"Lightning could strike"

I have recently discovered that I have a talent for singing, so I just wanted to write a post on the topic of finding out new things, and discovering great gifts even a bit later in life. No matter who you are or how old you are, I know it is easy to stop getting excited about things in this life. But I am a living testament to the fact that there is always room for surprises and great gifts to come even when you least expect it, in a hopeless place, or just generally down the line and later in life. But I am here to tell you that no matter what or who you are, and no matter what your circumstances are, you can still pursue all your dreams, passions, gifts, talents, and just generally those things you have always regretted not taking that chance on in life. There is a great quote from the equally great film, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," that states: “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.” This quote sums up my point entirely. I have been dancing since the age of 12, but not until a couple of years ago did I pick up the talent for and start truly dancing in the form of ballet. It has been a wild ride, but I am so glad I was and am able to say that I found these two great art forms of ballet and music, in the form of singing and a little bit of piano, a little bit later in life. Even though they have been there the whole time, having played piano for 6 years earlier in life and have been dancing since 12, it's just great to have that release to go to throughout the day and be able to express myself creatively, athletically, passionately, artistically, and individually. But I don't want to talk just about myself, so I am genuinely pleading with everyone to always be open to new opportunities, to always take life as it comes at you, and to never, ever stop believing in yourself, and in the notion, "hey why not me?!" Always search for the greater meaning, and never stop looking for opportunities to broaden  your horizon, and hey maybe one day you'll end up discovering something about yourself you never thought possible. Just stay open to it, because to borrow a quote from another Brad Pitt movie, "lightning could strike," at any time.

Thank you for listening

Your ever faithful friend on this crazy journey we call life

Brian Robert Gardner

Fall is upon us ...

A new season, a new start, a new beginning. Summer is ending, schools are starting, a fresh start. The winds are coming in, and that is why I wanted to write this post today. A message of hope to begin your day is what this blog is all about, and now is the time for hope. Fall beginning, summer ending, a new day is dawning. Let us all strive to reach a little further, to reach out and help another, to always and never stop hoping for that day when all shall be well. A fresh start is all we need to start again, and never stop hoping, never stop believing for that day when the Master shall say "Well done thou good and faithful servant, thou has been faithful over a few things, I will now make thee ruler over many things enter into the joy of the Lord."

Some of my favorite quotes

• Do I Dare Disturb the Universe? T. S. Eliot
• "Time for you to come on out the shadows Junuh. Time for you to choose.; I cant.; Yes, you can, but you aint alone. Im right here with ya. Ive been here all along. Now play the game. Your game, the one that only you was meant to play. The one that was given to you when you come into this world. You ready? Come on, take your stance. Strike that ball Junuh, dont hold nothing back, give it everything. Nows the time, let yourself remember, remember your swing, thats right Junuh. Settle yourself, lets go. Now is the time Junuh.

Bagger Vance: The Legend of Bagger Vance

• Father Hibbert: "Before I met that young man I didn't believe in much of anything. But now I'm starting to think that one day when my time is up, God is going to ask me, George did you ever put it on the line? Did you ever not know and still jump? Did you ever just close your eyes and let go? And right now my answer would be no, I never did. So I am closing my eyes..."
• Saint Ralph
• "Because I can't. I... had an experience... I can't prove it, I can't even explain it, but everything that I know as a human being, everything that I am tells me that it was real! I was given something wonderful, something that changed me forever... A vision... of the universe, that tells us, undeniably, how tiny, and insignificant and how... rare, and precious we all are! A vision that tells us that we belong to something that is greater then ourselves, that we are *not*, that none of us are alone! I wish... I... could share that... I wish, that everyone, if only for one... moment, could feel... that awe, and humility, and hope. But... That continues to be my wish."
• Ellie Arroway: Contact 
• "Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. If you don't start with that, what are you going to end up with? Fall head over heels. I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. And how do you find him? Forget your head and listen to your heart. I'm not hearing any heart. Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll come back. Because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived." 
• William Parrish: Meet Joe Black
• "Should I be afraid?"..."Not a man like you":
• Meet Joe Black
• "Lightning could Strike": 
• Meet Joe Black
• "What will your verse be?": 
• Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society, 
• Quoting Walt Whitman
• "All you experience in the course of your life, all you observe and think, all that makes you happy or unhappy, all your regrets or satisfactions, all your love or hate, all you long for or avoid, all your achievements and failures, all you brought with you into this life at birth -your temperament, abilities, inclinations etc., all are part of the region of your so called subconscious depths. There being forgotten by you, or never known to you they undergo the process of being purified of all egotism. They become feelings per se. Thus purged and transformed, they become part of the material from which your Individuality creates the psychology, the illusory "soul" of the character."
• Michael Chekhov: To the Actor

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Quotes to live by

Get busy living, or get busy dying

Life

Life is a series of doors. A decision here, a decision there, but all that really matters is that we choose. Just make a decision and if it doesn't quite work out, and then come back out and choose door number two. We have to be bold enough to just make a choice, and I promise if it doesn't work out, you'll come out the other side. The wise man is bold, and makes a decision and goes for it, the unwise man stands outside the door and waits for it to be opened. We must decide right now to open that door, and jump into the deep end, and start swimming. There is no two ways about it, keep going into the deep end, and I promise eventually you will be a better person because you decided to take a chance on this crazy journey we call life.

Sincerely yours,

Brian Gardner

Begin Again

Life springs eternal. Hope is alive and well. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Live fearlessly, live hopefully, always remembering that everything will be made alright in the end, and if it is not the end then it is not alright. Always know things work out in mysterious ways. But also know according to Einstein the simplest answer tends to be the truth. This blog is about hope, and that is my message for today. No matter how bad things get always know they will get better. I promise you from the bottom of my heart. There are hard things, and there are easy things, but again back to Einstein who said all we have to do is ask ourselves is this a friendly universe? And the answer of course is yes! We hope, we live, we yearn, and we seek again to believe in this ever growing future of this wonderful universe!

Thank you!

B-ri

My hero

I have one person to thank for my life: and that is my dad. I cannot say enough good things about him. I owe him everything. I could go on and on but all I know is this: without him I would not be alive today. He is my ultimate hero. He is the reason I am alive today. Thank you dad.

Love,

Your son,

Brian