where i stood

have to admit... i'm not too cukoo for oprah. sure, one can appreciate all the money she spends on other people, all the good she does, and yada yada... but to be honest she drives me a little nuts.
but, for one of my my last college classes however i had to do a presentation on a famous texan. i chose this guy. while he isn't originally from texas he is here now, and that's really all that matters. plus, he is one bamf. the movie version of no country for old men had just come out and the road had been released. and everyone was going crazy for this guy, everyone including oprah. i wanted to show some of the interview as part of my presentation, but the videos weren't convienantly on youtube yet. so i had to sign up for oprah emails galore just to get access to this interview. it was worth it because i got a good grade on my presentation... but i am still paying the price. sifting through weekly oprah emails. why don't i just unsubscribe you ask? because every once in awhile i come across a good article like this one.

10 Ways to Find Happiness from oprah.com

daily i try to do most of these things. of course, i am better at some more than others. but, we all have room for improvement... right?


1. define happiness: what makes me happy is probably completely different from what makes you happy. sleep for example. while i don't know many people who wouldn't love to get more sleep, i don't know many people who go about it the way i do. i would rather go to bed early and wake up early. most of the people around me are the oppostite. i don't like sleeping late. sleeping in to me means up by 8:00 A.M. i know that sounds crazy to most, but it makes me happy to be up early and doing something. i like the morning light. so think about what makes you happy? for me it is thrifted furniture i can paint and make my own, homemade sourdough chicken spinach pizza, and hours spent laughing with the people i love. so i make time for those things. pencil in your happiness (don't wait for it to come to you), and you'll be surprised how many smiles grace your days.


2. accept happiness: no matter the form it comes in. it looks different than you would expect it to once in awhile. so be on the lookout for the little joys in life. nightly before i dive into my current read i journal. i write about daily happenings, questions, wants & needs, and goals. each night (and sometimes in the mornings when i forget) i jot down one thing i am thankful for. it can range from my great grandmother, red velvet cake and clean sheets all the way to being happy that my puppy's bark isn't as annoying as my neighbors'. either way i got to bed smiling. because no matter how bad you think it is... you can always find at least one (if not twenty) thing to be grateful for.

note: started this blog over a year ago... just found it and today i am finishing it. started reading it thinking the stories were from the article. but, then i realized i wrote them. hmmm... turns out i'm pretty good at this.

3. follow your joy: like every teacher that ever was i have difficult days with my students. some days are so bad that i question whether or not i was meant for this line of work. deadlines are missed, children are cranky (heck, i am cranky), and parents are upset. but, then i have a sweet little 5 year old that looks up to me and says "you're the best teacher ever." and i realize of course this is my soul's purpose. i am a teacher. and i am a good one.

4. choose happiness: a while back i took a second job because i could. it is because of this place that i have made a handful of new best friends, that i became comfortable walking around in wunder unders, and that i ran a marathon way sooner than i ever thought i could. there i also learned that we decide what happens to us. our actions, our dreams, our goals, our words, and our thoughts push us in the direction we are headed. if you aren't happy, you're not choosing to be. we have such immense power inside of us and i am still learning to tap into it. but, i'm trying.

5. free happiness: how many times have i had a bad day and tried to reconcile it by buying something? too many to count. but, just because it doesn't cost anything doesn't mean it's worthless. free things can bring smiles too. i've posted before about things i love. just went through the list and found a lot of things that are free.... comfortable silences, good quotes, and french style buns.

6. love someone: i like being busy and i am a chronic people pleaser. most days you will find me at either one or both of my jobs, sometimes enjoying my time there and others overwhelmed with all the other tasks i have yet to check off my to do list. rarely do i tell people no. and i should. i want to be able to run into a friend and sit a chat for a bit, or spontaneously go to lunch, and not have to say "i have to work" when he wants to take me to meet his family. busy is great. people are better.

7. forgive now: i hold grudges. there i said it. but, i am trying to do better. while going through those dark times that light is almost never in sight. slowly i am learning that yes those people did mean things to me... yes i did mean things to those people. if i want happiness now i have to let it go. it's hard but i promise it will make you feel better.

8. vocal gratitude: no matter how sucky it may seem you can find find something to be grateful for. think it. write it. say it. yell it. get it out there. there is goodness all around us. and if we notice those good things more and more the bad things seem less and less. give it a try. having a kitchen sink that drains, puppies playing in the backyard, and a morning off from work. there. that was easy. insta-happiness.

9. beware martyrdom: don't sacrifice yourself. you don't have to give up happiness for anything. it may seem like a good idea at the time... but give it time and it will come back to bite you. i can have everything i want. i can be happy. and i don't have to give up anything to do so.

10. be present: too much of our time is spent regreting something in our past or worrying about something that may or may not happen in the future. let. it. go. be here. right now.

images via 1. diana lemieux 2. nina 3. nicole hill gerulat 4. sweetie pie style 5. my creative fling 6. indie fixx 7. sweetie pie style 8. cathi 9. sweetie pie style 10. kind over matter