Do more of what makes you happy

“Do more of what makes you happy”

-Unknown

Simple. Right? I have this quote as my desktop background, and it makes it really hard to sit down and study. However, I think that it can be quite motivational as I now that once I finish my course, I will be better equipped to do what I enjoy, which is to help other people. Not to mention, I will have more free time and better job prospects. Sometimes, doing what makes you happy can mean looking to the future and ensuring future happiness. I mean, how unhappy would I be if I failed this last part of the course, and the whole year of hard work was for nothing? I would not be happy at all. So, studying and doing the hard work right know, will make me happier in the near future than if I ignored my coursework and failed my course!

However, do not always put of your happiness for a rainy day. Do small things each day to make you happy, even if they are very silly. Try at least one of these today;

1. Spin in a full circle on your desk chair at work. 
2. Unsubscribe from that annoying email that fills your inbox (not one that is necessary for work though!)
3. Jump on your sofa when you get home.
4. Have your dessert first. 
5. Do a cartwheel in the garden/park. 
6. Give a friend a hug. 
7. Watch a funny youtube video (don't get sucked into the crazy youtube world of funny cats; you will never get out!)
8. Put on that slightly brighter eyeshadow/lipstick.
9. Look around you when you commute to work or school; were those flowers always there? isn't that doggie so cute? aww look at that baby! Trust me, it will brighten your day. 
10. Plan a cheap day out; a picnic or a hike with friends. 
11. Be a tourist in your own town; find out things that you never knew (you will seem super smart next time a relative or friend comes to stay!)
12. Buy some bubbles and blow them out of your window!
13. Slide across the floor in your socks!

What are the little things that make you smile? Things that you don't have to do, they just happen. Like a movie with a great soundtrack, when the train doors stop right in front of you, or watching a child figure something out. Let us know in the comments!

In the meantime, have a look at this website for inspiration; Just the Little Things

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!

London

“Everyone in L.A. is very positive and upbeat, whereas London can get quite miserable at times.”

         -Sienna Miller

I know this isn't the kind of person that I usually take quote from, however, I have found this quote to be true. Although the one and only time I have been to LA I was about 10 years old, I can definitely confirm that London can be a very miserable place. The further into the city you go, the less people even look up from their own newspaper or magazine on the train. Although you do get a small minority of Londoners who are quirky and smiley, the vast majority are in such a rush that they forget to take in the small pleasures around them. 

One such man on my train today was having none of this, and had come along armed with his guitar and beautiful voice. He go onto my carriage on the Underground and proceeded to inform the passengers that he was neither homeless nor drunk, but had simply set himself the challenge of making londoners smile. He then sang a few songs and gave out a few sweets and then left the train, presumably in order to catch another train and make someone else's day. 

The moral of this post is not to encourage you all to start a musical on the train system (although if you are brave enough then go for it) but to send a smile someones way, or pay a colleague a compliment when you would normally be too shy. It is the small things like this that will make London, and anywhere else, a happier place. 

Spread the happiness!

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!

To define is to limit

“To define is to limit”

     - Oscar Wilde

Have you ever thought of yourself as 'the shy one' or 'the silly one'? Does this stop you from speaking out or taking yourself seriously? I often define myself as a shy person, and in the past this has stopped me from answering questions that I knew the answer to, or putting myself forward for something that would be beneficial to me. But I have recently decided to take away all of the labels that I have given myself and to see what I can do. 

What about your skills? have you ever said to yourself that you are not artistic? or not sporty? Seeing yourself, or having others see you as bad as something, doesn't mean that you cant still do it if it is what you enjoy. If you enjoy colouring, then buy a colourng book or sketch pad, it doesn't have to go on display in a gallery!

See if you can let go of your self-definitions today. Can you break down a barrier that you had put up around yourself? Even better, see if you can help someone else to break through their barriers. 

Make someone feel confident today!

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!

We were all meant to shine, as children do

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. You playing small does not serve the world, there is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in you, it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

      - Marianne Williamson

This quote has been my favourite quote since I saw it in Coach Carter years ago. I put on the film one evening, not knowing that it would forever change my mindset. Shrinking so that others wouldn't feel insecure was my default, but no longer. 

As you go about your day, remember that outwardly being as bright and happy as you feel on the inside can inspire other people to do the same. Remember that a smile is more contagious that a frown; that a one second smile in a strangers direction can change their mood for hours afterwards. 

Playing big and reaching for the stars is just the kind of infection that we all need at this time of year!