Make the Homeless Smile

“We have come dangerously close to accepting the homeless situation as a problem that we just can’t solve.”

     - Linda Lingle

These two guys are absolute HEROs for starting this trend. I think that this is absolutely incredible and I have no other words that could possibly describe how I feel right now! 

Please help to continue this! But be safe; always go with a friend, not on your own!

#ProudToLove

“Gay Rights are Human Rights”

      - Hillary Clinton

Shouldn't we all be proud of the people we love, and proud to share that love with the world! Some people feel unable to share their love, either because they feel ashamed or people feel ashamed of them. There shouldn't be different rules for different people, everyone should have the same opportunities to love who they want. 

Be proud of who you love, and be proud of your friends for who they love, because don't you want them to be happy?

#ProudToLove

Be the best version of yourself that you can be, and help others to do the same!

Amazing People!

I am absolutely in awe of these people and these images! It is just such a wonderful thing to see, and I hope that it happens a lot more than people realise. However, perhaps it doesn't happen that often. In which case, we need to help the world around us! 

21 Pictures that will restore your faith in humanity

Have you ever walked past a homeless person and thought; 'I'm not going to give them money, they will just spend it on drugs or alcohol!'? That is true, they might spend it on drugs or beer... so why not buy them some hot food, or give them some clothes that you don't wear anymore?

Have you ever seen children or adults in deprived countries walking around with no shoes when the ground is boiling hot or covered in broken glass and cigarette butts? Did you think to yourself; 'They are used to it, it's fine' just to comfort yourself? They might be used to walking around with no shoes, but it doesn't mean they should have to! If you are going travelling, towards the end of your holiday, give away some of the things that you won't wear back home, like sandals, hats, or water purifiers; they can change someones life. 

One of the easiest, but most over looked thing of all is; Saying Sorry! This is one of the easiest, and often most sought after acts. Saying sorry for something that you have done, meant to do but didn't, or something that an organisation has done can mean the world to someone. All you have to do to see this is look at the first picture in that list. 

Make someone's day today. It will make your day to see them smile!

Share your happiness...

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

      -Buddha

This quote just..... it just makes sense. Happiness doesn't cost anything, happiness doesn't diminish when you share it, and happiness doesn't hurt anyone! So express your happiness and see the impact that it has on others. 

Someone might be secretly worrying about their stressful workload, or just be having a bad day. Expressing your own happiness can make them momentarily forget their worries and feel happy for at least a second!

So, share your happiness and see what happens!

"Happiness is like a butterfly...."

“Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Wait. That is how some people may interpret this quote. Wait patiently and happiness will come to you.

I believe that what Nathaniel Hawthorne meant was that if we are going to chase happiness to the ends of the earth, we will always be left wanting more, but if we take a moment to appreciate everything that we have, we will see that we already have a wealth of things to be happy about.

What are you happy about today? Perhaps your house is not the perfect house, but it is still a roof over your head. Maybe your job is stressful or boring, but it still provides you with food and money to pay the bills. Perhaps your children don't bring you the paper on a lazy Sunday morning, but they still love you unconditionally.

If you aim for a perfect family that will never argue, never leave a mess, and never nag you, then you risk destroying the imperfect family that you have in the process of reaching for 'perfection'. If you manage to just about pay for that perfect house, you may find yourself struggling to put food on your 'perfect' table.

Look around you and take in what you have.

Remember, this world isn't perfect, but that doesn't mean that we can't be happy. Most people are on a quest to be happy, which is brilliant; but not if we by-pass happiness on the way!

Leave a comment saying what you are happy about today!

Things to try this week...

Here are just a few things that may bring a smile to your face and put a spring in your step this week! They may seem obvious, but are often overlooked!

1. Work through some of the small tasks. They may seem insignificant in comparison to big tasks, but they all add up and having them done will be a huge weight off your shoulders!
2. Break down the big tasks. The big tasks often seem to daunting to approach, but breaking them down into a few smaller tasks will make them much more manageable. 
3. Dance the chores away! Okay, so dancing wont make the chores go away, but it may make the time fly. When you are mopping or hoovering the floor, turn up the volume and dance while you work! This is a big hit in my house!
4. Give yourself some space. By tidying the piles of paper on your desk you will automatically feel calmer and will be able to think straight. Putting things in piles is not technically tidying, but is a lot easier than putting them away and often has the same effect!
5. Find an activity. There must have been an activity from your youth that you no longer do. Picking up an activity that used to bring us happiness can bring us happiness again. If you are no longer able to do the activity then try a few new activities until you find something that you enjoy. Staying active is the key to staying happy!
6. Do something that is just for you. This is the one that is most often overlooked. At least once a week, or even once a day, do something that is just for you; have a relaxing bath, do cartwheels in the garden, buy a colouring book and work your way through it. Do something, anything, to make yourself happy. 
7. Smile. Even a fake smile, if held for a few minutes, will improve your mood. Even if it doesn't, it may make someone else smile. Smiling is infectious, and by extension, so is happiness. Spread your joy!

By making yourself happy, you automatically help other people on their path to happiness. Eventually this will spread until we have a nicer world to live in! That is the dream!

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies”

      -Aristotle

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!

Love is so important, that I don't think anyone can live without it. I don't think that Valentine's day necessarily has to be about showering your loved one with presents, or feeling guilty for not doing so. I think that today is a day to assess your social life and your appreciation for the important people in your life. 

How often do you say thank you to one of your friends for doing something that seems natural to them, such as picking you up from work, or helping you buy someone else a present? How often do you initiate social events or coffee dates with your friends? If it is not often then perhaps they might feel that they are doing all the leg work and come to find it tiresome. 

Today is a day to appreciate everyone in your life, not just the person that you feel is your soul mate. 

For that matter, I also do not believe that each person has one soul mate. Doesn't it seem much more magical to think that you aren't with this person because it was pre-ordained, but because you chose them and they chose you out of all of the potential partners that were out there? Show appreciation and love for the person that you chose. 

Not just today, but today especially, show how much you care about your partner, your friends, and your family. Show how much your care about yourself. Allow yourself to have an extra five minutes in the bubble bath. Give yourself an extra chocolate biscuit with your cup of tea. Paint your nails that daring colour that you haven't yet tried. 

You deserve it, and so does everyone else!

Most folks are about as happy as they allow themselves to be...

“Most folks are as happy as they allow themselves to be”

      -Abraham Lincoln

Sometimes, I find myself feeling guilty for being too happy. That is crazy. We should be able to be as happy as we feel. 

When something good happens to us but something bad happens to others, even if it is completely coincidental, we feel guilty for being happy. If we feel happy, we should allow ourselves to be happy; similarly, if we feel sad, we should allow ourselves to be sad. There is nothing healthy or strong about bottling up how we feel. 

Some of the things that people perceive to be weak, such as panic attacks or anxiety disorders, can be symptoms of being strong for too long. Sometimes the symptoms of such disorders manifest themselves because people bottle up their issues and feelings for so long that they manifest themselves in physical symptoms such as fainting, sweating, and heart palpitations. 

Allow yourself to let out your feelings; positive or negative, and to embody exactly how you feel in the moment. Be happy when you feel happy or be sad when you feel sad, and don't feel guilty for expressing yourself. 

"There is more to life than simply increasing its speed"

“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed”

      -Mahatma Gandhi

Have you ever found yourself counting down the days until the weekend? What happens when you get to the weekend? It speeds by and suddenly it is monday again. 

Why not appreciate the days as they go by? There are only so many weeks in our life, and if we wish them all to speed by, we will find ourselves on a porch, in a rocking chair, unable to enjoy our free time. 

Try looking forward to a Monday! See how many people you can inspire each day. How many people will catch your infectious smile? 

Happiness is contagious. Have you ever noticed that if someone is criticising an idea, you find yourself picking the idea apart, but if someone is excited and psyched about an idea, you find yourself being excited and psyched as well? Be the one to spread the excitement. Be the one to spread the joy!

We often want to rush through the commute, but try using it as a time to catch up on reading, or listen to music, or prepare for the day. We often want to rush through the boring jobs like tidying or ironing, but try putting on loud music while tidying and dance around while doing it, or putting a good movie on while ironing. 

Dont wish away the weekdays until there are none left. It sounds cheesy, but enjoy everyday as if it was your last, because in all honesty, we never know what is coming tomorrow!

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”

      -Mother Teresa

This quote has recently inspired me. When people come to you needing something, then we should try our best to help them. If someone asks for directions, try your best to point them in the right direction. If a homeless person asks you for money, try buying them some food rather than dropping a penny on the floor in front of them. If you see a mother struggling to wrangle her kids and carry the shopping, offer to help with the shopping bags (I would't recommend offering to help with the kids as this may make her feel bad as a mother!)

Try to help people as best you can. 

Sometimes, people don't look like they need help. They may be having a normal day. Try to make their day extraordinary! Offer them a simple smile, or compliment their clothing or organisation. Bake cakes for the office, as a little treat, or organise a few drinks after work, just because you like to hang out with colleagues. 

Simple things can make someone's day!

Try to make someone happy today!

Be the change

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world”

      -Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi certainly lived by this quote; leading India to independence, and inspiring non-violence, civil rights, and freedom across the world. 

We can all learn a little something from this gentleman! If you want to see something change in your world, you need to be able at least kick-start this movement. 

If you are feeling down or bored, pick up the phone and call a friend for a chat. If you are feeling uninspired, pick up a colouring pencil and see where it takes you, and if you are feeling like your voice doesn't matter, then pick something that you are passionate about and start a blog!

Small steps can lead to big changes without you even realising it! 

A lot of the time, we complain about the state of the places that we live in but don't do anything about it. For example, how many people complain that the youth of today do not respect their elders, but then fail to help the poor old lady with her shopping bags? How many people complain that the gap between the poor and the rich is too large, but then tell the homeless man that they have no change?

I am not saying that we need to start a revolution, but doing something small each day can change the way you think. I recently read, in a text book, that we should not try to change the way that we think in order to change the way that we act; but that we should change the way that we act in order to change the way we think.

So, I am putting this question to you; What have you done today to make yourself proud?

If only we stopped trying so hard to be happy...

“If only we stopped trying so hard to be happy, we could have a pretty good time”

    - Edith Wharton

I think that this quote speaks for itself. There are so many people, myself included, that spend so long searching for happiness that we miss the little things that happiness comprises of. 

We are taught through the media that we need a big house, nice car, and fancy clothes in order to be happy, therefore, we all try to get big, important jobs in order to pay for these things. 

But how many people are truly happy once they get there? If I had that much money and that many material things, I would be looking over my shoulder, worrying that someone was going to try to nick it!

How many of you stop to enjoy the sun on your face, or the feeling of gravel crunching beneath your shoes? 

Little things can build up to a lifetime of happiness. Appreciate life as it goes by, or you may miss it altogether.