June 6, 2020
Twenty years ago, I bought Hope for the Flowers simply because it made me feel better. Today, I’m appreciating its message for a much-needed revolution. The best part is that we can transform ourselves and the world peacefully. In fact, cocooning is encouraged.
January 31, 2021
Discerning fact from fiction is a hot topic these days. This quote from the bible [WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE THE STABILITY OF THY TIMES] makes me think that people have had this quandary for centuries. When I snapped a photo of the frieze at 30 Rock in February of last year, I had no idea how prophetic it would be. There were times when I questioned whether my beliefs were sound. During these moments, I thought of people who can weather any storm and hung onto every word of those who learned to live a blissful life. Some of these folks I never met and are long gone. It’s through their thoughts and stories that we’re able to navigate this world. It may very well be the reason why buildings have stories in the first place!
February 4, 2021
My younger self didn’t know that Quantum Leap would be available to watch again in the future, so I convinced my sister to squeeze it in during our piano lessons. We each watched one half of the show and pieced it together on our way home. It’s funny what we do when we think that there’s no other option. Thirty years later, it’s becoming obvious to me that there are infinite possibilities. No other show drives this message home so clearly.
Favorite quote: “The catch is that you have to accept that you control your own destiny.”
February 5, 2021
Feeling like it was no accident that Who Moved My Cheese? was in the bathroom of a vacation rental. It needed to be odd enough for me to read the book, which happened to be on my desk at work. I’ll never forget it because of the many reprints I handled, the sales rep who told me of how it beat expectations (repeatedly), and the story itself. Though, it was the author’s motive that struck me most. Spencer Johnson left behind a medical career to write motivational books because he wanted to help people from the inside. The same message of how to deal with change is echoed in so many other stories, but this is the simplest and perhaps the easiest to digest.
March 18, 2021
Anytime I am offended by another, I have to remind myself that hurt people hurt people. It becomes an endless cycle of pain when we fail to see that the other person is suffering, most likely more than you. Having compassion for others, even the ones who appear to be undeserving isn’t easy. But, it’s our ticket toward peace. I know this because of my own experiences and shows I watched as a kid. Kindness, especially when it is unexpected, can be disarming. The Care Bear stare, in which the bears beam love at villains, is the best example I can think of. A more realistic approach is shown throughout the series of Quantum Leap, where the character, Sam, uses words and actions to help those in need. Some of the ones who needed saving were regarded as the “enemy.” I mention these two because their aim was clear and they offered solutions. However, there are plenty of other programs that teach under the guise of entertainment. I believe that we’ve been given guidance through all forms of media for the purpose of creating the world we desire.
September 19, 2022
If my life were a movie, the camera would pan to the Aesop washcloth with Henry David Thoreau’s quote: “If you can speak what you will never hear, if you can write what you will never read, you have done rare things.” This would be me after questioning my peculiar behavior of late: waking up in the middle of the night to write. I would explain that I never planned to share my thoughts online, that I should spend that time sticking to talents I actually own. But, it’s true about having rare experiences. Those I’ve had and figured out how to make them not so.
September 30, 2022
Returned to a film I watched in college, Metropolis (the 1927 version). I can’t remember why it was shown in philosophy class, but it did answer some long-standing questions I had about life. Ending with: “The mediator between head and hands must be the heart!”
October 11, 2022
In last night’s episode of Quantum Leap (the reboot), there was a scene in which the main character is told that sometimes the answer is right in front of you. I bring it up because I made such a hullabaloo about the original show last year and it’s still helping me fill in the blanks. For someone who’s not into sci-fi or fantasy, I appreciate how it explores concepts that stretch the imagination in a relatable way, like infinite possibilities. I also like happy endings. I just never understood why so many people write them if they don’t believe in them. Then one day, it struck me that there are people who do believe. Not because they were lucky or happy to begin with. Because they didn’t think that it was possible at first. It took moments of feeling guided to be able to tell these kinds of stories.
This morning, I looked around my desk to see what I’ve missed and spotted a booklet titled, “What’s Your Story?” and a journal with “Infinite Possibilities” stamped on the cover. The booklet was requested at the beginning of March 2020, but I didn’t receive it until the end of October 2021. The journal came about a month or two later, when I took another leap of faith. It didn’t feel like a coincidence this time.