A New Standard of Living

I found this quote browsing Tumblr over the weekend and it really stuck out to me. I've spent so much time striving for some idea of "perfection" that I have let it consume me and therefore have spent a lot of time being unhappy. I think it's definitely a big mistake I've made.

I've come to the novel conclusion that I will never be "perfect". I won't have the "perfect" friends and family. I won't have the "perfect" social life. My body and mind will never be "perfect". I'm not going to have the "perfect" apartment. My personality isn't going to be "perfect". I could go on. But you know what I've realized? All of these imperfections and things that have stressed me out and bummed me out for so long are mine and I should start being grateful for them. I should be happy that I have a few close friends who love me. I should be happy that, while they can bug me at times, I have such a great and caring family. I should be happy that I've been blessed with a working mind and a body that is free of anything really wrong. I should be happy that I have a roof over my head and that I can call it my home. I should be happy for so many things.

I really do need to start holding myself to a standard of grace. For one, it will keep me from being so hard on myself. I also think it will let me appreciate everything and everyone that I have in my life. Living a life of grace is more about enjoying things, seeing the beauty in life and being thankful for what you have. Life should be more about being generous and gracious and appreciative than obsessing over perfection.

So, here's to throwing the need for perfection out the window. Goodbye to being sad, frustrated, miserable and blinded by something that no one can really obtain. This is a new outlook for me and it will most definitely be for the better.

via Might & Main

Day 19

A passage from a book that has touched you


"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry."
 -J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Day 15

A moment, phrase, or song that has changed your life the most.

“Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it’s at the end of your arm, as you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.” — Audrey Hepburn

“Life changes every minute of everyday. You lose friends. You gain friends. You realize your friend wasn’t ever really your friend and the person you used to hate can make a really good friend. You look for love. You find love. You lose love. You realize all along that you’ve been loved. You laugh.You cry. You laugh so hard that you cry. You do this, you do that. You really wish you hadn’t done that. You then learn from that and you’re glad that you did. You have your ups. You have your downs. You see good movies. You see bad movies. You wonder if your life is just a big movie. You look at others and wish you were them. You then realize who they are and glad that you’re you. You love life. You hate life. In the end you just find yourself happy to be living life, no matter what’s being thrown at you.”

"The unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. because its only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. stone crumbles. wood rots. people, well, they die. but things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on." -chuck palahniuk

"Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.
No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone.

You hold me without touch.
You keep me without chains.
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your reign.

Set me free, leave me be.
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

You loved me 'cause I'm fragile.
When I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.

Set me free, leave me be.
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you're everything I think I need here on the ground.
But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go.
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down"

-"Gravity" by Sara Bareilles

This song seems to be fitting my life to a T at the moment.

I love these

Ever since Amy made a post about the I Can Read blog I have been obsessed.
here ---> http://icanread.tumblr.com/

they say for every high there must be a low. for every sun ascending a lonesome moon will grow. drive my heart, drive my heart into the fire of a burning heart's desire! a lonely spell so you be seen, do you hear me coming from my blue dream? lonely, lonely, lonely! cause my mama told me the dream of love is a two hearted dream.

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
-1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Food for thought

The Way I See It # 53

"I have faith. Faith in our wonderous capacity for hope and good, love and trust, healing and forgiveness. Faith in the blessing of our infinite ability to wonder, question, pray, feel, think, and learn. I have faith. Faith in the infinite possibilities of the human spirit."

those little stoppers aren't supposed to let the drink spill!

On my way to work this morning I stopped at Starbucks to get a little jump on the day.
Upon recieving my grande non-fat white chocolate mocha (no whip) I read the little piece of insight on my cup known as Starbucks "The Way I see It".
I love reading them and I noticed on the bottom of the cup in fine pringt it has where you can go online and view tons more "The Way I See It" 's.
So, like the always on task employee that I am I got on the website and looked through a few and found some that I rather enjoyed...


It takes two seconds to tell the truth and it costs nothing. A lie takes time and it costs everything.
-- Randi RhodesRadio host. Her program, The Randi Rhodes Show, is heard on AirAmerica.

A person’s pursuit of goodness leads to greatness, but the pursuit of greatness leads to ruin. Pursue goodness and you will achieve great things.
-- John E. KramerVice president of communications, Institute of Justice.

Sometimes good art is simply creating an honest mess.
-- Stacy D. FloodWriter and Starbucks customer from Redmond, Washington.

Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure.
-- Bill ScheelStarbucks customer from London, Ontario. He describes himself as a "modern day nobody."

Our greatest prejudice is against death. It spans age, gender and race. We spend immeasurable amounts of energy fighting an event that will eventually triumph. Though it is noble not to give in easily, the most alive people I’ve ever met are those who embrace their death. They love, laugh and live more fully.
-- Andy WebsterHospice chaplain in Plymouth, Michigan.

Women’s bodies are valued as ornaments. Men’s bodies are valued as instruments.
-- Gloria SteinemAuthor and advocate of women’s rights.

Love wins.
-- Tavis SmileyTelevision and radio host, and author of What I Know for Sure.

Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.
-- Dean KarnazesRunner and author of Ultramarathon Man

itchy itchy scratchy scratchy.

"There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. Afraid. Confused. Without a roadmap. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course, when faced with the unknown, most of us would rather turn around and go back. But once in awhile people push on to something better-something found just beyond the pain of going it alone and just beyond the bravery and courage it takes to let someone in. Or to give someone a second chance. Something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream. Because it's only when you're tested that you discover who you truly are. And it's only when you're tested that you discover who you can be. The person you want to be does exist, somewhere on the other side of hard work, faith and belief, and beyond heartache and fear of what lies ahead."

I have no idea who said that, but a friend of mine shared it with me a couple years ago when I was going through a bad time and I happened to come accross it saved in a file on my computer.

It couldn't be more fitting and helpful to me now.

I really want a pink iguana. They were just discovered recently in the Galapagos Islands. What a cutie right?!