Choices

Everyday I wake up and I have a choice. I have the choice to lay in bed for the rest of the day or be productive and go to class, water polo, and most likely work afterwards. I am in control of my life and everything I choose to do with it.

My coach Gabriel Martinez has helped me in so many ways, to realize that life is all about choices and that our attitude is contagious when we make these choices. For example, yesterday we played Riverside College and we were losing by quite a bit because we were all in a slump. One of the girls was down and it affected the rest of us. She was having an off game big deal we should have been able to overcome it. Right?

The next thing we know one of our girls finally scores and we start doing one positive thing after the other. All it takes is one person to put aside all the bad energy and play their heart out in order to make positive things happen. It took that one girl to choose to have good energy and hard work to spread it through to the rest of us. I am grateful to have someone like that on our team that can pick us up and change the way we were feeling because of the other person.

I love that I can choose what I want to get out of life. I want to be in control of my future and how I act towards others. It has taken me plenty of years to have the attitude and perception on life that I do now, and I am thankful for everyone that I have/had in my life to help get me to this place. I try to stay positive when I can because I do not like negative energy around me.

There is a commercial on television that I absolutely love. It is showing a lady pulling a kid onto the curb to avoid getting hit by a car and someone happens to see her. Next, he helps someone pick up something that fall and someone else sees him, and it just continues on is this pattern. One good deed can go a long way. So, lets be nice to each other and be willing to help others in need. Make the choice to want to be a good person. I know I try to everyday.

Until my fingers meet the keys, Amber

I don't know what I say, I just have a way of saying it.

Adrenaline. Relaxation. Being comfortable and myself in front of at least 100 people. This is what the Fullerton Student poetry and what not readings was about.

And here I started the morning thinking I would just help to set up, when in the last minute, I decided to write something and just jump at it. So I went for it. And this is what I came up with. A very real conversation I carry often with Ivan, a friend, in which both of us discuss certain aspects of living, but as you will see, our subjectivity of life is quite different.

"I don't know what I say, I just have a way of saying it."
by angel mtz.

I sit, in front of Ivan.
Quiet.
Slow.

He's eating something. Or drinking something.
Life passes away and I...snap my fingers.

"Ivan," I say, "What do you want in life?"

For a moment nothing.
Quiet.
Slow.

"I want a Ferrari, or a Lamborghini," he says.

I sit, in front of Ivan, and I realize--I've asked the wrong question.
Life is wasting away and I...snap my fingers.

"I mean, what do you want OUT of life?"

Ivan thinks. He thinks thoughtfully and deeply. And I'm sure, he will give me the right answer this time.

"I want a mansion, a good looking wife, I definitely wanna be rich."

Forever. Foreverness.
For a moment nothing.
It all remains--quiet--slow.

I could ask a thousand questions, rephrase my thoughts a million ways.
I wouldn't get through to him.
And life is melting away...I snap my fingers.

"I mean, don't you wanna be free? Don't you wanna feel at peace, with God, with the universe?"

Ivan doesn't say anything, and then...

"Why do you even ask?" He says.

I sit, and I listen.
Loud.
Fast.

Life begins to flow...I snap my fingers.

"Because," I say, "Don't you know I've become a philosopher? I'm like Gandhi, or Jesus.

"You've become a douchebag," Ivan says, "You're trying to fill me up with your crap. I'm not gonna fall for it.

I laugh. And I realize Ivan is lost. Because he doesn't see there is more to human existence than just everything you think about. There is more than just our fake ephiphanies about our progress in this life.

Louder.
Faster.

Life is flowing faster and I...clap my hands.

"I will carry you kicking and screaming and in the end, you will thank me," I say.

Ivan doesn't think.

"Good luck with that, I'm never gonna fall for your crap."

"I know," I say, "But I'm never--I'm never gonna stop trying."


That was the piece I wrote in about 20 to 30 minutes just before the event started. You feel so empowered when you are up there on the podium. It was fantastic.

I very much enjoyed my day. And it is during these days I've lived to my fullest.

Zen

"In life, I've found that it's not necessarily important to be strong, but to feel strong."

Strenght. Today, I've felt this in my breathing, in the beat of my heart, in the rhythm my legs created during the morning work out and in the after feeling I was able to conceive from it, in my psych test. I have felt a strengh and it is divine, universal and my own. I've found myself now in this process of growth and progress. Everyday I'm free. Everyday I conceive a positive concept of who I'm, where I came from, and who I'm becoming. I have taken quite the philosophical perspective to kickstart my subconscious and conscious mind. I'm onto greater things, onto humble dreams, onto discovering my true potential and yet, still embrace the life of simplicity, down to my core, down to my most basic nature.

And with that on mind, yes, in today's work out I felt amazing. I felt complete. After I went to study for my psyc test and got a free coffee drink by just filling out this survey. The test itself I felt very confident about it. After that, well, after that I was able to come across that very dear special friend whom I always enjoy speaking with, she tells me of her life and I listen, and I mean, I really listen, and she opens up and I just think it's utterly amazing how truthful and soulful people can be when they talk about the stuff that really matters to them.

She had to go to class, I went to the cafeteria. A few other friends were there, and this whole time I'd been thinking of hot chocolate. Of course I've made my way right with the universe I think, because I did get another free drink, a hot chocolate my friend offered without me even having to say anything. How funny is that. I love it. This is what I mean by finding my balance with my life, with those around me, embracing those things I can and having the wisdom to let go of those I can't. And before you know it, it all starts to work, it falls into place and the next thing is you find yourself getting two free drinks within a few hours apart.

I'm going places, I'm doing things, I know it in my heart of hearts I will. Why?-Should you ask. Because I feel right, I feel at peace, I'm filled with such a truthful perception of life now. Because in life I've found, it's not necessarily important to be strong, but to feel strong.

Be positive!

This weekend’s going so great because all of my midterms were officially over and homework is not a lot :) I have got an email a few days ago and well, I’d love to share this email at this time. It actually touched and encouraged me so much. Ok here we go.

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, " If I could only see the world, I will marry you."



One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything including her boyfriend. He asked her,’ Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'

 The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine. ‘This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. Life is a Gift.

Today before you say an unkind word, think of someone who can't speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food, think of someone who has nothing to eat. Before you complain about your husband or wife, think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion. Before you complain about life, think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before you complain about your children, think of someone who desires children but they’re barren. Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn’t clean or sweep, think of the people who are living in the streets

Before whining about the distance you drive, think of someone who walks the same distance with his or her feet. When you are tired and complain about your job, think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job. Before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another, remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER. And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down, put a smile on your face and thank GOD you're alive and still around.

Life is a Gift.

Are you enjoying your life? Or complaining about it? Well, what we have and what we can do are definitely blessings. I always believe that one positive thought can change lots of other things to the better. If you were depressed today, tomorrow would be different! We should be thankful for what we have because not everyone can have what we have.

After all, tomorrow is another day, Brianna