Tagged: inspiration
30 day challenge
In about a month from today, I will be graduating from college, ending a four-year long journey. I’ve known that this was coming but as it comes closer and closer I find myself feeling a storm of excitement, anxiety and expectation. Whenever I feel like this I tend to start reading articles or turn to TED talks for some perspective. (does anyone else do this? let me know!)
park bench i saw on a morning run one day!
Yesterday, I spent a chunk of time watching the whole “A Better You” playlist of TED talks (found here) for some much needed reassurance and advice. Some of these videos I’ve already seen many times. Many were new to me. All were good as usual.
Pairing the inspiration and information I got after watching these videos and the sobering realization that my academic career is reaching its end, I got an idea: “You have a month to make things happen. Let’s do it”
So… For the next 30 days there are 3 things that I will do everyday, inspired by the talks in the playlist.
Stay hungry, Stay Curious
Believe it or not, there was a reason why I made my sister walk a lot while she was visiting. Besides the fact that I am an inveterate walker, I had more time during break and it’s just calming to walk in the company of a loved one, I simply wanted my sister to be more curious.
If you haven’t noticed already in my instagram photos or facebook posts, I quite like street art. I think it’s the “voice” that says what everyone is thinking but is too afraid to say. Its transient nature, as ever-changing as our own mood and lives, intrigues me. It’s a barometer or even a mood ring of our culture and by extension, perhaps, the collective voice of our generation if not our time. For the most part, art you see in galleries and museums reflects the inner workings of the artist/creator whereas the way I see it, street art is created for the public by the public. The city, NYC in this case, is a canvas.
Art is relatable to each and every one of us in some way. I especially like street art because someone like me- someone who isn’t a professional artist, just someone with a vision- created it and had an impact on others.
Besides, street art makes nice backgrounds for photos, don’t you think? I say win-win.
Here is the street art we came across!! All photos taken by me, please credit accordingly 
Continue reading
On My Mind: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Something I read just yesterday and something I can’t get out of my mind.
Scott, I think we could’ve been great friends. 
Be that person who changes everything.
The adventures with the sister will continue…. In the meantime Subscribe to the right to get an email whenever I have a new blog post! (because you never know when I will) or find me here
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Voices of the World, as heard from Brooklyn Bridge
So spring break is over and my sister isn’t in New York anymore so really, I’m posting the adventures we had together to relive them. It’s already been more than a week since I posted last. Where does the time go?!
One of the adventures I had planned for her was a trip to Brooklyn to eat some yummy pizza. I even had a whole day planned for her, hour by hour, but of course the day I wanted to go New York decides it it’s going to precipitate some strange mélange of snow/hail/rain (even though it’s supposed to be Spring). We ended up not going to Brooklyn for the full adventure but we still went to the bridge. I mean, it’s not everyday she’s here- Carpe diem, right? Even though the photos look calm as ever, do not be fooled as our faces were exfoliated by the hail and we nearly got blown away.
Nevertheless, I’m glad we went. It’s been about 2 or 3 years since I’ve last visited and even though the bridge essentially looked the same, we happened to find more than just the bridge under repair. (read more to find out!)
We survived Brooklyn Bridge!
What hunting for a job (you really want) is like. (in GIFs)
I don’t know about you, but graduation is about 3 months away for me. There really is no better way to describe how job hunting has been like than with gifs, so here goes:
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I realized I’m graduating. soon.
really soon:
Quotable and notable.
I can’t seem to find who said this quote but it doesn’t make it any less relevant or powerful. I thought it was too good not to share here- it has everything I needed to hear.:
“There are going to be days when you won’t have the energy or drive to get out of bed. There are going to be days when you’re going to want to give up – give up on love, life, or school. The thing is, you’re not allowed to give up. You were given a life and you’re supposed to live it. The truth is the seventy or eighty years that you’re given isn’t long enough to do the things you’re supposed to do. Sure, you’re gonna hit a few bumps along the way, but you’ve got to pick yourself up and move on. Life is unpredictable and things might not always work out the way you want them to, but that’s no reason to give up. You’re here for a reason and someday when you’re not expecting it, you’re going to discover your reason for being here. And when that does happen, your life will never be the same again.”
photo taken 1/7/13 one beautiful day in central park
That being said, blog posts of my own to come.I’m glad I came across it and I hope it brightens up your day like it did mine!
In the meantime find me here!:
Mission and a Vision
Ever since freshman year, I’ve made vision boards for myself. I think it’s one thing to think about what you want, but another thing to see those goals and dreams everyday as you get one step closer to achieving them.
I’m in the process of redoing my vision boards (I try to update them every few months because what I want often changes/gets clearer) so I’ve been perusing quite a bit and of course, noting everything I see and read…
what my vision boards look like right now
Thought I’d share some images with you to show you some of the things that I have and will be working towards this semester. Continue reading
wordplay
Wow. So tomorrow is the first day of my last semester of college. Winter break flew by!
A lot has happened in just the past week. Some of the things that come to mind: I took the time to write a long letter to a friend, I lost my phone in the city and I had an amazing long heart to heart conversation with someone I just met.
If there’s anything I have learned this winter break, it is the power of words (or lack thereof). Not having a phone and not being able to communicate efficiently has put me at a disadvantage (although it is liberating in a way.) The relationships that have formed just from the moment of courage it takes to start a conversation or ask a question is astounding. The impact on the recipient of a letter just from some candid thought and emotion that went into a handwritten message.
Things like this are often taken for granted in a world that has replaced human contact and interaction with screens, swipes and buttons; the world has become isolated, automated and detached; The power of words and the emotions and ideas it evokes has never been so strong.
All the interactions I’ve had with people this winter break has really stressed the importance of words in business and life: how, the words you say are just as important as what you don’t say. How the manner in which you say something sometimes matters more than what you actually say. How I would rather regret having said it than leaving something unsaid.
Words also have the awesome ability of having power even without the security of a sentence. When I think of the semester ahead and what I hope it will be like, I think of certain words. Words like success, love, enrich and win as shown in the street art I came across downtown.
Classy and Fabulous
I am usually never late to appointments/events- it’s quite rare. I’m only late if unforeseen circumstances arise or if it’s intentional. Someone once told me that “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re late, forget about it”. Ever since I’ve been told that in high school I have made it a point to always be at least 10-15 minutes early aka punctual. It’s a way for me to make the most of my time and to respect that of others, especially in New York.
Of course the one time I am unforgivably late, January 16 (last night), the Global CEO of Chanel is speaking at the Asia Society at what was a sold out event.
from the asia society website
We found Hope in a Loveless place
It’s easy to get caught up in the New York hustle: we all have our own things to do, places to go, people to see. Sometimes it really does seem like a jungle out there where it is every man for himself. We often put ourselves first or become selfish and we allow relationships with others to fizzle on the backburner. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the Newtown shootings (among other things), just walking around New York sometimes I can’t help but wonder “Where’s the love?”
Somewhere in Chelsea
It seems as though others are wondering the same thing, at least the street artists are!
