My main love language is quality time. When I love someone, I try to spend time with them, as often as life and several busy schedules allow--and without smothering anyone! My secondary love language is gifts. I tend to buy little presents for people I love. I see things and just think of them, and think, "Hey, this would be fun to give them..." So, everyone, keep in mind that when people buy things for you, they aren't necessarily trying to buy your love. Sometimes they just like expressing theirs that way. :)

I believe that love is the only thing that will save our world community. There are too many obstacles to true peace and harmony to overcome unless the primary motivating factor is love. Without it, we have nothing at all--and with it, we have everything.

I'm still not sure to what extent I actually think for myself, and to what extent I am unconsciously influenced. Even aside from that, I often feel that I simply don't spend enough time thinking. I spend a lot of time reacting emotionally, a huge amount of time partially digesting everything that I read and hear and watch.

That said... When in elementary school, I was one of the more independent thinkers in my class--or (dare I say it?) school. I was consistently in trouble--and not because I was bad, but because I didn't just go along with every little rule unquestioningly. Some of the rules were dumb, and I knew it even then. It was the first high point in my life for free-thinking.

Along came high school. Still I was imaginative, but about things even less important than before. I had learned that in order to get along with one's educational instructors--at least at some institutions--one had to obey, even when it seemed baseless and idiotic. I had a great time. But everything was utterly inane and innocuous, and I had little intellectual encouragement or support.

Next was college, and my was it ever an eye-opener! Initially, I was horrified to have to watch helplessly as so many of my absolutes were disemboweled before me. In all honesty, it made me very uncomfortable and uncertain for quite a while. Gradually, I became more comfortable breaking out of even the most fundamental thought patterns that I had engaged in for so much of my life. Admittedly, though, all of this new thought came with periods of tremendous positivity and tremendous negativity.

And now, post-college and pre-graduate school, I find myself struggling to balance and synthesize everything I have learned and experienced so far in my life in order to create a functioning and coherent yet constantly evolving paradigm. It's tough--but at least I am thinking for myself, and that's a great thing in and of itself, I believe.

So... Wish me luck! :)

Lack of self-awareness and self-control are, I believe, hugely responsible for most conflict--not malevolence, greed, or innate "badness."

When I was little I adored The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. :)

When I got older, one of my favourites became Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit.

However, I find it very difficult to narrow it down, even to those two. I was an only child and books kept me company. I adored reading children's literature then, and I still do.

In fact, I am currently reading A Rat's Tale by Tor Seidler. It's fantastic. :D

Typically, I either reprimand myself or encourage myself. It's either, "Diana, you really have to get up now. It's time. You must go to class. It's not an option." Or it's, "Good job, Diana. Well done. You're amazing." And similarly mundane things. :D

It's more fun to talk to babies. My conversations with them are absolutely scintillating, I assure you. :)

You may not be good now, but you once were and you can be again. I promise. Just use the control that you have to change your reality.