Colorful

To stand out. To be different. To be yourself. Something that I've been reminded of as of recent, lie in the three previous sentences. For me, life is so tempting to be lived at the norm. Typical, normal, and with the flow are all things that bring security to me. Kelly Clarkson says it well in her song, Because of You, "Because of you I'll never stray too far from the sidewalk...". Nobody wants to be hurt. From our hearts to our values to our relationships, we seek comfort and security. 

With this being said, you only live once. Eminem said, "you got one shot"and Zac Brown said, "roll the dice and have some faith". I care about people. I want to make the best of every relationship that I have. Sitting at the norm, playing things safe won't suffice impacting people's lives. You only live once, one time, a single opportunity to make your mark on the world so take a chance, be bold, and take a risk. 

Dennis Rodman said he wanted to be remembered as a colorful person. To be colorful to me means to be different, to stand out, and to be passionate. I yearn to be colorful. I need to swallow my doubts, fears, and remind myself that yeah, you might look stupid,  fall on your face, or if you lose but in the end you won't hold any regrets about things you didn't do. 

What do you believe in? What are you passionate about? What consumes your thoughts, drives your decisions? How do you live this out? These are questions that when we live out, we live life colorfully. 

And with that being said, my name is Steven Nishimoto a sinner who was saved by the grace of God. I'm not perfect, far from it. God loves me and all I can do is try and make the most of my life by showing my love for Him, colorfully. 

Do You Remember When We First Met

Merced, California.  I remember the first day I moved to this city. Four years ago marked the first day of my college career attending the University of California, Merced. Five months ago I was packing up my car ready to move onto the next chapter in my life. Five months have passed and I can say I miss Merced.

I miss the late night movies, Victoria's carne asada fries, horchata, country music, Slurpee runs, Rite-Aid ice cream, Sam Cafe, Paul's Place, Raley's, Red Box, Dive, CPC, youth ministry, Invervarsity, the library (mostly 4th floor and green room), slow walks up the hill to class, Party in the USA, lunch at the DC, late night basketball at the church, Jack Johnson, Lake Road, Settlers of Catan, History of Fashion, Wri10 with Ramirez, Monopoly Deal, Dexter, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Jack in the Box, Port of Subs, Pizza Villa, Bangkok, China Caff, New Asia, Sushi Cuisine, Starbucks, Save-Mart, J&R's, Blue Spruce, Chandon, sports day, singing depressing and other random songs,  Bellevue, running to campus, tubing at the lake, dorms, Salvation Army, spontaneous chocolate chip pancakes or fried rice, leg pretzels, Target, volleyball, and frisbee golf.

Countless memories come to mind as I read and re-read this list. One thing is for certain. None of these memories happend by myself. My memories of all these things occurred with my friends.

This post is for all of my friends in Merced.

What I miss the most about Merced are you all, friends in Merced. You all made the past four years an amazing time in my life. You all changed me, made me into who I am today, and I couldn't ask God for anything better. Thank you, friends in Merced. I miss you and I promise to visit soon.

<3

The Highway Sets the Traveler's Stage

As I watched this jellyfish float around in a tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I couldn't help but think about how jealous I was of this fish. This jellyfish looks so simple, swims with flow of the water in the tank, all in harmony with the other jellyfish.

I wish my life was simple. I wish I could go with the flow of things, in harmony with everyone in this world. I wish life magically worked itself out, life were easy.

But than again, the jellyfish is confined to the box its in. It will no longer be able to explore the depths of the ocean, see life the way it was created for. This jellyfish must be going nuts.

I feel that  complaining, grumbling, and whining on this computer about how crappy my life is, is equivalent to confining myself in a box. There is so much in the world to experience; events to see, people to meet, and so much life to learn. Take a step outside. I dare you. The change starts with you.

The Simplicity of a Child

What we would pay to look out into the world as a child again....

I'm Tired of the Show

Are you are a fake? Do say you are passionate about something but then act like you have no part in what you said you were passionate about? One of my biggest pet peeves on Facebook is when people post like crazy about God. Reading all this stuff are just words. What are you going to do about it?

I don't care if you go to church, how you "worship", what you read, or how God is talking to you. So what? Show me what you believe by how you live your life. Show me your actions. Your actions show what you are passionate about.

Millions of people all over the world cannot stand for their rights. Millions of people have no hope. Millions of people have no life. What are you going to do about it?

You only live once. So live it right. Live out your passion.

I Get by with a Little Help from My Friends

So what is in my head...

I am 22 years of age and I just graduated college with a degree in general management. Like many other graduates I am looking for a job. I know our economy is not in the greatest of places and job availability, especially in business, is scarce.  To buy a house, settle down, and grow up is something that I have always dreamt about. A job and money are two things that I really need right now to get rolling and pursue my lifelong dream. But that is not all that has been in my head...

The other day I read a story. A man found out he was going to be fired. This man treated his clients very poorly by anything he could to make money. The man realized the lifestyle he was living and felt terrible. About to be jobless, this man had to find a way to make things right with his clients. He couldn't bare to live a life by the way he treated his clients on his back. Before the man was fired, he paid off all his clients who owed him money. The man's action was to show his clients he cared about his relationship with them more than he did about the money.

Part of me wants to pursue my dream life, but the rest of me realizes that this dream is worthless without people to share it with. I have been blessed with so many friends and have met so many amazing people in this life. Money has never been an issue for me and I believe this is why I have been blessed with friends. Being spoiled is not what I am saying here. What I am saying is that the friendships that you have should outweigh the money you have in your bank account. Money can only take you so far. The friendships you share with others are endless. Focus on the people not your bank account.


Cheers!