Inspiration for the Rest of the Year

photo source

Get off the computer.
Be with people.
We'll be here next year.
*

Just do this:

photo source
Outer beauty can only go skin deep,
but inner beauty can shine all the way out into the world!
Smile, be confident, happy. Shine! You can make the world brighter!
*

Learn Something New Every Day!

I just found this great new website that posts an interesting thing every day --> it makes it hard not to want to learn more! :) check it out: http://lsned.com/

What You Are

photo source

“What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now."
-Buddha

Check out this article on 'what you do now': Do Happy: Start Late

Get some Sun

Winter means less sunlight, and less sunlight means we're more likely to become moody and depressed. Luckily you can realize this before it happens & prevent it from happening by getting outside or sitting by the window when the sun does show it's bright face. :)

Attitude

photo source

"It isn't what happens to us that causes us to suffer; it's what we say to ourselves about what happens."
-Pema Chodron

It's Monday!

Spread your wings and fly!

Don't Complain

photo source

It's getting cold out there, and we're freezing.
Everybody knows it's unpleasant to be cold, and plenty of complaining is going around.
Listen, sometimes it's good to complain - if a solution can come from it. But this cold of winter? Not the complaints of every cold human in the world would help it. So instead of complaining- brace yourself. YOU are a penguin, my friend. You were MADE to survive the cold.
Trust me, other people will be happier not to hear it, and you will even feel better not hearing it.

Inspiration Revealed

I typed "Inspiration is" into google and this is what I got:

Inspiration is magical

Inspiration is the inbreath of spirit

Inspiration is something to have and to hold

Inspiration is everywhere!

Inspiration is 1%, the rest is making it happen

Inspiration is only the beginning of great work

Inspiration is where you find it (...? lol!)

An Inspiration is an inspiration (confirmed.)

Inspiration is an old piano

Inspiration is perishable

Inspiration is wonderful when it happens.

Inspiration is all in the family

Inspiration is just outside your door.

Bad times

photo source

Hey-

photo source

I love the exclamation point!

Be Happy

photo source

"The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter."
~Unknown

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."
~Buddha

Things to do in the snow!

I googled "fun things to do in the snow" and this is what I found:

(something you can do while enjoying your snow day)

Ice cube scavenger hunt
Using food coloring, freeze ice cubes of one color or of several different colors. Hide cubes in the snow in a designated area and let the children try to find them. (LOL)

Footprint tag
Play tag, stepping only in others’ footprints.

Light a fire in the snow
Using dry firewood and perhaps some barbeque starter, start a fire in an open area. If done in deep snow, children will be fascinated to see how the fire gradually sinks deeper and deeper.

Catching snowflakes
Place a black sheet of paper into a freezer until cold. Take outdoors and use a magnifying glass to view snowflakes that land on the paper.

Winter wildlife detectives
After a fresh snowfall, look for animal tracks and try to figure out which animal made the tracks.

Have a snowball fight!

Go Sledding!

Be creative!

Light candles and watch movies and drink hot cocoa!

Friends

photo source
Do something with a friend today. Remind them that they're fun.

French Proverb

Après la pluie, le beau temps.

After the rain, comes the nice weather.

Whatever you may be struggling with or stressing out about, you'll get through it, the storm will always pass. :)

Bear With Me

I wanted to make Saturday a little more fun.
I love teddy bears (and real bears), so I thought I'd make a picture post.
Maybe they'll inspire smiles. Heehee..

click cartoon for enlargement. :)

Hey YOU!

Yeah YOU!

You're a great person.

Just think of how far you've come!

Don't forget it, either.

Something I Found, Inspiring

photo source

I was going through my feed on twitter, and specifically paying attention to the inspirational tweets by tinybuddha. Usually it's a thought-provoking quote, but many times there are links to articles. This one, which I have lovingly copy-and-pasted for your convenience, I felt I needed to share.

***

5 Rules for Life

by Lori Deschene

When I first sat down to write this piece for 5 Rules for Life, I wrote Live without rules five times, each followed by a reason to keep your approach to life flexible. The way you live is largely a reflection of where you’ve been, who you’ve been, and the beliefs you’ve formed. Who am I to create a cookie-cutter hard-and-fast code that makes sense for everyone?

That’s when I realized I’d need to make a sixth rule to introduce these ideas: judge my words, and anyone else’s against your own reason and moral code.

Buddha said, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and common sense.”

The Dalai Lama echoed that sentiment with, “The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.”

Be critical. I invite it. These ideas help me, and they may or may not help you.

With that, I give you five guidelines that have helped me feel happy, fulfilled, and meaningful:

1. Be honest with yourself.

One of the most valuable skills you’ll learn in life is the ability to call yourself out—when you’re playing it safe because you’re scared to fail, or maybe even scared to succeed; or you’re closing off your heart because you’re afraid of being hurt.

In the moment it feels comforting. You can do what you always did, and not push yourself into unfamiliar territory. But we tend to regret the things we didn’t do more than the things we did.

Don’t lie to yourself about your instincts or motivations. It may feel safe in the moment, but it will one day grow into regret about who you could have become.

2. Let yourself be vulnerable.

I once felt there was nothing more terrifying than letting go of control. I held a tight grip on who I really was because I wanted to shape other people’s perceptions of me. I had a very limited list of approved adjectives: smart, kind, talented, successful, awesome.

I don’t love knowing someone may form a different opinion of me. But it’s liberating to honor where I’m at in any moment, and let people decide for themselves what they think about that. When you’re willing to be seen as someone who makes mistakes and has flaws, you’re essentially telling yourself being human isn’t something to be ashamed of.

People may sometimes form judgments. But they’ll respect your authenticity, and they may learn to let go a little themselves—something that can be a tremendous relief.

3. Live in accordance with your values.

Everyone has a different idea of what’s important, and what it means to be a good person. If you try to align your life with someone else’s values, you’ll likely feel unfulfilled.

If your main source of joy is spending time with your family, would it really make sense to take on a high-paying job that limits the time you can spend with them?

Make a list of the cornerstones of your happiness, and then take an honest inventory of your current situation. Does it parallel the priorities you listed?

4. See as much as you can of what’s right in front of you.

People often live life caught in two mental strongholds: regret for the past, and worry for the future. In looking back on the years I’ve lived so far, I know I’ve spent more time engaging in those activities than truly being present.

Whenever I catch myself, I check in with my five senses and experience what’s in front of me as fully as I possibly can.

I notice the details. Hear the sounds. And seep into the moment. I know I won’t do this all the time, but it adds up to create more time truly living in the now.

5. Treat yourself like you want other people to treat you.

It happens all the time. You don’t get a job, you start reviewing all your failures. You hurt a friend, you start beating yourself up.

We make mistakes, and we always will. As long as you acknowledge them, make amends as best you can, and learn from them there’s no reason to stop treating yourself with kindness.

Other people will take their cue from you. You decide how you deserve to be treated.

***

Find more inspiration like this on the tinybuddha blog!

Make the time!

A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent.

(can you tell we are coffee lovers? haha)

Make time for someone special today to help get yourself in the holiday spirit of love and sharing - whether it is done sharing a holiday drink, watching a heartwarming film, decorating the house or make holiday crafts is up to you!

Happy December!!

photo source

Another new month, and the last of the year!
December- ah! The brisk, chilly, holiday month best spent indoors, all snugly.
And now for the inspiration:
Today (and tomorrow, if it works), ask yourself,
How can I make today better?
Better than yesterday, better than it's been, etc.

Keep it fun!
*