Quotes to Live By

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

So many students have graduated from all corners of the world so far. Congratulations to them and congratulations to the many more who will receive their diplomas in due time! As a graduate myself, I know the world is like a fire: burning bright, but also dangerous. It’s full of possibilities, opportunities, wonders, and risks. Many of you have had some encouragement on your graduation day, much like me.

Here are my top five quotes that have helped me during my graduation and life, that will motivate you.

5.  “Never lose your childish innocence.” – Katherine, “Under the Tuscan Sun”

What are we as children? We are open minded, innocent to the world around us, and not knowing what to expect. We should never lose this. We should always be open minded to new things; for they will take us places and help us grow. We should always be innocent to this world, without knowing what will come next or how dark it will be. We should always not know what to expect because life is full of surprises.



4. “Well we all shine on, like the moons and the stars and the sun.” – John Lennon

No matter what happens to us be it tragic, terrible, or terrific, we all shine on. We shimmer wildly like stars, we burn brightly like the sun, and we shine like the moons. Life may throw dirt at us, but we plow right through it with our radiance.  So when life does knock us down, we get back up, and keep on shining.

3. “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” – J.K.Rowling

Failure is something that most people frown upon and to this day, I still don’t understand why. Failing is a learning experience; we learn how to be better. Rowling has been in my life since Harry Potter hit my bookshelf and I couldn’t be happier because from this woman I have learned so much and this is by far my favorite quote from her. Because there is always the possibility of failing and that makes us human. Also by failing we have taken risks to try and be better, only to learn that it didn’t succeed. So stop being cautious. Take risks. Either way, you’ll learn something and be alive.

2. “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” – B. B.King

As mentioned in my recent elegy to the King of Blues, I love B.B.King.  I find this to be one of his greatest quotes because it’s true. What you learn in life, you own as a part of your experience here on Earth, as a part of your brain, as a fragment of your knowledge, as a bit of your soul. No one can take that from you. Plus you can never stop learning – you can take free courses on Coursera or go to graduate school or just keep living; it’s all up to you and for you to have until the end.

1. “One person’s insanity is another person’s reality.” – Tim Burton

Tim Burton has been my idol since I was a teenager, showing me a new perspective and giving me new angles to view the world from. Growing up I watched his works religiously from “Edward Scissorhands” to “Vincent”. When I heard him say this quote, it suddenly clicked with me that not everyone’s lives are the same. Everyone will have different lives regardless of how chaotic or peaceful they may be. Knowing this, we cannot compare our lives to another’s because our lives are so different; insane for some, realistic for others.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what’s one quote that motivates you and why?

Feed Your Brain

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

I’m sure most of you have heard of Coursera. Coursera is a site that offers thousands of free courses from learning institutes all over the world.  Some courses take weeks of learning while others can teach you everything in one day. It all depends on what course you pick. When the assessments are fulfilled you’ll receive a statement of accomplishment. It’s basically diploma each course that you so skillfully mastered.

In life we must never stop learning to keep our brains alive and growing. It’s why we go to school, to learn how to function as a person in society, to absorb knowledge, and to be educated on things we never knew. The more we know, the more information we have to do as we please. But why should learning stop at college or our last years of high school?

Here are the five essential courses you should take at Coursera.

5. A Course That Could Help Your Profession

Most people go to college to learn about what they want to do in life. Most people stop learning about their profession no sooner they graduate from college. But why stop no sooner they get that diploma? It’s always good to brush up on things they learned or things they never knew about your profession. That’s where Coursera comes in, to educate people more on what they thought they knew.

4. A Course About Something You Love

So you love UFOs and life among the stars. Coursera has a course for that. Or maybe you love the thrilling secrets of archaeology or the exhilarating scientific world or even the creative world of art. Coursera has courses for all of that and more.  So go ahead and pursue those courses about something you secretly adore or loudly proclaim your love for. Not only will you gain more knowledge about that thing, but you’ll probably love it even more.

3. A Random Course

Close your eyes. Click on a course. Follow through with it. That’s what I did last night and now I am enrolled in a course about space and Vikings. What do space and Vikings have in common? I have no idea, but it’s strange, new, and interesting. It’s the new experiences we endure in life (such as a random course) that help us learn about who we are, what we like, what we dislike, and why. It helps us know ourselves better and what we enjoy about life.

2. A Language Course

Apparently if you know a second language it will give you the upper hand when it comes to job hunting.  In America the top three languages are Spanish, French, and English. If you are bilingual, it’s considered a great asset to a job because it shows that you can communicate with diverse groups. This is extremely helpful and it’s one of the more important reasons to learn a language. Another reason to learn a language is because it opens you more not only to a different way of speaking, but also to another culture. Language is an essential part of a foreign culture and by learning it you are immersing yourself in that culture.

1. A Finance Course

Because unless your parents taught you, you taught yourself, or you went to school for it, personal finances are an essential part of life. Eventually you will be living on your own and have to financially plan everything from your groceries to your rent. You will also have to face the dreaded terror known as income taxes which are about as unpleasant as piles of rotting fish.

Having taken a few personal finance courses myself, I’ve never felt so comfortable with knowledge I’ve obtained. For the record, I’m terrible when it comes to math, but apparently I’m good with thinking ahead when it comes to my finances. Coursera helped me realize this and improved my knowledge on the matters of saving, mortgages, rent, and many other useful lessons I will need for my future.

Thanks for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what do you want to learn about? 

The 5 Stages of Submission

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Most artists and writers submit their work to various sites for publication or as a part of their portfolio. Portfolios are often used as samples of work to get into college or some grand institute. It’s a wonderful dream that most people have and often pursue. As a writer, I know what submitting work feels like all too well.  Much like there is the five stages of grieving, I’ve complied the five stages of submission.

1. Preparation (Motivation)

All your gear is ready. Pencils sharpened, your favorite beverage near you, music playing, ideas buzzing like bees in your head. You are ready to take on anything.  You immediately focus on those ideas and nothing else as you begin what you consider your magnum opus. When people see your submissions they will praise you like the God you are and you will immediately gain acceptance and/or prizes. You are on top of the world and nothing will stop you.

2.  Working on It (Confidence)

Everything is going to plan. The shading is perfect, the words are pure magic, the writing is classic and original. It’s gorgeous and your brain is your coach, telling you to press onward, work until your fingers grow numb, and reminding you why you’re doing this. The college you’ve always dreamed of, that prize money, it’s all shining like diamonds in your head, and you know you have the skills to take it all.

3. Everything Goes Wrong (Anxiety)

And just like that it all goes down the drain. You notice your grammar is terrible and you know you can do better. You notice a tiny line of color has gone out of line. You think of another idea to write about just as you’re finishing your current one. You contemplate redoing your entire submission as new ideas start to brew in your head. Cursing your brain, you’re wondering why they weren’t there before. Maybe those ideas would be better, maybe you weren’t paying attention; everything starts to crumble and you don’t know how to fix it. (Now would be a good time to take a break from your work and clear your head).

4. Editing (Self Doubt)

We are own worst critics, especially when it comes to editing. We judge ourselves too harshly and believe we can seek the advice of others. Most of the time it works, but sometimes they don’t see your vision.  Sure, we follow their advice, but we still hear our own nagging voices in our head. Fix that, that line sounds terrible, why is that colored weirdly, and while they seem encouraging, they actually doubt our skills. But of course, there is that small grasp of relief and joy that eventually blossoms when we realize that maybe our work isn’t so bad. That maybe after the harrowing experience, we still may have a shot. We edited all we could through the late nights and hours just before the deadline. Now it’s time to take the final step.

5. Submitting (Acceptance)

That’s it. You’ve done everything you could. You’ve written the best to your ability, you’ve drawn to the very brink of your sanity, and you have done everything possible to be as good as you can be.  As you enter your contact information and any other necessary data, your brain starts to bubble. What if it isn’t good enough, what if you aren’t good enough, what if you missed the objective completely, or what if you just overall failed?

Well, it’s okay if you did.

In our lives all we can do is our best. We push ourselves to produce better work and from it we learn more about ourselves. We learn what our style and approach to our craft is. We learn how far we are willing to go just to obtain that big college dream we’ve had since we were teenagers or how far we’re willing to force ourselves to be better than good; to be great, wonderful, fantastic.  We learn from our failures, we learn from what we did wrong, or what we should have done. It’s all a part of life’s wondrous journey and it’s completely normal.

There will always be someone out there who’s probably better and that’s okay. It means their life is different than yours; maybe they went to an advanced art school or devoted all their time to their work. And it’s okay, that’s who they chose to be. You cannot be them, but you can definitely try to be better in your own fashion, regardless of what you do.

So go ahead. Take a deep breath. Enter your submission and hit ‘submit’. You could gain what you so desired or you could fail, but either way, it’ll be a learning experience. May the best come your way and always fight to do better, be better, and be awesome.

Thanks for reading today’s entry. If you liked it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what do you do to motivate yourself when it comes to your craft?

Readers Request: School

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Not too long ago, I asked what you would like to see me discuss on my blog. Today, we have a request from an anonymous reader who asks:

Do you mind writing about school? I'm someone who gets really anxious about my grades, and it'd be cool to hear some tips, or something of the sort. Xx

School is an obstacle course that teaches us lessons we will need at some point in our lives. We hurdle through classes and are flung through buildings until we have completed every grade possible. Through these school days we strive to be the best because grades define our very status. This is a concept that follows us from kindergarten to college and even in the career world, where we are examined for high Grade Point Averages based off those grades. This is a stressful idea, to know that your career or class choices rely on five letters of the alphabet and numbers.

At times it can be too much and often lead to anxiety, depression, or even considering dropping out. However, there are some methods that can help you relieve any stress about your grades.

1. Join a Study Group

Study groups are students or friends that study together. There are specific types of study groups so it should be easy to find what you’re looking for. Trouble in Biology? There’s a study group for that. Don’t understand Math easily? There’s a study group for that. Can’t quite grasp Art History? There’s a study group for that. By being in a study group, you’ll not only understand the material better, but also make friends which will help remedy your stress. Also trade numbers, Facebooks, and whatnot that way if you need to ask someone a question, they’ll be there for you.

2. Remember to Relax

Yes, you have four papers due tomorrow. Yes, you have three worksheets, a powerpoint project, and an essay due soon. Yes, you have so much work due in the very near future. Take some time to yourself, even if it’s just for a few moments and breathe. Go get a snack, walk around for a bit, meditate, drink a cup of tea, and watch that hilarious Youtube video. Everything will be completed because you are a powerhouse and the victory will be sweet when it’s all done.

3. What Can I Do Better


Always ask yourself and your teachers this question. What can I do better to get the major I want? What can I do better to improve my grades? What can I do better to understand the material? In return, teachers will help you to not only understand the work better, but to show you different ways of grasping the subject. Also by asking yourself this question, you think of different ways of achieving what you want, and make those ways your plans for something better. This question also eliminates the notion of ‘doing your best’. ‘Doing your best’ is a concept that can lead to anxiety about your grades. It will make you wonder if your best isn’t good enough and will greatly stress you out.

4. Ask for Help/Extra Credit

Most teachers understand that not every student is the same. I’ll use myself as an example: I am terrible at Math. I can do the basics, but nothing extreme like calculus. My strongest suits are English, History, Creative Writing, and Art. When I was having trouble in my last Algebra class of high school, I asked the teacher for help. This led her to create an extra credit project for anyone in the class who believed they had terrible grades, myself included. Another time I was struggling in a Public Relations course and the teacher created an extra credit project to help her students. It may seem embarrassing to ask for help or extra credit from the teacher, but if you know it will help you, then swallow your pride and ask away.

Also, whenever a teacher offers extra credit, take it. If your grades are at the top of the class, do not stray away from it. I say this because at the time your grades could be excellent, but what if you fail a test or forget an assignment? What if you mess up on a project? That extra credit could greatly help you.

5. Get a Tutor

Never, ever be ashamed to ask for help. Asking for help does not mean you are an unintelligent idiot. Rather, it means that you want to do better for yourself and expand your knowledge. That’s where tutors come in. Like study groups, there are tutors for everything. French, Astronomy, Calculus, History, there are tutors for just anything you can imagine. It’s also easy to find a tutor, just check postings around the school, your local paper, and the Internet.

6. Organize Your Work

This actually helped me during my college years. What I would do is take a notebook, put my schedule in it, and then make a list of my assignments. Example:

Work                                             Due                                Do It
_______________________________________________________________

2 Worksheets (Math)                  2/10                              2/8

Powerpoint (History)                  2/13                              2/9       

Study Guide (Biology)                 2/11                              2/10

Book questions (English)            2/12                             2/11

The key is to spread your work out and focus on one thing at a time. You’ll also be able to easily manipulate the workload and schedule. This will eliminate any stress from assignments and you’ll concentrate on each one; thus putting forth your best effort and ensuring a good grade. Plus if you’re still uncertain of anything, you have time to text your friends or ask the teacher. Organizing your work also reminds you of what’s due and what to do. However, there will be days where you might have to multitask, such as finals period and the end of the semester. Do not worry, the schedule will help you.

Thank you anonymous reader for suggesting today’s topic. If you would like to see me discuss something in particular, send me a message and I’ll be more than happy to write about it. Also, thank you for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment and reblog.

So tell me, what do you do to feel less anxious about your grades?

Hints for Surviving the Holidays

Season’s Greetings and Welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Folks, it’s just two days away from Christmas and I’m more excited than a dog with a chew toy. The holidays can usually be a hit or miss time of the year, especially with family and friends.  Some people dread the holidays due to in-laws, parents, being alone, and other reasons. Here are some tips for the upcoming holidays.

5. Baking Makes Any Soul Happy

As I’ve mentioned before, I have depression. I know the symptoms too well and still suffer them, but I accept it as a flaw of mine that can be healed with time. You know what makes me happy though and forget my depression? Baking. Baking is as therapeutic as cleaning and is an art. Baking takes your mind off everything and helps you focus on the situation at hand: to ensure that you bake the best food the universe has to offer.

It’s your baking; you do it how you want to and it will teach you what you did right or wrong. If people don’t like what you made, it’s not your fault. You didn’t ask them to eat what you made, they just decided to eat it. You just made it because it made you happy and there’s nothing wrong with that.

4.  Treat Yo Self

Ah, yes the concept from “Parks and Recreation” that the Internet has adapted. You may be someone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas or any holiday for that matter. You may be a person who doesn’t buy gifts for people. Either way, you have your reasons. However, this is the season of giving and there is no harm in giving yourself something. You’ve worked for it all year, you’ve had your eye on that one thing that you know will make you happy. So by all means, order it online, go to the store and buy it, because you deserve it.

3. You Don’t Need a Partner

One of our primal needs is intimacy, which can be thought of as love. The first and most important type of love is to love yourself. Accept everything about yourself even if your mom hates your hair or your aunt thinks you could be prettier if you lost some weight. Whenever anyone criticizes your appearance, you immediately question what they were like at your age, and disregard their negativity.  Chances are they were like you in their youthful years and will never admit it.

After loving yourself, there are many types of love: infatuation, admiration, adoration, and so many others. Then there’s true love, the type of love you often associate with a relationship. When your family questions why you have no one during the holidays you just tell them that you don’t need one. That’s it.

You don’t need a partner for the holidays. It doesn’t make anything more magical or special, if anything it just offers companionship which you can have with a friend online or in person. Even if you never want someone to stand by your side, that’s perfectly normal and all right. You are a strong person who can stand on their own two feet and love yourself in a way that no one else can. It’s a special type of love that only you can have and makes you feel fantastic.

2.  Don’t Worry About Life

Yes, you will figure out what college you want to go to, what major you want to pursue, what you want to do in life, where you want to live, and much more. It doesn’t need to be decided in the blink of an eye or as a hurried response to someone who questions your life. They’re asking anyway because they care about you and want to see you succeed in life, which is the want of parents and relatives everywhere. However, nothing can be gained by rushing through life and finding yourself working at a job that makes you miserable with a degree in something you never wanted. You decide what you want to do when you’re ready. Eventually things will work out.

1. Let No One Ruin Your Holiday

I emphasize ‘no one’ because no one: parents, exes, friends, enemies, relatives, should ruin your holiday. This is a day of celebration, a day of looking back and realizing that you made it another year, that you are strong and can go onto the next year, and a day of overall merriment.  Holidays are like your birthday: they only come once a year and since our lives are so incredibly short, it’s best to embrace them, and do whatever we please with them. If you don’t feel like having dinner with your family, but rather see a friend then do it. If you rather sit in your room all day and treat the day like any, then by all means go for it. If you want to do nothing, but drink the holiday away then have fun (just please don’t drive or turn into the Hulk when you’re completely smashed).

In short: let no one take your happiness from you, especially during the holiday season.  Parents and relatives can be ruthless and relentless with their questions, concerns, and antics, but at some point you can’t just run from them anymore. You must stand up for yourself and slay their words with your own sword of justice, crafted by your personality, desires, and emotions.  They cannot rule over you and what you want to do. At best, they can offer ideas, but it’s up to you to take them or not.

Elliot Rodger: The Misogynistic Murderer

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

There are times when I honestly give up on society and humanity because of how some people are. Some people can be so idiotic you don’t know how they function. Others sympathize with killers because they are ‘mentally ill’ when in truth they are nothing more than misogynistic loners.

Today, six victims were killed in a drive by shooting in Isla Vista, in Santa Barbara, a California college town. The murderer has been identified as Elliot Rodger, a twenty two year old who wanted retribution for no woman having relations with him.

Just before the killing spree, Rodger posted a video on Youtube. In the segment, Rodger claimed that college was a time for sex and pleasure, none of which any female would give him. None of them were ever attracted to him and he has felt loneliness since puberty. He also declared himself a God and the superior gentleman, thus flexing his masculinity. His beliefs of women owing him sex and that he was entitled to intercourse can be seen as misogynistic.  Rodger also had other videos on his Youtube account, discussing about why girls don’t want to be with him, his reaction to other couples, and many other videos. He even wrote a manifesto ‘My Twisted World’ chronicling his life and his many rejections up until the time of the murder.

As opposed to coping with his loneliness and understanding that women aren't alive to bow down to men or be their toys, he decided to go on a murdering rampage. He first killed three of his apartment tenants, gunned down some young ladies outside the campus’ sorority, stabbed a man in a deli, had a shoot out with some police officers and injured thirteen, and then proceeded to take his own life after wrecking his vehicle.

Some news sites have written Rodger off as having a ‘mental illness’, even though the boy has not properly been diagnosed or treated for being mentally ill. While he has been supposedly seeing multiple therapists, his mentality does not excuse the crime for which he has committed. His misogynistic beliefs and enforcement of male dominance, do not pardon him from the crimes either. Rather, they show that misogyny is still running amok in this world, leading men to murder, harass, and rape women for no reason at all. It also depicts that as a society, we would rather label a murderer’s intent as a mental illness as opposed to misogyny.

This is what makes me lose hope in humanity. That there are men out there like Rodger who are not only getting played off as a tragic victim to a mental illness, but also being treated as a hero to other men who share his views. That is another factor that makes me lose faith in this world: misogynistic, chauvinistic, and ruthless men who believe that they are God’s gift to the world, that women only exist for their pleasure, and the actions they commit because of these beliefs.

Women are entitled to their own bodies and have the right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and choose who they want to be with.  Yet there are some men who believe otherwise. We women have come so far as inspirational icons, leaders, discoverers, artists, rebels, protesters, and many other aspiring positions. We are tigers with burning eyes and lipstick, we are heel clad warriors with Einstein like intelligence, we are delicate cherry blossoms with thorny wit, and we are beautiful. We are no sex toys to any man and if they don’t like that we say ‘no’ to their sexual advances, then tough bananas. We are no inferior gender, we are just as strong, if not stronger, and if this world can’t see that, then there’s clearly something wrong with it.

Misogyny is real and it’s men like Elliot Rodger who enforce it. Regretfully there are other men in this world who enforce Rodger’s beliefs and exercise them on a daily basis. I believe it’s time for the world to wake up and see that this is a serious issue. Don’t you agree?

May those who lost their lives in this horrific tragedy by Rodgers’ hands rest in peace. As for Rodger, well, there’s a special place in Hell for men like him, and I hope the Devil gives him his due. 

School's Back in Session

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Before I begin tonight’s post I would like to thank my followers and readers for taking the time out of their busy lives to read my work. As a writer, I greatly appreciate it and hope you continue to enjoy my blog and pass it onto your friends. If there’s anything you want to see me write about or improve on, feel free to comment or inbox me. I’d be more than happy to respond.  Enjoy tonight’s entry. :D

For many students, the winter break has ended and the new semester has begun. By now, college students have moved back into their dorms and reunited with their friends over the holiday filled vacation. Other students have returned to hard desk chairs and an empty board before them, just waiting to be written on. However, while we are taught the basics and details, there are just some things that schools don’t teach us that we need in life. Here are a few of those things.

4. Home Economics

I put this one last because there are some schools that actually teach this. For me, home economics was a club in middle school. I regret not attending all the meetings because I usually forgot about them or had to study. But home economics include how to properly do laundry, how to cook something other than toast, basic car maintenance, how to sew, and other lessons that should be taught in a classroom, not in a club meeting.

3. Tipping

Tipping at a restaurant, valet, and other places are just one of the little lessons school never taught us. While there are apps that help us give the proper tip, there are those who aren't as tech savvy as most of this generation. There are even tons of web sites devoted to telling you how much you should tip. But it comes down to two things: your overall opinion of the service that was performed (moving, waitressing, etc.) and simple percentages.  

2. Mortgages and Other Payments

At some point in your life, you will rent an apartment and eventually move into your own home. Either way, there will be payments due. Some of these payments include rentals, mortgages, gas bills, electric bills, and a ton of other money draining taxes. But of course in life, you will also accumulate credit cards and a car (or more) which you will also need to pay off. Some of you may even have school loans or loans from other places, which sooner or later you’ll have to get rid of. Regretfully, school doesn't teach you how to pay off your credit cards, loans, mortgages, car insurance, and taxes.

1. Tax Returns

A few days ago I received the required paperwork for my tax returns. To be honest with you readers, I looked at the papers and called my dad in because I was completely and utterly confused.  This isn’t to say I can’t read or write (believe me, I read and write like a sailor curses) but the tax return materials are mind boggling. There are so many forms, sections, questions, fill in spaces, it’s insane. I know you’re supposed to learn how to do these things on your own, but it would be better for school to teach us how to properly fill everything out. That way we won’t stare at the pages like they’re written in some secret, government language and will be able to understand what to do.

What is the one thing you wish they taught you in school? Feel free to comment and as always feedback and followers are welcomed.