10 little ways to be happier.

Sing. 

Let go of your guilt. 

Treat everyone with respect. 

Admit your flaws. 

Surprise people. 

Kiss. A lot. 

Remember that trouble doesn't last. 

Be still. 

Look at the stars. 

Be as ridiculous as you like. 

I know ONE too many people who need to read this right now.

 I'm not naming any names but, you. And you. And you.

"You can hold tight to facts or truths that you know, despite the buzzing “what-ifs” that fly around you. In a way, you can walk forward stronger and more assured because you are putting faith in yourself being okay with any outcome. You can’t control people or what they do, and you can’t make everything happen perfectly in life. You can however, assure that you feel okay and peaceful throughout all of it.

Take comfort in the knowledge that you will be okay. No matter what. You are strong, you will take care of yourself and heal, and you will grow stronger every day." — Sarah May Bates

Photo: Nurzada Saltanova

Survival Secret

10 absolutely great things to work on.

Good morning. Happy Monday. Wanna work on somethings with me this week? Cool. 

Count your blessings.
Never stop trying to improve.
Be your own superhero.
Aim higher.
Contribute.
Sleep in when you can.
Be compassionate.
Listen.
Give yourself time off.
Be enthusiastic.

Photo via: Crush Cul de Sac 

Beating The Winter Blues...

I once read in a magazine (I read a lot okay and I can't remember what magazine or what issue it was so sorry I can't be all AP citation right now) that happiness effects are longer-lasting when you spend money on something beauty-related (like new makeup, or a new hair-do) rather than something material-related (like a new pair of jeans). I do not know how one measures this sort of thing, but it makes sense doesn't it? Buying clothes is more of a one-time instant gratification while new makeup, a bright red manicure, or in this case, a great blowout gives you a little bit more swagger in your step. Treating yourself to something like this is a great way to beat winter blues, which, I don't know about you guys, but that crap hits me hard sometimes. 

So when I saw Joanna from A Cup of Jo post this article, I did an "Ugh!" Yes this sounds exactly like an "Ugh!" of disgust, but it's more "Ugh! Right on, sista!" JoAnna took herself on a solo date (also a big advocate of these) to Drybar, a salon that exclusively does blow-outs; aka the most genius idea ever to come into existence the end. 

It's so great to get out and do something just for you every once and awhile. Plus, how hot does she look?

Before...

 They bring you a fresh cup of coffee while they do your hair. ("Is this real life?!?" -- Me, if I ever go there.)

Ugh! .....There I go again. 

Other ways to treat yourself: 

• Go to a yoga class
• Buy yourself a chocolate milkshake. (The good kind. I don't care if you have to go to a restaurant and order it to go.) Then come home and turn on trashy TV.
• Buy yourself a new perfume. And actually take time picking one out that you really, really like. 
• Buy a positive print to hang on your wall. Like this one.
• Make this. Cry over how good it tastes. Have it for breakfast. 'Cause you can. 

5 Things I Found Today (The January 23rd Edition)

• Craft and DIY PORN. I'm sorry, there's just no other way to describe it. 

• This is the world's biggest treehouse. And it's in America. And I'm going. 

• Pictogram movie posters. Can you guess what films they are without looking?

• "Skillshare's mission is to flip the notion of traditional education on its head and democratize learning. They believe that anyone can be a teacher, and everyone has valuable knowledge and skills to share." (Swissmiss)

• The 10 funniest commercials of all time. 

10 Commandments For a Good Life

(From Marc & Angel Hack Life)

I.  I am not perfect and I will not try to be.

Think of how many things don’t get done in this world simply because people are waiting for the perfect time, place and circumstance. The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists.  It rewards people who get things done.  And the only way to get things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time. 

ll.  I cannot, and will not try, to please everyone.

No matter what you do or how you do it, there will always be people that disagree with what you’re doing.  That’s life.  So don’t try please everyone.  Simply do what you know is right. And remember, it doesn’t matter how many people don’t get it, it matters how many people do.

III.  I will take part in something I believe in.

IV.  I will prioritize my obligations and do important things first.

It’s the only way to turn a dream into a reality. 

V.  I will choose my friends wisely.

Your friends are family you choose.  So make sure you choose friends who are worthy of your time and attention. Surround yourself with people who reflect the person you want to be.  Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it.

VI.  I will help others when I am able.

In life, you get what you put in. When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life.  The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.

VII.  I will focus on the positive.

Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  The mind must believe it can do something before it is capable of actually doing it. The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.  Regardless of how a situation seems, focus on the next positive step forward.

VIII.  I can only be me.

Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.”  Live by this statement.

There is no such thing as living in someone else’s shoes.  The only shoes you can occupy are your own.  If you aren’t being yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing.  And ask yourself this:  If you don’t like who you really are, why should I like you?

Trying to be somebody you’re not is not sexy.  Be you.  That’s when you’re beautiful.

IX.  I will be here now.

Life is happening right now.  Instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, practice being and living in the present moment. Remember, right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.  Right now is life.  Don’t miss it.  

X.  Life never gets any better, only my perception of it does.

The world around you changes when you change. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.  The opposite is also true.  The choice is yours to make.

Photo via: Alice & Olivia

50 Things to Give Up Today

1. Give up trying to be perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.  
2. Give up comparing yourself to others. – The only person you are competing against is yourself.
3. Give up dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future. – Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.  Right now is life.  Don’t miss it.
4. Give up complaining. – Do something about it.
5. Give up holding grudges. – Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.
6. Give up waiting. – What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow.  Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action.
7. Give up lying. – In the long-run the truth always reveals itself.  Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.
8. Give up trying to avoid mistakes. – The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.
9. Give up saying, “I can’t.” – As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”
10. Give up trying to be everything to everyone. – Making one person smile can change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  Start small.  Start now.
11. Give up thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
12. Give up setting small goals for yourself. – Many people set small goals because they’re afraid to fail.  Ironically, setting these small goals is what makes them fail.
13. Give up trying to do everything by yourself. – You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with.  If you work together, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone.
14. Give up buying things you don’t need. – Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you.  Do not spend to impress others.  Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects. 
15. Give up blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can live your dream life depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
16. Give up making mountains out of molehills. – One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
17. Give up trying to live up to the expectations of others. – Work on it for real and exceed your own expectations.  Everything else will fall into place.
18. Give up the ‘easy street’ mentality. – There is too much emphasis on finding a ‘quick fix’ in today’s society.  For example taking diet pills to lose weight instead of exercising and eating well.  No amount of magic fairy dust replaces diligent, focused, hard work.
19. Give up making promises you can’t keep. – Don’t over-promise.  Over-deliver on everything you do.
20. Give up letting your thoughts and feelings bottle up inside. – People are not mind readers.  They will never know how you feel unless you tell them.
21. Give up beating around the bush. – Say what you mean and mean what you say.  Communicate effectively.
22. Give up avoiding change. – However good or bad a situation is now, it will change.  That’s the one thing you can count on.  So embrace change and realize that change happens for a reason.  It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.
23. Give up your sense of entitlement. – Nobody is entitled to anything in this world.  We are all equal.  We breathe the same air.  We get what we give.  We get what we earn.
24. Give up waiting until the last minute. – Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.
25. Give up being dramatic. – Stay out of other people’s drama and don’t needlessly create your own.

Read 26-50 here. 

How to Restore Your Faith in Humanity

• "Take a stroll around a park on the weekend. You’ll see families picnicking, children playing, dogs barking, squirrels nutting and smiles smiling. Parks are such a feel-good place. Go with friends, family or go alone. Either way, be observant and open to the happiness that’s around you.

• Watch a really great movie. I mean, a really great movie. Like Saving Private Ryan or Schindler’s List or Young Frankenstein. Movies about the good in people during the worst of times. Or how even the scariest of monsters can have a heart. Also, come on, Gene Wilder? How can he not cheer you up?

• Watch Military Homecomings. You can find them online or with Billy Ray Cyrus on TLC. I decided to look some up to make it easy and I’m just bawling like a baby now. 1, 2, 3 (seriously, you guys better love me, I’m dripping tears all over my computer), 4, 5. And now you all need to pitch in to help me buy a new computer and more tissues.

• Listen to sad music. Yes, sad music. Research shows that when we listen to sad music, chemicals in the brain are released that are similar to the chemicals released when we cry. These chemicals act as a tranquilizer and calm us down. Enjoy The Smiths and The Perishers. You’ll mope and wallow in the melancholy of it all and then you’ll slowly start to feel better. Once you do, put on something upbeat and joyful like Duran Duran or Noah and the Whale or Kate Nash. And then just dance your ass off.

• Go volunteer. A little more effort than the last few ideas? Perhaps. But if you’re not a typical volunteer type (which is okay, not everyone is!), start small. Clean out your closet and donate clothes to your local shelter or Goodwill. Empty your pantry of some canned goods and take them to a food bank. Or get down and dirty and join an organization to plant trees, clean up trash, read to underprivileged children, anything! There’s tons of ways you can help out, even if you just want to donate some money online.

• Save virtual clippings. Create a bookmark folder called “Faith In Us” or “People Dun Good” or “I LOVE WORLD!” and fill it with news articles, blog entries and other items you find around the internet that restore your faith in humanity. Share stories of  good deeds in the comments and then bookmark this page so that when you’re feeling down, you can come back and remember that people do good things all the time.

• Never forget that those who cheat, steal, lie, hurt, destroy and kill are the minority. There are more people interesting in helping than there are interested in hurting. More people came out to clean up than came out to destroy. "

-- from Made of Air

Say Something Nice

I love being reminded that there are some really great people out there. Plus this whole idea is fantastic. 

Dear Seeking Wisdom,

Dear Seeking Wisdom,

Stop worrying about whether you’re fat. You’re not fat. Or rather, you’re sometimes a little bit fat, but who gives a shit? There is nothing more boring and fruitless than a woman lamenting the fact that her stomach is round. Feed yourself. Literally. The sort of people worthy of your love will love you more for this, sweet pea.

You are not a terrible person for wanting to break up with someone you love. You don’t need a reason to leave. Wanting to leave is enough. Leaving doesn’t mean you’re incapable of real love or that you’ll never love anyone else again. It doesn’t mean you’re morally bankrupt or psychologically demented or a nymphomaniac. It means you wish to change the terms of one particular relationship. That’s all. Be brave enough to break your own heart.

When that really sweet but fucked up gay couple invites you over to their cool apartment to do ecstasy with them, say no.

There are some things you can’t understand yet. Your life will be a great and continuous unfolding. It’s good you’ve worked hard to resolve childhood issues while in your twenties, but understand that what you resolve will need to be resolved again. And again. You will come to know things that can only be known with the wisdom of age and the grace of years. Most of those things will have to do with forgiveness.

Don’t lament so much about how your career is going to turn out. You don’t have a career. You have a life. Do the work. Keep the faith. Be true blue. 

You cannot convince people to love you. This is an absolute rule. No one will ever give you love because you want him or her to give it. Real love moves freely in both directions. Don’t waste your time on anything else.

Most things will be okay eventually, but not everything will be. Sometimes you’ll put up a good fight and lose. Sometimes you’ll hold on really hard and realize there is no choice but to let go. Acceptance is a small, quiet room.

Your assumptions about the lives of others are in direct relation to your naïve pomposity. Many people you believe to be rich are not rich. Many people you think have it easy worked hard for what they got. Many people who seem to be gliding right along have suffered and are suffering. Many people who appear to you to be old and stupidly saddled down with kids and cars and houses were once every bit as hip and pompous as you.

The useless days will add up to something. The shitty waitressing jobs. The hours writing in your journal. The long meandering walks. The hours reading poetry and story collections and novels and dead people’s diaries and wondering about sex and God and whether you should shave under your arms or not. These things are your becoming.

One Christmas at the very beginning of your twenties when your mother gives you a warm coat that she saved for months to buy, don’t look at her skeptically after she tells you she thought the coat was perfect for you. Don’t hold it up and say it’s longer than you like your coats to be and too puffy and possibly even too warm. Your mother will be dead by spring. That coat will be the last gift she gave you. You will regret the small thing you didn’t say for the rest of your life.

Say thank you.

Yours,

Sugar

*Photo via: Wholesome Scraps

5 Things I Love Today -- The November 29th Edition

• The ultimate, ultimate guy's wish list. 

• Hip-hop/breakdance, ballet and disco, all in one. 

• 45 things you can learn online for free. 

• Since it seems like so many people I know are getting married lately (!): How to have a happy wedding

• A peek into the mysterious “black box” that is the algorithm for Google Search.

Photo via: Glitter Guide

5 Things I Found Today (The October 24th Edition)

• How to: design a flag, make perfect scrambled eggs, be a sniper, and talk like a 21st Century American

• The best TV, movie, and video apps. 

• Live Matrix is pretty much the TV Guide for the internet.

• For anyone with an inner travel bug. 

• Popeye's was out of chicken: 

Image via: Sorellina 

Three Minute Philosophies

I love when cartoons make me smart. 

I also feel with the beginning of school here, ew, I need to start the process of flipping my brain switch back on.

Now I secretly hope I'm at some event where someone brings up Kant's Catagorical Imperative and I can chime in, "OHHHHH yesss consequentialism, blah blah blabbity blahhhhh, [smart things] blahhh." 

....I think I said that with a British accent in my head. 

Surviving Your Early 20's

A nice little reminder and reality check from Stylecaster, and Anne Hathaway: 

"The idea that EVERYONE is enjoying his or her early 20s is generally accepted and perpetuated by society.

Youth and beauty are king, not to mention fleeting, so the pressure is ON. This pressure becomes compounded by the sense that everyone else is having the time of their lives!  Your friends are constantly tweeting pics up in da club, checking in via Foursquare at the lounge du jour and boasting of late night shenanigans on Facebook. Suddenly you come down with a nasty case of FOMO (fear of missing out).

When/if this happens remember: perception is reality. No one endures their 20s without suffering at least one major break-up, surviving off $20 for weeks on end and having at least three nightmare gigs before they get their dream job. We're all just little squirrels trying to get a nut—often fighting over that same nut. OK, I'll let that one go.

The good news is: this passes. The moments that seem catastrophic now will honestly be laughable in a few months. And it's important to remember that those feelings of awkwardness and insecurity afflict EVERYONE, even stars like Anne Hathaway:"

"A lot of what aging has been for me...has been about finding confidence. And a lot of being confident is just slowing down, being still...thinking before you speak."

Ghandi's Top 10 Fundamentals For Changing the World

5 Things Worth Putting Off Whatever You're Doing (The August 7th Edition)

• First thought: holy HELL this is so cool! Where is this? Europe? Second thought: THIS IS IN MINNEAPOLIS?!?! Yes friends, this photograph was taken behind a frozen waterfall at Minnehaha Falls.

• A lot of folks compile "life lists". Whether they follow through with it? Mehhhh...hey I'm not here to judge. Here's how to create a life list you'll actually do. 

• While we're on the topic of bettering ourselves...here are 100 ways to uncomplicate your life:

• I've had a bit of a travel bug lately, so I was quite pleased to find my next netflix queue: 10 movies that inspire wanderlust:

• LOOK AT HIM! LOOK AT THE LITTLE GUY! This Northern Fur Seal was found starving and barely half alive. This video is him being released back into the wild. At time 0:03: "Hi." Look how happy he issssssss. I'm dying. I'm mush. 

365 Simple Pleasures

Via Marc & Angel Hack Life: 

1. Songs that bring you back to great moments in your life.
2. Sleeping right next to someone you truly love.
3. Accidentally overhearing someone say nice things about you.
4. Laughing so hard you don’t even make any noise.
5. That instant when the thing you didn’t understand suddenly makes complete sense.
6. Those random good-hair days when you just feel beautiful or handsome.
7. Kissing someone and smiling at the same time.
8. When you drop something and then swiftly grab it in mid-air before it hits the ground.
9. When questions on an exam give away the answers to other questions on the same exam.
10. The feeling you get when a group of friends all laugh really hard at one of your random jokes.
11. Making a completely random guess and getting it right.
12. Waking up, realizing it’s the weekend, and curling up for another thirty minutes of sleep.
13. The bittersweet feeling of finishing a really good book.
14. Finally getting to sleep in your own bed after being away for a few weeks.
15. Correctly guessing an old password on a website you haven’t visited in awhile.
16. Waking up all by yourself a minute or two before your alarm goes off and feeling well rested.
17. Seeing a best friend you haven’t seen in awhile and picking up right where you left off.
18. When someone tells you “yes” when you expected them to say “no.”
19. Sitting outside during a thunderstorm. The sound of the thunder, the flash of lightning and the smell of rain to remind you of the beauty of nature.
20. When you’re hot under your bed covers and you stick one leg out from under the covers to cool off.
21. The sudden silence when you pass under a bridge on the highway when it’s pouring rain outside.
22. Realizing you were smiling the entire time you were talking to someone, right after you hang up the phone.
23. Laughing hysterically with your friends, then pausing momentarily, looking at each other, and then laughing hysterically again.
24. When your significant other kisses you when they think you are asleep.
25. Taking the perfect picture.
26. An unexpected compliment from an unlikely someone.
27. When someone around you randomly starts laughing and even though you don’t know why they’re laughing it makes you laugh too.
28. Popping bubble wrap.
29. Listening to someone else’s heartbeat.
30. The feeling you get when you’re just waking up when you’ve gotten enough sleep.
31. The kind of friend you can say “I love you” to without implying anything but a deep platonic friendship.
32. Seeing two elderly folks who are madly in love. It’s a sight of love that has surpassed the tests of time.
33. Finding something you made when you were a kid.
34. Hanging out with your closest friends and just being able to feel comfortable in your own skin around them.
35. Being next in line.
36. When you succeed in doing something someone said you were incapable of doing.
37. Wind blowing through your hair.
38. The feeling of ‘clicking’ with someone else’s personality instantly, and being able to talk about anything even if you’ve only known each other for a few hours.
39. When the song on the radio ends right as you pull into the driveway.
40. The humble feeling of accomplishment you get after you fix something that was broken.
41. When you wake up before your alarm and you have enough time to go back to sleep for awhile.
42. Pulling into your neighborhood after a long road trip.
43. Randomly catching a glimpse of your reflection in a window or mirror and liking what you see.
44. Seeing the person who makes your heart race, even if it’s just for a few seconds in the hallway.
45. Hearing a new song you really like and then downloading it and listening to it over and over and over.
46. A certain smell that instantly takes you back to another place or time in your life.
47. Crossing things off your to-do list.
48. Seeing somebody use and enjoy a gift you gave them.
49. When the beer or soda foam goes up out of the glass, but doesn’t spill over.
50. Being able to tell someone some genuine good news.
51. The good pain of stretching your legs after sitting down for a long time.
52. When someone scratches an itch on your back for you.
53. When your dog or cat follows you all over the house.
54. The moment you see that you actually got a really good grade on a test or term paper.
55. When you accidentally say something that rhymes.
56. Making momentary eye contact with a cute stranger.
57. An honest relationship. No secrets. No lies.
58. Running warm water over your hands when you have a chill in your body.
59. People who make you smile just by thinking of them.
60. Realizing there’s nowhere else you would rather be right now.
61. Seeing a double rainbow.
62. Taking a ridiculously long nap and feeling like a million bucks when you wake up.
63. When you realize you have finished everything way ahead of schedule and can do whatever you want for the rest of the day.
64. Looking at a digital clock and seeing a series of numbers, like 12:34, a pair like 10:10, or 11:11.
65. Cleaning up your room and finding something that brings back brilliant memories hidden at the back of a drawer.
66. The way the sun shines through the leaves of a tall tree.
67. The exciting feeling you get when you’re getting off the plane in a city you’ve never been to before.
68. Receiving a surprise hug from behind by someone you were looking forward to seeing.
69. When nobody else uses the public restroom the entire time you’re in there.
70. The feeling of a fresh mouth after you brush your teeth.
71. Being on the beach at night.
72. Getting a second chance.
73. Waking up early and going someplace, like the beach or a park, and being the only one there.
74. Having a really great day with a friend you haven’t spent time with in ages.
75. Sneaking your own food and drinks into the movie theater.
76. Waking up to good morning texts from someone who makes you smile.
77. Changing into clean, dry clothes after you’ve been swimming for awhile.
78. Hearing a song that seems to be written about exactly what’s going on in your life right now.
79. That weightless feeling you get after a good cry and knowing you’ll be ok.
80. Hearing a song that you haven’t heard since your childhood and realizing you still know all the words.
81. When you make eye contact with a friend from across the room and you both automatically smile.
82. When someone unexpectedly remembers your name.
83. The “butterflies in your stomach” feeling of a new romantic relationship.
84. Waking up from a weird dream and remembering every last detail.
85. When your roommate goes away for the weekend and you have the whole apartment to yourself.
86. When you finally yawn after an airplane flight and your ears pop back to normal.
87. Scoring 100% on anything.
88. Driving fast over a small hill in the road.
89. Falling in love with someone.
90. Turning right to the book or magazine page you were looking for.
91. When you and a close friend finish each other’s sentences.
92. When your jaws and cheeks ache from too much laughing.
93. Seeing rainbows through your yard sprinkler.
94. Hitting all green lights while driving when you are in a rush.
95. Singing and dancing around the house with music blaring when no one is home.
96. When your birthday lands on the weekend.
97. When a red light turns green right as you were slowing down to stop.
98. The cold side of the pillow on a warm summer night.
99. When that meeting or event you didn’t want to attend suddenly gets canceled at the last minute.
100. Waking up after having a great dream and just laying in bed thinking and smiling.

. . . See all 365 here. 

{photo via: Design Love Fest}