Enjoy the Silence

Due to my passion for writing, I understand the intensity of words. However, I think we all forget to say the right ones here and there, because we get lazy, busy, distracted or scared even. We tell ourselves that the ones we love know we do just like the ones we miss know it too. There's no need for repetition; it's simply unnecessary.

But the thing is, while people may know how you feel, hearing it brings with it it's own sensation. It suddenly feels more real, the feelings come to life. The simple "I'm proud of you" or "I love you" can keep one going another day. It can be the motivation they were seeking. 

Certain feelings that you decided to keep hidden could have held together a relationship. The right words could provide redemption for all the time wasted years later. Random honest confessions could provide the closure you were longing for. Knowing something in your heart just isn't enough sometimes; certain things have to be surfaced.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a

listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all

of which have the potential to turn a life around.” 

Nothing Like the Rest, Darling

Inspiration. It drives us to discover new aspects of ourselves, to achieve or make things that might not have even crossed our minds had it not been for that one instant. I get inspired from words, thoughts, people, places, sounds, pretty much everything I can sense, anything I can feel.

But inspiration isn't merely finding something you adore and taking it, claiming it to be your own. Rather inspiration is finding something you adore and transforming it to suit your ideas and lifestyle. Taking something and making it your own by weaving it with your own aesthetic, putting your unique signature on it. Adding that twist that truly makes it yours and prevents anyone else from claiming it.

No two people see the world the same way. No matter how many similarities may exist, we all interpret things differently. Therefore, it's almost impossible to have identical thoughts or ideas.

Spending a lot of time with someone or getting to know another deeply can bring you closer, with it bringing similarities. However, no matter how deep a relationship, it's important to remain individuals simultaneously. Whether it's a close friend or significant other, there's no reason to lose sense of who you are, your uniqueness.

We often mistake looking up to someone as wanting to be them, which is not the case. If you admire someone, work to achieve their accomplishments, by all means, but in the ways that relate to your dreams, aspirations, personality, in a way that remains you.

By sacrificing your sense of individuality, not only are you losing your identity, but also stealing theirs.

Yearning to Be Heard

Everything I write is just a fraction of the countless words that are constantly running through my head at any given moment. Sometimes, I wish I had all the time in the world just to release them in a more concrete way. Although writing is the most precise way for me to articulate myself, sometimes you have no other choice but to speak, vent even, and let others know how you feel.

When something is bothering me, when there is an issue or conflict, my first instinct is to talk about it. There is no other way to inform someone about how you feel than to simply tell them. That is also the only way to completely hear the acknowledge the other side, fix things, realize where you stand or even show effort. None of us are mind readers, so it's unfair to assume that any other person can know precisely what you think or how you feel and vice versa without any form of communication.

Agreed that sometimes people and situations need their time and space, too much time can be harmful. If you allow too much time to pass by, is there anything left to discuss? People say that time heals all wounds. Time allows you to move on and in some cases, it can create distance.

One of the main reasons that I have been able to keep up with this blog, other than my love and passion for writing and encouraging followers, is my inability to control my focus. If something is bothering me, it bothers me until I fix it. If there's something I need to say, I will butcher it in my head until I get the opportunity to unleash my words and liberate my thoughts.

Even though this trait usually leads to honesty and conflict resolution, it has a downfall. Communication is a two-way street. If I'm writing, it's so someone will read it. If I'm speaking, I need the other person to listen. Keeping my thoughts to myself isn't always an option but is necessary if others aren't willing to make an effort to hear me out. The frustration attained from the inability to express myself is indescribable. The extent of the distress is able to overpower my mind for days.

They say that actions speak louder than words. However, sometimes hearing what you least wanted to and speaking the most difficult words are necessary. Everything else leaves room for interpretation, room for the possibility that things could be different. And sometimes, the lack of actions speak even louder. The silence can sometimes be just as powerful as the words yearning to be heard.

Empty as the Wind

Far too often we give up simply because we feel that our efforts are not benefiting us in any way. We're in an age of instant gratification. We want what we want and we want it now. Unfortunately, not everything works that way. If you really want something, you will stick with it in hopes of improvement regardless of praise and recognition.

At the same time, kind words don't hurt. Sometimes, that's all we need for encouragement. The same goes for compliments. I believe that words are powerful, written or spoken, and they should not be taken lightly. All it takes is a few kind words to make someone's day, to make someone smile, which I think is the most beautiful thing. Those few kind words could be what brings laughter to their day, a subtle sparkle to their eye or meaning to the perfect moment. The words people use express so much of themselves, whether they realize it or not, as do their actions.

Just as our words and actions display fractions of ourselves, they also affect the ones around us. That's what most of us tend to forget. It's amazing how much of an affect we can have on each other. Just as we have the ability to create happiness for others, we also have the ability to take it away. We have the ability to frustrate and confuse each other. We have the ability to cause pain. The worst part is that we are able to do this unintentionally.

They say the truth hurts. While that can be true, isn't the blatant pain that arises from knowledge of the truth less painful than that of being lied to? Some people beat around the bush to protect the ones they care about while others do it to protect themselves. Somehow, having power over someone else's thoughts and feelings makes us feel powerful. It's true that being honest and straight-forward can leave you vulnerable, but it's also true that playing games can leave you lonely. The lengths we go to in efforts to attain something or someone can be the exact thing that drives them away.

What I have realized is that anyone and everyone around me has the power to have an affect on me. And if you don't like who you are around someone, how they make you feel or how they cause you to act, it's better to just distance yourself. Sometimes, the idea of someone is far more superior than the person themselves.

"The unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine."

Everything in Life is Gray, You Know

Things aren't always black or white. They aren't always right or wrong. There isn't always an evident answer; there is always that gray area. What we fail to realize is that people work the same way. As we are complex, so are our thoughts and feelings. So half the time we spend just trying to figure out how we feel or what exactly we think instead of realizing that there is rarely ever a clear-cut answer. Sometimes it's difficult, impossible even, to put a name onto these feelings. They are not always meant to be expressed into words.



It's okay to have mixed feelings or a combination of thoughts. However, things start getting a little messy when the feelings begin to conflict one another or when the combination of thoughts is simply irrational. Love and hate or annoyance and admiration for example, two opposing extremes, yet we find ourselves loving and hating something or getting annoyed by yet admiring them at the same time.

They say that the people we dislike most are usually the ones that remind us of ourselves, of our flaws. That's not always the case, but it seems to be true quite often. Other times, negative feelings arise from our own insecurities. When such negative feelings are directed toward us, it's okay to be a little sympathetic. It's important to still be ourselves and not let it be an excuse to act like anything less.

And then then there are times when find ourselves with extremely positive and extremely negative feelings toward one person all together. I can't help but think even the most extreme negative feelings must stem from some kind of passion. With time, one feeling will most likely overpower the other, but then again, who wants to wait for things to unfold? Especially when you find keep finding yourself in the same position weeks, months, or even years later.

I am a writer. Are you?

I just started summer classes. They are horrifically long and terrifyingly boring. In about six hours of class time, there was one thing I found interesting.
This video: http://ncow.org/browse/video/who/who_is_writer.html

The video shows people from different backgrounds, different ages, and different careers answering questions about writing. What is writing? It's funny how such a clear and straight-forward question can have so many interpretations. Writing can consist of anything from novels to simple to-do lists or emails. What's even more amazing is how writing can affect us.

To me, writing is everything from expression to therapy. I seem to express myself the most clearly through writing. Somehow, my thoughts just seem to flow onto paper. I love journalism. I love writing essays for class. Weird, I know, but I would rather write an essay than take a test. I love writing on Facebook walls, well I at least try to respond. I love writing random notes to friends. I love making personalized cards and writing cute messages on them. It's more personal that way. But most of all, I love writing for myself. It helps me get my thoughts together, which is pretty important considering i'm confused about something or another most of the time. It keeps me sane. I guess some things are easier to put on paper than to say out loud. I love to write. I guess that's why I'm here.

I'll update as often as I can with random thoughts and happenings. I haven't really blogged before, so this should be interesting.

"Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass identity we see in the making all around us. In the end, writers will write not to be outlaw heroes of some underculture but mainly to save themselves, to survive as individuals." -Don Delillo