I want to move (BAD) but it will not happen for a long time for a number of reasons such as school, no money, crappy job etc etc.
So I thought I would put together a neat little list that I could maybe use in the far future after school is out and I have my massage certificate, so I can look back as a sort of guide for my ideal living conditions. Now this is more of me just day dreaming but maybe one day after I save up enough it could be reality, but who knows. In the mean time I guess it is good to hope and wonder about these kinds of things, so let me know what you think!


Reasons I want to move
- I have hostile neighbors
- ALL of my friends moved away
- Price of living in NJ is way to high
- I live with my parents
- Some members of my family are very indifferent
- Horrible memories of past relationships
- Crime is VERY high
- Very few active furs
- Terrible job
- Single

Ideal places to move
- At lest 50 miles from the nearest ghetto...
- The shore is in a drivable distance (has a nice beach and boardwalk)
- Clean environment
- Near a major city
- Low cost of living
- Friendly residence
- Parks
- Close to a mall,shopping center movie theater, bar, club,bowling ally or any social areas
- More Liberal politically (Think California, not Texas)
- Warmer climate
- Good public transportation
- Low crime rate (kinda ties in with first one)
- Flat land
- medium-high population
- Nice schools
- In general, things to do and people to meet

What I need in order to move
- Better job
- Finish school
- Possibly someone I know in the area
- Roommate
- Money saved up
- My brother to help me move (possible roommate)
- Cheap insurance/ phone and internet plan
- Motivation

Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of your thoughts and emotions in the present moment. Being mindful can be described as thinking before you make an action and contemplating the outcome. People who are mindful of what they do are usually reserved and content with there surroundings as they are always thinking and being aware of were they are and what they are doing. An example of mindfulness is to focus on the here and now, not so much the past or the possible future. While it is good to plan ahead and try to predict what could happen, it is also sometimes important to turn your attention to what is effecting you at the moment and if you are happy with the results. I believe happiness and mindfulness go hand in hand because you are always living in the now, however your mind can wonder and become worried about "what if", there fore if you bring your mind to your body you will feel more whole and complete. To practice mindfulness means being in a mental state were negative emotions and behaviors such as anxiety, depression and addiction do not effect your life and you open up to what is really important. The awareness that this practice brings opens up ones perspective on just how and why the world works the way it does and helps you to understand your place in it. One of the best ways to practice mindfulness is tho meditation, were your focus is turned inward and can truly be at peace in your thoughts. The best description that I can give overall what mindfulness means is to make a conscious effort to live mind and body in what ever situation you are in and to be more aware of you actions and the role you play in the bigger picture. As a Buddhist, mindfulness is a big part of my life and how I go about my day to day life. How I incorporate mindfulness in my life to is to always think before I do something and carefully weigh the consequences of my choices. This can include everything from deciding were I want to move, to having a simple conversation with a good friend. In keeping my focus and awareness towards my own actions and less of that of people around me, it helps to make up my mind on how to react. I think of mindfulness as a mental tool that can be used to overcome obstacles that wold normally seem difficult without much thought put into them. As someone who has been described in the past to be "short tempered" mindfulness I think helps me in reducing hostility of my feelings. Being a more peaceful person is one of my ways of looking at how I can be more at ease with problems that can accrue that you would not see the solution to with a head full of anger and hate. In order to accomplish this, I use meditation as a guide to how I preform and my way of thinking. Mindfulness helps me to better understand myself and work on areas that I need improvement. In conclusion, mindfulness is a big aspect of my day to day living and has helped me overcome many of life's big dilemmas .
(another essay I wrote, thought I would share it)

1. Assess Your Stress
Resting Heart Rate Beats per minute-60
Breathing Pattern- mostly Abdomen
Respiration Rate Breaths per minute- 13
Stress-o-Meter- 6
2. Symptoms of Stress
The three symptoms of stress I experience most frequently are irritability, anger and depression
3. Perceived Stress Scale
My total score is 18 This puts me in the moderate perceived stress range.
4. Inventory of College Students' Recent Life Experiences
My total score is 70
The hassles that I rated "3." are being let down by friends, separation from people I care about, Decisions about intimate relationships, financial burdens, loneliness and failing to get expected job.
the interpretation of my score indicates that I have an slightly more stressful then normal college life experience of stress.

5. Ardell Wellness Stress Test
My score is +24
the interpretation of my score indicates that I have mastered the wellness approach to life and have the capacity to deal creatively and efficiently with events and
circumstances.

6. Student Stress Scale
My total score is 243
Based on my score, my chances of experiencing a stress-related health change in the
near future is %50
7. Vulnerability Questionnaire
My total score is 50
the top three behaviors I would like to change to decrease my vulnerability to
stress are to sleep for 7 to 8 hours a night, having someone to turn to for guidance and my income meeting my needs.
8. Tombstone Test
The top three qualities or characteristics for which I want to be remembered are wise, happy and just a generally good person.

From what I found out of chapter two and from the stress tests, is that I have a normal stress level and a average amount of stress that I can handle. I find that life has a lot out there to throw at you and a lot of it will hit you ready or not. Most people I believe can not handle or cope with the big things in life such as work, school or just thinking about there place in the world. Many times people over look the importance of sitting back and taking a brake from processing it all in at once. The way I passe myself for life's many changes seems to be uncommon but very effective method for me. While my various ways of copping with stressful events has proven its effectiveness. I find meditation and mental disiplen very easy to master however this path of dealing with problems can in itself be stressful and takes time to overcome. There are not many changes in my life that I would make to become better at stress management and I feel comfortable with the way of thinking that I have now, however I am always open to new ideas. I have also found from taking these tests is that I never once scored too high or too low on my outcomes. All of my results I believe fit very well with my life style and I agree with all of them. In short even though I could do better with managing stress, I am confident in my abilities as they stand.

There are however some areas that I feel could use minor improvement. The areas I think that I could do better to work on for handling stress are finding a better job, not regretting the past and most importantly of all, learning to trust. working over night at UPS has proven to be one of the most stressful work environments that I have ever had to work in. The hours at my job are very long and the work load is intense, however I find that simply keeping a positive attitude and having your chin up is the best way to handle it. Having a smile is a simple but ever effective way of keeping yourself happy. Another aspect of my stress level would be my past relationships. Over the years I seem to have always had bad luck with finding someone right for me. This leads me to believe that there is something wrong with myself or that I am just undesirable to others. When one's self esteem is hurt in such a way it is very hard to recover and have the confidante in yourself to try and love again. From my multiple bad experiences with relationships, I have grown to mistrust just about anyone. My trust issues stem from being lied to on varies occasions and I find it difficult to let anyone new close to my own emotions. How I am to ever overcome this cynical view of the word I do not know and I can only hope that I meet the one person who will rekindle my willingness to be open about my thoughts and feelings. In conclusion I have mastered many of the elements in my life that would cause stress, however there are still some hindrances that cling to my mental well being.

Seems to be becoming popular, so thought I would jump om the ban wagon, so assume things about me. :)

I umm... Ya >.> it has stuff in it *looks away*

Spend lots of money on gas to get there, art, watch people dance and stand aukwordly in a corner because I do not know anyone?
OR
Spend no money to further my education in a class of caring peers and progress my learning in the field of my chosen career?