Fear Can Drive A Stick and It's Taking Me Down This Road

What to write, what to write, what to write....


Today, I learned that one's appearance can REALLY make a difference. Either that or I just got lucky.


I don't have a fully-formed idea as to what I really want to write about here.....yet.


Okay, so this guy performed a very well-written and interesting speech today about how compassion is really the "transformation of suffering into something positive." At one point, he went on to discuss the two enemies of compassion, pity and fear, and I hadn't realized before today how self-centered one is when one acts out of pity. The example he used was that long commercial that we all know about the abused animals or something and they have pictures of sad dogs and emotional music in the background and gah, every time it comes on, my whole family yells, "CHANGE THE CHANNEL!" It's too painful to watch. Anyway, the speaker said that these commercials appeal to our sense of pity, not our sense of compassion, and when we act out of pity, we act in order to make ourselves feel better. When we donate money simply because we pity those who are affected, we often think to ourselves, "Yes, I helped out," and then feel better about ourselves. Acting out of compassion, however, is recognizing the suffering of others and developing empathy for them. I thought he was inspiring.


I also heard another story today that made me cry. If you Google, "one-eyed mother true story" and then click on one of the top links (it may be a blog or a video...there are a lot of videos). I won't tell you about it here because I fear that I might start crying again. It's just.....akjdfhasidfasjkdfbaiusdhfasoidfhasjkdfbdjsfh.


Okay, so school's still school. Friday was Mid-Quarter.....I've kind of fallen from where I'd really like to be in Bio and Calc but I think I can pull myself back up. One day at a time......


NaNo...I haven't written anything since last weekend, I think. I knowwwwwwww.  I kept falling asleep in the middle of doing homework all week so I couldn't even finish that.


What else? OH! Leadership class started their Public Speaking Unit this week. Mr. U, Mr. Sagawa and Ms. Ishii have asked me to help out and I'm really excited to see and hear what the 10th graders come up with. It definitely brings back a lot of memories from sophomore year and I am really honored to be able to teach them what I know.


Okay, I think that's it for now. Ciao bellas!


Today...
I really loved...
I smiled...
Lyrics playing at this very moment as I type this portion of the blog:
Risks taken: 9!!!!! That's TWO in ONE WEEK, Lady Fate. Take that! Also, I'm gonna do Take Risks Fridays now, I think....or at least Take Risks Every Other Friday or So...
Hugs: 2
Current food/cravings: Olives...salty olives...
Playlist(s) of the Week: "In Its Purest Form" and "STOSCD"