Scare

Lou Says:
September 4th, 2008 at 4:07 pm

anything can inspire change. looking at the right random object. noticing a theme in a movie or tv show. conversations. books. illness, death, and even birth.

but whether or not we decide to ACTUALLY change is up to each person. I can want to change. I can TRY to change. but that doesn’t mean I will. there has to be EFFORT and AMBITION.

Personally, what inspires change in myself is realizing my own potential and wanting to achieve it. but attaining one’s own potential is like constantly dividing. you can get closer and closer and closer to the ultimate goal, but it’s nothing more than an ideal situation. ideal is never met. ideal is utopia (if you will). I want to be the best I can. this is why we all learn. when we stop learning, we stop growing. stopping growth is to stop yourself from going up in the world. then you’re just stuck.

I want to change to prevent getting myself stuck in life. not just my skills, but also ethically/morally, spiritually, and socially.

what do I want to change in myself, specifically? everything. not a total change, but more like improvements. more ambition, being less lazy, noticing more in life that I’m missing out on. things like that. oh yeah. and getting into shape. :P

I found this post to be really well stated and very beautiful. Thank you, Lou.

I feel that change for me happens in two ways. Either I see something amazing and I am inspired to strive for it, or I feel so uncomfortable, so totally sick of myself and the way I am doing something that I shift.

Obviously the former is much more optimal than the latter. However, I must say that the latter is much more effective. Change is scary. Doing something new? AHHHH! Holy shit!

It is so funny, because I watch myself opening my eyes to something I want to be, something I see inspires me to push myself to grow. But if it is really something new, something so beautiful, yet so foreign, often I will make up all these excuses, generate all these lies so that I have a reason to stay the same. And even though fear totally sucks, it’s familiar and much more appealing than the unknown.

I have so much respect for people who unabashedly dive into the unknown. People who stare into the abyss of uncertainty and embrace it. Those who seek that are truly the leaders and change makers.

Eleanor Roosevelt said we should “Do one thing every day that scares us.” But what really scares us, not fake, “I- wanna- get- out- of- pushing- myself- or- trying- something- new” scares us.

So I challenge you as I am challenging myself, take on something scary, something unknown and new, and embrace it.

Dive in and see what happens.

Keep me posted!

I wanna know about your progress!

xo
allison

Newer Comments →
  • Melissa

    A big challenge Allison! Ok my new challenge will be to get an excellent grade at my exam of tomorrow…..it’s not a big challenge but it’s a start…..another big challenge will be to start and getting all the information about my future job, wich is Gastronomy,I’m 16 and still in school, but this year is the last so I wanna get to know what’s out there for me in the future so I’ll start digging myself into the cook world, I wanna be a chef, a good one. Hope to beat that challenge and start to see the “real world”. My parents have already done so much for me during my 16 years of life so now it’s up to me to start a life at the dangerous,exiting, beautiful and challenged world…..To finally open my eyes and start an build my future life I had plan. Tomorrow will be a incredible day! Bye,Melissa.

  • http://www.myspace.com/shinefloyd_luigi shinefloyd / luigi

    talking about meditation…
    I had 8 hours (at night) of Kuji In meditation with 12 Ninjas and one Master…
    including Hypnosis…
    I don’t knew nothing about Kuji In meditation…
    and Hypnosis… never in my life… only watching on TV.

    Amazing… awesome

  • Lydia

    I have been dreaming of traveling for many years but, I felt discouraged and scared of the unkown.
    Well, I have taken upon one of my biggest challenges ever…I am going on a holiday, all by myself. I am excited because it feels good that I have finally taken action, it is a dream come true but, I am scared too because there is a lot out there that I don’t know or haven’t experienced yet. I hope it will be the first of many travels.

    It is even more empowering because I stood up for my dreams and passions as certain family members aren’t enthusiastic or don’t understand my desire to visit the USA and Canada.

    So, I am counting the days before I leave for Vancouver (Sept. 22nd). Yay!:-)LOL

  • Kris

    I do challenge myself to change, and I’ve made some very good and meaningful changes in the past several years that I’m incredibly proud of. There are a couple of BIG changes I want to make, but I’m not sure how to do it. The key for me in achieving these changes is to let myself rely on and trust other people to help me through the changes I’m facing. That’s a huge part of being successful is facing the fear of the unknowns you may be diving into…knowing you’re not alone.

    The first thing is that I want to move to Chicago and go back to school for a Master’s degree, so I can be in a meaningful career instead of just having a job. This one isn’t so scary and is a goal that I can attain in the somewhat near future (not practical now because I’m temporarily caring for an elderly relative).

    The second is a change that I’ve been working on for almost my whole life. My mother died when I was 4, and I immediately became very emotionally withdrawn. I am on a seemingly lifelong quest to be able to be comfortable saying “I love you.” It seems like it should be such a simple thing to do, but the first time I actually said it out loud after her death was when I was 18. It took me 14 years to say it once. I’m getting better, but I think I’m just afraid that nobody will say it back…which hasn’t been the case, but it’s still so hard for me to do and a very frustrating way to live.

  • Becca

    scary…. hmm well that’s kind of my life right now it is in such transition. I just started college. I’m rather far from home and away from anyone I know, especially family. I have a completely clean slate here and that is both exciting and completely terrifying.
    I also came out for the first time and it was so scary but it paid off and it was a huge adreneline rush after.

    I guess with most things I’ve found scary, except certain creatures, I just have to take a deep breath and hold on for the ride because they all paid off.

    Risks

  • Kris

    Hey Lydia, Don’t be afraid to travel alone(which isn’t an uncommon fear). I do it all the time, and everybody thinks I’m crazy. I just tell them, “The worst thing that could happen is that I get lost, and I know how to ask for directions!”

    The best advice I can give is that you have to be ready to accept that plans might go wrong, so just be ready to improvise! Sometimes you have more fun when things don’t go exactly according to plan! Bon voyage!

  • Darwin

    I have done a lot of scary things…in a lot of scary circumstances…involving scary people…scary animals…scary mythological monsters…scary natural disasters.

    But…*hands start to sweat* the SCARIEST thing for me…*hands start to tremble* would be to start DATING again!!!

    The HORROR!!!

    …I would MUCH prefer facing another
    pack of wolves…

    But…

    I have resigned myself to my fate.

    Unless of course, no females WANT to date me…THEN I AM LEGITIMATELY OFF THE HOOK!

    ..Not that…

    …I am HOPING for that…or anything.

    *smiles*

  • taylor nikole

    “would be to start DATING again”

    haha
    im 15…. and my biggest fear is dating…
    actually no, its failure (and spiders), but dating is pretty high up there :)

    I have a fear of ‘commiting’ myself to one person…. (not like at 15 im getting hitched or anything)…. and also just commiting myself to people in general.
    Its weird, it may have to do with knowing that my father could never commit himself to me. The last thing i want to be is a let down.

    but, besides dating… I like to push myself to try new things.
    Another thing that I find really hard to do is participate in French… during speaking lessons, especially last year…. but this year i’ve tried to read french in class and i’ve been trying to speak it to my teacher whenever possible. Its the only way you can learn i guess and I’m trying to push myself away from the fear of speaking a language that I’m not particularily familiar with.

    oh wow…
    my mom and i just spent an hour on yearbookyourself.com

    it was hilarious :)
    and we were cracking up
    haha so i totally lost my train of thought on this comment :p
    anyone looking for a good laugh should check it out hahaha

  • Darwin

    taylor nicole: When you said: “I have a fear of ‘commiting’ myself to one person…. (not like at 15 im getting hitched or anything)…. and also just commiting myself to people in general.
    Its weird, it may have to do with knowing that my father could never commit himself to me. The last thing i want to be is a let down.”

    When I read this…my first reaction was:
    Wow. So WISE for one who has lost their train of thought.

    As my train of thought often becomes derailed I thought I should reply quickly.

    Commitment MEANS something to you.

    Many people go their whole lives without meaning in their commitment…and thus no commitment.

    And it is SO good that you haven’t turned into an OUT OF CONTROL people pleaser
    who tries to commit some portion of yourself to EVERYBODY!

    You have time to adjust the balance…SERIOUSLY committing when it is important and when you mean it.

    My problem is not committing…it has been commiting myself to someone who does not commit back.

    Your instincts are correct taylor nicole: It is best to save REAL commitment for someone who takes it as seriously as you do.

    As you are fifteen…that will take awhile.

    So TINY extensions of SMALL commitment
    of SHORT duration is the way to go!

    Baby steps.

    SCARY baby steps to be certain…*smiles*

  • taylor nikole

    Darwin:
    “Wow. So WISE for one who has lost their train of thought.”

    haha i was almost thinking ADD moment :) pour moi.

    Its true…

    Although I’ve found it really easy to commit myself to something instead of someone because you don’t expect commitment back from the ‘something’ that is incapable in commitment in the first place. (woo take a breath)
    Its like having no expectation like you hope for from an actual person.
    You put all your effort and commitment into the ‘something’ and you are in control of your happiness and success.
    Does this make sense?
    because for some reason in my head it is :)

    You don’t have the fear of having to expect commitment back….
    but i totally see what you mean about longing for commitment from the person you commit to. It seems unfair and it probably is, but I guess you can’t really put yourself in the mind of the other person to see why they aren’t retruning the commitment.

    hmm I wonder how many times i used commitment in this reply:)

  • Scott

    The only thing I would like to do that would scare me entails far too much risk in a sense that it should never be pursued. I cannot drop everything and travel about freely as I would wish. That freedom was lost to me via financial obligations.

    There are no other wishes of mine that scare me. I will not hook up if I find a true love, because I would want the best for her and I am not it at present. I have cut it close numerous times and am well aware of my mortality; I need no reminders through acts that hold little interest to me, such as skydiving. There are very few things I fear that I would wish to engage in that I have not already done, or that would entail a far greater risk than I would like to have visited upon myself or those I love. Without truly concrete examples, I cannot fully explain the meaning behind such things.

    I will, however, offer up a personal experience in place of a challenge, which might prove highly meaningful for the discussion question.

    I used to swim in high school. In that time, I had many interests, one of which was psionics. Regardless of whether one perceives psionics as real or fake, certain concepts within it hold value. In one such instance, the supposed training for “cryokinesis” entailed acclimating oneself to cold.

    The natural human response to cold is to shrink away and shiver. This shiver response comes from the desire to regain warmth by making the body’s muscles quiver, which expends a great deal of energy. The shiver response is highly important, yet there is another route, the same one proposed in the initial post for this blog.

    A shift in mindset. Rather than resist the cold, try to embrace it.

    The lesson taught in the concept of training for “cryokinesis” isn’t the supposed goal of “manipulation of cold/ice,” though that’s the goal of the lesson in psionics. The real lesson, the one I am trying to exemplify, is that of embracing that which you would ordinarily shrink away from. By embracing the cold, you conserve energy you would have wasted in making your muscles quiver.

    You cannot effect this change by willing it physically. A physical attempt at stopping yourself from shivering will do nothing. The only way to stop yourself from shivering is to embrace the cold on a mental plane.

    That is all.

  • Aysha

    This post couldn’t have come at a better time!

    First off, I just wanted to say that Lou just stated the process of change so eloquently. The dividing analogy was absolutely brilliant!

    Second, this is the month of Ramadan for Muslims. It is essentially based on change – not just changing one’s diet by fasting, but purifying the soul. We try to concentrate on ourselves, and this month serves as a checkpoint to see where we are spiritually and as people. We get the chance to better ourselves by focusing on discipline and controlling one’s urges. Abstaining from food and liquids serves as a physical symbol of self-discipline. We also try to spend more time devoting ourselves to our faith and also giving to the poor.

    It is really a soul-searching month!

    I feel as if I have for the first time accomplished more discipline this Ramadan. I have cut back on spending too much time on unproductive activities like watching TV. It is a very small victory, but I celebrate this baby step!

    It’s all about the baby steps that lead to the big steps!

    Just thought I’d share something from my world :-)

    Take Care,
    Aysha

  • Aysha

    Clarification: We don’t abstain from food and liquids for the WHOLE month! It’s from sun-up to sun-down everyday that we abstain.

  • I’m Rachel

    !!!!! Attention!!!!! I am going on a 40 day fast of negative thoughs and words. During this fast I will speak no negative thoughs or words over any one. Would any one like to join me? The fast will be over on october 19. Sorry I got the message out a little late.

    Rachel

  • http://www.myspace.com/fridayphilosopher The Friday Philosopher

    Sounds like fun to me Rachel.

    You can count me in!

    Friday :)

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    Sometimes change is forced upon you. I wouldn’t take time off work no matter how badly I felt because there is a family depending on me and debts to pay … so what I needed happened in a not so fun way. The retina in my left eye tore on Friday night. It seemed like one of my migrane headaches — vision effects but no pain. When it became apparant that this was something different, I went to the eye doctor of Sunday and he told me that my retina was indeed detached. So, on both Sunday night and Monday, I had gas buubles injected into my eye to float the retina back in place. I had to sit with my neck bent to the extreme right wile sitting erect for 20 hours. Very painful to do, but it almost worked. My reward was the second gas bubble and getting to sit straight up without bending my neck for another 22 hours. Then my retina got tacked back into place with a laser on Tuesday. I still have to sit straight up for a week. I keep thinking that I want to go lie down for a little while, but then I remember that such a simple thing will be denied me for another 5 days or so. I have heard stories of other detachments and worse positions that people had to lay in for weeks, so I have done pretty well. And, although it is unlikely, I might get most of my vision back in the left eye. The worst part is being told that I am a likely candidate for having it happen again in both eyes. As a temporary employee, I have already been replaced at my job. Fortunately for me, this just serves as a lesson to my employers that finding someone who can do what I do for them isn’t easy or cheap. Despite the extra help, my work isnn’t progressing and they want me back as soon as is possible. I’m not supposed to be reading yet or back on the computer for at least 5 days … but being here for a couple minutes is a cheat that I am allowing myself.

    It may not seem like it, but I do believe in miracles , both in science (which I believe is the technical expression of God) and outside of science. I believe in possibilities and opportunities inside of problems. But I also believe that our life experieces (at least in this incarnation) are finite and time-limited. My concern in here has been that many posters seem to think that there is always a tomorrow — to do things, to fix things, to make amends, to say I love you, to SEE things. That may not be true and that makes the present so much more vital.

    On Saturday before I knew what the problem with my eye was and while rushing to get a list of tasks complete by noon, I stopped into a McDonalds for breakfast so I could eat while I filled out some paperwork. There were maybe 3 parking spaces available and the take-out line extended around the lot. The crew was working as hard as they could as fast as they could and reaching around and past each other to get the food to people as quickly as possible. When I finished eating, the lines were gone and the crew was walking around almost in a daze looking for what items needed restocked and making sure they were ready for the next wave of people and taking a breath for the first time in an hour. I took a moment to walk towards the counter on my way out and returned a “May I help you, Sir” with a “I just wanted to say that you all are doing an AMAZING job back there.” A lot of heads snapped around in shock of hearing something so unexpected and the cashier’s face brightened up. I hope I used that moment well and made a difference to them. I know that I suddenly felt better than I have in quite a while. Take your moments when you have them.

    Hope my typing isn’t too terrible. I can’t really check it out very well. But at least today, I have an excuse for it.

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    PS to Rachael,

    Thanks for letting me know to avoid you on October 20th!

  • Vegas911

    Het Allison,

    Great challenge…but honestly I feel so stagnant in my life right now….There are changes that I so desperately want to make…I can see the life that I want, but I have not the first clue as to how to get it. I love my husband but he is not the soul mate that you hear people speak of, he is a good guy that I married, and I love him, but don’t think it’s enough. I love my job…but it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I don’t know what I really want to do, or what I would even be good at…..How awful, I am 29 and I have no clue how to make myself happy! Some people are blessed with a life full of excitment and wonderful memories….mine….no so much. It’s the same thing everyday..I get up go to work, go home and sit….I can’t afford to go have fun, my bills will not allow it! So how do you break out of a self made prison?

  • gaylady

    I love change. I’ll often do something for the sole reason that I’ve never done it before. In the past I’ve left behind all my friends, family, everything i know, to go halfway round the world with people i didn’t know, to a place I’d never been, hell, a continent I knew nobody in, to do something I’d never done before. Some people may ask why. I always answer, why not? I’m back home in Ireland now but had the best time of my life while I was away. Never fear change. Changing is growing.

  • gaylady

    I love change. I’ll often do something for the sole reason that I’ve never done it before. In the past I’ve left behind all my friends, family, everything I know, to go halfway round the world with people I didn’t know, to a place I’d never been, hell, a continent I knew nobody in, to do something I’d never done before. Some people may ask why. I always answer, why not? I’m back home in Ireland now but had the best time of my life while I was away. Never fear change. Changing means growing.

  • Grace

    The one thing that I fear most in my life right now is NOT changing. I have been very frustrated with my lack of money and time. It seems like if I had more time I could make more money or if I had more money I would have more time to do the things I really want to do. I want to spend more time with my daughter, but I am too busy trying to make enough money to take care of her. It feels like an endless cycle that I can’t get out of. The ONE thing I know is that I have to change something!

    I am an accountant working full-time for a small firm. I recently decided that I needed to take on clients on the side for additional income, but I have yet to advertise. A week ago I “accidently” got a client. Now I need to set up an appointment, but I seem to be reluctant to send the email… When I am afraid to do something, I tend to “forget” to do it. I get busy with other things… I’m also not very good about writing things down….

    Anyway, I DO have a point! Most of the time I don’t really know what it is that I’m afraid of…. Am I afraid of rejection? Am I afraid that I won’t have time to do the work? Am I afraid that I won’t have time to pursue acting? Am I afraid of being self-employed? Am I afraid that my work won’t be good enough? Am I afraid of success? Maybe I am afraid of change….

    Sorry, I’m not in a good place today, but thanks for reading!
    Grace

  • Amanda

    Ok, there are three things that absolutely make me hyperventilate: blind dates, spiders and public speaking. I kid you not. My landlord called me recently and asked me if I was dating anyone because there was a guy he wants me to meet. My first thought was how many excuses can I make to get out of this. I didn’t but for a split second I wished I’d let that phone call go to voice mail.

    Some fears I can overcome like the fear of being homeless or loosing everything to a hurricane like Katrina. Those things aren’t quite as likely to happen as say spiders considering where I live. Equating change with fear of the unknown can cripple you if you let it. Or, it can keep you from experiencing life to the fullest. I don’t want to live my life afraid. So, after spending quite some time in prayer, I said yes when the Bible Club at our local high school asked me to come speak. I keep my house fumigated against spiders. And I told my landlord that I’d at least think about going out with his friend. Baby steps.

    p.s. once again Taylor Nikole has proven that wisdom has no age limit

  • Marilyne

    I’m scared to fail…and of what other people think…so, instead of getting on that stage and sing (why not?) I just sing in a kidding way, not with my own voice..dah! But, talking about change, I just apllied to be a supervisor at my job…interviews will start soon… I really hesitated to apply, but like you said Allsion, we should do something different and try to push ourselves. I feel the same way as if I were in the waiting line for a roller coaster: 1- “Let’s do it!” 2- Just before getting in it: “Holy crap, what did I think?” 3- Once in in the ride, enjoying the ride! so I think we have to get out of that comfortable zone we so easily choose and remain in. :D

  • Darwin

    taylor nicole: “Although I’ve found it really easy to commit myself to something instead of someone because you don’t expect commitment back from the ’something’ that is incapable in commitment in the first place. (woo take a breath)
    Its like having no expectation like you hope for from an actual person.
    You put all your effort and commitment into the ’something’ and you are in control of your happiness and success.
    Does this make sense?”

    This makes TOTAL sense! Absolutely!!!

    Scott: “Embracing the cold” is a martial arts, Native and common sense way people who live in Canada just south of Santa use to not only survive but thrive in harsh climate.

    Last winter it was 55 below…and the debate was on whether people should be sending their children to school…

    I heard about it when I was out for a walk.

    I wore my runners and these socks.

    I HAVE washed them since then.

    We compensate by generating and radiating more heat.

    Although one DOES question the wisdom of further reducing one’s bodyfat percentage in such circumstances…I did…and guess what? My body compensated yet again!

    Aysha: I fast for 24 hours once a month for the same reasons and the same purposes! But for a WHOLE month sunup to sundown is ESPECIALLY dedicated!

    Rachel: I would love to join you on your negative thoughts fast…but I am dealing with WAY to many rotten people at the moment.

    David Hayes: SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR EYE BUDDY!!!

    AND I AM SORRY THE HEALING AND RECOVERY PROCESS SUCKS!

    BUT I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT WHEN YOU SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING YOU NEEDED…AND SOEMTHING YOUR EMPLOYERS NEEDED FOR THEM TO SEE HOW VALUABLE YOU ARE!

    Vegas 911: I think because you are stymied in other areas of life that your are seeing your relationship in darker less than happy tones.

    Think of the women you have known where the husbands abadon them or beat them…or never knew the amount of love you have known.

    And it is SO good that you are 29…! You can STILL figure things out about career and what you really want to do for the rest of your life! And the career change may just chnage the finances too! So there is much to look forward to!

    29 is one of those pivitol milestone years because that whole “30″ thing is within view! It can make you crazy unhappy if you let it.

    Grace: Hard to see it…I know…as I have LIVED where you are living…but you ARE progressing…and it feels glacial at best…just INCHING along…like water changing a landscape…just don’t give up or it all starts going…backwards!

    You will reach a point where you get to jump ahead.

  • Ralph

    My change is something that truly scares me, maybe it shouldn’t but it something truly unknown and different than anything i am used to. In less than a week i ship out to Iraq, i will let you know after i am there if i am able to embrace this new change or if i just hide from it and keep myself sheltered from this new experience.

  • Grace

    Darwin, thanks for the kind words. I have been in this situation off and on for many years and have gone backwards many times. The up side is that it’s been a relatively short time that I have had meditation and spirituality for guidance and to keep me hopeful that I CAN change. One thing is for sure, I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!

    I just remembered that one fear that is common for me is the fear of putting my foot in my mouth! That explains why I am sometimes afraid of emailing or calling someone I don’t know well. It is also why I am afraid of dating! I’m so happy that I can post here and not be judged! :)

  • Lydia

    Kris, thank you.
    It’s really a huge challenge but, I can’t wait to leave.:-)

  • http://www.myspace.com/analfabeta Gnome

    Hey Lydia,

    I got inspired with your attitude and decided to do the same thing. Brake my chains and fly solo and see what happens.

    But I decided to go for a kamikaze style.
    I just bought a ticket to Cairo – Egypt to October 6th. Other language, other culture and a totally different environment.

    Wish me luck!
    I wish you a great adventure!!!!

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    Darwin — Thanks for the large print edition of this topic … very considerate!

    And I am learning a lot in this process. Before now I thought that Mack-ular Degeneration had something to do with Allison swearing.

  • Darwin

    David Hayes: *ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING* HILARIOUS AS ALWAYS MY FRIEND! MACK-ULAR DEGENERATION!

    AND YOU ARE QUOTE WELCOME IN REGARDS TO THE LARGE PRINT VERSION.

    IT ALSO HAPPENS TO BE THE FONT FOR
    MY HARD OF HEARING FRIENDS AND RELATIVES.

    Ralph: Stay safe, duck quick and jump high when you need to man! Prayers are with you!

    Grace: SO true! Spirituality is the key…as it is said that you cannot have faith and fear at the same time.

    THAT being said I may have to actually follow my own advice!!!

    Oops.

    And…just so you know Grace…sometimes I only open MY mouth to trade feet.

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    Darwin … I’d like to also thank you for typing slowly because I can’t read very fast.

  • doban

    Allison hi.. From colombia … reading about of the change: for me, The change is something that is born from the interior of every person, in my case it is a desire to go so far as to fulfill my goals, but always preserving the calmness but the passion by what it is wanted …. If one wants to change first it is necessary to evaluate thoroughly: his acts, attitudes, happy moments, fears, in end … … … everything what it wants to excel oneself is possible any time one proposes … a challenge of mine is to overcome the difficulties that present to themselves in my studies this semester and to achieve all the projects and works proposed to good end … .. only that will manage to be a professional of suitable form and to work for mine people…. forgive my English but I am learning….xoooooxxoooo Deiby O.

  • Darwin

    David hayes: AGAIN…YOU ARE WELCOME!

    JENNYGIRL ALSO LIKES IT WHEN I TYPE SLOWLY…BECAUSE THEN SHE GETS TO DO OTHER STUFF WHILE WAITING…LIKE…DEFRAGMENT HER HARD-DRIVE…CROCHET A KING-SIZED BLANKET…WHITTLE A SCALE MODEL REPLICA OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE…

  • Darwin

    Lydia!

    Soon you will be an honorary Canadian!

    Wave when you fly over me!

    I’m the…uhhh…cute one! Yeah! That’s it!

    Have fun in Vancouver! You GO girl!

  • Darwin

    Amanda: Can I tell you my best spider story?

    Was in the mountains with friends…found a natural hidden small opening to a cave
    …one by one we all climbed down inside. We all had flashlights with us…

    …and there was this VERY narrow passageway in the rocks…SO narrow one had to expell ALL the air from one’s body to pass thourgh.

    And each of us in turn did.

    We entered a fairly large open area…full of sparkling colored stalagtites and stalagmites(sp)…

    Abruptly…our “spider senses” tingled in unison….and we all…without speaking…
    chose to pan the ceiling with our flashlights at the same exact moment.

    All the flashlights revealed…

    ..Wall to wall Black Widow Spiders covering every inch of the ceiling.

    We CHIPPED rock going back through that very narrow passage I can tell you!

    I did pause to take a last look at the pretty part of the cave though. Quite the contrast.

    And Amanda…CONGRATS for overcoming fears!

    Marilyne…you too!

  • Grace

    “Spirituality is the key…as it is said that you cannot have faith and fear at the same time.” Yeah! I keep trying to remind myself of that!

    “THAT being said I may have to actually follow my own advice!!!” Me too!
    :)

    DAVID HAYES, YOU ARE SO FUNNY! ONE OF THE MANY REASONS I KEEP COMING BACK HERE! I HOPE YOU RECOVER QUICKLY!

  • http://bubbalou.deviantart.com Lou

    YAY!!! I GOT QUOTED BY AN ACTRESS!!
    :D
    You’re very welcome, Allison. :)

    Of course change is scary. I love this quote from the pilot of the old x-men cartoon from the early 90′s. “People fear what they do not understand.” That is SO true. I honestly wish it wasn’t this way, but it is. It’s just in the nature … really of every creature to fear what is not understood. This is a major part of the biases each of us have. we’re so stuck on fear (or something similar) that we lose sight of seeking understanding of where the change is coming from and why.

    Then there’s that Yoda quote from the Phantom Menace. Not nearly as much of a classic as the “do or do not” quote, but just as true. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” I guess, just try not to worry about things. Just take it as you go, do your best, and … be Dude-like and “take it easy, man.”

  • Amanda

    Darwin: My dad was bitten by a black widow spider when I was a kid. It was hiding in his house shoe , which I thought was totally cheating on the spiders part. The kicker is that my baby sister had just been playing with before he put the shoe on. Anyway, we lived about 30 min from the nearest hospital and he almost didn’t make it. The doctor told him that if the spider had bitten my sister she wouldn’t have made it. Needless to say, after that I am more than a little afraid of spiders.

    And, if I had entered a cave with a ceiling full of spiders, I’m afraid that cave would have had a new opening. :)

  • Melissa

    Ok, so today was my first day of the new and scary thing….I was really panic because I din’t know how to start out something that I’ve never done before and that i didn’t know how to work with it. So I had that test about gastronomy and tomorrow I’ll get my notes, you know it’s a practice, for me to know if I know what I have to know to be in a gastronomy academy. I’m waiting for those grades…..hopefully I’ll get a not so bad grades….I hope….
    Bye,Melissa.

  • lena

    I’ve reached a cross roads in my life, I finished school a few years ago and am now working. My job is just a job- a means to an end, I’ve reached a point where I need a change. I want to change and there are so many things I want to do and try like going to university for example. Thing is I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to making that change. I start to think ‘what if it goes wrong?’ , I seem to sign myself off as a failure before I’ve even started. This year however I’ve decided to make a supreme effort and dive in.
    By the way has anybody heard about these Large Hadron Collider experiments going in Geneva and what do you think about it? (sorry bit off topic, just curious)

  • Gail

    As a substitute teacher, I have been afraid to come out of my shell and try something new. For me, substitute teaching has not been consistent enough to bring in a steady income. With the economy the way it is I have called places for jobs I normally wouldn’t have. Mainly because I’m afraid I won’t do well. My husband thinks it’s pride! Pride may be holding me back.

    This has caused some tension in our marriage. I’m scared if I don’t try something new it will cause more stress. (Sorry if I seem so personal but you must be a good sounding board for me!) And my husband’s right, pride has made me afraid to go for it!

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    Thank you Grace. My eye is already back to 20/25 so all is progressing nicely. I even wrote a song about it based on an old Don Ho song … if any of you remember him. It goes:

    “Tiny bubbles
    In my eye
    Push up my retina
    To make me see fine”

    On my wife’s instructions, the doctors did try their best to remove my sense of humor. They had trouble finding it but, once they did, they still didn’t get it!

  • Jackie

    Today I taught a university course by myself for the first time. I was and am still terrified by it but this year, for me, is about putting myself in all these terrible awkward positions that I don’t want to be in and just making myself do it.
    I’m much like Allison in wanting to just not do any of it. Sometimes you just need to put yourself in front of the train tie yourself to the tracks and think of how proud you’re going to be when it’s over.

  • I’m Rachel

    Hey cool every one. So far my fast is going very well! I thought it was going to be hard,but it’s not. I can’t wait to here every ones report on the 19th. *thumbs up*

  • http://www.daybow.com David Hayes

    Jackie Says:
    September 10th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
    “… Sometimes you just need to put yourself in front of the train tie yourself to the tracks and think of how proud you’re going to be when it’s over.”

    Yes, when it is over you can be proud of all THREE of yourselves!

  • http://www.myspace.com/malleable_me Krystal

    The timing for this challenge is spot on for me. So, I only started my journey into the world of live theatre about a year and a half ago after I was so captivated by the acting that I saw on my favorite television show. Yes, that would be Smallville. For the first time in my life I realized that acting was an amazing art form and I want to be a part of it. With the passion ignited, I auditioned for a role in a local production of West Side Story. To my pleasant surprise, I got a part. Now, a year and a half after submersing myself into the world of theatre, I am looking at a new challenge. I got an email last night from a director asking me if I were interested in being his AD. Maybe that isn’t crazy scary to some people, but I know NOTHING about this. I think I will take him up on his offer and face the darkness!

  • taylor nikole

    “p.s. once again Taylor Nikole has proven that wisdom has no age limit”
    i just wanna hug amandaaa!!
    :)

  • Darwin

    taylor nicole: That sounds like you are writing a song! “I just want to hug aamndaaa!!!”

    What is the tune?

    David Hayes: THE LAST TIME I WAS AT THE DOCTOR’S, SHE PEERED INTO MY EAR…BUT FOUND NOTHING.

    Grace: It isn’t ALWAYS easy to remember is it?

    Lou: WAY TO GO! High five!

    Amanda: SO glad to hear that your father survived the sneaky unfair cheating spider and that your sister dodged the same spider!

    Divine intervention!

    I understand your fear….and why the cave would have abruptly gotten another exit.

    So what’s the basis for the blind dating fear? *smiles*

  • taylor nikole

    Thats a good question darwin….
    how about i write the lyrics and you make up the beat :)
    hahah

    hmmm working on my script for my acting class tonight… so trying not to listen to music… or else everything i read ends up sounding like a song or a rhyme hahaha

  • taylor nikole

    well in my head atleast :)

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