Summer and then some...

"....So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. 

Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore.  Dream.  Discover." 

Mark Twain

To me, sometimes this means simply getting on my bike and going on an adventure.  Today, my friend and partner in life Rick, took me on a cycling adventure, not far out of the city (about 25km).  But it was far enough for me to feel like I was away for even a little while from the craziness of city life.

I caught the "trade winds" riding down the rolling hills of Springbank Road as we headed out West.  Surprisingly, it didn't take long to find some quiet moments out in nature.

I find beauty in the simplest of things sometimes.  Nature can be simplistic and yet complex at the same time.  And always, there is beauty.

A wooden fence against tall grass blowing in the breeze.

 

Pretty pink flowers against the backdrop of a weathered fence. 

Artwork painted on aluminum canvas mounted on a gate of the local residence.

A rundown house with character and with a little love could be a gem. 

The rolling hills of the prairies. 

Flowers native to the area. 

And a house small enough for a child to play in (but did someone actually live in it?).  Who knows?

 

If you never make the time for adventures, they won't happen.  Make time.

Explore.  Dream.  And, discover.



Summer Goddess Altar

I enjoy the changing of the seasons.  And, in order to celebrate, I have gotten into the groove of creating a "Change of the Seasons" altar (including a Christmas altar for December).  Here are some photos of my Summer 2011 altar.

You can find beautiful things in surprising places like used stores or vintage shops.  But you may have things lying around already.  It's about getting the creative juices flowing and trying things out to see how it can be put together. 

You may need to play with the altar, putting things in different spots to see how it will look.  Go with the flow and trust your instincts.  Creating beauty takes practice but it's possible.

This is one of the first things you see when you walk into our apartment.  The cloth underneath is a silk scarf I use as an altar cloth which is a perfect size for the bookshelf.

 

This lovely swinging fairy card I picked up on a trip to Drumheller in a store that is closing out.  I framed it and now it's on my altar.  On the left, shells in a crystal bowl, some pieces I picked up in nature in a vase and a white filigree candleholder I picked up in a used store.

 

On the right, a wooden box with more shells.  A round sunflower candle and a "Laugh Out Loud" doll made out of a tiny ceramic pot I picked up "premade" by someone lovely.

Creating an altar doesn't have to be difficult.  Women tend to naturally do this by displaying their crystal, ornaments, etc. around the house. 

You can create all types of altars.  I have many different ones around the home.  Have fun and enjoy!

Eating for Life

"And the fruits will outdo what the flowers have promised."

Francois De Malherbe

Summertime! Summertime! Sum, Sum, summertime!!

Ah, yes, summer!  The heat and the sunshine.  Everything is in full bloom, bursting at the seams with color and aliveness!  Winter seems so far away now.  The days are longer and I enjoy days and nights sitting on the balcony, reading or just doing nothing.  Perhaps partaking in a summer beverage.

It's time to get out on my bike as much as I can now.  The paths and nature are full of life as people are walking, running, riding their bikes, fishing, boating, sailing, playing sports, hiking, camping, etc.

It's a time to relax and be, perhaps, just a little bit lazy from time to time.  A time to go on a romantic picnic perhaps with a blanket by the river.

Maybe it's time to go on a summer adventure.

Either way, there's just something about summer that I love.

 

I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of the summer.  My bank of wild grass is majestic and full of music.  It is a fire that solitude presses against my lips.  
 ~Violette Leduc, Mad in Pursuit

 A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.  

~James Dent


If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance.  

~Bern Williams


Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare,
And left the flushed print in a poppy there.
~Francis Thompson

 

What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.  

~Gertrude Jekyll

 

Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne.
~Barry Cornwall


In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
~Albert Camus


There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. 

~Celia Thaxter


The summer night is like a perfection of thought.  

~Wallace Stevens


In summer, the song sings itself.  

~William Carlos Williams

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.  

 ~Sam Keen

 

People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.  

~Anton Chekhov


A life without love is like a year without summer.  

~Swedish Proverb

 

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.  

~John Lubbock

Love is to the heart what the summer is to the farmer's year - it brings to harvest all the loveliest flowers of the soul.  

~Author Unknown

Then followed that beautiful season...Summer...

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit.  A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world.  

~Ada Louise Huxtable

Ahhh, spring!!

I love spring!  Especially after a long, long winter.  The grey and blandness of winter gets to me after a while and I'm living for the day of color, the light of day and the smells of blooms in the air.  The promise of spring to come is what I yearn for.  The day I can stop wearing so many layers of clothing trying to keep warm on those cold winter nights.  The day I will ride my bike again.  The mornings where I can enjoy sitting on my balcony enjoying my flowers while I drink my morning tea.  Spring cleaning and letting go.  I love riding my bike and catching a whiff of lilacs as I ride by.  Ahh, yes, spring!  What's not to love!!

Springtime is the land awakening.  The March winds are the morning yawn. 
~Quoted by Lewis Grizzard in Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" 

~Robin Williams


Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer. 

~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks, Go! 

~Christopher Morley, John Mistletoe

      

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. 
~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke

 

It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! 
~Mark Twain

      

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.  ~Ruth Stout

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. 
~Proverb


Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. 
~Doug Larson


Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day. 
~W. Earl Hall

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. 
~Anne Bradstreet

 

The naked earth is warm with Spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun's kiss glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze.
~Julian Grenfell

 

I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring.  Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth? 
~Edward Giobbi

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. 

~Terri Guillemets

Spring Maiden

Yes, I'm perfectly comfortable. Thanks!

I received these from a dear friend of mine.  Hope they make you smile and laugh out loud!

The Tortoise and the Hare

I remember this story from my childhood and it's always good to have a reminder of it from time to time.  It ties in beautifully to the way of our world currently.

The hare ridicules a slow-moving tortoise and challenges him to have a race.  The hare thinks it's a shoo in because he is clearly fast enough to surely beat a tortoise!  How arrogant!

The hare soon leaves the tortoise behind of course, and confident of winning, decides to take a nap midway through the race.

When he awakes, however, he finds that his competitor, crawling slowly and steadily, has arrived before him.

How often do you feel rushed to finishing a task?  It's easy to do in the world we now live in where we can, with the click of a mouse, get all the information we need within moments.

Sometimes we think if we just go faster, things will get done faster.  This isn't always the case.

Patience can literally become a virture as I occasionally find myself yelling at my computer because something isn't opening up fast enough.

I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling that there is always something that needs to be done everyday.  It can feel overwhelming at times.  It feels like a simple life has gone out the window with work, family, relationships, cooking, errands, housekeeping, laundry and on and on it goes.  Not mentioning the fact that we need to get that minimum hour of daily exercise and take care of ourselves by eating healthy.  No wonder we can feel rushed to get it all done.  Whew!  I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

What I have learnt though is, if I am rushed, I don't seem to get things done any faster.  In fact, I end up making mistakes, dropping things because I become clumsier and I stress myself out for no reason.  My body starts to feel tense and I get cranky. 

I find what works for me is to continue the art of patience and presence.  Stop, breathe and become present again by focusing on the task at hand.

Sure, go ahead and make your list of to do's.  Of course there are things that need to be done.  But take the time when you start your day to check in with how you feel.  Learn to practice the art of going with the flow.  What is it you feel like doing today?

What is the day like outside?  Perhaps today, inside of spending my day inside, I will go out on the balcony and clean it so I can sit outside and enjoy the day.  If it's raining outside, then I will do some work inside.  If it's nice out, maybe I will go for a bike ride. 

The weather in Calgary can be unpredictable so yes, sometimes, I will design my work chores and exercise around the weather because you know what?  It could be raining tomorrow so I better enjoy the nice weather while I can.  Or, maybe I could do an inside "chore" outside on the balcony when it's nice out.

The point is to tap into that feminine energy of going with the flow.  Step back, take a breath and notice how you feel before you go rushing into your day.  Take a few minutes to prioritize your day and make your list.  Then practice the art of going with the flow.  Perhaps you will choose to do different things on your list than you had initially planned.  That's okay.  There is always tomorrow.

In some circumstances, we may need to move fast, yes.  But given the choice, the slow and the steady sometimes wins "the race" in the end.  Start paying attention to your own unique rhythms by practicing the art of slowing down.  Choose to live your life by being more present and it will make a difference.

http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2011/28446.html

What's next? Hell if I know!

As I am currently in transition, I find it a challenging journey.  It is almost a daily challenge for me to trust that everything is going to work out the way it is meant to.  Everything I do, I hope, is leading me somewhere but I find it hard to trust the process.  Why?  Haven't figured that out yet.  My need for control and to have things figured out is still strong apparently.

Since I joined Toastmasters in November of last year, I have done three speeches.  Then nothing came to me as to what to do next for a speech.  I felt uninspired.  No ideas were coming.  I thought "What is going on?"

I found it difficult to want to go to meetings.  The dreaded "What If" was popping its ugly head around the corner.  "What if nothing comes to me to want to speak about?"  Silly, I know, but that is what I was feeling and thinking. 

Yesterday I almost didn't go again because it was nice out.  "Maybe it would be better to go for a ride on my bike?" I thought.  But I went to the meeting anyway.  Thank goodness.

I chose the role of Outvocationist.  At the end of the meeting, this role is designed to leave the group with an inspiring message for the week.  

I thought, "What am I going to share with these people that I care about?"  And then it came to me.  A YouTube video I saw last week on the topic of connection and vulnerability by Brene Brown.  Thanks to my friend Roxanne for sharing this video with me.

As I shared my thoughts and a story with everyone, people were inspired and then I was inspired with an idea for my next speech. Worry does not help this process I am learning.  Trust, trust and trust some more.  When the timing is right, the idea will fall in.  Easier said than done though.  I had "forgotten" that lesson and was reminded again.

Why not shift the dreaded thought of "What if I don't?" to "What if I do?".  Am I more afraid of that?  I wonder.

Below are my thoughts as I go through this journey on what is next for me and the questions I ask myself.

What do I want to be known for?

How do I want to be seen?

These are questions I continue to ask myself as my journey continues.

Particularly now as I am fumbling through the unknown as to what is next for me.

It is not an easy place for me to be as I have no answers.  No resounding "YES!", at this point.  "YES, that's it!"  No, not yet.

As I strive for meaning and purpose, the further it gets away from me it seems.  Yes, it seems.

Stop striving.  Let it go.  Surrender.  Enjoy the journey.

Easier said than done.

I feel I am in the dark but still fumbling through the forest regardless, praying that the answers will come to my quest.

Please show me a sign.  Please show me I'm on track to where I'm supposed to go.  What is the next step?

My fear is:  I do all this work and I still won't know the answers.

Where do I belong?  My longing to belong and have a place in this world.

The struggle between wanting to be seen and wanting to be vulnerable fights with my ego and my pride of asking for what I need and want.

When will I let go of this armour that surrounds my heart and just let go?

I long for it and yet it terrifies me.  For there I will be, completely naked in the world.

And I will need to start over.

Who will I be then?

I don't know.

Starting from scratch in a way I'm afraid, but yet curious and excited.

Figuring out who I truly want to become as the person I am meant to be.

What is it I am meant to do that will give my life meaning?

How will I impact the world around me?

How will I serve?  And who?

Trust and trust some more.  That's all I can do as I go from day to day, taking it day by day.

Easier said than done, it's true.

Listen to the "little" YES in the meantime and trust the next step will unfold before me.

Keep opening my heart.

Keep following my heart and watch the signs the best I can and trust the answers will come.

Trust the process the best I can.

That's all I can do for now.

And yes, after the end of my Toastmasters meeting, I went for a ride on my bike.



Being Martina

I was on my way to an appointment and was waiting to catch the train.  A young woman in her 20s walked by me and was talking on her cell phone.  All I heard her say as she walked by me was "I am sooo excited!  I just had to call you!"  Immediately I was curious and wondered what she was so excited about.  After all, so many people are walking around totally unexcited (including myself at times).  She caught my attention.

I thought about getting to where she was so I could overhear the conversation.  Five minutes later, I went to where she was waiting and the last thing I heard her say was "Yes, I need to celebrate.  I love you."

Now I was really curious.  I was hoping that she would be getting on the same train as me and she did.  She sat down and I made a bold move to sit next to her.  I told her I heard her say she was excited and asked her if she'd mind sharing.

She told me she's been in school for engineering for three years now and just got hired for a job internship up in Fort McMurray for the coming year.  She was also excited because it was her last day of exams and she was going to have a break from school to work for one year before she goes back for her final year in school.  She said it was a great opportunity.

I said "Good for you.  Congratulations!  That is exciting!"  Then she threw it back at me and asked me "What about you?"

I shared with her that I had been teaching exotic dance for the last ten years including three years with the City of Calgary, but that it was coming to a close as my spring class cancelled and my manager wouldn't be advertising for the fall either. 

She asked "Why?  It's important work, working with people in the fitness industry."  I said, "Well, because there is always something new and exciting on the horizon and people want to take and try different things.  I am actually okay with it at this point.  It's time for something different.  I'm just not sure what it is I would like to teach at this point."

I told her I was currently taking an acting class for fun and was really enjoying that.  "It's good to take new things once in a while, just for fun." 

She said "Wow!  That's so inspiring.  It's so good to take things that are fun like that.  It's important.  My sister is currently taking a jewellery making class at ACAD and loves it!  My sister inspires me!"

She thought engineering was kind of "boring" but she wasn't sure what else to take or if she would love it at this point.  I told her sometimes the only way to find out is to try things to see whether or not you will like them or not.

She said that working in the fitness industry would be fun because it's working around health and fitness.  She spoke about a Ripped class in the city that she liked and I shared with her that I could see her teaching something like that.  Perhaps I would see her sometime if engineering didn't work out for her.  We said our farewells and went our separate way as I got off the train.

What I loved about what happened today is reaching out and connecting with someone.  It's not often I hear people say how excited they are. 

I mentioned to Angela that so many people are walking around not looking happy and that she caught my attention today.  She said she "hopes I don't turn out to be one of those people working at a job she doesn't like and walking around like 'that' someday."  We both laughed.

What inspired me to connect with Angela was a scene I saw out of a Canadian TV show called "Being Erica".  It is one of the best Canadian TV shows I have seen and it's available on Netflix. 

http://www.cbc.ca/beingerica/

The crux of the show is:  it's about a woman in her early 30s whose life isn't exactly where she would like it to be.  She can't keep a job, has no relationship and is generally unhappy and frustrated with her life.  She ends up meeting a "therapist".  He asks her to write down all the regrets in her life and will work with her for free.  He asks her, if she went back in time, what would she do differently that would affect her more positively in her present life. 

On each show her therapist literally takes her back in time to relive her regrets one more time and do it differently to see how it affects her present circumstance.  What I love about this show are a lot of things:  the writing, the acting, the positive messages and the lessons she learns about going through this whole process with her therapist. 

One show in particular was a "Groundhog Day" theme "stolen" from the Bill Murray movie.  Erica keeps walking by this guy standing outside a flower shop, talking on his cell phone all excited (sound familiar?)  She has walked by him 100 times, exasperated and frustrated.

Near the end, she decides to ask him what he's so excited about.  He tells her that his wife just told him they are pregnant for the first time. 

People have told me many times that I inspire them.  I, too, want and need inspiration in my life. I was inspired by the idea from that show and as a result, had an opportunity come up for me to create it in my life for real after seeing it on a show.

I love movies and shows that share something meaningful like that.  Sure a lot of TV and movies can be mindless fluff and totally uninspiring.  But who said you don't learn anything from TV?  Sometimes a person can.  There is some great stuff out there if you are open and seek it.

When people walk by, pay attention and see what you notice.  Take some time to connect with them on a more personal level if an opportunity arises.  You might be surprised to find out what you learn about them and yourself!  You might be inspired by them or vice versa.  Don't be afraid to share yourself and your life.  We all have stories.  At some point, we have all had things to celebrate.

Confucius says....

"Better than the one who knows what is right, is the one who loves what is right."

Confucius

Behind love is passion.  When a person is passionate about something, he or she will stop at nothing to make sure their cause is heard or realized into reality.

Who do you know that lives like this in your life currently?

We have had examples over the years of people who have lived like this.  Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Erin Brokovich, Mother Teresa and the list can go on.  These are "large" examples but in our daily lives there may be people that have lived or live like this currently.  Sometimes they are behind the scenes and sometimes they are out in front.

Every well known advocate started with taking one step.  It doesn't happen overnight.  If you feel drawn to a cause then go with it and take one step.  That's all that matters.

I often forget that it's the journey, not the destination and I need to consistently remind myself of that when I get frustrated or impatient with not seeing results as quickly as I would like.  Sometimes falling "off the wagon" is a good thing.  It reminds us of where we would like to be and helps us to get back on track. 

Change takes time.  It's taken me the last ten years of doing personal growth and relearning how I would like to take care of myself, my body and my health.  I have spent time figuring out what my values are and what's important and a priority.  I have made many tiny steps along the way but it didn't happen overnight.

Be patient.  Have a destination so you can keep focused and on track and remember it's the journey and all the steps in between.  You can do it.  Just start.

Erin Brockovich

Who is an example for you?

What are you passionate about? 

What do you love that is right? 

What are you willing to fight for?

Are you willing to fight for yourself?  After all, it all starts with you.

For I am dying of such love....

Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet born on the island of Lesbos (yes, I'm not kidding, Lesbos).  Was she a lesbian?  Who knows?   Does it matter?  No.

She was born sometime between 630 and 612 BC and it is said that she died around 570 BC but little is known about her life.

The bulk of her poetry was well known and greatly admired.  Her immense reputation has endured through surviving fragments of her poetry.

The first time I heard her poetry was on the show "Xena Warrior Princess".  Xena made reference to her on the Season 6 show entitled "Many Happy Returns".  I'm not 100% sure it is an actual Sappho poem, but I'm thinking it must be.  Many of her poems that have survived have been translated.

Xena got Sappho to write Gabrielle a poem for her birthday.  It is one of the most beautiful pieces of poetry I have ever heard and I hope you enjoy it too.



There's a moment when I look at you

and no speech is left in me.

My tongue breaks.

Then fire races under my skin and I tremble

and go pale;

for I am dying of such love.

Or, so it seems to me.

In the long run....

"In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves.  The process never ends until we die.  And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility."

Eleanor Roosevelt

In all that we do to shape who we are, we impact others.

What YOU do really does make a difference...YOU don't need to save the world.

Small acts of kindness can make the biggest impact.  A perfect example is the teller or cashier who actually smiles at YOU.  What creates more impact is if you make the time to smile back.  A simple smile is inviting and changes the interaction between two people.  It only takes a few extra seconds.

Challenge: this week in every transaction, take time to connect and you will be amazed at what happens!

What if you could impact the lives of another right from your office, while sitting at your desk. You can simply do this when you are speaking over the phone with someone.  Would you do it?

Making a difference is done in small steps. All that is required is the recognition of another human being.  So many people in the service industry tend to get treated like "slaves".  Remember they are in service but deserve your respect.  

Treat others how you would like to be treated.  I recommend that every person on this planet work a job in the service industry.  It will give you a different perspective and a new appreciation for what people in the service industry do.

I generally tip 15-20% on the bill.  15-18% is standard by the way, not 10%.  That was back in the dinosaur ages.  I'm always amazed when people cheap out on the tip.  Will a few extra dollars really break the bank?  Probably not.  Please be generous.  It will be returned in kind one day.

In our busy, busy world we can forget to practice patience and the honoring of another human being.  Practice the art of slowing down for a few moments each day and take the time to thank people.  They will appreciate it and you will feel better knowing that they felt appreciated. 

My Picks for the 6 Sexiest Men

What fun is life if I can't appreciate a beautiful, hot and sexy man?

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a magnificent man at the Xena Convention this year (he'll be included on this list).  He certainly sent my heart aflutter and gave me hot flashes (and no, I'm not in menopause).  Not yet anyway.

What makes a man sexy?  To me, a number of things.  Sure, good looks help.  And a good build is always nice.  But it's not all about looks.  Besides, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" as they say.

A man that is sexy has got to have a sense of himself and who he is.  When a man is comfortable in his own skin, that is sexy.  He's got to have personality.  And being intelligent and having a sense of humour helps.  A man who has values, goals and direction in life is sexy.  A man like that has a certain energy that draws people to him.

I tend to go for artists and rockers.  Go figure.  Since we are bombarded with images of celebrities, that's what I'm going for at this point.  Having said that, I'm very picky about my choices and some of these men may not be on the "usual" lists out there.  What I find sexy or good looking, you may not. But this is my list. So if you have any comments or suggestions, let me know. I would love to hear from you. 

Here is my pick for the Top 6 Sexiest Men.

1.  Charles Mesure

Tall, dark, handsome and from Australia, Charles is a hunky man. I had the opportunity and pleasure of meeting Charles for the first time this year at the Xena Convention.  I only met Charles briefly, but in that time I felt his wonderful presence.  I say this because my experience of him was one of generosity, openness, willingness and humbleness.  I loved watching him on Xena and Hercules.  He commands on screen with his presence.  I am truly smitten.

2.  Johnny Depp

Every time I have seen Johnny interviewed, I am impressed by who he is.  He is so grounded and centered.  He takes unusual acting roles and doesn't compromise on the roles he takes.  I truly get that he is comfortable with himself and that is extremely sexy to me.  Sexiness just oozes out of him.
 

3.  Viggo Mortenson

Here is another man who is comfortable with who he is.  He consistently pushes his limits and edges with the roles he chooses.  I have enjoyed almost everything I have seen him in.  I remember seeing him at the Academy Awards one year when he was nominated and I loved the look in his eyes.  I could see a beautiful soul and a beautiful man.
 

4.  Kevin Smith

The only time I have seen Kevin Smith was on Xena and Hercules.  What a hunk!  And God, could he be funny too.  Not only that, but people had nothing but nice things to say about him.  I wish I would have had the honour of meeting him when he was alive.  Kevin was killed in a stunt accident a few years back.  He truly owned the role of Ares when he was on those shows.  I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Ares.  That's how good he was.

5.  Trent Reznor

I have seen Nine Inch Nails twice in the last few years and this man can rock the house.  When I first heard his music I thought "God this guy is angry".  But his anger is partly about the insanity of our world and he uses music to express this.  He music is intense, rhythmic, raw and sometimes really danceable.  He's brilliant, unique and a pioneer in his genre.  You had me at "Closer."
 

6.  Ryan Gosling

I was never a Ryan Gosling fan until I saw him in "Lars and the Real Girl".  I did see him in "The Notebook" but for some reason never fell in love with him there like some women did.  I feel Ryan is an underrated actor.  After I saw his performance in "Lars" I was completely blown away by his vulnerability in that role.  He so embodied that character and yet he never got recognized for it.  This year he was in Blue Valentine which was another edgy role for him.  I like this guy.  He's pushing edges and again, that's sexy as hell.

What I see in others, I can see in myself, whether those characteristics are present today or not.  This is a great exercise to do if you want to see where you are at with yourself and what qualities you value.  

When beauty is external, it's sometimes difficult to see past that and see what's inside of a person.  The challenge is also to see beauty in those that aren't labeled as such.  Do your best to see beauty wherever you go and an amazing thing will happen.  You will see it everywhere.