Thursday, January 21, 2010

Daily Affirmations


"I am doing exactly what I need to be doing at this time. I am exactly where I am."

This one couldn't speak any louder to me. Life has a funny way of just working out. As long as you are not trying force something, I believe everything will workout the way it is intended. It is my belief that there is a plan for all of us. Each individual has a purpose to fulfill in their life. Keeping yourself open to all experiences that come your way will open your life up to where you need to be.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Daily Affirmations

One of the things I've been doing since I arrived in Taiwan is finding a quote or affirmation I like and writing it down. Really reading and absorbing the words and trying to find a way that I can apply it to my own life, working towards true happiness. Today's affirmation was this. I found it interesting and easy to apply to my life.

I release myself from victim roles.
I am free, and always have been.
Experiences that made me feel like a victim
were only experiences that
appeared and disappeared
in the arena of consciousness that I am.


I think everyone has moments of feeling like a victim and it's easy to slip into that role. I've lived in that role many times before but it's important to know that the role of the victim is one of constant suffering and turmoil. Who wants to live a life like that? A wise man I know tells me often that happiness is a choice. So is becoming a victim to the mishaps of life. You can choose to let it defeat you or you can make the choice to learn from that experience and see how you can find something positive from it. At first it may be a little difficult because habits are hard to break but little by little, when you are conscious of your behavior and thought patterns, you can break free from the negative roles you have taken on in your life.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

I cannot tell a lie...










It's been over a month now since I made the move to Taiwan and as I sit here at my desk starring at the grey pigeon perched on the ledge of my neighbors window, I have many things on my mind. At the forefront of those thoughts is more of a realization. I'm actually doing a pretty great thing here for my life. I'm not going to lie first, because everyone knows when I'm lying. I believe it was my Aunt Linda who once said to me and I quote, "Mandy, you wear your emotions on your face. You could never hide anything" Second, what good is lying anyway? It never does anyone any good. Let's be honest, out of all the lies that I've told in my life, I've ended up confessing about 99% of them. But then again, maybe that was from my good Catholic upbringing? Ha...right. So here it is, truth be told...are you ready? That was one of the hardest months of my life. And I'll admit another thing too...my mom called it. She didn't dare say anything to me but we know each other well enough to know what the other is thinking. Until recently I was struck with a serious case of homesickness. I knew I get a small case of the 'I miss my family, friends, cats, etc' blues but I guess you just never know what you are going to miss until it's not with you anymore. But things are looking up and each day brings with it hope and happiness. As I venture out and explore this island little by little, it does indeed "Touch My Heart" more and more. (that's the Taiwan slogan for those of you that didn't know)

It was my decision to move here and I intend to make the most out of everything I do and every person I meet along the way. July will be here soon enough and I will once again find myself resting my sweet head on that all to familiar pillow in my parents spare bedroom...or maybe, just maybe, I will come to love the life of an expat and move on to another land? Only time will tell I suppose.

Alright, so here a rundown of what I've seen and done over the last month or since I've last written. My friend Katie came for a visit for about two weeks. It was great having a familiar face here while I adjusted. True, I have John and I love having him here with me but sometimes you just need girlfriend time so for that reason it was great having her here. We spent New Years Eve in Taipei watching Taipei 101 explode with fireworks at the stroke of midnight. After a sleepless night, we took an early train to the East Coast to a town called Hualien which sits at the base of the Taroko Gorge National Park. Here is a link to some information on the gorge. I'm too lazy to sum it all up. Sorry! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taroko_National_Park. Anyway, we spent the first day walking around Hualien, visiting the beach, and several markets along the way. We were all pretty beat so we crashed early in our hotel room along with the couple of cockroaches that called our room home. We woke early the following day and the three of us loaded into the back of a minivan to take a tour of the Taroko Gorge. If you ever find yourself in Taiwan, I think seeing the gorge should be on the top of your list of things to do. It's a true showcase that reconfirms to me that there is something so much greater than us out there and we are only small specs of sand in this great big world. Not only this, I realized how important being close to he mountains and ocean are for my personal happiness. Living in the concrete jungle called Jhongli reminds me of that fact daily. But anyway, so I spent the first weekend of 2010 surrounded by this natural beauty and good friends. I really can't complain.

The following week was spent hanging out around Jhongli and Taipei. A local hike, a couple night markets, Karaoke, a few yoga classes, nothing too out of the ordinary. Katie's two weeks came to an end last Wednesday which was followed by me getting the flu that night. Perfect timing on Katie's part. Nobody needs to bare witness to me hugging the toilet which I proceeded to do for most of that night. I suppose two colds and the flu is the price you pay for working with kids on a regular basis. But I'm finally feeling like myself again and just in time. With about two and a half weeks until I leave for Thailand, I need my strength to prepare for the strain of laying on the beach and frolicking in the clear blue seas.

So, there you have it, the past month of Amanda's life. Nothing too out of the ordinary but still everyday brings something new and unfamiliar and in most cases, just downright funny or perplexing.

Oh, I forgot to mention this past weekends adventures which included seeing Hachiko (Do not go see this movie with anything less than a box of tissue and yes, boys will cry too), going to the Taipei Zoo (all zoos really are the same regardless of where you are in the world), and seeing my first play in Chinese in which I'd recommend bringing a translator.

Until next time...I hope you all are happy, healthy, and enjoying 2010! Much love...