A Magical Quote

I absolutely love Harry Potter and have been recently re-watching all of the movies with my sister. (I'd rather re-read them, but that takes up too much time, especially when trying to read Les Miserables).
Anyway, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Dumbledore quotes:

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of time, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

-Albus Dumbledore, J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

A Little Lovely Quote

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." 

-Walt Disney

Act like a Child

While working today I realized something that I find important, especially when you grow up. Especially when the fun seems to be sucked out of everything and you need to be responsible. (Don't get me wrong though, being responsible is important). However, sometimes it's best to just forget about everything and have a little fun.

While working my lovely part-time job at a lovely establishment that I wish I spent less time at, I decided to play with some soap. Just kind of splashing around in it with my hands. I just could not resist the wonderful foam that covered the water. It was wonderful! And I didn't have to worry or think about the fact that I was working or that I had greater responsibilities. I could just have fun. It was great!

It was then that I realized that I had been doing similar childish things the past few days. 

Two days ago, I went and played on a playground. It was probably the most fun that I had all week. I got to swing! When was the last time you went on a swing because you wanted to? It was so incredibly fun! 

Yesterday I went to the zoo with my friends. We were probably the oldest people there who were not adults supervising children. But it was so much fun! 

Children have it best. 

There is nothing that they have to worry about in the world, they can just have fun. 

I like that mentality

Of just having fun. 

And I'm going to just keep having fun, even if it is childish.

This also reminds me of a post that I did not too long ago titled The Little Things

A Quote I Always Love

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it's stupid."

-Albert Einstein

Dress to Skirt Refashion

Ok, so I'm prone to do a lot of crafts.
Actually, I love crafts.
This is my first successful refashion of a piece of clothing.
I took a wonderful dress and made it into a wonderful skirt. I'm pretty proud of it and I can't wait to wear it!

Check it out:
http://amelioratedstars.blogspot.com/p/ameliorated-stars-refashions.html

Money, Money, Money

About a year ago I realized how insignificant money is to life.

It plays a big role. But really money has no value.

At least to me.

I'd rather spend my life not worrying about money. Money will not rule my life. I'd rather have a million memorable experiences than a million dollars.

My Father on the other hand thinks otherwise. He would rather remain in the same spot his entire life and live comfortably with a bunch of money.
I can understand that viewpoint, and some people grow up with the concept that money is the most important thing. But it's not one that I want for myself, even though that is what my father wants for me.
I'm pretty sure we are complete opposites in mostly everything. Especially our values in life.
For years he would say that I should be a doctor and my sister should be a lawyer. When in reality I can't stand the thought of bones or muscles and my sister is fascinated with anything that includes tearing open something that is living or dead.
Everyone wants to be a doctor.
I'm not saying doctors aren't important, because they are extremely important and amazing.
But why is it that a doctor is what everyone is trying to achieve?
Money definitely factors into it one way or another.

In college, most of the people I know either want to be doctors or teachers.
I couldn't stand either of those jobs.
I'm not going to do something I don't like just to have money.
A job and a career is what you will be doing for the rest of your life. You might as well enjoy what you do.
I'd rather it be enjoyable as opposed to well-paid.
I don't care about having and holding onto a giant amount of wealth.
I want to see the world and have an experience instead of being cooped up somewhere as some housewife (no offense to anyone who is) unable to go out and live.
The earth is here for a reason and the things in it are too.
I might as well enjoy what it has to offer while I'm still here.

I'm not saying money isn't important, because it is.
But it should not define someone's life.
Greed is just awful.

I just don't even understand money. Numbers. Finances. They all make my head hurt. I just don't understand it.
Adam said if I wanted to go into international affairs, I should look into economics instead of history. That relationship is over.
I don't understand economics.
I love history.
I'm not going to do something that I don't like just because it gets me more money.
I just don't want to.

Money is not everything. Yet it drives everything that we do. Just like time.
Money will not rule my life.
Life will rule my Life.

The Little Things

For some reason, now more than ever, I have realized how important to little things are in life. It's not like I didn't know that they weren't important, it's just that their value has seemed to increase as I have grown older.
Maybe it's just because whenever I'm watching a movie or reading a book I feel as though everything seems to connect to my life.
But I guess that's what the authors, writers, and directors have in mind when they set out to create something.
Something that will reach the audience.
Some sort of theme that will make them think past the movie screen or the letters on a page.
What it truly means in their life.

While watching something as simple as a zombie movie you would not exactly expect to have some sort of touching moral story. Nevertheless, there always is one.
Zombieland
I have to say that I really do enjoy this movie. There's not really anymore you could ask for in a movie. It really has everything.
Out of the main character's rules for surviving Zombieland, one Rule #32 is added.
ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS
It's something so simple and would seem to be something that people would easily forget in an apocalyptic situation. But too many people forget it in the real world today where there is less to be worried about other than the constant threat of a flesh eating disease that makes you have cravings for human flesh. Eww

Whether it is completely destroying a place

Or enjoying a twinkie

It is the little things that are the most important to value. It is those things that keep you alive and make you feel like you are living.

Crazy Nerdy Connection to The Great Gatsby:
Gatsby valued his grander vision of himself more than the little things. It wasn't enough to enjoy holding Daisy again. He couldn't appreciate the little things. That may have been the cause of his downfall.

So, Enjoy the Little Things. Don't get caught up in some grand vision. For it won't be what you remember and what you cherish.

I'm not telling you how to live your life. I'm only telling you of how I want to live my life. What I think will give me the greatest happiness.

A Quote to End the Day

This is a quote that I stumbled upon today. I feel as though it speaks some sort of absolute truth. Plus, I love statements that go against peoples' general expectations of the world. It shows that we don't have to conform to anything or anyone's idea of anything in order to be happy. We are the people who determine our own life and our own fate. Not those around us. 

"Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything the believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate."

-Rick Warren

Another Little Quote

"Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. We can find it, we can live it, we can be carried by it, we can work wonders with it, but we can not utter it or teach it."

-Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha