Flâneur

I enjoy walking. I am good at walking. I can walk for a looooooonnnnng time. Never tiring, never complaining. If possible, I would like to walk off the Earth :P Whether alone or with company, walking helps me relax and de-stress. I untether myself from my earthly problems and appreciate the feel of the wind around me. Walking lets me discover new places and appreciate old favourites. At home in Toronto where I was born and raised, sometimes I feel jaded because I have been wandering and exploring the breadth and width of this city on foot since age 14, but in the right company I see the city with new eyes and discover things anew. When travelling abroad, walking is essential to get a feel for the pulse of a neighbourhood and how the locals live. Speaking of travelling, I have not done enough of it and there are definitely times when I want to pack a bag, push pause on all my commitments, and go! Somewhere, anywhere. Raise anchor and leave my home port for a long odyssey. I’m not the type to get homesick either. Doesn’t mean I don’t love my family, dog, friends, and Toronto. I just know that wherever I go, home is still where I will always return and it will still be there when I get back.

Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.

Albert Einstein

Take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.

Frank Sinatra, lyrics from Pick Yourself Up

Live Today

Be completely present. Don’t miss a second of life. Right now and right here is all I need or want. Someone else can have the yesterdays and the somedays. There is no control or certainty when it comes to the future. So I only need the present. Get a dose of reality today.

People are screwed up in this world. I'd rather be with someone screwed up and open about it than somebody perfect and ready to explode.

Ned Vizzini, author of It's Kind of a Funny Story

It can be hard to know what to do when a friend is going through a crisis. What the fuck do you say?! What the fuck do you do?! It really can be a scary and impotent time when someone you care about experiences a problem. What can you do in practical terms?

I say “practical” ways because...

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith.

Unknown

Get Uncomfortable

Choose to get uncomfortable. The actions and decisions that make you uncomfortable and scared are what you need to tackle first in life. The uncomfortable zone is where actual growth, change, and development occur. If you are comfortable, then you are not being challenged and everything remains status quo. You remain in the ditch and no change occurs. Want to make a change in your life? Start being uncomfortable today ^_^

Pursue Happiness

Choose to be happy. Happiness is a state of being that must be chosen by each individual. It must be actively pursued rather than happened upon passively. Making a consistent effort each day goes a long way when seeking happiness. Seek out your own version of happiness. The only thing standing in your way is you. Choose to be happy today ^_^       

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Accept Others

Choose to accept people as they are. No judgement. No expectations. No labels. Simplify your relationship with others. Put out good intentions and you will get good intentions in return. Accept and be satisfied with what and who you have in your life right now. Be happy that people are in your life at all. Cherish that. Love people for who they are, just the way they are. Be unconditional. We are all just human beings living on this third rock from the sun for what is a quick second in the eyes of the universe. All we can do is be supportive, caring, kind, and respectful to one another. Accept and you will be accepted in return. Most importantly: Accept yourself for who you are. Love yourself. So be a bit more accepting today ^_^

“What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.” - Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Don’t Judge

Choose not to judge others. I know this is a tough one. I have problems with it myself at times. Everyone has an opinion on every little thing everyone else is doing even though they may not admit it. People go around all day judging how their co-workers do their jobs, judging when tourists and other pedestrians walk too slow, judging if others are ugly or pretty or weird or cool, and more. All this judgement makes you become stubborn, old, and cranky. Set in your ways. You are hard wiring your brain to have certain responses in each scenario. This can be pretty inflexible. So when there’s a bump in the road, a disaster happens, or change occurs, you can’t adapt or cope with the situation and end up spiraling out of control. Don’t judge others or compare yourself with them. You never know what they are going through. Enjoy a judgement free day ^_^

Time Flies

Choose how you spend your time wisely. Not all things, activities, and people deserve your time. Time is a valuable commodity that should only be spent on people you care about and the things that matter. The relentless forward march of time, the impermanence of mortal life, and the need to make the most of the time and life that you have are the central themes of tattoos I am searching for artists to ink on me.

If you have ever traveled through Western Europe, you were probably focused on having an awesome time. You may not have noticed the finer details in your surroundings. 

Wandering through art museums you will see works by Great Masters. You'll see dancing skeletons, skulls on desks, wilting flowers and more. This overarching theme is referred to as Memento mori in Latin. "Remember that you must die." These are artistic and symbolic reminders of mortality and life's transient and impermanent nature. 

Walking through town squares, plazas, and piazzas or sitting down in one to enjoy an espresso you will often find clock towers, public clocks, and sundials. These will sometimes have the Latin words Tempus fugit etched on them. "Time Flies." Some will even say Omnes vulnerant, ultima necat. "All hours wound, the last one kills." These are all reminders not to waste time and live a full life in the now because it can all be gone in a blink of an eye. Accept yourself and those around you for who they are. Think about who and what matters to you in the present and keep them close. Live in the moment a little ^_^ Knights of Cydonia by Muse: “Don't waste your time or time will waste you.”

Beginners IV

Anna: I couldn’t sleep, I wanted to walk around. You’ve lost so much. What if I can’t make up for that? Oliver: If this is too much then we should just stop.

Anna: Wait. Wait. I don’t want to stop.

Oliver: Then I make sure that it doesn’t work.