Kelly Li
The Official Blog of filmmaker, Kelly Li.
Official Website at:
http://www.KellyLi.com
Official Website at:
http://www.KellyLi.com
Kelly LiA few friends had sent me this over the past couple of days, and I finally had a chance to sit and listen to it. Brene Brown discusses “The Power of Vulnerability” at TEDxHouston. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s definitely worth a listen. It definitely struck a chord with me.
Vulnerability is one of those feelings that we usually try and limit because it’s so closely linked to the potential to feel pain and disappointment. Though that may be true, the ability to be fully vulnerable… as Brown says is,
“…the willingness to say ‘I love you.’ first. The willingness to do something with no guarantees. The willingness to invest in a relationship that may or may not work out…”
I would personally like to add in that being vulnerable means to give of yourself without a guarantee of getting the same amount in return.
There have been few but existing times in my life where I have been the one to care more, to give more, to feel more. You’re always scared when that’s the case - when you’re the one to do so because then you feel vulnerable. It’s easier to feel the sting of heartache because it means you’ve given away a part of yourself that you hope the person who now has it will nurture instead of break.
The results aren’t always positive. Sometimes you will feel that heartache (probably even more than the other person). But what I’ve come to realize is that although you feel the bad with such intensity, allowing yourself to be vulnerable allows you to feel the good with the same intensity. I’m sure we’ve all reached points before where we simply felt numb to the things that bring us pain, but to feel numb is to feel nothing at all.
Life is all about moments - good, bad, and sometimes indifferent. It’s an amalgamation of all these pieces that somehow all fit together in ways that we usually can’t even imagine. Personally, I’d rather let myself be seen, be fully seen for who I am rather than what I’m not. I’d rather love with my whole heart instead of just part of it because that means I have the ability to truly love and receive love. I’d rather be vulnerable and feel everything (sometimes simultaneously) rather than nothing at all.
“It was a retelling of, not so much what I was doing on that great night, but the idea that it was important to embrace the memory of it and recognize when something important is happening.”
- Chris Carrabba on the writing of “Hands Down”
During the last week of every year, I usually reflect back on the past 12 months - the good, the bad, and everything in between. This year was no different.
I look back on pictures and think back to memories that prove 2011 was/ is (for the next 9 1/2 hours) definitely a year of growth and transition, in some ways much more so than others.
A quick recap of 2011 (the good parts):
This year, I also lost a person who was incredibly important to me. He was a man whom I wish I could have gotten to know more than I was able to, but he was a man loved by many. I continue to learn more about him through the memories and moments shared by those who loved him.
From something of sadness and loss, this year I learned that life is ultimately but a moment, a spec in the history of this vast universe. I’m a thinker… or actually, an OVER-thinker. It’s just a part of who I am. However, the older I get, and the more I realize that life should not be about the words you left unsaid, the things you wish you did, and the dreams that never became a reality.
As one year ends and a new one is about to begin, I will continue to speak with truth, act with integrity, love with passion, and live a life with no regrets.
Idealism is inherent in the youthful and inexperienced - a belief that there’s always the possibility for good. Hopefully, it’s something that’s doesn’t fully diminish over the course of a life, but I think in most cases it does get chipped away - with every tragedy, every heartbreak, every disappointment. It’s an unfortunate part of growing older and simply put, it’s a part of life.
These past few months, due to a combination my own personal experiences and those of people close to me, I’ve come to understand more how as much as you might want to hold on to those ideals and notions of what you held dear when you were younger… it may not be fully possible. You come to realize that nothing is exactly fully black and white. There are so many shades of gray. Living a life of there only being right or wrong is living a life that is closed off and unfulfilled.
For me, there are things… notions, ideals, whatever you want to call them that I’ll always hold close. I’m not perfect, but imperfection allows us to strive towards growth and perfection. It gives us something to constantly reach for, and that’s what really matters. The end result of success is usually a fleeting moment. It’s the journey that we’ll remember for a lifetime. That’s a lesson that you come to learn more and more with each passing moment.
Idealism isn’t simply for the naive or inexperienced. Idealism is for those that are wise enough to realize that without it, life isn’t really worth living.
It’s crazy to think how a few years, actually even a few weeks, or a couple of days can change so much. Sometimes this aspect of life is annoying, other times amazing, almost always… unexpected.
Whether I truly embrace it or not, I’m a writer - not necessarily just in the form of scripts or treatments but I fully embrace my love for the written word.
Words. We use them every single day. They’re just a combination of characters that when put together form words and from words, come sentences, and from sentences, paragraphs, from paragraphs, essays, speeches, you name it!
The brilliance comes in our choice of words and our arrangement of said chosen words. Their ability to communicate an emotion that’s raw and deep or genuine and heartfelt… it’s amazing.
I love being able to express myself in writing. Yes, sometimes an action can mean more than words can describe. Yet, whether it’s an apology or an explanation or even a confession, sometime there’s nothing more captivating than something written with thought, care, and genuine honesty. You’re left with this cemented documentation of a thought that stays forever, unable to be washed away by memory.
This is all due to the power of words.
As a male in my mid-20s, here is what I’m looking for in a relationship. (Applications available upon request.)
I want a girl who is…
*-important
**-Really Important
***-SUPER IMPRORTANT
What an awesome couple’s pillow.
The only rule is the one that applies to the reality within your story.
