"I firmly believe that if you follow a path that interests you, not to the exclusion of love, sensitivity, and cooperation with others, but with the strength of conviction that you can move others by your own efforts, and do not make success of failure the criteria by which you live, the chances are you'll be a person worthy of your own respect."I've been through a lot (probably no more than you, however), I expect to go through a lot more, and I want to be sure that life never stops surprising me with its bizarre 'coincidences.' To be bored is to die, and while I exist on this earth, I expect to fill as many moments as possible with joy, optimism, and love - it is a contagious energy, I have found, and it's truly the only time when I feel in alignment with myself and my surroundings. Feeling at peace, knowing I have looked at, fought with, and conquered my past demons makes me more available and capable to deal with my present. Rather than opt for the numbing effects of Prozac or Xanax, I choose to FEEL, to confront, to cry - the only side effect from that approach is that I learn and I grow. I become stronger, I become less scared, and I look forward to waking up at 5 a.m. to start a new day filled with unknown challenges, successes, discoveries, wisdoms, laughter, and love. Sleep IS over-rated (even though snuggly blankets are yummy!). If I stop and think what each person on myspace will be doing when they're no longer perusing over other people's lives, I realize I have SOOO much living to do. There are countries to visit, more people to meet, accomplishments to own, and many, MANY more mental photos to take :)What keeps me smiling in a world that is so filled with chaos, despair, misguided priorities, and a clock that seems to be laughing at me because it knows I'll never catch up to it? Hope. Love. Relationships. Living. Breathing. Feeling. Using the momentum we were given to move FORWARD and, gasp, SUCCEED. I heard this somewhere (Indigo Girls, I think) - When we unite, we create. I absolutely believe that statement. If we dropped the many biased opinions/'beliefs' we have towards genders, religions, politics, social groups, age groups, races, socioeconomic status, and all others that pollute our minds with ignorance and fear in an effort to understand and respect one another, what do you think would happen? Whatever it is, it's GOT to be better than what we're doing right now. People are amazing. They each have their own story, and they have different passions for life - taking the time to speak with someone and understand WHO that soul is in front of you makes a world of difference. You feel connected, because, well, we are.Life is the most amazing gift ever given to me, and I glow with warmth, love, and gratitude when I realize how far I've made it - of course, never alone. I'm 33 and I hope I can look back at a time when I'm more than double the number, smiling with pride and heart-busting love, knowing I did what I was supposed to with my life - I lived.I'm Natalia, and it's my pleasure to meet you."It is indeed from the experience of beauty and happiness, from the occasional harmony between our nature and our environment, that we draw our conception of the divine life." --G. Santayana
