I went into the theater with mixed emotions about the movie. For the last few weeks, as our plans were "rescheduled" time and time again, I began to wonder if maybe the movie was no good. After all, everyone knows I'm a big believer in everything happening for a reason. Surely the cancelled dates and sleeping through phone calls was indicative of a movie that was only marginally ...decent. Overall, it was a winner. I wouldn't pay to see it again, but I would buy a DVD when it hits the sale bin at WalMart. (Hood perhaps, but that's how I determine a movies worth. There are. however, some movies-like Soul Plane- that would actually make me consider cancelling cable if they were on tv. And if I actually had cable.)

Having lived in NYC during the time of Heath Ledger's death, I had friends who stood outside his apartment in a vigil; who saw MKO leave the building; who'd seen Ledger in the park many a night. I read the articles in various local and national and international newspapers and magazines about how tormented he was because of this role.

He even spoke about the role in an interview:

The backstory is to express what I walked into the movies feeling. I thought it would be terribly tragic and depressingly dark. Reports said it was unlike previous incarnations of the winged-ones wonders. I wanted to pop a Xanax before walking in. Perhaps it was because I was there with my love--but in the end, it wasn't as dark as I expected.

Let's be clear. It was a dark movie, but not in a way in which I would assume Ledger would have been destroyed to the point of suicide or pill-popping action. This is not meant as disrespect toward Ledger and his family. It rips at my heart to think about what will become of his daughter and former flames, as well as his family.

The Dark Knight was an age old story of good versus evil, as well as the good and evil within each of us. The characters struggles with right vs. wrong were parallel to struggles most people I know face daily. I left with thoughts about whether I and people I know are really all good or all evil.

I assume these are the thoughts those associated with the movie wanted people like me to have. If, indeed Ledger's soul was tortured by the role, I wish someone had known. I wish he'd been able to talk to his family. Talk to his friends. Talk to a therapist. Talk to himself. Shit, talk to anyone. Reach out to them and let them know what struggles he faced. I read an article that mentioned a dinner Ledger and a previous Joker, Jack Nicholson had. Apparently, Nicholson "warned" Ledger of the stress and mental trials associated with the role.

Perhaps, these are signs of great actors. Someone who completely sinks into a role. I remember reading Beyonce Knowles say she was emotionally drained after both Dreamgirls and her latest film, Cadillac Records. When I heard her mention this during Dreamgirls, I chalked it up to lack of experience. But considering how she literally became her character...maybe she was on the right track.

If that is what Ledger did, maybe, as this blog comes to a close, I am better able to grasp his struggle. If every actor performed with such dedication to roles, I think the public would respect them more. Perhaps we would want to let them have their privacy, date who they want and not revel in their failures.

Hell, imagine the way life would be if people put that much, their everything, into everything they did: work, play, love, etc.

But sometimes, it's easier to not try so hard. I assume. I still have a passion for a few things. There are some things I would actually die for, because I feel so strongly and want to dedicate myself so intimately and intensely.

What do you love? What would you give for it?

i have been moved by our lead pastor and His wife's passion to see this generation experience a for real revival and move of god on another level. you can hear it in their prayers, their conversation and their passion. today our pastor preached a message in chapel at our christian school about courage...i wept at how courageous first century believers were with their faith. Sunday he preached a message called maintain the flame and pressed people that we need to transfer what was deposited in us! if we don't pass on what was deposited in us, todays generation will grow up weak, powerless and void of a true pentecostal encounter. we need people that are simply willing to give their life to see God move in a powerful way!

Arthur Wallace said this...."The best thing you can do with your life is to find out what God is doing in your generation and give your life to it!"

More than just thoughts tonight....

Innocence, who followed me around from birth,

today I closed the door

on your face.

I let others step all over you,

and now you're gone,

left behind.

The world is a more emptier place

now that you're gone.

But I've found things that otherwise

would have only been dreams forgone.

Forgive me, Innocence,

for my bleached skin

is stained.

Intense defenses have failed to clear

that which covers what I held dear.

My eyes once pure,

now twice shallow.

I'll leave you to rest soon.

However, I thought I'd lean over

to whisper

that your brother

looks after me presently.

And he wanted me to tell you this:

“Innocence, dear sister dead,

I took over now that you have fled.

She's traded in for something better,

no keys and chains and belts of leather.

You did your work, but now you're done.

It's time for me to bring the fun.

With love,

Passion”

check out this talk by john piper given at passion:one day in the year 2000. i saw it on dvd about 5 years ago and i have to say that it changed the course and direction of my life. his words shook me to the core and i determined to live different from that point on.

read it, listen to it or watch it but i recommend taking some time this weekend to chew over this stuff...enjoy!!

Beyond the power of
sight, is a force
I met - cloaked with
unseen
clarity
that exists on
rhythms that moves
in parallel beats.

Instant gazes trapped
unknowingly, like sparks of
a kiss from
hurried glances
unleashed to
linger, like
passion that burns, charmed
by the unspoken.

I pleaded for
a glimse of the
future, framed like
an innocent
vision
destined
to capture the
shadow of your soul.

Yes, I collided with
your shadow, and
I fell.

Copyright by: Leofina Jane G.Galleta
All Rights Reserved.©2008leofinajanegalleta

In 2006, I took up my writing again, after locking away my passion for/creating/producing/informing and hopefully entertaining others... my focus is clear. my purpose defined...to use my life experiences, life tools I've applied toward my own rediscovery for other women to envision/know that there is life after divorce, empty-nester, loss of job, broken love affair.

That we are viable, sexy, vibrant, intelligent, productive and in demand in a world where seemingly  women of a certain age becomes inconsequential...I'm here to tell you..don't believe the hype. my work can be viewed at http://www.alumbo.com/cgi-bin/article/29155 as an introduction to Authentic Woman...

Come on back and let's get this party started by making the 2nd, third, fourth phase of woman life...our best life yet!  I welcome your imput...got questions? email me clarawriter@att.net

clara

J 1975
R: Noboru Tanaka; D: Junko Myashita; Hideaki Esumi

I am starting to see my defenses soften, and my zeal diminish.  I am starting to feel detached from the standards and unresponsive to my current strategy.  This of course is no time to quite the battle, this is the time to change my outlook and implement new tactics.  Over the next couple of days I will be focusing on the process of identifying weak areas and ways in which I can increase my enthusiasm for purity.  I will be looking for new ways in which to flame the passion for God and keep Him a centerpiece in my daily routine.  This blog will remain a focal point of that.

Everyone is scared of a Long Distance Relationship (LDR) but when your face to face with a potential love of your life, that is not the first thing that comes to your mind.

But what is the first thing? Maybe their lucious lips, or their shiny hair, maybe it is the way they walk, or talk, maybe you have everything in common, or nothing at all?

The one thing that we all have in common is that we just can't stand to be without someone but we take the risk anyways. Whether it be because of a job offer, school, or the person just simply lives in another city, state, country. We all feel the same pain.

The pain of loneliness, guilt, loss of intimacy or passion, sometimes boredom, or maybe just simply a lack of caring. We all have something in common, we want it to change, we want to be with that person. Waiting until the next semester of school, or enough money for a plane trip, maybe even a new car to drive to them, we try.

This blog is not meant to be preachy. But it is intended to help. Maybe help you walk a step closer to the one goal we all have in common or help you decide that this is just not for you. No matter which way it does help, I hope it does.

Thank you

        Alex

You need to explorer the talents, skills and desires you have. For instance if you think you would like to be a tennis instructor find a tennis instructor to talk to. Network. Ask friends or family if they know of anyone that teaches tennis full or part time. Once you find that tennis instructor talk to them about what they do. The most important part is to job shadow them. Job shadowing is where you follow or "shadow" someone in their day to day job activities to get a idea of what their job is all about.

When exploring your passion and potential career opportunities talk to as many people as you can. The more you learn about a career or a professional field the better you will understand it and know that is something you want to dedicate your time to. Some careers require extensive training after completing several years of college. By exploring and talking to people about a particular field or career you will know the training required for that career.

What ever your passion requires you will do you will do it. When people are working in their passion even the mundane parts of a job are worth it. You may not like to do the boring parts of your job but doing them allows you to work in your passion, which makes it all worth the hard work.

I considered myself done with that story and those characters when I sent it off six weeks ago, at least until potential revision time. I had already started work on my second one; ideas for characters, scenes and dialogues flying through my head every night. New and exciting, a blank canvas yet again. I loved the feeling.

But there I was, back to the old and familiar, feeling a little out of place. I know each sentence and paragraph like the back of my hand, I can even remember where I was when I wrote each scene. Fond memories, but all of a sudden it looked faded and dull. It is out of date compared to my vision of the next manuscript. I felt as if I was returning to an ex boyfriend; all romantic and breathtaking feelings have already been put to rest. My eyes were far more critical this time around. Pink, fluffy clouds of infatuation were no longer clouding my vision.

Sighing heavily already on the first page, I begun the dreaded delete and rewrite process. I have done it many times before with this particular manuscript. Every time my writing skills have evolved, I have improved the story accordingly. It has grown with me and it has been an on-going process for many years. This time around was slightly different, however. As I had gained some distance from it, I found myself wanting to change far more than I originally planned.

At first it made me panic. Was this really my work? Had I, in the not so distant past, been proud to put my name on this? What was I thinking?! Luckily, rationality set in. I was of course thinking that it was the best of me. And at the time, it was. I was proud of what I had accomplished and had every right to be. Now I could be proud of how much knowledge and experience I had gained in that short period of time.

With that positive thought in mind, the process became easier. And easier. And easier. Soon I was having more fun writing than ever before. Ten hours flew past. I played around with the dialogues, changed the sentence structure through-out the entire book, added some parts, took away others. My head was bustling with ideas and still is.

The love between me and my first finished manuscript has yet again blossomed, and this time it is deeper and far more serious. The pink clouds are gone, reality has set in, but I am opting for the meaningful relationship that comes after the crush. I can still have the new novel on the side, right?

Thank you to passion for inspiring this entry.

United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Eileen Marie Collins was in command of STS-93 as it departed the Kennedy Space Center in July 1999, where she made history as America's first female shuttle commander.

Eileen had a dream as a child that most would have said was impossible.
She not only had a dream, she had belief and passion that she could accomplish it.
She never stopped dreaming and she never stopped pursuing her dream.

Harriet Tubman was a woman without equal (1820-1913).  She was an amazing woman whose history allowed nothing to keep her from doing great exploits that impacted countless lives.  She was awarded the silver medal by Queen Victoria.  She believed no one would be truly free - woman or man, black or white - until everyone was free.

It may have seemed the Tubman had 3 strikes against her: She was black, she was a slave, and she was a woman, yet none of these strong prejudices kept her from fulfilling her God given destiny.  She too was driven with passion and purpose.

What about you?

One of my husband's favorite quotes is "If you keep doing what you have always done you will keep getting what you have always gotten."

Change Requires Change!         Change requires Courage!

So today is THE day! We start our "30 Days to Live; A Life of No Regrets Challenge" tonight at 9PM EST (Adjust to your time zone)

Right from your phone call 218-486-7200 and enter Pin Code 964822 to join us for our discussion call! It is totally FREE! If you have read the first chapter of the book great! If not then join us anyway. You do not have to read the book to join us.

Spread the word to your female friends! We can't wait to see you tonight!

]]> http://progmanager.wordpress.com/?p=480 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:22:06 +0000 Mike Chitty http://progmanager.wordpress.com/?p=480 [/caption]

"Our traditional organizations are designed to provide for the first three levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs; food, shelter and belonging.  Since these are now widely available to members of industrial society, our organizations do not provide significantly unique opportunities to command the loyalty and commitment of our people.  The ferment in management will continue until organizations begin to address the higher order needs: self-respect and self-actualization."

Bill O'Brien - CEO Hanover Insurance

What significantly unique opportunities do you offer to your employees?

• Interesting work?
• Great rewards?
• High levels of respect and autonomy?
• Challenging, creative an dsupportive leadership?
• A compelling vision?
• The opportunity to do meaningful and rewarding work?
• What can you do to make your employee offer more compelling?
• How can you ensure that you provide an environment where they can fulfill their dreams?

benarkah ada cinta yang demikian? benarkah? ataukah, itu hanya sebuah ilusi senja akibat hari bersama seseorang tersayang yang tak tergapai? jikalau ada... ya, ya, ya jikalau ada; dan sedemikian kuat... ya sedemikian kuatnya; aku khawatir, siapa pun pasangan yang dihinggapi oleh idealisme ini, tak akan pernah berakhir di pelaminan.

relasi pria-wanita membutuhkan passion untuk menjadikannya bersatu. passion adalah anugerah terindah yang melahirkan posesif dalam proporsinya. yang membuat lelaki melihat bibir orang terkasihnya sedemikian ranum, dan ingin mengecupnya dengan segenap gemetar dan debar jantungnya.

platonis? hmm... tampak indah dibaca oleh mata dan merdu didengar oleh telinga, tapi membuat perjalanan sebuah hati menjadi panjang, seperti matahari tidak pernah kembali ke peraduannya. sungguh melelahkan!

I've had this blog for too long, and for too long I have needed to write but haven't. So let me introduce to you what exactly is that I do!

I make things out of polymer clay. Yes, I know I know... there are many people who make things out of clay, but I intend to think outside of the box, and although there are many things I have made may have been also made by another, there are quite a few creations that have been the product of my imagination, and not of anyone elses.

An example? My tentacle cupcakes! An original by me, and something I hold close to my heart!

I am a young avid mind who is very passionate about all the things I do. Right now, my situation is quite difficult though, as I have been jobless for the last 4 months. Resume after resume, and interview after interview, the job either hasn't been up to my expectations (either because of the distance I have to travel everyday to get to the job, or they just don't want to pay me more than minimum wage...) or I haven't gotten a response.

I just don't understand how a person who wants and needs a job so badly, namely me, is left in the cold... while someone who doesn't deserve the job somehow succeeds at it. Take for example my current situation.

Had a great interview. The employer loved my resume. I have tons of experience and knowledge of what I am looking for. My only downfall? I wear black. Big deal. Some blonde bimbo is going to get hired instead of me - not because she is knowledgable or skilled in the job in mind, no sir... probably because she wears khaki pants and pastel shirts.

Don't get me wrong. I am a very friendly person. My smile and my personality could light up a room. Just because I wear black and have a few piercings doesn't mean I am a gloomy person. It just means that I don't need to wear colour to be a vivid person.

Besides. My clay has enough colour for the both of us. Hehe.

So, support a jobless indie artist. Buy a piece of my work, and a piece of me comes with every piece I make.

MonsterKookies.com

<3 Kookie

dr arul, a passionate csu lecturer:

'practise, practise, practise'

'WHY?'

thank you. i've finally found out why.

If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid...and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.

Joseph Cambell (1904-1987)

My friend is asking herself similar questions about the idea swimming around in her head.  Is she qualified?  Is she good enough?  Can she do it?

What is it about us that when we're faced with huge opportunities, we oftentimes question whether we're the right one for the job? 

I have long acknowledged that I am riding God's wave of purpose in my life right now.  Knowing where I have come from and the person I was even five years ago, why would I doubt that God will continue crafting me and molding me into a person capable of reaching another goal?  Do I think that maybe this is the time that He's really missed the mark and he's got the wrong person?

The good news is that one very definite thing I have learned on this journey is that anything is possible.  God has greater plans for us than we have for ourselves and no matter where He takes us, He will teach us.  We are all created so differently with different talents, interests and desires.  If something burns in your heart, go for it!  You are uniquely wired to do it!  Start taking small steps that will set you in the direction of your totally far off goal.  Begin to dream about what God might have for you.  Allow yourself to believe that you will change, learn and grow to become the person capable of reaching the goal that is the passion of your heart.

One of my favorite quotes is "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."  Once we start believing that and putting our faith in it, there are no boundaries.  The only limit to what is possible is what we choose to believe.