There comes a time when all of the negativity from your life simply disappears and happiness creeps in with a vengeance.
+ Win first place (or even just place)
+ Graduation
+ Birth of a child
+ Wedding
+ See the light at the end of the tunnel after a struggle
+ Visit a friend or family member after you haven’t seen them in a long time
+ Completion
+ Newness (ex. new house, job, etc.)
+ Closure
+ Peace
+ Family and true friends
+ Realizing how blessed you are
It takes up to eighty muscles to laugh and you can lose about 1.3 calories per minute. There are so many benefits to laughing, so why don’t we do it more? Here are twelve reasons why laughing should be part of our daily intake.
+ Sometimes we laugh to keep from crying.
+ It feels damn good.
+ Pathetic people want to irritate you on purpose. Instead of getting mad, laugh them off or laugh in their face. Whichever makes you feel better.
+ Some don’t know how to be happy, so they make others miserable. Don’t give in. Rise above their misery and laugh because you refuse to join them.
+ It’s good exercise.
+ Because you can. Take advantage of that.
+ Because you’re blessed.
+ Because you’re happy.
+ Because you truly accept happiness in your life.
+ You feel like you deserve to be happy.
+ Out of nervousness.
+ Cause it’s funny.
Remember when you were young (or younger) and didn’t have a care in the world? The only thing you had to focus on was walking, then learning how to read, then finding friends to play tag with you. Only, when you’re that young, you want to be grown. You can’t wait to get your own place, drive with your friends to no place in particular, and get money (not make- getting a job is for suckas).
Now that you are grown, all you want to do is go back to the “good ole days.” Come back with me for a minute.
Remember …
+ Playing Super Mario Brothers on your Nintendo system…that huge gray box.
+ Playing tag and freeze tag with all the neighborhood kids.
+ The tv with the big knobs that made a loud clicking noise every time you turned it.
+ What? What’s a remote, much less a pager??
+ Cross Colours- oh yeah, you remember those long brightly-colored shorts!
+When you were actually scared of your parents.
– What I don’t miss is those biker shorts. Yeah, unfortunately I had a couple- one was hot pink and the other was black with a green stripe on the side. Now how I remember those details but not what I did yesterday is beyond me.
– Fanny packs: Damnit people…if you aren’t participating in sports, let the fanny go!
– Big poofy scrunchies. These died slowly. R.I.P.
What do you miss about your youth?
Not everybody can afford to go on vacation every time they feel stressed. Can you imagine living life without a care or worry in the world? That would be the day. Here’s a list of twenty things that can make a person feel pretty damn good.
+ A warm blanket
+ Watching your favorite movie
+ Pay day
+ Being with family and friends
+ Being at peace
+ The beach
+ Laughing
+ Going to sleep after a long day
+ A massage
+ A sincere compliment or thank you
+ Shopping
+ A new outfit
+ Being able to pay your bills
+ The first bite into Cheescake Factory cheesecake
+ Walking on the beach with no shoes on
+ A promotion or recognition of your hard work
+ Food to die for
+ A great drink
+ Finishing a good book
+ A passionate kiss
What would you add?
Wait…here’s a bonus…a hug from someone special or someone you haven’t seen in a while:) Have a great end of the week!
Nowadays, many relationships are based on trickery. Somebody’s looking for an ulterior motive such as sex, money, or simply using the other person for any type of gain. Some of us have been played so hard that you question every single nice word or kind gesture for fear of more game playing or just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
On the other hand, there are some men and women who are truly mature and know what they’re looking for, so they decide not to play games, but rather state how they really feel about the person they care about. Here are some of the most loving things that you could say to your other half (not in any particular order). *These are only considered sweet and genuine when they are spoken from the heart.
1. I love you.
2. I appreciate you.
3. I support you.
4. You turn me on.
5. I can’t wait to… see you, hold you, kiss you, or any other similar variation.
6. “We” and “us” (instead of “I”)
7. We’re in this together.
8. You make me smile.
9. You are gorgeous or sexy.
10. You are my best friend.
11. I can’t stand being without you.
12. I miss you.
Do you have any that you could add to the list?
It’s the beginning of a brand new year. If you’re like me, you’ve been thinking, “2013- that’s going to be MY year.” New beginnings, fresh start, clean slate. When you think of January 1st, we automatically start thinking of a list of resolutions that we know full well that aren’t gonna make it past January. So what can we do instead? Instead develop short term and long term goals and maybe even a timeline to help you help yourself. {If you literally moaned and groaned about me asking you to do “too much work,” read this article to its entirety first and then decide your fate:)}
What is the point of all this?
The point is to shoot for something. To give yourself direction and purpose. Nobody wants to feel defeated or to walk around and not have a purpose. There’s no better feeling than feeling like you’ve achieved something. A lot of times when we make New Year’s resolutions, we do it verbally. But with goals, these need to be written down and followed step by step. Last year, I wrote a blog about vision boards. These are very much acceptable too. Anything to get your mind and body moving towards success.
Aren’t goals just like resolutions?
Yes and no. Goals can be things that you want to change or improve, but they are also there to hold you accountable. Accountability is so important. That’s your motivation. You put it in writing, so now you have to back it up. Resolutions, on the other hand, can be broken and forgotten within two weeks.
What am I supposed to do with these goals?
Write them out. Be specific as possible but don’t have too many. Too many goals are just like too many rules in the classroom- overwhelming. Create two or three goals and write out measurable steps to get there. Imagine what it would look like if you accomplished your goals and work backwards, if that helps. After you have written out your goals, you need to display them somewhere; somewhere where you can see them all the time. I recently read somewhere that if other people see what you’re working towards, they might hold you accountable too and maybe even check in every now and then to see if you are still on track.
What do you mean by timeline?
Draw up a timeline of when you want your goals met. For short term goals, maybe goal one can be achieved in three months. After that is out of the way, maybe you can write in goal two for the following month, and so on. For long term goals, you could perhaps make a One Year, Five Year, Ten Year spreadsheet instead. Either way, your timeline needs to be visible so that you can see if you’re on track.
Ladies and gentlemen, just look at this as a blueprint of your future and take it from there. You can’t complain about not getting what you want if you sit back and wait for it to come your way. Sometimes you just gotta go out there and get it yourself. Good luck!
I started reflecting back to a conversation that I had with a girl friend of mine yesterday. We were talking about the holidays. How there’s a big build up and then let down once they’ve passed. How people measure their holidays by how big their gifts are. This type of behavior and/or thinking is what leads some to seasonal depression. But that’s not what Christmas is about. Christmas has been so commercialized that the spirit is definitely not where it should be. There are other ways to give and to still feel good about yourself while feeling that true Christmas spirit again.
-Give Love: Hugs, kisses, time, consideration, effort- all that wrapped up in a bow.
– Give to Others: Donate…time, clothes, money, whatever. There’s always someone who is worse off than you.
– Give homemade gifts: My girl friend mentioned this and I think that this is a great idea. Now, it doesn’t have to look mammy-made, but it does have to be creative and something that the person could truly cherish.
Now fellas, don’t go home telling your wife or girlfriend that Klove suggested that their gift should be a hug. That’s not where I’m going with this. What I’m saying is to give from the heart and those are the best gifts that can restore the spirit.
Do most women like jewelry? Absolutely. Do most men like nice cars? Sure. But there are some things that don’t cost a thing but are very meaningful. It’s the simple things, ladies and gentlemen, that lets your mate know that you’re still interested, that you care and love them, and that is the glue that holds your relationship together. Below is a list of things that won’t lead you to the poor house and could bring a smile to your significant other’s face.
+ Smile- Seeing a smile on your loved one’s face is usually contagious (unless it looks sneaky). An easy way to brighten up your day.
+ Favorite picture- Another way to better your mood is to gaze at your favorite picture. Whether it’s a picture of you two together or even a picture of the sun setting over the ocean. Your favorite visions bring pleasant memories.
+ Hug and kiss- Sometimes there’s nothing better than coming home after a long day (or a rough day) and getting a bear hug and a nice kiss.
+ Doing something without being asked- Taking the initiative or doing something without being reminded or nagged about it is appreciative. There are some people who like to nag, but most people would rather not waste their breath reminding you over and over to do something. Please save your partner some time and energy by just taking care of it.
+Text- It used to be that you would send a Thinking of You card or letter. Now a simple, “I love you” or “Thinking of you” text would suffice.
+ Phone Call- Sometimes calling just to say hi or hearing your mate’s voice is just good enough.
+ Cleaning up after yourself- You won’t fully appreciate this one until you walk into an area that you just know is going to be messy and it’s not. Your boo did his/her part by handling their business. Bravo.
What are some of your simple things?
Why is it so hard for people to make friends after college? Is it because we like our close knit childhood friends better than meeting new people? We get comfortable and can’t even picture someone taking their place. Are we too afraid to let people in? Some people get territorial. They believe that they can only have one best friend or maybe just a few and that’s enough. Years ago, I read something that stated that on average, people have three close friends. Now granted, I don’t know if they specifically meant three same sex friends or not, but think about it. When you hear the word ‘friend’ do you have at least three people who automatically pop into your mind? I think that that writer may have been onto something.
Can we not make new friends because we don’t get out much? You seriously have to be involved in something to meet a new friend. Whether it be school, work, church, gym, etc. Not only are you two involved in the same activity, but you also have to strike up quite a few conversations in order to maintain contact and develop something. You can’t just meet someone that day and say, ‘Yeah, let’s exchange numbers so we can hang out this weekend.” Um…no. I don’t know you and I’m not handing out my number to strangers.
So, what are you missing when you close your mind off to meeting new potential friends? You miss living your life. Sometimes friends are only there for a season or a certain part of your life. For example, sometimes you lose touch after you move away from them. You need to have that option of going out with someone, talking to them for hours about your issues, or crying on their shoulder. For guys, you need someone to watch the game with or hook you up with their girlfriend’s friend.
You also miss out on sharing a part of yourself and vice versa. Maybe you never thought someone could ever understand what you’re going through, until you meet your new friend who either embarks on the same journey or has someone close who has. Sometimes it feels so good to unleash your deepest feelings and secrets to someone without them judging you. Now granted, I wouldn’t suggest this at the beginning of a new friendship, but only when they have become a good friend. All in all, I think that we should all try to open our minds and our hearts to the possibility of a great friendship developing. Even though you may have three true best friends, there’s still room for plain ole friends.
Thank you to all who voted last week. The winning topic for September is…Friendship. This is a topic I haven’t touched on too much in the eleven months I’ve been with WordPress. I look forward to addressing various blogs on this subject beginning this Thursday. See you then:)
klove1215 