JUNE is approaching!!

...and it will be CRAZY! It's going to be sooo much FUN! I'm definitely in need of it.

Everything is starting to get better now! :)

The meaning of "Eudaimonia"

You are probably wondering what the hell my tattoo means. Well, here's a good explanation of it brought to you by Wikipedia (this has to be everyone's online encyclopedia companion):

"Eudaimonia (εὐδαιμονία) is a classical Greek word commonly translated as 'happiness'. Etymologically, it consists of the word "eu" ("good" or "well being") and "daimōn" ("spirit" or "minor deity", used by extension to mean one's lot or fortune). Although popular usage of the term happiness refers to a state of mind, related to joy or pleasure, eudaimonia rarely has such connotations, and the less subjective "human flourishing" is often preferred as a translation.

Socrates' philosophy, as it is represented in Plato's early dialogues, contains two related claims about eudaimonia. The first is the strong inter-dependence of eudaimonia, virtue (aretē), and knowledge (epistemē): virtue is a sort of knowledge, perhaps 'knowledge of good and evil', and it is this knowledge that is required to reach the ultimate good, with eudaimonia being the prime candidate for this ultimate good. The second, sometimes called "psychological eudaimonism" or "Socratic intellectualism", is the claim that the ultimate good, eudaimonia, is what all human desires and actions aim to achieve.

Plato's middle dialogues present a somewhat different position. In the Republic, we find a moral psychology more complex than psychological eudaimonism: we do not only desire our ultimate good; rather the soul, or mind, has three motivating parts - a rational, spirited (approximately, emotional), and appetitive part - and each of these parts has its own desired ends. Eudaimonia, then, is not simply acquired through knowledge, it requires the correct psychic ordering of this tripartite soul: the rational part must govern the spirited and appetitive part, thereby correctly leading all desires and actions to eudaimonia and the principal constituent of eudaimonia, virtue.

Aristotle claims that "every art and every scientific inquiry, and similarly every action and purpose, may be said to aim at some good. Hence 'the good' has been well defined as that at which all things aim." According to Aristotle, the hierarchy of human purposes aim at eudaimonia as the highest, most inclusive end. This is the end that everyone in fact aims at, and it is the only end towards which it is worth undertaking means. Eudaimonia is constituted, according to Aristotle, not by honor, or wealth, or power, but by rational activity in accordance with virtue over a complete life. Such activity manifests the virtues of character, including, honesty, pride, friendliness, and wittiness; the intellectual virtues, such as rationality in judgment; and non-sacrificial (i.e. mutually beneficial) friendships and scientific knowledge (knowledge of things that are fundamental and/or unchanging is the best)."

As you can see, the word has quite an interesting meaning. This was the reason why I loved learning about this term in my Philosophy 290 class. I always thought it was interesting how society does try to achieve ultimate happiness in several forms, such as through love and even sinful pleasures. I can list more but there is just too many to describe. Basically, we all do whatever it takes (rationally and irrationally) to achieve bliss. I personally think the term applies to me. I'm always trying to find ways to achieve that ultimate happiness. I'm just hoping one day I will achieve it!

...and here's a comic I thought was funny and fitting of this subject:

Tatted up.

So I finally got ink done on my wrists. The "Eudaimonia" looks prettier than what I imagined! I love it! I feel like I took a major risk in my life lol. How lame. Oh well, I'm satisfied with what I got. I was surprised that it didn't hurt as much.

Operation: Appearance Change!

Earlier today, I went to Brea Mall and booked an appointment to get platinum blonde streaks in my hair at the Carlton Salon on Monday. It has been ages since I've last dyed my hair! I thought I should treat myself since I got paid today, and I think it will make me feel better. At least my mood has been improving. Fuck dwelling on everything in life! Fo shooo. It's time to make myself look prettier! LOL jp jp jp.

Next on the itinerary list:
- Schedule an appointment to get my "Eudaimonia" tat (if you're a Greek philosophy nerd, then you would know what I'm talking about) on my wrists.
- Possibly get another piercing...? I was thinking about getting piercings on my collarbones, but that's still in the air.

...and dude, who reads the Naruto manga?! You gotta agree that the latest chapters have been getting intense LOL! I'm loving it!

/end Naruto nerdiness

Thank you for the wise words, Mr. Chan.

De12: sometimes life needs to give us a hard time and take things away so we can truly appreciate the simple things that we have once the storm passes

Lost.

For some reason, I've been in the mood to blog a lot. As of right now, I am in a state of confusion and feeling lost in life. These last few months have been really hard on me. I know I am capable of overcoming the shit life throws at me, but sometimes I feel like it's too unbearable to handle. Who doesn't feel like that when they are enduring troubling circumstances?

Sure...I graduated college recently and finally received a Bachelors in Art degree. I also have a full-time job lined up with the office I currently work for as an office assistant and graphic artist. But I feel like there's still something missing in my life. I'm probably expecting too much in life again...

It could probably be the fact that I feel like I'm losing a lot of people I considered as friends. This just makes everything even more complicated because I used to have numerous close bonds with people. Now I feel like not all of those bonds are genuine. I thought some of these people would be there for me when I needed them the most, but I guess I was wrong. It hurts a lot realizing this. I was never the type to have a problem with trusting people but after what I've endured, now I know trust is a crucial trait to have in friendships and even relationships. I honestly don't know who to trust anymore. Even though I still have some close friends by my side, I still feel like I'm distant and completely alone in this world. I feel like a walking hollow ghost. I hate this feeling...

I'm trying my hardest to smile on the outside, but it's so hard when everything inside of me is starting to eat me up.

I just want to be happy for once...

Life works in mysterious ways.

Paramore - "Let the Flames Begin"

What a shame we all became, such fragile broken things,
A memory remains, Just a tiny spark,
I give it all my oxygen, to let the flames begin,
So let the flames begin,

Ohhhh Glory.... Ohh Glory!

This is, how we'll dance when,
when they try to take us down,
This is what we'll be ohh glory.

Somewhere weakness is our strength,
And I'll die searching for it,
I can't let myself regret, such selfishness,
My pain I know the trouble caused, no matter how long,
I believe that there's hope,

buried beneath it all, and,
hiding beneath it all and,
growing beneath it all and...

This is, how we'll dance when,
when they try to take us down,
This is how we'll sing out...
This is, how we'll stand when,
when they burn our houses down,
This is what we'll be Oh Glory!

Reaching as I sink down into life.
Reaching as I sink down into life.

This is, how we dance when,
when they try to take us down,
This is how we'll sing out.
This is, how we'll stand when,
when they burn our houses down,
This is what we'll be Oh Glory!

From this moment on...

I'm not going to let what happened in the past ruin what I have right now!!!

I have the Leona Lewis album in constant rotation. Her voice and songs are as beautiful as her! <3

Testing 1, 2, 3

So I decided to start a blogspot account because apparently this is getting popular now haha.

Anyway, I'll start off this entry with what I did today. Earlier today I just went to the gym. After that, I went to smoke hookah with my friend Betty at Hidden Cafe in Anaheim Hills. I swear that's our spot to chill at now haha. Oh well, it's cool though. I like hookah!

I feel proud of myself because Betty taught me how to play Texas Holdem and I caught on pretty quickly lol. I'm still a little bit rusty on it though, but at least I have the gist of it. I've always wanted to learn how to play that because I swear everyone and their mom plays poker except for me. Now I'm familiar with the concept of Texas Holdem...and I'll probably fall into the deep depths of gambling debt once I start playing with money haha. Well, scratch that...I doubt I'll start playing with money. I don't know if I'm willing to risk my money playing that. Ehh, who knows. I know I sound gay being excited for the fact I learned how to play Texas Holdem LOL! Well, that was basically my day.