"I want to walk through life instead of being dragged through it."
- Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette was born June 1, 1974 in Ottawa, Canada. With such diverse achievements so soon in life, even Alanis has said she's hard to categorize: "People have always said I was an old soul. They said I was always a little more intense and introspective than everyone was used to seeing girls to be, so they didn't know where to categorize me." In her early youth, Alanis's family moved around a lot, including a stay in West Germany and attending a Roman Catholic school. With idols such as Olivia Newton John and George Michael, Alanis began her showbiz career as a child actress, appearing on the Nickelodeon TV show, You Can't Do That On Television at age 11.

On June 1995, Alanis released Jagged Little Pill through Madonna's Maverick Records label. The lead-off single, "You Oughta Know" grew in popularity on rock and alternative stations with its gritty lyrics and frantic video. "Most of the songs are in a roundabout way actually addressed to myself... there's a certain aspect of the songs that's very confessional, very unadulterated. I wrote some of the songs and woke up the next day not even remembering I'd done them... almost like a stream of consciousness. It was a very unfettered, spiritual experience."

Alanis had transformed herself from dance music diva to a stripped-down in-your-face performer. She stated: "I've been told a few times now that I don't look like my songs. People expect me to have purple hair and a pierced nose and boobs. Then they meet me, and I'm just... me. I hate to let anyone down but I'm not the cleavage sort of aesthetic babe. I've been down that road before, and that's not what I'm about."

The strength of Jagged Litlle Pill continued with 3 #1 hits: Ironic, Head Over Feet, and You Learn. Alanis maintained her rock and alternative fan-base, but now had included pop radio listeners and even adult contemporary fans. Madonna said of Alanis: "She reminds me of me when I started out... slightly awkward but extremely self-possessed and straightforward. There's a sense of excitement and giddiness in the air around her... like anything's possible and the sky's the limit."

On March 1999, The new single, "Thank U" hit radio airwaves and Alanis talked with MTV about the long break between LPs and the first single. She said : "Basically, I had never stopped in my whole life, hadn't taken a long breath, and I took a year and a half off and basically learned how to do that. When I did stop and I was silent and I breathed... once I got through everything that inevitably sort of came up because I was silent and ready to deal with things.

"I was just left with an immense amount of gratitude, and inspiration, and love, and bliss, and that's where the song came from, you know." Alanis also told the Los Angeles Times: "I thought that fame and success would solve your problems, that there would be a sense of peace or self-esteem raised by having all this external success... I basically let go of so many things... coming to terms with the fact that... I don't have to write another lyric or poem or song ever again if I don't want to."

When she was acting as GOD one the movie "Dogma" (1999), she talked to CNN that "I had just gotten off the road and I was tired and I didn't think I'd be of any value to him. I said no at first, but then as I kind of rejuvenated, I checked back in with him and he still hadn't cast the role of God... and I said I'd love to do it and I did"... but on its sudden fame: "I didn't laugh for about 2 years. I was just very overwhelmed by a lot of it."

Finally on February 2005, Alanis became a dual citizen when she became an American citizen.And on January 2006, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "Wunderkind" from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
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looking back to Alanis Morisette, and all her best hits from time to time.. lagu-lagunya kayak "You Oughta Know", "Ironic", "Head Over Feet", and "You Learn" telah begitu berjasa.. how they have inspired me (and millions of other girls around the world, of course.. hehe..).. every songs from her brought back the memories of the past 10 decades of my life.. How "Uninvited" remind me of my friends, krn lagu itu jadi semacam "lagu wajib" for this band that used to play on a pub & resto tiap sabtu malem..

how the controversial video clip "Thank U" (she's naked, remember??) remind me of my room, 'cos itulah lagu yang dulu gw puter berulang kali.. merinding deh..

tapi lagu yang paling membekas dengan kuat adalah track akustik yang begitu sepi instrumen.. "That I Will Be Good".. totally brought back the bad memories of my first broken heart.. my first fight with my dad.. painful but valuable memories..

jadi mellow... wah.. gimana neh..

a day.. in a stupid and narrow-minded world..
we can always act as if we're smart
no matter how foolish we are..

akhirnya banyak pahlawan kesiangan
banyak orang kaya tapi kampungan
semua cara pun dihalalkan
suami poligami, istri mabuk-mabukan

orang pinter ilmunya dipake sendirian
anak kecil minta-minta di jalanan
duit ortunya abis buat biaya kesehatan
jadi ngga ada sisa buat masuk sekolahan

yang terlanjur pinter maen internet seharian
donlod lagu bajakan karena yang asli kemahalan!
buka blog dari halaman ke halaman
pas udah ngga tau mau nyari apaan

sementara yang miskin tetep aja kelaparan
yang kena banjir tetep aja kabur ke pengungsian
anggota dewan? ck ck ck... jalan-jalan!!!!
studi banding dijadiin alasan...

harus darimana kita ambil bagian?
apa bisa sekedar menyebar himbauan
berani jamin ngga bakal ada perubahan!
koruptor aja dibebaskan??!

orang miskin erat dengan kebodohan
padahal kebodohan sumber kemiskinan
anak-anak mereka ... hilang harapan
mengulang kisah orang tuanya, sendirian..

*once again, in a stupid and narrow-minded world*
fight stupidity -- share intellectuality -- speaks freely
-- create an open minded family

My personal favourite is no. 13, 16, adn 22..

1. Your presence is a present to the world.
2. Each person is unique and one of a kind (even twins)
3. Your life can be what you want it to be.
4. Take the days just one at a time.

5. Count your blessings, not your troubles.
6. You will make it through whatever comes along.
7. Within you are so many answers.
8. Try to Understand, have courage, be strong.

9. Do not put limits on yourself.
10. So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
11. Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
12. Reach for your peak, your goal and you prize.

13. Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
14. The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets.
15. Do not take things too seriously.
16. Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

17. Remember that a little of love goes a long way.
18. Remember that a lot of love … goes forever.
19. Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
20. Life’s treasure are people together.

21. Realize that it is never too late.
22. Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
23. Have hearth and hope and happiness.
24. Take the time to wish upon a star.

ternyata eh ternyata... it is very hard to avoid temptations from the credit cards.. uugh, i use to have 4 credit cards (i know some of you might have more than that, cos I have a friend with 10 credit cards!! and all are in their full capacity.. fyuh, gmn bayarnya ya..??) anyway, with my 4 credit cards I went to a lot of trouble.. and got a bit traumatic.. so I stop using it.. sudah berhasil selama 2 taun terakhir.. yaaayy, free from it..!! thank God...

so now, I just made a recap of my expenses and mau share aja, buat temen2 yg baru ngrasain kepengen punya tabungan, pengen bebas dari credit card debts, stop excessive shopping and start saving!! here's a nice article that might help you understand what's behind your outrageous shopping behaviour and how to control yourself ;)

The Psychology of Spending Money

From Jeremy Vohwinkle,
Your Guide to Financial Planning.

The Real Culprit Behind Your Urge to Splurge

In a perfect world, we would all avoid too much credit card debt and would never have to deal with the desperation of being unable to meet our credit card payment obligations.

We'd never have creditors hounding us for payment.

We'd never know the frustration of not being able to afford what we really want because every extra cent has to go towards keeping up with the minimum payments on our credit cards.

But this isn't a perfect world, and unfortunately these distressing situations are the norm for many people.

If you find yourself in this position, or headed there, take control of your spending now. Don't wait until your situation is so dire that you have few options available to you.

An important aspect of debt that is not always addressed is why you got too deeply into debt in the first place.

Why did you keep charging items you couldn't afford? Why did you feel the urge to use those little plastic cards for things that weren't necessary, even when you began to struggle to make the payments? What causes your compulsive shopping?

Facing the factors that give you the urge to splurge can be uncomfortable, but if you don't face them, you may never get control of your spending and your debt. If you're always trying to pay off yesterday's purchases, many of which have long since worn out or been forgotten, how will you acquire the things you truly want for tomorrow?

One negative aspect of using credit cards instead of cash is that you don't feel like you're spending real money. The pleasant feelings you experience when you purchase the item are disconnected from the unpleasant or painful feelings of making the payment when you get the credit card statement.

Studies show that most people are much less likely to buy, or less willing to spend as much, when paying with cash as opposed to credit cards. Try leaving your credit cards at home. Pay with cash, check, or a debit card.

To really get control of your spending and your credit card debt, you need to examine what money means to you. Make an effort to notice how you interact with money and what beliefs and attitudes you have about money. Studies also show that people with low self-esteem engage in more impulse spending and buying things they don't need.

Remind yourself daily that money or a lack of it doesn't determine who you are. Your worth as a person has nothing to do with how much money you have. Once you truly believe this, and money is no longer connected to your sense of self-worth, you open up the psychological barriers that were keeping you from wisely handling the money you do have and limiting your ability to make more.

Right now, your unconscious limiting beliefs may be keeping you from being financially successful, but as you begin to build up your feelings of self-worth and develop a positive attitude about yourself and about money, you'll attract positive things into your life. As you do so, you'll feel less of a need to generate positive feelings by purchasing things, and you'll find it easier to stop buying items you don't really need.

There are hundreds of books, magazine articles, and Internet web sites about getting rid of credit card debt. Some of them offer sound advice about the psychological aspects of money and spending that you'd do well to consider.

If psychological factors influence your spending, credit reduction programs are like using perfume to cover body odor: they will treat only the symptoms, not the root cause. Working on the psychological aspects while taking steps to reduce debt will greatly increase your chances of long-term success.

 

Several of my favorite books on this subject are listed below, all available at Amazon.com. To explore this topic more, read one or more of them:

The Courage to Be Rich by Suze Orman

Your Money or Your Life by Joseph R. Dominguez and Vicki Robin

Money Harmony: Resolving Money Conflicts in Your Life and Your Relationships, by Olivia Mellan

Consuming Passions: Help for Compulsive Shoppers, by Ellen Mohr Catalano and Nina Sonenberg

 

ya ampun... perasaan dulu pas kemana2 bawa motor sendiri bisa nyalip kanan kiri dengan handal dan lihai tapi sekarang kok susah banget ya...?? *menggerutu*

perjalanan 45 menit dari rungkut sampe basuki rahmat, melewati sekitar 3 titik macet, dimana orang2 tuh pada seenaknya semua!! untung2 deh klo nyampe ke kantor tanpa nyaris mukulin orang (hahahaa....) *ato dipukulin* krn mendelikin orang..

 

mengenal keterbatasan kita sebagai manusia..
tanpa lelah tetap berusaha menjadi lebih baik..

---- here's the lyric ---

Rapuh (Opick)

detik waktu terus berjalan
berhias gelap dan terang
suka dan duka tangis dan tawa
tergores bagai lukisan

seribu mimpi berjuta sepi
hadir bagai teman sejati
di antara lelahnya jiwa
dalam resah dan air mata
kupersembahkan kepadaMu
yang terindah dalam hidup

meski ku rapuh dalam langkah
kadang tak setia kepadaMu
namun cinta dalam jiwa
hanyalah padaMu

maafkanlah bila hati
tak sempurna mencintaiMu
dalam dadaku harap hanya
diriMu yang bertahta

detik waktu terus berlalu
semua berakhir padaMu

just some tips.. i'd like to try them for myself and perhaps you want to do the same, so here it is.. i'm being kind to share them.. hehe.. enjoy ^_^

 

"PERSONAL GROWTH & MOTIVATION TIPS"

http://humanresources.about.com/od/careerdevelopment/a/promote_growth.htm

Does the experience of boredom make you unmotivated and unexcited? Are you having a mid-life crisis? You can promote your own personal growth, motivation and career development to overcome this inertia. Here are ideas and tools that will help you explore personal growth, set new goals, choose motivation and get your life and work back on a course that excites, motivates and fills your life with joy..

Guided Thinking Exercises

Take some time to do these exercises. The time invested will enable you to focus on the positive and the possible for your life. I recommended the first two exercises for your career crisis and I also recommend them for your personal growth. The rest are new.

• List everything you’d like to do in your lifetime. These lists can run several hundred items. (Mine included walk frequently on the shore of Lake Michigan, write books, travel to every country in Europe and design two additional websites.) Your chosen lifestyle must allow the accomplishment of these dreams.
• Write down your ten favorite activities, the ones without which your life would feel bereft. (Mine included reading, writing, creating new recipes, traveling, walking and more.) No life choice is suitable unless you get to do your favorite activities at least weekly, and preferably, daily.
• Think of a time when you felt more positively about your life. What has changed between then and now? List everything that is different. Perhaps you will gain insight into what is causing your current dissatisfaction. Then, you can change the issues causing unhappiness.
• If you are like many of us, you rarely take time to be alone with yourself. In fact, many people avoid this time and prefer to fill every minute of the day with activity. Schedule quiet, thinking time for yourself every single day. Spend time alone with yourself doing nothing. Some people call this meditation; others practice yoga. The key is to spend time in your head going gently wherever your thoughts take you. If those thoughts turn negative or self-deprecating, kindly change the subject.

Take Action Exercises

You’ll want to do these daily as you explore what makes you happy.

• You have listed your favorite activities and the hundreds of items you’d like to do in your lifetime. Begin. Add one each day to your schedule. Minimally, do all ten activities you love in a week.
• Do something that is totally new to you once each week. Get out of your comfort zone and try on new people, places and activities.
• Write a journal that tracks your thoughts, the new ideas you are generating and the added life activities you schedule every day.
• See a friend at least twice a month for conversation and to maintain the supportive and caring relationship.
• Eat a balanced diet, get daily exercise, even if only for ten minutes, and sleep on a regular, refreshing schedule.

---- so... ready to try???

nice one.. got it from http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/quotes_success.htm#

 

Success Quotes

this is nice.. might help you to face your troubles... :)
here's the lyric ..

BE STRONG

Are you swimming upstream in oceans of blue?
Do you feel like your sinking?
Are you sick of the rain after all you've been through?
Well I know what you're thinking
When you can't take it
You can make it
Sometime soon I know you'll see

'cause when your in you're darkest hour
And all of the light just fades away
When you're like a single flower
whose colours have turned to shades of gray
Well hang on and be strong

Where taking each step one day at a time
You can't loose your spirit
Let live and let live forget and forgive
It's all how you see it
And just remember keep it together
Don't you know you're never alone

'cause when you're in your darkest hour
And all of the light just fades away
When you're like a single flower
whose colours have turned to shades of gray
Well hang on, and be strong

No you're not defeated
And soon you'll be smiling once again
Then you won't have to feel it
Let it go with the wind
Time passes us by
And know that you're aloud to cry

'cause when you're in your darkest hour
And all of the light just fades away
When you're like a single flower
whose colours have turned to shades of gray
Well hang on and be strong

(thank's a lot to Bytemarc2000 for uploading Ms Goodrem's album "Mistaken Identity" ...)