the world needs more Shirley Manson

this clip is hilarious, thank God for the internet or i would've missed it.

i was quoted in another blog :)

it's kind of a nice feeling

i provided the last quote featured in this blog post by the author of a favorite book of mine-
and he used a sentence from my comment as the title of his post.

http://brooks-palmer.blogspot.com/2009/12/no-shame-in-taking-nap_17.html


Clutter Busting Blog
Visit www.clutterbusting.com!

a great book

just got through reading this book, requiem for a paper bag, edited by Davy Rothbart, creator of Found Magazine and the Found books. Its a must-read!! my favorite story in this book is called 'the old clerk's diary' by katherine dunn

one of my favorite videos

i love watching the dance that starts at 2:15 in-

smell some flowers

12. smell some flowers

i think i've only bought myself flowers once or twice in my entire life. having plants around is supposed to make you more efficient at work and less stressed/anxious at home. yet somehow i always forget to buy them. i even live really close to a huge flower shop, but have never stepped foot inside. i really love yellow flowers of all kinds, and confetti roses, and of course the classic red roses. i also like tulips. the last bouquet i bought myself was a dozen purple tulips at the supermarket. they lasted a pretty long time and looked so pretty on my windowsill in my living room.

lately i've been considering buying fake plastic flowers, just so i can have something to put in the vases i have at work that's pretty to look at and has some color. i think smelling flowers can have a calming effect, and it's not the same if you just have some rose scented candle or body wash or whatever, its just not as pure a fragrance. i've read that plants help to purify the air of toxins and just make you feel better when you are around them, so i think that makes them worth the money to purchase.

here's a pic of a pretty bouquet my boyfriend gave me once

share your feelings

11. share your feelings

sharing feelings can be hard to do. i tend to share mine here on this blog, or in my personal paper journals. not having many close friends i can confide in, and lots of people in my life who would rather talk about themselves and cut me off, i often end up sharing my feelings with my boyfriend, which makes me wonder sometimes how he can still stand to be with me! I generally have trouble opening up to other people though, and deepening friendships that are basically co-workers and acquaintances.

it's important to share feelings though because they can take you over if you don't. holding feelings inside is dangerous and unhealthy for your mind and body and spirit. the last thing you want to have happen is for stress to take over. my mom always told me that when i find myself in a situation where i feeling like crying, then i should cry, and if i find myself in a situation where i feel like screaming, i should scream. it's natural, human and healthy. it's not something of course that comes up often, but when it does, i don't see anything wrong with expressing your emotions, and unburdening yourself.

everyone needs some sort of outlet. feelings of stress or pressure can be alleviated by exercise for some, or calling a friend or a parent, or doing some art work, writing, playing music, scrap booking or other creative task. people write comments here saying that they relate to what i say which is so great, it that makes me think that my feelings are justified and there's nothing wrong with them. we all experience life our own way, and what we feel as we live is telling of who we are and what our story is. it's much better to share your feelings, rather than pretend they don't exist and live in denial. being truthful with yourself and other people is a great relief when you remember to do it. i often ask myself how do i really feel? instead of wondering how things should make me feel. If you open up and share your feelings, you might find that you are not alone in the way that you feel. And that can be amazing.

10. organize your space

10. organize your space

this is easier said then done sometimes, especially when you're tired. but for me personally, it lowers my energy every time i encounter a mess, and sometimes its worth it to spend that extra time washing dishes and picking up, because things tend to accumulate if you don't do that. i hate looking at a pile of junk mail, or not knowing where a particular item of clothing is in my closet. i like organization. at home and at work, though at work it can be a little more difficult to keep track of all the files that need saving and reference.

seeing an organized space contributes to your peace of mind. i remember when i went to see the apartment that i eventually moved into and none of my things were in there yet, and i was just looking at an empty fresh space. what a nice calming thing that was to see. no clutter, no mess, no papers, no junk, no dust, nothing. i often think back to that feeling when i try to convince myself to clear out some clutter. it drives me a little crazy when things are out of place.

this reminds me of that show on A&E called ‘hoarders,’ talk about scary! those people deal with a mental illness and a compulsive need to keep things and it gets really out of control. i can't understand how people can live that way without losing their minds. sometimes it takes the cleaning crews days to clear out one of their houses and they need to use shovels and face masks. it's fascinating in a way, to see what people decide to keep, what they see as having value and are unwilling to part with.

i've always wanted my life and my space to be as simple as possible, and i keep trying for that all the time. i know i probably have too much stuff, and too many clothes i don't really use much, but it's really hard to let go of things that you have paid for. on the other hand, i do get the most use out of the things i love, and some of my clothing and purses and shoes i've had for several years. i'd rather hold on to something i really like then to go out shopping a lot for clothes. it's hard because it's affordable, and attractive, and fun to shop for, but then i find myself running out of hangers to hang my clothes and realize that i need to clear some of it out.

use affirmations

9. use affirmations

affirmations are something that i could never really get into, but i suppose they do work for some people. you have to have discipline to remember to tell them to yourself. i saw a show last night on TV about people who have won lotteries and how it changed their lives. there was one guy who was reading a book about positive thinking, when he noticed an ad in the paper for a raffle. the raffle was $150 to enter to win a choice of one of two houses, or $1 million in cash. and he ended up winning and choosing the money.

there was another man on the same show who had an affirmation written on his bathroom mirrors. it said something to the effect of 'you are looking at the source of all your happiness.' i found that to be really interesting and really profound. i think affirmations work a lot like gratitude, in that you choose to focus on the positive, instead of lamenting over the negative state of things in your life. you change your focus and expect the good things. and being thankful for the good things is always attracting more of those good things into your life.

when i say my prayers, i usually thank God for all of my blessings, because i know i am fortunate and i don't take things for granted. it's not good to pray just to ask god for help, you need to thank him as well for all he has done for you. i am healthy and have a good job, a wonderful family, a lovely and loving boyfriend, i'm making more friends every day and getting more confident, i know where my next meal is coming from, i have a roof over my head and a warm place to sleep, i am able to support myself, all these things are blessings and there are so many more. i expect to always be taken care of by God, i expect good things and happy experiences and positive people, so that has to be my experience. i will not settle for less.

celebrating my sweetie's birthday

here are some pics of our celebration last night with him, me and my parents,

(i'm wearing my new fireball necklace from molly sims for HSN. god i love that thing!! and my bf too of course ;)

let go and let God

8. let go and let God

this advice is very sound and can be very comforting. especially for people like me who always want control over every situation, and who get disappointed when things don't turn out the way they were expecting. not everything can go as planned all the time, and we only stress ourselves out by trying to fight against the flow of life. sometimes, there's just nothing else you can do, but wait something out and leave the outcome in God's hands. let go of control and just surrender.

there are times when letting go and letting God seem impossible, but we need to have trust and faith that things are for the best, and the lessons we learn as humans will only make us better in the end. i used to think things like: when will i find love? when will i be happy? when will i know my purpose? When will I feel like part of a group of friends? but it's pointless to try to predict the future. we can only live now and what's important is accepting who we are and how life is. this leads to peace of mind, it ends fruitless resistance. it's ok to be gentle with ourselves, admit we have faults and have made mistakes, and simply try to improve.

nothing can ever be perfect, or exactly as we want it, because we are human, not angels. and this is earth, not heaven. there will be struggles and hardships but there will also be blessings and happiness too. and little things to take pleasure in. and little moments that remind you of why you are alive, and those are the ones that matter most.

7. see a comedy

7. see a comedy

as far as a stress relief, laughter really helps. this reminds me of a father's day barbecue i went to once at my aunt's house a few summers ago. we didn't watch a comedy together, but for some reason all my cousins were in a silly mood and we spent the whole afternoon laughing and joking together about everything. it was nonstop. and at the end of the day, i literally felt like a great weight had been lifted off of me, and i remember saying, wow, i needed that! i had absolutely no tension left in my body whatsoever.

seeing a comedy, if its a good one, can probably have the same effect. you let go of worries, stop taking things so seriously, and revel in the silly side of life. my favorite comedies are the ones with jim carrey (ace ventura). the hot shots spoof movies were funny too. chris rock's HBO special show called 'bigger and blacker' was hilarious. there are not too many funny comics out there, but maybe i'm just not in the habit of watching much comedy. i was told that i had to see 'the hangover' and some other movies like napoleon dynamite that i just never got around to seeing.

of course nothing beats the 'don't fear the reaper' sketch with will farrell, the belly shirt, the cowbell, and christopher walkin on SNL.

leave five minutes earlier

6. leave five minutes earlier

this tip really helps a lot. i know that when i give myself more time in the morning, i'm much less frazzled starting and throughout my day. it may seem like common sense, but it makes a big difference. i usually wake up early enough so that i can have some breakfast before leaving for work. i don't know how people can skip breakfast. usually, the idea and anticipation of eating is what gets me up and out of bed.

it's hard to get up early. really hard on some days, especially winter days, but i try to do as much as possible to prepare for the next day on the night before. i pick out what i'm wearing, iron it and make my lunch for the next day, and it saves me a lot of time. it's also best to have a few free minutes before work starts to go get a coffee or something like that, which i usually do. i hate having to rush. and for me it's particularly an issue because i have to punch in for work. meaning, i have to click into a program that records the time i arrive and leave everyday. its annoying. but that's how things are.

i wish i could meditate in the morning, but that's one thing that i'm way too sleepy for at that time. i could only meditate at night. and i would need to get up very early to get it done in the morning, before my upstairs neighbors get up and start walking around. and i'm just not able to get up that early most of the time. i always wished the work day was from 10am to 4pm or something more tolerable like that. i don't feel fully awake until around 11am anyway. then i'm glad i'm not home lounging and that i have a job to go to.

get a massage

5. get a massage

this is one of my all time favorite things to do! but i don't do it as often as i should. usually if they are done right, you leave feeling like a brand new, rejuvenated person. i remember once going to a salon to get a haircut and there was a new shampoo girl. she washed my hair and gave me this amazing, slow, and luxurious cranial massage that left me so relaxed, it was the best! i never saw her at that salon after that so oh well, i need to find out where else they provide that kind of service.

i've been curious to try out acupuncture, supposedly it doesn't hurt that much and really does wonders for anxiety and stress levels in the body. it works with the 'chi' energy in the body and ensures that it is flowing properly and well. the same idea goes into tai chi, which is kind of like a moving meditation, where you stretch and move the body to help the chi energy circulate, or something to that effect. i'm probably not describing it well, but maybe you have heard of it and know what i mean.

massages are weird because it's hard to get perfectly comfortable. usually i find that the room is too cold, or the lotion used is too cold, or something else is slightly off that makes it hard to relax, but in the right setting, it can be a godsend. we live so often in our minds that it's nice to be reminded of our physical bodies, and be brought back down to earth for a while. i think most people need that. i've been trying to get myself a massage every month, but i hardly ever do it and i definitely should.