The Right Place

I've never been much of a poet. I don't like to make up stories either. I guess that's something that set my writing apart early on from that of my friends. While they all stressed about essays, I enjoyed them. On the other hand, when it became required of us to write creatively, I would often sit for hours with writers block. I never felt satisfied with the final product. Books like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings incited a desire in me to write stories, but with time that faded. I found more joy in telling a story of something that was or is. I always found peace of mind while writing in my journal (though that was a rare occasion due to my adolescent stubbornness and will to disobey my parents wishes) because I was able to write my feelings, my REAL feelings. That's partly why i started this blog. I needed a way to satisfy that need to express feelings in an accurate sense. Some might ask, well if you have such a need to express your feelings, why don't you write here more frequently? Good question. I found another outlet for this same desire. Through photography I try to express my emotions through REAL things, REAL moments. Like creative writing, some photography is achieved through careful staging and intricate placement. My mind doesn't work like that. I believe in honest, candid moments and simply being in the right place at the right time. If I miss the moment, then my chance of having it again is slim to none. All that can be done is to try to be more prepared the next time that something amazing happens.

Why am I telling you all of this seemingly useless stuff about myself? Because over the past few years, I've found that this same principle can be used in everyday life. Think about it, if you aren't prepared the exact moment that something amazing happens, or someone amazing enters your life, you run the risk of losing it forever. Second chances are hard to come by. While some are proficient at creating their own ideal situation, most of us just need to be prepared. Don't let yourself miss out on those honest, candid moments of life. Make choices in your life that put you in the right place at the right time. These are the choices that will in turn bring you happiness. True happiness. Not the kind of happiness that fades by the end of the night.

T

Above all, enjoy your life. Don't miss out. Be prepared. Be where you need to be. Only you can truly know where that is.

I Changed the Title. Why? Because the Internet

I think it's been almost four months since I posted something on this blog. Maybe I was out of things to say, maybe I forgot it even existed, or perhaps it's because I just didn't care to share my thoughts with anyone else. I honestly don't even have the answer to my own question. All I can say is that I am back. At least for the time being.

I've always commented on and been amazed by the fact that one's life can change so quickly. For the last 1 and a half, almost two years, I've been a full-time employee focused entirely on earning money to buy all kinds of gizmos and gadgets. But last month something crazy happened. I quit my job and went to school. I'm now a 23 year old freshman in college and I couldn't be happier with my choice. In the long run I know that getting an education will benefit me far more than just jumping from job to job all my life. It was time to start building a career and put all of these ideas that have been swimming around in my mind into motion. Though I am only just beginning a long road, I can feel the good things coming. Patience.

I've been doing some reflecting lately (as usual) on the past two years. I noticed something alarming. As I thought about my relationships (all types) I realized that somehow I have managed to make more enemies than friends, even converting friends into enemies. I tried to think of ways that I could have salvaged friendships or prevented myself from making those enemies and my mind came up blank. This is because I stand by every decision I've made. We won't get anywhere in life by second guessing everything. Make a decision and stick with it. For better or worse. One the things that I can't stand is when people say they are going to do one thing and do the exact opposite. Or when they only tell you what you want to hear while in the back of their mind they have already made a decision ignoring all advice given to them. I frankly don't have time for people like this. Like I've said before, we need to remove the people from our lives that bring us down and hold us back from achieving the person we are supposed to be.

Remember: The difference between maturity and immaturity boils down to responsibility. If you can own up the consequences (good or bad) of your choices, then you have reached a level of maturity that is so prevalently lacking in today's society. Quit blaming others for your problems. Just deal with them. We weren't put on this earth to be brought down and be whiny babies. We were put here to have joy. To experience it. Not to endure it. Live each day to the fullest with an eye always on the future, for what we do today affects what we can do tomorrow. Find what gives you true joy (the kind that lasts forever) and hold on to it. If for some reason it slips from your grasp, don't waste your time beating yourself up about it. Get back on the horse and take it back. Own up to those mistakes and correct them.

That's all for now.

Live to find true joy.

T.

Back with a new style.

Welcome to a special musical edition of the blog formerly known as one step ahead. I will take you through 8 songs that evoke deep emotions and cause me to think or to reminisce. I will go over key points in the songs that are especially wonderful. Hopefully the track that I have chosen are ones that maybe you haven't heard before. Here it goes.

1. Just One Day - Mighty Oaks

 

 

The beginning of this track is really what instantly captured me. I didn't need to wait for the chorus. I knew that this song would be one that I'd put on repeat and listen to tirelessly. 50 seconds in, we here a break and the singer shouts and abrupt HO! and the song takes a turn for the better. The beat picks up and you can't help but sing along. There is one line in this song that will always stand out: "all this time I pictured you standing next to me so we could go find things we've never seen." Maybe that only sticks out to a hopeless romantic like me, but I love it.

 

2. Turbine - Barbarossa

 

 

 





This song is a big shift in style. The quiet funky bluesyness of this just makes me want to drive an American muscle car and cruise the streets. Windows rolled down, driving slow, head nods to the neighbors. The whole nine yards. I imagine the boyfriend's-tshirt-wearing type of girl that all us typical men wish we had in our lives. The bass line and the beat of the drums do nothing but cause an involuntary head bob on my part. Listen and enjoy, ye Americans.

 

3. Seven Seas - Golden Youth

 

 



 

This song's quiet melody can melt the heart of anyone that listens. It's one of those songs that just makes you want to fall in love. Stephanie Lauren's angelic voice coupled with the heartfelt lyrics are just enough to make you stop whatever you are doing just to listen intently. I love the use of the vintage cameras in the music video. It only adds to the beauty of the song.

 

4. If You're My Girl, Then I'm Your Man - Papa

 

 

To start, I really love the part at the end of the video where she hold up the American flag. I'm not sure why that stands out to me. The singers voice is so very unique. It's actually quite soothing to me. Other than the occasional explicit lyric, I love the words in the song "I just wanna be your man. F*** my past, forget your plans." I think it's just trying to help us not use so many excuses and reasons to avoid love and to just embrace it.

 

5. Float - Pacific Air

 

 

I actually heard and loved this song a year ago when this group went by a different name. They were called KoKo before they switched over to Pacific Air. This is a fun one to sing along to. The lyrics are catchy and the music its happy and snappy. It's just enough to brighten ones mood. " I love this line: "I don't want to be young, but I don't want to die." I think that accurately describes the current generation we live in.

 

6. Bloom - The Paper Kites

 

 

This is probably the most well-known song that I am posting about, but it is an excellent song nonetheless. The opening guitar gets you hooked and before you know it the song is ending and you have to start it over again just to hear it one more time. This group knows how to write great music. Music that calms, uplifts and inspires. Give them a look-see.

 

7. It Was Good - Les Enfants

 

 

I love this song. It's one of my go to pick-me-up songs. Another sappy love song for us romantic types. This song also paints a picture in my mind of a life that wouldn't mind having. I see a sunset on the coast. Walking hand in hand on the beach with the girl of your dreams. The colors are muted and the feel is vintage. Mmmmm if only.

 

8. The Ash & Clay - The Milk Carton Kids

 

 

Last but not least we have the Milk Carton Kids. This song is amazing. It has an intense calming power. It's pretty much impossible to be angry while listening to this song. The music video is just two old ladies driving in a car. What is more relaxing than that? The slow guitar in the background just speaks to the soul. Enjoy.

 

I hope as you've gone through the songs on this post you can kind of get a better insight into my life and my personality. I can express my feelings very well through words, but I show my life through pictures and music. Please feel free to comment on this post. Things that you liked/didn't like. Until next time.

 

T.

Maturity Means Refinement

To be quite honest I have been rather upset lately. I've been letting the little things get to me again. Frustratingly enough we are guilty many times of not practicing what we preach. I will repeat what I have said before, these blog posts are just as much for my benefit (if not, more), as they are for those of you who take the time to read them. Anyway, we are in a constant struggle to not only correct our mistakes, but to stay on a path that prevents us from repeating them. It's part of growing up. I'm not a teenager anymore even though, at times, I can act like one.

I talk a lot about growing up. I think there are some misconceptions about my intentions. I do not write the things I do to chastise those around me, I merely point out the observations I make about what I feel the general consensus is. If I notice the immaturity of several people (myself included) I will more than likely say something about it. But what is immaturity/maturity? People, I think, have the wrong idea as to what is meant behind these two words.

For me, immaturity can be denoted by ones' unwillingness to grow. It could, however, be characterized by ones' inability to make key life decisions or lack of interest in personal well-being. Some forms of humor may be deemed "immature" by the public, but I am under the impression that humor does not always directly reflect ones' level of maturity. I think in order to mature properly and healthily, one must maintain their sense of humor. It makes you, well, you. Some of the most mature, responsible adults that I have met in my life still maintain a sense of humor that allows them to still laugh at seemingly childish or immature humor. Growing up doesn't mean that you must become a dried up old prune, it means that you can commit to the decisions you make and be responsible. Many times as you mature, your judgment will be tested. Truly mature people will seek out the best answer to fit their needs, whereas an immature person may be easily swayed and persuaded. Tossed to and fro. Notice the difference.

I hope you can understand the point I am trying to make. We all need to grow up. However, we don't need to dry up. True wisdom must be accompanied by a sense of humor. Don't lose what makes you, you. Merely refine who you are. If someone tries to tell you to grow up because you have a sense of humor, tell them to grow up and get one. "Become even as a little child." I believe that statement to include personality. Don't let life and a false sense of being "grown up" dry you up and destroy that special part of you that makes you different.

Grow up. Don't dry up. Accept others for who they are.

T.

Ready or Not.

Are you ready? Well, if you keep saying that you aren't, then you never will be. Many times we convince ourselves to wait. To resist change. To resist opportunities for happiness. Take a step back and think about your life. Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like shutting yourself in? Those feelings, however common, are not healthy. Changes/improvements must be made to our lives. It's an ongoing process in life. We must constantly make those daily changes in our lives become our best selves. We must take risks to get the reward.

My post is short tonight, but to the point. Make changes, take risks, and don't waste your life waiting to be ready; you won't be. Just live.

T.

Reinvention

After taking a needed creative break from the world of blogging, I am back.

The world is an interesting place. Full of twists and turns. Ups and downs. Rights and wrongs. It is constantly changing. And as the world is undergoing change, we are too. We are constantly reinventing ourselves, adapting to whatever circumstances are before us. It is necessary that we change; for there are but a few things that will always remain constant. Change is part of the laws of survival. There are also degrees of change. Minor to major; rethinking to complete reinvention.

I'd like to focus on reinvention. It has ties into both that which is temporal and that which is spiritual. I consider some of the greatest men to have walked the Earth to be reinvented men, who at some point in their lives were in need of reinvention to achieve their purpose. They had to change, refocus, and rethink everything until they became their best selves. However, seeing as perfection is a feat that none of us can ever achieve in this life, the reinvention process can take some time; our entire lives if we need it.

If you don't like where you are in life, maybe some reinvention is necessary. Sacrifices and decisions have to be made so that we can get to that place that we want to be. We must earn that which we think we deserve. Change just doesn't happen. It is sought after, thought about, and acted upon. There are no handouts. If someone or something makes you happy, so what is necessary to keep them or it close. If you see that change is necessary in your immediate future, don't procrastinate it. Embrace it. There is nothing to fear. There is, however, everything to gain.

Reinvent yourself. Good things come to those who earn it.

T.

Week 28: Do's and Don'ts

Do or don't? A frequently asked question. Although this debate happens mainly within our subconscious, we are always faced with choices. Our mind then immediately begins to weigh its options and draw conclusions. Then we choose and act. But let's focus on the why. Why do we or don't we do the things we do?

Some argue that the choices we make are determined by a particular predisposition while other argue that our choices are shaped by that which surrounds us. The whole nature vs. nurture debate. While I do not plan to argue in favor of either point, I will ask, Why do YOU do the things you do? I have often questioned myself about this. Every time I make a mistake, the first thing that goes through my mind is, Why did I just do that? Think back to your own experiences. For example, have you ever purposely tried to annoy someone else, when if somebody had done the same to you, you would be upset? What drives us? Is it a moral compass? An uncontrollable predisposition? I believe that a 100% factual answer cannot be reached. It is a matter of opinion.

I recently discussed with one of my dearest friends one side of the argument. We discussed the role of circumstances in the event that we became friends. Would we, if put under different situations, still achieve the level of friendship we have? Or was destiny the deciding factor in our friendship. I thought about all the different possibilities and probabilities and my mind became overwhelmed. Then I realized something more important that the why or how things happened: the aftermath. What really matters is how we handle the situation that our choices make. We cannot concern ourselves with things of the past. We must look to the future. So who cares about how my friend and I became so close? I should be grateful that I have this person in my life. End of discussion. So forget what it is that brought you to where you are in life. Just focus on making the best of what you have been given. Give thanks to your Maker for all you have and do what is necessary to continue in a positive direction.

You have no limits. Don't let the past drag you down. Look to the future. Make the most of your do's and don'ts. Just live.

T.