Make my parents proud - Learn a new language
- Read 52 books in 2013
- Reach a weight i am happy with
- Take a road trip
- Build a career doing something i love
- Travel to 6 continents
- Start a family
- Pursue a masters degree
- Write a novel
- Develop an app
- Fall in love
- Retire somewhere beautiful
- Live a abroad for a year
Monthly Archives: February 2013
Writing Prompt: They stood together, hand in hand, and watched the world burn.
I going to try and post a writing a prompt every few days. It would help me think up new ideas. The focus is clearly not grammar or sentence structure. This prompt came from ‘Give a Prompt, Take a Prompt’
They stood together, hand in hand, and watched the world burn. He knew he had to get her out of here, but his legs would not obey him. A few meters away the fire was eating up everything he has ever known. Once the fire burned down there would be nothing left. He started tugging at her had trying to do something. She did not respond. The fire started spreading their way, eating up everything in front of it. He tried to shout out sams name, but he started coughing from the smoke. Sam looked at him with shocked eyes and spun around. They started running in the opposite direction from the fire. They run through the forest where the low branches scratched up their faces. Every time they fell they would get up and keep running. The fire was long behind them by now but they never stopped running. Each one did not want to let the others hand go. They held tight onto each other. The last shred from their lives. All Mark could here was his heart beats, loud in his head. Sam felt numb she couldn’t think straight. Her thinking was foggy and she couldn’t make sense of the events. They finally stopped when they reached the pond. It failed to provide the comfort they expected. It was the only familiar place to them..outside their hometown. They tried not to think about it. They immediately jumped into the pond. Mark hit the bottom of the pond and stayed there as long as he could. Under the water he did not have to face reality. He did not have to look at sam. He did not have to think about their hometown, life, friends..family. He tried to block them out, but the questions kept coming. Sam swam to the other side of the pond. She closed her eyes and floated on her back. It was quite. All she could here was the wind blowing calmly. She could did not see Mark but new he was under the water close by. She thought of the first they discovered this place. They were terribly lost young kids who did not know where to go. She remembered stumbling on the pond and completely forgetting about being lost. Every since it has become their place. They always came here together to escape..the town. She dunked herself under the water she could not think about it. Not now, she wasn’t ready. As she drifted up to the surface of the pond she heard a sound behind her. She slowly spun around expecting to see that Mark finally reappeared from under the water, but it wasn’t Mark.
Inspiration
I am starting a new series in my blog called ‘Inspiration’. I post several things i found inspiring that week including art, quotes, tips, websites, books, people, and music. It is a place to reflect on the week and give a shout out to things that pushed me in the right direction. To check out other ‘Inspiration’ posts follow the tag: inspiration.
Quote:
“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.”
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Website:
Darcy Pattison
Tip:
Always remember those who helped you. Deliver two or three times as much value back.
First 5 Things I Did Today Morning
Had a slow lazy morning;
- I turned my alarm off on my blackberry at 6:30AM
- I grabbed my laptop that was lying on my bed and watched a few youtube videos as i lied down in bed (seriously)
- I went to the bathroom and got dressed
- Grabbed the magazine that got here today morning
- Ate breakfast while reading the magazine.
Summer 2013
It is extremely early, but i was day dreaming about the end of the semester the other and started thinking about the summer. I think i would like to spend summer 2013 learning a new skill. I think i’m going to spend July writing a novel, but i would like to be productive in August as well. Different things i have been thinking of:
- Learn a new language, maybe Korean or Chinese
- Learn how to code
- Learn how to bake and cook
- Learn how to sew
- Learn to play an instrument
Or maybe i should dedicate my summer learning about a particular topic. I feel like i know very little about many things. Could be interesting to spend time really learning about a topic and understanding it.
I Write Like…
Apparently i write like James Joyce. I never read any of his writing, but if the internet says so then it must be true. I looked up his books. They include Ulysses. I might add it to my reading list. I recently joined Nanowrimowhich is the National Writing Month. So far, i have explored the forums and they are filled with interesting and useful information. I’m thinking of participating in either the April camp or the July camp. I don’t have high expectation, but it would be good to give it a try to before November. I should probably start thinking about novel ideas and characters.
My username: ForeverAsleep
List The Things You Should Be Proud Of
The prompt for week 3 of project 52 is to list the things i should be proud of.
- Graduating HighSchool
- Working on my undergraduate degree
- Being part of national conference
- Pursuing my goals
- Learning who i am and who i want to be
- Being compassionate and understanding
- Being a daughter, sister, and a friend
- Standing up for what i think
- Cutting out people that don’t belong in my life
- Forgiving who have hurt me and moving on
Color My Life
Flowers
Courtesy of Design Seeds
Courtesy of Design Seeds
Courtesy of Design Seeds
Travel
Courtesy of Design Seeds
Courtesy of Design Seeds
Cold nights
Courtesy of Design Seeds
Courtesy of Design Seeds
Playlist Shuffle
Put your music player on shuffle and write the first ten songs that play. Result:
Inspiration
I am starting a new series in my blog called ‘Inspiration’. I post several things i found inspiring that week including art, quotes, tips, websites, books, people, and music. It is a place to reflect on the week and give a shout out to things that pushed me in the right direction. To check out other ‘Inspiration’ posts follow the tag: inspiration.
Quote:
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
― Elie Wiesel
Photography:
Courtesy of Miguel-Santos
Book:
Uglies Trilogy
Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
Tip:
Learn something from everyone.
If My Fears Became Phobias
I recently stumbled upon Phobialist.com and decided to look up my fears. If my fears where phobias they would be:
Athazagoraphobia- Fear of being forgotton or ignored or forgetting.
Entomophobia- Fear of insects.
Ligyrophobia- Fear of loud noises.
Ochlophobia- Fear of crowds or mobs.
Ophthalmophobia- Fear of being stared at.
Zoophobia- Fear of animals.
Random Thoughts on The Treadmill
Courtesy of Jazmincat
I have been working out a lot more recently as part of my Good Habits Challenge and 2013 fitness goals. I usually follow along to a work-out video or follow the instructions on an app, but some days i’m really just not feeling it at all. On those days i make my way to the treadmill. It is one of the most boring exercise machines, but sometimes that is exactly what i need. It frees my mind to contemplate life . On one side of my treadmill there is a cup-holder and on the other side there is a bigger oddly shaped compartment that i never figured out what it was supposed to accommodate. I never discovered its real purpose, but i found something that fits perfectly. My new ipad mini fits the mysterious compartment so well you would think it was made for it – it wasn’t, the treadmill is years old. I like to watch movies while i’m walking on the treadmill. Most of the shows i watch i mentioned in my top tv shows post plus a few more recent ones. TV shows are a great distraction, by the end of the episode i enjoyed some tv and had a workout.
List Your Greatest Comforts
The prompt for week 2 of project 52 is to list my greatest comforts.
- My bed
- Talking to my mother
- Reading a book, any book
- Wearing my pjs and fuzzy slippers
- Hot drinks
- The sound of rain on a cold night
- The smell of fresh grass on sunny day
- Oversized sweaters
- Late night talks
- Organising my room and knowing where everything is
- Being completely wrapped up in a movie or book that the characters seem so real
- Fridays
- Taking my shoes off at the end of the day
- Not setting the alarm
- Long hugs
2013 Movies
Courtesy of Ada
The movies i am most looking forward to in 2013 are:
Beautiful Creatures
Based on a book by the same title. I have heard many people talking about already, but i might wait till i read the book before watching it.
Despicable me 2
Despicable me was one the cutest make me happy movies. Hopefully the second instalment will not disappoint.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
The book is on my 2013 reading list. Once I read the book I will definitely check it out and with an August release date i have plenty of time.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
I absolutely can not wait. I loved the books, the first movie, all of it!
Are you seeking contentment or excitement?
I think i’m currently seeking contentment in my life. I am content with how my life is right now. Even small changes scare me. I have a very inflexible comfort zone. How do i start seeking excitement in my life? I want to step outside my comfort zone. I want to push my limits. As i wrote previously i want to be stronger in 2013. There are a few opportunities headed my way and all i want to do is to say no and go on my merry way. I am trying to push my self. To think about how it would feel after, being able to say “yes, i did that”. I don’t want to look back and have a life filled with what ifs and regrets.
Book Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld starts with :”The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit”. That in my opinion is a very interesting first line to start a book with. From the very beginning i was sucked into the adventures of Tally Youngblood. I have missed this feeling. Reading a book that grips you from the very beginning till the very last word feels very exhilarating. I enjoy reading books that create a world that might exist after ours showing us a glimpse of what the future could be. The book reminded me of another book a enjoyed years ago: The Giver by Lois Lowry. The book shows the ugly side of being pretty. Many books create future worlds that arise from wanting to distant themselves from our current world. If we continue as we are would we destroy everything? Would future generations see us as crazy ‘rusties’?
A few quotes i enjoyed:
“In a world of extreme beauty, anyone normal is ugly.”
“What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.”
“Perhaps the logical conclusion of everyone looking the same is everyone thinking the same.”
“The flowers were so beautiful, so delicate and unthreatening, but they choked everything around them.”
― Scott Westerfeld, Uglies
Inspiration
I am starting a new series in my blog called ‘Inspiration’. I post several things i found inspiring that week including art, quotes, tips, websites, books, people, and music. It is a place to reflect on the week and give a shout out to things that pushed me in the right direction. To check out other ‘Inspiration’ posts follow the tag: inspiration.
Art:
Courtesy of DeivCalviz
Quote:
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renenwed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Music:
Fitness:
Courtesy of Workout Motivator
Top 10 TV Shows
My favourite way to relax when i don’t feel like reading is to watch TV shows. I’m going to list my top 10 current tv show favorites. I watch a wide variety of TV shows including drama, comedy, and teen shows. Some are new while others have been on tv forever.
In no particular order:
1. The Vampire Diaries
Courtesy of IMDB
2. Revenge
Courtesy of IMDB
3. Pretty Little Liars
Courtesy of IMDB
4. Big Bang Theory
Courtesy of IMDB
5. Grey’s Anatomy
Courtesy of IMDB
6. The Lying Game
Courtesy of IMDB
7. How I Met Your Mother
Courtesy of IMDB
8. Arrow
Courtesy of IMDB
9. American Horror Story
Courtesy of IMDB
10. Once Upon A Time
Courtesy of IMDB
Word of the Year (2013): Strong
Courtesy of Vibrant Colors
I recently discovered a new blog that i enjoy visiting. The blog is called Analyfe and on it Erin recently discussed her word for 2013 being connect. Which reminded me that i haven’t posted about my word for 2013 yet. My word for 2013 is strong.
I was on holiday in Malaysia for the new years. I remember sitting in the hotel a few hours before midnight hearing the crowds gather around the Petronas Towers to watch the fire workers. I wanted to finish writing what 2013 is going to be all about for me. Somehow it does not count unless i plan it all out before midnight. I wanted to chose a word to focus on, a word that wil help me reach my goals. For 2013 i want stronger relationships, beliefs, dreams. I want to be stronger. To stand up for my thoughts, to pursue my dreams, to my push my limit. To be stronger than the fear of failing. I want to be strong mentally, physically, and emotionally. I want to be forgiving, accepting, and loving.
List the Words That Touch Your Soul
I decided to participate in Moorea Seal‘s Project 52. I’m a little late to the party, but hopefully I will catch up. I loved her description of the project and how it works:
“I love lists! So I thought it would be fun to start a series on my blog for 2013 that focuses on List making, lists for fun, lists for self discovery, you name it. And it’s all about participation! Each week I’ll have a new list prompt for you to download. I think it could be really fun to print out a page each week, collect them through the year and then bind them together at the end of the year as a little memento of 2013.”
The first prompt is: List the Words That Touch Your Soul
Words that Touch My Soul
I used ABCya! to create the word cloud. I think it showcases the words i chose in a more artistic form.
The words i chose revolved around:
- The people i love and my relationship with them: Family, love, trust, loyalty
- The things i love: Reading, writing, music
- How i see the future: Edge, horizon, purpose, lost, hope, light, chances
- Gentle reminders: Memories, relaxation, care, live, pray, breath
Good Habits Challenge
Apparently it takes 28 days to form a habit. I’m going creating a list of good habits i would like to form and i’m challenging myself to do them everyday for from the 5th of Feb till the 4th of March.
Daily Habits:
1.Waking up early
Courtesy of Verónica
I would like to wake up at 6AM when i have university and at 8AM on my days off. I notice that when i’m early my day starts out on a much better note. I am less stressed, i can take them time to walk through the motions with out rushing out the door.
2.Make my bed first thing when i wake up
Something about a made bed really makes the room look more organised and makes me feel like a i have it all under control. Who doesn’t love jumping into a nicely made bed?!
3.Exercising for 15mins
Exercising for a longer time a few times a week works for some people, but it never works for me. Working out for a short time everyday creates a habit and seems less daunting than longer stretches of time.
4.Reaching out to a friend
I am absolutely bad at keeping in touch with friends and reaching out to them. I get so caught up in my do list i tend to withdraw from the outside world. I would like to somehow reach out to one friend everyday.
5.Reading for at least an hour
Courtesy of Passion Lecture
I absolutely love reading. Once i start i can just keep on reading till i’m done. The challenge is making the time to open a book. Things can get very hectic and reading for an hour will give my brain a much needed break from reality.
6.Check new headlines
I would like to take a few minutes everyday to know what is going on out in the world. It is very comfortable here in my bubble , but it will be good to at least know what everyone else is talking about.
7.Take my vitamins
I just need to remember to take them!
8.Develop good study habit
I start of the semester being the best student out there until the work actually starts and then i feel like i’m constantly trying to catch up.
9.Tidy up at the end of the day
Courtesy of Fairy Tales are a Girls Dream
Picking up a little bit before bed will go along way in preventing an apocalypse sized mess in my room.
10.Write one sentence describing my day before going to sleep.
I would like to take a few minutes at the end of the day to to reflect on my day. I think that would give me a fresh start for the next day.
An Imperfect Perfectionist
Most people around me assume that a perfectionist is someone that does everything perfectly. I’d say that would be a dream come true. In reality there are very few things i can do “perfectly”. Being a perfectionist places impossibly highe expectations on my self. If i know that i would never be able to meet my personal standards i would rather not even try. I create impossible expectations that set myself up for failure and frustration. I want to be strong enough to try anyway. I want to be forgiving to myself when i come short of my expectations. Being terrified of even trying is probably the biggest obstacle standing between me and my goals.
Edge by Dreamerwhit95
This year i want to:
- Say yes to opportunities offered to me
- Stop second guessing my self every step of the way
- Realize that i am more than capable of accomplishing anything i set my mind to
- Never regret when things go wrong
Drinking Water
Courtesy of h2o2
So far this week my biggest struggle has been drinking enough water! Which seems seriously ridiculous looking at my other goals. I hoping to scientists will discover that we don’t really need 2 liters (8 cups) of water per day because that seems impossible. On an average day when i’m not thinking about it i drink around 0.5 liters (2 cups)! Clearly that is not enough, but i can’t seem to drink anymore. When i put effort into meeting the goals i drink 1-1.5 liters of water. Most suggestions are for trying different flavours, but i don’t have an issue with the taste. I don’t really mind it all. Drinking a few sips of water a time completely fills me up though.
Any suggestion or tips?
Book Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Courtesy of Harper Collins
The Alchemist has been sitting on my bookshelf for years. It came highly recommended from many people that share my love for books. They told me how its their favourite book, its inspirational, and how it changed their life. I went out and bought it, 6 years later i finally finished reading it. Yes, it is an inspirational book. It even made it on my weekly inspirations post, but i must admit i was disappointed with it. Every year i pick it up and end up putting it. This year i powered through in 2 days and reached the end. Every time i turned the page i was hoping to reach the part where i will be swept of my feet. Some books take a while to grab you, but honestly wasn’t invested in this book till the last 10 pages. At any point i could have put it down and never thought about it again, which i did many times in the past. As i have mentioned in my blog i struggle to keep working on my dreams and the book very appropriately talks about never losing sight of your ‘destiny’. I guess its one of those that you want to love more than you really do. I like the moral of the story, but the plot was lacking in my opinion.
A few quote’s i enjoyed:
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
― Paulo Coelho
Inspiration
I am starting a new series in my blog called ‘Inspiration’. I post several things i found inspiring that week including art, quotes, tips, websites, books, people, and music. It is a place to reflect on the week and give a shout out to things that pushed me in the right direction. To check out other ‘Inspiration’ posts follow the tag: inspiration.
Book:
Courtesy of Harper Collins
Quote:
“Doubt ’til thou canst doubt no more…doubt is thought and thought is life. Systems which end doubt are devices for drugging thought.” – Albert Guerard
Fitness & Health:
Photo:
Courtesy of Murray Mitchel
Sore
I worked out yesterday morning i’m definitely feeling it today. My legs, abs, and arms are very sore. It’s weird that being slightly uncomfortable can make some one feel so accomplished. I used Nike Training Club and Fitocracy to come up with the workout and MyFitnessPal to track my progress. I’m already dreaming of a long hot bath tonight. I did some Jillian Michael’s videos during the summer. The ones i liked were the 30 Day shred and Body Revolution. I would mix them up with some Blogilaties as well. I’m not sure if i’ll incorporate them in my current work out routine yet.
I’m doing pretty good food wise. Eating mainly healthy and staying under my calorie limit. I should have a better breakfast, but i’m pretty bad at it when university is not in session. On the water front i’m not doing so well, i had 5 glasses of water yesterday. Which, required a lot of effort. Eight glasses seems impossible at this point.
MyFitnessPal
I just created a MyFitnessPal account. It was highly recommended to me for a while and i finally decided to give it a try. I have been using SparkPeople on and off for year, it is time for a change.
My username: ForeverAsleep (Feel free to add me!)
Suggested goals based on current weight were to:
- Consume a 1380 net calories (calories consumed – calories burned) par day
- Carbs (190 g), Fat ( 46 g), and Protein (52 g)
- Burn 1240 calories per week
I might post my progress on the goals a few times a month.
I downloaded their app, but haven’t really used it yet.
Initial thoughts:
- I tried tracking my food for the day and it was very easy. They have a very large database that i thought was pretty accurate. As you add food it shows you how well you doing in relation to your goals for the day.
- I like that you can track water consumption since that is major issue for me.
- Tracking my exercise for the day was easy as well. I can track both cardio and strength exercises.
Life Line
Some health and fitness resources that i found useful in the past. I’ll update the list as i try new ones.
Workouts:
- Blogilates (Youtube channel) great short workouts.
Food:
- Wholeliving (Great recipes, i’ll try incorporate more of them in my diet)
Tracking calories and workouts:
- SparkPeople (Used on and off for years, i do pretty well as long as i keep checking in and entering my data)
- MyFitnessPal (I know its similar to SparkPeople, highly recommended to me. I might sign up see and check it out)
Apps:
- Nike Training (My favourite workout app, ever!)
- Lost it
- Fitocracy
To Read in 2013
I’m going to start a list of books i would like to eventually read and keep track of them. I might review some of them here in the future. The list is all over the place some are older books while others are fairly new. I’ll add to the list as i discover new books.
Divergent by Veronica Roth- Matched by Ally Condie
Uglies by by Scott Westerfeld- The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
- City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
- Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- The Princess Bride by William Goldman
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Pat Conroy
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- For One More Day by Mitch Albom
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho- The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Wild by Cheryl Strayed
- Quiet by Susan Cain
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Forever Asleep 
