Auld Lang Syne, Goodbye 2016, Thank You

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
And days of auld lang syne, my dear,
And days of auld lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine.
We've wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin' auld lang syne.
Sin' auld lang syne, my dear,
Sin' auld lang syne,
We've wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin' auld ang syne.
We twa hae sported i' the burn,
From morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.
Sin' auld lang syne, my dear,
Sin' auld lang syne.
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.
And ther's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

2016 IS GONE. 2017 IS NOW. MAKE IT HAPPEN! <3

2017

res·o·lu·tion

ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/

noun

1. 1.

   a firm decision to do or not to do something.

   "she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more"

   synonyms:

   intention, resolve, decision, intent, aim, plan; More
2. 2.

   the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter.

   "the peaceful resolution of all disputes"

   synonyms:

   solution to, answer to, end to, ending to, settlement of, conclusion to "a satisfactory resolution of the problem"

Every year, we are all resolved to make changes for the new year.

I am determined to make 2017 the year for active change in my life. I have to stop procrastinating and making excuses for my lack of achievements. My lifestyle has been abundantly compromised over the last year and I am determined to do something about it. 2017 is the year that I will truly achieve adulthood. I think as a millenial, we are scrutinized for being lazy, wanting it all, lacking work ethic, fickle about our career choices, etc. But I refuse to fall into this category or description. I want to be proactive. I understand it's easy to talk about change, but action speaks louder than words. So I hereby declare that I will take all of this seriously in the upcoming year. I need to take control of my life.

No more time for excuses. Quit giving a shit about meaningless things, be a zen master and focus on you!

- Lifestyle change: KonMari Method
- Save money and pay bills on time all the time
- File for taxes early
- Change all passwords for security reasons
- Organize web bookmarks
- Organize email inboxes
- General Assembly course
- Business seminars
- Brand identity and management
- Redesign this blog layout
- Website and business card design
- Volunteer at UNICEF
- Monthly donation to UNICEF
- Design business proposal
- Subscribe to TIME, New Yorker, Wallpaper, The Economist
- & travel like the wanderlust that I deserve to be (LA, San Francisco, London, Lisbon)!

A few personal/wellbeing goals:

- Boycott certain things and refocus on attention to new horizons
- Diet: Start home-cooking again and learn to cook properly
- Foodie Goals: Go to Sushi Nakazawa and/or Alinea and/or Blue Hill Stone Barns (lofty goals)
- Exercise: Running, yoga, dance, swim
- Home Improvement: Get home security, redesign apartment, repaint walls first
- Get inked: Just to add one more to the collection would be nice
- Interests: Perfume making classes/course
- Interests: Floral arrangement classes
- Interests: Book club
- Interests: Painting classes
- Self defense: Kickboxing or Krav Maga (Classpass)

Letting Go Of 2016

Life is just a bit shocking sometimes. But in times of fear and uncertainty, we need to find hope. We need to believe that we as a society and humanity will prevail. 2016 was truly a tough year for the world. We were saddened by many deaths of beloved celebrities, we were heartbroken by the tragedies across the world, we were burdened and devastated by the newly elected President Elect of the United States of America, whose name I shall not name. This is now a turbulent time and we are about to enter a new year. All we can do is hope for real change: we have to stay strong, stay together, unite and fight for what we believe in. Fight for real active change, equality, justice and hope. Let's stop being passive activists, let's act right now.

May 2017 be a better year. Live long and prosper.

Trew Review Brought To You By Russell Brand

Was 2016 a joke or what? It surely was a weird, bizarre and confusing year, but we should also see it as another year that we survived and lived. Now we've made it to 2016. Let's bid it farewell.

Good riddance, 2016.

How To Find And Do Work You Love

Scott Dinsmore was truly a legend.

His effervescent energy and positivity will forever be in our hearts. His generous spirit and kind soul will never be forgotten. This is a TED Talk worth watching every so often, because he was a champion of finding and doing work you love, hence the title. Unfortunately, Scott Dinsmore passed away in September 2015. He was 33 years old. This talk changed my life and I hope he can hear and feel my gratitude. My heart goes out to his family and friends. Thank you so much for changing us all.

Live Your Legend
Live Your Legend: About
Scott Dinsmore: TED Speaker
Live You Legend: In Memory of Scott Dinsmore

Hope Brought To You By Russell Brand

I think Russell Brand is on another level.

I appreciate his intelligence, insight, humor and approach to life. I have such a huge admiration for this human being. As much as I enjoy his vulgar act as a standup comedian, I feel very connected to his Trews YouTube Channel. I'm learning so much from his work, his stance and world views. This human is so in tune with what is going on. He brings it beyond journalism; there is a level of acknowledgement of psychology, philosophy, social justice, political agenda, spirituality, etc. I think there needs to be more understanding and acceptance, especially in this day and age. We, as a society, are struggling to find reliable sources of information and we turn to pop culture for instant gratification. And in my mind, I think Russell is the opposite of that and exemplifies intellect and a deeper understanding of the meaning of life.

Thank you, Russell for your insight. I will continue to tune into The Trews.

Crīstesmæsse

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!" – Charles Dickens

The Day Before Christmas

Once again, it's Christmas Eve. Another year has come and gone and hopefully, we are wiser, kinder and stronger than the year before. But as we all know, we faced a multitude of challenges in 2016. I've heard on many occasions, from different sources, that this year has sucked. Yes, SUCKED in cap locks. But I've tried to see the positive side of this year.

I truly and genuinely believe that this year was a year of learning and self education. Therefore, we should put all into practice in 2017. A year is never wasted. It is never futile. We must trust in ourselves, in our humanity and existence in this universe. We may never have all the answers, but we will continue to seek them with our heads held high with a slice of humble pie. Yum!

No matter where you are in the world, wishing you best wishes and Happy Holiday season to you, your family and your loved ones. Much love, health and joy. #whyislifeworthliving

Anna

This Will Butler song/music video is so weird. I don't know if I like it or not. But it does make me want to finally take tap dancing lessons. And I definitely need to find a fuchsia lipstick.

Uni, The 'Butter of the Sea'

If I could eat uni everyday, I would be the happiest person in the universe.

Your Name (君の名は / Kimi no Na wa)

Last year I was growing tired of the same old animated films, so I delved into a deep search for new films. Then I came across Makoto Shinkai and his beautiful treasure trove of animated films. I started the journey with The Garden of Words and then 5 Centimeters Per Seconds and now this year, he has a new film Your Name. Shinkai has been called "The New Miyazaki", but I think he has a very different stylistic and storytelling approach with his animation. His stories are more slice of life than fantasy like the majority of Studio Ghibli films, notably Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.

I'm very moved by how much detail there is to the animation. Each frame is thoughtfully designed, the lighting, colors, camera movement are so well executed. I'm so drawn to these stories and characters. Very grateful to have discovered Makoto Shinkai's work. Can't wait to watch Your Name when it gets distributed in the U.S. in 2017.

Audrey

Audrey Hepburn is the most extraordinary, effervescent, inspiring, beautiful, caring human being in the whole universe. Not only was she a charismatic actress and talent, she was a humanitarian. I have so much admiration for her and her work. She is truly one of my greatest inspirations.