Category: happiness

I found this article through a link roundup on The (now gone) Toast and of course I was going to read “7 Ways To Make Your Day A Little Bit Better” because I always like to read how to improve my life–until the advice sounds too hard or involved. But these? They’re all really smart and small and actionable, even if you’re lazy about self-improvement. My favorites:
 

1. Learn something new
Every single day, look for an opportunity to expand your knowledge. Listen to a podcast, read an interesting article, learn something from a friend. Remember, everyone you meet knows something you don’t.

4. Fortify yourself
Actively decide to eat well, move more and sleep better. Every bite of food, every extra step and every extra hour of rest has a significant impact. Your everyday decisions affect the quality of your health and life.

6. Do something meaningful
No matter how small, do something that somehow improves the world. It may be as simple as picking up a piece of garbage on the street.

(via Pinterest, of course)

The idea of “softening” has been on my mind since my last yoga class. I like this addition of “lovely”–it reminds me a little of the “Saint Francis And The Sow” poem, where “everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing.”

(Yoga! Deep thoughts! Self-blessing! It is Hippie Thought Thursday, after all.)

Here are some deep thoughts about having a choice (via Mystic Mamma)

Life, as you know it, is not all roses. If there are thorns, you don’t have to keep on pricking your fingers and getting your heart hurt over and over again. You are not obliged to keep the hurt.

If you ride on a train that does not take you where you want to go, get off the train and take one that takes you where you would like to go. You do not have to stay on the same old train. You are not obligated…

If you take out a book from the library, and you don’t like the book, you don’t have to read it, or read it over and over. You do not have to be loyal to that which does not nourish you…

Be your own free agent. Bless yourself. Bless everything. Then transcend what does not add to your happiness, let it go, or think about it in a different way. Do not keep unhappiness to you. Make room for happiness.

About a year ago, I started writing down three things to be happy about every day (inspired by this book). I was fighting the winter blues and mired in first-world problems (“I don’t like my commute.” “I want some new shoes.” etc.) so I thought I would try to switch my focus to things like “Rain on a stream.”  “Daylilies as big as my hand.”  “Oatmeal and dried fruit”. “Seeing a hawk.”

It’s been a good exercise to remind me there is ALWAYS something to be happy about (even if two out of the three things are some variation of “my health” and “Toby.”). So happy Thanksgiving. Be safe, be joyous, be grateful–and I’ll be back Monday.

My little nephew Skyler loves balloons. This has inspired my dad to learn how to make balloon animals for him, thus earning the title of “Best Grandpa Ever.”

Making balloon animals had come up in the past and I’d guessed that YouTube had some tutorials. But Dad found a local clown (literally; I’m not being mean) who teaches classes and got instruction first-hand. (He also got a red nose to wear while making the balloon animals.) Then Dad had to go to a place called House Of Chuckles (!) to get a supply of animal-making balloons. And now he’s practicing every day so he can surprise Skyler with new animals every week.

I’m really resisting italics here because every part of this story delights me. You know what else is delightful? This monkey. And my dad. 

Part of what makes winter so hard for me is getting up in the dark. Last year I discovered that there is such a thing as a “dawn simulating alarm clock” that gradually gets lighter and lighter to wake you up to an already-lit room. 

I didn’t buy it last year because it was a little expensive and apparently I hated myself and wanted to be sad for another season. But not this year! Meet my new best friend:

I’ve only had this since Monday but I already love it. (Toby, however, has still not figured out how I am turning on the light while still in bed–I need to explain timers and sleep science to him.) This is totally me in the mornings now:

If you buy it, your bedroom will glow with the light of the sun and you’ll wake up with perfect hair and makeup, too

I got mine at a little bit of a discount on Amazon. Check it out right here.