A Spiritual Quest

1. Creativity
2. Kindness
3. Beauty
4. Love
5. Courage
6. Strength
7. Compassion
8. Joy
9. Happiness
10. Laughter
11. Abundance
12. Adaptability
13. Understanding
14. Reflection
15. Truth

Great Leaders before us did the following things:

1. They were independent from the good opinions of others

2. They were detached from their outcomes---
instead they were focused on the process rather than outcomes

3. They had no investment in control or power of others;
their purpose was being on purpose
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When the time comes
that our demand for love and services
for all of humanity
are but a mere fraction of the demand,
we hold as a society,
for consumer products
and services of businesses,
it would then mark the beginning
of a new direction
that we all walk towards together

That time has come.

Let us not await for this journey
but to live it as it is and
will forever be inside of us

It is time to celebrate:
To live fully here and now and in each and every moment
To give blessings to those who are in need the most
To give thanks to those who have come before us and
have left their memories, knowledge and wisdom of
the true ways we, as a society, have lived once before
To express the love we have for those who support us;
our family, friends, co-workers and other loved ones
To acknowledge that it was the struggles and the hard times
that made us who we are today and without experiencing them
we would not have learned the important lessons of life.
To live out the best life that we possibly can each day
To love and accept ourselves, so that we are able
To love and accept our family, friends, co-workers and
To love and accept our perceived enemies and
To love and accept our struggles, so that me may be opened
To know and believe that there is constant love and light shining in our lives

"Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."

1. If you were absolutely guaranteed to succeed, what would you dare to do?
Serve others directly 24 hours in my sleep and when i am awake.

First, I would start with RELATIONSHIPS.

* The relationship with my mind, body and spirit are well-integrated and balanced. What i experience in one area affects the other. I want to feel very good and by very good.

*my family. I want them to all know how deeply I care for them and love them. I would be communicative with my feelings, goals and dreams in life and be willing and open to speaking and most importantly listening to each of them.

* What are you most passionate about?
SERVICE AND KINDESS. HUMOR AND LOVE. TRUTH AND SPIRITUALITY.

* What are your greatest strengths?
* How can you get paid doing what you love?
* When (what circumstances? around what people?) do you feel most alive?
* What were your 5 greatest accomplishments over the last 5 years?
* Your 5 greatest accomplishments over the next 5 years? The next 25 years?
* How can you best share your gifts with the world?
* What would you do if you weren't afraid?
* What other questions should you be asking yourself?!?

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." Chinese Proverb

"The only thing I know, is that I know nothing." Socrates

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall - think of it, ALWAYS." Mahatma Gandhi

"The possibility that we may fail in the struggle should not deter us from supporting a cause we believe to be just." Abraham Lincoln

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I am still learning." Michelangelo

"You can make more friends in 2 months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in 2 years by trying to get people interested in you." Dale Carnegie

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far they can really go." T.S. Eliot

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." J K Rowling

"Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting - So...get on your way!" Dr Seuss

"The meaning of life is to find your gift, the purpose of life is to give it away." Joy J. Golliver

"Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right." Isaac Asimov

"People do not lack strength; they lack will." Victor Hugo

"The longest day you'll ever have is only 24 hours long." Author unknown

"I ask God: 'How much time do I have left?' and God replies: 'Enough to make a difference'." Author unknown

"There is no love where there is no will" Mahatma Gandhi

"When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside can't hurt you." African proverb

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Einstein

"As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm. Jump. It is not as wide as you think." Native American Initiation Rite

"This above all: to thine own self be true. It must follow that you cannot then be false to any man." Shakespeare

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt

"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching." Satchmo Paige

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it's the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Never give in, never! Be it concerning large things or small things, never, never, never!" Winston Churchill

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." Mahatma Gandhi

"Truth never damages a cause that is just." Mahatma Gandhi

"A 'NO' uttered from the deepest conviction is better and greater than a 'YES' merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble." Mahatma Gandhi

"The only evil is that which lurks within our own hearts. This is where all of our battles should be fought." Mahatma Gandhi

"Enlightenment is your ego's biggest disappointment." Yoginanda

"It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well." Descartes

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves: "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." Nelson Mandela

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is." Albert Einstein

"The Hunger for Love is much more difficult to remove than the Hunger for Bread" Mother Teresa

"What society does to its children, so will its children do to society." Cicero

"Kind words may be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." Mother Theresa

"We can do no great things. Only small things with great love." Mother Theresa

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." Albert Einstein

"Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Plato

"Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, love more, and all good things will be yours." Swedish Proverb

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
-- Winston Churchill

You must not let your life run in the ordinary way; do something that nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world. Show that God's creative principle works in you.

Paramahansa Yogananda

So, I had my first telephone interview today. It's for an acting opportunity at EffectiveArts. However, I was a bit nervous and felt rush even though Jim was really nice.

Hello LiveJournal,

I knew I couldn't stay away from you forever. It's been such a long time since I gave this site any real love. But now that I have the need... the need to speed. No, not really, but anyhow! I want to get in the habit of writing my thoughts down to help me gain a better understanding of myself, my life and the way I live it.

It's easy to forget today's events, let alone events that had happened a few days ago, a week ago or a year ago. I want to jot down my memories so that I can remember and reflect on how something made me feel.

And I shall end it at that....

For Our World

We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment...
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment...
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment...
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice...
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment...
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.

September 12, 2001
© Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek

Warriorship:
According to Trungpa, a warrior is a man or woman who is no longer afraid to be their real self. Accept yourself with all your glories and all your warts. You are a unique individual with great potential. Do not let fear hold you back... a life lived in fear is a life half lived.

-Will Keim

"People are often unreasonable, illogical and
self-centered. If you are kind, people may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind, anyway. If you
are successful, you will win some false friends and
true enemies; succeed, anyway. If you are honest and
frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank,
anyway. What you spend years building, someone could
destroy overnight; build, anyway. If you find serenity
and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy, anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget
tomorrow; do good, anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be
enough; give the world the best you've got, anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and
God. It was never between you and them, anyway."

- Mother Teresa

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It's a section in "What I Want My Daughter To Know." Great book. Here is more...

***
Wise men embrace the one
and set an example to all.
Not putting on a display,
they shine forth.
Not justifying themselves,
they are distinguished.
Not boasting,
They received recognition.
Not bragging,
they never falter.

Lao Tsu
***

***
"Don't expose yourself to criticism from people who are not able to understand your complexity. Your personal responsibility is to be yourself, to remain true to yourself. You never have to prove anything to anyone."

From the book
***

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Maya Angelou said this: "I've learned that no matter what happens, or how
bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow." "I've
learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles
these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree
lights." "I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your
parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life." "I've learned
that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life." "I've
learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance." "I've learned that
you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need
be able to throw some things back." "I've learned that whenever I decide
something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision." "I've
learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one." "I've learned
that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm
hug, or just a friendly pat on the back." "I've learned that I still have a
lot to learn." "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people
will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel."

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"I believe in life. Your life. I believe that you
should living every minute of it with every ounce of
your being, despite the ounces of cancer which have
invaded your naughty bits. Life is your domain, and
you must not let cancer wrest control of it. I believe
in focus: getting smart and living strong. Unity is
strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.
This is Lance Armstrong.

I kick in the moment you’re diagnosed. I help you
accept the tears. Acknowledge the rage. I believe in
your right to live without pain. I believe in
information. Not pity. And in straight, open talk
about cancer. Even if it has made headway into your
nutsack. This is no time to pull punches. You’re in
the fight of your life.

I'm about the hard stuff. Like finding the nerve to
ask for a second opinion. And a third, or a fourth, if
that’s what it takes. Hey, if you've gotta bribe some
Dr. Nick or Robert somewhere to tell you what you want
to hear, that's fine. In fact, it's better than fine:
it's the way of champions. Nothing's too good for your
nuts.

It’s your life. You will have it my way.

I'm about the practical stuff. Planning for surviving.
Banking your sperm. Preserving your fertility.
Organizing your finances. Dealing with hospitals,
specialists, insurance companies and employers. It’s
your life, but you should manage it like me. I don't
have bad days. I have good days, and great days."

At this point, Lance Armstrong stops his speech and
grabs his nuts.

"Take no prisoners. Live strong."

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Representin' United Students Association Senate 2004-2005

will miss you all. ;P

so many things are happening, i don't know where to start.

what would you like to know? in no particular order.....

my high school's graduation- June 17th
older sister flying down from DC- June 15th
Simply FOBulous (the movie) premiere- June 17th
Karen's Birthday- June 17th
Dad's Birthday- June 12th
Father's Day- June 19th
Summer Retreat for the incoming student government- June 21st-23rd
Potluck at Julie's- June 10th
Mandatory meeting for my Mount Rainier Crew- June 9th
Forum for official dean at South Seattle- June 7th
Kellie's Birthday- June 8th
Selection Committee Interviews- June 8th
Ballard's Prom- June 11th
Seattle International Film Festival- June 12th
Meeting with Valerie for Toastmasters- June 8th
Kamiak's Graduation- June 13th
My birthday- June 13th
Eat out with Mai, Thorn, Lai and the girls- June 14th
Last day of finals at South Seattle Community College- June 17th
Finals for Yoga and Chemistry- June 13th
Final for Math- June 15th
My choir concert- June 10th
Trina's Graduation party- June 12th
Mandatory Choir concert- June 12th 7pm
Last Senate meeting of the year- June 7th
Student Life Party @ school- June 10th
Buy flowers for the Leading Ladies- June 8th/9th
Tammy leaves- June 21st
Trina leaves for Michigan- June 21st
Parents' wedding anniversary- June 12th
Michelle Jenkins' mom's birthday- June 13th
Tashi's birthday- June 12th

You Belong in London A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well. What City Do You Belong in? Take This Quiz :-)

believably true. today i shopped at the grocery store with corina for two whole hellish hours.

closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
i know who i want to take me home