with tourists. I generally do not like crowded toursit-filled areas, but you have to experience them once.

Shots fired.

Two plus signs and a beat, This one's for you, I'm spilling knowledge so quit saving copper. We grew in green But mine was called a tree, The one that society cropped up The one you pay to go see. You are the poster child of fear, You sit in comfort for years, But under experience You've got nothing, oh dear. Realize that its not everything, Utilize its power and value it, Journey into the unknown, Sacrifice everything, begin to feel. I care. I dare. I embrace despair. But your sheltered nurture has you scared, looking to be chaired. In case your lyrical virginity got lost in a game, realize. It's not the bills in my pocket It's the skill in my rocket. In the stress of silly ideals, You found comfort in keys, You forgot to cherish the beats, You feared the streets. And for what, in your attempt to conform, You did everything but forgot... the norm is not everything. Sure, you'll survive, but did you live?

This one's for me.

"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other and feel. That is the purpose of life." Life Magazine's motto, and a quote brought to the attention of me through Ben Stiller's recent film 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'. Day by day we live our lives. That is as much truth as I dare to say, but today I feel like a small part of me has transcended, a different level of understanding has emerged in my mind, spelling out how to live by appreciation, kindness, and just a little bit of madness. Like any recipe, it takes years to perfect, but just a little bit of effort to make it a good experience. I've recently realized that no matter how much I travel, or do any type of activity that pumps the adrenaline into my heart and fuels me with the very reason which I like to live, I will never get tired of it. It is not necessarily where you travel, but rather simply the fact of changing where you are th