Quotes

I’m going to post some great quotes right now. I know they have nothing to do with each other and they may not mean a thing to you but they are funny/true/interesting to me.

I apologize that this blog has been sliding downhill for awhile now and that I’m not writing/posting things that are valuable to my readers. So feel free to unsubscribe. But if you are still interested in reading random posts about random things (and occasionally good stories or interesting articles) then stay tuned.

“You can’t choose who you love. Sometimes they choose you.” -Jess from New Girl

“But I want you to know, no matter what happens or how shitty you may feel some day, out there there’s someone who loves you.  And I do, truly and sincerely love you, and I probably always will.  If the day ever comes that everyone has failed you and you have nowhere else to turn then I’ll be there for you, but I hope it never comes to that.”   -anonymous (who probably doesn’t want this posted on the internet…If you are reading this now then I’m sorry.)

“Cut your losses.” -Pastor Mike of Harvest Church in NJ

“What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly – that is the first law of nature.” -Voltaire

“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. That’s how you grow… That’s when you have a breakthrough.”  -Marissa Mayer

“I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” -Mother Teresa

 

Simple Life

I’ve seen circuses and dances. Happy movies and fireworks. Babies in strollers and dogs skipping along their way.

I know the heavens exist. I know the sun is fair. It shines on everyone on Earth whether you’re here or there.

I know you can try to trick time. Fly to LA for the weekend and reclaim a few hours. But at the end of your trip you still have to go back from where you came. And the sands of time, again, slip through your fingers.

I realize that anything can be broken whether you’re careful or not. Sometimes life comes barreling at you like an out of control bus. You can’t stop it. You can only say:

Give me what you have to offer, good or bad. Let me walk the path I was set on, though I may not finish intact. Come at me with seven horns and a grotesque face so I may be scared into motion. Sit still with me in feeble moments. Put me through failures if that’s what I need. Stroke my hair and let me cry. Wake me up to wily lies. Tell serendipity to look after me. And lead me to my dreams.

And if none of that comes true, then will you just let me be? Let me meander through the grasses alone. Admire the view from a distance. I used to care about being loved and I used to care about being somebody. I don’t ask for so much now.

I know you have every right to take me sooner. But if you just wait, you can have me after I am finished with my observations. After I have poked and prodded at human nature itself, and written pages and pages explaining what I have found. Maybe I’ll take up residence in Paris. Hold a warm body when I get too lonely. But expect nothing, because there is nothing to expect.

I will come to you myself when I am done with the earth. I will willingly give you me by walking into the sea. The sand will climb up my ankles and the waves will ravage my pink dress. I will give in when I take my last breath. Life, with your confusing twists and jealous ways. You’ve always had me, me without any say.

Let’s Be Honest

Invisible Bike Helmet

Invisible Helmet? Impossible! That’s what people told these two ladies before they developed just that. How cool is this?!?! If I can manage to get one of these, it might finally convince me to try out the Citi bikes!

 

Crevasse

Here’s my own attempt at writing poetry.

Crevasse: The word for empty space -Stephanie Chen

I talked to my friend last night
Of love and loss and the between.
Spent time on the words
That others match with objects.
Like how the word either creates the illusion
Of two things patiently waiting
To be denied. Her melancholia could not reach
Through to my mind, and so it was a morning deprived.
The mourning dove called through the window
In the broken darkness
Her pulse quickened and I moved
The tip of my finger’s skin
Over her clasped palm. Then I knew
The distance between us
Could not be closed with a moment
Intertwined. I tried to fix it, aligned my body
Next to her longer form and breathed
In when she heaved out. My lungs fell short upon realizing
The broad arena of her insides and the narrowness of mine.
All I could say was either because I could not place myself
Nor tie my feet to be parallel to her’s. I shall never know of the
Sorrow she cried that night. And she will never know of mine. I have found That people, like words, harbor only bits of essence that makes up
Souls and intent. I must stop now
in fear of pushing the walls on both sides
Further apart on either end.

Sheldon’s Laundry Folder

Have you ever watched the Big Bang Theory? If you’re a fan like I am, you probably know about Sheldon’s laundry folding device. Well, here’s your chance to get it for real! It is only $15 on Dealfind for the next 6 days. Happy folding!

Are you good at Humblebragging?

“The Art of Humblebragging” is a recent post from the site, Boredom to Boardroom, that puts a name to the phenomenon we all know so well. Humblebragging. Humblebragging is a method of self-promotion that highlights one’s accomplishments without appearing too egocentric. If it is done right, humblebragging can do wonderful things in the workplace. According to the writer, the best way to humblebrag is to draw attention to others. So, for example, if you are the manager of a team who just finished an awesome project, the best thing to do is not to congratulate yourself on leading the team to a victory, but to give your team praise instead. And if your project had sponsors that made its existence possible, then praise the sponsors as well. By doing this, you are not only making everyone who was involved feel happy and accomplished, but you are also bringing attention to your work as well.

While I was reading this post I couldn’t help but think about those moms that love to humblebrag about their kids. Doesn’t this sound familiar to you??

“Oh, Jackie can’t do a play date this Wednesday. She has a state competition on Saturday…she won last time but it is always good to practice more.”

“Do you want to bring your kids to my house to study Chinese? My Allison is at a fifth-grader’s level. She can help teach Stephanie.”

“Your kid didn’t make the soccer team? You know, that’s a good thing. Now they’ll have so much more time to improve their Chinese! Well, time to shuffle mine off to the game, cya!”

Have you ever heard someone humblebrag? Do you do it? Now that you know about it, will you try it at work?

Do you make lists?

I read an interesting article about Jack Dorsey’s, founder of Twitter and CEO of Square appearance at a recent event. Did you know that Jack is a huge fan of lists and note-taking? Here is an excerpt from the article:

…the most fascinating bit might be Dorsey’s own use of lists. He told the crowd that he creates notes for each person he meets, building detailed lists of important things that come from meetings with them, or that he’d like to relay to get things done. He also has a “Do” and “Don’t” list that he takes a look at daily.

Jack Dorsey’s daily To-Do List

• Stay present
• Be vulnerable
• Drink only lemon water and red wine
• Six sets of 20 squats and push-ups every day
• Run for 3 miles
• Meditate on this list
• Stand up straight
• Spend 10 minutes with a heavy bag
• Say hello to everyone
• Get 7 hours of sleep

And the “Don’ts”:

• Don’t avoid eye contact
• Don’t be late
• Don’t set expectations that you can’t meet
• Don’t eat sugar
• Don’t drink hard liquor or beer during the weekday

I love to make lists because I have a terrible memory, and need notes like “Do laundry” and “Run report” to remember that those things need to be done. I also feel uncomfortable when something is not done, so once an item is added to the list, I never fail to do it.

But, I never thought about making lists for life-enhancing actions such as “Say hello to everyone” and “Get 7 hours of sleep”. I didn’t think I needed daily reminders to do those, but honestly, it is easy to shrug off the necessity of getting 7 hours of sleep when it is past midnight and there is still work or studying to be done. Jack Dorsey’s method has totally turned my world upside down. What could happen if I started including items like “Stand up straight” and “Don’t set expectations that you can’t meet” on my list? Will I actually do those things?

Here is my list for tomorrow. Wish me luck!!

• Get 8 hours of sleep
• Be kind
• Do some kind of workout
• Think about how great life is
• Think about life goals
• Stand up straight
• Say hello to everyone
• Eat 5 servings of vegetables
• Eat less ice cream. And brownies and cookies. And cake.

Unwanted Offerings

I used to have this friend who never used coupons. Her reasoning was that coupons are inconvenient to use, they don’t save you that much money, and the good stuff, like organic cheese and the thick rolls of toilet paper, never have coupons for them.

Being an avid couponer, I tried to persuade her into using them. “Coupons don’t seem like much, but saving a dollar here and there really adds up. Look, my last grocery trip would have cost me $25 if I didn’t use coupons. I only paid $14.”

She was always happy for me, but never felt compelled to try it herself.

One day, I found the perfect coupon for her. “Here is one for the eyeliner you’re planning on buying. You can save $2 just by handing this over. It’s all cut out and ready to use.”

After some convincing, she finally took it and said thanks.

I felt pretty proud of myself. I thought I was about to make an unbeliever turn into an out-of-control couponator. I imagined she’d go to the store, pick out her usual eyeliner, walk up to the register, and suddenly go, “Oh my gosh! I only have to fork over $7.99 rather than the usual $9.99? This is amazing!” I was positive that her life would change and she would never go back to her couponless lifestyle again.

A few days later, I noticed that she was using a brand new eyeliner. “So you used that coupon, huh?” I said casually. (But I was not casual. I was so excited and waiting for her to share that Ah-ha! moment.)

“Oh, yeah, actually, I had it in my bag at the check-out counter, but I just totally forgot to use it. Oh well. No big deal. It’s only two bucks.”

My enthusiasm sagged a little. I guess I kind of saw that coming. She is not the type of person who cares to use coupons.

That wasn’t the first time I had offered something that someone else deemed not valuable. It was probably the fiftieth or the hundredth. I like to offer what I think is good in the world so I do it whenever I can. But the things that get me excited don’t necessarily get other people excited. And that’s ok.

I called up my other friend, a fellow couponer, and said, “Let’s go shopping!”

And off we went to Macy’s, carrying $10 off $30 coupons.

Do Guys Enjoy Spa Treatments?

With a trusty Groupon in hand, I am off to get a facial tomorrow! I’m picturing myself picking out lotions and face masks, and choosing between scents like lavender and rose petal. I am mesmerized already.

The person who scheduled my appointment was a male. And it got me thinking. Do guys (willingly) get spa treatments? I asked a bunch of my guy friends and most said they would only consider getting massages. They couldn’t even think about walking into nail salons, getting facials, hanging out in a mud baths, or getting waxes (Ok, I kind of understand why guys wouldn’t go for the last one…).

Why do guys shy away from spa treatments? Do they really dislike them, or do they secretly want to get massages, facials, and etc., but are too embarrassed to admit it?

Guys with interests in massages and more!

Friends. Chandler getting a massage.

Suits. Louis in a mud bath.

Family Guy. Stewie trying to sell facial cleanser.

Picture at Top