things that made my week

i was checking my messages on my phone at work and i came across an old saved message from "bill lundberg" about turning in tps report cover sheets. i don't even remember my friend kristophe leaving this on my phone, but it made my day.

it's entirely possible that i ate the best taco ever at taco bell today

found heart-shaped york peppermint patty in bottom of purse that got me through hour long meeting before lunch. no meeting, hour long or otherwise, should come just before lunch.

went to gym for 40 minutes and could literally feel my body losing mass.

bit into a hershey's kiss not realizing it was of the cherry filled variety and had to spit it out very unlady-like in front of co-worker.

burger supreme. enough said.

i went to buy a license plate holder/frame at autozone and all i could find were fake chrome holders molded in the shape of chains, barbed wire, flames and/or playboy bunny/mud flap chicks.

"there is no wealth like knowledge, and no poverty like ignorance"

"believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it . . . unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." - Buddha

i was having a deep conversation with a good friend a few weeks ago about choices and he handed me the matrix and the matrix reloaded dvds to watch. i had seen about 15 minutes of the matrix years ago, but i have never watched the whole thing. i have to say - i was impressed. it definitely lives up to all the hype. i have heard people say how philosophical the movies are, and beyond the sci fi exterior there is some meaningful philosophy about belief and choice. my favorite quotes from the movie come from morpheus:

"don't think you are. know you are."
"there is a difference between knowing the path,
and walking the path."

the last time i watched part of this movie was at utah state in 1999. the programmers where i worked were watching the movie on a projector after work. i sat next to this guy who trained professors how to use photoshop and flash. i could smell alcohol - he had snuck in beer - hidden in a brown paper bag, no less. after a minute he turned to me and said, "what if this were really real? what if life as we know it didn't exist and we could all wake up from it? this could really be happening, right now." i remember thinking, "what a freaking weirdo!" but his drunken philosophy is not that far off. in a way, the idea of the matrix is more right than wrong. a lot of what we believe about ourselves and life isn't real. our perceptions seem to be stronger than reality, even false perceptions. we assume much, but actually know very little. as we try to educate ourselves, we realize how ignorant of truth we really are and how much knowledge we need to gain through both study and life experience. i believe we are alive for some very important reasons - including learning who we really are, conquering our fears, strengthening our talents, loving without reservation or fear, forgiving others freely, helping others, mastering our bad habits, creating something beautiful, and leaving our mark in a positive way.
i find it very interesting that during the most personally introspective time i've had in years, i keep finding books and movies, quotes and new theories, and having deep conversations with friends that seem to accelerate my own path to self discovery. maybe these things were there all the time; on my bookshelf, in the background, next door, and i never let them in. i love that the people that i've chosen as my friends seem to bring out the best in me - and that i'm inspired to be a better person by their example.
the path to self discovery is a long, sometimes exhausting journey. but everything you need to make it is given to you, usually right when it will have the greatest impact. this is not new information - i've always known this. but i haven't experienced it in such a powerful way as i have over the last few months. i love that about life - i love it when this happens. i love hearing about others who are having a similar journey. it is what makes me glad to be alive.