Ralph Rucci documentary

i was feeling lost, scared and agitated over the ending year, the challenges ahead and what the coming year holds for me.

i realized that i expect the worst things to happen - all the time.
whenever something good happens to me or no matter how pleasant the near future seems to be, i seem to gravitate towards that 51% chance that things can go wrong - or worse, that i can lose everything after gaining everything.

this is my core root dysfunction.
i am afraid for life to be great because losing wealth and happiness after experiencing them is most painful.

consistent with my pattern in life, whenever i feel lost and life does not make sense, i always happen on a film that offers me guidance and comfort.

this time, it was a documentary on haute couture fashion designer, Ralph Rucci.
who, i am honored to say, closely matches my subtle, minimalist, philosophical and spiritual creative aesthetic.

towards the end of the documentary, he talked about having an attitude of thanks. that everything created and every successful collection is 'borrowed'. that it came from a place beyond us.

that after struggling for many years, he stopped being afraid.

that after trying to find a place in the fashion industry, he finally decided to punch a hole in reality and create his own world.

that he stopped being fearful for what the future holds and focused instead on the many things to do and deadlines to meet in the present.

his sole prayer to his guides is to lead him.
that he may be led where he needed to be.

now that my fashion collections will be launched next year, may i be as courageous and centered as him.

good mantra for 2009

i saw this on entry on one of my most favorite blogs in the world, Diane Pernet.

Paul J Meyers' and C. Phillips' words on www.astrologyandbeyond might be a good mantra for us all for 2009:

"Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses on your powers, instead of your problems."

C. Phillips:

"Destiny is simply having the vision to realize your dreams and the perseverance to keep working toward them."

from Diane's blog:
www.dianepernet.typepad.com

qiu hao

by chance, i saw an episode of Designer People on Ovation TV.
where they document the journey of one design luminary.

this time, it was Qiu Hao, a Chinese fashion designer.

he uttered one very nice quote, something he heard from a professor at Central St. Martins:

"The most beautiful things in world have a tinge of sadness."

i used to be ashamed of my perpetual tinge of melancholy.
this quote just reminded me once again that:
1) i need to be true to my flavor of creativity - somber, philosophical, magical and beautiful
2) i am on the right track.

i will be the difference

my friend, Sunshine, shared this with me.
according to her, this is the company motto of her current employment.

i like it.

creating your first big break

If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.

~Jonathan Winters~

Maturity

Maturity won't come with age... it comes with the acceptance of
responsibility.

~unknown~

true goal

The difference between a dream and a goal is that a goal has a deadline.
~Dr. Phil~

awakening

"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens."

~Carl Jung~

purpose of life

"I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."


~Leo Rosten~

confronting fear

"To fight fear, act. To increase fear–wait, put off postpone."

~Joseph Schwartz~

problem w/ positive thinking

“Having a strong desire or being successful does not mean that you are going to feel great all the time. No matter how enlightened I become, I will not be positive all the time. You have to understand the swing of the pendulum. It must swing back and forth. The only other alternative is to sit still in neutral, which is precisely what most people do.”



~Thomas D. Willhite~

The Book of Desire

ending bad habits

You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, 'I release the need for this in my life'.

~Dr. Wayne Dyer~

evolution

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”



~Karen Ravn~

quote

Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.

~Bernadette Devlin~

Chinese Proverb

"Tell me, I will forget. Show me, I may remember. Involve me, I will understand."

~Chinese Proverb~

Leadership

You can't expect people to look eye to eye with you if you are looking down on them.

~Anonymous~

Purpose of life

The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
~Robert Byrne~

The mediocre

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

~Theodore Roosevelt~

Procrastination

You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you've collected a lot of empty yesterdays.

~Professor Harold Hill (The Music Man)~

One Minute Millionaire

"Think positive thoughts, intensely. Grow enthusiastic images, boldly.

Speak only wonderful words to yourself, constantly. Feel fantastic, NOW!

This colors your view of the world. Like a magnet, you attract the

resources necessary to manifest the world you desire."

~Mark Victor Hanson and Robert Allen~

The One Minute Millionaire

Success

If you live just for today, to make today the most successful, happy day of your life, I am sure that you will have an extraordinary life. A successful life is nothing more than a series of successful days.

~Thomas D. Willhite Quotes~

What is happiness?

"The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mood of happiness, but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change; for happiness, like a child, must be allowed to grow up."

~Charles Langbridge Morgan~

No stability

All substances are either growing or decaying at any one point in time. Human beings are no exception. If we are not growing, then we are decaying.

~Thomas D. Willhite Quotes~

Growing up

"You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself."

~Ethel Barrymore~

Finding your self

If you are looking for yourself, believe me, you will never find "you" because you are what you believe you can become. You, and you alone CREATE your own identity.

~Thomas D. Willhite~