Getting There

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"Most of what you do with your free time revolves around habits, so you’ll have to make a habit of working toward your dreams. Developing new habits takes time, diligence, and practice."
-tinybuddha

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!
:)

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. Then always keep the door open, so that opportunity doesn’t have to knock.

Also termed as "planned happenstance" it is your responsibility to "create your own luck" instead of waiting for things to magically fall into your lap (they won't). You have to initiate your own luck by taking positive action to create opportunities for yourself. Remember that the good things in life are earned :)

If you're interested in reading some articles about this topic, I have a few I could recommend :)

The Statement You Are About to See is a Complete Lie

You do not need any more money than you have right now (even if that means none) to be happy. Really!

Why?

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Don't push off your opinions or feelings.

source:weheartit

Inspiration from tinybuddha.com/blog

Do Happy: Look Longer

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for a minute?” ~Henry David Thoreau

You’re riding on the subway, immersed in a book. You’re running in the park, lost in your iPod. You’re waiting in line at Starbucks, fixated on the menu.

Sometimes we act like we’re completely alone, even when surrounded by lots of people. It’s like we’re following an unspoken rule that suggests we shouldn’t look at each other, at least not for too long.

It happens all the time: you suddenly make eye contact with someone you don’t know, and your discomfort compels you to avert your eyes. If you do manage a smile, it’s probably perfunctory, without real joy and affection behind it. Those are emotions you reserve for people you know–people you’re more intimate with.

Some studies have indicated people who live in cities are less apt to make eye contact with strangers than people who live in suburbs. This may be a response to crowding; when you feel you don’t have enough personal space, you’re more protective of it.

If there’s truth to that hypothesis, it’s somewhat ironic. You move to a city to experience the life that pulsates through it; and respond by shutting down in everyday situations.

Resist the urge to shutdown. Instead of walking with your eyes glued to your feet, hold your head high and connect with people. Really see them and let them see you. If you’re not a confident person, connecting for more than one second may feel incredibly difficult. Just try.

When you make a genuine connection you acknowledge the person in front of you is real and worthy. You remind both them and yourself that no one operates in a vacuum. That the world is so much larger than the constructs we operate within: our families, our teams at work, our friends. And lastly, you foster the type of spirit that stays open to possibilities.

When you look a little longer you see more–more in other people, more within yourself, and more within your reach.

Do happy. It’s something you’re due.

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I found this article especially insightful and fresh. I hope you do too.

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Indifference is the strongest force in the universe. It makes everything it touches meaningless. Love and hate don't stand a chance against it. - Joan Vinge

Inspiration for the Rest of the Year

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

Be Happy

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"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

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!

Get A Head Start

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In the spirit of Thanksgiving, make a list of all the things you are thankful for. I'm telling you now so that by the time Thursday rolls around, you'll have had enough time to think about it that you can really appreciate it (maybe even share your list with someone?). It can be short and simple, or long and specific. It doesn't even need to be a list. It could be a short essay. It could be a poem. Anything that makes you mindful of your blessings, for a further purpose:

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."
-W. T. Purkiser

INSPIRE

Happy hump day!

Make it meaningful.

If You Haven't Already,

Do yourself a favor and read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
It is the most inspirational book I've read.

Happy Mid-Week!
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p.s. If you have read this book (and ONLY if you have read it already), you should go here. :)

Living the Dream

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I have the dilemma that I know I should start living my dreams... but when? I can't right now, or can I? Here's your alarm: DO IT TODAY! If you dream about being an artist, try some drawing today. If you dream about being a chef, cook a meal today (barely any ingredients? Use them creatively!), if you dream about dancing, well, dance!
Make some time to live your dreams today.

Have a good one!
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The Fun Theory

Got an idea that seems too unrealistic? Well, these people didn't let that stop them!

Looks like it's just the two of us...

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Write a letter to yourself.

Sometimes we hate ourselves, or feel guilty, or self-conscious, and no one else can really understand or help us through it.
Write a letter to yourself.
Write out your concerns, the way you would talk it out with someone you know really well.

This idea actually came to me today, when I was sitting, feeling lonely
and I remembered that I shouldn't be depending on other people to cheer me up.
Happiness comes from within.
Looks like I have some quality bonding to do with myself.

If you need help getting started, try this:

Dear [your name here],

I have some important things to tell you...

Let yourself be happy.
You deserve it.
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p.s. Happy Birthday to Katie!

Befriend Yourself

It's important to be able to enjoy spending time by yourself because you are the only one that you will spend your whole life with, no matter what. Ask yourself these questions:

Can you entertain yourself when you are alone?
Do you look forward to spending some quality time with yourself?

Could you go to a movie by yourself, and still enjoy it?

Could you go to dinner at a restaurant by yourself?

Do you challenge yourself and do things purely for your own benefit?

Could you survive on a remote island by yourself? (Wilson!)

Just something to think about..