happiness
Happiness, defined; things that help you find happiness, keep it, and share it with others.
Good Things Jar 2018
The idea came from something I saw on the interwebs near the end of 2017. The idea is to keep a jar (any old jar will do) and pop in a note once a week about something good that happened. The final intention would be to open up the jar on the last day of the year and read about everything we had done.
By Sapphire Ravenclaw7 years ago in Motivation
I Was Trapped in My Own Life
I work 80 hours a week. That’s right—16 hour shifts, an average of one day off a month, and a constantly rotating schedule that has left me in the last six months feeling often that my life is not under my control. I live in a constant state of exhaustion, dehydration, and chronic pain that I haven’t been able to get to the doctor to find the cause of. On multiple occasions as an absolute zombie on my fourth 16-hour day in a row, hands shaking holding my coffee (the only thing that keeps the physical exhaustion at bay) I have walked down the street towards the T and genuinely considered stepping out into traffic. I’m not suicidal—but the thought is always there. “If I die, this will be over. I don’t have to do this anymore.”
By Iris7 years ago in Motivation
Am I Adulting on the Right Track?
Do you remember the days when you used to say, “I can’t wait to grow up!” because adults seemed to know what they’re doing all the time? It’s like they always look so confident and poised, knowing exactly what to do and what’s happening around them. They are like the know-it-alls. Those walking dictionaries.
By Sookie Ng7 years ago in Motivation
Beyond the Horizon!
I did my first freefall skydive when I was 18 years old, two instructors latched either side of me and my very own parachute mounted to my back. It was a navigator 200, I knew nothing about it but it was on me now and I had to put my full faith in it to work. This was my AFF level 1, the first step to achieving my skydiving licence and had put me £300 out of pocket. Now for some £300 might seem an insignificant amount of money but for 18-year-old me who had just failed to get into university, worked long hours for little money, and had no real plan for the year ahead, it may as well have been my mortgage. Think how many times you've punched your pin number into the keypad of a card reader or ATM and tell me, how many times did that change your life? That one transaction, that £300 was perhaps the best decision I've ever made. Right here, in this moment, nothing was going to be the same again and as I sat on that aircraft with the door about to open, my life supposedly about to be revolutionised, all I was ready to do was sh*t my pants. The only thing that would be changing that day would be my underwear.
By Eoin Black7 years ago in Motivation
Push, Push, Push
I push, push, and push. I push my body way past my limitations some days and I still feel like I'm 10 steps behind my peers. I don't know what else I can do. I'm trying to continue, merely survive, but I don't know how to keep up in this busy world. No matter what I do, I’m left feeling exhausted and the things I will try are not enough to add up to the things someone else has already done.
By Courtney Frazer7 years ago in Motivation
The Key to Freedom
You see, the desire is to leave. To leave, in a sense, everything: electronics, the pile of unneeded clothing, and the "necessities" that aren't even necessary. The longing is to leave behind the material that is not truly a part of life. The longing is also to part with the places, the people, and the feelings that are no longer needed to live a happy life.
By Ellen Gibson7 years ago in Motivation
That Control Freak
“I have driven down this piece of the highway many times. I really should know it with my eyes taped shut. Something just doesn’t feel right though.” Why does it feel like I am going the wrong way? As I converse with myself and Diesel; who isn’t paying me much attention, other than to see if I have something like a quick snack that he can partake in. I glance at my phone’s map and then quickly back at the bright green luminescent signs meticulously spaced on the interstate. Looking at one, then looking at the next mile marker. Yep, going the right way. It just feels like I am headed in the wrong direction. Way, way, way back of my mind I knew why I felt this way, I was just to scared to be honest with myself for fear of what my family, friends or any other person who thought they were entitled to an opinion about what I should do with my life or what I should do would think. Of course, they know what’s best for me! Wait, do they really? Do they know what the desires of my heart are or how miserable and unfilled my life feels? Do they really know what makes me happy, what gives me joy? No, not really because they haven’t taken the time to ask what I want. Their intentions are in the right place, they only want to protect me and see me succeed according to the time old formula of how people succeed. Go to school, get a degree, work, get a home, pay your bills and if you have something left over then you enjoy yourself going somewhere temporarily, but right back to the habit of life. So, I sat there with eyes full of tears because I knew that while I know consistency and stability are important that is not the life I have ever seen myself existing within; not the same robotically programmed life that most people live. When I did it often lead to me feeling incomplete and like I was going through the motions, something was always missing. I had always felt like God gave me all these wonderful abilities and I am just supposed to hide them, sit on them because others couldn’t see? That can’t be right. I had to decide, either continue to settle and be miserable or get uncomfortable and at least try and see what happens. So, I called one of my best friends and gave her the run down of what I just experienced. Not at all surprised by her response she replies, “V you know what that means?” Like a little girl wanting to throw a temper tantrum; because I didn’t want to hear those words, although I knew exactly what she was referring to, without her specifically stating, but I didn’t want to face it. Facing it would force me to make a decision that went against what other people thought. I dreaded that, I was so fearful of that. That—standing up for me, taking a chance on me, going against the grain.
By Altavise Walker7 years ago in Motivation
Reaction Is Everything
I was in a car accident today. I am ok. I was rear ended on the way to work. As I was driving, I noticed the car behind me was a little close, thought to myself, she should go around me. Then she seemed to back off. I felt a little better.
By Vincent Graziano7 years ago in Motivation
The Most Chaotic Year of My Life Helped Me Become 'Me' Again
2018—I literally started my year with a 48 hour stomach bug. Looking back on the year I had, I find symbolism in my 48 hours of vomiting (not to be crude, just telling it how it is). My year was an emotional hell, with what seemed to be one problem after another, losing people from my life I did not imagine ever losing and even losing a part of myself I had become so comfortable with. Much like throwing up does for your body, 2018 violently projected all toxic and bad things out of my life.
By Paranneting/Anne Reboa7 years ago in Motivation
Happy Illusion
Are you happy? Tell me. Think. Are you feeling alive, cheerful, joyous, poised and the very many adjectives that describe the beautiful mood you’re in? You’re not? Why? For how long have you not been happy? Is it something bad? Did something happen? Do you care?
By Gourav Bhattacharya7 years ago in Motivation
