Some Year-End Random Thoughts

 

از هزینه بمب اتمی صلح آمیز تا طغیان یک ملت علیه استبداد ملایان

On This #ChristmasWeek2021: Just Remembering.....

On this #ChristmasWeek2021, I wanted to just remember ...and not forget how I'm so grateful for all that I'm blessed with:  

As I was in town, I saw this family as the father was playing a song-_I decided to give them some food--earlier I had given them a Cheesecake Factory Gift Card: 

 

One can only do what one can do--and I will do my part.     I wish all the most joyous Holiday Season and a fabulous 2022.    I look forward to the ongoing engagement at hand:

Working Away w/some Mid-Month #RandomThoughts

While working away on projects for the Daily Outsider, I ran across the following two programs which shook me to my core--especially in light of the latest that's coming out of Iran. The images I captured courtesy leading Iranian Cartoonist is also illustrative which I decided to headline for this mid-month edition of my #RandomThoughts as I continue a very busy month of engagements and gearing up for 2022: 

On the Prowl with Some #RandomThoughts For the Week.....

 

This past weekend, I had a chance during a Monthly "Daycation" to continue a tradition of service working on a Rose Parade Float.   After years, visited Downtown Disney and it was great to be witness to the vibrancy of the community and to be witness yet again to normalcy in spite of the looming threat of the Omicron Variant.

The year is coming to an end.  While at Downtown Disney, I captured this "caption" and it struck a chord--especially as it has been quite an interesting year on a multitude of fronts.   What I've been so happy about also in spite of commitments to continue on-going Virtual Advocacy Work through organizations like Global Citizen and they were good enough to share this on my "Status": 

 

 

   The work in support of the Daily Outsider is also continuing as I will be supportive of the plan for 2021.   On this day, I close out with this courtesy Spotify as it shared my "2021 Wrapped" Year--My curated collection at Spotify is about 10,000 songs and counting!!!: 

	The sounds of your 2021, all wrapped up.

	The wait is over. Take a deep dive into the music that soundtracked another totally-not-normal year.

	SEE YOUR WRAPPED

	Your artist of the year

	Your #1 song

	Minutes you listened

	Your top genre

	Ready to reveal your Wrapped?

	SEE YOUR WRAPPED

As I saw this scene while on the road this past weekend, I reminded myself that I am just one grateful dude:

I close out with this that was a favorite of Coach Wooden:

 

 

How Did You Die?

 

Did you tackle that trouble that came your way
With a resolute heart and cheerful?
Or hide your face from the light of day
With a craven soul and fearful?
Oh, a trouble's a ton, or a trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it,
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only how did you take it?

You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what's that!
Come up with a smiling face.
It's nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there-that's disgrace.
The harder you're thrown, why the higher you bounce
Be proud of your blackened eye!
It isn't the fact that you're licked that counts;
It's how did you fight-and why?

And though you be done to the death, what then?
If you battled the best you could,
If you played your part in the world of men,
Why, the Critic will call it good.
Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,
And whether he's slow or spry,
It isn't the fact that you're dead that counts,
But only how did you die?

Edmund Vance Cooke 

 

Out & About with Some Month-End #RandomThoughts

 

 

As a new month dawns, I wanted to share some brief #RandomThoughts with two beautiful thoughts and to close out the month with this beautiful note from UC Davis--Onward to December with all its' possibilities: 

In this season of gratitude, we’re especially happy to be back on campus—and thankful for donors like you, whose support has helped us return safely and successfully.

 

Watch now

  

Some Brief #RandomThoughts On This #Thanksgiving2021

It is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States.     Families will gather to celebrate.  For me, it is a time to reflect to be thankful for all my blessings.   As I am thankful for  all the beautiful people of my life, I decided to share some images of  why I am ever so thankful as this day dawns paying special homage to my family, my dear friends as I also had the good fortune not so long ago to take a trip down memory lane:  

Onward.....

Out & About With Brief #RandomThoughts On This #Thanksgiving2021

 

I spent Saturday on readings as I had the pleasure to read up on a new Jon Cena Book as I also noticed this sense of hope in my Garden:  

Happy Thanksgiving Week!!

Onward to December.....

Out & About with Brief #RandomThoughts

 It has been quite a month, quite a year, and frankly quite a decade.     I decided to take a bit of a trip down memory lane visiting Pasadena recently as I achieved a major milestone to remember where I've been, where I am going and all my blessings as I saw, Onward!!!

I close out this mid-month #RandomThoughts with a beautiful tribute to Iran as I wish all A Happy Thanksgiving: 

A #RandomThought For the Week-End : Remembering....

While on the Prowl Over this Week-End....Remembering & Honoring....

A Blast From the Past: A Journey to IRAN by ISA at Penn State University

"I'm a survivor..."

Out & About with Brief #RandomThoughts

 It has been quite a month and quite a year!!!  

I decided to share some Visual #RandomThoughts from my community walkabouts throughout the month as I close out with the following that struck a cord with me from a Ted Talk I caught recently: 

"Tiny Tweaks can cause big changes"

"Try a Power Pose & share the science"

"Fake it til you believe it"

 

عصر بیشعوری - امید طوطیان

Remembering...

 As I work away,  I wanted to remember my late Aunt, Mahroo Pourarien (Pearson) who passed away two years ago exactly at this hour.    While On a "Daycation" over the Indiengious People's Day Weekend, I dropped by Mission Viejo Mall's tribute during Breast Cancer Month.    I reflected with a note I shared below:

Out & About with Some Brief #RandomThoughts

 

October has started with a bang.   As I was working away on some projects & initiatives, I took comfort in the following Random Thoughts:

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give happiness, bad days give experiences, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories.

—Professor Richard Feynman pic.twitter.com/3QrkgvUjm3

— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) October 8, 2021

I'm one grateful dude.

 

 

 

As The Month & Quarter Draws to a Close...Some #RandomThoughts.....

It has been a challenging month and a challenging year so far.   I decided to share this from my collectcion to headline a sense of hope as I also hereby present some #RandomThoughts for the Week on Iran and some uplifting thoughts as I look forward to sharing some opening thoughts for the quarter:  

It was James Baldwin who most brilliantly captured this tension in Notes of a Native Son. He said,

“It began to seem that one would have to hold in mind forever two ideas which seemed to be in opposition. The first idea was acceptance, the acceptance, totally without rancor, of life as it is, and men as they are: in light of this idea it goes without saying that injustice is commonplace. But this did not mean that one could be complacent, for the second idea was of equal power: that one must never, in one’s own life, accept these injustices as commonplace but one must fight them with all one’s strength.”

So let us forget the small minded people who reject the philosophy that would help not only make them happier, but help make the world a better place. Instead, let us aim all our energy and effort at that seemingly contradictory idea. Accept life for what it is without even a hint of bitterness while we do everything we can to improve and change injustice whenever it is within our collective power.

• Stay Focused on the Future
  Let the past guide you, but never let it consume you. The mistakes of yesterday should be lessons, not reasons for despair.
• Believe in Yourself
  You are in control of your life. Even in the most difficult moments, you still get to decide what to do. Believe in your ability to reach your goals.
• Celebrate Others
  Jealousy of others’ success will just slow you down. Instead of resenting what others achieve, see it as something to celebrate. After all, every time someone reaches their goal, it’s proof that goals are reachable. You can achieve yours, too, if you stay focused and positive.
• Have Smaller Goals Within the Larger Goal
  To keep yourself going, give yourself milestones you want to reach. In a lot of ways, reaching a big goal is like running a marathon. You can’t focus on all 26.2 miles of it at once. Instead, it’s better to focus on one mile at a time.
• Be Grateful
  Take time to recognize what you have instead of obsessing about what you don’t have. It will help you stay grounded and keep you thinking about the positive.