10 Happy Things

So many articles and stories nowadays are about “12 Problems Only Natural Blondes Can Relate To” or “10 Problems Naturally Skinny People Face” or “The Hardships That Surround Short People.” Why?

Why are so many stories in a negative point of view and always focused on the problems we face in the world? Granted, I understand many are meant to be jokes, but nonetheless it can drive negative thoughts into people’s heads. Problems that natural blondes face? How about the perks natural blondes face instead? How about we write more stories about moving and thinking past the problems and thinking positive thoughts. It’s all in the way you write a story. We can choose to write the negative things and the problems or we can choose to write the happy, positive things.

Not everything in this world is bad. Yes, it may seem like it at times but it’s not true. There are so many amazing things to be grateful for and happy for if we all just took the time to stop and think about it a little bit. So, right now, I’m going to name a few things. What I want you, the reader, to do is to clear your head. Just stop thinking. Then read it and remember the good things in life. Afterwards feel free to get back to the real world, but this time I hope you go with one more hop in your step and one more happy thought in your head. Without further ado,

10 HAPPY THINGS:

1. Life. It’s as simple as that. We are here and we are alive. Whether you believe in God or the Big Bang Theory, something in the universe wanted us to exist. Some days may seem like a struggle to get out of bed, but on those days remember that you have the ability to get out of bed because you woke up and are still breathing and full of life. Some people go to sleep and aren’t as lucky. So jump out of bed, drink that coffee and get on with the rest of your spectacular day! If we let it, life can indeed make us happy.

Stand on a rock overlooking water and shout into the void that you are alive! Just like this person is (probably) doing. Photo from mint.com

2. Free will. Not only are we alive, but we have the opportunity to make our own decisions and choices each and every day. We can choose to stay in bed or we can choose to get up. We can choose to go to college or not. We can choose the path of life we go down. There will always be obstacles and struggles blocking our path but it is left up to us whether we jump over those obstacles or if we fall flat in front of them. It’s true that in some parts of the world people’s free will is hindered with war and corrupt governments but inside each and every one us is a unique brain with unique thoughts that push us further down our path. We are all meant to succeed in this world. It’s just up to us whether we do so or not. Our choices have the potential to make us happy.

3. Movies. Or books. Or comics. Or TV shows. Or games. Whatever kind of entertainment you like, it makes you happy right? Seeing or reading a romantic love story or a superhero conquering a villain takes you away from reality for a little while and creates a new world to live in. That new world is special to you and when you find someone who appreciates your world – BAM – a connection is made and that entertainment has created an entirely new reason to make you happy. Why? Because now you have someone to share your happiness with. And that’s pretty cool. Entertainment can make us happy.

Go ahead and cheer for whatever makes you happy! Photo from chicagotraveler.com

4. Your body. Ever heard the saying that “your body is your temple”? Well, it’s true. No one else on earth has the body that you have. And though you may wish you were skinnier or taller or shorter or had longer hair or straighter teeth or smaller feet none of it matters. You are beautiful no matter what. And I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true. Society’s definition of beautiful is inaccurate and once you understand that you begin to understand what I am telling you right now: you are beautiful. Beauty comes in so many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Society tries to define beauty, but the truth is…beauty can’t be defined. Learn it. Live by it. And love your body. It’s the only one you’ve got. Your body can make you happy.

5. The weather. Do you ever have those days where you wake up and aren’t in a great mood? Then you realize it’s raining outside and it somehow puts you in a better mood because it seems like the weather felt how you were feeling? Yeah, me too. The weather is pretty darn amazing. When it’s sunny outside it creates a picture like no other. When it’s storming out with lightning and thunder there’s a live show in the sky for us all to see. The weather can indeed make us happy.

6. Comradery. Many of us can probably relate to this now more than ever with the World Cup going on. Even if you don’t like soccer, if you turn on a game and just take a look in that stadium, you see a million people all joined together to cheer for one end goal (#punonsoccer). Whether their team wins or loses, together that giant group of people either drink to victory or drink for a new game. Comradery is a cool thing. It takes a group of people who seem different on the outside and shows them that they’re not so different after all. Comradery can make us happy.

Do you see the comradery obviously present? Because I sure do. (PS – USA! USA! USA!) Photo from usatoday.com

7. Music. Music is one of the greatest things we have in life. Whether it’s the new song on the radio that speaks to you or whether it’s the random beat you can’t get out of your head, music unravels our true desires of life and puts them in a way we think we understand them. Music can completely turn a mood around. It can send a message to someone when we’re too scared to say it ourself. Music can bring people together and it can create a community out of a group of people. Music is powerful and if anyone doubts that, then they are just plain wrong. Simple as that. Music can make us happy.

8. Emotions. It’s true that some people have it biologically bred in them that they can’t feel pain or joy, but for most of us we have a wide range of emotions to choose between. Emotions are amazing because they remind us that we are alive and that we are human. They connect us in ways that nothing else could do. When there is a worldwide tragedy, the world mourns together. When there is great happiness, we celebrate together. The complexity of emotions also reminds us that, though we think otherwise, we are not in control. They say you can’t choose who you love and it’s true. It’s also true for every other emotion: you can’t exactly choose what you feel. You can choose what you do with your emotions, however. If you’re angry, you can choose to fight or to take a breath and relax. If you’re happy you can choose to spread that cheer to others or keep it to yourself. Emotions are a guide for us. Though sometimes we may think otherwise, it’s better to feel even pain than nothing at all. What we do with our emotions can make us happy.

The choice is up to you: which will you choose? Photo from cbc.ca

9. Running. Or…biking, swimming, hiking, roller blading. Whatever exercise it is, it makes you feel alive. The rush of oxygen in your lungs and the adrenaline seeping throughout your body creates a magical kind of happiness. Even if we think we hate it in the moment, the feeling afterwards of success and healthiness and energy creates a bubble of joy that no one can pop. Adrenaline can make us happy.

10. People. Perhaps a controversial choice to be on this “happy” list, I truly think people make us happy. All of them – family, friends, and strangers affect us in ways we don’t even realize in the moment. That person who picks up your wallet when you drop it keeps your faith in humanity alive. And that person who lets the door hit you in the face reminds you to be the kind of person that holds the door for others. The connections we make in life are so important. They shape who we become in life. With them we are an abstract painting on the canvas of life and without them, we are but a simple nail holding the painting up. Sometimes people let us down. Sometimes people commit crimes that make us question humanity. But other times, people exceed expectations. Other times, people create a better world to live in. People can make us happy.

Be a color in this painting. Don’t be the nail holding it up. Photo from dailypainters.com

Yes, most of the things I mentioned aren’t really materialistic things. And that’s because not everyone has materialistic things. Not everyone has a comfy bed to sleep in or an air conditioner to keep them cool in the summer. What I was trying to do was come up with items past the materialistic ones to remind us that happiness comes from the first thing I mentioned in the list: life. More specifically, living life. All the money in the world can’t buy happiness so why bother trying? I joke around saying that money could buy me happiness by paying for college or paying for me to travel the world, but really I realize I’m the happiest when I’m doing something I love to do or when I’m with people I love. Yes, materialistic things are great but it would do us all some good to look past those things that bring us surface-level happiness and instead find the things that make our soul the happiest.

Happiness is all around us. It’s just a matter of where you’re looking. I hope you find happiness today and always.

Tuesday Thoughts

Sometimes things don’t always go as planned. You hope for one outcome and then life gets in the way and changes those plans. And that can be rough. You then go through a few stage during this time.

First, you might be angry or overall upset. You want to cry or punch a pillow or throw something against the wall (I don’t know, I don’t know your life).

Then it might be the “I can’t do anything right and I’ll never make it anywhere in life” phase.

After probably comes the “Whatever I don’t even care anymore phase.”

But then you think about it more and realize that you do care.

So then you get upset again.

But then you realize that getting upset isn’t going to change anything. What’s done is done and you’ll just have to live with whatever outcomes occur.

So then you go through some motivational quotes you’ve heard in life to try to make yourself feel better. Some examples include,

“Hakuna Matata” (The Lion King)

“Let It Go” (Frozen)

“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” (William Arthur Ward)

“If you risk nothing then you risk everything.” (Geena Davis)

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” (Maria Robinson)

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (Wayne Gretzky)

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” (Winston Churchill)

So, now that you’ve read over motivational quotes in your head you’re at the “I’m starting to feel better about life” phase.

But you still decide that the day has been rough so you treat yourself to Chipotle and ice cream with friends.

And then even though you should go back and study you instead play a little frisbee and talk to friends.

So then by the end of the night you have accomplished nothing, but feel a heck of a lot better.

And that’s what really matters, right? Right. So, now, if any of you are having a rough day and things just aren’t going your way, remember that you will probably go through all of these phases, if not even a few more, but in the end you will be okay and everything will be okay and life will move on in a beautiful fashion and that will be that.

The end.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

The Little Things in Life

As the saying goes, “It’s the little things that truly matter.” And you know what? I completely agree. Some of my favorite little things that I like to notice, be grateful for and that make me happy are as follows…

1. The sun shining on a winter day. In the midst of the cold and gloomy looking days of winter, when the sun is shining, even if it’s still cold, it brightens up my day. I become cheerier because the sun is out, and I swear everyone else is a bit happier, too.
2. A smile from a stranger when walking. Sometimes, walking around on campus can just feel like a dull chore. But when I’m walking, look up and someone shoots me a smile, it makes my day about 10x better.
3. Cats! I love cats and I love cat pictures. Seeing a cat picture can make me feel happy, but it can also make me a bit sad because I miss my pet cat. But no matter what, the furry adorable little things just make my heart grow in size.
   

   Look at this little guy! How can you not be happy looking at him!? Photo from @Cats account on Twitter.

4. A good day at work. Work can be rough, so when I have a good day where I feel like I knew what I was doing and did it well – it makes me feel good.
5. When someone likes something I’ve written. Sometimes, I write things and wonder if they’re even any good and if I should even bother sharing them. When I do decide to share, and someone tells me they like it, it just makes me happy.
6. A thunderstorm. I love love love thunderstorms. In my opinion, if it’s going to rain, it better pour. Storms are some of the most relaxing, beautiful sights and sounds to me. Listening to the roar of the thunder and the flash of lightning reminds me of what an amazing planet we live on. Bonus: taking a nap to the relaxing sounds of the storm = prime.
7. The first warm day of Spring. After a long, cold winter the first warm day is one of the most important days of the year. Everyone comes out of hibernation and everything feels alive again! Granted, the next day may be a normal winter day, but knowing that we had one nice day makes the wait for more worthwhile.
8. A soft, cozy blanket. Sometimes, all I want to do is snuggle up and take a nap or just listen to music. Having a comfy blanket to do so with makes the experience a million times better. I believe everyone should invest in a giant, fluffy blanket in their lifetime. It’ll be worth it.
9. My favorite soup at the dining hall. I love chicken tortilla soup, and when the dining hall serves that as an option, I just know the day is going to go well.
10. When professors play music at the beginning of class. Sometimes, going to class is a real struggle. But when I walk in and fun music is playing, it boosts my mood and attitude and I feel like it’s going to be a good class period.
11. Someone who walks by and smells really good. Sounds weird, I know but c’mon, anyone will admit that when a boy walks by wearing a nice cologne, it’s a nice moment.
12. HUGS! Sometimes I’ll just randomly walk up to one of my friends and hug them because, why not? Hugs show someone you care and can make them (and you) feel better if either is feeling down. Hugs are fantastic and everyone should hug someone at least once a day.
    

    Anyone? Anyone?? Photo from FurtherEd.

13. Midnight premiers of movies. These are some of the most fun events ever! If you go with a group and friends and dress up for whatever movie it can be even better! Even if you don’t dress up, I assure you there will be people who do and let me tell you, I love those people.
14. Laughter! Whether I’m the one laughing or I was able to make some of my friends laugh, the saying is true: laughter is the best medicine. It just makes things better.
15. Babies and children. I love kids…I just love ’em! Maybe it’s because I have nephews, I don’t know. But what I do know is that they make this world a better place. I love adorable little baby laughs and when kids just die of laughter from being tickled. I also love their view of the world – they haven’t been exposed to the pain the world can cause and so only see the bright, happy things in life. I wish we all still had that mindset.
    

    Brendon and I at the dining hall for chicken tender Thursday!! Photo from me.

16. Family time. Especially being at college and being away from all my family, I love any chance I get with them. A note to everyone: love your family and appreciate them with all your heart – some people aren’t as lucky as you and might not have one.
17. Good hair days. Let’s be real – every girl knows the struggle of trying to make your hair look cute and your hair just not having it for the day. Good hair days = good days.
18. Chicken tender Thursday! Now, no one will really understand this but every Thursday my friend Brendon and I have a lunch date after our class and we get chicken tenders and just talk and catch up on everything. It’s probably the best day of the week and I always look forward to it.
19. Comfy clothes. What can I say except that they’re the bombdotcom.
20. Naps. These busy days and weeks can just take a lot of everyone, so when I get the chance to take a nap where I don’t feel like I should be doing a million other things, it’s a nice time.

So, those are a few things in life that make me happy! What “little things” matter the most to you?

A Promise.

This week I’ve learned some things. To sum it up, I’ve learned to ignore people.

I’m starting to believe that almost everyone in the world is here as an obstacle to us all – pushing us and testing our limits and seeing how just much we can be talked down to or questioned before we crumble. Before we lose faith in ourselves. Before we give up. Before we rethink everything we once believed.

How many times will we be pushed to the ground before we just don’t want to get up anymore?

These are the people we need to ignore. Someone tells you you’re not good enough? Ignore them. They tell you that you’re over thinking things or not thinking hard enough about something? Ignore them. They tell you you’re not good enough, pretty enough, talented enough, smart enough, strong enough, athletic enough, brave enough, caring enough, cool enough. Ignore them.

They don’t know you. They don’t know the struggles you’ve gone through, the battles you’ve fought and won or the battles you’ve lost. They act like they’ve known you forever, know who you are presently, and know who you will be. But that’s a lie. Barely any of us even know ourselves what we’re doing now or what we’ll be doing tomorrow or the next day or week or month or year. They don’t know you and with their current mindset, they never will. So forget about them and don’t give them another minute of your time or energy. It’s not worth it.

Because you know what? In the midst of all of these people who want to push you to the ground…there are people who care.

There are people who want to build you up and show you off. They know how amazing you are and how amazing you can be. They see the best in you and want everyone else to know it, too. Find these people and hold on to them. Because while you’re busy ignoring all the people who apparently know everything about you, you’ll need the people who actually do know everything about you to lean on. You’ll get tired ignoring people’s comments and you might just start believing them. It’ll be those people who stay by your side and remind you of who you really are.

You’re a fighter. You’re beautiful. You’re talented, amazing, goofy, silly, adorable, cute, fantastic, courageous, strong, daring, handsome, kind, intelligent, the coolest of the cool (ice cold!), and perfect. Perfect just the way you are. You know why? Because there is absolutely no one else in the world who is like you. You are completely unique and special and different. Now and always.

The world is rough. You might feel like you’re riding the struggle bus almost every day. It’s okay, I feel the same way sometimes. But on the days where you’ve been pushed to the ground, just remember to get up. It might not be right away. You might have to take a little time to gather your bearings and breathe a little. That’s okay. Just don’t let “them” win. Get up and prove them wrong.

You are good enough. You have always been good enough and always will be.

Promise.

Pinky promise. Photo from jazelblomboy.wordpress.com

Dancing Phalanges

My friend Josh gave me this word to use as my next post so here it goes. The first thought in my head when he gave me this word was “dancing phalanges” from the TV show Bones. If you know what I’m talking about, awesome! If not, it’s okay but I’m not explaining it sorry. Here’s a picture, though…

“Dancing phalanges!” Thanks, Bones.
Photo from Photobucket.

Anyway, phalanges are pretty important body parts. For those unaware, they’re your fingers and toes. Now, just think about how often you use your hands and feet. Pretty often right? You need your fingers to help you write, hold things, type, eat…the list goes on. And as for your toes? Well, they help you walk for one thing. And if you’re talented you can even pick up things with your toes, too. So that’s pretty cool. Now imagine if you didn’t have any fingers or toes. Life would be a lot more difficult. People would have to help you with a lot of things and you would probably feel a bit helpless and useless. No one likes to feel that way and no one should ever have to feel that way.

A lot of people are missing fingers or toes due to birth deformities, war, or freak accidents. Yet, they still go about their daily lives doing what they love. In the beginning, when they lost their finger or toe I’m sure they thought they would never be able to do anything the same way again. But soon enough, they overcame those thoughts and realized they may be missing a ligament but with a little extra effort here and there, they can do whatever they put their minds to.

Nonetheless, these ligaments are not to be taken for granted. There’s a passage in the Bible that talks about how necessary our body parts are and how none of them could do the job of another. An eye couldn’t be an arm, a leg couldn’t be an ear, and so on and so forth. This passage tells the story of something much deeper, however. By talking about body parts it is talking about each person on this planet. Every single person is unique and different and no one has the same exact talents or knowledge as another. Everyone is different and everyone is necessary and needed. To make one body, we need all of the body parts. If we’re missing one here and there, our body can still function, just a little differently. Because that is just a challenge to overcome. Now connect this to the world – we need every person to create a diverse world, but if there’s a bad seed living amongst us, it doesn’t destroy everyone, it just becomes a test of strength and will power. Will you let one bad seed destroy all of your optimistic thoughts and love of the world? Or will you push their negativity and evil out of your mind and out of your life to create a better world for yourself? Basically, how far will you be pushed until you start pushing back?

Funny how you can start with a simple word and end up with such an important thought. Thanks, Josh.

Word of the Day: Whirlwind

I am going to start doing some blog posts where I ask a friend to give me a word and then I write a post about it. The word I was given today, “whirlwind.”

The definition of a “whirlwind” according to dictionary.com is

noun

1. any of several relatively small masses of air rotating rapidly around a more or less vertical axis andadvancing simultaneously over land or sea, as a dust devil, tornado, or waterspout.

2. anything resembling a whirlwind, as in violent action or destructive force.

3. any circling rush or violent onward course.

adjective

4. like a whirlwind, as in speed or force: a whirlwind visit to New York.

verb (used without object)

5. to move or travel quickly.

But the word to me means something a tad different; a tad more like a metaphor if you will. When I think of the word “whirlwind” I think of it in the sense as a range of emotions and someone not being able to figure out exactly how they’re feeling at a specific moment. Or when something happens so fast that it was “like a whirlwind.”

For example, my first semester of college went by so fast it was just a whirlwind of events as I reflect on everything I’ve done. And now that I’m in the first week of my second semester, I’m feeling a whirlwind of emotions because I’m happy to be back but my class schedule is definitely going to present new challenges to me.

Make sense?

I thought so. I don’t feel like I can really say too much else on this word so I’ll just leave it up to you: what does “whirlwind” mean to you?

Death

People die. It’s the sad truth. Every day hundreds, thousands, of people take their last breaths in this world. As a Catholic, I believe in an afterlife of Heaven or Hell. But as a curious human interested in other cultures and religions, I still question if that is the true fate of our souls. I think it would be amazing for reincarnation to exist. For you to leave one life and enter another, completely different life. In a way, that theory even makes sense. After all, how many times have you had a deja vu moment? And I forget what, but I think in some religion it is believed that the cries of being born are the screams of your death in your previous life. I think that’s pretty cool. Thinking about what happens to you after death is intriguing to me, but dealing with the thought of death now is still sad. Still scary.

I feel great empathy when someone dies. I feel the sadness that their family and friends feel. Not to the extreme, of course, but this past year of 2013 had a lot of deaths in it. Of people I knew; of people close to people I knew; and even people I didn’t really know. At my high school we used to stand guard outside, praying over the family and friends of the deceased as they drove to the burial site of their loved one. Being in college, things were different when someone died. I couldn’t just go stand guard outside anymore. At times I couldn’t even be near anyone who knew the deceased. Over break, though, a friend’s dad died. It was a death no one saw coming and I didn’t understand it. I still don’t really. I still think sometimes that the next softball game I go to of my friend’s he’ll still be there coaching on the sidelines. But he won’t be. He was the nicest man and their entire family are some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. When I heard about the death one of the main things in my mind was: “why do bad things happen to good people?” I don’t know the answer and I don’t think I ever will. People say it’s so they can learn from it, but what lesson could be so important  that a death has to occur? I don’t know.

I don’t really like thinking about death or about the people I know who have died because it makes me sad. I try to just think of the happy memories with them or memories that I had heard about them when they were happy but the nagging thought always comes back that I won’t ever see them again. Not in this world, at least.

Every day different people have to deal with the death of somebody. Because, well, people die. And it hurts to see them go and I don’t think that hurt will ever fully go away, but you pretend that it does. You pretend that you’re okay, even if you’re not, because what else would you do? So, the epiphany at hand is simply this: people die, and it hurts. But eventually the hurt will subside because you will realize that something has to happen to us after we die. Something. Anything. Because, as the book “Looking for Alaska” by John Green states, “We cannot be born and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations.”

To all those who have lost somebody: they may be gone from this world, but they’re not gone forever. So smile and enjoy life for them since they can no longer do it themselves. Wherever they are, I assure you they must be happy so you should be happy, too. It’s what they would want.

Overcoming A Challenge

They say people come into your life for a reason. There’s a hidden sentence behind this belief though that we need to pay attention to: people leave our lives for a reason as well.

We interact with so many people in our day to day lives. And before we truly realize it, each person has an impact on us. The ones who get close to us – our family, friends, and significant others…they make an even greater impact in our lives. They change us. Mostly for the good, but sometimes for the bad as well. In the end, though, it is not really them who change us, but it is we who change ourselves. The people come in and give us directions on our life journey and some options for us, but it is ultimately up to us to make the decision of where to go and who to become.

Every single day we make decisions that create an image of what kind of person we are. It’s up to us to make the right decisions. Life is difficult; but it’s been said that we’re never given anything in life that we can’t handle. And the things that come in and make us question this belief? They’re just challenges. That’s all. And anyone would admit that it feels great to overcome a challenge.

For Good

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for good.

Two nights ago, I got to see the amazing musical, Wicked. And let me tell you, it was absolutely fantastic. I wanted to cry tears of happiness it was so good. And as I was watching it, I realized just how many beautiful, thought provoking messages are in this beautiful story. Right now, I just want to focus on one.

The quote at the beginning is from the song, “For Good” which is a beautiful duet between Glinda and Elphaba. They each played a very special role in each other’s lives, even though at the beginning it seemed they were too different to understand each other. As I listened to this song, thoughts of people streamed through my head – people who have changed me. For the better? For the most part I’d like to think so. For good? Absolutely. However, I also like to think that every single person you ever encounter in life changes you in some way. Even that random person standing behind you in line at the store. Humans are quite observant creatures in my opinion and we notice a lot. When people say, “it’s the little things that matter,” it’s the truth. The simple gestures of smiling at someone or holding the door open for another person could turn that entire person’s day around.

Now, just thinking about the recent people who have come into my life and changed it, basically everyone who I’ve met at college has changed me for the better and for good. And let me tell you, I love being home and being on break, but I miss my second-home and second-family from college.

So, who have you met that’s changed you for good?