30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 15 ...sorta.

It seems that nearly everyone in the blogosphere is religious, so I wasn't too shocked to learn the topic for Day 15.

Day 15: Bible Verse

Oh boy. I'm not taking anything away from the Bible. I have read the entire Old Testament and know that there are many great verses in the New Testament. It is filled with inspirational quotes, bits of wisdom, and profoundly insightful verses. Still, I don't have a favorite verse nor do I feel comfortable choosing one.

That being said, I will choose some of my favorite quotes from my favorite Chuck Palahniuk book, Choke.

Disclaimer: I am in no way comparing Chuck Palahniuk to God. Haha...

"The unreal is more powerful than the real. Because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. Because it's only intangibles, ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles. Wood roots. People, well, they die. But things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on. If you can change the way people think. The way they see themselves. The way they see the world. You can change the way people live their lives. That's the only lasting thing you can create."

- This is what I long to do. I am terrified by the idea that, one day, I will die and the world will move on without me. I don't believe in an afterlife, so I feel that this life is the only time I have. I hope to make the best of it and I want to leave the world a better place than it was when I came into it. I'm not naive enough to think that I will make a lasting difference on everyone. I just want to make some kind of positive change that endures longer than I will.

"It's pathetic how we can't live with the things we can't understand. How we need everything labeled and explained and deconstructed."

- I can relate to this quote. I won't believe anything unless it's explained to me. I suppose this explains my struggle with faith.

"Torture is torture and humiliation is humiliation only when you choose to suffer."

- I absolutely believe this. It is completely up to me how I choose to react to different situations. My attitude dictates my feelings. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to react positively in the heat of the moment.

"We can spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are. Sane or insane. Saints or sex addicts. Heroes or victims. Letting history tell us how good or bad we are. Letting our past decide our future. Or we can decide for ourselves."

- I like to think that I am the master of my own destiny. I am a firm believer in free will, second chances, and the will to succeed. I truly believe that I could do anything if I set my mind to it.

Chuck = Genius. I wish I could eat dinner with him and tell him how much he has changed my life. I want to tell him that he eloquently puts into words my deepest fears and my hardest feelings. I wish more than anything that I could give this same gift to others struggling to find the right words.