Life as Continuous Feast

Mmmm... Pumpkin Cheescake.  Yum-O.

It's a shame my family observes vegetarianism on Thanksgiving, but one thing I am grateful for is that we don't ignore bread, cakes or other concoctions that have egg in it (yes, we consider fish and eggs as meat) on the days that we choose to vegetarian.  Although we haven't really had a Thanksgiving feast in a couple of years, you can be sure that the next time we do have one, pumpkin cheesecake will be on the menu, for sure.  I think pumpkin adds moisture to the cheesecake base - that, and the addition of cinnamon or nutmeg makes the concoction very warm in taste but very light and creamy in texture.

Last Sunday, I went to the Cheesecake Factory in Cambridge, MA while visiting my cousin at MIT.  My family and I ordered a smorgasbord of appetizers and two scrumptious pieces of cheesecake (pumpkin and pina colada) to finish off the meal.  (Just to let you know where this is all coming from, it's past midnight right now, I'm a bit tired and I'm remembering the taste of that delicious cake.  Hence, I gave it a tribute with today's opening paragraph.)

Speaking of food, I just read Food Network Star Aarti Sequiera's blog and she spoke of a friend for whom life is a continuous feast.  With that in mind, and the fact that we literally are in between Thanksgiving and Christmas (aka food and feast season), I was inspired to name today's post what it is.

What has been up with me lately?  B-school applications.  What has it made me do? Reflect on my life, the highlights and lowlights.  The outcome?  I may not have invented the toaster or single handedly organized 4,000 people to come together for a great cause, but I have put myself in challenging positions (i.e. raising $3100 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and I know I have the ability to overcome any obstacle the comes my way.

What I definitely know and believe is that if you know why you want to make a certain move and it makes perfect sense to you, others will be convinced, too.  It's crucial for a person to be united within him or herself. The rest is cake :)

P.S-  Isn't this picture of pumpkin cheesecake just divine???  Check out the earth tones that are visible on that  slice...

Inspiration Session

Yesterday was November 30th; it was a Tuesday and it was my birthday (yay!).  In previous years, I remember scrambling to get things done before my birthday or a new year began because I wanted to feel relaxed or even accomplished on some levels.  This year, I was able to achieve it without really trying. I was able to organize myself in terms of e-mails, readings, miscellaneous things that I just hadn't gotten to before, so when I stepped into the 26th year of my life, I felt lighter and it felt great.

I was also inspired yesterday by a speech I heard that reminded me of why I went into media in the first place. The world is constantly changing and I love knowing what's going on in it.  Media is the portal that allows people to know the past in order to understand the present and forecast the future.  Media allows you to connect the dots.

Speaking of connecting the dots, yesterday's speech also reminded me of something else that I find inspirational:
Steve Job's Commencement Speech in 2005 at Stanford University.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

If you don't have time to watch the whole thing, just remember the key points below that come from the three stories from Jobs' speech: "Connect the dots", "Love and Loss", & "Death"

1.  (04:55) "You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect the dots looking backward, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future..."
Translation:  Follow your heart/gut and believe that it will all work out in the end

2. (08:06) "You've got to find  what you love - and that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers... if you haven't found it yet, keep looking and don't settle"

3. (09:45) "Remembering that you are going to die is the best trap I know to avoid thinking you have something to lose."
    (12:17)"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."
    (12:30)"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition; they somehow already know what you
               truly want to become- everything else is secondary."
    (14:10) "Stay hungry. Stay Foolish" - final words on the last issue of The Whole Earth Catalog

A boost of inspiration is like a dose of adrenaline shot right into your veins; it pumps you up and makes you feel refreshed and revitalized.  Hope the message above stays with you as it has with me!