I have rediscovered and committed myself to my love for books. I am constantly seeking out new sources of learning, inspiration and light. These books have helped illuminate my path and continually provide me with new insight. They have helped me reflect deeply on life and love and have pushed me toward growth.
This should be self-explanatory. I love music. It uplifts me and connects me with the world and the people in it. My entire life (practically) is experienced as though it comes with a soundtrack. This is a sampling of my current soundtrack.
Love is a light that never dwelleth in a heart possessed by fear.
- Baha'u'llah, The Four Valleys
Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?"
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson, A Return To Love (also quoted by Nelson Mandela)
The films I have listed here have affected my life in significant ways. They have made me think more deeply, feel more acutely, question what I believe, develop new ideas, and grow as a human being. They tend to push the boundaries of what we think of as "normal" or "status quo", and - ultimately - they reflect the human experience (with all its imperfections and quirks) and are as wonderfully rich and complex as is that experience.
I hope these films affect you as well, and I invite you to contact me with your thoughts, questions and reactions. From time to time, I will post reviews or essays about these films as I would love to create an ongoing dialogue about some of the important topics explored by them.