when you fear accomplishment, you fear success. when you fear success, you fear happiness. when you fear happiness, you fear yourself.

When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it.

To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.

If you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here.

– excerpts from The Alchemist.

begin doing what you want to do now. we are not living in eternity. we have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake. let us use it before it is too late.

– marie beynon ray

currently working on this piece.

 

 

what does music make you think about when you hear it? does it evoke images? memories? this little piece of music is very deep and hollow (in a good, spacious sort of way); it takes me to a far away place where i’m allowed to ponder and dream. this is the first in a series that i’d like to share concerning music and the thoughts that come to mind. stay tuned!

here is the trailer for a fairly obscure 1981 cinematic gem; John Boorman’s Excalibur. at the onset, it appears to be exactly like any other medieval period epic; lots of swordplay, blood, british accents, shiny armor, horses, long hair, and forests. collect a few of those elements and a mediocre budget, and you too can create your own period flick. but the interesting thing about this film is that it actually uses the myth of Excalibur to weave a tale rich in human emotion; desire, lust, greed, love, justice, and redemption. it utilizes the basic foundation of King Arthur and the round table knights, but successfully attempts to expose the many layers of humanity. the story follows Arthur from birth (as he was destined to be king), and chronicles his rise to ruler of the powerful realm of Camelot. along the way he meets his future wife, Guinevere, his right hand man, Lancelot, his mentor Merlin, and a slew of other characters that influence and impact his life and rule. and along the way (just like in real life) he is tested time and again; and that is where the beauty in Excalibur truly shines. the film has its fair share of battle, but it doesn’t stop there; it vividly depicts a relevant compassion that similar films of the same time period lack (think Conan), while exposing human frailty as it relates to the acquisition of power. he is not just the king of Camelot; he IS Camelot. and Camelot represents an honor and dignity that is, as you will see when you rent this movie, worth fighting for. now go get your popcorn and go get this film.

i think that we live in a very sterile world. we live in a world where “easy” is the driving force. everything has to be quick, painless, and effortless. we live in a world where email, text messaging, phone calls, social networking (facebook/myspace), and instant messaging have taken the place of old fashioned, face to face interaction. we throw the word “busy” around like grass seed; that excuse can be applied to everything. we’re too busy to make a phone call or cook dinner, but we’re not too busy to watch that episode of our favorite tv show. we’re too busy to do household chores, but we’re never too busy to play an hour or two of our favorite video game. “easy” has altered the importance of our priorities. “easy” has taken the hard out of life; it’s the “hard” that allows us to obviously put forth the effort that brings the best out of us. sure, you could say that we as a society are so spread out now that the new fangled way of communicating is necessary; but in reality, it’s necessary because it’s the most effortless method out there. it’s necessary because it’s the easiest. is easiest always best? absolutely not.