New Feature: How To Live a Happy Life

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the most exciting things about taking the blog full-time is introducing several new features. Today, I’d love to debut one of those features: How To Live a Happy Life. Part inspiration tool, part collaborative effort (more about that in a minute…), this series will be all about helping you live a happier (and less stressful!) life. With tips and tricks, it will be you — reinvented. Speaking of tips, and to get things started, here are a few of my tried-and-true perk-me-ups…
 
Make it a great day or not – the choice is yours

My mother is a seventh-grade teacher, and a few years ago, the school principal began saying this every morning at the end of the morning announcements. I scoffed at it for years, but it really does make sense. We sometimes can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. Don’t let people – or situations – bog you down unnecessarily. In the end, it’s just not worth it.

Surround yourself with the people (and cats!) you love
I’ve been blessed with an incredibly supportive group of family and friends. They’ve stuck by me. I know everyone says this, but I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my mother. She’s been an incredible rock of love, support and comfort. I’m amazed at how she does it sometimes. And, of course, our two beautiful cats, Harry and Stella, make every day an adventure for us.


Keep going in the face of adversity
Having a physical disability, I’ve faced some pretty tough times. I’ve had 27 surgeries, been hospitalized more times than I can count and could probably recall every medication I’ve ever taken. But you know what? Those moments, even the ones where I felt hopeless and frustrated and “just wanted to be like everyone else,” pushed me even harder to keep going. I was determined to live my life and wasn’t going to let my disability stop me.

Write for you
I graduated college in 2005 with a major in journalism. I’ve always loved writing and the power of creative expression. My mom claims I wrote my first beautiful piece, a poem, in third grade. Writing has a way of being very therapeutic for me. I’ve been able to put my story, my life, on paper and not be afraid of what people will think when they read it. There’s something incredibly freeing about that. I’ve made a vow with myself that I won’t shy away from anything in my writing, remain true to myself and above all, write with honesty.

What do you think, friends? Here’s where you come in: What’s your secret? I’d love to hear it, and even feature your advice in a future post! Feel free to email me (mellow1422 [at] aol [dot] com) if you’d like to be a part of this series. I’ll also be reaching out to some of my favorite bloggers. I can’t wait to hear from you, friends! xoxo
 
Update: Thanks to Elsa, we’ve got a name for the series…In The Pursuit of Happiness. What do you think? Thanks, Elsa! 🙂


[Photos via We Heart It]

An Open Letter To The Class of 2012

Dear Classes of 2012 the world over:
Well, it’s here. Your graduation. Today is quite a big day for you. You may have been waiting for this moment your entire life. Or maybe you’ve been dreading this moment since your sandbox days. Whatever your feelings about today, there’s no denying that it is a huge milestone for you. Whether you’re graduating from high school, college or even medical school, you aren’t the same person you were on the first day you walked through the doors of those hallowed halls. Life has changed. People around you changed. You’ve changed. Those first two things? Well, those might not be very hard for you to get used to. But that last one — you know, the one where you look in the mirror and realize just how much you’ve grown and changed and how you’re not the same person you once were? That one is a little harder to wrap your head around. How did it all happen, seemingly in the blink of an eye? You tried everything to make those moments last forever, but somehow, time still escape your tight grip.

In some ways, your life is just now beginning. But always remember this: Life, contrary to what Facebook will try to get you to believe, is not a timeline. Your life — it’s not linear. Yes, you will have many moments of moving forward — in your career, in your relationships — and trust me, those times are going to feel exhilarating. You’ll feel on top of the world. And then other times, you’ll find yourself taking two steps back; these times probably won’t make you feel as on-top-of-the-world ecstatic. Honestly, you might even feel like crawling into a hole and hiding from the world forever. But, don’t do it. Even those not-so-glorious moments help to make you the person you’re supposed to become.
Life is a funny thing — you can’t look forward without at least looking back, if only a little bit. So, whatever you do, enjoy this thing called life every single step of the way. After all, it may feel like a topsy-turvy roller coaster every now and then, but I guarantee you that it’s all worth it. Every last moment of it.

[Photos via We Heart It]

It’s Graduation Week!

As I mentioned last week, I’ve got a theme week planned for this week that I’m quite excited about. In just five short days, my sister will be walking across the stage at her college graduation (I couldn’t be more proud!), so I thought this week would perfect for some graduation-themed posts — everything from ideas for celebrating the special day to sharing some personal stories.

Let’s start the week off with a fun question, shall we, friends? When was the last time you graduated from something? College? A cooking class? An exercise class? Do you know someone who will be graduating in the coming weeks? xoxo

Worrying tips

Last week, we talked about worrying — that nasty little habit that, if left unchecked, will run a muck and quickly become larger than life. Well, all your anti-worry tactics were so wonderful that I thought today would be the perfect day to share some of them…

“I try to breathe and remember good things. I also try to distract myself, which may not be the healthiest tactic of dealing with issues, but sometimes the most effective!” —Mandy

“I find that when I let go and get lost in my artwork, I lose my worries during that time. It’s absolutely relaxing and comforting for me.” —Danie

“Worrying has never gotten me anywhere. I realize that not everyone is spiritual or practices a particular faith, but I’ve found that surrendering that worry in some way, whether one believes in a higher power or the fact that everything always works out somehow, is quite comforting.” —Alyx

“Sometimes when I have tons of things on my plate at once, I begin to become preoccupied with what I will do about the situation, but when that happens, I force myself to stay busy with things that I love doing and spend time with the people I love. I’m happy to say that most of the time I am able to not worry, because in the end nothing is accomplished or made any easier by worrying.” —April
Thanks for these wonderful tips, everyone! I’m going to keep them on hand for the next time I come down with the worry bug. What tips would you add, friends? xoxo

[Photos via Le Love]

Question of the Week: Question #18

Have a question? I’d love to hear it, so feel free to email me (mellow1422 [at] aol), friends! Today’s question comes to us from Shannon, who asks…

You have mentioned in past blogs that you don’t drink. I was wondering, is that for medical reasons, social stigma, or just because you don’t like it? Have you ever drank before? Do people in your family drink?
The short answer: No. I don’t not drink for medical reasons. I don’t not drink because I’m a recovering alcoholic. Truth be told, I’ve never drank before. I know that’s not the most popular answer for someone my age, but honestly? I’ve never understood the allure of drinking. There are too many instances where said drinking has gone beyond what would be considered social drinking and into the danger zone — the kind that leave you stumbling and mumbling and running off to Las Vegas looking for the next available Elvis impersonator. What is appealing about that? I’d much rather wake up in the morning and remember what happened the night before than have zero recollection of anything. That would terrify me. Yes, some may think this is being a prude, but I suppose what is comes down to is not wanting to lose that control that comes with alcohol-induced inhibition. Because, really, you can enjoy anything just as well sober as you can when you’ve kicked back a few — is that the correct term?

Now don’t get me wrong. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve developed my share of vices in my 30 years. At the top of my list is that pesky little devil known as retail therapy. It’s evil, I tell you, pure evil. In fact, I’ll be indulging in it today. I can shop with the best of them. So I suppose we all have our unhealthy habits, don’t we? I guess drinking has just never been one of mine. Besides, being less than 4-feet tall, it probably wouldn’t take too much to get me tipsy… xoxo

[Photo via Le Love]