in case you can't tell from the picture, that is a massive tree, snapped in half, next to my house. it's technically my neighbor's tree, and she is unfortunately dealing with the majority of the consequences, but that is not to say that we aren't as well. the clean-up crew has yet to arrive so the tree just continues to break and fall and is now half in our yard. debris is everywhere from the crazy storm that hit chicagoland monday, but i didn't expect it to hit so close to home. people drive by and just stare - i smile and wave. because really, what can we do?! of course, we have been without cable, phone, internet, and since yesterday - now electricity of all forms. not such a great week. so please forgive me that this week's friday faves has to be canceled. i just haven't had time, not just because of the power/internet outage, but also because of some HUGE changes going on in my life right now... more of that to come!
i'll leave you with my greatest "fave" of the week - a truly inspirational speech given by steve jobs at stanford in 2005 ::
this video was sent to me by a friend who said it truly captured what i am going through right now. and wow was he right... without getting into great detail, a friend of mine died in a very tragic and public way last week. although we had not been close in the past year (since i got my all-consuming job and had to move out of the city and pretty much give up my social life), it still affected me. realizing that it could have been any of us, realizing how many dreams he had that will now never happen, realizing the pain his friends are going through... realizing a lot. and rethinking a lot of my own personal decisions.
then i was sent this video. and i listened to this incredibly successful and creative man say :
"i have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'if today were the last day of my life, would i want to do what i am about to do today?' and whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, i know i need to change something. remembering that i'll be dead soon is the most important tool i've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. because almost everything, all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things all just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. remembering that you are going to die is the best i way i know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. you are already naked, there is no reason not to follow your heart."
i was wow-ed. and then i took some steps towards following my heart.
like i said, more on that to come :)
i hope you all have incredible, electricity-filled, weekends, spent with those you love, doing the things you love.
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