Living

6 steps to live in the moment Living in the moment is all about living like there’s no tomorrow. It takes practice but in the end, you’ll lead a fuller life. To do this you must realize beauty in every moment, and in everyday To understand how to live in the moment you must first realise that this is about participation rather than just observation. Living in the moment is a conscious act. 1. Take notice of the world around you. No matter what you’re doing, try to find something beautiful around you. Maybe on your way to work or school, you go over a beautiful bridge, or you get a view of the sunrise behind the city buildings. Realizing these small things can bring life and happiness even to the most boring or routine days. Be thankful for those little things. 2. Focus on whatever you’re doing. Even if you’re just walking, or wiping the counter, or shuffling cards - how does it feel? There’s probably some kind of commentary spinning through your mind, and it probably has to do with something other than what you’re doing. Let those thoughts go and focus on what is (not what was, or whatcould be). In Buddhism, this is referred to as mindfulness. Pay attention to your senses - touch, sight, smell, sound, and taste. Pretend it’s the very last time you’ll ever experience whatever you’re experiencing. Have you ever been so engrossed in something that it seemed like the rest of the world just disappeared? Living in the moment is about creating that state of mind at any time. Slow down, and try to savor the present. 3. Smile when you wake up. You can set the tone of appreciation and awareness for the next 24 hours by simply waking up and smiling.[1] Don’t wake up with a groan and a smash of your alarm clock. There’s scientific proof that the expressions that you make with your face can actually influence how you feel.[2] In particular, true happiness is most closely tied to a Duchenne smile which involves smiling with your eyes, as well as your mouth.[3] 4. Commit random, spontaneous acts of kindness. Whether it’s donating 1 dollar to a fund at the pharmacy, picking up litter, or helping victims of natural disasters, keep alert in every moment of your day for some way in which you can make the world a better place. Even the smallest thing, like complimenting someone, can bring joy. It’s the most spontaneous and unexpected acts of kindness that produce the greatest impact, and you can’t be sensitive to those kinds of opportunities unless you’re living in the moment. 5. Minimize activities that dull your awareness of the moment. What are you doing that tempts your mind to run away from the present? For most people, watching television puts you in a passive state of mind, and time slips right by. Daydreaming and getting lost in a good movie or book isn’t bad, but it’s not living in the moment because it places your concentration on something that isn’t right here, right now; it’s a form of escapism. Don’t zone out; zone in. Do things that are active, and that encourage you to look around and engage the world in that moment. Gardening, playing a game, knitting, and playing an instrument are all activities that lend themselves to mindfulness. So get off the computerafter reading this article! 6. Be thankful for what is. When you find yourself wishing for something you don’t have, or wishing your life would be different, start your quest for your wish by being thankful for what is already in your life. This will bring you back to the present moment. Make a list of what you are thankful for right now even if all you can think of is that you are alive and can breathe. You don’t want to miss the gifts right in front of you, because you are always looking beyond what is in the present moment to what once was or what might be. If you are thankful for what is, you’ll be happy to be in the moment instead of some place else.

Lyrics: Butterfly- Mariah Carey

Butterfly- Mariah Carey

When you love someone so deeply
They become your life
It's easy to succumb to overwhelming fears inside
Blindly I imaged I could
Keep you under glass
Now I understand to hold you
I must open my hands
And watch you rise

[Chorus:]
Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly
Fly abandonedly into the sun
If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be
So spread your wings and fly
Butterfly

I have learned that beauty
Has to flourish in the light
Wild horses run unbridled
Or their spirit dies
You have given me the courage
To be all that I can
And truly feel your heart will
Lead you back to me when you're
Ready to land

[Chorus]

I can't pretend these tears
Aren't overflowing steadily
I can't prevent this hurt from
Almost overtaking me
But I will stand and say goodbye
For you'll never be mine
Until you know the way it feels to fly

[Chorus]

So flutter through the sky
Butterfly
Spread your wings and fly
Butterfly


So i chose Mariah Carey_ Butterfly as my song, as you can tell.
I really like this song because those words just itself ment a lot to me. I heard this song about 7 years ago and from that day i loved it. I know word for word. Beyond that its more that the song had more of effect on me because i had recently lost someone at that time, and it seem that this song understood and was ment for me. I do truely admire Mariah Carey not only for this song, but for her voice and overal talent. She sings so beautifuly. I love all her songs, i even bought most of her CD's.

The meaning i believe Mariah Carey  was going for was more directed towards love and relationships. But it ment alot deeper to me, lookig pass boyfriends/ girlfriends i thought it was just ment like loosing loved ones period. Theres a part where she said "I must open my hands, And watch you rise"  and the way it ment to me at that time was to not old on, pray to God asking for someone who's suffering to stay alive for my own selfish reasons. I know i wasn't really being selfish, but me wanting God to keep this Angel who's time was up was wrong on my part. At that moment I realized that it was her time to go, praying to God i said, take her, i rather have her in heaven happy then here on earth suffering. I also think Mariah use the words as great as she could possibly do, in a way of expressing herself very well i believe.

The beat/ tone of the music is very soft and slow. Played with a lot of piano, soft drums. Its very easy to listen to. I believe the music itself just gives the lyrics more definition and beat to the song. Even with out the music, if it was acapella it would still be as beautiful. I believe her tone was hurt, sad, but understanding. Her tone went more for upset with how everything was going, but she was still willing to give it all up. Instruments used was drums, guitar, piano, and voice (vocals). They can used all different, make soft tones and sounds.

My Rewrite of the lyrics

When you love someone so much

When they mean everything to you

Its easy to let everything bottle inside you

Foolishly I thought I could keep you for ever

But now I know I must let you go

Go off and do the thing(s) you was destine to do.

 Become something beautiful

Never stop, keep going.

If you ever need me or return to me I will always be there

I have learned that we must all leave and grow

But never let “the departure” from one another hinder ourselves

You’ve showed and taught me so much that I know you will always remain in my heart

I cant promise you that this will be easy.

I cant hold you back and not move on

But I will stad to see you walk away instead of me chaining you down.

You and I know that I will always love you not matter what.

So go home/ off to where you belong… I’ll see you again.

I Love You

Mrs. B's Critical Thinker essay

Critical Thinker; My Grandmother

            Murlie Griggs Blan, my grandmother has been the biggest influence in my life. This lady has the heart of a lion and the determination too. Whenever I need advice, I run straight to her, because she’s not judging and she always helps, and makes everything more understandable and she is to me the best critical thinker I know.

            A certain topic we always have a discussion about his men. My grandmother has been married twice, and even though her love life hasn’t been successful, she still believes that love is out there. I always have problem with finding the right one for myself, and when talking to her she ask questions about myself and problem and then problems I find in the men I go for. She is filled with this old fashion knowledge of men, and she defines them and put them in better terms for me to understand in the era of time.  Sometimes I don’t like talking to he cause she has this ability to know and tell me when I am wrong. Its not like she says it mean. I just cant stand to hear that, but that’s just because I am vey stubborn.

            When ever there’s a problem with a family member whether its health or etc. we always ask for my grandmother’s advice or help. She can come up with several different outcomes and possibilities. In my family certain conversations can get very heated and we all get very passionate about our opinions. She can make any kind of heated conversation  into a resolvable and agreeable conversation. For example we had a situation with my aunt and her child’s father whether the kids were going to school with their mother and spend the summer with their father. My aunt refused for the child to leave her for 3 months but when my grandma stepped right in and gave my aunt certain options and also pointed out that it was wrong for her to be selfish and to let the child go the summer. Although my aunt never liked the ending solution, it was in its best to do that, instead of going to court or any other nonsense that was not needed. Overall the child was able to enjoy a great school year and enjoy a fun filled summer.

            My grandmother is just an prime example of critical thinking and she’s very important to my family. I know everyone has that same feeling about their family members, but my grandmother is more then these words could ever explain. She’s everything I wish and hope to be. Very open minded, well knowledgeable and informing. If you ever need someone to talk to , who can help you and make everything seem better, my grandmother is one of the best people to talk to. I can lend her out to you for a moment, but I’ll need her back, because with out her my family could not function properly. There would be ciaos and uncertainty everywhere.  

New to this

i had to create this for my reading class. i hope to get more interrested in this and continue blogging after my class is over