• 29 Plays
  • Live Like You Were DyingTim McGraw

“When it sank in that this might really be the real end, how’s it hit you when you get that kind of news? Man, what’d you do?”

And he said, “I went skydiving. I went Rocky Mountain climbing. I went 2.7 seconds on a bull man Fu Man Chu. And I loved deeper, and I spoke sweeter, and I gave forgiveness I’d been denying…Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.”

It was as though the universe was trying to tell me something. It certainly didn’t feel like a mere coincidence that, right after a deep discussion with a friend today about the importance of living in the present versus planning for the future, I’d arrive home to a The Voice contestant pouring her heart out to this song. She sang with such emotional fervor that, for just a split moment, it was as though her emotions pierced my soul. And as the lyrics registered, as the music stripped the words bare—

How would I live my life, if I’m living on borrowed time? 

Be more interesting tomorrow than you are today.

So Cole Haan challenged the world, in the form of a simpl(y direct) neon-orange advertisement with obnoxiously huge block letters in black and white. But you know what? For whatever reason, this advertisement worked for me. I will (a least strive to) be more interesting tomorrow. I will be more interested tomorrow. Why should I restrict myself to the sane and normal when, at the beginning and end of it all, I thrived on madness? Why am trying to mold myself into this life of black and white when I can have all the colors of the rainbow (and then some)?!

Thoughts to ponder! When was the last time you did something with complete abandon? That was exhilarating and fun and utterly pointless?

My body is like clockwork.

It’s currently 11:46pm. Try as I might to keep awake, my eyelids steadily droop, refusing to stay in their desired locations. Despite the promised distractions of tumblr, online shopping, movies and good conversation, thoughts slip as my drugged mind slowly draws its final conclusion: It’s almost midnight Karen. Time for bed.

At times like these, a part of me wonders how I ever pulled those consecutive all-nighters throughout college.

Well its 11:51pm now and I am practically dead on my feet. Why prolong this torture?

“Good night, all; and to all a good night.”

When the sun shines warmly on your bare skin like this, when that soft breeze caresses your cheeks softly like a lover, as birds serenade you on their branches, and flowers, beautiful and lovely against their green counterparts, steadily bloom in this ever warming weather….What is there to complain about, my friend? Enjoy the arrival of spring, because that long and cold winter is slowly becoming a thing of the past.
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When the sun shines warmly on your bare skin like this, when that soft breeze caresses your cheeks softly like a lover, as birds serenade you on their branches, and flowers, beautiful and lovely against their green counterparts, steadily bloom in this ever warming weather….What is there to complain about, my friend? Enjoy the arrival of spring, because that long and cold winter is slowly becoming a thing of the past.

My Favorite Quote This Morning

It’s eight-twenty-two this Wednesday morning. I’d just finished fighting the usual hustle and bustle of New York rush hour and have settled unceremoniously onto my cushioned, air-conditioned cubicle. Behind me, two coworkers conversed, chattily greeting each other for the day. In the midst of their conversation, I hear one of them say,

“It could be Friday, I could be rich, and be on an island.”

Lol. Ahh, everyone’s heartfelt desires—she just about covered it all. Happy Wednesday, everyone! :)

I was challenged by one of the artists I met recently at the 2013 NY Art Expo to seek out beauty around me. In his words, “Beauty, ART, is everywhere in this world, be it common or exotic. One just needs to have the desire to SEE. For, life without art, is like milk without honey—bland.” I think I will take up this challenge and rediscover the creative that’s in me. I don’t know about taking up a brush or go back to sketching again even on a semi-regular basis. But, just to really see all the beauty that’s around me, and perhaps capture it if I am of a mind to? I can do that.
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I was challenged by one of the artists I met recently at the 2013 NY Art Expo to seek out beauty around me. In his words, “Beauty, ART, is everywhere in this world, be it common or exotic. One just needs to have the desire to SEE. For, life without art, is like milk without honey—bland.”

I think I will take up this challenge and rediscover the creative that’s in me. I don’t know about taking up a brush or go back to sketching again even on a semi-regular basis. But, just to really see all the beauty that’s around me, and perhaps capture it if I am of a mind to?

I can do that.

Full Circle

“we are born flexible. our hearts open, our minds ready to receive. as we grow, our bodies change, tighten with the stress of living, our hearts sometimes harden, our minds sometimes close. we forget that we are in this together. we are connected. to each other and to the world. on the mat as i deepen my practice, i learn to let go. as i breathe into the space between my bones and feel my muscles relax, i find new openness. in the stillness of each posture and in the motion in between, my heart softens, my mind expands. and as i allow the light to shine from within me, it has a chance to light up the world.”

— from lex’s amazing blog.

Masala Bhangra

Just got back from my bollywood dance workout. It’s the first time I’ve ever taken an Indian dance class (even if it is meant to be more of an exercise routine than a dance routine). I walked in expecting a lot of belly dancing, sashaying, actually, just sexy hip action in general. What I got instead was a tiny little energetic monster in the form of a middle-aged Asian woman. She made us hope and slide, leap and stomp, tap and bounce and fly. Nonstop, too, for the entirety of the class. At the end of that hour, I walked away with a racing heart, cheeks on fire, drenched in sweat, and leg muscles that threatened to collapse beneath my weight at any moment. Truly, I hobbled home like the old woman that I am (internally). 

But I also know, even as I type out all these complaints (actually, even as I was dying along with my fellow dancers inside the dance studio) that I’ll be there next week, doing it all over again.

Fleeting Thoughts

I laughed today when, upon turning on my phone, I receive a text from a friend luxuriating in being able go “sleep-in” until 8am. I laughed because (unfortunately?) I understood what she meant exactly. When was my last utterly frivolous weekend? A weekend where I won’t have to study, work, run errands and do the millions of other things that comes with being an adult? While I know that, as soon as Sunday night comes around, I’ll go right back to chasing my dreams…it’s nice to have this short self-imposed reprieve from doing Responsible Things. To be able to just sit inside this Starbucks with my cup of SVL, with jazz playing in the background, and people watch as I wait for my wayward best friend to finally make her entrance. It’s a luxury just to have the TIME of being able to idly wait like this.

What do you do when you schedule relaxation into your busy life?

I woke up this morning to one of the most spectacular sunrises I’ve seen in a while. Despite the fact that my phone camera wasn’t able to fully capture that gorgeous gradient of blood orange to sky blue, I couldn’t resist when I saw the cross nestled within the myriad of branches. I mentioned a little while ago that, of late, it feels like something is in the air. Change? Life? God? One of the Gods and Goddesses of the Buddhist religion? Or just a projection of my own desires? I haven’t figured it out yet. But I am quickly realizing that this lack of knowledge, this feeling of “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know” is just fine. Instead of rushing along, anxiously awaiting its arrival, maybe it’s better to just…patiently let it come. To just keep an eye out and be ready and open to whatever signs that will come my way. Amidst the infinite number of paths, I do believe that someone is there to guide, to lead, to be our light….if only we are willing to listen, to look, and be led. Just how amazing is that?
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I woke up this morning to one of the most spectacular sunrises I’ve seen in a while. Despite the fact that my phone camera wasn’t able to fully capture that gorgeous gradient of blood orange to sky blue, I couldn’t resist when I saw the cross nestled within the myriad of branches.

I mentioned a little while ago that, of late, it feels like something is in the air. Change? Life? God? One of the Gods and Goddesses of the Buddhist religion? Or just a projection of my own desires?

I haven’t figured it out yet.

But I am quickly realizing that this lack of knowledge, this feeling of “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know” is just fine. Instead of rushing along, anxiously awaiting its arrival, maybe it’s better to just…patiently let it come. To just keep an eye out and be ready and open to whatever signs that will come my way.

Amidst the infinite number of paths, I do believe that someone is there to guide, to lead, to be our light….if only we are willing to listen, to look, and be led. Just how amazing is that?

Ayuthaya_8805 by JCS75 Buddha’s Fingers After getting my own travel planner, I’m quickly coming to the realization that there are too many places I want to visit in this world. There’s so much of this Earth I have yet to explore, I am almost at a loss of where I want to begin. So,let’s just wing this. Pick a place, and go. A Buddhist Temple seems as great a place to start as any.
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Ayuthaya_8805 by JCS75

Buddha’s Fingers


After getting my own travel planner, I’m quickly coming to the realization that there are too many places I want to visit in this world. There’s so much of this Earth I have yet to explore, I am almost at a loss of where I want to begin.

So,let’s just wing this. Pick a place, and go. A Buddhist Temple seems as great a place to start as any.

(via buddhazen101)

Source: kkdas

The purpose of a zebra’s life is to eat grass, run around, and get eaten by lions. The purpose of a person’s life is to wake up, eat, go places, sleep, and die. Oh, and make babies. It’s all a part of the cycle of life.

Pearls of wisdom, tumbling out of the mouth of a ten-year-old. While I don’t completely agree with her assessment of the essential purpose of a human (and even a zebra’s) life, I do wholeheartedly believe that all living things are born into this cycle of life. Our world, with its billions of people and trillions of living creatures, can sometimes feel so incomparably large. Our universe, with its infinite amount of worlds, can sometimes make us feel almost…insignificant. And maybe we are—in the overall grand scheme of things. Yet, and this is only especially so of late, I can’t shake off this feeling that everything we’ve done, decisions we’ve made, people we’ve met…it’s all going somewhere. Maybe we’re not the most important person in the world (ie. the hero/heroine that’s going to change the world forevermore), but we’re all being led down a myriad of paths that are somehow connected to this bigger picture.

It feels like I’m tiptoeing upon a precipice. My heart thumps with nervous excitement. Blood rushes through my veins in anticipation for this Something to appear. I can almost scent this Change in the air like a bloodhound tracking his favorite bone.

I pray, with all my heart, that it will be something Wonderful.

Life. Love. Happiness.

I am a tree, branching out in all directions of the universe. I am also an antenna, absorbing all of the positive energy in this universe.

I had my first official yoga class today and, I can see it already, I am going to be addicted. These classes are so completely up my alley, it’s astonishing that I’ve never taken a course before. Energy flow and noble thoughts, philosophy and quiet minds. Before I realized it, it’s been over an hour and class is over. I found myself refreshed, relaxed, utterly languid. I guess I was badly in need of a stretch, without even realizing it!

THANKING JACK

The last snowstorm of the season (hopefully) hit NYC today—not quite with the fury that the alarmist weather channel predicted, but enough to seemingly blanket the whole world in a sheet of white. It was so lovely, actually, that when I trudged out into the midst of this storm, I couldn’t help but laughingly say, “Thanks, Jack. It’s beautiful.“ 

You didn’t give me a Snow Day, but…the beauty, the wonder, and that childish burst of joy at seeing the fluffy, feather-like snow sweeping down from the sky…It was enough.