Not Merely to Survive, but to Live

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style” -Maya Angelou

I absolutely love this quote and not just from the simple fact that Maya Angelou has impacted me in ways I cannot describe, but for the truth that it says.

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style” -Maya Angelou

Far too often in my life, I meet people who are merely trying to survive. They are extending themselves to only the points on which they feel comfortable and living a passive life. It is the ease of getting through life and to be honest, it sounds dreadfully boring.

I want to live a life where I am constantly thriving to better myself, a life where I can be full of passion and be able to show this great compassion to those around me; a life where I can laugh and be joyful and to live a life with some flair! That is a life to be able to strive for.

So why do we choose to keep to the mundane? Why are we so reluctant to be able to strive to have a passionate life; a life worth living?

There are a numerous reasons in my opinion, but one that I believe encompasses them all: the fear of change.

From what I can tell from my observation of listening to people who are older then myself, the most interesting and fullfilling lives are the ones that have had many changes in them. Now some of these changes are external, but many of them are internal.

To be able to thrive, I highly believe that there has to be some type of struggle. Look at any piece of literature or movie and the characters have to go through some type of struggle to be able to grow and reach the ending. We as people are the exact same way.

Maybe that is why I find this quote so pertinent, because Maya Angelou herself faced many trials in her life. It would have been completely understandable if she would have timidly hid in a corner, but she didn't. In fact, she lived a life where she thrived in the good and bad times. She inspired many with the trials she went through by not dwelling in the negative and choosing to live a life worth living.

The fear of change or the struggle we will face will make life taste so much sweeter. Our passions will become stronger; we will care for each other stronger; we will be able to laugh harder; and we will be able to walk with an air about us, because we will be able to thrive to have the life worth living.

So, are you thriving in life? Are you living life with some passion, compassion, humor, and style? If not, then what's holding you back?

Fulfilling Books

Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”~ John Green, The Fault In Our Stars

This quote from John Green's book is the perfect quote that relates to his book, The Fault in Our Stars.

I will admit, I love this book. I read it a year ago in a short period of time and passed the book along to many of my friends since finishing it. It is something about this book that convinced me to pass it along and tell everyone about it. It's like if I passed the book to one more person, maybe, just maybe a person will be able to appreciate life and have passion.

This book also tells the story that is not often told, a teen who is dealing with cancer. The Young Adult selection that I can think of does not cover this topic and thought it talked about the struggle, the coping and the overall life of the characters in this truly authentic way. It was moving and I found myself emotionally drawn to these characters and wanted the best for them.

I know I have not dived too deep into the quote, because well, I believe this one speaks for itself. This book is a good read and I highly recommend it. 

Also, the movie comes out this Friday and I am very excited.

Writing Playlist

As I have mentioned before, I enjoy writing. It is something that I frequently find myself doing and whenever I am stuck on something, the first thing I do is create a story of how to get out of a scenario and that leads me to finding a solution. It's just the weird way my mind processes information. It has always been like that, but I have been able to to accept this fact as I have become older.

Any way, when I write I have to listen to music. Music as a whole inspires me and just motivates me. So, to introduce you to what helps me write, I have decided to actually share the playlist that has pretty much been the same since 2010.

Writing Playlist

1. Hook-Flight to Neverland ~ John Williams
2. Stepmom- The Days Between ~ John Williams
3. In Noctem ~ Nicholas Hooper
4. Ginny ~ Nicholas Hooper
5. Dumbledore's Speech ~ Nicholas Hooper
6. Living Death ~ Nicholas Hooper
7. Into the Pensieve ~ Nicholas Hooper
8. Harry & Hermoine ~ Nicholas Hooper
9. A Window to the Past ~ John Williams
10. Evenstar ~ Howard Shore & Fran Walsh
11. The White Rider ~ Howard Shore & Fran Walsh
12. Samwise The Brave ~ Howard Shore & Fran Walsh
13. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) ~ Vitamin String Quartet
14. Beautiful Day ~ Vitamin String Quartet
15. Breakaway ~ Vitamin String Quartet
16. Bless the Broken Road ~ Vitamin String Quartet
17. Lose Yourself ~ Vitamin String Quartet
18. Campfire ~ Alan Menken
19. The Tear Heals ~ Alan Menken
20. Save the Last Dance ~ Vitamin String Quartet
21. Smooth Criminal ~ 2CELLOS (Sulic & Hauser)
22. Smells Like Teen Spirit ~ 2CELLOS (Sulic & Hauser)
23. One More Thing ~ Richard Gibbs
24. Earth ~ Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard
25. Strength And Honor ~ Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard
26. Barbarian Horde ~ Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard
27. Elysium ~ Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard
28. Honor Him ~ Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard
29. Now We Are Free ~ Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard

So that is the list that I most consistently listen to when I write. I have actually started listening to this same list when I work at home and have found great success from doing so, since there is a wide variety that can fit into any mood you are in and any type of work style. What's your favorite music to listen to when you work?

As a side note: I also listen a lot of Lindsey Stirling when I work. You should check her out!